The City of St. Albert has signalled a willingness to think outside the traditional build-and-own model for municipalities.
City council in the suburban community on Edmonton's northwest corner unanimously approved a new policy to govern consideration for P3s - public-private partnerships - in late May.
"This policy provides the city with an important new tool to take on large infrastructure projects," said Mayor Nolan Crouse. "With a council P3 policy we can apply for P3 types of programs offered through other levels of government."
While the policy is now in place, the city has yet to identify any projects for consideration, said Guy Boston, the city's general manager of planning and engineering.
The policy states that P3 initiatives must demonstrate value for the money, align with city priorities, protect the public interest and have established accountabilities and appropriate governance.
While the policy might seem to open the doors for more private ownership in city projects, it was announced at the same time the city approved the purchase of a privately held building to give more space to its growing RCMP police force.
from Western Investor July 2012
