This is the last Committee of the Whole meeting before the election and if you were hoping for something exciting like ice policy or the reconstruction of a historic bridge, you’re probably going to be disappointed. Instead, committee will tackle update budgeting policy, updating corporate asset and risk management, and then they will discuss a new community safety and well-being directive. Sit back and enjoy as council starts counting down to summer break!
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 Thursday May 29. 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:
Ontario Energy Board Generic Proceeding to Review Natural Gas Model Franchise Agreement – You may recall that the City of Guelph wanted to change things up when it comes to the new Municipal Franchise Agreement with Enbridge, and it has since gone to the Ontario Energy Board. This will obviously be discussed in closed under section 239(2) (f) of the Municipal Act for “advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.”
Downtown Community Planning Permitting By-law and Official Plan Amendment 114: Ontario Land Tribunal Update – Two downtown developers are appealing the recently approved CPPS for the area to the OLT. This will be discussed in closed under section 239(2) (e) and (f) of the Act for “litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board, and advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.”
STAFF RECOGNITIONS:
1) Erin Britnell, Manager, Corporate Performance and Strategy is now a Certified Municipal Officer (CMO) Designation from AMCTO
2) CAO Awards of Excellence Recipient Recognition
3) Edna Escalera, Paramedic Scheduler for attaining their Canadian citizenship
4) Key staff members will represent the City of Guelph being named Sustainable Waterloo Region’s (SWR) 2025 Partner of the Year
5) Danna Evans, General Manager, Culture and Recreation received the Bronze Merit Award in Guiding
PRESENTATIONS:
Service Profile: City Clerk’s Office – A timely service profile presentation given their role in the administration of local elections, Dylan McMahon, GM of the City Clerk’s Office and City Clerk will talk about what his department does and how it does it.
Corporate Asset Management Policy Update – As you probably know, the City of Guelph has an plan by which is manages all its existing and future municipal assets, which is mandated by the Ontario government. This update is fairly administrative with the biggest change formal integration of Levels of Service (LOS) into the policy, which define both community levels of service (how residents experience municipal services) and technical levels of service (how infrastructure performance and asset condition are measured).
2026 Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Risk Register Update – Last year, the City of Guelph finally enacted an Enterprise Risk Management Framework and Policy, plus a register of those various risk factors. The highest risk is kind of universal to municipalities across Ontario: economic uncertainty and changes to government legislation and funding. The second highest is aging infrastructure, with growth pressures requiring increased funding, which naturally ties into that first, biggest risk. Other high risk areas include strategic relationships with stakeholders and Indigenous rightsholders and cybersecurity while financial sustainability, environmental protection, and community planning and development are among the low risk items.
Finance Policy Updates – This is the first update to the City’s financial policy since both the initiation of multiyear budgeting and the implementation of Strong Mayor Powers, which includes sole discretion over municipal budgets. The update affects Budget, User Fees and Charges, Debt Management, and Reserve and Reserve Fund policies, while repealing the existing Budget Monitoring, Revenue Budgeting, and Year-End Operating Surplus Allocation policies because those provisions have been incorporated into the new policy. The biggest changes were reserved for the budget policy, which integrates those Strong Mayor powers while also introduces clearer rules for budget and capital project adjustments, improves planning during election years, and refines how grants, year-end surpluses, and budget priorities are handled.
2026-2029 Guelph Community Safety and Well-being Plan – This was put together by the City of Guelph and more than 40 community partners and identifies six priority risk areas that will guide community action over the next four years. The first three are described as long-term, systemic issues that contribute to many other social challenges: Discrimination, systemic inequity, and hate; early adversity (traumatic or stressful experiences during childhood); and income security. The other three reflect urgent and growing community challenges requiring co-ordinated responses including gender-based violence and exploitation, homelessness and affordable housing, and mental health and substance use health challenges. For each of the six priority areas, the plan establishes a common structure that explains the issue, outlines desired community outcomes, identifies existing initiatives, assigns community partners, and establishes shared measures for tracking progress. It doesn’t recommend creating new programs, but instead better co-ordinating efforts and improving collaboration.
Guelph Politico 