Latest news with #CommunityDevelopmentCommittee
Global News
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Global News
Resilient roofing program helped Calgarians but rebate won't return
After years of devastating hailstorms leaving a trail of damaged neighbourhoods in their wake, the City of Calgary is looking at creating a new hail resiliency program. City administration is recommending the creation of a 'Hail Resilience Improvement Network', which would improve collaboration with builders and other partners to develop information and tools for Calgarians on hail resistant home upgrades. It also calls on investments into Calgary hail exposure maps to help with planning decision and 'strengthen advocacy efforts.' A 'Hail Equity Impact Analysis' would also be completed to assess how repeated hailstorms affect socioeconomic inequity in vulnerable communities, which would inform new policies and programs. 'As our weather patterns continue to change, severe hailstorms are expected to become more common, increasing the already high risk for existing homes,' the city said in a report. Story continues below advertisement 'As our city continues to grow outwards, we are also increasing this risk by building more unprotected homes in areas that are historically prone to hailstorms.' Last August's hailstorm in northeast Calgary resulted in an estimated $2.8 billion in damage to 58,802 properties. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy According to Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott, who chairs the city's Community Development Committee, the long-term plan is aimed at lobbying the provincial government to make several legislative changes. 'We're making sure that we're putting all the information together, getting the right groups in the room and going to the proper order of government to make sure that resilience is a function of the next building code,' he told reporters Thursday. The proposed program is the result of a notice of motion from Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal in late 2024, which asked the city to review its former Resilient Roofing Rebate Program. However, administration is not recommending the resurrection of that program as part of its hail resiliency plan. That program was created in the aftermath of a hailstorm through northeast neighbourhoods in late 2020, which caused an estimated $1.2 billion in damages, and offered homeowners a rebate of up to $3,000 for upgrading to impact-resistant roofing materials. Dhaliwal expressed disappointment that a rebate program isn't in the cards. Story continues below advertisement 'These recommendations are sound and great, but they're for the future, tomorrow, but not today and the issue is today,' he told reporters. 'The residents in Redstone, Cornerstone, Cityscape, Skyview, Saddleridge, Taradale, how are they going to cope with some of the issues they're seeing today?' The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) found roughly $13 million in damage was avoided due to the number of upgraded roofs installed through the program, which cost the city $5.25 million. The city also noted the rebate structure didn't address the needs of lower-income households who could not cover initial costs, and language barriers and application complexities created obstacles for some homeowners. However, a new type grant program could be in the cards. Administration is recommending the mayor write a letter to advocate the province to create a grant program to help vulnerable, low-income homeowners pay for hail protection upgrades to their homes, or change the Municipal Government Act to allow hail protection upgrades to be part of programs offered through the City of Calgary. In the meantime, Dhaliwal said he plans to bring forward a 'stop gap measure' to help hail-impacted residents sooner when the matter goes to council later this month.
Belfast Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Former mayor reveals ‘vile' online abuse after statement on Hamas attack, as council reviews social media policy
The borough council's Community Development Committee agreed a revised protocol including user terms at a meeting in Mossley Mill, Newtownabbey, on Monday evening. A report to the committee said: 'In general terms, social media is a very effective way for the council to communicate and engage with residents and visitors. However social media societally can also be subject to improper and negative use. 'The social media operating protocol sets out the council's approach to monitoring and managing all of the social media channels and accounts and advises all of those who engage with the council through these platforms what the acceptable terms of use are and how inappropriate commentary will be addressed. 'Within the protocol, users are advised that the council will remove, ban or report users who violate the social media terms of use. There is also a mechanism to appeal such a ban.' The report noted the council operates a number of social media channels and has 141,000 followers. Ulster Unionist Councillor Stewart Wilson proposed accepting the recommendation to approve the protocol seconded by DUP councillor Mark Cooper. Mr Cooper told members there had been an incident for the council when he issued a statement on October 7 2023, during his mayoral term, when Hamas attacked Israel. He reported the comments function on the social media post online had to be turned off due to 'vile comments'. The war in Gaza erupted with Hamas's October 7 2023 attack on southern Israel in which 1,200 were killed. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed nearly 53,000 Palestinians. Mr Cooper indicated there was a similar response to the council's Holocaust programme when it was advertised. He went on to say the comments function had to be turned off in relation to this post. Mr Cooper went on to ask if these comments are being reported to the PSNI when they are being made and being recorded as 'hate crimes'. He also remarked that comments made about personal appearance on social media 'hurts'. Ursula Fay, director of community development, said: 'Members know how challenging social media is.' She indicated comments can be made by 'anonymous trolls' through accounts, she believed, to be 'set up specifically to be abusive'. She pointed out the local authority 'adopts a pragmatic approach' and plans ahead and can turn off the comments function and review on a 'case by case basis'. 'We would report anything like that to the PSNI,' the director stated. However she acknowledged it is a 'complicated issue which is very difficult to police'. 'We take our responsibility in this regard seriously,' she stated. The council's social media operating protocol will be reviewed on an annual basis.
CBC
06-02-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Calgary's GamePLAN: Council to discuss spending upwards of $200M annually on recreation
City administration has created 'GamePLAN,' a new strategy for rebuilding Calgary's recreational facilities. Staff are presenting three scenarios to the Community Development Committee Thursday.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Calgary's GamePLAN: Council to discuss spending upwards of $200M annually on recreation
City administration has created 'GamePLAN,' a new strategy for rebuilding Calgary's recreational facilities. Staff are presenting three scenarios to the Community Development Committee Thursday.
