This week, council returns to meetings to discuss how Ellerslie Road will cross the future Capital Line LRT extension, potential ways to reduce the property tax levy, and the Integrity Office's annual report.
There is a public hearing scheduled on Oct. 21 and a city council meeting scheduled on Oct. 22 with a continuation on Oct. 23, if required. There is a private special city council meeting on Oct. 22.
Here are key items on this week's agenda:
- Council will discuss whether the city should build a tunnel or bridge along Ellerslie Road to allow drivers to travel over or under the future Capital Line LRT extension at a meeting on Oct. 22. The extension's former design included an elevated station just north of Ellerslie Road. In May 2023, due to budget constraints, council voted to change that to an at-grade station with an option to separate the intersection of the track and roadway in the future. A city report said building an overpass for Ellerslie Road at this intersection, which is currently four lanes but will be widened to six, would cost about $64 million, while an underpass would cost about $99 million. Both estimates exclude engineering costs, use a four-lane road in the analysis, and are in 2023 dollars, meaning eventual costs would likely be higher, the report said. Administration conducted an analysis using the traffic volumes it projects for 2050. It found that leaving the intersection with a grade conflict and the current four-lane configuration would delay drivers from 20 to 30 seconds, and would delay them from 10 to 25 seconds once the road is widened to six lanes. There is no funding for construction of this phase of the extension, meaning council is not required to make a decision.
- City administration said there are limited options to reduce the property tax levy due to a significant lack of money for renewal projects. A report set to be presented at a city council meeting on Oct. 22 details that only 58% of renewal projects are funded. That number drops to 35% after accounting for priority bridge renewal and the Neighbourhood Renewal Program. Administration said growth projects funded in the 2023-2026 budget were mandated by legislation, had high safety impacts, or were eligible for funding from other levels of governments. Administration did not recommend reducing the budgets of those projects. Not all projects that council has added to the budget meet the same criteria, however, and administration said these are the first it recommends be cut to reduce tax pressure. These projects include additions to the active transportation network, improvements to Chinatown infrastructure, and designing a new library in Riverbend. The budget for these projects totals $216 million. Funding for projects that council has chosen to add to the budget has been at least partially committed or spent, except for the planning phase of two mass transit routes. Administration said it will provide council with a report in November that outlines ways to reduce neighbourhood renewal spending. It will also include a list of all projects in the planning or design phases where capital funds have not been committed for project delivery.
- Jamie Pytel, the city integrity commissioner, and Brent Rathgeber, the city ethics advisor, said most bugs have been worked out of the Integrity Office now that it's five years old. According to its 2023 annual report, scheduled to be presented to council on Oct. 22, the office is working to add policies to the Council Code of Conduct, including those involving social media and respect in the workplace. The report said event attendance is the section of the code of conduct that generates the most inquiries. The office received 17 complaints in 2023, eight of which it investigated. The integrity commissioner found the code was breached after they investigated allegations that Coun. Jennifer Rice discriminated against and harassed an employee. Rice obtained court orders in August to stop a sanctioned hearing on the matter after a judicial review, which is scheduled for May 2026, after the next municipal election in October 2025.
Council will consider options to separate rail tracks and vehicle lanes at Ellerslie Road. (City of Edmonton)
Here are some other items on the agenda:
- Council is set to vote on needed upgrades for the Edmonton Waste Management Centre's water distribution system, which will cost about $17.25 million, according to a report. The upgrades were budgeted for in the 2023-2026 budget deliberations, so no new funding would be required. Council's utility committee recommended proceeding with the project at its Oct. 11 meeting.
- Council will consider providing more money for the Chinatown Vibrancy Fund at a meeting on Oct. 22, though it would not materialize until at least 2027. At its Oct. 9 meeting, council's executive committee recommended city council ask administration to prepare an unfunded service package for ongoing Chinatown funding to be considered during the 2027-2030 budget deliberations. At the same meeting, the committee instructed administration to allocate nearly $1 million to the fund in 2025 and 2026, with budget coming from the Downtown Vibrancy Fund.
- Administration will ask council to decide on changes to the 2025 municipal election policy at a meeting on Oct. 22. Council can decide to require a criminal record check for those seeking nomination. Under the Local Authorities Election Act and other election acts, an individual is ineligible if convicted of an elections-related offence within the past 10 years. Currently, candidates must only make an oath that affirms they meet eligibility requirements. City staff also recommend an earlier deadline for voters who request a special ballot by mail, and a later deadline for voters who request in-person pick up of a special ballot. Another change administration recommends is to remove using a fax machine as an accepted method for making a special ballot application, as there were no fax applications in the 2017 or 2021 elections. Administration also recommends keeping the nomination deposit at $500 for mayoral candidates and $100 for councillor candidates, and maintaining the nomination signature requirements at 100 for mayoral candidates and 25 for councillor candidates.
- Council is scheduled to get a verbal update on Dutch elm disease in Edmonton. In August, City of Edmonton officials detected Dutch elm, a fungal disease spread by beetles that can kill elm trees. As of Oct. 1, the city has found and removed four infected elms, Mark Beare, the director of infrastructure operations, told Taproot.
- Administration is asking for council approval on several zoning changes that will facilitate turning surplus school sites in Dunluce, Lymburn, Blue Quill, Summerlea, Belmont, Wedgewood Heights, and La Perle into affordable housing developments. The City of Edmonton received 20 surplus school sites from the Edmonton Public School Board in 2009 after it was decided they were no longer needed for schools. The city's real estate branch is asking to rezone parts of the sites to allow for medium-scale buildings.
- Casia Developments has proposed to build two 25-storey residential towers close to 124 Street and 105 Avenue, near the future Valley Line West LRT. The developer says the project aims to revitalize the area and contribute to Edmonton's vision of increasing foot traffic along key corridors. However, CBC News interviewed business owner Sandy Muldrew, who fears the towers would be too high and could change the street's welcoming atmosphere. City council is set to review the proposal at a public hearing on Oct. 21.
- Council will review deputy mayor and acting mayor terms from Oct. 22 to the 2025 municipal election during a council meeting on Oct. 22. Each councillor is assigned each of the roles for about 30 days. The deputy mayor acts as the mayor if Mayor Amarjeet Sohi is unable to perform mayoral duties. The acting mayor acts as the mayor if both the deputy mayor and mayor are unavailable. Administration said changes may be presented to council as councillors indicate intent to run for re-election.
- Council is set to vote on the 2025 meeting calendar at its meeting on Oct. 22.
- In a private meeting on Oct. 22, council will receive an update on the recruitment of a new city manager.
- Council will meet in private to discuss who will be appointed to civic agencies, as well as for an update from a consultant and an update on a contract.
Meetings stream live on YouTube on the Chamber channel and River Valley Room channel.