After a couple of weeks off, council gets back to work in the chambers again for the October Committee of the Whole meeting. This month, there will be some points of interest as more future construction downtown comes up for discussion, and so does a change to how residents are billed for water. There’s also some administrative moves including new names for new parks, and the usual staff recognitions. Check out all the details below…
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 October 3. 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:
Proposed Parkland Acquisition – What parkland this item refers to is unknown, because this is a matter regarding “a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board,” so it will be discussed in-camera under Section 239(2)(c) of the Municipal Act.
Advancing Affordable Housing on City-Owned Properties – This could refer to a couple of things, including the affordable housing pilot on Edinburgh Road, but since this in an in-camera meeting the exact content remains unknown. This will be discussed under Section 239(2)(k) of the Municipal Act because it’s about a “position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality or local board.”
STAFF RECOGNITIONS:
1) Leah Lefler, Planner lll – Environment, will be recognized for passing of the Project Management Professional Exam.
2) Harvinder Marjara, Clerical Assistant ll – Engineering, is the recipient of the Ontario College Certificate in Bookkeeping, Conestoga College.
3) Planning staff will be recognized as the recipient of the PlanON Vision Award of Excellence, Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI).
Appointment of the External Auditor – It’s still a few months till the end of the fiscal year, but committee will be asked to approve the external auditor, and not just for this year, but the next five years. Staff’s choice for external auditor? KPMG obviously.
Municipal Property and Building Commemorative Naming Report 2025 – There are two things needing names in this report, a park in the Kortright East Subdivision, and the new park coming to 106 Beaumont Crescent. The new south end park will be given the name Mkinaak Donjibaa, which means “where the turtles live” in Ojibwe, while the new park on Beaumont will Sloan Hill Park in honour of the well loved toboggan hill that will be incorporated into the park’s design.
Baker Library Facility Lease Approval – With one-year left till the planned completion and opening of the new main library downtown, staff are asking for the delegated authority to enter into a lease agree with the Guelph Public Library for tenancy in the building. The lease will set the “ground rules” including operational, programming and maintenance requirements with an initial term of 30 years, with two renewal terms of five years, which coincide with the expected lifecycle of the building.
Macdonell and Allan’s Structures Environmental Assessment: Notice of Completion – The EA for this project has been complete, and the recommendation is to replace with the bridge with a new wider design that can accommodate pedestrians and cyclists, which would include a new simplified Ward-to-Downtown pedestrian bridge. As for the dam, the recommendation is to demolish it and preserve portions for some kind commemoration while rehabilitating the sluiceway and spillway (although some people weren’t fans of this suggestion). This project is expected to cost $13.3 million, and could begin in 2028 after construction is complete on Upper Wyndham.
Utility Billing Project Status and Customer Accounts By-law Update – As you may know, Alectra will no longer be collecting water fees. Instead, the task will fall to the City of Guelph, who are now aiming to have the conversion complete by the end of May 2026. This report updates staff on the conversion process, outlines what to expect with the new Customer Accounts Bylaw comes to council for approval early next year, and will also add clarity to the Stormwater Bylaw to clarify that monthly charges are based on a 30-day cycle.
Guelph Politico 