Lethbridge Minute: Motion Postponed, LDE Deficit, and an Updated Bicycle Bylaw

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

This Week In Lethbridge:

• The Safety and Social Standing Policy Committee will meet on Thursday at 1:30 pm. The Committee will receive a presentation from Southern Alberta Crime Stoppers as well as a presentation from the General Manager of Regulatory Services regarding the Animal Care and Control Bylaw. A submission will also be made regarding the Lethbridge Police Service Master Plan.
  
  
• Four full-time medical supervisors will be hired for Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services. The Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee approved the hiring, which aims to address operational challenges caused by shifts in ambulance schedules and rising call volumes. The supervisors will help manage the increased workload, improve service delivery, and provide support to staff.
  
  
• An updated bicycle bylaw is now in place. Key changes include the inclusion of e-bikes in the definition of bicycle, new guidelines for the use of bicycle lanes, and an abandoned bicycle removal process. The updated bylaw also clarifies the use of multi-use pathways, requires bicycles to yield to pedestrians, and removes the need for bicycle license plates. The bylaw also simplifies parking regulations and increases penalties to reflect enforcement costs.

Last Week In Lethbridge:

• The Lethbridge and District Exhibition (LDE) has reduced its budget deficit to $2.2 million, down from an initially projected $6.4 million earlier this year. This improvement is attributed to hosting 10 additional events in 2024 and securing 12 more for 2025, helping to boost revenues. The success of the Whoop-Up Days festival, which had its highest attendance ever and nearly doubled its revenues, also contributed to the positive financial developments.
  
  
• The City of Lethbridge has ratified a new collective agreement with CUPE Local 70, covering over 900 municipal employees. The agreement includes an 11% wage increase over four years. Additionally, the starting wage for labourers will rise to $23 per hour beginning in 2025. The deal was approved after 91.7% of CUPE members voted in favour. Negotiations between the City and CUPE began in March 2023.
  
  
• A motion presented by Mayor Blaine Hyggen and Councillor Ryan Parker for a decorative Remembrance Day crosswalk on 4 Ave. S. was postponed by City Council. Councillor Rajko Dodic suggested that the Remembrance Day crosswalk could be addressed within a broader policy on decorative sidewalks and crosswalks that Council had previously directed Administration to address by Q3 2025. Both Parker and Hyggen concurred.

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