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Municipal Politics

Committee members are Hamilton, Salvador, Stevenson, Rutherford, Sohi.

"Item 7.1 0

Rowing Shell Exemption
Moved by: S. Hamilton
Carried: 5 - 0 - 0
Moved by: Councillor Hamilton

That section 61(3) of Bylaw 20700 be deleted and replaced with: 61(3) This section does not apply to persons: on the Edmonton Riverboat; or operating racing canoes, racing kayaks, or rowing shells when exempted by and in compliance with the Small Vessel Regulations (Canada).

Close Public Spaces
Moved by: E. Rutherford
Carried 5 - 0 - 0

That section 6(g) of Bylaw 20700 be amended by deleting “or permanent”.

Special Events - Charter Protection
Moved by: A. Sohi
Carried: 5 - 0 - 0

That Bylaw 20700 be amended by adding section 40(5): 40(5) Nothing in this section will be applied or interpreted to prevent the exercise of fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Allow Skateboards, etc on Sidewalks
Moved by: A. Salvador
Carried: 5 - 0 - 0

That section 78(1) of Bylaw 20700 be deleted and replaced with: 78(1) A person must not ride a bicycle, e-bicycle, or e-scooter on a sidewalk. |

Increase Exemption Age to 16
Moved by: E. Rutherford
Carried: 5 - 0 - 0

That section 78(2) of Bylaw 20700 be amended by deleting and replacing “14” with “16”.

Exempt Feeding of Feral Cats
Moved by: A. Sohi
Carried: 5 - 0 - 0

That Bylaw 20700 be amended as follows: renumbering section 16 as section 16(1); adding section 16(2): Subsection (1) does not apply to feral cats."

 
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When certain Mayoral candidates are criticizing the plan for the upcoming bridgework, bear in mind whether they had opportunities to address this before it benefited their political careers. It helps indicate how effective they actually are. The timeline is from this article.

Bridge.PNG
 
If Karen Principe's federal run (as a Conservative, natch) for Edmonton-Griesbach is unsuccessful, do you think she'll seek re-election to city council?

bsky.app

Dave Cournoyer (@daveberta.bsky.social)

Former PC MLA Dave Quest announces he’s dropping out of the federal Conservative nomination race in Edmonton Griesbach. He’s endorsing City Councillor Karen Principe, who entered the race yesterday. Membership cut off is tomorrow. 👀
bsky.app bsky.app
 
CplKlinger said:
When certain Mayoral candidates are criticizing the plan for the upcoming bridgework, bear in mind whether they had opportunities to address this before it benefited their political careers. It helps indicate how effective they actually are. The timeline is from this article.

View attachment 632156
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Absolutely. Council had the opportunity to make the repairs gradually over their term, but instead shoveled it down the line. Now we're looking at the near-complete closure of Downtown access.
 
policyenthusiast said:
Absolutely. Council had the opportunity to make the repairs gradually over their term, but instead shoveled it down the line. Now we're looking at the near-complete closure of Downtown access.
Click to expand...
While I don't catastrophize about this as much of others, I do agree Council had the opportunity to plan this better. And I really don't want to pussyfoot around here about that, lets name names.

Cartmell is on council and is just as much a part of that as the others. He can not just try pretend he was off working somewhere else over the last several years, that would be dishonest and insults everyone's intelligence.
 
David A said:
While I don't catastrophize about this as much of others, I do agree Council had the opportunity to plan this better. And I really don't want to pussyfoot around here about that, lets name names.

Cartmell is on council and is just as much a part of that as the others. He can not just try pretend he was off working somewhere else over the last several years, that would be dishonest and insults everyone's intelligence.
Click to expand...
He's also holding up the grail of "build it better", and every time he puts out collateral for it you half-expect it to come with a plan of some sort.

It's always nothing. Just him saying construction is a problem as if he hasn't had any say in it since 2021.
 
CplKlinger said:
Click to expand...
In plain text in case anyone is sketched out by the URL:

Edmonton City Council has approved the Public Spaces Bylaw, which marks a key step in modernizing the management of public spaces to better reflect the current needs and safety of the community.

"Like other major municipalities, Edmonton manages over 250 bylaws, ranging from business licenses to annual tax levies. Today, we consolidated three major bylaws – Parkland, Transit and Public Places – some of which date back nearly 65 years," says Michelle Plouffe, Chief People Officer and City Solicitor. "Our city has transformed, and it's crucial that bylaws evolve too, to maintain the health, safety and wellness of our community. These updates will help Edmontonians enjoy parks, river valleys and transit facilities safely and freely."

The Public Spaces Bylaw takes effect on May 12 simplifying the legal framework and eliminating redundant or confusing provisions. Key updates include:

  • Streamlining food truck regulations: To support local businesses and enhance the street food culture, the regulatory process for food trucks has been simplified. This revision reduces red tape and facilitates easier operations for food truck entrepreneurs across the city.
  • Event permits: To ensure public safety, protection of City assets and enhanced community engagement, the permit requirements for special events have been expanded to all City-owned property and have been revised to be applicable for events with 100 or more attendees, up from a 50-person threshold. The revised bylaw expressly clarifies that the bylaw will not be applied in a manner to prevent the exercise of fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, such as lawful protests.
  • Wildlife protection: To prevent wildlife dependency, poor nutrition and disease spread, the bylaw continues to prohibit the feeding of wildlife in public spaces. A new exemption for feral cats has been introduced, allowing for collaborative input from community partners to establish best practices that effectively manage feral cat populations.
  • Bicycles: To promote safe mobility outcomes, regulations have been updated based on the latest research regarding sidewalk cycling. The update continues to permit children under 16 to ride on sidewalks, ensuring younger cyclists can safely enjoy cycling in urban areas.
  • ‘Direction to Stop’ and nominal fines: To improve compliance and manage public spaces more effectively, the bylaw introduces a 'Direction to Stop' authority for bylaw enforcement officers, specifically targeting minor infractions. This measure is complemented by nominal fines of $25 for certain offences, which act as a deterrent without imposing harsh penalties, especially for vulnerable populations.
  • Regulation of visible drug use: To enable non-criminal regulation of drug use, the bylaw prohibits the visible possession, display, use or consumption of controlled substances in public spaces. Nominal fines have been implemented for select violations to support public health and safety while ensuring compliance through non-criminal enforcement options.
  • Updates to transit space regulations: To ensure all spaces, including transit areas, remain safe, accessible and free from disruptive activities, the bylaw reinforces that transit spaces should be used solely for transit purposes, and targets the regulation of specific behaviours that interfere with the physical and psychological safety of others.
The bylaw review was initiated in 2022 and the bylaw was informed by public input from over 6,500 Edmontonians on the importance of safety and inclusivity. After receiving additional feedback during the public hearing in 2024, revisions and a comprehensive GBA+ review were undertaken to ensure the bylaw reflects safety expectations in public spaces and considers the needs of equity-deserving Edmontonians.

The City continues to prioritize educational initiatives and compliance before enforcement, working closely with community partners to support those in need. The Public Spaces Bylaw is part of a broader strategy to address complex social issues through clear, consistent and inclusive city governance.
 
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