Edmonton Minute: Game Seven, Parking Pause, and Sohi Travels Again

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

This Week In Edmonton:

• This morning, at 9:30 am, there will be a meeting of the Utility Committee. The Committee will discuss the Blatchford Renewable Energy Utility's Annual Business Plan - upcoming focus areas include maintaining operational reliability, coordinating growth with the Blatchford Redevelopment Office, and aligning with on-site builder activities to support sustainable energy development. On Tuesday, at 9:30 am, there will be an Audit Committee meeting. The agenda includes an Equitable Recreation Programming Audit, which notes that the Community Recreation and Culture Branch’s efforts in equitable programming lack overall direction, and have not developed an overall strategy or even properly identified barriers to regular programming that people face. The audit also noted that program objectives are neither defined nor tracked.
  
  
• A little later on Tuesday, at 1:30 pm, there will be a continuation of the Public Hearing on the District Plans that began in late May. To wrap up the week, there are two meetings on Friday. The first, a Special Meeting of City Council, begins at 9:30 am. It will be held behind closed doors as Council discusses strategic planning. The second Friday meeting, of the Special City Manager Recruitment Committee, takes place at 1:30 pm, and the agenda involves a City Manager Recruitment Update.
  
  
• The Edmonton Oilers are on the brink of making history, just one win away from becoming only the fifth NHL team to win a best-of-seven series after trailing 3-0. They forced Game 7 in the Stanley Cup final by defeating the Florida Panthers 5-1 on Friday night. They’re not on home ice, but the puck drops at 6:00 pm MST tonight with Edmonton aiming to end Canada's 30-year Cup drought and claim hockey's ultimate prize. Bring it home, Oilers!

Last Week In Edmonton:

• The Edmonton Police Commission reviewed new policies, including changes to public input and commissioner information requests, sparking discussions and raising concerns among attendees and commissioners themselves. The proposed changes include limitations on public speaking, requiring registration in advance, and restrictions on topics like allegations against commissioners or police personnel. Security concerns, as well as capacity limitations in the River Valley Room at Edmonton City Hall, have led to consecutive online-only meetings. The Commission's governance committee will revisit the public participation policy to address concerns that were brought up, including the difficulty of pre-registering to speak when meeting agendas aren’t always released well in advance.
  
  
• It was announced that Mayor Amarjeet Sohi is headed to Paris to attend a global mayors’ meeting on homelessness, marking his fourth international trip since April 2022. The meeting, organized by the Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness and UN-Habitat, aims to facilitate discussions on challenges, best practices, and solutions related to homelessness among cities worldwide. Sohi, one of two Canadian delegates, will share Edmonton’s experiences and initiatives in addressing homelessness. The trip's budget includes economy-class flights and budget accommodations, according to the City.
  
  
• The Urban Planning Committee recommended pausing the new residential parking program for further review. The program, initially planned for rollout this month, aimed to manage parking in high-demand neighbourhoods and prioritize curbside parking as a public asset. Changes included introducing a $120 annual fee for permits and reducing the number of zones to four. Amid concerns about costs and curbside space use, some Councillors highlighted the need for more consultation, especially regarding parking influx during events near areas like Commonwealth Stadium, Borden Park, and Concordia University of Edmonton. Council will discuss the issue further in July.

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