Last week + Special Council Meeting October 27, 2020
As a reminder, Council will be actively considering the 2021 budget in the upcoming weeks. A draft budget will be made public soon. Please consider providing feedback about the 2021 budget and how we might reduce our operating budget. (Our new feedback tool is also open for feedback about the proposed Riverbank Landing development and Green Organics Cart use.)
We are also recruiting for volunteer appointments to the committees that advise Council. For anyone wanting to know more, please reach out. If you’re part of an underrepresented group (Indigenous people, persons living with a disability, sexual & gender minorities, young people, and members of any minority group), I would especially like to connect - diversity makes us stronger.
Last week
Association Bilingue des Municipalités de l’Alberta
I was happy to be invited to sit in on a presentation of the ABMA’s new 2020-2023 strategic plan. Although St. Albert is no longer an ABMA member, we still value our relationship with this organization and the many municipalities that are members.
Annexation Public Participation Information Session
As the City of St. Albert and Sturgeon County finalize our annexation project, Administration is holding public information sessions. I attended one of these to hear more about the concerns of what will be our new residents. Information about the annexation is on our website.
Homeland Housing - Regular Board Meeting
I was in Morinville for our regular meeting, where we moved to the Morinville Council Chambers in an effort to increase physical distancing. (We’ll be moving to Zoom meetings for the rest of the year to better adhere to voluntary restrictions relating to minimizing the spread of Covid-19.) We discussed our new administrative building plans and opportunities for partnerships, as well as regular budgetary/vacancy business. Although we remain untouched by confirmed covid cases, we also continue to remain vigilant about our commitment to keeping our staff and residents safe.
Environmental Advisory Committee
The EAC was presented with information about our Environmental Management System and waste management practices, including the impacts due to the pandemic. This committee continues to ask important questions of our waste programs and policies. They also look forward to digging into the Environmental Master Plan that was delayed due to emergent pressures this year.
Women in Politics
I attended part of a virtual round-table featuring Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism, & Status of Women, Leela Aheer. This event, hosted by the Mayor of Drumheller, was an interesting discussion about some of the challenges that women face entering politics.
Agenda Highlights
Operational & Fiscal Review - Initial Opportunities
This is an in-camera session presented by our Manager of Corporate Planning, Risk & Insurance, Strategic Services & Information Technology.
This is a brief and incomplete 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.
