The Pulse: Sept. 3, 2024

This week, city councillors return for committee meetings and private council meetings to discuss a proposed composting facility, the city auditor's findings, and recruitment for a city manager.

There is a utility committee meeting scheduled for Sept. 3 and an audit committee meeting scheduled for Sept. 4. There is a special city council meeting scheduled for Sept. 4 and a special city manager recruitment committee meeting scheduled for Sept. 6.

Here are key items on this week's agenda:

• Edmonton lacks sufficient space to process organic material into compost as the city ramps up its food scrap collection from apartments and condos, according to a report scheduled to be presented to council's utility committee on Sept. 3. The city started collecting organics from apartments and condos in 2023. City staff expect 121,000 tonnes of organic waste will need to be processed annually by 2027, and recommends building a new composting facility at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre. The new facility would likely not be complete until 2028, creating a gap where some organic waste may not be processed. Administration is asking council's utility committee to approve a non-competitive contract with Claystone Waste to process organics from apartments and condos until a new, proposed facility comes online.
• Forty-six recommendations from the city auditor are currently outstanding, 14 of which are overdue but on track to reach their revised due dates, according to the auditor's latest report to council. City administration has acted on 10 recommendations since the last audit committee meeting in June.
• The city auditor found that the waste services branch generally manages its curbside collections program effectively. The branch can improve its data integrity, as the auditor said some data collection is incomplete and inaccurate, making it less useful for management decisions. The auditor also found that waste collectors have an inconsistent understanding of what makes a waste cart "non-compliant" under the waste services bylaw.
• The City of Edmonton has identified three new risks that could interfere with its goals, according to administration's annual corporate strategic risk report. The new risks are insufficient growth in the non-residential tax base, political changes at the provincial and federal levels, and the spread of misinformation and disinformation. City administration said it will develop a plan to attract non-residential investment, enhance strategic planning for political changes, and ensure accurate and timely information is available through official channels. The report is scheduled be discussed by council's audit committee at a meeting on Sept. 4.
• Council is scheduled to receive a private update on city manager recruitment on Sept. 4 and Sept. 6.

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

Photo: A machine processes organic materials at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre. Council's utility committee is set to discuss building a new composting facility. (City of Edmonton)

• The Edmonton Police Commission has requested that city council remove its two councillor positions from the commission and replace them with community appointees, citing potential conflicts of interest and the need for broader community representation. Council is expected to consider the proposal during its Sept. 10 meeting. The recommendation comes amid strained relations between the council and the commission following disputes over access to audit plans and recent provincial appointments to the commission.
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the appointment of Daryl Fridhandler and Kristopher Wells as independent senators for Alberta. Fridhandler, a corporate lawyer and long-time federal Liberal supporter, and Wells, an advocate for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, were selected despite not being on Alberta's recent Senate election ballot, sparking criticism from Premier Danielle Smith. The appointments have reignited discussions about the need for Senate reform in Canada.
• Residents of Edmonton's Ottewell neighbourhood are frustrated with ongoing construction that began in summer 2023 and is expected to last until fall 2026. Postmedia spoke to residents who expressed frustration about a lack of communication, unmarked construction zones, speeding vehicles, and disrupted school bus routes. Coun. Ashley Salvador acknowledged the concerns and is working with City of Edmonton administration to improve safety measures and communication.
• Edmonton Coun. Andrew Knack and the non-profit Paths for People are raising safety concerns with the Alberta government's decision to ban photo radar on provincial and numbered highways. The changes, which would restrict photo radar to playground, school, and construction zones, could have an effect on Edmonton's efforts to reduce speed-related fatal crashes, according to a council memo.
• Edmonton's Valley Line Southeast LRT has recorded 15 vehicle-train collisions and three pedestrian incidents since opening in November, including a recent partial derailment. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi emphasized the need for drivers to obey traffic rules to avoid such accidents. Transit planner David Cooper of Leading Mobility suggested that as people adjust to the new LRT, incidents will likely decrease.
• Edmonton Coun. Aaron Paquette appeared on Global Edmonton to speak about his idea for a financial plan aimed at avoiding further budget cuts or tax increases. The plan highlights strategic adjustments and reallocations to maintain city services without additional financial burdens on city residents. Paquette said his plan would also ensure that the EdTel Endowment Fund, which was created in 1995 to hold the proceeds from the sale of Edmonton telephones to TELUS, would be allowed to grow, ultimately providing Edmonton with sustainable finances.
• Mayor Amarjeet Sohi published a video on social media criticizing the Alberta government for not paying its full share of property taxes on provincial buildings in Edmonton. Sohi said this has resulted in an $80-million shortfall for the City's finances, which has forced Edmonton to increase property taxes on other property owners to cover the deficit. Sohi also highlighted a decline in provincial infrastructure grants since 2008.
• Opioid-related overdose deaths in Alberta have significantly decreased, with May 2024 seeing the lowest monthly count since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Alberta recorded 431 deaths between January and May of this year, compared to 788 during the same period last year, marking a 55% decrease. Despite the positive trend, advocates and medical professionals remain concerned about future overdose numbers. Hundreds gathered at Victoria Park in Edmonton on Aug. 31 to mark International Overdose Awareness Day during an event organized by Moms Stop the Harm to support those affected by overdose and raise awareness of the crisis.
• A team of 80 volunteers from the Edmonton and Area Land Trust are relocating a den of at-risk red-sided garter snakes to a safer area west of Edmonton to prevent them from being run over by vehicles. The team constructs artificial hibernacula using cinder blocks and paving stones to provide a new habitat for the snakes, which help control the rodent population and also serve as prey for other species. Last year, nearly 400 snake deaths were reported in Alberta.
• Former Alberta MLA Doug Main has announced the formation of a new municipal conservative party, the Principled, Accountable Coalition for Edmonton (PACE), ahead of next year's municipal elections, Dave Cournoyer reported on his Daveberta blog. Provincial legislation is set to permit the establishment of political parties at the municipal level. Other groups that have emerged include Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson's TAPYEG party and Abdul Abdi's Edmonton Forward advocacy group.
• Security personnel at the Alberta legislature in Edmonton are now authorized to carry firearms. The change, which was put forward by the province in December 2022 and came into effect on Sept. 1, designates these officers as peace officers under the Criminal Code. The move aligns Alberta with other Canadian jurisdictions and includes comprehensive training and equipment for the officers.
• Edmonton entrepreneur Bradley Pierson founded Trouvay in 2022 to use genetic genealogy technology to help people identify their families, and has since expanded to help law enforcement with cold cases. He is also collaborating with Indigenous communities to address historical injustices and identify residential school victims. Pierson, who presented his project at the Edmonton Unlimited StudentPreneur showcase, aims to make Trouvay a leader in investigative genetic genealogy across Canada.
• Alberta MLA Scott Cyr is criticizing Edmonton city council's decision to oppose the relocation of the Camrose Casino to south Edmonton. Cyr argued that the relocation would benefit northern and north-central Alberta charities, which face long wait times and smaller revenues. Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi stood by council's position, saying the relocation would negatively impact local charities and infrastructure.
• Global Edmonton celebrated its 50th anniversary on Sept. 1, marking half a century since it first signed on-air as ITV in 1974. The station is featuring on-air celebrations all week.

Decisions on what to do about an Edmonton Transit Service budget shortfall and how far in advance to post administration's reports to city council were among the topics discussed in Episode 274 of Speaking Municipally, Taproot's civic affairs podcast. Co-hosts Mack Male and Troy Pavlek also commented on a city councillor's call for new leadership as we edge closer to the 2025 municipal election.

Council deems proposed fare hikes unfair

A city administration proposal to further increase transit fares beyond previously approved increases received a "tepid" reception from council, Pavlek noted.

To make up for a gap of roughly $13 million between transit revenues and costs, administration proposed such measures as doubling the cost of transit passes for seniors and increasing fares for others by about 20%. Council said no, instead directing administration to write a letter to the province to ask it for support for the Ride Transit program, which subsidizes fares for those who struggle to afford them. "Council's looking for some sort of ongoing financial confirmation for the program," Male said.

Council also directed administration to find $10.2 million in the existing operating budget, a move reminiscent of the not-so-successful OP12 exercise in Male's estimation. "I find that fascinating, Troy, because we've been having this discussion about how OP12 is not possible, and all of the cuts that administration was tasked with finding have been found," he said. "So, I don't really understand why council all of a sudden thinks administration's going to go and find $10.2 million."

Pavlek agreed. "I do find it interesting that this ... question of a funding shortfall is just kicked down the road by council," he said, noting administration recently warned councillors of a potential 13% property tax increase, due to spiraling costs. "Council was like, 'No, no, no, we can't have that,' ... but here's another $10 million to add onto the pile."

Cash fares to ride Edmonton transit will increase in February from $3.50 to $3.75, Arc fares will rise from $2.75 to $3, and monthly passes will go up by $1 or so. City administration has until the fall to report back to council on its success, or otherwise, finding the money in the operating budget.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Startup TNT Summit X — Company Info Session starting at 10am online
• Futurpreneur Info Session — Alberta Entrepreneurs starting at 12pm online
• Weekly Dev Chat starting at 12pm online
• I Know What It Looks Like and Night Vision starting at 12pm at the Art Gallery of St. Albert
• Birthday Party and Fundraiser starting at 1pm at Earth's General Store
• Culinary Canoe Trip starting at 4pm at Chartier
• Startup Fair starting at 5:15pm at Edmonton Unlimited

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Sept. 12: Leagues as Diverse and Inclusive Spaces: Mentorship Cafe
• Sept. 13: MacEwan University Griffins vs. University of Alberta Golden Bears Hockey at Clare Drake Arena
• Sept. 16-22: Gotta Minute Film Festival

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