Lethbridge Minute: Snow Removal, Parking Fees, and Ward Commission Approved

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

This Week In Lethbridge:

• The week at City Hall begins with a meeting of the Economic Standing Policy Committee on Wednesday at 1:30 pm. At this meeting, the Committee is set to receive several presentations, including a pair from the Chief Executive Officer of Economic Development Lethbridge - “Economic Indicators: Year in Review 2021” and “Growing Creative Industries: Film, Television, and Digital Production.” The Committee will also receive a number of submissions, including an update on grants and incentives and the Opportunity Lethbridge 2021 Annual Report, before going in-camera.
  
  
• On Thursday, there will be a meeting of the Cultural and Social Standing Policy Committee at 1:30 pm. At this meeting, the Committee is set to receive an update on the artist selection process for the 7th Street South and Post Public Art Project, a new $195,000 display at Lethbridge’s historic post office, as well as the 2021 Galt Museum and Archives Annual Report. 
  
  
• A Commission will be created to study the potential of implementing a Ward Electoral System in time for the 2025 municipal election. The Commission will be compiling recommendations between November 2022 and November 2023. Council will then consider the suggestions and make any necessary preparations.

Last Week In Lethbridge:

• At last Wednesday’s meeting of the Civic Works Standing Policy Committee, the Committee voted to recommend phased service level changes to the City’s snow, ice, and sweeping program. One of the recommendations is to implement more residential plowing and provide snow removal only in the hospital area, downtown, and around school zones. More frequent snow route declarations and increased enforcement during snow events are also on the list of items to be phased in. Residents are encouraged to provide feedback before a final decision is made by City Council at a future meeting.
  
  
• According to a recent report by the Government of Alberta’s Substance Use Surveillance System, Lethbridge is on track to surpass last year’s record-breaking number of opioid-related deaths. Lethbridge recorded 19 deaths for the month of February alone, the highest single death count for any month on record in the city since the provincial government began tracking opioid-related deaths in 2016.
  
  
• City Council defeated a motion to rescind the $5 parking fee at the Enmax Centre, meaning that the fee will be implemented in September after all. Last month, Council voted for the implementation of that fee, but then Councillor John Middleton-Hope introduced the motion to rescind the decision, citing an overly optimistic outlook by Council on how much revenue would actually be generated from the fee. Others, such as Councillor Rajko Dodic, said paid parking could alleviate a collective tax burden of $114,000. What do you think? Should it be user-pays or taxpayer-pays?

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