WEEKLY UPDATE - AUG 19

Welcome back to the first Weekly Wrap Up after Council’s summer recess. It’s been great getting back into the swing of things and we started off with a number of important items at Committee.

At Urban Planning Committee, we talked about new ways to protect neighbours of infill. This includes introducing Project Implementation Plans and direct demolition notifications to next door neighbours, both great ways to reduce the disruption that construction can cause. We’re also bringing in a Construction Accountability Program. The program will allow the City to refuse permits for builders who repeatedly break the rules. I’m impressed with City staff who developed this great new program and look forward to even better building moving forward.

At Executive Committee, we heard about structural budget issues that have been almost a decade in the making, compounded by recent inflation and growth pressures. The bad news is that, if no action is taken, these factors could lead to a 13% tax increase.

The good news is that City staff have an action plan to manage these structural budget issues. It will require some difficult decisions when we get to budget deliberations later this fall. As always, I will stay focused on solutions that address our short-term challenges without shortchanging our future.

We also talked about supporting businesses impacted by multi-year construction. Major projects like the LRT and Yellowhead conversion project are vital investments for the future of our community, but they also cause significant disruptions for businesses along their routes. We’ll be debating a new grant program to address these impacts at Council tomorrow. I’m supportive of finding ways to support these businesses. Ensuring vibrant commercial areas is key to meeting our City Plan goals and creating a financially sustainable city.

That’s it for last week. I hope you’ve been enjoying the last of summer and have a great week ahead!