August 20, 2024
City of Edmonton
1 Sir Winston Churchill Square Edmonton AB, T5J 2R7
Subject: Concerns Regarding Proposed Changes to Agenda Release Timelines To Mayor and City Council:
The Infill Development in Edmonton Association (IDEA) is an educational and advocacy nonprofit, non-partisan association dedicated to building community and making infill easier through advocacy, connection and education. Our purpose is to drive change toward people-centered communities within Edmonton’s mature neighborhoods. The majority of our members are small and local businesses, passionate about executing Council’s City Plan goals.
IDEA is writing to express concerns regarding the proposed changes to the agenda release timelines as outlined in the recent communication. While we understand that the intent of moving the release date closer to the meeting time is to ensure more complete agendas, we believe this adjustment may have unintended consequences that could negatively impact the transparency and effectiveness of the process. Our policy committee meets monthly to work with City Administration and to review Council agendas in order to provide feedback, and the current 10-day release date is already challenging to manage.
The original amendment in 2021, which extended the release date to 10 days prior to meetings, was designed to provide both Council members and the public with ample time to review and prepare for discussions. This longer timeline is crucial, particularly for complex reports that require thoughtful consideration and, in some cases, public input. While we acknowledge that incomplete agendas can be an issue, the proposed solution of shortening the release timeline to the Thursday before the meeting may exacerbate other issues.
By reducing the time available for review, we risk limiting the ability of Council’s advisory committees, the Mayor, Councillors, and the public to thoroughly examine the reports and provide meaningful feedback. This is especially concerning for items of significant public interest or those requiring in-depth analysis. The proposal to release reports with significant public interest in advance "where possible" is well-intentioned, but it introduces uncertainty and may not adequately address the need for consistent and equitable access to information.
Furthermore, this change could inadvertently reduce the transparency that the current 10-day timeline was meant to enhance. An incomplete agenda, even with addenda added later, still provides a framework for what is to come, allowing stakeholders to prepare accordingly. The compressed timeline may not allow for sufficient public engagement, particularly for those who may need more time to digest complex information.
In conclusion, while we appreciate the efforts to improve the agenda release process, we believe that the proposed changes could undermine the goals of transparency and our ability to provide helpful feedback to City Council. We urge Council to reconsider this approach and explore alternative solutions that maintain the 10-day release period while addressing the issue of incomplete agendas in a way that does not compromise the ability of all stakeholders to participate effectively.
Thank you for considering our concerns. If you have any questions, please contact IDEA via Mariah Samji at mariah@infilledmonton.com or 780-951-6926.
Sincerely,
