Announcement & Committee Meeting April 11, 2023
Announcement
A week ago, I posted the following message on LinkedIn. It was met with a few startled messages from those who didn’t know that I won’t be running for re-election in 2025. It has been the honour of a lifetime to serve, but I’m keenly aware that incumbents have a distinct advantage over newcomers. I’m committed to doing my part to ensure Council has an opportunity to hear more diverse voices and I know the best way to support that vision is to move aside & support our community in different ways!
Committee agenda highlights
Remuneration Committee Recommendations
For the first time since before I was elected, our Council Remuneration Committee has formed and been asked to provide an opinion on the role(s) and compensation of members of Council. The main change being recommended is that members of Council be considered full-time rather than the current part-time, and that salaries be increased to $70,000/year to account for the change of status starting after the election in 2025.
My favourite quote from a resident who provided feedback about the future of Council in St. Albert was:
“This conversation should not be about compensation for the role, it should be about the duties and responsibilities of the council members. Of course they are not paid enough for what they must do, but they also do too much that really doesn't matter for the position.”
I love this perspective because my experience last term of being a full-time student on top of my part-time Council role set me up with stronger boundaries and an improved focus this term. As the lone member of Council with full-time employment outside the city, I’m not struggling to balance because I consciously consider how I spend my time on Council. I work hard to make sure time time is put to good use.
Although the recommendation for salary is extremely low compared to other municipalities because per-diems were not taken into consideration, I’m supportive of Council moving to full-time status in 2025. For the last few years, I’ve been concerned that St. Albert is being left behind in terms of driving the local economy, creating strong social systems, etc. because our part-time St. Albert (pop. 70,000) Council does not have the same ability as a full-time Council like in Strathcona County (pop. 98,000) or Sturgeon County (pop. 21,000).
That said, one of my questions of administration will be about the cost to accommodate a full-time Council, including increased administrative support and providing office space. As a part time Councillor, it’s manageable to have meetings at local coffee shops and sift through requests for time/attention/feedback, but it would become impossible if the expectation was for full-time availability. I’m also concerned that St. Albert’s population of 70,000 is impractical to appropriately represent without a ward system; In comparison, wards in Sturgeon County, Strathcona County, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, etc. allow Councillors to connect with residents in a particular area rather than at-large, like in St. Albert.
10-year Growth Plan Update
Admin is proposing that we add two projects to our 10-year plan:
Coceptual and/or preliminary engineering and roadway designs for a number of projects that are planned over the next years. ”This will enable improved cost estimate accuracy and scope definition… [and] put the development community in a better position to understand our requirements/expectations and should reduce detailed design timelines...” ($7.4M over 10 years)
increase the fleet services garage capacity by adding two lanes within the Jack Kraft facility (in Campbell Park) to make sure we can take care of our fleet vehicles. “The existing Public Works Garage has exceeded full capacity and repairs cannot be completed in a timely manner… Expansion of the existing building is recommended over a satellite facility, as there
are savings in land and operating costs”. ($4.1M for 2024-2026)
If these are added, then we would consider funding them through the associated budget processes over the next decade.
Preliminary Tax Forecast
This is a report to remind us that forecasted tax increases are 4.8% in 2024, 3.9% in 2025, and 5.3% in 2026. Most of these increases are due to inflation and catching up with infrastructure maintenance planning. Reducing costs and ensuring efficiency has been a major priority in my time on Council, so these reminders are great for making sure we stay focused.
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.