Council Meeting Highlights - December 15, 2025

Introduction of New Permanent Employees

• Fire Chief Eric Graham introduced Captain Paul Gibson, our new Fire & Life Safety Educator.
• Kris Johnson, General Manager of Infrastructure, introduced Chivaun Morrill, who has joined the Roads Crew.
• City Manager Malcolm Boyd also recognized two new team members who were unable to attend: Tera Wolsey in Community Services and Kendall Grant with the Camrose Police Service.

Welcome to all of our new staff!

Presentation from Camrose Arts Council
Mike Ploner, Chair of the Camrose Arts Council, attended the meeting to share an overview of the Council’s work and annual evaluation from the past year. Highlights included a successful third annual Mayor’s Arts Awards and the distribution of nearly all of the 2025 Arts and Culture grant funding to 14 community projects.

He also gave an update on the Arts and Culture Master Plan, which is being refreshed for the first time in 10 years. Students from the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus supported this work by developing a public survey, which will be shared with the community, along with community cafés planned for 2026 to gather local input.

In addition, Mr. Ploner discussed the ongoing work with City staff to better understand and manage existing public art, as a first step toward supporting future public art policy development.

Fire Training Grounds Report
Fire Chief Eric Graham updated Council that the live fire training building is almost complete, with only a few small issues from the original plans still needing to be fixed. The building is fully assembled, all fixtures are installed, and a structural engineer will complete a final safety inspection.

Some stormwater work will be completed in the spring once the ground thaws, with no impact on the 2026 city budget. Safety features such as fencing, a dry hydrant, and barriers are already in place. An opening ceremony is planned for December 16 to thank contributors and mark the project’s completion.

Off-Site Levy Annual Update
Aaron Leckie, Manager of Planning and Development, provided the yearly update on off-site levy collections and how those funds are managed.

The City’s current Off-Site Levy Bylaw took effect on January 1, 2024. In 2024, the City collected $264,967.69 from one developer. No off-site levy funds were collected in 2025, and no new off-site levy projects were started that year.

Off-site levy funds are set aside for specific transportation, water, sanitary, and storm infrastructure projects. These funds, including any interest earned, can only be used for the purposes listed in the bylaw and cannot be used for maintenance or operating costs.

Property Tax Sale 2026
Council approved the reserve bids for three properties included in the 2026 Tax Sale, scheduled for March 25, 2026, at City Hall. These properties have had Tax Recovery Liens registered since April 2024 due to unpaid property taxes, and the City is required under the Municipal Government Act to proceed with a public auction if the balances are not paid in full before the sale date.

Administration has made ongoing efforts to contact property owners through monthly statements, letters, and phone calls to help resolve the outstanding balances and avoid a tax sale. The recommended reserve bids are based on the 2026 assessed market value of each property, which helps protect property owners by preventing sales well below market value. Any proceeds above the amount owed would be held by the City and later returned to the property owner.

Member-at-Large Appointments
Council approved several Members-at-Large appointments to various Council committees, commissions, boards, and authorities. These appointments will take effect on January 1, 2026 and will remain in place until their specified end date or until otherwise decided by Council.

Inter-City Forum on Social Policy Representative
Council appointed Councillor Hoveland and the Executive Director of the Camrose & District Family Support Services as the City of Camrose representatives to the Inter-City Forum on Social Policy.

The Inter-City Forum on Social Policy brings together Alberta cities with populations over 10,000 to share information, work together, and speak to other levels of government about social policy issues that affect urban communities. Councillor Hoveland will represent Camrose at the upcoming meetings planned for early 2026.

Proclamation Policy
Council has approved the Proclamation Policy, which provides a clear and consistent process for issuing proclamations. The policy includes several standing proclamations that are recognized on an annual basis. It will be reviewed every two years to ensure it remains current and effective.

Annual Fees and Charges Amendment
Council gave all three readings to Bylaw 3388-25, which amends the 2026 Annual Fees and Charges Bylaw. The original 2026 Bylaw had been approved previously, but Administration later identified a few errors. This amendment corrected those errors to ensure the Bylaw is accurate and complete.

Verbal Motion – Correspondence
Council authorized the Mayor to write a letter to a local builder surrounding the issuance of the Stop Work Order dated September 10, 2025, and to also respond to the letter from the local builder received on December 10, 2025.