Additional permanent shelter information is being released publicly today following Council approval. The City enacted the FOIP Act throughout the process to protect government to government relations, advice from officials and the recommendations and advice that could be expected to result in financial loss.
“In an effort to be more transparent on the permanent shelter process, Council voted in favour of making all reports, communications and presentations from In Camera meetings throughout the project process public today,” said Mayor Ken Johnston. “We believe that providing more information about the steps taken so far will help the public develop a better understanding of the need for a shelter in our community and want to stay engaged throughout the project process going forward.”
In the report being released today, items such as Council reports, presentations made by administration, and letters to and from the province are included. As the final site has not been determined, there is certain information that is still redacted to protect economic interests if a non-City owned site is selected as the location for the permanent shelter. The redactions throughout the report include site specific information, contractual obligations, legal advice and third-party business information.
Council also directed administration to conduct further discussions to determine level of influence of The City and community have in the permanent shelter project to develop a public participation strategy.
“We will work with administration and the province to develop clear lines of what we can and cannot influence throughout the project process, and then administration will finalize a meaningful public participation plan that engages our community. Releasing the information today is just one small step in building community trust, there is a lot more work to do,” said Mayor Ken Johnston.
Following further conversations with Council, a full public participation strategy will be developed with implementation anticipated to be in late May. Information about getting involved in these conversations will be released by The City at that time.
To view the report approved by Council to be released publicly, please visit www.reddeer.ca/shelter, and visit the Permanent Shelter page. A summary document of this report and an FAQ is attached:
For more information, please contact:
Corporate Communications
The City of Red Deer