Year-end review: Coaldale Mayor Kim Craig

0 percent tax increase for residential and non-residential taxes
Coaldale won the Canadian award for Financial Reporting by the International Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)
The town obtained over $9 million in grant funding for infrastructure projects

PUBLIC SAFETY AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

Completed the Firehall & Renovation project
Partnered with Palliser Regional Schools to provide the joint credit Kate Andrews Fire Academy
Announced a first of its kind property tax credit for volunteer firefighters

PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE

The town continued to develop flood mitigation infrastructure – receiving grant dollars for Phase 2(b) of the Malloy Drain Implementation Project
Announced plans for the expansion of wastewater treatment (lagoon) infrastructure
Completed a new Municipal Plan to guide the town’s development for the next 20 years
Completed an Infrastructure Master Plan and Transportation Master Plan

READ MORE: Coaldale investing heavily in infrastructure while not raising residential property taxes

RECREATION

Successfully negotiated an agreement with neighbouring communities to provide annual funding for recreation programs in Coaldale ($91,000 from Lethbridge County)
Developed over three kilometres of a new paved pathway system
Installed agility equipment at the dog park
In partnership with local service clubs, completed significant upgrades to Eastview Park
Completed the schematic design for the Multi-Use Recreation Centre following extensive consultation with the community and sport/rec working group

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Owl’s Nest Campground to be reopened into a fully serviced campground and mountain bike park
Started and finished the redevelopment of Main Street and the Highway 3 corridor
Announced private investment to build a new commercial office building on Main Street (Civic Square)
Completed upgrades on 8^th Street in order to improve access to the Industrial Park

SERVICES

Added new equipment to expand the town’s snow plow and road-sanding capabilities

Craig said the completion of various projects and all of the accomplishments in 2020 were the result of hard work by the entire Coaldale team.

“It’s really a testament to the commitment to town administration and council to try and not be unsensitive, like we were able to respond to COVID by being one of the first municipalities out of the gate to give deferrals for property taxes and utilities and whatnot,” Craig told LNN.

“I don’t think we dropped any of the kind of pandemic balls, per se, and we were still able to stay focused on trying to enact our ambitious strategic plan for Coaldale.”

IMPACTS OF COVID

Craig said like other municipalities, Coaldale has felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Some of the local businesses, the restaurants, they’re struggling mightily on their reduced restrictions, the capacity issues and we live in fear that they might not be resilient enough to make it all the way through to the other side but we want them and all businesses to know we’re willing to work hard to take away any stress that we can. We’re going to defer the payment of business licenses to try to give them a bit of breathing room,” said the mayor.

Craig said council and town administration will continue to monitor the ever-changing situation around COVID and do what it can to support residents in need.

CITIZENS FOR A BETTER COALDALE

One of the more prominent topics of the year in Coaldale, aside from COVID-19, was the emergence of the group Citizens for a Better Coaldale.

The group of residents has raised concerns about communication issues between the town and members of the community, particularly around large projects like Civic Square.

READ MORE: Citizens raise concerns over proposed new ‘Civic Square’ in Coaldale

READ MORE: Coaldale councillor denies conflict of interest, calls out “shaming campaign”

“We respect the right of democracy and whatnot, but you can’t ignore those kind of things that are happening around you. Council is committed to trying to do the best job that they can every day,” Craig said on that topic.

“Every member of council sits around that table trying to make the best decision for Coaldale with the knowledge that they have at the time of the decision.”

READ MORE: Coaldale Council to investigate only a portion of community complaints

READ MORE: Petition asking for municipal inspection in Coaldale receives over 2,300 signatures

Craig said there’s been some brief discussion with the group, but in hindsight, he wishes there had been more communication between the residents and town council.

“We initially had a presentation and we had some people reaching out and that. I guess, with the benefit of hindsight, it would have been nice with either me, or something…I’m not sure what party should have reached out to try to be more conciliatory before things kind of ramped up to a level before their ultimately did, but that’s the benefit of hindsight,” he said, adding the current environment in Coaldale is not where anybody in the town would like it to be.

“It has sort of lost its small-town friendly atmosphere, where neighbours are kind of pitted against neighbours and there’s a hardening of sides kind-of-thing. I don’t think anybody on council really wanted to see it ever get to that point.”

He told LNN that there’s lots of work to do to get back to the “small town feel” in Coaldale, adding that the pandemic has “cast a shadow” on society.

He said it’s difficult to “break out of that cloud of negativity” but Craig is doing his best to focus on the positives of the past 12 months and what’s to come in the new year.

“I think that everybody is really hopeful that the immunization program will have a dramatic effect and maybe life can start returning to normal. Once more positive things in the medical world happen, people can receive other things in a more positive light, too,” he said.

Craig noted he only wants the best for Coaldale now and going forward.

“People [can] disagree on what I think is good and what they think is good, but I can assure everybody that nobody around the council table is wanting bad things to happen for Coaldale.”

2021 MUNICIPAL ELECTION

Craig told LNN that in the new year, he’s hoping to solidify his decision on whether or not he will run for re-election.

“The environment in our community is such that it really gives you pause to willingly throw your hat in the ring, so I say I’m leaning toward not, but I hope to, probably in the new year, really solidify that decision,” he said.

“I think the environment in town is such that it might be timely for a new slate of candidates to come and replace me, but I haven’t formally made a decision yet.”

Coaldale residents will head to the polls to vote for a new municipal council on October 18, 2021.

by Justin Goulet

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Year-end review: Coaldale Mayor Kim Craig

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