Business View Civil & Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 8

129 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 8 plant that was recently approved for location within the county. Also relocating to the area are Renewable U Energy Inc. and Cielo Waste Solutions. The Cielo facility is being designed and engineered to convert up to eight tons per hour of multiple waste feedstocks into about 32.7 million liters per year of renewable fuels to be blended into a variety of fuels. New businesses coming into the area is especially good news during the pandemic. As Hamilton recounts, “We had a lot of businesses that really suffered and were not able to open for eight months or more. We’re hoping that they recover well. We have had a few programs supporting our residents, including our Go for Groceries program where we would get provisions for people if they couldn’t leave the house.” Aaserud notes, “The county staff have been maneuvering all the changes that have come along with COVID. We’ve cautiously been full steam ahead the entire time. We’ve had provisions in place to keep essential services like heavy equipment operators and the utility operators safe.” Looking ahead three to five years, Hamilton wants Cypress County to remain both sustainable and viable. The county is also reviewing its Municipal Development Plan (MDP) and Land Use Bylaw (LUB) – trying to make it easier for people to apply for permits and deal with less red tape. Aaserud shares Hamilton’s goal of working towards stronger business components, noting “Diversity is important to us. If you have diversity, you’re more likely to be sustainable and viable. It all ties together. Our land is affordable, our tax rates are some of the lowest in the province. We have a lot to offer in Cypress County.” CYPRESS COUNTY , ALBERTA