Edmonton Minute: Parking Backtrack, Transition Strategy, and Conduct Code Revisions

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

This Week In Edmonton:

• There are no meetings at City Hall this week, as Council is on holidays. The Agenda Review Committee will return on July 30th.
  
  
• A new report to Council shows that Edmonton spent $91 million last year on homeless-related services, marking a 23% increase from 2022. Councillor Andrew Knack made an impassioned plea for the Alberta government to take more responsibility, expressing frustration over years of waiting for substantial improvements in addressing drug poisoning, homelessness, and addiction. He introduced a Notice of Motion for a "transition strategy" to shift funding responsibilities to the Province, which garnered unanimous Council support. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs responded by requesting an itemized list of all programs and services that Edmonton is asking the Province to consider funding so that a path forward can be discussed.
  
  
• Bear spray can no longer be sold to minors and there are stricter regulations for businesses selling it. A new bylaw, passed unanimously by Council, requires businesses to obtain bear spray business licences and track transaction records, and sets out fines for businesses that violate the bylaw. This decision followed concerns raised by the Edmonton Police Service about misuse and safety issues associated with bear spray, including its involvement in violent incidents across the city.

Last Week In Edmonton:

• A recent audit on equitable recreation programming found that the City lacks adequate planning and coordination to meet its goals, which prompted Administration to pledge a thorough response. The City is now re-evaluating facility usage and planning a city-wide household survey to gather feedback, particularly from non-users. The audit recommends developing a defined vision, setting measurable goals, and creating guidelines for inclusive and accessible recreation programming. One Councillor suggested that perhaps equity objectives could be met if they had more facilities. Council has directed Administration to draft a plan before the 2025-2028 fall budget session. This Council always seems to think that more money will solve problems…
  
  
• Council unanimously decided to halt a plan that would eliminate free residential parking permits in several Edmonton neighbourhoods, opting instead to seek public input and refine the proposal based on feedback. Initially intended to phase out or modify 19 permit zones, the plan included transitioning to digital and paid permits, which is now postponed pending further review by the Urban Planning Committee in early 2025.
  
  
• Council rejected proposed changes to its Code of Conduct that would have kept details of Councillors’ misconduct private by default. Administration proposed changes that allowed for private sanction hearings and removed the requirement for the Integrity Commissioner’s findings to be published on the City’s website. Thankfully, Council unanimously voted to send the bylaw back for revisions.

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