(Photo credit: Centrefest)

By Troy Gillard

new incentive

City to share road closure costs for downtown events

Nov 13, 2019 | 9:08 AM

In a bid to encourage more positive uses of the downtown area, Red Deer City Council has passed a resolution to have the city share 50 per cent of the costs associated with road closures related to special event permits.

This is contingent on approval during the operating budget review in January 2020, the city says in a release.

Under the new resolution, the maximum amount of the fee waived for a single event is $2,500. Fee waivers will be allocated on a first come, first served basis up to an accumulated total of $27,000. The funding would be available in 2020 and carried into 2021, if funds remain.

Until now, event organizers have had to pay the entirety of costs associated with downtown road closures.

“This decision is in line with The City’s 2019-2022 Strategic Plan’s objective of Red Deer being an economic leader and hub with a revitalized downtown,” said Erin Stuart, Inspections and Licensing Manager, “Local events and festivals play an important role in achieving this objective and enhancing the vibrancy and quality of life within Red Deer and encouraging citizen engagement.”

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The city says the cost-sharing resolution will promote and sustain events in the downtown core and enhance relationships among businesses, social agencies, residents and the general public.

Following 2021, this program will be evaluated to determine future recommendations.

According to a report to council, The City of Red Deer in an average year receives approximately 300 permit requests with approximately 15 to 20 of them requiring road closures. In 2018, the costs associated with event road closures was approximately $27,000 which was recovered from the event organizers. Road closure costs for individual events ranged between $250 to $5,600.

(With file from City of Red Deer media release)