The list of items was short, but the discussions were long as Council met for a Governance and Priorities meeting June 2, 2025.
Here are some highlights:
- Before the meeting, Council and Administration met for our Annual Emergency Advisory Committee review. Fire Chief Tim Harris went through emergency activities in 2024, staff training upgrades, and further preparedness plans.
- At the G&P, Council discussed the Town's Purchasing Policy. Council directed Administration to explore opportunities to prioritize the use of local vendors when the policy is being updated.
- Council directed Administration not to bid to be a host of the 2028 Alberta Summer or Winter Games. Hosting the Games comes with several challenges, including volunteer fatigue, dissolution of the previous Games Society, operational gaps in the previous Games, logistics issues in past Games (long bus rides between communities), and tight bidding timelines. The Town is interested in the potential of hosting future Games, but will need to pursue a strategic plan with regional partners to better prepare for another opportunity.
- Council discussed the Peace Library System's (PLS) updated Master Services Agreement, which was presented for signing consideration for the member organizations, including the Town. The largest change to the agreement is language allowing the PLS Board to apply a 5% increase to the annual levy charged to members year over year, without the need to seek 2/3 membership approval. Currently, any change to levy amounts must receive written authorization from 2/3 of the membership. While PLS wrote that the levy hadn't changed in seven years, 5% increases were approved and applied from 2016 to 2018, and were again applied in 2024 and 2025. In their report, Administration expressed concern over the suggested change allowing levies to increase up to 5% annually and recommended seeking an amendment allowing automatic increases up to a maximum of 3% (tied to CPI), with anything higher requiring proper ratification. Council ultimately gave direction to Administration to write to the PLS to seek consideration for levy increases to be related to CPI, including language that large monetary asks come forward to members for agreement.
- Daniel Cress, Director of Protective Services, presented the May 2025 Community Peace Officer report. In May, 108 files were opened, with 20 Town tickets given, five provincial tickets, and 10 warnings. Files included issues related to unsightly premises, trespassing, parking, public complaints, and more. Ten encampments were also taken down in May.
You can read the whole agenda here: https://peaceriver.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/?expanded=9574,141215…
Watch it again here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NjtJ6BD1TY
The next Council meeting is 5pm Monday, June 9, 2025.
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