City council will aim to finalize the 2022 budget this week before the holiday season and scheduled break until Jan. 17. Here are some of the items that will be considered in addition to the budget this week:
- An amendment to the Temporary Mandatory Face Coverings Bylaw (Bylaw 19938) is ready for the first of three readings. The change would require council to review the bylaw "once the COVID-19 active case rate for the City of Edmonton remains below 100 per 100,000 for 28 consecutive days and the provincial health order is repealed."
- Charter Bylaw 19918 will also be read for the first time, which would allow the city to use its website as the "primary method for legally required advertisements and address digital notification methods for large-scale rezonings." The goal is to make advertising and notifications more accessible and modern.
- Ward papastew councillor Michael Janz plans to introduce a motion requesting that administration provide a report outlining "recommended policy changes to ensure safety, accessibility and equity for active and public transportation during construction projects." This comes in the wake of an outcry over barricaded bike lanes in Garneau, where Janz said that cyclists and other active transportation users are not prioritized in the same way as drivers.
- There will also be an update about Edmonton Police Commission candidate interviews in private.
Meetings are streamed live on city council's YouTube channel.