WEEKLY UPDATE - FEB 24

Welcome back to the Weekly Wrap Up! Last week was mostly internal business, but had some important items.

At Council Services Committee, I moved a successful motion to bring in guidelines for Councillor travel expenses. City business can require us to represent Edmonton at a range of tables across the country. Being there in person helps with relationship building and advocacy that benefits our city. While there’s great value in this travel, I think it’s equally important that we travel in a cost effective way. The motion will see City staff return with a set of proposed guidelines, which I hope can also serve as a template for other city agencies as well.

At the Emergency Advisory Committee, I had a chance to ask about the City’s flood preparedness, something that’s top of mind for many living in Rossdale and Riverdale. I heard about the robust all hazards approach the City takes to emergency planning, and the coordination with Alberta’s Emergency Management Agency to ensure we have access to the supplies that may be needed for flood mitigation.

Moving forward, I’m hopeful there can be more community-based emergency preparedness work undertaken. I asked City staff to connect with community leagues to ask about what opportunities there might be to bring a local lens to building our community resilience.

Last week at a special Council meeting, we also confirmed the appointment of two interim Chiefs of Police. I’m grateful to both of these leaders for stepping up during this period of transition. I’m looking forward to seeing their collaborative work in action!

That’s all for last week. I hope you have a great week ahead and enjoy the milder weather!