Public feedback is being collected on the City’s snow and ice control operations as part of a fulsome service review.

Currently, the City is exploring ways to better meet resident needs with snow and ice control operations by improving or adjusting service levels and adding or reallocating costs.

Residents are invited to participate in various public consultation activities online and in-person to inform City Council’s decisions on snow and ice, including:

  • Public Town Halls
  • Virtual Focus Groups
  • Feedback Survey
  • Canada Day Booth
  • Online Questions Space

The public town halls occur on July 14 at the Teresa Sargent Hall in the Montrose Cultural Centre during the following times:

  • 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. (formal presentations at 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.)
  • 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (formal presentations at 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.)

During the town hall, residents can share their feedback on current snow and ice services with City Staff through in-person activities and by attending a presentation at the above times.

Snow-and-ice-themed refreshments such as freezies and popsicles will be available and residents who attend can enter to win a grand prize.

Two virtual focus groups are being held to collect in-depth thoughts and perspectives on snow and ice services at the following times:

Focus Group 1:

·         Date: July 12, 2022

·         Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Focus Group 2:

·         Date: July 13, 2022

·         Time: 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

 

Residents interested in participating in the focus groups are invited to express interest by emailing engagement@cityofgp.com. Participants for the focus group will then be selected from this pool to ensure a well-rounded representation of the City’s population.

Participants will receive a $50 honorarium in recognition of their time.

Residents are invited to participate in a 17-question survey and provide feedback on current services, identify areas of potential improvement, and share ideas on how to improve snow communications with the public.

The survey will remain open until July 17. Visit [engage.cityofgp.com/snow-ice-review]engage.cityofgp.com/snow-ice-review and scroll to the bottom of the page to take the survey.

An online engagement page is available for residents to visit, learn about the current service, and provide feedback on potential changes to the service. The page also features a question & answer space and balancing act tool where residents can submit their preference for how the snow and ice control budget should be allocated by City Council.

Feedback collected during the public consultation will inform City Council’s discussions and decisions on the Snow and Ice Control Policy 606 to help them determine where to make snow and ice control service adjustments.

Visit [engage.cityofgp.com/snow-ice-review]engage.cityofgp.com/snow-ice-review for all information related to the snow and ice service review and to participate in the public consultation.

Background

The snow and ice service review was initiated by City Council in July 2021 to assess the service and ensure residents receive the most value possible.

In June 2022, City administration presented an internal snow and ice control review examining all existing snow and ice services to identify areas of enhancement and the associated cost to adjust these service levels.

On June 13, 2022, City Council directed administration to proceed with public consultation.

Information provided by the City of Grande Prairie