Airdrie City council voted unanimously in favour of awarding two grants to a pair of community organizations.
The first - a $150,000 grant - was requested by Airdrie Housing Limited. The organization is responsible for providing low-income housing in the city. The grant is on par with what the City contributed to the organization in 2012.
Airdrie Housing Limited is in the process of rezoning the former site of the RCMP detachment at 905 Edmonton Trail, with a concept in place for a three-storey mixed use building that would house 15 residential units as well as office space for Community Links.
ìAs far as donating to the RCMP building, it just makes sense,î said Mayor Peter Brown. ìItís a great location and the fact that another service organization such as Community Links is moving in there to support those people to give them the tools they need, I give kudos to Airdrie Housing Limited.î
Aldermen also voted in favour of providing grant funding and ongoing support to Citizens on Patrol. Last year the City provided $4,000 to Citizens on Patrol and this year honoured the organizationís request for $3,500, which will be added to the 2014 City budget.
Tax sale
The City of Airdrie will host a public auction for three different properties on Dec. 4, 2013 if payment of taxes in arrears are not made before that date.
The three properties in question are valued at over $1 million combined. The first, is a commercial property located at 40 East Lake Green valued at $718,000. The second, is a residential property at 37 Canoe Close valued at $298,000, and the third is four underground parking stalls located at 700 Willowbrook Rd. valued at $10,000 each.
City Manager of Assessment, Taxation and Utilities Suzette DeMott says the auction is a last resort and that the property owners are given plenty of notice.
ìIf no payment is made the auction will be advertised in the Alberta Gazette as well as the Airdrie City View,î said DeMott. ìWhat usually happens once the ad is out there is the owners come forward and make the payment.î
Alderman hospitalized
Alderman Murray Buchanan was absent from the Oct. 7 meeting as he was in the Intensive Care Unit at Foothills Hospital in Calgary.
His fellow aldermen took time out of their meeting to wish him a fast and full recovery.
Mayor Peter Brown visited with Buchanan on Oct. 8 and says that he has been doing better as of late.
ìMurray is a private person and I donít really want to talk about his condition other than the fact that he is sick,î said Brown.
Buchananís daughter Fiona has started a blog with updates on Murrayís condition.
ìToday (Oct. 8), dad was doing much better. His health has been improving day-by-day. I have yet to hear Dad complain,î Buchananís daughter Fiona wrote on her blog buchananfamilyblog.wordpress.com
Mayor Peter Brown and Airdrie council showed their support to raise awareness around Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Airdrie.
Bert Church High School guidance counselor Tracey Sweetapple appeared before council to request that next week be proclaimed as ADHD Awareness Week.
ìThis is one of the most prevalent and treatable disorders,î said Sweetapple. ìThere just isnít enough information out there about it right now.î
Vancouver, B.C., was the first city in Canada to proclaim an ADHD Awareness Week in 2007.
ìMy hope is that this is a small step forward in bringing about more awareness and education around this issue,î said Brown.
Alderman Fred Burley put in a request that the proclamation letter also be sent to the Province.
