TAMRMS#: B06
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Smart City Public Engagement
Notice given by: Councillor Hughes
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BUDGET POSTPONED MOTION:
recommendation
That the operating business case for Smart City Public Engagement for $50,000 is unfunded and the funds applied to reduce the tax base.
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POSTPONED MOTION ADMINISTRATIVE BACKGROUNDER
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Administration’s Understanding of Intent Motion:
That the operating business case for Smart City Public Engagement for $50,000 is unfunded and the funds applied to reduce the tax base.
Operational or Organizational Impacts if Motion is Approved:
Approximately $132,838 was spent on public engagement activities in the development of the first St. Albert Smart City Plan. This motion would result in only the funding remaining from the first project, $37,000, available for community engagement.
This amount would significantly restrict the City’s ability to develop a comprehensive Smart City 4.0 plan. Currently the City is completing the Smart City 2.0 plan which is a report that highlights what has been completed since the initial plan, current initiatives in progress that were not included in the first plan and an unprioritized list of opportunities to explore in the future. If no additional funding is provided for engagement, a Smart City 4.0 plan would most likely be similar to the 2.0 plans and would not address the need to progress the program forward in a proactive way.
Financial Implications of Motions:
This motion would significantly restrict the Smart City 4.0 project to be completed according to current expectations. If passed the operating budget would be reduced by $50,000 thereby reducing the tax requirement.
Stakeholder Consultations:
Expert and community stakeholder input would be significantly restricted with the passing of this motion.
Background:
In October 2016, St. Albert City Council approved one of the first Smart City strategic plans (master plan) in Canada. The plan resulted from nearly two years of resident engagement. The Smart City master plan was comprehensive, covering a large number of opportunities and initiatives, carefully prioritized according to Council’s direction, which was to concentrate on opportunities for cost savings and service improvements.
As noted above, the City is currently completing the Smart City 2.0 Master Plan to align to the new strategic plan and to reflect technological advances since 2016. The 2.0 plan includes update to initiatives identified in the first plan, new initiatives, a proposed workplan to bridge between the first report and the proposed 4.0 plan, and a list of opportunities that the City may wish to consider. The report will be made available to Council upon completion in the next few weeks.
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Report Date: November 21, 2019
Author(s): Sharon Chapman
Department: Strategic Services & Information Technology
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer: Kerry Hilts
Chief Administrative Officer: Kevin Scoble