Photo: The Town of Hanna council heard that a public meeting held to gather input on the municipal development plan (MDP) review only attracted 19 people. The report was made at the May 12 regular council meeting. Screenshot

The Town of Hanna council heard that a public meeting held to gather input on the municipal development plan (MDP) review only attracted 19 people. The report was made at the May 12 regular council meeting.

Councillors heard a report from Palliser Planning Services representative Tracy Woitenko regarding the “Eat and Be Heard” public workshop event that was held in Hanna on Mar. 12 to gather public input for a review of the MDP, the document that essentially lays out how development will occur in Hanna. Woitenko stated that the public voiced concern that a previous review didn’t include enough consultation, so the MDP review includes events like this one. She noted the Mar. 12 event attracted 19 members of the public and featured five staff members.

Woitenko, who noted Palliser Planning is handling the review on behalf of the Town of Hanna, stated the first phase of the process is complete, which included research and some initial public consultation.

Woitenko provided councillors with a summary of positive and negative feedback collected, and much of the feedback was that Hanna is a friendly community, a place good for seniors and a nice place to grow up. Some concerns included the quality of housing, difficulty finding a family doctor and a low supply of skilled workers.

Those in attendance then discussed how these strengths and weaknesses could be addressed.

One threat to Hanna that was identified was the Government of Alberta downloading costs onto town taxpayers.

Looking at housing, the public felt Hanna has a lot of housing that needs replacement, especially rentals.

The public felt the business community has trouble finding workers, that people shop online, that many commercial buildings look old and that Hanna has room for more activities to be held downtown.

The public, however, was quite happy with Hanna’s parks and recreation, which they felt were superb. A suggestion made was to develop a dog park.

Woitenko stated the next step in the MDP review is for Palliser staff to work with town staff on writing the new document over the summer; next fall it is scheduled to be handed to councillors.

Looking at public comments from the event, Coun. Erica Rorabeck noted a member of the public decried the “Hanna Mafia” and wanted the term defined.

Woitenko noted a member of the public used the term during the event. The person stated they tried to open a new business and felt they were opposed or not supported by existing businesses and described these people as the “Hanna Mafia,” or “...a tight-knit group of people controlling the business in Hanna.”

Coun. Angie Warwick noted the low public turnout for the event and asked if any other avenues are open for the public to participate. Woitenko responded that after the draft MDP is handed to council, another open house will be held for the public to read and comment on the draft.

Town staff noted that email submissions were accepted from those who couldn’t attend the Mar. 12 event, but only one or two emails were received.

As councillors discussed the report, they agreed that the Mar. 12 event was well-publicized.