AUMA Digest --Winners of the 2021 Minister’s Awards for Municipal Excellence

September 23, 2021

AUMA/AMSC DIGEST

Congratulations to the winners of the 2021 Minister’s Awards for Municipal Excellence

AUMA is proud to see eight of our members recognized for their collaboration, hard work, and creativity. Congratulations to the City of Medicine Hat, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Town of Devon, Town of Okotoks, and Town of Bruderheim!

This year, the Minister of Municipal Affairs also recognized the Village of Elnora, the City of Lloydminster, and Red Deer County for their efforts in reducing red tape.

ADVOCACY UPDATES

Update from the Legislature - September 22

Cabinet Shuffle
Restrictions Exemption Program
Federal Election

Proximity Guidelines for Rail Safety Week

Did you know that Canada is the only country in the world that has proximity guidelines to guide new development near railways?

The Pathway to the ‘New Normal’ Workplace webinar series continues

On September 29 at 11:00 a.m we will be joined once again by our partners from Reynolds Mirth Richards and Farmer LLP, where we will dive deeper into the newest restrictions introduced by the Government of Alberta on September 16.

CASUAL LEGAL: New Approach to Interpreting Releases

The Supreme Court of Canada recently confirmed that the rules of contractual interpretation that apply to all contracts now also apply to releases.

BUSINESS SERVICES

Thank you Maureen O'Neil

As we all know, the greatest constant in life is change.

Maureen O’Neil, our Senior Director Business Development, is making a change. With her deep understanding of municipal needs, she is taking the next step in her career as she moves to a wonderful new role as Deputy CAO, External Services with the City of Beaumont. Her last day with us will be Friday, October 15.

Maureen has been with us for almost 5 years. In that time, she has been a dedicated representative of AUMA / AMSC and a driving force behind many endeavours. And she has forged strong professional and personal relationships with members, clients, partners, and colleagues.

While we are all very excited for her, we are also very sad to see her leave us.

Please join us in congratulating Maureen and wishing her the very best in her new role, which she starts on Monday, October 18.

Invitation to Service Alberta’s First Regional Digital Forum

Are you an information management and technology leader in your municipality? If you are, don't miss out on the first-ever Regional Digital Forum hosted by Service Alberta! It’s a chance to share your knowledge and learn from other jurisdictions around the table.

NOT-FOR-PROFIT

Support for Alberta Not-for-Profits through the Freedom to Care Act

Learn how the act protects volunteers from personal liability when volunteering in good faith, and allows non-profit organizations to apply for a one-time exemption to certain regulatory requirements if an exemption doesn’t already exist.

Board Leadership Webinar Series

Governing in uncertain times requires board members to shift how they lead, work together, and make decisions. Join Alberta Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women on Oct 4 for a “Lunch and Learn” webinar!

INNOVATION

Taking City Hall to the People (Literally)

Picture a food truck. In this case, instead of selling food and drink, the city is providing easy and expedited access to municipal services via a completely mobile civic environment.

Learn more about how the City of Boston is boosting civic engagement and creating more meaningful touchpoints with citizens.

GOOD TO KNOW

Alberta Municipal Affairs’ Municipal Internship Program is now open for applications, but only until October 15! For the 2022 program, the ministry is introducing an exciting enhancement to provide consistency and continuity across the three program streams (Administrator, Finance Officer, and Land-Use Planner).

Get the details and applications here: Municipal Internship Program | Alberta.ca

Municipal Affairs’ Public Library Services Branch invites interested stakeholders to provide input on suggested red tape reductions to the Libraries Act and Libraries Regulation via an online survey.

This survey accompanies virtual engagement sessions taking place throughout September on several topics. Click this link for more information.

To complete the survey, click here. The survey closes on Friday, October 8, 2021. Please contact Libraries@gov.ab.ca if you have any questions about Municipal Affairs’ stakeholder engagement on public libraries legislation.

Join PAAC & CPRS for a political panel and discussion of Alberta’s municipal election campaign and Alberta referendum questions. Register for the Alberta Municipal Election Panel on October 14, 2021.

VALUABLE LINKS