Part of our budget process includes members of Council giving notice for proposed changes. These proposals are called “postponed motions” (PMs). These proposals will be debated starting Thursday afternoon, unless they are withdrawn. Changes to the budget will impact the municipality differently depending on the funding source. Projects or services funded through the operating budget directly impact next year’s tax or utility rates, whereas those funded through reserves or other sources do not. Changes being considered include:
Reduce grass cutting from every 10 days to every 12 days ($39,000) - This proposal would result in the reduction of 3 casual positions and we’d move to 3-week cycles. Edmonton tried this last year & residents didn’t like it. I’m one of those people who likes wildflowers like dandelions, particularly as they are important to pollinator species, but I’m not confident about how much this change would help that aspect of environmental health.
Add $100,000 for a audit for the Library, at the discretion of the Library Board - I ran into the CEO of the library recently - he was surprised at this proposal & wasn’t consulted beforehand. He’s not opposed it, but was surprised as these types of projects must be approved by the library board. If this is approved, but the board chose not to complete an audit, the funds would be returned to the city.
“To establish a budget estimate for a phased plan and cost estimate for the removal of accumulated silt from a few ( downtown, children’s bridge ) high visibility areas of the river” - This motion is a bit confusing because it doesn’t identify a cost or funding source, so I suspect it will be withdrawn or turned into a non-budget motion that would direct Admin to prepare advice regarding river silt.
That the Arts & Heritage (Museum, Art Gallery, Grain Elevators, etc.) operating funding be reduced by $92,860 - I’m not certain how this dollar figure was achieved, or what the goal of this reduction is. The impact would be reduced services. Of note, AHF funding request is the same as last year, about $100,000 less than was approved in 2020, and $55,000/$20,000 less than funding in 2019/2018.
That the Budget World Cafe events are cancelled in years where the Satisfaction Survey is conducted ($5,000/year)* - This is a small item, but impacts both actual costs and staff time. Of note, resident feedback would still be gathered and “budget stakeholder engagement that is currently conducted by internal resources would remain (Chamber of Commerce Executive, social-serving not-for-profits, Chairs of the Committees of Council)”.
That we fund a Strategic Services & Communications Long Range Strategy ($50,000)* - One of the recurring comments from residents and businesses is that our comms strategy needs work. This project would impact our ability to effectively communicate with residents, businesses, and potential residents/businesses.
Add Internal Audit funding from the Capital Reserve ($350,000) - Admin is recommending that we wait for the next audit until after we implement recommendations from the previous ones, otherwise we won’t have internal resources to implement recommendations. They also advise that using Capital Reserves would be inappropriate as this is an operating expense.
That Financial Services and Information Technology Procurement Audit is funded for 2022 from the capital budget ($102,000) - We’ve already started work on audit recommendations regarding procurement, as this was part of a previous audit. Admin also advise that using Capital Reserves would be inappropriate as this is an operating expense. I’m not sure if the approval of this project will accelerate implementation of recommendations, but we’ll have an opportunity to learn more during budget deliberations.
That the part time position for St. Albert Place front-desk staff is funded ($39,000) - Admin is recommending that we reduce hours at the St. Albert Place front counter, from 8-5pm to 10-3pm, because demand is moving online. This motion would restore the 8-5pm hours. I’m not sure how this would impact capacity because I assume this person has work when they aren’t actively serving residents. Interestingly, the average number of people served between 8 & 10am & 3-5pm from Aug 5-Oct 15 was quite low, 2.76 & 2.9 respectively, compared with 15.2 people between 10 & 3pm. The reasons for people accessing the front desk were also interesting and make me wonder if this is the best use of the service - Questions/wayfinding (58%), Payment (20%), Garbage Tags (11%), Dog Licenses (6%), Bus Pass (5%). Of note, garbage tags can be purchased at Servus & Fountain Park.
To allow dumping of sod/dirt at the composting facility and increase utility rates accordingly (~$93,000) - As dirt/sod has to be transported to a dump, the costs for this service relate to collecting and transporting waste to a dump facility, then paying associated tipping fees.
To decrease the Utility rate increase from 4.5% to $3.1% (an increase of $4.11/month from $5.97/month, on average) - As our Utility model is cost-recovery (not supported by taxes and not for-profit), any costs would be deferred to 2023.
That the solar farm funding is cancelled ($26,100,000) - This is a surprising motion since we will not receive the information about the project/information about viability until next year. It doesn’t impact 2022 tax rates either way because to have it move ahead, Council would have to approve second/third readings of a borrowing bylaw. If the bylaw was approved, any expenses would be incurred after borrowing occurs. I’m curious about whether this project will make financial sense in the short-term because of current supply chain challenges, but those numbers will not be available for a few months. On a related note, Bon Acord recently won an award for their $1M solar project which “made enough money off the array’s electricity sales to cover the project’s monthly loan payments, and expects the array to pay for itself completely in about eight years. After that, the array will add about $65,000 to the town’s coffers each year”.
That the Waste to Energy pilot funding in cancelled ($1M) - This funding is set aside while we wait for more information about partnerships, so has no impact on spending unless a project goes ahead.
That freezeways at Lions Park & Riel are part of permanent service levels ($42,000) - The freezeway was a huge hit last year, so my best guess is that this will pass.
Changing the funding source for dog waste clean-up from taxes to dog licence revenue & increasing the budget to maintain service levels ($11,000) - Two members of Council have proposed that we maintain service levels. And the change of budget source was one of my recommendations in budget question sessions, so I’m glad to see this brought forward, especially since there are more than enough funds to cover the cost through this source. If this passes, we’ll have to update our policy about how reserve funds are used.
That the artist mentorship program is cancelled ($10,000) - There is no program of this name, so this motion would reduce our Community Development operating budget, specifically relating to “Remembrance Day ceremonies, our “culture map”, support for new cultural organizations in our community (e.g. St. Albert Latin Cultural Association, Africans and African Descendant Club), capacity building for artists and existing non-profit organizations (networking and showcase opportunities, grant writing workshops, master classes with artists in various fields, board development training for cultural societies, etc)”. The discussion about this motion could be interesting - I’m particularly interested in hearing about the cost and value of the culture map, and may propose an amendment that would specifically cut this service level depending on the cost/value of this service.
To fund the Kingswood Boat Dock ($182,100)* - This is to increase non-destructive access to the Sturgeon. “The site selected for this project shows evidence of heavy use and based on staff assessment and ad hoc conversations with residents, Administration believes there is public support for a new boat dock in this location”. One of the aspects of this project is public consultation, which I’m a bit hesitant about for this particular project since the use is already high and this would reduce impact on the surrounding environment.
Municipal Naming ($325,000)* - This is for a project to review/re-write our naming policy, and specifically look at the Grandin name. Our Stabilization Reserve is for one-time projects, kind of like a savings account for unexpected costs, so that there is no impact to the tax rate when these one-time projects are needed. $39,000 would be for a go-forward policy re-write, with the remainder for addressing the Grandin name; I have quite a few questions about the cost of the second part of this project. The Gazette covered initial approval of this project earlier this year.
Emergency Homeless Shelter ($115,000) - This is to fund a feasibility study to look into converting Fire Hall #1 into a shelter. I would be surprised if this passes as it’s contrary to the Task Force to End Homelessness recommendations that were released last year and because the building is past end-of-life expectations.
Home Energy Retrofit Accelerator Program ($50,000) - This is to create an incentive program for residents to invest in energy-saving upgrades (insulation, windows, solar, etc.) in their homes.
Indigenous Program ($181,600) - This is to fund our Indigenous Relations position & related costs including community ceremony and awareness events.
Annual Flower Planting Contract ($72,300) - This is to maintain existing service levels & keep flowers on roads in St. Albert.
Port-a-potties ($21,100) - This is to maintain existing service levels & keep toilets in parks in the summer.
Beautification Cost-Sharing ($20,000) - This is to maintain current service levels & continue to partner with business for outdoor beautification activities.
Take-It-Or-Leave-It event ($15,000) - This is to maintain service levels & continue to offer this event. Admin has suggested that this is not as well-attended as the Large-Item pick-up days & that it can get a bit aggressive at events.
Municipal Energy Specialist ($$115,900)* - This is to include the municipal energy and efficiency program as a permanent service level. Right now, this position - which pays for itself in savings - is funded on a temporary basis, with the position term ending next year.
Postponed projects
Sometimes, we’re able to shuffle projects to different years to help manage impact on the budget. Unfortunately, postponements can also result in increased costs, accumulation of required projects, and lower service levels. One of the resident comments I’ve heard through budget engagement sessions is that delays like these are “kicking the can” down the road, which I’ll keep in mind as I make my decisions. These are the projects that are proposed to be postponed:
Postpone Fire Station 1 decommissioning to 2023 ($862,500) - Of note, “until the building is fully decommissioned there will continue to be operating costs relating to utilities, insurance, security and maintenance”.
Policing Services Building Accommodations postponement to 2023 ($5,000,000) - We’ve put this project off for several years, reduced the budget significantly already, and we risk the RCMP moving ahead with an adequate building and sending us the (almost certainly higher) bill if this does not move forward, so I would be surprised if we delay this further.
“That the Badger Lands ASP portion of PLAN-006 is postponed to 2023” - We’re still waiting on background information on this motion, but it should be online in the next few days.
Postpone Mature Neighbourhood Strategies development ($208,100) - I’m vehemently opposed to delays of a plan that is critical for the long-term sustainability of the city I love. Infill development should help the city and our residents improve RMR sustainability, increase housing accessibility and affordability, improve neighbourhood walkability, and improve safety. Without action in this area, we risk continuing our expensive, contentious, and non-strategic process that doesn’t prioritize existing community values like protecting healthy mature trees in redevelopment projects:
*These are my motions.
The full list of PMs is available on the City’s website.
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. Members of the public can register to speak if they have information to present to council. Full agenda packages can be found on the stalbert.ca website.
