Red Deer Minute: RDP Deficit, Homeless Foundation, and Michener Purchase Delayed

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

This Week In Red Deer:

• There will be a meeting of City Council this morning at 10:30 am. The agenda is pretty lean. There will be a Housing Accelerator Fund 2 Grant Update, as well as a potential update to the Committees Bylaw. The proposed changes will add two citizen representatives to the Audit Committee and one Lived Experience member to the Housing and Homelessness Integration Committee.
  
  
• Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) is anticipating a $10-million deficit for its 2025-26 budget due to factors such as inflation, stagnant funding, and changes in federal international student policies. The institution’s plans to address this deficit may lead to program suspensions and up to 40 staff layoffs. Despite the financial challenges, RDP says it remains committed to maintaining the student experience, and students enrolled in suspended programs will be able to complete their courses. The school is also focusing on building partnerships and seeking alternative revenue sources. Further details on how RDP will manage the deficit are expected in the coming weeks.
  
  
• Westerner Park is seeking a new sponsor for the Centrium after the recent closure of Peavey Mart locations across Canada, leading to the dissolution of their naming rights agreement. Peavey Mart had been the sponsor since 2021.

Last Week In Red Deer:

• The Homeless Foundation for Red Deer Region has announced its official board of directors. Established on February 5th, 2024, the Foundation successfully met its goal to form a permanent board by the end of the year. The Foundation's next steps involve securing charity status, engaging with community partners, collaborating with the City of Red Deer, and defining strategic outcomes. The Foundation also thanked its Transition Team for their contributions in the establishment process.
  
  
• The City of Red Deer’s purchase of the Michener North Lands from the provincial government has been delayed due to additional environmental testing. The purchase was initially expected to be finalized by the end of 2024, but testing is still underway. The City requested the extra tests as part of their due diligence process. The Ministry of Infrastructure plans to discuss next steps with the City once testing is completed later this year.
  
  
• Westerner Park has taken over the management of the Westerner Campground. The organization acknowledged the contributions of the previous leaseholders for establishing a strong foundation, and Westerner Park emphasized their commitment to providing excellent service while building on the campground's strengths. A transition plan is in place to minimize disruptions and explore potential upgrades to the facilities.

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