PERFECT. AND I WILL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MONDAY, MAY [1. Opening Statement] [00:00:06] 3RD, 2021 TO ORDER 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, APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD, MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. NO, NOTHING TO ADD. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST IN THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF. [3. Disclosure of pecuniary interest and the general nature thereof.] DOES ANY MEMBER HAVE A PECUNIARY INTERESTS TODAY? COUNCILOR KONGE. THANK YOU, YOUR WORSHIP. ON OUR SECOND ITEM REGARDING THE FUNDING, MY SON IS OF THE AGE WHERE HE'S TRYING TO FIND SUMMER JOBS AND HE HAS APPLIED ON A CITY JOB. SO THERE COULD BE CONFLICT THERE. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER... SEEING NONE. [4. A presentation regarding Outdoor Facilities Standards.] NEXT, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION REGARDING OUTDOOR FACILITY STANDARDS, MS. BASSI-KELLETT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. YES, LEVELS OF SERVICE ARE A REALLY IMPORTANT THEME THAT CITY AND THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN WORKING ON. OF COURSE, THAT ALIGNS VERY CLOSELY WITH COUNCIL'S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. AND ONE OF THE CLEAR OBJECTIVES THAT YOU LAID OUT FOR US. DEFINING LEVELS OF SERVICE IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND IT'S A VERY SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR ASSET MANAGEMENT WORK THAT'S GETTING UNDERWAY, WHICH COUNCIL WILL BE HEARING MORE ABOUT STARTING THIS MONTH, LATER THIS MONTH. SO AS WE APPROACH THE SUMMER SEASON, THOUGH, THERE'S A TYPICALLY A LOT OF INTEREST FROM THE PUBLIC IN THE STANDARDS FOR VARIOUS PARKS, TRAILS, PLAYGROUNDS, SPORTS FIELDS, DOCKS, AND, OF COURSE, OUR FAVORITE LITTER IN THE DOWNTOWN AND ELSEWHERE. AND THIS IS REALLY EVEN MORE PREVALENT NOW WITH PEOPLE WANTING OUTDOOR RECREATION IN A SAFE WAY DURING COVID, WE HAVE A VERY SMALL BUT MIGHTY TEAM THAT WORKS YEAR-ROUND ON OUR OUTDOOR FACILITIES AND THEY ARE SUPPORTED IN THE SUMMER WITH ADDITIONAL CASUAL STAFF, TYPICALLY STUDENTS, BUT OTHERS AS WELL WHO DECIDE TO WORK FOR US FOR A SEASONAL TIME IN THE SUMMER. AND IT MAY LOOK LIKE THERE'S LOTS OF THESE STAFF AND THAT THEY CAN TAKE ON ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES FOR MAINTAINING ADDITIONAL OUTDOOR SPACES. BUT IF THEY DO AND IF MORE WORK IS ADDED ON, IT DOES IMPACT ALL OF THE OTHER WORK RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE STANDARDS THAT WE LAYOUT AND ASPIRE TO CANNOT BE MET, THEN. I'LL TURN THINGS OVER TO GRANT WHITE, OUR DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES, WHO WILL WALK US THROUGH THE STANDARDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY USED FOR OUTDOOR FACILITIES AND THE BROAD RANGE OF ACTIVITIES THAT OUR OUTDOOR FACILITIES TEAM PERFORM TO SERVE YELLOWKNIFE RESIDENTS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. THANK YOU. OVER TO YOU, GRANT. THANK YOU, MS. BASSI-KELLETT. I HOPE I CAN BE HEARD. I'M WORKING FROM HOME, SO IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO TELL. SO GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, AND COUNCIL, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE OUTDOOR FACILITY SERVICE STANDARDS. THIS PRESENTATION IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE VARIOUS STANDARDS AT THE FACILITIES DIVISION OPERATES UNDER WHEN ADDRESSING THE VARIOUS NEEDS OF THE PARKS AND THE OUTDOOR FACILITIES. THE INFORMATION IS THE BEST CASE SCENARIO. THERE ARE TIMES THAT THE SERVICE STANDARD CANNOT BE MET DUE TO STAFF SHORTAGES, COMPETING PRIORITIES, ADDITIONAL EVENTS OR NEW INITIATIVES. OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL ADJUSTMENTS THAT HAVE HAD TO BE MADE TO THE SERVICE STANDARDS. YOU WILL RECALL THE [INAUDIBLE] PARK ON 15TH. THERE WAS A COUPLE OF ADDED TASKS UNDER THE GOOD NEIGHBOR AGREEMENT AND SEVERAL COVID ACTIVITIES WERE ADDED, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL FIREPITS. THE STAFF ASSISTED OTHERS IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SAFETY PROTOCOLS FOR THEIR RANKS AND [INAUDIBLE] SERVICES AND ALSO THE ADDITIONAL LENDING THAT WAS ADDED AS WELL. THERE ARE A FEW OTHER ITEMS ON THE HORIZON THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO AFFECT THE CHANGES IN THE STANDARDS, INCLUDING THE ADDITION OF THE BIKE PARK OR THE POSSIBILITY OF MAINTAINING ITEMS ON CITY FACILITIES FOR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF TASKS THAT ARE NOT CAPTURED IN THE SERVICE STANDARDS THAT AFFECT WORKFLOW, SUCH AS IMPROVEMENTS AT LAKEVIEW, FLAG LOWERING AND RAISING, DELIVERY OF EQUIPMENT, MAINTENANCE WITHIN CITY HALL AND OF COURSE, THE INSTALLATION OF THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. SO WHAT IS IT THAT THE COMMUNITY SERVICES PARKS DO FOR 12 MONTHS OF THE YEAR? [00:05:03] THE WORK IS QUITE EXTENSIVE AND HAS A VERY BROAD REACH THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. THEY MAINTAIN OVER A MILLION SQUARE METERS OF PARK SPACE THROUGHOUT THIRTY FIVE PARKS AND A NUMBER OF LANDSCAPED AREAS. THERE ARE OVER 11 KILOMETERS OF TRAILS, 19 PLAYGROUNDS, 11 TENNIS SPORT COURTS, SEVEN DOCKS THEY JUST LITTERED THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. THEY ASSIST WITH [INAUDIBLE] SET UP AND AS I MENTIONED, THE INSTALLATION OF THE BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY LIGHTS. AND THEY'RE INVOLVED IN THE VERY SPECIAL EVENTS SUCH AS THE RECENTLY HOSTED SCOTIABANK HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA. THEY'RE INTERMENTS AND OCCASIONAL DISINTERMENT AT THE CEMETERY. THEY WORK WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ON IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS SUCH AS ROTARY CLUBS IN TOWN AND THE FOLKS WHO HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO IMPROVE [INAUDIBLE] CEMETERIES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WATERFRONT PARK. JUST AS A KEY BIT OF INFORMATION, THE AMOUNT OF LITTER THAT WAS PICKED UP AND COLLECTED IN 2018 AND 2019 WAS ACTUALLY MEASURED IN TONS BETWEEN MAY AND AUGUST IN TWENTY EIGHTEEN, THE CREW PICKED UP TWENTY NINE AND A HALF TONS OF LITTER AND IN TWENTY NINETEEN IT WAS TWENTY FIVE AND A HALF TONS OF LITTER. SO THIS INCLUDES ALL THE CONTAINERS THAT ARE MAINTAINED BY THE STAFF, LOOSE LITTER, AND DOG FECES. THE WORK THAT IS CARRIED OUT IS PREDOMINANTLY DIVIDED INTO PRIORITIES. THE PARK PRIORITIES ARE ESTABLISHED TO ASSIST IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THESE KEY RESOURCES BASED ON INDUSTRY STANDARDS OF THE TIME, LOOKING AT THE VARIOUS TYPES AND USE OF THE OUTDOOR PARKS AND THE FACILITIES, THE PRIORITIES ASSIST IN ESTABLISHING THAT MAINTENANCE PRACTICES REQUIRED TO MEET THE NEEDS AND USES OF EACH OF THESE AREAS. THE PRIORITIES ARE INCLUDED IN THE DEPARTMENT'S INTERNAL PROCEDURES AND ARE REVIEWED FROM TIME TO TIME AS USES PATTERNS CHANGE, RESOURCES ARE ADJUSTED FOR, ADDITIONAL FACILITIES ARE ADDED OR REMOVED. OF COURSE, WE WOULD LOVE TO MAINTAIN EVERYTHING TO THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF STANDARD, THERE ARE, OF COURSE, LIMITATIONS ON RESOURCES. SO DECISIONS HAVE TO BE MADE. SAFETY FOR THE PUBLIC AND ALL THE CITY FACILITIES IS A KEY DRIVING FACTOR, FOLLOWED BY CITY BEAUTIFICATION, TURF MANAGEMENT AND MANAGING OUR ASSETS TO ENSURE THEY MEET OR EXCEED THE LIFE EXPECTANCY. TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC IS UP TO DATE ON THESE PRIORITIES, THESE STANDARDS WILL BE POSTED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE. THE STAFFING LEVELS, THE WORK THAT IS CARRIED OUT IS LARGELY DRIVEN BY [INAUDIBLE]. FROM SEPTEMBER TO APRIL, WORK IS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON PREPARING THE PARKS FOR WINTER, INCLUDING THE LAST GRASS SEASON, FERTILIZING, CLEARING OF THE WATER LINES AND WINTER ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING SNOW REMOVAL, ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING THE OUTDOOR RINKS AND WINTER BEAUTIFICATION. WHEREAS FROM MAY TO AUGUST, THE WORK IS LARGELY FOCUSED ON THE PARKS AND FACILITIES, MAINTENANCE AND LITTER CONTROL EFFORTS ARE INCREASED. THE STAFFING LEVELS FLUCTUATE ACCORDINGLY, WITH APPROXIMATELY TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX HOURS PER WEEK OF STAFF TIME FROM SEPTEMBER TO APRIL AND APPROXIMATELY EIGHT HUNDRED HOURS STAFF TIME PER WEEK FROM THE. THE FACILITIES DIVISION IS QUITE FORTUNATE TO HAVE LONG TERM EMPLOYEES. HOWEVER, THIS ALSO MEANS FULL TIME STAFF WITH HIGHER EDUCATION RATES. SO IT'S A FULL TIME STAFF WITHIN THE DIVISION THAT ARE SCHEDULED TO COVER BOTH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR VACATION TIMES, WHICH, OF COURSE, MOST HIGH FROM MAY TO AUGUST. SO GETTING BACK TO THE PRIORITIES, CLASS A PARKS AND AMENITIES INCLUDE THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF CARE. THERE ARE ALMOST ONE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND SQUARE METERS OF CLASS A PARK LAND, INCLUDING PLAYGROUNDS, SPORTS FIELDS, TENNIS AND SPORTS COURTS, LAKEVIEW CEMETERY, SOMBE K'E PARK, 77 LITTER CONTAINERS AND 52 BENCHES. THE DOWNTOWN AREA, THE TWO COMMUTER TRAILS AND THE VARIOUS AMENITIES IN THESE AREAS. AND VANDALISM IS ALSO CONSIDERED AN AREA WHERE A HIGH STANDARD OF CARE IS APPLIED. BUT ALSO THE CLASS A SERVICE LEVEL, ALL PLAYGROUNDS ARE INSPECTED BY STAFF THAT ARE CERTIFIED UNDER THE CANADIAN PLAYGROUND SAFETY INSTITUTE--THEY ARE INSPECTED MONTHLY BY THE STAFF CERTIFIED UNDER THE CPSI, AND THEY ARE CHECKED ON FIVE TIMES PER WEEK AND ADDRESSED AS REQUIRED. THE SPORTS FIELDS ARE MOWED TWO TIMES A WEEK TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY TURF. [00:10:01] THEY ARE AERATED ONCE PER SEASON, [INAUDIBLE] AS NEEDED, AND WEED CONTROLLED THREE TIMES PER YEAR. THEY ARE WATER DAILY AND ANY REPAIRS REQUIRED ARE CARRIED OUT FIVE DAYS PER WEEK. SOMBA K'E AND LAKEVIEW CEMETERY RECEIVE THE SAME CARE AND ATTENTION WITH THE ADDITION OF FLOWER BEDS AND SHRUBS BEING WEEDED AND TRIMMED, AS WELL AS THE TREES THAT REQUIRE PRUNING OR OTHER. TENNIS AND SPORT COURTS RECEIVE ATTENTION FIVE DAYS A WEEK. THE COMMUTER PORTION OF THE MCMAHON FRAME LAKE TRAIL AND THE NIVEN LAKE TRAIL ARE MAINTAINED SEASONALLY, WITH INSPECTIONS CARRIED OUT SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK FROM MAY TO OCTOBER AND THREE DAYS PER WEEK FROM NOVEMBER TO APRIL. AND SNOW REMOVAL ON THESE TRAILS IS A HIGH PRIORITY. THE VARIOUS AMENITIES ARE ADDRESSED ALSO BASED ON THE SEASON. FOR EXAMPLE, LITTER IS MAINTAINED SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK FROM MAY TO OCTOBER AND TWO DAYS A WEEK FROM NOVEMBER TO APRIL. AND I MENTIONED, VANDALISM I'S ALSO A HIGH PRIORITY OF CARE AND VANDALISM IS ADDRESSED WITHIN A 24 HOUR PERIOD TO REDUCE THE OCCURRENCES. MOVING ALONG TO CLASS B PARKS. THERE ARE JUST OVER SIXTY NINE THOUSAND SQUARE METERS OF CLASS B PARKS THAT ARE MAINTAINED TO A LEVEL FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON SAFETY, BEAUTIFICATION AND ENSURING THE ASSET ACHIEVES OR EXCEEDS ITS FULL EXPECTANCY. THIS CLASS OF PARKS INCLUDES ALL THE STREETSCAPED AREAS WITHIN THE CITY AND A VARIETY OF PARKS THAT LARGELY INCLUDE OTHER AMENITIES SUCH AS PLAYGROUNDS. SO THESE PARKS INCLUDE [INAUDIBLE], HORDAL, CON, DENAULT, [INAUDIBLE], FORREST DRIVE, GRACE LAKE, HALL CRESCENT, JOSEPHINE WALCER, [INAUDIBLE], LATHAM ISLAND, [INAUDIBLE], [INAUDIBLE], PILOTS MONUMENT, RACCINE, RANGE LAKE [INAUDIBLE] ROTARY WATERFRONT PARK, SCHOOL DRAW, STERLING, FRANKLIN HILL, DOG PARKS, OUTDOOR RINKS ON FRAME LAKE, YVONNE QUICK IN THE [INAUDIBLE] DOCKS, THE UNDERPASS NEAR THE [INAUDIBLE] FIREWEED STUDIO AND BRISTOL ARE ALL UNDER THIS CLASSIFICATION. LITTER THAT IS NOT IN THE DOWNTOWN AND THE MAINTENANCE OF ESTABLISHED TREES ARE ALSO IN THE CLASS B CATEGORY. PARKS, GREEN SPACES AND DOG PARKS. WE CAN FLIP TO NEXT SLIDE. SO THE CLASS B SERVICE LEVEL PARKS, GREEN SPACES AND DOG PARKS ARE EXPECTED THREE TIMES PER WEEK, AND REPAIRED AS NEEDED. GRASSES CUT ONCE A WEEK AND WATERED THREE TIMES A WEEK. THE AREAS ARE AERATED AND FERTILIZED ONCE A SEASON, WITH WEEDING BEING CARRIED OUT THREE TIMES A SEASON. SHRUBS ARE PRUNED ONCE PER SEASON ALONG WITH DISEASE CONTROL. LITTER IS MAINTAINED THREE TIMES A WEEK FROM MAY TO SEPTEMBER AND ONCE A WEEK OUTSIDE OF THOSE MONTHS. THE OUTDOOR RINK AND OVAL ON FRAME LAKE ARE CHECKED FIVE DAYS A WEEK AND MAINTAINED AS REQUIRED, ESTABLISHING ICE IS WEATHER RELATED SEASON, TYPICALLY CONNECTING AROUND CHRISTMAS OR NEW YEAR TIME FRAME. THAT TYPICALLY TAKES ABOUT SIXTY FOUR HOURS OF STAFF AND EQUIPMENT. TIME TO ESTABLISH THE ICE IN THESE AREAS. THE TWO DOCKS WERE MAINTAINED SIMILARLY AS THE PARKS. THEY'RE CHECKED THREE TIMES PER WEEK, AND THUS THE REPAIRS AND LITTER ARE ADDRESSED. SHRUBS AT THESE AREAS ARE MAINTAINED ONCE PER YEAR. THE UNDERPASS ACROSS FROM THE CO-OP GROCERY STORE IS ADDRESSED ON A WEEKLY BASIS AND PAINTED TO REMOVE GRAFFITI TWICE A YEAR. SKATE PARK IS ALSO A FACILITY THAT REQUIRES SOME ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE. IT IS INSPECTED AND REPAIRED THREE DAYS A WEEK AND IT'S TYPICALLY PAINTED FOUR TIMES A SEASON AGAIN TO ADDRESS THE GRAFFITI. THE FIREWEED STUDIO AND [INAUDIBLE] ARE BOTH KEY LIVING HERITAGE BUILDINGS WITHIN THE CITY. THEY'RE CLASSIFIED AS CLASS B SERVICE LEVEL ON THE AMOUNT OF SERVICE THAT IS REQUIRED TO REACH NOT THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE FACILITIES TO THE COMMUNITY. THERE ARE OVER FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY TREES THAT REQUIRE VARIOUS LEVELS OF ATTENTION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. TREES ARE REPLACED AS NECESSARY TYPICALLY DUE TO AGE OR VANDALISM. BRISTOL MONUMENT PEDESTAL IS ALSO PAINTED ANNUALLY TO ADDRESS THE GRAFFITI THAT OFTEN [00:15:01] SHOWED UP IN THAT AREA. MOVING ALONG TO CLASS C PARKS. THERE ARE JUST OVER FORTY SIX THOUSAND SQUARE METERS OF CLASS C PARKS. THESE INCLUDE OLEXIN, OTTO DRIVE [INAUDIBLE], PARKER, RACCINE AND THE TWIN PINE HILL LOOKOUT. ALSO INCLUDED ARE THE OUTDOOR RINKS AT FORREST DRIVE, HALL CRESCENT, JESKE CRESCENT AND THE RINK ADJACENT TO ST. JOSEPH SCHOOL. THE TRAILS OF ENGLE, ROTARY WATERFRONT PARK, TOMMY FORREST AND THE ROTARY RANGE LAKE ARE ALL CLASS C AS WELL. AS ARE THE DOCKS AT GIANT, LOIS LANE, OTTO DRIVE, HARRIETS LANE AND SCHOOL DRAW. THE CLASS C SERVICE LEVEL. PARKS, GREEN SPACES IN THIS CLASSIFICATION ARE INSPECTED ONCE A WEEK, AND THEN A REPAIR IS REQUIRED TO ADDRESS, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE SAFETY [INAUDIBLE]. OUTDOOR RINKS ARE INSPECTED FOR SAFETY THREE DAYS A WEEK AND [INAUDIBLE] IS ADDRESSED AS NEEDED, BUT NOT UNTIL THE SNOW REMOVAL ON THE COMMUTER TRAILS, CITY HALL SIDEWALKS, CITY HALL STAIRS AND THE SOMBA K'E [INAUDIBLE] HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED. THE TRAILS AND DOCKS ARE TYPICALLY COMPLAINT DRIVEN OR ADDRESSED WHEN THERE'S CAPACITY DUE TO OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS WEATHER. THE CLASS D OR THE AS AND WHEN CLASSIFICATION, THERE ARE OVER EIGHT HUNDRED AND TEN THOUSAND SQUARE METERS OF CLASS D AREAS WITHIN THE CITY. THESE INCLUDE PARKS AND GREEN SPACES SUCH AS ALBATROSS, [INAUDIBLE], DAKOTA, [INAUDIBLE] CUL DE SAC, HORTON, JESKE COURT, [INAUDIBLE], MITCHELL, RIVETT AND WATT DRIVE AREAS. TRAILS OR PORTIONS OF TRAILS THAT ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THIS CLASSIFICATION ARE TWIN PINES HILL, TINCAN HILL TRAIL AND THE MCMAHON FRAME LAKE TRAIL THAT LEADS OFF TO THE CEMETERY. THESE PARKS AND GREEN SPACES ARE EITHER COMPLAINT DRIVEN OR AS IN ONE TIME MAY BE FOUND TO ADDRESS MAINTENANCE AND CARE. THE [INAUDIBLE] THAT THESE AREAS ARE NEGLECTED AND RECEIVE NO ATTENTION [INAUDIBLE] A CLASS THAT RECEIVES THE LOWEST SERVICE LEVEL. OF COURSE, SAFETY IS THE DRIVING FACTOR FOR ADDRESSING ALL OF THESE AREAS AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION. IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, OPENING IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL. COUNCILOR MORSE. APPRECIATE THAT PRESENTATION, GRANT. IT'S GOOD INFORMATION TO HAVE IN YOUR HANDS. FIRST QUESTION IS, DO ANY OF THESE PROPOSED SERVICE LEVELS REPRESENT ANY CHANGE OR IS THIS KIND OF THIS IS WHAT THE STATUS QUO IS, DOES COUNCIL HAVE ANY INTEREST IN CHANGING IT? MS. BASSI-KELLETT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION. THESE ARE THE SERVICE LEVELS THAT WE HAVE BEEN PROVIDING TO DATE, WE FELT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO BRING THIS FORWARD AS AN EXAMPLE OF SERVICE LEVELS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO COMMIT TO IN THE CITY FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. A AND B CLASSES WE'RE COMING UP ON SPRINGTIME, WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH INTEREST IN THE MAINTENANCE OF PARKS AND TRAILS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO SHARE IT. ALSO, THE NUMBER OF HOURS THAT ARE DEDICATED TOWARDS THIS HAVE BEEN REDUCED FROM SUMMER HOURS IN GETTING, WHICH BUDGET, BUDGET 2020, I BELIEVE, THERE WAS A REDUCTION. AND SO THAT'S BASICALLY USING THE HOURS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. WE'RE LAYING OUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE AND WHAT THE COMMUNITY SERVICES GROUP CAN DO. GRANT, ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? MAYBE JUST A SMALL BIT OF A POINT OF INFORMATION IS THE BUDGET WAS REDUCED IN TWENTY NINETEEN, HOWEVER, WE DIDN'T REALLY SEE THE EFFECT IN 2020 DUE TO THE SERVICE BEING CLOSED DOWN DUE TO COVID, WHICH THEN ALLOWED MOST OF OUR, IF NOT ALL OF OUR INDOOR STUFF TO GO OUTDOOR. THEN WE'RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THE SAME SERVICE LEVEL AS THE YEAR BEFORE. MOVING FORWARD INTO 2021, WE WILL SEE A CHANGE IN HOW THE PARKS AND OUTDOOR FACILITIES ARE BEING MAINTAINED. AND IT'S THE CLASS D OR THE AS AND WHEN WHERE THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY MOST VISIBLE. THANK YOU. THANKS. OK, YEAH, PERSONALLY, I'M QUITE HAPPY WITH WHAT'S PRESENTED HERE, SO I'M NOT REALLY GOING TO PROPOSE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES APPRECIATED BEING BROUGHT FORWARD AND I'M HAPPY TO [00:20:03] ENDORSE AND SUPPORT IT. ONE THING I NOTED IS THAT A FEW SPOTS THAT ARE NOTED AS 'AS AND WHEN' CLASS D AREAS, I'M JUST WONDERING, IS EMPTYING OF THE GARBAGE CANS CONSIDERED AS AND WHEN AS PART OF THE MAINTENANCE OF THAT PARK? SO I'LL GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF IT IS TINCAN HILL. THAT'S AN AREA THAT I'VE NOTICED THE GARBAGE CAN IS OFTEN KIND OF LEFT IN A STATE OF BEING OVERFLOWING. AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE MAYBE NEED TO HAVE A BIT MORE ATTENTION PAID TO A PLACE LIKE THAT. I MEAN, I DON'T VISIT EVERY DOG WALKING AREA IN THE CITY. THAT'S JUST ONE THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH. BUT YOU DO SEE PEOPLE KIND OF POST ONLINE PICTURES OF THESE OVERFLOWING GARBAGE CANS, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE DOG WALKING AREAS OCCASIONALLY. SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE NEED TO MAYBE UP THE SERVICE LEVEL A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN JUST AS WHEN FOR A PLACE LIKE TINCAN HILL, NOT SUGGESTING THAT THE ACTUAL WALKING TRAIL ITSELF NEEDS CITY ATTENTION SO MUCH AS JUST [INAUDIBLE]. SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT FALLS INTO THE AS AND WHEN. YEAH, [INAUDIBLE] A LITTLE PSA [INAUDIBLE], YOU CAN THROW YOUR DOG POO IN THE GARBAGE CAN . DON'T JUST COLLECT IT AND DROP IT BESIDE THE GARBAGE CAN, WHICH WE SEE FREQUENTLY ON TRAILS. YOU CAN'T DO IT AT YOUR HOUSE WHEN YOU'RE ON PUBLIC TRAILS, PICK IT UP AND THEN PUT IT IN THE GARBAGE. DON'T PUT IT ASIDE THE GARBAGE. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES, WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT DOG POOP AND GARBAGE CONTAINERS. SO BEFORE I HAND IT OVER TO MR. WHITE, I WILL SAY THAT WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHEN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC USE CLICK AND FIX TO LET US KNOW WHEN THEY SEE SOMETHING GOING ON. THAT'S VERY HELPFUL. AND I'LL ASK MR. WHITE IF HE CAN SPEAK TO WHAT HIS GROUP DOES WHEN THEY SEE THINGS LIKE THAT. THANK YOU. YES, IT'S THE CLICK AND FIX THAT IS [INAUDIBLE] MY PRESENTATION [INAUDIBLE], SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THE CLICK AND FIX IS VERY HELPFUL ON OUR AS AND WHEN PORTIONS AND AS COUNCILOR MORSE MENTIONED, TINCAN HILL IS ONE OF THOSE. AS THE SEASON, LOOKING OUTSIDE, MAYBE NOT TODAY, BUT AS WE GET WARMER AND THE SEASONAL TEMPERATURES COME AROUND FOR MAY, JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST, WE DO STEP UP OUR MAINTENANCE TO AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK ON THE GARBAGE CANS IN THOSE AREAS. BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WITH OUR CURRENT RESOURCES, IT'S ONCE A WEEK OR AS AND WHEN. OK, YEAH, I MEAN, THIS IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT INTO I KIND OF NEED YOU GUYS TO TELL ME, LIKE I DON'T WANT TO COME IN AND SUGGEST, OH, I THINK YOU SHOULD BE DOING IT TWICE A WEEK. BUT I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF BRING IT UP THAT I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE GARBAGE CAN IN THAT SPOT. AND I THINK THERE'S A FEW OTHER PLACES IN THE CITY THAT KIND OF HAVE NOTORIOUSLY SORT OF UNATTENDED CANS. AND I WONDER IF WE JUST NEED TO KIND OF TARGET THOSE AREAS AS WE COULD KEEP TINCAN HILL AS A CLASS D, BUT MAYBE ATTEND TO CAN JUST ON A CLASS C BASIS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IT'S JUST A SUGGESTION I'M GOING TO THROW OUT THERE. THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE MAY OR MAY NOT BE RELATED TO THIS PRESENTATION, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS KIND OF ALWAYS BUGGED ME. SO I THOUGHT I'D BRING IT UP NOW. AND THAT IS THAT THERE'S A NUMBER OF SIDEWALKS IN THE CITY WHERE WHEN I WALK THEM, THE LEVEL TO WHICH THE BRUSH ADJACENT TO THE SIDEWALK HAS OVERGROWN IS TO THE POINT WHERE YOU ALMOST CAN'T EVEN WALK ON THE SIDEWALK ITSELF UNLESS YOU'RE KIND OF LIKE DUCKING AND SORT OF PUSHING YOUR WAY THROUGH THE BRUSH. SO IS COMMUNITY SERVICES RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING THOSE SIDEWALKS CLEAR OF BRUSH, WHETHER OR NOT IT IS ON SOMEONE ELSE'S PROPERTY OR WHERE THE BRUSH IS COMING FROM? I'M KIND OF CURIOUS ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THERE'S A COUPLE OF PARTICULAR SIDEWALKS I'VE BEEN DOWN THAT I FIND MYSELF KIND OF HAND TRIMMING THE BUSHES OUT OF THE WAY AS I GO BY, ESPECIALLY THE ONES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. SO I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT THAT AND WHETHER THAT GETS INCLUDED IN THE SERVICE LEVELS. SOME GUERILLA BRUSH CLEANING; I LIKE IT. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. I'LL TOTALLY HAND THIS ONE OVER TO GRANT. THANK YOU. CERTAINLY, IF THERE ARE ANY TREES THAT ARE ON I GUESS THE LANDSCAPED AREAS OR THE STREET SWEEPING AREAS, THE PARK STAFF WILL MAINTAIN. WE WILL NOT ADDRESS ANY OF THE OVERHANGING BRANCHES THAT ARE [INAUDIBLE] IF THE TREE IS ON [00:25:02] THE PRIVATE PROPERTY SIDE. THANK YOU. BUT ACTUALLY, I GUESS IF YOU COULD JUST MAYBE OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING, IF YOU COULD JUST SEND US AN E-MAIL, WE CAN GIVE YOU A MORE THOROUGH RESPONSE ON THESE TREES [INAUDIBLE] THAT YOU KEEP [INAUDIBLE] TO. SURE, I GUESS THE ONE QUESTION I HAVE, LIKE IF A PERSON HAS A TREE ON THEIR PROPERTY AND IT'S ENCROACHING ON KIND OF THE CITY'S SIDEWALK, WE WON'T TOUCH THAT BRANCH. YOU JUST LEAVE IT? PEOPLE ARE VERY CONNECTED TO THEIR TREES. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK GERALD HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD. THAT CAN BE REALLY SENSITIVE. AND SO WE WOULD WANT TO WORK WITH THE HOMEOWNER IF THERE WAS A CONCERN AROUND SAFETY AND DANGER. I WILL ASK MR. WHITE IF HE'LL ADD ANYTHING ELSE. NOPE, THAT PRETTY MUCH SUMS IT. I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN COMPLAINTS IN THE PAST THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED ALONG FROM THE HOMEOWNERS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH TO SERVICES. SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE STANDARD FOR THOSE COMPLAINTS. OK, WELL, I WON'T CLOG UP THE MEETING WITH THIS, BUT YEAH, I CAN USE CLICK AND FIX MAYBE TO SUGGEST THERE'S JUST A COUPLE OF SIDEWALKS I WALK FREQUENTLY THAT ARE PRETTY BRUSHED OUT. AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF PLACES IN TOWN WHERE I'VE ACTUALLY NOTICED, LIKE THE SIDEWALK HAS BEEN SLOWLY LOSING GROUND TO KIND OF SOMEONE'S YARD, KIND OF SLOWLY GROWING OUT, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO ADDRESS IT HERE. THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION. I DON'T HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR FURTHER QUESTION. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MUFANDAEDZA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. FIRSTLY, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE TIME TO THANK MY ADMINISTRATION FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU DID OVER THE WEEKEND. WE DID SEE THAT YOU MORSE AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO TO KEEP US SAFE. I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS WITH REGARDS TO THE PRESENTATION. SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS DETERMINING THE SERVICE LEVEL PRIORITY FOR THE PAST, LIKE HOW DOES ADMINISTRATION DETERMINE THE SERVICE LEVEL CLASSIFICATION? I DID SEE THE PRESENTATION ON THE CLASS A, B AND C, BUT I DID NOT SEE HOW WE ARRIVED AT THOSE CLASSIFICATIONS. WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO ASSIST ME WITH THAT? MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I WILL ASK MR. WHITE. YES, THANK YOU. SO THE PARK CLASSIFICATION WAS CARRIED OUT SEVERAL YEARS AGO BASED ON IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY USAGE PATTERNS AND THE OVERALL IMPACT IT WOULD HAVE ON THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE CITY. THEY ARE VISITED FROM TIME TO TIME AS WE HAVE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES OR IF WE HAVE NEW PARKS AND FACILITIES ADDED TO THE OUTDOORS, THEN WE DO AN ANALYSIS TO SEE WHERE THE NEW ADDITIONS WOULD FIT IN AND HOW TO BEST CARE FOR. DOES THAT ANSWER THE QUESTION? SURE. WELL, THANK YOU, BECAUSE I JUST SAW ALL THESE PARKS GROUPED AND I JUST COULD NOT FIGURE OUT HOW WE GOT TO IT, BUT YES, THANK YOU. THAT ANSWERS MY QUESTION. MY NEXT QUESTION IS NOT MORE PERTAINING TO THE PRESENTATION, BUT TO PARKS IN GENERAL. MY QUESTION IS, WE HAVE OFTEN SEEN PEOPLE USE THE PARKS AND IN SOME CASES WE HAVE SEEN SPORTS GROUPS USE PARKS FOR HOURS ON HAND. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SERVICE LEVEL, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON PROVIDING AMENITIES SUCH AS BATHROOMS FOR THESE FACILITIES? SO WE'LL SEE, SAY, PARKER PARK WITH SPORTS FOR HOURS AND NO FACILITY AND THEN WE'LL SEE PLACES LIKE MOST RECENTLY THE DISCUSSION ON, ST. JO', WHERE THERE'S A SPORTS TEAM, BUT THEY ARE THERE FOR HOURS. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE PLATFORM TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. SURE, YES, SO THAT WOULD BE AN INCREASE IN THE SERVICE LEVEL STANDARDS, SO OF COUNCIL WANTED TO DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO DO THAT SERVICE LEVEL ENHANCEMENT, THEN IT WOULD COME FORWARD AT BUDGET FOR OUR APPROVAL. THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO IF COUNCILORS ARE INTERESTED, BECAUSE THEN ADMIN CAN START GATHERING THOSE NUMBERS SO THAT WHEN WE HAVE THE DISCUSSION IN NOVEMBER, DECEMBER, WE'LL BE HAVING AN EYES WIDE OPEN DISCUSSION WITH SOME GOOD INFORMATION. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT. I WILL ASK MR. WHITE TO RESPOND BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME DIFFERENT SCENARIOS THAT WE'VE PICTURED AT DIFFERENT TIMES. GRANT. THANK YOU. SO SEVERAL YEARS AGO, THERE USED TO BE SOME AMENITIES AT PARKER PARK. THEY WERE OFTEN TIPPED OVER, OFTEN SET ON FIRE TO THE POINT WHERE THEY BECAME SUCH A HAZARD THAT THEY WERE REMOVED. SO AS MAYOR ALTY HAS MENTIONED, ANYTHING NEW TO ANY OF OUR PARKS, CERTAINLY ISN'T GOING [00:30:08] TO BE A CHANGE IN THE SERVICE STANDARDS. AND WE'D HAVE TO EITHER ADJUST THE PRIORITIES OR RECEIVE MORE RESOURCES TO CARRY OUT THE NECESSARY WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO, YES, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST AND SEE IF ANY OF MY FELLOW COUNCILORS HAVE THE SAME FEEL ON IF WE COULD INCREASE OUR SERVICE LEVEL STANDARD. WE DO USE THE PARKS. WE DO SEE USER GROUPS USING THEM, BUT IT BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE WITH LITTLE KIDS AND CERTAIN USER GROUPS TO BE ABLE TO USE FACILITIES WITH NO WASHROOMS. WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE RUSHING KIDS INTO THE CARS BECAUSE THEY GOT TO RUN TO THE BATHROOM AND THEY GOT TO GO NOW. AND I DON'T THINK AS A CITY, WE WANT TO PUT A STATEMENT THAT, YES, USING THE BUSHES IS WHAT WE WANT TO AS THE GO-TO DURING SPORTS GAMES AND DURING PARK USE. SO I DON'T KNOW IF MY FELLOW COUNCILORS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN US INCREASING OR LOOKING AT WAYS TO INCREASE THE BUDGET SO WE COULD HAVE THESE AMENITIES AVAILABLE AT SOME OF THE PARKS. THANK YOU. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR, WOULD YOUR IDEA BE ALL CLASS A FACILITIES OR MORE SPECIFIC OR BROADER? AND, I GUESS, MS. BASSI-KELLETT HOW DETAILED WOULD YOU LIKE A MOTION FROM COUNCILOR? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE THAT DOES HELP US QUANTIFY. SO IF IT IS FOR ALL OF THOSE PARKS AND WE CAN CERTAINLY, MR. WHITE HAS PROVIDED SORT OF AN OVERVIEW, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY CONFIRM WHAT PARKS ARE IN WHICH CATEGORY AND THEN SEE WHERE COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO GO, WHETHER IT'S ALL PARKS IN ONE CATEGORY, ALL IN ONE AND SOME OF ANOTHER, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO US. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN, THANK YOU, ADMINISTRATION, I THINK FOR ME, IT WOULD BE MORE TRYING TO MAYBE GET INFORMATION ON USAGE. HOW MUCH USAGE IS IT? SO ARE WE SAYING CLASS A PARKS HAVE A GREATER USAGE THAN CLASS B PARKS? AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN, YES, THE DISCUSSION WOULD BE MORE THE CLASS A WOULD PROBABLY BE WHAT WE WOULD BE TARGETING AND THEN MAYBE KIND OF WORK DOWN THE LIST TO MAKE SURE THAT I THINK THE END GOAL WOULD BE TO HAVE AMENITIES AT EVERY PARK, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S FEASIBLE, BUT DEFINITELY BASED ON USAGE. THANK YOU. YEAH, CLASS A ARE HIGHER USE PARKS, WHICH IS WHY THEY'VE BEEN SELECTED FOR THAT HIGHER LEVEL OF CARE, GRANTED, CLASS B STILL HAS LIKE IF WE LOOK AT SOME OF THE PARKS STILL DO GET A BIT OF USE, BUT THEY'RE MORE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS AS OPPOSED TO THOSE CLASS A PARKS ARE THE BIGGER THE SPORTS FIELDS? WELL, SOMBA K'E ALREADY HAS [INAUDIBLE] FOR A PORTION OF THE DAY. SO I'LL COME BACK TO WHETHER WE WANT TO BRING FORWARD A MOTION AND SOME WORDING ON THAT ONE. I'VE GOT COUNCILOR MORGAN, YOU HAD QUESTIONS NEXT. YES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. COUNCILOR MUFANDAEDZA, CERTAINLY ONE OF MY QUESTIONS AROUND HOW WE DETERMINE THE DIFFERENT CLASSES, I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE OF, YOU KNOW, DETERMINING USAGE AND PRIORITY LEVELS. BUT I DID WONDER IN PARTICULAR, SO THE TWIN PINE HILL TRAIL, WHICH IS REASONABLY NEW, I KNOW THE LOOKOUT, IT SAYS IS CLASSIFIED AS CLASS C, AND THEN THE REST OF THE TRAIL WOULD BE CLASS D, AS AND WHEN. I KNOW IT'S RELATIVELY NEW AND SO THERE'S, I THINK STILL SOME EFFORT TO GET MORE PEOPLE EVEN AWARE THAT THE TRAIL IS THERE AND GET MORE PEOPLE USING IT, BUT. I AM CONCERNED THAT I MEAN, A LOT OF MONEY WENT INTO ESTABLISHING THAT TRAIL AND SETTING UP THOSE STAIRWAYS AND THINGS, AND IT SEEMS LIKE MANY PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO WALK THERE IN THE WINTER AND FIND IT PRETTY IMPOSSIBLE, GIVEN THAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT'S NOT MAINTAINED IN THE WINTER. SO, YOU KNOW, NO SNOW CLEARING FROM THE STAIRS AND THAT. AND SO FOR ME, IT WOULD BE DISAPPOINTING IF ALL THAT MONEY WENT INTO THE TRAIL AND THEN IT WAS NOT REALLY USABLE FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR. AND I WONDER IF I GUESS FIRST, WHAT CONSIDERATION WENT INTO MAKING THE TRAIL CLASS D. AND IF IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO CONSIDER CHANGING THE CLASS LEVEL OF THAT TRAIL [00:35:06] ? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BEFORE I HAND IT OVER TO MR. WHITE, I WILL SAY, COUNCILOR MORGAN, IF YOU'RE SPEAKING TO THE TRAIL THERE, LEADS UP FROM FRANKLIN ALONG WITH THE STAIRCASE. THOSE WERE BOTH PUT IN AS A SHORTCUT ACCESS WITH A VERY CLEAR REAFFIRMATION THAT THE MAIN ENTRY TO BE ABLE TO GO UP TO THE LOOKOUT IS THROUGH THE ALONG THE AREA WHERE PEOPLE DRIVE IN OFF OF FORTY FOURTH STREET. SO IF PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE STEEPNESS, WE HAVE NOT MAINTAINED THOSE. WE HAVE NOT HAD THE RESOURCES TO SHOVEL THOSE THE TRAIL OR THE STEPS. AND WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE STRONGLY TO BE ABLE TO USE THE ENTRY WAY THAT COMES IN ACROSS FROM ST. PATRICK'S HIGH SCHOOL WHERE RESIDENTS OF THE SUMMIT DRIVE IN AND COME UP AND THERE IS A WALKWAY THERE THAT YOU CAN WALK ALONG TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE TWIN PINE LOOKOUT. MR. WHITE, I'LL ASK YOU TO SPEAK TO ANYTHING ELSE AROUND THE TWIN PINES AND THE LOOKOUT. YEAH, THANK YOU. I WOULD JUST ADD THAT IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES TO THAT, TO THE STANDARD OF CARE FOR, I GUESS, ANY OF THE AREAS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, IF SOMETHING IS BUMPED UP THEN SOMETHING ELSE HAS TO BE BUMPED BACK. SO, AS I MENTIONED, THE CLASSIFICATION IS LARGELY BASED ON THE EFFECT IT HAS ON THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE USE OF THE AREA. AND I'LL ALSO ADD THAT WHEN THESE AREAS WERE ADDED, COUNCIL AT THE TIME WERE AWARE OF THE SERVICE STANDARD THAT WOULD BE CARRIED OUT. THANK YOU. OK, I MEAN, ONE SUGGESTION I WAS I WAS GOING TO BRING UP IN TERMS OF PULLING BACK ON OTHER WORK ON SOME OF THE SO THAT THE CLASS A PARKS AND SPORTS FIELDS IN THAT. I UNDERSTAND THAT CERTAINLY WE WANT THOSE AREAS TO BE WELL MAINTAINED AND TO BE ESPECIALLY THE SPORTS FIELDS TO BE USABLE AND SAFE. BUT FOR EXAMPLE, ALSO IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THE [INAUDIBLE] FIELD, IT'S DEFINITELY USED FOR SPORTS. BUT THEN THERE'S MANY AREAS ON THE OUTER EDGES THAT ARE NOT USED FOR SPORTS NECESSARILY. BUT THERE'S THE WEEDS THAT GROW ALONG THE FENCE, FOR EXAMPLE. AND I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF ANNOYANCE THIS PAST SUMMER THAT STAFF WERE DILIGENTLY EARLY, EARLY IN THE MORNING OUT WITH THE WEED WHACKERS, WEED WHACKING THE WEEDS ALONG THE FENCE ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND I ASSUME BECAUSE IT'S A HIGHER PRIORITY, SPORTS FIELD AND PARK AND BEAUTIFICATION IS ONE OF THE THINGS ON THE LIST THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND I'M SURE STAFF HAVE MANY, MANY THINGS TO DO AND THEY'RE SUPER BUSY. SO THEY'RE OUT THERE 7:00 A.M. OR SOME DAYS, BEFORE 7:00 A.M. AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, WHILE THE EFFORTS WERE APPRECIATED, MANY PEOPLE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD USE THAT PARK A LOT AND OTHERS FELT THAT WAS NOT AT ALL LIKE A HIGH PRIORITY THING IN TERMS OF ALL OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION SPACES IN TOWN. AND, YOU KNOW, WEEDS ALONG THE FENCES DIDN'T IMPACT THEIR ENJOYMENT OF THAT AT ALL. SO I WONDER IF, WHILE CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE CLASS A PARKS WOULD BE A PRIORITY, YOU KNOW, SAFETY, ET CETERA. MAYBE SOME ASPECTS OF THE BEAUTIFICATION IN SOME PARKS THAT DON'T AFFECT THE USE OF THAT FACILITY COULD BE LESS OF A PRIORITY THAN, SAY, SAFETY ON A CLASS C OR CLASS D PARK. IF, YOU KNOW STAIRS ARE NOT POSSIBLE ON ANOTHER AREA AND THAT'S A SAFETY ISSUE, COULD THAT TAKE PRIORITY? WELL, I GUESS THAT'S A WINTER ISSUE. BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? IF THE BEAUTIFICATION IF SOME OF THOSE ASPECTS ON A CLASS A PARK COULD TAKE LESS PRIORITY THAN JUST SORT OF BASIC MAINTENANCE OF A LOWER CLASS PARK OR, YOU KNOW, EMPTYING THE DUMPSTERS AT ROTARY PARK OR THE GARBAGE CANS AT TINCAN HILL. IF YOU WANT THOSE STAIRS TO BE SHOVELED IN THE WINTER, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BUMP IT UP FROM CLASS D TO CLASS A TO PUT IT ON PAR WITH THE COMMUTER TRAILS OF NIVEN AND FRAME LAKE, WHICH ARE MAINTAINED IN THE WINTER. THE REST OF THE TRAILS AREN'T MAINTAINED IN THE WINTER. SO IF YOU WANT TO PUT THAT MOTION FORWARD, TO BUMP IT FROM CLASS D TO CLASS A, BUT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WEEDING SHOULDN'T HAPPEN AT 7:00 A.M. SHOULD BE LATER IN THE DAY. WELL, I THINK WE'RE GETTING INTO, THE PUN, INTO THE WEEDS. [00:40:05] SO IF WE WANT THE PARK TO BE A CLASS A, WE MARK IT A CLASS A. STAFF GO AND MEET THOSE QUALIFICATIONS. OTHERWISE, WE'D BE DIRECTING THEM AT A MICRO LEVEL. SO IF YOU WANT TO MOVE IT FROM THE TWIN PINE HILL FROM CLASS D TO CLASS A SO THAT THE STAIRS CAN GET DONE IN THE WINTER, THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION. OK, I GUESS I MEAN, I KNOW I'M BEING LONG WINDED, BUT MY SUGGESTION WAS MORE THAT CERTAIN ASPECTS OF PARK MAINTENANCE SHOULD BE DONE ACROSS THE BOARD BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THE DETAILS OF CLASS A PARKS ARE HANDLED. AS OPPOSED TO DOING EVERYTHING PERFECTLY IN A CLASS A PARK, NOT GETTING TO THE CLASS D PARK. DO YOU HAVE A MOTION FOR THAT? I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO THINK SOME MORE. YEAH, BECAUSE WHAT ADMIN IS BRINGING FORWARD IS THAT CLASS A PARKS GET WEEDED AND THE GRASS GETS CUT AND IT GETS SEEDED AND GETS WATERED. IF YOU'RE SAYING STAFF SHOULDN'T BE DOING WEEDING, I THINK WE'LL HEAR A LOT OF COMPLAINTS FROM RESIDENTS AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN LIKE COUNCILOR MORSE'S POINT ABOUT THOSE BUSHES THAT HE'S GETTING HIT BY ARE PROBABLY WEEDS THAT WEREN'T ADDRESSED. YOU KNOW, WILLOWS ARE SOME OF OUR NOTORIOUS WEEDS. SO IF WE'RE TAKING OUT WEEDING, YOU'RE GOING TO GET DANDELIONS. WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM RESIDENTS ON IT. SO IF WE'RE TELLING ADMIN NOT TO WEED, YEAH, BUT IF YOU WANT TO TAKE SOME TIME, THINK ABOUT IT AND THEN BRING FORWARD MOTION WE'LL LOOK TO COUNCILOR PAYNE, OR DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, COUNCILOR PAYNE? THANK YOU, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I KNOW I'VE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH MY--YEAH. OK, PERFECT. [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, GRANT. IT'S GOOD TO KNOW EVERYTHING THAT OUR STAFF GOES THROUGH AND WHAT THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS. I KNOW OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS I'VE BEEN SEEING A DIFFERENCE IN LIKE THE TREES THAT ARE BEING PLANTED AND SORT OF THE PLANTS THAT ARE BEING PLANTED AS WELL. DO WE HAVE A PLAN TO KEEP UP WITH THE LOW MAINTENANCE FOLIAGE, TREES, PLANT CLOVER? I MEAN, I KNOW THAT GROWS PRETTY LOW AND THERE'S VERY LITTLE MAINTENANCE TO IT. SO DO WE HAVE A PLAN TO SORT OF ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE STRAIN THAT THE PARKS PEOPLE HAVE ON THEM BY INCORPORATING EITHER NATURAL NATURAL PLANTS, NATURAL TREES THAT ARE THAT ARE GOING TO THRIVE IN THIS AREA? I MEAN, WE ALL KNOW THAT SOMETIMES IF YOU WANT TO KILL A TREE YOU JUST PLANT IT ON THAT [INAUDIBLE] DOWN BETWEEN THE ARENA AND THE FIRE HALL, AND THAT'S WHERE TREES GO TO DIE. SO DO WE HAVE A PLAN TO PUT THINGS THERE THAT WILL BE EASIER FOR OUR CLIMATE? THE GOLD MINING EQUIPMENT. MS. BASSI-KELLETT, I THINK THIS WAS PART OF THAT MOTION WHEN WE [INAUDIBLE] PLANTS THAT ARE NATIVE TO THE AREA. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, AND THANKS COUNCILOR PAYNE [INAUDIBLE] RAISING THIS. I'M SO IMPRESSED WITH THE WORK THAT COMMUNITY SERVICES HAS DONE CERTAINLY LAST YEAR IN MOVING TOWARDS MORE INNOVATIVE NATURAL SPECIES PERENNIALS, MORE SO THAN ANNUALS. CERTAINLY WE WANT TO KEEP UP ANNUALS. SOME OF THOSE FLOWERS ARE JUST SO BEAUTIFUL TO SEE. BUT IF THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN GROW AND LAST YEAR WE HAD SOME SUCCESS WITH RASPBERRIES, WE HAD SOME SUCCESS WITH SOME OTHER FOOD AS WELL AS THINGS TO GROW. ASK MR. WHITE TO SPEAK TO THIS, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY, AND CLOVER WAS A BIG ONE FOR US, SO WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT CAN KEEP SPACE GREEN, HEALTHY, BE GOOD FOR BEES AND [INAUDIBLE] MAINTENANCE. OVER TO YOU, GRANT. THANK YOU, MS. BASSI-KELLETT. YES, YOU WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE MEDIAN ACROSS FROM THE [INAUDIBLE] FIRE HALL WAS PLANTED WITH CLOVER. THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DONE TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF MOWING THAT WAS REQUIRED. THE TREES THAT WERE PUT IN THAT AREA ORIGINALLY SURVIVED QUITE WELL. THEY CAME UNDER SOME DIFFERENT STRESSES THAT THEY HAVE DISAPPEARED AND THEN THE NEW ONES THAT WERE PUT IN WERE PUT IN IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEIR ROOTS HAVE A MUCH MORE FERTILE AREA [00:45:03] TO GROW AND SPREAD FOR HEALTHY TREES. WE CONTINUE TO INCREASE OUR PLANTING OF EDIBLES WITHIN THE VARIOUS FLOWER BEDS, PARTICULARLY AROUND CITY HALL AND EVEN UP IN SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME WITH MORE OF AN EMPHASIS IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS FOR SURE. YEAH, I THINK [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU. OK, THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND I KNOW LIKE AT FRITZ AND TOMMY FORREST, WE ACTUALLY THE USER GROUPS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S CONTRACTED OUT BY THE CITY OR CONTRACTED OUT BY THE USER GROUP ITSELF TO DO THE MAINTENANCE ON THE FIELDS, IS THAT A POSSIBILITY FOR SOME OF THE COURTS AND OTHER FIELDS IN TOWN TO CONTRACT THE MAINTENANCE OUT TO THE USER GROUPS INSTEAD OF PUTTING IT ALL ON CITY STAFF? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. MR. WHITE. THANK YOU. THE CITY HAS ENTERED INTO LETTERS OF UNDERSTANDING WITH YELLOWKNIFE FASTBALL. SO MEN'S FASTBALL AND NOW THERE'S [INAUDIBLE] PITCH FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF FRITZ THEIL AND THE TOMMY FORREST AREA. SO BASICALLY FROM MAY UNTIL SEPTEMBER, THOSE AREAS ARE MAINTAINED BY THE GROUPS AND IN RETURN, THERE ARE NO USER FEES PAYABLE FOR THE CITY. THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE YELLOWKNIFE TENNIS CLUB AND THE CITY WHEREAS THE TENNIS CLUB WILL LOCK AND UNLOCK THE TENNIS COURTS. ACCORDING TO THE PARKS [INAUDIBLE], WHICH IS LOCKED AT 11, OPEN UP AT 7:00 A.M. AND THE TENNIS CLUB ALSO DOES THE MAINTENANCE ON THE NIVEN TENNIS COURTS AND THE CITY WILL DO THE MAINTENANCE ON THE OTHER ONES. SO WE DO HAVE THOSE ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE. FOR SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS, THEY ARE NOT EXCLUSIVE USE, SO IT'D BE VERY DIFFICULT TO HAVE ONE GROUP MAINTAIN IT AND THEN HAVE OTHER GROUPS ON THERE AS WELL. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THERE'S THE MAINTENANCE OF CARE THAT IS REQUIRED AS WELL. THE CITY HAS PUT IN A LOT OF CAPITAL DOLLARS TO UPGRADE SOME OF THE AREAS. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE MAINTAINED TO A HIGHER STANDARD AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ACTUALLY BE THERE FOR LIFE EXPECTANCY OR EXCEED IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THAT'S ALL FOR NOW. THANK YOU. AND SO COUNCILOR MUFANDAEDZA'S MOTION WOULD BE TO DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO COME BACK WITH A COST ESTIMATE FOR HAVING WASHROOM FACILITIES AT ALL CLASS A PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS AND SPORTS FIELDS. IF THERE'S GENERAL SUPPORT, THIS CAN COME FORWARD TO OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH IS MAY 10TH. AND YOU CAN SPEAK TO IT MORE AT THAT TIME OR IF YOU'D LIKE, YOU CAN SPEAK TO WHETHER YOU'RE SUPPORTIVE OF IT NOW. LITTLE CREEPING HEAD COMING IN. SO, IT'LL BE FOR THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? COUNCILOR KONGE? THANK YOU. JUST A QUESTION REGARDING THESE WASHROOMS. AT THIS TIME, IS THERE ANYTHING, LIKE, IF A USER GROUP WANTED TO, FOR EXAMPLE, GET THEIR OWN PORTA-POTTY AND PUT IT OUT AT A FACILITY, WHAT HURDLES WOULD THEY HAVE TO JUMP OVER IN ORDER TO DO THAT? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANKS VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH THERE ARE WHEN PORTA-POTTIES ARE ON PUBLIC PARKS THAT ARE OWNED BY THE CITY, IF THEY'RE KNOCKED DOWN, IF THEY'RE VANDALIZED, OFTEN WE KNOW THAT USER GROUPS ARE PRETTY STRESSED. THEY'RE FULL OF A LOT OF VOLUNTEERS. AND IF SOMETHING IS DOWN FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, IT CAN BE PROBLEMATIC. AND WE WOULD TYPICALLY NEED TO GO IN IF IT'S ON OUR LAND TO FIX UP. SO THERE ARE CONCERNS AROUND THAT. AND WE UNDERSTAND APPRECIATE THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT TAKING STEPS TO TAKE THINGS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS. BUT IT WOULD TYPICALLY END UP THAT THE CITY WOULD LIKELY NEED TO BE THE ONE STEPPING IN TO DEAL WITH IN A TIMELY WAY. I'LL ASK MR. BOYD IF HE'D LIKE TO ADD TO THIS. MS. BASSI-KELLETT, I THINK I WOULD ADD THAT OR JUST REITERATE, I GUESS, THE ISSUES OF VANDALISM, WE KNOW FROM PAST EXPERIENCE THAT SOME OF THESE AMENITIES ARE HIGH TARGETS FOR [00:50:02] THOSE INTERESTED IN BEING DISRUPTIVE AND HAVING THE AMENITIES OR FACILITIES THAT ARE NOT MAINTAINED BY THE CITY WILL HAVE A HUGE POTENTIAL TO EITHER DETRACT OR ADD UNNECESSARY WORK THAT IS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR. THANK YOU. THANKS. I MEAN, I CAN APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I THINK THAT THERE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE FAIRLY EASY TO TELL A USER GROUP THAT YOU CAN PUT A PORTA POTTY THERE. IT CAN BE YOUR PORTA POTTY IF YOU DON'T WANT THE PUBLIC USING IT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PROPERLY AND GIVE THEM A TEMPLATE, HAVE SIGNAGE ON THERE THAT SAYS THIS PORTA POTTY IS FOR SUCH AND SUCH USER GROUP. WHEN THEY'RE NOT THERE, THEY CAN LOCK IT AND THE SAME TIME SAY THAT IF THEY'RE PORTA POTTY, YOU KNOW, ISN'T KEPT TO A CERTAIN STANDARD, IT WILL BE REMOVED AT THEIR EXPENSE. SO, I MEAN, I THINK. YOU KNOW, I'M MORE IN SUPPORT OF THAT OF MAKING THE USER GROUPS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR PORTA POTTIES THAN I AM, THAT THE CITY GETS PORTA POTTIES OUT THERE AND. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I FEEL THAT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE, AS SOON AS WE PUT A PORTA POTTY IN ONE PART, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE COMING AND SAYING, WELL, THIS IS THE PART THAT WE USE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE WALK THERE AND WE WOULD LIKE A PORTA POTTY THERE. AND I THINK THAT YOU WOULD SEE THAT WE WOULD HAVE PORTA POTTIES IN PRETTY MUCH EVERY PARK IN THE CITY TO MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY, WHERE IF THE USER GROUPS ARE WILLING TO TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEM AND WE MAKE THE THRESHOLD TO DO SO AT A REASONABLE LEVEL, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD BE MUCH MORE IN SUPPORT OF. THAT WOULD BE SOME ADMINISTRATIVE WORK, OBVIOUSLY, TO GET, YOU KNOW, A STANDARD DOCUMENT PUT TOGETHER OR USER GROUPS AND HAVE A STANDARD THAT THE CITY EXPECTS THEM TO MAINTAIN IT TO, AND THEN IF THEY DON'T DO IT, THEY LOSE IT. SO, I'M NOT IN SUPPORT OF COUNCILOR MUFANDAEDZA'S MOTION AT THIS TIME. I WOULD MUCH PREFER THAT WE PUSH THIS OVER TO THE USER GROUPS TO PAY. YEAH, THAT'S MY TWO CENTS, WORDS, ON IT. MS. BASSI-KELLETT I KNOW TOURNAMENTS, THEY BRING IN PORTA POTTIES, THAT'S FINE, AND I KNOW THERE'S A SUMMER CAMP THAT ALSO HAS A PORTA POTTY, WHICH THEY LOCK UP WHEN THEY LEAVE AT 5:00 P.M. SO ARE WE ENTERING INTO AGREEMENTS OR IS IT JUST BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN RESPONSIBLE USERS AND HAVE ALWAYS KEPT THEIR PORTA POTTIES IN GOOD MAINTENANCE THAT WE'VE LET IT CONTINUE ON? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. AND YES, BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO MR. WHITE TO SPEAK TO, I WILL SAY THAT WE'VE HAD REALLY SUCCESSFUL RELATIONS WITH USER GROUPS. ONE CHALLENGE THAT I WOULD SEE IS THAT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN CERTAIN SPORTS ARE NOT ALWAYS AT THE SAME FIELD. THERE ARE DIFFERENT FIELDS BASED ON RESERVATIONS AND DIFFERENT TIMES BASED ON AVAILABILITY. SO THAT COULD BE A BIT OF A PROBLEM. IF YOU'RE A SPORTS GROUP THAT SAYS, GREAT, WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR AND MAINTAIN A PORTA POTTY AT LOCATION X. BUT THEY ARE ALSO USING AND HAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM OTHER FIELDS BASED ON OTHER BOOKINGS, OTHER RENTAL REQUIREMENTS THAT GO ON AS WELL. SO WE HAVE HAD GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH USER GROUPS WHEN THEY ARE PUTTING ON EVENTS. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. IT IS AN ONGOING THING WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE COW TIPPING. THERY'RE TOO TEMPTING, IF THEY'RE OUT THERE ALL THE TIME AND THEY'RE A GREAT TARGET FOR PEOPLE THAT LIKE TO GET UP TO MISCHIEF. SO, MR. WHITE, OVER TO YOU. YEAH, I WOULD ADD FOR THE TOURNAMENTS THEY'RE PLACED THERE ON A SHORT TERM BASIS, TYPICALLY FROM LIKE MAYBE A FRIDAY TO A SUNDAY, PICKED UP MONDAY MORNING BY THE COMPANY. SO WE DON'T NEED TO ENTER INTO ANY KIND OF ADDITIONAL AGREEMENT FOR THOSE SHORT TERM USES. AND THEY'VE BEEN PREDOMINANTLY HAVE NOT BEEN AN ISSUE FOR VANDALISM OR [INAUDIBLE]. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MUFANDAEDZA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF RESPOND TO THE DISCUSSION ON VARIOUS GROUPS COMING TO SAY, REQUEST PORTA POTTIES OR I MEAN, REQUEST VARIOUS USER GROUPS PUTTING PORTA POTTIES OR WASHROOMS AT FACILITIES. I MEAN, MY DISCUSSION IS MORE ON HOW MANY WASHROOMS CAN A FACILITY TAKE? IF YOU HAVE FIVE USER GROUPS THAN IS THE DISCUSSION THAT WE WOULD HAVE FIVE DIFFERENT PORTA POTTIES. AND MY THOUGHT IS, AS A CITY, WHAT IS OUR SERVICE LEVEL STANDARD? MY THOUGHT HAD BEEN THAT WE EVENTUALLY SHOULD BE MOVING TOWARDS HAVING WASH ROOMS [00:55:02] AVAILABLE. WE DO KNOW THAT WASHROOMS ARE A NECESSITY IN THE CITY, JUST AS GARBAGE CANS ARE. SO IF WE'RE SAYING, WELL, IF WE PUT ONE AT ONE PARK, THEN OTHERS ARE GOING TO COME. YES, WE NEED TO HAVE RESTROOMS AT EVERY PARK, IDEALLY, WE PROBABLY CAN'T DO IT RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE WHAT I WOULD SEE THE CITY GOING TOWARDS, BECAUSE IT IS A NECESSITY. WE SEE KIDS USING THE BUSHES. I DON'T THINK I WANT TO SEE THAT. WE SEE ADULTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE USING BUSHES ALL THE TIME. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT THE CITY IS LOOKING AT SETTING AS A STANDARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YEAH, AND IN TALKING TO A FEW USER GROUPS THIS WEEKEND, THEY SAID, YOU KNOW, IF YOU OFFER THAT INCREASED SERVICE, THE EXPENSE TO RENT THE FIELD COULD ALSO GO UP TO OFFSET THE COST SO THAT IT IS COST NEUTRAL TAXPAYERS. SO I AM INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD COST FOR PORTA POTTIES AND WHETHER WE END UP PUTTING IT AT ALL THE CLASS A PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS AND SPORTS COURTS AND FACILITIES. PERHAPS IT'S TO THE RENTAL ONES AND THAT THE USER CHARGE DOES GO UP THAT YEAR TO OFFSET THE INCREASED EXPENSES, BUT SUPPORTIVE OF IT AS PRESENTED. ANYTHING FURTHER FROM COUNCILOR BEFORE WE MOVE ON, ANY QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, THANKS AGAIN TO ADMIN FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. IT'S NICE TO GET THOSE SERVICE LEVELS OUT THERE SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE THEM AND KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE. [5. A memorandum regarding the 2021 COVID Safe Restart Funding Opportunities.] MEMORANDUM REGARDING THE 2021 COVID SAFE RESTART FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH THANKS TO THE FEDERAL AND--YES, COUNCILOR KONGE, THANKS FOR [INAUDIBLE]. AND IT'S THE LAST ONE ON OUR AGENDA. SO I'M GOING TO POP RIGHT OFF THE LINE. HAVE A GOOD WEEK, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. YOU TOO. YES. SO THANKS TO THE FEDERAL AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT FOR SOME EXTRA FUNDING THIS YEAR. MS. BASSI-KELLETT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO INTRODUCE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. YES, IN 2020, THE CITY RECEIVED ONE TIME FUNDING OF ONE POINT FIVE SIX MILLION DOLLARS IN COVID RELIEF FUNDING THAT WAS FLOWED THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF MUNICIPAL AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS. AND IT WAS ON BEHALF OF THE GNWT AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND LUCKY US, IN APRIL 2021, WE GOT WORD FROM [INAUDIBLE] THAT WE WOULD BE RECEIVING A SECOND COVID ONE TIME SUPPORT OF SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. SO GIVEN THE CITY'S PRUDENT FINANCIAL POSITION, AS DEMONSTRATED IN OUR 2020 AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, ADMINISTRATION IS PROPOSING THE COUNCIL CONSIDER OPTIONS FOR SPENDING THE SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, SPENDING IT IN WAYS THAT ALIGN WITH THE PRESSURES AND PRIORITIES IN THE COMMUNITY AT THIS TIME. AND CERTAINLY IN OUR DISCUSSIONS ON THESE OPTIONS, WE HAVE FLAGGED THESE TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, YELLOWKNIFE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND ARE VERY PLEASED THAT THEY HAVE SOUGHT TO ENGAGE AT THIS TIME. I WILL TURN THINGS OVER TO SHAROLYNN WOODWARD TO PRESENT AT A HIGH LEVEL ON ADMINISTRATION'S CONSIDERATIONS OF ALL THE OPTIONS WE LOOKED AT AND THE ONES THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. BASSI-KELLETT. I'M JUST WAITING FOR SOMEONE WITH THE POWER TO MAKE ME PRESENTER, PLEASE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT ANNOUNCED, THE CITY HAS RECENTLY RECEIVED 2021 COVID SAFE RESTART FUNDING. AND I'M HERE TODAY TO PRESENT YOU WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USING THE FUNDING TO ENSURE MAXIMUM BENEFITS FOR THE CITY, ITS RESIDENTS AND ITS BUSINESSES. THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AND THE GNWT HAVE PARTNERED TO HELP MUNICIPALITIES SAFELY RESTART THEIR ECONOMIES AND MAKE THEIR COMMUNITIES MORE RESILIENT TO POSSIBLE FUTURE SURGES IN CASES OF COVID-19. THIS MEANS THE CITY WILL RECEIVE JUST OVER SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS IN 2021 FOR THESE PURPOSES, WHEN LOOKING AT HOW BEST TO UTILIZE THESE FUNDS TO MAXIMIZE THEIR BENEFIT TO YELLOWKNIFERS, ADMINISTRATION IDENTIFIED THREE KEY CONSIDERATIONS THAT ESSENTIALLY ESTABLISHED A FRAMEWORK TO GUIDE THE DECISION MAKING. IN MAY 2020, WHEN COVID WAS STILL RELATIVELY NEW COUNCIL ENDORSED KEY PLANNING PRINCIPLES [01:00:07] THAT ESTABLISHED GUIDING CONCEPTS FOR FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING. AND AS COMMITTEE SAW LAST WEEK, FOLLOWING THESE PRINCIPLES AND APPLYING PRUDENT FISCAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, COMBINED WITH TIMELY GRANTS FROM OTHER ORDERS OF GOVERNMENT, ENABLED THE CITY TO CLOSE OUT 2020 IN A STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION. THIS ALLOWS US TO LOOK FORWARD AND PLAN FOR THE PRESENT AND FUTURE, KNOWING THAT THE FINANCES OF THE PAST ARE IN HAND. SO AS WE LOOKED AHEAD TO DETERMINE HOW BEST TO USE THIS FUNDING TO MAXIMIZE ITS BENEFITS, ADMINISTRATION IDENTIFIED THREE MAIN REQUIREMENTS. THE PREFERRED OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE THOSE THAT PROVIDE A BROAD BENEFIT TO A CROSS-SECTION OF RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN YELLOWKNIFE. THE PREFERRED OPPORTUNITIES WILL PROVIDE BENEFITS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO LAST FOR A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME AND PERHAPS EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, NOT CREATE LARGER ISSUES DOWN THE ROAD. AND FURTHERMORE, THE PREFERRED OPPORTUNITIES WILL BALANCE BENEFITS THAT OUR BACK OF HOUSE. THAT IS THOSE THAT ARE INTERNAL TO THE CITY'S OPERATIONS WITH THOSE THAT ARE IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE IN BENEFITS THAT ARE DIRECTLY OBSERVED OR EXPERIENCED BY THE CITY'S RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES. IN ORDER TO CAST A BROAD NET IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES, ADMINISTRATION LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF MEASURES AND ACTIONS IT COULD TAKE TO USE THIS NEW FUNDING. THESE INCLUDED WAIVING PARKING METER FEES AND USING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE FUNDING TO COVER THE REVENUE SHORTFALL. COMMITTEE WILL RECALL THAT PARKING METER FEES WERE WAIVED IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE PANDEMIC FROM MARCH TWENTY THIRD TO JULY 1ST, 2020, TO BE EXACT. TO PROVIDE SOME RELIEF FOR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES AS THE COMMUNITY CAME TO GRIPS WITH THE INITIAL IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC. THIS MEASURE RESULTED IN RELATED REVENUES, BOTH PARKING METER PAYMENTS AND FINES BEING ABOUT THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS LOWER THAN THE AVERAGE OF THE THREE PREVIOUS YEARS. SO BASED ON MONTHLY AVERAGES FROM TWENTY SEVENTEEN TO TWENTY NINETEEN, WAIVING PARKING METER FEES FOR THE BALANCE OF 2021, THAT BEING SAID, JUNE THROUGH DECEMBER WOULD REDUCE THE CITY'S REVENUES IN THAT AREA BY ABOUT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS. POSSIBILITIES ALSO INCLUDED WAIVING INTEREST AND PENALTY CHARGES ON OVERDUE PROPERTY TAX AND UTILITY ACCOUNTS AND USING SOME OF THE FUNDING TO COVER THE REVENUE SHORTFALL. AS WITH THE PARKING METERS, THIS WAS A RELIEF MEASURE THAT THE CITY INSTITUTED AT THE ONSET OF THE PANDEMIC, NO INTEREST WAS CHARGED ON OVERDUE ACCOUNTS BETWEEN MARCH TWENTY THIRD AND DECEMBER THIRTY FIRST 2020, RESULTING IN REVENUES THAT WERE ALMOST THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS LOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S. SO BASED ON AVERAGES, AGAIN, FROM TWENTY SEVENTEEN TO TWENTY NINETEEN, WAIVING INTEREST CHARGES FOR THE BALANCE OF 2021 COULD REDUCE REVENUES BY UP TO TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY IS SKIPPING THE ANNUAL THREE PERCENT INCREASE IN COMMUNITY SERVICES FEES IN 2021 AND USING PART OF THE FUNDING TO OFFSET THE SHORTFALL. THIS COULD BE SEEN AS PROVIDING A REPRIEVE FOR USERS OF THE CITY'S FACILITIES AND RECREATION PROGRAMS AND WOULD REDUCE REVENUES BY ABOUT 70 THOUSAND DOLLARS COMPARED TO BUDGET 2020. ADMINISTRATION ALSO LOOKED AT REDUCING THE 2021 PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. AS COMMITTEE WILL RECALL, WHEN COUNCIL APPROVED BUDGET 2021, IT DID SO WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT PROPERTY TAXES WOULD NEED TO INCREASE BY ABOUT TWO POINT FIVE PERCENT IN 2021 TO MEET THE REVENUE REQUIREMENTS INHERENT IN BUDGET 2021. THIS 2.5 PERCENT INCREASE IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE ALMOST EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS IN MUNICIPAL TAXATION REVENUES. WHEN ADMINISTRATION LOOKED AT THESE POSSIBILITIES WITHIN ITS EVALUATION FRAMEWORK, IT DETERMINED THAT USING THE 2021 COVID RESTART, FUNDING FOR THESE MEASURES DOES NOT REALLY PROVIDE THE BEST OVERALL BENEFIT FOR YELLOWKNIFES. REPLACING REVENUES LOST BY WAIVING PARKING METER FEES IS NOT RECOMMENDED AT THIS TIME BECAUSE MOST DOWNTOWN EMPLOYEES HAVE NOW RETURNED TO THEIR OFFICES. WELL, MAYBE NOT THIS MORNING, BUT UP UNTIL TODAY. AND BECAUSE THIS MEASURE DOES NOT ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO CONSIDER ALTERNATE FORMS OF [01:05:01] TRANSPORTATION LIKE WALKING, BIKING OR TAKING THE BUS. FURTHERMORE, BECAUSE TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF PARKING METER REVENUES ARE TRANSFERRED TO THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT RESERVES. REDUCTIONS IN THIS REVENUE ALSO HAVE LONGER TERM IMPACTS ON THIS IMPORTANT RESERVE. REPLACING REVENUES LOST BY WAIVING INTEREST AND PENALTIES ON PROPERTY TAX AND UTILITY ACCOUNTS IS ALSO NOT RECOMMENDED AT THIS TIME. WHILE WAIVING INTEREST CHARGE REPRESENTS A RELATIVELY LOW RISK FOR THE CITY AS OVERDUE UTILITY BILL AMOUNTS ARE TRANSFERRED TO THE ASSOCIATED TAX ROLL AT YEAR-END TO BECOME PART OF THE TAX ARREARS ARREARS THAT THE CITY CAN SELL A PROPERTY TO RECOVER. THIS OPTION COMES WITH A MUCH BIGGER RISK FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY ACCUMULATE UNMANAGEABLE ACCOUNTS OWING AND OF COURSE, IT CREATES A GREAT DEAL OF ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEAD. WHILE SKIPPING THE THREE PERCENT INCREASE IN COMMUNITY SERVICES FEES WOULD KEEP FEES AT 2020 LEVELS, THE ANNUAL FEE INCREASES ARISING FROM THIS ARE RELATIVELY MINOR. FOR EXAMPLE. THE THREE PERCENT INCREASE IN 2020 MEANT ARENA ICE RENTAL INCREASES RANGED FROM A HIGH OF SEVEN DOLLARS AND TWENTY FIVE CENTS INCREASE PER HOUR, THAT BEING FOR A NEW ADULT [INAUDIBLE] WHICH WENT FROM TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS AN HOUR TO TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY NINE DOLLARS AND SEVENTY FIVE CENTS AN HOUR TO A TWO DOLLAR INCREASE FOR NON-PRIMETIME YOUTH RENTALS, WHICH WENT FROM 70 DOLLARS AND 50 CENTS AN HOUR TO SEVENTY TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS AN HOUR. AT THE FIELDHOUSE, THE THREE PERCENT INCREASE IN 2020 MEANT COMMERCIAL OR FOR-PROFIT GROUPS PAID RENTAL FEES OF THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE DOLLARS AND TWENTY FIVE CENTS AN HOUR INSTEAD OF REMAINDERED AND SEVENTY FOUR DOLLARS AN HOUR, A DIFFERENCE OF 11 DOLLARS AND 25 CENTS, WHILE OFF SEASON YOUTH RENTALS WENT FROM THIRTY THREE DOLLARS AN HOUR, THIRTY FOUR DOLLARS AN HOUR. OVER AT THE POOL, 2020 INCREASES RANGED FROM 18 DOLLARS AND 50 CENTS FOR AN ADULT FLEXI PASS FOR ONE YEAR, WHICH WENT FROM SIX HUNDRED AND NINETEEN DOLLARS AND SEVENTY FIVE CENTS TO SIX HUNDRED AND THIRTY EIGHT DOLLARS AND TWENTY FIVE CENTS. THE INCREASE RANGED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO TWENTY FIVE CENTS FOR A PRESCHOOL SINGLE ADMISSION, WHICH INCREASED FROM FOUR DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS TO FOUR DOLLARS AND SEVENTY FIVE CENTS. AND EVEN THIS INCREMENTAL RELIEF WOULD BE SHORT LIVED AS THE NEED TO KEEP PACE WITH INCREASING COSTS WOULD LIKELY MEAN A MORE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE, PROBABLY IN THE BALLPARK OF SIX PERCENT WILL BE NEEDED IN 2022. FURTHERMORE, COUNCIL'S ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THESE CONSIDERATIONS WAS REFLECTED IN ITS MAY 2020 MOTION. WHEREIN COUNCIL DIRECTED ADMINISTRATION TO MAINTAIN THE TRADITIONAL THREE PERCENT INCREASE ACROSS ALL COMMUNITY SERVICES IN 2020. THEREFORE, USING THE COVID RELIEF FUNDING IN 2021 TO POSTPONE THE COMMUNITY SERVICE FEE INCREASES IS NOT RECOMMENDED AT THIS TIME. IF THE FUNDING IS USED TO OFFSET THE 2.5 PERCENT PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, IT WILL PROVIDE A NEAR-TERM BENEFIT TO PROPERTY OWNERS. WHILE, WE DON'T HAVE FINAL NUMBERS YET, FOR A SIMPLE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY ASSESSED AT FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, THE PROJECTED TWO POINT FIVE PERCENT INCREASE IS EXPECTED TO AMOUNT TO JUST SHY OF SIX DOLLARS A MONTH. WHILE MUNICIPAL TAXES FOR A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ASSESSED AT A MILLION DOLLARS WOULD INCREASE BY JUST UNDER TWENTY SIX DOLLARS A MONTH. EVEN THIS RELIEF WOULD BE SHORT LIVED IN THE SENSE THAT THE 2022 PROPERTY TAX INCREASE WOULD EFFECTIVELY HAVE TO REFLECT TWO YEARS OF TAX INCREASES. AND AS IT IS CURRENTLY FORECASTED, TAX INCREASE FOR 2022 IS ALREADY SITTING AT TEN POINT THIRTY SEVEN PERCENT. AND THAT WAS ASSUMING THAT THIS YEAR'S 2.5 PERCENT [INAUDIBLE]. THEREFORE, IT'S NOT RECOMMENDED THAT THE COVID RELIEF MONEY BE USED TO OFFSET THIS PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. THESE INCLUDE RELIEF FOR THE BUSINESSES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN MONITORING COVID RELIEF MEASURES IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AND ONE THAT HAS BEEN QUITE POPULAR FOCUSES ON BUSINESS LICENSE FEES. SOME MUNICIPALITIES HAVE WAIVED THEM ALTOGETHER, WHILE OTHERS HAVE REDUCED THEM. [01:10:01] IF THE CITY WERE TO WAIVE ALL OR PART OF THESE FEES AND ALLOCATE PART OF THE COVID FUNDING TO COVER THESE LOST REVENUES, IT COULD PROVIDE ALL BUSINESSES SOME RELIEF ON BUSINESS LICENSE COSTS, WHICH CURRENTLY RANGE FROM THIRTY FIVE DOLLARS FOR RESIDENT CHRISTMAS TREE VENDORS TO TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR TRANSIENT VENDORS, WITH THE VAST MAJORITY OF FEES COMING IN RIGHT AT THE TWO HUNDRED DOLLAR MARK. THIS COULD BE COMBINED WITH INCREASED INCENTIVES FOR BUSINESSES PAID FOR FROM THIS COVID RESTART FUNDING. FUNDING FOR ENTREPRENEURS LOOKING TO FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO EXPAND THEIR REACH OR THEIR BUSINESSES WITHIN THE COVID RESTRICTIONS. IT COULD BE SIMILAR TO THE PATIO PROGRAM, WHICH ORIGINALLY ASSISTED DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES WITH DEVELOPING OUTSIDE SPACE FOR SUMMER SEASON, AND IT WAS EXPANDED LAST YEAR TO APPLY TO ALL BUSINESSES IN ALL LOCATIONS LOOKING TO MAKE USE OF OUTDOOR SPACE TO HELP THEM COMPLY WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS. THIS YEAR, THE INCENTIVES COULD BE EVEN FURTHER BROADENED OR EXPANDED, ONE POSSIBILITY, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WAS SUGGESTED BY THE ILLINOIS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WAS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES LOOKING TO ESTABLISH AN ONLINE PRESENCE DURING THESE DIFFICULT TIMES. THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE CONSIDERED ALSO INCLUDED PROVIDING ENCOURAGEMENT TO PROPERTY OWNERS WANTING TO PURSUE PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS, PROBABLY THROUGH SOME TYPE OF REDUCTION IN PERMITTING FEES. FOR EXAMPLE, PROJECTS LIKE ADDING A DECK TO CREATE ADDITIONAL LIVING SPACE IN RESPONSE TO MORE STAY AT HOME TIME OR RENOVATING A HAIR SALON TO ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL CLIENTS WHILE STILL MEETING COVID RESTRICTIONS. THESE ARE ENHANCEMENTS THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. THE CITY COULD OPT TO USE SOME OF THE FUNDING TO OFFSET REVENUES LOST BY WAIVING OR REDUCING PERMITTING FEES TO ENCOURAGE THESE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT. OF COURSE, IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO PLACE SPECIFIC PARAMETERS ON THIS TO ENSURE RELIEF REACHES THOSE IT IS INTENDED TO PERHAPS BY INSTITUTING CAPS ON PROJECT VALUES AND EXCLUDING CERTAIN TYPES OF PROJECTS AND ALSO PROVIDING THE RELIEF ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS, JUST IN CASE THERE'S AN UNEXPECTEDLY LARGE UPTAKE ON THIS OPPORTUNITY. AS COMMITTEE WILL RECALL, REACHING HOME FUNDING HAS BEEN USED RECENTLY TO EXPAND THE HOURS OF OPERATION OF THE SOMBA K'E WASHROOM IN THE PARK. HOWEVER, THIS RUNS OUT THE END OF JUNE, SO PART OF THIS LATEST COVID RESTART MONEY COULD BE USED TO CONTINUE EXTENDED HOURS THROUGH THE END OF 2021. THIS WILL BENEFIT A LARGE CROSS-SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING FAMILIES TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE PARKS AND TRAILS IN THE AREA. THE COMMUNICATIONS FUNCTION WAS SIGNIFICANTLY STRETCHED BY THE INCREASED REQUIREMENTS ENCOUNTERED AS THE CITY NAVIGATED ITS WAY THROUGH THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC. YET THE TEAM WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND TO KEEP RESIDENTS INFORMED OF FACILITY CLOSINGS AND OPENINGS AND ALTERED HOURS AND MODIFIED RULES. AND AS WERE REMINDED OVER THE WEEKEND, IT WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO SO AS CONDITIONS EVOLVE. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS FUNCTIONS, AND THERE ARE SEVERAL LARGE PROJECTS ON THE HORIZON FOR 2021, INCLUDING THE AQUATIC CENTER, THE REFERENDUM, THE ZONING BYLAW THAT ALL HAVE HEAVY COMMUNICATION REQUIREMENTS. ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN 2021 WILL ENABLE THE CITY TO LEVERAGE OTHER FUNDING TO HIGHER RESOURCES, TO ASSIST WITH THE WORKLOAD AND TO OUTSOURCE SPECIALIZED SERVICES LIKE GRAPHIC DESIGN, THUS ENHANCING THE REACH AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TEAM AND ALLOWING THEM TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THEIR LONGER TERM INITIATIVES, LIKE THE CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN THAT WAS SET ASIDE IN LIGHT OF THE INCREASED DEMANDS CREATED BY COVID. THROUGHOUT 2020, THE CITY REACTED AND REALLOCATED IN RESPONSE TO THE CHANGING REQUIREMENTS AND DEMANDS OF COVID. CONSEQUENTLY, SOME PLANNED WORK WAS NOT ADDRESSED OR NOT ADDRESSED TO THE EXTENT IT COULD HAVE BEEN. SOME OF THE COVID RESTART FUNDING COULD BE USED TO HIRE STUDENTS TO HELP THESE DIVISIONS CATCH UP A BIT, BECOME MORE EFFICIENT, AND TO SUPPORT OTHER DIVISIONS AS THEY WORK TO MAINTAIN ENHANCED SERVICES. FOR EXAMPLE, THE FINAL STAGES OF THE COLD STORAGE FACILITY AT CITY STORES WERE PLACED ON HOLD LAST YEAR BECAUSE STAFF WERE FULLY OCCUPIED SOURCING, ORDERING AND RECEIVING ALL OF [01:15:01] THE NEW PRODUCTS NECESSITATED BY COVID FACE MASKS, HAND SANITIZER, PPE AND SO ON. A SUMMER STUDENT THIS YEAR COULD WRAP UP THIS PROJECT. ADDITIONAL SUMMER STUDENTS TO SUPPORT THE PARKS FUNCTION WOULD ENABLE COMMUNITY SERVICES TO INVEST MORE TIME AND ATTENTION THIS SUMMER TO THE CITY'S PARKS, TRAILS AND GREEN SPACES, MAKING THEM ALL MORE ENJOYABLE FOR ALL RESIDENTS. A SUMMER STUDENT IN CITY HALL COULD PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE BY HANDLING RECEPTION AND ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS, PAYMENTS, FILING, MAIL PROCESSING. THIS WILL BE PARTICULARLY BENEFICIAL IF WE FIND THAT PERMANENT STAFF ARE NOT AVAILABLE. SIMILARLY, SUMMER STUDENTS HELP TO SCAN PAPER DOCUMENTS INTO THE CITIES DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WOULD GO A LONG WAYS TO MAKING MORE INFORMATION MORE READILY ACCESSIBLE AND ELIMINATING BOXES UPON BOXES OF PAPER. AS WELL, THE ASSET MANAGEMENT FUNCTION IS WRAPPING UP QUICKLY, AND ADDITIONAL PERSON POWER TO SCAN DOCUMENTS AND DRAWINGS, POPULATE THE ASSET REGISTRY AND COLLECT GEOSPATIAL DATA WILL HELP ADVANCE THE ALL IMPORTANT DATA GATHERING PHASE THAT IS NOW UNDERWAY. NOT ONLY WILL SUMMER STUDENT HIRINGS LIKE THIS PROVIDE THE ABILITY TO CATCH UP AND TO ENSURE SERVICE CONTINUITY, IT WILL PUT MONEY INTO THE POCKETS OF LOCAL YOUTH, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHOSE EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS MAY BE LIMITED DUE TO THEIR SHORT PERIOD OF AVAILABILITY. THESE OPPORTUNITIES MEET THE CRITERIA ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE THE BEST OVERALL ADVANTAGE FOR YELLOWKNIFERS. THEY BENEFIT A CROSS-SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY. THE BENEFITS WILL ENDURE AND THEY BALANCE INTERNAL OPERATIONAL BENEFITS WITH ENHANCED SERVICE DELIVERY. THE OPPORTUNITIES AROUND RELIEF FOR BUSINESSES AND PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CRAFT PROGRAMS THAT ARE MEANINGFUL, YET MANAGEABLE. HOWEVER, UTILIZING THE RESTART FUNDING TO EXPAND WASHROOM HOURS, SUPPORT COMMUNICATIONS AND HIRE SUMMER STUDENTS IS CONSIDERABLY MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD. AND IN FACT, THERE IS SOME URGENCY TO THIS LAST OPPORTUNITY AS THE WINDOW ON SUMMER STUDENT AVAILABILITY IS CLOSING RAPIDLY. THEREFORE, ADMINISTRATION IS RECOMMENDING THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THE FOLLOWING ALLOCATIONS FOR THIS LATEST ROUND OF COVID RESTART. TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR BUSINESS RELIEF, INCLUDING REDUCING BUSINESS LICENSE FEES AND PROVIDING FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR INNOVATIVE IDEAS THAT ENABLE LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES TO ADAPT TO COVID RESTRICTIONS. TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT RELIEF TO BE ACHIEVED THROUGH PERMIT FEE REDUCTIONS FOR QUALIFYING PROJECTS. SIXTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO EXTEND THE HOURS OF OPERATION AT THE PUBLIC WASHROOM IN THE SOMBA K'E PARK. EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS TO SUPPORT THE CITY'S COMMUNICATION FUNCTION AND ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR SUMMER STUDENTS. APPROVING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS NOW WILL ENABLE ADMINISTRATION TO PROCEED WITH THE LAST THREE OPPORTUNITIES IN A TIMELY MANNER WHILE TAKING ADEQUATE TIME TO DEFINE EFFECTIVE MECHANISMS FOR THE BUSINESS AND PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT [INAUDIBLE]. ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. WOODWARD. BEFORE WE JUMP TO QUESTIONS, I WILL ASK MR. ROB WARBURTON, HE'S HERE ON BEHALF OF THE YELLOWKNIFE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO SPEAK TO THIS ISSUE. AND THEN COUNCILORS CAN TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK HIM QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. SO ROB, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR ALTY. CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? GOOD. YEAH, THE YELLOWKNIFE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS IN SUPPORT OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, SPECIFICALLY, THE CHAMBER SUPPORTS EXPANDING, WASHROOM HOURS, COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT AND [INAUDIBLE] PROGRAMS BEGIN IMMEDIATELY, WE UNDERSTAND THOSE ARE TIMELY AND CAN START RIGHT AWAY. AS STATED IN THE PRESENTATION, WE LIKE TO WORK WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AROUND THE [INAUDIBLE] FOR BUSINESSES AND PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS. I THINK THE CHAMBER CAN GIVE SOME GOOD INPUT THERE OF HOW BEST TO DEPLOY THOSE KIND OF GET IN THE WEEDS THERE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE SURE THOSE LAND AS INTENDED. AND THE CHAMBER DOES HAVE THE NEXT BOARD MEETING NEXT WEEK. SO WE COULD DEFINITELY QUICKLY, GET SOME FEEDBACK TO ADMINISTRATION TO GET THOSE GOING AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. THANKS. THANK YOU. [01:20:01] ANY QUESTIONS FOR ROB BEFORE WE'LL TAKE A 10 MINUTE BREAK AND THEN COME BACK FOR GENERAL QUESTIONS OF ADMIN? WAS NICE AND SUCCINCT. THANKS, ROB, FOR COMING AND PROVIDING THE COMMENTS. LET'S TAKE A 10 MINUTE BREAK BEFORE WE GET INTO QUESTIONS AND COME BACK AT ONE THIRTY FIVE. THERE WE GO. OK, WE WILL RECONVENE AND COUNCILOR MUFANDAEDZA WITH QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. SO I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE LAST THREE PRIORITIES THAT WERE SET BY ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS THE WASHROOMS, THE COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT AND THE SUMMER STUDENTS SUPPORT. BUT I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS REGARDING THE BUSINESS RELIEF IN THE ADMINISTRATION'S PRESENTATION. YOU TALKED ABOUT POSSIBLE RELIEF ON BUSINESS LICENSES, AND WE DID GET A RANGE ON BUSINESS LICENSES VARYING FROM THIRTY FIVE DOLLARS TO TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS OR TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS WITH AN AVERAGE OF TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS. WHAT WOULD BE THE BUSINESS LICENSE RELIEF LOOK LIKE OR ANY IDEA, I KNOW THERE'S RESEARCH TO BE DONE, BUT JUST KIND OF THINKING OF ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND CERTAINLY THIS IS ONE WHERE WE DO LOOK TO WORK WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO GET A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE ON THE GROUND AND HOW WE CAN DO THIS WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF INCENTIVIZING BUSINESSES TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO WORK EFFECTIVELY, TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THEIR VERY ACTIVE PRESENCE IN YELLOWKNIFE IN THESE REALLY VOLATILE TIMES. I'LL ASK MR. WOODWARD IF SHE'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS IN ANY FURTHER DETAIL. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. THE FIRST TWO OPPORTUNITIES WERE OBVIOUSLY PAINTED WITH VERY BROAD STROKES BECAUSE WE HAD TO ACT FAIRLY QUICKLY IN ORDER TO MAKE THE LAST THREE OPPORTUNITIES QUITE REALISTIC. SO WE KNOW THAT WE'RE COMING FORWARD WITH SOME RATHER GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS IN TERMS OF OUR BUSINESS FEES AND THE PERMITTING FEES. WE HAD INTERNALLY TALKED ABOUT A FEW OPTIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, ON BUSINESS FEES IN TWENTY NINETEEN, THE LICENSING BROUGHT IN OVER THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS, IN 2020, IT BROUGHT IN OVER THREE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS. SO OBVIOUSLY WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FORGIVE ALL FEES FOR A YEAR. BUT ADMINISTRATION WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME ANALYSIS ON WHAT THE COMPOSITION OF OUR BUSINESS FEE CUSTOMERS REALLY IS AND ALSO SOME CONSULTATION WITH GROUPS LIKE THE CHAMBER WHO ARE WORKING WITH BUSINESSES THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO DEAL WITH COVID SO THAT WE GET SOME INPUT THAT NOT ONLY LOOKS AT THE MONEY PART, BUT HELPS US DIRECT THE MONEY PART TO WHERE IT CAN PRODUCE THE MOST BENEFIT. OK, THANK YOU. SO I GUESS MAYBE THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION WOULD BE ONCE THIS FRAMEWORK HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, WOULD COUNCIL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE FRAMEWORK OR ARE WE JUST APPROVING THIS RIGHT NOW AND SAYING, WELL, YES, WE'RE IN SUPPORT OF THE BUSINESS RELIEF AND THE PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE BECAUSE I GUESS MAYBE MY QUESTION IS, WOULD WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVISIT THIS OR GET KNOW WHAT WE'RE APPROVING? MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION. SO THE WAY THAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS WORDED IS THAT WE'RE SEEKING COUNCIL'S HIGH LEVEL DIRECTION TO WORK WITH THE AMOUNTS ALLOCATED OR THEORETICALLY ALLOCATED TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY THOUSAND RELIEF FOR BUSINESSES 230 FOR PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS, AND THAT WE'D WORK WITH THE CHAMBER TO DETERMINE WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE IN DETAIL. AND WE'D BE PLEASED, OF COURSE, TO PROVIDE COUNCILOR WITH INFORMATION ONCE THOSE HAVE BEEN DETERMINED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I THINK AT THIS POINT, YES, I DO SEE THE MEMO I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE LAST THREE ITEMS. I'M NOT GOING TO SAY I'M NOT IN SUPPORT OF THE FIRST BECAUSE I THINK WE JUST NEED MORE INFORMATION. I KNOW WE DID TALK ABOUT THE PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT AND I THINK THERE WAS A CONVERSATION ON THINGS LIKE ASSISTING BUSINESSES WITH ONLINE PRESENCE. AND FOR ME, I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS ON WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WHO GETS THE PRIVILEGE OF GETTING THE ASSISTANCE ONLINE PRESENCE AND WHO DOESN'T? HOW IS THIS ALL DETERMINED? SO A LOT OF QUESTIONS. AND I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO DETERMINE IT, BUT I WOULD DEFINITELY BE VERY CURIOUS ON WHERE THIS LANDS AND SEE HOW [01:25:03] THIS IS GOING TO BE DISPERSED AND MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE RESIDENTS OF YELLOWKNIFE THAT ARE STRUGGLING RIGHT NOW WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE BUSINESS RELIEF. MY THOUGHT HAD BEEN INITIALLY ON WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE ON FACILITIES HAVING TO SANITIZE A LOT OF PPE, AND THAT'S WHERE MY THOUGHT HAD GONE. BUT DEFINITELY WHATEVER RECOMMENDATIONS YOU GUYS COME UP WITH WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT COMES FORWARD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? COUNCILOR MORGAN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M JUST UNCLEAR ON THE SECOND ONE AROUND PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS, I DON'T HAVE A CLEAR SENSE OF WHAT THIS INVOLVES. THE EXAMPLE I THINK MR. WOODWARD MADE WAS LIKE SOMEONE BUILDING A DECK IN THEIR BACKYARD, BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN ANY MORE WHAT YOU'RE ENVISIONING IN THIS CATEGORY? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANKS VERY MUCH. ABSOLUTELY. SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING HERE AT BEING ABLE TO SUBSIDIZE AND REDUCE THE DEVELOPMENT PERMITS, PARTICULARLY FOR THE EXAMPLE GIVEN, FOR EXAMPLE, OF THE SMALL SALON THAT NEEDS TO EXPAND TO BE ABLE TO MEET PHYSICAL LICENSING REQUIREMENTS IN A COVID CONTEXT. WE SEE PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING MORE THINGS AROUND THEIR HOMES. THEY'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH CONTRACTORS, TO BUILD DECKS, TO DO EXPANSIONS, TO BUILD HOMES OFFICES. THESE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE UNDERTAKING. AND WE CERTAINLY WANT TO SUPPORT THAT KIND OF WORK BECAUSE IT SUPPORTS YELLOWKNIFERS, BUT IT ALSO SUPPORTS, INDIRECTLY, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT CONTRACTORS WHO ARE DOING WORK HERE. I'LL ASK MR. WOODWARD IF SHE'D LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING. THANK YOU. I THINK YOU CAPTURED IT VERY WELL. OUR INTENT IS TO DESIGN A PROGRAM IN CONSULTATION WITH SOME OF THE IMPACTED STAKEHOLDERS THAT HELPS THE SMALL AND THE VERY TARGETED. HERE'S HOW WE CAN HELP YOU DEAL WITH COVID IMPACTS. NOT SO MUCH THE HUGE BRAND NEW SCHOOLS OR BRAND NEW STORAGE FACILITIES. THOSE AREN'T REALLY WHAT WE SEE AS A PRIORITY FOR THIS FUNDING. WE WANT TO GET IT CLOSE TO HOME WHERE IT REALLY COUNTS. THANK YOU. SO JUST TO CLARIFY WHAT I'M HEARING, IT WOULD BE JUST FOR BUSINESSES AS OPPOSED TO JUST ANY PROPERTY OWNER WHO WANTS TO BUILD A DECK IN THEIR BACKYARD? MS. BASSI-KELLETT? MS. WOODWARD. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. AT THIS TIME, WE'RE PROPOSING A PROGRAM THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR APPROVED PROJECTS, WHETHER THE OWNER BE AN INDIVIDUAL OR A BUSINESS, WE WANT TO SEE THE IMPROVEMENTS GO TOWARDS SOLVING A PROBLEM, PERHAPS THAT WAS CREATED BY COVID. AS WE WORK WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO REFINE THE PARAMETERS A GREAT DEAL. WE JUST WANTED TO GET THE IDEAS OUT IN FRONT OF COUNCIL AT THIS POINT. OK, I MEAN, I SUPPORT US TRYING TO FIND SOLUTIONS WITH SMALL BUSINESSES AND ENTREPRENEURS. MY CONCERN WITH, YOU KNOW, EFFORTS TO HELP INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS IS THAT I THINK WE'RE LEAVING OUT A REALLY BIG SECTION OF OUR POPULATION WHO PROBABLY HAS STRUGGLED THE MOST WITH COVID, WHICH IS PEOPLE STILL LIVING IN APARTMENTS OR SMALL SPACES OR CONDOS WHO DON'T REALLY HAVE THAT OPTION OF HAVING, YOU KNOW, LARGER PROPERTIES AND YARDS AND THAT TO WORK WITH, AND SO I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT IT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE FAIR AND IT WOULDN'T BE TARGETING OR HELPING THOSE OF OUR RESIDENTS WHO MIGHT BE STRUGGLING THE MOST DURING THESE TIMES WITH HAVING REALLY SMALL HOME SPACES. SO I WOULD MUCH PREFER THAT WE FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON PUBLIC SPACES THAT CAN BENEFIT EVERYONE. SO, YOU KNOW, ENHANCING PARKS OR MAKING THOSE AREAS MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO JUST GET OUT AND GET SOME FRESH AIR AND SO, I MEAN, I SUPPORT US TARGETING BUSINESSES IN VARIOUS WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP THEM. WITH THEIR SORT OF LIMITATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO COVID, BUT I WOULD PREFER THAT INSTEAD OF HAVING A SEPARATE CATEGORY, PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS, I MEAN THAT, OBVIOUSLY, SOLELY BENEFITS PROPERTY OWNERS, WHICH IS ONLY A PORTION OF OUR POPULATION AND [01:30:06] NOT NECESSARILY THE ONES MOST IN NEED. SO I WOULD PREFER WE FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON BUSINESSES AND THEN. DOING AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO ENHANCE PUBLIC SPACES AND ANY SERVICES AND THAT WOULD BENEFIT EVERYONE IN THE PUBLIC, REGARDLESS OF THEIR PROPERTY OWNING STATUS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? FOR MYSELF, I HAD A QUESTION ON SO JUST LOOKING AT OUR WORK PLAN, THERE'S A LOT OF POLICY WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. SO, YOU KNOW, REVIEWING THE GRANT POLICY, THE LOTTERY LICENSE BYLAW, [INAUDIBLE] LICENSE BYLAW THE LAND ADMINISTRATION BYLAW, SINCE WE HAD SUCH A LONG DISCUSSION AT BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO SEE IF WE CAN USE SOME OF THE LAND ADMINISTRATION FUNDS TO HIRE A STAFF MEMBER TO GET LAND TO THE MARKET. AND SO JUST WONDERING ABOUT, REDUCING THE ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND TO HIRE SUMMER STUDENTS AND PUTTING EIGHTY THOUSAND TO SUPPORT POLICY WORK WITH THE BALANCE TO HIRE SUMMER STUDENTS, JUST WHETHER ADMINISTRATION, IF ADDING THAT EIGHTY THOUSAND TO SUPPORT POLICY WORK WOULD MEAN SOME OF THESE PROJECTS WOULD BE COMPLETED THIS YEAR, I GUESS JUST WHETHER IT'D BE HELPFUL OR ACTUALLY ADD MORE WORK TO THE ADMINISTRATION'S PILE . MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. WE REALLY APPRECIATE A SUGGESTION LIKE THIS, WE HAD CERTAINLY WEIGHED OUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS WAS SOMETHING WE WOULD BRING FORWARD AND WE FEEL THE PRESSURE AROUND THIS CONSTANTLY. THE POLICY, WE'RE TYPICALLY AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS ENORMOUS OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS. BUT THE POLICY DEMANDS ARE SHIFTING WHETHER OR NOT IT IS ON REWRITING AND FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGING SOME OF THE BYLAWS, AS YOU MENTIONED, WHETHER IT'S WORK AROUND GIANT MINE, WHETHER IT'S WORK ON SOCIAL ISSUES, WE'RE FEELING SO MUCH OF THIS RIGHT NOW. AND SO WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT. WE CERTAINLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE PERMANENT POSITIONS CREATED. WE KNOW THAT THOSE ARE VERY CHALLENGING FOR COUNCIL TO WEIGH OUT IN TERMS OF ONGOING INCREASES TO OUR STAFF COMPLEMENT WILL OFTEN MEAN A TAX INCREASE. WE'VE BEEN VERY CIRCUMSPECT WITH THAT. AND CERTAINLY IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS POSSIBLE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THESE RESOURCES, TO BE ABLE TO ADVANCE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS, WE'D BE VERY, VERY HAPPY TO DO SO, COULD POSSIBLY BE SOMETHING THAT TOUCHES ACROSS VIRTUALLY ALMOST ALL DEPARTMENTS. AND WE COULD SEE SOME GOOD RESULTS FROM IT. THIS DOES, OF COURSE, REQUIRE US TO HAVE SOME GOOD LUCK IN FINDING THE RIGHT BODIES TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK THAT WE NEED AND IDENTIFYING WHAT THOSE NEEDS ARE, BECAUSE IT DOES CROSS SOME VERY DIVERSE NEEDS WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION. BUT WE'D BE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF HAVING THAT KIND OF AN ALLOCATION IDENTIFIED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YEAH, I WOULD BE LOOKING TO REVISE THIS, SO, IT'S BASICALLY ALL THE SAME, [INAUDIBLE] ALL THE WAY TO EIGHTY THOUSAND FOR COMMUNICATIONS, EIGHTY THOUSAND TO SUPPORT POLICY WORK AND NINETY FIVE THOUSAND TO HIRE SUMMER STUDENTS, JUST WONDERING IF COUNCILOR WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT AMENDMENT OR IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO JUST BRING THAT FORWARD OR KEEP THE RECOMMENDATION AS PRESENTED AND I BRING THE AMENDMENT FORWARD AT COUNCIL, OR WHETHER YOU WANT TO MAKE THE CHANGE TO THE RECOMMENDATION NOW AND BRING IT FORWARD TO COUNCIL. SAW COUNCILOR MUFANDAEDZA GIVING IT A THUMBS UP. OTHERS' PREFERENCE ON WHETHER TO KEEP THE RECOMMENDATION AS PRESENTED AND I'LL BRING THE AMENDMENT FORWARD AT COUNCIL OR BRING THIS FORWARD? SORRY, I'M JUST READING THE AMENDMENT; JUST GIVE ME A SECOND. SURE. SORRY, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE, YOU WANT TO ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY TO THIS? JUST INSTEAD OF DOING ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND TO HIRE SUMMER STUDENTS, DROP IT TO NINETY FIVE THOUSAND TO HIRE SUMMER STUDENTS AND USE EIGHTY THOUSAND TO SUPPORT POLICY WORK SO THAT WE CAN HIT SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT WERE LOOKING TO ACCOMPLISH [01:35:06] SINCE THE LOTTERY LICENSE HAS BEEN BUMPED A COUPLE OF YEARS, IT'S KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, AS RESOURCES COVID COMES UP AND IT PUSHES IT AWAY, [INAUDIBLE] LICENSE BY LAW, WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET DONE THIS YEAR, THE GRANT REVIEW POLICY. SO WE'VE ALWAYS GOT ALL THIS POLICY WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. AND SO JUST LOOKING TO ALLOCATE FUNDING TO ACTUALLY GET THAT. GET AHEAD OF SOME OF THIS WORK AND MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T GET ON THE BACK BURNER AGAIN. OK, AND ADMINISTRATION IS CONFIDENT THAT IF WE HANDED THAT MONEY OVER, THEY CAN ACTUALLY GET MORE DONE? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO WHAT ELSE IS SO MUCH OF THE POLICY WORK FALLS ON THE SHOULDERS OF DIRECTORS AND SOME OF OUR MANAGEMENT CREW AS WELL. AND SO AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE ALWAYS BALANCING OPERATIONAL REALITIES AND OPERATIONAL PRESSURES. SO OFTEN THE POLICY WORK, WHICH IS THE LONG TERM THINKING ON THINGS GETS PUT BY THE WAYSIDE. AND SO IF WE HAD THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO UNDERTAKE SOME BACKGROUND RESEARCH, IF WE HAD THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT BEST PRACTICES ACROSS OTHER JURISDICTIONS, MUNICIPALITIES ON A CERTAIN AREA, IF WE HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARGUMENTS TO BE BUILT ON CERTAIN PRESSURES THAT WE'RE FEELING, THAT'S ALL VERY, VERY HELPFUL TO THE ORGANIZATION OVERALL. WE FEEL THIS MORE AND MORE. TYPICALLY, MUNICIPALITIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SO OPERATIONAL. [INAUDIBLE]. AND CERTAINLY RIGHT NOW THAT'S ANYTHING BUT WITH THE REALLY COMPLEX ISSUES THAT ARE FACING US, COVID NOTWITHSTANDING, THERE ARE MANY, MANY FILES WHERE WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO RESEARCH AND LOOK AT WHAT THE BEST PRACTICES ARE, HOW THEY COULD TRANSLATE INTO YELLOWKNIFE, WHAT OUR CONTEXT ALLOWS, WHAT OUR CONTEXT WOULD SUPPORT, BUT OUR NEEDS ARE. AND SO A LOT OF THAT RESEARCH TAKES A LOT OF TIME BECAUSE DIRECTORS ARE CONSTANTLY INTERRUPTED BY AN OPERATIONAL ISSUE THAT NEEDS RESOLUTION, A SITUATION THAT NEEDS TO BE PUT TO BED STAFF SHORTAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. SO THIS ADDITIONAL RESOURCE COULD BE A BIG HELP FOR US. THANK YOU. OK, YEAH, IT SOUNDS LIKE ADMINISTRATION BE ABLE TO USE IT, SO I'D BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE CHANGE. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MORGAN. YES, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THAT CHANGE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SUGGEST THAT INSTEAD OF ALLOCATING SPECIFICALLY TWO HUNDRED THIRTY THOUSAND FOR PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS, WE ADD HALF OF THAT TO THE POT FOR RELIEF FOR BUSINESSES, WHATEVER THAT MAY LOOK LIKE IN THE END. AND THEN THE OTHER HALF GO TO EXTRA PARK MAINTENANCE AND CYNTHIA'S SUGGESTION OF POSSIBLY ENHANCING THE WASHROOM SUPPORT WE CAN PROVIDE ANOTHER PARKS BESIDES SOMBA K'E. MS. BASSI-KELLETT, ANY COMMENT FROM ADMIN ON THE ADVISABILITY OF THIS ONE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR. YEAH, THAT THE PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS WERE REALLY MEANT TO BE ABLE TO CUT ACROSS A WIDE SWATH OF SUPPORT FOR MANY DIFFERENT A BROAD CROSS-SECTION OF YELLOWKNIFE. AND SO WE REALLY WERE LOOKING TO WORK WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO IDENTIFY WHAT THOSE COULD LOOK LIKE. AGAIN, IT IS INDIRECTLY SUPPORTING BUSINESSES WITH THEIR DEVELOPMENT PERMITS ON DIFFERENT ITEMS, AS WELL AS THE SUPPORT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE ENHANCEMENTS OR CHANGES FOR RESIDENTS AT LARGE AS WELL WHO ARE NEEDING TO DO SO WITH HOME OFFICES OR DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED. SO IF WERE TO REALLOCATE THAT INTO ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND FOR WASHROOMS, MY FIRST COMMENT ON THAT IS WE HAVE NOT YET BEEN ABLE TO QUANTIFY WHAT THE COST WOULD BE OF SEASONAL PORTA POTTIES, THE ACTUAL COST, PLUS THE MAINTENANCE AND MONITORING OF THOSE. SO WE WOULD WANT TO COME BACK BECAUSE WE DON'T QUITE HAVE A SENSE OF WHAT THOSE COSTS WILL BE. WE NEED TO COME AWAY AND IDENTIFY THAT. AND SO THE RELIEF FOR BUSINESSES THEN WOULD BE PURELY FOR BUSINESSES, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE TRYING TO ESTABLISH PATIOS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE LOOKING AT SOME OTHER KIND OF USE OF DIFFERENT SPACE THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TALK WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON WITH EXISTING PROGRAMS AROUND THAT. AND CERTAINLY, AS WERE LOOKING AT THE UPTAKE IN 2020, WERE UTILIZING THE TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY OVERALL TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS IN A WAY THAT IS QUITE INSPIRED BY THE ACTUALS IN 2020. SO THIS ADDITIONAL MONEY WE WANT TO TALK WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, IT MAY OR MAY NOT BE BEST PUT TOWARDS SOLELY THE RELIEF FOR BUSINESSES, BUT THERE COULD BE SOME OTHER WAYS [01:40:02] THAT WE COULD SPREAD THE BENEFIT OF THIS FUNDING BY ENABLING PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS TO ALSO BE PART. THANK YOU. SO, I MEAN, I WOULD ARGUE THAT DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ABOUT OPTIONS. WOULD BE FOCUSED ON BUSINESSES AND BUSINESS RELIEF, SO I WOULD. THINK THAT OPTIONS THAT COME OUT OF THAT COULD ALL FALL UNDER BUSINESS RELIEF AND I MEAN, AS MR. WHITE POINTED OUT, WE HAD SOME. EXTRA RESOURCES LAST SUMMER TO DO SOME EXTRA PARK MAINTENANCE, SO I KNOW WE MAY HAVE STAFF MORE FOCUSED ON FACILITIES THIS YEAR, BUT I WOULD SUPPORT THEIR HIRING MORE SUMMER STUDENTS TO DO THE ENHANCED KINDS OF PARK MAINTENANCE WE DID LAST YEAR DURING COVID, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T HAVE TO DO WITH WASHROOM ENHANCEMENT. SO I WOULD STILL PUT FORWARD THE SUGGESTION THAT IT SHOULD BE MORE SORT OF CLEARLY ALLOCATED. I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH A CATEGORY CALLED PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS. YEAH, THAT'S [INAUDIBLE]. SORRY, MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, AND I APOLOGIZE, I SHOULD HAVE ADDED THIS EARLIER. WHEN ADMINISTRATION STARTED SPEAKING ABOUT THIS, WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT IS, IS THERE A MEANS, GIVEN THAT DEVELOPMENT IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN SEEN BY COUNCIL AS BEING VERY IMPORTANT, LET'S SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPMENT, BUILD OUR ASSESSMENT BASE, BUILD UP THAT THE DIFFERENT INTERESTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE ACROSS RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. SO WE HAD TALKED ABOUT, HEY, MAYBE WE PITCH THAT DEVELOPMENT PERMITS OVERALL. LET'S JUST, YOU KNOW, GIVE THEM A PASS. AND AS WE TALK IT THROUGH MORE, WHERE WE CONCLUDED WAS IT ISN'T SO MUCH ABOUT GIVING A PASS TO LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT. I DON'T THINK THAT MEANS THAT THE INTENT OF WHAT COUNCIL'S LOOKING TO DO WITH COVID RELIEF. SO IF GOVERNMENT IS COMING FORWARD WITH A LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENT AND WE WAIVE THE PERMIT FEES THERE, THAT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE. BUT THE POINT BEING THAT IF WE ARE SEEKING TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS A GROUNDSWELL OF SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO UNDERTAKE SMALL SCALE DEVELOPMENT, WHETHER AGAIN IT IS RESIDENTIAL OR WHETHER IT IS COMMERCIAL, THAT WE WANTED TO SEE IF THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE COULD BRING FORWARD TO REALLY ENCOURAGE THAT AND TO LOOK AT THE LONG TERM GROWTH OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH DOES ALIGN WITH ONE OF THE COUNCIL'S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. AND SO OUR THINKING ALONG THAT WAS REALLY TRYING TO INCENTIVIZE IN THIS VOLATILE TIME SOME SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE AS THEY'RE LOOKING AT DEVELOPING DIFFERENT PARKS OF THEIR PERSONAL OR RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL VENUES. THANK YOU. I'LL JUST SEE IF OTHERS HAVE HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT. SURE THING. OTHER COUNCILORS? COUNCILOR MUFANDAEDZA. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU, COUNCILOR MORGAN, FOR BRINGING THIS MOTION. JUST A VERY QUICK COMMENT ON THE FUNDING. PRETTY MUCH, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCILOR MORGAN TALKED ABOUT WAS THE WASHROOM SUPPORT AT PLAYGROUNDS OR PARKS. WHEN I LOOK AT THE COVID SAFE RESTART, I'M JUST KIND OF THINKING, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? WHEN WE LOOK AT SCENARIOS WHERE A LOT OF THINGS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED IN OUR CITY, A SCENARIO WOULD BE AT A SOCCER TOURNAMENT. YOU CAN GO TO, SAY, SUBWAY, WHERE YOU USED TO GO BECAUSE THOSE WASHROOMS ARE CLOSED FOR THE SEASON OR CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. THIS IS A DIRECT IMPACT TO OUR CITY BASED ON COVID. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FUNDING, I THINK MY THOUGHT IS MORE ON THOSE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY IMPACTED AND ALSO MAINTAINING OUR THE WELL-BEING OF OUR CITY. WE DO NEED TO SUPPORT THE RESIDENTS DURING THIS VERY DIFFICULT TIME. WE ARE ENCOURAGING RESIDENTS TO GET OUT AND KIND OF GO AND EXERCISE AND WHATEVER IS GOING ON. BUT ALSO SUPPORTING, THOUGH, WHERE DO THEY GO TO THE WASHROOM? DO I PUT MY KIDS AND RUSH HOME DURING A SOCCER TOURNAMENT BECAUSE THE FIVE YEAR OLD HAS TO GO TO THE WASHROOM OR DO WE PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT? I CAN'T BRING THEM TO THE NEXT RESTAURANT BECAUSE THOSE ARE ALL CLOSED FOR THE SEASON OR CLOSED. SO I REALLY THINK THAT THIS FUNDING SHOULD BE ADDRESSING SOME OF THOSE SHORTFALLS WITHIN THE CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO YOU WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF CHANGING THE RECOMMENDATION, SO IT'S LET ME GET MY CALCULATOR OUT THREE FORTY [01:45:04] FIVE TO PROVIDE RELIEF FOR BUSINESSES. 65K TO EXTEND SMOBA K'E WASHROOM HOURS, 115K FOR PARK MAINTENANCE AND WASHROOM ENHANCEMENT IN PARKS, EIGHTY THOUSAND FOR COMMUNICATIONS, EIGHTY THOUSAND FOR POLICY WORK AND NINETY FIVE THOUSAND TO HIRE SUMMER STUDENTS? THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. SO MANY NUMBERS, I THINK I NEED TO DIGEST THEM. I DO HAVE A BREAKDOWN WRITTEN HERE BASED ON WHAT THE MEMO SAID. BUT THE NUMBERS THAT YOU JUST THREW TO ME, I'M JUST SITTING HERE AND THINKING, WHERE ARE WE GETTING ALL THESE NUMBERS FROM? SO I DO KNOW THAT THERE WAS THE COMMENT TO ADD EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLARS TOWARDS THE SUPPORT FOR POLICY AND THEN THAT COUNCILOR MORGAN HAD TALKED ABOUT PROBABLY BREAKING THE TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY. BUT I THINK YOU THREW SOME NUMBERS THAT I STILL DON'T HAVE NOTED HERE. THANK YOU. FOR SURE, SO BUT I GUESS MY POINT IS YOU WANT TO AXE THE 230 COMPLETELY FOR PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT AND REALLOCATE THAT TO OTHER FUNDS? THAT'S CORRECT. NO, THAT IS NOT CORRECT. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS FOR THE PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT, I DEFINITELY AM INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT KIND OF FRAMEWORK THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD BRING FORWARD AND SEEING WHETHER IT'S THE BUSINESS RELIEF OR THE PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT THAT THOSE WASHROOMS AT BUSY PARKS COULD BE INCORPORATED, BUT NOT AXING ANYTHING, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PLAN WAS AND I DON'T WANT TO KILL IT BEFORE WE KNOW WHAT THE PLAN WAS. THANK YOU. OK. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO I'M HEARING AN INTEREST IN THE OUTDOOR WASHROOMS, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND. EARLIER ON, COUNCILOR ASKED US TO COME BACK WITH A COST OF QUANTIFYING WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO PUT PORTA POTTIES INTO CLASS A FACILITIES. AND SO IF I'M HEARING CORRECTLY NOW, IT IS A DIRECTION TO USE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS TOWARDS THAT. OR IS IT ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS EXTRA FOR PARK MAINTENANCE AND POSSIBLY WASHROOMS? THANK YOU. I BELIEVE COUNCILOR MORGAN'S MOTION IS THAT IT WOULD THE 230 RELIEF FOR PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS WOULD BE CUT. AND HALF OF THAT FUNDING WOULD GO TO RELIEF FOR BUSINESSES AND THE REMAINING ONE HUNDRED FIFTEEN THOUSAND WOULD GO TO PARK MAINTENANCE AND POSSIBLE WASHROOM ENHANCEMENTS IN PARKS. SO, ADMINISTRATION WOULD STILL HAVE TO DO THE WORK TO CALCULATE FOR THE 2022 SEASON ADDITIONS OF WASHROOMS. THAT'S CORRECT, COUNCILOR MORGAN? YEAH, I WOULD SAY THAT WOULD JUST BE A CONSIDERATION PENDING THE COST ESTIMATES OF THE RESEARCH ON THAT, BUT IN ANY CASE, SHOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH PARK MAINTENANCE. OR SOMETHING TO DO WITH PARKS ENHANCING. JUST GOING TO FINISH TYPING THIS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN READ IT. THE OTHER THING IS THAT FOLKS CAN DIGEST IT AND COUNCILOR MORGAN CAN BRING IT FORWARD AS AN OFFICIAL AMENDMENT NEXT WEEK IF PEOPLE WANT TO CONTINUE TO LEAVE THE TWO THIRDS TO PROVIDE RELIEF FOR PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS. BECAUSE COUNCILOR MORGAN'S RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO USE THE COVID SAFE RESTART TO ALLOCATE THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE THOUSAND TO PROVIDE RELIEF FOR BUSINESSES, ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN THOUSAND FOR EXTRA PARK MAINTENANCE AND POSSIBLY WASHROOM ENHANCEMENTS IN PARKS OTHER THAN SOMBA K'E, SIXTY FIVE THOUSAND TO EXTEND SOMBA K'E WASHROOMS. EIGHTY THOUSAND TO SUPPORT COMMUNICATIONS, EIGHTY THOUSAND TO SUPPORT POLICY WORK, AND NINETY FIVE THOUSAND TO HIRE SUMMER STUDENTS. IS THERE SUPPORT FROM COUNCILORS TO BRING THIS FORWARD OR THE RECOMMENDATION AS AMENDED, [01:50:01] WHICH IS JUST THAT EIGHTY THOUSAND FOR POLICY WORK? COUNCILOR MORSE. YEAH, MY MAIN QUESTION ABOUT THIS, THE THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE THOUSAND PROVIDE RELIEF FOR BUSINESSES, CAN ADMINISTRATION DESCRIBE WHAT THEY MIGHT DO WITH THAT MONEY IF WE WERE TO HAND THAT MUCH OVER? I MEAN, IT'S QUITE AN INCREASE OVER WHAT ADMINISTRATION HAD INITIALLY PROPOSED. IS THIS SOMETHING WHERE IF WE INCREASE IT, THEY'LL JUST BE THAT MUCH MORE RELIEF OR IS ADMINISTRATION GOING TO HAVE TO KIND OF SCRAMBLE TO FIND SOME THINGS TO PUT INTO IT? I'M JUST SORT OF CURIOUS WHAT IT MIGHT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE. I THINK THEY COULD STILL USE THAT EXTRA FUNDING AND DO THE PROPERTY ENHANCEMENT RELIEF, I.E. DOING THE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT REDUCTIONS FOR BUSINESSES, BUT MS. BASSI-KELLETT THOUGHTS FROM ADMIN ON THE EXTRA THRREE FORTY FIVE GRAND TOTAL OF THREE FORTY FIVE. RIGHT, WHAT WERE LOOKING AT, TALKING MORE TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ABOUT AND CERTAINLY WHAT WE PITCHED TO THEM WAS LOOKING AT A COMBINATION OF A REDUCTION IN BUSINESS LICENSE FEES AND ALSO LOOKING AT OUR INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, WHICH WE'VE HAD IN PLACE. WE'VE HAD THE DOWNTOWN PATIO INCENTIVE PROGRAM, WHICH IN 2020 WE EXPANDED SO THAT IT WENT TO BUSINESSES BEYOND THE DOWNTOWN, RECOGNIZING THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CREATIVITY ACROSS THE COMMERCIAL COMMUNITY IN YELLOWKNIFE AND THAT IF THERE WERE BUSINESSES THAT NEEDED TO BUILD AN OUTDOOR PATIO, PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SPACE, SIDEWALK SALES, ANY KIND OF THINGS WHERE THEY'RE TAKING THEMSELVES OUT AND NEED SOME SORT OF A STRUCTURED ENHANCEMENT AROUND THAT TO ENABLE THE BUSINESS TO FUNCTION IN A COVID CONTEXT THAT WAS OUR INTENTION ON THIS. I WILL ASK, IS IT JUST IN A MINUTE, I'LL SEE IF MISS THISTLE HAS AVAILABLE ANY OF THE KIND OF ANECDOTAL FIGURES IN TERMS OF WHAT THE UPTAKE WAS LAST YEAR FOR THE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE EXPANDED PATIO PROGRAM, WHICH IS WHAT WERE REFERRING TO IT US TO SEE WHAT THE UPTAKE WAS LIKE. WE REALLY ARE HOPEFUL THAT BUSINESSES WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE US UP ON IT. AGAIN, WE'D WANT TO TALK TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE. WERE REALLY HOPEFUL ABOUT THE PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS AND THE DEVELOPMENT PERMITS AS AN INCENTIVE BECAUSE, OF COURSE, ANY KIND OF DEVELOPMENT LIKE THAT CONTRIBUTES TO OUR ASSESSMENT BASE OVERALL, WHICH MEANS IT'S THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING IN TERMS OF TAXES THAT COME INTO THE COMMUNITY AND CAN BE SUSTAINED IN THE LONG TERM. SO WE REALLY WERE THINKING THAT THOSE IMPROVEMENTS COULD BE THINGS THAT BENEFIT BUSINESSES NOW AND THE CITY OVERALL INTO THE FUTURE. THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF OUR THINKING AROUND THE PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS. I WILL ASK MISS THISTLE IF SHE CAN ANECDOTALLY RECALL WHAT THE UPTAKE WAS LIKE ON OUR EXPANDED PATIO PROGRAM IN 2020. THANK YOU. WE HAD THREE BUSINESSES TAKE US UP ON THE EXPANDED PATIO PROGRAM AS A RESULT OF COVID IN TRYING TO INCREASE SPACE WITH THE PHYSICAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENT. SO THAT WAS THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT WE SPENT IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET TO ASSIST BUSINESSES TO ESSENTIALLY HAVE MORE PEOPLE AT THEIR BUSINESS IN THE RESTRICTED NUMBERS. SO FAR THIS YEAR, WE'VE HAD ONE BUSINESS APPROACH US AND WE SUPPORTED 10000 AGAIN IN A DIRECT COVID RESPONSE TRYING TO INCREASE CAPACITY. SO WE'RE HOPING THIS YEAR TO SEE IT EVEN EXPAND MORE. BUT THE REASON WE REALLY WANT TO CONNECT WITH THE YK CHAMBER AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IS TO FIND OUT FROM BUSINESSES EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF ASSISTANCE WILL BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND ESSENTIALLY GIVE US THE BIGGEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK. SO WE DON'T HAVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. WE HAVE A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY. AND HOW IS THAT GOING TO MAKE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE? WE WANT TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THIS AND SEE HOW WE CAN BEST ASSIST THEM. AND THAT'S WHY WE REACHED OUT TO THE YK CHAMBER AND WE'LL REACH OUT TO OTHER STAKEHOLDERS RECOGNIZING THAT EVERYONE'S NOT A MEMBER AND SEE WHAT THE INPUT IS AND WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR US TO CREATE A SYSTEM WHERE WE CAN USE THAT SMALL AMOUNT OF FUNDING TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE AND HOPEFULLY REDUCE SOME OF THE IMPACT OF COVID, BECAUSE AS WE ARE ALL AWARE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF LIBERTY AND FEDERAL ASSISTANCE. WE DON'T WANT TO DUPLICATE WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE, BUT WE DO WANT TO HELP WHERE WE CAN. SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. OK, AND SO FOR THE SUPPORT FOR RESIDENTS LIKE THE PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS, THE MAIN THING WERE GOING TO DO WAS PROVIDE RELIEF FOR DEVELOPMENT PERMITS. [01:55:01] CAN YOU GIVE AN IDEA OF WHAT A DEVELOPMENT PERMIT COSTS? IS THAT JUST THAT BASIC KIND OF I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT IT IS, BUT LIKE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLAR FEE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? OR DOES IT GO A LITTLE BIT BEYOND THAT? HOW MUCH OF AN INCENTIVE IS IT TO EVEN PROVIDE THIS? WILL IT BE THE MAKE OR BREAK FOR PEOPLE'S KIND OF HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS OR NOT? FOR SURE, MS. BASSI-KELLETT IS ALSO DEVELOPMENT PERMITS AND BUILDING PERMITS THAT ADMINISTRATION WAS THINKING ABOUT, BUT OVER TO YOU FOR COUNCILOR MORSE'S QUESTION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YES, DEVELOPMENT PERMITS ARE SCALED TO THE DEVELOPMENT ITSELF. I'LL ASK MR. LITTLEFAIR IF HE COULD JUST BRIEFLY SPEAK TO THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION. SO, FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF WORK WOULD BE ABOUT TO THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR PERMITS, AND ONE POINT THREE DOLLARS MILLION PROJECT WOULD BE ABOUT NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS. SO MOST OF THE PERMITS ARE PROBABLY BELOW THE 10000 MARK, BUT I DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION IN FRONT OF ME AT THIS TIME. I COULD CERTAINLY GET THAT DATA FOR YOU IF YOU WOULD LIKE IT. THANK YOU. THAT'S OK. I WAS JUST KIND OF TRYING TO ENVISION HOW BIG OF A DEAL THIS WOULD BE. I MEAN, IT'S AN INTERESTING DEBATE TO HAVE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE ARE DOING PROPERTY IMPROVEMENTS, OF COURSE, THERE'S LOTS OF BUSINESSES IN TOWN THAT ARE LIKELY TO BENEFIT FROM THAT. SO WHO WE GIVE THE MONEY TO AND HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK OUT. I MEAN, THIS DISCUSSION. I MEAN, I CAN'T SAY I'M LANDING ON A PARTICULARLY STRONG OPINION EITHER WAY. I TOTALLY HEAR WHERE COUNCILOR MORGAN'S COMING FROM AND I'M GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT SENTIMENT THAT WE WANT TO TRY AND SPREAD OUT IF WE'RE GOING TO BE PROVIDING BENEFITS TO CITIZENS. LET'S NOT MAKE PROPERTY OWNERSHIP THE BAR THAT THEY HAVE TO SET, THE BAR SET FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE BENEFITS, SO BUT I MEAN, AT THE SAME TIME, BUSINESS OWNERSHIP, YOU KNOW, LIKE, WHO ARE BENEFITING. I MEAN, IT'S HARD TO KIND OF TARGET WHO NEEDS THE MONEY THE MOST IN THESE KINDS OF SITUATIONS. I MEAN, PEOPLE WHO OWN BUSINESSES, TYPICALLY, ARE PROBABLY DOING A BIT BETTER THAN OTHERS. I COULD BE WRONG ABOUT THAT. THERE'S LOTS OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE STRUGGLING. DEFINITELY OWNING A PERSONAL BUSINESS IS RISKIER THAN WORKING A SECURE GOVERNMENT JOB. SO I MEAN, WE CAN KIND OF DEBATE THIS FOR A WHILE. YEAH, I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS I HAVEN'T REALLY HEARD AN ARGUMENT THAT'S REALLY GOING TO SWAY ME SUPER-STRONG IN EITHER DIRECTION, BUT I GUESS I GENERALLY SUPPORT THE SENTIMENT THAT COUNCILOR MORGAN'S EXPRESSING. THANK YOU. YEAH, AND TO NOTE, APARTMENT BUILDINGS COULD STILL APPLY IF THEY WANTED TO CREATE SOME NICE OUTDOOR SPACE, LIKE A NICE PATIO FOR THE RESIDENTS AND TO TRY TO PROVIDE A BIT OF THAT COVID RELIEF AS WELL. COUNCILOR SMITH, ANY THOUGHTS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER ON WHETHER YOU WANT TO STICK WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF 230 TO PROVIDE RELIEF FOR PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS OR IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPLIT THAT UP TO THE RELIEF FOR BUSINESSES AND THEN SOME EXTRA PARK MAINTENANCE AND POSSIBLE WASHROOMS. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M NOT SWAYED REALLY EITHER WAY, KIND OF LIKE COUNCILOR MORSE. I DO BELIEVE THAT WASHINGS WOULD DEFINITELY BE A BENEFIT TO OUR PARKS. THIS COMING FROM MY FEW YEARS OF BEING A CHILD CARE PROVIDER. IT WAS QUITE DIFFICULT BRINGING A HORDE OF CHILDREN TO A PARK AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU GET THERE AND ONE KID REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HAS TO DO NUMBER TWO AND THERE'S NOWHERE TO GO. AND SO YOU HAVE TO BRING THE ENTIRE HORDE BACK TO THE HOUSE AND IT BECOMES, YOU KNOW, AN ENTIRE AFTERNOON OF BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH. THEY GET [INAUDIBLE] PRETTY QUICKLY. AND I MEAN, I'M SURE FOR ADULTS TOO, IT'S A NECESSITY RATHER THAN JUST GOING IN THE BUSH. AS FOR BUSINESSES, THESE SORTS BUSINESSES, I WOULD KIND OF LIKE TO LEAVE IT AT 230. I DON'T SEE THE EXTRA BUMP IN REALLY DOING A DRASTIC AMOUNT, BUT I DO SEE THAT WE HAVE [02:00:08] OTHER AREAS IN WHICH, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY CAN BENEFIT, BUT I MEAN, NOT REALLY [INAUDIBLE] OTHER WAY. OK. CAN I RECOMMEND THAT THE RECOMMENDATION COME FORWARD, THE 230 TO PROVIDE RELIEF FOR PROPERTY ENHANCEMENTS AND COUNCILOR MORGAN, YOU CAN BRING THE AMENDMENT FORWARD. AND IN THE MEANTIME, MS. BASSI-KELLETT IF STAFF CAN WORK WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO EXPLORE THESE TWO OPTIONS AND BRING FORWARD SOME FEEDBACK BEFORE WE DISCUSS IT AGAIN AT COUNCILOR MAY 10TH AT SEVEN P.M.. THAT WORK FOR COUNCIL? YES? OKAY. WITH THAT, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL? SEEING NONE WE'LL BRING THIS FORWARD AGAIN MAY 10TH AT 7:00 P.M. AND HAVE A BIT MORE INFORMATION TO DO THAT ANALYSIS OR HAVE A FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE POSSIBLE WASHROOM ENHANCEMENTS AND PARK MAINTENANCE AND THE RELIEF FOR BUSINESSES. WITH THAT, THAT WAS THE END OF OUR AGENDA. YES, IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN MOVE BY COUNCILOR SMITH, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR MUFANDAEDZA. IF ANYBODY IS OPPOSED? SEEING NONE. WE'LL BE ADJOURNED. SEE EVERYBODY NEXT MONDAY AT GBC. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.