Council Meeting Highlights - September 8, 2025

Introduction - New Staff
General Manager of Infrastructure, Kris Johnson, introduced Malachi Rittenhouse as a permanent member of the Roads Crew. Welcome, Malachi!

Manager of Facilities, Jim Cook, introduced Stephanie McKone as a permanent member of the Facilities team. Welcome, Stephanie!

Train Whistles
Earlier this year, the City received a request from a resident about stopping train whistling within Camrose. Administration reviewed the federal process, which requires several safety upgrades before whistles can be eliminated.

Based on past studies and recent discussions with CPKC, CN, and Transport Canada, Administration believes the City would need to consider major infrastructure upgrades, including fencing, roadway crossing upgrades, pedestrian crossing improvements, and potentially pedestrian underpass upgrades. These improvements are intended to ensure public safety if whistles were to stop.

The estimated costs for these upgrades would be significant, potentially reaching several million dollars depending on the scope of work required. Given the large costs of this project, Council was not interested in making it a priority at this time.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System Replacement Project Update
The City of Camrose is replacing its current ERP system (the current finance and HR system), which will no longer be supported after December 31, 2025. To meet this deadline, the project has been divided into two parts: Project U4ria (UNIT4) for finance and HR functions, scheduled to go live on October 1, 2025, and Project GUTS (MUNIvers) for property taxes and utilities, which has been pushed back from October to December 1, 2025. UNIT4 will cover core functions such as payroll, accounts payable, and general ledger, with Phase II in 2026 adding advanced features like electronic timesheets, inventory, and recruiting.

MUNIvers is a new system being developed in partnership with the City, and Camrose will be the first municipality to implement it. At launch, it will handle basic tax and utility operations, while larger customer-facing improvements, such as the customer portal, will not be available until 2026. Some functions in both systems will be delayed to Phase II, which will require more staff time than originally planned.

City Hall will close to the public on September 29 and 30, 2025, to support the transition, and temporary manual processes will be in place during the rollout. Both projects require significant staff involvement, testing, and new resources to stay on track, but no staff job losses are expected. To date, the City has spent about $2.4 million, with additional costs pending, but both projects are expected to be completed within the approved $5.3 million budget. Overall, the transition remains on schedule, though the staggered implementation reflects the complexity of the work.

Tenant Utility Accounts
Council is being asked to consider a plan to phase out tenant utility accounts and shift them to property owners by December 31, 2029. Existing tenant accounts in good standing would be allowed to continue until then, while new and delinquent accounts would be converted to owner accounts as outlined in the report.

Administration recommends this change after reviewing practices in other municipalities, noting that it would reduce financial risk, administrative workload, and safety concerns for staff. The process would begin with bylaw amendments in 2026, followed by a gradual transition where overdue or new tenant accounts would be placed in the owner’s name, aligning with a broader municipal trend away from tenant utility accounts.

This plan will be brought back to a future Council meeting for approval.

Financial Reporting
The Finance Department normally provides detailed internal financial reports three times a year, but the ongoing ERP replacement project will delay the fall report. Instead of a detailed update for January 1 – August 31, 2025, Administration plans to provide a high-level financial summary later in November or December.

The new ERP system, scheduled to launch on October 1, 2025, will give managers and staff access to budget-to-actual results for internal tracking and procurement approvals. Detailed formal internal reporting will resume in 2026, while the annual audited financial statements remain on track for Council approval in April 2026.

Procurement Policy
The City will be updating its Procurement Policy to align with the new UNIT4 ERPx system launching on October 1, 2025, and to reflect best practices from other municipalities. The revisions clarify the policy’s purpose, broaden the approach to sustainability, and expand the definition and language relating to local vendors to provide clearer guidance on how they are utilized in our processes, while maintaining the intent to promote their use - where legally permitted - up to 5% above the lowest non-local submission. The policy also increases the direct purchase threshold from $5,000 to $10,000 and reorganizes sections for clarity without changing the overall intent.

This policy will be brought forward to a future Regular Council meeting for final approval.

CCTV Inspection Program Update
The City has launched a multi-year program to inspect and assess underground storm and sanitary pipes, supported by $700,000 in approved funding between the 2025 and 2026 budgets. In March 2025, Associated Engineering was contracted to complete CCTV inspections, beginning with pipes tied to scheduled surface improvement projects. The first round of inspections covered about 2.1 km of pipe, most of which were in satisfactory condition, though some required trenchless rehabilitation or spot repairs. Repairs were completed this summer at key locations, helping prevent future sinkholes and saving on costs. The City plans to continue inspections this fall and sees strong value in maintaining the program over the long term.

Intersection Modifications (54 Avenue/53 Street)
The City reviewed the intersection at 54 Avenue and 53 Street (Highway 833) after receiving requests to improve traffic flow. Previous reviews in the 2010s found that an all-way stop was not justified, but new traffic counts and collision history were evaluated in 2021, 2023, and August 2025. Results showed that traffic volumes on 54 Avenue have now reached levels comparable to 53 Street, exceeding the federal threshold for considering an all-way stop. As a result, Administration has determined a four-way stop is warranted, and Public Works will complete the signage upgrades later this fall.

Please stay tuned for more information about when these signs will be installed.

Lease Renewal - Friends of 644 Air Cadets Society
The lease between the City and the Friends of 644 Air Cadets Society for space at Mirror Lake Centre expires September 30, 2025. While the Society requested a fixed annual rate, Council has decided to continue with the annual cost-of-living adjustment tied to Alberta’s Consumer Price Index (CPI). This approach is in line with how other City leases are managed.

Concert and Special Event Bylaw 3365-25 Update
Council adopted the Concert and Special Event Bylaw earlier this year to guide how events are permitted and managed in Camrose, and 2025 has served as its pilot year. After reviewing lessons learned, Council approved Administration’s recommended updates to the Bylaw.

These updates include exempting primary facility users from requiring a Special Event Permit (SEP) when applying for liquor licences. They also require SEPs for any event on City property where a food handling permit from Alberta Health Services is needed. For inflatables, SEPs will now only be required for outdoor use, since indoor rentals are already covered by existing agreements.

Council also confirmed that event permits do not grant exclusive use of public parks, in order to preserve shared access for the community.

The SEP process will now include an additional fee that covers participating businesses, instead of requiring each vendor to obtain a separate business licence. Approval authority for Level 4 and 5 events has also been delegated to the Licensing Officer, with Council receiving summary reports instead of reviewing each permit individually.

Additional updates include aligning references with recent bylaw changes, updating definitions, and requiring supplementary information 30 days before events. While these recommendations have been approved, the bylaw itself will be brought back at a future Council meeting for further discussion and final approval.

Land Use Concern - 52A Street
Council began discussing a Land Use Concern on 52A Street but agreed the matter should be addressed in-camera, as it involved Business Interest of a Third Party.

Council Committees Bylaw Amendment - Indigenous Advisory Committee
Council gave three readings to Bylaw 3381-25, which would amend the Council Committees Bylaw to establish an Indigenous Advisory Committee. This new committee will support the development of a Reconciliation Plan in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. The proposed Terms of Reference allow for five to eight Members at Large, who may live in Camrose or within 25 kilometers of the city, at the discretion of the review panel. If approved, Administration will advertise for members in January 2026, with meetings expected every second month or as determined by the Committee.

Land Development Policy
Council approved the updated Land Development Policy. The Policy, first adopted in 2021, outlines how the City evaluates, manages, and maintains land for future development and was scheduled for review in 2025. Updates include a new section on requests from nonprofit organizations seeking land at a non-market rate for social purposes, with clear criteria such as nonprofit status, community contribution, financial documentation, and alignment with Council priorities. Administration will also update related procedures and provide Council with an annual presentation on land bank activities, including pricing discussions.

Member-at-Large Updates
Council notes with sadness the passing of Pat Barott on July 28, 2025. He served as a Member-at-Large on the Community Transit Advisory Committee.

Council accepts, with regret, the resignation of Lori Larsen from her role as a Member-at-Large on the Camrose Police Commission.

Council appoints Don Cherkas as a Member-at-Large on the Community Transit Advisory Committee, beginning September 8, 2025, and continuing until December 31, 2027, or at Council’s discretion.

The City is seeking to fill the following vacancies:

• Assessment Review Boards (Local and Composite) – No limit
• Camrose Airport Commission – 1
• Camrose Police Commission – 1
• Community Transit Advisory Committee – 3
• Heritage Advisory Committee – 1
• Recreation Advisory Committee – 2 (City Representatives)
• Subdivision and Development Appeal Board – 2

Proclamation Request
Council authorizes the Mayor to proclaim October 2025 as “Probus Month” in the City of Camrose.

Whistle Blower Policy
Council rescinded ADM 1.1.0 - Whistle Blower Protection Council Policy and approved GOV 2.14.1 - Whistle Blower Protection Council Policy, effective immediately.

This policy has been updated to reflect our current terminology and formatting standards. It is a document used to reinforce the City’s commitment to ethical conduct and transparency.

Council and Administration Protocol Policy
Council rescinded the existing Council and Administration Protocol Policy (COU-3) and approved a new version, GOV 2.4.1, effective immediately.

The updated policy provides clearer expectations for Council requests, uses updated terminology, and follows the City’s standardized policy format.