[00:00:02] AND I'LL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MONDAY, APRIL 26TH 2021 [1. Opening Statement] TO ORDER. I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE IS LOCATED IN CHIEF DRYGEESE TERRITORY. FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, IT'S BEEN THE TRADITIONAL LAND OF THE YELLOWKNIVES DENE FIRST NATION AND MORE RECENTLY, THE HOMELAND OF THE NORTH SLAVE MÉTIS. WE RESPECT THE HISTORIES, LANGUAGES AND CULTURES OF FIRST NATIONS, MÉTIS, INUIT AND ALL FIRST PEOPLES OF CANADA, WHOSE PRESENCE CONTINUES TO ENRICH OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY. [2. Approval of the agenda.] NEXT ON THE AGENDA, APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, NO, NOTHING ELSE TO ADD. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE DISCLOSURE PECUNIARY INTERESTS IN THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF. DOES ANY MEMBER HAVE A PECUNIARY INTERESTS TODAY? SEEING NONE. NEXT, WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO APPROVE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES [4. A memorandum regarding whether to approve strategic priorities for the Municipal Enforcement Division for 2021/22.] FOR THE MUNICIPAL ENFORCEMENT DIVISION FOR 2021/22. MS. BASSI-KELLETT IF YOU'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. ABSOLUTELY. SO THE CITY'S ENFORCEMENT BY-LAW SORRY POLICY LAYS OUT THE APPROACH THAT THE CITY TAKES WHEN ENFORCING THE RANGE OF BY-LAWS THAT COUNCIL HAS ESTABLISHED. THE POLICY PROVIDES CLARITY AND CONSISTENCY IN OUR APPROACH TO ENFORCEMENT. AND IT PUBLICLY COMMITS US ON THE USE OF OUR RESOURCES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PROACTIVE ON ISSUES RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND WILL BE COMPLAINTS BASED ON OTHER ISSUES. IT DOES PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL TO SET PRIORITIES EACH YEAR FOR ACTIVITIES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO COUNCIL AND WHICH ALIGN WITH THE LEGISLATIVE MANDATE OF THE MUNICIPAL ENFORCEMENT DIVISION. THIS PAST YEAR HAS SEEN SOME CHANGES IN THE MED TEAM. ON TOP OF ALL THE CRAZINESS AROUND COVID AND THE TEAM HAS DEFINITELY WORKED TO MEET THE PARAMETERS OF THE ENFORCEMENT POLICY AS WELL AS COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES FOR 2020, 2021. THERE'S ALSO A SUMMARY OF THAT ATTACHED, OF COURSE, TO THE MEMO. AND SO FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, THROUGH A LOT OF ANALYSIS OF TRENDS AND ISSUES THAT ARE FACING THE MUNICIPAL ENFORCEMENT DIVISION AND THE CITY OVERALL, ADMINISTRATION IS PROPOSING THE COUNCIL CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIC PRIORITIES. SO A CONTINUED EMPHASIS ON RECONCILIATION IN MED'S APPROACH TO MANAGING ITS ISSUES, STRATEGIC ENFORCEMENT OF THE LIVERY LICENSE BY-LAW, EMPHASIZING THE SAFETY OF BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS, AND CONTINUED VISIBILITY OF MED IN THE COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY IN THE DOWNTOWN. I'M PLEASED THAT WE HAVE JENNIFER HUNT-POITRAS ON THE CALL TODAY, OF COURSE, IN HER ROLE AS DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SAFETY. AND ALSO WE HAVE MITCH ROLAND HERE WHO'S HERE AS WELL WHO'S IN HIS CAPACITY AS THE ACTING MANAGER OF MUNICIPAL ENFORCEMENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? COUNCILLOR WILLIAMS. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. JUST SORT OF CURIOUS, DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF THE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT I WOULD JUST BE KIND OF CURIOUS TO HEAR FROM MUNICIPAL ENFORCEMENT HOW THEY WOULD BALANCE THE THREE PRIORITIES WHILE STILL PUTTING SOME ATTENTION AND RESOURCES TO OTHER AREAS OF THEIR DUTIES, SUCH AS PARKING AND PARKING VIOLATIONS IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE. MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I WILL HAND THINGS OVER TO JENNIFER, WHO I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE MITCH INVOLVED IN THAT. THAT'S THE CORE FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MED. SO ABSOLUTELY, THAT REMAINS A VERY TOP PRIORITY. WE SEE THINGS EBB AND FLOW AS WELL IN TERMS OF THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YELLOWKNIVER'S MAY INADVERTENTLY FORGET THAT THERE'S NO PARKING ON FRANKLIN BETWEEN 4:30 AND 6:00 OR FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, OF COURSE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT ENFORCEMENT NEEDS TO HAPPEN THEN TO ENSURE THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND THE GENERAL FUNCTIONING OF DOWNTOWN. SO LOTS OF PRIORITIES THAT GET JUGGLED AND OUR SMALL BUT MIGHTY TEAM DOES THAT. I'LL ASK JENNIFER IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO WEIGH IN AND IF SHE WANTS TO HAVE MITCH WEIGH IN AS WELL. YOU'RE JUST ON MUTE MS. HUNT-POITRAS. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. AND YES, THERE IS A RATHER SOMEWHAT SMALL TEAM THAT WE HAVE TO COVER ALL THESE BASES AND THE PRIORITIES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED HERE ARE JUST IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE WOULDN'T BE CONTINUING TO PUT OUR EMPHASIS ON THE ONGOING NEEDS AROUND PARKING. I THINK THAT I'VE INVITED MITCHELL TO TAKE PART TODAY AND HE MAY HAVE SOME MORE DETAIL THAT HE'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT. [00:05:02] GOOD AFTERNOON, IF I MAY MAYBE SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT, JUST EXPAND ON THAT. YEAH, SO WE HAVE A SMALL TEAM OF OFFICERS HERE AT MED. THEN THE WAY THIS WOULD WORK IS THAT THESE PRIORITIES WILL NOT ONLY BE WE'LL SET A TIME ASIDE FOR THEM, BUT WE'LL ALSO BE, YOU KNOW, OBSERVING THE BY-LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICY THAT COUNCIL PUT FORWARD, AS WELL AS ENFORCING OTHER THINGS LIKE PARKING UNSIGHTLY LANDS, THOSE WERE ALSO IDENTIFIED LAST YEAR. BUT THESE PRIORITIES WILL REALLY WORK INTO THAT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE HONORABLE RECONCILIATION THAT KIND OF WE'RE HOPING THAT WOULD KIND OF INCORPORATE TO THAT INTO EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING AS WELL AS THE LIVERY LICENSE BY-LAW MEAN, WE CAN SET ASIDE TIME FOR THAT. AS WELL, HOWEVER, THE OTHER PRIORITIES THAT WE'RE FACING THOSE ARE GOING TO NEED TO BE PRIORITIES. YOU KNOW THE PARKING UNSIGHTLY LANDS, ALL OF THE NON ROAD SAFETY ISSUES WERE IDENTIFIED LAST YEAR BY COUNCIL. THOSE WILL CONTINUE TO BE PRIORITIES AS THEY ARE. THAT'S ONE OF THE CORE FUNCTIONS OF MED, IS THE PARKING, THE ROAD SAFETY ISSUES. EVERYTHING LIKE THAT IS ALREADY A PRIORITY. HOWEVER, THESE THREE PROPOSED STRATEGIC PRIORITIES WERE MEANT AS A KIND OF A PUBLIC AFFIRMATION OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO HERE AT MED. SO THESE WILL BE MANAGED IN A WAY THAT WILL STILL ALLOW FOR OUR CORE FUNCTION, LIKE I SAID, THE FIRST PRIORITY WILL BE APPROPRIATED INTO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. AS FOR THE STRATEGIC ENFORCEMENT OF THE LIVERY LICENSE BY-LAW, THAT WILL BE ALSO SEEN BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITIES UNDER THAT BY-LAW AND WE DO ENFORCE THAT. AND WE NEED TO CURRENTLY. BUT WE WANTED TO PLACE A KIND OF HIGHER PRIORITY GIVEN EVERYTHING GOING ON RIGHT NOW WITH THAT BY-LAW AND STUFF. BUT EVERYTHING WILL CONTINUE TO BE MANAGED EFFECTIVELY AND WILL BE PRIORITIES AS WELL. LIKE I SAID, THE PARKING AND THE ROAD SAFETY ISSUES, EVERYTHING LIKE THAT AS WELL. GREAT. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ANSWER THERE. YEAH, DEFINITELY. LIKE I SAID, VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF THE NEW EMPHASIS ON SOME OF THOSE CORE AREAS, BUT DEFINITELY WANTED TO FOLKS THAT ARE CHIMING IN RECOGNIZE THAT COUNCIL HASN'T LOST SIGHT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PARKING AND SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE GET ON THE E-MAIL AS A RESULT OF SUCH THINGS. ANYWAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND YEAH. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR MORGAN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. FIRST, I JUST WANTED TO SAY I FOUND THIS YEAR'S SUGGESTIONS FOR RECOMMENDED PRIORITIES REALLY REFRESHING. AND I THINK SOME GOOD INSIGHTS THERE AND RESPONSE TO THINGS HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL'S PRIORITIES. AND I LIKE THAT IT SEEMS TO BE A REALLY STRATEGIC OVERALL APPROACH AS OPPOSED TO US SORT OF PICKING THINGS, SPECIFIC AREAS OF ENFORCEMENT THAT ARE BUGGING PEOPLE. BUT, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE HEARD, OBVIOUSLY, MED IS GOING TO BE WORKING TO DO THE DAY TO DAY ENFORCEMENT OF, YOU KNOW, ENFORCING BY-LAWS. BUT I THINK WE HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN, YOU KNOW, STEPPING BACK AND LOOKING AT THE OVERALL SORT OF STRATEGIC APPROACHES. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WAY THIS HAS BEEN FRAMED FOR SURE. AND I THINK IT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT SHIFT THAT MED IS MAKING TOWARDS RECONCILIATION AND DE-ESCALATION AND SORT OF MEDIATING DISPUTES AS BEST WE CAN AND TRYING TO PREVENT AND EDUCATE. HOPEFULLY THAT WILL BE A REALLY POSITIVE STEP FORWARD. MY QUESTION WAS LIKE LAST YEAR'S PRIORITIES, NUMBER FIVE WE HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF A STRATEGIC APPROACH, PERHAPS. SO IT WAS WRITTEN AS TRYING TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE CONSISTENT APPLICATION OF AREAS OF REACTIVE ENFORCEMENT. SO THE EXAMPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, HAD COME UP A LOT LAST YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS WHEN WERE ENFORCING COMPLAINTS ABOUT SNOW CLEARING FROM SIDEWALKS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND SAY AN OFFICER COMES AND, YOU KNOW, TICKETS SOMEONE PERHAPS FOR NOT CLEARING THEIR PATCH OF SIDEWALK, BUT THEN THEY SEE THAT THE WHOLE STREET, IN FACT, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T PROPERLY CLEAN THEIR SIDEWALK. BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE JUST CALLED SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THERE WAS A COMPLAINT ABOUT ONE AREA. BUT IF YOU SEE A WIDER PATTERN OR AREA OF CONCERN, ARE THERE WAYS WE CAN [00:10:03] CONSISTENTLY ADDRESS AN ISSUE WHEN IT APPEARS THAT IT'S BIGGER THAN JUST ONE SORT OF REACTIVE ISSUE THAT OUR ATTENTION HAS BEEN CALLED, TO. SO I WONDERED IF ANY PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE ON THAT OVER THE PAST YEAR. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND YES, I WILL ASK MS. HUNT-POITRAS TO SPEAK TO THIS. THERE HAS BEEN QUITE A BIT OF WORK THAT'S BEEN UNDERWAY AROUND THAT, AND A LOT OF THAT IS BUILT INTO THINGS LIKE OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES THAT MUNICIPAL ENFORCEMENT HAS BEEN REAFFIRMING, UPDATING AND REVIEWING. AND THEY CERTAINLY WEAVE THINGS IN THROUGH THERE. SO I'LL ASK MS. HUNT-POITRAS IF SHE COULD SPEAK TO THIS. THANK YOU. YES, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, AND I DO APOLOGIZE THAT THERE WASN'T MORE INFORMATION IN THE UPDATE ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE IN THIS AREA. SO WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE QUITE A BIT OF WORK. AND AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT MENTIONED, A BIG PART OF THAT WORK HAS BEEN A VERY COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW AND REVISING OF OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND OUR POLICIES. BUT ALSO WE'VE TAKEN REALLY PART OF THIS PROCESS IN TERMS OF CONSISTENCY AND ENSURING CONSISTENCY INVOLVED, BEING ABLE TO TRACK AND SEE HOW YOU KNOW COLLECT DATA ON HOW THINGS ARE BEING MANAGED AND RESPONDED TO. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IS THAT WE LOOKED AT OUR CURRENT SUPPORT SOFTWARE AND HAVE REVAMPED AND UPDATED THAT AS WELL TO HAVE VERY SPECIFIC CATEGORIES. SO PREVIOUSLY THE CATEGORIES WERE QUITE BROAD. SO WE HAD CATEGORIES SUCH AS DOGS AND NOW WE HAVE MADE THOSE CATEGORIES MORE SPECIFIC. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, DOG AT LARGE, DOG BITE, DOG CRUELTY AND SO ON, THESE THINGS HAVE ALLOWED US TO BETTER TRACK HOW WE'RE RESPONDING AND GIVES US BETTER DATA TO TRACK OUR RESPONSES IN THAT AREA. SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE'VE DONE AND WE'VE DONE THAT ACROSS THE BOARD. AND WE'VE ALSO ADDED A NUMBER OF CATEGORIES THAT WEREN'T THERE BEFORE. SO WE'VE ALSO DEVELOPED OTHER STRATEGIES TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE RESPONDING IN EFFICIENT AND CONSISTENT WAYS. AND THAT INCLUDES COMING UP WITH WE'VE COME UP WITH MORE STANDARDIZED OPERATING PROCEDURES AROUND 72 HOUR PARKING COMPLAINTS AND OTHER TYPES OF PARKING COMPLAINTS. SO WE NOW DEAL WITH THOSE IN A MUCH MORE CONSISTENT AND UNIFORM MANNER. AND BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO ALLOW FOR OFFICER DISCRETION AROUND THINGS LIKE CALLING OWNERS. VEHICLE OWNERS SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN SNOW IS BEING CLEARED AND WE HAVE THE OPTION OF CONTACTING THE PEOPLE AND SEEING IF THEY CAN MOVE THEIR VEHICLES IF THEY'RE STILL PARKED AFTER MIDNIGHT. WE ALSO LOOKED INTO WAYS TO ADDRESS PARKING ISSUES. WE DID A LOT OF COMING UP WITH DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO DEALING WITH PARKING ISSUES, SUCH AS WHERE WE'RE RECEIVING REPEATED COMPLAINTS, TALKING DIRECTLY TO THE PARTIES AND CONSIDERING WHETHER THERE'S UNDERLYING ISSUES AND THEN, FOR EXAMPLE, ADDING SIGNAGE IN SEVERAL AREAS WHERE NECESSARY. SO THESE ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED, INCLUDING THINGS, AS WE MENTIONED IN THE UPDATE, ABOUT UNSIGHTLY PROPERTIES. WE REALLY CHANGED OR NOT REALLY CHANGED, BUT WE PUT AN EMPHASIS ON USING PROBLEM SOLVING AND COMMUNICATIONS TO WORK WITH PROPERTY OWNERS TO GET PROPERTIES CLEANED UP MORE EFFICIENTLY ON THEIR OWN, SO THUS REDUCING THE NEED FOR CITY RESOURCES. SO THESE ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THAT PRIORITY THAT WAS IDENTIFIED BY YOURSELF. I THINK IF I RECALL LAST YEAR. OK, THANKS FOR THAT, I REALLY APPRECIATE LEARNING ABOUT ALL THOSE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE, IT SEEMS REALLY POSITIVE. THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR MUFANDAEDZA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, ADMINISTRATION, FOR ALL THE WORK YOU PUT INTO THIS DOCUMENT. IT WAS VERY DETAILED AND I FOUND IT VERY INFORMATIVE AND I JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY JUMP IN AND EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD. AND THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THE QUESTION ON UNSIGHTLY LANDS BY-LAW AS WELL AS UNAUTHORIZED PARKING, BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS TO SEE IF THAT COULD BE ADDED TO THE PRIORITIES. BUT IT LOOKS LIKE YOU GUYS ALREADY HAVE IT AND HAVE IT TAKEN CARE OF. I WAS JUST HAPPY TO SEE THE PRIORITIES FOR 2021 22 AS THE RECONCILIATION WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES WITH REGARDS TO PUBLIC SAFETY, I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE [00:15:05] TO WORK TOWARDS. I ALSO WANTED TO JUST QUICKLY TALK ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LIVERY LICENSE BY-LAW AND JUST GLAD THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT BOTH ENSURING SAFETY FOR THE PUBLIC AND THE TAXI DRIVERS AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS PUBLIC SAFETY EDUCATION AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS OUTREACH TO THE TAXI COMPANIES SO THAT THERE IS EDUCATION ON THE TAXI DRIVERS AS WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR THE DOCUMENT. I AM DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF THIS DOCUMENT IN FRONT OF ME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR MORSE. THANKS VERY MUCH. SIMILAR TO MY COLLEAGUES, I'M QUITE HAPPY WITH THE PRIORITIES THAT HAVE BEEN MENTIONED. JUST A QUICK QUESTION. I KNOW OUR PREVIOUS WORK PLAN, HAD THE LIVERY LICENSE BY-LAW COMING FORWARD IN Q4 2020. AND I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT AN UPDATE IS ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE LIVERY LICENSE BY-LAW. THANK YOU. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION. YES, THIS ONE REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY FOR US. WE'VE HAD SOME TRANSITIONS IN OUR STAFF RESOURCES AROUND THIS. SO IN OUR 2021 WORK PLAN, OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE A LIVERY LICENSE BY-LAW BEFORE COUNCIL BY THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2021. WE'VE STARTED SOME PRELIMINARY RESEARCH ON THIS, SOME OF THE BEST PRACTICES THAT ARE OUT THERE. BUT THERE'S A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF WORK FOR US STILL TO DO AND WE'RE IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS DONE TO MEET THE TIME FRAME THAT WE KNOW IS SO IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. OK, I GUESS, I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE KIND OF ANSWERED THE QUESTION ALREADY, I'M JUST SORT OF WONDERING WHY IT'S BEING DELAYED BY A YEAR AND NOT A FEW MONTHS WITH TURNOVER. I MEAN, I DO WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE GET IT RIGHT. SO WHATEVER NEEDS TO BE DONE THERE. BUT JUST WONDERING ABOUT THAT. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANKS. THAT'S ABSOLUTELY IT, SOME TURNOVER IN THE KEY STAFF AND WE HAD SOME OTHER ISSUES THAT WERE PRESSING ON US IN TERMS OF OUR CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO GET THIS DONE. THANK YOU. OK, THANKS. I'M WONDERING IF THE ADMINISTRATION IS SETTING THIS PRIORITY, I THINK THERE'S AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT THERE THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY, THERE'S BEEN SOME INCIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY ON EITHER SIDE. I MEAN, WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY UNFORTUNATE INCIDENTS IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS WITH DRIVER SAFETY, OF COURSE. AND THERE'S I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE SURVEY THAT THE NWT WOMEN COUNCIL PUT FORWARD. AND THERE WAS A LOT OF EXPRESSIONS AS A RESULT OF THAT SURVEY FROM WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE MENTIONED THAT THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE TAKING CABS IN THE COMMUNITY. AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ADDRESS IN THE LIVERY LICENSE BY-LAW. I THINK THERE'S SOME MEASURES THAT CAN BE PUT IN PLACE TO MAKE EVERYBODY FEEL SAFER. AND SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THAT IN LIVERY LICENSE BY-LAW. BUT I'M JUST WONDERING IF, YOU KNOW, WITH THE BY-LAW NOT COMING FORWARD FOR QUITE SOME TIME, IF MED HAS ANY IDEAS OF INTERIM MEASURES THAT CAN BE PUT IN PLACE TO ADDRESS SAFETY ISSUES NOW. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION AND YEAH ABSOLUTELY WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS. WE'VE SEEN LOTS OF COMMENTS AND CONCERNS RAISED ACROSS THE BOARD AROUND SAFETY OVERALL. SO CERTAINLY IF THIS IS ONE OF THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES THAT MUNICIPAL ENFORCEMENT DIVISION WILL BE LOOKING INTO OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, THAT DOES MEAN A LOT MORE PROACTIVE, WORKING WITH THE TAXI COMPANIES, WITH DRIVERS TO SUPPORT AND UPHOLD SOME OF THE TERMS THAT WE DO HAVE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW THROUGH THE LIVERY LICENSE BY-LAW AND TO SUPPORT THE OVERALL SATISFACTORY OPERATING OF THE TAXI SERVICE IN YELLOWKNIFE. SO THAT PEOPLE ARE HAPPY, DRIVERS FEEL LIKE THEIR NEEDS ARE BEING MET AND THAT THIS CAN FUNCTION REALLY SUCCESSFULLY. I'LL ASK MS. HUNT-POITRAS IF SHE'D LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING TO THIS IN TERMS OF HOW WE SEE THIS ROLLING OUT OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT YEAR. THANK YOU, MS. BASSI-KELLETT. I CONCUR WITH YOUR RESPONSE. I THINK THAT ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THIS IS IDENTIFIED AS A PRIORITY IS EXACTLY FOR THE REASONS THAT COUNCILLOR MORSE IS RAISING, IS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THE MEANTIME, WE'RE WORKING AS WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THE BY-LAW. WE STILL NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO NOW. AND AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT IS MENTIONING, A BIG PART OF THAT IS LOOKING AT WHAT ARE STRATEGIC THINGS WE CAN DO NOW, AS WELL AS ENGAGING WITH THE COMPANIES AND HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS. [00:20:11] OK, THANK YOU FOR THAT. APPRECIATE IT. I'M JUST WONDERING IF THE ADMINISTRATION MIGHT SUGGEST A TIMELINE THAT THEY COULD KIND OF GIVE AN UPDATE TO COUNCIL PERHAPS BEFORE Q4, JUST ON MEASURES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED OR WHERE THEY'RE AT WITH REGARDS TO MEASURES? ONCE, IF YOU GUYS HAVE A SUGGESTION OF A TIMELINE THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THAT, I THINK IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD APPRECIATE HEARING BACK FROM. AND CERTAINLY I THINK I WOULD AS WELL. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. I JUST WANT TO SEEK TO UNDERSTAND, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN UPDATE ON THE ACTIONS TAKEN AROUND THIS PRIORITY OR ON THE STATUS OF THE REDRAFT OF THE LIVERY LICENSE BY-LAW? THANK YOU. ON THE PRIORITY ITSELF. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU. WE HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE PRACTICE OF COMING BACK BETWEEN YEARS, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK TO COMING BACK BEFORE APRIL OF 2022 WITH AN UPDATE. THANK YOU. AND THE REASON I KIND OF WANT TO SET IT AS A PRIORITY IS JUST BECAUSE OF THAT SURVEY THAT CAME OUT AND I WANT TO ASSURE CITIZENS THAT THOSE CONCERNS HAVEN'T FALLEN ON DEAF EARS. AND YOU KNOW WITH THE ADMINISTRATION NOTING IT AS A PRIORITY AND KIND OF SPEAKING TO THE ISSUE IT WOULD BE, I JUST THINK, HELPFUL TO KEEP IT AT TOP OF MIND AND HAVE ADMINISTRATION THINK THROUGH HOW THEY MIGHT WANT TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS AND THEN COME BACK TO COUNCIL WITH A BIT OF AN UPDATE. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR SMITH. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I LIKE MY OTHER FELLOW COUNCILLORS, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE PRIORITIES THAT ARE PUT FORTH. I'M REALLY CONTENT WITH THE PRIORITY NUMBER ONE FOR RECONCILIATION. I THINK WE HAVE THE CITY IS DOING SOME GREAT WORK WITH PUTTING FORWARD, A, HAVING SOME EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ON MED THAT ARE FIRST NATIONS. I THINK THAT IS DEFINITELY A REALLY GOOD STEP FORWARD AND JUST WANTING TO CONTINUE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COMMUNITY, REALLY, WHAT MORE CAN WE DO THAN PUT FORWARD A GOOD EFFORT. AS WELL AS THE LIVERY LICENSE LIKE COUNCILLOR MORSE HAS STATED WITH THE REPORT THAT CAME FORWARD FROM THE STATUS OF WOMEN? I MEAN, IT'S PUT THIS KIND OF AT THE FOREFRONT. SO I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT THESE ARE MOVING FORWARD AND [INAUDIBLE] SUPPORT. THANK YOU. I'VE COUNCILLOR KONGE THEN COUNCILLOR PAYNE. THANK YOU. I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE ANY PARTICULAR CONCERNS REALLY WITH THE NEW PRIORITIES GOING FORWARD, BUT I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR PREVIOUS ONES THAT I'M HOPING THE ADMINISTRATION CAN ANSWER FOR ME. YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT IN OUR PACKAGE AND IT SAYS THAT WE HAD, MED RESPONDED TO THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY THREE PARKING RELATED COMPLAINTS. AND IN THAT SAME PARAGRAPH IT GOES ON TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE WERE THEY'RE GENERALLY COMPLAINT BASED, AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A CONCERN, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY. BECAUSE YOU KNOW, LIKE WE HAVE WORK SITES ALL OVER TOWN. I DRIVE ALL OVER TOWN, SPEND A LOT OF TIME DRIVING ALL OVER TOWN, AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT REACTIVE, WHICH WAS OUR OUR FIFTH PRIORITY LAST YEAR WAS TO TRY TO BE MORE REACTIVE IN THESE COMPLAINTS. AND I DON'T SEE I SEE SOME CERTAIN AREAS AROUND TOWN THAT I KNOW MED TRAVELS THROUGH THAT PARKING IS STILL AN ISSUE. THINGS ARE PARKED ON THE STREET FOR, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY DAYS OR WEEKS, BUT OFTEN MONTHS WITHOUT BEING MOVED. SO I'M WONDERING IF ADMINISTRATION COULD JUST, YOU KNOW, COMMENT ON HOW WE GO FROM A ONLY A COMPLAINT BASED, WHICH IS MY VIEW IS CURRENTLY WE ARE ONLY DOING COMPLAINT BASED TO BEING MORE REACTIVE WHEN OUR OFFICERS ARE DRIVING AROUND AND THEY SEE SOMETHING THAT HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN PARKED ON THE STREET FOR A CONSIDERABLE LENGTH OF TIME. USUALLY THE FOOT OF SNOW ON THE ROOF INDICATES THAT. HOW COME THEY DON'T BECOME REACTIVE TO THINGS LIKE THAT? [00:25:03] MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION ON THIS, AND SO CERTAINLY WITH THE LIMITED RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE ON SHIFT AT ANY GIVEN TIME FROM MED, WHAT WE REALLY LIKE TO SEE THE STAFF DO IS UPHOLD AND HONOR THE ENFORCEMENT POLICY, WHICH REALLY SPEAKS TO PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'LL ADDRESS PROACTIVELY AND OTHER ISSUES ARE THINGS THEN THAT WILL BE COMPLAINTS DRIVEN THAT WE WILL WE WILL FOLLOW UP BASED ON PEOPLE SAYING, LOOK, THIS IS AN ISSUE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. YOU NEED TO DEAL WITH THIS. AGAIN, TRYING TO BALANCE OUT THAT CONSISTENCY WHEN WE HAVE ISSUES RAISED AND LIKE MS. HUNT-POITRAS DID FLAG SOME OF THE DECISION ITEMS THAT MED IS USING WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO BE A LOT MORE CONSISTENT AROUND THE ISSUES THAT COME IN FROM COMPLAINTS. BUT TYPICALLY, PARKING IS SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT ON A COMPLAINT BASIS, GIVEN THE CAPACITY OF OUR TEAM HAVING FOUR PEOPLE ON SHIFT, GOSH, NOT EVEN THREE PEOPLE ON SHIFT AT ANY GIVEN TIME MEANS THEY'RE SPREAD PRETTY THIN. AND WE CERTAINLY DO EMPHASIZE THAT THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY MUST BE THE PUBLIC SAFETY. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, MAKING SURE THERE'S NO SPEEDING GOING ON IN SCHOOL ZONES WHEN SCHOOL IS STARTING AND ENDING. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THE MED STAFF ARE REALLY PROACTIVE ON . MS. HUNT-POITRAS ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT? YES. THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR KONGE. I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD THE FACT THAT AS I DID MENTIONED EARLIER, PART OF BEING REACTIVE TO AND RESPONSIVE TO THE PRIORITY FROM LAST YEAR IS TAKING THE APPROACH THAT WE'RE TAKING WHERE WE SEE AREAS IN THE CITY WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF COMPLAINTS COMING OUT OF ONE AREA. IT'S LOOKING AT THE UNDERLYING ISSUES AND HAVING IMPROVED ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PARTIES INVOLVED OR AND COMMUNICATION AND PROBLEM SOLVING. SO TAKING SORT OF A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO IT, TRYING TO IDENTIFY THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM. SO IN THAT WAY, WE HAVE BEEN MORE REACTIVE. OK, SO I MEAN PARKING. YOU KNOW, I THINK PARKING ACTUALLY IS A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE, THERE ARE SOME STREETS IN KAM LAKE THAT HAVE SO MUCH LONG TERM PARKING ON THEM THAT THE ROADS ARE REDUCED TO ONE WAY STREETS. AND AS WE KNOW IN CAM LAKE, WE DON'T HAVE YOU KNOW OUR CLOSEST WATER HYDRANT I BELIEVE IS AT BLOCK 501. SO IF THERE WAS A FIRE, YOU KNOW, THE FIRE HALL'S ABILITY TO RESPOND IS GREATLY REDUCED BECAUSE SOME OF OUR STREETS ARE REDUCED DOWN TO ONE LANE TRAFFIC AND THOSE HAPPEN IN SOME OF OUR RESIDENTIAL AREAS AS WELL SO. AND I WOULD GO FURTHER TO SAY THAT MOST NEIGHBORS DON'T LIKE PHONING ON THEIR NEIGHBORS. YOU KNOW, I DO GET CALLS QUITE OFTEN. CAN YOU BRING THIS UP? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO BE THE PERSON WHO PHONED CITY HALL AND COMPLAINS ABOUT MY NEIGHBORS. SO I THINK WE NEED TO DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING IN THAT CASE. AND WITH OUR ONE PRIORITY THAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR ARE PROPOSED FOR THIS YEAR BEING THE DOWNTOWN. YOU KNOW, IN RECENT WEEKS, I'VE HAD A LOT OF COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE SPECIFICALLY THE 4:30 TILL 6:00, NO PARKING ON FRANKLIN AVENUE. I MEAN, IT'S SIGNED, IT'S VERY WELL SIGNED, AND I PERSONALLY, I THINK IT'S A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR MED TO GO OUT THERE AND JUST START HANDING OUT TICKETS LIKE I'M OK WITH US HANDING OUT TICKETS FOR NOT PARKING THERE, BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT'S SAFETY. YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE COMING DOWN THAT INSIDE LANE BECAUSE YOU PULLED OUT OF ONE OF THE SIDE STREETS AND THAT'S THE LANE THAT YOU'RE IN AND SOMEBODY STOPS AT THE BANK NOW YOU'RE TRYING TO SWITCH INTO THE LEFT HAND LANE TO GO AROUND THIS PERSON. AND IT'S PRETTY HEAVY TRAFFIC. I THINK THAT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. SO I'M PERFECTLY OK WITH MED HAVING OUR OFFICERS INSTEAD OF THEM STARTING AT 9:00 TO DO METER ENFORCEMENT, HAVE THEM START AT 10:00 OR 10:30 AND THEN WORK A LITTLE BIT LATER AND JUST START TICKETING. WE NEED TO GET THAT FRANKLIN AVENUE A WHOLE LOT BETTER UNDER CONTROL THAN WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW. I THINK SO. I GUESS MY QUESTION ON THAT ONE IS, DOES THAT FALL INTO THIS PRIORITY FOR OUR DOWNTOWN BETTER TRAFFIC PARKING ENFORCEMENT DURING THOSE RESTRICTED TIMES? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANKS VERY MUCH, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT YOU FLAGGED THIS PREVIOUSLY TO ADMINISTRATION, A COUPLE OF OTHER COUNCILLORS HAVE AS WELL. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT DOES CAUSE QUITE A GLUT DURING OUR PERIODS OF RUSH HOUR DOWNTOWN. SO ABSOLUTELY, THIS IS PART OF WHAT WE LOOK AT DOING IS MAKING SURE THAT THE PRESENCE OF MED IS HELD DOWNTOWN. [00:30:01] THANK YOU. YEAH. I KNOW I'M A HUGE FAN OF ONLY HAVING THREE THINGS ON OUR PRIORITY LIST BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO ADD OR TO KEEP THAT ON TO ENFORCE PARKING IN THE CITY TO OUR PRIORITIES AS A FOURTH ONE I THINK WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO ON THAT ONE. EVEN AFTER LAST YEAR. SO IF THERE'S SUPPORT FOR THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT ONE TO OUR PRIORITIES. SO JUST BY NODDING HEADS, WELL, WE CAN ALSO SPEAK TO IT, BUT I'M SEEING GENERAL SUPPORT, WE'LL ADD ENFORCEMENT OF UNAUTHORIZED PARKING AS A FOURTH PRIORITY BECAUSE I SAW A LOT OF OTHER HEADS. AND COULD WE EVEN GO FURTHER AND SAY THAT WE WOULD LIKE REACTIVE ENFORCEMENT? I DON'T KNOW WHAT ADMIN THINKS ABOUT THAT, BUT. WELL REACTIVE TECHNICALLY WOULD BE COMPLAINT BASED VERSUS PROACTIVE ENFORCEMENT. YEAH. SHOULD WE ADD PROACTIVE TO IT? MS. BASSI-KELLETT QUESTION OR COMMENT FROM ADMIN ON WHETHER ENFORCEMENT'S THE PROACTIVE ELEMENT SHOULD BE ADDED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, I THINK WHAT I'D LIKE IS IF WE DID PROACTIVE PARKING ACROSS THE CITY, I COULD SEE THAT MED WOULD DO NOTHING BUT SO I THINK I'D REALLY LIKE TO BE CAREFUL IF COUNCIL DOES WANT TO ADD THIS, IF THERE'S PARTICULAR AREAS THAT WOULD BE IDEAL. BUT MAKING IT PROACTIVE ACROSS THE BOARD WOULD MEAN THAT THIS WOULD BE IF WE'RE TRYING TO BALANCE THIS OUT WITH THE PRIORITIES AND THE ENFORCEMENT POLICY AS WELL, WHICH IS AROUND THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND KEEPING AN EYE ON SPEEDING, THIS WILL BE PRETTY MUCH FULL TIME IF WE WERE GOING PROACTIVE ON ALL THE PARKING ISSUES. I WOULD ALMOST VENTURE THAT IF WE HAD SOME OFFICERS THAT WANTED SOME OVERTIME, THAT THEY COULD PROBABLY GENERATE THEIR INCOME PLUS SOME IN JUST GOING OUT AND GOING AFTER PARKING LIKE THIS. IT'S PRETTY BAD. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW WE DO THIS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DO GET A LOT OF, PARKING IS PROBABLY THE ONE THING THAT I GET THE MOST COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT, WHY DON'T WE ENFORCE THIS PARKING MORE? SO, I MEAN, IF YOU KNOW, I'M OK WITH PROVOCATIVE NOT BEING IN THERE, BUT I WOULD LIKE ADMIN, YOU KNOW TO COME UP WITH SOME SORT OF STRATEGY ON HOW THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN SO THAT THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND MYSELF CAN KIND OF SEE THAT WE'RE MAKING SOME GAINS ON THIS. MS. BASSI-KELLETT, I GUESS MS. HUNT-POITRAS, DID MENTION THERE'S STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE, PERHAPS THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THAT, TO SEE HOW. ON ONE HAND, ENFORCEMENT'S IN A MORE PROACTIVE WAY, CAN MEAN SEEING A CAR AND TICKETING IT RIGHT AWAY. ANOTHER ELEMENT OF PROACTIVE IS ACTUALLY STRUCTURALLY DESIGNING, SO PEOPLE ARE FOLLOWING THE BY-LAWS, I GUESS. WELL, ADMIN IF WE INCLUDE ENFORCEMENT OF UNAUTHORIZED PARKING WORK ON STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS IT IN THE PROACTIVE AND REACTIVE WAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. YEAH, WE'RE ABSOLUTELY IF GPC WANTS TO ADD ENFORCEMENT OF UNAUTHORIZED PARKING. ABSOLUTELY. WE WILL TAKE THAT DIRECTION AND WE WILL LOOK AT OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BRING THAT TO THE FOREFRONT. THANK YOU. I HAVE COUNCILLOR SMITH AND THEN COUNCILLOR MORSE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I WOULD LIKE TO PUT MY SUPPORT FORWARD FOR THIS FOURTH INITIATIVE. I BELIEVE THAT COUNCILLOR KONGE HAS RAISED A GOOD POINT, THAT PARKING DOWNTOWN HAS GOTTEN A LITTLE BIT OUT OF HAND. I, TOO, HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS REGARDING YOU KNOW LOADING ZONES DOWNTOWN. SMALL BUSINESSES ARE TRYING TO CONDUCT THEIR DAY TO DAY. AND IT BECOMES VERY HINDERSOME WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE A LOADING ZONE PERMIT THAT'S SITTING THERE. YOU KNOW WHAT DO YOU DO? DO YOU BECOME THAT BUSINESS WHO STARTS PHONING BY-LAW? AND THEN YOU KNOW SMALL TOWN PEOPLE HEAR WORD OF SO-AND-SO SO CALLED BY-LAW ON ME AND IT JUST BECOMES A THING. SO IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO BE ABLE TO HELP OUR SMALL BUSINESSES WHO ARE DEFINITELY [00:35:03] STRUGGLING TO TO KEEP BUSINESSES AFLOAT, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS TIME OF COVID HELP THEM OUT. WE HAVE A LOT OF NEW TRUCKING COMPANIES THAT NEED TO USE IT. EVEN OUR MAIL GUYS USE IT AND THEY HAVE TO DELIVER THE MAIL. SO I BELIEVE IT'S A GREAT POINT THAT'S RAISED. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR MORSE, DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO IT STILL? WE'RE JUST GOING WITH THE ENFORCEMENT OF UNAUTHORIZED PARKING. OKAY. COUNCILLOR MORSE AND THEN I'LL GO BACK TO COUNCILLOR PAYNE. WELL, LET ME JUST CLARIFY, ARE WE PUTTING AS PROACTIVE IN THERE OR NOT? NO, WE'RE JUST GOING TO GO WITH ENFORCEMENT OF UNAUTHORIZED PARKING. OK, THAT'S FINE, I MEAN, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT ON IT. I THINK THERE'S A PIECE OF ME THAT AGREES WITH COUNCILLOR KONGE. I MEAN, ONE THING I WOULD NOTE IS THAT IF WE WENT WITH PROACTIVE REINFORCEMENT OR SORRY ENFORCEMENT, THERE'D BE SOME BUSINESSES IN TOWN THAT WOULD BENEFIT PEOPLE THAT PROVIDE STORAGE UP IN KAM LAKE IN THE ENGLE BUSINESS DISTRICT ALL OF A SUDDEN WOULD HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOCKING ON THEIR DOOR. BUT YEAH, I DO CONCUR WITH THE ADMINISTRATION'S NOTE THERE THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO TASK OUR MED WITH SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO TAKE UP ALL OF THEIR TIME. I WAS THINKING THAT IF WE WERE GOING TO GO IN THE DIRECTION OF PROACTIVE, IF WE WANTED TO START KIND OF DEALING WITH FOLKS EFFECTIVELY USING CITY STREETS AS STORAGE SPACE, WE MIGHT WANT TO START WITH AN EDUCATION CAMPAIGN OF SOME KIND, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT THIS IS COMING, THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A CHANGE, THAT WE DON'T ALLOW PEOPLE TO JUST INDEFINITELY STORE THINGS. I DO SEE THERE BEING A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN. THERE'S SOME CASES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE EFFECTIVELY ABANDONED THE VEHICLE AND IT JUST SITS ON THE STREET FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO GET RID OF. THE TOUGH THING WITH IT IS THAT IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE STREETS. THERE'S SOME STREETS THAT HAVE BECOME QUITE CONGESTED WITH THINGS THAT ARE EFFECTIVELY JUST BEING STORED THERE. THERE'S OTHER PLACES WHERE IT'S A QUIET ROADWAY. IT'S VERY WIDE. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO TAKE ANY SKIN OFF ANYONE'S BACK FOR THERE TO BE A BOAT TRAILER SITTING THERE OR SOMETHING. BUT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. AND I THINK IF YOU WENT OUT AND ASKED CITIZENS. I'M NOT SURE THE LEVEL TO WHICH THIS IS A KIND OF A UNIVERSAL CONCERN, SO IT'S A BIT DIFFICULT TO SAY, BUT ANYWAYS WE'RE NOT PUTTING IT IN THERE. SO THOSE ARE JUST MY THOUGHTS ON IT. I DO SEE IT AS KIND OF A MINOR PROBLEM. BUT I THINK THAT HAVING THIS SITUATION WHERE IF SOMETHING IS A CONCERN, PEOPLE CAN CALL IT IN, I THINK THAT SYSTEM IS GENERALLY WORKING OK. SO I'M FINE WITH STICKING WITH IT THANKS. THANK YOU. NEXT, I HAVE COUNCILLOR PAYNE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I WANT TO SHOW MY SUPPORT FOR THE THREE NOW FOUR NEW PRIORITIES AS WELL. I'M EXCITED TO SEE INCORPORATING RECONCILIATION WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES INTO OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES. I HAVE A QUESTION ON THE EMPHASIS ON THE THIRD ONE, THE EMPHASIS ON MED'S VISIBILITY IN THE COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE. WILL WE BE ADDRESSING THE LIQUOR ACT IN ANY WAY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE RCMP? RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, PUBLIC DRINKING IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH. IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE. IT'S BAD. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STAYING AWAY FROM THE DOWNTOWN AREA FOR THEIR COMMERCE NEEDS BECAUSE OF IT. SO JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY PARTNERSHIP WITH THE RCMP THAT WILL HAPPEN THERE. AND IF SO, WHAT WILL IT BE? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF ENFORCING THE LIQUOR ACT HAPPENING. NO, BUT THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL RECOMMENDS TO THE RCMP PRIORITIES . SO MED VISIBILITY IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE IS TO JUST ADDRESS MUNICIPAL BY-LAWS. SO LITTERING, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BE ONE BUT MS. BASSI-KELLETT IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT ITEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CERTAINLY THIS IS ONE THAT I KNOW THAT COUNCILLORS HAVE RAISED IN THE PAST AND IT REALLY IS A CONUNDRUM. WE SAW IT WHEN THE WEATHER GOT BETTER. WE SEE IT AROUND CERTAIN SPOTS, IN PARTICULAR IN THE DOWNTOWN THAT ARE REALLY PROBLEMATIC FOR US. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BEING RESPECTFUL OF PEOPLE AND THAT BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO ENFORCE. WE HAVE EXPLORED PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO WITH DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND RCMP ABOUT ANY KIND OF DELEGATIONS UNDER THE LIQUOR ACT, HUGELY CUMBERSOME, [00:40:05] HUGELY COMPLICATED, AND LOTS AND LOTS OF ISSUES WITH IT. IT WAS NOT FOLLOWED UP ON AS SOMETHING THAT'S VIABLE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO. AND WE CERTAINLY WERE OPERATING IN FULL RESPECT WITH THE RCMP HAVING THE JURISDICTION TO DO THAT AND THE CAPACITY FOR ENFORCEMENT. SO, NO, IT'S SOMETHING THAT MED IS NOT MANDATED TO DO OR SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM DO. BUT THEIR PRESENCE IN THE DOWNTOWN AS LIAISONS, AS SUPPORT, AS A PRESENCE THAT CAN HELP BRING CALM, COOL RESPONSES, GOOD ENGAGEMENT, DISCUSSIONS WITH PEOPLE GETTING TO KNOW SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE FREQUENTLY IN THE DOWNTOWN. THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF MED'S JOB, TO BE A PRESENCE FOR GOOD IN THE DOWNTOWN. THANKS VERY MUCH. YEAH, I WOULD IMAGINE. I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS, MS. BASSI-KELLETT. I WOULD IMAGINE THAT, YOU KNOW, A GOOD PORTION OF OUR BY-LAW RESPONSIBILITIES ARE AROUND TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, AROUND PARKING, AND I APPRECIATE BEING THEM BEING MORE VISUAL OR SORRY MORE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY DOWNTOWN. AND IN NO WAY DID I MEAN FOR THEM TO BE ENFORCING THE LIQUOR ACT, I KNOW THAT'S NOT IN OUR MANDATE OR OUR RESPONSIBILITY. I WAS JUST LOOKING AT WHAT PARTNERSHIP THEY CAN HAVE WITH THE RCMP. WILL IT BE TO REPORT OPEN LIQUOR? WILL IT BE TO, YOU KNOW, CALL THE RCMP WHENEVER THEY SEE SOMETHING THAT'S QUITE A BIT SHADY. BUT THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING FOR. YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT BUILDING OUR DOWNTOWN AND BRINGING OUR DOWNTOWN BACK TO ITS FORMER GLORY. AND IT WAS IT USED TO BE A FANTASTIC PLACE TO GO ON YOUR DAYS OFF OR GO FOR LUNCH OR DO YOUR SHOPPING. BUT NOW IT'S NOT SO MUCH. AND HOW DO WE BRING THAT BACK? I MEAN, WE'RE MAKING SMALL CHANGES TO THE DOWNTOWN, BUT I THINK UNTIL WE ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC IS CALLING FOR IT. WE GET EVERY ONE OF US HAVE GOTTEN COMPLAINTS FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THIS, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FEELING UNSAFE DOWNTOWN. YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD PEOPLE GETTING SPIT AT. I'VE HEARD KIDS GETTING YELLED AT. I'VE HEARD, YOU KNOW, A FEW PUNCHES BEING THROWN. I MEAN, THIS IS ALL UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE JUST NOT DOING ENOUGH. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO, BUT WE GOT TO DO SOMETHING. MS. BASSI-KELLETT, CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHEN MED'S DOING THEIR PATROLS, WHETHER THEY CONTACT RCMP, WHEN THEY SEE RCMP LAW INFRACTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. CERTAINLY OUR MUNICIPAL ENFORCEMENT TEAM AND PUBLIC SAFETY ARE WORKING QUITE CLOSELY WITH RCMP, LOOKING AT AREAS WHERE WE HAVE SOME COMMONALITY AND WHERE WE DO HAVE A SHARED OPPORTUNITY FOR COLLABORATION. I'LL ASK MS. HUNT-POITRAS IF SHE CAN SPEAK TO PUBLIC DRINKING OR ANY OF THE THINGS THAT MED SEES. IT IS A CHALLENGE BECAUSE I THINK OUR MED OFFICIALS AND STAFF KNOW THAT THEIR COUNTERPARTS AT THE RCMP ARE BUSY WITH SOME BIG THINGS AS WELL. WE ARE COMPLETELY SYMPATHETIC TO WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM COUNCILLOR PAYNE THAT THIS IS A FRUSTRATION. AND PUBLIC DRINKING IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO SEE MORE OF IN THE SUMMER MONTHS, IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S A BIG PART OF NEEDING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BALANCED IN HOW WE'RE APPROACHING THIS SO THAT WE CAN SUPPORT THE REVITALIZATION OF OUR DOWNTOWN. I'LL ASK MS. HUNT-POITRAS TO SPEAK TO THIS IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL. THANK YOU, MS. BASSI-KELLETT AND COUNCILLOR PAYNE, FOR THE QUESTION AND I THINK THIS IS WHY WE HAVE THIS IS ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES, IS HAVING A CONTINUED EMPHASIS ON OUR VISIBILITY IN THE COMMUNITY AND DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS. AND PART OF THOSE RELATIONSHIPS ARE THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE DO HAVE WITH THE RCMP. AND, OF COURSE, THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING ARE THINGS THAT ARE OF CONCERN TO THE RCMP. AND THESE ARE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD AROUND THEIR PRESENCE AND THEIR PATROLS IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE AND HOW WE CAN IN TERMS OF WORKING TOGETHER, OUR PRESENCE THERE IS WE SEE THAT AS BEING SOMETHING THAT WILL ASSIST WITH PROBLEM SOLVING AND TO AN EXTENT, DETERRENTS, JUST THE VERY FACT THAT WE'RE THERE. AND OF COURSE, IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONTACT THE RCMP IF WE DO SEE ANY CRIMINAL CODE TYPE OFFENSES. [00:45:06] BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY DIRECT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT REPORTING LIQUOR ACT INFRACTIONS TO THE RCMP SPECIFICALLY. I'M GOING TO INVITE OUR MANAGER OF MUNICIPAL ENFORCEMENT, MITCHELL ROLAND, WHO ALSO HAS SPENT A LOT OF TIME DOING THIS WORK AND ALSO WHO DRAFTED OUR DOWNTOWN ENGAGEMENT DRAFT STRATEGY. SO I'M GOING TO INVITE MITCHELL TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION AND ADD ANYTHING IF HE HAS ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENTS AND THE QUESTION. AS WE ALL KNOW, MED'S KIND OF AUTHORITIES TO DEAL WITH ISSUES DOWNTOWN IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED. THE RCMP, LIKE IT WAS MENTIONED BEFORE, ARE THE KEY PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH CRIMINAL CODE, LIQUOR ACT, STUFF LIKE THAT. AND THE REASON THAT THIS IS ADDED AS A PRIORITY THIS YEAR AND IS ALMOST A CONTINUATION OF ONE FROM LAST YEAR AS WELL, IS IT IS IMPORTANT MED DOES HAVE A ROLE DOWNTOWN. IT MIGHT NOT BE ENFORCING THE LIQUOR ACT DIRECTLY OR THE CRIMINAL CODE DIRECTLY. HOWEVER, WE ARE KIND OF A SET OF EYES AND EARS ON THE STREETS. AND I CAN TELL YOU FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND FROM WHAT I KNOW, MED DOES REPORT WHENEVER WE OBSERVE LIKE LET'S SAY A CRIMINAL CODE OFFENSE, A FIGHT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE WILL BE REPORTING THAT TO RCMP VIA OUR PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER OR OTHERWISE KNOWN AS DISPATCH. BUT IT IS A, I DON'T WANT TO SAY A BALANCING ACT, BUT IT IS IN A WAY OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT AUTHORITIES DO WE HAVE TO DO CERTAIN THINGS DOWNTOWN AND WHAT AUTHORITIES AND WHERE CAN WE KIND OF RELY ON THE RCMP TO DO THOSE? AND WE ARE IN TALKS WITH RCMP ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP AND WHAT WE CAN DO AND KIND OF HOW WE CAN APPROACH THIS SITUATION BETTER TOGETHER AS WELL AND HOW WE CAN KIND OF ADDRESS THE ISSUES. AND LIKE IT IS [INAUDIBLE] STATED IN THE MEMO TO COMMITTEE THAT IT IS THE PRIORITIES OF MED IS OBVIOUSLY PUBLIC SAFETY. NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE OR WHAT WE'RE DOING, IT'S ALWAYS PUBLIC SAFETY ASPECT TO IT. AND THAT'S THROUGH, YOU KNOW, HAVING A PRESENCE DOWNTOWN. IT'S THROUGH COMMUNICATION. DE ESCALATION IS A BIG PART OF IT. I MYSELF ON FOOT PATROLS DOWNTOWN. WE'VE DEESCALATED A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. ALL OF OUR OFFICERS HAVE. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE JUST WHENEVER YOU'RE PRESENT DOWNTOWN, AND THERE'S SOMEBODY IN UNIFORM IT'S A KEY FOR US TO KIND OF BE A POSITIVE FORCE IN THE AREA AND DEESCALATE SITUATIONS THAT MAY BE ARISING AND KIND OF ADDRESS THOSE ON A SMALLER LEVEL. HOWEVER WE DO RELY ON THE RCMP STILL FOR ANYTHING MAJOR GOING ON, LIKE I SAID, FIGHTS OR ASSAULTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO, YEAH. MITCHELL, I WOULD IMAGINE WHEN YOU'RE JUST DEESCALATING THE SITUATION IT'S PROBABLY NOT BECAUSE OF YOUR UNIFORM, IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE YOU'RE SIX FOOT FIVE OR WHATEVER IT IS. BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR RESPONSE HERE. THANK YOU. MAYBE A COMBO THERE. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? SEEING NONE WE WILL BRING FORWARD THE FOUR PRIORITIES WITH THE ENFORCEMENT OF PARKING ADDED TO OUR COUNCIL MEETING ON MAY 10TH. COUNCILLOR MORGAN WE HAVE ONE MORE. SURE, I JUST HAD A FOLLOW UP QUESTION FROM THE DISCUSSION. I KNOW PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED THAT PEOPLE ARE RELUCTANT TO CALL BY-LAW IF THEY SEE A PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO BE SEEN AS RATTING ON THEIR NEIGHBORS OR WHATEVER, BUT JUST TO BE CLEAR, I MEAN, CALLS TO MED ARE ANONYMOUS, CORRECT? LIKE THEY DON'T SAY WHO, YOU KNOW, DREW THEIR ATTENTION IF IT'S A REACTIVE ENFORCEMENT ISSUE. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT CAN BE A COMBINATION OF BOTH, BUT TYPICALLY WE DO LIKE PEOPLE TO SELF IDENTIFY. SO IT'S NOT A. PEOPLE ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR CALLING IN AND REPORTING. WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY GOING OUT AND SAYING SO-AND-SO. YOU KNOW, JOE SMITH CALLED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT YOU, BUT JUST WE'VE HAD A COMPLAINT ABOUT THAT HAPPENS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT. RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU. AND SORRY AND BY ANONYMOUS, I THINK I MEANT MORE THAT THE MED OFFICER IS NOT THEN TELLING OTHER PEOPLE OR PUBLICIZING WHO IT WAS THAT BROUGHT IN THE COMPLAINT. THANKS, I'LL ASK MS. HUNT-POITRAS AND MR. ROLAND, TO SPEAK TO THAT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THEY DON'T. NO, THERE ARE PRIVACY CONCERNS AND WE WOULD NOT BE TELLING OTHER PEOPLE WHO THE PEOPLE WERE THAT CALLED IN. I ALSO ASKED MITCHELL, WHO HAS BEEN ON THE STREET, DOES THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS TO GIVE [00:50:01] AN EXPLANATION OF HOW THAT WORKS. YES, SO THAT'S CORRECT, AND THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, ACTUALLY, AND IT'S A QUESTION MED GETS REGULARLY LIKE OUR OFFICERS GET REGULARLY IS WILL THEY KNOW THAT IT WAS ME THAT CALLED. SO LIKE MS. BASSI-KELLETT SAID IF WE GET A CALL ABOUT A PARKING COMPLAINT OR ANY KIND OF COMPLAINT ABOUT A NEIGHBOUR OR ANYBODY ELSE. OUR OFFICERS WILL ATTEND OBVIOUSLY AND FOLLOW UP, BUT WE WILL NEVER. OFTENTIMES WE GET ASKED. I'LL PUT IT THIS WAY, WE WILL NEVER PRESENT THAT INFORMATION TO ANYBODY OR KIND OF GIVE OUT THAT NAME TO ANYBODY WHILE WE'RE THERE ON SCENE. WE'LL NEVER LIKE OFTENTIMES PEOPLE ASKED WELL, WHO WAS IT THAT CALLED? WAS IT MY NEIGHBOR? WE ALWAYS JUST SAY NO, IT'S JUST SOMEBODY IN THE AREA OR WE WOULD NEVER IDENTIFY THAT PERSON OR THEIR ADDRESS OR WHO THEY ARE, OR WHETHER YOU WORK KIND OF THING. THERE ARE TIMES, OBVIOUSLY, WHEN WE LAY A CHARGE AND IT GOES TO COURT, THERE'S DISCLOSURE AND PEOPLE NEED TO ISSUE SOME [INAUDIBLE] STATEMENTS. AND ALWAYS THAT PERSON [INAUDIBLE] IDENTIFIED AS A WITNESS. THAT WOULD TYPICALLY BE THE ONLY TIME THAT THEY'D EVER BE IDENTIFIED IS FOR COURT PURPOSES AND PROSECUTION PURPOSES, BUT NEVER KIND OF, YOU KNOW, AT THE PROPERTY OR ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WOULD WE KIND OF TELL SOMEBODY THIS IS THE PERSON THAT CALLED OR THIS IS WHO THEY ARE KIND OF THING? YEAH. I WONDER, TOO, IF TO HELP EASE PEOPLE'S CONCERNS AROUND THAT, IF WE COULD SAY GENERAL THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE JUST OUT ON PATROL AND NOTICED THIS, I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, I GUESS THAT'S MAYBE LYING. BUT IF WE CAN JUST. THE CHALLENGE IS IF IT DOES GO TO COURT. YEAH. WE'RE A BUNCH OF LIARS, SO WE DO HAVE TO IT'S GOT TO BE STATED THAT SOMEBODY CALLED. OK. YEAH. OK, FAIR ENOUGH, AND I SUPPOSE IF WE ARE OUT DOING PATROLS, I GUESS, ESPECIALLY IF THE DOWNTOWN, BUT. IF IT ENDS UP BEING MORE A MIX OF OK, WE COME UPON THINGS OURSELVES DURING PATROLS AND ALSO MIXED IN WITH PEOPLE CALLING IN COMPLAINTS, MAYBE THAT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL LESS TARGETED, I GUESS, ULTIMATELY TO THE MORE WE DEVELOP WAYS TO BE CONSISTENT IN OUR APPROACHES. AND AS MS. HUNT-POITRAS WAS SAYING, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE UNDERLYING CAUSES OF PROBLEMS AND CAN KIND OF ROOT OUT WHAT'S GOING WRONG, THEN WE COULD BE MORE CONSISTENT. AND THEN PEOPLE ULTIMATELY, HOPEFULLY FEEL LESS TARGETED OR SINGLED OUT. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY FINALLY TOO I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT PARKING CONCERNS AND THOSE ARE CERTAINLY NUISANCES THAT COME UP. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY I SUPPORT THE EMPHASIS ON FOCUSING NUMBER ONE ON SAFETY ISSUES AND THAT CAME UP IN THE MEMO THAT JUST TO SORT OF STEP BACK AND SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE I DO AT THE END OF THE DAY SUPPORT US, FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON SAFETY ISSUES AND HAVING OTHER ISSUES, SUCH AS PARKING BE SECONDARY, UNLESS THERE'S LIKE AN IMMINENT SAFETY RISK POSED BY SOMETHING LIKE PARKING. SO JUST AS A GENERAL PRINCIPLE, I SUPPORT THAT FOCUS. THANK YOU. SEEING NO FURTHER COMMENTS AGAIN, WE'LL BRING THIS FORWARD FOR APPROVAL COUNCIL ON MAY 10TH. NEXT, WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE RCMP [5. A memorandum regarding whether to make recommendations to the RCMP, Yellowknife Detachment regarding 2021/22 policing priorities.] YELLOWKNIFE DETACHMENT REGARDING 2021/22 POLICING PRIORITIES. MS. BASSI-KELLETT WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. ABSOLUTELY. THE RCMP WORK REALLY HARD TO ENSURE THEIR COMMUNITY POLICING PRIORITIES ALIGN WITH PRIORITIES OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY SERVE. AND SO AS SUCH, THEY DO ASK US TO PROVIDE COMMENTS. EACH SO THEY ASKED FOR THE COMMENTS TO BE ENDORSED BY COUNCIL EACH YEAR TO PUSH FOR CERTAIN ISSUES TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE YELLOWKNIFE'S DETACHMENTS WORK HERE IN YELLOWKNIFE. SO ADMINISTRATION HAS PROPOSED SOME ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION BY COUNCIL. AND WE DO LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION TODAY. AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THESE HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED IN PART BASED ON DISCUSSIONS THAT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY STAFF HAVE HAD WITH THE G DIVISION. AND SO THE THREE PRIORITIES ARE AROUND REFOCUSING RENEWED FOCUS ON COMBATING OFFICER BIAS AND SEXUAL ASSAULT MYTHS WITHIN THE RCMP. AND THIS, OF COURSE, IS IN KEEPING WITH THE REPORT OF THE SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATION REVIEW COMMITTEE THAT'S RELEVANT TO CASES IN THE NWT, IMPROVE VISIBILITY AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN THE DOWNTOWN AND ENFORCEMENT OF IMPAIRED DRIVING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [00:55:04] YEAH, AS A REMINDER TO THOSE WATCHING, IT'S THE RCMP IS A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE TERRITORIAL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. BUT AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT SAID, THEY DO REACH OUT TO US FOR SOME FEEDBACK. THEY ALSO REACH OUT TO THE GNWT TO HELP PROVIDE THEIR FEEDBACK AND THEN THEY ALSO HAVE NATIONAL PRIORITIES. SO WE KIND OF TAKE ALL THREE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN MIX IT ALL TOGETHER TO CREATE THEIR POLICING PRIORITIES FOR THE YEAR. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL REGARDING THESE. COUNCILLOR MUFANDAEDZA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, ADMINISTRATION, FOR PUTTING FORWARD THESE PRIORITIES FOR THE RCMP. ONE OF THE THINGS IS WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH THE LIST ON, NUMBER TWO, IMPROVING VISIBILITY, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN RESPONSE TO CALLS FOR SERVICE IN DOWNTOWN, I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE SHOULD BE PUTTING THE FOCUS AND THE PRIORITY ON DOWNTOWN OR THE CITY AS A WHOLE, BECAUSE AS YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED, WE DO SEE QUITE AN INCREASE AROUND THE BOARDED AREA OF A LOT OF SAY INTOXICATION GOING ON. AND SO I'M JUST WONDERING, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY FOR US TO INCLUDE OTHER PARTS OF TOWN WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT INCREASED VISIBILITY OR SHOULD WE JUST BE FOCUSING ON DOWNTOWN? THANK YOU. THAT'S KIND OF A QUESTION FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW THE MORE WE BROADEN THE PRIORITY, THE POTENTIALLY LESS IMPACT. BUT TO YOUR POINT, THERE'S PROBABLY TWO AREAS IN YELLOWKNIFE NOW THAT ARE IN NEED OF RESPONSE TO CALLS. MS. BASSI-KELLETT COUNCILLOR FEEDBACK FROM ADMIN ON BROADENING THE PRIORITY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT COUNCILLOR MUFANDAEDZA RAISES. WE HAD LOOKED AT THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, THE DOWNTOWN CORE. IN RESPECT OF THE FACT THAT WE KNOW THAT'S A PRIORITY AREA FOR MED. WE KNOW THAT WITH THE GOOD NEIGHBOUR AGREEMENT THAT THE CITY AND RCMP ARE MEMBERS OF RELEVANT TO THE SOBERING CENTER AND DAY SHELTER. WE KNOW THAT THERE'S CONCERNS ABOUT SOME OTHER THINGS AT THE TEMPORARY DAY SHELTER AND UNFORTUNATELY, THERE ISN'T A GOOD NEIGHBOUR AGREEMENT IN PLACE THERE YET. THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT DRAW ATTENTION DOWNTOWN. BUT WE UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE COUNCIL'S PERSPECTIVE. IF THERE IS ANOTHER AREA TO ZERO IN ON, THEN WE WILL CERTAINLY LOOK TO INCLUDE THAT. BUT OUR RATIONALE BEHIND THIS WAS LOOKING AT ALIGNING WITH OUR PRIORITIES FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND ALSO GIVEN SOME OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE DOWNTOWN THAT ARE RELATED TO CRIMINAL CODE TYPE BEHAVIORS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I GUESS FOR RIGHT NOW, I'LL HEAR FROM MY COLLEAGUES ON WHAT THEY THINK. SO FOR ME, IT WOULD BE MORE THAT BOARDED AREA AND WE ARE STARTING TO SEE THAT VERY HIGH INCREASE AROUND THAT FRANKLIN TO [INAUDIBLE] CORRIDORS. SO I'LL WAIT TO SEE WHAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR SMITH. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I AM VERY PLEASED WITH ITEM ONE OF THE RENEWED FOCUS ON COMBATING OFFICER BIAS ON SEXUAL ASSAULT MYTHS WITHIN THE RCMP. I THINK WITH THE INCREASE OF DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE RECENTLY COME FORWARD, WHETHER IT'S REGARDING THE RELICENSE OF WHETHER IT'S REGARDING YOU KNOW SEXUAL ASSAULT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A HUGE ISSUE IN THE NWT. AND I MEAN, ONE OF THE MAIN REASON WHY I BECAME A CITY COUNCILLOR WAS BECAUSE OF AN INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED WITH A SEXUAL ASSAULT. AND I FELT THAT IT WAS HIGH TIME THAT FIRST INDIGENOUS WOMAN TOOK A STAND. AND SECONDLY, THAT [INAUDIBLE] TO BECOME MORE OF A VISIBLE ENTITY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ON A POSITIVE NOTE, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS IS ON THE LIST BECAUSE AS OF RECENT, I HAVE HEARD OF QUITE A FEW INCIDENCES WITH SEXUAL ASSAULTS. AND IT ISN'T UNCOMMON. AND IT'S KIND OF ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT HAPPENS BUT KIND OF GETS SWEPT UNDER THE CARPET. AND I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE IN THE FOREFRONT FOR SAFETY, FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, FOR WOMEN'S SAFETY, EVEN FOR MEN'S SAFETY AS WELL. SO I THINK THIS IS IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? COUNCILLOR MORGAN. THANKS MADAM CHAIR. MY FIRST QUESTION WAS AROUND THE PRIORITY ON IMPAIRED DRIVING. SO OBVIOUSLY THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE, BUT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND. [01:00:02] IF THERE'S SOME PARTICULAR CHALLENGE OR CONFUSION AROUND ROLES THAT HAS LED TO THIS BEING RAISED AS A PRIORITY, I WAS CONFUSED BY THE LAST PARAGRAPH ON PAGE THREE, SO. IT TALKS ABOUT HOW WE'VE RECENTLY HAD DISCUSSIONS AND CLARIFIED OUR RESPECTIVE ROLES WITH THE RCMP REGARDING IMPAIRED DRIVING ENFORCEMENT. SO I'M WONDERING IF I CAN HAVE SOME BACKGROUND ON WHAT WAS THE CONFUSION OR NEEDING OF CLARITY. BUT ALSO IT SAYS THE IMPAIRED DRIVING CALLS FOR SERVICE HAVE CONTINUED TO TREND UPWARD, SO THERE WAS 40 CALLS FOR SERVICE TO THE RCMP. IT LOOKS LIKE BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH OF THIS YEAR, BUT THAT IT SAYS EIGHT IMPAIRED DRIVING REPORTS WERE FILED BY MED. I DON'T I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO SAY THAT THE REPORT WAS FILED BY MED AND WHAT'S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 8 AND 40? AND JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE PICTURE HERE. AND I DIDN'T GET IT FROM THAT PARAGRAPH. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. MS. HUNT-POITRA. THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR MORGAN, FOR THE QUESTION AND I'M HAPPY TO CLARIFY. THIS PRIORITY IS MAINLY COMES FROM THE FACT THAT THIS IS AN AREA OF CROSSOVER OR IS THIS AN AREA OF MUTUAL CONCERN? BOTH THE RCMP AND MED ARE TASKED WITH ENFORCING THE MOTOR VEHICLES ACT, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN LIMITATIONS ON THE THINGS THAT THE MED CAN ACTUALLY ENFORCE AND THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO. SO WHAT THIS WAS MEANT AS AN EXPLANATION, BASICALLY THE RATIONALE AND JUST TO INFORM COUNCIL THAT WE HAVE MET WITH THE RCMP TO TALK ABOUT, SO, BASICALLY THE REASON THAT WE HAVE THIS IS A PRIORITY IS NOT BECAUSE OF SOME CONFUSION OR A MIX UP THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE RCMP AROUND OUR ROLES. IT'S MORE JUST SORT OF GIVING YOU A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT INTO THE KINDS OF DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING AND HOW WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER ON THIS. AND SO THIS WAS MEANT TO EXPLAIN THAT THIS IS AN AREA OF CROSSOVER AND WHERE WE ARE BOTH WORKING. SO THIS IS WHY IT'S HERE AND LISTED AS A PRIORITY. WE'VE MET WITH THE RCMP TO TALK ABOUT THEM ABOUT HAVING JOINT OPERATIONS CHECK STOPS, AS WELL AS TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT OUR SORT OF OUR EXPECTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO HOW WE WORK TOGETHER WHEN WE DO COME ACROSS IMPAIRED DRIVERS AND WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS ARE AND TO CLARIFY OUR RESPONSIBILITIES. AND IN MOTOR VEHICLES, THIS IS JUST ALL PART OF OUR REVAMPING OF OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND GETTING CLARITY AROUND OUR AUTHORITIES AND JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. AND THEN WITH RESPECT TO YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STATS THAT I HAVE PROVIDED. THE REASON THAT BASICALLY I PROVIDED THE STATS WITH RESPECT TO THE 40, THE FIRST STATS WERE RCMP STATS THAT SHOW HOW MANY CALLS THEY HAVE HAD THAT RELATE TO IMPAIRED DRIVERS. AND THEN THE MED STATS, THIS IS JUST BASICALLY MEANT TO REFLECT THAT THE RCMP HAVE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY OVER ENFORCEMENT OF THE IMPAIRED DRIVING LAWS IN THE CRIMINAL CODE. WE HAVE NONE OVER THAT. BUT THERE ARE SOME PROVISIONS OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE THAT FOR EXAMPLE, ON OCCASION AN MED OFFICER MIGHT PULL SOMEONE OVER AFTER NOTICING ERRATIC DRIVING BEHAVIOR AND MED OFFICERS IN THE MOTOR VEHICLE THAT CAN ISSUE A 24 HOUR SUSPENSION. SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE COULD DO, BUT THEY'RE FAIRLY FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. MOST OF THE TIMES, OUR INVOLVEMENT WITH IMPAIRED DRIVING WOULD INVOLVE WHERE WE'RE WORKING WITH THE RCMP. I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS. OK. AND JUST TO CLARIFY, SO SAY AN MED OFFICER PULLS OVER A DRIVER MAYBE DUE TO ERRATIC DRIVING OR MAYBE THEY'RE SPEEDING OR SOMETHING, AND THEN AT THAT POINT DISCOVERED THAT THIS PERSON SEEMS IMPAIRED. DO THEY CALL THE RCMP TO THEN COME TO THE SCENE AND BACK THEM UP OR ARE THEY ABLE TO ISSUE SOME SORT OF TICKET ON THE SPOT BUT THEN IT'S PROCESSED THROUGH THE RCMP? OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. MS. HUNT-POITRAS. SO THE MED IS I'M GOING TO I'LL GIVE [01:05:08] YOU AN IDEA. SO BASICALLY MED HAS THE OPTION OF IF THEY BELIEVE ON REASONABLE GROUNDS THAT THE PERSON IS IMPAIRED, THEY DO HAVE THE OPTION TO SUSPEND THE PERSON'S LICENSE UNDER THE MOTOR VEHICLES ACT FOR A 24 HOUR PERIOD. THERE IS AS I SAID, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. OFTENTIMES, THE OFFICER WOULD ALSO AT THE SAME TIME THAT THEY WERE INVESTIGATING THE POTENTIAL OFFENSE UNDER THE MOTOR VEHICLES ACT CONTACT THE RCMP. AND THEN THE RCMP WOULD COME AND INVESTIGATE WHETHER THERE WAS ANOTHER OFFENSE UNDER THE CRIMINAL CODE. SO I ALSO INVITE MITCHELL, MR. ROLAND, TO TO COMMENT ON THIS AS WELL. THANK YOU. AND THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, I CAN GIVE YOU SOME KIND OF BACKGROUND AND SOME INPUT ON THE MED'S ROLE WHEN IT COMES TO THIS. SO I'LL USE THE EXAMPLE THAT COUNCILLOR MORGAN STATED IS AN MED OFFICER, LET'S SAY IS ON PATROL OBSERVES SOME DRIVING BEHAVIOR THAT THEY THOUGHT WAS NOT NORMAL, MADE A TRAFFIC STOP, PULLED THEM OVER. OUR OFFICERS ARE OFFICERS UNDER THE MOTOR VEHICLES AS WELL. SO WE'RE ABLE TO ENFORCE THOSE PROVISIONS. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IMPAIRED AND BEING ADVERSELY AFFECTED, AS IN WITH MOTOR VEHICLES ACT AND THE CRIMINAL CODE IS A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENCE. WE'RE ABLE TO SO LET'S SAY. [INAUDIBLE] OR IF AN OFFICER WERE TO PULL SOMEBODY OVER. WE NOTICED THAT THEY HAD SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS OF IMPAIRMENT AND KIND OF MET THE DEFINITION FOR BEING ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY DRUG OR ALCOHOL UNDER THE MOTOR VEHICLES ACT, AS IT WAS STATED, WE CAN ISSUE A TWENTY FOUR HOUR LICENSE SUSPENSION. WE MAY BE ABLE TO TOW THE VEHICLE, THAT KIND OF THING. OFTENTIMES WHEN THAT DOES HAPPEN WE WILL BE IN THE PROCESS [INAUDIBLE] BECAUSE THERE IS AN AREA OF CROSSOVER TO SEE IF IT MEETS THE CRIMINAL CODE THRESHOLD FOR IMPAIRED DRIVING AND SO THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT WE WOULD DO. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO RELY ON THE RCMP TO ASSIST US WITH THOSE. WE DO HAVE THE CAPABILITY, AS IT WAS STATED, TO ISSUE THE TWENTY FOUR HOUR LICENSE SUSPENSIONS AND TOW THE VEHICLE, IF THERE'S CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS MET, STUFF LIKE THAT. HOWEVER, BECAUSE IT IS AN AREA OF MUTUAL INTEREST AND PUBLIC SAFETY, WE OFTENTIMES CALL THE RCMP TO CONDUCT THEIR INVESTIGATION, WHICH WOULD BE SEPARATE FROM THE MED INVESTIGATION, BUT OFTEN HAND IN HAND. SO YEAH, WE'RE ABLE TO ISSUE THE 24 HOUR SUSPENSIONS. WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE THAT KIND OF ENFORCEMENT ACTION ON OUR OWN. HOWEVER, IT'S NICE TO HAVE THE RCMP THERE AS WELL SOMETIMES IF THEY DO MEET THE CRIMINAL CODE THRESHOLD AS WELL. OK, AND I'M SURE IT'S COMPLICATED HERE, AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH RCMP TO SORT THIS OUT. I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE RULES THERE AND SO THAT DOES HELP CLARIFY FOR ME AND I DO SUPPORT THIS BEING A RECOMMENDED PRIORITY TO PASS TO THE RCMP. I WAS ALSO QUITE HAPPY TO SEE THE FOCUS ON COMBATING SEXUAL ASSAULT, YOU KNOW, BIASES THAT COULD IMPAIR INVESTIGATIONS AND IT'S MAYBE PREVENTING THE APPROPRIATE FOLLOW UP AND CONVICTIONS FROM CASES THAT ARE BROUGHT TO THE RCMP. SO I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT IN THE LIST. I'M ALSO CURIOUS, DOES THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE PARTICIPATE IN THOSE COMMITTEES? I DID READ OVER THE REPORT FROM THE SEXUAL ASSAULT INVESTIGATIONS REVIEW COMMITTEE. IS THE CITY PARTICIPATING DIRECTLY IN THAT COMMITTEE? NO. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION. NO, WE HAVE NOT. OKAY. JUST CURIOUS, BUT IT DOES SEEM LIKE SOME GOOD WORK IS BEING DONE THERE AND IT IS TO BE ONGOING OR AT LEAST CONTINUE. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING SOME CHANGES AND RESULTS COME OUT OF THAT AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. AS TO CYNTHIA'S RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT EXPANDING THE FOCUS OF YOU KNOW, OFFICER VISIBILITY [INAUDIBLE] DOING PATROLS AROUND TOWN, IT'S A TRICKY BALANCE BECAUSE IF WE'RE SAYING FOCUS YOUR PATROLS IN ONE AREA. [01:10:04] AND THEN WE SAY, WELL, FOCUS YOUR PATROLS EVERYWHERE, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY GIVE CLEAR GUIDANCE AS TO WHERE WE WANT THEM TO BE PARTICULARLY VISIBLE. THERE MAY BE A FEW AREAS WE COULD LIST IN ADDITION TO THE DOWNTOWN, BUT I AM ALSO REALIZING I MEAN, THERE'S A COUPLE OF REASONS I THINK WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON THIS IDEA OF OFFICER VISIBILITY. CERTAINLY PUBLIC SAFETY AND, YOU KNOW, RESPONSE TO COMPLAINTS OR NUISANCES IN THAT, BUT ALSO THE OBJECTIVE OF TRYING TO REVITALIZE THE DOWNTOWN SPECIFICALLY FOR ALL THE OTHER REASONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO REVITALIZE THE DOWNTOWN. LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND JUST HAVING A VIBRANT DOWNTOWN. WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO BE. SO I'M TORN, I REALIZE THAT THERE ARE SAFETY ISSUES AND CONCERNS IN CERTAIN OTHER AREAS WHERE PEOPLE MAY BE CONGREGATING. BUT I ALSO SUPPORT THE IDEA OF FOCUSING ON DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION AND ENSURING THAT THAT IS A PLACE WHERE MORE PEOPLE WANT TO BE MORE OF THE TIME. I'M ALSO NOT SURE, IT WOULD BE CLEAR, LIKE IF WE SEE [INAUDIBLE] LIKE. IF WE'RE EXPECTING OFFICERS TO BE SORT OF PATROLLING UP AND DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE STREET OR I JUST WANT US TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE'RE RECOMMENDING CERTAIN AREAS WHERE WE WANT VISIBILITY, THAT WE'RE BEING SPECIFIC ENOUGH WITH WHAT WHERE WE EXPECT THAT VISIBILITY TO HAPPEN AND WHAT KIND OF RESULTS. NOT SURE IF OTHERS HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT ONE. THANK YOU. YEAH, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR TO FOLKS THE ENFORCEMENT OF TERRITORIAL IMPAIRED DRIVING LAWS ISN'T BECAUSE THERE'S CONFUSION BETWEEN THE TWO OF US IT'S WE BOTH CAN CAN HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY. SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR. ANYTHING FURTHER FROM COUNCIL? SEEING NONE THEN WE WILL BRING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD TO MAY 10TH, IF COUNCILS DO COUNCILLORS DO WANT TO ADD OTHER AREAS FOR POINT TO BRING IT FORWARD AT COUNCIL. BUT I'M NOT HEARING ANYTHING TODAY THAT SAYS LOOKING TO EXPAND THAT ONE. WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE TO OUR NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO [6. A memorandum regarding whether to endorse the Disaster Mitigation Adaptation Fund’s Community Employment Benefit target groups and support 20‐30% of employment hours carried out by individuals who fall into at least one of the Community Employment Benefit seven target groups and 50% of purchasing from target enterprise types.] ENDORSE THE DISASTER MITIGATION ADAPTATION FUNDS, COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT TARGET GROUPS AND SUPPORT 20 TO 30 PERCENT OF EMPLOYMENT HOURS CARRIED OUT BY INDIVIDUALS WHO FALL INTO AT LEAST ONE OF THE COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, SEVEN TARGET GROUPS AND 50 PERCENT OF PURCHASING FROM TARGET ENTERPRISE TYPES. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. IF YOU CAN INTRODUCE THE ITEM, PLEASE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. ABSOLUTELY. SO THE CITY IS VERY PLEASED TO HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN OBTAINING FUNDING UNDER THE FEDERAL DMAF DISASTER MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION FUND. SO AS COUNCILLORS KNOW, WE'RE RECEIVING TWENTY FIVE POINT EIGHT DOLLARS MILLION, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 75 PERCENT OF THE COSTS FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE WATER SUBMARINE LINE. THAT DOES BRING RAW WATER FROM THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER TO OUR WATER TREATMENT PLANT. SO THE FUNDING HAS A NUMBER OF REALLY RIGOROUS REQUIREMENTS TO IT THAT SUCCESSFUL RECIPIENTS NEED TO MEET ALONG THE WAY, INCLUDING SETTING AND REPORTING ON COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS TARGETS. THIS LAYS OUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS THAT THE PROJECT INCLUDE ECONOMIC SORRY. THAT INCLUDES EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR AT LEAST THREE OUT OF SEVEN TARGET GROUPS THAT THEY SPECIFICALLY OUTLINE. AND THAT INCLUDES THOSE SEVEN TARGET GROUPS OUR APPRENTICE'S INDIGENOUS PERSONS, WOMEN, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, VETERANS, YOUTH AND RECENT IMMIGRANTS. AND THEY ALSO WANT US TO SET PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR WHAT THEY DEEM SMALL BUSINESSES, WHICH ARE LESS THAN ONE HUNDRED EMPLOYEES, MEDIUM BUSINESSES, 100 TO 500 EMPLOYEES, ALONG WITH SOCIAL ENTERPRISES. THESE ARE SAID FEDERALLY AND THEY APPLY TO ANY RECIPIENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SO OUR CITY ADMINISTRATION IS LOOK QUITE A BIT AT OTHER DMAF RECIPIENTS AND WE'VE BEEN BACK AND FORTH TO SEE HOW THEY ARE SETTING UP THESE TARGETS. AND SO OUR RECOMMENDATION BASED ON THAT, BASED ON ANALYSIS THAT WE'VE DONE AROUND THE SPECIFICS OF OUR PROJECT, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO SEE 20 TO 30 PERCENT FOR EMPLOYMENT HOURS TO BE FILLED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL THOSE TARGET GROUPS AND 50 PERCENT OF [01:15:05] PURCHASING FROM TARGET BUSINESSES. AND OF COURSE, BECAUSE WE ARE USING A PREQUALIFICATION PROCESS FOR THE DMAF FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE WATER SUBMARINE LINE, WE WILL BE ABLE TO FILTER TO MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE ARE NO CONSEQUENCES FOR FAILING TO MEET THESE TARGETS, BUT THESE DO REPRESENT A COMMITMENT FOR SPENDING PUBLIC DOLLARS THAT WE MUST HAVE AS PER THE FEDERAL FUNDING REQUIREMENTS OF DMAF. WE'RE CONFIDENT WE CAN MEET THIS. WE ARE SETTING THESE NUMBERS AT A POINT WHICH MIGHT BE DEEMED TO BE RATHER LOW, BUT THAT DOESN'T ALLOW US TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MEET SOME OTHER CITY PRIORITIES AS WELL, WHICH REALLY DOES INCLUDE LOOKING AT THE LOCAL BENEFIT THAT CAN ACCRUE FROM A PROJECT OF THIS MAGNITUDE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MANAGER. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? COUNCILLOR MORGAN. THANKS. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY A FEW THINGS. DO YOU THINK THIS SEEMS LIKE A. A POSITIVE BENEFIT FOR THE COMMUNITY, EVEN THOUGH SOMETIMES THESE KIND OF REQUIREMENTS SEEM ANNOYING, LIKE ANOTHER HOOP TO JUMP THROUGH. BUT I AM HOPEFUL THAT. BY GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE MORE LOCAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS AND HAVE IT BENEFIT PEOPLE WHO MAY BE MORE MARGINALIZED IN THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY ECONOMICALLY BENEFIT FROM THIS. SO FIRST QUESTION, IT SEEMS LIKE THE FEDS LEAVE IT PRETTY OPEN TO US IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR TARGET COULD BE AND HOW WE APPROACH THIS. I WONDER IF WE'VE GOTTEN ANY ASSURANCE FROM THE FEDS THAT OUR PROPOSED TARGETS WILL BE ACCEPTABLE OR THAT OUR APPROACH WILL WORK OR OR THE NEXT STEP WILL BE TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION, I WILL ASK MS. THISTLE TO RESPOND TO THIS ONE, BUT IT'S ONE THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY AND LOOKING AT OTHER PRECEDENTS AND EXAMPLES FOR DMAF FUNDING. DMAF IS QUITE NEW. AND SO CERTAINLY THIS IS A DEFINITE REQUIREMENT THAT SET OUT FOR ANY RECIPIENT. BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BALANCING IT WITH OUR INTERESTS AS WELL. WE KNOW THAT THERE IS THAT PUBLIC COMMITMENT TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE AN INTEREST IN LOCAL VERSUS NATIONAL STANDARDS. AND, OF COURSE, THEY NEED TO MEET AND THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT THROUGH THE CANADA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT. BUT THESE ARE DEFINITELY STANDARDS. WE FEEL CONFIDENT IN. I'LL ASK MS. THISTLE IF SHE CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THIS. THANK YOU. AND AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT INDICATED, THERE'S NO REPERCUSSIONS FOR MEETING OR EXCEEDING ARE NOT TARGETS THAT WE SET, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LEAVES IT TOTALLY OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY TO SET THE TARGETS. THERE'S NO APPROVAL PROCESS FOR THOSE. WE MERELY NEED TO PROVIDE THE TARGETS. WE HAD ONE OF OUR INITIAL MEETINGS WITH OUR TEAM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO FINALIZE IS OUR COMMUNITY ECONOMIC BENEFIT TARGETS. BUT THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT TO SET THEM OR AT ANY PARTICULAR NUMBER OR TO HAVE THEM APPROVED. SO IT'S VERY OPEN AND FLEXIBLE. AND WE ALSO WE'RE ASSURED THAT AS THIS IS MORE OF A NOVEL APPROACH, COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE STRUGGLING OR HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH WHAT TO SET THESE NUMBERS OUT BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE. SO IT'S KIND OF A SET THEM AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS AND WE'LL LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE. OK, THANKS FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. AND SO MY SECOND QUESTION, THERE WAS JUST A PART OF THE MEMO WHICH WAS A BIT CONFUSING TO ME, BUT. IS THE ART PROJECT CONSIDERED ONE OF THE LARGER DMAF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, THEREFORE WILL HAVE THIS CONTRACTOR PREQUALIFICATION PROCESS OR FROM THE WORDING, IT WASN'T CLEAR WHETHER WE WERE TRYING TO SAY THAT WE MIGHT HAVE MULTIPLE PIECES OF OUR DMAF PROJECT AND SOME OF THEM WOULD HAVE THIS CONTRACTOR PREQUALIFICATION, AND FOR THE SMALLER INITIATIVES, IT MIGHT NOT APPLY. CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY THAT? MS. BASSI-KELLETT? MS. THISTLE. YEAH, THANKS FOR THE QUESTION. WE DON'T HAVE THE FINAL CONTRACTOR PROCESS OUTLINED FOR DMAF YET, SO THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR THERE TO BE SMALLER PROJECTS. THEY WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT TO EXPECT A CONTRACTOR OF A SMALL NATURE TO TRY AND DO SOME FORMAL REPORTING, BUT THEY GENERALLY COULD GIVE US THEIR AD HOC INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR LOCAL THEIR TARGETS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE MET. HOWEVER, WE DO ENVISION THAT WE'LL HAVE A BIG, LARGE CONTRACT THAT'S ISSUED FOR DMAF AND [01:20:01] QUITE EASY THEN IN THE PREQUALIFICATION PROCESS TO REQUIRE SOMEBODY TO REPORT ON THESE TYPES OF THINGS AS PART OF THE PROJECT. BUT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE IT FINALIZED YET, ALL THOSE DETAILS, WE WANTED TO LEAVE IT O PEN, AND THAT'S WHY THE MEMO DOES REFLECT THAT IF THERE ARE SMALLER ONES, IT'LL BE VOLUNTARY. BUT AS PART OF THAT LARGER PRE QUALIFICATION PROCESS, WE DO ENVISION, INCLUDING A SECTION THAT WILL REQUIRE REPORTING. OK, SO JUST TO CONFIRM, OUR WATER SUBMARINE REPLACEMENT WATER LINE PROJECT WILL LIKELY HAVE SORT OF A LARGE CONTRACT, BUT IT MAY HAVE SMALLER CONTRACTS OR SMALLER PIECES ASSOCIATED WITH IT. AND THOSE SMALLER PIECES MAY BE HARDER TO ENFORCE OR GET THE REPORTING OR DATA ON. LOCAL BENEFITS, BUT HOPEFULLY THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SMALLER CONTRACTORS MEANS THAT THESE ARE LOCAL PEOPLE AT LEAST, AND. BUT WE CAN'T BE SURE, BUT WHETHER SOME OF THE TARGET GROUPS ARE BEING HIT. OK, SO I THINK I'M UNDERSTANDING MORE CLEARLY NOW IF I'M TOTALLY OFF BASE, DO CORRECT ME. BUT THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE FOR NOW. THANKS. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR MORSE. THANK YOU. I FULLY EXPECT THESE COMMENTS TO FALL COMPLETELY ON DEAF EARS, BUT I DID JUST WANT TO STATE, AS I DID WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING SOME FUNDING FROM THE FEDS FOR HOMELESSNESS, THAT WE RECENTLY HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT. AS MUCH AS I APPRECIATE WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO WITH ALL THESE CAVEATS AND HOOPS THAT THEY PUT ON THEIR FUNDING. I DON'T THINK THAT THEY'RE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE CONSEQUENCES IT HAS ON THE PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE FUNDING AND THAT IT CAN CAUSE DELAYS. IT CAN CAUSE THINGS NOT TO GET BUILT THAT WE WERE HOPING TO OR COULD HAVE DONE. AND THE HARDER YOU MAKE IT TO SPEND FOR PEOPLE TO SPEND THE MONEY THAT YOU'RE FUNDING IT WITH, IT JUST MAKES THINGS UNNECESSARILY DIFFICULT FOR THE MUNICIPALITY. AND I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY BETTER WAYS FOR THE FEDS TO ACHIEVE SOME OF THESE GOALS. BUT, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT COMMENT IS GOING TO LAND. I JUST THINK IT NEEDS TO BE SAID IT NEEDS TO BE SAID PUBLICLY THAT THE HARDER THEY MAKE IT FOR US, I DON'T THINK IT'S HELPING THEM ACHIEVE THE GOALS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. SO I JUST THOUGHT THAT I SHOULD THROW THAT ON THE RECORD AGAIN. I WAS QUITE UPSET WITH THE PARAMETERS THAT THEY PUT ON THEIR HOMELESSNESS FUNDING AND WHAT THAT ENDED UP DOING TO WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO WITH THE MONEY. SO I REMAIN THAT WAY. AND SEEING THEM PUT A BUNCH OF CAVEATS. I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REPLACING A SUBMARINE LINE AND THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE CAUSES. BUT ARE THEY NECESSARILY DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SUBMARINE LINE? AND DO WE NEED TO BE TASKING OUR STAFF WITH ALL THIS REPORTING AND EVERYTHING RELATED? I QUESTION THE VALUE OF IT. NEVERTHELESS, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO MEET ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS, WE'RE NOT GOING TO LOSE THE FUNDING. AT LEAST WE HAVE THAT REASSURANCE. I'M JUST GOING TO LEAVE IT AS A COMMENT ON THE RECORD. THANKS. THANK YOU. YEAH, AND I BELIEVE THE FEDS HAVE IN THE RECENT BUDGET SAID THEY'RE COMING UP WITH MORE DMAF FUNDING AND INFRASTRUCTURE CANADA HAS REACHED OUT FOR COMMENTS THROUGH FCM. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT RELAYED WAS THAT THIS IS THE FUNDING WITH THE MOST CUMBERSOME REPORTING PROCESS. AND IF YOU DON'T HIRE SOMEBODY FULL TIME, THEN TO BASICALLY KEEP UP. NOT THAT IT'S NECESSARILY RELATED TO THIS COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT BENEFIT PROGRAM, BUT JUST THE PROGRAM AS A WHOLE HAS BEEN PRETTY REPORTING HEAVY. SO, YES, WE ARE GETTING A LOT OF FUNDING, BUT WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED A LOT OF FUNDING AND WITHOUT THE CUMBERSOME REPORTING PROCESS. AND THEY SAID THEY APPRECIATED THE FEEDBACK. WITH THAT SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, WE'LL BRING THIS FORWARD ON MAY 10, WE'RE JUST AT OUR 90 MINUTE MARK. SO LET'S TAKE 10 MINUTES AND COME BACK AND DISCUSS PROCUREMENT 2020. SEE YOU THEN. OK, WE WILL COME BACK TO ORDER. [7. A memorandum regarding the Procurement 2020 Contract File Summary and Local Spending reports.] NEXT, WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM REGARDING THE PROCUREMENT 2020 CONTRACT FILE SUMMARY OF LOCAL SPENDING REPORTS, MS. BASSI-KELLETT, IF YOU'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM. MADAM CHAIR. WITH PLEASURE. SO THE CITY'S PROCUREMENT POLICY SETS A TARGET OF AT LEAST EIGHTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE CITY SPENDING TO BE MADE LOCALLY WITHIN YELLOWKNIFE. AND AGAIN, I'M PLEASED TO REPORT THAT IN 2020 WE HAVE MET AND EXCEEDED THAT TARGET WITH [01:25:03] EIGHTY SIX POINT ONE SEVEN PERCENT OF OUR SPENDING BEING DONE LOCALLY. THE REMAINING JUST ALMOST 14 PERCENT IS SPENT ON PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT WE TYPICALLY ARE UNABLE TO SOURCE IN YELLOWKNIFE. AND SO EXAMPLES OF THIS CAN INCLUDE THE ICE REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION IN OUR ARENAS, SOME OF OUR SOFTWARE UPDATES, SOME POOL EQUIPMENT. THOSE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF THE THINGS WE WE HAVE TO BUY. SO THIS IS REALLY A BALANCING ACT FOR US AS WE WORK TO ENSURE THAT LOCAL BENEFITS COME FROM CITY SPENDING WHILE ALSO ADHERING TO OUR LEGAL REQUIREMENTS THAT REALLY DO INCLUDE THINGS LIKE THE CANADA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT. DURING COVID THIS WAS A CHALLENGE FOR US, OF COURSE, AND IT WAS AND REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY TO ENSURE AS MUCH LOCAL SPENDING AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE WE DO RECOGNIZE THE GOOD IMPACT THE PUBLIC SECTOR SPENDING CAN HAVE DURING THE KIND OF VOLATILITY THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE COMMUNITY IN OUR ECONOMY OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST YEAR. SO VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO DO THIS. AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF OUR WORK IN 2020 TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL NWT YELLOWKNIFE BASED ECONOMY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? COUNCILLOR KONGE. YEAH, I MEAN, I JUST WANT TO THANK ADMINISTRATION FOR REALLY FOR KEEPING TRACK OF THIS, I THINK IT IS GOOD INFORMATION TO TO HAVE TO SHOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT SERVICES BUSINESSES ARE PROVIDING AND ALSO TO SHOW WHAT SERVICES BUSINESSES AREN'T PROVIDING, LIKE WHERE WE HAVE TO GO AND FIND THESE SERVICES FROM OUTSIDE OF YELLOWKNIFE. I THINK THAT ON SOME OF THOSE THAT PERHAPS SHOW WHERE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A LOCAL BUSINESS TO, YOU KNOW, TRY TO GET SOME WORK, THAT IS THAT THEY COULD DO LOCALLY. SO I THINK IT'S REALLY INFORMATIVE INFORMATION AND I APPRECIATE IT. THANKS. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW THOSE COMMENTS. SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. NEXT, WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE AUDIT [8. A memorandum regarding whether to accept the recommendation of the Audit Committee to adopt the 2020 audited financial statements.] COMMITTEE TO ADOPT THE 20 20 AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. SO TODAY, ADMINISTRATION IS SEEKING COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THE 2020 AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. THE CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES ACT, OF COURSE, REQUIRES THAT THE CITY SUBMIT ARE AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS WITHIN 120 DAYS AFTER THE FISCAL YEAR. SO BY THE END OF APRIL EACH YEAR, AND I AM VERY, VERY PROUD OF OUR TEAM FOR BEING ABLE TO DO THAT THIS YEAR. BIG THANKS TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE FOR THE ANALYTICAL OVERSIGHT AND ENSURING THAT THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PREPARED BY ADMINISTRATION AND AUDITED BY CHROMA KEY ARE COMPLETE AND THEIR EXPERT AND THEIR ACCURATE REFLECTIONS OF THE CITY'S FINANCIAL POSITION AT THE END OF 2020. WHAT A YEAR IT WAS. AND I'M AGAIN, AS I CAN SAY, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT HOW PROUD I AM OF OUR STAFF AND CORPORATE SERVICES FOR COORDINATING THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER, PARTICULARLY DURING THE INCREDIBLY VOLATILE YEAR THAT WAS 2020 AND WITH QUITE A BIT OF STAFF TURNOVER IN THE DEPARTMENT AS WELL. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT WE CAN SAY IS THAT ADMINISTRATION MANAGED CITY RESOURCES DURING THIS VOLATILE YEAR PRUDENTLY AND WITH REVENUES COMING IN SLIGHTLY ABOVE BUDGET AND EXPENSES, OF COURSE, COMING IN UNDER BUDGET. BOTH OF THESE, OF COURSE, ATTRIBUTABLE MOSTLY TO COVID. AS A RESULT, WE ARE IN A STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION, INCLUDING A BIT OF AN EXTRA CUSHION IN OUR GENERAL FUND AS WE DO FACE CONTINUED UNCERTAINTY THAT COULD IMPACT OPERATIONS AND REVENUES. WE THINK THAT THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION WORTH SEEKING THE SUPPORT OF COUNCIL TOWARDS. I WILL ASK MS. WOODWARD IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO JUST MAKE A COMMENT, PROVIDE SOME INDICATION OVERALL OF WHERE THINGS ARE AT AND I WILL TURN THINGS OVER TO HER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. BASSI-KELLETT. I'M HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CITY'S AUDITED 2020 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. OVERALL, AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT MENTIONED, THE CITY HAD A GOOD FINANCIAL YEAR WITH REVENUES COMING IN EVER SO SLIGHTLY ABOVE BUDGET AND EXPENSES COMING IN JUST UNDER BUDGET. THIS ENABLED US TO CLOSE 2020 IN A SOLID FINANCIAL POSITION THAT SAW OUR NET FINANCIAL ASSETS INCREASE BY APPROXIMATELY TWELVE POINT SIX MILLION OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THIS BROUGHT THE CITY'S ACCUMULATED SURPLUS TO A JUST OVER THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN MILLION DOLLARS, REFLECTING AN ANNUAL SURPLUS OF SEVEN POINT NINE SIX MILLION. [01:30:01] THIS DOES PLACE THE CITY IN A FAVORABLE POSITION, ESPECIALLY AS WE LOOK AT HOW TO MANAGE THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS AND FALLOUT THAT WILL ARISE AS A RESULT OF THE ONGOING GLOBAL IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. BUT WHAT DO THESE FACTS REALLY MEAN? WELL, STARTING WITH REVENUES, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE REVENUE SECTION OF THE STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS, WE SEE THAT PROPERTY TAXATION REVENUES, USER CHARGES, GRANTS AND TRANSFERS FROM OTHER ORDERS OF GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT INCOME, PERMIT REVENUES AND FRANCHISE FEES WERE ALL JUST SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN BUDGETED. AND CUMULATIVELY, THIS RESULTED IN OVERALL REVENUES BEING ALMOST ONE PERCENT OF OUR BUDGET. IN TERMS OF EXPENSES, THAT SAME STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS SHOWS US THAT HIGHER THAN BUDGETED EXPENDITURES WITHIN THE SOLID WASTE FACILITY WERE MORE THAN OFFSET BY LOWER THAN BUDGETED EXPENSES IN OTHER FUNCTIONS, RESULTING IN TOTAL EXPENSES THAT CAME IN ABOUT SIX AND A HALF PERCENT LOWER THAN PLANNED. MOVING ON TO THE IMPACT OF THESE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES, THE CITY'S OPERATIONS AND ACTIVITIES OVER THE COURSE OF 2020 INCREASED ITS NET FINANCIAL ASSETS BY ABOUT TWELVE POINT SIX DOLLARS MILLION. THIS IS MOST VISIBLE IN THE TOP PART OF THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION, THE HIGHEST LEVEL COMPONENT OF THE ORGANIZATION'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. THE CITY'S FINANCIAL ASSETS, THOSE ARE LARGELY CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND AS OF THE END OF 2020, THEY TOTALED ONE HUNDRED AND SEVEN POINT SIX DOLLARS MILLION. MOST OF THE CITY'S LIABILITIES ARISE FROM LONG TERM DEBT AND THE LANDFILL CLOSURE PROVISIONS, AND AT THE END OF 2020 THEY REACHED JUST OVER SEVENTY FIVE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. THIS MEANT THAT THE CITY'S NET FINANCIAL ASSETS, FINANCIAL ASSETS, MINUS IT'S LIABILITIES, WERE ABOUT 32 MILLION DOLLARS, AN INCREASE OF TWELVE POINT SIX MILLION OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. CONTINUING WITH THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION, THE LOWER PART OF IT SHOWS THAT AS OF DECEMBER 31ST, 2020 THE CITIES NON FINANCIAL ASSETS TOTALED TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FOUR MILLION DOLLARS. NON-FINANCIAL ASSETS BEING MOSTLY TANGIBLE CAPITAL ASSETS, THE ASSETS THAT THE CITY USES TO DELIVER SERVICES. WHEN THE NET FINANCIAL ASSETS AND THE NON-FINANCIAL ASSETS ARE ADDED TOGETHER, THEY REFLECT THE CITY'S ACCUMULATED SURPLUS, ITS NET WORTH. SO AT THE END OF 2020, THE CITY'S NET WORTH WAS JUST OVER THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN MILLION DOLLARS. AT THE END OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE CITY'S NET WORTH WAS ABOUT THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS, MEANING THE CITY'S NET WORTH INCREASED BY ALMOST EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS OVER THE COURSE OF 2020. WE CAN ALSO SEE THIS INCREASE IN NET WORTH BY LOOKING AT THE CITY'S REVENUES AND EXPENSES. THE FIRST TWO LINES OF THIS TABLE SUMMARIZE THE TOTAL REVENUES AND THE TOTAL EXPENSES FROM THE TWO EARLIER SLIDES. AND THE THIRD LINE SUGGESTS AN ANNUAL DEFICIT BEFORE OTHER, BUT WHEN GOVERNMENT TRANSFERS RELATED TO CAPITAL ARE ADDED IN AND MINOR CAPITAL EXPENSES, A FACTOR OUT THE NET EFFECT IS A SURPLUS. SO DOES THIS MEAN THE CITY IS SITTING ON LOADS OF EXTRA SUDDENLY FOUND MONEY? NO, BECAUSE IN FINANCIAL STATEMENT TERMS SURPLUS REFERS TO NETWORK. AND AS WE SAW IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, THE CITY'S NET WORTH INCREASED BY SEVEN POINT NINE SIX MILLION IN 2020. THIS INCREASE IN NET WORTH IS NOT UNUSUAL, NOR IS IT UNEXPECTED. THIS SLIDE SUMMARIZES THE ACCUMULATED SURPLUS, AN ANNUAL SURPLUS DETERMINATION'S FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. THE ONLY RECENT YEAR WHERE THE CITY DID NOT HAVE AN ANNUAL SURPLUS WAS IN 2014, WHEN THE LANDFILL CLOSURE PROVISION WAS INCREASED BY OVER SIXTEEN POINT ONE MILLION DOLLARS. THIS INCREASED THE ASSOCIATED LIABILITY, WHICH IN TURN DECREASED THE CITY'S NET FINANCIAL ASSETS AND ULTIMATELY REDUCED ITS ACCUMULATED SURPLUS AS OF DECEMBER, 31ST 2014, LEADING TO A DEFICIT FOR THAT YEAR. SO HOW CAN WE HAVE A SURPLUS ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS WHEN COUNCIL APPROVED A BALANCED BUDGET? TO START, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT A BUDGET SETS OUT A PLAN WHILE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS REPORT ACTUAL RESULTS. [01:35:02] WE ALL KNOW THAT COMPARING RESULTS TO PLANS IS A CRUCIAL COMPONENT OF MONITORING PROGRESS TO IDENTIFY BOTH SUCCESSES AND ISSUES, AND THAT'S WHY THE ADMINISTRATION PREPARES VARIOUS REPORTS AND BRINGS THEM FORWARD TO COMMITTEE DURING THE YEAR. OPERATIONALLY, THEY PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO MANAGERS ABOUT HOW ACTUAL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES ARE LINING UP WITH THE PLAN SO THAT CORRECTIVE ACTION CAN BE TAKEN WHEN NEEDED. AND WHEN THEY COME FORWARD TO COUNSEL, THESE HIGH LEVEL VARIANCE REPORTS CREATE A VIEW, A PROGRESS REPORT OF SUCH THAT HIGHLIGHTS BOTH PROGRESS AND PROBLEMS. FURTHERMORE, THE ACCOMPANYING FORECASTS PROVIDE UPDATED PROJECTIONS REFLECTING THE IMPACT OF CHANGES THAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED SINCE THE BUDGET WAS ADOPTED. HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO FAIRLY COMPARE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TO THE BUDGET, IT IS IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THAT TWO TREAT CAPITAL EXPENDITURES AND ASSETS DIFFERENTLY. AS IN MOST CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES, THE CITIES BUDGETS ARE CASH BASED, MEANING THAT THE REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES ARE RECOGNIZED WHEN THE MONEY ACTUALLY CHANGES HANDS. THEREFORE, IN THE BUDGET, CAPITAL EXPENDITURES ARE EXPENSED. HOWEVER, THE PUBLIC SECTOR ACCOUNTING STANDARDS THAT GOVERN THE PREPARATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS REQUIRE THAT ASSETS BE SET UP AS TANGIBLE CAPITAL ASSETS AND AMORTIZED OVER TIME. THESE DIFFERENT TREATMENTS OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURES MEAN THAT A TRUE COMPARISON OF THE BUDGET AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS REQUIRES A RECONCILIATION. FIRST, WE'LL GO BACK TO THE BUDGET, THE NUMBERS ON THIS SLIDE ARE TAKEN FROM THE FINAL BUDGET, 2020 DOCUMENT. THEY SHOW THAT WHEN THE ANTICIPATED REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES WERE CONSIDERED, THE PLAN CALLED FOR NET EXPENDITURES OF ABOUT TWELVE POINT NINE DOLLARS MILLION. HOWEVER, ONCE INTEREST IN DEBT REPAYMENTS WERE FACTORED IN AND AMORTIZATION WAS REALLOCATED. THE CHANGE IN FUND BALANCE WAS PLANNED TO BE A REDUCTION OF ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS, MEANING THAT WHEN EVERYTHING WAS CONSIDERED OVERALL OUTFLOWS WERE EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS HIGHER THAN OVERALL INFLOWS. AS THIS NUMBER REPRESENTED A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL BUDGET, THE BUDGET WAS CONSIDERED BALANCED. TO BRING THESE BUDGET 2020 NUMBERS INTO ALIGNMENT WITH THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT NUMBERS SO THAT WE CAN FAIRLY COMPARE THE TWO, THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECONCILIATION. THERE ARE FOUR MAIN STEPS TO THIS RECONCILIATION. STEP ONE BEGINS WITH THAT INITIAL NET EXPENDITURE VALUE FROM THE PREVIOUS SLIDE BUDGET 2020 SHOWS THAT WHEN THE PLANNED REVENUES FOR SHOWS THAT THE REVENUES FOR BUDGET 2020 WERE ALMOST 13 MILLION LESS THAN THE PLANNED EXPENDITURES, THIS IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE ANNUAL INITIAL TAX. STEP TWO IS TO DEDUCT THE DEBENTURE INTEREST OF FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS BECAUSE IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE NET EXPENDITURES IN THE BUDGET, BUT IT IS AN EXPENSE IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. AND STEP THREE, WE LOOK AT HISTORICAL TRENDS, WHICH INDICATE THAT ABOUT 15 PERCENT OF THE CITY'S CAPITAL EXPENDITURES DO NOT MEET THE STANDARD FOR A TANGIBLE CAPITAL ASSET IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. THEREFORE, THIS AMOUNT IS ALSO DEDUCTED FROM THE INITIAL DEFICIT AS IT, TOO, WILL BE RECOGNIZED AS AN EXPENSE IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. THE FINAL STEP IS TO CONSIDER CAPITAL INVESTMENTS AND CARRY FORWARD PROJECTS. THEY ARE CONSIDERED EXPENDITURES IN THE BUDGET AND ARE ADDED IN HERE IN THE RECONCILIATION TO REFLECT THE FACT THAT THEY WILL CREATE TANGIBLE CAPITAL ASSETS IN THE FINANCIAL STATE. THE END RESULT SHOWS THAT WHEN BUDGET 2020 NUMBERS ARE CONSIDERED IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, THE PLAN WAS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN THE CITY'S NET WORTH, INCREASING BY ABOUT FIVE POINT THREE DOLLARS MILLION BY THE END OF 2020. SO EVEN THOUGH THE CITY'S BUDGET WAS BALANCED, THE PLAN WAS STILL EXPECTED TO RESULT IN AN OVERALL FINANCIAL STATEMENT SURPLUS OR AN INCREASE IN THE CITY'S NET WORTH AS OF DECEMBER 31ST. THIS WAS THE PLAN, AS WE SAW IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS REPORTED, THE RESULTS OF THAT PLAN, WHICH SHOWED A TOTAL CHANGE, WAS ACTUALLY SEVEN POINT NINE SIX MILLION DOLLARS. SO WHY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PLAN AND RESULTS, AS REPORTED IN THE AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, REVENUES CAME IN OVER BUDGET, LARGELY DUE TO HIGHER THAN [01:40:06] EXPECTED GRANTS AND TRANSFERS FROM OTHER ORDERS OF GOVERNMENT AND HIGHER INVESTMENT INCOME. EXPENDITURES CAME IN UNDER BUDGET, MOSTLY BECAUSE OF LOWER THAN ANTICIPATED COSTS FOR SALARIES, WAGES, BENEFITS AND CONTRACTED COSTS. AS WELL, NET FINANCIAL ASSETS INCREASED BECAUSE CASH FROM OPERATIONS EXCEEDED THE CASH USED TO CONSTRUCT AND PURCHASE TANGIBLE CAPITAL ASSETS AND THE FINANCING OBLIGATIONS. AND OF COURSE, NO PRESENTATION ABOUT 2020 WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT MENTIONING THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19. THE CITY ADHERED TO THE KEY PLANNING PRINCIPLES APPROVED BY COUNCIL LAST MAY AND BY FOLLOWING THIS FRAMEWORK AND APPLYING PRUDENT FISCAL MANAGEMENT WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY WEATHER THE FINANCIAL UPS AND DOWNS DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC. HOWEVER, THERE WERE SOME IMPACTS ON THE DOWNSIDE USER FEES AND SALE OF GOODS WERE FOUR PERCENT LOWER THAN IN TWENTY NINETEEN AS A COVID FACILITY CLOSURES SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED RELATED REVENUES. OTHER REVENUES WERE DOWN BY OVER 19 PERCENT BECAUSE THE CITY WAIVED INTEREST AND PENALTIES ON MOST ACCOUNTS IN 2020 IN LIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC. ON THE UPSIDE, THE CITY RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL ONE POINT FIVE, SIX DOLLARS MILLION IN ONE TIME FUNDING FROM THE GWT TOWARDS INCREASED EXPENDITURES ARISING FROM COVID. AND THAT LEADS INTO ONE FINAL NOTE ABOUT THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, THIS ONE IN RELATION TO THE BUDGET POLICY. THE STABILIZATION FUNDS SECTION OF THE BUDGET POLICY INCLUDES A REQUIREMENT FOR THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE TO BE MAINTAINED AT A LEVEL THAT IS BETWEEN 10 AND 15 PERCENT OF THE BUDGETED EXPENDITURES. AS CAN BE SEEN IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, THE CITY ENDED 2020 WITH THIRTEEN POINT THREE DOLLARS MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH EQUATES TO ABOUT THIRTY ONE PERCENT OF THE BUDGETED EXPENDITURES. NOW, IN PREVIOUS YEARS OF THE GENERAL FUND, BALANCE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN ANTICIPATED. ADMINISTRATION OFTEN RECOMMENDED INCREASING THE TRANSFER TO CAPITAL. THIS PATTERN WAS BROKEN LAST YEAR BECAUSE WHEN ADMINISTRATION BROUGHT FORWARD THE 2019 STATEMENTS, EVEN THOUGH THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE DID EXCEED THE LIMITS SPECIFIED IN THE POLICY, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS NOT TO INCREASE THE TRANSFER TO CAPITAL IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN THE CITY'S ABILITY TO WEATHER THE PANDEMIC. NOW, WITH THE 2020 STATEMENTS, THE GENERAL FUND BALANCES STILL HIGHER THAN PRESCRIBED BY THE POLICY AND THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF UNKNOWNS AROUND COVID. GIVEN THESE UNKNOWNS AND THE FACT THAT BUDGET 2020 DID NOT INCLUDE ANY TRANSFER TO THE CAPITAL FUND, THE RECOMMENDATION IS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR. LEAVE THE MONEY WHERE IT IS FOR NOW. ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. WOODWARD, AND A BIG THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR AGAIN DRAFTING THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. IT'S QUITE A CHALLENGE TO GET THEM IN IN THE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DAY LIMIT AND TO NOTE TO COUNCILLORS IN ORDER TO MEET THE DEADLINE OF HAVING THEM INTO THE GOVERNMENT. BY THIS FRIDAY WE'LL WALK THEM ON TO THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT. QUESTIONS FOR MS. WOODWARD OR QUESTIONS ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. COUNCILLOR MUFANDAEDZA. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, ADMINISTRATION, FOR THE PRESENTATION, NOT QUESTIONS, BUT STRAIGHT UP COMMENTS, JUST WANTED TO INSPIRATION FOR THE HARD WORK THAT GOES INTO GETTING THE DOCUMENTS READY. I DO KNOW THE BACKGROUND AND I AM ON THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, SO I DO KNOW WHAT GOES INTO IT. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN VERY HARD TIMES, BUT FOR THE CITY TO BE IN A FINANCIAL ASSET POSITION IS PRETTY AMAZING. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. AND I WAS ALSO VERY HAPPY TO NOTE THAT THE CITY HAS A VERY STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION WITH A VERY GOOD SENSE OF BALANCE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND WE DO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND COUNCILLOR KONGE AND I NOTE [INAUDIBLE]. YEAH. I MEAN THE SAME AS WHAT COUNCILLOR MUFANDAEDZA SAY. I MEAN IT'S I KNOW WE HAVE TO UNDERTAKE THE SAME THING AND HAVE OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS PREPARED FOR THE BANKS AND CRA AND ALL THOSE PEOPLE. [01:45:04] AND IT IS, IT IS A LARGE UNDERTAKING AND I MEAN. WHAT THE CITY DOES. YOU KNOW, 14 TIMES WHAT WE DO IN A YEAR. AND THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS REFLECT THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT MORE LEDGERS THAT HAVE TO BE BALANCE AND EVERYTHING. SO I DO RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT IT DOES. AND IT IS NICE TO KNOW THAT WE ARE IN A GOOD FINANCIAL SITUATION BECAUSE I'M PRETTY CONVINCED THAT ANY OF OUR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS GOING FORWARD ARE GOING TO COST A WHOLE LOT MORE THAN WHAT WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR THE PRICE OF MATERIALS JUMPING THE WAY THEY ARE AND STUFF LIKE THAT STUFF THAT'S HARDER TO GET. SO I THINK IT'S YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE FOR BUDGET 2022, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY MAKE SOME HARD DECISIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO SPEND THE MONEY OR. NOT SPEND THE MONEY AND LATER ASSETS, YOU KNOW. GO PAST THEIR BEST DUE DATE. SO I THINK IT'S A GREAT POSITION TO BE IN GOING FORWARD AND YEAH, THANKS FOR ALL THE HARD WORK. THANK YOU. YEAH, AND WE DID DISCUSS AS THE AUDIT COMMITTEE WAS, AGAIN, TO LEAVE IT AS AS MS. WOODWARD MENTIONED, THAT WE'RE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE BUDGET POLICY, BUT BY THE TIME WE FINISH OUR NEXT FINANCIAL STATEMENT, HOPEFULLY COVID WILL BE THE RESTRICTIONS. ALL THAT STUFF WILL BE LIFTED. WE'LL HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHERE WE STAND OR THE IMPACTS THAT COVID HAS ON OUR OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. AND I DID WANT TO NOTE A BIG THANKS TO THE FEDERAL AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVED IN 2020, BECAUSE WITHOUT THEIR EXTRA TWO MILLION DOLLARS, THIS ARE OUR ACTUALS VERSUS OUR BUDGET WOULD BE QUITE DIFFERENT. SO A BIG KUDOS TO THEM FOR LISTENING TO TO THE IMPACT THAT IT'S HAD ON MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS. AND BECAUSE, YEAH, WITHOUT THAT TWO MILLION, THE IMPACT TO TAXES WOULD BE QUITE SIGNIFICANT. SO BIG THANKS THERE. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNCILLORS? SEEING NONE, I WILL BRING THAT FORWARD TO COUNCIL TONIGHT AT 7:00 P.M.. FINALLY, WE HAVE A LEGAL MATTER IN CAMERA. [In Camera] CAN I GET A MOTION TO MOVE IN CAMERA. MOVED BY COUNCILLOR MUFANDAEDZA SECOND BY COUNCILLOR KONGE. ANYBODY OPPOSED. SEEING NONE WE WILL MOVE IN CAMERA. SEE YOU IN TWO SECONDS. SO WE'LL RECONVENE OR. I'M BACK OUT OF IN CAMERA AND NO BUSINESS ARISING IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN. MOVED BY COUNCILLOR PAYNE, SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR MORSE ANYBODY OPPOSED. SEEING NONE, SEE EVERYBODY TONIGHT AT 7:00 P.M.. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.