On the agenda: Bridges, trees, and office budgets

This week, councillors will hear an update on bridges in the core, vote on amendments aimed at protecting trees on infill lots, and discuss the common budget for the Office of the Councillors.

There is an infrastructure committee meeting on May 25, a public hearing on May 26, an audit committee meeting on May 27, a council services committee meeting on May 27, and a special city council meeting on May 29.

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

• The High Level Bridge and Low Level Bridges will be decommissioned and replaced over the next 10 to 15 years, says a report to be presented to infrastructure committee. While the Low Level Bridges have been slated for demolition for some time, the city had planned to rehabilitate the High Level Bridge to extend its lifespan. But updated testing shows it could cost more than $1 billion to keep it in operation over the next 75 years. Mayor Andrew Knack acknowledged that the High Level Bridge is iconic, but said there comes a time when rehabilitation is no longer feasible. "We'll have to think about how we rebuild it in a way that respects that heritage and legacy," Knack told CTV Edmonton. The tentative timeline, pending budget deliberations in the fall, would see a new Low Level Bridge funded in the 2027-2030 budget cycle and a new High Level Bridge funded in the 2035-2039 budget cycle. Replacement bridges would be built before demolition, and the northbound Low Level Bridge would be maintained for active transportation.
• Administration has prepared amendments to the landscape securities program in the zoning bylaw, which it has put forward as an alternative to a private tree protection bylaw. The city collects a security from a developer when it gets a development permit and returns it when the developer plants the required trees and shrubs. If the landscaping isn't done, the city uses that money to do it. The program is currently applied to large-scale residential, mixed-use, and non-residential developments, and the proposed amendments would add small-scale developments. The city recommends a phased approach starting in January 2027. If council approves the changes, administration estimates that the number of securities collected would increase from 300 to nearly 5,000 annually, with two more full-time employees and two seasonal employees required. The resources for the program would come from fees that developers pay to the city. Council will vote on the amendments to the zoning bylaw at a public hearing.
• The ward budgets for the Office of the Councillors have a surplus of $74,000, in part because councillors are not fully using personnel budgets for executive assistants and council assistants. The common budget, which funds travel, office furniture, and salaries for councillors and administrative assistants, is in a deficit of $6,000 due to non-personnel costs.

Here are some more key items:

• Council will consider a rezoning application on a corner site in the Balwin neighbourhood that would allow the landowner to build a four-storey building. Administration said it supports the application because the property is near the 82 Street secondary corridor, and it would match the rest of the zoning on the property's block. Some residents said they oppose the application because they feel a larger development would reduce available parking and increase crime.
• A landowner has proposed consolidating two lots in the Belgravia neighbourhood at the corner of 80 Avenue and 119 Street NW and rezoning it to allow a building up to three storeys tall. Administration said it supports the application because the site is both large and surrounded by roadways and alleys on all sides, which would mitigate the impacts of a larger building. Some residents said they oppose the rezoning because it would increase traffic and parking congestion, and they feel there is already too much development happening in the neighbourhood.
• Council services committee will consider a request from Coun. Jon Morgan to add $3,000 to the common travel and conferences budget to attend the Calgary Stampede.
• Council will receive a private update on its strategic priorities.

And here are updates on some of the items we told you about last week:

• The Edmonton Police Service said it will launch a "stabilization centre" for people who are vulnerable and can't take care of themselves. After presenting the service's annual report to council, Chief Warren Driechel told reporters that sometimes officers don't know what to do with people they encounter late at night. "When we come across somebody that's really at risk or vulnerable and they can't care for themselves — whether it's addictions, mental health, or just their health state — maybe the emergency ward isn't the best place for them," Driechel said, adding that there will be nurses from Recovery Alberta at the centre to connect people to services. Petra Schulz of Moms Stop the Harm told CityNews that the threat of incarceration could encourage drug users to use in more secretive locations, increasing the risk that they die in the event of a drug poisoning.
• City council approved changes to the policy for supporting vulnerable people during extreme weather events. The changes update language in its principles to include psychological and cultural safety and to reflect that municipal supports exist within a broad social service system.
• The North Park in Windsor Park has been designated a municipal historic resource, making it the city's 200th such designation. The park now has legal safeguards against demolition or major alterations, and it is eligible for up to $75,000 in rehabilitation funding. Residents told Taproot the money will go to renovating key architectural features in the park.

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

For more on civic affairs, including the proposed decommissioning of two central bridges and a deep dive into unfunded service packages, listen to Episode 357 of Speaking Municipally.