The City of Guelph, and it’s various partners and agencies, put out a lot of information on a weekly basis, and while it all ends up on the City’s website somewhere, wouldn’t it be easier to just scroll through it all on one easy-to-read article on Guelph Politico here…?
Here are the Holiday Weekend Hours For:
Hot Weather Response Plan Released
It’s first real long weekend of the summer, which means that it might get hot in the next couple of months. Really hot. And if gets so hot that you need somewhere to cool off, the Guelph & Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination is working with community partners again this year to develop a Community Hot Weather Response Plan for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness. T
echnically, there are two plans, one for Guelph and one for Wellington County, and they each outline a protocol for the 2023 hot weather season and to support individuals experiencing homelessness by showing where they can access emergency shelters and cool-down locations. See the Guelph plan below:
City Looking for Someone to Reuse Heritage Buildings
The City of Guelph is now accepting expressions of interest for two City-owned heritage buildings, one being the Drill Hall at 72 Farquhar Street and the other being the Carter Farmhouse at 880 Victoria Road. Interested parties can visit the City’s bids and tenders page to share their interest and ideas for one or both the properties. City staff will review the submissions and select or recommend to Council the best applicant(s) based on the financial viability, community impact and overall feasibility of their concept for the properties and will meet with each applicant to discuss their plans in greater detail.
“The City has paid for and completed a significant amount of work to stabilize the Drill Hall, and it’s now a blank canvas for someone to re-animate this historic building in the heart of downtown,” said Ian Scott, manager of Facility Design and Construction in a statement. “The Carter Farmhouse is historic and charming; however, several requirements must be met before anyone can occupy the building.”
U of G Announces That They’ll Collect the M.A.T.
The University of Guelph has announced that they will be applying the municipal accommodation tax (MAT) to its conference service bookings starting in 2024. The four-per cent levy is expected to contribute $20,000 annual to the M.A.T., according to the U of G in what what the university’s officials are calling “another example of our deep and lasting contributions to a vibrant local economy and community development in Guelph.”
“These additional revenues will enable the City of Guelph to advance its talent attraction and skills development goals through its tourism strategy,” said Mellissa McDonald, assistant vice-president, government relations and community engagement in a statement.
“We are pleased to find new ways of contributing to the economic growth of the City of Guelph and its growing tourism sector,” added Ed Townsley, associate vice-president, ancillary services. “The University has supported the local sector for many years through conference services, and felt this effort was a natural extension of its commitment.”
School Boards Pass 2023-24 Budgets
It may be the end of the school year, but there are already thoughts about the next. This week, both of the local school boards passed their budgets for the 2023-24 school year.
For the Upper Grand District School Board, the approved 2023-2024 operating budget is $455,486,186, and the approved capital budget is $38,074,756. The Grants for Student Needs, the provincial allocation of funding to the UGDSB, was $14.8 million higher for next year as the board is expected to grow by 200 students.
“We have seen incredible progress made this year with our focus on literacy supports and Early Reading Teachers, both in gains made by students and rich learning among staff,” said UGDSB Director of Education Peter Sovran in a statement. “This budget will allow us to continue that focused work in literacy and increase our focus on math instruction.”
Over at the Wellington Catholic District School Board, trustees approved an operating budget of $119.5 million and capital budget of $5.4 million. This budget will have a planned deficit of $292,595, which the board will eliminate with the available accumulated surplus. The end of COVID recovery funding is to blame for the shortfall.
“Our budget prioritizes and aligns with foundational learning for future student success, an emphasis on student support and well-being, and unique programs and partnerships to promote experiential learning, including our Primary Years International Baccalaureate, outdoor learning, Specialist High Skills Major Programs in Secondary schools, and much more,” said Michael Glazier, Director of Education at WCDSB in a statement.
Wellington County Passes Action Plan, Citizens Satisfied
One of the things approved at June’s County Council meeting was “Proudly Moving Forward Together”, an update to the County’s 2019-2022 Strategic Action Plan. The plan covers four areas: Continue working to ensure all County residents have a safe place they can call home; In those communities poised to grow, help manage community expectations; Ensure long-term financial sustainability to allow for the continued delivery of the highest quality service; and Focus on People as the main driving force behind Wellington County.
“I would like to thank members of County Council and the senior management team for their contribution to the development of this updated Strategic Action Plan,” said Warden Andy Lennox in a statement. “The County will use this plan to set corporate priorities and to build a strong foundation for the County to move forward on.”
You can see the Wellington County Strategic Action Plan here.
In terms of the present, it looks like residents of Wellington County are pretty satisfied. The 2023 Wellington County Citizen Satisfaction Survey, conducted between April 25 and May 31 by Ipsos, surveyed a random sample of Wellington County residents to learn about their experiences living in the county, their familiarity with local government issues, and their attitudes towards the programmes and services being offered by the County.
According to the summery of survey, the overall level of satisfaction with the services provided is high with residents saying that the County offers a good quality of life. Residents are optimistic about the County’s future and most think it is possible to achieve a balance between growth and quality of life, while also expressing widespread familiarity with County Council who they gave high approval rates.
“The results of this survey have identified opportunities and challenges for County Council to address. Council will continue to deliver and improve responsible public services to our diverse communities,” Lennox said in a different statement.
You can see the complete 2023 Wellington County Citizen Satisfaction Survey results here.
Additional Notes
Here are the dates and times for standing committee at Wellington County in July.
Peggy Blair has been hired as the Superintendent of Education for the Upper Grand District School Board.
Registration is now open for the Wellington Catholic District School Board’s Stress Busters program, which will run from July 10-14.
The Rotary Club and Food4Kids is hosting a self-guided garden tour of 10 spots around Guelph on Sunday July 9 from 1 to 4 pm.
Current “Have Your Say” Opportunities:
The Downtown Parking Master Plan, Culture Plan, Race to Zero, Silvercreek Parkway North Reconstruction, Guelph’s Bicentennial, and Downtown Infrastructure Renewal.
Transit Detours
Construction on College Avenue will divert the #1 Edinburgh College, the #2 College Edinburgh, the #8 Stone, and the #15 College from July 4 to 21.
The #3 Westmount, #10 Paisley, #11 Silvercreek, #12 Delhi, #13 Eastview and #20 Northwest Industrial will be diverted from travelling through downtown on Wyndham Street starting on July 7 and ending at the end of service on July 9 for the Good Games.
REMINDER: Guelph Transit will be offering free rides starting at 7 pm on Canada Day as people will be shuttled from the park to stops around town via five different zones. (Woolwich Street will be closed on Canada Day between Speedvale and Woodlawn from 8:30-11:30 pm.)
New and Upcoming Construction
Physical barriers are now being installed along the bike land on the south side of College Avenue at Edinburgh Road.
Queen Street will be closed for three weeks between Grange and New Streets starting today, June 29, for landscape work at 15 Queen Street.
A portion of Grove Street between Metcalfe and Stevenson will be closed for two weeks starting on Tuesday July 4 for the installation of sewer and water pipes.
There will be lane reductions at the corner of Wyndham and Farquhar for two weeks starting on Tuesday July 4 for the installation of new sewer pipes to support the expansion of the Metrolinx Kitchener Line.
A new traffic signal will be installed at the intersection of Wellington and Wyndham starting on July 11. The work is expected to take a month to complete.
Photo courtesy of Rotary Guelph.
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