By EverythingGP staff

City Hall

Busy agenda for Monday’s meeting of Grande Prairie City Council

Jul 25, 2023 | 6:00 AM

More money for the Coordinated Care Campus and the budget for the Grande Prairie Police Service were on the agenda of Monday’s meeting of Grande Prairie City Council.

– Council voted to postpone adding another $1.2 million to the Coordinated Care Campus until its next meeting August 21. Mayor Jackie Clayton says she has meetings scheduled with two provincial cabinet ministers this week and postponing means a chance to talk to the provincial government again. The city had applied for grants previously but did not meet the criteria. Clayton has meetings scheduled with Ministers Jason Nixon and Dan Williams, who is the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction. City staff say this will not cause any delays with the ongoing work on the supportive housing facility going into the former Stonebridge Hotel.

– Council has approved a budget of $3,975,450 for 2023 for the new Grande Prairie Police Service. The biggest chunk of that money; just over $1.7 million is for salaries and benefits. The new police chief, Dwayne Lakusta, starts his job next month. There are also plans to hire six officers, including a senior commander, recruiting officers and training officers this year. A recruiting firm will work on doing the hiring. There is also $777,000 allocated for fleet, just under $678,000 for materials, supplies and utilities, and just over $586,000 for contracted and general services. Among the expenses is also a branding consultant. The money is coming from the $5.4 million the province had provided the city to start the new police service.

– Council has approved extending a lease agreement with Rising Above by 32 years to 40 years for the current addictions treatment facility located at the old young offenders centre. Rising Above made the request at the June 26 council meeting. City officials say this new agreement will help the organization in its effort to add a new three-storey building at their current location.

– Council has put off a final vote on proposed zoning changes that would allow a metal salvage business located in north Grande Prairie to expand the rail line serving the business. The land in question is located near 128 Street .The expansion would have allowed the rail line to hold five more cars, up from the current five. Residents in Scenic Ridge, an area where some houses are located right across the street, complained of noise, odours, and pollution coming from the business. This will come back to a future meeting. Council is asking for a report on landscaping ideas for city-owned land close to the railway tracks and how this would be paid for to be brought to the next round of discussions. So will ideas for sound attenuation, fencing, and landscaping on the south side of the property. This is expected to be back before council at its August 21 meeting.

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– Council has asked administration to bring back a report on options on requests from the Grande Prairie branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. The Legion hopes to fly unit flags along 101 Avenue, also known as Veterans Way, in the spring and summer as well as banners saluting veterans around the time of Remembrance Day. The city would be responsible for putting up and taking down the banners and flags. Families of the veterans would buy the banners and the units would supply the flags. The Legion had also asked for some beautification along 101 Avenue east of 100 Street. That would include new sidewalks and light poles. Administration will also look into this to see where it might be in the city’s capital plan.

– Council has asked city staff to look into safety changes for the cricket pitch located in the north end of the city and possibilities for a new location. Nearby residents complained of noise and ruined esthetics after a practice pitch was established close to a backyard fence near a storm pond close to Salmond Park. Residents said the neighbourhood and cricket players had co-existed peacefully for ten years before the practice pitch was built.

-Council has voted against a proposed amendment to the Land Use Bylaw to include an updated definition of an apartment building. It would have defined such a building with three or more dwelling units that share an entrance and are occupied for one month or longer. This came about after some residents in the Grande Banks subdivision voiced opposition to a short-term stay place known as an apartel in their neighbourhood. Questions about how this would be enforced were one of the concerns councillors had brought up.

– Council has agreed to an interest-free payment deferral payment for the Swan City Hockey Association for a loan the group that runs the Storm had taken out with the city. The loan was for $200,000 in March of 2019. There is still $171,737.86 outstanding. Payments are due to resume in July of 2026.

– Council approved a new policy for specialty crosswalks. The policy includes provisions like the crosswalks needing to de done by registered non-profit groups and that they be reviewed and approved. The policy also says permission is needed to put such a crosswalk on an arterial road, something that required council to approve an exemption for the Pride crosswalk on 98 Street. An exemption for the Friendship Centre crosswalk on 97 Avenue was not needed as it is not an arterial road.

– Council approved a $10,900 grant plus $2,800 in gift in kinds for the Canada Motorcycle Tourism Association, plus sport hosting grants of $1,000 each for the Grande Prairie Filipino Basketball League, Grande Prairie Aquarians Swim Club, and the Grande Prairie Cricket Association.

– The County of Grande Prairie sent the City a letter sending its “heartfelt appreciation” for the help in battling the Dunes West wildfire in May. The County says in the letter that residents benefitted by seeing they were not in the fight against the fire alone.