Calgary Minute: Parking Permits, Missing Middle, and Gondek In Hollywood

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

This Week In Calgary:

• City Council is back with a meeting on Tuesday at 9:30 am. More than two dozen land use amendments are on the agenda, as are several audit reports. Council will review the 2021 Calgary Police Service annual report and hear an Indigenous Relations update. There will also be a preview of the key elements of the 2023-2026 Service Plans and Budgets. "Economic", "social", and "climate resilience" are the three foundations on which Council based their budget decisions and they say taxes will need to increase between 4.4% and 5.9% each year. So much for the 0% increase in election year last yaer. And of course, this is just a starting point - the City often raise taxes above the planned increase too!
  
  
• The Event Centre Committee will meet on Wednesday at 9:30 am. Unfortunately, there isn’t much in the way of information available about this meeting. The Audit Committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday at 9:30 am but no agenda is available yet either.
  
  
• Also on Thursday, the Calgary Planning Commission will meet at 1:00 pm. Several land use amendments are on the agenda. The Infrastructure and Planning Committee meeting originally scheduled for Friday at 9:30 am has been cancelled.

Last Week In Calgary:

• Mayor Jyoti Gondek went to Hollywood to promote Calgary as a destination for film and television production. Gondek went with a delegation from Calgary Economic Development on the two-day trip. The City's hope is that by offering subsidies, they can attract more productions to Calgary, but at what cost? Should Calgary taxpayers really be subsidizing multi-billion dollar corporations who are only here until another City offers them an even bigger subsidy?
  
  
• Residential parking permits were proposed for those living in apartments and condos. At the moment, several thousand residents in high-density buildings are able to park on the street for free, but this proposal will institute a new fee structure in 2023. Residents who live in a building at least four stories high or with more than 20 units would be eligible for these, and the permits would range from $75 to $150 per month. To go forward with the new permits, a bylaw amendment is needed.
  
  
• The Infrastructure and Planning Committee held an initial vote in favour of a new type of zoning in the City. Councillor Chabot requested the idea, aimed at reducing time spent at council meetings discussing land use amendments for the “missing middle” - mid-sized developments like semi-detached homes and townhouses. The public, and some Councillors, were upset, however, that administration did not consult with the public on the idea. City administrators said they didn't bother because public consultation would not have helped shape the final product. We believe them - they aren't exactly known for listening to the public! The new zoning type still requires approval at a full meeting of City Council in October.

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