An image of the RMWB's Council Chambers, courtesy of the RMWB Social Media feed.
FORT MCMURRAY — RMWB council has created a new committee aimed at co-ordinating advocacy efforts and strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities, neighbouring municipalities and other levels of government.
Council approved the Intergovernmental Relations Standing Committee at its Oct. 6 meeting following a motion from Ward 1 Coun. Jennifer Vardy.
The committee will be chaired by the mayor and include four councillors appointed by council, with at least one member required to represent a rural ward.
Members will be selected annually during council’s organizational meeting.
The committee will be reviewed after its first 12 months to determine whether the structure remains effective and sustainable.
Mayor Sandy Bowman said the committee is intended to build on relationships the municipality already has with other governments.
“We have seen firsthand the value of productive and collaborative relationships with other levels of government,” Bowman said. “This Committee is designed to support and grow those relationships, advance advocacy priorities and champion regional interests with a clear and unified voice.”
The committee will be responsible for developing and recommending advocacy priorities and an advocacy plan for council approval.
It will also monitor progress on those priorities, identify opportunities to engage with governments and other partners, and review funding opportunities, government policies, proposed legislative changes and other issues affecting the region.
Vardy said council already carries out some of that work informally.
“The Committee will give Council a dedicated forum to discuss emerging issues, coordinate advocacy efforts and build strong partnerships that support the region’s future,” she said. “We do this informally now, but this structure will help to better focus our efforts.”
The committee will also establish a process for collaboration among council members, municipal administration and consultants.
Its work is intended to support council priorities related to intergovernmental and Nation relations, economic development, competitiveness, community services and resident well-being.
The municipality says similar committee or council-led structures are used by municipalities elsewhere in Alberta to co-ordinate engagement with other orders of government.
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