Loading articles...

City council resumes tonight to discuss seniors in the region and wildfire recovery

PHOTO. Jubilee Centre. Sarah Anderson. REPORTER.

City council resumes tonight with the newly elected Mayor and councillors.  They will be hearing presentations from the Advisory Committee on Aging (ACOA) and a status update on wildfire recovery operations from Fire Chief Jody Butz, Recovery Task Force Operations Manager, Erin O’Neill and Planning and Development Director, Jamie Doyle.

The ACOA will be presenting the findings from their age friendly needs assessment conducted earlier this year. The assessment focused on eight domains of community life set out by the World Health Organizations checklist of essential features. About 400 community members were engaged in the assessment and identified housing as the great issue among seniors.  The ACOA will be recommending that council prioritize age-friendliness as part of the strategic plan, develop a work plan to address the findings of the assessment and speak with Alberta Seniors Housing about the plans for the Aging in in Place segment of Willow Square.

The recovery update will go over lessons learned, recovery projects and a planning and development update.  The RMWB will be implementing all 14 recommendation from the KPMG report on the wildfire.  Key recommendations will focus on preparedness, prevention and mitigation, recovery and resiliency and response. The Recovery Task Force will remain intact until the end of 2018 and see ongoing projects complete such as firebreak rehabilitation and trail restoration.  In terms of development, as of Nov. 3, 2017, a total of 1,183 building permits have been issued and 1,422 application received.

There will also be a rural committee recommendation on the Fort McKay area structure plan, a proposal for a landfill near Conklin, an update on the third quarter financial performance and the appointment of Chief Administrative Officer. Due to the close proximity of the proposed oilfield landfill and the hamlet of Conklin, the Planning and Development Department is does not support the project and recommends that council makes an opposition to Alberta Environment and Parks.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the City Council chambers of Jubilee Plaza and will also be live streamed via the municipalities website.