TAMRMS#: B06
10.1
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2024 Alberta Municipalities Resolutions
Presented by: Monty Killoh, Government Relations Advisor, Government/Indigenous Relations and Environment
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RECOMMENDED MOTION(S)
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1. That Council endorse the resolution entitled "Preventative Psychological Services Support for Municipal First Responders,” provided as Attachment 1 to the May 7, 2024 agenda report titled 2024 Alberta Municipalities Resolutions, and refer it to the 2024 Alberta Municipalities Convention for Consideration.
2. That Council appoint Councillor MacKay as the Resolution Champion for the “Preventative Psychological Support for Municipal First Responders” resolution for the 2024 Alberta Municipalities Convention.
3. That Council endorse the resolution entitled "Provincial Support for Watershed Management,” provided as Attachment 2 to the May 7, 2024 agenda report titled 2024 Alberta Municipalities Resolutions, and refer it to the 2024 Alberta Municipalities Convention for Consideration.
4. That Council appoint Councillor MacKay as the Resolution Champion for the “Provincial Support for Watershed Management” resolution for the 2024 Alberta Municipalities Convention.
5. That Council endorse the resolution entitled "Education Property Tax Reform,” provided as Attachment 3 to the May 7, 2024 agenda report titled 2024 Alberta Municipalities Resolutions, and refer it to the 2024 Alberta Municipalities Convention for Consideration.
6. That Council appoint Councillor Brodhead as the Resolution Champion for the “Education Property Tax Reform” resolution for the 2024 Alberta Municipalities Convention.
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PURPOSE OF REPORT
To seek Council’s approval on potential resolutions that Council may sponsor at the 2024 Alberta Municipalities Convention, which is scheduled to occur from September 25-27 in Red Deer and appoint a Council Resolution Champion for each. The deadline to submit resolutions for the 2024 Alberta Municipalities Convention is May 31, 2024.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Resolutions Process Overview
Each year, Alberta Municipalities’ members have the opportunity to put forward resolutions for deliberation at their annual convention in the Fall. Should a resolution be adopted by a 50 per cent plus one vote on the floor during the resolution session, Alberta Municipalities will work on behalf of urban municipalities to advocate to the Government of Alberta to implement the clauses of the resolution.
For a resolution to be approved by Alberta Municipalities for adoption during the convention, a separate municipality must “second” the resolution through a Council motion prior to the submission deadline of May 31, 2024. Alberta Municipalities changed their policy on resolutions in December 2023 to implement the following changes regarding “mover” and “seconder” municipalities:
Beginning [in 2024], the “mover” municipality and the “seconder” municipality must represent at least two of the following categories:
• Less than 2,500 population
• Between 2,500 and 10,000 population
• Greater than 10,000 population.
In practice, this change means that due to St. Albert being a municipality with a “greater than 10,000 population,” the seconding municipality for any St. Albert-moved resolutions must have a population of 10,000 residents or less. For any resolution approved by St. Albert City Council, the Government/Indigenous Relations and Environment team will work with the Resolution Champion to secure a seconding municipality.
Resolutions for Council’s Consideration
City of St. Albert Administration has drafted three potential resolutions that align with Council’s strategic priorities of Financial Sustainability and Adapting to a Natural Changing Environment:
• Preventative Psychological Support for Municipal First Responders
o This resolution speaks to the financial and operational impacts of municipal first-responders needing to take extended medical leaves of absences to treat and recover from psychological injuries sustained during their duties of responding to medical emergencies. It requests that the Province provide a grant or funding mechanism to encourage and enable municipalities to implement preventative psychological services and programs for their first-responders, which have been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of psychological injuries.
• Provincial Support for Watershed Management
o This resolution speaks to the opportunity to increase Provincial resources and support for watershed management principles for municipalities that are not located on a major, glacier-fed river (i.e., the North Saskatchewan River), which are needed to fulfill the objectives of the Province’s “Water for Life” strategy. It requests that increased support and resources such as data-sharing, monitoring/reporting, and enforcement be provided to municipalities situated on smaller, precipitation-fed rivers (i.e., the Sturgeon River).
• Education Property Tax Reform
o This resolution requests that Alberta Municipalities advocate to the Government of Alberta to action the Minister of Municipal Affairs’ mandate letter from the Premier, to review the provincial education property tax to assist municipalities with retaining more funding for local priorities, with the outcome being that municipalities receive provincial funding for municipal infrastructure equal to or greater than what they are individually requisitioned in provincial education property tax on an annual basis for the Government of Alberta.
Should Council endorse these resolutions, Administration recommends that Council appoint a Resolution Champion from amongst Council to speak to each resolution during the resolution session at the 2024 Alberta Municipalities Convention. The Resolution Champion should also be responsible for coordination of finalizing a seconding municipality prior to the May 31 resolution deadline, with support from Administration. To-date, no request has been received by Administration for the City of St. Albert to second a resolution moved by a different municipality.
Administration will provide a briefing to Council in advance of the 2024 Alberta Municipalities Convention once resolutions have been confirmed and a program agenda has been finalized.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS OR ENGAGEMENT
City Administration has circulated the draft resolutions with relevant internal staff for review. The draft resolutions have also been forwarded to Alberta Municipalities’ policy analysis team for review. Feedback has been incorporated into the version before Council for consideration.
Administration will work with the Council’s appointed Resolution Champions to secure a seconding municipality for the resolutions, should Council endorse them.
IMPACTS OF RECOMMENDATION(S)
Financial:
None at this time.
Compliance & Legal:
None at this time.
Program or Service:
None at this time.
Organizational:
Should the resolution be adopted by Council, Administration will submit it to Alberta Municipalities. Administration will also work with the respective Resolution Champion to finalize a Seconder prior to the resolution submission deadline.
Risks
None at this time.
ALIGNMENT TO PRIORITIES IN COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN
Strategic Priority #4: Adapting to a Changing Natural Environment
Strategic Priority #5: Financial Sustainability
ALIGNMENT TO LEVELS OF SERVICE DELIVERY
I.4.2 Intergovernmental Board, Committee and Task Force Support: provision of support to elected and non-elected officials at or for, all intergovernmental meetings. This includes the development of all Council Resolutions, Briefing Notes, and Agenda Reports, as well as the provision of formal and informal advice to City officials regarding all matters pertaining to intergovernmental boards, committees and task forces.
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL DIRECTION OR MANDATORY STATUTORY PROVISION
N/A
IMPACTS OF ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
If Council does not wish to support the recommendation, the following alternatives could be considered:
Alternative 1: Council may choose not to approve the Resolutions.
Alternative 2: Council approve the resolutions as amended.
Alternative 3: Council may do nothing.
Financial:
None at this time.
Compliance & Legal:
None at this time.
Program or Service:
None at this time.
Organizational:
None at this time.
Risks
None at this time.
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Report Date: May 7, 2024
Author(s): Monty Killoh, Advisor, Government Relations
Department: Government/Indigenous Relations and Environment
Department Director: Trevor Duley
Chief Administrative Officer: Bill Fletcher