2010 - 2013 Platform Summary

Important 2010-2013 Priorities for a Sustainable Future for St. Albert, the Botanical Arts City

Balancing the Pillars of Sustainability

• Environmental
• Economic
• Social

We must ensure we are planning the federal and provincial grant funds very wisely so that we have a longer term sustainable financial plan to help keep our property taxes comparable to our neighbours within the Capital Region. This includes having a clearly funded 10-year capital plan and having a critical view each year during our annual budget process.

We must better establish a non-residential development plan, aggressively market our economic development potential thereby diversifying our local economy, increasing our non-residential tax base and improving the job diversity available to St. Albertans.  Using our Botanical Arts branding, this includes continued implementation of our downtown plan, having a more solid plan for another industrial park, supporting the development of commercial corridor lands to the north of St. Albert along the Trail, supporting industrial and commercial development in Campbell and Riel Business Parks, thereby increasing non-residential tax revenue and demonstrating to potential businesses why St. Albert is a great place to do business. 
         
We must more aggressively address the environmental issues that face St. Albert.  This includes expanding our recycling program to organic collection, better protecting and replacing St. Albert’s 51,000 trees, begin to implement improvements from the Sturgeon River basin study, and provide support for emerging air quality issues (measurement) and provincial water shortage issues (reduce usage) that we may face.
 
We must provide support, cooperation and leadership to regional planning. This includes working diligently with all regional neighbours and partners cooperatively to plan such matters as affordable housing, public transit, land use and economic development.

We must support the development of the undeveloped areas within St. Albert while ensuring our growth plans are consistent with those of the region.  This includes ensuring that we have the necessary systems in place that encourage non-residential development, increasing density and other related growth factors.  This also includes planning for public transit growth, completing the Ray Gibbon Drive construction and finding eco-friendly approaches to growth into the years ahead.

We must complete our long term recreational and cultural master plans which will look to address future facilities, programs and events for St. Albert that continue to strengthen our community’s social capital. This includes completion of the Riel Park redevelopment, adding more celebration and volunteer-based events, growing our arts and heritage programs, continuing to implement affordable housing initiatives and enjoying St. Albert’s 150th anniversary events.  It also includes working to reduce crime, influence drug-related activities and address traffic concerns such as impaired driving, excessive speeding and injury accidents.

We must build our communities stronger through Neighborhood and Community Development approaches.  Work is necessary on instilling a notion of "60,000 residents helping 60,000 residents" and doing further work on integrating the 40 Developmental Assets for youth into all we do.  Finally, crime thrives on silence, fear and isolation.  We will tackle it all together and emerge the safest and best community in Canada.  Criminal activity will not be tolerated; those who are prepared to break the law should live elsewhere.