St. Albert city council will hold just its second meeting of the year on Feb. 7, with eight items on the agenda.
Three civic committees and boards will have new members once council officially appoints them during the meeting. The Arts Development Advisory Committee, the Assessment Review Board, and the Community Services Advisory Committee receive one new member each.
Two items on the agenda stem from a standing committee of the whole meeting last month, including the possible policy amendment to how frequently municipal censuses are completed. The Gazette previously reported council is looking at having a census completed every five years, rather than the current standard of every two years. The last municipal census was completed in 2018, and if council passes the motion, the next will be completed sometime this year.
Council will also complete a first reading for a $21.5 million borrowing bylaw for the ongoing Villeneuve Road reconstruction project. If the motion passes first reading, a public hearing could be held sometime before mid-April, which is when a council backgrounder estimates the borrowing bylaw will receive second and third readings. The Gazette will have an article dedicated to the borrowing bylaw's first reading in the Thursday, Feb. 9 edition of the newspaper.
Remaining items on the meeting agenda are motions put forward by councillors, including Coun. Natalie Joly's motion seeking to use $7,500 from council's contingency fund this year to cover any travel or accommodation costs for Coun. Wes Brodhead in relation to his membership on the Canadian Urban Transit Association's executive committee.
Another motion to be discussed was put forward by Coun. Shelley Biermanski, and seeks to have administration plan for an alternative or additional option for a children's play area in Fountain Park Pool.
Additional water features at Fountain Park, which has been closed since last May for crews to repair the concrete slab that supported the leisure and competition pools, are undergoing slight changes as part of the rehabilitation project. The changes include the permanent removal of the pool's waterslide.
According to a council backgrounder, city staff planned to replace the slide with spray-feature designed for young pool-goers who aren't comfortable swimming in deep water. Biermanski's motion seeks to have city staff provide alternative options to accommodate a broader age range.
The Gazette may have an article dedicated to Biermanski's motion in the Thursday, Feb. 9 edition of the newspaper, depending on the depth of council's discussion and the result of their vote.
