St. Albert Minute: Issue 61

St. Albert Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of St. Albert politics

📅 This Week In St. Albert: 📅

• Council has approved the first $2.9 million instalment from an $11.8 million federal Housing Accelerator Fund grant, but future funding is tied to controversial zoning changes. To receive the remaining installments, Council must amend the Land Use Bylaw to allow four housing units on most residential lots by 2026. While the current Council approved the spending, several Councillors voiced concerns about locking in decisions for the next Council, which will be elected in October. Some argued that adding density does not guarantee affordability, while others welcomed the opportunity to address housing needs. The funding supports seven local initiatives expected to add 302 units to the City’s housing stock. Council unanimously approved the plan, acknowledging the risks but emphasizing the benefit of moving forward with the first phase.
  
  
• Council is considering increasing the budget for replacing its asset management system with an Enterprise Maintenance and Asset Management (EMM-AM) system, with costs rising from $1.4 million to $6.5 million. The new system aims to provide a comprehensive view of asset lifecycle management, improving planning, maintenance, and operations for the City's $1.4 billion in assets. The Chief Administrative Officer highlighted the need to modernize as the city grows from 72,000 to nearly 100,000 residents. If approved, the project will be implemented in stages from 2025 to 2031, starting with transportation and parks assets, and then expanding to utilities and facilities. While most Council members expressed confidence in the project’s success, concerns were raised about the lengthy rollout and potential challenges with data management and staff training.
  
  
• The City has launched a new lecture series aimed at helping home-based entrepreneurs make the leap to physical storefronts. The first session, held May 14th during Economic Development Week, featured three local business owners sharing their transition experiences. Speakers emphasized the importance of knowing your costs and cash flow, and finding the right location before taking on commercial space. Nicole Kluthe and Lyndsay Bourdeau of Carepath Collective said using thrifted furniture helped them stay on budget. Priya Windsor of Compass Chocolates noted that starting online allowed her to reinvest profits into product quality. The City says around 30% of home-based businesses are eyeing storefronts in the next three years. Future workshops will cover leases, marketing, and other key topics. We appreciate the intent, but is this really something that should be funded with taxpayer dollars? Maybe businesses would appreciate lower business taxes instead?
  
  
• The St. Albert Minor Baseball Association is dealing with $30,000 in losses after a break-in at its clubhouse and fieldhouse. Security footage shows two men and a woman spent nearly four hours inside, damaging doors and walls, and cutting open the safe. While little cash was taken, the safe contained keys, forcing a full lock replacement. Stolen items included training equipment, a TV, signed baseballs, and a $10,000 flight monitor. Executive Director Kurtus Millar expressed frustration, noting most of the stolen items are difficult to resell and primarily serve the youth community. Volunteers had to take time off work to help clean and prepare for a tournament held days later. St. Albert RCMP are asking anyone with information to come forward.
  
  
• Speaking of the RCMP, police are warning residents after reports of paving scams in the area. Out-of-town crews are going door-to-door offering discounted paving or roof sealing work. In most cases, people are asked to pay up front but receive substandard work, or the crew disappears entirely. Some residents are also pressured to pay more than the original quote. These companies often use removable magnetic logos or no identification at all. Police say scammers commonly claim they’re offering a deal due to leftover asphalt, but the material is often unusable. RCMP are reminding residents to get multiple quotes, insist on written documentation with full business details, and be cautious of anyone who refuses to provide clear information. Residents who suspect a scam or have fallen victim are encouraged to contact police.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Join the Common Sense St. Albert Facebook group to stay informed about what’s really happening at City Hall and connect with others who want to bring transparency, accountability, and common sense back to local government. 

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