Airdrie Minute: Issue 67

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

📅 This Week In Airdrie: 📅

• On Tuesday, at 9:00 am, there will be a meeting of the Community Safety and Social Services Standing Committee. The agenda includes an update on two major initiatives aimed at improving customer service: Contact Centre Telephony and Customer Service Centralization. The new telephony system has selected a vendor and is moving forward with design, configuration, and quality assurance features like call recording. The centralization project has successfully onboarded business units like Utilities Administration, Waste and Recycling, and Taxation, allowing for faster service and fewer call transfers - apparently 70% of inquiries are resolved at the first point of contact. Service Level Agreements have been set, including a target to answer 80% of calls within 30 seconds and reply to emails within 24 hours. Weekly reporting is underway, and enhanced data analytics will be introduced. A formal Contact Centre Framework is in development to guide structure, processes, and governance. The next phase involves onboarding more business units over the next six months.
  
  
• The Committee will also receive an update on the outcomes of the February 2025 Policing Town Hall as well as upcoming initiatives. The Town Hall saw 25 attendees and generated 26 emailed questions, with traffic and road safety being the top concern, including issues like speeding, red light timing, and school zone enforcement. Specific areas of concern were identified, such as 40th Avenue, Coopers Crossing, and Windrow Link. Upcoming projects include a lobby and front counter renovation at the RCMP detachment to better accommodate growing public demand and improve service delivery. Additionally, the City is developing a Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan, as required by the Province, to proactively address local safety and social issues. A consultant will be hired by the end of August 2025 to lead the CSWB planning process.
  
  
• Also on Tuesday, at 1:00 pm, the Community Infrastructure and Strategic Growth Standing Committee will meet. The Committee will receive an update on the progress of revising Airdrie’s City Plan and AirdrieONE Sustainability Plan, which are being consolidated into a new Municipal Development Plan. Public engagement in Fall 2024 included an online survey, AirdrieFEST outreach, and youth sessions, reaching over 670 participants. Residents emphasized the importance of maintaining Airdrie’s small-town feel, expanding green spaces, improving infrastructure, and enhancing walkability and public transit - especially in light of recent growth and regional events like the Calgary watermain break. Youth participants echoed these themes, also calling for more accessible and affordable recreation and social spaces. Administration has been working internally on drafting policies, reviewing scenarios, and coordinating with departments. Further public consultation is expected in late 2025.
  
  
• The Policing Committee will meet on Wednesday at 9:00 am. The Committee will review the RCMP’s resource request for 2025 - 2031, which outlines staffing needs and associated costs through 2029. The proposal includes adding four constables in 2026 to support general duty policing, at an estimated cost of $906,000, resulting in a projected $790,000 budget increase. In 2027, the RCMP is requesting a constable for the General Investigative Section and a sergeant for the Community Resource Unit to address complex investigations and provide adequate supervision. Two additional constables are proposed in 2028 to expand the Municipal Traffic Section, enhancing road safety enforcement and crash investigations.
  
  
• Airdrie’s population reached 90,044 as of April 1st, 2025 - an increase of 4,239 residents in one year, equivalent to the population of Jasper. This 4.9% growth rate outpaced Alberta’s provincial average of 3.51%. The number of habitable dwellings rose by 6.69%, although many new homes remained vacant as they were unfinished or unoccupied by census day. City officials emphasized the importance of census data in planning for transportation, recreation, infrastructure, and community services. Despite strong growth, the final population came in slightly below a previously forecasted estimate of 91,078. Airdrie has conducted annual censuses since 2001 to guide long-term municipal planning.
   

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Recent changes to Alberta’s municipal elections now require all voters to register before casting their ballots. 

The next municipal election takes place on October 20th, and you can register in advance by August 15th using the online voter registration system. 

(If you miss this deadline, you can still register and vote in person on election day.)

Click here to register now:

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

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