Greetings and welcome to May. I want to sincerely thank those of you who reached out after my announcement last month not to run in the upcoming Rocky View County (RVC) municipal election. Your warm wishes and appreciation means a lot to me.
As they say, public service is a thankless job but I have gained so much respect for those who throw their lives into the “deep end” to make life better for us all. And to those of you who are asking me to reconsider, nice try. As I mentioned last month, it was not an easy decision to step away. Especially since I have learned so much. But with the reduction in the number of divisions and councillors, the great work that’s occurring in the county, and slowdown of processing due to the pandemic, more than ever, the time commitment required of a councillor will become twofold.
Thanks Mr Hoggan
It was with great sadness to me personally when I heard of the resignation of our Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Al Hoggan on April 1st. In all honesty, I thought it was a cruel April Fool’s joke to my, and many others’ dismay.
In the three years he was the CAO of RVC, he helped make a lot of positive change, and in the end, left a path for staff and administration to continue carrying forward. While other jurisdictions are struggling to stay ahead of the pandemic, problems in the energy sector and a poor economy, to name some challenges, he and his senior leadership team guided Council and kept things moving forward for our amazing county.
When Mr Hoggan started working for RVC Council he inherited an extremely busy county workload along with a Council that was somewhat “unique”. One aspect of his leadership I immediately admired was his enthusiasm to build relationships and get to know the county and its residents. In Division 1, he made several appearances to community events, open houses, public forums and association meetings. He made himself visible and approachable. Al has made much positive change and will be moving into a CAO role in Bonnyville, AB. I wish him well.
In the interim, Council has just appointed Kent Robinson as the CAO until a replacement is found. With over three decades in key leadership roles with RVC, Mr Robinson, who currently is our Executive Leader of Corporate Services, will be adding the interim CAO role to his regular duties. In Alberta, all municipalities are required to have a CAO as head of Administration. The CAO is Council’s only employee who provides direction to administration and staff. Kent is no stranger to this role and I thank him for stepping in.
Have you signed up yet?
As we are in a transition from spring to summer, our thoughts are turned to golf courses, our world class trail network or backyard landscaping projects to name some activities that take us outside. One common concern we all face when the snow is gone is the potential for a wildfire event. Given how we’ve already seen a number of wildfires reported on the news in RVC and surrounding areas, it’s not something to take lightly. One unattended fire pit or cigarette butt carelessly tossed could mean disaster. By signing up to RVC’s Safe & Sound system you’ll not only be alerted to emergencies such as this but you and your family will be provided with information on what to do. And this isn’t just fire related. Road closures, flooding potential, fire bans, development applications, bylaw changes and more are available online. Here is the website information to sign up www.rockyview.ca/safe-and-sound
Is your property FireSmart?
As mentioned above, we are in fire season. During this time of the year we are at a high risk for a wildfire event. Please visit the RVC website to get all the details on how you can FireSmart your property. For more information visit www.rockyview.ca/firesmart
Until next month
Covid is still a part of our day to day lives. By following Alberta Health Guidelines and taking the necessary steps and precautions to protect you and your loved ones we’ll get out of this sooner rather than later. It’s only when we work together that good things happen. In the meantime, please stay safe, wear a mask and keep your distance.
– Cheers, Mark
checkMarkk.ca
