26. Consistent
Growth
+ 6.17%
2011: 15,051*
2010: 14,177
+ 14.67%
2006: 12,363*
+ 17.25%
+ 9.96%
2003: 10,544
2001: 9,589*
+ 15.89%
1996: 8,274*
Official
Population
+ 11.74%
1993: 7,405
(May 2011):
+ 2.5%
+ 10.74%
1991: 7,226
1990: 6,689
15,051
+ 4.41%
1989: 6,427
2 0 1 3
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
A D D R E S S
27. OUR ROOTS
2 0 1 3
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
A D D R E S S
29. 2 0 1 3
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
A D D R E S S
30. Municipal
Development Plan
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
OUR
VISION
• We are environmentally friendly
• We are community
• We have economic opportunity
ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITY
SUPPORTIVE
INFRASTRUCTURE
• We are supported by our
infrastructure
• We have responsible governance
ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY
RESPONSIVE
GOVERNMENT
2 0 1 3
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
A D D R E S S
41. Fiscal
Stability
TAX-RATE
COMPARISONS
Municipality
Thorsby
Legal
Lamont
Calmar
Bon Accord
Warburg
St. Albert
Redwater
Leduc
Morinville
Beaumont
Spruce Grove
Devon
Gibbons
Edmonton
Residential
Tax-rate (2012)
0.01167
0.00989
0.00931
0.00903
0.00854
0.0084
0.00763
0.0072
0.00662
0.0066
0.00595
0.00564
0.00536
0.00509
0.00501
RESIDENTIAL
TAX-RATE (2012)
Stony Plain 0.00479
Fort Saskatchewan
Wabamun
Sherwood Park
Strathcona County
Lamont County
Parkland County
Sturgeon County
Leduc County
Bruderheim
2 0 1 3
0.00447
0.00404
0.00452
0.0045178
0.0036947
0.0035766
0.0033321
0.00309
unavailable
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
SOURCE: City of Edmonton
A D D R E S S
42. Fiscal
Stability
TAX-RATE
COMPARISONS
Municipality
Non-residential
Tax-rate (2012)
Thorsby
Legal
Lamont County
Bon Accord
Wabamun
Edmonton
Warburg
Calmar
Redwater
Lamont
St. Albert
Leduc
Gibbons
Sturgeon County
Spruce Grove
Strathcona County
Beaumont
Fort Saskatchewan
Leduc County
Morinville
Parkland County
0.0225777
0.0212601
0.0199049
0.0184279
0.0171931
0.0151587
0.0144800
0.0139750
0.0130615
0.0128710
0.0118803
0.0102350
0.0100860
0.0094910
0.0092574
0.0088873
0.0082571
0.0082488
0.0074300
0.0066045
0.0065836
Stony Plain
0.0065570
Bruderheim
Devon
unavailable
unavailable
2 0 1 3
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
BUSINESS
TAX-RATE (2012)
SOURCE: City of Edmonton
A D D R E S S
44. Fiscal
Stability
• Cash Management and Investments
• Debt Management
• Revenue and Taxation
FINANCIAL
POLICIES
• Budget and Long-term Planning
• Appropriated Surplus
• Accounting and Financial Reporting
• Purchasing and Spending
2 0 1 3
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
A D D R E S S
45. 2 0 1 3
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
A D D R E S S
74. Permit
Values
Commercial, Industrial
and Institutional
Permits Issued
2013: 13
2012:
2011:
Value
2013: $12,559,510
2012: $10,149,688
2011: $21,570,000
10
14
•
•
•
•
•
•
2 0 1 3
Parkland Ambulance Authority – EMS Station
Lube Shop
Self-storage building
Industrial (7-bay building)
Commercial (9-bay building)
Warehouse (10-bay)
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
A D D R E S S
75. 2 0 1 3
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
A D D R E S S
80. Highlights
• Lake Westerra, Stage 14
42 detached residential units
• South Creek, Stage 3
36 semi-detached
• The Brickyard, Stage 2
30 semi-detached
• Sommerville, Stage 5
52 semi-detached
• Fairways North, Stage 1
37 single-family
• Folkstone Villas
48 condo units in three buildings
• Westerra, Stage 15
• Genesis-on-the-Lakes, Stage 4A
• Silverstone, Stage 4 – 42 lots
2 0 1 3
Residential
Development
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
A D D R E S S
126. Environmental
Sustainability
Blue Bags:
565.91 tons
Organics: 1 802.40 tons
Garbage: 2 884.33 tons
Incandescent Lamps:
Blue Bags:
255.46 tons
Organics:
452.84 tons
TVs:
CPUs:
Laptops:
Printers:
2 094
750
242
1 092
2 0 1 3
Fluorescent Tubes:
Batteries:
Halogen Lamps:
Compact Fluorescents:
S TLaptops F - T H E - T O W N
A T E - O
A D D R E S S
428
1 717 m
666 kg
14
561
133. Community Centre
Upgrade South Park Drive
Install traffic signals
$9.4 million
$2.5 million
$ 975,000
Brightbank Ave. & Golf Course Rd.
Hwy. 779 & Wood Ave.
Hwy. 779 & High Park Rd. / Westerra Dr.
Build new sidewalks
Replace arena roof
Install storm drainage (Golf Course)
Build new trail
Upgrade ball diamonds
2 0 1 3
$
$
$
$
$
2014 Capital
Projects
727,000
600,000
450,000
100,000
50,000
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
A D D R E S S
134. 2 0 1 3
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
A D D R E S S
135. 2 0 1 3
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
A D D R E S S
136. 2 0 1 3
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
A D D R E S S
137. 2 0 1 3
S T A T E - O F - T H E - T O W N
A D D R E S S
Good afternoon.Thank you to the Chamber for hosting today’s luncheon and for the invitation.
One of the highlights of the year for me is delivering the annual State-of-the-Town Address to the community.Your interest is inspiring and reinforces my belief in the passion we all share for our community.
Like healthy trees, healthy communities take time, nourishment and attention – and that requires strong leadership and adequate resources.
Healthy community growth starts with strong roots.
When Stony Plain became a town in 1908, its population was only 1,000.
In deciding what kind of community they wanted, our forefathers established core values, which are now the foundation for all we do.
We must respect our heritage and honour those who’ve paved the way for us.
Thanks to their vision, we are, today, 16,000-plus, with an area comprising nearly 36 square-kilometres.
Throughout the years, the Town has stayed true to its roots.
But over time, as changes always come, and our residents’ needs evolve, we must be open to reinterpretation of these values, to keep them relevant.Because unwillingness to look at our values with a fresh perspective will ultimately stunt growth.
Stony Plain has benefited from decades of civic leaders who understood this concept well.
As a result, we’ve developed into a community that, like a tree with strong roots, is able to bend without breaking or being uprooted.
What happens when a community understands the balance between
staying true to its roots while remaining flexible as changes come?
It’s been designated a priority growth area within the Capital Region for the next 20 years, and the population will more-than-double by 2032.Clearly, wise planning is paramount.
Moving beyond the roots…
…we come to the trunk – our core values, first established more than 100 years ago.
In 2013, we built on these values, as we developed the new Municipal Development Plan.
The MDP establishes a clear vision for Stony Plain and is our road-map for the next 20-30 years.
That vision was determined by you, the members of this community.
Because the only way to ensure this road-map accurately reflects the community was to engage our residents, business owners and other stakeholders.
This is an important time for our community, and we thank you for joining the conversation.
The MDP not only outlines policies to accommodate growth, it balances land use priorities with cultural, social, environmental and economic considerations.
After a more-than one-year process, the Plan is nearly ready.It is now before the Capital Region Board; once approved there, it will come to Council for final approval, so it can be implemented.
Our growth springs from a firm foundation, but…
we must assess needs and allocate resources to ensure growth aligns with core values.
The lower branches of a tree are its largest, strongest and most mature.
For us, these branches include fiscal stability, infrastructure and public safety.
Fiscally, the Town is in good shape, relative to its comparators.
Our tax-rates – both residential and non-residential -
are one of the lowest in the Capital Region.
A 2012 audit confirms balanced budgets, healthy-to-moderate reserves, minimal debt, low taxes, controlled-spending and an established track-record of sound financial-planning, management and reporting.
In 2013, Council adopted a suite of financial policies in seven areas to better manage fiscal resources that will ensure we are financially sustainable.
I’ve just learned that we have received the Canadian Award for Financial Reporting for the second consecutive year.Congratulations to our staff for the amazing job they do (let’s give them a hand).
Another lower branch is public infrastructure.
We invested more than half-a-million dollars in 2013 to replace sanitary sewers and water mains;
fix sidewalks, curbs and gutters; pour new asphalt surfaces; and install street lights along Golf Course Road.
We completed the $7-million Boulder Blvd. Reconstruction Project and
opened the $2.3-million 28 Street expansion.
The new street provides alternate access to the South Business Park, reduces congestion at the South Park Drive/43rd Avenue intersection and enhances efforts to market prime commercial land on either side of 28 Street.
We invested $1.9-million into North Park Drive, reconstructing and widening the street. This has improved traffic access and safety of our residents.
The project will be finished in 2014, and hopefully we can start work on South Park Drive
We expanded our trail system in 2013, and
We’ve made it mandatory for developers to include trails and parks in their plans.
A third lower branch of Stony Plain’s growth-system is public safety.
Protective services are deeply intertwined with our identity and residents’ expectations.
In 2013, we budgeted for another full-time RCMP officer. The 2014 budget includes funding for two additional RCMP officers and…
…anotherCommunity Peace Officer to address the needs of our growing community.
The wildly successful RCMP school resource officer program, jointly funded by the Town, the City of Spruce Grove and Parkland County, continued in 2013 and will again this year.This program enhances the safety of our children and nurtures positive relationships with law enforcement.
This program enhances the safety of our children and nurtures positive relationships with law enforcement.
We purchased a $1.3-million aerial ladder fire truck with our regional partners and added two full-time firefighters to increase our service levels.
Through all our growth…(RAPID TRANSITION – SLIDES 54, 55, 56)
…we have retained our core values.
This provides a framework for our community
When the roots and trunk of a tree are strong…,
…and the lower branches well-developed,
…the upper branches can develop in a strong and healthy way.Let’s take a look at the upper branches of Stony Plain.
The first upper branch is development.
Development in Stony Plain remained steady in 2013.
New building permit values totalled more than $46.8 million.
The Town issued 13 permits for commercial, industrial and institutional development, for a combined value of more than $12.5-million.
The $7-million Freson Bros. Fresh Market and $1.58-Million Atim Creek Centre opened last year,
TD Canada Trust started building its local branch and just opened its doors a last week.
Serviced commercial lots of varying sizes are available within the North and South Business Parks; and other locations, with a combined construction value of more than $4.8 million.
Housing starts in 2013 were on par with 2012.
The Town issued 174 permits for new starts, with a construction value of more than $34.2 million.
Another upper branch is economic development.
More business-owners are discovering Stony Plain is a great place to put down roots.
Stony Plain ranked 11th in Alberta Venture’s list of top communities for business in 2013.Strong population growth, reasonable tax rates, and competitive land prices are some factors that distinguished us. (our residential and industrial tax rates are some of the lowest in the Capital Region).
A hearty welcome to the 119 new businesses that launched in 2013.
The Town issued 897 business licences in 2013.
The Town and Chamber jointly acknowledged more than 70 local businesses through the Business Recognition Program, which recognizes new ventures and those reaching significant milestones.
We continued to implement the Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan in 2013, and the Growth and Commerce Committee pursues business development in Stony Plain.
As development continues, and businesses set up and expand here, companies are recruiting our talented and diverse work-force to keep them in the community.
A third upper-branch of Stony Plain is our sense of community.
Our people make this community great!
Area schools help build an emerging work-force, and…
…our teachers and school administrators are commended for raising the bar.
We’re delighted to hear the announcement that the Province will expand and modernize John Paul II School.
There are now nearly as many residents in Stony Plain under the age of 18 as there are over the age of 65, according to the latest data.
This means that we have a healthy demographic for our growth.
In 2013, 964 volunteers donated thousands of hours of time, talents and energy through the Stony Plain Volunteer Centre.
And the many successful Town- or community-events this year united residents, attracted visitors and contributed to our local economy.
We continued to implement the Cultural Master Plan, which Council approved in 2012.
The successful Live Out Loud summer campaign promoted local opportunities.
Our foot-bridges were revitalized, thanks to local groups and individuals who repainted them during our “paint the bridge” campaign.
More than 60 people became Canadian citizens in a heart-warming citizenship ceremony in July.
Stony Plain was the only community outside Edmonton to host a ceremony in almost 20 years.
The Alberta Winter Games Society’s “Legacy Rock” is now in place at Heritage Park. It’s a reminder of our accomplishments and what we can do together as a region.
And 2013 also marked the 28th anniversary of our international relationship with Shikaoi:
A relationship that has deeply enriched both communities.
Last year, Mayor Yoshida and a group of Japanese delegates were in town for Farmers’ Days.
This was the first time they have shared this experience with us (they did enjoy it, and they are now planning their own version of Farmers’ Days).
The Library was a host-site for 2013 Alberta Culture Days, attracting many locals and tourists to events throughout our community.
Arts and culture contributes to our community's well-being, and…
…we must nurture our rich cultural resources, linking the cultural sector to economic development.
Another area that experienced growth in 2013 is the fourth upper branch: culture.
Open dialogue between the community and the Town remains a top priority.
Recent survey results show 94 per cent of residents are satisfied with how we communicate with them. But we can do better.
In late-2013, we launched a Public Participation Project to encourage residents’ involvement in public decision-making.This project will be completed in 2014.
Our 2012 Annual Report won several awards, and the quarterly Stony Plain Standard was mailed to every household and business.
We continue to leverage technology to increase public awareness. As of Dec. 31, more than 2,300 users followed the Town on Twitter.
Once approved, our new social media strategy will guide the Town’s use of social media in ways that link to our corporate objectives.
We’ll launch several new social media platforms in 2014, including an official Facebook page.
Stony Plain was profiled in a professional feature that aired on local TV networks across Canada and the U.S.A.
This is a great way to reach out to the world. You can watch the feature on the Town’s website.
Through our Wipe Out Waste program, we are reducing waste at the source, getting closer to our goal of an 80 per cent diversion rate.
Others have noticed this aggressive approach.In 2013, the Town was short-listed for an Emerald Award, while the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators granted us with the prestigious National Municipal Environmental Award.
But the kudos belongs to our residents, who are doing their part to reduce waste.
In 2013, we reduced the amount of household waste to the landfill by approximately 41 per cent from 2012.
As you can see, 2013 was a productive and exciting year!
And much will be accomplished in 2014.
One exciting initiative is the new community/convention centre at Heritage Park.
While no plans are approved, several reports provide solid justification for this facility, and turning this dream into reality remains a priority.
We need to build a new RCMP facility, as our existing building no longer meets the needs of our community and is falling apart.
Working closely with our partners will make this happen.
Other major projects include: upgrading South Park Drive;installing new traffic signals at three busy intersections:Golf Course Road and Brightbank;48 Street and Wood Avenue; 79 Avenue and Westerra Drive / High Park Road.installing new sidewalks in several locations; replacing roof on Glenn Hall Arena;building more trails; andenhancing community ball diamonds.
The development industry promises to keep the town hopping, with several subdivisions approved.
Another key project is the Swimming Pool expansion, slightly adjusted to meet our budget.
The modernization and new changing rooms will enhance this facility and also benefit the spray-park and sports-fields adjacent to it.
Beautiful Japanese graffiti art will adorn the building, reflecting our cultural emphasis and long-standing relationship with Shikaoi.
Council met in warm and balmy Pigeon Lake earlier this year to look at the needs of today while planning for future generations.In our strategic planning session, we whittled down 135 priorities to the top-10 to focus on during our four-year term.
I am proud of what we accomplished in 2013 and…
…look forward to the opportunities and…
…challenges that await us ahead in 2013 and beyond.
As we move through 2014,…
we remain focused on delivering programs and services…
at the highest possible level, while….
…ensuring we always live within our means.To accomplish this,…
…we must all work together as a community and as a region.
