Community Well-Being Survey
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RED DEER COUNTY NEWS OFFICIAL NEWS FROM RED DEER COUNTY CENTRE NOVEMBER 2016 Community Well-Being Survey LOOKING FOR RESIDENT OPINIONS ON RECREATION, CULTURE, AND FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES Red Deer County ensures that recreation, culture, and individual and family express their views on a wide range of topics that impact them directly”. support programs and services are available to all residents. Beginning Questionnaires will be mailed out to every household in the County. Each October 17, the County will be conducting a Community Well-being Survey package will include a letter of introduction, a questionnaire, and a to gauge the satisfaction levels around a number of different recreation, postage-paid return envelope. The survey will also be available online. If a culture, and family support services. resident does not receive a package, they are encouraged to contact the County office and one will be sent to them. The last consultation process of this type was in 2004, and information gathered at that time has helped to drive decision-making for over a All the information given through the survey will be confidential. Combined decade. Much has changed over that time, and now it is time to find out responses will be shared with County Council, and will help to set priorities what residents want the County’s recreation and culture priorities to be for recreation, culture, and individual and family support services for the over the next five to ten years. coming years. According to Community Services For updates, please see WHAT’S INSIDE: Manager Jo-Ann Symington, “The the Red Deer County Community Well-being Survey is a vital website or follow us on tool in assessing the needs of the Twitter with the hashtag: Open Houses............................Pg. 9 community for recreation, culture, and support services. The responses to this #CountyWellBeing Boards/Appointments..........Pg. 10 survey will shape Red Deer County’s plans in these areas for years to come. Wastewater Workshop..........Pg. 12 It is a great opportunity for residents to Publication Mail Agreement No 10727990 Return undeliverable items to: Red Deer County 38106 Rge Rd 275 • Red Deer County, AB • T4S 2L9 www.rdcounty.ca twitter.com/reddeercounty youtube.com/rdcounty facebook.com/reddeercounty COUNTY highlights TOWN HALL MEETING R ed Deer County Receives International WITH COUNCILLOR LORENZ - DIVISION 5 Award for 2016-18 Budget Monday, November 28, 2016 Spruce View Community Hall 7:30 PM following the Multi-Lot Country Residential Development Policy Review See page 9 for more details Join me for an Open House. Ask questions. Share your ideas. Red Deer County is proud to announce they are the recipient of the Government Finance Officers Association’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the 2016-2018 budget document. The document lays out all Capital and Operating expenditures for the County, and details how tax dollars are used to provide services for ratepayers. The document contains both detailed and summary breakdowns of funding sources, policies, and highlights County finance over a multi-year timeline. This is the first time Red Deer County has received the GFOA award. The Association is based in Chicago, Illinois, and is the chief body for over 18,000 elected local, state, and provincial-level government finance officials. Before a municipality can receive the award, a copy of their budget must be sent to the Association, where it undergoes a series of reviews by practicing experts in the www.rdcounty.ca field of Government finance. Heather Gray-Surkan, Corporate Services Director adds, “It reflects a commitment from Red Deer County to be transparent and 403.350.2150 accountable to all of our ratepayers. Our constituents should take this award as a vote of confidence in the processes Red Deer County has in place to ensure that ratepayers are getting a clear view of County finances.” The 2016-2018 budget document can be found at www.rdcounty.ca. WALK WITH THE MAYORS November is Senior Falls Prevention month in Alberta, and to encourage older adults to “Keep Active, Stay Independent” Mayors Dennis Cooper (Penhold), Jim Wood (Red Deer County) and Sean McIntyre (Sylvan Lake) invite you to join them to: Walk with the Mayors on Wednesday, November 9 starting at 9 AM at the Penhold Multiplex Anyone can fall, but as we age the risk of falling and getting injured increases. Falls are the leading cause of serious injuries in older adults with over 8700 hospital admissions resulting in over $160M in health care expenses in 2011. Every year, one in three Alberta seniors will fall, leading to potential disability, physical and mental distress and diminished quality of life. The Central Alberta Falls Prevention Coalition is hosting Walk with the Mayors in partnership with the Town of Penhold. “The Coalition works to share the resources of the Finding Balance campaign and to encourage everyone, especially older adults, to keep active to prevent falls,” says Kathleen Raines, Executive Director of SCCA. “Community initiatives like Walk with the Mayors are a great opportunity to remind everyone that “What’s predictable - like the risk of falling - is preventable.” To learn more about falls prevention, visit the Finding Balance website at www.findingbalancealberta.ca. Red Deer County News - November 2016 2 What’s Happening in Red Deer County Red Deer County Council, MPC, Alberta Youth Pheasant Spruce View Christmas Country and Public Hearings: Tuesday, Program: Sign up now! Ages 12 Market: Will be held in our November 1 and Tuesday, to 20 welcome. We supply community hall Sunday, November November 22. MPC commences everything except lunch, and you 27 from 12:00 PM until 5:00 PM. We welcome your at 9:30 AM, followed by Council, at don’t need any previous We are located west of Innisfail on the County Centre. Public experience or outdoor courses. HWY 54. For more information feedback! Hearings are held at 1:30 PM. Every Saturday and Sunday until please call or text Allison at December. Call Doug at 403.350.7726. You can contact us with questions or Christmas Preview and Open 403.347.7968 for dates and maps. comments at: [email protected] House: Thursday, November 3, Scholarship Offering or 403.350.2150 2016 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Benalto & Area Rural Crime Dr. Don Church has made Parkland Nurseries & Garden Watch Society General Meeting: available two scholarships of Moira Duley - Corporate Communications Specialist Centre. Bring your friends to a Thursday, February 27, 2017 at $2,000 each, for Red Deer County - Corporate Communications Coordinator Adam Ferguson great socializing event where we 7:00 PM, Benalto Leisure Centre students who are pursuing a Tyler Harke - Corporate Communications Manager will unveil our Christmas Displays! Ag. Grounds. In attendance, degree in Agriculture or Veterinary There will be gourmet tastings, hot BARCWS Liasisons. BARCWS Medicine. The scholarship will be twitter.com/reddeercounty apple cider, live music and more. membership is $25 for 5 years and payable to the post secondary youtube.com/rdcounty Donations to the Red Deer Food RCMP clearance. For more institution to be applied towards Bank are graciously accepted. information please call Dave More tuition, once university acceptance facebook.com/reddeercounty at 403.746.3429 or Sue Banting at and registration has been 403.896.7189. confirmed. Red Deer County welcomes reader Parkland Craft & Market Sales: submissions, but reserves the right to Every Saturday from November 12 Braden Gates at Fensala Hall: Please submit applications on or to December 17, from 10:00 AM to Markerville’s Fensala Hall is proud before June 30, 2017. approve/disapprove content. 4:00 PM. These unique markets to welcome Braden Gates, an For inquiries regarding the provide craftspeople/artisans the Edmonton based folk singer- scholarship and eligibility, please Current issues of County News are opportunity to showcase their songwriter, on November 12. call the Community Foundation available free of charge at the Red Deer creative one-of-a-kind creations to Come join us for a night of fiddle office at 403.341.6911 or Dr. Don County Centre, or can be viewed online at the public. It’s a great time to playing, guitar picking and Church at 403.340.2092. www.rdcounty.ca come out and purchase that storytelling with this local folk handmade gift you have been festival star. Doors open at 7:00 Submit application, resume, looking for this season. A donation PM. Tickets are $25.00 online at academic status, student ID Have an Event? to the Red Deer Food Bank is historicmarkerville.com. Contact number and community We are happy to list upcoming events appreciated. Breanne at 403.877.4752 or involvement to: Marlene at 403.728.0153 for more Dr. Don Church in and around the Red Deer County information. [email protected] area. Submit your information to: Kristine Bugayong [email protected] [email protected] COUNTY AGREES TO $500,000 CONTRIBUTION TO 2019 CANADA WINTER GAMES On October 19, Red Deer County Council agreed to commit $500,000 to the 2019 Canada Winter Games, which will take place in Red Deer. The contribution came after an engaging presentation from the Red Deer Canada Games Committee, which was led by CEO Scott Robinson, Sponsorship Co-Chair Lars Rogers, and Chair Lynn Radford. Each of the leaders spoke during the presentation – providing examples of the benefit of the Games as a whole, and to contributing municipalities. The focus of the presentation surrounded three pillars, including volunteer development, economic development, and citizen engagement. Each speaker touched on the many ways that the Canada Winter Games can be a memorable event in the lives of central Albertans. Mayor Jim Wood remarked, “This will be the largest event to hit Red Deer in my lifetime.