City Council recap – Monday, June 24, 2024

The Regular City Council Meeting started at 10:30 a.m. with a 30-minute closed meeting. The open portion of the Council meeting began at 11 a.m.

Annual Reporting – Progress on City Council’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan

• City Council received an update on progress related to the Strategic Plan.
• Administration shared information related to the fifteen outcomes identified within the overall plan and talked with City Council about the recent launch of a dashboard focused on sharing transparent on ongoing information with the community.
• To view the dashboard, visit reddeer.ca/strategicplan 

Long-Term Business and Financial Systems Report Update

• City Council received an update on timing for the Long-Term Business and Financial Systems Report.
• An updated report will be brought back to Council on July 8, 2024.

Red Deer’s Vision 2050

• City Council accepted Red Deer’s 2050 Vison: An Aspirational Community Vision as a community informed planning document that will guide the community for the next 20+ years.
• The Red Deer 2050 project aims to provide guiding stars as for how the community will grow while providing a sustainable high quality of life for residents and visitors of Red Deer for generations to come.
• This plan forms the first layer of the centre of the Integrated Planning Framework to align all other strategic planning documents moving forward. It will then be utilized as an aspirational guide for the rewrite of the Official City Plan, (formerly known as the Municipal Development Plan) as a part of the Integrated Planning Framework.

There were also six public hearings at today’s City Council meeting:

Zoning Bylaw 3357/G-2024 to remove a residential density cap

• Further residential development can occur at 86 and 108 Bell Street following a public hearing and City Council’s approval for a bylaw amendment to remove the density cap of this parcel. The amendment aligns with the Strategic Plan focus area of Thriving City and the recently adopted Community Housing and Homelessness Integrated Plan (CHHIP).
• City Council unanimously supported the amendment.

Zoning Bylaw 3357/PP-2024 to remove a residential density cap

• Further residential development can occur at 100 and 104 Boyce Street following a public hearing and City Council’s approval for a bylaw amendment to remove the density cap of this parcel. The amendment aligns with the Strategic Plan focus area of Thriving City and the recently adopted Community Housing and Homelessness Integrated Plan (CHHIP).
• Councillor Higham and Councillor Wyntjes opposed the amendment.

Zoning Bylaw 3357/GG-2024 to increase suites to 20 per cent of houses

• City Council defeated a Zoning Bylaw amendment to increase suites allowed in a neighbourhood from 15 to 20 per cent of houses, following a public hearing today.
• The percentage will remain at 15 per cent.
• Councillor Buruma and Councillor Krahn supported the amendment with the remainder of council opposed to the amendment.

Zoning Bylaw 3357/HH-2024 to allow commercial uses on the main floor of R-H Residential High Density

• The Zoning Bylaw was amended to allow commercial uses on the main floor of the Residential High-Density Zone (R-H) following a public hearing today.
• City Council unanimously supported the amendment. 

Zoning Bylaw 3357/LL-2024 to rezone a small portion of the Emerson neighbourhood

• Following a public hearing, a small portion of the Emerson neighbourhood was rezoned from Future Urban Development Zone (A-1) to Residential Narrow Lot Zone (R-N) and Residential High-Density Zone (R-H) to facilitate subdivision and development of the first phase of residential in Emerson.
• City Council unanimously supported the amendment.

Zoning Bylaw 3357/MM-2024 to rezone a portion of the Timber Ridge neighbourhood

• Following a public hearing, a portion of the Timber Ridge neighbourhood was rezoned from the Future Urban Development Zone (A-1) to Residential Low-Density Zone (R-L), Residential Narrow Lot Zone (R-N), and Parks and Recreation Zone (P-1) to facilitate subdivision and development of Phase 6B in Timber Ridge.
• City Council unanimously supported the amendment.