Red Deer Minute: Permit Values, Museum Survey, and Relocated Public Art

Red Deer Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Red Deer politics

This Week In Red Deer:

• This morning, at 9:00 am, there will be a Special Meeting of City Council. On the agenda is a discussion about the future of the Snow and Ice Control Program. In mid-May, Council received the final report on the 2023-2024 Snow and Ice Control Pilot Program, learning that the project went $1,282,000 over budget. Administration is proposing two recommendations: either monitoring the budget variance and reconciling it at year-end or reverting to the pre-pilot base level of service while incorporating improvements within the annual budget. After this discussion, there will be a closed session to deal with an agenda item labelled “Business Improvement Area”.
  
  
• The Public Art Commission will meet on Wednesday. No agenda is available for this meeting yet. But, speaking of public art, Red Deer's brick bunny sculpture will be relocated to the G.H. Dawe Centre by the end of June. The bunny was vandalized in 2023, but has been repaired along with a tiled bench previously damaged by weather. Both pieces will be moved to more sheltered locations, with the bunny sculpture set to be placed near the north entrance of the Dawe Centre and the bench on the Ross Street Patio.
  
  
• The Red Deer District Chamber will host the Red Deer Homeless Foundation Community Transition meeting at the Golden Circle on Tuesday at 8:00 am. This event follows the completion of their Homelessness Task Force Report and aims to create a community-led approach to homelessness solutions. The meeting will feature focus group discussions to gather input from attendees on shaping future actions. Registration details can be found on the Red Deer Chamber's website.

Last Week In Red Deer:

• Building permit values in Red Deer dropped in May, with 92 permits worth $5.7 million issued, compared to 104 permits worth $7.8 million in May 2023. Despite this decline, year-to-date values in 2024 are higher at $56.9 million, up from $35 million the previous year. Notable permits include a $1.1 million renovation at 4920 51 Street and a $273,000 construction of a new Indigenous Centre at Red Deer Polytechnic.
  
  
• The Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery has launched a survey to gather public input on how well its exhibits and programs reflect the community's diversity. The museum has been conducting focus groups and art-based workshops since February, engaging with various community groups, and plans more discussions with Indigenous and interfaith communities. Results from these consultations will be compiled over the summer, with a public report expected by fall. The survey is available on the Museum's website until June 14th.
  
  
• Ten new family physicians have started practicing in Red Deer. Previously, finding a family doctor in the city was challenging due to full medical practices. Recent recruitment efforts by Alberta Health Services and local doctors have proven successful, with new physicians joining various clinics. The city has also welcomed several medical specialists recently, including a neurologist, hematologist, two oncologists, an anesthesiologist, and pediatrician. Despite the improvements, Red Deer still faces a significant need for more psychiatrists, as mental health issues have surged post-pandemic.

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