County of St. Paul Municipal Development Plan, Land Use Bylaw, General Municipal Servicing Standards, and Reserve Land Management Policy Review for Red Tape Reduction

The Government of Alberta has directed municipalities to reduce red tape inefficiencies – such as duplicate processes and rules– to save time, money, and resources while still protecting the environment, keeping Albertans safe and healthy, and upholding fiscal accountability.

Much like the Province, the County wants to make it easier for people to get the government services they need and reduce the regulatory burden on job creators to encourage investment, boost the local economy, and get more people back to work.

The County has engaged ISL Engineering and Land Services to review its Municipal Development Plan (MDP), Land Use Bylaw (LUB), General Municipal Servicing Standards (GMSS), and Reserve Land Management Policy (RLMP) to identify and minimize inefficiencies. Through this review, the County will have more streamlined planning and development policies and regulations, and will be able to provide a more efficient and effective service to landowners and businesses.

Project Process

This review process involves interviews with stakeholder groups, engagement with Council, Administration, local businesses, residents and landowners, a technical analysis of existing County policies and regulations, and preparation of draft policies and regulations.

The anticipated completion date of this review is fall 2021.

Phase 1 Engagement

A key component of this project is engagement with a wide range of interests, namely Council, Administration, key stakeholders, and the public, to obtain a diverse spectrum of thoughts about the barrier’s stakeholders have experienced when using the County’s planning documents.

Over the past several months, a variety of engagement activities have occurred:

1. A workshop with County Council,
2. A workshop with County Administration,
3. Stakeholder interviews, and
4. A public survey.

The complete engagement summary can be viewed here.

Next Steps

Now that the technical review and first phase of engagement has been completed, we have prepared updated/draft policies and regulations that focus on clarity of language and finding red tape reductions.

The draft MDP, LUB, and RLMP are attached below for your review. Proposed additions and deletion are shown within each document. Please review each and provide your feedback.

Municipal Development Plan (MDP)

Land Use Bylaw (LUB)

Reserve Land Management Policy (RLMP)

The General Municipal Servicing Standards (GMSS) will be completed later and reviewed by Council.