Funding approved for drug debris cleanup

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on March 27, 2024.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Lethbridge city council on Tuesday unanimously approved the expenditure of provincial needle debris mitigation funding.

The request to approve the funding was made by City administration.

A presentation submitted to council by chief financial officer and treasurer Darrell Mathews says the City has entered into a funding agreement with the province to support the costs related to the collection and disposal of drug-related debris.

Administration needs council’s approval of the money – a total of $115,000 for the provincial fiscal year of 2024-25 – which isn’t identified in the operating budget as per Section 248 of the Municipal Government Act.

The province since 2019 has been providing the City with funding for needle-related debris collection and disposal with the goal being to mitigate potential harm in the community that could occur because of improper collection or accidental contact.

The Downtown Business Revitalization Zone’s Clean Sweep Program has the contract to provide he city service.