Approaching decision-making as a team helped council navigate through a pandemic year with "no playbook," said Coun. Ken MacKay, who reflected on 2020 as the year came to a close.
When MacKay was elected to council, he said one of his goals was to help foster a cohesive council that worked well together.
"I used to always say, you don't have to agree, but you don't have to be disagreeable. I think that we've developed a good working relationship and you can see the list of things we were able to accomplish, even just this year and moving forward."
In a year-end interview with the Gazette, MacKay said even though the COVID-19 pandemic took centre stage as the biggest hurdle faced by the city and the community, council was able to keep the momentum going to see major projects accomplished this year and "successfully respond" to impacts as they emerged.
The city had their emergency operations centre set up early in the pandemic, and staff were able to interpret and respond to the changes, whether it was closing city facilities or safely integrate programming, he said.
He noted administration's work to reduce the city's deficit from $14.4 million to $500,000 while maintaining core service levels. Staff also kept outdoor recreation in mind when indoor restrictions were put in place, like clearing snow from the city's trail network so residents could still stretch their legs and maintain social distancing.
"Nobody created a playbook for pandemics, there was no instruction manual," MacKay said. "Overall, what we were able to get done in 2020 is actually remarkable, and I'm proud of it even though I'm aware of the impacts on the community."
Despite all the challenges and hurdles caused by the pandemic, the community stepped up in "incredible ways" to support each other, he said.
"Watching how community members have reached out to support each other and our local businesses has just been incredible and gratifying to see on a personal note. We're facing a once-in-a-lifetime event, and I think the way our community has responded has been remarkable."
MacKay listed some of the big-ticket items that moved ahead in 2020, including the completion of phase one for Ray Gibbon Drive, widening north St. Albert Trail, securing a recreation land deal with Rohit, and the annexation agreement with Sturgeon County. Movement on large city infrastructure projects helped attract new investment into St. Albert, he said.
"There's a 600,000 sq. ft. distribution facility moving in because of our commitment to Ray Gibbon Drive. We've had a whole bunch of new developments start to move forward, whether it's in Riverside or North Erin Ridge. An exciting development for me is the new building in downtown St. Albert where the Blind Pig Pub was."
Council's work on finding the "missing middle" affordable housing in St. Albert was also key for MacKay. Servicing on Range Road 260, allowing for zero lot lines and front-back duplexes all moved St. Albert forward on new neighbourhood developments while allowing for a more diverse range of housing that was missing in the past, he said.
Financial challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic forced municipalities across the country to tighten their budgets. However, keeping supports intact for the city's not-for-profits was especially important for MacKay, he said. During budget deliberations last month, MacKay voted against cutting $300,000 from the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS).
"When everybody is relying on our not-for-profit and service agencies, I think it was important to continue our funding," he said. "You probably wouldn't see the impact of that right away, but I can't imagine what it would be like if we would have had to cut back significantly on that."
Looking ahead to the coming year, MacKay said he would like to see more focus on emerging growth opportunities out of economic development, securing the technology needed for the city's intelligent transportation systems, and projects to deal with traffic issues on the city's roadways.
When asked if MacKay is considering running for reelection, he told the Gazette he won't be running for the mayor's spot, but he is still considering another council run.
"Right now, I'm definitely leaning to putting my name forward again because I really enjoyed the time so far. Meeting our community members and being involved with the Chamber and other not-for-profits has been so rewarding. We have incredible residents in our community."
