(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

Special Meetings: June 24 & 27

Red Deer city council to establish criteria evaluation matrix for permanent shelter site

Jun 20, 2022 | 9:31 PM

Red Deer city council will now be moving to their next phase in the permanent shelter process: establishing a criteria evaluation matrix for choosing a site.

At their regular meeting on Monday, council unanimously voted that all nine members will work together to build the matrix by July 4, 2022. The City says the matrix will then be used to inform a decision about the location for a future permanent shelter in Red Deer.

“Determining a site for a permanent shelter is a priority for our council, and building the criteria for selecting a site is an important step in the process,” said Mayor Ken Johnston.

Administration initially proposed the creation of an Ad Hoc City Council Committee comprised of three council members to build the matrix. However, members voiced that they not only wanted to each participate fully in the process but also wanted to avoid duplication of debate through subcommittees.

Council’s decision comes on the heels of public consultation held between May 25 and June 10, 2022. During this time, The City connected with the community to collect input through an online survey, in-person facilitated sessions and via email. Through this consultation, 824 citizens participated in the conversation.

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READ: Public participation to begin about permanent shelter site criteria

“We appreciate the vital input that Red Deerians have given us so far,” said Mayor Johnston. “Over the last month, our community has weighed in with different perspectives and genuine empathy. I want to thank everyone who has participated in the public consultation to date, for their communication with city staff, and council alike. Our community is asking us for a sustainable solution that has vision over the long-term, as we look to support an integrated purpose-built shelter in Red Deer.”

Some of the major themes that came out of the consultation include impacts to surrounding neighbourhoods such as residential areas and the downtown, the need for integrated services, the need to protect recreational spaces and natural habitats like trails and parks, among numerous others.

The full 381-page “What We Heard Report” can be found on The City’s website under resources.

READ: City releases new permanent shelter ‘What we Heard’ report

“Throughout the process, the community has come to the table in important ways to contribute to the conversation and to tell us what matters to them and why,” said City Manager Tara Lodewyk. “This next step is about supporting city council through their decision-making process as they consider how they utilize this information to inform development of the site criteria evaluation matrix and work to determine the site for a future permanent shelter in our city.”

Two Special Council Meetings have been added for this development: June 24 at 9 a.m. and June 27 at 2:30 p.m. at City Hall.

For transparency, the meetings will be live-streamed for the public with agendas and minutes to be made publicly available as well.

At council’s May 9 meeting, the deadline to pick a location was set for July 18, 2022 after hearing the community’s feedback. However, administration confirmed that the deadline was pushed back due to The City’s partnered commercial realtor’s office being temporarily closed for a short period. The estimated date for council to choose a site location is now August 2022.

More information about the Permanent Shelter Project can also be found on The City’s website under www.reddeer.ca/shelter.