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Regional collaboration first among Clyde mayor’s 2020 highlights

Christa Clausing is still undecided about a possible re-election campaign
Christa Clausing web
Village of Clyde mayor Christa Clausing. File photo

WESTLOCK — Reflecting on 2020, Village of Clyde mayor Christa Clausing preferred not to recall the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Clausing, the village’s top story of 2020 was regional collaboration.

“I’ve been on council, this is my 11th year, and for all the years I’ve been on council, this has got to be a good term with them. With meetings, we’re working really well together and we’re getting things accomplished. So I’m very happy with that,” Clausing said.

The three Westlock municipalities — the village, the Town of Westlock and Westlock County — started to meet regularly in tri-council meetings last year. It was a first step in regionalizing, and has led to a series of joint projects: economic development became their focus, emergency services close behind.

Judging by the past, this is a departure for the three municipalities: “When I first started in council, we never got anywhere. We just butted heads and meetings stopped for a while. Hands down, between all of our municipalities when we have our joint meetings, we actually get things accomplished.

“You’ve got to have a good relationship between (us) in order to work together,” she said.

More concretely though, it shows in the Westlock and Area Crime Coalition and the regional notification system.

Also in 2020, and somewhat along the lines of regional partnership, the village acquired peace officer services, something which had been covered by the CAO’s office until they signed an agreement with the county.

The agreement came out of the provincially mandated Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework with the county, which Clausing listed as another checkmark on their year’s record.

Fire services is next — also part of ICF talks — and Clausing hopes to see that resolved before the October elections.

“That’s something that I would like to see personally, and I’m sure council has expressed that too.”

On top of that, the village completed some of its 2019 capital projects, a list of infrastructure repairs — sidewalks and roads — that included the big 48 Street project.

“In 2019, we were last on the list so some of our roads didn’t get done. It all got done last year in 2020. … So there was a lot of action and trying to get home was sometimes a challenge, but there was a lot of activity.”

And little is possible without skilled staff: “With respect to our CAO and administration in-office and our public works, they do phenomenal job, hands down. They do a lot of work for council, we put them to work, that’s for sure, after every council meeting. So they make a big difference.”

A reluctant admission: COVID-19

Clausing knows that COVID-19 has caused a major disruption to daily life for everyone, but it’s not something to be highlighted.

“I don’t like to reflect on that,” she says, and for good reason. The pandemic is, first of all, still unraveling and while things look promising in the area and in the province, there’s little dependance on the state of affairs until the vaccine rollout.

“I’m just hoping that this year, with the vaccines coming out, hopefully by summer we can start resuming meetings in person. Zoom has worked, we can keep on doing our business, but it’s nothing like it is when you do it in person.”

Re-election?

The mayor says she’s undecided on whether she’ll run again this year.

“I’m kind of leaning towards, you know, this is my 11th year … and I feel that maybe it’s time, hopefully, other members of our community will maybe peak interest in Clyde, and it’s always nice to have fresh, new ideas.

“I’ve been around since Day 1 of the viability that we went through as a village. We’ve got a lot of work done that we needed to get done.”

Andreea Resmerita, TownandCountryToday.com

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