Coming Up: July 24
Council meets on Monday. On the agenda this week:
Delegations
Police Service Budget
Storm Hockey Loan
Specialty Crosswalks
Mid-year Capital Requests
“Apartment” Definition
Salvage Yard Expansion
Following is more information and my take on agenda items.
As always, any mistakes or opinions belong to me and me alone, not to Council or City staff.
While I express my current views below, I work hard to go into meetings ready to listen and with an open mind. I learn new information and participate in debate. This always informs, and sometimes changes, how I vote on issues.
If you would like to watch the meeting or read any of its supporting material for yourself, you can do so by clicking here. The City will post the highlights of Council’s decisions here.
Delegations & Proclamations
At all Council meetings, organisations and residents are welcome to come talk to Council.
This week, the following delegations are coming in:
Residents expressing concern about recent additions to the Cricket Pitch and their impacts on neighbouring properties
A resident asking for the forgiveness of penalties on taxes that were paid late due to challenging life circumstances
The Grande Prairie Legion hoping to see Downtown Rehabilitation extended to their block
Police Service Budget
The Grande Prairie Police Service is currently being created. Its work is overseen by an independent Police Commission which is mostly made up of Public Members. That Commission has approved a budget for 2023. It is recommending that Council allocate $3,975,450 towards funding this budget.
The majority of this budget is for salaries and benefits. It will fund the recently hired Chief of Police, the first batch of officers he will be hiring later this year, the Police Service Transition Team, and the Commission’s Executive Director. There is also money budgeted to begin procurement of the Police Service’s fleet.
This budget falls within the forecasted need that was in the MNP Policing Transition Report. It will be fully funded from the Police Transition grant which the City received from the province.
This isn’t a new ask- it is simply a confirmation of resources Council was already planning to allocate. Furthermore, I’ve already had a chance to ask significant questions about it in my role as a Police Commissioner. Therefore, I intend to support this recommendation.
specialty Crosswalks
Occasionally the City receives requests by various groups to allow them to paint specialty crosswalks. Two examples of approved specialty crosswalks: the Rainbow Crosswalk by the library and the handprint crosswalk on 98 Ave.
We recently received a request for an additional crosswalk recognizing indigenous cultures near St Joseph School. And we anticipate more requests in the future. Therefore, Council directed Administration to create a policy to guide our response to future requests. With an eye towards Transportation Association of Canada safety recommendations, Administration has created this recommended policy.
Highlights of this policy:
Only applications from non-profit organizations will be considered
Proof of support from the local Neighbourhood Association or all homeowners within 1 block will be requires
All materials, labour and equipment will be supplied by the requesting group
For safety reasons, traffic control will be provided by the City. Groups will be charged a $500 daily fee for this service (it has an estimated cost of $900 to the City)
Crosswalk locations must be in locations that are in decent condition and will not be given special treatment by City maintenance operations
Generally, crosswalks will not be allowed on Arterial roads. However, an exemption to this policy can be granted.
Generally, I am supportive of this policy. I like these specialty crosswalks. They pretty up the community and are often meaningful to residents. But having some clear guidelines in place would be a good thing.
However, I do have two specific concerns:
The $500 fee. That is a lot of money to some of the groups that are likely to apply to do a crosswalk. I do not think we should charge it.
The Rainbow Sidewalk. It is located on an Arterial Roadway. Administration has indicated that it intends to give it an exemption to remain in place. However, I believe that Council should show its support by giving explicit direction to grant this exemption.
Storm Hockey loan
Several years ago, the Storm received a loan from the City. They have been struggling financially: repaying this loan (and other debts) is proven burdensome. The team believes that it is on the path toward financial viability, but is requesting deferment or forgiveness of this loan to help.
It is recommended that Council give a three year interest free deferment of the outstanding balance.
I’m open to the idea of deferment. The Storm do provide benefit to the community, downtown businesses, and the operating revenues of Bonnetts Energy Centre. However, three years is probably longer than I am comfortable with at this time.
Mid-year capital requests
Council will be considering a number of recommended amendments to the 2023 capital budget:
Coordinated Care Campus: $1.2 million. The costs of this project have escalated due to surprises when the walls got opened up and ballooning construction costs that all industries are seeing. However, if approved, this amount will allow the project to be completed at a cost of $208,000 per unit: significantly lower than the cost that similar built-new projects are seeing across the country. This project will also have enhancements other projects don’t see such as offices for municipal employees and a large commercial kitchen that will serve not just the Campus, but also food security projects across the community.
Transit Solar Power: $0. Council recently approved building solar panels at the Design Works Centre. Administration is recommending that the project location be moved to the Service Centre. The biggest benefit of this move will be to allow for the procurement of additional electric busses. Over their lifecycle, electric busses are less expensive to operate than diesel buses. But without solar power, getting enough electricity on-site through existing distribution infrastructure is a concern.
Brandt Skyloft: $90,600. To complete upgrades to this box in Bonnetts Energy Centre.
National Aboriginal Hockey Championship Funding: $25,000.
Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games Funding: $10,000.
Curling Club Parking Lot Surfacing: $115,000. This project would not happen until 2024. However, the Curling Club is applying for a provincial grant to fund half the costs. This allocation by the City would provide the matching funds necessary to apply for that provincial grant.
Eastlink Centre Aquatic Score Clock: $250,000. The existing score clock is no longer working which is preventing large scale swim meets from happening in Grande Prairie.
Heated Bus Shelters: $130,000. The province had committed funding to help build heated bus shelters but has recently withdrawn it. This amount would allow the previously planned projects to continue.
Apartment Building Definition
Recently, concerns have been raised about a specific potential development in Grande Banks. It is on land that is designated for multi-family housing. However, neighbours have recently become concerned that if built, this building will serve short term and temporary clientele rather than long term residents. The conversation made Council aware that there is some ambiguity in our Land Use Bylaw between what is considered a hotel and what is considered an apartment.
It is recommended that Council amend the definition of “Apartment” building to require that units are occupied for one month or longer terms. This could ensure that buildings which operate like hotels are not built on land zoned for apartments. I look forward to conversation about the proposed ammendment.
salvage yard re-zoning
In October, Council received a request to re-zone some land northeast of Superstore. This re-zoning would allow an existing Salvage Yard to expand.
This Salvage Yard is just across the rail tracks from residential properties. It was built about ten years prior to those residential developments and has operated within the requirements of its development permit. However, it is a heavy industrial development and so has raised past concerns from neighbours. It certainly has created noise and dust. There have also been concerns raised about potential safety and environmental concerns.
Council defeated the previous zoning request largely based on these concerns.
Now a new re-zoning application is coming to Council for consideration. It attempts to address concerns raised by Council. For example, it requires a landscaping buffer and solid fence to address dust and noise concerns. It also prohibits Heavy Industrial uses outside of the Salvage Yard to be done on this land.
This will be an interesting conversation. I have a number of questions I need to have answered and have no idea how I will end up voting on this. On one hand: I really do get the concerns neighbours have and am very sympathetic to them not wanting to see an expansion of Salvage Yard operations. On the other hand: we have limited rail links in the City so expanding access of neighbouring industrial properties is beneficial.
Additionally, approving an expansion allows Council to put requirements on this land that Council cannot currently require, such as creating a solid fence. Because of these requirements, there is a chance that the expansion could actually lessen the impacts on neighbours. Or it could increase impacts: I don’t know at this time. Which is why I have a number of questions I need answered as I consider how to vote on this matter.
That’s what is on our agenda this week. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
You can comment below. Or, you can contact me at dbressey@cityofgp.com or 780-402-4166. I'm happy to talk online or over the phone. I'm also always willing to setup a time to meet for coffee.
We also always have great conversation in the GP Round Table group on Facebook.
After Council meeting, you will be able to find highlights posted by the City here.
Thanks for reading!
-Dylan