[Special Governance and Priorities Committee Meeting on January 30, 2023.]
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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 END OF THE YELLOWKNIFE DENE FIRST NATION.
WE RESPECT THE HISTORIES, LANGUAGES AND CULTURES OF ALL OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE NORTH SLAVE METIS AND ALL FIRST NATION AND INUIT WHOSE PRESENCE CONTINUES TO ENRICH OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
NEXT IS DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST IN THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF.
DOES ANY MEMBER HAVE A PECUNIARY INTEREST TODAY? SEEING NONE.
NEXT, WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM REGARDING THE MINUTES OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD ON HOMELESSNESS.
THE MEETING THAT WAS HELD JANUARY 19TH, 2023.
ANY QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE THAT MEETING BASICALLY GETS INTO THE THE CONTENT OF THE MEETING IS OUR NEXT POINT, WHICH IS WHERE WE'LL PROBABLY GET INTO THAT DISCUSSION IS A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD ON HOMELESSNESS TO ALLOCATE REMAINING FUNDS FOR THE 2020 TO 2023 FISCAL YEAR. SORRY, ACTUALLY, BEFORE WE GET THAT THERE, JUST TO LET FOLKS KNOW WHO MAY BE WATCHING THIS AFTER WE'RE ON, GO TO RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THERE'S SOME RENOVATIONS HAPPENING IN OUR COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, WE COULDN'T MEET THERE IN PERSON TODAY.
BUT KATRINA, THANKS FOR JOINING US AND FOR ALL THOSE OTHERS.
THANKS FOR WATCHING AFTER THE FACT.
SO BACK TO THE AGENDA, MS. BASSI-KELLETT, IF YOU'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
THANKS VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
ABSOLUTELY. SO COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE AWARE THAT THE CITY IS IDENTIFIED AS A COMMUNITY ENTITY BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE PURPOSES OF BEING A PARTNER IN REACHING HOME, WHICH IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S STRATEGY TO END HOMELESSNESS.
CAB CONSIDERS AND MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOW THESE FUNDS ARE SPENT.
SO RIGHT NOW, THE REMAINDER OF THE FUNDING UNDER REACHING HOME FOR THE YEAR 2022 23, THE REMAINDER OF THIS ALLOCATION IS $1.46 MILLION, AND CAB HAS MADE A DETERMINATION ON HOW THESE FUNDS SHOULD BE ALLOCATED.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO FIRM FOR MY FELLOW COUNCILORS.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR GIVING ME THE CHANCE TO SERVE AS CHAIR OF CAB.
TO REITERATE THE POINT THAT MS. BASSI-KELLETT MADE AROUND THE RECOMMENDATION OF CAB TO COUNCIL AND JUST TO HIGHLIGHT THE THE IMPORTANT WORK THAT TRANSITIONING ASPEN WOULD PROVIDE FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDING REAL, TANGIBLE HOUSING OPTIONS AND AVAILABILITY IN THE CITY.
AND THEN THE SUPPORT THAT CAB REALLY WAS GIVING TO TO BAILLIE HOUSE WITH THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING AS THAT TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WHO EITHER ARE TRANSITIONING AWAY FROM HOMELESSNESS OR TO KEEP THEM FROM EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AGAIN IN MANY SITUATIONS.
SO JUST AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHAIR CAB.
IT'S BEEN A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND LOTS OF LOTS OF GOOD OPPORTUNITY IN THE FUTURE WITH THE MEMBERS WHO ALL ARE REALLY WANTING TO NETWORK BETTER AND TO FIND, FIND EVEN BETTER SOLUTIONS FOR FOR YELLOWKNIFE MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS.
SO I'LL PASS IT BACK TO THE CHAIR.
THANKS, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU.
AND DEADLINES FOR GETTING APPLICATIONS IN IS FEBRUARY 16TH.
SO THAT'S JUST A FLAG WHILE WE'RE ALL STILL STILL HERE.
COUNCILOR COCHRANE WHEN COUNCILOR FORGET.
I'M JUST CURIOUS, ONCE WE TAKE THE ASPEN APARTMENTS AND WE FINISH THESE RENOVATIONS, ARE WE CONFIDENT THAT A NGO HAS THE CAPACITY TO TAKE OVER THE RESPONSIBILITY OF RUNNING THAT FACILITY? GREAT QUESTION.
HOUSING THAT'S LOOKING TO GET THE TRANSFER FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
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AND SO THEN WE WOULD BE ALLOCATING THIS 1.3 MILLION OVER TO THEM TO HELP DO SOME OF THE RENOVATIONS REQUIRED.AND THEN WHETHER IT FOLLOWS THE MODEL OF ROCK HILL WHERE THE RENT RENTED IT TO YWCA FOR A DOLLAR A YEAR, OR WHETHER THEY CHOOSE TO TO DO THE TRANSFER AND THE BUILDING WOULD THEN BE OWNED BY THE NOT FOR PROFIT THAT WOULD BE THAT'S STILL UNDER CONSIDERATION.
AND WHEN WE HAD THE DISCUSSION ABOUT ASPEN BACK IN NOVEMBER, WE'VE BEEN HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS WITH CAB SINCE MAY OF LAST WEEK OR LAST YEAR, SORRY, EVEN BEFORE THAT TOO. BUT ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST.
HOWEVER, THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE IT INTO FURTHER CONSIDERATION ONCE MORE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILOR COCHRAN.
UM, I THINK I'M OKAY AT THE MOMENT, ACTUALLY.
FEQUET. AND COUNCILLOR. WARBURTON.
I NOTICE IT SAYS FOR CAPITAL ANNUAL COSTS, WHAT ARE THE ANTICIPATED REMAINDER OF THE RENOVATIONS EXPECTED TO COST FOR CAPITAL ALONE? IT WOULD REQUIRE MOST OF THAT MONEY FOR CAPITAL, BUT WE WANTED TO HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY WITH EMOTION.
BUT ULTIMATELY ALL OF THE FUNDING WILL GO TO TO CAPITAL.
BUT WE WANTED TO HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY AND NOT HAVE TO COME BACK AND REJIG THE MOTION.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT AT 1.3 WILL NOT COVER THE REMAINDER OF THE CAPITAL COSTS? THERE IS, YEAH, DEFINITELY MORE RENOVATIONS THAN JUST THE 1.3 MILLION AND THE THE GNP.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE CITY ARE LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF FUNDING POTS.
THE THE REPORT HAS HAS A BROKEN DOWN INTO MANDATORY RENOVATION REQUIREMENTS.
AND THEN THERE'S THE THE NICE TO HAVE LIKE A NEW KITCHEN COUNTERTOP FOR UNIT 201, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO THERE'S A BREAKDOWN ON A NUMBER OF THEM, BUT THEY'LL NEED MORE THAN JUST 1.3 MILLION.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT IN THE CITY ARE LOOKING TO.
MORE FUNDING POTS BECAUSE REACHING HOMES ONE BUT THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FUNDING POTS OUT THERE.
MS. BASSI-KELLETT ANYTHING FURTHER FROM ADMIN ON THAT ONE? THANKS VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
YEAH, I MEAN, WE WE KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME WORK THAT HOUSING N.W.T.
HAS DONE TO LOOK AT QUANTIFYING WHAT SOME OF THE MUST DO.
REPAIRS ARE ON TO ASPEN AND CERTAINLY WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO COLLABORATE WITH THEM TO SEARCH OUT AND TO ACCESS ANY OTHER FUNDING SOURCES THAT COULD BE OUT THERE THAT COULD GO TOWARDS DOING THIS REALLY IMPORTANT WORK ON ASPEN SO THAT WE GET IT INTO THE THE HOUSING CONTINUUM THAT WE CAN PROVIDE FOR NON MARKET HOUSING.
34 UNITS CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
THANKS. THANKS FOR THAT. YEAH.
AND THANKS FOR PROVIDING THAT EXTRA LEVEL OF DETAIL.
REBECCA, HOW THE REPORT IS SET UP.
MAYBE IT'S TOO OR IT'S NOT NECESSARY, BUT I GUESS.
OR IS THAT GOING TO ONLY GET THE MUST HAVES AND NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THE RECOMMENDED AND THE NICE TO HAVES? OR IS THAT GOING TO. I GUESS I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT LIKE WHEN WE INVEST THIS MONEY, WHICH I JUST DON'T GET ME WRONG, I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE.
GLAD WE'RE GOING TO BRING THESE 34 UNITS ONLINE IN SOME WAY.
IS THERE GOING TO BE A LOT MORE NEEDED? THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO JUST FLESH OUT IN MY BRAIN.
SO, YOU KNOW, MUST HAVES RECOMMENDED.
NICE TO HAVE. HOW FAR WILL THAT 1.3 GET US? AND IF IT WON'T GET US ALL THE WAY, HOW DO WE FEEL? PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT BETWEEN AMONGST THE OTHER PARTNERS THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO BRING IT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE AND TO WHAT LEVEL? NICE TO HAVE RECOMMENDED OR MUST HAVE? YEAH, WE'LL FULFILL ALL OF IT, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FUNDING PARTS.
SO THERE'S THE FEDERAL LANDS INITIATIVE, THERE'S THE CO-INVESTMENT POT, THERE'S THE RAPID HOUSING.
SO THERE'S A NUMBER OF FUNDING POTS THAT BETWEEN THE THREE ORDERS OF GOVERNMENT WE THINK IT WILL BE ABLE TO TO RENOVATE THE BUILDING TO THE MAXIMUM.
AND BEYOND THOSE THERE'S ENERGY RETROFIT THROUGH THE ARCTIC ENERGY ALLIANCE.
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THERE'S THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT FUNDING POTS THAT CAN BE ACCESSED TO TO GET AS MUCH DONE AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THE BUILDINGS IN AS GOOD A SHAPE AS POSSIBLE WHEN THE NGO OR THE HOUSING GOING TO BE RUNNING IT EVEN FOR THAT MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.NO, I THINK YOU NAILED IT. WE'RE REALLY WORKING TO SEE.
WE'RE WORKING QUITE AGGRESSIVELY, AND WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS, ACTUALLY, WITH CMHC AND HOUSING N.W.T.
TO REALLY LOOK AT WHAT SOME OF THOSE OPTIONS ARE THAT CAN BE APPLIED DIRECTLY TO THE ASPEN SCENARIO.
AND WE FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH CMHC THAT THEY SEE SOME OPTIONS THAT CAN WORK FOR US, THAT CAN REALLY SUPPLEMENT THE MONEY THAT'S NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO BRING ASPEN UP TO THE STANDARD THAT IS ACCEPTABLE.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MORE OF A COMMENT.
I'M JUST EXCITED TO SEE THIS IS STILL PROGRESSING.
THIS IS A BIG PART OF CAB CONVERSATION.
YOU KNOW, WE'D ALL LOVE TO HAVE THE YWCA BUILDING AND A SHINY NEW BUILDING, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE GOT.
AND HOUSING FOR PEOPLE INSTEAD OF NO ONE IS EXCITING TO HEAR.
SO AND I'M QUITE EXCITED TO HEAR THAT HOUSING COMMITTEE IS HAS HAS EXPRESSED INTEREST.
NOW THAT'S A CHANGE IN TUNE WHICH IS EXCITING TO HEAR.
PEOPLE COMING ON BOARD AS OPPOSED TO FIGHTING AS IT WAS PREVIOUSLY HAPPENING.
AND YEAH AND THERE'S FOUR FOLKS THAT ARE WONDERING ABOUT THE COSTS AND STUFF.
YEAH THERE'S A LOT OF NICE TO HAVE IN THAT LIST IN THAT REPORT THERE'S.
OPERATIONALLY THE BUILDING IS BEEN MAINTAINED IN FUNCTIONAL BY THE FEDS FOREVER SO IT'S A GOOD SOUND STRUCTURALLY GOOD BUILDING IT JUST NEEDS SOME LOVE AND I MADE WHEN I WAS WAY BACK ON CAB WAS THERE'S THREE EMPTY PARKING LOTS COME WITH THAT PROPERTY SO THERE'S ALL KINDS OF EXPANSION OPTIONS IN THE FUTURE FOR FOLKS.
IT'S AN EXCELLENT PLACE TO START, AND OVER TIME, WE CAN ITERATE IT INTO SOMETHING AWESOME.
SO JUST EXCITED TO SEE IT COMING.
YEAH, I THINK THERE'S EVEN FOUR PARKING LOTS THAT COME WITH THAT PROPERTY.
SO DEFINITELY SOME EXPANSION OPPORTUNITIES OVER THE YEARS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS, DISCUSSION, COUNCILOR? IT'S NOT AMERICA. AND THANKS TO COBB FOR THEIR WORK, IT'S GREAT TO SEE THE RE-USE OF PROPERTIES COME FORWARD.
WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT INFILL, SO THIS IS AN AWESOME ONE.
SO NOW IT SEEMS LIKE THE HOUSING N.W.T.
WILL LIKELY TAKE ON THE PROPERTY.
IS THERE ANY ANTICIPATION OR PLANNING FOR THE CITY TO TAKE ON THE PROPERTY AND ITS LIABILITY OR FOR AN NGO OR IS RIGHT NOW AND IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE THE PLAN TO BE FOR HOUSING N.W.T.
TO TAKE. SO FAR, HOUSING AND THE BEAUTY.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S GOTTEN AS FAR AS DETERMINING WHETHER IT WOULD BE LIKE THE ROCK HILL MODEL WHERE THEY LEASE IT OUT TO AN NGO FOR A DOLLAR, OR IF THEY WOULD DO THAT, THAT FULL TRANSFER TO AN NGO MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I WON'T GET INTO THE DETAILS BECAUSE I WILL CERTAINLY BUNGLE IT UP.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT VERY CLOSELY.
AND SO THE THE IMPACT OF THE FLY INITIATIVE FROM CMHC WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT.
THEY FEEL AT THIS POINT IN DISCUSSIONS IN JANUARY 2023 THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO PROCEED.
THEY'VE SAID THAT TO US IN A NUMBER OF MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THEM AND IN WRITING AS WELL.
SO THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT WHAT THE ROLLOUT AND HOW THIS WILL LOOK, WHETHER OR NOT THEY CONTINUE TO OWN, WHETHER OR NOT THEY SEEK TO ASSIGN THIS TO AN NGO, WHETHER OR NOT THEY JUST ASK AN NGO TO PROGRAM IT WHILE THEY CONTINUE TO DO THE THE OWNERSHIP AND THE MAINTENANCE.
WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT LEVEL OF CONVERSATION WITH THEM YET, BUT THEY HAVE CONFIRMED TO US THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO PROCEED WITH THIS NOW IN WAYS THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THAT SAME CERTAINTY IN 2022.
THANK YOU. SAID IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FOR NON MARKET HOUSING.
IT'S GOT TO BE NON MARKET HOUSING.
AND THEN JUST A CURIOSITY FOR ME.
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IT'S STILL EARLY FOR THAT.THERE'S 36 UNITS AND I THINK THERE'S 32 OF THEM ARE SINGLE UNITS VERSUS THERE'S A FEW TWO BEDROOMS. SO THAT WOULD PROBABLY ALSO BE SOMETHING THAT'S TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN THE MODELING OF WHICH CLIENTS THAT WOULD SERVE BEST.
BUT STILL EARLY TO SAY AND WHAT THE MODEL WOULD BE.
THANKS. YEAH. EXCITED TO SEE THIS COME FORWARD.
THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? DISCUSSION ON.
SEEING NONE AS THIS IS A FUNDING THAT'S A LITTLE TIMELY.
WE ARE LOOKING TO HOLD A SPECIAL COUNCIL NEXT MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH.
SO THIS WILL BE JUST THE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA LOOKING TO APPROVE THIS AND THEN WE CAN GET THE MONEY OUT THE DOOR BECAUSE THE FEDS WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE MONEY FLOWING SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. SO JUST TO NOTE THAT WE'LL CALL A SPECIAL COUNCIL, HAVE IT AT 1205, APPROVE THAT, AND THEN GO INTO OUR REGULAR G.P.S.
THE NEXT ITEM IS A MATTER STILL UNDER CONSIDERATION.
ANYBODY WHO'S SEEING NONE, WE CAN LOG OFF HERE AND WE WILL COME BACK ONCE WE AFTER IN CAMERA FOR THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING.
BUT FOR NOW, WE'RE GOING TO LOG OFF THIS ONE AND GO TO THE OTHER.
GO TO SEE EVERYBODY IN THE SECOND.
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HOW ARE YOU AT YOUR DESK?[00:57:00]
ORG. IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN.[00:57:04]
OH, THERE WE GO. OKAY, COOL.[00:57:05]
THANK YOU. SO WE HAVE NO BUSINESS ARISING FROM IN CAMERA.[00:57:10]
IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN, MOVE BY DEPUTY MAYOR ARDEN-SMITH, SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN.[00:57:15]
ANYBODY OPPOSE SEEING?[00:57:17]
THEN WE'LL SEE EVERYBODY NEXT WEEK AT 1205.[00:57:21]
IT SHOULD BE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS, BUT HEAVEN FORBID IF THERE'S ANY RENO DELAYS, WE'LL LET EVERYBODY KNOW AND WE'LL HAVE TO DO ANOTHER GO TO MEETING.HAVE A GREAT WEEK, EVERYBODY, AND STAY WARM.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.