THIS WEEK IN EDMONTON

• On Tuesday, at 9:30 am, there will be an Audit Committee meeting. The Committee will review the Office of the City Auditor Recommendation Follow-up Dashboard Report. The report shows that Administration has closed 6 recommendations since January, leaving 47 outstanding - 35 not yet due and 12 overdue. The closed recommendations include improvements in governance at Fort Edmonton Park, policy updates for Enforcement Services, inventory management for Waste Collections, standardized KPIs for 311 Requests, and performance tracking for Blatchford Development and Recreation Programming. Of the overdue recommendations, three are more than a year overdue, including the development of performance measures and evaluating the homelessness plan for the City's Response to Homelessness.
• The Audit Committee will review the Affordable Housing Funding Decisions Audit, which found areas for improvement in the Affordable Housing Investment Program (AHIP) and Below Market Land Sales. For AHIP, the Audit suggests that the process lacks clear guidance on expert input and doesn't keep enough documentation, which could affect consistency and transparency. There were also errors in application scores due to the lack of a detailed review process, and monitoring of grant agreements was found to be inconsistent. To fix this, the Social Development Branch plans to update guidelines, introduce new software, and improve tracking by 2026. For Below Market Land Sales, the lack of clear guidelines and inconsistent monitoring may lead to non-compliance. The Branch will create guidelines and better monitoring tools by 2025.
• Council is exploring alternatives to photo radar for traffic enforcement after Alberta’s government implemented new restrictions on its use. Since April 1st, photo radar has been limited to school, playground, and construction zones, with a significant reduction in the number of enforcement sites across the province. Councillors are considering measures such as empowering bylaw officers to enforce speed limits. Administration will report back to Council in the fall with a number of options.
• Downtown Edmonton’s Manulife Place will be renamed National Bank Centre as National Bank expands its presence following its $5-billion acquisition of Canadian Western Bank. The bank plans to relocate CWB’s offices to the building and occupy 10 floors after $45 million in renovations modernize the space. National Bank emphasized its commitment to maintaining a strong executive and operational base in Edmonton to support its Western Canada growth. The building will feature the bank’s logo, new signage, and a street-level banking centre.
• Edmonton is moving forward with plans to eliminate all EPark machines by the end of July, transitioning to mobile-only parking payments. In response to concerns from seniors and those without smartphones, City Councillors have asked for new strategies to ease the shift. Councillor Aaron Paquette highlighted that many residents are confused about the new system and feel the process is too complicated. Although mobile app usage is growing, a significant number of people still rely on the machines, prompting worries about accessibility. Council has requested reports on funding options for parking infrastructure and ways to improve communication and education around the new system.
• The Edmonton Downtown Spark festival will not return this year due to a lack of funding. The festival, which featured inflatables, live music, and installations in public spaces, was initially created during the COVID-19 pandemic to boost economic recovery. The funding that supported the event was specifically aimed at pandemic recovery, and no longer exists. Additionally, the timing of the festival, which was meant to attract visitors during a quiet May, now faces competition with the Edmonton Oilers' playoff run. Despite this, the Edmonton Downtown Business Association is planning other events for the spring and summer, including Pride Month celebrations, the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival, and the Summer Block Party series. The Edmonton Downtown Farmers' Market will also return in mid-May.

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ON THE AGENDA

Stephanie Swensrude

• The city auditor recommends in a report that administration develop guidelines for when to propose the sale of city-owned land below market value for affordable housing. The auditor also recommends that administration improve the monitoring of whether organizations that buy such land fulfill obligations laid out in the sale. The city said it accepts the auditor’s recommendations and will take action to address them before relaunching the Affordable Housing Investment Program in 2026. Council’s audit committee is scheduled to review the report on April 29.
• Council is scheduled to review the neighbourhood structure plan for Kendal, the final neighbourhood to be planned under the Windermere area structure plan. The neighbourhood is bounded by 28 Avenue SW to the north, 170 Street SW to the east, 41 Avenue SW to the south, and the river valley to the west. The proposed plan now includes a regional water reservoir and an increase to residential density; the neighbourhood will have about 45 dwelling units per net residential hectare instead of the 27 that was originally proposed. Council is set to debate the plan at a public hearing on April 28.
• The owner of a bungalow at 11450 79 Avenue NW in McKernan has applied to rezone the property to allow for a three-storey building with at least three housing units. Twenty people expressed opposition, with many arguing the proposed development would worsen traffic congestion in the neighbourhood. Council is scheduled to debate the application at a public hearing on April 28.
• The federal election is happening on April 28. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi took a leave of absence to run to be an MP for the federal Liberal party in the Edmonton Southeast riding. If Sohi wins the vote in that riding, he will resign as Edmonton mayor. Sohi said if he loses the election, he will return to his position as mayor but will not run for mayor in 2025.
• Edmonton city council is expected to vote on April 30 to approve a 5.7% municipal property tax levy increase for 2025, which is 0.4% less than the increase approved in the fall due to changes in provincial Grants in Placement of Taxes payments. Tax notices will be mailed on May 23, with property taxes due June 30.