By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

City Briefs: council commits $50,000 to Canadian Finals Rodeo

Sep 17, 2018 | 8:13 PM

City council made a financial commitment to Canadian Finals Rodeo at its meeting Monday night.

CFR, which is being hosted in Red Deer for at least the next decade, was asking council to approve a contribution of $50,000. The money will go directly towards the production of the opening ceremonies.

“It’s very important to clearly note this is a one-time request, not an ongoing one,” said Mayor Tara Veer. “Because it’s year one and because Red Deer was in competition with four other major Canadian cities, it is important that the Westerner and Chamber are equipped to host an event that meets the expectations of CFR.”

Should The City’s contribution go through – which it will only if Red Deer County council approves the same request at their Sept. 18 meeting – it would come with a number of perks.

They include advertising exposure, signage and special invites for a number of City staff to attend events. As well, The City may use the CFR logo in advertising and it will be recognized as an official sponsor of the opening ceremonies.

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If County council rejects the request, Veer said city council would have to approve a contribution again if they wanted to go in on their own.

Canadian Finals Rodeo, which is coming to Red Deer for its 45th edition after 44 years in Edmonton, is expected to have a $25 million economic spin-off for the Red Deer region.

— CENTRAL ALBERTA ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP

Council is reversing course on its membership in the Central Alberta Economic Partnership.

Early in 2017, council voted (not unanimously) to give CAEP one year’s notice that The City would be backing out.

A few months later, Councillor Dianne Wyntjes spearheaded a vote to extend the one year’s notice by an additional year.

However, on Monday, council voted unanimously to not only reinstate ongoing funding during the 2019 budget, but also to advertise for a local business representative to seek a spot on the CAEP board.

The latter move will be done to increase The City’s influence within CAEP , which describes itself as a catalyst for collaborative, community-minded relationships focused on advancing sustainable, regional development.

Buch Buchanann, council’s representative on CAEP, likened Red Deer leaving the table to an anchor store moving out of a mall.

It costs The City approximately $40,000 annually to remain a member of CAEP, a figure which is based on population.

— COVENTRY AND CLOVER VALLEY

Final approval was given to two amendments to the East Hill Major Area Structure Plan which pave the way for growth in the city’s northeast.

Clover Valley and its first neighbourhood Coventry are still years away from build-out, but approving a Multi-Neighbourhood Plan and Neighbourhood Area Structure Plan are key parts of the process.

“There are a lot of next steps. The focus tonight was setting the foundation for what can occur in that area,” said David Girardin, Major Projects Planner. “There are still a lot of engineering type things they need to satisfy, development agreements, rezoning, subdivision. It’s a long process. But it’s just setting that vision for what that neighbourhood could be. We are building a community for tomorrow.”

Coventry is a 45-hectare area in Clover Valley’s southeast corner.

— DYNAMIC SIGNS

Council passed first reading for a pair of amendments related to dynamic signs and the required distances between them.

Last April, council approved changes which would require dynamic signs to be 300 metres away from each other, as well as 100 metres from a residential area.

They also requested administration to report back in order to see if there was a better route.

Administration is recommending council retain the current setbacks, noting that a business may apply for a variance on either one.

Councillor Frank Wong indicated that following a public hearing four weeks from now, he’d like to see an exemption made for a stretch of Gaetz Avenue from the South Hill to 32 Street, the bulk of which is business-oriented, but backs right onto residential.

He calls the current setbacks “unfair.”

— PIPER CREEK NAME CHANGE

Council also gave its blessing to a name change proposed by the Piper Creek Foundation.

The foundation said it had recently explored and landed on a new marketing strategy and image, which included a new name – Bridges Community Living.

The City of Red Deer, under Ministerial Order, is the only member of the Piper Creek Foundation, hence the request for support of the name change from city council.

The name change must still be rubber-stamped by the province.

The Piper Creek Foundation is a subsidized housing program for seniors.