This video from October 7, 2022, documents a city council meeting in which the council members discuss a potential emergency declaration for the city. They also debate and vote on proposed policies related to the Edmonton Police Service and update the council on various matters, including the Airport Express service from Edmonton International Airport.
00:05:00 This video documents the proceedings of a city council meeting, which took place on October 7, 2022. The captions accompanying the video provide a transcription of what was said, but note that there may be inaccuracies due to human error, technical difficulties, or an inability to hear or understand what is being said.
00:10:00 City Council members discuss a potential emergency declaration for the city.
00:20:00 The video follows the Mayor of a city as he calls a meeting to order, and discusses the city's upcoming events.
00:25:00 This video discusses the City Council's upcoming non-regular meeting, which will be held on October 7th, 2022. At this meeting, the City Council will debate and vote on proposed policies related to the Edmonton Police Service. Additionally, the City will update the Council on various matters, including the Edmonton Police Commission's upcoming candidate shortlist and the Airport Express service from Edmonton International Airport. Finally, the City will vote on a motion to approve the funding for Edmonton Police Service related policies.
00:30:00 The video discusses the calculation of the Edmonton Police Service's funding allocation under the new policy. Seven variables are used to calculate the funding, including total tax supported funding for Edmonton Police Service for the current year, the total tax supported funding for Edmonton Police Service for the previous year, the Edmonton Police Service funding formula, plus the Edmonton Police Service salary settlements for the current year, held corporately and not quarterly, multiplied by the population growth for the current year. The starting point for the calculation is the net operating requirement, which is the net of $74 million in revenue and expenses. Because EPS no longer receives the 22.3 million in taser allocation, the revenue and expense calculations take into account the projected population growth of 1.6%. The total allocation for 2023 is $414 million, which is the starting point for year two. If collective bargaining is ratified and contracts resulting in a positive variance are settled, EPS would retain the difference and could apply the 1-million salary settlement.
00:35:00 In this video, the consequences of different scenarios for the growth rate of employees and non-personnel expenses are analyzed. In scenario 1, where the growth rate is estimated to be 1.6%, the funding formula is set to equal the estimated increase, or $7 million. However, in scenario 5, where the growth rate is estimated to be 1.9%, the funding formula is set to be neutral, meaning that any changes in external funding will not have an impact on the amount of funding EPS receives. In scenario 3, where the growth rate is estimated to be 1.55%, the funding formula is reduced for as many years as necessary until the growth rate is brought back below the 30% cap. In scenario 5, where the growth rate is estimated to be 2.9%, the funding formula is increased by $7 million.
00:40:00 The City Council discusses proposed changes to the police funding formula. One proposal is to reduce the factor for provincial and federal contributions, while another is to maintain the 30% ratio through reductions if necessary. Council also discusses alternatives for public engagement and reporting framework from the Edmonton Police Commission.
00:45:00 CITY COUNCIL is discussing the proposed 2020-2021 budget, which includes a proposed increase in police salaries. Some council members are wondering why salaries weren't included in the actual budget, and why the efficiency factor was removed from the salary formula. Also discussed are the recommendations that weren't considered safe for all.
00:50:00 The Mayor of Edmonton, Amarjeet Sohi, discusses the idea of "detasking" police officers, which is the process of reducing the number of officers in order to save money. He says that this would be done by using population growth as a factor, instead of requiring increased enforcement efforts from officers. He also mentions that there are currently 2,830 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Edmonton, of which 1800 are sworn officers. There are also 100 civilian managers, and 2,830 combined civil and sworn officers.
00:55:00 City council discusses the implications of provincial or federal funding decreases on the city. While there is no specific scenario in which the city would back out of a financial commitment, the city would still have an obligation to cover salary settlements if funded.
The City Council of Edmonton is discussing a new funding formula for the police force that would replace salaries with population growth as a factor in calculating costs. There is criticism of the proposal, with some arguing that it is not fair or predictable for taxpayers. The Council is scheduled to vote on the proposal on October 7th.
01:00:00 In this video, Councillor Janz asks Mayor Sohi about how many unionized employees are under CEMA and how many are not. Mayor Sohi says that it is majority unionized, but there are some management employees under CEMA. The motion is cast to approve the due date for this be the first quarter of 2023, with the intention of making it narrower and defined in terms of service packages.
01:05:00 The City Council is discussing a 2020 police budget and Oct 7, 2022 is the date of the next budget meeting. The goal is for the City Council not to approve any police budget increases until after January and February when the budget is finalized. The budget will be based on police's net operating requirements and inflation.
01:10:00 The city council is discussing a motion to suspend police budgeting, as there is no formula for how the money would be spent if the motion is passed. Police commission member Principe asks the mayor if he consulted with the Edmonton police commission on the motion, to which the mayor admits he did not. He goes on to say that if the motion is passed, there would be no police budget in 2022 and no police budget in 2023.
01:15:00 The City of Edmonton is considering a plan to regionalize its police force in order to save money. The motion before council was not to approve the plan, but to socialize it, which will allow the city to consider the plan further.
01:20:00 The City of Edmonton is currently in the process of preparing their budget, and one of the things that is complicating the process is the possibility of service packages being brought back at budget debate. This would add to the estimated 1.6% population growth that the budget is based on.
01:25:00 The proposed funding formula for police services has been met with criticism from some Council members, who argue that the service package approach is more predictable and fair for taxpayers. However, the Growth Formula, which aims to capture year-over-year changes in expenses, does not take population distribution into account, which can lead to disparities in service provision between core and growing communities. The Council is scheduled to vote on the proposal on October 7th.
01:30:00 The city of Edmonton is considering a new funding formula that would replace salaries with population growth as a factor in calculating police costs. Councilor Cartmell objects to the proposal, citing the importance of public engagement. Mayor Sohi says that the formula is based on a number of factors and that it may take some time to resolve the alternative mechanisms for factor gnd.
01:35:00 The video discusses the possibility of Council approving a revised funding formula that would provide less certainty for budget preparations and revisions to the referral system.
01:40:00 The video discusses the inclusion of a non-statutory public hearing process in the administration's recommendation to substantially alter the funding formula for future years. The mayor clarifies that this process would be conducted at the committee level instead of the board level. The mayor also discusses the non-personnel inflation calculator, which is currently estimated at 0.8%. The mayor reveals that inflation is expected to be very low next year, compared to the general inflation currently seen.
01:45:00 The proposed budget for Oct. 7, 2022 includes funding for police officers, fuel costs, and the settlement of municipal contracts. The budget is adjusted for inflation and population growth, and is expected to last for four years.
01:50:00 The City of Edmonton is considering removing symbolic expenditures from its funding formula, such as interest payments on debt, in order to increase efficiency. City Council Member Amarjeet Sohi asks if this is something that can be addressed under the Police Act. Legal experts are consulted and it is determined that the issue might be covered by the Police Act, but that is more operational than disciplinary. School Board Members and Mayor Sohi's Chief of Staff join the discussion. The Mayor recalls a meeting where Council voted to increase the Efficiency Modifier from .5% to 1%. Council Member Janz asks about the efficacy of the Efficiency Modifier and how often it was used to bring greater efficiency to the budgeting process for EPS.
01:55:00 The video reviews the proposed changes to the city council non-regular meeting format. The mayor explains that a comparative analysis of the previous funding formula and the proposed formula would be valuable. Additionally, additional reporting and accountability framework would be necessary.
The City Council of Edmonton is discussing the budget for the police department and how to best fund it. There is concern that the money is being wasted and that the growth component is not being built on one-time money. The council is considering a funding formula that includes one-time money, which is not the intention of the formula.
02:00:00 The City of Edmonton is considering annexing a neighbouring city, and there is concern about the authority of the City Council to make such a decision. The transcript excerpt discusses the parameters of the annual report the Police Service would produce, and the maximum amount of salary that would be based on other union settlements.
02:05:00 In this video, City Council discusses the need for a mandate for police, and discusses the possible scenarios in which they might approve a funding formula for the police department that includes an increase in budget. They also discuss the Healthy Streets Initiative, which has already been approved and funded.
02:10:00 The City Council is considering a funding formula that includes one-time money, which is not the intention of the formula. Some residents are worried that the money is being wasted and that the growth component is not being built on one-time money. Chief McPeek discusses how the funding formula will work and how it will distribute the increased service throughout the city.
02:15:00 The video discusses the city's funding formula for public safety, which is criticized as not reflecting the service demand from the public. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi responds that the formula needs to reflect demand increases as well as resources available to meet those demands.
02:20:00 The video discusses the city's budget preparations, and how some of the proposed budget items may not change the overall formula. Mayor Sohi acknowledges that there are a number of bullets that won't necessarily change the formula itself, but brings back additional information for the council to consider. Cllr. Paquette asks about procedure 7 (B) and 7 (C), which pertain to service packages for existing resources and partnerships with the commission. Mayor Sohi confirms that these are allowable under the policy for an effective E.P.S.
02:25:00 In this video, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi discusses the city's budget and priorities for public safety. He clarifies that public safety is a priority, and Police should have a priority-based budget. However, Police are not currently doing a priority-based budget, which means they cannot determine this year's budget for Police funding resources.
02:30:00 The city council discussed the policy for funding police and included accountability measures. The funding formula policy was designed to grant that envelope. Councillor Rice asked about the possibility of including salary settlements in the policy, and Mayor Sohi said it would require an increase in property taxes. If the referral motion passes, police funding will start at 407 million dollars and increase by $7 million in scenario 1 if Regional Services is not provided through property tax.
02:35:00 In his budget speech, Mayor Sohi announces that the Edmonton Police Service funding formlaw councillor policy 604 (a) will be amended to delete statement 6, which emphasizes the importance of alternate methods to achieve public safety such as reducing the 30% factor and/or maintaining the 30% ratio if necessary. He also requests that the Commission review the proposed formula, which would include consideration of federal grants, narrower apartment exits for future service packages, and a comparison of the new and former formula.
02:40:00 The City Council discusses the motion to modify the motion to provide a rationale for the motion, with some members proposing that the rationale be included in the motion, while others caution against tying funding to performance measures. The Council ultimately agrees to include a rationale in future amendments to the motion.
02:45:00 The City of Ottawa is considering a funding adjustment formula that would recalculate assessment values based on median residential values instead of average values. The video discusses the advantages and disadvantages of this approach, and points out that it would be better to have public hearings on funding adjustments.
02:50:00 The mayor of a city Discusses the implications of potential changes to the city's tax rate in the fall. One complication is that those changes could have second and third order impacts that are not yet known. Another complication is that the mayor is not sure how the proposed budget will accommodate risk. The previous budget design excluded settlements from being based on actuals, which creates more uncertainty.
The video is a recording of a meeting of the City Council of Edmonton, during which the mayor discusses the city's budget and a proposed policy change regarding the funding formula for the police force. Councillors debate the amendment to the budget, and ultimately decide to keep the policy change in place.
04:20:00 The video introduces the topic of the meeting, which is the City Council's non-regular meeting. The mayor calls the meeting back to order, and the speaker lists the attendees.
04:25:00 In this video, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi discusses the city's budget and how it will be affected by the proposed increase to the city's tax formula. He also reiterates the city's policy of establishing multi-year budgets between now and the end of 2020.
04:30:00 In the video, the Mayor of Edmonton discusses the implications of the proposed 2022 budget, which includes a policy change requiring a public hearing for any changes to the labour settlement formula. The Council member responsible for this policy, Councillor Pierre-Paul Cartmel, asks the Mayor about the impact of removing Statement Six from the report. The Mayor explains that the policy was included to indicate that whenever changes are made, they will be tested with the public. If the change is agreeable to Council, it can be managed through existing standing committees.
04:35:00 The question regarding the statement "six deletion" is discussed. It is determined that the statement should be broken down into a report that includes the Edmonton Police Commission and administration requiring something from the police commission, and directing that through this motion. It is also determined that the number for a million dollars used for settlements should be private information and not accessible to the public.
04:40:00 The video discusses the possibility of amending Statement 6 of the city's budget, which would delay the policy change until after a vote by the full council. The mayor suggests that the amendment be moved, and a second councillor proposes deleting the deletion. The amendment is then approved and the statement is moved.
04:45:00 The amendment on the floor seconded by Councillor Principle would delete part of the original motion, which includes the deletion of the Edmonton Police Service funding formula policy 6048.
04:50:00 The mayor is discussing the amendment to delete the following: "the following adjustment is approved with the following adjustment." The amendment will require a public hearing, which is something that committees have not done in the past.
04:55:00 In this video, the Mayor discusses how public hearings for non-statutory items are typically held by City Council. A member of the public asks a question about whether standardizing the process would help the public be more involved. The amendment to the motion to keep the police commission independent is withdrawn due to lack of Council participation.
The video discusses the Oct 7, 2022, City Council non-regular meeting, during which the motion to approve a seven million dollar increase in the police budget was voted on. If passed, this would give the police service one year of funding, which would then be adjusted annually based on performance. The video also discusses the possible implications of this motion, including concerns about the police budget potentially violating the police act, as well as management spending, deactivation of officers, and efficiency.
05:00:00 The amendment moves the calculation of funding for police officers to be done by the EPS funding formula only for the year 2022. If this amendment passes, the funding for police officers will only be determined by the EPS funding formula for the year 2023. This amendment is meant to be fully transparent for the public to understand the intention of the motion.
05:05:00 The video focuses on the upcoming Oct. 7, 2022 municipal election and how Council is proposing to spend its budget. Councilmember Rice asks Mayor Sohi if the budget is binding, and Mayor Sohi responds that it is not, but that if it is passed today, the administration can clarify what the material effects would be. Three votes are required for the amendment to pass, and Councilmember Janz questions whether voting on number one today would actually have any effect. The vote is eventually carried, with additional amendments proposed but not voted on.
05:10:00 This video discusses the Oct 7, 2022, City Council non-regular meeting, during which the motion to approve a seven million dollar increase in the police budget was voted on. If passed, this would give the police service one year of funding, which would then be adjusted annually based on performance. The video also discusses the possible implications of this motion, including concerns about the police budget potentially violating the police act, as well as management spending, deactivation of officers, and efficiency. The video concludes by asking for a chat board to be created so that Council members can discuss the issue further.
05:15:00 The mayor and council discuss the possibility of allocating a budget for the Healthy Streets Operation Centre, which would be paid for after whatever increase the formula brings. If this motion fails, the mayor suggests bringing the proposed debt levy forward for discussion.
05:20:00 The city council unanimously passed a motion to change the .8 to .7 in order to make the motion more clear.
05:25:00 The Edmonton City Council discusses a report on the city's accountability and reporting framework. One councillor argues that the motion should be voted on separately for voting purposes, but the mayor says that they will all speak together. The councillor then speaks against the motions, saying that they were not given the same courtesy as other councillors. The report was originally scheduled for discussion but was postponed due to lack of time to process the motions.
05:30:00 The City Council voted to approve a one-year inflationary increase for next year, contrary to the original four-year plan that was given to the administration. This motion is opposed by the councillor who originally proposed the motion, who claims that the original plan was not funding-related and should have been clearer.
05:35:00 The City Council is locked in a long-term formula to fund policing, and does not have the authority to appropriate funds for other purposes. After discussing the options, councillor Paqueette votes in favor of the recommendation to approve the funding formula, but with several amendments. Mayor Sohi acknowledges that the proposed formula is not perfect, but says that it is the best option available. Councillor Knack says that he is torn on the issue and may vote against the recommendation because it could lose on a 7-6 vote.
05:40:00 Citizens discuss the proposed funding formula for the public safety department and how it affects their safety. COUNCILLOR RICE opposes the proposed funding formula, citing concerns about the city's spending and how it affects the safety of Edmontonians. Mayor Sohi assures the citizens that the administration is working hard to make the necessary changes to the department and that the funding formula is only one part of this larger goal.
05:45:00 The City Council is voting on a proposed budget that includes increased spending on police services, but Mayor Sohi is concerned about the lack of transparency and accountability around the proposed budget. Councilmember Rice expresses support for all of the proposed budget's points, but votes no on the proposed budget due to concerns about budget priorities and the lack of time to make a consequential decision.
05:50:00 The mayor of Toronto discusses the implications of not approving part 1 of the Police Services Committee's report on funding for the police department. He says that he is still uncomfortable with the process and is not confident in the final formula. He also expresses support for part 1 because it addresses some of the concerns he had when the report was first proposed.
05:55:00 The video discusses the difficulties in passing a budget for the City of New Brunswick, and the council member who feels like he is the last to speak expresses his concerns about the potential for a tax increase.
The mayor and city council discuss the budget and how to best balance it without raising taxes. They ultimately vote to recall the service packages that were proposed earlier in the year and to go into private discussion to vote on a recall motion.
06:00:00 The Mayor of Edmonton talks about how the City needs to start balancing its budget and how increasing taxes may be necessary in order to do so. He also thanks all of his colleagues for their work on the budget and says that the start of the new year is a good time to begin planning for the future.
06:05:00 The City Council votes on whether or not to approve service packages that were proposed earlier in the year. Number 1 is ultimately pragmatic, and precluding the need for service packages to be coming forward at the budget. Number 2 is voted in favor, and number 3 is voted in favor.
06:10:00 This video discusses the Oct. 7, 2022 municipal election, in which councillors Wright and Janz vote in favor of going into private discussion to vote on a recall motion. The vote is unanimously approved, and the mayor promises to break early for the media.
The City Council of Edmonton voted to increase the social development 2022 operating budget by 2.66 million dollars to allow the Centre's day services to operate extended hours seven days a week. They also discussed the mandate letter for Phase Two of the city's redevelopment plan and decided to ask administration to create the letter. Furthermore, the City Council is discussing whether or not to send a letter to the Regional Transit Authority indicating that Edmonton is committed to the Regional Transit System. Lastly, the City of Edmonton is opening up a new district park called Oct 7, 2022 - City Council Non-Regular Park.
07:10:00 The Mayor announces that the City Council will not be meeting past 5pm today due to labour relations issues.
07:15:00 The City Council voted to increase the social development 2022 operating budget by 2.66 million dollars to allow the Centre's day services to operate extended hours seven days a week until the end of May 2023. The budget will be funded from the Covid-19 funds appropriate with the Centre being informed and content acceptable to City Manager, October 3, 2022.
07:20:00 The City Council discusses the mandate letter for Phase Two of the city's redevelopment plan. It is decided that the mandate letter will be drafted, but that the wording needs to be changed to ask administration to create the letter. This will be discussed at a Council meeting later this month. Phase Two--which includes the implementation of the redevelopment plan--will not begin until after Phase One--which includes the assessment of the plan--is completed.
07:25:00 The City Council is discussing whether or not to send a letter to the Regional Transit Authority indicating that Edmonton is committed to the Regional Transit System. Some councillors are worried about the potential implications of not sending the letter, including the risk that the City will not approve the budget proposed by the Commission.
07:30:00 The speaker is surprised to find themselves making a motion, but they believe that the Airport Express Service from Edmonton International Airport to Downtown Edmonton is a good idea. They ask the rest of Council to vote on the motion, which they unanimously approve.
07:35:00 The City of Edmonton is looking into expanding services for airport passengers, including a potential partnership with the regional airport. Council discussed the issue and agreed that it is important to explore different funding models and fare structures before making a decision on the budget. Cllr. Stevenson moved the budget amendment to explore cost-sharing with regional partners.
07:40:00 The City Council discusses a proposal to provide funding for a capital utility project at a park that has been handed over to four community organizations. The project needs to be done by March 31st, and the community has been fundraising for years. If approved, the project risks not being completed on time.
07:45:00 The City of Edmonton is opening up a new district park called Oct 7, 2022 - City Council Non-Regular Park that will serve a rapidly-growing southeastern neighbourhood. The park is well-used and most ethnically diverse parts of street, and Mayor Amarjeet Sohi plans to ask what community amenities the city has available to manage the park based almost entirely on volunteer power. If the City's contingency fund is approved for this project, the City Manager would then report back to Council on what steps need to be taken to ensure the park is able to respond to emerging demands.
07:50:00 The City Council votes to approve a $7 million investment for the police department, which will allow them to build a communityUB facility.