Calgary Minute: Parks Projects, Roofing Rebates, and Climate Change Adaptation

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

This Week In Calgary:

• This morning, at 9:30 am, there will be a Special Meeting of Council to discuss the City of Calgary 2021 Annual Financial Report and the External Auditor 2021 Year-End Report.
  
  
• On Tuesday, there will be a Strategic Meeting of Council at 9:30 am. There will be a presentation entitled “Climate Change and Calgary” followed by an in-camera discussion about energy and greenhouse gases. The Climate Change and Calgary presentation looks to be a lengthy one, with various panels of speakers and topics like climate mitigation, the impact of flooding on residential housing, and the costs of adapting to climate change.
  
  
• On Wednesday, there will be a Community Development Committee meeting at 9:30 am. The Committee will discuss a possible regulated taxi meter rate adjustment. If approved, the maximum fare would increase by 15% for taxis booked through telephone dispatch or hailed streetside. There will also be a Business Advisory Committee meeting on Thursday at 9:30 am, but no agenda is available for this meeting yet. Perhaps they could discuss the lunacy of having a group of politicians with no business experience sit around deciding the price of taxis?

Last Week In Calgary:

• City administrators said there is a long waitlist for the Resilient Roofing Rebate program and that more than 1,500 Calgarians on it are out of luck. The Executive Committee, however, has directed Administration to determine the cost of extending the program to the residents on the list who have already replaced their roofs with the expectation of financial help for having done so. A government-run program running out of money? Surely not! Perhaps we could try a free market system instead? Isn't this exactly what insurance is designed for?
  
  
• A recent report showed that the price of single-family detached homes in Calgary is up almost $50,000 for the first quarter of this year. While the cost of a home in Calgary still lags behind Toronto and Vancouver’s wild price tags, people from out of province are relocating here to take advantage of more affordable options. Condo prices have also increased as they become an option for those looking to enter the market for the first time.
  
  
• The Infrastructure and Planning Committee was presented with a list of parks projects carrying a total price tag of $170 million. Council will have to decide which projects will go ahead and which will be shelved, as the wish list far exceeds the money available. Imagine that - Council actually having to set priorities, not just raise taxes and spend even more!

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