Airdrie Minute: Health Center, Public Hearing, and a New Radio System

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

This Week In Airdrie:

• A meeting of City Council is scheduled for tomorrow at 1:00 pm. The agenda includes a mid-year update on the 2024 focus areas, including efforts to diversify Airdrie’s tax base away from its reliance on residential properties. Council will also review resolutions from the Alberta Municipalities Annual Convention held in July, and hold a public hearing on the construction of a five-storey building at 905 Edmonton Trail SE. A Subdivision and Development Appeal Board Meeting will take place on Thursday at 6:00 pm.
  
  
• The Community Infrastructure and Strategic Growth Standing Committee is recommending adopting an automated curbside garbage collection service for Airdrie, similar to Calgary’s system. The proposed program would use 120-liter black carts with weekly pickups and continue the excess waste tagging and medical waste exemption programs. Concerns include the potential for carts to blow over, which the Committee addressed with mandatory bagging and better management of spilled garbage. The change would result in an estimated annual increase of $8 to $22 per household, with a 12-month preparation period before implementation. Despite some concerns about recycling and diversion rates, a recent survey showed 75% of respondents supported the move to automated collection.
  
  
• In the latest update from the Calgary Real Estate Board, Airdrie is listed as having a notable year-over-year increase in benchmark home prices, rising 9.3% from August 2023 to August 2024. Although this increase was less than in Canmore and Strathmore, it surpassed the jumps seen in Cochrane and Chestermere.

Last Week In Airdrie:

• The Airdrie Fire Department got a new radio system, the first in Canada to fully comply with newly established standards by the National Fire Protection Agency. Fire Chief Mike Pirie said that this advanced system, which took about a year to implement, is designed to withstand the harsh conditions of firefighting, including high heat and moisture. The radios feature technology that ensures clear communication even when firefighters are using breathing apparatuses, and can be locked to prevent accidental changes.
  
  
• The business proposal for a new health center, combining primary and urgent care, has been approved. The facility will follow a joint leadership model with One Health Airdrie managing primary care and a separate competitive process for urgent care services. The project is expected to cost $2 million, with funding considerations in the 2025 budget, and is slated to begin in early 2026. Local officials, including Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown, are enthusiastic about the project, though some concerns remain about its implementation and funding.
  
  
• Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta held a groundbreaking ceremony in Bayview, where they will construct 11 new affordable townhomes. These homes will be sold through Habitat's no down payment, interest-free mortgage program, tailored to each family's income. The project is expected to contribute $4.5 million in affordable housing to Airdrie and help free up existing subsidized rental units for others in need.