[1. Opening Statement]
[00:00:03]
AND I'LL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MONDAY, MARCH 13TH, 2023 TO ORDER.
FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, IT'S 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 METIS AND ALL FIRST NATIONS, MÉTIS AND INUIT, WHOSE PRESENCE CONTINUES TO ENRICH OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
[2. Approval of the agenda.]
NEXT, WE HAVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD MS. BASSI-KELLETT? THANKS VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST IN THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF.
[3.* A portion of this video is missing * Disclosure of pecuniary interest and the general nature thereof.]
DOES ANY MEMBER HAVE A PECUNIARY INTEREST TODAY?[4. A memorandum regarding whether to approve the reallocation of a portion of 2022‐23 Reaching Home remaining funding for the 2022/2023 fiscal year.]
SEEING NONE. NEXT, WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO APPROVE THE REALLOCATION OF A PORTION OF THE 2022-2023 REACHING HOME REMAINING FUNDS FOR THE 2023, 2020, 2022-2023 FISCAL YEAR.MY APOLOGIES. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. IF YOU'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM.
THANKS VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
SO COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL RECALL THAT IN FEBRUARY, COUNCIL HAD APPROVED ALLOCATING $1.3 MILLION OF THE CITY'S 2022-2023, REACHING HOME FUNDING ALLOCATION TO SUPPORT UPGRADES TO TRANSITION ASPEN APARTMENTS INTO NON-MARKET HOUSING.
GIVEN SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE GNWT ON THIS PROJECT, THEY'VE CONFIRMED THAT HOUSING GNWT WILL HAVE ADEQUATE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO UPGRADE ASPEN WITHOUT THIS SPECIFIC CONTRIBUTION FROM THE REACHING HOME FUNDS THROUGH THE CITY.
HOWEVER, THE GNWT DID SAY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE TO USE THESE FUNDS FOR AN ALTERNATE BUT SIMILAR PROJECT WHICH WOULD SUPPORT TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FOR CLIENTS RECOVERING FROM ADDICTIONS.
THIS DECISION HAS TO BE MADE VERY QUICKLY ON THE REACHING HOME 22-23 ALLOCATION TO ENSURE THAT THESE FUNDS DON'T LAPSE, THAT WE DON'T LOSE THEM FROM THE CITY AND THEY HAVE TO BE ALLOCATED BY MARCH 31ST OUT THE DOOR AND SPOKEN FOR WITH THE PROJECT.
NOW THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD ON HOMELESSNESS, OF COURSE, HAS A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY ON THIS AND THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THIS ADJUSTMENT AND THEY APPRECIATE THE TIGHT TIMELINE THAT'S INVOLVED.
IF THIS IS APPROVED, THE FUNDING WILL NOW SUPPORT NOT ONE, BUT TWO PROJECTS WHICH CAN EXPAND BOTH THE NON-MARKET HOUSING STOCK AND THE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING STOCK IN YELLOWKNIFE FOR A BROADER CLIENT BASE.
THANK YOU. OPENING IT UP TO QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL.
COUNCILLOR WARBURTON. UH, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
IS THERE ANY MORE KIND OF SPECIFICS ON.
WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO. LIKE, IS THAT GOING TO MEET THE CRITERIA FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO HAVE THAT KIND OF A VAGUE ALLOCATION? MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
WE KNOW AS WELL THAT THE WORDING IS A LITTLE BIT VAGUE AND IT'S PROVIDING MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY RIGHT NOW FOR HOUSING GNWT TO CONFIRM THE EXACT PROJECT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO USE AND WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
I'LL ASK MR. WHITE IF HE HAS ANYTHING HE'D LIKE TO ADD.
YEAH. THANK YOU. MS. BASSI-KELLETT GUESS I WOULD JUST ADD THAT IN OUR DISCUSSIONS ADMINISTRATIVELY WITH OUR FEDERAL REP THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO, UM, ISSUES RAISED IN TERMS OF WHAT THE PROJECT OR SORRY, WHAT THE FUNDING IS GOING TO BE USED FOR AND SPECIFICALLY NOTHING ON THE PROJECT AS WELL.
I'D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT'S GOING TOWARDS.
THAT'S MY POINT. ARE WE GOING TO GET SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT ONCE IT'S SOLIDIFIED? IT'LL BE COMING TO COUNCIL TONIGHT AT 7:00 FOR APPROVAL SO THAT WE CAN GET THE PAPERWORK APPROVED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO WE'RE ALSO COMING TO THE END OF OUR FIVE YEAR SO COULD PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC ON HOW REACHING HOME FUNDING HAS BEEN SPENT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
THINK OF LIKE HOME BASE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE THE YELLOWKNIFE APARTMENTS FOR THEM.
THAT WAS A REALLY GOOD PROJECT.
SO THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF REALLY GOOD PROJECTS OVER THE YEARS, SO.
ANYTHING FURTHER COUNCILLOR WARBURTON?
[00:05:03]
OH, OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION FROM COUNCIL? COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.YEAH. SO I JUST HAD A QUESTION.
WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION TO TRANSFERRING THIS MONEY TO NONPROFITS IN THE CITY FOR OPERATING EXPENSES INSTEAD OF TRANSFERRING IT TO THE GNWT AND USING IT FOR SOMETHING LIKE STREET OUTREACH? I'LL PASS IT TO MS. BASSI-KELLETT BUT I DO THINK CAB WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING HOW TO ALLOCATE THE FUNDING, THERE WAS A BIG DISCUSSION ABOUT SHORT TERM VERSUS LONG TERM FUNDING, AND THE APPROVAL WAS FOR ASPEN SO THAT WE COULD PROVIDE THAT LONG TERM.
THE $1.3 MILLION WOULD GO FOR YEARS TO COME VERSUS SUPPORTING THE SHORT TERM PROJECTS.
SO THIS PROJECT IS IN THE LONG TERM FUNDING RANGE VERSUS DIVVYING UP THE $1.3 MILLION OVER 5 OR 6 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS. HOWEVER, THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL COULD CONSIDER.
MS. BASSI-KELLETT THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, AND THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.
COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN YEAH, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY A REALITY AND I KNOW CAB HEARS THIS A LOT.
THEY ALWAYS NEED MORE MONEY AND WE FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO THAT IS CERTAINLY AN OPTION AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HAD BEEN CONTEMPLATED.
BUT THE ABILITY TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WILL BE A LONG TERM LASTING LEGACY AS OPPOSED TO JUST SEEKING TO TOP UP OPERATIONAL FUNDING IS SOMETHING THAT IS COULD BE OPTIMAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN THE LONG TERM.
THE SHORT TERM REALITY IS WE WOULD BE REALLY HARD PRESSED TO PROCESS THIS AND GET THIS ALLOCATED BEFORE THE END OF MARCH, WITHIN THE CITY FOR A FEW OBVIOUS REASONS, AND AS WELL TO SEEK IMMEDIATE PROPOSALS FROM THE NGO COMMUNITY WITHIN A REALLY TIGHT TIMEFRAME WOULD BE REALLY PROBLEMATIC FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS DOLED OUT IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.
THANKS. IF I COULD JUST JUMP IN TOO COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.
BECAUSE THE ONE THING THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ASPEN VERSUS OTHER PROJECTS, THE OTHER ONES WERE TOPPING UP HOUSING FIRST, WHICH IS WHAT COUNCIL AND CAB MADE THAT RECOMMENDATION, BUT COUNCIL DID FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
SO. THE PROJECTS THAT WERE BEING CONTEMPLATED IN NOVEMBER AGAINST ASPEN ARE GOING TO BE FUNDED FOR 2023-2024, EXCEPT THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR MORE FUNDING FOR FOOD FOR THE YWCA AND THEN THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING MORE FUNDING FOR STREET OUTREACH.
YEAH, THE TIMING IS CHALLENGING AND IT'S.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THINGS CHANGED HERE FOR THE BETTER, SO THAT'S GOOD.
DO WE KNOW WHO WOULD OPERATE IT? WOULD THIS BE OPERATED BY HOUSING GNWT OR BY AN NGO? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
RIGHT NOW, IT'S TOO SOON TO TELL.
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THE CONFIRMATION OF EXACTLY HOW THIS IS GOING TO ROLL OUT, BECAUSE IT WILL BE A COLLABORATION BETWEEN HOUSING AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES.
WE WANT TO SEE WHAT THE REALITY IS LIKE.
WE KNOW THERE'S BEEN GREAT SUCCESS WITH BOTH MODELS.
WE YEAH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE DETAIL FROM THEM ON THIS.
IT'S JUST. I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.
BUT IF WE STRUGGLE TO FUND WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO FUND OR DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENTS, HOW ARE WE ALL GOING TO FUND THESE MORE AND MORE ASSETS? SO YEAH, JUST SOMETHING I THINK WE AND THE GNWT NEED TO ADDRESS AND ADDRESS TOGETHER.
BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT THE TIME FRAME AND THIS ALLOCATION MAKES SENSE WITHIN THAT CONTEXT FOR ME.
THANKS. THE OTHER THING I WOULD NOTE IS WE STILL HAVE $404,854 FOR THE 2023-2024 FISCAL YEAR.
AND THE DEADLINE FOR CALLS FOR PROPOSALS WAS FEBRUARY 16TH.
SO JUST WAITING FOR THE STRIKE AND LOCKOUT TO END.
AND THEN CAB IS GOING TO RECONVENE AND ALLOCATE THAT THAT REMAINING AMOUNT.
COUNCILLOR MCGURK. I SAW YOUR HAND GO UP, BUT DID COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN ADDRESS YOUR QUESTIONS.
[00:10:03]
UM, YEAH.I MEAN, I HAVE A SIMILAR CONCERN, BUT I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, SO I GUESS I WOULD ECHO COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN CONCERN THAT IF WE DON'T KNOW WHO'S GOING TO BE RUNNING, ESPECIALLY IF WE DON'T REALLY HAVE CERTAINTY THAT IT'S THE GNWT THAT IS GOING TO BE TAKING ON THE BURDEN OF UM YOU KNOW, EXECUTING THE PROJECT OR WHAT IT'S LIKE FOR THE OPERATIONAL SIDE OF THINGS.
AND IT'S LIKE WE'LL JUST BE STUCK WITH ANOTHER NONPROFIT OR ANOTHER LACK OF CAPACITY.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THAT'S A QUESTION THAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO HAVE ANSWERED.
BUT I THINK DOES THE $1.3 MILLION HAVE TO BE SPENT BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL.
OR IS IT LIKE HOW LONG WHAT IS THE THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT THEY HAVE TO SPEND THAT FUNDING? UP UNTIL MARCH 31ST, 2024.
BUT WE HAVE TO ALLOCATE IT, GET THE PAPERWORK APPROVED BY THE FEDS AND GET THE MONEY OUT THE DOOR BY MARCH 31ST, WHICH IS THAT THREE WEEKS TO DO ALL THAT ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF, BUT THEN THEY'LL HAVE A YEAR TO SPEND IT.
MS. BASSI-KELLETT ANYTHING TO ADD? NOT FOR ME. I'LL SEE IF MR. WHITE HAS ANYTHING TO ADD.
AND I HEAR YOUR CONCERNS ABOUT WHO'S GOING TO OPERATE IT.
THE ONE THING WE'VE SEEN WITH THE GNWT IS WHEN NGOS DON'T STEP UP AND BID, THEN THEY DO TAKE IT ON.
SO THE DAY SHELTER IN YELLOWKNIFE AND THE DAY SHELTER IN INUVIK.
SO IF THEY'RE GETTING THIS ASSET UP AND RUNNING, WHICH HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE GNWT MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS RECOVERY PLAN AS ONE OF THE GAPS IN SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING TO DO FOR A WHILE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THE $1.3 MILLION, IT'S OUR OPPORTUNITY TO HELP GET THIS PROJECT OFF THE GROUND.
AND THEN FOR THE GNWT TO MAKE SURE IT'S IT'S GOING FOR YEARS TO COME.
ANY UH COUNCILLOR FEQUET YOU HAVE A QUESTION.
THANKS, MADAM CHAIR. YEAH, I WAS JUST.
KIND OF AN ASIDE FROM JUST FOLLOWING UP FROM AN EARLIER QUESTION, DID WE GET ANY PROPOSALS BY THE FEBRUARY 16TH DEADLINE? MS. BASSI-KELLETT.
OR DO WE HAVE TO WAIT TO CHAT ABOUT IT UNTIL AFTER THE STREAM? YEAH. YEAH.
YEAH WE WOULDN'T BE PREPARED TO ANSWER THAT FULSOMELY TODAY.
SO WE WILL BE FOLLOWING UP SEPARATELY ON THAT.
THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE.
YOU KNOW, COULD IT BE DONE QUICKER, BETTER OR DIFFERENTLY? YES, BUT I HATE PROCESS TO GET IN THE WAY OF ACTUALLY DELIVERING A GOOD COMMUNITY ASSET.
COUNCILLOR FEQUET I SAW YOUR HAND GO UP.
DID YOU HAVE ONE FINAL QUESTION OR COMMENT? YEAH, JUST IN CASE.
I KNOW COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN ISN'T HERE.
WAS THERE ANY CONCERNS THAT THE CHAIR CAB HAD THAT WE HAVEN'T ALREADY DISCUSSED TODAY WITH THIS? OR WAS THERE SUPPORT FROM THAT FRONT? YEAH. NO, COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN WAS IN SUPPORT.
AND THEN HE ALSO NOTIFIED CAB OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WOULD BE HAPPENING TODAY AND JUST THE FACT THAT THERE'S THE SHORT TIME FRAME AND THAT THAT $404,000 IS STILL GOING TO BE AVAILABLE AND ABLE TO BE ALLOCATED FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR SO.
THIS IS OUR WELL, ONE OF TWO ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT AT COUNCIL.
SO WE WILL BRING THIS FORWARD TO COUNCIL TONIGHT AT 7 P.M.
WITH THAT. THAT'S THE END OF OUR AGENDA.
IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN, MOVED BY DEPUTY MAYOR ARDEN-SMITH SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR FEQUET.
JUST TO NOTE, OUR SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING FOR TOMORROW HAS BEEN CANCELED AND WILL BE PUSHED TO WEDNESDAY, WHICH IS MARCH 15TH.
WE'LL HAVE ONE AT 12:05 AND ONE AT 12:30, JUST IN CASE.
WE CAN'T HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THREE READINGS OF A BYLAW.
WITH THAT, I WILL SEE EVERYBODY AT 7 P.M.
[00:15:01]
TONIGHT. HAVE A GOOD AFTERNOON.