Couns. Marni Fedeyko and Morgan Nagel wasted little time being sworn in as town councillors for the next four years, to push forward individual motions respectively tied into the platforms that got them elected.
Nagel, who enthusiastically campaigned on a platform of slowing down residential growth - including better management of what has been approved to-date and not approving any new developments – put forward a motion seeking clarity on the big picture of development for the town.
“I really feel that not everyone understands how much development is coming up,” said Nagel, who is concerned his message of slowed growth has been wrongly confused with stopping approved builds, which is not the case.
His motion directs administration to bring back a staff report on the status of development approvals for the Dec. 11 council meeting.
This report would include all approved and proposed Neighbourhood Plans and Area Structure Plans and the number of units encompassed by each respective plan. The report would also include the percentage and status of all undeveloped areas contained in each plan.
“The further these applications are along in the process, the less control the town has.”
With the consideration of the recently-approved Southbow Landing on the south side of the Bow River, as well as the approved phases in River Heights and what is left to come online in Fireside, Sunset Ridge, Heritage Hills and Heartland, Nagel is concerned that residents don’t have a clear picture to-date with how the thousands of homes slated to be built will shape the Cochrane landscape.
He has previously pointed out bordering Rocky View County developments that will impact town traffic and congestion.
Fedeyko announced that she will be bringing forward a motion to direct administration to draft a comprehensive report, including budget impacts, on live streaming of council sessions. The motion will be brought forward at the Nov. 14 council session.
“It’s a way for us all to be accountable,” said Fedeyko. “The more info we can put out there, the better it is for all of us.”
“The last time we looked at this it was cost prohibitive,” said Tracey Radloff, senior manager of human resources. “Live streaming has not been implemented to date with the cost and availability of staff time to install and run such programming.”
Radloff said in the interim, administration is looking into costs to upgrade audio and visual equipment in council chambers.
