Last Week:
All of council attended a workshop to learn more about an area structure plan that may come forward in the next year for privately-owned lands that are west of Ray Gibbon. The Gazette provided an overview of the presentation here.
I met with two members of Community Services Development to discuss the proposed Diversity & Inclusion statement. Spoiler alert: the feedback and suggestions they've received from grade-4 students is fantastic; I look forward to seeing what they bring back to council in the next few weeks.
I joined most of council for a tour of the St. Albert transit facility, including the solar panel array on the roof. Administration provided exceptional information about the challenges they face, the community's most common transit concerns, and about ways they find efficiencies within the department. (We happened to be there when the training bus was on-site, so we spent a few minutes proving that none of us should ever, ever be trusted to drive a bus!) After the tour, I went to the Servus Place Seniors Day Event with Councillors Watkins and Hughes to connect with residents.
I also attended a luncheon with presentations about the Alberta and Edmonton-region economic outlook from the Chief Economists from both City of Edmonton and Government of Alberta, and an orientation for the Edmonton Metropolitan Regional Board.
Governance, Priorities, and Finance Committee Meeting overview:
Cannabis Task Force Update
Administration has been preparing for the legalization of recreational cannabis, and will present their high-level findings about the potential impact to bylaws - notably the Land Use, Smoking, Community Standards, and Business Licensing bylaws - and internal HR policies. They have also included cost estimates for obtaining public feedback, making changes to bylaws, and updating HR policies, and related staff training.
Note: No decisions about cannabis retailers or use within the city are being made at this meeting; Proposed changes to bylaws will be advertised.
Motion - Municipal Planning Commission (MPC)
In April, 2017, Councillor Russell provided notice of motion to have an MPC bylaw drafted. If a current member of council decides to bring this forward, we will debate moving forward.
This is a brief high-level overview of our meetings, with my personal comments sprinkled in - In no way are my opinions representative of the official direction of council or the City of St. Albert. Please let me know of any typos or errors. As always, I also encourage everyone who is able to tune in the the live-stream of the meeting (3pm here) or attend in-person (3rd floor of St. Albert Place, hang a right getting out of the elevator). You can also register to speak if you have information to present to council. Full agenda packages can be found on the stalbert.ca website.