The Government of Alberta is considering various economic stimulus approaches in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. RMA has advocated to the Government of Alberta for economic stimulus in the form of increased municipal infrastructure funding, as municipal capital projects have a proven history of creating jobs and supporting economic development throughout the province.
To inform their economic stimulus planning, the Government of Alberta has requested information from municipalities on shovel-ready projects that could be supported through increased infrastructure funding. Although the Government of Alberta has not yet provided a formal definition of “shovel-ready”, RMA encourages members to submit information on any capital projects that could be completed in the 2020 construction season. This could also include the expansion of an existing project (already tendered or underway), interrupting a project that is mid-tender to expand the scope of the project, or a new project that is near tender and could be tendered in a short period. RMA has informed the Government of Alberta that as most municipalities have already awarded tenders for their 2020 capital projects, a second round of tendering may be required if stimulus funding is made available.
The Government of Alberta provided guidance on how to share information on shovel-ready projects in the April 17 edition of the Municipal Governance During the COVID-19 Outbreak – Frequently Asked Questions document, which stated the following:
Where do I send our municipality’s list of shovel-ready projects the Minister referred to during the town hall meetings?
Municipalities can mail or email a letter explaining any shovel-ready projects to the Minister’s office:
The Honourable Kaycee Madu
Minister of Municipal Affairs
132 Legislature Building 10800 – 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6
Email: minister.municipalaffairs@gov.ab.ca
Also forward a copy to: ma.geptbranch@gov.ab.ca
RMA encourages members to share any available information about shovel-ready projects with the Minister as soon as possible.
For enquiries, please contact:
Wyatt Skovron
Senior Policy Advisor
wyatt@RMAlberta.com
Tasha Blumenthal
Director of External Relations & Advocacy
tasha@RMAlberta.com