Raf Tenderenda, a former City of Edmonton drainage services employee, has launched a website and Facebook page called Edmonton Utility Watch to follow utility issues and explain decisions to the public. He addressed the city’s utility committee at City Hall on Monday, saying he wants to attend its meetings more regularly.

“My vision is to be more present at the utility committee meetings,” Tenderenda said. He told CTV News Edmonton he wants people to be able to follow issues such as a proposal to raise Epcor’s electricity distribution franchise fee. “That way, there’s one stop where they can essentially just look at what’s happening.”

The proposed fee increase is before councillors and is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. It would raise the rate from 17.65 per cent to the maximum allowable 20 per cent, generating an additional $15 million a year for the city. The average residential bill would increase by about $1.20 per month.

Tenderenda said a report on the proposal noted that ratepayers had not been consulted about the increase. He created the online platforms to monitor behind-the-scenes utility matters that residents might otherwise overlook, drawing on more than a decade of work for the city.

His professional work involved assessing, rehabilitating and designing sanitary and stormwater infrastructure. He has also been at the forefront of efforts to repair a culvert carrying Horseshoe Creek beneath 137 Avenue in northwest Edmonton. Tenderenda said his experience helped inspire him to create the platforms and become more involved in utility discussions.

He is also president of the Big Lake Community League, which represents the Starling, Trumpeter, Hawks Ridge and Kinglet Gardens neighbourhoods. His work with the league and on infrastructure issues has informed his interest in decisions affecting local residents.

Coun. Anne Stevenson welcomed the prospect of added public scrutiny. Stevenson represents Ward O-day’min and said utility committee matters can be difficult to engage residents on. “I think public engagement is really important,” she told reporters.

“It’s true that there are particular barriers for getting public engagement for utility committee (matters.) It is quite boring. It’s very dull, but it truly does have a big impact on Edmontonians’ lives, so I welcome and appreciate any members of the community who have an expertise who can help do some of that plain language explaining and make sure that Edmontonians are aware of these important decisions that are being made,” Stevenson said.

The report on the fee proposal and the committee’s work are among the issues Tenderenda plans to track through Edmonton Utility Watch. CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson contributed files.

Based on reporting by CTV News Edmonton.