Mayor provides insight in State of Cochrane address
Mayor Jeff Genung, in the sold-out speech in Cochrane State, called on the crowd to get involved in community development and seize opportunities as they arise.
“Change will not wait for another person or another time,” the mayor said. “We are them. We are the changers.”
On February 10th Mayor Genung presented his views on Cochrane to a sold-out audience, at times defending his administration’s decisions and adding some insights into some of the success stories.
Among those victories were the efforts that went into not only maintaining Garmin Canada’s headquarters in Cochrane, but also fueling an expansion.
“Garmin was reviewing all options for its expansion plans, including exiting Cochrane,” he said. “Jim Rooney (Garmin CEO) came to me over a year ago and asked for my help. He had heard us talking about technology and wanted to know if we were serious.”
The mayor said the city remains on solid financial footing and is well below its debt limit. It needs to continue to build up its reserves to complete identified infrastructure improvements.
“These reserve funds are not an endless pool of money. The Council must set clear priorities and live within our means, and I am pleased to report that we are doing just that.”
There was the added challenge of high inflation coupled with the provincial government cutting funding for medium-sized cities like Cochrane.
He hasn’t backed down from criticism of overexpanding the city’s administrative staff in the last two budgets, and specifically notes how the addition of an interstate portfolio has aided provincial lobbying.
“Since my election, this has been a focus of mine to put Cochrane back on the map in the eyes of the provincial government by highlighting our extreme growth and showing how important we are as an economic engine in Alberta.”
This includes the continued engagement and support of local MLA Peter Guthrie, now Secretary for Energy, and ongoing discussions with Ministers for Transport, Local Affairs and Seniors.
He defended his recent trip to Las Vegas for the tech convention. There he met with local tech companies and continued researching the startup environment. He seemed offended and mulled over a recent Freedom of Information and Privacy Policy (FIOP) request to get a statement of his expenses.
He said the Vegas trip cost $4,479.77.
Genung was excited by the prospect of developing Southbow Landing, which is expected to begin later this year. In addition to offering residential real estate, it will provide convenient shopping for residents on the south side of Cochrane. He said the timing is right to create more commercial hubs outside of downtown.
Guests included Rocky View County Mayor Crystal Kissel, who spoke briefly, and Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown.
Before the address, a protest was held in front of the RancheHouse, which attracted more than 150 people. In front of the crowd inside, the mayor admitted that it was a dreadful walk to the building’s doors.