It’s been seven weeks since the results of the Tawatinaw Ski Hill plebiscite were released, but Westlock County council is putting the brakes on any decision until the operator’s agreement expires in September 2018.
Council’s first step is to take part in a strategic planning workshop Jan. 22-23 to begin developing a strategic plan, which may or may not include a place for the ski hill.
“I’m sure the ski hill will be a topic of conversation at that workshop,” said Leo Ludwig, the county’s chief administrative officer.
The contract with DK Consulting, the ski hill operator, expires in September so Ludwig said that gives council time to determine the best course of action.
Reeve Lou Hall said they would definitely consider all sides, having most recently heard from the Tawatinaw Valley Freeriders in council chambers Nov. 14, who gave a presentation on their club and the benefits of keeping the hill.
“We would definitely take their presentation into account and the plebiscite into account,” Hall said. “We’re going to look at the big picture, not just say ‘oh yes,’ or ‘no.’ We need to look at everything. Six of us are new (on council), so we have some learning to do there.
“So that strategic planning will be the perfect place to do that and get all the information together.”
She added that it was important this year for her to not only undertake short-term planning, but for the long run as well.
“Not just looking at today, but looking at three, five, 10 years down the road,” she said. “That’s part of my goal is to make it a long-term plan. This will be perfect time to do that.”
Ludwig said the strategic workshop would also help set the county’s vision and goals, what services they should provide and at what level.
“It’s important, I feel, that strategic direction be set by each council, so we know where do we direct our resources, both fiscal resources of the ratepayers as well as our manpower,” he said. “Where are we going? What are we doing? And it’s a good communication tool with residents to say, ‘these are our strategic goals,’ and give the residents also an opportunity for input in that process.”
Part of long-term planning will be drawing up Intermunicipal Collaboration Frameworks (ICFs) and intermunicipal development plans with the Town of Westlock, Village of Clyde and Summer Village of Larkspur, in addition to bordering municipalities — Athabasca County, County of Barrhead, MD of Lesser Slave River, Sturgeon County, Thorhild County and Woodlands County.
“Building a road doesn’t stop at the border of Sturgeon County and Westlock County,” Hall noted.
The province is mandating ICFs be in place by April 2020, and Ludwig said the topic would be an item discussed at the workshop and how the county will work through that process by the deadline.
Those conversations will also play into the ski hill’s fate. Before making a decision, council has to consider other factors, like potential cost-sharing opportunities with municipalities whose residents also visit the hill, notably Athabasca County and the Town of Westlock.
“Certainly there’s a lot of users from those two communities,” Ludwig said. “We’ll have to look at what is it costing us to have that facility here. Is it an asset drawing people to the community to live here?
“There’s quite a number of things in that basket to look at. Whether or not council decides to keep it running or sell it, or if you can’t sell it, do you still run it or do you shut it down? There are a lot of questions and a lot of things to look at it.”
