Feb 13, 2023 Governance & Priorities Committee

[00:00:03]

SO I WILL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH, 2023 TO ORDER.

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

[1. Opening Statement: The City of Yellowknife acknowledges that we are located in Chief Drygeese territory. From time immemorial, it has been the traditional land of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. We respect the histories, languages, and cultures of all other Indigenous Peoples including the North Slave Métis, and all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.]

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

MS. BASSI-KELLETT ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD TO THE AGENDA?

[2. Approval of the agenda.]

NO, NOTHING ELSE TO ADD.

THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTERESTS IN GENERAL NATURE THEREOF.

[3. Disclosure of pecuniary interest and the general nature thereof.]

NO. SEEING NO PECUNIARY INTEREST.

NEXT, WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD ON HOMELESSNESS TO ALLOCATE FUNDING FOR THE 2023

[4. A memorandum regarding whether to approve the recommendations of the City of Yellowknife Community Advisory Board on Homelessness to allocate funding for the 2023/2024 fiscal year.]

MS. BASSI-KELLETT DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SPEAK TO ON THIS MEMO? VERY BRIEFLY. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW, IS THE COMMUNITY ENTITY TO RECEIVE HOMELESSNESS FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO WE DECIDE ON THE ALLOCATIONS OF THESE FUNDS WITH THE EXPERT ADVICE OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD, AND ULTIMATELY COUNCIL APPROVES THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDING TO AGENCIES THAT ARE WORKING TO MITIGATE HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

CAB HAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE $2.7 MILLION IN FUNDING FOR 2023-24 BE ALLOCATED TOWARDS A RANGE OF OPTIONS FOCUSING ON HOUSING FIRST PREVENTION STRATEGIES AND INDIGENOUS CASE MANAGEMENT.

ADMINISTRATION SUPPORTS THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF CAB AND PRESENTS THEM TODAY FOR GPCS CONSIDERATION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

AND AS NOTED IN THE MEMO, THERE'S YES, THERE'S STILL $404,854.

AND SO IF THERE ARE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS OR INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE IDEAS ON WAYS THAT THIS FUNDING CAN BE PROGRAMS THAT CAN BE USED TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE HOMELESSNESS, THEY'RE WELCOME TO PUT IN A PROPOSAL NEEDS TO INCLUDE WHAT THE PROJECT WOULD BE, TIMELINE, BUDGET.

ALL FUNDING HAS TO BE SPENT BY MARCH 31ST, 2024.

ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, DISCUSSION ON THE MEMO.

COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS. IT LOOKS LIKE THIS FUNDING POT ENDS IN 2024.

HAS THERE BEEN ANY INDICATION THAT THIS WILL CONTINUE OR NOT? IT JUST LOOKS LIKE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FUND SOME AWESOME ORGANIZATIONS WITH THIS MONEY, SO HOPING IT WILL CONTINUE.

SO WE'VE HAD TWO AGREEMENTS WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SO FAR ON REACHING HOME AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL CONTINUE THE PROGRAM AND THEN HOPEFULLY AS WELL, THEY'LL SELECT THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE TO BE A COMMUNITY ENTITY TO RECEIVE FUNDING AS WELL.

BUT AS OF YET, THE FEDS HAVEN'T COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THE PROGRAM.

I ASSUME THEY MAY, BUT TOO EARLY TO SAY.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD? THANKS VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR YOU NAILED IT.

IT HAS BEEN RENEWED SEAMLESSLY IN THE PAST, BUT TYPICALLY AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE EXPIRATION DATE.

THANK YOU. LIKE LAST [INAUDIBLE] MARCH 31ST, AND WE HEARD AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH.

SO HOPEFULLY THEY WILL GIVE US A BIT MORE WARNING NEXT TIME.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

THANKS, MADAM CHAIR. MY QUESTION IS JUST ABOUT THE TIMING, WHICH YOU JUST ALLUDED TO IN YOUR LAST COMMENT.

OBVIOUSLY, CAPTAIN BUSY GREAT.

THIS IS AWESOME TO SEE ALL THESE FUNDS GOING TO WORTHWHILE CAUSES.

JUST NOTING THE RFP WAS DUE FEBRUARY 16TH AND THAT WAS DISCUSSED AT AN END OF JANUARY MEETING OF THE CAB.

IS THAT CAN YOU JUST KIND OF WALK ME THROUGH THE TIMING? I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT, BUT WILL WE GET MORE HEADS UP ON THIS IN THE IN THE FUTURE? IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THE TIMING IS MAYBE NOT REALISTIC FOR SOME OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO APPLY FOR THAT MONEY.

I'M JUST TRYING TO PIECE TOGETHER KIND OF WHEN WE KNEW AND WHY ARE MEETINGS WE'RE IN JANUARY AND THEN THE RFP WAS DUE FEBRUARY.

IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN STRETCH OUT AND DO EARLIER OR IS THAT JUST HOW IT ALL ALL THE CARDS UNFOLDED? [INAUDIBLE].

WE DO HAVE A LOT OF.

[00:05:02]

SO WE STILL HAVE A LAUNDRY LIST OF PROJECTS AND PROPOSALS TO CONSIDER CONSIDER FOR THAT $404,000.

SO IT'S MORE LIKE IS THERE ANYTHING ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT YOU'D WANT TO ADD? SO THERE'S CURRENTLY MORE PROJECTS THAN THERE IS MONEY, BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING FURTHER THAT ORGANIZATIONS WANT TO ADD TO THE LIST, THEY CAN DO THAT BY THE FEBRUARY 16TH.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD? THANKS VERY MUCH. MADAM CHAIR, WE TRY TO BE AS TIMELY AS WE CAN WITH SOME OF THE COMMUNITY GROUPS AND NGOS THAT ARE SO ACTIVE ON THE HOMELESSNESS FILE.

GIVEN MANY OF THEM ARE ON THE APRIL TO MARCH FISCAL YEAR.

SO AS WE KNOW THE MONEY IS AVAILABLE, WE TRY TO GET IT OUT THE DOOR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

SO BY ASKING FOR PROPOSALS BEFORE THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR, IT ENABLES THOSE COMMUNITY ENTITIES, SORRY, THOSE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO BE ABLE TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY AND KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY COULD BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THIS FUNDING AND FACTOR IT INTO THEIR PLANNING FOR THEIR FISCAL YEAR.

THANK YOU. ANYTHING FURTHER COUNCILLOR FEQUET. SOUNDS GOOD.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON THE MEMO? SEEING NONE.

WE WILL BRING THIS FORWARD TO OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH IS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH AT 7 P.M..

AND THEN ONCE COUNCIL IF WHEN COUNCIL APPROVES THAT, THEN AN RFP WILL GO OUT FOR EACH OF THESE PROGRAMS. SO ORGANIZATIONS CAN APPLY TO BE THE HOUSING FIRST FOR YOUTH PROVIDER, HOUSING FIRST FOR FAMILIES, PROVIDER, ETC., ETC..

SO THAT'S THE WHOLE CLEAR PROCUREMENT PROCESS.

WITH THAT NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS MINUTES OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD ON HOMELESS MEETING, JANUARY 26TH, 2023.

[5. A memorandum regarding the Minutes of the Community Advisory Board on Homelessness meeting of January 26, 2023.]

NEXT IS A MEMORANDUM REGARDING THE MINUTES OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE OF OCTOBER 20TH, 2022.

[7. A memorandum regarding the Minutes of the Audit Committee meeting of October 20, 2022.]

NEXT, WE HAVE AN IN-CAMERA WHETHER TO APPOINT MEMBERS TO SERVE ON THE HERITAGE COMMITTEE.

[IN CAMERA]

ANYBODY OPPOSED? SEEING NONE.

WE WILL LOG OFF THIS ONE AND THEN GO TO THE IN CAMERA.

SEE YOU ALL IN 2 SECONDS.

FROM IN CAMERA IS TO APPOINT HERB MATHISEN AND FOR THE YELLOWKNIFE DENE FIRST NATION TO APPOINT LIZA PIPER AS THE PRIMARY AND BOBBY DRYGEESE AND ANGELA LAFFERTY AS THE ALTERNATES.

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

IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN, MOVED BY DEPUTY MAYOR ARDEN-SMITH SECOND BY COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN.

ANYBODY OPPOSE? SEEING NONE WE'LL SEE EVERYBODY BACK HERE AT 7 P.M.

TONIGHT. HAVE A GOOD DAY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.