By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

back in session

City council briefs: 2021 utility rates approved

Jan 18, 2021 | 6:05 PM

UTILITY RATES

Red Deer city council held its first regular meeting — a short one — of the new year on Monday, and gave final approval to 2021 utility rates.

Approved in principle during budget talks in November, water, wastewater and waste management rates are each increasing 0.5 per cent.

The hikes are in line with city council’s budget guidelines, which were passed along to administration earlier in 2020.

The increases take effect Feb. 1 for municipal customers, and on March 1 for regional customers such as the Town of Sylvan Lake, which is connected to the City’s treatment system by a regional wastewater pipeline.

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Utilities Manager Jim Jorgensen explains most regional customers have pre-negotiated agreements.

The start date for municipal customers in 2020 was March 1, but that was moved back this year due to council’s budget debate happening earlier.

Jorgensen also noted that the City is still crunching last year’s numbers on its landfill diversion targets which were achieved in 2019.

City council budget and utility guidelines state rates should promote conservation, be fair and equitable, and be understandable and logical.

Because of regulations in the Municipal Government Act, council must action any rate changes after the fact even though they were already deliberated on during budget.

RIVERSIDE LIGHT INDUSTRIAL

Council gave first reading towards rezoning approval for eight more businesses in Riverside Light Industrial on Monday.

That’s on top of the 20 it already approved last June after council decided in January it would expand the number of uses available in the area.

It was a year ago council finalized a plan to allow local business owners the opportunity to rezone from I1 (business service) to IC (industrial commercial). Several businesspeople in the area had been requesting more flexibility.

Under the new zoning, offices up to 10,000 square feet, indoor rec facilities, industrial/commercial training facilities, microbreweries, and supporting merchandise sales where the sales component is 30 per cent or less of the gross floor area, can operate.

Businesses had until Dec. 31 to take advantage of the offer on the City’s dime. Now, if there are anymore, it’ll be at that business’s cost.

If the additional eight are given approval, it would mean 28 of 78 would be rezoned. A public hearing is set for Feb. 15.