The MGA was amended in 2020 to require municipalities to establish joint use and planning agreements with school boards
The Municipal Government Act (MGA) requires municipalities to enter into joint use and planning agreements (JUPAs) with school boards operating within their municipal boundaries or those that may commence operations in the future. JUPAs are a formal partnership between a municipality and school board to enable the integrated, long-term planning of school sites on municipal reserve (MR), school reserve (SR), and municipal and school reserve (MSR) land.
According to s. 670.1 of the MGA, a JUPA must establish a process for discussing:
- The planning, development, and use of school sites on MR, SR, and MSR land in the municipality
- The transferring of MR, SR, and MSR land between a municipality and a school board
- The disposal of school sites
- The servicing of school sites on MR, SR, and MSR land
- The use of school facilities, municipal facilities, and playing fields on MR, SR, and MSR land, including the maintenance of facilities and fields, and the payment of fees and other liabilities associated with them
A JUPA must also do the following:
- Outline how a municipality and school board will work collaboratively
- Establish a dispute resolution procedure
- Establish a timeframe for regular review of the agreement
As the MGA requires JUPAs to be completed by June 2023 (s. 670.1(1)), municipalities that have not yet begun the JUPA development process with school boards should begin as soon as possible.
Wyatt Skovron
Manager of Policy & Advocacy
780.955.4096
wyatt@RMAlberta.com