Spring & Summer 2015 Recap: City Council’s Fast-moving Year
July 29, 2015
Summer gives City Council a chance to catch its breath, prepare for a whirlwind fall, and reflect on what's already been achieved thus far in 2015. The aggressive agenda Council had set for itself is steadily being met, with many of our city-building achievements already wrapped up:
- After years of negotiation, Bill 20 was finally passed by the province in March — making important changes to the Municipal Government Act, giving cities greater powers and formalizing the city charter process that will ultimately better recognize the important role of cities in building Alberta.
- With the news that our city's core neighbourhoods have declined by almost 73,000 people since the 1970s, Council passed a series of bylaws in April to encourage infill development and increase our density. These bylaws include the ability to subdivide 50-foot lots to build two homes, as well as garage and garden suites city-wide.
- In April, Council reduced its proposed tax increase for residential properties to 2.4 per cent from the proposed 5.7. As a council, we felt that using this provincial education tax room to give ratepayers a break was the prudent thing to do in times of economic uncertainty.
- The City took a giant step toward becoming more resilient with Council's unanimous approval of an energy transition strategy in April, centered on 11 actions designed to reduce Edmonton's greenhouse gas emissions by 35 per cent by 2035 and further enhance our reputation as an environmental leader.
- Mayor Iveson focused his energy this spring on transforming Edmonton's reputation with a visit to central Canada and events like a sold-out Economic Club of Canada luncheon, a remarkable city-building dialogue with noted thinker Richard Florida, and a trade mission to Asia that resulted, in part, game-changing air cargo service between Edmonton and China.
- In June, all but one of the Capital Region Board’s 24 members voted to create a single regional entity to oversee economic development. This marks a big step forward in marketing the Edmonton Metro area to the world and ensuring we remain an attractive and competitive option for global investors.
- After Mayor Iveson convened a roundtable on the issue last year, a report on improving social housing was released to Council in June. It provides a road map on how we will begin to tackle Edmonton's affordable housing shortage given the federal government's withdrawal of almost $22 million in annual operating dollars from our city.
Council continuously challenges itself, and as City Administration's equivalent of a board of governors, to do a better job of serving you. Amidst stories of bridge and LRT delays, Council continues to innovate and pilot new projects that improve your quality of life each day. While Council wishes more of these good news stories would make headlines, the bad news stories provide us with opportunities to ask hard questions and get it right the next time.
It's a beautiful time of year to be in Edmonton. While summer showcases Edmonton's welcoming patios, its beautiful parks and long, warm evenings — along with $450 million in road, bridge and neighbourhood construction work — City Council is already gearing up for a productive fall.
For More Information
Mayor Don Iveson
2nd Floor, City Hall
1 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, AB
T5J 2R7
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