Last Week
I feel a special kind of dread when I see the city manager’s name on my caller ID at 9am on a holiday Monday. After he shared the heartbreaking news of the passing of Rayann, the Executive Assistant for the Office of the Mayor & Council, I asked if the two staff who work most closely with her are ok. He responded that no one is ok.
Rayann was the best kind of person, the light in a room, a rock for everyone whose life she touched and she is missed dearly. My heart goes out to her husband and their young family. The world has lost one of its kindest and most genuine souls, and her passing made the world feel darker.
Homeland Housing
Last week saw our first Governance Committee meeting of the year - We elected the chair & vice-chair and agreed on a plan for the regular CEO evaluation. We also held board orientation, which was especially helpful for new appointees.
We’re also starting to respond to the unexpected announcement that competency based boards will be required for provincial housing bodies going forward rather than council members being appointed from participating municipalities. Although St. Albert could likely easily adapt to this change, smaller municipalities including Homeland members like Clyde, BonAccord, Legal, Redwater, etc. may be at particular risk of losing representation on the board of the organization that houses many of our seniors and low-income residents. With a shift in board governance, there is also concern that requisitions (amounts municipalities are required to collect through property taxes) may not take into consideration local challenges. I’ll find out more about this change at a provincial session next week.
FCM - Climate Leadership Course
Last week was the second day of this course, which continues to provide information about how municipalities can integrate climate policy to improve sustainability.
Reconciling Decolonization and Public Policy
I attended this webinar put on by McGill University's Max Bell School of Public Policy that explored different approaches to public policy.
Edmonton Global
As Mayor Heron’s alternate, I attended this briefing that explored investment opportunities in the Edmonton region and how our strengths can be used to attract investment.
Alberta Municipalities Budget Webinar
The provincial budget was as disappointing as expected, and AB Munis helped provide overviews that explained the impacts of the budget, including continued downloading to municipalities.
Taste of Africa
The Africans and African Descendants Friendship Club of St. Albert put on an excellent flagship event at the Arden. It was wonderful to learn about different cultures within Africa, and especially being able to take home samples of incredibly diverse foods. I look forward to attending again next year.
Kingsmeade Park Grand Opening
After 30+ years of waiting, it felt wonderful to officially open the Kingsmeade playground and park. Staff put on a wonderful event to celebrate, including activities from our Roaming Rec Crew, hot chocolate and treats, and exceptional music.
Social Media Activities
I’m taking a Twitter break and I’m largely not engaging on Facebook right now, but can still be reached via email and I'll return any calls to my work number. I’ll also continue to blog here. My patience for vitriol, willful ignorance, and false equivalence fallacies has been waning for a while, but Rayann’s death reminded me that inviting this kind of negativity into my worklife takes time away from impactful interactions and activities.
I’ve been an active social media user for a long time, and I love the kind of community it can bring, but the polarization of online discourse appears to be actively damaging right now. I love hearing from all residents, especially those who provide me with a different perspective from mine, but I want these conversations to be civil and open-minded. Those conversations seem more possible through phone calls and face-to-face meetings - and I’ve had some wonderful phone calls in the last week. I hope as we start to see each other in-person again, respectful conversation becomes the norm again.
This is a brief and incomplete overview of my activities as a councillor and Council 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. Residents can register to speak if they have information to present to council. Full agenda packages can be found on the stalbert.ca website.