On February 9, 2012 the Government of Alberta released Budget 2012: Investing in People. In reaction to the 2012 budget, President Bob Barss stated “AAMDC is pleased that the Province’s 2012 budget offers a positive direction for rural municipalities. The announcement of a substantial increase in the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) and continued support for crucial programs, such as the Local Road Bridge and Resource Road programs, is welcomed news for our member municipalities. We look forward to collaborating with the provincial government in the upcoming months.” There is a projected deficit of $886 million in 2012; however, it is anticipated the government will return to a surplus position beginning next year.  To  [ ... ]

Asset Management Alberta invites AAMDC member municipalities to attend their second working group discussion on Thursday, February 16, 2012. This group meets three to four times per year and has garnered substantial municipal participation thus far. If you would like to discuss the fundamentals of asset management, including what practices are currently being used in Alberta, this meeting will assist you in determining how your municipality can benefit. Essentially, asset management helps municipalities balance sustainable service delivery with cost efficiencies. For more information or to RSVP, please contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it CD, P.Eng,
City of St. Albert
Phone: 780.459.1691 Attachment:     

Asset Management Alberta   Date: [ ... ]

On Tuesday, February 6, the initial meeting of the Municipal Infrastructure Forum took place. AAMDC President Bob Barss is proud to be representing Canadian rural perspectives as a municipal member of this committee. The Municipal Infrastructure Forum is an informal body bringing infrastructure experts together with municipal and business leaders to exchange ideas, build consensus, and provide input to the federal government. Over the next year, the forum's discussions will follow the three phases of the government's long-term planning process: 1) taking stock of recent infrastructure investments 2) measuring infrastructure needs and 3) developing principles and priorities for future investments. Organizations represented in the committee  [ ... ]

Discussion has been mounting in recent weeks regarding a court of appeal ruling affecting the application of municipal off-site levies. The AAMDC recognizes that our members have a vested interest in this issue and want to assure members that we will be representing those interests. The Minister of Municipal Affairs has directed his staff to work with the AAMDC, AUMA and Urban Development Institute (UDI) to discuss management of new development costs, and develop recommendations on the identified issues. To inform this process, the AAMDC will be relying on Resolution 4-11S that seeks an expanded scope for off-site levies to include capital costs for essential service facilities, such as fire halls. Additionally, the paper entitled Buildin [ ... ]

The AAMDC would like to encourage member participation in a federal consultation by Transport Canada regarding railway-roadway grade crossing policies. The policies, under the Rail Safety Act, would apply to all public and private grade crossings on federally-regulated rail lines and would aim to bring them all under one common standard. They would also govern the grade crossing owners, including railway companies and road authorities, such as municipalities. Transport Canada has released a draft Railway-Roadway Grade Crossings Policy and will be accepting written comments from grade crossing owners either electronically or by mail until April 24, 2012. To submit comments, the following links may be useful: The draft Railway-Roadway Gr [ ... ]