The Pulse: April 15, 2024

This week, council will look at audits on climate action and Blatchford redevelopment, as well as get an update on civilian recruitment for boards and committees.

There is an audit committee meeting scheduled for April 15. There is a non-regular executive committee meeting and a non-regular urban planning committee meeting scheduled for April 16. There is a non-regular community and public services committee meeting scheduled for April 17, with a continuation on April 19.

Here are key items on the agenda:

• An audit has determined the city's Environment and Climate Resilience Team is not formally tracking its progress on its climate goals, leading to inconsistency in setting targets and monitoring actions. The audit also found council and administration lack the climate information they need when making operational and budget decisions. The Environment and Climate Resilience Team is determining how it can include climate impacts in more council reports, though the audit found there is no clear rule on when climate information must be included. Administration said it accepts the report's recommendations and will include an "environment and climate review" section in standard council reports.
• An audit has revealed that the Blatchford redevelopment office may not meet its expected profits and timelines for redeveloping the 536-acre site because it "does not have an effective system to track whether it is achieving all of its goals." The audit found the redevelopment office did not provide documentation to demonstrate how it changed its profit forecast from $45 million by 2038 to $39 million by 2042, and that sales data has not met projected increases. The audit recommends the redevelopment office improve its tracking, how it measures performance, and its data analysis to enhance transparency and informed decision-making. City council's audit committee will review the report at its April 15 meeting.
• The committee meetings on April 16, 17, and 19 will be in private. Councillors will receive an update on recruitment for boards and committees, like the Naming Committee, Energy Transition Climate Resilience Committee, and the Accessibility Advisory Committee.

• The City of Edmonton is launching an Assisted Snow Clearing Program to help low-income seniors and people with disabilities by hiring contractors to clear snow around their homes. The two-year pilot project, which has an annual cost of $857,000, could start as soon as this winter. It's partially funded through the Alberta government's Special Needs Assistance for Seniors program, and will automatically include Edmontonians who use Dedicated Accessible Transit Service and the Assisted Waste Collection program.
• An audit report has identified gaps in the administrative structure of the City of Edmonton's Environment and Climate Resilience Team, which is tasked with achieving Edmonton's climate goals. The report, which will be discussed by the city council's audit committee at its April 15 meeting, says the team lacks clear roles, responsibilities, and methods for measuring success in its climate strategy efforts. City administration said in response that it will begin implementing recommendations from the audit this year.
• The City of Edmonton spent more than $9 million to respond to drug poisonings and overdoses in 2023. That includes $4.3 million in costs for the Edmonton Fire Rescue Services to respond to more than 10,000 overdose calls, a 50% increase over the previous year. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said the city is bearing the cost of services that fall under provincial jurisdiction, which is putting pressure on the municipal budget. "Our property taxes are funding provincial services that we should not be funding," Sohi said.
• The City of Edmonton said animal control officers responded appropriately to previous complaints about two dogs that fatally attacked an 11-year-old boy in south Edmonton earlier this month. A review found that animal control offers "had no lawful basis to remove the dogs from the home," the City said in a statement, adding that it is working with the Edmonton Police Service to "ensure all legal options are considered to ensure public safety." An Edmonton woman who said she was seriously injured in one of the earlier attacks at the same home is planning legal action.
• The first-ever Métis Two-Spirit LGBTQIA+ gathering was held at the Edmonton EXPO Centre on April 11 and 12. The event, organized in collaboration with the Otipemisiwak Métis government youth department, Edmonton 2 Spirit Society, and the Rupertsland Institute, featured workshops, guest speakers, and panel discussions to address challenges and promote inclusivity.
• A survey by the Alberta Teachers' Association found teachers are reporting a rise in student and parent aggression in schools across the province, including Edmonton Public Schools and Edmonton Catholic Schools. The survey, which heard from 2,148 teachers and school leaders, found that 52% of its respondents had experienced bullying or violence at work. The results prompted calls for more staff training and additional teacher hires.
• An Edmonton retailer is tapping into local nostalgia with a clothing line inspired by the Edmonton Trappers, a now defunct minor baseball league team that was active in Edmonton from 1981 to 2004. "The reaction has been great," Reed Clarke of City of Champs Apparel said during an appearance on CBC's Edmonton AM.
• Edmonton-based forest research scientist Ellen Whitman has been awarded a Trebek Initiative 2024 research award to further her work on the impact of wildfires on Canadian forests and post-fire regeneration in relation to climate change. Whitman's research aims to provide insights into how fire management can adapt to changing forest conditions and offer tools for long-term planning. The grant will support her project starting in June 2024, alongside three other scientists.
• A man accused of carrying out the attack on Edmonton city hall on Jan. 23 was denied bail during a court appearance on April 11. Bezhani Sarvar faces federal terrorism charges in connection with the attack, during which a gunman fired shots and threw a Molotov cocktail inside the building, causing approximately $100,000 in damages but no physical injuries.
• Critics argue that the Alberta government's reasons for pausing the south Edmonton hospital project, including cost and planning concerns, do not justify halting a project essential for addressing the acute care bed shortage in a rapidly growing area of the city. Dr. Shelley Duggan, incoming president of the Alberta Medical Association, said the hospital is crucial to address Edmonton's future healthcare demands, noting the project will only become more expensive the longer it is delayed. The province hit the brakes on the long-planned hospital earlier this year, despite previous commitments of $634 million over three years plus $69 million spent on planning.
• Global News spoke to Edmontonians about an 8.7% property tax increase proposed by City of Edmonton administration. "We're not the only city dealing with this. There are some pretty creative ideas out there," said resident Bernie Pettigrew. City administration recommended the increase, which would cost property owners an additional $65 per $100,000 of assessed home value, to maintain current service levels amidst rising costs and inflation. Coun. Andrew Knack highlighted the challenges of balancing service demands with financial pressures, pointing to the city's population growth and reduced provincial funding as key reasons for the proposed increase.
• The Edmonton Police Service hate crimes unit is investigating after a Pride flag was torn down and thrown in the trash by three people in front of the Evolution Wonderlounge on April 2. The incident, captured on video surveillance, has sparked frustration and calls for solidarity against vandalism targeting the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

City administration's proposal to increase 2024 property taxes from 6.6% to 8.7% might be traced back to a tax freeze during the pandemic and the provincial government's unpaid property taxes, the hosts of Episode 259 of Speaking Municipally said.

"I think that maybe council and administration will look back and regret the 0% tax increases during the pandemic because now you just have to catch up, catch up, catch up," co-host Stephanie Swensrude said. "Every year when there's that 6, 7, or 8% tax increase, the people are not happy, and they will not remember the 0% back in 2020."

Both hosts stressed that property tax increases can be difficult to understand, as many conflate the city's operating budget and capital budget. For example, in a "don't read the comments" moment, co-host Mack Male mentioned the reflexive criticisms about the $100 million earmarked for active-transportation infrastructure in the capital budget that immediately followed news about the potential 8.7% increase. As Male pointed out, that project increases the operating budget by just $1.9 million over four years.

Male paraphrased Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz's comments about the province's unpaid municipal bill, noting that it could reduce property taxes once paid.

"Municipalities like Edmonton — but across the province — have been frustrated with changes that the province has made, and how they are not indeed paying their tax bills," Male said.

In an unrelated discussion, the pair examined the challenges Hudsons Canada's Pub on Whyte Avenue is facing. Recently, the city told the restaurant that it cannot rebuild its patio in the same way it had before now that three years of sidewalk construction is complete. Instead, the patio may need to go directly beside Whyte's busy street traffic. Swensrude said she has a source at city hall who says this is "getting worked out." But Swensrude also wondered what other patio issues could result from the Old Strathcona Public Realm Strategy.

Hear more about this, drivers driving in bike lanes, transit-oriented development, a report on Edmonton's nighttime economy, and more on the April 12 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Edmonton Pothole Challenge Information Session starting at 11am presented online by Capital City Pilots
• Estate Administration Week: Estate Administration 101 & General Executor Duties starting at 2pm at the South East Edmonton Seniors Association
• Sustainable City Buildings Information Session starting at 4pm presented online by Capital City Pilots
• Autism 101 starting at 6:30pm at the St. Albert Public Library
• Make it at Milner: Tote Bags Using Patterned Vinyl starting at 6:30pm at the Stanley A. Milner Library

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• April 20: The Edmonton Volunteer Fair at West Edmonton Mall
• April 24: YEG Destination Tech at Edmonton Unlimited
• April 25: Sustain YEG Meetup at Edmonton Unlimited

Visit the beta version of the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.