We hear a lot about the Ontario Municipal Board – the various cases they hear, the call for reform in some quarters of the province (including our own) – and there’s no denying the influence they have in how our cities are shaped and who gets to do the shaping. But would you be surprised to learn that there are nearly a dozen open cases concerning the City of Guelph before the OMB? So where are they, and what are they about? Continue reading “What Guelph Cases Are Currently Before the OMB?”
In response to the tragic events in Orlando, FL early Sunday morning, and the death of 49 people with another 53 injured after a gunman with ISIS sympathies opened fire at a queer nightclub, the City of Guelph has lowered its flag to half-mast and released an official statement. Continue reading “City of Guelph Issues Statement About Orlando Tragedy”
You may have noticed a lot of talk in the media about something called “electoral reform.” That’s sarcasm, of course, Guelph has been fired up about reform ever since some scalawag named after our local poutinerie made robocall a dirty word back in 2011. If the various systems being proposed to replace First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) have you scratching your head though there’s good news! Fair Vote Guelph is holding an event at the end of the month that will hopefully make things clearer. Continue reading “Fair Vote to Put on an Alternative Voting Explainer”
In a surprise move that was almost as surprising as the announcement that Ann Pappert would not be renewing her contract as Chief Administrative Officer in the first place, Derrick Thomson will not be moving to the Town of Caledon to become General Manager of Community Services. Instead, he will stay in Guelph as the new CAO. Continue reading “Derrick Thomson to Replace Ann Pappert as CAO”
City Hall is always being criticized for wasting money, but what if there was a big pile of money out there that the City was entitled to and they weren’t chasing it down? As it turns out, the City has $14 million out there from uncollected fees and fines, and their stepping up their collection effort by bring in a third-party agency. Continue reading “City is Out to Collect $14 Million in Outstanding Fines”
Every week, the City of Guelph and other groups send out notices to announce new events, imperatives, and information that you need to know. Here is this week in press releases. Continue reading “This Week in Press Releases – May 23-27, 2016”
In bit of shocking news out of City Hall this afternoon, Chief Administrative Officer Ann Pappert has announced that she will not be renewing her contract with the City of Guelph, which is set to expire this coming October. The renewal of the CAO’s contract has been subject of much discussion behind the doors of closed council meetings for many months, but now Guelph’s mayor and council will have to turn their attention to finding someone to fill Pappert’s soon to be vacated seat. Continue reading “In Surprise Announcement, CAO Pappert Will Not Renew Contract with the City”
Every week, the City of Guelph and other groups send out notices to announce new events, imperatives, and information that you need to know. Here is this week in press releases. Continue reading “This Week in Press Releases – May 9-13, 2016”
A report on the CBC today is saying that the ServiceOntario office at 1 Stone Road is closing this October. The Guelph office is one of nine being closed over the next year including offices in Milton and Mississauga, all part of what the provincial government is calling a move “within a framework of fiscal responsibility.” Continue reading “Stone Rd. ServiceOntario Office Closing in October, Says CBC”
After the previous meeting, a nice quiet productive meeting was on the books as council discussed matters of two planning applications and an endorsement of $5,000 in support for the victims of the wildfire in Fort McMurray and surrounding areas. And then Councillor James Gordon raised a point of order. Continue reading “What’s the Deal with the Gordon/Gibson Twitter Kerfuffle?”
