TAMRMS#: B06
8.3
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Alberta Municipalities 2022 Resolutions Submissions
Presented by: Trevor Duley, Manager, Government Relations
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RECOMMENDED MOTION
recommendation
That Council direct Administration to draft resolutions for the Alberta Municipalities Annual Conference on the Equitable Provincial Charitable Gaming Model and the Temporary Rental Assistance Benefit for Council’s review and approval for the May 16, 2022 City Council Meeting.
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PURPOSE OF REPORT
To provide Council with potential resolution sponsorship opportunities for the Alberta Municipalities Annual Convention, solicit feedback on potential topics, and to discuss Council’s preferred approach for this year’s resolution session.
ALIGNMENT TO PRIORITIES IN COUNCIL’S STRATEGIC PLAN
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ALIGNMENT TO LEVELS OF SERVICE DELIVERY
N/A
ALIGNMENT TO COUNCIL DIRECTION OR MANDATORY STATUTORY PROVISION
N/A
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
Alberta Municipalities advocates to the Provincial Government on issues of municipal importance, on behalf of Alberta’s summer villages, villages, cities, towns, and specialized municipalities, where over 85% of Albertans call home.
This year’s Alberta Municipalities Convention is scheduled for September 21-23, 2022 in Calgary.
Prior to each year’s Convention, Alberta Municipalities requests that its members submit Resolutions, to be considered for approval by its members. This year’s deadline to submit resolutions is May 31, 2022. Resolutions are a way for municipalities to identify common issues requiring actions by the Provincial Government and add the weight of Alberta Municipalities’ support and advocacy efforts in expressing the importance of the issue to Government. They also help to guide Alberta Municipalities’ advocacy priorities.
City Council has previously employed an approach whereby St. Albert will both Sponsor and Second potential resolutions at the Alberta Municipalities Convention. Within recent history, Council has Sponsored the following resolutions, all of which, were approved at their respective Convention:
- Advertisement and Promotion of Vaping Products to Youth (2019-active)
- Consumption of Liquor and Cannabis in Public Spaces (2018-expired)
- Equitable Provincial Charitable Gaming Model (2018-expired)
- Municipal Reserve (2017-expired)
- State of Local Emergency (2017-expired)
Council Seconded the following resolutions within the same timeframe:
- Online Voting for Municipal Elections (2021-defeated, City of Lethbridge)
- Tobacco Industry Health Cost Recovery Fee (2021-active, City of Airdrie)
- Education Property Tax Collection (2020-active, Town of Drayton Valley)
- Permanent Transit Funding (2020-active, City of Edmonton)
- Providing a Long-Term Source of Financial Relief for Albertans (2020-active, City of Calgary)
- Commitment to Formal Municipal Consultations on the Future of Provincial Revenue Sharing (2017-expired, City of Leduc, City of Grande Prairie)
City Administration is seeking Council direction on the preferred approach(es) for this year’s Convention:
1. Council Sponsorship of Resolutions: Administration will need to prepare resolution(s) for Council’s review and approval prior to the May 31, 2022 deadline. Historically, Council has also appointed a Resolution Champion to speak to the Resolution at Convention.
2. Second Resolutions of Other Municipalities: At this time, Administration has not been approached regarding seconding a Resolution from another municipality. A Council Motion is required prior to the Convention, seconding a resolution.
3. No Action: Do not Sponsor or Second any Resolutions for this year’s Convention. Council Members still may speak to any proposed Resolution at the Convention. City Administration also prepares an annual report prior to the Convention, in September 2022 analyzing each proposed Resolution, for Council’s consideration.
Should City Council wish to Sponsor Resolutions at this year’s Alberta Municipalities Convention, City Administration has identified the following two topics, for Council’s consideration. There may be other topics Council wishes to identify.
1) Equitable Provincial Charitable Gaming Model: Council’s previous Resolution on this matter expired this year. However, after years of engagement on this file, the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) recently undertook broad stakeholder engagement reviewing the model and has submitted recommendations to Alberta Treasury Board and Finance. To ensure this work is not lost, Council could bring this Resolution back to ensure this item remains a priority for Alberta Municipalities, the AGLC, and Alberta Treasury Board and Finance.
The intent of this Resolution would be to improve the sustainability of charitable organizations across Alberta, through the establishment of a more equitable gaming model. Alberta’s current model, adopted in 2003, has produced inequities across charitable organizations in Alberta, based on location (in Calgary or Edmonton, or not) and waiting periods. Since 2003, this issue has been reviewed and studied multiple times, without resolving the inequities.
In a 2010 MLA Advisory Report, it was identified that inequities exist because:
- There is a long waiting period to hold casino events across the province because there are more charitable organizations than there are possible casino events;
- The waiting period for charities to hold casino events varies, from 16 months in Fort McMurray to 34.5 months in Lethbridge
- Amongst casino regions, charitable proceeds can vary, from an average high of $77,486 in the Edmonton region to $18,011 in the St. Albert/Camrose region.
After completing stakeholder engagements through 2019-2021, the AGLC released a “What We Heard Report” in July 2021 that identified equity as a key principle that emerged, as well as regional disparities of casino boundaries and revenue distribution.
2) Provincial Expansion of the Temporary Rental Assistance Benefit: the Temporary Rental Assistance Benefit (TRAB) is a Provincial program that provides a modest rental subsidy for working households with low income or those between jobs, who may have trouble receiving priority for regular Rental Assistance Benefits. Support is intended to help eligible tenants afford their rent (based on 30% of before-tax income) while they stabilize or improve their situation. The subsidy is available for a period of up to two years, with the benefit being reduced by 20 percent in the second year, but never less than $100/month. Applicants are eligible to reapply after the two year period if rental assistance is still required.
This program is only available to residents living in market accommodation in Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, and Lethbridge. Residents living outside the borders of these municipalities are excluded, including St. Albertans.
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If Council wishes, Administration would develop a Resolution for Council’s consideration, that would seek to expand the TRAB to all eligible Albertans regardless of location, with the intent of bridging the housing affordability gap across Alberta for working households in core housing need, and those in-between jobs.
STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS OR ENGAGEMENT
If Council wishes for Administration to develop Resolutions for Council’s consideration, this would be completed for the May 16, 2022 Council Meeting. Administration would work with each Resolution’s Champion to secure a Seconding Municipality for each Resolution.
Administration would share each draft Resolution with staff from Alberta Municipalities for review and feedback prior to the May 16, 2022 Council Meeting.
IMPLICATIONS OF RECOMMENDATION(S)
Financial:
None at this time.
Legal / Risk:
None at this time.
Program or Service:
None at this time.
Organizational:
Staff time will be required to develop Council Agenda Reports, Resolutions, and to help facilitate either Seconding or securing a Seconder for each Resolution. This is not anticipated to be a significant undertaking.
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED
If Council does not wish to support the recommendation, the following alternatives could be considered:
Alternative 1. Council may direct administration to draft alternative resolutions regarding other topics of significance to Council.
Alternative 2. Council may choose to do nothing.
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Report Date: April 19, 2022
Author: Trevor Duley
Department: Office of the CAO
Chief Administrative Officer (Interim): Kerry Hilts