Agenda highlights
Election signs
After an interesting Committee of the Whole discussion, Council decided to move ahead with a restriction on how close signs from the same candidate/issue can be from themselves. No more back-to-back signs will be allowed from the same candidate - they’ll have to be at least 20m apart going forward if we approve the new bylaw. This would apply to all elections, not just municipal ones.
Accessible and Inclusive Playground Strategy($125,000)
This is a motion from a member of Council to direct Admin to create a strategy to make all playgrounds accessible. I’m on the fence about this, not because accessibility isn’t one of my highest priorities, but rather because I’d rather invest the $125,000 and start slowly making playgrounds accessible rather than studying it some more. I’m also a bit concerned that we’d just be throwing more dollars at consultants in a way that is not productive, especially when we already have a St. Albert Universal Accessibility Plan that it seems we’re struggling to implement because of cost.
Anti-Slip Standards($20,000?)
After a couple of fiery debates about whether we should put anti-slip tape strips on boardwalks to prevent mishaps in White Spruce Forest, we decided against a specific project to do this. This week, however, we’re considering another Council motion to discuss whether we should direct Admin to work with the Seniors Advisory Committee to create an overall plan to address all the slippery, wet wood in the city, not just the boardwalks. I continue to oppose this initiative because we’ve never received a complaint about this issue, and because it’s an administrative matter that would be managed by staff if there ever was a concern.
“Administration does not have any record of public concerns or complaints around slippery conditions or related service levels on any of the existing wooden structures… Current engineering standards for wooden platforms, boardwalks, bridges, and active transportation structures do not have specific anti-slip standards but do consider general public safety through surface material selection, structure design, and/or operational controls...”
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.