Lethbridge Minute: Issue 241

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

📅 This Week In Lethbridge: 📅

• There will be a meeting of City Council on Tuesday at 12:30 pm. Administration will provide a response to Councillor Crowson’s inquiry about whether the City has guidelines for staff using generative AI. The inquiry pointed to both opportunities, such as streamlining tasks and improving data management, and risks, including privacy, bias, transparency, and environmental impacts like energy and water use. Administration notes that the City does not yet have a standalone AI policy but is monitoring developments from other municipalities and higher levels of government. The City has cautiously piloted AI in limited areas, such as the contaminated waste tracking program launched in 2024, to evaluate potential benefits and risks. Broader ethical issues, including environmental impact and algorithmic bias, remain part of the discussion. Administration is exploring the development of an AI guideline or policy that would set appropriate and prohibited uses, establish accountability measures, provide staff training, and align with Council’s priorities.
  
  
• Administration will also provide a response to another of Councillor Crowson’s inquiries - this one regarding the future of the Bowman Building. In March 2024, the City sought proposals from not-for-profit organizations to lease the building, with one group selected later that spring as the lead tenant. By October 2024, that organization was working with nine partner sub-tenants, but leadership changes caused the agreement to stall and ultimately collapse by December. Since then, Administration has continued efforts to secure an occupant, exploring both internal mixed-use options and external interest. With the remote work program ending, parts of the building are now being planned for City staffing needs. However, no long-term external tenant has been finalized, and work is ongoing to determine the building’s future use.
  
  
• At 3:00 pm on Tuesday, there will be a Public Hearing. Council will gather feedback regarding rezoning 2910 5 Avenue North from Heavy Industrial (I-H) to General Industrial (I-G). The change would allow for a broader mix of industrial uses, such as auto shops, equipment rentals, fitness facilities, and publishing, while still maintaining the site’s industrial character. Some uses currently discretionary under I-H would become permitted under I-G, while more intensive operations like bulk fuel stations and salvage facilities would require discretionary approval. The site, a 2.9-acre parcel, has been undeveloped since 1996 and is currently used for storage. City staff found no servicing or transportation concerns and noted compatibility with surrounding I-G parcels. There are a variety of residential rezoning changes being discussed at the hearing as well.
  
  
• Rajko Dodic has announced he will seek re-election to Lethbridge City Council in the October 2025 municipal election. He emphasized his belief that Council should stay focused on municipal responsibilities such as roads, water, and sewer, rather than taking on matters better handled by the provincial or federal governments. A lawyer with extensive municipal experience, Dodic highlighted how his legal background helps him navigate complex zoning and land-use decisions. Dodic said community safety and infrastructure maintenance remain top priorities but stressed that funding limits require careful balancing of needs and wants. He noted that costly projects, such as a third river crossing, would be unsustainable without support from other levels of government. 
  
  
• West Coulee Station Elementary School officially opened its doors with a ceremony attended by students, parents, community members, and government representatives. The $32.9-million K-5 school, located in the Garry Station neighbourhood, features a bright atrium known as “The Den,” a large learning commons, and a gymnasium big enough for the entire student body. It also includes a “maker space” with innovative tools like a robotic dog, which staff hope will spark creativity and interest in technology among students. Currently, about 470 children are enrolled, with capacity for 600 and room to expand to 900 with portables. West Coulee Station is also home to the division’s Spanish Bilingual program, which has expanded by 30% thanks to the new space.

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