We have had an interesting first quarter of 2018 at City Hall. With a new Council comes new relationships and a new working dynamic. Whether it’s the Olympics, The Green Line LRT or setting the next four-year budget cycle – this Council has a lot of work to do. I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues to build a better Calgary for today and tomorrow.
Some important updates and dates to keep in mind this month:
Green Line LRT Set to Clear Another Important Hurdle
Later this month Council will be asked to approve a delivery model for Stage 1 of the Green Line. Selecting a delivery model isn’t the most glamorous component of the project, but it is important. By figuring out how we deliver the project, we take one more step towards our construction cycle. I remain optimistic that we can find savings through procurement and contracting that can be reinvested into the project to lengthen the line and get us ready for future stages.
You can find more information on the Green Line at www.calgary.ca/greenline
Notice of Assessment Appeal Process
Assessment notices were mailed out to property and business owners in January. These assessments provide the property value that your property taxes will be based on. If you have concerns about your assessment, be sure to make use of the Customer Review Period. The Customer Review Period ends on March 12, 2018. Changes to your assessment will only be considered if an inquiry is received during this period.
For more information please visit www.calgary.ca/assessment.
Shepard Landfill Hours Are Changing
Due to a number of budgetary constraints there will be changes coming to the Shepard Landfill. Shepard will now only be open from Tuesday-Friday for our composting fleet and industrial users. I had some significant issues with these changes as I felt it removed our ability to provide an important service to our residential customers. There is a cost associated with illegal dumping or having residents put paint cans into their black bins. I have successfully negotiated an amendment to the service changes at the Shepard facility. Residential customers will be able to make use of the “throw and go” service from Tuesday-Friday beginning in April and continuing to the end of October. This period is where we see 90% of the traffic from our residential customers.
You can find more details at www.calgary.ca/landfill
