Last week highlights
Special City Council Meeting (Thursday, February 4)
Mayor Heron called a Special Meeting of Council to consider our options relating to the lifting of some restrictions on recreation/fitness facilities. Although the province announced that school groups and one-on-one training would be permitted was early as February 8, there was no updated Health Order at the time of our meeting. As such, we were making best guesses in terms of the details of the announced order and how we can move forward. Ultimately, we gave our blessing to drain the pool and two ice sheets at Servus Place, but left it to the CAO to make decisions based on demand and financial viability.
On Saturday, with no previous notice, the province also announced that minor sports can also meet for practices starting Monday. From what I understand, schools, minor sports teams, and other user groups are working with the city on scheduling that can accommodate provincial requirements. With the Saturday announcement, it’s also possible that the removal of two sheets of ice to reduce costs might not be required. It takes about a week to recall laid-off staff and get ice ready to use, so we hope to have user groups in Servus by about the 15th.
CLSC agenda highlights (9:30 am)
St. Albert Senior’s Association funding
For the 2020 budget, Council approved $239,617 in operational funding for the Senior’s Association. This funding was for “specific staffing and facility operating expenses” in line with the grant policy, but staffing expenses were below the projections that were the basis for the grant application. Because of this, $23,962 of the grant funding is currently being held back to adhere to language in the policy specifying maximum allowable percentages for funding staff. Also, an estimated $35,000 will have to be paid back to adhere to policy. The association is requesting that we release these funds so they can avoid finishing the 2020 year in a deficit position due to “a loss in revenue of more than $300,000 from what was budgeted” related to covid-19 health orders/closures. My best guess on the outcome of this discussion is that we’ll recommend to Council that the repayment requirement be waived, and that all or a portion of the withheld amount be released.
North Saskatchewan River Heritage Designation
Smokey Lake County has requested a letter of support for their application to designate the North Saskatchewan River as a heritage river under the Canadian Heritage Rivers System (CHRS) project.
This project “is a partnership between the Provincial and Federal Governments. There are 40 heritage rivers across Canada that are recognized nationally as heritage rivers due to their outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational heritage. Heritage Rivers offer Canadians and visitors a chance to experience great waterways, learn about their history, and share in their stewardship. Designation under the CHRS does not impose new restrictions on a municipality, nor does it affect a municipality’s right to exercise its traditional responsibilities. Similarly, the rights of property owners and other stakeholders do not change, nor are municipalities that lie along a River corridor required to implement additional development considerations.”
There have already been over 47 letters of support from communities along the river and the Minister of Environment has committed to supporting the resolution.
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 also register to speak if they have information to present to council. Full agenda packages can be found on the stalbert.ca website.
