It’s back to Committee of the Whole to start February with a meeting that shouldn’t make too many waves. The audit committee will take the wheel for most of this agenda, which will highlight the work of the internal auditor and it will also introduce council to a new policy to collect parking fines. And if all that isn’t scintillating enough, we will wrap up with a trip back to public services and paramedics. Let’s dig into it!
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 January 31. 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.
CLOSED MEETING:
1) Corporate Cyber Security Briefing – This is pretty straightforward, because you’re not going to talk about security issues in the open session. This topic will be discussed under Section 239(2)(a)of the Municipal Act, “regarding the security of the property of the municipality or local board.”
2) Guelph Storm Hockey Club Agreement – While we can’t say for certain what this is about, it’s worth noting that the decade-long agreement between the Storm and the City will expire next year. This is covered under Section 239(2)(f) for “advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.”
STAFF RECOGNITIONS:
1) A group of 16 staff members were graduates of the Leadership Academy Cohort 4.
2) Museum Curator Dawn Owen and Visitor Experiences Assistant and Guest Curator Robert Flewelling were recognised as an honorable mention to staff by the Ontario Museum Association for Guelph Museum exhibition, “Unsettling the Grand: Legacies of Settlement in the Grand River Valley from 1700 to Present Day.”
Administrative Penalty System By-laws and Policies – Last year, council directed staff to come up with an APS system for parking infractions, basically a new and direct way to administer and collect fees from parking infractions. It’s separate from the court system, so it requires new rules and guidelines about procedures, how to deal with conflicts of interest, and what kinds of penalties and fines that can be implemented. In terms of the financial impact, it’s expected that the APS will collect an additional $245,000 in revenue annually for Court Services.
Internal Audit Work Plan 2025-2027 – It’s neither the funnest nor the most exciting aspect of City government, but it’s fairly essential. GM of Internal Audit Robert Jelacic will present his work plan for the coming year that includes a value for money audit of facility cleaning services and building permit approvals and inspection, plus some consulting on fleet maintenance, a whistleblower tip line and enterprise risk management (see below).
Enterprise Risk Management Framework & Policy Overview – It’s a busy month for Robert Jelacic because this is his report too. All decisions at city hall come with risk, but the City of Guelph doesn’t have a system to measure risk or have any policies to manage risk and set expectations. This work has been going since 2012, but has taken a backseat to the other matters over the years, but now that work is on the front burner with committee first receiving this report and then forming a working group to look at the top risks to the City and then developing a risk registry that will be presented to council in the second quarter of this year.
Update to the Optimal Resource Deployment of Paramedic Services Study – Based on a report to council from November, this presentation from GM of Facilities and Energy Management Antti Vilkko and Paramedic Chief Stephen Dewar will review the updated modelling and projections about increased call volumes and the growth of the service. This is part of an ongoing discussion about the type of facilities that Paramedic Services need in order to accommodate that growth; while many of the current stations are well located, we’re reminded that the stations themselves are not made-to-order and are in locations not built for the purpose of being a paramedic station. Look to the 2026 budget process to see a plan about how to develop those new stations.
Guelph Politico 