Coming Up: April 19

Council meets on Monday. The agenda includes:

  • Hughes Lake Energy Strategy

  • Operating Surplus

  • Vehicle For Hire 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.

HUGHES LAKE ENERGY STRATEGY

In 2015, the City of Grande Prairie annexed land from the County. Most of this land is in the Hughes Lake area to the northwest of the City.

The intention of this land is to allow for and encourage industrial development. This would create local jobs. It would also increase the City’s tax base, which is a key component of getting residential taxes under control.

In conversations with private industry and other levels of government, energy has been identified as a key consideration in the area. If energy can be locally generated, there could be significant cost savings and environmental benefit. This could be a big part of attracting industrial development to the area.

It is recommended that Council approve $200,000 to commission a study into the viability of energy generation in Hughes Lake. This would explore the technical and economic viability of a number of technologies including geothermal, solar, and natural gas Combined Heat Power units.

OPERATING SURPLUS

Provincial legislation prohibits municipalities from finishing their financial years in deficit.

It is also almost impossible for a municipality to finish its year exactly on target: they are large, complex organisations and they are required by the province to set their main source of income (property tax in the first half of the year).

This means that municipalities typically finish a year in surplus. The goal is to keep surpluses to a minimal part of the overall budget.

In 2020, the City of Grande Prairie finished with a surplus equivalent to 1.32% of its budget. It was $2,369,000. On Monday, Council will decide how to allocate this surplus.

It is recommended that Council put the surplus into the Future Expenditures Reserve, and restrict the funds as follows:

  • $600,000 to forgive property tax penalties in July as part of Council’s support of people and businesses facing financial hardship

  • $521,000 to fund aspects of local economic stimulus projects which may not receive full federal funding

  • $400,000 towards the Recreation/Activity Center being built in Smith

  • $200,000 for the Hughes Lake Energy Strategy

  • $648,000 unrestricted to be allocated to projects in the future

VEHICLE FOR HIRE BYLAW

Council has been debating a Vehicle For Hire Bylaw. You can see more information about it here.

It is recommended that Council amend the new Bylaw to require Vehicles for Hire to have GPS tracking as of May 1, 2022. It is also recommended that Council pass the amended Bylaw so that it will come into effect on May 1 of this year.

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

Dylan BresseyComment