Neighbourhood Renewal Program
Neighbourhood Renewal Program:
Before 1987, the City did not do much renewal work in our neighbourhoods. Roads, sidewalks, and sewers were at the end of their lifecycle and the City began to renew neighbourhoods over the next 20 years with 52 communities being serviced. In 2009, with an estimated 174 neighbourhoods in need of renewal, Council established a stable source of funding through a dedicated tax levy which allowed the program to undertake all renewal work. After evaluating each neighbourhood, the objective was to have all neighbourhoods at an average grade level of ‘B’ or higher with each neighbourhood specifically at a C’ level of condition by 2038.
6 areas of focus for the renewal work:
Neighbourhood Reconstruction – Road bases are reconstructed and roads are repaved. Sidewalks, curbs and gutters, and streetlights are replaced. Reconstruction neighbourhood candidates have poor sidewalk and poor road conditions.
Neighbourhood Overlay – Roads are repaved and sidewalk panels treated to eliminate trip hazards. Overlay neighbourhood candidates have fair to poor road condition and good sidewalk condition.
Collector/Local Road Renewal – Collector and local roads are renewed with a priority on bus routes.
North East Road Reconstruction – Replacement of road with special drainage enhancement, selective concrete repair due to soft subgrade conditions that exist in the area.
Microsurfacing – Includes crack sealing and microsurfacing where roads are re-sealed with a thin asphalt surface. Neighbourhood microsurfacing candidates have good road conditions and are applied 10-12 years after road reconstruction or resurfacing.
Rural Neighbourhood Road Renewal – Renewal of both paved and unpaved rural neighbourhood roadways.
Canora Renewal
neighbourhood renewal funding chart
Funding:
Currently, three sources make up the funding model for this program; the dedicated Neighbourhood Renewal Program tax levy, Local Improvement project funds, and the provincial MSI grant. There is also an option to add additional funds through general revenue tax levy or other sources that may be available. As it stands now, an estimated cost of $137-$157.5 million annually to reach the 30 year goal.
The Office of the City Auditor presented their report that looked at the following aspects of the program to ensure the appropriate structures and supports are in place to allow the program to complete the full scope of work:
funding
project management effectiveness
quality of work
community relations
Canora Renewal 2
Within the funding framework, the good news is that the funding was found to be sufficient at this time, while becoming more sustainable than it was when the program started. However, the security of the funds is potentially at risk due to there being no formal administrative or policy restrictions on the tax levy portion, meaning Council can reallocate these funds within the general budget process. As such, City Council may wish to consider options to ensure that future budget reallocation decisions consider the history and intent of raising those funds specifically for Neighbourhood Renewal program.
Prioritizing Neighbourhoods: Priority neighbourhoods are selected and scheduled for renewal based on:
Available budget
Review of more detailed condition assessments
Maintenance history
Underground infrastructure condition and material
Coordination opportunities with priorities identified by City Council, Transportation, Drainage, and utilities companies
To learn more about the program check out Neighbourhood Renewal Program or contact Neighbourhood Renewal at 780-944-7663 NeighbourhoodRenewal@edmonton.caCo-authored by Andrew Knack and Kasey Machin
