An utterly rare series of August council meetings will come to close with this regular meeting of council. On the packed agenda is more discussions about the multiyear budget, an environmental assessment for Guelph’s busiest road, an ask for more funds for an affordable housing project, and the possibility of another dog park debate. Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the August 24 Meeting?”
Months of advocacy finally paid off for the City of Guelph and other municipalities in Ontario on Wednesday with the announcement of the first phase of emergency operating funds. Just in time for Guelph city council’s monthly COVID-19 response meeting, Mayor Cam Guthrie shared the news that Guelph’s share of $1.6 billion in funding under the Safe Start Agreement is $12 million. Continue reading “Cities Finally Get Details on Emergency Funds, Guelph to Get $12 Million”
This could be the last COVID-19 response meeting… For now. You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here and here for the Politico preview. For the complete blow-by-blow of today’s council meeting, you can follow along on Twitter, or follow the tweets below. You can also watch the City’s own live-stream of the meeting here. Continue reading “LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for August 12, 2020”
Despite conventional wisdom about there being no news in August, over 100 people went to Margaret Greene Park last week to confront City councillors, staff, and Metrolinx reps about a plan to build a traction power substation in a portion of the park. The events in the west end capture in a microcosm of big concerns about public engagement, and development running roughshod over neighbourhood concerns. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #233 – Parks or Wreck”
It’s not the firs time that someone’s been removed from a position of authority because of something they posted on social media, but this is perhaps the most high-profile instance to happen in Guelph. Marino Gazzola, the now ousted chair of the Wellington Catholic District School Board, has formally apologized for some kind of negative social media posts though no one can say what those were. Continue reading “Gazzola Apologizes But For What is Still an Unanswered Question”
Two planning decisions and a notice of motion make the agenda for this bizarro August planning meeting. You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here for the Politico preview. For the complete blow-by-blow of today’s council meeting, you can follow along on Twitter, or follow the tweets below. You can also watch the City’s own live-stream of the meeting here. Continue reading “LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for August 10, 2020”
Back in February, a big rake out concerning leash-free, fenced in dog parks in the city was called off when a Committee of the Whole motion to eliminate the amenity at Peter Misersky Park, and cancel all further projects, was found out of order. But the debate is back on the radar with a Notice of Motion coming forward at Monday’s council meeting. Continue reading “Dog Park Debate Makes a Comeback With Notice of Motion”
For the fifth and (perhaps) final time, council will hold a special COVID-19 response meeting before returning to a more normal council schedule in September. There isn’t much in the way of new initiatives, but there are some interesting insights into how the City of Guelph is still managing the effects of the pandemic, and what the immediate future looks like for City Hall. Continue reading “Council Preview Update: What Else is on the Agenda for the August 12 Meeting?”
There are still a lot of unanswered questions about the new school year, but one of them was answered on Wednesday, and if you’re among the likely few University of Guelph students who are coming back to Royal City in September, you will have to get around town without your usual universal bus pass. The move not only leaves students in a transit lurch, but it blows a big hole in the City of Guelph’s transit budget. Continue reading “No Student Bus Pass for U of G Students this Fall, How Will That Effect Transit Budget?”
City council is one of those things that has more less operated the same way for decades, You’ve got your elected officials, and the relevant City staff around the big central table, media covers the goings on from their appointed desk, and there’s a gallery full of spectators and supplemental staff who will take part in the meeting when called upon. It’s simple, and it’s how things have always been done… at least until COVID-19. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #232 – Behind the Scenes of the Remote Council”
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