District B Update - Highlights from the April 2014 Board Meeting

Highlights From the April Board Meeting

Download the April 2014 Board Package

Hi everyone, it’s been a very busy year so far. I have been spending a fair amount of time involved with the following committees:

Winter Cities Council

Winter Cities Shake-Up: Inspiring Greatness in Winter Cities: January 28 – 30, 2015

I sit on the Winter City Council and we are pleased to announce that next January, Edmonton will play host to Winter Cities Shake-Up 2015. 

Winter Cities Shake-Up 2015 is an international conference on shaking up preconceptions about how we plan, design, live, work and play in winter cities. And as the host, we would like to invite all of you to participate in making this conference a huge success! How?

Edmontonians can share ideas for Field Trips for delegates coming from all over the world! We would like to show visitors (and residents!) the great things that are happening in and around Edmonton, from festivals to attractions to community initiatives. So, if you have any great ideas feel free to submit them here.

We also welcome all Edmontonians to participate in the conference. Details on registration will be released on our conference website. It's time to show the world what a great winter city Edmonton is!

EFCL Civic Engagement and Business Planning Committee 
I sit on this committee and we have started meeting and are busy attempting to find new ways for the EFCL and community leagues to engage in civic issues as well as come up with a proposed 5-year business plan for the EFCL. The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues intends to consult with a number of community leagues, along with city councillors, city administrators and other stakeholders in order to prepare its 2014-2018 Business Plan.  The federation’s board of directors approved the consultation plan at last week’s board meeting.

Both Western Management Consultants and the Centre For Public Involvement have been hired to help prepare the plan, which will include a significant review of the federation’s civic engagement practises.

Development of the plan has been jointly funded by the EFCL and City of Edmonton.  Interviews are scheduled for April, May and June.

EFCL 100^th Anniversary Committee – I have been helping with several of the 100^th Anniversary Committees at the EFCL. We are working on identifying themes for highlighting in displays at the park feature in Hawrelak Park.

Jason Watt to stand for election as District B Planning Representative

Jason Watt of McLeod, running for District B
Planning Committee Representative.

The biggest news this month is Jason Watt has stepped forward from McLeod Community League and he is interested in serving as our Londonderry District B Planning Representative. In fact he has already attended a planning committee meeting to see what they do and he wound up chairing the first meeting he attended!  It’s very important that we have quorum for the EFCL AGM on May 21, so we can elect a represenative.

 EFCL Welcomes Review of Volunteer Requirements at Casinos

The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues is pleased to hear that a review will be undertaken of the volunteer requirements at local casinos.  The federation believes that some events – particularly those on weekdays – are overstaffed and would like to see a reduction in the number of volunteers that non-profit groups need to provide.
Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) executive director Bill Robinson offered to launch the review at an April 1 meeting of industry stakeholders, after the EFCL voiced a concern about the recent decision to extend the hours that volunteers are required to be on site. 

Effective April 1, casinos are allowed to open their tables at 10:00 a.m., instead of noon, and keep them open until 3:00 a.m., instead of 2:00 a.m.  Non-profit groups are required to supply volunteers to help operate these games.
Robinson also agreed to review the impact that additional casino hours have on revenues and volunteers.  He thought this review could be done in 9-12 months.
The EFCL received widespread media coverage of its concern about the casino hours, shortly after a news release was issued on March 27.

SOCAN and RE:SOUND Open to Negotiations

Representatives of both SOCAN and RE:SOUND have recently told the EFCL that they are interested in negotiating a group rate for leagues that allow music to be played at events in their hall.

Currently, each organization is attempting to charge leagues a tariff for this right.  SOCAN charges $185/year, so long as the gross annual revenues at these events don’t exceed $15,400.  RE:SOUND charges $9 per event ($18 when dancing is involved).

The EFCL has informed them that a vote will be taken at the federation’s May 21 Annual General Meeting, asking leagues to indicate whether or not they would like the EFCL to negotiate a multi-year, group rate for all of the leagues that have halls.  The intention would be to seek a significant discount, along with an understanding that leagues would no longer be responsible for any accounting.  If the music organizations agree, then the EFCL would add the negotiated rate to the yearly membership fees that it charges to each league that has a hall.

A representative for RE:SOUND said his group would not bill any leagues between now and the May 21 general meeting.  A representative for SOCAN said she would also like to explore ways to make the accounting process easier for volunteer groups, regardless of whether or not a group rate is put in place.

EFCL Applauds Mayor’s Effort To Address Poverty

The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues supports Mayor Don Iveson’s attempt to address poverty in Edmonton and is willing to help where it can.  The federation believes it is vitally important that all Edmontonians be able to fully participate in local activities and upgrade their skills, regardless of income level.

At last week’s board meeting, EFCL directors noted that leagues have been helping thousands of Edmontonians throughout their 93-year history, by providing a wide-range of low cost programs and events.  Leagues have also often found ways to quietly cover the sports registration and other fees of low income people when the situation presented itself.

The federation plans to hold a workshop where leagues can share among themselves the approaches they have taken to accommodate low income people in their area.  Plans are being made to hold this session at League’s Alive, the federation’s board development conference held in November each year.

EFCL Looks For Common Ground On Social Housing

The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues is ready to participate in a review of social housing, which the city hopes to host in the coming year.

Last week the board noted that it is important to find ways to increase community acceptance of social housing projects, through proper planning and consultation.  The federation believes that projects should be spread throughout the city and the region, to avoid an over-concentration in downtown neighborhoods.

A three-year moratorium on social housing was put in place in five inner city communities (Alberta Avenue, Boyle Street, Central McDougall, McCauley and Queen Mary Park) in October, 2012.  The federation continues to support the moratorium until ways to distribute social housing around the city and region are established and proven to be effective.

EFCL To Host Meetings With Edmonton School Boards

The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues has decided it’s time to meet with the Edmonton school boards, to discuss a series of issues of mutual concern.

The federation is particularly concerned about plans each board has to consolidate schools in mature areas, which will mean the loss of a facility in some neighborhoods.  In addition, the federation would like to explore ways for the community to make better use of existing schools.  The use of community league parking lots has also been raised in a number of areas, given the number of students arriving by car at schools located nearby.

The federation will contact each board shortly to find a mutually convenient time to meet.

Federation Starts Work On New Website

The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues has struck a committee to oversee the development of a new website.   The website will include a revamped membership sales feature, as well as a page where citizens can contribute to the federation’s 100^th Anniversary project.

The EFCL hopes to have the website up and running by the end of September.

Thanks to Allan for notes summarizing the April meeting.

See at the EFCL AGM on May 21, 2014!

David Dodge

Londonderry District B Representative
EFCL

EFCL November Board Meeting Notes

It's been very busy getting back into the swing of things as your Londonderry District B representative at the EFCL.

The EFCL November Board meeting was held on Nov. 14 and although the meeting's agenda seemed light the meeting went well on into the evening! 

Download the EFCL November Board Package here.

There are three significant initiatives I am excited about with enormous potential to enliven and enrich the community league movement in Edmonton:

The Winter Cities Council 

Isla Tanaka at the Winter Cities

presentation at the EFCL Leagues

Alive Conference in November.

I sit as an EFCL representative on the Winter Cities Council a hybrid council of the administration and City Council and the idea is quite simply to help us have more fun with winter as a city, as community leagues and as residents of the mostly northerly big city in North America. I also hosted a session by Susan Holdsworth, Winter Cities Coordinator, on Winter Cities at the EFCL Leagues Alive Conference. It was a big hit.

Jason Watt of McLeod at Leagues
Alive.

People from communities are very excited about the idea of upping our game significantly when it comes to winter festivals and the involvement of community leagues in innovative and engaging ideas to rock winter. I and the co-chair of the Winter Cities Life stream that is working on ideas like creating a guide to rocking winter based on best practices from around the world and the idea of combining the community leagues 50-60 winter carnivals with some of the bigger winter events to someday host a massive Edmonton Winter Festival, of which community events are a central component. A number of folks stepped forward to say they want to help. We are working on how to proceed now!

• Check out the WinterCity Strategy Consultation Summary (note the mentions of community leagues!)
• And here is the Winter Festivals & Events Guide

Civic Engagement Strategy On The Agenda For Next General Meeting

Elaine Solez (EFCL planner), Councillor Ben Henderson,
David Gibbens (EFCL past president),
Christine Bremner (director), David Dodge (director)
 and Linda Crosby (EFCL staff) at Leagues Alive.

The EFCL has decided to use a key portion of the Feb. 4 general meeting to discuss the civic engagement practices of the federation and its member leagues.  This would include methods the EFCL uses to gather input from the leagues and how this is subsequently presented to the City of Edmonton or other orders of government.  It will also include methods leagues use to gather input from their members, before taking a position on a particular matter.  Examples of relevant issues would include zoning changes, social housing policies, traffic safety and crime prevention, to name four.

The general meeting will be held in Boyle Street Community League’s new hall at 96 Street and 103 A Avenue downtown. 

The idea of the Civic Engagement strategic planning process is quite simply to find new ways for people in community leagues and the leagues and EFCL to engage members and citizens in new and innovative engagement that gets communities a say in the issues that affect our neighbourhoods and in turn have more of an impact on building a better city. Lofty goals yes, but if we have more of a say, then we will accept more responsibility and we will tackle difficult issues and help build a better city. 

This month the Civic Engagement Committee met with Simon Fairbrother the City Manager, Linda Cochrane the General Manager of Community Services and Gary Klassen, General Manager of Sustainable Development (and planning) with City of Edmonton. These are baby steps. At this meeting we shared our  desire to work with the city to have more of a say and help find better solutions to some of our most vexing issues ranging from bike lanes to infill and other issues.

Abundant Communities Pilot Project Grows

Howard Lawrence presenting the Abundant
Communities Initiative at Leagues Alive.

The third big deal is the Abundant Communities Initiative. I also hosted a session by Howard Lawrence and Anne Harvey (CRC) on this amazing initiative that begins by simply engaging deeply with members of the neighbourhood to ask the question what are you involved in, what would you like to be involved in and what gifts you have to share.

The  Abundant Community Initiative, which has been piloted in the Highlands neighborhood this past year, is coming to Oliver, Bannerman and one other, soon-to-selected neighborhood in 2014.

The program is based on the selection of community connectors, usually one per block, who interview people in their area to get a sense of the activities and neighhborhood improvements they would like to see take place.

The progam director then connects people with like interests together, as well as connecting them with the local community league.  The objective is to help people make friends and get involved in activities with their neighbors, which is exactly what community leagues are all about.

John McKnight, a well-known neighborhood activist who helped started the Abundant Community initiative in the United States, is scheduled to give a talk on the movement at the Santa Maria Goretti Centre at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 3. I will be attending.

More Highlights From the November Board Meeting

Good Turnout For League’s Alive

Mayor Don Iveson at the Leagues Alive Conference.

The EFCL wants to thank all of the league reps who braved the winter storm and attended the League’s Alive Board Development Conference at Grant MacEwan University on Nov. 30.  Despite dangerous road conditions, close to 100 members from 57 leagues attended 17 board development the sessions.  LaPerle Community League, with five delegates, took home the $500 popcorn maker for best attendance from a community league.

Delegates also had an opportunity to mix and mingle over lunch with Edmonton’s new mayor, Don Iveson, and councillors Scott McKeen, Ben Henderson, Andrew Knack and Mike Nickel.

Early reports suggest that delegates quite enjoyed the day and found the development sessions most helpful.  A more comprehensive evaluation will be done over the next couple of weeks, in preparation for next year’s event.

EFCL To Make Another Pitch For Green Shack Funding

The  Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues has decided to make another pitch to the provincial government for funding for the city’s Green Shack program, where children from over 100 community leagues are provided with meaningful day camp experiences over the summer months.

Last year the province eliminated funding for the Summer Temporary Employment Program, which many community leagues were using to help pay for a summer camp leader.  The government subsequently provided $150,000 to help ensure that camps continued in high needs parts of the city.  It has made no commitment for 2014.

In addition, the EFCL will be asking Edmonton City Council to approve a request from the Community Services Department for $275,000 in Green Shack funding in 2014.  This money will help bring the program to more neighborhoods.

EFCL Meets with Members of City Council.

Councillor Scott McKeen at Leagues Alive. 

The EFCL has decided to hold a series of one-on-one meetings with members of Edmonton City Council, to pitch our 2014 budget request and to help develop a positive working relationship.

The EFCL has two financial requests before council.  One is for $40,000, to help cover the cost of preparing the federation’s 2014-2018 business plan.  A key part of this plan will be to examine the civic engagement practises of the federation and its member leagues.

The second request is for $600,000, to help cover the cost of the federation’s 100^th Anniversary Project in Hawrelak Park.  The EFCL intends to ask both the provincial and federal governments for a similar donation, as soon as the city is on board.

EFCL Assembles League Input on Surplus School Sites

The EFCL has collected a good deal of input from its members on the redevelopment of surplus school sites and will be communicating their concerns and suggestions to the City of Edmonton shortly.  The key points include: 

• Finding ways to gather the views of all residents of the community, such as a survey sent to each household. The survey would follow public meetings and would include pros and cons of various options.
• Ensuring community input is sought at all points along the way, including the league’s advice on time, place and format of meetings with the league and community at large.
• Assisting leagues with getting information to community residents and providing a fair, one-person-one-vote process for determining the will of the community before requesting the league motion to consider re-siting the development.
• The possibility of considering more than one alternative location (currently only one alternate site can be considered, which may be divisive in communities).
• Giving appropriate consideration to housing type and to community benefits such as a coffee shop, day care and/or meeting room in the development.
• Finding ways to improve trust between the City and communities on surplus school sites—some communities are still of the view that their site has been declared surplus to park needs.
• As a separate process led by Community Services, the City should offer to work with leagues to identify park impacts and how to address them, including ensuring appropriate transitions between the housing development and the park, appropriate park amenities for new residents, e.g., a seniors complex would likely need accessible walkways and benches with arms. This process should take place as soon as the site and housing type are determined.
• The City has committed to considering the EFCL feedback in finalizing the engagement process that will be piloted with a few surplus school sites in 2014.  Hairsine Community League has already volunteered to be included in the pilot consultation exercise.

New Community League Forming in The Hamptons

The EFCL is pleased to report that a new community league is forming in The Hamptons, a neighborhood in the far west end of the city.

An organizational meeting has been called for Nov. 27, where a group of residents hopes to have the league’s bylaws adopted and an executive elected.

Residents in The Hamptons have been working on the creation of a community league in their area for the past 18 months.  One of the key challenges has been to work out a relationship with the Glastonbury Homeowners Association.  The homeowner association represents residents living in Glastonbury, which is immediately to the north, and in The Hamptons.  To date the association has dealt exclusively with Glastonbury Community League, which has been in business for seven or eight years.

Creation of a new league in The Hamptons will bring the EFCL’s membership to 157, which is an increase of eight leagues in the past six years.

If you have any comments, suggestions or questions please contact me anytime at districtb(at)efcl.org

David Dodge,

Londonderry District B Director

Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues