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Citizen Satisfaction Survey Results – County of Grande Prairie residents say they are proud to live in the County, feel the quality of life is good, and are satisfied overall with their municipal government’s performance. Catherine Knaus, Director of Public Affairs with Ipsos Reid, presented the survey results to Council.  

Highlights from the survey report include:  

  • Quality of Life: Perceptions are on par with 2014, with 96% of residents rating the County’s quality of life as very good or good. Nearly all surveyed (95%) expressed pride in being a resident of the County.  

  • Areas of Success: 86% of residents say the County has been successful at encouraging economic development, 76% note the County’s success in developing a financial framework with a fair tax rate system, and 74% for effective service delivery using innovative tools. 

  • Services and Programs: General satisfaction levels around the overall level and quality of County of Grande Prairie services and programs were on par with 2014 results (82% in 2021 vs 86% in 2014). 

Read more about the survey results in the media release. 

Funding and Support Requests:  

  • Bezanson Agricultural Society – Council approved $24,000 in COVID-19 Emergency Funding to support operating costs for the Bezanson Agricultural Society. The society’s Executive Director updated Council on ongoing operations and impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Annual funding for large community venues will be discussed at a future Committee of the Whole Meeting as part of Policy K14 – Operating Assistance Facilities.  

  • Evergreen Park – Representatives from Evergreen Park and the Grande Prairie Regional Agricultural & Exhibition Society updated Council on operations, plans for 2022 and ongoing impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Council deferred the society’s request for $587,000 to support a portion of 2022 payroll expenses to final budget deliberations on April 13 and 14.  

  • Glen Leslie Cemetery – Council directed Administration to work with the Glen Leslie Cemetery non-profit group to establish a formal agreement and funds held in trust to support the facility.  

  • Valhalla Skating Rink – Council directed Administration to provide guidance to the Valhalla Recreation Society regarding repairing a leak in the well located at the community’s skating rink.  

New and Updated Bylaws and Policy  

  • Council gave first reading to Bylaw 3174, an update to the Municipal Development Plan which reflects Hythe as a Hamlet within the County of Grande Prairie. A public hearing will be held at the January 24 Council Meeting.  

  • Council gave three readings to Bylaw 3179 to replace the Road Use Agreement Bylaw. The new bylaw outlines specific start and end dates for each agreement as opposed to annual approvals, a standard notification timeline of 48-hours, as well as other administrative updates. 

  • Council gave three readings to Bylaw 3175 to rescind several bylaws from the former Village of Hythe for redundancy.  

  • Council approved amendments to Policy F10 – Council and Board Honoraria reflecting Council’s request for additional clarity in the policy to reflect new compensation rates that came into effect January 1 and a cost of living adjustment. 

County Bylaws and Policies can be viewed on the County website.  

Crime Prevention Committee – Council directed Administration to bring the topic of establishing a Crime Prevention Committee to a future Committee of the Whole Meeting for further discussion. 

Letter of Support – Council will provide a letter of support to the Canadian Motorcycle Tourism Association to support grant funding applications for seniors programming and community events. 

Proclamation – Council proclaimed January 2022 as Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in the County of Grande Prairie.  

Employee Engagement Survey Update – Charlotte Bierman, Human Resources Manager, updated Council on the County’s Employee Engagement Strategy, including a summary of the latest survey results and the resulting corporate action plan items. Council directed Administration to bring a more detailed report of the 2020 survey results to a future Committee of the Whole Meeting. 

Staff Introductions – Council welcomed new staff members in Public Works. Ryan Konowalyk joined the County as the new Director of Public Works on January 4. Ryan was most recently the Regional Director for the Peace Region with Alberta Transportation and has over 23 years of progressive experience in the transportation infrastructure field, specifically in construction, maintenance, planning and policy development. Current Director of Public Works Dale Van Volkingburgh is retiring at the end of May 2022 following an entire career with the County of Grande Prairie.  

In Public Works Operations, Council welcomed:  

  • Rodney Funk as Resource Coordinator  

  • Leonard Robertson as Heavy Equipment Operator  

  • Marcel Larivee as Area Grader Operator  

  • Tyler McDougald as Heavy Equipment Operator  

  • Kevin Hurlock as Heavy Equipment Operator  

The next Regular Council Meeting will take place on January 24, 2022. The next Committee of the Whole Meeting will take place on January 20, 2022. 

Council and Committee meetings are available to the public via live stream. Find connection instructions and meeting agendas through the events calendar on the County website.