Council Meeting Highlights, Sept. 25, 2012

Information on all of the background reports and minutes 

Webcast

To get the full flavour of how decisions are made tune into the webcast. The webcast is timed and titled so that you can refer immediately to the specific agenda items.

Council Priorities

Council continues to debate the pros and cons of creating (a) Finance Committee(s). Terms of reference brought to this meeting for approval would see a Committee of six: the Mayor, an urban Councillor, a rural Councillor, and three public members with financial training and expertise (including auditing, financial statements, budgeting and policies).

Committees of this type have operated with varying types of success throughout the province. Of the 13 identified in the best practices search, all but three have separate committees to focus on finance (financial policies, internal controls, annual performance of investments); audit and financial reporting; budget and business planning.

Each of these areas are broad and will greatly tax the ability of a combined committee to ‘get the job done’ for our public and Council. It is an effort to create an ‘all things to all people solution’. Separate, focused committees could provide valuable insight and background reports to Council as they deliberate budget and financial matters.

A motion of postponement was passed that will to allow for the results of the nearly finalized 4 E Review of the finance department to come forward in December. The timing is appropriate, as this committee will not be able to impact the already formulated 2013 budget.

A survey as to whether the public should sit on this committee is on www.CouncillorCarr.com     

Sign Bylaws

Council has set the date for a Public Hearing regarding Sign Regulations for Oct.9, 2012. This will deal specifically with show home signage. The Planning Department has been working with the Canadian Home Builders Association, the Urban Development Institute, the Transportation Department and Communications to come up with a balanced solution that will minimize the show home sign proliferation while still making way finding easy for new home buyers. The issue has been one that has been before Council under the Sign Bylaws many times in the past five years, I look to some resolution for our businesses at this meeting.

Mature Neighbourhood Strategy

The Planning Department are leading public engagement sessions to look at infill and development of older neighbourhoods. This process will involve lengthy public engagement and I will keep you posted.

Strathcona County Emergency Services (SCES) Semi Annual Report

The transition of most of the EMS dispatch contracts to Alberta Health Services has resulted in significant decreased dispatch volume, and as a result, SCES had eliminated 2 jobs and decreased part time hours. The centre now handles 911 for 43 municipalities, dispatches fire for 30 municipalities and dispatches EMS for 2 municipalities. 

SCES has had a significant decrease in fire alarms to last year. Our ambulance call volume continues to increase with a 9.6% increase over the first half of last year. Our ambulances are still getting to 94% of the calls in our County but the rapid growth of inter-facility transfers is concerning. More stats are on the link above.

Councillor Inquiries

Under this agenda area, I submitted a Program Request regarding the Art Gallery. Administration will bring back it’s comments on the details of a model that would result in the public picking the exhibits that go in their gallery.

E News Bulletin

I send out an E News Bulletin three times monthly to residents. It is an opportunity for me to inform you of community events and matters of interest to your family and neighbours and keep in touch you. You are welcome to sign up at roxanne.carr@strathcona.ca