Full agenda, no update on prov. investigation at council mtg.

The agenda is full for tonight’s city council meeting but two weeks since voting for a provincial investigation into municipal operations, no status update is on the list for discussion.

Councillors voted in favour of expediting the notice of motion by Coun. Andy McGrogan filed two days after a judicial review late last month seeking the investigation. The judicial decision revoked nearly all the sanctions imposed on Mayor Linnsie Clark in the spring.

This evening’s meeting is anticipated to be dominated by a lengthy presentation on the city’s energy business strategy. The presentation lasted more than an hour when presented by energy division director Rochelle Pancoast at committee. While the city’s purchase of the 325 MW solar farm isn’t on the agenda, it did feature prominently during the discussion on the strategy.

Council is also being recommended to push forward with all three readings of a bylaw which will see the city’s rainy-day fund restructured. The municipal Heritage Savings Reserve was established in 2017 after years of debate over establishing a fund to save a portion of energy division profits. The proposed restructuring will see the fund renamed and split into three with portions of the reserve being earmarked for energy transition and reclamation.

The long-awaited establishment of a municipal integrity commissioner is also on the table for debate. The price tag has yet to be determined since council sent back proposed changes to staff to the code of conduct bylaw in the late spring. Council originally directed staff in November 2023 to amend the code of conduct to allow city staff and residents to file complaints against elected members. If the latest changes are adopted tonight, complaints can begin to be filed but held in abeyance until the integrity commissioner position is filled.

One of two buildings Atlantis Research Labs is seeking more than $250,000 in property tax relief.

Several items on the agenda deal with staff expense policies and hiring practices. Those include business and travel expenses as well as policies surrounding job descriptions and staff recruitment.

Atlantis Research Labs will also be seeking more than a quarter million in property tax relief in relation to two properties located in Brier Park. The company states it believes it was going to be provided with tax incentives over a five-year period and the city was going to purchase its products, according to a briefing note. The city notes there is no documentation of such an agreement.

City council’s regular meeting will be held at 6:30 pm.