Edmonton Minute: Transit Fares, Shelter Zoning, and Organic Waste Capacity

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

This Week In Edmonton:

• On Tuesday, the Agenda Review Committee will meet at 8:30 am, followed by a meeting of the Utility Committee at 9:30 am. The Utility Committee will review EPCOR’s 2023 Performance-Based Regulation Progress Report and a report on the Organics Processing Program. On Wednesday, the Audit Committee will meet at 9:30 am to discuss the Waste Collections Audit, the Emergency Support Response Team Reception Centre Management Audit, and a report on 2025 Corporate Strategic Risks. The Waste Collections Audit found that while performance goals and data tracking are strong, there are issues with data collection and assurance.
  
  
• To close out the week, there are two small meetings - a Special City Council meeting at 1:30 pm on Wednesday to discuss a private City Manager Update, and a continuation of last week’s Special City Manager Recruitment Committee meeting at 9:30 am on Friday.
  
  
• New municipal political party PACE (Principled Accountable Coalition for Edmonton) is hosting an event on September 5th, at 7:00 pm at the Leefield Community League. The party launched in response to the Province's passing of Bill 20, which allows for municipal political parties at next year's election and their goal is a more fiscally prudent, business-friendly, and growth-oriented City Hall.

Last Week In Edmonton:

• Council has decided to maintain current transit fares despite a $10 million budget shortfall identified by Edmonton Transit Service. The shortfall was largely driven by people using the Ride Transit Pass - a subsidized option for low-income Edmontonians. According to Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, the number of low-income transit pass holders has surged from 6,000 in 2017 to 30,000 in 2024. Several proposals for fare increases were considered, but Council opted to keep fares unchanged. As usual, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi is asking the Province to pay more.
  
  
• City Council has proposed amending the zoning bylaw to prevent shelters from being located near heavy industrial areas, in order to address concerns about resource accessibility for homeless individuals. This decision follows a significant rise in homelessness, with the city's shelters struggling to keep up with the demand. Despite the proposed bylaw change, a new 120-bed shelter planned for Edmonton’s northwest faces opposition from local residents worried about potential issues such as drug use and lack of public transit access.
  
  
• The City said Edmonton is struggling to manage its growing organic waste due to an expanded green cart program. The City's existing composting facilities are insufficient to handle the increasing volume of food scraps, prompting plans to construct a new outdoor composting site at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre. This new facility may not be operational until 2028, leading to potential gaps in processing capacity. The City's waste management strategy includes a significant expansion of food scrap collection from multi-unit residences, but current facilities are overwhelmed, necessitating temporary contracts to manage the increased waste.

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