There are so many council meetings this month, we have to split the usual monthly recap into two parts. In this first half, we cover what happened at a very technocratic Committee of the Whole meeting, the non-decision at a special meeting on council composition, a straightforward planning meeting, and a transit growth workshop. Soon the budget will begin, but for now, here’s the recap. Continue reading “This Month at Council PART 1: Assets, Transit Growth and Council Composition”
Putting together the City of Guelph budget was a process that more or less started right after the last budget was passed, and involved every City department basically rebuilding their budget from scratch every year. It wasn’t easy, it was short-sighted, and it created a lot of extra work for staff. There had to be a better way, and that better way might be the move to multi-year budgeting. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #246 – Explaining the Multi-Year Budget”
This month’s planning meeting has a decision, and the kick for the Official Plan review. You can click here for the 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 November 9, 2020”
Last week, Guelph city council met to talk about its future composition; how many councillors will be representing the people of Guelph, and from how many wards? This week, the City of Guelph would like feedback from you about how we’re going to vote in 2022. How do you feel about mail-in ballots, internet voting, or good old in-person Scantron sheets? City staff want to know! Continue reading “How Do You Want to Vote? The City of Guelph Wants to Know”
It’s finally here, Budget Season! It’s the most wonderful time of the year if you like levies, estimates, and forecasts, and this year is doubly special with an entirely new format for the budget. From transit, to capital, to outside boards and services like the police and the library, staff will layout all the budget details in one action-packed and lengthy all-day council meeting. Bring a lunch! Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the November 17 Meeting?”
The City of Guelph puts out a lot of information on a weekly basis, and while it all ends up on the City’s website somewhere, wouldn’t it be easier to just scroll through it all on one easy-to-read article on Guelph Politico here…? Continue reading “CITY PAGES: Carbon Monoxide, Feedback Wanted, and Train on the Move”
The pandemic caught us right in the middle of some big changes being made to Guelph Transit, so it seems like an appropriate time to sit down, look at transit, and consider the current status for those best lain plans and their future. In another special meeting of council, matters of transit are considered in this latest workshop and it’s special Tuesday at 2 pm start time. Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the November 10 Meeting?”
In this meeting of council, the councillors will have a hand in deciding their own potential political futures. You can click here for the 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 November 5, 2020”
At a special council meeting on Thursday night, Guelph City Council will vote on their own make-up for the 2022-26 term. The staff recommendation is to change council composition to eight full-time councillors, one from each of eight new wards, plus the mayor, but two electoral reform advocacy groups want to pump the brakes on the council make-up in the wake of their own poll that confirms voters want the status quo. Continue reading “Citizen Groups’ Poll on Council Make-Up: Keep 2 Councillors Per Ward”
Remember before COVID when the biggest issue in front of council was the removal or the retaining of two leash-free, fenced-in dog parks in the city? At the time, council asked staff to look at other sites that might serve as future dog parks outside of residential areas, and they have delivered a report that should come as no surprise to anyone. The best candidate? Eastview Park. Continue reading “Eastview Park the First Choice for New Fenced-In Dog Park”
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