This month’s Committee of the Whole meeting was a pretty usual affair, reports that were not really going to get anyone’s blood up unless they’re especially concerned about bylaws half finished or the scintillating world of auditing. What it will say on your property tax bill, what the City is planning to do to take care of trees on private property, and the workings of the Internal Audit team were all game for this meeting. Here’s the recap…
Committee of the Whole Meeting – February 27
If there was an irritant at the Committee of the Whole meeting this month it was that the meeting itself started a couple of minutes late as the closed session ran overtime. Apparently, the discussion about Corporate Cyber Security Assessment was just too good, and Mayor Cam Guthrie said that direction was given to staff.
On the main agenda, there were only three items. First, there was the 2024 Property Tax Policy under the Corporate Services agenda, and there was a question about whether council could see the average assessment, in addition to the median. Staff explained that the median provides a better calculation since the average assessment doesn’t provide the correct view of distribution, it’s a better data point. The recommendation was approved.
Slightly more complicated was the discussion under Public Services: Private Tree Protection By-law Update – Key Issues and Options. Committee was presented with four different options, though they were not expected or required to choose one that day. That also means there’s no additional cost to the City for the moment, but that might change once council picks an option. The report was meant to get feedback from committee before the options go out to the public for further community input. The final bylaw comes back for passage next year.
There was one delegate on the subject who were concerned about there not being enough of a disincentive to stop people from clear cutting trees on a property, and how enforcement needs to happen in a public and transparent way. Similarly, Guthrie was concerned about how the protection of private trees might make the development process more onerous. Timea Filer, Urban Forestry Field Technician, noted that there are differences between the way trees on private property are treated through this bylaw, and the way it’s handled through the Planning Bylaw, which governs most new developments. Both bylaws though depend on guidance from the Urban Forest Management Plan.
There were also some questions from a couple of different people about developing a system where there’s a fee-based system that would require no impact on the tax base, but that’s the kind of detail staff might pursue what’s they settle on an option. The options may also be further refined as they go out to the public for engagement this spring, and that there will be no impact on current rules regarding the removal of hazardous trees or trees that are of an invasive species like buckthorn.
Committee received the report and then got into the last item from the Audit branch, the Internal Audit Work Plan 2024-2026. Robert Jelacic, General Manager of Internal Audit, was asked about the value-for-money audits in particular, which were directed by council in last year’s budget deliberations. Jelacic said that they’re still fine-tuning which departments will be studied, but they have had preliminary discussions about the direction. They are also aware that this will be a little more involved than some of their usual work.
The recommendations for the work plan were approved unanimously, and now everyone gets March Break week off till the next meeting!
Click here to see the complete recap of the meeting.
Guelph Politico 