Bashaw town council has agreed to support a collaborative Alberta Community Partnership grant application for a regional Community Needs Assessment.

Council carried the motion during its Sept. 9 regular meeting.

The Town of Bashaw will partner with the Village of Alix and Lacombe County on the proposed project. Alix will serve as the managing municipality for the application.

The assessment would help each municipality identify current community needs, gaps in available services, regional trends and opportunities to work together. Residents, service providers and community organizations would be invited to provide input.

The proposed application would request approximately $70,000 for consultation, data analysis, plan development, facilities, mileage, honorariums and related expenses.

The grant requires municipalities to contribute 10 per cent of the project’s cost. The approximately $7,000 contribution would be divided among the three partners, leaving Bashaw with an estimated share of $2,333.33.

Administration told council a regional assessment could reduce local costs, allow Bashaw to compare its needs with regional trends and identify services or supports that could be shared among the municipalities.

The 2026-27 Alberta Community Partnership guidelines place greater emphasis on core infrastructure projects, although other types of municipal projects remain eligible.