Kevin Hanson – Division 1
Rocky View Foundation Strategic Planning
Rocky View Foundation is the Housing Management Body for the Rocky View area tasked with supplying affordable housing for seniors from Airdrie, Bieseker, Cochrane, Crossfield, Irricana, and all areas of Rocky View County. The second session of strategic planning being facilitated for the Foundation by Bespoke Consulting was completed on May 19th with the Foundation’s CAO Carol Borscheneck and the Board in attendance and participating in the planning exercises.
As part of Bespoke’s planning methodology, both one-on-one interviews as well as location-specific focus groups meetings were conducted between the Board’s first brainstorming session (Visioning), and our second planning and priority setting session (Strengths, Opportunities and Aspirations). Bragg Creek was very well represented with both one-on-one interview input from key stakeholders, as well as a very strong and vocal focus group with about 18 people in attendance, compared to turn outs of 6-8 people for other population areas the Foundation serves.
Bragg Creek stakeholders were heard loud and clear by Bespoke, and this critical feedback (both senses of the word – extremely important and expressing disapproval) made it unfiltered back to the board. Two universal themes emerged: 1) increase capacity for regular stakeholder communication and collaboration with directly impacted stakeholder groups; and 2) collaborate more effectively with partners, donors, funders, and the private sector to maximize impact.
With the Elbow River flood mitigation berm construction and COVID mostly behind us, many of the challenges that were in front of this project are now in the rearview mirror. While Provincial funding levels are still a question mark, growing the organizational capacity of the Foundation to execute projects continues to be a priority for the board. Moving the Bragg Creek seniors project forward is the net result, as it will be integrated as a priority into the strategic plan for the whole Foundation.
Short Term Rentals on RVC Radar
Short-term rentals through online services such as Airbnb or Vrbo are touchy issues in many areas of Rocky View. As a result of a robust and spirited public hearing for proposed amendments to the Cottage Club Direct Control Bylaw (DC-123) some information has come to light with respect to short term rentals.
As the Calgary Herald reported on May 13, 2022: “A decision of the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench (Condominium Corporation No 042 5177 v Kuzio, 2020 ABQB 152) clarifies the status of short-term rental tenants, stating that such arrangements where no residential tenancy lease is entered into, results in the functional equivalent of a hotel stay, where the guests/tenants are not residential tenants of the owner, but occupy the unit as licensees for consideration. A residential lease grants certain rights in the lands to the tenant. The same is not true with licences to occupy units, as a licence creates no interest in the land itself.”
The interesting result of this ruling for Administration and Council is that short term vacation rentals are essentially
a commercial venture, and the tax ramifications of what is classified as a commercial development permit being granted to a RVC property owner for short term rentals will have to be investigated further.
Council Team Building Scheduled
The second session of Council’s facilitated sessions towards building effective leadership is scheduled for June 1 & 2. This will include extensive time with our new CAO – Dorian Wandzura. It will also include some time with both Dorian and his Executive Leadership Team.
Please e-mail me if you would like to be added to my contact list for e-mail and online communications Kevin.Hanson@RockyView.ca or call 403.463.1166.
