City services top topics at Community Conversation

By Lethbridge Herald on January 30, 2025.

Herald photo by Al Beeber James Nicholls, manager of the City’s Waste and Recycling department, talks with a visitor at Wednesday’s Community Conversation in the VisitLethbridge.com Arena.

Al Beeber – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – abeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Hundreds of local residents turned out to VisitLethbridge.com arena on Wednesday to have a Community Conversation with City of Lethbridge  staff.

The event offered a chance for residents to see what various City  departments are doing or are planning for the future.

From members of the City parks department to the staff involved with water and wastewater, Community Social Development and  planning,  staff were on hand to listen to the people attending.

By 4:20 p.m. the event had attracted 272 people with doors still open  until 7 p.m. The biggest crowd was expected between 3 and  5 p.m. and  some people were waiting as early as 2:30 p.m.

Tara Grindle, Communications and Engagement manager for the City, said before the conversation began that the event is a way to make  community engagement easier on residents and bring all City projects  together in one place so residents can learn about a range of thing  from snowplowing to work being done on parks and roads near their homes.

“You don’t have to go to seven open houses over the course of the  year. It makes it easier and it’s more efficient for us as well,” said  Grindle.

Turnout varies at each event depending on if there are hot topics  people are interested in. The City was hoping Wednesday to get  feedback on its Land Use Bylaw renewal project that is now in its second phase as well as other projects.

Projects were staged this year so the community could understand if  they were just launching and they could offer feedback to help inform  the project.  Or if the projects were in the middle of their  undertaking or reaching a conclusion.

Among the projects the City was hoping to get feedback on is an  audible and accessible crosswalk program.

Richard Brummund, road infrastructure manager, said the City had a mobility and accessibility station which offered a snapshot of some  things being done in 2025 and things that were done in 2024.

The City has audible pushbuttons for people with vision loss at  crosswalks and the more the City can get the message out on how to  initiate accessibility mode helps.”

“We’ve got these great things but if nobody knows how to use it then  we’ve failed,” said Brummund.

The City wanted feedback on the audible systems with 10 to 15 more to  be installed at intersections and staff were hoping to hear  suggestions from people about potential locations.

“We’re always looking for feedback.”

Among the more popular stations early during the session was one  focusing on new projects involving planned roundabout locations. One  of those locations near the college raised the ire of multiple  visitors who live in Tudor Estates and say such traffic control  devices are dangerous and won’t work.

One resident who has lived in Tudor Estates for 42 years said he heads  east every morning at 8:30 a.m. on Tudor Boulevard and crossing  College Drive to 28 Ave. can be extremely difficult. He said four-way  stops that were implemented previously didn’t work.

Meghan Grills of the City’s Waste and Recycling department said she  and other staff including waste and recycling manager James Nicholls were  getting questions about general services such as what’s accepted in  the various carts as well as the Extended Producer Responsibility  program that will be implemented April 1.

Most people understand the organics collection system but staff are still getting questions and learn new things when they talk to staff,  said Grills.

Echo Nowak, Indigenous Relations Specialist with the City, was on hand  with Sam Petersen to answer questions about  the Indigenous Relations  department.

Nowak said the role is to bring education to Indigenous and  non-Indigenous residents alike. Attitudes are changing in Lethbridge,  Nowak said.

“We’re hearing a lot of ‘let’s get down to the truth, let’s start really having good deep conversations and really start forming  connections and community,” said Nowak.

Community Social Development was represented by Andrew Malcolm and  Mathew Pitcher who were offering information on two new grant programs  for non-profits doing capital projects being offered that have March  31 deadlines.

Those programs include Make Your Mark which offers 100 per cent  funding for up to $50,000 of approved eligible costs per project and  the Community Capital Projects Grant which provides up to one-third of  funding to a maximum of $200,000.