The Pulse: March 1, 2021

Between 2015 and 2019 the City of Edmonton spent more than $580 million on professional consulting services, about three quarters of which was for capital projects, according to a new report.

The report follows an audit conducted in 2018 which found that the City of Edmonton spent $616 million on consulting services from 2013-2017, about 72% of which was for capital projects. The city auditor also found that frequent contract amendments — created when work is added, removed, or modified from an original contract — added 72% to the budgeted amount for consulting services. A motion passed in December 2018 directed administration to reduce the overall external services budget between 2019 and 2022.

According to the new report, the City of Edmonton spends about 1.2% of the operating budget and 9.0% of the capital budget on consulting services each year.

The report also shows that 944 total contract amendments were administered from 2015-2019. Of those, 544 were planned with a total value of $318 million while 400 were unplanned with a total value of $59 million.

Administration says that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in one-time decreases of $16 million in 2020 and $2.8 million in 2021 for consulting and contractor costs. The report also says that consulting services were reduced by $3.7 million per year during last year's budget process and that administration continues to "seek contract savings from all active contracts" with progress to be reported in the spring.

Also coming up at council

Here are some of the other notable agenda items coming before city council for the week of March 1-5:

• The City of Edmonton is looking to extend the 24/7 temporary pandemic accommodation at the Edmonton Convention Centre until April 30 at a cost of $2.2 million. The facility continues to support an average of 618 visits per day for drop-in day services and 260 visits per night for overnight shelter. Council previously approved $8.5 million for the shelter in October 2020.
• Administration does not recommend the use of tax increment financing (such as a community revitalization levy) to help fund the construction and operation of LRT lines arguing it would "distort property taxation" and put pressure on taxes in future years, and that it "bypasses council's capital budget prioritization process."
• A sole source contract worth $459,000 with NEC Corporation of America for facial recognition technology was among the $1.3 million in non-competitive agreements entered into by the Edmonton Police Service between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2020.
• There are 78 approved plans containing undeveloped park sites. The 2019-2022 capital budget includes $17.2 million for new park development, but a 10-year capital investment outlook estimates the total cost of 214 new or redeveloping parks at $379.9 million.

• Extra security guards are patrolling Edmonton transit stations for the next two months, due to a recent increase in "harassment, discrimination, and crime," including the recent attacks against Black women wearing hijabs. There will also be more video surveillance.
• The Muslim woman who was the most recent victim of an attack at an Edmonton LRT station says she was left doubly traumatized, after speaking to city police about the incident, reports CBC. Edmonton police have released a statement saying that the evaluator "demonstrated a high level of professionalism and compassion."
• Alberta is seeing a gradual increase in COVID-19 cases. CTV News reports the province recorded a 5.35% test positivity rate on Saturday, its highest since Jan. 30.
• CBC Edmonton highlighted four prominent Black communities in Edmonton for Black History Month. Read and listen to the stories here.
• Former Edmonton MLA and Catholic school trustee Janice Sarich died at the age of 62. She had been diagnosed with cancer three weeks earlier.
• An Edmonton man has sold a Pokemon card for $8,000, after holding onto it for eight years, reports CTV News.

In Episode 118 of our weekly podcast on municipal politics, hosts Troy Pavlek and Mack Male discussed the latest step forward for Prairie Sky Gondola's proposed project.

Last week, city council approved an agreement framework with an 8-5 vote, enabling the project to advance to the detail design and regulatory approval stage. Numerous checkpoints remain before the project is given the green light, however.

Councillor Ben Henderson, who voted in favor of the agreement framework, is not ready to see the idea shelved.

“I love this city to death, but we have a really bad habit of finding reasons not to do things. It is part of our DNA,” he said. “Somebody has to battle through that so that we can get to the point where we do some of these things and then we can fall in love with them, which we always do.”

Illustration courtesy of Prairie Sky Gondola on Instagram

• Flying Canoe Volant festival kicks off in Edmonton on March 1 and runs through March 6. While the usual canoe rides, snow slides and indoor events aren't happening this year because of COVID-19, more than 60 light installations will be set up for festival-goers. Pre-register here.
• Eats on 118 is back from March 1-31. Check out dine in specials, take out specials, and new this year, a Tour & Taste Box.
• CPA Alberta is hosting an event on March 4 about inspiring female leaders. Connie Stacey of Growing Greener Innovations, Claire Theaker-Brown of Unbelts, and Kathy Leskow of Confetti Sweets are on the panel.
• SkirtsAfire runs online from March 4-14.
• The Edmonton Participatory Symposium, emceed by Nisha Patel, Edmonton's poet laureate, runs online March 6 and 13.