Edmonton Minute: Board Recruitment, Budget Allocations, and an Urban Farming Survey

Edmonton Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Edmonton politics

This Week In Edmonton:

• City Hall remains closed to the public and, as a result, this week’s meetings will again be virtual. This morning, at 9:30 am, there will be a meeting of the Utility Committee. The Committee will hear an update regarding the recent issue at the E.L. Smith Water Treatment Plant that resulted in water use restrictions last month, as well as an update on the organics processing program. The City’s capacity to process organic waste will soon be inadequate, and Administration will present three options to the Committee - create an additional outdoor composting site at the Edmonton Waste Management Processing Centre, invest and upgrade in the High Solids Anaerobic Digestion Facility to meet original facility goals, or increase use of third-party organics processing.
  
  
• On Tuesday, at 8:30 am, there will be an Agenda Review Committee meeting, followed by a Non-Regular Meeting of City Council at 1:30 pm. At the latter meeting, Council will discuss the 2023 Annual Reports and 2024 Work Plans for various Boards, Committees, and Commissions. On Wednesday, at 9:30 am, there will be a meeting of the Community and Public Services Committee. On the agenda are recruitment updates for Boards, Committees, and Commissions. These updates will be private. Also at 9:30 am, the Urban Planning Committee will also meet to discuss private recruitment reports for its Boards, Committees, and Commissions. Finally, the Executive Committee will meet on Friday at 9:30 am to discuss - you guessed it - recruitment for Boards, Committees, and Commissions. It’s the theme of the week…
  
  
• Members of Civic Service Union 52 will vote directly on their employer’s contract offer after the Alberta Labour Relations Board approved a request by the City for a proposal vote. The vote will be held today, from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Should the union’s more than 6,000 members, which include 911 operators, 311 agents, recreation center employees, tax assessors, and librarians, vote to accept the City’s final offer, a strike will be averted.

Last Week In Edmonton:

• The Alberta government delivered its 2024-25 budget, which included several investments in Edmonton. While no more money has been allocated for a new hospital in South Edmonton, $20 million is earmarked for plans to build a stand-alone Stollery Children’s Hospital. Other notable investments include $58 million for the University of Alberta Hospital's new brain center, $410 million for the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation Legacy Grant, $124 million for the Terwillegar Drive expansion, and $145 million for the Yellowhead Trail conversion. There will also be upgrades to the MacEwan University business building and the University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean, improvements to the Edmonton Law Courts, and funding for housing programs like the Affordable Housing Partnership Program.
  
  
• The City said it is exploring the possibility of an urban farming program to enhance community health and utilize underutilized urban land. Feedback is being solicited to gauge interest in allowing Edmontonians to cultivate fruits and vegetables, raise chickens, or engage in beekeeping for commercial purposes. The City is considering creating processes for using City land and facilities for this urban farming, including parks, open spaces, rooftops, and City facilities. An online survey is available until March 10th that will help to determine the types of agricultural activities that could be included, potential areas for farming, and the implementation details of the program.
  
  
• The City of Edmonton has reduced the budget of End Poverty Edmonton by $600,000 this year, with deeper cuts coming in 2025 and 2026. The organization said the cut may lead to its closure. The decision was made in private, without an opportunity for the organization to present its case. But, we think they’ve had ample opportunity to do so over the years. Recall that in 2022, we told you about a damning report that indicated End Poverty Edmonton was not able to show its impact on poverty and didn’t have a way of measuring its success. We also raised concerns about them even earlier, when Council voted to give them an extra $2.1 million for "anti-racism and urban wellbeing" work.

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