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Photos: City and County of Grande Prairie
By Shaun Penner
ICF Negotiations

City, County of Grande Prairie set to ratify ICF mediation terms

Jul 7, 2020 | 9:30 PM

The terms of the Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework (ICF) mediation process between the City and County of Grande Prairie will be presented to both councils for ratification over the next week.

The framework of the mediation will be deliberated by City Council at a Special Council meeting on Wednesday, while County Council will deliberate on the protocols surrounding negotiations on Monday, July 13.

According to a joint release issued by the City and County, the protocols will “lay out the terms of confidential and respectful discussion toward a mediated agreement.” This will cover topics such as the role of external advisors in negotiations, the scheduling of meetings and how they are conducted, the setting of agendas, resolution of issues, information sharing and public engagement, among many others.

Both the County and City agreed to go forward with mediated negotiations earlier this year, and have agreed to have negotiations complete for the completion of the ICF by March 31, 2021.

“Our goal is to reach a fair and equitable Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework that addresses the needs of residents and businesses who depend on services across both municipalities,” said Grande Prairie Mayor Bill Given. “We are committed to working with the County and welcome the mediator’s assistance in helping us achieve a reasonable agreement.”

The province’s Municipal Government Act requires that municipalities sharing a common boundary create an ICF. Originally, all ICF’s were to be completed by April 1 of this year, but because of COVID-19 restrictions, that deadline was pushed to April 21, 2021.

The intention of these agreements is to create a document that details what and how services are funded and delivered with municipalities that share a border. Each framework must include:

  • Describing the services that benefit residents in more than one of the municipalities
  • Identify which municipality is responsible for providing these services
  • Outlines how services will be delivered and funded
  • Includes a process for resolving disputes that occur while the framework is in effect
  • Ensures municipalities contribute funding to services that benefit their residents

“This type of collaboration is important as it recognizes our interconnectedness as neighbours, while supporting our autonomy as separate municipalities,” said County Reeve Leanne Beaupre.

“It’s important we proceed with professional mediators to ensure focused discussions in good faith on how we best serve residents of our municipalities for years to come. These protocols are key in guiding our dialogue toward success.”

The negotiating team is made up of eight members, four each from the City and County.

Representing the City of Grande Prairie will be Mayor Given, Councillors Jackie Clayton and Eunice Friesen and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Horacio Galanti. The County will be represented by Reeve Beaupre, Deputy Reeve Peter Harris, Councillor Ross Sutherland and CAO Joulia Whittleton.

The negotiating committee will also be made up of two mediators, Bill Sutherland and Bill Diepeveen.

by Shaun Penner