Last weeks + Regular Council meeting April 4, 2022
In addition to our regular Council meeting, Council is participating in a full-day Committee of the Whole to allow discussion regarding to the future development of Downtown and Lakeview Business District. This will be livestreamed starting at 9am Wednesday for anyone interested in following the discussion.
Last weeks
Service and Service Levels Inventory Overview Workshop: This Council workshop was an overview of what the city does (services) and to what standard(s) we commit for those services (service levels). This was more of a refresher for those of us on Council during previous terms, but was a good reminder for everyone that there are costs associated with everything we provide as a municipality - Increasing service levels for snow clearing, for example, is possible but comes at a cost.
Homeland Housing: Our March board meeting saw the approval of our audited financial statements, once again with a clean audit. Covid continues to impact operations, with new outbreaks in the last few weeks - Staff are doing a great job working with AHS to keep our residents as safe as possible. I also attended our Governance Committee meeting, where we’re continuing with our annual CAO evaluation process.
Canada Reads: Thank you to the St. Albert Public Library for hosting CBC Canada Reads with an exceptional group of local readers. This was a fun event that challenged me to pick up a heart-wrenching book that every Canadian should read. Since this evening event, I’m excited about reading all the featured books, starting with the night’s winner, Five Little Indians!
FCM Climate Leadership Course: I attended the closing plenary & submitted my final paper for this FCM course in the last couple weeks. Every election, I'm asked why I'm driven to put my name forward. My answer? I'm passionate about sustainability, about creating a community where my kids will want to raise their kids and where my grandkids will want to raise theirs. My commitment to climate action is a promise to learn from our past and celebrate the possibilities of our future. Thank you to the FCM and Dr. Alison Shaw for their leadership in providing resources that ensure municipal leaders understand the need for climate action and have access to the strategies that will drive our shared success!
Agenda highlights
School Site Allocation Agreement Update
As required by the province, St. Albert must have a Joint Use Planning Agreement in place with our three local school boards. Administration has asked Council for feedback to be provided by April 19 to inform the agreement process. Off the top of my head, I would like:
The continuation of Joint Use agreements, whereby schools can use City facilities and community groups can use school facilities.
Discussions around how to release surplus sites, like the Oakmont and Kingswood school sites that school boards no longer wish to develop.
Discussions around site ownership. Should City lands be provided for long-term leases, or should school boards be permitted to sell lands that were gifted by the city once they’re no longer required for schools?
Discussions about strategies for larger campus or highschool sites. The land that developers are required to provide by provincial legislation is typically insufficient for this kind of use, but St. Albert requires this kind of school development in the near future to accommodate growth.
Please let me know if you have thoughts about this agreement!
Riverlot 56 Natural Area Continued Protection
Since St. Albert annexed the River 56 Natural Area, we’ve heard concerns that our Planning documents do not provide any protection from development to this area. This is true. St. Albert has no jurisdiction to limit or dictate development at this provincially-owned site, but we thankfully have confidence that the province will not alter the use or stewardship agreement with the Riverlot 56 Society. That said, when Council was looking for a member of Council to make a motion to make our commitment to the continued protection of this land clear, I was happy to volunteer. This motion is to advise the province that we support “the continued protection of this land from development or from any use that damages the environment or accessibility of the area”.
In-camera items
The bulk of Monday’s meeting seems to be confidential items, including:
Edmonton Annexation
North East Servicing - Off-site Levy Projects Funding Options
A “Corporate Business Plan Matter”
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.
