Airdrie Minute: Budget Beginnings, Weather Plan, and the Houselessness Estimation Study

Airdrie Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Airdrie politics

This Week In Airdrie:

• On Tuesday, there will be a meeting of City Council at 1:00 pm. Councillor Kolson will be making a motion directing Administration to draft a Council Policy regarding the compensation and daytime scheduling of Subdivision and Development Appeal Board meetings for Board members. Council will be provided with the City of Airdrie’s 2024  audit plan for information, as well as the 2025 Operating and Capital Budgets. Budget deliberations begin on November 13th - Common Sense Airdrie will be bringing you all of the details!
  
  
• Councillor Tina Petrow will continue as Director for Cities of up to 500,000 within Alberta Municipalities for another two years. In her role, Petrow represents over 300 municipalities, including Airdrie, advocating for issues such as housing, homelessness, mental health, and senior care. She also serves on the Safe and Healthy Community Committee, the Seniors Lodge Review Panel, and the Family and Community Support Services Steering Committee.
  
  
• Greg Luterbach, Superintendent of Rocky View Schools, will retire effective August 31st, 2025, after over eight years of service. During his tenure, Luterbach led a team of more than 3,000 staff and supported nearly 30,000 students. Luterbach will continue to work with the School Board to ensure a smooth transition as they begin the search for his successor.

Last Week In Airdrie:

• Airdrie's 2024 Houselessness Estimation Study revealed that 166 residents experienced housing insecurity, with an additional 364 dependents impacted. The study, conducted by the Rural Development Network, highlighted hidden homelessness, including people couch surfing or living in unsuitable accommodations. The top causes of housing insecurity were high costs, health issues, and low vacancy rates. To address these challenges, the City plans to explore partnerships for a systems navigation approach, which will connect vulnerable individuals to housing, income support, and other services. The report also identified gaps in affordable housing, shelters, and healthcare access, especially due to transportation barriers.
  
  
• The City of Airdrie has introduced its 2024-25 Extreme Weather Plan to protect vulnerable residents from cold, heat, and poor air quality. The plan includes after-hours wellness checks and a coordinated community response with the Extreme Weather Stakeholders Group. This group will provide safe spaces and essential services during extreme weather events, such as warming shelters. The City also created the Extreme Weather Emergency Response Fund to support these efforts.
  
  
• The Province announced an increase in infrastructure funding, with Airdrie set to receive $8,022,724 in 2024, and rising to $9,323,778 in 2025 through the Local Government Fiscal Framework (LGFF). This funding model, introduced in Budget 2024, links municipal allocations to provincial revenues, providing a more predictable funding structure.