Edmonton Minute: Heat Wave, Gondola Halted, and Chinatown Safety Hub

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

This Week In Edmonton:

• Today, at 9:30 am, there will be a meeting of the Community and Public Services Committee. On the agenda are Councillor Janz’s requested report around excessive vehicle noise and a report concerning revisions to Public Spaces Bylaws.
  
  
• On Tuesday, at 9:00 am, there will be an Agenda Review Committee meeting followed by an Urban Planning Committee meeting at 9:30 am. The latter will discuss a “Curbside Management Strategy” and how “achieving the goals of the City Plan will require treating curbside space as a strategic public asset in order to balance and prioritize the growing and competing demands for this space.” Translation: Parking is probably going to get more expensive.
  
  
• On Wednesday, at 9:30 am, there will be an Executive Committee meeting to discuss designating the Carleton Sheldon Residence as a Municipal Historic Resource and approving the increased costs associated with the Valley Line West LRT. City administration will recommend closing Scona Pool due to the necessity of expensive repairs. The fact that the facility is in close proximity to other public pools, meaning that residents have nearby options, was another factor in the recommendation. On Friday, at 9:30 am, there will be a Utility Committee meeting to discuss a supplemental capital budget adjustment to Waste Services, among other items.

Last Week In Edmonton:

• Council voted to fund a safety hub in Chinatown. The “Healthy Streets Operations Centre” is intended to be a central location in Chinatown for police, City staff, peace officers, and firefighters. Remember that budget adjustment last fall when the City cut roughly $10.9 million in funding from the police? Most of that money is now being spent again. Of the $15.2 million being spent on the safety hub, $10.3 million will be earmarked for policing.
  
  
• After information came to light that the Prairie Sky Gondola may disrupt traditional Indigenous burial sites, Council voted to pass on the project. They voted 12-1 to receive a report on the gondola as information, rather than take steps to move ahead with the controversial project. Councillor Karen Principe cast the lone vote to go ahead. Prairie Sky Gondola say they aren't deterred and will keep working on the idea.
  
  
• Edmonton activated its extreme weather response on account of a heat wave. Peace officers were handing out water bottles to vulnerable people they met during the day, and various City facilities planned to offer access to water and a place to cool down. Several fire hydrants were modified to allow for the filling up of water bottles. The response is set to end at 8:00 am this morning.

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