City Council Highlights – June 17

Moments of Reflection

Mayor Shannon Dean highlighted two notable community achievements.

The City recently hosted its “Mayor for a Day” program, which welcomed Carter, a Grade 8 student from Chestermere Lake Middle School. Carter toured City Hall, Public Works, and the Fire Hall and met with Calgary and Okotoks mayors to discuss regional collaboration. Mayor Dean expressed support for making the program an annual tradition.

Mayor Dean also recognized the accomplishments of East Lake School students at the Calgary Youth Science Fair with congratulatory cards sent to the students and school.

 

Tariff Action Plan

The Committee received a memo outlining the City’s proposed response to emerging tariff impacts on procurement. In line with a March 11 Council motion, Procurement Services reviewed the effects of tariffs, duties, and related terms on procurement activities. The proposed strategy is intended to help protect service continuity and reduce cost pressures by supporting local suppliers and adjusting procurement practices.

 

Secondary Suites

The Committee reviewed an update on proposed Land Use Bylaw amendments related to secondary suites. Council will revisit this item after the 2025 Municipal Census results, which include a question on community support. The update summarized local feedback and considerations such as parking, enforcement, grant opportunities, and alignment with broader policies.

 

Chestermere Learning and Testing Centre Proposal

The Chief Learning Officer of Hilgartner Learning presented a proposal for a Chestermere Learning and Testing Centre. Supported by a Letter of Intent from SAIT Corporate Training, the initiative would offer adult education, workplace training, and academic upgrading. The Committee directed Administration to work with Hilgartner Learning on a detailed plan.

 

Report on R-4 and Low-Density Residential Interface

The Committee received a report reviewing the interface between Low-Rise Multi-Unit Residential District (R-4) and Residential Single Detached/Semi-Detached (R-1/R-2) areas. Prompted by a February 4 Committee motion, the review referenced relevant policies from the Municipal Government Act, Municipal Development Plan (MDP), Area Structure Plans, Outline Plans, and Land Use Bylaw #020-24. The report was accepted for information. Further discussion is scheduled for the June 24 Regular Council Meeting during the first reading of an updated MDP.

 

EPCOR Operations Overview

EPCOR presented an overview of its operations as the City’s water and wastewater utility operator under a 20-year agreement beginning in 2007. EPCOR manages 98 km of water mains and 83.8 km of gravity sewer mains. In 2024, EPCOR responded to 73 after-hours calls, installed 985 new meters, and performed system maintenance including flushing and sewer cleaning. The update was accepted for information.

 

Closed Session Motions

• Administration was directed to proceed as discussed in Agenda Item 8.1.
• An update on the Lakeside Greens Golf Course acquisition file was accepted for information, and no new decisions were made at this time.
• Municipal Development Plan (MDP) update was accepted for information.
• Short-Term Rentals update was accepted for information.

 

School Site Update

Mayor Dean noted that construction funding has been secured for both the Calgary Catholic K–9 and public K–9 school sites. Sod-turning has taken place for the Catholic site, and construction is underway for the public site, with dust control measures in place.

Concerns were raised about a large dirt pile on the high school site. CAO Edney clarified it is temporary and not expected to delay the project. The site is expected to be ready by July 30, allowing Rocky View Schools to continue pursuing construction funding.

 

Committee Updates and Conference Takeaways

 

Mayor’s Task Force on Non-Profits

Public members met with HelpSeeker Technologies regarding a Community Needs Assessment. A tour of a not-for-profit hub in Calgary is planned to explore opportunities for a similar model for Chestermere.

Deputy Mayor Shindler

Attended the return of sacred rib stones to Siksika Nation from an Ottawa museum. He expressed gratitude for the invitation and expressed interest in future collaboration.

Councillor Grant

Seniors Advisory Committee: Preparing recommendations on transportation for seniors and a seniors’ handbook.

Adjudication Committee: Approved vitality grants and reviewed new policies, including the removal of grant caps. Councillor Grant was appointed Co-Chair.

Community Safety and RCMP

Councillor Narayan noted that local RCMP will increase foot patrols around the lake this summer. On June 28, an anti-theft licence plate screw program will be offered in the Safeway parking lot and is also available at the RCMP detachment.

 

Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Conference Takeaways

Councillor Wawrzynowski highlighted Destination Canada resources, including demographic and purchasing power analytics for economic development. He noted momentum within the Lake and Watershed Committee, while the Economic Development Committee is working to resolve quorum challenges.

Councillor Narayan emphasized the importance of recreation and employment in preventing juvenile delinquency and advocated for bail reform through Alberta Municipalities and FCM.

Councillor Randhawa identified grant opportunities for recreation infrastructure and discussed potential for regional collaboration.

Deputy Mayor Shindler explored new national and international municipal partnerships and gathered insights on library programming, policing strategies, and emergency management. He expressed interest in joining the FCM International Caucus.

Councillor Grant emphasized the value of the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) for supporting energy-efficient retrofits and new construction and advocated for continued conference participation.

Mayor Dean appreciated the team’s collaborative approach and noted the implementation of a new queuing tool inspired by FCM discussions. He noted that today’s committee meeting is utilizing a new queuing tool directly inspired by conversations at FCM, which was quickly implemented by IT. He and Councillor Wawrzynowski also toured Lansdowne 2.0 in Ottawa, comparing shared challenges with municipalities like St. John’s, Newfoundland.

 

The Committee unanimously carried a motion to accept all committee updates for information.