The City of Grande Prairie has been selected as one of only three Alberta municipalities to take part in a new RCMP pilot project, presenting an easier way for residents to report certain types of crime.

The Grande Prairie RCMP detachment is taking part in phase one of the Alberta RCMP’s online crime reporting pilot program beginning June 1, 2020. Online reporting will allow for increased responsiveness to residents through improved customer service with a quicker and easier reporting process while also enabling more effective use of RCMP resources.

Here are the highlights for the City Council Meeting held June 1, 2020:

Bylaw C-1422 - Establishment of Boards and Committees

Council approved the establishment of the Boards and Committees Bylaw with an amendment.

Council Focus Areas

Council directed Administration to provide quarterly updates on Council Focus Areas of this Council's term to the appropriate Standing Committee.

The focus areas can be viewed online here. 

Delegations

A representative from the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers provided an industry update.

Renee Charbonneau presented an update on the Veterans’ Memorial Garden.

Nitehawk Year-Round Adventure Park presented an update on the facility and request a reallocation of Capital funding from the City to be used towards Operating due to COVID19 financial impacts.

CAO Update

City Manager Horacio Galanti provided an update on the City’s COVID-19 response, including highlights from each service area.

Mayor Given is encouraging Grande Prairie residents to focus on the true spirit of Easter and abide by health officials’ directives as the holiday weekend approaches.

“Practicing physical distancing as we celebrate Easter this year will be a critical part of our community response to the pandemic,” says Mayor Bill Given.

Delegations

Bear Creek Folk Festival presented as a delegation.

The Grande Prairie Downtown Association presented as a delegation in regard to their budget.

Bylaw C-1260-115 - Amendment to the Land Use Bylaw

Councillor Minhas provided a notice of motion at the last Council meeting requesting a reconsideration of the March 9th vote on Bylaw C-1260-115.

The City of Grande Prairie made the difficult decision today to reduce our valued casual and temporary employee workforce by 330.

CAO Update

The City Manager provided an update on the City’s COVID-19 response.

Deputy Mayor Schedule

Council accepted a revision to the Deputy Mayor schedule.

Property Tax Deferral

Council directed Administration to draft relevant bylaw amendments and procedures to extend the property tax deadline for both residential and non-residential  property owners to August 31, 2020.

La déclaration de l’état d’urgence localement permet à la Ville d’adopter des pouvoirs supplémentaires pour lutter contre la propagation de la pandémie, d’assurer la stabilité des services de base et de soutenir la collectivité.

" Nous avons pris cette décision dans le meilleur intérêt de la collectivité et de tous nos résidents ", a déclaré le maire Bill Given.

" Alors que la plupart des personnes qui contactent Covid-19 se rétabliront, beaucoup peuvent encore avoir besoin de soins importants, et tous en même temps."

The City of Grande Prairie has declared a state of local emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Declaring a state of local emergency enables the City to enact additional powers to combat the spread of the pandemic, ensure the stability of core services and support the community.

“We’ve made this decision with the best interests of the community and all of our residents top of mind,” says Mayor Bill Given.

“While most who contract Covid-19 will recover, many may still need significant care, and all at the same time.”

The City of Grande Prairie is actively monitoring the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and is taking precautionary measures to prevent spread and prepare for the possibility of a confirmed case in our community.

The health, safety, and wellbeing of our residents and community is our priority.

The City is working closely with regional partners through the Grande Prairie Regional Emergency Partnership (GPREP), Alberta Health Services, and other key service providers in our community.