Please join us for our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, March 29 at State and Main restaurant located in the Gates of Nolan Hill Plaza starting at 6:30 pm. Up for election this year is: first Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, as well as four Directors positions. If you are interested in joining the Community Association, please reach out to us at [email protected]. Volunteering in the community helps improve daily life for all Sage Hill residents through our sports programs, seasonal events, reviewing development permits, and community advocacy. Volunteering also looks great on a resume or school application. My term as President will come to an end in 2024 and I will not be seeking re-election as I have served 12 years on the Community Association with 10 of those as President and would like to find a successor to mentor over the year. If anyone has an interest in the President role, you can contact me directly so we can start sharing knowledge and make the transition as seamless as possible.
Soccer registration is now open for community Blizzards soccer in Sage Hill on Tuesday evenings, if you prefer another night of the week you can register in the Kincora program, or if you want to play more than one night a week you can register in both programs. Community soccer is designed for younger and less competitive players; however, if you do wish to transition to a competitive league, the Blizzards do offer that which is partially why Sage, Nolan, Sherwood, and Kincora have chosen them as their partner. They have beginner levels (in community) all the way up to adulthood competitive paths at the Inland athletic field on 112 Avenue. Also open for registration is Sportball which is perfect for youth aged 1 to 6 years old and focuses on multiple sports, confidence building, and basic sport fundamentals by introducing youth to sports. Both Blizzard soccer and Sportball information can be found via our website, www.sagehillyyc.com, by selecting the “sport” tab and again soccer or sport ball.
Our city Councillors are currently debating property tax and several issues surrounding delivery of city services. One concerning item is the idea of passing tax deficits from vacant business onto residential homes thus creating less of a tax gap from business properties to residential properties. Most concerning is this appears to be in addition to the 20% increase in Property Assessment values we received in the mail a few months ago. If passed, this will result in a significant property tax hike for all Calgarians, so I encourage everyone to reach out to their Councillor to express their opinion on all things city such as municipal taxes, transit safety, community maintenance, recreation, roads, housing/zoning, community planning, and even city wages. As taxpayers, it is our duty to ensure taxes and elected officials are representing us in our best interests and further, that elected officials are holding city bureaucrats accountable for the decisions they purpose.
Also, for families with elementary aged kids in the public system, March 1 is when Calgary Board of Education publishes their annual Capital Plan, which is a list of their top infrastructure proprieties for building new and modernizing older schools. Sage Hill has bounced around third or fourth place for the last decade on an elementary school but has fallen off in recent years due to rapid growth in the south and north central zones, as well as competition from existing schools’ modernization needs. I am hopeful with all the new development and families moving into Sage Crest and Sage Meadows that we will achieve the criteria required to get a K to four public elementary or even a catholic five to nine. In your browser search “Calgary Board of Education 2023 Capital Plan” to see where we are ranked.
Thank you,
Ross Utigard
President, Sage Hill Community Association
