City Council Recap – March 10, 2025

The Monday, March 10, 2025, Regular City Council Meeting began at 10:30 a.m. 

CONSENT: 

Quarterly Community Policing Report 

• Superintendent Glassford presented third quarter (Oct-Dec) statistics and achievements on the Annual Policing Priorities. Highlights include: 

• Persons crimes decreased by 19%, fraud-related crimes are decreasing, but RCMP are continuing to prioritize taking investigatory and public awareness steps. In this quarter, our Youth & Community Action Team attended a number of senior-centred events to educate seniors-targeted frauds and scams. 

• Property crimes decreased in this quarter by 17%, when compared to Q3 of 2024. Red Deer RCMP's Crime Reduction Team (CRT) continues to target prolific and priority offenders with great success.  

• CRT spent a significant time conducting covert patrols in hotspots in the downtown, resulting in 12 street-level drug enforcement files and arrest of 12 individuals. CRT also conducted a Targeted Response to Auto theft (TRAP) operation in Q3. 

• The General Investigation Section and Intel Unit & Project Team proactively targeted drug dealers. Two search warrants of note lead to the seizure of over 464 grams of illegal drugs, including Fentanyl and Meth. 

• The YCAT team continued to do meaningful community-building and education with a number of in-person events with school boards, students, parents, seniors, and newcomers to Canada. 

Electric Utility Annual Report to Council for Alberta Regulation 

• The Electric Light & Power (EL&P) department provided their Annual Compliance Report in accordance with the Alberta Utilities Commission Code of Conduct Regulation. 

REPORTS: 

Set Public Hearing Date June 23, 2025 – Electric Utility MCC Business Plan 

• Council set a public hearing for June 23, 2025 for a mandatory public hearing required prior to a decision to establish a Municipally Controlled Corporation for The City’s electric utility. 

• In July 2024, City Council provided direction to administration to explore the possibility of transitioning the electric utility to a City-owned Municipally Controlled Corporation. We are now in the process of developing a business plan, financial analysis and regulatory review, and preparing for the mandatory public hearing.  

• The public hearing will provide an opportunity for citizens and other interested parties to provide their feedback on the Municipally Controlled Corporation.  

• The business plan will be available to the public at least 30 days prior to the public hearing.  

• Learn more here: Public hearing process established to gather feedback on future of electric utility 

Update on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) 

• City council received a report updating them on the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Process, new legislation that will be implemented on April 1, 2025.   

• EPR is a provincial system that shifts the physical and financial burden of collecting, sorting, processing and recycling certain products and packaging to the producers (manufacturers) and away from local governments and taxpayers. 

• More information on EPR and the amended Utility Bylaw can be found here: Red Deer residents to see a decrease on monthly recycling utility fees

Regional Collaboration Committee Terms of Reference Review 

• The Regional Collaboration Committee (RCC) is a Council committee established out of The City of Red Deer and Red Deer County’s development and adoption of its Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework (ICF). The committee’s purpose is to facilitate ongoing discussions between the two municipalities. 

• The committees Terms of Reference (TOR) were adopted in 2021, and an update was approved today by Red Deer City Council.  

• The revised TOR must be approved by both Council’s before coming into effect. It is on Red Deer County’s Council agenda for tomorrow.  

BYLAWS: 

Utility Bylaw Amendment 

• To accommodate the Extended Producer Responsibility legislation, Council approved an amended Utility Bylaw that will include a decrease in monthly recycling collection rates for residents with blue cart collection or multi-family recycling bins.  

Off-Site Levy Bylaw Update – First Reading 

• City Council gave first reading to update the Off-Site Levy Bylaw.  

• Off-site levies are charges that developers pay to fund infrastructure (such as roads, and municipal utility systems) when redeveloping existing areas and building new ones. 

• The updates to the bylaw reflect input from engagement with the development community, development trends, growth projections as well as updated and realistic project staging for infrastructure projects that influence the rate.  

• If passed, the average off-site levy rate in 2025 is projected to be $164,605 per hectare, down from $204,816 per hectare in 2019. 

Additional Decisions:

City Council Affirms Confidence in Emergency Services Leadership

Red Deer City Council affirmed its full confidence in Emergency Services Chief Ken McMullen, Deputy Chief Tyler Pelke, Deputy Chief Curtis Schaefer, Deputy Chief Chris Kearns and the leadership team within Red Deer Emergency Services (RDES), passing a formal resolution at today’s regular Council meeting. City Council Affirms Confidence in Emergency Services Leadership