Rocky View County Report April

It is mid April and I think we just got our last snowfall of the year, we haven’t had much problem with drainage this year so I am hoping that some of the shortfalls we learn about get repaired. So often it takes the flooding problems to point out the weaknesses and the remedial work tends to get forgotten once it isn’t an eminent problem. There are two ways to bring attention to something needing work, one is to go to the Rocky View website at www.rockyview.ca then click “County Services”, then “roads”, then “report a road issue”. The other, if you want me involved, is to send me an email at rashdown@rockyview.ca and I will send the request to that Department. I have been your Representative for almost 7 years and I have processed over 30,000 emails, I haven’t deleted any so I can always go back to reference. It is always best to describe the problem as well as you can and provide pictures if possible, they also don’t mind suggestions of what you might see as a solution. My cell phone number is always available and sometimes people call me to let me know the problem. It is always nice to hear from people but once I finally get to a computer I don’t want to miss anything in describing whatever the problem is. It works well if County workers are able to call the Residents directly in case there is information they need or want to provide. Everyone wants to continue to make the County better, any help you can provide is always appreciated.
Often there are concerns with Governments of every level. My best advise is that whenever you are speaking to someone to make them or someone at their level of Government know your opinion, request or concern try to record three things. First the name of the person you are speaking to, second the time of the conversation and third the details as you recall. Generally speaking all forms of Government and Administration of that Government follows the policy and procedure as decided by their elected officials. In Federal and Provincial where there are political parties, those elected officials are expected to follow their party principals as well. Municipal is a little different, in Rocky View County there are 9 elected officials, I am one but I can’t make any changes to the policies or procedures without 4 other Councillors on side, we learn early how to count to 5, a majority, when trying to bring forward any changes. The only way Council can make something happen is by Bylaw or by resolution. Bylaws typically are long legal instructions that often require a public hearing, most documents are labeled a Bylaw. The highest one is the County Plan, the next is the Area Structure Plan and after that are plans like the Agriculture Master Plan, the Open Space Plan, noise Bylaws, Animal Bylaws, things like that. A Resolution is a direction that is brought forward, debated and voted on by Council, something like “therefore be it resolved that administration provide a report to Council that can create a Bylaw for an action of some kind”.
There is no ability for Councillors to instruct employees or get involved in their daily routines. With 9 people who would like to please their Constituents first, employees would be pulled in many different directions, it couldn’t work. There are ways to get things done though, Residents are the bosses of everyone, if I am following their (your) directions it gets a little easier to accomplish something than it just being something I want. Keep in touch and let me know if you see something we should be accomplishing together.