It’s going be a packed Committee of the Whole meeting for July, the last one before summer break! After a lengthy closed session and a roll call of many accomplished city hall staffers, the members of committee will dig into downtown construction (and reconstruction), the collection of fees from local speeders, more accessibility, and even a proposal to push Guelph as a candidate to host a national sports event. Only six more meetings till summer vacation!
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 July 4. 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) Guelph Paramedic Station Lease Renewal at 34 Gordon Street – This seems pretty self-explanatory, but since this is about “a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board” in must be discussed in-camera.
2) Centralization of Back-Office Support Functions Review – This part of the ongoing work of service rationalization, but it’s also a matter of confidentiality under Section 239(2)(d) of the Municipal Act “regarding labour relations or employee negotiations.”
3) 601 Scottsdale Drive Phase 2: Development Charges Complaint – You may recall that council recently heard the appeal in the application of development charges for this project, and council decided that they applied anyway. The developer is appealing to the Ontario Land Tribunal, so that means that this is a matter “regarding advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.”
STAFF RECOGNITIONS:
1) A slate of City of Guelph employees including CAO Tara Baker have received the 2025 AMCTO E.A. Danby Award, Certificate of Merit.
2) Deputy CAO Jayne Holmes and staff from Environmental Services will be recognized for the City of Guelph achieving accreditation of their ISO 14001 Environmental Management System.
3) Kyle VanderMeer, Environmental Engineer, has won the HUB (Heroes Underpinning Brownfields) Award for Emerging Leader.
4) Liraz Fridman, Supervisor of Road Safety, was recognized by the President of the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals.
Administrative Penalty System for Automated Speed Enforcement and Red Light Camera Violations – Earlier this year, council approved a new Administrative Penalty System meant to handle parking violations and take some pressure off the court system, and now the City is looking to expand that to the collection of fees from automated speed enforcement and red light cameras. How does it work?…
- To commence an appeal of an administrative penalty, you can submit a request online or in-person for a review of the penalty by a Screening Officer.
- The Screening Officer can confirm, vary or set aside the penalty amount, including any administrative fee, upon the grounds set out in the Administrative Penalty By-law.
- A Screening Officer can also approve an extension of time to request a screening review, an extension of time to pay the penalty, and payment plans as set out in the Administrative Penalty By-law.
- This differs from the current court-based process where only a Justice of the Peace can adjudicate disputes and approve payment plans as part of a court proceeding following a court appearance.
Temporary Accessible Ramps in the City of Guelph – There’s a group called the StopGap Foundation who help communities install temporary ramps as a, you know, stop gap, to increase accessibility to buildings that require more serious renovation. Councillor Carly Klassen will be seeking a recommendation to direct staff to work with the Accessibility Advisory Committee and StopGap to increase the number of temporary accessible ramps at the entrances of businesses across Guelph and get an idea of how much it might cost.
Wyndham Street North and St. George’s Square: Preparing for and mitigating construction (DTIRP Phase 1) – So as you may know, change is coming to Wyndham Street North in the next few years; construction is set to begin in April 26 and Wyndham Street will be closed for the duration as construction is done through November 2027. Staff will walk committee through all the plans that they have to make construction as painless as possible, including the delegation of authority to DCAO of Infrastructure, Development and Environment including the application of lost revenue from things like hourly parking fees and the seasonal patio program. Committee will also look at the redesign of St. George’s Square, which is going to be ver much different by the time construction is complete with more seating, public washrooms, and the beloved family fountain being situated in its new home in front of Old Quebec Street.
Guelph Storm 2027 Memorial Cup Bid – In 2027, the Memorial Cup, which is the national championship trophy of the Canadian Hockey League, will be held in an Ontario city, and that means an OHL city will be host. The Guelph Storm want to put their hat in the ring, but to do it they need $600,000 in financial support from the City plus another $100,000 worth of in-kind support. Although there are some logistical concerns, the economic benefits are apparent and there’s good synergy with 2027 being the 200th anniversary of the founding of Guelph. Staff are recommending that committee proceed with the bid and cover the $600,000 from the Municipal Accommodation Tax Reserve
Guelph Politico 