Lethbridge Minute: Water Meters, Security Recommendations, and a Pedestrian Safety Project

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

This Week In Lethbridge:

• The Audit Standing Policy Committee will meet on Wednesday at 1:30 pm. The Committee will discuss several confidential reports, including the Draft 2024 City of Lethbridge Annual Report, an Internal Control Update, and an Audit Findings Report.
  
  
• The Economic and Finance Standing Policy Committee will meet on Thursday at 9:00 am. The Committee will receive a presentation regarding recommendations for City Hall and Council Chamber security, and another entitled Potential Water Quality Concerns with Coal Mining. The former lists seven key recommendations - with an estimated one-time cost of $300,000 and ongoing annual costs of $50,000. They include the installation of a barrier wall in the Council Chambers to improve security during meetings, the implementation of electronic access controls, increased security presence during meetings, the establishment of staff identification badges, and a robust visitor management system.
  
  
• The City is continuing its project to replace 10,000 manually read water meters. This current phase focuses on replacing 2,000 meters in the Heritage Heights area, with new meters offering benefits such as simpler data collection, no need for staff to access properties, fewer missed readings, and more accurate billing. The first phase, completed between April and August 2024, successfully replaced over 2,200 meters. The City also sold the old meters for more than $7,000.

Last Week In Lethbridge:

• The City and the University of Lethbridge have renewed their partnership through a new Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement emphasizes collaboration on strategic initiatives, workforce development, and student engagement through research, volunteerism, and applied learning. The MOU also highlights the importance of joint efforts in recreation and cultural programming, such as sports events and music classes.
  
  
• Lethbridge Police completed a month-long pedestrian safety project in March, focusing on high-risk areas near schools and playgrounds. Officers engaged with nearly 300 parents and students, issued 16 tickets, and delivered numerous warnings to improve safety awareness. The initiative emphasized the shared responsibility of drivers and pedestrians to stay alert, avoid distractions, and ensure visibility when crossing or driving near intersections. Police collaborated with Alberta Sheriffs to tackle issues like speeding, inattention, and crosswalk violations. The City of Lethbridge is also working on safety improvements at over 20 intersections based on collision data and public complaints. New speed feedback signs and tailored crosswalk enhancements are being implemented to reduce accidents and keep pedestrians safe.
  
  
• The Province said it is accelerating plans to expand cardiac services in southern Alberta with a $5 million allocation in the 2025 budget. This funding will support the development of a cardiac catheterization lab at Chinook Regional Hospital and the expansion of intensive care units in both Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, adding 34 beds to CRH and eight to Medicine Hat. The changes aim to reduce wait times, enhance local care, and keep patients closer to home. The Province expects the cath lab to serve 1,700 patients annually once operational.

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