Kevin Hanson – Division 1
Quiet August for Council
Things are a bit quieter for Administration, with no scheduled Council Meetings in August. Staff can catch up and prepare for the return of governance business in mid-September, and the seasonal pickup in day-to-day County activities. Residents do not take a group vacation however, and it was good to hear from folks this summer. A most interesting call was the reporting of a herd of wild horses that had ventured out from Tsuut’ina Nation and had “explored” the attractions of Range Road 40 all the way to Highway 8. With the short-term issue resolved, the multi-jurisdictional nature of the “Tourist” outing means full resolution will be interesting.
Quick Bits
Administration worked extremely well with the Bragg Creek Historical Society to see a memorial Burr Oak tree quickly come to fruition. Future Community Enhancement funding will continue to be explored with staff which may involve a bench and plaque for that Municipal Reserve (MR), or other ideas. Next on the to-do’s is sorting a license of occupation (LOO) for the Snow Birds Chalet, and working with residents towards designating a new LOO for a community park around the Orchid Patches alongside the berm.
On the Springbank front, I am informed that the consultant’s draft business plan report for the South Springbank Community Facilities is “almost finished” and will be coming back to the Stakeholder Advisory Group soon. The target date for Council to review is Nov-Dec time frame for this phase of the business finishing up.
With Residents passionate about protecting public access to recreation opportunities via road allowances, Council referred a proposed bylaw, allowing private driveway access as well as grazing or cropping via a license of occupation, back to administration for additional wordsmithing. This referral was based on input received via a non-statutory public hearing, as well as lengthy council deliberations. Thank you for highlighting your concerns – it helps ensure we do not end up with unintended consequences from this County-wide legislation.
Bragg Creek ASP update postponed a bit longer.
Administration recommended that this work, as well as other ASP works remain on hold a bit longer until our planning department staffing situation improves. Significant effort and funding is being directed at our planning group and processes, which includes our CAO searching for a new Executive Director, and Council approving hiring of external consultants to help design the path forward. More next month as I will discuss Council’s direction to administration to further our strategic goals. See page 472 of the July 26th Council Agenda on the website if you want a sneak preview…
Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre (KOAC) raises $46,000!
Nestled back into the escarpment along Horizon View Road in Springbank, KOAC hosted a Memorial Fundraiser September 17, to celebrate the life and works of the late Harry Kiyooka, co-founder and co-visionary for the Centre. With the warmth of a late summers evening and vistas of the mountains, friends and supporters of KOAC enjoyed an evening of art-in-nature. With a rare glimpse into Harry’s personal studio, tours of KOAC’s prestigious collection of outdoor sculptures, and a silent auction hosting a list of contemporary artists – one felt the sanctuary and rejuvenation that nature provides this unique location. These funds will be used towards KOAC’s Artist Residency program, public tours, workshops, programming options for Springbank Schools, and environmental stewardship of 8 hectares (20-acres) of natural woodlands and grasslands. As Katie Ohe, sculptor and co-founder stated “Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre is very much about giving back and moving forward with the inspiration of art”.
Please e-mail me if you would like to be added to my contact list for e-mail and on-line communications – Kevin.Hanson@RockyView.ca or call 403.463.1166.
