Speaking Municipally

City council has approved an updated funding formula for the police budget. We break down what happened and what it means.

Here are the relevant links for this episode:

Funding formula

• Mack's tweet thread
• Final vote results
• Mayor Amarjeet Sohi: My Thoughts on the Police Funding Formula
• Coun. Andrew Knack: Edmonton Police Funding Formula (August 2023)
• Edmonton Police Commission: EPS funding formula
• 2021: Taproot Election Survey — question about police funding
• 2022: Council privately quashes recommended audit of Edmonton policing and use of city funding

National urban park

• Nov. 2021: Edmonton to move forward with exploring a potential national urban park
• Aug. 2023: Proposed national park in Edmonton's river valley moving to planning phase

Route 31

• News Release: Riders will soon have more travel options on Terwillegar Drive

Donair costume

• Edmonton-based restaurant chain wins Alberta donair costume auction

Speaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton, a source of curiosity-driven original stories, curated newsletters on various topics, and locally focused podcasts, all in the service of informing Edmontonians about what is going on in their community. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free!

Taproot co-founders Karen Unland and Mack Male break down the impact of the Online News Act, being blocked on Facebook, and how the company is planning to grow. Plus, we geek out over the use of programming tools for editorial work.

Here are the relevant links for this episode:

Taproot

• We're blocked on Meta's platforms
• Taproot Edmonton is taking a summer break
• LION names Taproot a finalist for resilience award

Online News Act

• Online News Act (Wikipedia)
• The Lose-Lose-Lose-Lose Bill C-18 Outcome: Meta Blocking News Links on Facebook and Instagram in Canada
• Media Publishers File Flawed Competition Act Application Over Meta Blocking News Links Due to Bill C-18

Valley Line LRT

• Edmonton Folk Festival-goers navigate transportation challenges, testing set to resume on new LRT line
• PSA: Valley Line Southeast train testing resumes from Whitemud Drive to Mill Woods

Animal care

• Edmonton animal rescues see alarming rise in cat abandonments
• 56 cats removed from central Edmonton home: city

Renewables ban

• Iron & Earth asks the Government of Alberta to engage with the renewable energy sector

Speaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton, a source of curiosity-driven original stories, curated newsletters on various topics, and locally focused podcasts, all in the service of informing Edmontonians about what is going on in their community. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free!

In the summer season closer, Troy and Mack speak with Livia Balone, the director of Zoning Bylaw Renewal at the City of Edmonton.

Here are the relevant links for this episode:

Fear mongering

• EPS may be spreading fear with remarks about violence downtown: criminologist

Law citation

• Law society issues citation to another former Alberta justice minister

Smoke show

• Summer of smoke among the worst on record for Alberta's biggest cities
• Here's how many hours of smoke Edmonton's had this year

Guest: Livia Balone

• LinkedIn

Zoning Bylaw Renewal

• Updating the zoning Arugulations (Repeating Municipally)
• Missing the forest for the mature trees
• Opposition to zoning bylaw renewal draws writer into the fray
• Zoning Bylaw Renewal Initiative

This episode was sponsored by the Edmonton Community Foundation, which provides support to the city's shakers, movers, and doers. Check out The Well Endowed Podcast for stories about ECF's donors and grantees, and all the ways they use this support to build and sustain social initiatives, empower youth, strengthen arts and culture, and so much more.

Speaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton, a source of curiosity-driven original stories, curated newsletters on various topics, and locally focused podcasts, all in the service of informing Edmontonians about what is going on in their community. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free!

Troy and Mack are Repeating Municipally Episode 33, an episode from 2019 featuring then-planner Anne Stevenson talking about the Zoning Bylaw Renewal project, lending some important context to the upcoming discussion about Zoning Bylaw Renewal which will be going to public hearing in October.

The police let us know that the city is very, very dangerous and said not to go outside. But the reason has nothing to do with the smoke, and we're still not quite sure how seriously the city is taking this climate change business.

Here are the relevant links for this episode:

We're going striking

• Hollywood actors and writers strike after 'disgusting' studios turn down deal

Triplets

• 1st set of triplets born at Misericordia Hospital in decades

National Urban Park

• National urban park in Edmonton reaches new milestone
• Proposed Edmonton national urban park in planning stage

Police settlements

• Edmonton police, union reach three-year deal in arbitration
• Each Edmonton cop will receive an average of $10,000 from City of Edmonton thanks to $20 million arbitration decision
• Edmonton police urge caution after violence LRT stabbing
• Monthly shooting totals continue to increase
• News Release: City welcomes new Community Peace Officers

Opioid crisis

• Edmonton paramedics responding to the most opioid-related calls amid record-breaking demand
• 'Our people will die': Opioid crisis prompts state of emergency in Treaty 6 First Nations

More roads

• Minister of Transport announces new funding to improve railway crossing safety in Edmonton
• Southwest Anthony Henday expansion on track for fall completion

Wolf Den health hub

• Boyle Street loses Ritchie health hub permit due to accessibility requirements
• Boyle Street's tweet

Capital City Pilots

• Capital City Pilots unveils first wave of challenges

Speaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton, a source of curiosity-driven original stories, curated newsletters on various topics, and locally focused podcasts, all in the service of informing Edmontonians about what is going on in their community. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free!

Irfan Chaudhry joins to help us understand the state of anti-racism work in Edmonton following the end of the city's anti-racism advisory committee.

Here are the relevant links for this episode:

Threads

• Threads by Instagram
• Instagram's Threads: all the updates on the new Twitter competitor

Body-worn cameras

• News Release: Police body worn camera trial to begin next week

Green Shack Shows

• This free activity is happening at Edmonton parks throughout the summer
• Green Shack Shows

Irfan Chaudhry

• LinkedIn
• @irfanyeg
• Grow the Game

Anti-racism

• Mayor lauds anti-racism efforts amid acrimony

Speaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton, a source of curiosity-driven original stories, curated newsletters on various topics, and locally focused podcasts, all in the service of informing Edmontonians about what is going on in their community. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free!

Corroded cables likely means another Valley Line delay, the city goes into overtime, and the city manager announces the latest reorg.

Here are the relevant links for this episode:

Bill C-18

• When will Canadian news disappear from Google, Facebook? What the Bill C-18 rift means for you
• A Massive Own-Goal for the Government: Google to Stop News Links in Canada Due to Bill C-18

Farmers market

• 'We're going to look at all possibilities': Edmonton Downtown Farmers Market moving again to keep costs down

Westmount infill

• Westmount backyard caves into next-door infill site after heavy rain, highlighting tricky nature of infill construction

City reorg

• News Release: City Manager reduces number of departments, executives in move to focus on priorities

City overtime

• Audit: Edmonton staff overtime pay jumps to $39M in 2022, excluding police
• Audit report

Valley Line LRT

• June 26, 2023: NEWS RELEASE – TransEd Valley Line LRT
• Edmonton's Valley Line LRT needs to replace around 140 km of signal cable, no opening date set
• Faulty cables cause latest delay for Valley Line Southeast LRT project
• 'The buck stops here': Edmonton councillor weighs in on Valley Line LRT delays
• Major penalties in place if the Valley Line gets delayed

District energy

• City of Edmonton committee approves downtown energy project $7.7M cost overrun

Economics and equity

• Mayor's panel argues for economic benefits of equity

This episode was sponsored by the Edmonton Community Foundation, which provides support to the city's shakers, movers, and doers. Check out The Well Endowed Podcast for stories about ECF's donors and grantees, and all the ways they use this support to build and sustain social initiatives, empower youth, strengthen arts and culture, and so much more.

Speaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton, a source of curiosity-driven original stories, curated newsletters on various topics, and locally focused podcasts, all in the service of informing Edmontonians about what is going on in their community. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free!

Urban planning committee hears from more than 70 speakers about the zoning bylaw renewal. We recap what went down and talk to David Berry, one of the speakers.

Here are the relevant links for this episode:

Property taxes

• PSA: 2023 property taxes due June 30

Solar rebates

• News Release: Edmontonians Jump on Change Homes for Climate Solar Program

David Berry

• David Berry's website
• Opinion: Zoning changes will fix serious problems and make Edmonton nicer

Zoning Bylaw Renewal

• Zoning Bylaw Renewal Initiative
• Zoning Bylaw Renewal Public Engagement
• Edmonton mass zoning change criticized over engagement, climate, affordability
• Group worried about 'radical' zoning bylaw changes; Edmonton councillor calls them 'necessary'
• Dozens of Edmontonians speak to city councillors about new draft zoning bylaw
• Here's what you need to know about Edmonton's zoning bylaw overhaul

Kevin Taft

• Opinion: Edmontonians deserve a say in proposed zoning bylaw
• Tuesday's letters: New zoning bylaw won't put a highrise next door

Committee

• Urban planning committee meeting minutes for June 20

This episode was sponsored by the Edmonton Community Foundation, which provides support to the city's shakers, movers, and doers. Check out The Well Endowed Podcast for stories about ECF's donors and grantees, and all the ways they use this support to build and sustain social initiatives, empower youth, strengthen arts and culture, and so much more.

Speaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton, a source of curiosity-driven original stories, curated newsletters on various topics, and locally focused podcasts, all in the service of informing Edmontonians about what is going on in their community. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free!

Ok, fine, we're going to talk about the election. But you CAN'T make us like it.

Here are the relevant links for this episode:

Sheriffs extended

• Edmonton police, sheriff partnership extended to end of year

Flair complaints

• Flair tops Canadian airlines with average number of complaints per 100 flights: CTA

EPL Jeopardy

• Edmonton librarian takes second place in Jeopardy! debut

Provincial election

• Thirteen new MLAs elected to Edmonton and area
• Edmonton mayor sees chance to 'reset' relationship with province, congratulates Smith on UCP win
• How to build an Alberta cabinet without Edmonton
• Alberta premier plays down prospect of advisory council of defeated candidates
• Speaker offers advice on bridging political divides
• Keith Gerein: Alberta's election results are about the worst-case scenario for Edmonton

Boyle Street

• Boyle Street defends plan to relocate central Edmonton agency

Hawrelak Park

• Edmonton's William Hawrelak Park renovations proceed without changes

Recreation centres

• News Release: City recreation centres celebrate attendance returning to pre-pandemic levels

Stadium LRT

• News Release: Redeveloped Stadium LRT Station increases access to major events

Solar schools

• Some Edmonton public schools make the switch to solar energy

Speaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton, a source of curiosity-driven original stories, curated newsletters on various topics, and locally focused podcasts, all in the service of informing Edmontonians about what is going on in their community. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free!

Edmonton has a surprise new bigger-than-Hawrelak, as-of-yet-unnamed river valley park. Plus, the Capital Line LRT extension gets its scope trimmed, and new patio rules come into effect.

Here are the relevant links for this episode:

Lyft arrives

• Lyft expands ride-booking service to Edmonton, Calgary

Air quality

• Edmonton air quality stalls May long weekend plans for businesses, families

Downtown Spark

• Downtown Spark

Northeast River Valley Park

• News Release: City announces new 190 acre River Valley Park in Northeast Edmonton

Capital Line LRT

• Edmonton's Capital Line LRT extension to be scaled back but Twin Brooks station stays

Patio rules

• Post-pandemic patio rules lead to hiccups for some restaurants

Water stations

• PSA: City opens water bottle filling stations as part of extreme weather supports

Chinatown safety

• 'We need to do more': Anniversary of Chinatown homicides renews calls for safety
• Police give update on Healthy Streets Operations Centre progress one year after Chinatown deaths
• Coun. Anne Stevenson's photo

Alberta election

• Downtown Recovery Coalition mailer
• Provincial election roundup: May 24, 2023

Speaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton, a source of curiosity-driven original stories, curated newsletters on various topics, and locally focused podcasts, all in the service of informing Edmontonians about what is going on in their community. Sign up to get The Pulse, our weekday news briefing. It's free!