CITY PAGES: Rec Programs, Library Robots and Open Houses

The City of Guelph, and it’s various partners and agencies, put 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: Rec Programs, Library Robots and Open Houses”

City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the November 22 Meeting?

The first real city council of the term is one that not many people are looking forward to. You might have heard about Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, and City staff have heard of it too. They also have some considerable concerns about the legislation, which is why we’re having a whole meeting about it on Tuesday. Here’s the late breaking preview of the meeting per the amended agenda. Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the November 22 Meeting?”

Opening Words: The Complete Text of Mayor Guthrie’s Inaugural Speech

Last night, the new Guelph city council gathered around the horseshoe and took their oath of offices, pledging to King Charles III that they will be the best council possible and make smart decisions. Newly re-minted Mayor Cam Guthrie then outlined some of the challenges that this new council will be facing including, but not limited to, division and surprises. Here’s the full text of the Mayor’s opening address… Continue reading “Opening Words: The Complete Text of Mayor Guthrie’s Inaugural Speech”

GUELPH POLITICAST #348 – What’s Next? Part 2: The Next Election

Last week, we covered the transition from the previous council to the new, and this week, we look far-ish into the future to the next election, the one in October 2026. You will hear in this podcast that planning for the next election begins almost immediately after the one that’s just completed, because there are a lot of complicated questions that need to be answered before the time comes to vote again. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #348 – What’s Next? Part 2: The Next Election”

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for November 15, 2022

See where it all (officially) begins! 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 15, 2022”

LIVE BLOG: Special City Council Meeting for November 15, 2022

Watch as the new councillors learn the ropes, and watch the new old councillors get a refresher. 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: Special City Council Meeting for November 15, 2022”

RECAP: Heritage Guelph Meeting for November 14, 2022

The last Heritage Guelph meeting for this term of council offered a sneak preview of the challenges facing the next council. With Bill 23 creating some pretty stark changes for how heritage properties are preserved and protected in the future, planning staff offered a way forward in the short-term. Also, the committee had some thoughts on the council approved change in designation to 50-60 Fife Road. Here’s what happened in case you missed it. Continue reading “RECAP: Heritage Guelph Meeting for November 14, 2022”

Emergency Council Meeting to Discuss Impact of Bill 23

You may have heard about the Government of Ontario’s Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act. Literally introduced the day after the October 24 municipal election, the legislation proposes to change significant portions of municipal planning policy to, in theory, increase the development of housing units. With the first round of feedback about the legislation coming due, the new Guelph city council will assemble to have their say. Continue reading “Emergency Council Meeting to Discuss Impact of Bill 23”

GUELPH POLITICAST #347 – What’s Next? Part 1: The Transition

On November 15, five new city councillors are going to formally take their seat around the horseshoe, and they’re five people bringing a variety of skills and experiences to the table. Joining them are eight experienced councillors, so how do all these ingredients gel to immediately form a cohesive unit that will tackle some of the biggest challenges our local government has faced. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #347 – What’s Next? Part 1: The Transition”

This Week at Council: Heritage Designation Re-Debate and Goodbyes!

The day after Halloween offered at least one scare for anyone worried about heritage protection in Guelph. The last two meetings of the 2018-2022 term of council heard the objection of a heritage designation passed last summer in one, and then had one last moment of togetherness in the other. So let’s take a moment and recap how this very busy term of city council came to a close. Continue reading “This Week at Council: Heritage Designation Re-Debate and Goodbyes!”