Cannabis legislation, changes to the Municipal Governance Act and amalgamation are among topics Turner Valley’s new CAO expects to face in the coming months. Todd Sharpe began his role as chief administrative officer for the town of about 2,500 people on May 14 and is looking forward to addressing the range of issues ahead of him. Sharpe took the job in the Foothills after working as Medicine Hat’s parks and recreation general manager, seeing it as a great career advancement and an opportunity to move closer to family. “The opportunity in Turner Valley was a perfect marrying up of both of those circumstances,” he said. “I felt that a CAO position in a small town was the next logical step. Instead of being in charge of one department I’m in charge of the full operation.” Immediately upon stepping into the role, Sharpe was impressed to find the operation of the town has been well maintained despite the community being without a CAO for five months. Former CAO Barry Williamson retired in early January. “We are in a good place,” Sharpe said. “It’s not like we’re playing catch up. The staff here did an incredible job keeping things going in the absence of the CAO.” Although Sharpe worked with a bigger budget in the larger Medicine Hat, he doesn’t expect the tasks ahead of him to be less work. He added that after looking at the capital and operating budgets he feels the town is well funded. “I think the residents here, in comparison to others, do very well when it comes to the level of amenities and maintenance,” he said. “It’s well serviced.” Sharpe expects to spend the first month learning about the facilities, getting to know the staff and council and meeting people in the community. “It will probably take many months to understand how things work and be completely comfortable in the role,” he said. “Establishing a close working relationship early is really important to me.” Sharpe’s long-range plans involve looking at the Town’s operations. “Is the structure of the organization set up to deliver the services to the residents that they expect?” he said. “Is it the best structure to do that?” A priority on Sharpe’s list in the coming months is accommodating the changes to the Municipal Government Act. “Some of those deadlines are staring us in the face,” he said. “I will be meeting with council in the next couple of weeks to have them reinforce what their main priorities are.” Another time-consuming project is dealing with the legislation surrounding cannabis. Municipalities are tasked to come up with guidelines and zoning for the upcoming legalization this summer. “Obviously the federal and then provincial governments will have some minimal guidelines but ultimately the enforcement, zoning and bylaws will be at the municipal level,” he said. “There will be an opportunity to speak to the public to make sure they understand and have a chance to have some input. Cannabis is certainly at the top of the list.” What will be unique to Sharpe is working closely with another town when it comes to policies and procedures. Black Diamond and Turner Valley developed the Friendship Agreement to collaborate on projects to help streamline services and save costs. “I’ve always believed that’s the way we should be operating with our neighbours,” Sharpe said. “If you’re able to raise the municipal boundaries and look at things relationally what’s the best solution regionally and operationally.” Sharpe said he’s impressed with how far the communities have come in sharing resources and aligning their services. “I don’t expect any of that to change,” he said. “ We’re starting on the right foot and will continue with those relationships. Sharpe said he not only looks forward to his role as CAO, but also taking advantage of the outdoor experience the Foothills can offer. “Obviously it’s an outdoor paradises and I happen to be that type of person,” he said. “I like doing all things outdoors – golf, camping, hunting, hiking and quading. I certainly will take advantage of that privilege while I’m here. The greatest addition is the ready access to all of the outdoor adventures that this area provides us with.” “I spent a lot of time in the Foothills and Rockies recreationally. The Turner Valley Black Diamond area is known as quite an oasis.” Turner Valley Mayor Gary Rowntree said he is pleased with what Sharpe has to offer the Town. “He brings a lot of experience to it and knowledge,” he said. “Even though he wasn’t a CAO he’s certainly up to speed on it. He’s familiar with the critical parts of operating a town of our size.” Rowntree said he’s impressed that even before Sharpe officially started he was already looking into things relating to the job. “He familiarized himself as best he could before he even started,” he said. “We’re just glad to have him here. We’re glad that he has started. Heather (Thomson, interim CAO) is working with him closely to bring him up to speed.”
