Council Highlights October 3, 2023

Video and minutes

• Lethbridge City Council voted in favour of an Official Business Motion from Mayor Blaine Hyggen to provide a letter of support to the Town of Coaldale and to the Town of Taber for two Alberta Community Partnership (ACP) grant applications. They are seeking funding for high-level servicing analyses of potable water and wastewater infrastructure along the Highway 3 corridor. Read a full news release, which also recaps recent conversation on advocacy efforts, here
• Council voted in favour of conditionally supporting two capital funding requests for affordable and social housing projects: 1. $560,000 to Streets Alive Mission for a recovery-focused supportive housing project located at 925, 15 Street South. 2. $1,295,000 to Concept Investment Partners Ltd. for an affordable housing project located at 1730, 10 Avenue South (the former Seasons Lethbridge Retirement Community building). The funds being requested are intended to support capital development of the proposed projects. No operational funding is being requested from the City of Lethbridge. Read the full news release here
• Council voted to approve an Official Business Motion from Councillor Belinda Crowson to direct the City Manager to draft a report, including costs, for a potential Lethbridge City Hall 101 program which could include guided tours of City Hall and other mechanisms for sharing information on educating the public on City operations; and to pilot a guided tour for the public, similar to what is offered to the schools for the Grade 6 curriculum, to provide feedback on whether or not there is interest from the public for future ongoing programs
• Council voted to approve an Official Business Motion from Mayor Hyggen to direct the City Manager to: 1. Draft a report for the Economic Standing Policy Committee to consider, by Q3 2024, that includes a program with a comprehensive, fair, consistent, and broad approach of all incentives for new development or businesses, as well as revitalization, redevelopment or expansion of existing development or businesses in the City of Lethbridge designed to provide a long-term benefit to the community by creating economic stimulus and support investment; and 2. Provide regular updates and check-ins to the Economic Standing Policy Committee on the status and progress of the Development Incentive Program up until Q3 2024, when the final Development Incentive Program is presented for consideration
• Council unanimously passed both second and third readings to Bylaw 6418, which is an amending bylaw to 6250 Procedure Bylaw, to allow revisions to the Standing Policy Committee structure and reporting process. Further information is available here