Coming up at council: April 19-23, 2021

Here are some of the notable agenda items coming before city council for the week of April 19-23:

Administration recommends allocating $10.3 million from the COVID-19 funds within the Financial Stabilization Reserve to address "emerging priority items" including $1.3 million to support the rapid-flow vaccination site at the Edmonton EXPO Centre, $300,000 to maintain the public washroom attendance program at Louise McKinney Park, $100,000 to support the temporary patio initiative, and nearly $6 million over the next two years to add UV purification technology to the ETS and DATS fleets.
The Spring 2021 Supplemental Operating Budget Adjustments outlines administration's strategy to achieve an overall tax change of 0% for 2021. Due to market fluctuations and the way the provincial education tax is collected, the required 2021 requisition is higher than anticipated. Administration proposes a further overall municipal tax decrease 0.3% ($5.3 million) which would be offset by higher than projected assessment growth and revenue ($5.7 million more than the approved budget) to keep the overall tax change for 2021 at 0%.
Councillor Michael Walters is expected to make a motion supporting the effort to designate the North Saskatchewan River as a Canadian Heritage River, a program jointly administered by the federal, provincial, and territorial governments. Smoky Lake County is hosting a related survey asking for input on "the recreational, cultural and natural heritage of the North Saskatchewan River."

Recommendations from council's committees include:

That the revised Community Energy Transition Strategy and action plan be approved along with the Climate Resilience Policy C627. Mayor Don Iveson tweeted on April 18 that the new strategy is "our boldest climate plan to date" and that dealing with climate change head-on "is an unprecedented jobs and investment opportunity for Edmonton."
That the updated fee schedule for Edmonton Transit be approved, which will increase the cash fare to $3.75 and introduce a new discounted rate for smart fare users.
That the city take advantage of Canada Infrastructure Bank's Zero Emission Bus Program to purchase new electric buses.
That the City of Edmonton's 2020 audited consolidated financial statements be approved.
Administration has made some amendments to the Edmonton Economic Action Plan based on guidance from executive committee.

Other agenda items coming up include:

Proposed amendments to the Councillors' Budget and Expenses Policy C618A include greater flexibility on travel expenses and better alignment with existing City of Edmonton expense management practices and procedures.
The City of Edmonton is looking to rezone a portion of 9303 98 Street NW from low density infill to the metropolitan recreation zone to allow for the preservation of natural areas and parkland along the North Saskatchewan River.
A rezoning application from Beljan Development proposes repurposing the EPCOR substation building and lot adjacent to the West End Telephone Exchange building (now called Oliver Exchange) into a new two-storey commercial building and common amenity area.
A rezoning application submitted on behalf of Rohit Communities would allow for a six-storey residential building in Strathcona containing a mix of apartment units and three-bedroom townhouses at 10119 85 Avenue.
Changes to the city council calendar are recommended for late May and early June to accommodate the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) annual conference which runs May 31 to June 4.
Bylaw 19644, the General Repealing Bylaw 2021, repeals seven bylaw that are no longer required and amends three others that contain clerical errors. It is ready for three readings.

Agendas for this week include:

Meetings are streamed live on city council's YouTube channel.