At its special meeting on Monday night, Red Deer city council gave first reading to a land use bylaw amendment that could add supervised consumption services (SCS) as a discretionary use for up to six potential sites, a move to prepare for a facility the city might not have a choice but to accommodate.

Those are the hospital, Turning Point, Safe Harbour and three public health clinics -- Johnstone Crossing, Bremner Avenue and 49th Street.

Coun. Tanya Handley opposed first reading, saying the province had not given the city a partnership role in the matter.

With the provincial and federal governments making most of the key decisions, Mayor Tara Veer said this was council’s way to take control over what lays within its jurisdiction, by making council the development authority, defining SCS in its land use bylaw and determining the location.

In a 5-4 vote, council passed an amendment from Coun. Dianne Wyntjes to include the clinics as possible locations.

Wyntjes said doing so puts all options on the table for consideration at the public hearing, scheduled for Dec. 19 at 6 p.m.

“Let’s have the conversation to see what the community thinks about that. It is a health issue so why wouldn’t it be at a health clinic?” Wyntjes said.

Veer was one of the four to vote against the amendment, citing the clinics’ proximity to residential neighbourhoods.

Recent correspondence between the city and the Ministry of Health could suggest the province has shifted its stance on how much say the municipality will get on the provision of SCS.

In November, council cited a letter from Associate Minister of Health Brandy Payne, that stated council’s formal position “was not requested, and is not required for the needs assessment.”

Since then, the province has indicated that it will seek council’s opinion when Turning Point applies for a federal exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act.

Veer said the city still needs a bigger decision-making role.

“They have seemed to refine their position saying that if and when a federal exemption is applied for, that they would be looking for a letter of opinion from the city,” she said. “While certainly, we appreciate the ability to submit a letter, it does not meet our expectation that (with) matters that affect our community … we need to be a partner.”

Council continues to ask that the province’s harm reduction strategy be complemented with prevention, treatment and community safety measures. As well, council is still demanding that the province provide a copy of the needs assessment completed by Turning Point.