Red Deer Minute: Student Supports, Rebates Ending, and Casino Permit Appealed

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

This Week In Red Deer:

• There will be a City Council Organizational meeting this morning at 10:30 am. On the agenda are citizen representative appointments to Committees, Quasi-Judicial Boards, and External Boards and Societies like the Municipal Planning Commission, the Red Deer Library Board, and the Housing and Homelessness Integration Committee. Council representation on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Alberta Municipalities Association committees will also be discussed.
  
  
• Today, at 1:00pm, there will be a City Council Regular meeting. A closed session kicks off the meeting, with a confidential item titled “Land Matter - Motivating Investment in the Downtown” as well as a verbal report on the permanent shelter. Once the meeting opens back up to the public, there will be an update given on advocacy efforts regarding telecommunications infrastructure.
  
  
• A Council Agenda Review Committee meeting will take place on Thursday at 3:00 pm. Up for discussion is the draft agenda for the November 7th meeting of Council.

Last Week In Red Deer:

• Area businesses have appealed a development permit to move Jackpot Casino to Red Deer’s Cambridge Hotel. The appeal notes a lack of consultation with area businesses and residents and lack of information about the casino’s proposed design and whether it is consistent with area development standards. Neighbours are also concerned with insufficient parking and the potential for crime, theft, and public nuisance. Council has continued with its previous position, neither opposing nor supporting the move.
  
  
• It was announced that Red Deer’s Energy Efficiency Rebate Pilot Program will end two months early due to demand. The program provides a $50 rebate for residential smart thermostats and a $100 rebate for high-efficiency dishwashers. It will now end on October 28th instead of December 31st. The budget for the program was $13,000 and 173 applications were received - 66 for thermostats and 107 for dishwashers. Is this seriously the best use of taxpayer money? Who wants to bet this program cost way more than $13,000 just in staff costs alone? What's the true cost?
  
  
• The Red Deer Public Schools District Board of Trustees has committed funding for a literacy and numeracy intervention program to support students in grades 1-3 whose learning has been impacted by COVID-19. The funding totals $700,000 and will enable students to get additional support in small groups for 30 minutes each day. Mandatory assessments are in place to identify students who have fallen behind.

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