The Foothills MD, Wheatland County and Town of High River are not now members of the Calgary Regional Partnership

Besides dealing with floods this week the province also introduced a Bill in the legislature dealing with governing on a regional scale.

Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths says Bill 28, The Regional Governance Act, sets up what he calls regional growth boards.

When it comes to the Calgary Regional Partnership he says it's up to each municipality to decide  if they want to be members, "I have no intention of utilizing this legislation to make them work together. We had the mitigation, which was incredibly successful, in fact I think they agreed on everything and came to a resolution except on one issue which I am going to meet and talk to them about, but they have done a lot of work to come together and find out what it's going to take for them to work together."

Griffiths says Bill 28 gives more legislative authority to the Capital Region Board but he says you shouldn't confuse the Capital Region and Calgary Regional Partnership, "The Capital Region Board was made under section 603 of the Municipal Government Act, under regulation. The Calgary Regional Partnership came together without any provincial instigation many years ago led by the then Calgary mayor and municipalities wanted to come together and work on a regional plan and so it's a completely volunteer board."

The Foothills MD, Wheatland County and the Town of High River have opted out for various reasons.