Coming Up: November 30
Council meets on Monday. On the agenda:
D-Coy Armouries
Bike Skills Park
Business Licensing Bylaw
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 & LETTERS
During all Council meetings, members of the public are welcome to come address Council. More information about how to do that can be found here.
This week, one delegation will be coming to Council on behalf of the Creekside Homeowners Association. Creekside is a private community within the City, responsible for the maintenance of its own infrastructure. the delegation coming to the Council will be asking the City to take over operation of the roads, streetlights, and other communal infrastructure within the development.
D-Company Armouries
The D-Company Armouries building is on City-owned land in Swanavon. It currently operates on a renewing 5-year lease. However, the Foundation responsible for the building is partnering with Rotary and other groups to expand and enhance the building. It is requesting that Council expand the size of land leased so that it can make an addition to the building. It is also requesting that it be given a 25 year lease in recognition of the significant investment it will be making into the building.
I’m glad to see a community facility getting non-City-funded enhancement. It will have a huge benefit to our community without costing taxpayers money. This is a great project for the City to get behind. I intend to support the request being made.
BIKE SKILLS PARK
This summer, Council received access to federal COVID-19 Stimulus Funding. This funding had some very specific criteria. Projects have to support COVID-19 response or outdoor active living, and they have to be completed by the end of 2021.
One project in progress: a bike skills park on the north side of the City. This is an exciting project for me, since residents in the northeast corner of town have to travel so far to access recreation.
On Monday, Council will be asked to designate a site for the park. I intend to support Site 1- it will have less environmental impact than Site 2, and its visibility form the street will make it a safer location.
BUSINESS LICENSING BYLAW
For its last several meetings, Council has been debating a Business Licensing Bylaw. A final decision on whether or not to pass it will likely be made this Monday.
This Bylaw would require all businesses (instead of just some) to get a license to operate in the City of Grande Prairie. This would allow for better data to be collected to support investment and Economic Development. It would also allow for the City to contact all businesses to offer help or assistance in the event of a natural disaster. I’ve written more about this Bylaw here.
I support this Bylaw in principal. However, I suspect that our conversation on Monday will revolve around fees associated with it. Given the strains put on local businesses by COVID-19, this Bylaw should only pass if fees are set so that no business pays more than it is paying under the current Bylaw.
That’s what is on our agenda for Monday. 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