Council Highlights February 7, 2023

​Video and minutes

• Lethbridge City Council voted unanimously to conditionally approved up to $4.97 million in municipal funding requests in an effort to capitalize on the Federal Government's Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) program. The money could be used to leverage up to $38.89 million for the proposed projects. Three organizations will receive municipal funding from Council to enhance the strength of their applications for proposed projects that would each add affordable and social housing units in Lethbridge. Council has conditionally approved: $1,970,240 of the Blackfoot Family Lodge's total project cost of $4,925,600; $1.5 million of the Blood Tribe Housing's total project cost of $14 million; and $1.5 million of MyCityCare Lethbridge's total project cost of $19,968,571. All municipal funding is conditional upon each project receiving RHI funding. If a project does not receive RHI funding, the municipal funds would be available for future housing projects. Read more here

• Council voted unanimously for Bylaw 6393 – Increase of Parking Fines – Amendment to the Traffic Bylaw 5834, be referred to the February 15 Economic Standing Policy Committee meeting and for any submissions on this matter that have been submitted to the City or Council, that are not anonymous, be added to the agenda with personal information redacted

• From a Closed Meeting Report, Council, as per the alteration of the Alberta Health Services Emergency Medical Service Ground Ambulance Service Agreement approved:

1. The creation of 10.8 full-time employee (FTE) positions and the associated on-going contract annual revenue of $1,790,340, funded by Alberta Health Services, for advanced and primary care paramedics to operate two 12-hour class 1 ambulances seven days per week, effective mid-April
2. One-time funding of $304,954, funded by Alberta Health Services, for the purchase of two additional ambulances
3. An amendment to the 2023-2026 Operating Budget for the associated operating costs and external billing revenue

• As part of the Consent Agenda approval, Council voted to allocate funding of $17,500 from the 2023 Operating Budget for a Lethbridge International Air Show event in 2023 and $17,500, from the 2024 Operating Budget, for the 100 Years of Royal Canadian Air Force 2024 celebration
  
  
• As part of the Consent Agenda approval, Council voted to direct Administration to report back to Council, through the Governance Standing Policy Committee by the end of Q2 2023, with a report outlining the framework, timeline, resourcing requirements, including budgetary requirements to perform a review of potential 'precinct' models for Lethbridge
  
  
• Council unanimously defeated a motion to amend the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) D-30 Legacy Park Pickleball Courts, by adding $300,000 from the Federal Gas Tax Fund
  
  
• Due to an issue with the proposed event organizers, Council voted to refer a matter on the Play On! Canada - Request for Major Event Grant Funding Request to the April 19 Economic SPC meeting
  
  
• Council voted unanimously in favour on second and third readings to Bylaw 6388 - Downtown Business Improvement Area Tax Bylaw
   
• As part of the Consent Agenda approval, Council voted to amend the 2023 Council and Standing Policy Committee Meetings Calendar to move the March 1 Audit Standing Policy Committee meeting to March 8