Lethbridge Minute: Issue 224

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

📅 This Week In Lethbridge: 📅

• On Thursday, the Governance Standing Policy Committee will meet at 1:30 pm. The Committee will receive a presentation on snow and ice control. The City completed Phase 2 of its Snow and Ice Control Service Level Changes, introducing a subscription-based Windrow Assistance Service (WAS) during the 2024/2025 winter season. The season saw only one major snow event requiring a parking ban and contracted plowing services, but feedback indicated that windrows remained a concern, especially in driveways and parking lanes. The WAS, aimed at residents with mobility challenges, served 553 households and was generally effective, though users desired faster service. Financially, plowing is significantly more cost-effective than removal - about $260/km versus $6,800/km. Three options were considered for future service levels, with Option 1 - continuing the current WAS model - recommended due to its balance of affordability and targeted support. The City plans to extend this trial through the 2025/2026 season to gather more data before making long-term decisions.
  
  
• The Committee will also hear an update on street sweeping. Following an 18% budget reduction approved in December 2020, Lethbridge's street sweeping program adopted several operational efficiencies to maintain service levels. These changes included reducing the number of rental sweepers, eliminating resident notifications, limiting return sweeps, and cutting back on summer day sweeping. Some areas, such as Tudor Estates and Park Royal, were not swept in 2021 due to the constrained budget. Despite these challenges, Administration managed to keep the average annual cost to $1.37 million while recycling 75% of sweeping debris. Parking enforcement was reinstated in 2023, issuing over 1,000 tickets annually and contributing to improved public compliance. Public feedback generally supported the adjusted service levels and increased enforcement, though satisfaction with street maintenance declined slightly. Administration recommends continuing with the current reduced service levels.
  
  
• The City’s Honorariums Policy for Boards, Commissions, and Committees will also be reviewed at Thursday’s Committee meeting. Most of the changes are administrative, aimed at clarifying language, definitions, and eligibility. A key revision responds to the recent appointment of provincial representatives to the Lethbridge Police Commission. Under the current rules, only Council-appointed members are eligible for honorariums, which excludes the provincially appointed members. The proposed amendment would extend eligibility to all public appointees retroactive to January 1st, 2024. The Lethbridge Police Commission formally requested this change. Honorarium rates remain defined by the type of Committee and member role, and compensation is limited to specific meeting attendance.
  
  
• The City of Lethbridge has released 566 pages of previously confidential documents related to the Lethbridge and District Exhibition (LDE) project, aiming to enhance transparency around its $25 million investment. The documents cover the construction of the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre and detail the City’s evolving involvement, especially after the LDE faced financial collapse in 2023. Mayor Blaine Hyggen emphasized that the City had limited control over the project since it was not initially City-run and that Council only stepped in after significant governance issues emerged. The documents were vetted for legal and privacy concerns before being made public and are now available online. Hyggen stressed the importance of public access to this information, especially regarding the City's efforts to stabilize the facility and reduce financial losses. He noted that while the City didn’t direct the original construction decisions, it is now focused on improving operations and potentially returning oversight to a qualified community board. The release includes records going back to 2013, outlining the City’s funding conditions. Officials hope that sharing this information will clarify the challenges faced and highlight progress made. We’ll be going through these documents closely and bringing you more detailed information!
  
  
• Mayor Blaine Hyggen has officially announced his bid for re-election in the October 20th municipal election. Calling his time as Mayor the “greatest honour” of his life, Hyggen says he wants to continue the work already underway. His priorities include improving public safety, boosting economic growth, and supporting access to mental health, addiction services, and housing. He also plans to focus on seeing the completion of longer-term projects like the new cardiac care centre at Chinook Regional Hospital. Recruitment and retention of doctors remain a top concern, with Hyggen noting that too many Lethbridge residents still lack a family physician.
  
  
• The City of Lethbridge is working toward eliminating fatal and serious injury collisions by 2040 through its Transportation Safety Plan. This initiative focuses on changing local attitudes toward road safety, raising awareness, and developing School Travel Plans for all elementary schools. School Travel Plans aim to guide students, families, and drivers on safer travel routes and practices. Our Lady of the Assumption School is already using these plans to improve crossing safety and encourage road safety discussions. To better understand driving behaviour in the city, a third-party phone survey targeting residents 18 and older was started on May 15th.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Common Sense Lethbridge is gearing up for the upcoming municipal election. 

We plan to survey all of the candidates for Mayor and Council. What questions do you think we should ask? Hit reply to this email and let us know your top priorities!

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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