Suzanne Oel – Division 4
Greetings! Sharing with you…
We live in: a rural municipality, a separate local-government corporate entity, subject to the provincial department of Municipal Affairs, and laws of Alberta, Canada and our own Bylaws. Municipalities come in different forms, including counties, municipal districts, specialized municipalities, cities, towns and villages. These Hamlets are within the jurisdiction and boundaries of Foothills County: Aldersyde, Blackie, Cayley, De Winton, Hartell, Heritage Pointe, Millarville, Naptha, Priddis and Priddis Greens.
23,000+ people: call this beautiful rural municipality “home”. Our County features the foothills, rivers and prairie of sunny, southern Alberta, with 15,380+ titled properties, covering an area of approximately 3,600 square kilometres.
The County maintains over 2,000 kilometres of road and features Provincial primary Highways 2 & 22, providing easy access to markets and an ideal location for homes, farms and businesses. We are next-door to Calgary and 13 other municipal neighbours. Foothills is also part of a collaboration of all 69 counties and municipal districts, called the Rural Municipalities of Alberta.
Foothills County: is divided into 7 electoral divisions, each represented by a Councillor. I am writing to you from Division 4. As your local councillor, it is my pleasure to assist you with matters of a municipal nature and also help refer you to other resources. You can find more details here: www.foothillscountyab.ca
Division 4 Councillor Tasks: I prepare for and attend weekly full-day Council meetings, have on-going interaction (work, support, meetings) with residents, community associations, businesses, school divisions, provincial & federal departments & representatives, attend conferences, and work on current issues. I participate as a member on these Boards/ Committees: Alberta Municipal Climate Leadership Council, Bow River Basin Council, Calgary Regional Airshed Zone, Cross Conservancy, Dark Sky Initiatives Stakeholders Working Group (Chairperson), Foothills Regional Emergency Services 9-1-1 Commission (Chairperson), Foothills Rural Policing Committee, Inter-Municipal Committees (Calgary, Okotoks (alt), Diamond Valley (alt)), Highwood Management Plan Public Advisory Committee, North West Foothills Recreation Board, Priddis – Red Deer Lake Recreation Board, and Rural Fire Board (Chairperson). Additional duties are required in my role as chairperson for 3 Boards.
Residents are supported by many services: administration of Foothills County, agricultural services (maintenance, brushing, weed control, education, advice), assessment department, bulk-fill water stations, building permits and safety codes, cemeteries, community clean-up support, corporate services and financial management, 7 councillors, council meetings, 9-1-1 call answer and fire dispatch, emergency management, family and community support services, fire department (+ equipment, burn permits, inspections), garbage disposal (full cost recovery, some hamlets), 2x garbage transfer stations (75% subsidized), grant funding admin, inter-municipal planning, legislative services, libraries, mapping, planning and development admin (reviewing & approving applications, permitting, coordinating public hearings), recreation and parks + facilities, regional landfill and Frank Lake management, road construction and maintenance by public works (snow removal, grading, gravel, bridge repair, culverts, mowing, equipment, vehicles, dust control product, responses to weather surprises), shared admin building and 3 workshops, staff for all departments, Stars ambulance, tax department, traffic and bylaw enforcement services, various committees for community support, water/ wastewater services (full cost recovery, some areas), social media, website, and Western Wheel subscription (minutes, hearing and development notices).
Planning: As we face an increase in demand for services, we must plan for the future in order to be equitable throughout our municipality, take our residents’ views into consideration, mitigate impacts, consider regional efficiencies, maintain adequate service levels and carefully keep taxes reasonable. Your input has been included in our Municipal Development Plan, Growth Strategy, Inter-Municipal Plans, and recently in Secondary Suites. We continue to collaborate with different levels of government and our neighbours to achieve resolutions to problems. We’re planning for and encouraging industrial/ commercial development in our Hwy 2A Industrial Corridor, looking for income to offset and reduce taxes on residential assessment. Work is under way to review our Municipal Development Plan in the coming months.
2025 Municipal Election: As noted earlier this year, I have submitted my nomination papers and am running as a candidate for the October 2025 municipal election for Foothills County Division 4. Please contact me with any questions or comments you may wish to share and discuss.
For Other News & Updates:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CouncillorSuzanneOel/
Email: Suzanne.Oel@FoothillsCountyAB.ca
Visit High Country News online for my previous articles.
With Best Regards,
Suzanne
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