Council Meeting Highlights - June 23, 2025

Committee of the Whole Meeting Highlights

View the June 23, 2025 Committee of the Whole Meeting Agenda

Presentation from Housing & Homelessness Task Force
Lyndel Kasa, Executive Director of Camrose & District FCSS, and John Corbett, Inspector with the Camrose Police Service, presented an update from the Housing & Homelessness Task Force. Their update included the work being done to reduce the number of calls involving unsheltered individuals. They also noted that the task force is seeking funding for a Community Outreach Navigator position through a joint program with other community social service agencies. Administration will work with the task force to develop a more detailed plan, which will be brought forward at a future Council meeting.

April 2025 Financial Report
Administration provided internal financial reports for the first four months of 2025. These reports show that most City departments are operating close to budget, with no overall surplus or deficit forecast at this time. Notable updates include changes to police fine revenue due to new provincial regulations, early snow removal spending, and billing corrections at recreation facilities. Several capital and operating budget adjustments have also been approved, but none have impacted property taxes.

Water Restrictions Bylaw
Jeremy Enarson, Manager of Engineering Services, brought a report to Council proposing a new Water Restrictions Bylaw to replace the current Water Conservation/Water Use Bylaw and Policy. This update combines all water restriction stages and enforcement details into one clear document.

If approved, the new Bylaw would revise the stages of water conservation where Stage 0 encourages voluntary conservation, and Stage 1 imposes mandatory rules such as limited lawn watering and turning off decorative outdoor water features. Vehicle washing and surface cleaning will still be allowed during Stage 1 but prohibited under Stage 2. Stage 2 and 3 include stricter bans on outdoor water use and bulk water sales.

Administration is also developing a separate internal policy to guide how City departments will respond during each stage of water restrictions. In most cases, City operations will follow the same rules as the public, unless water use is necessary to protect public safety or prevent damage to infrastructure.

Although winter precipitation was near normal, spring rainfall has been far below average, leading to only 120 days of estimated water storage in Driedmeat Lake. As a result, the City plans to move into Stage 1 water restrictions shortly to delay possible provincial intervention.

Administration will bring the Bylaw back for final approval at the Regular Council Meeting on July 7, 2025.

Indigenous Relations Plan
The City of Camrose has been working to build relationships with Indigenous communities through participation in a variety of events as well as has taken formal steps toward reconciliation that aligned with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action.

Council agreed with Administration’s direction about establishing Indigenous Advisory Committee to help guide this work. The committee would support efforts like policy development, improved access to information, and building stronger relationships with Indigenous peoples.

Real Property Governance for School Sites
General Manager of Community Development, Patricia MacQuarrie, provided Council with an update about how the Government of Alberta passed new laws that change how school properties are owned and managed.

Starting in 2025, the Province will own all new K–12 school buildings, playgrounds, and sports fields, and will lease them to school boards. Municipalities were not consulted before this change and have raised concerns about a lack of funding for playgrounds, land servicing, and the unclear impacts on planning agreements. The City of Camrose is reviewing how this will affect its current Joint Use Planning Agreement, especially regarding new investments in sports fields and maintenance arrangements with school boards, and will keep Council up-to-date with any new changes.

Watch the Committee of the Whole Meeting archived video here.

Regular Council Meeting Highlights

View the June 23, 2025 Regular Council Meeting Agenda

EPR PPP Contract 2 with Circular Materials
Council authorized the City of Camrose to enter into a 15-month agreement with Circular Materials to continue Phase 1 of Alberta’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) recycling program. This agreement, which would run from July 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026, covers the collection of residential packaging, paper, and products (PPP) at the Camrose Recycle Depot.

Under the contract, EPR materials will be placed in 8-yard bins supplied by Empringham and serviced three times per week. These bins will accept a wider range of recyclable materials, including all rigid plastics #1–#7 and colored glass, without requiring sorting. The City will manage the contract and depot site, with day-to-day operations handled by Centra Cam.

Planning for Phase 2, which includes curbside recycling, is expected to begin in early 2026.

Service Agreement with Centra Cam for Depot Operations
Council authorized the City of Camrose to enter into a new 15-month agreement with Centra Cam Vocational Training Association to manage and operate the Recycle Depot from July 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026. The agreement includes continued collection and processing of both EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) and non-EPR materials, with funding for EPR activities provided by third-party organizations.

Centra Cam will act as an independent contractor and be responsible for maintaining the facility, including public interaction, cleanliness, and calling for extra pickups when needed. The City and Centra Cam collaboratively chose this service model because it offers the best balance of cost, operations, and community impact.

Proclamation Request - Indigenous Survivors Day
The City of Camrose received a request to proclaim June 30, 2025, as Indigenous Survivors Day, a day to honour residential school survivors and recognize their strength and resilience. While proclamations like this are often made at the provincial level, the City has not yet received a response from the Province. Administration recommends that Council proceed with the proclamation to support reconciliation and raise awareness of Indigenous experiences.

Proclamation Request - Be a Tourist in your Own Town
Council authorized the Mayor to proclaim July 6 – 12, 2025 as “Be a Tourist in Your Own Town Week” in the City of Camrose.

Alberta Municipalities Resolution from Spirit River
Council moves to second the resolution being submitted to Alberta Municipalities this fall, advocating for the Government of Alberta to increase annual Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP) funding and expand project eligibility to support infrastructure improvements at community airports across Alberta.

Watch the Regular Council Meeting archived video here.