(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall

setting the course

City council wraps up budget debate

Dec 4, 2020 | 4:41 PM

Council debate on Red Deer’s multi-year capital and operating budgets and plans wrapped up Friday.

As was approved Thursday, there will be no increase to municipal property taxes this year, and as of week’s end, three items are currently tabled for future consideration during the first half of 2021.

They include $512,000 for an outdoor downtown washrooms project, approximately $22.4 million for the South East Sector Transportation System project, as well as refinancing related to the City’s parking operations deficit.

“This is definitely a ‘need-to-have’ as opposed to a ‘nice-to-have’ budget. Capital infrastructure (spending) is generally for maintenance or replacement, and we realized substantial leveraging of capital costs by way of the provincial and federal governments. Otherwise we wouldn’t have proceeded with many of the projects we did,” says Mayor Tara Veer. “We’re essentially freezing service levels, we made organizational changes in the fall, and any service level enhancements or new projects not showing in the operating or capital plan, we will be able to make additions in the future as our community necessitates it and as the economy allows.”

Veer says there is optimism for 2021 because the City of Red Deer went into the pandemic in a strong financial position, helping to buffer some costs and COVID-19-related challenges on top of economic struggles which already existed.

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“For 2022 and beyond, it’s difficult to predict, because if you look across industry and commercial sectors in the city, there is some private sector investment occurring which translates into city growth, such as with Capstone,” the mayor noted. “On the other hand, we are experiencing business retraction, so until we see the net result in terms of business closures, we really will not have a full understanding until the pandemic ceases and the private sector settles.”

Among the things council approved on Friday specifically was capital maintenance grants for the Red Deer Airport, which will total $1.087 million in 2021, and $2.037 million in 2022, as long as Red Deer County matches, as per the intermunicipal framework.

The airport was funding was approved 8-1, with Councillor Buck Buchanan expressing he had issues with giving the funding based on his knowledge of “some things going on at the airport.” The matter was taken in camera and details were not revealed. Buchanan declined to comment further to a request by rdnewsNOW.

Council will receive a report on Monday regarding a future multi-use aquatic centre, which is not currently included in the 10-year capital plan, but could make its way there in the near future.

In 2019, council directed administration to proceed with hiring an architect to come up with preliminary design and concept. That company, Calgary-based GEC Architecture, whose website lists past projects such as the rehabilitation of Edmonton’s Bonnie Doon Leisure Centre and Red Deer’s Servus Arena.

“It has now completed the site evaluations and design phasing, capital costing, etcetera,” said City Manager Allan Seabrooke. “We’ve had numerous meetings with the user groups involved in the aquatic centre and they are certainly in agreement with the design. We’re working closely with them on what will be inside the facility.”

Seabrooke also said the City has narrowed a list of locations down to two – one in the Michener area and the other at Rotary Recreation Park downtown.

Mayor Veer clarified that council will be asked on Monday to affirm the scope and design for the future facility, and to table the locations to allow for a window of public feedback.

The full report is anticipated to be circulated to council and on reddeer.ca over the weekend.

The South East Sector Transportation System, meantime, will come back for a report in Q2 2021, with council agreeing it would like to know more about the pros and cons of installing a roundabout at the intersection of 19 Street and 40 Avenue.

Westerner Park will also be asked to update its master plan for the purpose of the City better understanding its future plans for access and egress to the site, in relation to the South East Sector Transportation System.

The downtown washrooms project is one the City is consulting on with the Downtown Business Association. It will also come back for review in early 2021.

Veer shared that there is a desire to create more washroom space in the downtown for greater accessibility during downtown public events. Asked about the benefits more washroom space could have for the homeless community, she noted that future shelter space, and furthermore, solving related systemic issues should also aid in that issue.

Administration says the bathrooms are intended to be welcoming and safe for all Red Deerians.