Calgary Minute: Severance Pay, Injunction Ends, and Flames Playoffs Begin

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

This Week In Calgary:

• It's a slow week at City Hall with just a single meeting. The Calgary Planning Commission is scheduled to meet on Thursday at 1:00 pm with a variety of land use amendments on the agenda.
  
  
• Councillors say they are hearing from residents regularly about safety concerns on public transit. (No way?!) A "relaunch strategy" aimed at bolstering ridership will be formalized in the coming weeks and will include several enhanced safety measures. Permanent security personnel, additional lighting on train platforms, and improved safety communication campaigns will be part of the strategy.
  
  
• The Calgary Flames are in the playoffs and the Red Lot Community Viewing Party area is back. For fans unable to score tickets inside the Saddledome, the outdoor viewing space will open three hours before each Flames home game. Bars and restaurants in the Beltline are gearing up for the influx of patrons. The playoffs begin tonight.

Last Week In Calgary:

• Stephen Carter, Mayor Jyoti Gondek’s Chief of Staff, received a payout of more than $100,000 after being terminated from the position less than 100 days into the role. Gondek said she has been advised not to discuss the matter as it is a "personnel issue".
  
  
• The temporary injunction against gatherings in the Beltline has ended. Intended to address weekly protests in the area, the City said the injunction had served its purpose - to deter noise issues, traffic disruptions and “other concerns.” The injunction ended just in time for the Flames’ playoffs to cause noise issues and traffic disruptions!
  
  
• A Council committee voted to increase the maximum taxi meter rate by 15%. If ultimately passed by Council at a forthcoming meeting, the current initial pickup rate maximum would go up from $3.90 to $4.50 while the fare for every 120 metres would increase by 3 cents. Surely the real question though, is why are a bunch of politicians sitting around debating what private business' prices should be? It’s time to deregulate the industry and let businesses set their own price.

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