So this is going to be the last Guelph City Council meeting of 2024, and it’s going to be a little loose. Driving the agenda for this one are three different motions from three different members of council, but all around the central topic of dealing with homelessness, mental health and addictions. Put the coffee on though because this last meeting of the year is getting started on the early side!
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 December 6. 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 meeting will take place at the special day/time of Wednesday at 9 am.
Impact from Closure of Guelph Consumption and Treatment Services Site – Coming out of a staff report prepared for the Joint Social Services and Land Ambulance Committee in October, Councillor Phil Allt has prepare a slate of four motions to address the pending closure of the CTS. Council will be asked to approve a recommendation that asks the Ontario government to keep the CTS open and to continue their funding for the HART Hubs as planned.
In Support of Charter Rights and Freedoms – As you may have heard, a number of city councillors have signed a letter from a “Coalition of Municipal and Regional Councillors” who are opposed to a different letter submitted to Premier Doug Ford by 13 of the 29 Ontario Big City Mayors. They asked the Ontario government to use the notwithstanding clause of the Constitution to allow action on homeless encampments without interference from the courts, and there’s been a lot of objection to that. Councillor Erin Caton, one of the signees of the Coalition letter, has a three-part motion asking council to oppose the use of the notwithstanding clause and to also oppose involuntary treatment of people with substance use disorders or mental illness.
Council Motion in Support of Solve the Crisis Campaign – You’ve probably heard about the Ontario Big City Mayors campaign called Solve the Crisis (which is not to be confused with the Ontario Medical Association’s Stop the Crisis campaign). The “Solve” campaign has been trying push the Ontario government to take more proactive and immediate action on homelessness since the summer, and Mayor Cam Guthrie is asking council to support a list of recommendations from the OCBM. They include: Expanded provincial and federal funding for cities, making homelessness a health priority, and appoint one minister to focus on addressing homelessness and mental health It also asks the Ontario government to work collaboratively with municipalities, non-profits and frontline workers to create a task force that will develop an action plan to tackle the crisis.
Consent Agenda items from the Committee of the Whole meetings on December 4. (Items can be pulled by a councillor seeking additional information, otherwise all items will be voted on as a slate without further debate.)
- 2024 Third Quarter Budget Monitoring Report
Guelph Politico 