Lethbridge Minute: Issue 277

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

📅 This Week In Lethbridge: 📅

• City Council will meet this Tuesday, May 26th, at 12:30 pm. One of the most significant items on the agenda is a vote to authorize the $285-million expansion of the Wastewater Treatment Plant's Train 2, which would increase treatment capacity by 50% - from 40 to 60 megalitres per day. The design budget for the project has already ballooned from the $4.2 million approved in 2021 to $18.6 million. If Council approves the capital amendments, Administration will bring a borrowing bylaw forward for first reading on June 23rd. Residential customers would face average wastewater rate increases of $4.42 per month beginning in 2027, with cumulative increases of $23.05 per month by 2030. The full construction cost range is estimated at $285 million to $329 million, and the project would push the City's debt to approximately 58% - 62% of the allowable limit under the Municipal Government Act.
  
  
• Also before Council on Tuesday is a motion related to the Lethbridge Curling Club's request for a Major Community Event Grant to support a bid on hosting the 2028 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. The Community Issues Committee voted 6 - 2 at its May 19th meeting to reject the grant request, and that defeated motion is now being brought forward as urgent business at the full Council meeting. The exact dollar amount the Curling Club requested has been directed to remain confidential until after June 1st, 2026. Council will decide whether to revisit the Committee's decision or let the rejection stand.
  
  
• Councillor Rufa Doria filed an inquiry on May 15th asking Administration what reporting and accountability requirements currently apply to organizations receiving City funding. The inquiry covers how those organizations are expected to demonstrate their use of funds, deliverables, outcomes, and broader value to the community. Doria noted it is presently unclear which funded groups are reporting back to the City and which are not. She called for a new service-level policy for external organizations to be developed and in place before the 2027 budget deliberations. A response from Administration is expected at tomorrow's Council meeting.
  
  
• Acting Mayor Jenn Schmidt-Rempel is bringing forward a resolution at the May 26th meeting for Lethbridge to co-sponsor a City of Airdrie motion at the 2026 Alberta Municipalities Convention. The motion calls on the provincial government to establish a framework that would allocate a portion of surplus revenue to municipal infrastructure projects in years when the Province runs a budget surplus. Under the proposal, those funds would be distributed through a transparent application process. If approved by Council, Lethbridge would formally associate its name with the resolution heading into the fall convention.
  
  
• A question raised at the May 14th Community Issues Committee meeting brought to light that Lethbridge's encampment response and outreach team operates only on weekdays, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. That leaves weekend encampment concerns to be handled by police response alone. Community Social Development General Manager Andrew Malcolm confirmed the limitation is the result of resource and funding constraints. A point-in-time count conducted on October 2nd, 2025 identified 504 individuals experiencing homelessness in Lethbridge, including 233 in unsheltered situations. A separate report found encampments decreased by 68% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, though the weekday-only service gap remains unaddressed.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Lethbridge City Council will revisit a motion related to the Lethbridge Curling Club’s request for a grant to support a bid for the 2028 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

Do you think Council should give grants for sporting events? Is it worth the money in your opinion? Let us know!

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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