Piney Pleased with Stuartburn Partnership

By Dan Guetre

As the RM of Piney assumed a greater administrative role in the operation of the Piney Stuartburn Economic Development and Tourism Board (PSED Board), a partnership formed between the two municipalities to pool resources, according to Piney CAO Martin Van Osch, a joint financial fund just made sense.

“Creating a reserve fund to manage funds for future economic or tourism development is a good management strategy which helps the municipalities prepare, develop and implement projects with the least amount of tax impact to the ratepayers of the municipalities,” explained Van Osch. “Annually, the PSED Board can decide to set funds aside in the reserve for future projects.”

With the oversight of both Piney and Stuartburn Councils, the PSED Board will determine the amount of funding to be transferred to the reserve.

Van Osch stressed the PSED Board has a great deal of autonomy over the direction, investment and implementation of economic development and tourism development within the two municipalities.

The reserve fund gives the board flexibility to respond to new opportunities as they arise.

“By utilizing a key partnership between the RMs of Piney and Stuartburn, the municipalities are able to support and grow opportunities within the region which would have been very difficult to achieve as individual municipalities,” added Van Osch.

Van Osch noted there are many projects which will benefit from the reserve fund.

“Currently some of the money in the reserve is earmarked as matching funds for a provincial Building Sustainable Communities grant for an Investment Readiness Assessment and Business Attraction Strategy Project being undertaken by Sunrise Corner Economic Development,” he elaborated.

“Our focus has always been on the balance between building sustainable communities and maintaining the wonderful quality of life we all love.”

Attracting the right kind of development is also important said Van Osch.

“Other projects include marketing plans for Sunrise Corner or the further development of tourism attractions within the region,” he continued. “Some of these projects are underway and others are potential projects into the future.”

Van Osch wanted to point out that “The Investment Readiness Assessment and Business Attraction Strategy Project” is currently in the research phase. An online survey will be launched on February 1 to obtain input from residents in the RMs of Piney and Stuartburn on how they see development progressing in the region.

Additionally, in early March, they “will host in-person community consultations to further delve into the kinds of development we would like in our region.”

“As always, our focus will be on the balance between building sustainable communities and maintaining the wonderful quality of life we all love here in Sunrise Corner,” he concluded.