Edmonton Minute: Infrastructure Spending, Confidential Debate, and Service Satisfaction Survey

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

This Week In Edmonton:

• On Tuesday, there will be a meeting of the Urban Planning Committee at 9:30 am. On the agenda is a discussion about redeveloping surface parking lots in the city centre.
  
  
• Also on Tuesday, at 1:30 pm, there will be a Community and Public Services Committee meeting. On the agenda is a bylaw that would increase the fine amount for a parking ban from $100 to $250 as well as an Indigenous Culture and Wellness Centre update. Also up for discussion are the disbursement of Anti-Racism Grant Program funding and an update on the Housing Redevelopment Grant Program. Should this meeting not wrap up on schedule, time is allotted on Friday at 9:30 am for continuation.
  
  
• On Wednesday, at 9:30 am, there will be an Executive Committee meeting. Several public reports will be discussed, including the designation of Stone House, the Summer Kitchen, the Figg Residence, and the Stein Residence as Municipal Historic Resources. Also on the agenda is a review of the Census Policy and the Ride Transit and Leisure Access Pass  program.

Last Week In Edmonton:

• Councillors expressed frustration at the way the City handled an in-camera debate about funding services for homeless people. The debate surrounded a document relating to the Province’s recent funding announcement, which allocated $187 million to address addictions and homelessness. The contents of the document cannot be revealed due to privacy legislation, and a motion to include it in a City report was defeated 8-5. Councillor Sarah Hamilton called the process "extremely problematic" and called for more transparency.
  
  
• The City released its proposed four-year capital budget. The budget contains $7.5 billion in spending over the length of the budget cycle. More than $2.2 billion is recommended for maintaining existing infrastructure, and the manager of Integrated Infrastructure Services said $3.5 billion is needed to rehabilitate roads, sidewalks, trails and facilities. He also noted the City would be challenged to maintain all its infrastructure at the best of times. More than half of the capital budget has been allotted for approved construction projects.
  
  
• Edmontonians expressed their frustration with the City’s snow removal and road maintenance, as well as homelessness, safety, low-income housing, and public transit. Results of a survey were released showing the services residents value most and whether they believe those services to be adequate. Winter road maintenance ranked either very important or somewhat important for 92% of respondents - more important than any other category. But, it was also the area where people are most dissatisfied. As expected, residents are also largely opposed to a tax increase. It looks like high time the City found some efficiencies for once.

-----

Donate:

Common Sense Edmonton doesn't accept any government funding and never will. We think you should be free to choose, for yourself, which organizations to support. If you're in a position to contribute financially, you can make a donation here.

-----

Share:

If you're not in a position to donate, we understand, but if you appreciate our work, you can help by spreading our message. Please email this post to your friends, share it on Facebook or Twitter, and help make sure every Edmontonian knows what's really going on at City Hall.