STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.
Photo by Curtis Galbraith.
By Curtis Galbraith
City Hall

Highlights from Monday’s city council meeting

Feb 25, 2025 | 6:00 AM

City council had a busy meeting on Monday. Besides the new recreational facility, several other things were discussed

– Council approved doing another round of snow removal in residential areas. Councillors say they have heard from the public about problems like flooded driveways during this warm weather. There has not been any snow removal done yet in 2025. The most likely start date would be Wednesday and crews would follow the regular Week A and Week B rotations. City administration says could come to an area sooner if there is what they call “a dire need.”

– Council has approved taking $325,000 from a reserve fund to do some preliminary design work along 132 Avenue from 103-116 Streets and on 116 Street between 68 and 84 Avenues and between 104 and 132 Avenues. The city had originally planned to do some preliminary work on upgrading the intersection of 132 Avenue and 116 Street. The design work is expected to take up to two years.

– Council has approved a policy that would see the establishment of a community enhancement fund. This would see 10 per cent of any budget surplus go into this fund. The money would be used for beautification projects that may be needed around Grande Prairie. This could include things like landscaping but could also include community ideas. Council also agreed to rescind its Public Art policy and fold any money set aside for that into this new community enhancement fund.

– Council has approved rezoning 4.6 hectares of land in the Royal Oaks area and changing its potential use from low and medium residential to just low density residential. The land is on the northeast corner of 108 Street and 128 Avenue. Builders say this will mean a new street and home layout, one that eliminates some cul-de-sacs that were planned previously. Neighbours had brought up concerns about how this would impact safety at a nearby park and affect class sizes at neighbouring schools. City staff say while the number of houses that could be built on that land would increase, the population would stay the same. Council says having more homes in that area would mean more eyes on the park could alleviate some concerns about people doing things they should not be doing. Neighbours are also worried about speeding vehicles around that park. City staff also said they did not know about any current problems at that park.

– Council also approved rezoning just under two hectares of land in the Kensington area. The land is bordered by the railway tracks and 84 Avenue and is west of 116 Street. This would allow a multi-family residential development no higher than four storeys. It would also change what land is currently set aside for commercial development and make a planned storm pond bigger. Changing the proposed roadways would also mean an all-directions intersection at 89 Avenue and 116 Street.

– Council approved some changes to its policy that governs community group funding. The policy would see different streams set up, with the small stream grant maximum set at $50,000 and a medium grant stream maximum of $150,000. There would also be a larger stream. There were also other rules added, like groups with capital projects having to come up with 50 per cent of the cost. The city usually hands out these grants every two years. This will be done for year in 2026, then go back to multiple years in 2027. The 2025 city budget has $4.3 million set aside for community group funding.

– Council has approved a naming dedication for the main corridor on the first floor of the Eastlink Centre. The name will continue to be Rotary Way. Three local Rotary clubs had first struck a naming rights deal with the city in 2010, a sponsorship that expired in 2021. A report done by administration says this naming dedication provides recognition for the contributions the clubs made to the fund raising campaign for the Eastlink Centre. This dedication is meant to last for 10 years.

The next city council meeting is set for March 10.

by Curtis Galbraith