The Pulse: Sept. 9, 2024

This week, council returns to discuss council appointments to the Edmonton Police Commission, an update to the operating and capital budgets, and taller buildings in the Mill Woods Town Centre redevelopment project.

There is a public hearing scheduled for Sept. 9 and a city council meeting scheduled for Sept. 10 with a continuation on Sept. 11 if needed.

Here are key items on this week's agenda:

• The Edmonton Police Commission has requested that city councillors no longer serve on the commission and be replaced by community appointees. Council is scheduled to vote on the request at a meeting on Sept. 10. An external consultant recommended the change in a 2023 review of police commission governance. The commission's report said the voices and opinions of council members often outweigh those of community members, in part because councillors may have more experience in public speaking and are elected. The Alberta Police Act allows a municipality of Edmonton's size to appoint up to two councillors or city staff members if desired. The report said councillors who serve on the commission automatically face conflicts of interest during budget deliberations because council places restraints on police funding, while the commission often requests increases that exceed other budget items. This request further amplifies the tense relationship between council and the commission. This spring, council requested a list of the Edmonton Police Service's auditing priorities, as policing is the city's largest budget item. The commission refused to release the list, arguing that a public-facing audit program would be less effective.
• Administration forecasts an operating budget deficit of $34.4 million by the end of 2024 due in part to additional overtime for transit operators and Edmonton Fire Rescue Services employees, according to a report that is scheduled to be presented to council on Sept. 10. The city is also spending more on salaries in the community recreation and culture branch because rising attendance at facilities and increased security incidents have led to a need for more staff and security guards. The financial stabilization reserve is projected to be at $67.3 million at the end of the year, which is below the minimum required balance of $133.8 million. Council is also scheduled to discuss the capital budget on Sept. 10. The city is expected to spend $2.2 billion on capital projects this year, which is higher than previous years because major projects are progressing further into construction, such as the Lewis Farms Community Recreation Centre and Library, Valley Line West LRT, Capital Line South LRT extension, and the Yellowhead Trail Freeway Conversion.
• The MacLab Development Group has applied to rezone a land parcel adjacent to the Mill Woods LRT stop so that it can build a 22-storey tower rather than an 18-storey tower. Mill Woods Town Centre and its parking lot were rezoned in 2017 to allow for a high-density redevelopment of the property. City administration said it supports the rezoning because the proposed tower will be between the LRT stop and the Mill Woods Transit Centre and it is in scale with existing buildings nearby. Some residents oppose the rezoning, however, due to concerns about parking, traffic congestion, and neighbourhood character. Council is set to vote on the rezoning application at a public hearing on Sept. 9.

• The Edmonton Police Service has begun issuing body-worn cameras to 280 officers as part of a broader rollout it says aims to increase transparency and accountability. The cameras, developed by Axon, will record officer interactions and automatically upload footage to a secure server. The Alberta government announced in 2023 that body-worn cameras would be mandatory for all police officers in the province, though there are mixed opinions on their effectiveness. The program's funding and long-term financial sustainability are still under discussion with city council.
• Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi expressed concern over the return of a police officer to active duty after the fatal police shooting of Mathios Arkangelo on June 29, highlighting the impact on the city's Black, African, and Caribbean communities. In an interview with Postmedia, Sohi said there is a need for policies that consider community impact when officers return to duty. Sohi also met with members of the Edmonton Police Commission to speak about his concerns. More than 100 people gathered outside the Edmonton Police Service northeast headquarters on Sept. 7 demanding justice for Arkangelo, and his family has launched a $1-million lawsuit against the police service.
• The University of Alberta Campus Food Bank is facing a significant surge in demand, driven primarily by rising rent, tuition, and insufficient job income. Over the past five years, demand has increased by more than 600%, said executive director Erin O'Neil, adding she is concerned about meeting the growing need as the university plans to expand enrolment to 60,000 by 2030. The food bank, which operates without university funding, has already made budget cuts and says it is worried about its long-term sustainability.
• Six women who enrolled in the first-ever doctoral program offered by Concordia University of Edmonton in 2021 are suing the school for failing to provide necessary clinical field placements, which they argue prevented them from graduating on time and resulted in significant financial and personal losses. The university denied the allegations in a statement of defence, attributing the issue to external factors and maintaining that it did not mislead students. The lawsuit seeks nearly $3.7 million in damages, and the case has yet to be heard in court.
• Duncan Kinney, who has regularly published reporting critical of the police, is requesting numerous documents from the Edmonton Police Service as part of his defence against mischief charges for allegedly vandalizing Ukrainian monuments in 2021. Kinney's lawyer argued the extensive police resources used in the investigation suggest he was targeted due to his criticism of police, while lawyers for the police service argue the requests are a "fishing expedition." Court hearings on Kinney's application are set to begin this week, with his trial scheduled for April 2025.
• Business owners in the Whyte Avenue area are advocating for a pedestrian-friendly initiative to revitalize the area and fill empty storefronts. Supported by the Old Strathcona Business Association and Paths for People, they are urging Edmonton city council to improve infrastructure, sidewalks, and parking to accommodate the area's growing population. A proposed strategy was set to be presented at council's urban planning committee meeting on Sept. 17, but has been rescheduled to its Oct. 8 meeting.
• Canadian cities are experiencing increasingly intense heat waves due to the urban heat island effect, prompting experts to call for measures to cool urban areas. University of Alberta professor Sandeep Agrawal suggests that reducing concrete surfaces, increasing tree coverage, and adding green roofs to larger buildings could mitigate the effects of urban heat.
• University of Alberta researcher Josephine Godwyll is advocating for an expanded definition of accessibility in public spaces. Her research, inspired by her experiences as an immigrant, highlights that barriers to using public spaces are often more than just physical, and can include social and cultural factors. "If you think about Edmonton as an area that is taking in a lot of immigrants from all over the world, there are traits and barriers that are shared across these communities that could influence whether they use spaces or not," she told CBC's Radio Active.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Red Shoes FASD Awareness Walk starting at 12:30pm at Churchill Square
• Messed Up Monday starting at 6pm at Pub 1905
• Macaron Basics starting at 6pm at the Duchess Atelier
• Silent Book Club starting at 7pm at the St. Albert Public Library

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Sept. 16-22: Gotta Minute Film Festival
• Sept. 18: Edmonton Story Slam at 9910
• Sept. 21: Harvest Gala 2024 at the Edmonton Convention Centre

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