On November 4 the association met with senior members of Alberta Municipal Affairs to present specific examples it has been gathering regarding Standard of Practice and Safety Codes Act violations, and to discuss issues and concerns the AOWMA has with the current industry enforcement framework. That was followed up with a November 5 meeting with Safety Codes Council officials on the same topics. The AOWMA came away with a stronger understanding of the workings of the safety codes and enforcement process, and the Province and Safety Codes Council gained a stronger appreciation of the AOWMA\’s strong concerns over the lack of industry enforcement, and inconsistent permitting and inspection practices. Since that time, the AOWMA has been working very closely with Municipal Affairs and municipalities to bring resolution to the issues the AOWMA has brought forward. The association is pleased with the attention it is receiving on some of the case files, and it is hoped that significant progress on some noted code and Act violations could be made by the 2012 Convention.

Rural municipalities play a key role in supporting the Safety Codes Act that in part governs permitting and inspection practices. The AOWMA, along with Municipal Affairs and the Safety Codes Council, are currently planning to speak at each of the five county district meetings across the Province over the next few months. As part of its presentation, the AOWMA will underscore its focus on better enabling enforcement frameworks that are in place and the specific ways it is working with all stakeholders to ensure proper industry practices are maintained across Alberta.