Edmonton Minute: Issue 263

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

📅 This Week In Edmonton: 📅

• City Council will meet on Tuesday at 9:30 am. On the agenda is a report suggesting the City could consider more public-private partnerships to help build future infrastructure, including new arenas, a renewed Woodcroft Library, the Cumberland Fire Station, and the Windermere North Transit Centre. City Administration says these partnerships may help Edmonton keep up with growth while managing rising costs. Former Councillor Tim Cartmell argued private partners can design, build, and finance projects, with the City leasing only the portion it needs. He says combining uses, such as adding retail or housing alongside an arena, could make projects more affordable. Cartmell also suggested using existing vacant retail or City-owned space instead of building entirely new structures. Councillor Michael Janz says he is open to reviewing proposals but cautioned that private profit should not override public interest, noting the City often borrows at lower rates than private companies.
  
  
• Council will also review the process for the 2025 Fall Supplemental Budget Adjustments, which cover Capital, Operating, and Utilities budgets for the 2023-2026 cycle. Budget reports will be released on November 20th with presentations being made to Council on November 25th and 26th. Final deliberations and amendments will occur during the December 1st to 4th meeting. The process includes a structured amendment procedure, using a randomized order for Council members to propose changes, starting with budget decreases followed by increases. Capital budget amendments are considered first, followed by Operating and then Utilities. The Office of the City Clerk and Budget Office will provide templates, guidance, and a drop-in session to help Councillors with amendment preparation. The 2025 adjustments mark the last fall review of this budget cycle, with planning for the 2027-2030 budgets beginning in 2026.
  
  
• Two City Councillors elected under the Better Edmonton banner are stepping away from the party after it decided not to go dormant as previously indicated. Ward Nakota Isga Councillor Reed Clarke announced he will no longer participate or coordinate with Better Edmonton, while Ward pihêsiwin Councillor Mike Elliott said his focus on serving his ward independently. Both Councillors cited the party’s continued operations and fundraising plans as the reason for their departure, though Clarke stressed there is no bad blood and he remains on friendly terms with the party. Their exit leaves Karen Principe as the lone elected Better Edmonton Councillor. The party’s new chair, Cameron Johnson, said Better Edmonton will continue to operate, shadow Council decisions, and release policy options while allowing its elected members to act independently. 
  
  
• Primary Care Alberta has declared a tuberculosis outbreak in Edmonton’s inner city after lab tests confirmed local transmission between at least three people, including two with the same strain identified in October. PCA says 12 tuberculosis cases this year have been linked to individuals experiencing homelessness in Central Edmonton, with communal living spaces such as shelters increasing the risk of spread. Tuberculosis is a lung infection that can spread through coughing or sneezing but is treatable with antibiotics. Health officials say the current outbreak does not pose a risk to the general public. Contact tracing is underway, and anyone potentially exposed will be notified directly. PCA and provincial medical officers are meeting regularly with inner-city organizations to share information, support screening efforts, and monitor the situation.

• Edmonton is developing a new standardized design initiative to speed up approval for infill housing. The City plans to offer 12 pre-approved building designs so developers can pick a model and receive permits in weeks instead of months, with the goal of helping Edmonton meet its City Plan target of making half of new housing infills, while positioning builders to access federal Housing Accelerator Fund dollars. Infills remain contentious; recent architectural controls and debates over multiplex size have divided neighbourhoods, but most Council incumbents supportive of infills were re-elected. City staff say concerns about neighbourhood character are understandable but emphasize that infills are needed to meet housing demand. Developers welcome faster approvals but warn that designs must remain affordable for renters and flexible enough to fit local communities. The City says it will avoid overly uniform “cookie-cutter” models and allow for some customization.

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