By Katie Ryan
Alberta’s 2010-11 financial blueprint was the topic of conversation at the Alberta Urban Municipality Association’s Mayors’ Caucus. In attendance was Lloydminster’s Mayor Jeff Mulligan, who said his visit to AUMA was an important opportunity to meet face-to-face with all of the mayors in Alberta, familiarize himself with the ideals of AUMA and talk shop.
The three day Alberta Mid-Size Cities Mayor meetings and caucus followed the Feb. 9 announcement of the Alberta budget. Mulligan said his fellow municipal leaders expressed their take on what’s projected to be the province’s largest deficit in history – $4.7 billion – and discussed their concerns regarding Alberta’s move to streamline municipal grants.
“The streamlining was more of a contentious issue because there is a question about moving from a grant based mechanism to a project specific mechanism,” said Mulligan. “Instead of just getting a grant for certain things and then applying it with a fair bit of discretion at the municipal level, some of the grant and some of this reallocation has moved to grant from project specific.
“You have to, in essence, business case your project and then justify it, so you do it by way of project specific application rather than a grant.”
Mulligan said the general consensus for the new grant system at the caucus was one of unease among the mayors.
“In the process of streamlining did you (Alberta) further encumber?” he questioned. “(They’ve) streamlined, yes, (they’ve) reduced the number of programs and things people need to be aware of, understand and administer, but did (they) encumber the municipalities because of the degree of specificity that you have to put into a project specific grant application?”
The annual caucus meeting was augmented with an MLA reception, fittingly the day after the budget was released.
“That was positive,” said Mulligan, “to get 50 members of the caucus the day after the budget means there is a connection, there is an awareness and there is an appreciation for the contribution of civic leaders to our province’s well being.”
The province’s environmental well- being was also on the table during the caucus as mayors learned more about Alberta’s one-stop action centre that will soon help municipalities save both energy and money.
Located in Edmonton at the AUMA headquarters, Lloydminster and other Alberta municipalities will have access to the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre when its doors are open.
The centre will provide technical assistance and expertise to municipalities on how to increase energy efficiency of operations and reduce their carbon footprint.
“This seemed like a very good partnership program because municipalities have a fairly good size carbon footprint,” said Mulligan. “By nature of all the facilities we have, all the infrastructure and all the services that we provide – whether it be fleets of vehicles, buildings or arenas – you name it, we have a pretty good size carbon footprint.”
Thanks to a $2 million grant from Alberta, AUMA and the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties, the center will improve community-wide conservation.
“This energy efficiency investment builds improved environmental performance and helps contribute to the province’s overall competitive advantage,” said Alberta Environment Minister Rob Renner in a prepared statement.
“We applaud the vision of Alberta’s municipal organizations that are helping to build a cleaner energy future.”
The city will benefit from the centre’s experts and their guidance on how to retrofit existing infrastructure or examine funding options for renewable energy investment.
“I don’t think it is going to be as focussed on us going and finding out information about climate change and factual data, as it about how we can be better stewards generally of the environment and reduce our operating costs,” said Mulligan.
An official opening date for the centre has yet to be set.