Oct 24, 2022 Governance & Priorities Committee

[00:00:01]

AND I'LL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING.

AND I'LL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 24TH, 2022 TO ORDER.

AND I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE IS LOCATED IN CHIEF DRYGEESE TERRITORY.

FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, IT'S BEEN THE TRADITIONAL LAND OF THE YELLOWKNIFE DENE FIRST NATION.

WE RESPECT THE HISTORIES, LANGUAGES AND CULTURES OF ALL OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, INCLUDING THE NORTH SLAVE METIS AND ALL FIRST NATIONS, MATAI AND INUIT, WHOSE PRESENCE CONTINUES TO ENRICH OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD TO THE AGENDA? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

NO, NOTHING ELSE TO ADD.

THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE DISCLOSURE, PECUNIARY INTEREST AND THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF.

DOES ANY MEMBER HAVE A PECUNIARY INTEREST TODAY? SEEING NONE.

NEXT, WE HAVE THE ANNUAL REPORT FROM THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

[4. Annual Report from the City of Yellowknife’s Integrity Commissioner.]

YES, ABSOLUTELY, MADAM CHAIR.

WITH PLEASURE. SO THE COUNCIL CODE OF ETHICS BY LAW CONFIRMS THE ROLE OF THE INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER.

AND SO IN THE APPOINTMENT OF INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER, AND THIS ROLE IS APPOINTED FOR A FIVE YEAR TERM.

THE INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER REPORTS ANNUALLY TO COUNCIL.

TYPICALLY, THE REPORTS COME WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF THE SEPTEMBER TO SEPTEMBER CALENDAR OR THE YEAR THAT IS USED BY THE INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER.

AND TODAY, OF COURSE, ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE TWO ANNUAL REPORTS FOR 20-21 AND 21-22.

WE HOPED TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THE 20-21 EARLIER THIS SPRING, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THERE WERE SOME SCHEDULING PROBLEMS WITH THE INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER.

SO IT'S PRESENTED HERE TODAY.

AND OF COURSE, THEN THE 21-22 IS A LITTLE BIT EARLY, BUT THE INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER DID WORK PRETTY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS AVAILABLE FOR THIS COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO SEE, GIVEN YOU ARE THE OUTGOING COUNCIL WHO HAS, WHO HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF THE INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER'S REPORT.

WE WERE HOPING AND WE HAD CONFIRMED THAT THE INTEGRITY COMMISSIONER WOULD BE HERE AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE SOMETHING MUST HAVE COME UP, BUT WE WILL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AND TAKE THEM BACK TO THE COMMISSIONER, IF THERE ARE ANY THAT MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE HAVE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS, DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE.

[5. A memorandum regarding COVID Recovery Grant Program opportunities.]

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. IF YOU'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM.

WITH PLEASURE. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SO IN 2021, COUNCIL HAD DIRECTED ADMINISTRATION ON THE USE OF ONE TIME SAFE RESTART COVID FUNDING THAT WE HAD RECEIVED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

AND AT THAT TIME, THE DRIVE AND THE PRINCIPLE BEHIND THIS WAS TO BE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE THE BENEFITS TO YELLOWKNIFE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES AS WE START TO COME OUT OF COVID.

COUNCIL'S DIRECTION WAS PRIMARILY TO TARGET BUSINESSES.

AND SO THIS PAST SEPTEMBER, ADMINISTRATION REPORTED BACK TO COUNCIL ON THE UPTAKE OF THE GRANTS UNDER THIS PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S STILL LEFT.

AND COUNCIL AT THAT TIME HAD ASKED ADMINISTRATION TO PROVIDE SOME GUIDELINES FOR HOW THE REMAINDER OF THE FUNDS WILL BE SPENT WITHIN, OF COURSE, COUNCIL'S PREVIOUS OVERALL DIRECTION. SO TODAY WE PRESENT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THESE ARE BASED ON DISCUSSIONS WITH THE YELLOWKNIFE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, DISCUSSIONS WITH GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, INDUSTRY, TOURISM AND INVESTMENT, AND ALSO LOOKING AT BEST PRACTICES THAT OTHER CANADIAN MUNICIPALITIES HAVE BEEN USING TO LOOK AT REALLY BEING ABLE TO REINVIGORATE THEIR BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES AFTER COVID.

SO, WE'RE PROPOSING TODAY TO CONTINUE THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEE WAIVER PROGRAM.

IT'S SMALL, BUT IT'S BROADENED ITS APPLICATION TO ALL BUSINESSES.

WE WANT TO, WE'RE PROPOSING TO PROVIDE SOME SUPPORT TO FESTIVALS AND EVENTS THAT ARE REALLY ECONOMIC DRIVERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND TO CONTINUE THE COVID RECOVERY BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO TARGET AT SOME OF THE NEW CHALLENGES THAT SMALL BUSINESSES IN YELLOWKNIFE ARE FACING.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS. DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL.

COUNCILLOR MORGAN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

IN TERMS OF THE THIRD ITEM, THE GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE BUSINESSES, CAN ADMINISTRATION JUST CLARIFY WHAT MAKES BUSINESSES ELIGIBLE FOR THE GRANT? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'LL ASK MS.. THISTLE TO SPEAK TO THIS.

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

THE DETAILS WITH RESPECT TO ELIGIBILITY CAN CONTINUE TO BE WORKED OUT.

WE DIDN'T CONSULT IN SPECIFIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

TO DATE, THE GRANTS THAT HAVE BEEN OFFERED BY THE CITY FOR COVID RECOVERY HAVE BEEN LIMITED TO THE SECTORS THAT WERE HARDEST HIT.

SO TOWARDS THEM, RESTAURANT SERVICE ESSENTIALLY, AND SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED BUSINESSES.

SO WE DID HAVE A SIZE LIMITATION.

SO THOSE DETAILS HAVE NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE MEMORANDUM AT THIS TIME AS TO GAIN THE CONSENSUS OR GO AHEAD FROM COUNCIL TO

[00:05:04]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND SO JUST TO CLARIFY, SO IT'S AN EXISTING PROGRAM, THOUGH, THAT'S BEING CONTINUED, CORRECT? NO, IT'S, THIS IS STARTING NOW.

THIS IS BRAND NEW, I SEE YOU SHAKING YOUR HEAD.

OKAY. AND IS THE INTENTION TO HAVE THESE GRANTS FLOW THROUGH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OR THEY'RE JUST HELPING TO CONSULT ON WHAT TO ADVISE OR CONSULT ON WHAT SOME OF THE CRITERIA MIGHT BE, BUT IT WOULD BE THE CITY DIRECTING IT.

YEAH, JUST THIS ADVISING.

IT'S SIMILAR TO HOW WE RAN THE PROGRAMS LIKE THE PATIO PROGRAM AND THERE WAS A NUMBER OF OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE RAN UP TO TODAY.

AND SO THIS IS JUST THAT REMAINING AMOUNT OF FUNDING.

SO BUSINESSES WOULD CONTINUE TO APPLY THROUGH THE CITY AND RECEIVE THE FUNDING DIRECTLY FROM THE CITY.

BUT. MS. BASSI-KELLETT, ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD.

THANKS. THAT'S EXACTLY IT.

AND WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD TO STREAMLINE THAT PROCESS TO MAKE IT AS EASY AND CUMBERSOME AS POSSIBLE.

IS THIS WHILE THEY WOULD BE CITY RUN PROGRAMS, WE SIMPLY ENGAGED WITH THE YELLOWKNIFE CHAMBER TO GET INPUT AND REALLY TO HEAR WHAT THEY'RE HEARING FROM THEIR MEMBERSHIP SO THAT WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT ARE EFFECTIVE.

WE DON'T WANT TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS THAT AREN'T REALLY GOING TO GAIN US THE FOOTING THAT WE WANT OR AREN'T ACCESS TO THE LEVEL THAT WE WANT.

BUT THEY WILL BE CITY RUN PROGRAMS. IN THE PAST THE GRANT, WE'VE DEVELOPED AN ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS THAT'S REALLY SIMPLE AND STREAMLINED SO THAT IT'S EASY FOR PEOPLE TO FILL OUT THE APPLICATION. IT COMES TO THE CITY EMAIL, IT'S APPROVED, AND THEN FUNDING IS DISTRIBUTED.

IT'S ENTIRELY A CITY RUN PROCESS FROM START TO FINISH.

WE JUST WORK OUT THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS IN CONSULTATION OR IN DISCUSSION WITH SPECIFIC GROUPS, INCLUDING IN THIS CASE, THE YELLOWKNIFE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. IN THE PAST, WE'VE ALWAYS ALSO ENGAGED WITH NWT TOURISM.

DURING COVID TOURISM SECTOR WAS HARD HIT, SO WE'VE ENGAGED WITH MANY DIFFERENT GROUPS.

AND IN THIS CASE, LIKE I SAID, A KEY STAKEHOLDER IS THE YELLOWKNIFE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

SO THE LAST CLARIFICATION.

SO JUST SO I HAVE THIS RIGHT.

SO WE HAVE BEEN DOING THESE KINDS OF GRANTS IN THE PAST, BUT WE'RE GOING TO SORT OF DO A RESET TO DETERMINE WHETHER WE MIGHT TARGET NEW SECTORS OR TO DETERMINE NEW ELIGIBILITY.

BUT IT'S A CONTINUATION OF THE SAME KIND OF PROGRAM.

BUT WE'RE REASSESSING ELIGIBILITY IN TERMS OF SECTORS.

AM I INTERPRETING THIS CORRECT? YES. SO ADMINISTRATION CAME FORWARD IN SEPTEMBER TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON HOW THEY USE THE 2021 COVID FUNDING TO DATE.

BUT THEY HADN'T SPENT 260 OF THE $700,000.

SO COUNCIL, JUST INSTEAD OF SAYING LIKE ADMIN JUST GO SPEND THE MONEY HOWEVER, REQUESTED THAT ADMIN COME BACK WITH A PLAN TO SPEND THE REMAINING AMOUNT.

SO THAT'S WHAT TODAY IS ABOUT IS THEIR RECOMMENDATION IS CONTINUING ONE MORE YEAR OF THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEE, THEN ADDING THE FESTIVALS AND THEN HAVING THAT COVID RECOVERY BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT THEY DID PREVIOUSLY.

BUT THE, WHAT WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A GRANT MAY CHANGE IN 2022 VERSUS 2021 SINCE, WELL, I GUESS ALMOST 2023 NOW, SINCE THE CONDITIONS HAVE KIND OF CHANGED AND THE STRUGGLES BUSINESSES FACED THIS YEAR VERSUS NEXT YEAR WILL BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.

ANYTHING FURTHER FROM COUNCIL.

SEEING NONE. JUST TO NOTE, WE'LL BRING THIS FORWARD TO COUNCIL TONIGHT SINCE WE'LL JUST KIND OF WRAP UP OUR BUSINESS AND BEFORE HANDING IT ALL OVER TO THE NEXT COUNCIL. NEXT ON THE ITEM IS THIRD QUARTER FORECAST AND VARIANCE REPORT.

[6. A memorandum regarding 2022 Third Quarter Forecast and Variance Report.]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE COUNCIL'S ONGOING ATTENTION TO THE BUDGET AND BUDGET DOCUMENTS, INCLUDING OUR QUARTERLY VARIANCE REPORTS DURING THE YEAR.

AND SO TODAY WE ARE PLEASED TO BRING FORWARD THE THIRD QUARTER VARIANCE FOR THE PERIOD OF JUNE TO SEPTEMBER 30TH.

WE ARE ON TRACK AND WE CONTINUE TO MANAGE OUR FINANCES WITH AS MUCH PRUDENCE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.

YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS, OF COURSE, ARE THAT WE HAVE HAD HIGHER EXPENSES THAT MEAN OUR NET WORTH, OUR SURPLUS, WHICH IS OUR GROSS NET WORTH OF THE CITY, IS TARGETED TO BE ABOUT $600,000 LESS THAN BUDGETED.

OUR CAPITAL BUDGET CONTINUES TO INCLUDE CARRY FORWARDS THAT ARE ALMOST ONE THIRD OF THE BUDGET OVERALL, AND THIS IS REALLY ATTRIBUTABLE IN SO MANY WAYS TO THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND THE CAPACITY OF OUR CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANTS AS WELL AS OURSELVES.

IT'S COLD COMFORT, BUT IT IS COMFORT TO SEE THAT THE GNWT IS IN THE SAME POSITION AND COMES FORWARD WITH REDUCED AND MODIFIED CAPITAL BUDGETS AS A RESULT.

SO OVERALL, WITH OUR BUDGET, WE ARE ON TRACK.

WE FEEL CONFIDENT AROUND THIS AND WE CONTINUE TO MANAGE AS CAUTIOUSLY AND AS PRUDENTLY WITH THE PUBLIC FINANCES THAT WE MONITOR AS WE CAN.

[00:10:06]

ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS.

DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL.

COUNCILLOR MORGAN.

THANK YOU FOR THIS.

AND I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE LIST OF CAPITAL PROJECTS AND WHERE WE'RE AT AND WHAT'S PROJECTED TO BE COMPLETED AS TARGET THIS YEAR AND WHAT'S BEHIND AND WHAT HASN'T STARTED YET.

AND I KNOW EVERY YEAR WE HAVE SOME PROJECTS THAT FOR VARIOUS REASONS, JUST CAN'T GO AHEAD OR WE HAVE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, OR IT LOOKED LIKE ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF THE MONEY FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE HAD ALLOCATED THIS YEAR IS ESTIMATED TO BE SPENT.

CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG THERE, AND I'M CERTAINLY GLAD TO SEE THAT SOME OF THE BIG TICKET ITEMS ARE TOTALLY ON TRACK.

THE AQUATIC CENTER, LOTS OF THE ROAD WATER, SEWER PROJECTS.

BUT I NOTICED THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION FUNDS ARE NOT BEING TOUCHED THIS YEAR OR THAT DIDN'T SEEM TO GO AHEAD. I WONDER IF THERE'S ANY COMMENT ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THAT OR THE PLAN TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH THE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION? MS. BASSI-KELLETT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION AND I APPRECIATE YOUR POINT.

AND YEAH, IT'S BALLPARK THREE QUARTERS OF OUR FUNDS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO EXPEND, WHICH IS, BECAUSE WE'RE FOCUSING SO MUCH ON THE MACRO PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, PLUS THE ONES THAT ARE REALLY IN DEMAND AND IN REQUIRED OF US THROUGH A REGULATORY LENS.

WE HAVE BEEN REALLY WORKING AROUND THE CAPACITY ISSUE, INCLUDING OUR INTERNAL CAPACITY WITH STAFF.

AND SO I WILL ASK MR. GREEN KORN IF HE COULD SPEAK TO THIS AT ALL.

I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME CHALLENGES IN THAT AREA WITH HAPPILY LOSING, NOT HAPPILY, TEMPORARILY LOSING A MANAGER TO FOR A PARENTAL LEAVE.

BUT I WILL ASK MR. GREENCORN IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THAT IN MORE DETAIL.

THANKS FOR THE QUESTION. IT'S LARGELY DUE TO CAPACITY.

WE'VE HAD OVER A 50% REDUCTION IN STAFF.

WE'RE CURRENTLY RUNNING AT FOUR OUT OF TEN PEOPLE, SO WE JUST ARE KEEPING THE GATES OPEN AND KEEPING OUR FRONT LINE SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.

SO HIGHER LEVEL STRATEGIC INITIATIVES ARE GOING TO HAVE TO UNFORTUNATELY WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE THE DEDICATED RESOURCES TO APPLY TO THOSE VARIOUS PROJECTS.

SO. WE'RE ACTIVELY RECRUITING.

IF YOU KNOW ANYONE, PLEASE LOOK AT OUR JOB BOARDS AND WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE RESUMES.

SO. YEAH, THANKS FOR THAT.

I MEAN, I THINK IT'S IT'S GOOD FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW, TOO, THAT WE'RE RECRUITING OR TRYING TO STAFF UP HERE, SO TO HELP US IMPLEMENT ALL THE GREAT INITIATIVES WE HAVE ON THE GO. THANKS. THANK YOU.

YEAH, THERE'S DEFINITELY A FEW.

SO CHECK OUT THE CITY'S WEBSITE FOR MORE CAREER OPPORTUNITIES.

SEEING NOTHING FURTHER.

[7. A memorandum regarding a report regarding Mayor Alty’s travel to Victoria, BC to attend the Livable Cities Forum from October 2 – 4, 2022.]

ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS, DISCUSSION.

SEEING NONE.

[IN CAMERA]

IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO MOVE IN CAMERA.

MOVE BY COUNCILOR MORSE, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR SMITH.

ANYBODY OPPOSED? SEEING NONE. WE CAN GO IN-CAMERA.

[10. Business arising from In Camera Session.]

WE WILL APPOINT SUE MCKINNEY TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, AND WE WILL APPOINT MATTHEW YAP TO THE YELLOWKNIFE DEVELOPMENT APPEAL BOARD, AND WE WILL BRING FORWARD BOTH THOSE APPOINTMENTS AT COUNCIL TONIGHT.

WITH THAT, WE'VE COME TO THE END OF OUR AGENDA.

IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

MOVED BY COUNCILLOR SMITH. SECONDED BY COUNCIL SILVERIO.

SEEING NOBODY OPPOSED, WE CAN BE ADJOURNED AND WE'LL SEE EVERYBODY BACK AT 7 P.M..

HAVE A GREAT AFTERNOON.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.