Kneehill County council and administration are holding a number of public engagements in the coming months which will help gather input for the revised Municipal Development Plan (MDP); during the regular Tuesday, June 27 council meeting, council passed a motion which will allow a limited number of non-Kneehill County residents to attend as public observers.
Discussion about whether the events should be opened to a limited number of public observers was first brought to council during the June 20 Committee of the Whole meeting, and council recommended administration bring the item back at the next council meeting-along with a proposed RSVP form-for further discussion and final consideration.
“...council recommended that a limited number of participants who don’t meet the established criteria (being a resident, landowner, or doing business within Kneehill County) may be able to attend as observers; however, they will require vetting by administration to obtain a ticket,” explained Planning and Development manager Barb Hazelton.
To attend these engagements, interested participants must fill out an RSVP application form; along with entering their name and contact information, the form also asks a series of questions to determine if the applicant is a resident, landowner, or does business within Kneehill County. If the applicant responds no to each of these questions, they will be notified their name will be placed on a waiting list.
Administration will then go through the waiting list and vet each applicant. If the applicant is successfully approved by administration to attend the engagement, they would then be contacted and responsible for paying for the dinner portion prior to being granted a ticket. The dinner is otherwise free to participants who meet the outlined criteria.
Council approved allowing a limited number of public observers to attend these meetings at their own cost, and at the discretion of administration.

Kneehill County will not move forward with a proposed project to provide rural residents living east of the Town of Three Hills with water servicing due to a lack of support from residents.
Earlier this year, administration conducted a survey to gauge the interest and commitment of residents to connect to water servicing if the project were to move forward, even at a substantial investment to residents in the area.
“Council had also given in their prior direction, in order for this project to progress to the next stage of development, that support and commitment of funds must be received by a minimum of 80 per cent of those eligible residential parcels within the study area,” explained Environmental Services manager John McKiernan during the regular Tuesday, June 27 council meeting.
While the survey was open to all Kneehill County residents, 95 residences were deemed eligible as they fell within the proposed service area.
A total of 48 surveys from these eligible residences were received prior to the April 10 deadline, and an additional 12 surveys or responses to administrative phone calls were received after this deadline, with 35 surveys not returned.
Along with these surveys, administration also received two responses from landowners with bare parcels in the survey area, and one from outside the service area.
Of those surveys received, a total of 33 respondents indicated that they were interested in receiving connection to a regional potable water system, while 27 stated they were not interested.
A previous feasibility study indicated residents would require a minimum financial commitment of at least $20,000 in order to connect to the service, and 32 respondents indicated they would be willing to make this commitment, in principle, towards the project.
While the responses received were generally favourable, the minimum threshold of 80 per cent-or about 76 area residents-was not met and whether to move forward with the project was put to the question of council.
Following some discussion, council passed a motion with a vote of one opposed and five in favour to communicate with landowners in the Three Hills East area the project will not proceed, and further options will not be explored, due to a lack of support from area residents.