For the first time in almost two decades the Town of Okotoks didn't get an opportunity to speak with provincial officials on certain projects revolving around them at this past week Alberta Urban Municipalities Association Conference in Edmonton.

Instead the NDP allowed AUMA members and representatives to ask questions via dialog and the government would field only a few.

Okotoks Town Councillor and newly elected Towns South Director with the AUMA Tanya Thorn says the Town was still able to get a question out to those in the legislature.

"We were very strategic and making sure we asked specific questions at that time which is great because it gets us on the public realm," she says. "In terms of the bigger picture we were very careful about asking questions that relate not just to the Town of Okotoks but affect all the municipalities."

When any municipality is denied approval of funding for projects it usually means when one goes to the federal government, they usually follows suit in and that is frustrating for Thorn not just as a councillor but as a citizen as well.

"How Provincial and Federal infrastructure funding is impacting us, obviously the provincial money that's available is limited because they choose which priority projects, it affects us on the federal realm too and it results in communities still having priority projects hitting a double negative if the government decides not to give us money today."

The Town has been lobbying with the government for years, most recently when it comes to the potable water pipeline from Calgary to Okotoks that carries a $30-35 million price tag with it.

Thorn says she knows all government officials can't speak on every little issue one municipality may have but it was still hard to be denied a private conversation which usually was available in past AUMA Conferences.

"We were denied municipal affairs, environment and transportation this year and just with no real reason. So that's a definitive change when you're bringing municipalities together to not meet with them in when they're all in the same place it's concerning."

Ministers of Transportation, Environment  & Parks and Municipal Affairs in attendance at the AUMA Conference were Brian Mason, Shannon Phillips & Danielle Larivee

Questions, comments, or story ideas? Email us at news@okotoksonline.com