The Pulse: June 17, 2024

This week, council committees will meet to discuss options to attract non-residential investment, programs to compensate homeowners negatively affected by infill construction, and grants for business owners near major city construction.

There is a community and public services committee meeting scheduled for June 17, an urban planning committee meeting scheduled for June 18, and an executive committee meeting scheduled for June 19.

Here are key items on the agenda:

• Administration is warning council about the city's shrinking share of the non-residential tax base, caused by business owners increasingly choosing to locate in other municipalities in the region. From 2010 to 2022, the non-residential tax base grew by nearly $30 billion across the region, but Edmonton realized just 41% of that growth. Edmonton's share of the total regional non-residential tax base is in decline, falling from 72% in 2008 to 60% in 2022. The non-residential tax base is important for the City of Edmonton's financial viability, as businesses typically pay higher taxes than residential property owners and consume fewer services, administration said in a report that's scheduled to be presented at an executive committee meeting on June 19. Administration has updated the industrial investment action plan in hopes of attracting more industrial businesses to Edmonton to grow the non-residential tax base. If council approves the plan, administration said it will improve business processes for industrial development, identify incentives for industrial sectors, and collaborate with Indigenous communities to advance Indigenous industrial development, among other actions. The plan is set to be discussed at the same executive committee meeting, where the committee could recommend council approve it. If council approves the plan, administration will create a detailed implementation plan.
• Administration recommends the city should not get involved in disputes where an infill developer damages adjacent homes, according to a report that's scheduled to be discussed at an urban planning committee meeting on June 18. Councillors asked administration to look into how the city could help homeowners whose properties are damaged by infill developers, but administration said doing so would come with financial and legal risks to the city. The city also examined whether it should require shoring when builders are creating a typical basement, and estimates it would extend construction timelines by about two to four weeks and cost up to an additional $50,000 per new house. Administration said it's working on a construction accountability program to target builders who repeatedly create non-compliant conditions at construction sites.
• City administration does not support establishing a financial assistance program for businesses affected by major construction. In a report that's scheduled to be discussed at an executive committee meeting on June 19, administration said financial support would be provided after losses occur and may not help in time. The assistance program would also assume that construction was responsible for any financial loss rather than external factors like changing market conditions, increasing costs, or inefficient business models. City staff estimate the program to cost $225,000 per 100 businesses, plus $200,000 in administrative costs. Administration has also presented the option of establishing a grant program, where the city would proactively give money to businesses near major construction projects. The proposed financial assistance program is scheduled to be discussed at an executive committee meeting on June 19.

• The Edmonton Police Commission released a statement last week saying it stands by its decision to preserve its "internal audit function as it is currently structured." The statement came after the commission refused to release information to city council about its audit plan for the Edmonton Police Service and skipped a council meeting where the topic was set to be discussed. In its statement, the commission said it is important to maintain clear governance boundaries between it and council, particularly in terms of police oversight and budgeting. The commission has proposed a meeting with council and an independent third-party mediator. Commission chair John McDougall said there has been a communication breakdown and that council and the commission must repair their relationship.
• Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi will attend a global mayors' meeting in Paris from June 19-23 to discuss homelessness solutions. Sohi will represent both Edmonton and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities at the event, which is organized by the Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness and UN-Habitat. It will be Sohi's fourth overseas trip since April 2022. Despite budget concerns, the mayor emphasized the importance of learning from global leaders to tackle homelessness and improve housing accessibility in Edmonton.
• The Edmonton Oilers dominated the Florida Panthers 8-1 in Game 4 at Rogers Place, with standout performances from Dylan Holloway and Connor McDavid. The Panthers still lead the series 3-1, but the lopsided win gave Oilers fans hope the team can turn things around. Game 5 is set for June 18 in Florida. If the Oilers win, they'll force Game 6, which will happen in Edmonton. "We've got to go to Florida, do a job and drag them back to Alberta," said McDavid.
• The City of Edmonton has permanently renamed 101A Avenue between 96 and 97 Street to Okisikow Way NW. A celebration of the renaming took place on June 14, which was officially declared Okîsikow (Angel) Way Day to commemorate victims of domestic and gender-based violence, and support women's shelters.
• Edmonton is celebrating Waste Collector Appreciation Week from June 17 to 21 to honour the role waste staff play in keeping the city clean and safe. Residents are encouraged to show their gratitude through notes, social media messages, or other creative gestures. Residents are also asked to help collectors stay safe by following best practices, such as not overfilling carts and keeping them accessible.
• Thousands of video game enthusiasts descended on the Edmonton EXPO Centre over the weekend for Game Con Canada. Organizers said attendance numbers surpassed the 35,000 seen at the inaugural Game Con Canada held in Calgary last year. The weekend featured esports tournaments, tabletop gaming, cosplay contests, and live Dungeons & Dragons games with celebrities. The event is set to return to Edmonton in 2025 and 2026.
• The first National African Descent Youth Summit is set to happen in Edmonton from June 27 to 28 at the Westin Hotel, aiming to celebrate identity, deepen cultural connections, and address challenges faced by Black youth in Canada. Organized by the African Canadian Civic Engagement Council, the event will feature speakers discussing African history, systemic racism, and entrepreneurship.
• Former Edmonton mayor Don Iveson was appointed as chair of the board of directors for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. In a release, Iveson said he hopes to bring his "experience and passion for housing to the goal of ensuring everyone living in Canada has a place to call home." Coleen Volk was named president and CEO for organization, which provides services, research, and support focused on housing solutions across the country.

Although Edmonton's transit ridership has rebounded to pre-pandemic numbers, at 5.3 million riders in May compared to 2.3 million in April 2021, the co-hosts of Speaking Municipally explained that there are wrinkles to the news in Episode 268 of the podcast.

"Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi posted this week that the severity of crimes on the LRT is dropping — this as transit ridership is substantially rebounding," said co-host Troy Pavlek. "We have had a 130% increase in ridership since spring 2021."

But co-host Mack Male said the city has also observed transit demand increase while the money it collects from riders hasn't kept pace. "What's not so great about transit, of course, remains revenues," Male said. "Revenues remain low relative to the growth in ridership."

In 2023, the City of Edmonton collected $17 million less in fares than it forecasted from transit riders. Male pondered if the Arc card, which launched in 2022, is behind the trend — specifically when the card readers fail and bus drivers wave people on without the city collecting their fare. "It happens all the time," Male said. "I just feel like there has to be a financial impact of that."

Pavlek, on the other hand, said that the city has designed a system where transit revenues could logically be expected to fall if ridership increases. "Arc fares are cheaper than individual ticket fares. Arc cards mean that anyone who previously would have overpaid over a monthly (transit pass) now is guaranteed to not overpay," he said.

Male, though, was not convinced that this is as big of a factor as the card-reader dilemma. "Who knows if you have money on the card or not," he said.

The co-hosts also examined the strange disparity between the growth in ridership on Edmonton's buses versus its LRT lines, which remain at 75% of their pre-pandemic levels. "And so what's fascinating about that, to me, is that means we've had a disproportionate massive increase in bus ridership," Pavlek said.

Beyond the bus, the co-hosts examined the dramatic breakdown in the relationship between city council and the Edmonton Police Commission. In early June, the commission declined to provide council with its audit plan. Then, on June 11 and 12, it declined to show up to city hall to speak to council in public at all. Male suggested that the audit snub was not a surprise but the no-show at a public meeting (and a regularly scheduled private lunch that Coun. Erin Rutherford mentioned to reporters) was.

Yet another surprise the co-hosts discussed was how Coun. Tim Cartmell's motion to ask city administration to contemplate what might happen if it sold undeveloped sections of Blatchford to private developers met its end. Male noted the public record is mixed. He said Global News has reported the motion died on the floor but that the city's records show it was never put on the floor.

Hear more about Blatchford, buses, the Edmonton Police Commission, the capital budget, and a dispatch from our newsroom, on the June 14 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Storytime in the Park starting at 10am at the St. Albert Botanic Park
• National Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration starting at 10am at Enbridge Centre
• Library Lunchtime Concerts starting at 12:15pm at the Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Delton Street Lab: In-person Engagement Event starting at 5:30pm at the Delton Community League
• Pop-Up Choir on the Square: African starting at 6pm at Churchill Square

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• June 23: Edmonton Humane Society Pets at Buena Vista Park
• June 26: Alberta Business Opportunities in the Circular Economy (Hybrid) at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• July 4-7: Found Festival

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