On the agenda: Migrant plan, neighbourhood renewal, ArtsCommon 118

This week, council returns from a short break to talk about a proposed migrant action plan, neighbourhood renewal budgets, and the ArtsCommon 118 development.

There is a community and public services committee meeting scheduled on Nov. 25 and an urban planning committee meeting scheduled on Nov. 26. There is an executive committee meeting scheduled on Nov. 27, a non-regular city council meeting scheduled on Nov. 28, and an audit committee meeting scheduled on Nov. 29.

Here are key items on this week's agenda:

• Administration proposes creating a Migrant Action Plan to address the needs of Edmonton residents born outside of Canada. While immigration is primarily a federal and provincial responsibility, cities play a role in welcoming and integrating new Canadians, a report scheduled to be presented to council's community and public services committee on Nov. 25 said. Nearly one third of Edmonton's population were immigrants as of May 2021, the month for which the newest data is available. Administration estimates nearly 38,500 people moved to the Edmonton region from other countries between 2022 and 2023. Pending council approval, administration will create an action plan to assess the needs of the immigrant population, set goals, identify community partners, and review funding.
• Reducing the budget for the neighbourhood renewal program would delay about 18 neighbourhood-wide projects during a four-year budget cycle, according to a report scheduled to be presented to council's urban planning committee on Nov. 26. Council had asked administration to explore if cutting the program's budget by between 25% to 35% was feasible. Because most of the funds have been committed for the remainder of the 2023-2026 budget cycle, reducing spending at that scale is not possible, the report said. Administration said reducing the program's budget by delaying renewal projects will increase maintenance costs and necessitate more extensive repairs in the future. The report also examines the proportion of the program's budget spent on each element of neighbourhood renewal. About half goes to reconstructing roads, and 30% goes to reconstructing curbs, gutters, and sidewalks. About 4% goes to installing bike infrastructure, shared pathways, and missing link sidewalks, and 3% goes to installing traffic-calming measures.
• The community development company behind the proposed ArtsCommon 118 development said it no longer sees the original project as viable. A report scheduled to be presented to council's executive committee on Nov. 27 said the Edmonton Community Development Company is facing barriers to development. The project, in the works since at least 2018, was planned to create 78 live-work artist studios, two floors of market space for artists, performance spaces, a rooftop garden, and industrial kitchen space. To support the development, Edmonton transferred several land parcels to ECDC, with the condition that ECDC started to build ArtsCommon by July 2028. ECDC has asked for that sale agreement to be amended, as its time condition has made it hard to build on the lot, which remains empty. ECDC said amending the agreement would allow it to build smaller commercial developments or other initiatives that support the area. Executive committee could recommend to council that the agreement be amended, and if so, the matter will be discussed at a future council meeting.

Here are some other items on the agenda:

• Administration said staff will review signal timings along 102 Avenue NW parallel to the Valley Line LRT tracks to reduce pedestrian wait times following a six-month review of multimodal traffic along the corridor. City staff analyzed pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicle traffic along 102 Avenue between 99 Street NW and 103 Street NW during busy hours in May 2024, for a total of 15 hours. Administration found that 16% of all roadway users broke the law, with the most common infractions coming from pedestrians, but most infractions were of low risk for collisions. More than a quarter of observed pedestrians broke the law, many of whom walked across 102 Avenue NW against a "do not walk" signal. About 18% of cyclists broke the law. The most common infraction was cyclists riding parallel to the LRT while it had a signal to proceed but the bicycle signal was indicating to stop. About 2% of drivers broke the law, many of whom blocked the intersection while avoiding stopping on the train tracks. To improve safety and traffic flow, administration said it will review signal timing, adjust signage, and explore installing a real-time warning for drivers turning right when a cyclist is approaching.
• Council's executive committee is set to discuss designating Alexander Circle, a park in the Glenora neighbourhood, as a municipal historic resource. Pending council approval, Alexander Circle would become the first public park to be protected from demolition and other changes due to heritage considerations. Efforts to protect Alexander Circle started after administration paused work on a heritage strategy for the Glenora neighbourhood and redirected funds to a city-wide strategy.
• Administration has chosen three projects to receive funding from the Indigenous Housing Grant Program, pending council approval. Yellowhead Tribal Council has proposed a 149-unit mixed-market housing project at 560 Belvedere Way NW. Fifty-nine units will be offered at approximately 60% of market rent, and the rest will be offered at market rates. Administration recommends granting YTC $5.25 million for the project. The Métis Capital Housing Corporation has proposed a six-unit transitional supportive housing project in Calder for Metis women, families, and 2SLGBTQ+ people fleeing domestic violence. The units will be rented at 32% of market rates for the next 40 years. Administration said it recommends giving the project $480,000. NiGiNan Housing Ventures proposed a 28-unit affordable housing project in Elmwood Park. Half the units will be studio apartments, half will be three-bedrooms, and all will be offered at a maximum of 80% of market rents to clients in the provincial Persons with Developmental Disabilities program. The project will include a shared courtyard and outdoor amenity space. Council's executive committee is set to discuss the funding on Nov. 27. If the committee approves the grants, the discussion will continue at a city council meeting.
• Factors that increase the cost of capital projects include the project's timing, sustainable building practices, the building's size and complexity, and the city's regulations for municipal buildings, according to a report that is scheduled to be presented to council's executive committee on Nov. 27. A consultant analyzed and compared the budget of seven recreation centre projects and four fire station projects to similar projects in other municipalities. The analysis found Edmonton's projects tend to be more complex in scope, increasing costs and timelines compared to smaller municipalities. However, there were limitations in available data from other municipalities, which makes it hard to draw a conclusion, the report said. Administration also prepared a breakdown of the project development and delivery model it uses in planning, designing, and constructing capital projects.
• Administration recommends amending the city's public private partnership policy so administration no longer requires council approval to use the P3 model for projects with a budget of less than $500 million. The current threshold is $30 million, a report detailing the proposed amended policy said. Administration said the proposed change would align with industry benchmarks for major projects and better reflect the scale and complexities involved in large-scale infrastructure. Council's executive committee is scheduled to review the proposed policy changes at a meeting on Nov. 27, and if approved, they will be brought to city council for further discussion.
• Administration will amend its fiscal policy for the planning and development department to protect the city financially as construction levels fluctuate. Administration will now use user fees from permits and land development applications to fund development and construction enforcement activities. The activities are currently funded by the tax levy, and making this change will result in a $1.2-million reduction to the tax levy requirement, a report set to be presented to council's urban planning committee on Nov. 26 said. This change could jeopardize the long-term financial stability of the enforcement activities. To mitigate this risk, administration said it would monitor revenue projections twice a year to avoid instability.
• Edmonton's 13 business improvement area associations have submitted their proposed 2025 operating budgets for council approval. The associations collect tax levies from their members to fund initiatives and operations. Ten of the associations propose an increase to their member levies and three propose no increase. If approved, the associations will collect an aggregated total of $4.91 million, an increase of 11.81% over last year's levies. Council's executive committee is set to discuss the proposed budgets on Nov. 27, as well as provide input on the boards of directors for each association.
• Council will meet in private on Nov. 28 to discuss appointments to the Edmonton Police Commission.

Meetings stream live on YouTube on the Chamber channel and River Valley Room channel.