Stirling mayor’s monthly message for August

Submitted by Stirling Mayor Trevor Lewington

Council considered a number of administrative motions at our August meeting in response to a recent report from the Municipal Accountability Program or MAP. Representatives from Alberta Municipal Affairs visit with communities with less than 5,000 in population once every four years to provide guidance on compliance to the Municipal Government Act. Two representatives from the MAP team visited Stirling in June to review processes and paperwork with the village office team, as well as observe a full council meeting. The Government of Alberta made a number of changes to requirements for municipalities in 2018-2019, as a result of amendments to the province’s MGA.
A total of 29 recommendations were provided to council for discussion with a requirement we provide an action plan to complete any necessary changes within one year. In some cases, the requirements are simply to capture information in an official format like passing a motion to officially designate the location of the village office. In other cases, changes to several bylaws are necessary to meet new legislative requirements imposed by the MGA. You can obtain a full copy of the MAP report from the Village Office if it is of interest.
Sgt. Kevin Wright, commanding officer of the Raymond RCMP detachment, presented his quarterly report to council at our August meeting and provided an update on key cases being investigated. There has been a minor increase in theft and property-related crime in the last three months. Residents are encouraged to ensure cars, sheds and homes are always locked and properly secured when not attended. Residents are also encouraged to report all crimes, no matter how small, to ensure the RCMP are fully aware of what trends are happening in our community. You can report concerns and non-emergency minor incidents to the 24-hour complaint line at 403-752-3351.
On a related note, Citizens on Patrol or COP continues to gather momentum in our area. Volunteers have banded together to support a COP organization that includes Magrath, Raymond and Stirling. Councillors Kevin Nelson and Matt Foss have both completed training shifts and have seen first-hand the great work being done by this group.
COP is a community-based crime prevention initiative, which works in co-operation with the RCMP and other law enforcement agencies. For more information or to volunteer you can check out the “Citizens on Patrol: Raymond, Magrath & Stirling” page on Facebook or for more information call Shane at 403-394-5652 or Amy at 403-681-6446. Training for new volunteers is provided.
Our 12th Annual Fall Festival will take place on Sept. 14. Keep an eye on the village website for a full poster of events and other activities taking place that day. Rumour has it there may even be fireworks if the weather co-operates!
Another exciting event in September will be the official Grand Opening of the newly modernized Stirling School. Mark your calendars and come out to show community support on Sept. 17 from 5-7:30 p.m. Alberta’s Education Minister Adriana LaGrange is scheduled to join us to help mark this important occasion.

Get More Westwind Weekly →