Coming up at council: Feb. 15-19, 2021

Here are some of the notable agenda items coming before city council for the week of Feb. 15-19:

• Administration recommends approving an agreement framework between the City of Edmonton and Prairie Sky Gondola, saying the proposed gondola "aligns with the goals and objectives outlined in key...strategic planning documents...and is supportive of the city's objectives." The project would be funded, constructed, operated, and maintained by Prairie Sky. The cost of construction is estimated at between $132 million and $155 million, with annual operating costs of at least $12 million.
• The Indigenous Framework, co-created with members of Indigenous communities in Treaty Six Territory, is "a guide for how to strengthen the City's relationship between non-Indigenous and Indigenous Peoples." Administration says the framework will be implemented through "department-specific action plans and change management plans."
• A funding proposal developed by Edmonton's Community Outreach Table would create "a multilingual, culturally sensitive intake and referral program (resource hub) to connect residents diagnosed with COVID-19 to resources in order to assist with isolation and prevention of further transmission." The budget is $1.5 million.
• A progress update on Connections & Exchanges: A 10-Year Plan to Transform Arts and Heritage says that COVID-19 has had "a major impact" on the arts community, with local reports reflecting national statistics that show employment in the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector was down 32% in December 2020 compared to the year prior.

Other agenda items coming up include:

• A Charter Bylaw would be required to align Traffic Bylaw 5590 with the Calgary Traffic Safety Bylaw regarding safe passing distances between cyclists and drivers.
• The Edmonton Police Service received 680 vehicle noise complaints in 2020. A pilot project that ran from July to September 2020 to examine noise monitoring equipment produced "mixed" results.
• The Edmonton Arts Council recommends a total of $4.23 million in immediate, short-term support for 138 existing organizations in 2021. Council approval is required for 21 of the grant recommendations as they exceed the $30,000 threshold. Three organizations — Art Gallery of Alberta, Citadel Theatre, and Edmonton Symphony Society & Francis Winspear Centre for Music — account for 40% of the recommended total.
• Administration recommends extending its agreement with Paladin Security Group Ltd. for parking patrol services from April 16 to Aug. 31, 2021 at a cost of $940,000.
• According to a report on Indigenous housing, there are 76,205 Indigenous peoples living in Edmonton, "which is the second-largest urban Indigenous population in Canada, after Winnipeg."
• A proposed bylaw amendment would set fines ranging from $250 to $500 for "inappropriate feeding of wildlife or other behaviours that create or lead to nuisance conditions."