Edmonton Minute: Shelter Locations, Councillor Announcement, and a Big Budget Deficit

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

This Week In Edmonton:

• This morning, at 9:30 am, there will be a Community and Public Services Committee meeting. The Committee will discuss an Indigenous Framework and Reconciliation Update, options to address the retail sale of knives, and an addendum to the 2025-2026 Community Safety and Well-Being Funding. The Committee will look to increase that funding by $2,000,000 over two years to support the Violence Prevention Action Plan, the 2SLGBTQIA+ Safe Spaces Action Plan, and a top-up for the Community Safety and Well-Being Grant.
  
  
• On Tuesday, at 8:30 am, there will be an Agenda Review Committee meeting, followed by an Urban Planning Committee meeting at 9:30 am. At the latter meeting, the Committee will receive a report regarding a plan for a two-year pilot project to use fare gates at two transit facilities. The Committee will also discuss the perception of LRT safety and the River Valley Planning Modernization (RVPM) project.
  
  
• There will be a meeting of the Executive Committee on Wednesday at 9:30 am. The Committee will discuss the Affordable Housing Investment Program 2024 fall grant awards, as well as options to provide tax forgiveness for remediated derelict properties. The new tax class introduced in 2024 to encourage the renovation of abandoned properties is showing positive results, but Administration is recommending improvements. By adjusting the tax forgiveness policy, the City is hoping to provide better incentives for property owners to address derelict properties sooner, with a higher tax rate applied while properties are derelict and a lower rate once they are fixed. This adjustment is expected to cost the City less than $55,000 in 2024. Also on the agenda is the transfer of stormwater management facilities to EPCOR.

Last Week In Edmonton:

• Council got a look at the City’s finances, and the results were not pretty. The City of Edmonton is facing a projected $34 million budget deficit by the end of 2024, driven by rising inflation, fuel costs, staffing shortages, and infrastructure issues. Overtime costs, particularly in fire rescue and public transit, have increased due to vacancies, while recreation centers are also experiencing higher staffing and security demands. Personnel costs account for $14.3 million of the deficit, with an additional $11.9 million needed for contracts addressing aging infrastructure and vandalism. The City is also expecting a $13 million loss in transit revenue. City officials will present budget-saving recommendations in November for Council approval.
  
  
• Long-time Councillor Andrew Knack announced he will not seek re-election for Ward Nakota Isga in 2025. After more than a decade in office, he expressed pride in his achievements, including the Valley Line West LRT extension and the back alley renewal program. Knack was emotional as he reflected on his time serving Edmontonians, calling it his "dream job", and stated that it's time for someone new to take over. The rumour is that he will run provincially for the NDP, while a staff member of his will run for his Council seat.
  
  
• Council has decided to prohibit new homeless shelters from being located next to heavy industrial sites, such as oil refineries or chemical plants, while still allowing them in areas with light industrial activity. This decision aims to balance the need for shelters with concerns about their proximity to potentially hazardous areas. Additionally, Council will limit the maximum floorspace for congregate sleeping areas in shelters. While some Council members supported the move, arguing it strikes a balance between accessibility and safety, others, like Councillor Erin Rutherford, opposed any shelters in industrial areas at all, noting that no other residential uses are permitted there.

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