Coming Up: January 9

Council meets on Monday. The most significant items on our agenda:

  • Delegations

  • 132 Ave Access

  • Youth Emergency Shelter

  • Alberta Winter Games

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

At every Council meeting, members of the public are welcome to address Council. This week, two delegations have told us they will be coming to our meeting. They are:

  • Property owners requesting the forgiveness of tax penalties due to not receiving tax notices

  • Swan City Football Club to discuss future indoor space for soccer

  • Circle K requesting increased access to 132 Ave near 100 St (see below)

  • Alberta Winter Games

I look forward to hearing from these delegations.

132 ave access

The dealership located at 132 Ave and 100 St has moved. There is hope to redevelop the land into a convenience store and gas station. However, site access is limited. It is requested that Council approve modifications to transportation network plans. You can see what is being proposed here.

I’m not seeing any concerns in my initial reading of the agenda packet. However, Council is being asked to approve a 17 page technical report which supplements a very technical 182 page document. I’ll confess that I am having troubles parsing what changes are being requested. I look forward to the verbal report and an opportunity to ask questions.

Youth Emergency Shelter

The City has been working closely with Sunrise House to build a Youth Emergency Shelter. This is a vital service: helping youth experiencing homelessness is not only the right thing to do, but also a critical part of preventing chronic homelessness in our community.

The new Shelter in the Westgate area, very close to the new hospital. It is on City owned land. On Monday, Council will be asked to transfer ownership of this property. I look forward to supporting this recommendation.

Alberta Winter Games

Next year, Grande Prairie will be hosting the Alberta Winter Games. This is an exciting opportunity for our community: we get to welcome hundreds of youth, coaches, and supporters to our community. It will generate economic activity, highlight Grande Prairie as a great place for people to visit or move, and lead to local sport organisations and facilities being improved.

The City is a strong supporter of the game. It is providing staff time, the use of municipal facilities, and cash. In recognition of our partnership, Council has received a request to appoint a Councillor as a non-voting member on the Games Board of Directors.

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