The Town of Olds is currently involved in a Municipal Sustainability Pilot Project. Olds is one of five urban municipalities working closely with the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) in 2007 to help chart a course for achieving municipal sustainability. The five communities involved were selected based on their responses to a list of questions sent out by AUMA to its members.
As a Pilot Community the Town of Olds went through the following process:
Council and Administration met to discuss organizing all the exciting and fast-moving sustainability initiatives happening in and around Olds. Municipal sustainability planning requires communities to embark on initiatives that promote increased community engagement and involvement. Administration introduced the pilot initiative to the Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development (OICRD) which was extremely responsive to the idea and immediately committed to being involved.
An Open House was held on March 5, 2007 with David Laing, our designated Community Development Officer from Municipal Affairs and Housing. The meeting was open to anyone who was interested in municipal sustainability planning. The Olds MSP Development Process Timelines and Resources Available for MSP Process were generated from this meeting. It was then recommended to Council that the OICRD be given the responsibility of leading the MSP process and for appointing a citizens' advisory committee. The OICRD has worked hard to create a sustainable community, and has a strong relationship with the community members who will be participating in the project.
At its meeting March 26, 2007 Town Council passed the following motion: That Council approves assigning Olds Institute for Community and Regional Development the authority and responsibility for creating a Municipal Sustainability Plan following the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association Municipal Sustainability Planning Guidebook; and that OICRD be requested to submit a recommendation to Council on the implementation and follow-up of the plan.
The Municipal Sustainability Project concluded in January 2008.
Sustainable Living