Grande Prairie Minute: Police Budget, Committee Changes, and an Outdoor Recreation Structure

Grande Prairie Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Grande Prairie politics

This Week In Grande Prairie:

• Tuesday is Standing Committee Day. At 9:00 am, there will be a meeting of the Public and Protective Services Committee. The Committee will hear from the Grande Prairie Pickleball Club, who want to share an update on the growing sport, as well as the Grande Prairie Public Library, who are making a pitch for funding as Council heads into their budget deliberations. The Operational Services Committee will meet at 10:15 am. The agenda includes the Storm Drainage Master Plan and the Boulevard Naturalization Pilot Program.
  
  
• Also on Tuesday, the Investment and Strategy Committee meets at 10:45 am. The Committee will discuss the 2025 Budget Engagement feedback. Residents were presented with various projects and asked to rank which ones should get priority. Asphalt crack sealing and snow clearing came out on top. It’s almost like residents want the basics…
  
  
• Standing Committee Day continues with a meeting of the Financial and Administrative Services Committee at 11:00 am. The Committee will hear a Service Area Update. Finally, the Council Committee of the Whole will meet at 11:30 am. The agenda includes the 2025 Policing Services Budget and 2026-2028 Policing Services Projections. Key budget priorities include the recruitment and training of 18-20 experienced officers and 26 new recruits, alongside funding for equipment and IT systems. The 2025 operating budget amounts to $34,609,448.

Last Week In Grande Prairie:

• Council has approved zoning changes to facilitate the construction of up to two apartment buildings on vacant land in the Trader Ridge area. Mayor Jackie Clayton said that the development would be important for addressing the city's low vacancy rate and supporting regional growth. Plans are still in the early stages and a developer has yet to be selected. Clayton noted that the City will not incur any budgetary impacts from the land development since it does not own the property. However, discussions regarding potential transit expansions may arise during upcoming budget deliberations as the project progresses.
  
  
• Mayor Jackie Clayton announced that a location for a new $10 million covered outdoor recreation structure will be finalized by the end of 2024. Council approved the funding, but several potential sites are still under consideration. Clayton explained that engineering and service cost assessments are needed for each location, and these will be presented in upcoming budget talks. While the initial funding covers the structure itself, additional costs for servicing and upgrades may arise depending on the chosen site. Locations being considered include areas near the former Composite High School and Peace Wapiti Academy.
  
  
• The City made several changes to its Committees, reducing their number from five to four. The remaining Committees are Public and Protective Services, Operational Services, and Financial and Administrative Services, while a new “Investment and Strategy” committee will replace the former Invest GP and Strategy and Communications Services Committees. A new schedule is set to be finalized at the next Council meeting on November 4th.