I’m not able to make it to this week’s Committee of the Whole, which is too bad - there are some interesting discussions on the agenda.
Climate Adaptation Plan
My St. Albert street was knee-deep in water during the extreme rain event last spring that saw many roads closed, and flooded many homes. We all know that the wildfire smoke of the last few years has made summers unpredictable and unsafe for many residents. What climate change means is that these events will become more likely and more severe. This is why a plan to prepare and respond is critical to the future well-being of our city.
“Climate change is occurring, and it is causing changes to the planet and, therefore, to all of us. Every year, summers get hotter, winters get shorter, and extreme weather happens more frequently. These effects are being felt now, and will be experienced in the future, by the residents of St. Albert. This Climate Adaptation Plan (CAP) is written to guide the City of St. Albert towards building climate resilience; helping residents prepare their homes, businesses, and livelihoods for the expected impacts of climate change”.
Special events policy
Admin is recommending we replace our current policy with one that is more responsive to community requests. This looks like a slam-dunk to me.
Electronic Tax Notices
The province is now allowing municipalities to offer electronic delivery of tax notices. To enable this voluntary/opt-in option, we need official direction from Council. This is an easy yes from me as it will get notices to residents faster, it reduces costs in the long-term, and I don’t see any reason not to take advantage of this option.
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.
