We’ve got one more month of meetings before the start of the annual summer break, and it’s going to be a pretty busy month. To kick off July, city council will be looking to the future a new strategic plan, a new e-scooter bylaw, new performance goals for paramedics, and a permanent version of the seasonal patio program. And before all that, council will have a brief in-camera talk about other business.
NOTE #1: Delegates will be able to appear at this meeting in-person or via tele-presense but you do have to register with the clerks office before 10 am on Friday June 30. You can also submit written delegations and correspondences for agenda items.
NOTE #2: In addition to meeting in-person, this meeting will also be live-streamed on the City of Guelph’s website here.
NOTE #3: This takes place on the special meeting day of Wednesday due to the Canada Day holiday long weekend.
NOTE #4: A special meeting of city council precedes Committee of the Whole. (See below.)
Special Council Meeting – 1:30 pm.
CLOSED MEETING:
12 Poole Street: Ontario Land Tribunal Update – Technically, Committee of the Whole can’t meet in closed session as city council, so a special meeting has to be held specifically for this one agenda item. Last year, council gave thumbs down to this develop, which includes 308 stacked townhouses and one 185-unit apartment building, and now it’s at the OLT.
This closed session is called under Section239 (2) (e) and (f) of the Municipal Act relating to “litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board; and advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.”
SEE THE COMPLETE AGENDA ON THE CITY OF GUELPH WEBSITE HERE.
Committee of the Whole – 2 pm.
STAFF RECOGNITIONS:
Designation from the Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) for Accredited Ontario Municipal Clerk Dylan McMahon.
Future Guelph Strategic Plan 2024-2027 – After six months of work, staff will present the new Strategic Plan that will cover the next four years of work at the City of Guelph. The new plan has four categories:
- Foundations – Be an employer of choice; advocate for our city; lead with accountability; maintain the City’s healthy financial position; and provide excellent service.
- City Building – Improve housing supply; grow and care for our community spaces and places; and make it easier to get around.
- Environment – Be a leader in climate action; and empower the community to help create a sustainable city.
- People and Economy – Grow Guelph’s economy; make downtown a vibrant place for everyone; and support community well-being.
Once approved, staff will set about building the departmental business and work plans, finalize the new KPIs for council’s approval later this fall, and inform the 2024-2027 multiyear budget when it comes to council in November.
Permanent Seasonal Patio Program – Going forward, the permanent version of the seasonal patio program will look pretty much the same as it does right now, but there will be some changes in the details. For instance, the annual fee is being recommended to increase to $10 per square metre per month from the current $3, which staff feels better reflects the value of using City right-of-ways for commercial purposes. The increased fees will let the program run on a cost recovery model along with funds from the municipal accommodation tax, which means there will be no impact on the operating budget. The new bylaw will also remove COVID-19 distancing restrictions, add new waster management plans and inspections for accessibility, and patios on private property will now have to go through the regular bylaw variance process.
E-scooter By-law – The language for the bylaw will come out with the council meeting at the end of the month, but for now staff deliver the broad stokes of what that bylaw will look like. In short, e-scooters will be allowed on Guelph roads only, be operated for personal use only and anyone between 16 and 18 will have to wear a helmet while riding. Also, no e-scooter rentals will be allowed in the City, and riders will have to follow all regulations imposed on cyclists under the Traffic Control Bylaw. City of Guelph Bylaw will handle enforcement while Guelph Police Service will handle communications.
Paramedic Services Response Time 2021 and Performance Plan 2023 – As we’ve already heard, 2022 was a hard year for the paramedic service; an increase in calls and offload delays at the hospital meant that they weren’t able to meet all their targets and compliance rate. In fact, in 2021 GWPS was only able to exceed the compliance rate in only one of six categories (though they did come close in two others). The service is working with Guelph General Hospital to find ways to address the offload delays, but with the expectation that 2022’s pressures will continue into 2023 no changes are recommended to the performance plan for 2023.
By-law Review Update -Earlier in June, staff published a council information report about the By-law Update Review, how it works, plus the current schedule of bylaws being reviewed and their current status. Ward 2 Councillor Rodrigo Goller asked to pull the report for discussion at committee.
Guelph Politico 