By Alessia Proietti

Four-week extension for Engagement Plan

Red Deer city council releases confidential information on permanent shelter

Apr 12, 2022 | 1:57 PM

In the name of transparency, Red Deer city council approved the releasing of additional information on the permanent shelter project and a one month extension to complete a public Engagement Plan.

At Monday’s meeting, council approved administration’s recommendation to release information from all 13 prior In Camera Meetings over the past year from April 29, 2021 to January 10, 2022. The nearly 250-page report contains items such as council reports, presentations made by administration, and letters to and from the province.

“We believe that providing more information about the steps taken so far will help the public develop a better understanding of the need for a shelter in our community and want to stay engaged throughout the project process going forward,” said Mayor Ken Johnston.

The City says they enacted the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act throughout the process to protect government to government relations, advice from officials and the recommendations and advice that could be expected to result in financial loss.

As the final site has not been determined, there is information that is still redacted from the report. The City states it is to protect economic interests if a non-city owned site is selected as the location for the permanent shelter. The redactions throughout the report include site specific information, contractual obligations, legal advice and third-party business information.

Icy Roads

RCMP says travel not recommended on QEII north of Red Deer

8h ago

University Magazine

RDP ranked 17th among top culinary schools in Canada

11h ago

JANUARY 21 ONLY

Ponoka starting Christmas tree pick up in January

Dec 20, 2024

A summary report shows that nearly 40 sites were explored during the process, many of them in the downtown.

Map of 40 shelter site locations visited from the Red Deer Permanent Shelter Project Summary Report (City of Red Deer)

Council also approved up to four additional weeks for administration to complete the public Engagement Plan for council review. Administration recommended utilizing the time to also clarify the roles and responsibilities of the City and public in the shelter process, outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

The City and the Province entered into an MOU in February 2021 to establish the purpose of the project, roles, and what integrated services will be included.

Administration states in the agenda, “As both administrations work operationalizing the MOU, role clarity has become less exact and there is lack of understanding of where and how the City and our citizens can influence the ultimate decision maker.”

While stating she respected the desire for clarity, Councillor Vesna Higham said she feared the project was being prolonged and delayed further by becoming more of a collaboration rather than consultation with the public.

“For me, it’s pretty clear what the Province is seeking from council as representatives of the community,” she said.

Councillor Lawrence Lee questioned the necessity for more public consultation as, while Red Deerians have agreed on the need for a shelter, none want the site near their homes or businesses.

“I think, regardless of what is decided, you will have a segment of this community not in support of. No matter how much consultation is given,” he said.

Councillor Victor Doerksen, however, said that while he is not pleased with the timeline being pushed further, it was council’s duty to consult with the public.

“Let’s not have amnesia about how we got to today,” he said, reverting back to council’s discussion on Mar. 8 of the “What we Heard” report revealing that the public felt their voices on the permanent shelter were not being listened to.

READ: Downtown location off table for permanent shelter; public consultations instead

“We now have to follow that through because that’s what’s important to our community and we have to do that consultation right. “

Following further conversations with council, a full public participation strategy will be developed with implementation anticipated to be in late May. Information about getting involved in these conversations will be released by The City at that time.

For more information, visit www.reddeer.ca/shelter or the April 11 Permanent Shelter FAQ (pdf).