Graffiti strategy on council agenda

By Al Beeber – Lethbridge Herald on September 13, 2024. Herald photo by Al Beeber Graffiti is seen on a downtown building. City council will be dealing with a motion regarding the graffiti abatement program Tuesday. LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com After a summer break Lethbridge city council will be back in chambers on Tuesday. Council meets at 12:30 p.m. in City Hall. No official business is on the agenda but council does have several bylaws for readings to address. And it has three committee reports to accept or reject. One of those is a recommendation from the Safety and Social Standing Policy Committee regarding the graffiti abatement strategy. That recommendation from July 18 calls for one-time funding of $51,562 to extend the abatement strategy zone beyond the boundaries of the Downtown BRZ. According to a report on graffiti abatement in Lethbridge from the BRZ graffiti tagging is appearing “at an increasing rate” throughout the city. “While the appearance of such tags is detrimental to the buildings and commercial enterprises, they are further problematic when associated with gang related activity and the establishment of ‘territory’. Graffiti often serves as a rebellious act against societal norms and authority. Some artists use it as a...