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These are the list of questions Council received prior to the event and ones that  were submitted during it that Council did not have time to answer.
These are the list of questions Council received prior to the event and ones that  were submitted during it that Council did not have time to answer.
Submissions included questions about the cost sharing agreement with Foothills County, government funding opportunities, details about the land right-of-way for the pipeline, future utility billing and whether the reservoir would be accessible for public recreation.
Answer
Cost-sharing principles will be divided based on the percentage of water each partner will be accessing. This will allocate $24.47 million to Okotoks and $9.76 million to Foothills County.
This collaboration is an opportunity with our municipal neighbours to obtain improved water-security for each of our communities by diversifying our water sources to include the Bow River
The partners are currently working on a joint application for grant funding from the province
The billing process will continue to be assessed based on individual usage
We have received several submitted questions regarding the roles, responsibilities and governance model for the CMRB, and the long-term impact of the growth plan to the Okotoks community. There has also been questions about Calgary’s veto power.
Answer
Okotoks Council has played an important role in guiding the process for the CMRB growth plan through the work that staff and elected officials have done to ensure Okotoks’ interests are represented. The CMRB influences the long-term planning for the town and the work that staff do on behalf of the community so their involvement on the various committees ensures that policies and plans are in alignment.
The CMRB builds on synergies that already exist within the region that could reduce duplication or redundancy of infrastructure (roads, water, wastewater) and services (transit, recreation, etc) resulting in costs savings and less tax dollars used to support growth. This enhanced coordination will also help to minimize the impact to the region’s natural systems, including water resources.
The Town already has shared-use agreements with the County for recreation programs and services, including the Crescent Point Field house, and will continue to support partnerships with our neighbouring municipalities.
The latest version of the Growth Plan has addressed many of the concerns raised by:
Revising the boundaries of Joint Planning Areas and providing greater clarity on implementation
Lowering certain density requirements in rural areas
Adding local employment and small scale residential opportunities that do not require CMRB approval
Providing the ability for rural municipalities to identify new growth areas or intensify existing areas, subject to minimum criteria
Adding a general exception policy that allows member municipalities to bring forward unique development proposals that may not fit within the policies of the Growth Plan
In terms of the veto power, It is technically true that if Calgary doesn’t support something it is ‘vetoed’; however it is important to note that anything Calgary wants to go forward, they cannot unilaterally make happen. They need 6 votes in favour of their proposal. A majority vote at the CMRB must pass two tests:
We have been asked about the current investment the Town has made to support affordable housing
Answer
More details are in the Affordable Housing Strategy
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These are general questions Council received but were unable to answer during the Connector event:
We have received questions regarding land purchases by the Town over the past three years, and when the Bible camp lands, in particular will be open to the public.
Answer
With the uncertainty of economy - is this council committing future council to the Summer Games - is this realistic financially?
Answer
What/who is the largest users of water in this community?
Answer
The top three users are multi-residential buildings, car washes and the recreation centre.