Lethbridge Minute: Byelection Scheduled, Police Satisfaction, and an Animal Care Bylaw

Lethbridge Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Lethbridge politics

This Week In Lethbridge:

• The Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee will meet on Tuesday and Wednesday, at 9:30 am each day. The Committee will receive presentations regarding the Lethbridge & District Exhibition - one from Deloitte and another from Administration.
  
  
• On Tuesday, at 12:30 pm, there will be a meeting of City Council. Councillors Carlson and Crowson will bring forward an Official Business Motion to refine the annual budget review process, suggesting that it focus on specific updates to avoid unnecessary changes to the budget. The Motion requests that the review cover economic updates, financial forecasts, progress on capital projects, operating budget initiatives, and any service level issues or emerging concerns. Any additional budget requests outside these topics would be deferred to the next four-year budget cycle. Also on the agenda are an encampment update, and several responses from Administration to Councillor inquiries.
  
  
• The Downtown Lawlessness Reduction Task Force, originally scheduled for Thursday, is cancelled due to a lack of agenda items. The Governance Standing Policy Committee will meet on Thursday at 1:30 pm. The Committee will receive a presentation regarding the public engagement plan for Phase Two of the Land Use Bylaw Renewal and discuss a replacement Election Bylaw to ensure compliance with the Province’s Bill 20.

Last Week In Lethbridge:

• The Lethbridge-West by-election has been scheduled for December 18th, 2024, to fill the MLA seat vacated by Shannon Phillips in June. Confirmed candidates include Rob Miyashiro for the Alberta NDP and John Middleton-Hope for the United Conservative Party, both with notable local leadership experience. Advance voting will take place from December 10th to 14th, with voter registration available online until December 4th. More information is available online, at the Elections Alberta website.
  
  
• A recent survey of 400 Lethbridge residents revealed that 70% feel safe in the community, an improvement from 65% last year but still below pre-2020 levels, which exceeded 90%. The survey, conducted for the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS), also showed that 84% of respondents are satisfied with LPS, a steady increase from previous years. Residents identified drug crime, crimes against persons, and property crime as top priorities for police over the next four years. Many respondents expressed a desire for more crime prevention strategies and increased community visibility, while 30% emphasized the need for greater traffic enforcement. Feedback from the survey will inform LPS's operational plans for the coming year.
  
  
• The Social and Safety Standing Policy Committee has recommended a new Animal Care and Control Bylaw for approval, with first reading scheduled for December 10th and final approval in January. The proposed bylaw aims to consolidate outdated regulations, add cat-specific rules, and implement a microchipping program in 2025 to reunite lost pets and reduce shelter costs. Key provisions include limiting households to six cats and introducing penalties for nuisance or injury caused by cats, although enforcement will prioritize education over strict penalties. Mandatory cat licensing was deemed impractical due to low compliance rates in other municipalities, with microchipping proposed as a more effective alternative.

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