City of Red Deer
City still working out details of homeless shelter site with Province of Alberta
City and Province of Alberta continue discussion about potential site for future shelter in Red Deer
While The City had hoped to be in a position to release its recommended site today, further considerations pertaining to the recommended site are being jointly explored by the Province and City to ensure its suitability prior to publicly disclosing any information about a potential site.
“We know our community has been patiently waiting for us to identify the potential future shelter site in our city; this is a big decision, and we must ensure that we are making the best decision possible for our community – and that we are making that decision in good faith and partnership with our provincial colleagues,” said Mayor Johnston. “We are continuing to move forward with our provincial partners, and we want to have a decision for our community very soon.”
The narrowing of potential sites comes on the heels of an extensive site selection process that initially included 96 sites. The selection process also involved intensive public participation with more than 820 participants engaging with The City about the project. These participants included residents, businesses, social agencies, and people with lived or living experience of homelessness.
“I am proud to be working closely with the City of Red Deer to ensure that we are aligned on a shelter model and location that is best for Red Deer. We will continue to work closely together in collaboration to improve the support we offer homeless people in Red Deer and make the community safer as a whole,” said Jason Luan, Minister of Community and Social Services
“Alberta’s government remains committed to providing $7 million in capital funding to support the Red Deer integrated emergency shelter. We will continue to plan and work with community partners and the city to address the need for a larger, more functional space to meet demand. Our shared objective is to ensure Red Deer residents in need have access to a safe, accessible overnight shelter,” said Josephine Pon, Minister of Seniors and Housing
“Selecting the right site for Red Deer requires pragmatic innovation that meets our joint vision for an integrated shelter in our community, and we will continue to work alongside the province, social support agencies and citizens throughout the entire process to re-envision the future shelter as a place that provides the support our vulnerable population requires on their journey to being housed,” said Johnston.
During a closed meeting on September 12, 2022, Red Deer City Council selected a potential site for the future shelter; upon presenting the site to the province as part of the site selection process, it was identified that further analysis is needed prior to public disclosure of the site.
As more information is publicly available, it will be shared through The City’s website at www.reddeer.ca/shelter.
From City Council, Tuesday, August 6
Kinsmen Community Arenas funding request (decision)
- Council has approved the $350,000 budget request to replace the chiller at the Kinsmen Community Arenas; this will be funded through the Capital Projects Reserve. Administration will order the part, which is expected to arrive in 14 weeks, then the contractor will take two weeks to install, then staff will install ice, taking an additional ten days. If there are no delays or issues, the arenas are anticipated to open mid-November at the earliest.
- Administration is working to revise rental permitting that has been previously shared with sport groups –the majority of rental permits will need to be revised with a proportionate reduction in ice access across all community rental groups. Revised permits are anticipated to be back to Sport Partners by August 30.
- The chiller is the main piece of equipment that allows ice to be made at the twin arenas. It cools brine water and provides cooling. The brine water’s chemical properties keep it from freezing. To freeze the rink surface, the system pumps chilled brine water through the pipes and then into the ice-bearing concrete slab.
City Council reviews Automated Traffic Enforcement program
At Tuesday’s Council meeting, City Council received a report reviewing the current operation of The City’s Automated Traffic Enforcement (ATE) program.
Mobile photo speed enforcement, commonly known as photo radar, is one component of the ATE program that has been an important tool in capturing speed violations on city streets. On Tuesday, administration provided a report on the effectiveness of the current program, as well as identified opportunities to optimize resources and enhance public safety through conventional enforcement.
“The ATE program’s number one goal has always been to prevent accidents and increase motorist and pedestrian safety by identifying speeding violations,” said John Ferguson, Manager of Municipal Policing Services. “However, after conducting a thorough review, we have found the current photo speed enforcement program has limitations in achieving our public safety goals.”
Identified limitations of the Mobile Photo Speed Enforcement program included a range of issues, including the inability to capture all traffic and safety violations, a lack of positive change in speeding compliance over time, limited consequences to drivers, and inability to provide targeted enforcement that responds promptly to evolving community needs because of a reliance on external guidelines set by the Government of Alberta’s ATE program.
Conversely, the report found that Community Peace Officer-led enforcement could offer a number of advantages, including the ability to address a wide range of traffic and safety violations, engage directly with drivers, have the flexibility to adapt to emerging community safety needs, and have a greater impact on changing the immediate behaviour of drivers with the stopping and ticketing process.
“Most importantly, Community Peace Officers can identify and remove dangerous driving issues that go beyond speeding, such as stopping uninsured or suspended drivers, impaired or distracted driving, and seatbelt use,” said Manager Ferguson. “This report explores the value or striking a better balance between automated and conventional enforcement that fosters a stronger sense of safety, reassures residents and deters potential offenders.”
Municipal Policing will return in the fall to propose a comprehensive approach for traffic safety enforcement that replaces the use of mobile photo speed enforcement with Community Peace Officers.
For more information about the current ATE program, visit www.reddeer.ca/ATE.
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