2022 Lethbridge City Council Action Plan

Introduction

In 2021, Council updated its Municipal Development Plan (MDP) – a process that engaged staﬀ, stakeholders and the community to create the vision for a future Lethbridge. As outlined on the four-page PDF below, the Gateway to Opportunity 2022 Action Plan was created using the MDP as the strategic guiding document. It also takes into consideration the concerns heard from the election campaign, balancing both immediate needs and longer-term aspirations.

View the Gateway to Opportunity: 2022 Lethbridge City Council Action Plan

Quarter four, 2022 Highlights

	Edit	Title	Accordion Answer	Expand On Page Load	Sort Order
		Quarter Four Action Plan Report	Council Action Plan Report	No	1

Quarter three, 2022 Highlights

Title	Accordion Answer	Expand On Page Load	Sort Order
Healthy and Diverse	Enable support for an emergency shelter and examine opportunities for extreme weather responses. Emergency Management recently presented future mitigation strategies to the Community Safety Standing Policy Committee. The allocation of up to $230,000 in one-time funding from Corporate Budget Contingencies to address the administrative and policing funding shortfalls to expedite compassionate clean-up at encampments. A local community task force is being established to gather key partners for a community view of these complex issues and City Council has written letters to Provincial ministries of Seniors and Housing, Community and Social Services and Mental Health and Addictions requesting the formation of a provincial/City of Lethbridge working group to allow for collaboration on medium- and long-term housing and homelessness solutions that will ultimately address encampments issues. In September, received an update on the Municipal Housing Strategy and directed a multi-step Administration Response on the Federal Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI). This includes prioritizing the review of the development permit and safety code permit applications for multi-unit and social housing projects that are in pursuit of other levels of government funding, as well as preparing budget initiatives for the 2023-2026 Operating Budget deliberations to consider potential long-term impacts and resourcing. Ongoing support and advocacy for family physician recruitment and retention. See the video here The Safe Community Call Centre has moved to the Public Safety Communications Centre to create efficiencies and provide 24/7 service.	No	1
Culturally Vibrant	The Community Engagement Strategy will look at ways to engage consistently with residents in a meaningful way. It will also develop budget requirements to fulfill outlined activities, which will then be reviewed during budget deliberations. Council recently directed Administration to implement recommendation Number 1 in the Indigenous Placemaking and Public Realm Audit – the development of a committee composed of Indigenous Elders, Indigenous members and knowledgeable people of the community and surrounding region; and to create an implementation strategy aligning with recommendations 2 – 31 and report back by the end of March 2023.	No	3
Well-designed City	The approval of one-time funding of $500,000 from the Electric Reserve to complete the Chinook Trail Functional Planning Study in 2023. The 2022 Alberta Electric System Operator's (AESO) long-term plan has identified a need to construct a new substation in West Lethbridge by 2028, along with a new transmission line connecting the new substation to the existing west Lethbridge Substation located just south of Copperwood. Approval for the re-naming of the southeast section of Parkside Drive South to Exhibition Way South. The curved roadway configuration for Parkside Drive South has resulted in an ad hoc approach to the addressing of City assets in Henderson Park and on the Exhibition site for many years. With the redevelopment of the Exhibition site and building of a new facility, an influx of addressing requests for construction permitting exposed this ad hoc approach and a lack of numerically sequential available addresses.	No	6
Economically Prosperous	The Broadband Pilot Project in the Sherring and Churchill industrial parks successfully tested the system connection with four customers and is now proceeding with 60 customer requests for connection.	No	9
Supports the Region	Council has directed the City Manager to investigate, explore and research best practices for Destination Management Organization funding models for tourism in other municipalities and report back to Council by October 31, 2022, through the Economic Standing Policy Committee, with any recommendations for the Lethbridge model Council approved the 2022 Highway 3 Twinning Development Association municipal membership fee in the amount of $6,500, funded from Council Contingency. As part of the resolution, Council also directed Administration to prepare a Budget Initiative for the 2023-2026 Operating Budget Deliberations at the November Economic SPC meeting for ongoing membership in the Highway 3 Twinning Development Association for the years 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026	No	12
Environmentally Responsible	Work continues on a Parks Master Plan, as well as on Water and Wastewater Master Plans	No	15

Quarter two, 2022 Highlights:

Title	Accordion Answer	Expand On Page Load	Sort Order
Healthy and Diverse	Community safety is a top priority for City Council. The City has the role of ensuring a clean and safe community, facilitating partnerships and advocating other orders of government for the services needed. We continue to advocate to the province for much-needed transitional and supportive housing In September, Council will receive an update on the Municipal Housing Strategy, which will set priorities and direction on implementation of recommendations A new promotional video to support and advocate family physician recruitment and retention plan has been created and shared. View it here Council approved a recommendation from the Cultural and Social Standing Policy Committee to direct Administration to proceed with the construction of six new Pickleball courts as outlined in 2022-2031 CIP. More information here Council directed Administration to extend the Recreation and Culture Fee Assistance Program to include the provision of free bus passes for a six-month period for any new refugees arriving in Lethbridge in 2022	No	1
Well-designed City	Council will proceed with forming a commission to undertake detailed analysis and engagement to possibly implement a Ward Electoral System in time for the 2025 municipal election. Once formed, the commission of public members with related backgrounds, along with appropriate non-voting supporting resources, will review whether or not to recommend to Council that a ward system be implemented. Through their work, the commission could also suggest other recommendations to improve Lethbridge's political system. More information here Council will be implementing several service level modifications for snow and ice control. Starting in winter of 2022/23 (Phase 1): Snow routes will be declared across the city; and approximately 28 km of existing snow routes will be piloted with plowing to the right. More information here We also recently heard the results of the 2022 Community Satisfaction survey completed by IPSOS. It showed 90 per cent of respondents rank their quality of life in Lethbridge as good or very good. It's a useful tool and essentially a community report card to help inform Council on how residents see their quality of life in our city and their thoughts on city services	No	5
Culturally Vibrant	With funding coming from the Governments of Canada and Alberta, the City of Lethbridge has capitalized on creating further economic catalysts for Downtown Lethbridge. The $1.71 million Festival Square Market Plaza (which opened in June), entirely funded through the Province of Alberta's Provincial Municipal Stimulus Program, will be a versatile, active and engaging public space for people and the local businesses in the area. The main draw will be its offering as a permanent market space with infrastructure to support local producers, artisans and craftspeople a place to sell their wares year-round. The project includes an interactive stage, entry signs, decorative column lighting, programmable lighting and site furniture, as well as water/wastewater servicing and lane rehab. More information here	No	10
Economically Prosperous	Council approved existing 2026 capital projects within the 2022-2031 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). This will include projects in Transportation, Environmental Utilities and Electric Utility (Section C, E & F); existing ongoing 2026 CIP projects in Community (Section D); plus, a reallocation of other 2026 CIP projects in Section D with Undetermined Funding to 2027. This will allow the four-year capital and operating budgets to be aligned starting in 2026 for the 2027-2030 budget cycle	No	15
Environmentally Responsible	Council directed Administration to implement a pilot program for toxic/e-waste round-ups. The Waste and Recycling Utility (WRU) pilot will offer three round-up events with no utility rate increase. The events will be held within the city limits to encourage resident participation and increase the amount of Household Hazardous Waste and e-waste diverted from the landfill. More information here	No	20
Supports the Region	Work continues on establishing a Regional Economic Development & Tourism Strategy. We anticipate a first draft of this vision to be presented to Economic SPC in September, with an implementation plan to commence in Q3 2022 Council has directed Administration to look at is the creation of a policy to streamline the process for film companies interested in working in Lethbridge. This would not only boost our own city in revenue generating opportunities but also the region. We'll look forward to receiving that report in the fall	No	25

Quarter One, 2022 Highlights:

Title	Accordion Answer	Expand On Page Load	Sort Order
Economically Prosperous	Airport performance and governance evolution has seen funding being leveraged, Council endorsing a new Airport Incentive Framework and a new agreement with Flair Airlines Council on Tuesday voted to adopt a new Municipal Land Banking Strategy that will look to secure lands for future strategic growth The Broadband Pilot Project at the Sherring & Churchill Industrial Parks is progressing with an operator identified and in place to provide broadband service	No	1
Healthy and Diverse	Steps are being taken to finalize an Operational Agreement with the Blood Tribe/Kainai Nation and confirm a location for the Indigenous Resource Hub Working with health and community partners to develop a City action plan to support a family physician recruitment and retention plan Approved funding of up to $100,000 to engage with a consultant to further explore the creation of a Community Care Campus, which would involve either the integration or co-location of housing and homelessness resources (along with other pertinent services such as mental health and substance use supports) as a method to end chronic homelessness and enhance accessibility of services for clients	No	5
Well Designed City	Council and Administration are undergoing a review of cityLINK. Several presentations have been made and community feedback has been gathered. Council voted on Tuesday for the cityLINK Transit system to continue – with quarterly adjustments being made to reflect feedback, changing travel patterns and metric indicators. As part of the resolution, Council also voted to refer the proposed funding components to the Operating Budget deliberations in November Council has tasked City Administration to initiate a ward system study to outline a process to examine, develop options, decide and implement for as early as the 2025 Municipal Election. Administration will report back, through the Governance Standing Policy Committee, by April 30	No	10
Supports the Region	Work is underway on to establish a Regional Economic Development & Tourism Strategy. This work, in partnership with a broad stakeholder group, will entail the creation of a storybook – a vital document that articulates the City's economic and tourism vision.	No	15