Red Deer Minute: Public Hearing, Restroom Reopening, and Symphony Orchestra Funding

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

This Week In Red Deer:

• Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, a day to support causes that make a difference. If you appreciate the work we do and want to help us continue advocating for common sense at City Hall, we’d be grateful for your support. We don’t usually make an explicit ask in these emails, but given that we’re a non-profit and don’t take a dime of government funding, we rely on your support to keep us going. Every donation, big or small, makes a difference. If you’d like to contribute, you can do so by clicking here. Thank you!
  
  
• There will be a meeting of City Council this morning at 10:30 am. The agenda includes the Downtown Business Association’s 2025 Budget, and four motions arising from the City’s Budget 2025 discussions. Those four motions are to delineate the cost of the RCMP, improve the variance reporting format, have the Audit Review Committee review the Reserves Contribution and Utilization Policy, and update the Community Services Master Plan. Before the meeting concludes, there will be a Public Hearing to address two land use amendments, one of which involves the temporary shelter. (More on that below!)
  
  
• The Red Deer & District Family and Community Support Services Board will meet on Tuesday. No time or agenda is available for this meeting yet.

Last Week In Red Deer:

• The public has been asked for their feedback regarding zoning bylaw amendments for the Safe Harbour Society's temporary shelter and related services in Red Deer. Proposed changes include extending the shelter’s operation at its current location until May 2028 and expanding its capacity to include emergency shelter space for the winter. The amendments also suggest adding detoxification and overnight shelter services at a nearby site while removing supervised consumption services at another location. The hearing takes place this afternoon.
  
  
• Council approved $47,000 in operational funding for the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra (RDSO) as part of the City's 2025 budget, a decision that reverses a 2023 move to exclude such funding from the Community Cultural Development Fund. This change effectively restores financial support for the orchestra, nearly doubling the amount previously allocated. The funding level is now comparable to what similar symphonies in Lethbridge and Kamloops receive. The Orchestra's Executive Director expressed appreciation for the support and plans to meet with the City for more details on how the funding will be used.
  
  
• Council directed City staff to prepare a report by the end of the first quarter of 2025 on reopening restrooms at Sorenson Station, which were closed two years ago due to vandalism. The issue, initially slated for the 2026 budget, was fast-tracked for consideration in the 2025 plans following a proposal by Councillor Dianne Wyntjes. The proposed restrooms would include six stalls, be open 12 hours a day, and be monitored to prevent further vandalism. Temporary washrooms downtown last summer proved successful in reducing public defecation.

-----

Donate:

Common Sense Red Deer doesn't accept any government funding and never will. We think you should be free to choose, for yourself, which organizations to support. If you're in a position to contribute financially, you can make a donation here.

-----

Share:

If you're not in a position to donate, we understand, but if you appreciate our work, you can help by spreading our message. Please email this post to your friends, share it on Facebook or Twitter, and help make sure every Red Deerian knows what's really going on at City Hall.