MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - County council has approved a plan to have the Mountain View County contribute $20,000 towards the hiring of a municipal intern in 2024.
“I think it is a great program and the more people that we can get into municipal government, the better for Alberta,” said reeve Angela Aalbers. “I absolutely support it.”
The move came by way of motion at the recent regularly scheduled council meeting, held in person and online.
Chris Atchison, director of legislative service, told council the municipal internship program helps bring post-secondary graduates into the municipal system to gain work experience in one of three streams: municipal administration, finance/accounting, and land use planning.
Since being created in 2002, about 75 per cent of interns have gone on to employment in either local government or the public sector, he said.
Benefits to the county of having an intern include grant funds to offset wage and professional development expenses, high computer literacy and knowledge, and a willingness to learn, he said.
“The intern will get a well-rounded experience,” he said.
The 2024 intern in the county will focus on the administrative stream and the legislative, community and agricultural service department.
Municipal Affairs will provide $60,000 towards the expense of hosting the intern, including $53,000 for compensation.
The total expense for the county is estimated to be $20,000, he said.
Council voted unanimously in support the motion to support applying for an intern position.
The county hosted an intern under the program in 2021 and 2022.
Meanwhile, in other news from the recent council meeting, council has directed administration to request Red Deer River Watershed Alliance (RDRWA) officials appear as a delegation before council at an upcoming meeting.
The delegation is expected to make a presentation on the new Riparian Intactness Project and other recent activities and projects.
The project is being conducted to assess riparian health along 1,782 kilometres of shoreline.
“The results of this study provide essential information to municipalities and other partners to help spatially target conservation and restoration efforts,” administration said in a briefing note to council.
“The RDRWA is continuing to work with partners to identify on-the-ground projects and to raise awareness about riparian areas and other natural assets.”
The alliance is also in the final stages of the project “Targeting the Conservation and Restoration of Riparian Areas in the Lower Headwaters and Central Agricultural Zones of the Red Deer River Watershed," council heard.
“The objectives of the project have bee to identify priority riparian areas to focus conservation and restoration activities in the Little Red Deer, Kneehill, Three Hills and Buffalo sub-watersheds while engaging and partnering with local municipalities to identify conservation and restoration activities.”
Council carried a motion requesting the alliance delegation, and extending the length of time for the delegation presentation to 30 minutes.
