When it comes to lobbying other levels of government, St. Albert city council has three top priorities: public transit, transportation and support for other regional matters.
Council picked its top priorities and other advocacy items back in August, but Monday night was the first time those picks were publicized.
“I think it’s nice to have a co-ordinated approach,” said Coun. Cathy Heron.
Each general priority came with specific items council would like to move forward.
For instance, under public transit priority, it has listed the long-planned Campbell Park and Ride, the extension of Edmonton’s LRT system to St. Albert’s southern border, the creation of a provincial public transit policy and funding for the implementation of a regional “smartfare” program as the specific items to work on.
Under transportation, there’s a single item – get funding to twin Ray Gibbon Drive and the connection of that thoroughfare to Highway 2.
Support for regional matters includes getting funding for the Sturgeon River Watershed Alliance in place.
Mayor Nolan Crouse observed that most of the items relate to lobbying the provincial government and not other municipal governments or other organizations.
“This looks too provincial and not wide enough,” he said, asking Jacquie Hansen, the intergovernmental and external affairs manager, for her reaction.
“We will need to cast our nets as wide as we can,” Hansen said, noting they’ll evaluate opportunities to advocate as they come up.
In addition to the top three priorities, council also has a list of general items they’d like to push for.
One is urging the provincial government to finish its review of the Municipal Government Act, and to develop a provincial policy for waste management.
They also want to lobby for affordable and seniors housing.
Council wants to advocate for emergency services, with a particular focus on ambulance wait times in St. Albert.
Council also wants an increase to funding for the Family and Community Support Services department – the provincial funding has been stagnant for several years – and start a Parent Link Centre in St. Albert.
There’s also a desire to advocate for changes to how third-party and candidate financial disclosures are handled in the Local Authorities Election Act.
