Alberta Municipal Affairs has released an engagement survey seeking municipal input on intermunicipal collaboration frameworks (ICFs). ICFs are intended to facilitate shared service delivery between neighbouring municipalities in cases where collaboration makes sense for both parties. Following the completion of the first round of ICFs, Municipal Affairs is considering changes to several aspects of the process and is gathering initial municipal input through the survey.
The survey includes sections on the following ICF aspects:
- Intermunicipal services to be included in an ICF
- ICF agreement duration
- Cost calculations
- Mediation and arbitration
- Enforcement
The survey closes on April 19, 2024.
As ICFs have significant service delivery, governance, and fiscal impacts on municipalities, all RMA members are encouraged to provide input.
The RMA is in the process of developing an ICF member engagement guide which will be shared directly with members by email in the coming weeks. Members are encouraged to consult the guide, but complete the survey based on their individual ICF negotiation experiences.
The RMA also has two active resolutions related to ICFS:
ER1-23F: Limiting Third-party Services in ICF Agreements
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) advocate to the Government of Alberta (GOA) that third-party services should not be included in intermunicipal collaboration frameworks (ICFs) and should be left to each ICF negotiation partnership to determine external to the ICF process;
FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED THAT the RMA advocate to the GOA to limit the funding demands by urban municipalities, particularly when these demands arise from their independent decisions and are based on an assumption that rural municipalities will subsidize a portion of their costs or shortages.
7-22F: Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework Reform
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) request the Government of Alberta amend the Municipal Government Act to define “core municipal services” for the purpose of intermunicipal collaboration frameworks and mandate that municipalities present verifiable costs to justify cost sharing for the aforementioned defined core municipal services;
FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the RMA request that the Government of Alberta ensure that members of a growth management board are not required to enter into an intermunicipal collaboration framework with each other.
Wyatt Skovron
Director of External Relations & Advocacy
780.955.4096
wyatt@RMAlberta.com