This week, council returns to discuss council appointments to the Edmonton Police Commission, an update to the operating and capital budgets, and taller buildings in the Mill Woods Town Centre redevelopment project.
There is a public hearing scheduled for Sept. 9 and a city council meeting scheduled for Sept. 10 with a continuation on Sept. 11 if needed.
Here are key items on this week's agenda:
- The Edmonton Police Commission has requested that city councillors no longer serve on the commission and be replaced by community appointees. Council is scheduled to vote on the request at a meeting on Sept. 10. An external consultant recommended the change in a 2023 review of police commission governance. The commission's report said the voices and opinions of council members often outweigh those of community members, in part because councillors may have more experience in public speaking and are elected. The Alberta Police Act allows a municipality of Edmonton's size to appoint up to two councillors or city staff members if desired. The report said councillors who serve on the commission automatically face conflicts of interest during budget deliberations because council places restraints on police funding, while the commission often requests increases that exceed other budget items. This request further amplifies the tense relationship between council and the commission. This spring, council requested a list of the Edmonton Police Service's auditing priorities, as policing is the city's largest budget item. The commission refused to release the list, arguing that a public-facing audit program would be less effective.
- Administration forecasts an operating budget deficit of $34.4 million by the end of 2024 due in part to additional overtime for transit operators and Edmonton Fire Rescue Services employees, according to a report that is scheduled to be presented to council on Sept. 10. The city is also spending more on salaries in the community recreation and culture branch because rising attendance at facilities and increased security incidents have led to a need for more staff and security guards. The financial stabilization reserve is projected to be at $67.3 million at the end of the year, which is below the minimum required balance of $133.8 million. Council is also scheduled to discuss the capital budget on Sept. 10. The city is expected to spend $2.2 billion on capital projects this year, which is higher than previous years because major projects are progressing further into construction, such as the Lewis Farms Community Recreation Centre and Library, Valley Line West LRT, Capital Line South LRT extension, and the Yellowhead Trail Freeway Conversion.
- The MacLab Development Group has applied to rezone a land parcel adjacent to the Mill Woods LRT stop so that it can build a 22-storey tower rather than an 18-storey tower. Mill Woods Town Centre and its parking lot were rezoned in 2017 to allow for a high-density redevelopment of the property. City administration said it supports the rezoning because the proposed tower will be between the LRT stop and the Mill Woods Transit Centre and it is in scale with existing buildings nearby. Some residents oppose the rezoning, however, due to concerns about parking, traffic congestion, and neighbourhood character. Council is set to vote on the rezoning application at a public hearing on Sept. 9.
The Edmonton Police Commission recommends that city councillors no longer serve on the commission's board. (Mack Male/Flickr)
Here are some other items on the agenda:
- Council is set to discuss a gap in transit funding at a meeting on Sept. 10. At a meeting on Aug. 28, council's executive committee recommended Mayor Amarjeet Sohi arrange a meeting with the provincial government to discuss the sustainability of the Ride Transit program, which provides subsidized transit passes to lower-income Edmontonians. At the executive committee meeting, councillors passed a motion directing administration to maintain transit fares, instead of increasing them as planned. Instead, administration will bring forward options to fund the $10.2 million gap at the fall supplement operating budget adjustment.
- Council is scheduled to vote on whether homeless shelters should be allowed near industrial lots at a meeting on Sept. 10. Council's urban planning committee recommended council approve amending the zoning bylaw to prevent year-round and seasonal shelters on sites adjacent to those that are zoned heavy industrial.
- City staff are scheduled to give a verbal update on the recent discovery of Dutch elm disease in Edmonton trees. As of Aug. 30, four trees have tested positive for the invasive fungus. The deadly disease poses a threat to all elm trees in Alberta, including 90,000 that are owned by the City of Edmonton. Mark Beare, the city's director of infrastructure operations, told CBC that hundreds of elm trees could be hit with the disease.
- Coun. Anne Stevenson is set to introduce a motion that could see the city help the W.E.C.A.N. Society purchase its home, the Harcourt House. The artist hub has been working to raise $3.5 million since it learned in November 2023 that the provincial government, which owns the buildings, is not going to renew its lease. Stevenson's motion will ask city staff to make an exemption to a heritage policy, allowing grant funding to go to the society's fundraising goal. Under this plan, once the society purchases the property outright, the city would designate it as a municipal historic resource.
- The Ayrshire Group has applied to rezone its property at 10506 81 Avenue NW to reduce the maximum height from 15 to six storeys and the maximum number of units from 209 to 120. Administration said the scaled-down proposal is more compatible because it will provide "more space at ground level to ensure a properly sized public realm for this high pedestrian traffic area." Administration said the ground floor considerations are important because the proposed building has more residential uses at ground level than is typical in the area. The proposed new zone requires the developer to build a minimum of five three-bedroom units with amenities for families like bulk storage, a common amenity area specifically designed for children, and increased assigned bicycle parking. The city would also require the developer to build new pedestrian crossings across 105 Street NW and 81 Avenue NW. Council is scheduled to vote on the rezoning application at a public hearing on Sept. 9.
- River Valley Custom Homes has applied to rezone three adjacent lots at 13807, 13811, and 13815 102 Avenue NW in Glenora to allow for a three-storey building. This could include anything from a single-detached house to a 22-unit building. Some residents oppose the application because it is seen as going against the Carruthers Caveat, a century-old covenant on properties in Glenora south of Stony Plain Road that restricts building anything other than single-family homes. Administration said it supports the application because the lots are near the future Grovenor/142 Street LRT stop. Under the proposed district planning policy, which is currently being reviewed by the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board, the lots are within the Stony Plain Road primary corridor and could therefore support a building of up to 20 storeys. Council is scheduled to vote on the rezoning application at a public hearing on Sept. 9.
- Jasper House GP Inc. has applied to rezone the surface parking lot adjacent to the Jasper House apartment building at 12021 Jasper Avenue NW to allow for a 31-storey building. Administration said this rezoning is compatible with nearby high-rise developments like The Pearl, The Citizen, the Hat at 122, The Oliver, and The MacLaren. The zoning bylaw suggests a minimum separation of 25 metres between towers to avoid creating a wind corridor, but the proposed development would be only 13 metres from the existing Jasper House tower. The developer submitted a wind impact study that determined the pedestrian realm on Jasper Avenue and Victoria Promenade would remain comfortable for pedestrians year round. The rezoning could see the city require the developer to plant trees between the towers and to construct the building with an angled and recessed floor shape to further mitigate the wind corridor. The city could also require the developer to build 28 three-bedroom units and amenities specifically designed for children if the rezoning application is approved. Council is scheduled to vote on the rezoning application at a public hearing on Sept. 9.
- Administration has prepared amendments to the disclosure bylaw to remove outdated requirements, which council is scheduled to vote on at meeting on Sept. 10.
- Administration is scheduled to give council an update on Bill 20 and the budget for the next municipal election at a meeting on Sept. 10. This report was not available before Taproot went to press.
- Council is scheduled to receive a private intergovernmental update at a council meeting on Sept. 10.
Meetings stream live on YouTube on the Chamber channel and River Valley Room channel.