Utility Committee - Minutes

Monday, June 23, 2025

9:30 A.m. - 5:00 P.m.

Council Chamber, 2nd floor, City Hall

Present:

• T. Cartmell, 
• A. Salvador, 
• A. Sohi, 
• A. Stevenson, 
• and K. Tang 

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1.

Call to Order and Related Business

1.1

Call to Order and Land Acknowledgement

Councillor T. Cartmell called the meeting to order at 9:32 a.m., Monday, June 23, 2025, and acknowledged that Utility Committee meets on the traditional land of Treaty 6 Territory and the Métis homeland. The Chair also acknowledged the diverse Indigenous peoples whose ancestors' footsteps have marked this territory for centuries such as: Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Nakota Isga, as well as Métis and Inuit, and now settlers from around the world.

1.2

Roll Call

Councillor T. Cartmell conducted roll call and confirmed the attendance of Members of Utility Committee.

Mayor A. Sohi is a Committee Member pursuant to section 15(3), Council Committees Bylaw 18156.

Councillor A. Paquette was absent with notice.

Councillors J. Rice, E. Rutherford and J. Wright; and M. Friesen, B. Tyson and J. Taves, Office of the City Clerk, were also in attendance.

1.3

Adoption of Agenda

• Moved by: A. Stevenson

  That the June 23, 2025, Utility Committee meeting agenda be adopted with the following changes:

  Additions:

  • 7.5 Downtown District Energy Fiscal Policy
  • 7.6 Downtown District Energy Initiative - Growth Plan
  • 7.7 Bylaw 20914 - Downtown District Energy Utility
  • 9.1 Contractual Update #4 (2025)
    (Private pursuant to sections 20 and 29 of the Access to Information Act)

  Deletion:

  • 7.1 Proposed Use of the Sanitary Servicing Strategy Reserve Fund

  In Favour (4)

  T. Cartmell, A. Salvador, K. Tang, and A. Stevenson

  Carried (4 to 0)

1.4

Approval of Minutes

• Moved by: A. Stevenson

  That the May 5, 2025, Utility Committee meeting minutes be approved.

  In Favour (4)

  T. Cartmell, A. Salvador, K. Tang, and A. Stevenson

  Carried (4 to 0)

1.5

Protocol Items

There were no Protocol Items.

2.

Items for Discussion and Related Business

2.1

Select Items for Debate

The following items were selected for debate: 7.2, 7.5, 7.6, 7.7 and 9.1.

2.2

Vote on Reports not Selected for Debate

• Moved by: A. Salvador

  That the recommendations in the following reports be approved:

  • 5.1 Workplan for 2028 Performance Based Regulation Application (EPCOR Wastewater Treatment and Wastewater Collection)
  • 5.2 Blatchford Renewable Energy Utility - Analysis of Development Options
  • 7.3 EPCOR Water Services - 2027 Extension of Water Performance Based Regulation
  • 7.4 EPCOR Water Services - 2024 Annual Performance Based Regulation Progress Report

  In Favour (4)

  T. Cartmell, A. Salvador, K. Tang, and A. Stevenson

  Carried (4 to 0)

2.3

Requests to Speak

• Moved by: A. Salvador

  That Utility Committee hear from the following speakers, in panels when appropriate:

  • 7.2 Changes to the Approved Sanitary Servicing Strategy Fund System Network 

  1. 1. D. Hunchak, BILD Edmonton Metro
     2. L. Butterfield, BILD Edmonton Metro

  In Favour (4)

  T. Cartmell, A. Salvador, K. Tang, and A. Stevenson

  Carried (4 to 0)

2.4

Requests for Specific Time on Agenda

There were no requests for items to be dealt with at a specific time on the agenda.

3.

Councillor Inquiries

There were no Councillor Inquiries.

4.

Reports to be Dealt with at a Different Meeting

There were no Reports to be Dealt with at a Different Meeting.

5.

Requests to Reschedule Reports

5.1

Workplan for 2028 Performance Based Regulation Application (EPCOR Wastewater Treatment and Wastewater Collection)

This item was not selected for debate and was dealt with as part of item 2.2. The following motion carried:

That the revised due date of September 2, 2025, Utility Committee, for the Financial and Corporate Services report FCS02734, Workplan for 2028 Performance Based Regulation Application (EPCOR Wastewater Treatment and Wastewater Collection), be approved. 

Revised Due Date: September 2, 2025, Utility Committee

5.2

Blatchford Renewable Energy Utility - Analysis of Development Options

This item was not selected for debate and was dealt with as part of item 2.2. The following motion carried:

That the revised due date of September 2, 2025, Utility Committee, for the Integrated Infrastructure Services report IIS02550, Blatchford Renewable Energy Utility - Analysis of Development Options, be approved. 

Revised Due Date: September 2, 2025, Utility Committee

6.

Unfinished Business

There was no Unfinished Business on the agenda.

7.

Public Reports

7.1

Proposed Use of the Sanitary Servicing Strategy Reserve Fund

This item was deleted from the agenda (see item 1.3).

7.2

Changes to the Approved Sanitary Servicing Strategy Fund System Network

The following members of Administration's delegation made a presentation:

• K. Snyder, Urban Planning and Economy
• H. Hassan, Urban Planning and Economy

The following public speakers made presentations and answered questions:

• D. Hunchak, BILD Edmonton Metro
• L. Butterfield, BILD Edmonton Metro

J. Beckett, Utilities Advisor, made a presentation.

The following member of the delegation answered questions:

• S. Ancel, EPCOR
• C. Bonneville, EPCOR

The following member of Administration's delegation answered questions:

• H. Hassan, Urban Planning and Economy
• K. Snyder, Urban Planning and Economy

• Moved by: K. Tang

  That Utility Committee recommend to City Council:

  That the following changes to the approved Sanitary Servicing Strategy Fund System Plan, as outlined in the June 23, 2025, Urban Planning and Economy report UPE03010, be approved:

  • North Edmonton Sanitary Trunk (NEST) Catchment
  • Elimination of trunk segments N2, N3, N4, N5A/B, N6 and C6A
  • Adding the new Fraser trunk which bypasses the Clareview Sanitary Trunk (CST) North
  • South Edmonton Sanitary Sewer (SESS) Catchment: 
  • Elimination of trunk segments SA2, SA5, SA6, SA7, SA8 and SA9
  • Adding a bypass trunk along 99 Street and 42 Avenue which would connect to the existing Burnewood trunk
  • West Edmonton Sanitary Sewer (WESS) Catchment
  • Elimination of trunk segments W3, W4, W5, W6, W7, W8, W9, W10 and W11

  In Favour (4)

  T. Cartmell, A. Salvador, K. Tang, and A. Stevenson

  Carried (4 to 0)

7.3

EPCOR Water Services - 2027 Extension of Water Performance Based Regulation

This item was not selected for debate and was dealt with as part of item 2.2. The following motion carried:

That Utility Committee recommend to City Council:

That the EPCOR Water Services - 2027 Water Rates Extension framework, as recommended in Attachment 1 of the June 23, 2025, EPCOR Water Services report EXT03098, be approved.

7.4

EPCOR Water Services - 2024 Annual Performance Based Regulation Progress Report

This item was not selected for debate and was dealt with as part of item 2.2. The following motion carried:

That the June 23, 2025, EPCOR Water Services report EXT03099, be received for information. 

7.5

Downtown District Energy Fiscal Policy

Items 7.5, 7.6 and 7.7 were dealt with together.

The following members of Administration's delegation made a presentation and answered questions:

• C. Felske, Integrated Infrastructure Services
• S. Cheung, Financial and Corporate Services

J. Beckett, Utilities Advisor, made a presentation

The following members of Administration's delegation answered questions:

• K. Petrin, Deputy City Manager, Urban Planning and Economy
• M. Gunther, Acting City Solicitor
• C. Pooli, Employee and Legal Services
• H. Rai, Financial and Corporate Services

J. Beckett, Utilities Advisor, answered questions.

• Moved by: A. Stevenson

  That Utility Committee recommend to City Council:

  That the proposed Downtown District Energy Utility Fiscal Policy C631 as set out in Attachment 1 of the June 23, 2025, Financial and Corporate Services report FCS02853, be approved.

  In Favour (5)

  T. Cartmell, A. Sohi, A. Salvador, K. Tang, and A. Stevenson

  Carried (5 to 0)

7.6

Downtown District Energy Initiative - Growth Plan

Items 7.5, 7.6 and 7.7 were dealt with together (see item 7.5).

• Moved by: A. Stevenson

  That Utility Committee recommend to City Council:

  1. That the Downtown District Energy 2025-2026 Utility Rate Filing, as outlined in Attachment 4 of the June 23, 2025, Integrated Infrastructure Services report IIS02765, be approved.
  2. That the 2025-2026 Downtown District Energy Utility Operating Budget be approved as follows:
  1. 2025 Operating Budget with expenditures of $889,000 and revenues of $336,000.
  2. 2026 Operating Budget with expenditures of $1,787,000 and revenues of $1,031,000.
  3. That the capital budget adjustments to capital profiles 20-83-9001 - Downtown District Energy Initiative and CM-83-0001 - District Energy Network Strategy and District Energy Nodes, as outlined in Attachment 5 of the June 23, 2025, Integrated Infrastructure Services report IIS02765, be approved.

  In Favour (5)

  T. Cartmell, A. Sohi, A. Salvador, K. Tang, and A. Stevenson

  Carried (5 to 0)

7.7

Bylaw 20914 - Downtown District Energy Utility

Items 7.5, 7.6 and 7.7 were dealt with together (see item 7.5).

• Moved by: A. Stevenson

  That Utility Committee recommend to City Council:

  That Bylaw 20914 be given the appropriate readings.

  In Favour (5)

  T. Cartmell, A. Sohi, A. Salvador, K. Tang, and A. Stevenson

  Carried (5 to 0)

8.

Responses to Councillor Inquiries

There were no Councillor Inquiries.

9.

Private Reports

9.1

Contractual Update #4 (2025)

• Moved by: T. Cartmell

  That Utility Committee meet in private pursuant to sections 20 (disclosure harmful to personal privacy) and 29 (advice from officials) of the Access to Information Act for the discussion of item 9.1.

  In Favour (5)

  T. Cartmell, A. Sohi, A. Salvador, K. Tang, and A. Stevenson

  Carried (5 to 0)

  Utility Committee met in private at 11:31 a.m., Monday, June 23, 2025.

  The following member of Administration's delegation made a presentation and answered questions:

  • N. Jacobsen, Office of the City Clerk

  The following members of Administration's delegation answered questions:

  • H. Rai, Financial and Corporate Services
  • S. Cheung, Financial and Corporate Services
  
  
• Moved by: K. Tang

  That Utility Committee meet in public.

  In Favour (4)

  T. Cartmell, A. Salvador, K. Tang, and A. Stevenson

  Carried (4 to 0)

  Utility Committee met in public at 11:51 a.m., Monday, June 23, 2025.

  
  
• Moved by: K. Tang
  1. That Option 2, as outlined in the June 23, 2025, Office of the City Clerk report OCC03119, be approved.
  2. That the June 23, 2025, Office of the City Clerk report OCC03119 remain private pursuant to sections 20 (disclosure harmful to personal privacy) and 29 (advice from officials) of the Access to Information Act.

  In Favour (4)

  T. Cartmell, A. Salvador, K. Tang, and A. Stevenson

  Carried (4 to 0)

10.

Motions Pending

There were no Motions Pending on the agenda.

11.

Notices of Motion and Motions without Customary Notice

Councillor T. Cartmell asked whether there were any Notices of Motion. There were none. 

12.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 11:53 a.m., Monday, June 23, 2025.