(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Ashley Lavallee-Koenig

MIXED AGENDA

Red Deer city council recap: trail lighting and borrowing bylaws

Jan 27, 2025 | 6:44 PM

In the Jan. 27 regular meeting, Red Deer’s city council appointed two new committee members, passed and amended borrowing bylaws, and updated its Electric Utility Bylaw.

First, council unanimously passed first reading of tax and fleet borrowing bylaws, enabling the City to borrow when required. The City says the timing of this borrowing will be done as required to fund projects such as Capstone developments, bridge rehabilitation and replacement, transit bus replacement, and more.

The intention is to have the bylaws passed in time for the 2025 construction season, and second and third readings are currently expected to occur on March 24.

Council also unanimously passed all three readings of an amendment to the Short Term Operating Borrowing Limit, increasing it from $30 million to $50 million.

The increase was prompted by larger than expected cash flow fluctuations, which the City needs additional available credit to support; increasing the borrowing limit allows Administration to then increase the line of credit.

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“It enables us to have access to a greater amount of cash flow protection for short periods of time,” explained Mike Olesen, Growth and Finance General Manager. “In contrast, if we didn’t have this, we would really need to look at our cash reserves which, generally, municipalities invest those, and those investments give us positive returns, keeping tax rates low.”

In other words, the City is thinking ahead when it comes to its financial stability in a time of crisis.

“I think this is a good sign of our evolution and our financial maturity in having the foresight in what’s coming down the road for us,” Olesen added.

Council also unanimously passed all three readings of an Electric Utility Bylaw amendment, updating the document to conform with Alberta’s Rate of Last Resort, implemented in September 2024.

The Rate of Last Resort was previously named the Regulated Rate Option and provides predictability for electricity users who have opted into the rate.

Today’s amendments updated the language in the City’s bylaw to ensure it aligns with the changed regulations.

Among the mixed council agenda was also a notice of motion previously put forward by Coun. Dianne Wyntjes on Jan. 13.

The motion asks for lighting to be installed in Montfort Heights to address trail safety concerns she said she’s been hearing from residents since 2016.

The motion was passed unanimously and asks that the item return to the next sitting council in time to be discussed and, ideally, approved in the 2026 capital budget, although that will ultimately be up to the next council.

Preliminary inquiries into the project estimate a $150,000 cost, although no numbers have been finalized.

Close to a dozen citizens showed up to show their support for the motion, including Stanley Selinger, a Montfort Heights resident who said it was “wonderful” to see progress after 10 years of effort.

“At night time, we can’t see what’s going on. If we could help, we couldn’t see,” Selinger said. “That’s what’s all behind why this has become an issue: it’s not that we want to fight with the city — no, we want to help our neighbours to be able to use the stairs and the path.”

Finally, two citizen representatives were appointed to the Housing and Homelessness Integration Committee. One will serve as an Indigenous representative and one as a business community representative, with both terms set to expire in two years.