City Council on the agenda – October 1

The Tuesday, October 1 Regular City Council Meeting will start at 10:30 a.m. with a 1.5 hour Closed Meeting at 10:30 a.m. The open portion of the Council meeting will begin at approximately 12 p.m.

The following items are on Council’s agenda:

Consent Agenda:

Financial Profile report

• Administration will present an updated overall financial profile to Council in advance of Budget 2025.
• The report outlines, at a high level, The City’s financial situation, including an estimated deficit of $17-$19 million, along with an overview of expected expenses, revenues, and capital expenses. 

Reports:

• Red Deer RCMP will present the quarterly community policing report covering April 1 to June 30, 2024, providing crime statistics and updates on the Annual Policing Plan.

 Changes to Municipal Consent and Access Fees

• Administration will present a report and recommendation to increase the Municipal Consent and Access Fee (MCAF) from the current 10% to 15% for electricity, water and wastewater.
• In Red Deer, the MCAF is a franchise fee set by The City for utility providers to access municipal land for the construction, operating and maintenance of the distribution systems serving customers.
• To prepare for budget 2025, administration is recommending increasing the MCAF from the 10% to 15% for electricity, water and wastewater. If supported by Council, this could increase revenue to the tax supported budget by $4 million. 
• Changes to the MCAF will impact utility rates as this fee is charged by the utility operated to customers.

2025 Utilities Budget

• Administration will present the proposed 2025 Utilities Budget, including the proposed 2025 operating and capital budgets for the electric utility, water utility and waste management utility.
• In developing the budget, administration focussed on the following key areas:
• Setting rates to manage affordability and stability for customers.
• The long-term sustainability of all Utilities, while giving consideration for the maximized return on these community-owned assets.
• Investing appropriately in infrastructure and staffing resources to maintain the reliability, responsiveness and marketability of the business.
• Optimizing and improving returns to our owners (The City) to allow budget certainty and financial benefit.
• Administration is recommending rate increases in all three utilities; the anticipated monthly increase for the average residential customer will be approximately $10.37 (not including changes to the MCAF).
• See more on related NR: Utilities Budget focusses on stability and sustainability in the midst of budget