Mayor William Choy: Town of Stony Plain in fine shape for 2014
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“Edmonton is the City of Champions, Spruce Grove is the community of choice, Parkland County is where opportunity awaits — but it’s always better in Stony Plain.”
Those were the tongue-in-cheek words of Stony Plain Mayor William Choy as he closed his State of the Town Address on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at the Ramada Inn in Stony.
And things certainly look good for the Town as it embraces 2014.
Choy used the metaphor of a tree as he described the state of the Town, from its roots of business and fiscal management up to the lofty branches of community and culture.
Stony has been designated a priority growth area in the Capital Region, Choy said, and will likely more than double in size by 2032.
“Fiscally, the town is in great shape. Our taxes, both residential and non-residential, are some of the lowest in the capital region,” he said.
The Town invested more than $500,000 in 2013 to enhance community infrastructure. That process included replacing sanitary sewers and waterlines, fixing sidewalks, curbs and gutters and installing streetlights along Golf Course Road.
$1.9 million was also invested into North Park Drive reconstruction and widening.
Housing starts for the year was on par with 2012, with the Town issuing more than 174 permits — a construction value of more than $34 million.
Additionally, 118 new businesses opened their doors in 2013, bringing the grand total of business licenses issued by the Town nearly to 900.
2014 has some major projects scheduled, Choy said.
Some of those include a new community centre at Heritage Park, further upgrades to South Park Drive and a number of new traffic lights to highlight safety.
“We’ll also build a new RCMP facility, as our existing one no longer meets the needs of our residents and is also falling apart,” he said, adding after his address that 2014 will likely be the planning stage for the facility, followed by construction in 2015.
With two new RCMP positions as well as a Community Peace Officer position approved in the 2014 budget, Choy said the Town is answering the number one concern of residents: public safety.
“Protective Services are deeply intertwined with our identity and what our residents have come to expect,” he said.
The Town’s main priority for 2014 is regional partnerships in governance. Choy noted that the tri-area needs to pool its strength to accomplish everything it wants to in the coming year.
“As we move into 2014, we remain focused on delivering programs and services at the highest possible level, while ensuring we always live within our means,” he said.
“But to accomplish this, we need to work together as a community and as a region.”
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