Last weeks + Regular Council Meeting July 5, 2021
Last weeks highlights
The last couple weeks have been a whirlwind. With provincial covid reopening plans accelerated, an unprecedented heat wave, a power outage that impacted a large part of the city, and information about the residential school systems becoming more common knowledge, the last weeks have been challenging.
Deputy Mayor duties: I wrapped up my two-month rotation as DM at the end of June, just as the mayor took her first holiday in recent memory. Over the last week, I took part in a couple media interviews (once for the Gazette, about the twining of Ray Gibbon), responded to resident emails and calls, corresponded with one of our MLAs about a press conference regarding challenges municipalities are facing due to provincial cuts, and chaired an Agenda Committee meeting on the mayor’s behalf.
Homeland Housing: I continue to meet weekly with the CEO of HH, and we had our last two board meetings of the season before a two-month break over the summer. During these meetings, the board heard information about rising construction costs that will impact our new head office building, and ongoing challenges with the province declining to contribute to property taxes for an affordable housing building that we operate on their behalf. We also approved our first remuneration policy as recommended by a board sub-committee, which sets out permitted and prohibited remuneration and expenses.
Arts Development Advisory Committee: The ADAC met for the last time before the summer recess, approving a recommendation for a Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts policy.
Emergency Management Advisory Committee: This meeting was a quick update from staff on reopening plans based on provincial direction.
Public Participation - Green Environment Strategy: Community Brainstorm: I attended this public participation session that will help inform our under-development 10-year Green Strategy. We discussed the following questions:
What actions and areas should we focus on now and what should we consider for future plans?
How do we best balance the use and conservation of our natural spaces?
How should the City support Green Environment actions or efforts on private lands?
What should the City consider when setting up a conservation reserve?
Agenda highlights
Community Amenities Project and the Recreation Needs Assessment Workshop (11:30-1pm)
This workshop is a follow-up to a workshop over the winter that sought to determine which recreation priorities will be a part of the project to develop the Rohit lands that were donated to the city.
Policing Committee 2020 Report & RCMP Q4 Report
These presentations from our resident committee and RCMP commander give a snapshot of the successes and challenges for policing over the last year. Of note:
“Persons related crimes have increased by approximately 11% over the same Q4 period last year and have increased by 61% from 2017.
Property related crimes have increased slightly (4%) from 2020 but have seen a significant drop (23%) since 2017.
Other offences related to weapons, disturbing the peace and failing to comply with release orders have seen 3% decrease from 2017 numbers and a 25% from last year.”
Energy Corporation Feasibility Report
This report is a culmination of work focused on the long-term financial sustainability of St. Albert while also prioritizing our long-term environmental sustainability. The report considers the potential for “a Municipally Controlled Corporation focusing on energy, electricity and “green industry opportunities”.” The resulting recommendation is that we move forward by creating a “a Business Plan and Market Impact Analysis in support of a proposal to create an energy corporation, for presentation to Council in Q1 of 2022”. For anyone with time, the full report is a valuable read.
Indigenous Relations ($100,000)
Due to demand to immediately respond to the calls to action in the Truth and Reconciliation Report and implement the Payhonin Report recommendations, Administration is recommending that we proceed with developing a committee framework to facilitate our actions. “Proper protocol, engagement, and facilitation for this possible committee framework is an estimated $50,000”. Admin, in consultation with the Métis Local President, is also recommending that we host a series of events in conjunction with the permanent raising of the Treaty 6 and Métis flags outside St. Albert Place this fall ($50,000).
Financial Support for Alberta International Airshow ($5,000)
Sturgeon County and the Edmonton Airshow have requested financial support for the Alberta International Airshow, planned for August 20 to 22, 2021 at Villeneuve Airport. Sturgeon County will consider a $100,000 donation on July 7th, the province is being asked for $200,000, and the federal government is being asked for $100,000. In 2020, we committed to in-kind services related to Park & Ride services, but the airshow was cancelled due to covid. In 2019, we contributed approximately $7,000, but the event was cancelled due to rain, and the City has yet to receive a refund.
Firehall 4 Borrowing Bylaw ($26.5M)
This is to finalize the financing for Firehall 4, to ensure that we can continue to effectively respond to fires in the quickly-developing North parts of St. Albert for decades to come.
Speed Limits in Commercial Areas (1st, 2nd, 3rd readings of Traffic Bylaw)
We inadvertently lowered speed limits in commercial areas of St. Albert (Riel, Campbell, etc.) when we reduced “neighbourhood” speed limits from 50km/h to 40 km/h earlier this year. Unfortunately, we failed to identify that commercial roads were also considered “neighbourhood” roads - This bylaw amendment is to correct our error.
2 Sir Winston Churchill Ave Redistricting (1st Reading)
This is to set the public hearing date for a redistricting application for the commercial strip on the corner of Gainsborough Ave, to allow a few more commercial uses at the property.
Removal of Reserve Designation at 53 & 81 Salisbury Avenue (2nd/3rd readings)
This is the public hearing and vote to allow planning to replace the Sturgeon Heights Reservoir and Pump Station within the Salisbury Park area. The completed project will see a return to recreational uses with a reconfigured park area when the project is completed.
Accessible Playground Replacement
This spring, I received a question from a resident asking how we could get a fully-accessible playground built in St. Albert. Administration came back to us with explanations of partially-accessible playgrounds being built this year, and proposed options for how we could build a fully-accessible park in the future. This motion was to direct Admin to go ahead with making a fully-accessible park a reality in 2022. However, between the spring administrative response and my motion, Administration has internally approved that the 2022 Fountain Park Playground replacement be financed out of already-approved capital budgets - so it appears that a Council motion is no longer required! (This series of events is a good example of how residents questions can result in a fantastic response from our Admin teams.)
Rescinding of Motion to Bring Forward Opt-Out Flyer Bylaw
This motion is rescind Council’s 2020 direction to allow residents to opt out of unsolicited mail. Unfortunately, there seems to be misinformation floating around that suggests that this bylaw would prevent people from receiving flyers (it doesn’t) or would target teenaged flyer delivery people (it won’t). This is an excerpt of what I wrote about this bylaw a couple of years ago:
Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation has been in full-force for long enough that we take for granted that companies can't flood our inboxes with unsolicited emails. No such legislation exists for paper-based solicitation that is delivered to our homes, that fills our recycling bags, and that is blown into our streets and natural areas… For those who don't read flyers, have you opted out? Do you keep a 'no junk mail, please' sign on your home and Canada Post mailboxes? I'm curious about how many residents are taking advantage of current options...
Tobacco Use in Alberta
St. Albert has been asked to second “the City of Airdrie’s proposed 2021 AUMA resolution requesting the AUMA advocate to the Government of Alberta to establish a 5% levy on all Alberta revenues collected by major tobacco manufacturers and importers. Funds collected would be redirected to support effective programs and strategies to reduce and prevent tobacco use in Alberta.”
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.
