Wheatland County Community and Development Services provides the full range of municipal services to get your business from concept to building it in Wheatland. If you are looking to expand, diversify and to get an understanding of the community assets and our quality of life we can assist in that as well.
We want to work with you to achieve your business potential where we can and its why we promote “infinite possibilities.”
Community Services
Community Service planning is provided by the broader department, and includes parks planning and coordination with the Transportation and Agriculture Department to ensure that proper maintenance is being upheld and executed on the County’s public open spaces (parks, greenspaces, amenities and other flora). Community Services ensures that we are meeting our statutory objectives as set out in the Municipal Development Plan (MDP.)
Economic Development
Community and Development Services also implements and executes its Economic Development Strategy through the Economic Development Officer (EDO). Economic Development analyzes social, economic, and environmental trends, internal and external policies and statutory documents, cross-references County planning and development policies with these trends, and collaborates interdepartmentally, and with industry and local stakeholders to solicit feedback and execute strategies.
Municipal Economic Development is about setting a stage for business retention and investment by being a conduit and a resource for investment and information.
The Division also promotes visitation to the WC through marketing events, assisting in product development support for operators and building itineraries for visitors to explore our infinite landscapes and experience infinite possibilities of a memorable visit.
Protective Services
Wheatland County Protective Services is a Supplemental Law Enforcement Agency staffed by Community Peace Officers. The purpose of this service is to promote public safety through visible patrols on all highways and communities within Wheatland County, as well as to protect the County-owned infrastructure.
We deliver service to the community by educating and enforcing Municipal Bylaws and select Provincial Statutes. Protective Services works closely with our area partners such as RCMP, other Peace Officer Agencies, Sheriffs, Fish and Wildlife, EMS, and Fire Services in order to foster good working relationships. Officers patrol all areas of Wheatland County emphasizing on the rural areas providing a marked presence to deter illegal activities.
Emergency and Fire Services
Development & Safety Codes
A Development Officer is a current planning and development specialist with knowledge in current legislation, policy and bylaws, systems and technical requirements for physical development within communities. A Development Officer enforces and administers land use regulations and policies on behalf of a municipality.
A key component to the role of a Development Officer involves fielding inquiries from the public, developers, builders and their agents regarding a wide variety of Planning and Development proposals. Inquiries and applications range between simple projects such as building a garage, to home-based businesses, to complex business proposals.
The Safety Codes Technician is responsible for receiving, processing, recording and where authorized, issuing permits on applications for permits relating to construction covered under the Safety Codes Act. The Safety Codes Act requires that all contractors and homeowners in Alberta obtain permits prior to commencing work on buildings covered by the Alberta Building Code or work governed by the Canadian Electrical Code, the Alberta Gas Code or the Alberta Plumbing Code. The major benefits of obtaining a permit are knowing that the installation will conform to the safety standards that have been adopted under the Safety Codes Act, and that inspection(s) will be provided by certified safety codes officers.
Planning
Planning services include the processing of Area Structure Plans, Concept Plans, Redesignation, Subdivision, Development Permit and Safety Code permit applications. Long-range planning is also a key component of the services provided by the Team, which include coordinating with external consultants on Area Structure Plans as well as working internally on the Municipal Development Plan (MDP), Land Use Bylaw (LUB), and other statutory and policy document review. The Team also focuses its time on updating planning policies and constantly refining procedures to ensure a high level of customer service and professionalism. Planning focuses a significant amount of time on interacting with ratepayers, addressing front counter drop-ins and both telephone and e-mail inquiries. A key department focus is both educating and informing the public on the planning and development process so they are well-informed if they choose to undertake a planning application within Wheatland County.
Team Wheatland
Team Wheatland is our first phase ambassadors within this new brand and works to facilitate efficient investment attraction inquiries. The Team includes cross-department specialists to aid inquiry information needs through the development process.
Economic Development Board
The Board consists of nine members of the public business community within Wheatland County. The Board works directly with the Economic Development Officer and General Manager of Community & Development Services. There are also two open non-voting seats on the Board for Siksika First Nation and the regional representative of the Jobs, Economy and Innovation Ministry with the Alberta government.
Wheatland County Council
Council is responsible for providing services that residents need and want. This responsibility involves providing input regarding the municipality’s programs and services (policy-making) and making sure that the administration provides the programs and services in the best possible way (program monitoring). Learn more about Council here.
