Sherwood Park Minute: Issue 89

Sherwood Park Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Sherwood Park politics

📅 This Week In Sherwood Park: 📅

• On Tuesday, at 9:00 am, there will be a Council meeting. The meeting will begin with a closed session, wherein Council will discuss the 2025 Operating Expenditures Borrowing Bylaw, 2025 Capital Budget Year-End Reconciliation, and 2025 Operating Budget Reserve Transfer. Other items cover alternate funding sources for community organizations, updates on the Good Hope Community Hall condition assessment, and a Forest Rewilding Project. Council will also review public member recommendations for appointments to Boards and Committees and receive an update on union negotiations.
  
  
• Also on the agenda is Councillor Lorne Harvey’s Notice of Motion regarding Mitigation of Speeding Vehicles and Excessive Vehicle Noise. The Motion would direct Administration to prepare a report by March 2026 on the current ways Enforcement Services and Transportation Engineering and Operations collaborate on mitigation of speeding vehicles and excessive vehicle noise, how this issue is being addressed in residential neighbourhoods, and what the options are to further reduce speeding and loud noise from vehicles in residential areas. 
  
  
• On Wednesday, at 9:00 am, there will be a Public Hearing. The agenda includes reviewing three proposed amendments to the Land Use Bylaw. Amendments would rezone about 64 hectares in Ward 6 from general agriculture to rural residential/agriculture, 0.87 hectares in Ward 5 from Ardrossan Low Density Residential to R3 Low to Medium Density Residential, and 7.56 hectares in Ward 6 from rural residential/agriculture to Low Density Country Residential.
  
  
• Strathcona County firefighters are warning that delaying the construction of Fire Station 7 in Cambrian could increase risks for both residents and first responders. Current response times of about 10 minutes exceed national standards, and modern home construction means fires can spread more rapidly, leaving residents with as little as two minutes to escape. The delay would also prevent the County from meeting operational capacity targets outlined in the 2023 Emergency Services Master Plan. During the Budget 2026 Public Hearing, Council discussed postponing the station as a tax-smoothing measure, while other priorities included a seniors’ centre, a houselessness pilot project, and a new pickleball facility. 
  
  
• Council expressed concern over the number of new staff proposed in Budget 2026, which includes 42.79 full-time positions costing $4.433 million, or 1.43% of the tax increase. The budget maintains a 5.18% municipal tax increase, while urban utility bills are set to rise 8.12% due to higher wastewater rates from ARROW Utilities. Council members questioned whether all proposed hires are necessary, citing potential overlaps and the risk of adding staff without improving service. Specific positions flagged for potential review included a mowing and diversion team lead, an indoor field house supervisor, a business system analyst, and some enforcement and victim services roles. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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