Jun 12, 2023 Governance & Priorities Committee

[1. Opening Statement]

[00:00:02]

AND I'LL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MONDAY, JUNE 12TH, 2023 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 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, METIS AND INUIT, WHOSE PRESENCE CONTINUES TO ENRICH OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY.

[2. Approval of the agenda.]

NO, NOTHING ELSE 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.]

I'M GOING TO HAVE TO REMOVE MYSELF FROM ANNEX B, SECTION SIX AS I CURRENTLY SIT AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF MAKERSPACE.

THANK YOU.

SEEING NOTHING FURTHER.

[4. A presentation regarding the Housing Accelerator Fund application process.]

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

SO ON MAY 16TH, CMHC REPRESENTATIVES MET WITH CITY ADMINISTRATION TO BRIEF US ON THE HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND AND ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO APPLY BEFORE THE DEADLINE OF JUNE 15TH.

THIS IS AN EARLY DEADLINE FOR CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSLY INVITED TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS, AND WE'RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE IN THAT SUBSET.

THERE IS A BROAD SELECTION OF CRITERIA THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE, ALL WITH THE GOAL OF ADVANCING THE NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS IN A COMMUNITY MARKET.

HOUSING, I SHOULD STRESS.

SO ADMINISTRATION HAS PRIORITIZED COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FOR THE HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND.

GIVEN THE ALIGNMENT WITH OUR GOALS AROUND HOUSING AND THE ELIGIBILITY OF MANY INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW THAT WE PROPOSE TO DO WITH THIS FUNDING, SHOULD WE BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET IT? EXCUSE ME. I WILL TURN I WILL TURN THINGS OVER NOW TO MS. WHITE, WHO WILL WALK COUNCIL THROUGH A HIGH LEVEL PRESENTATION ON THE STATUS OF OUR APPLICATION.

MS. WHITE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

22. FABULOUS.

ALL RIGHT. SO IN THE FEDERAL BUDGET, 2022, THERE WAS ABOUT $4 BILLION PUT ASIDE FOR THIS HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND. THE FUND IS AN APPLICATION BASED PROGRAM FOR LAUNCH IN 2023.

AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE EARLY DEADLINE IS JUNE 15TH, WHICH IS THIS THURSDAY.

AND IF I'M NOT LOUD ENOUGH, JUST SAY SO.

THE HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND IS AN AIM TO CREATE LASTING CHANGE IN LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES WITH REGARDS TO IMPROVING HOUSING SUPPLY, NOT JUST WITHIN THE THREE YEAR TERM OF THE FUND, BUT FOR YEARS TO FOLLOW.

SO WHEN WE ARE PUTTING OUR APPLICATION TOGETHER, WE ARE SPEAKING TO THE THREE YEARS, WHICH IS 2023 TO 26, BUT ALSO HOW THOSE IMPACTS WILL BE FELT FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS FOLLOWING IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL WITH THIS PROGRAM, THE HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND PROVIDES INCENTIVE FUNDING TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO BOOST HOUSING SUPPLY, AND THERE IS A VERY SHORT APPLICATION WINDOW, WHICH IS WHY WE PRIORITIZED MAKING THIS APPLICATION AND PULLING IT TOGETHER.

THE SMALL RURAL NORTH AND INDIGENOUS STREAM OF THE HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND IS AN INCENTIVE WHERE IT'S MEANT TO REMOVE BARRIERS AND SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF AFFORDABLE, INCLUSIVE, EQUITABLE AND CLIMATE RESILIENT HOUSING WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES.

AND THIS IS ONE OF TWO CATEGORIES, AND THIS IS THE CATEGORY THAT THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE WOULD QUALIFY FOR BEING ABLE TO MEET.

ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA, WHICH IS HAVE A POPULATION OF LESS THAN 10,000 PEOPLE BE IN A TERRITORY OR BE AN INDIGENOUS GOVERNMENT.

AND IF WE ARE APPROVED, WHAT WE WOULD PROPOSE TO USE THE INCENTIVE FUNDING FOR IS INVESTMENTS IN AN ACTION PLAN INITIATIVES, VERY IMPORTANTLY, A HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOUSING RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS HOUSING. THE FRAMEWORK FOR DETERMINING THE POINTS AND SCORING SYSTEM, AS WELL AS THE AVAILABLE FUNDING FOR EACH OF THESE ITEMS, IS LAID OUT IN THE APPLICATION FORM. SO WHILE I COULD GIVE YOU A GUESSTIMATE OF MINIMUM TO MAXIMUM, WE WOULDN'T KNOW THE ACTUAL FUNDING AMOUNT UNTIL WE'RE SCORED BY CMHC.

THE HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND WOULD HAVE MANY BENEFITS.

AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, TWO PROGRAMS WE'VE EITHER ALREADY INITIATED OR HAVE SAID THAT WE WANT TO WORK TOWARDS OVER THE TERM OF COUNCIL.

IN ADDITION, THE FUNDING WILL SUPPORT ADDITIONAL STAFF TO UNDERTAKE SOME OF THE WORK AS WELL AS SUPPLEMENT FOR COUNCIL FOR CONSULTANTS TO HELP WHERE WE MAYBE DON'T HAVE THE IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE.

AND SPECIFICALLY WE'D BE LOOKING AT ASSISTANCE FOR HOUSING POLICY.

[00:05:01]

THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO AND SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A DEFINITION SPECIFIC TO THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

ADDRESS THE MISSING MIDDLE.

SO POLICY UPDATES, UPDATES TO PERMIT PROCESSES AND AS WELL INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTS, INFILL AND DENSITY WOULD SUPPORT PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION THAT WE HAD OUTLINED TO COUNCIL.

I'M GOING TO SAY THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR WITH REGARDS TO THOSE INFILL LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

OH, SORRY, AM I WENT AHEAD.

ALL RIGHT. PROCESS.

SO LOOKING AT EFFICIENCIES AND THE WAY IN WHICH WE REVIEW PERMITS AND WHAT KINDS OF PERMITS ARE REQUIRED WHEN AS WELL, DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES.

SO SOME OF THE MONEY THAT WE'RE SEEKING THROUGH THIS APPLICATION COULD BE USED TO FUND SPECIFICALLY FOR AFFORDABLE AND HOUSING IN GENERAL THROUGH OUR DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES, BYLAW UPDATE AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO THERE IS A POTENTIAL TO USE SOME OF THIS MONEY TO SUPPORT THE UPDATE AND REFURBISHMENT OF LIFT STATION ONE.

SO NOT THE FULL AMOUNT, BUT WE COULD PUT SOME OF THAT THIS MONEY TOWARDS THAT PROJECT WHICH WOULD ACCELERATE HOPEFULLY OUR ABILITY TO GET THAT ONE COMPLETED BECAUSE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE REALLY DOES SUPPORT HOUSING WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN AND THE RC AREA IN AND AROUND THE DOWNTOWN.

CITY COUNCIL HAS DRAFTED YOUR STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS, WHICH WILL BE A GUIDING DOCUMENT FOR THE TERM OF COUNCIL AND YOUR DECISION MAKING AS WELL.

AND THE HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND WILL HELP WITH THESE SPECIFIC AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED WITHIN YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND GOALS.

SPECIFICALLY CREATING DIVERSE HOUSING OPTIONS FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, THE BUILDING AND COHESION OF A COMPLETE COMMUNITY.

SO LIVING WHERE YOU WORK AND WHERE YOU HAVE RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL, AND MAKING THAT COMPLETE COMMUNITY INCREASED CAPACITY FOR STAFF AS WELL AS INCREASED CAPACITY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE.

SUPPORT OF LOCAL LAND DEVELOPMENT AND CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION.

SO THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE POINT SCORING AND MATCHES WITH COUNCIL'S STRATEGIC GOALS AND DIRECTION.

SO THE NEXT STEPS WOULD INCLUDE THE SUBMISSION OF AN APPLICATION BY JUNE 15TH.

SO THAT'S THIS THURSDAY, AND THE SELECTION WILL BE MADE SOMETIME IN THE FALL.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MEANS SEPTEMBER, IF THAT MEANS OCTOBER, BUT WE'D LOOK FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY BEING ONE OF THE SELECTED CITIES.

AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, IT IS A THREE YEAR PROGRAM, SO FUNDING WOULD BEGIN THIS FALL IN 2023, AND ANY PROJECTS THAT WE IDENTIFY TO HAVE COMPLETE WOULD NEED TO BE DONE BY 2026.

HOWEVER, THE BENEFITS WE CAN SHOW WILL BE FELT FOR YEARS TO COME AFTER THIS.

SO THIS IS KIND OF SETTING THE STAGE AND THEN HAVING THOSE BENEFITS THROUGH TIME.

LIKE I SAID EARLIER, HOPEFULLY TEN YEARS AT LEAST, TO SEE THE RESULTS.

SO THIS EVENING WE WILL ADMINISTRATION WILL BRING FORWARD A REQUEST TO COUNCIL SEEKING SUPPORT FOR THE CITY TO MAKE THE APPLICATION TO THE CANADIAN MORTGAGE AND HOUSING CORPORATION. THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE ADMINISTERING THIS ON BEHALF OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

AND WHEN WE ARE SELECTED BECAUSE I'M SURE WE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL, WE WILL BRING BACK TO COUNCIL THE WORK PLAN TIMELINES AND THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE WE'LL NEED TO MOVE SOME OF THOSE ITEMS FORWARD TOGETHER AND SEPARATELY.

SO THAT WILL BE BROUGHT BACK TO COUNCIL AT THAT TIME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU.

YEAH, THE THE THING WITH THE HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND IS IT'S NOT ACTUALLY DOLLARS TO BUILD HOUSES.

IT'S DOLLARS TO ACCELERATE THE PROCESS IN THE HOPES THAT OTHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY WILL BUILD HOUSES.

I THINK THAT'S SOMETIMES MAYBE NOT FORGOTTEN, BUT THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE JUMP TO THINKING WILL HAPPEN.

SO ANY QUESTIONS? GO RIGHT DOWN THE LINE.

SO I'LL START WITH COUNCILLOR WARBURTON.

COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

NO QUESTIONS, JUST A COMMENT TO THANK STAFF FOR PIVOTING AND GETTING THIS READY ON A CONDENSED TIME FRAME.

YEAH, THERE'S DEFINITELY LOOKS TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME SIGNIFICANT FUNDING TOWARDS CRITICAL PROJECTS AND WORK THAT WILL GO A LONG WAY TO ADDRESSING THE HOUSING ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO HUGE OPPORTUNITY AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR STAFF FOR FOR GETTING THIS READY.

THANK YOU.

I ALWAYS SAY THE FEDS WHAT'S THE EXPRESSION? DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO.

THEY HAD THE PROGRAM DESIGNED TO A YEAR AND THEN THEY GIVE US A COUPLE OF WEEKS TO APPLY.

COUNCILLOR COCHRANE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM MAYOR.

I ALSO JUST WANT TO ECHO WHAT TOM OR COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN IS SAYING ON THIS TOO.

I'M SO GLAD THE ADMINISTRATION IS BRINGING THIS FORWARD WITH THIS VERY LIMITED TIMELINE.

I WILL ABSOLUTELY BE IN SUPPORT OF THIS.

I THINK THIS WILL GO A LONG WAY IN REACHING OUR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND ADDRESSING THE HOUSING CRISIS THAT WE ARE NOW FACING.

[00:10:08]

I'LL SEE IF MISS WHITE HAS ANY INDICATION FROM SOME OF HER BACK AND FORTH WITH CMHC.

WE DON'T HAVE AN INDICATION EXACTLY WHAT AMOUNT IT'LL BE BASED ON WHO ACTUALLY APPLIES FROM THAT CATEGORY.

SO WHEN WE DID A ROUGH ESTIMATE JUST TO GIVE COUNCIL AN IDEA BASED ON WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING AND THE FORMULA THAT IS THERE FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, IT WOULD BE SOMEWHERE IN THE MEANS OF 10 TO $14 MILLION.

SO DEPENDING ON HOW MANY PEOPLE APPLY AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S FIRST COME FIRST SERVED, BUT YEAH, THERE'S NO TOTAL SUM, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE WOULD BE APPLYING FOR. SPECIFICALLY, I SAW THE MUNICIPALITY OF HALIFAX IS ASKING THEIR HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND IS A REQUEST FOR 56 MILLION.

SO YEAH.

COUNCILLOR COCHRANE NO FURTHER FOR ME.

JUST. THAT SOUNDS AMAZING.

SO COOL. THANK YOU.

COUNCILLOR. MCGURK. AND THEN COUNCILLOR.

WARBURTON. YEAH, JUST SHORT AND SWEET.

THANKS SO MUCH. I'M ALSO IN SUPPORT.

THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR WARBURTON.

THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. NOW I'M READY.

JUST OBVIOUSLY FAST AND FURIOUS AND WE'RE IDEALLY GETTING SOME FUNDS HERE.

HOW IS THIS GOING TO IMPACT OUR CURRENT? BECAUSE WE LAID OUT OUR KIND OF OUR OUR WORK PLAN FOR THE YEAR.

YOU GUYS WENT OVER IT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.

KIND OF WHAT'S THE IMPACT ON THAT? MS. BASSI-KELLETT OH, TO HAVE ENDLESS RESOURCES, HUMAN AND FINANCIAL.

WOULDN'T THAT BE GRAND? THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO.

ABSOLUTELY. IN THE SHORTER TERM, IT'S BEEN IMPACTING OUR ABILITY TO DO SOME OF THE TASKS.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT IS THE LEAD DEPARTMENT ON THIS, ALONG WITH SUPPORT FROM CORPORATE SERVICES.

OF COURSE, OUR GRANT WRITER IS HUGELY INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS AS WELL.

SO THE MAIN FOCUS OF OF WORK RIGHT NOW IS WITHIN PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.

AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE MOVED DOWN THE LIST GIVEN THIS BEING A PRIORITY, THAT DOES REQUIRE AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF WORK TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION.

SO AS WITH EVERY PLAN THAT WE PUT FORWARD, EVERY WORK PLAN, IT IS A BEST GUESS.

IT IS OUR ASPIRATIONAL LIST OF THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO.

BUT WE WILL NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WITH THE EFFORT THAT'S NEEDED TO COMPLETE THIS APPLICATION, WE DO IT RIGHT.

WE KNOW MONEY IS BIG. WE KNOW THIS TICKS THE BOX ON SO MANY OF THE ISSUES THAT COUNCIL FEELS STRONGLY ABOUT, SO MANY ISSUES THAT WE KNOW NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IN OUR COMMUNITY.

IT ALIGNS WITH MANY OF THE DIRECTIONS WE'RE GOING IN, FOR EXAMPLE, SUPPORTING MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE SO WE COULD SEE SUPPORT TOWARDS PROJECTS LIKE LIFT STATION NUMBER ONE.

SO WE KNOW THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ONE AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS ALL THE ENERGY AND EFFORT THAT IT WARRANTS FOR THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY.

SO OTHER WORK WILL CONTINUE, BUT THIS ONE HAS COME TO THE FOREFRONT.

THANK YOU. AWESOME.

THANKS. AND ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THAT FUNDING, YOU'RE SAYING, IS STREAMLINING DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES SO WE COULD MAKE PERMITTING FASTER.

WE COULD GET MORE LIKE, SAY, PRE DESIGNS IN BUILDING BYLAW, THINGS LIKE THAT.

IS THAT WHAT THE FUNDING CAN COVER? MS. BASSI-KELLETT THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ULTIMATELY, THE GOAL IS TO MAKE THINGS EASIER AND MORE STREAMLINED FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT TO TAKE PLACE.

WE STILL, OF COURSE, HAVE THE PARAMETERS OF LEGISLATION LIKE THINGS LIKE THE COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ACT THAT LAY OUT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PROCESS FOR APPEALS.

I'LL ASK MISS WHYTE IF SHE'D LIKE TO SPEAK IN MORE DETAIL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

SO IT'S VERY SPECIFIC IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS THAT IT IS FOR LAND USE, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.

SO WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE APPROVALS AND PERMITS, ADDITION OF STAFF, MAYBE SOME CHANGES TO THE WAY IN WHICH WE REVIEW APPLICATIONS OR HOW WE BRING THEM FORWARD, TRYING TO REDUCE THAT RED TAPE, WE'LL CALL IT, TO GETTING AN APPROVAL DONE.

AND THE MORE STAFF WE HAVE, THE MORE WE ARE ABLE TO DO WITH REGARDS TO THE BUILDING BYLAW.

IT DOESN'T TOUCH ON THAT.

SO WHILE THIS IS REALLY GOOD NEWS ON A NUMBER OF FRONTS, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD MOVE FORWARD.

ANY CHANGES AT THIS POINT THAT I CAN SEE AND I'M ALWAYS HAPPY TO BE WRONG ON THAT.

BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S NOT FOR BUILDING.

THANK YOU. AWESOME.

THANKS. YEAH. IN SUPPORT AND EXCITED TO SEE IT.

THANKS. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS. SEEING NONE.

WE WILL BRING THAT FORWARD AGAIN.

IT'S ON AN ACCELERATED TIMELINE, SO WE'LL BRING THAT FORWARD TO COUNCIL TONIGHT.

AGAIN, IT'S JUST APPROVING ADMINISTRATION TO ACTUALLY APPLY MORE TO COME.

IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL, IT'LL HAVE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL FOR AN APPROVAL OF THE ACTION PLAN ET-CETERA.

[5. A memorandum regarding whether to present By-law No. XXXX, a by-law to open and name a roadway in Phase 2 of Engle Business District, for adoption.]

[00:15:04]

CIVIC ADDRESSING IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERTAKE AT THE CITY AND THE PARAMETERS FOR HOW WE DO THIS ARE INCLUDED IN THE CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES ACT ALONG WITH FOR THE CITY ITSELF.

A LOT OF OUR GUIDELINES ARE DONE IN INTERNAL PRACTICES AND OF COURSE BASED ON COUNCIL DIRECTION.

SO BACK IN THE MID 2000, THE COUNCIL OF THE DAY HAD DETERMINED THAT ALL ROADS IN THE INGLEBY BUSINESS DISTRICT WOULD BE NAMED AFTER INDIGENOUS BIRDS.

AND SO THE ADMINISTRATIVE STREET NAMING COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS TO COUNCIL THAT THE NEW STREET AND ANGLE BE NAMED AFTER THE GOSHAWK GOSHAWK ROAD.

SO THOSE WHO FOLLOW CBC NEWS KNOW THAT THESE BIRDS ARE BADASS, WHICH IS PRETTY COOL.

IT IS COINCIDENTAL THAT THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE NEWS AFTER ONE THREATENED A CYCLIST IN WHITEHORSE, BUT IT IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL.

WE DO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION BASED ON THE FACT THAT THEY ARE BIRDS THAT ARE IN THE NORTH.

THEY ARE INDIGENOUS TO OUR AREA AND THEY HAVE COME RECOMMENDED AS ONE OF THE BIRDS OF PREY THAT WE COULD UTILIZE AS A STREET NAME.

SO WITH COUNCIL'S BLESSING, WITH GPC'S BLESSING, FORGIVE ME, THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS THAT THE NEW RODENT ANGLE BE NAMED GOSHAWK ROAD.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ANY QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE.

WE WILL BRING THAT FORWARD TO COUNCIL ON MONDAY, JUNE 26TH AT 7 P.M.

FOR APPROVAL. NEXT ON THE AGENDA COUNCILLOR MCGURK DID YOU ARE YOU IN CONFLICT WITH MAKERSPACE?

[6. A memorandum regarding whether to amend Tax Administration By-law No. 4207, as amended, to exempt the Makerspace YK’s properties at 100 -5001 Forrest Drive (Units 9-12, Plan 4655) from property taxation.]

I'M IN CONFLICT WITH THIS ITEM.

OKAY, SO, YEAH, I'M ON THE BOARD.

OKAY, PERFECT. SO WE WILL EXCUSE COUNCILLOR MCGURK AND COUNCILLOR COCHRANE.

AND THEN WE WILL DISCUSS A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO AMEND TAX ADMINISTRATION BYLAW NUMBER 4207 AS AMENDED TO EXEMPT THE MAKER SPACE PROPERTIES AT 100 DASH 5001 FOREST DRIVE UNITS NINE THROUGH 12 PLAN FOR 655 FROM PROPERTY TAXATION MS. BASSI-KELLETT. IF YOU'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

SO MAKER SPACE HAS APPLIED TO THE CITY TO SEEK TO EXEMPT ITS BUILDING ON FOREST DRIVE FOR FROM PROPERTY TAXATION ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERED THIS REQUEST WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF COUNCIL'S PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION FOR SOCIETY'S POLICY, AND AS A RESULT OF OUR ANALYSIS, WE RECOMMEND THAT COUNCIL EXEMPT MAKER SPACES PROPERTY MAKER SPACE IS A SOCIETY OWNS ITS OWN BUILDING, WHICH IS NOT USED AS A RESIDENCE.

IT SUPPORTS A MUNICIPAL PURPOSE BY PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC.

IT ENGAGES VOLUNTEERS MS IT'S FINANCIALLY VIABLE AND IT SUPPORTS SERVICES WITHIN THE REALM OF ARTS, CULTURE AND RECREATION.

THESE ARE ALL CRITERIA THAT ARE LAID OUT IN THE POLICY, AND THESE CRITERIA ARE MET BY MAKER SPACES APPLICATION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

OPENING UP TO QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, DISCUSSION COUNSELOR PAIN.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

DO WE HAVE ANY CURRENT LIKE SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE TAX EXEMPT? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THE SPCA IS, BUT IF I'M GOING OFF MY MEMORY, THAT'S REALLY LAME.

SO I WILL ASK MS..

WOODWARD IF SHE HAS ANY BETTER RECOLLECTION THAN I DO.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

I BELIEVE THE SPCA IS THE ONLY ONE SIMILAR IN NATURE.

WE USED TO, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE THE VISITOR CENTER AS A TAX EXEMPTION, BUT THEN WHEN THINGS SORT OF FELL INTO THE LAKE, THAT ENDED.

OTHERWISE, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT IT.

THAT'S LISTED IN THE TAX ADMINISTRATION BYLAW.

THANK YOU. I ACTUALLY JUST PULLED IT UP.

SO WE HAVE SIDE DOOR.

THE GOLF CLUB. THE SHOOTING CLUB.

THE SKI CLUB, THE YELLOWKNIFE COMMUNITY GARDEN, COLLECTIVE TRAILS END COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS A GARDEN AS WELL.

NORTHLAND'S COMMUNITY GARDEN, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, SPCA, NWT MINE, HERITAGE SOCIETY, AND THEN CHURCHES.

SO NOTHING, I GUESS NECESSARILY ARTS AND CULTURE, MORE GARDENING AND SPORTS SO FAR.

OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR.

MCLENNAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY I'M IN SUPPORT.

I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD WORK GOING ON AT MAKER SPACE AND THEIR SPACE IS SPECIFICALLY CALLED OUT IN THE ARTS AND CULTURE MASTER PLAN.

THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF GREAT EVENTS AND COMMUNITY BUILDING CAPACITY BUILDING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY GOING ON THERE.

JUST ONE SORT OF COMMENT.

I UNDERSTAND NO ONE FROM MAKER SPACE IS HERE, BUT JUST TO SORT OF PUT IT OUT THERE, IT SAYS IN THE BRIEF IN THE MEMO FROM ADMIN THAT THERE'S A SLIDING PAYMENT SCALE FOR PROGRAMS THAT'S AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST AT MAKER SPACE AND JUST WANTED TO PUT IT OUT AND ASK IF THEY COULD PUBLISH THAT PUBLICLY.

SO THAT'S SORT OF SEEN AND KNOWN.

SO IT'S NOT JUST SOMEONE WHO KNOWS ABOUT IT, BUT SOMEONE CAN GO TO A WEBSITE OR LOOK AT AN EVENT AND SEE THAT THAT'S AN OPTION FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO

[00:20:07]

YEAH. AND THANKS FOR ADMIN FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THE MEMO.

IT'S CLEARLY LAID OUT AND I THINK IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT IT QUALIFIES.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS. DISCUSSION? COUNCILLOR WARBURTON.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. JUST SO I'M CLEAR, SO THIS THIS EXEMPTION, YOU HAVE TO HAVE TITLE TWO TO GET THE TAX EXEMPTION.

YOU CAN'T HAVE A LEASE WHERE YOU PAY TAXES, FOR EXAMPLE.

CORRECT. MS. BASSI-KELLETT THANK YOU.

THAT'S CORRECT. YOU HAVE TO HAVE OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTY.

ANYTHING FURTHER.

COUNCILLOR. FEQUET.

HELLO, ALL. CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN. AWESOME.

UM, THANKS FOR ALL THE DETAILS REGARDING THIS MEMO.

UM, CAN ADMINISTRATION CONFIRM WHEN THE YELLOWKNIFE DAYCARE APPLIED FOR A TAX EXEMPTION? BECAUSE REMEMBER, IT WAS AROUND THIS TIME WHEN THIS POLICY CAME OUT.

SO I'M LOOKING FOR CONFIRMATION OF WHETHER IT WAS BEFORE OR AFTER THIS POLICY CAME OUT.

IT WAS AFTER THE POLICY CAME OUT, BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS 2021.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT THANK YOU.

OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I DON'T KNOW.

WE'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND VERIFY THE EXACT DATE.

OKAY. SO I'M GLAD MAKERSPACE HAS APPLIED FOR THIS EXEMPTION.

HOW? AND I FULLY SUPPORT MAKERSPACE AND OTHER NOT FOR PROFITS APPLYING FOR THIS.

ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE IS THAT ONCE SOMEONE IS EXEMPT AS A NOT FOR PROFIT, THEN THAT IS PART OF.

THEIR ANNUAL BUDGETING PROCESS AND SOMETHING THEY RELY ON IS NOT HAVING TO SPEND THOSE FUNDS.

I UNDERSTAND THE AMOUNT OF FUNDS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS CASE IS NOT SUBSTANTIVE AS IN HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

IT'S MORE, YOU KNOW, VERY MINIMAL.

BUT I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT ONE OF THE TASKS THAT WAS BEFORE THIS COUNCIL WAS TO FOLLOW NUNAVUT IQALUIT SPECIFICALLY LEAD AND DO A REVIEW OF OUR ENTIRE TAX EXEMPTION BYLAW.

SO THE TIMING OF THIS IS NOT IDEAL BECAUSE I THINK THAT THERE'S A MORE HOLISTIC REVIEW THAT NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE TO ENSURE THAT, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS THAT SHOULD BE EXEMPT SHOULD BE EXEMPT AND CAN BE EXEMPT, AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAYBE DON'T NEED TO BE EXEMPT OR CAN DO MORE TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY CAN BE BUILT INTO A MORE HOLISTIC AND COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE TAX EXEMPTION BYLAW.

SO CAN ADMINISTRATION CONFIRM IF I TOOK A QUICK SKIM BEFORE THE MEETING AND I DIDN'T SEE IT, BUT IF I MISSED IT, IF THAT IS IN THE WORK PLAN FOR THIS YEAR OR OR WHAT'S THE ENVISIONED TIMELINE FOR SUCH A TASK THAT I KNOW WE DISCUSSED AT OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES SESSION, THERE'S NO MOTION FROM COUNCIL TO DIRECT ADMINISTRATION, SO STEP ONE WOULD BE COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO DIRECT ADMINISTRATION TO REVIEW THE TAX EXEMPTION BYLAW.

AND IF WE WANT TO PROVIDE PARAMETERS LIKE TAKE A LOOK AT THE MODEL OF IQALUIT OR OR JUST REMOVE TAX EXEMPTIONS, PERIOD.

BUT BECAUSE THERE'S NO MOTION FROM COUNCIL STAFF, HASN'T STARTED ANY WORK ON IT.

OKAY. WELL, I GUESS I'M CURIOUS THEN, OTHER COUNSELORS THOUGHTS ON WHETHER THIS SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T BE A PRIORITY.

OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE LOTS OF HOUSING THINGS GOING ON.

WE'RE DEALING WITH THE AQUATIC CENTER.

LOTS OF CAPITAL PROJECTS HAVE TO BE REJIGGED.

SO YEAH, GUESS WE'LL CONSIDER WHETHER THIS SHOULD BE A MOTION MOVING FORWARD TO DO KIND OF THIS HOLISTIC REVIEW OF THAT PARTICULAR BYLAW.

THANKS. THANKS SO.

FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL. I GUESS THAT WOULD JUST BE INDIVIDUAL COUNCILORS WHO CAN TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.

ON WHETHER YOU WANT TO SUPPORT THE MAKERSPACE APPLICATION OR IF YOU'D WANT TO HOLD AND AND WAIT FOR A REVIEW.

BUT RIGHT NOW YOU'RE NOT IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION AS PRESENTED.

UM. THANKS.

THANKS. MADAM CHAIR, I THINK MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE HONESTLY TO TABLE IT TO CONSIDER WHETHER WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND WHETHER THAT'S EVEN REALISTIC.

I DON'T KNOW AT THIS TIME IF THAT IS REALISTIC TO FIT INTO THE WORK PLAN WITH EVERYTHING THE ADMINISTRATION HAS IN FRONT OF IT AND OTHER COUNCILLOR THOUGHTS ON THIS.

SO, UM, MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO KIND OF JUST DEFER IT OR TABLE IT UNTIL WE CAN HAVE THAT CHAT.

AND IF IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN THE NEAR FUTURE, THAT BIGGER HOLISTIC REVIEW, THEN YEAH, COME BACK TO THE INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION THAT'S BEFORE US.

OKAY. SO IF YOU ARE INTERESTED WHEN THIS COMES FORWARD TO COUNCIL ON MONDAY, JUNE 26TH, THAT'S AN OPTION THAT YOU COULD BRING FORWARD

[00:25:09]

I WOULD SAY IT WORKS.

DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR.

IF COUNCIL DIRECTS ADMINISTRATION TO DO IT IN 2024, REALISTICALLY IT PROBABLY WOULD BE THEN THEY COULD OR WOULDN'T BE EXEMPT IN 2025. SO WE'D BE LOOKING AT ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF TO TWO, TWO YEARS FROM FROM NOW.

SO SOMETHING TO TO PERCOLATE ON BEFORE WE VOTE ON THIS.

ANYTHING FURTHER FROM COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN.

YEAH. THANKS, MAYOR. ALTY. JUST SO THAT TO LINK IN TO WHAT COUNCILLOR CAT WAS SAYING IS, YOU KNOW, I WAS I DON'T STRUGGLE WITH THE APPLICATION.

TO ME, I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.

AND I THINK JUST GETTING TO COUNCILLOR FEQUET WAS SAYING, I DON'T THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO DELAY THIS APPLICATION WHICH MEETS THE CRITERIA THAT COUNCIL HAS SET ALL THAT IN ORDER TO DO SOME FURTHER REVIEW.

BUT I MEAN, I DEFINITELY, AS I WAS LOOKING AT THIS, NOT FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE PERSPECTIVE, BUT AS I WAS LOOKING AT THE POLICY AND LINKING IT INTO LOOKING AT THE LEGISLATION AND THINKING ALL OF THAT THROUGH, I DEFINITELY THINK THERE'S POTENTIAL WAYS THAT WE COULD IMPROVE PROCESS FOR THE CITY AND LIKE REDUCE THESE ITEMS, MAYBE HAVING TO COME TO COUNCIL OR HOW THE ADMINISTRATION DEALS WITH THEM OR WHATEVER.

SO I THINK THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY, AS COUNCIL FOR CAT IS SAYING, TO SORT OF THINK OF NEW WAYS THAT WE COULD MAKE THESE PROCESSES WORK.

BUT I DO THINK JUST FOR MYSELF IN TERMS OF MAKER SPACES APPLICATION, I THINK IT SHOULD GO FORWARD NOW BECAUSE THEY'VE MET THE CRITERIA THAT COUNCIL CURRENTLY HAS IN FRONT OF US.

AND I THINK TO NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT AS IT STANDS WOULD NOT BE IT WOULD BE A DISSERVICE TO MAKER SPACE AS AN ORGANIZATION APPLYING UNDER THE UNDER THE POLICY THAT THE THE CITY AND COUNCIL CURRENTLY HAS.

SO THAT'S JUST SORT OF TO FEED BACK TO WHAT YOU WERE SAYING THERE.

COUNCILLOR FEQUET. THANK YOU.

YEAH. AND THAT'S AN OPTION THAT UNTIL COUNCIL REVIEWS THIS IN OUR TERM THAT WE'RE PUTTING A PAUSE ON ACCEPTING ANYTHING FURTHER.

BUT THAT'S SOMETHING FOR FOLKS TO CONSIDER BEFORE WE VOTE.

COUNCILLOR PAYNE THANK YOU.

SO I'M ASSUMING THAT THIS THIS TAX EXEMPTION IS NOT REALLY BASED ON NEED.

OR IS THERE A COMPONENT OF BEING BASED ON NEED? IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE BASED ON NEED.

BUT MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

SO BASED ON THE TAX EXEMPTION FOR SOCIETY'S POLICY THAT'S ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, WHICH WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL, IT LAYS OUT THE PROCESS FOR A NONPROFIT REGISTERED UNDER THE SOCIETIES ACT WITH SET CRITERIA THAT'S LAID OUT THAT THOSE ORGANIZATIONS CAN APPLY TO SEEK TAX EXEMPTION.

AND SO WHEN THOSE APPLICATIONS COME FORWARD, WE DO REVIEW THEM AND BRING THEM FORWARD TO COUNCIL AS THE ULTIMATE DECISION MAKER.

AND SO WE ARE FOLLOWING THE PARAMETERS THAT WERE SET BY COUNCIL IN THAT POLICY, WHICH IS PUBLISHED AND ON OUR WEBSITE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

THANK YOU. IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T SUPPORT THIS, IT'S JUST WE'RE IN A TIME WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO FIND WAYS OF GENERATING REVENUE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE MAY WANT TO LOOK AT PUTTING SOMETHING IN HERE WHERE IT WOULD BE BASED ON NEED.

IF IF A SOCIETY HAS FINANCIAL HARDSHIP, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE EASY.

THIS THIS ORGANIZATION, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, JUST HAD THEIR BUILDING PAID FOR.

AM I CORRECT IN THAT? I THINK THEY RECEIVED SOME FUNDING FROM.

BUT IT'S ALWAYS FOR CAPITAL.

IT'S NOT FOR O&M. SO.

YEAH, FOR SURE.

OKAY. YEAH, I MEAN, I'M IN SUPPORT.

I JUST WANTED TO RAISE THOSE FEW THINGS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

AND IT WAS 2020, THE SUMMER OF 2020, THAT THE YELLOWKNIFE DAYCARE ASSOCIATION CAME FORWARD FOR THE TAX EXEMPTION.

UM, SO SECOND ROUND.

COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

JUST TO SORT OF COMMENT ON COUNCILOR FORGET'S POINT AND TO ASK ADMINISTRATION QUICKLY.

MADAM CHAIR SORT OF SAID OF A TIMELINE AND JUST WANTED TO ASK ADMIN QUICKLY IF WE WERE TO ASK FOR SORT OF A WHOLESALE MORE GENERAL REVIEW OF TAX EXEMPTIONS, WHAT IS A SORT OF REASONABLE TIME FRAME FROM ADMINS PERSPECTIVE? I SHOULD CLARIFY, 2024 WOULD BE LIKE COUNCIL SAYING DROP EVERYTHING.

THIS IS THE BIGGEST PRIORITY.

IT'S PROBABLY 2026 BASED ON MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.

THAT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE ACCURATE.

YEAH, WE WOULD NEED TO LOOK AT BECAUSE THAT'S A MASSIVE UNDERTAKING.

IT WOULD BE A BIG PROJECT FOR US TO DO SO.

IT'S DEFINITELY NOT THIS YEAR, LIKELY NOT NEXT.

AND CERTAINLY WITH THIS BEING MS..

WOODWARD'S LAST G.P.S.

MEETING BEFORE SHE RETIRES, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FILLING.

[00:30:03]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YEAH, I THINK FOR MYSELF, I THINK IT WOULD DEFINITELY WOULD SUPPORT SORT OF A MORE WHOLESALE LOOK AT THE WHOLE THING.

BUT UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE'RE AT WITH CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY, STAFFING CAPACITY AND THAT SORT OF STUFF, I THINK, YEAH, JUST WITH THE TIMELINE, I THINK I AGREE WITH COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN THAT THEY'VE MET THE MAKER SPACES, MET THE CRITERIA THAT'S BEEN LAID OUT CURRENTLY.

AND I THINK SORT OF COMING BACK TO REVIEW THE WHOLE THING WOULD JUST YEAH.

DELAY MAKER SPACE BEING ABLE TO USE SOME OF THAT A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA O&M TO OFFER MORE PROGRAMS NOW.

SO YEAH I THINK I'M CERTAINLY IN FAVOR I WON'T BE HERE FOR JULY OR JUNE 26TH.

SO JUST TO GET MY OWN OPINIONS OUT THERE, I'D SAY DEFINITELY IN FAVOR OF APPROVING MAKER SPACE AND AND TRYING TO LOOK AT A MORE WHOLESALE REVIEW ONCE DOWN THE ROAD WHEN THERE'S TIME.

THANK YOU.

YEAH. TO TO COUNCILOR PAQUETTE'S POINT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TO TO BUDGET AND PLAN FOR THIS IF COUNCIL DOES DISCONTINUE TAX EXEMPTIONS TO ORGANIZATIONS CAN ALWAYS CONSIDER THAT IT'S EFFECTIVE ONE YEAR FROM THEN SO THAT FOLKS HAVE A BIT OF TIME TO TO GET STUFF IN ORDER.

SEEING. NOTHING FURTHER.

OKAY. COUNCILLOR. FEQUET.

THANKS, MADAM CHAIR. YOU GUYS CAN HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN. PERFECT.

YEAH. AND JUST TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT.

YOU KNOW, WHERE MY QUESTIONS WERE COMING FROM WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND I WOULD DEFINE ESSENTIAL SERVICES IN TOWN AS THINGS LIKE SOME OF THE DAYCARE, SOME OF THE SHELTERS, SOME OF THE OUTREACH SERVICES AND SUPPORTED LIVING SERVICES THAT EXIST IN OUR IN OUR CITY.

AND I KNOW THAT SOME ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE DAYCARE AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THEIR FAULT IF THE APPLICATION WASN'T FILLED OUT PROPERLY OR SOMETHING, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE DENIED A TAX EXEMPTION AND IT WAS A MEANINGFUL AMOUNT 3 OR 4 TIMES I THINK THE AMOUNT THAT MAKERSPACE IS ASKING FOR.

AND SO IT'S DEFINITELY NOTHING AGAINST MAKERSPACE.

IT'S MORE JUST I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO DO THESE TAX EXEMPTIONS.

AND I APPRECIATE THAT THE CITY DID PUT IN A POLICY IN 2018, 2019 AND LAID OUT THE CRITERIA VERY CLEARLY.

AND I THINK MAKERSPACE IS SIMPLY CAPITALIZING ON THAT.

THE REASON I'M WILLING TO SUPPORT IT RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE THAT I FEEL IN THE ARTS SPACE, IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE TAX EXEMPTIONS THAT EXIST AND THE MASTER PLAN THAT WE JUST APPROVED, THIS IS SOMETHING SMALL THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP PUSH FORWARD AND SUPPORT THOSE GOALS IN OUR ARTS AND CULTURE.

MASTER PLAN. THE REASON I ASKED ABOUT THE BUDGETING WAS THAT COMMENT I MADE ABOUT BUDGETING WAS BECAUSE I WAS MORE THINKING THE OPPOSITE.

MADAM CHAIR. LIKE WHEN AN ORGANIZATION IS GRANTED THIS AND THEN WE DO A HOLISTIC REVIEW AND MAYBE THE COUNCIL OF THE DAY WILL CHANGE THOSE CRITERIA, TAKING THAT AWAY MIGHT BE MORE DIFFICULT FOR NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.

SO THAT WAS WHERE I WAS COMING FROM AND WHETHER WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S QUESTIONS AND STAFF'S RESPONSES ABOUT WHEN THAT MIGHT FIT INTO AN ACTUAL WORK PLAN AND HOW BIG OF A PROJECT THAT IS.

AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S NOT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

SO HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS AT THIS TIME, BUT DEFINITELY SUPPORT A BIGGER PROCESS.

AND THE TRUTH IS THIS AND THE GRANT REVIEW COMMITTEE, AS COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN SAID, THERE MIGHT BE POLICIES OR PROCESSES THAT CAN BE PUT IN PLACE WHERE THIS DOESN'T NEED TO COME TO COUNCIL ALL THE TIME.

THERE'S A VERY CLEAR POLICIES, AND THIS CAN BE A SIMPLE EXERCISE THAT CAN HAPPEN AUTOMATICALLY IN THE BACK END BY STAFF.

I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT BEING LOOKED AT TO WHEN WE WHEN WE GET AROUND TO OPTIMIZING.

SOME OF OUR PROCESSES AND CONSIDERATIONS POST APPROVAL OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

SO I AM WILLING TO SUPPORT IT.

JUST TO BE CLEAR, AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.

THANKS. THANK YOU.

YEAH. TO COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN POINT, GETTING IT STREAMLINED AND THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COME TO COUNCIL, JUST DO THAT LEGAL REVIEW AS WELL TO SEE WHAT'S POSSIBLE AND AND HOW WE WOULD HAVE TO DRAFT THE ULTIMATE BYLAW TO TO DO THAT.

SO IT CAN'T JUST BE A POLICY.

UM SEEING NOTHING FURTHER.

AND HEARING GENERAL SUPPORT, WE WILL BRING THIS FORWARD ON MONDAY, JUNE 26TH.

THAT'S 7 P.M. AND WE CAN ASK THE TWO COUNCILORS TO RETURN AND THE NEXT ITEM WILL BE A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO COORDINATE THE NEXT GENERAL ASSESSMENT IN

[7. A memorandum regarding whether to coordinate the next General Assessment in 2024.]

MS. BASSI-KELLETT, OVER TO YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

[00:35:01]

SO AS COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW, THE PROPERTY ASSESSMENT AND TAXATION ACT REQUIRES THAT A GENERAL ASSESSMENT TAKE PLACE AT LEAST ONCE EVERY TEN YEARS.

AND THIS ENSURES THAT RELATIVELY UP TO DATE BASELINE INFORMATION IS COLLECTED ON PROPERTIES FOR THE BASIS OF ASSUMING AND COMPILING THE ASSESSMENT BASE AND THE AMOUNT OF ASSESSED PROPERTY WITHIN YELLOWKNIFE.

THE CITY HAS HISTORICALLY SOUGHT TO DO THIS MORE OFTEN THAN EVERY TEN YEARS, BUT IT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN FEASIBLE.

AND A BIG CHANGE IN ONE NEIGHBORHOOD IN 2013 RESULTED IN COUNCIL'S DIRECTION BECAUSE IT GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPLOSIVE THAN WE THOUGHT COUNCIL DIRECTED AT THAT TIME TO COMPLETE A GENERAL REASSESSMENT EVERY FIVE YEARS.

OUR LAST GENERAL ASSESSMENT TOOK PLACE IN 2018, MEANING THAT WE ARE SCHEDULED FOR AN UPDATE THIS YEAR.

HOWEVER, OUR CONTRACTORS ARE UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE WORK THIS YEAR FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, SO WE ARE DEFERRING TO 2024 AND ALL I CAN SAY IS IF YOU KNOW A YOUNG PERSON WHO IS LOOKING FOR A CAREER PATH, STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THEM TO GET INTO THE EXCITING WORLD OF PROPERTY ASSESSMENT.

THERE ARE ENDLESS, ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAREER ADVANCEMENT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS. DISCUSSION, COUNCILOR? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

DO WE HAVE A SOLID UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO DO THIS IN 2024, THAT MORE ISSUES WON'T COME UP SORT OF THING? MS. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UNDER THE TERMS OF OUR CONTRACT, WE'RE QUITE CONFIDENT AROUND THAT.

OUR PRIMARY CONTRACTOR WAS UNABLE FOR PERSONAL REASONS, AND THE BACKUP CONTRACTOR WAS NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE OF COURSE THEY HAD THEIR FULLY COMMITTED FOR THE 2023 SEASON.

SO WE WILL BE WORKING WITH OUR CONTRACTORS TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS THE AVAILABILITY OF ONE OR BOTH TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS IN 2024.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

AND THE OTHER QUESTION, SO IN THE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS SECTION OF THE MEMO, IT STATES THAT GENERAL ASSESSMENTS DO NOT IMPACT THE TOTAL PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.

JUST LOOKING TO SORT OF GET AN EXPLANATION FROM ADMIN ON THIS AND HOW EXACTLY THAT IS.

JUST ALSO REFERENCING THE CABIN RADIO ARTICLE FROM TODAY WHERE IT QUOTE SAYS INCREASES IN LAND VALUE USUALLY MEAN INCREASES IN PROPERTY TAX.

IS THIS SO AN OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD CONCEPT? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I WILL PROBABLY GARBLE IT, SO I WILL ASK MS..

WOODWARD TO RESPOND TO THIS.

BUT GENERALLY, IF WE HAVE AN INCREASE TO OUR ASSESSMENT BASE, THE MILL RATE WILL THEN DETERMINE WE'LL SET THE AMOUNT OF TAXATION THAT WE ARE COLLECTING IN ORDER TO MEET THE CITY'S BALANCED BUDGET REQUIREMENTS.

BUT MS.. WOODWARD, IF I CAN ASK YOU.

THANK YOU, MS. BASSI-KELLETT. YOU'VE CAPTURED THE ESSENCE OF IT.

COUNCIL ACTUALLY DETERMINES THE TOTAL PROPERTY TAXATION REVENUE WHEN THEY PASS OR ADOPT A BUDGET FOR A GIVEN YEAR.

SO THAT DETERMINES THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT HAS TO BE RAISED FROM PROPERTY TAXATION.

WE DIVIDE THAT BY THE TOTAL ASSESSMENT BASE TO GET THE MILL RATES ADJUST A LITTLE BIT FOR PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION.

SO IF WE HAVE A GENERAL ASSESSMENT AND EVERYONE'S ASSESSMENT GOES UP, IT JUST MEANS IT'S A LOWER MILL RATE.

WE HAVE MORE ASSESSMENT TO SPREAD IT OVER.

TEXAS SHOULDN'T REALLY CHANGE BASED ON A GOOD GENERAL ASSESSMENT BECAUSE WE WOULD SEE THE MARKET VALUE GO UP EVENLY ACROSS THE CITY.

WE WOULD SEE THE DEPRECIATED REPLACEMENT VALUE GO UP EQUALLY ACROSS THE CITY.

SO THEIR SHARE OF THE TAXES WOULDN'T CHANGE.

ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL, OBVIOUSLY IF SOMEONE GOES OUT AND BUILDS A GARAGE AND YOU DON'T, THEY WILL PAY A LITTLE BIT LARGER SHARE OF THE TAXES.

BUT THAT IS NOT RELATED TO THE GENERAL ASSESSMENT.

THANK YOU. AWESOME.

THANKS FOR THAT EXPLANATION.

AND JUST TO BE SUPER CLEAR, SO IF EVERYONE'S ASSESSMENT GOES UP 15%, YOUR TAXES DO NOT GO UP 15%, CORRECT? CORRECT. BUT IF YOUR PROPERTY GOES UP 20% AND EVERYBODY ELSE'S GOES 15%, YOUR TAXES ARE GOING TO GO UP.

IF YOUR PROPERTY IS ACTUALLY GOES UP 10%, YOUR TAXES ARE GOING TO GO DOWN.

SO GENERAL ASSESSMENT CAN IT DOESN'T IMPACT THE CITY'S REVENUE BECAUSE WE JUST NEED X DOLLARS, BUT IT CAN CHANGE THE DISTRIBUTION OF TAXES AMONGST RESIDENTS, WHICH IS WHAT WE SAW IN THAT YEAR 2014, WHERE FOR THE COMMERCIAL CAM LAKES VALUE WENT WAY UP COMPARED TO THE REST OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.

SO TAXES SPIKED IN CAM LAKE VERSUS THE REST OF THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.

BUT IF YOUR AVERAGE YOUR TAXES DON'T GO UP, IF YOU'RE BELOW AVERAGES, YOUR TAXES WOULD GO DOWN.

[00:40:05]

BUT MS. BASSI-KELLETT IS AND MRS WOODWARD WOULD THAT BE ACCURATE? VERY MUCH SO.

MISS WOODWARD, YOU ARE OUR EXPERT.

I'LL ASK YOU. THANK YOU.

YES. JUST TO REITERATE THE COMMENTS THERE, WE DID SEE SOMEWHAT OF AN ANOMALY.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, IN THE 2013 GENERAL ASSESSMENT WHERE A WHOLE BUNCH OF FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO REALLY INCREASE THE MARKET VALUE OF LAND IN CAM LAKE AND TO A CERTAIN EXTENT IN PARTS OF NIVEN.

SO THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS SAW THEIR ASSESSED VALUES GO UP MUCH MORE QUICKLY OR MORE STEEPLY THAN IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS.

SO THEIR SHARE OF THE PROPERTY TAXES WENT UP ACCORDINGLY.

IT MADE FOR SOME SURPRISES, SHALL WE SAY, AND SOME UNHAPPY TAXPAYERS.

SO THAT WAS THE INCENTIVE, I THINK, BEHIND THE COUNCIL OF THE DAY DIRECTING ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO GENERAL ASSESSMENTS MORE FREQUENTLY, SUBJECT TO DISCUSSION AT BUDGET AND APPROVAL OF THE FUNDS.

WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY CHANGES LIKE THAT IN THE ONGOING ASSESSMENT UPDATES.

SO WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT WE'VE GOT ANY HOT POCKETS IN TOWN RIGHT NOW.

SO OUR EXPECTATION WOULD HAVE BEEN THAT IN 2023 WE WOULD HAVE SEEN A GENERAL CHANGE IN ASSESSMENTS THROUGHOUT THE OR THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE CITY.

SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE NOT TERRIBLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE NEED TO DEFER THIS FOR ONE YEAR.

WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT THERE HAS BEEN ANY UNEVEN CHANGES TO THE EXTENT THAT WE SAW IN 2013.

THANK YOU. AWESOME.

THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THE EXPLANATION.

JUST WANTED TO SORT OF MAKE SURE THAT'S OUT THERE AND CLEAR.

I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY EASY TO MISINTERPRET AND SEEING HAS THE LAST ONE WAS IN 2018.

I THINK EVERYONE GENERALLY PROPERTIES WILL HAVE INCREASED IN VALUE.

SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE MAKE THE CONNECTION THAT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEIR TAXES ARE GOING TO SPIKE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE EXPLANATION.

IT'S ONE WE HAVE TO COMMUNICATE A LOT.

THE YEAR THAT WE PEOPLE GET IT BECAUSE YEAH, THEY'LL SEE THEIR THEIR PROPERTY WENT UP 20% AND WELL, THAT'S GOOD.

YOU'VE GOT MORE VALUE IN YOUR PROPERTY.

IF IT WENT DOWN 20%, YOU PROBABLY BE PRETTY CONCERNED BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN YOUR TAXES GOING UP 20%.

SO TAKE A BIG DEEP BREATH THE YEAR THAT IT COMES.

ANYTHING FURTHER? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEEING. NONE.

THAT WAS JUST FOR INFORMATION.

SO THAT'S NOT COMING FORWARD ANY FURTHER.

[8. A memorandum regarding Procurement - 2022 Contract File Summary and Local Spending reports.]

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

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

SO THE CITY'S LOCAL PROCUREMENT POLICY SETS AN 85% LOCAL SPENDING TARGET FOR THE CITY ANNUALLY.

AND WE STRIVE VERY HARD AND TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY.

SO ADMINISTRATION IS PLEASED TO CONFIRM THAT IN 2022, 88.1% OF OUR DISCRETIONARY SPENDING WAS SPENT LOCALLY.

WE DON'T HAVE IN THE CITY A BIP EQUIVALENT POLICY BUSINESS INCENTIVE POLICY, WHICH WE'RE ASKED ABOUT QUITE REGULARLY.

THAT'S THE POLICY THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES HAS THAT PROVIDES FOR A SLIGHT ADVANTAGE TO LOCAL CONTRACTORS TO BE ABLE TO BID ON CITY CONTRACTS AND CITY BIDDING OPPORTUNITIES.

WE CANNOT DO THIS GIVEN THE TERMS OF THE CANADA FREE TRADE AGREEMENT.

NWT IS GRANDFATHERED IN.

WE ARE NOT. SO THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE EXCEPTIONALLY PROUD OF OUR PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND OF COURSE OF LOCAL CONTRACTORS TOO, WHO ARE VERY COMPETITIVE WHEN THEY PUT THEIR BIDS IN THAT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MEET AND EXCEED THE 85% TARGET BECAUSE OF OUR HARD WORK AND THEIRS.

SO AS WE ASSESS THIS, WE USE THE SAME METHODOLOGY EVERY YEAR.

FIRST, WE TAKE OUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE A GIVEN THAT WE WILL ALWAYS SPEND, LIKE PAYROLL CONTRIBUTIONS, PENSIONS, SCHOOL BOARD, TAX ALLOTMENTS, AND THEN WE TAKE OUT THOSE GOODS AND SERVICES THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN YELLOWKNIFE THAT WE ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT GET LOCALLY, EVEN IF WE TRIED.

AND THOSE ARE THINGS LIKE TRAFFIC, LIGHT EQUIPMENT, SOME OF OUR I.T.

SOFTWARE, ICE MAKING SUPPLIES FOR OUR RINKS, CERTAIN CHEMICALS FOR THE POOL AND SO ON.

SO AS WE PUT THIS REPORT FORWARD TO COUNCIL, WE ALSO LIKE TO PROVIDE A LIST OF THE CONTRACTS THAT THE CITY ENTERED INTO IN 2022.

THIS HAS BEEN ASKED FOR BEFORE, AND WE LIKE TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE IN PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION TO COUNCIL NOW.

THANK YOU. BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR THIS REPORT.

YOU CAN ALWAYS GO ON TO THE CITY'S BIDS AND TENDERS PAGE AND YOU SEE ALL OF THEM AND YOU CAN SEE WHO WON IT AND YOU CAN SEE WHO ELSE BID AND ALL THAT STUFF.

SO IT'S ALWAYS AVAILABLE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS.

COUNCILLOR FOR CAT. THANKS, MADAM CHAIR.

CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YOU BET.

IT'S AWESOME. JUST A QUICK QUESTION.

I APPRECIATE THE LOCAL PROCUREMENT POLICY THAT'S ON THE WEBSITE.

[00:45:01]

SO THAT'S A QUESTION FOR ADMINISTRATION, PLEASE.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

SO WE WILL MAKE A DETERMINATION IF THERE IS AN URGENT REQUIREMENT, IF THERE IS REALLY ONE PROPONENT THAT IS ABLE TO DO THIS, AND EVERY SOLE SOURCE REQUEST IS CAPPED AT $20,000.

I'M SEEING A LOOK FROM MISS WOODWARD.

I BELIEVE IT'S 20. OR IS IT 25? I MAY ASK HER IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

WE TRY TO GO OUT AND BE COMPETITIVE ON EVERYTHING WE CAN.

GENERALLY, IF IT'S UNDER TEN OR PERHAPS $20,000 WILL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBLE IN TERMS OF BALANCING EXPEDIENCY, QUALITY, PAST EXPERIENCE, THAT TYPE OF THING.

OVER THAT. WE DO HAVE AN ACCOMMODATION WHERE THE CITY MANAGER CAN APPROVE A MORE EXPENSIVE SOLE SOURCE IN EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES.

BUT WE TRY TO PUT EVERYTHING WE CAN THROUGH THE COMPETITIVE PROCESS.

THANK YOU. UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT RESPONSE.

YEAH, I NOTICED MOST OF THIS WHOLE SAUCE.

COCHRANE CONTRACTS WERE MINIMAL AMOUNTS, WHICH SEEMS LIKE PRETTY STANDARD PRACTICE.

I JUST. THERE WAS THAT ONE THAT STOOD OUT TO ME OF ALMOST 200,000, AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS, LIKE YOU SAID, SOME EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES OR AN EMERGENCY OR SOMETHING.

AND SO I GUESS THAT'S WHY I WAS LOOKING FOR THAT CLARITY.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO ADD OR IF IT'S APPROPRIATE TO SPEAK TO THAT, OR AT LEAST THE GENERAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THAT AT THIS TIME.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT THAT WOULD BE JUST SCANNING THAT.

THAT'S THE, I THINK THE WATER SUBMARINE LINE.

YEAH. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

SO THIS WAS A HIGHLY TECHNICAL STUDY THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE DONE.

WE HAVE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH AECOM AND WITH.

STANTEC. AND SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR A FIRM THAT COULD COMPLETE THIS TECHNICAL WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE AS PART OF OUR WATER SUBMARINE LINE ANALYSIS.

SO THAT WAS THE RATIONALE FOR GOING WITH THIS FIRM.

THANK YOU. GREAT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT RESPONSE.

THAT THAT MAKES TOTAL SENSE.

THANKS. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILLOR. MCLENNAN. THANK YOU.

JUST A QUESTION ABOUT ONE OF THE SPECIFIC CONTRACTS.

GIVEN THE WILDFIRE SEASON THE COUNTRY IS EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW, AND GIVEN THAT WE AS A COUNCIL CUT THE MONEY FOR THIS YEAR FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION.

JUST WANTED TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO FOLLOW UP ON THE NON-LOCAL CONTRACT TO ACE VEGETATION CONTROL FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION LAST YEAR.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS WORK WASN'T COMPLETED AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK IF THIS MONEY IS AVAILABLE TO RETENDER THAT CONTRACT TO DO SOME WORK ON WILDFIRE MITIGATION THIS YEAR.

MS. MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO THAT CONTRACT WENT OUT THROUGH A COMPETITIVE PROCESS.

WE SOUGHT A TENDER AND THIS WAS THE COMPANY THAT CAME IN WITH THE LOWEST BID PRICE.

THEY ATTEMPTED TO DO THIS WORK IN WHEN THE GROUND FROZE LAST FALL.

BUT WE WILL ALL REMEMBER THAT LAST FALL WAS A LITTLE BIT UNUSUAL, LIKE EVERY SEASON IT SEEMS NOW IN THAT IT STAYED QUITE WARM INTO OCTOBER AND THE GROUND DIDN'T FREEZE. AND WHEN THINGS DID FREEZE IN NOVEMBER, WE WERE FACED WITH AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF SNOW.

AND THAT MADE DOING THIS WORK INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING AND IN FACT, IMPOSSIBLE.

SO THAT WAS PART OF THE REASON BEHIND THIS.

THE O&M, OF COURSE, DOES NOT CARRY OVER AS CAPITAL FUNDS DO.

SO IF THE MONEY IS NOT SPENT, WE LAPSE THAT MONEY AND IT STAYS IN THE GENERAL FUND.

SO IT'S NOT IDENTIFIED OR BUDGETED FOR WORK IN THE WILD WILDLAND FIRE MITIGATION AREA.

MR. MCLEAN, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD ON THIS ONE? NO, THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.

YOU HIT ALL THE HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD THERE.

THAT WAS THE. BARRIERS TO COMPLETING THE CONTRACT.

AWESOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE EXPLANATION AND YEAH, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR AND THE HOPEFULLY I BELIEVE IT'S DMF OR FEDERAL FUNDING THAT SHOULD COME TO DO A BUNCH OF WILDFIRE MITIGATION WORK.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE INFORMATION.

NEXT, WE HAVE A MEMORANDUM REGARDING THE WATER AND SEWER RATES REVIEW, PUBLIC CONSULTATION.

[9. A memorandum regarding Water and Sewer Rates Review Public Consultation.]

THIS IS A VERY SALIENT ONE FOR MANY OF US.

SO AS A RESULT OF SOME INQUIRIES ON WATER RATES FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES IN 2017, COUNCIL DIRECTED THAT A REVIEW OF OUR RATES BE UNDERTAKEN FOR WATER AND SEWER.

[00:50:04]

THEY'VE CONDUCTED A REVIEW THAT HAS INCLUDED A COST OF SERVICE ANALYSIS, AND THEIR PRELIMINARY RESULTS HAVE FOUND THAT OUR CURRENT FEE STRUCTURE GENERALLY COVERS THE CITY'S COSTS OF THE SERVICES.

BUT THE REALITY IS, AND WE'VE KNOWN THIS ANECDOTALLY, NOW WE HAVE THE DATA BEHIND IT PIPED CUSTOMERS SUBSIDIZE THOSE ON TRUCK SERVICES.

THE CURRENT FEE STRUCTURE IS UNNECESSARILY COMPLEX, BUT IT DOES NOT YET SEPARATE WATER SERVICES FROM SEWAGE SERVICES.

AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION FOR US FOR PLANNING PURPOSES.

SO THE CONSULTANTS HAVE UNDERTAKEN THIS ANALYSIS.

THEY HAVE A PHASED APPROACH AND SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO SIMPLIFY THE RATE STRUCTURE AND TO REDUCE THE SUBSIDIZATION TO MAKE EVERYTHING A LITTLE BIT MORE EQUITABLE.

BUT THE PROJECT IS NOW AT THE STAGE WHERE WE AS A CITY WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE STAKEHOLDERS THINK ABOUT THIS.

AND SO THE CONSULTANTS WILL BE GOING OUT TO TALK ABOUT THEIR FINDINGS, THEIR METHODOLOGY AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY ARE BRINGING FORWARD ALONG WITH THE PROPOSED PLAN OF ACTION. SO TO BE FRANK, WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF DELAYS ON THIS PROJECT.

THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF THINGS, INCLUDING COVID, INCLUDING OUR CAPACITY, INCLUDING CONTRACTOR CAPACITY.

BUT WE'RE NOW AT THE STAGE WHERE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT CAN GET UNDERWAY BEFORE THESE RESULTS COME BACK TO GPC AND COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION.

SO INFORMATION IS GOING TO BE LAID OUT ON PLACESPEAK FOR RESIDENTS TO REVIEW AND COMMENT ON.

AND WE'RE GOING OUT DIRECTLY TO SOME KEY STAKEHOLDERS WHO WILL BE CONTACTED BY THE CONSULTANTS AND THAT INCLUDES OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR WATER AND SEWAGE.

IT INCLUDES YELLOWKNIVES DENE AND INCLUDES THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT, OF COURSE ARE AFFECTED BY WHAT WATER AND SEWER RATES LOOK LIKE AT A COMMERCIAL LEVEL.

SO ENGAGEMENT IS GOING TO TAKE PLACE STARTING THIS WEEK.

OVER THE NEXT THREE WEEKS.

WE WANT TO CATCH PEOPLE BEFORE SUMMER HOLIDAYS KICK IN AND PEOPLE ARE DISTRACTED BY HOPEFULLY HOT WEATHER TO COME COME BACK.

AND WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO BRING FORWARD RECOMMENDATIONS TO GPC AND COUNCIL THIS FALL, HOPEFULLY IN TIME THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO INFORM BUDGET 2024. THAT'S A LITTLE OPTIMISTIC, BUT WE ARE HOPING THAT WE CAN HAVE SOME GOOD CONVERSATIONS AND BE ABLE TO BRING THIS BACK FOR COUNCIL TO DELIBERATE AND MAKE DECISIONS ON. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

QUESTIONS. COMMENTS.

DISCUSSION. COUNCILLOR.

HENDRICKSEN. THANKS, MAYOR ALTY.

YEAH, MY NOT SHOCKINGLY FOR ME.

BIG QUESTION FOR ME IS IN THE MEMO IT TALKS ABOUT KEY STAKEHOLDERS.

CAN YOU JUST IDENTIFY WHO THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS ARE SEPARATE FROM THE BROADER PUBLIC GENERALLY? MS. MS. BASSI-KELLETT THANKS VERY MUCH.

YEAH, IT'S MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE YELLOWKNIVES, DENE, FIRST NATION, WB WATER SERVICES AND KAVANAUGH.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILLOR. MCLENNAN. YEAH, THANKS VERY MUCH.

JUST A COMMENT TO SAY SORT OF PUSH THAT WE PUBLICIZE THIS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND AND FOR COUNSELORS TO DO THAT AND GET EVERYONE'S INPUT.

THIS IS CAN BE A TRICKY ONE AND PRETTY CONTENTIOUS.

SO JUST THIS IS THE TIME FOR EVERYONE TO SAY THEIR PIECE AND TO YEAH, GET THEIR VIEWS HEARD.

SO I'D ENCOURAGE EVERYONE WITH A STAKE OR A THOUGHT TO MAKE SURE THEY PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SURE.

ALSO RECOGNIZING IT'LL COME BACK TO COUNCIL SO THEY'LL GET TO ENGAGE AND LOBBY THOROUGHLY AT THAT TIME SO YOU WON'T MISS YOUR OPPORTUNITY, BUT PLEASE PARTICIPATE EARLY.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS. COUNCILLOR.

FEQUET. UH, THANKS, MADAM CHAIR.

I JUST WANTED TO ASK ADMINISTRATION, KNOWING THAT THERE'S ALWAYS SO MANY THINGS GOING ON THAT WE DON'T EVEN SOMETIMES HAVE A FULL GRASP OF, BUT THEY CERTAINLY DO.

IS THIS ENGAGEMENT AND CONSULTATION THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WITH RESIDENTS BEING KIND OF COORDINATED AMONGST ANY OTHER ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVES THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME FROM ON BEHALF OF THE CITY? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION TO ASK.

WE'VE JUST WRAPPED UP. PLEASE SPEAK UTILIZATION TO ENGAGE WITH MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON COUNCIL'S STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS AND THAT WILL BE COMING FORWARD FOR COUNCIL'S INFORMATION NEXT WEEK. UM.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE'RE OVERTLY OUT THERE ON RIGHT NOW.

OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT OUR GRANT PROGRAM THAT'S OUT THERE NOW FOR BUSINESSES AND FESTIVALS.

WE'RE CERTAINLY ENCOURAGING THEM, THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TO CONSIDER REVIEWING THE TWO STREAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE OF FUNDING SUPPORTS.

AND WE'RE REALLY ENCOURAGING THEM TO TO CONSIDER THIS AND GET THEIR APPLICATIONS IN.

BUT OTHERWISE, THERE'S NOTHING CONCURRENTLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

THANK YOU. GREAT.

[00:55:04]

TO DO OUR BEST TO BALANCE THE REQUESTS OF OUR RESIDENTS.

WHEN WE WHEN WE NEED THEIR FEEDBACK TO MAKE A DECISION.

SO THANK YOU FOR FOR CONFIRMING THAT.

THANK YOU, SEEING.

NOTHING FURTHER.

THIS IS JUST AN FYI AND YEAH, HOPE TO SEE EVERYBODY PARTICIPATE IN THAT ENGAGEMENT.

WITH THAT, THE NEXT ITEM IS A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO APPOINT SOMEONE TO FILL A VACANT POSITION ON THE AUDIT COMMITTEE, WHICH IS IN CAMERA.

[10. A memorandum regarding whether to appoint someone to fill a vacant position on the Audit Committee.]

MOVE BY COUNCILLOR. COCHRANE. SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR.

WARBURTON. ANYBODY OPPOSED? SEEING NONE.

WE CAN MOVE IN CAMERA.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.