Nov 06, 2023 Governance & Priorities Committee

SO, WE WILL RECESS THAT AND TAKE A SECOND BREAK.

[1. Opening Statement]

[00:00:06]

NEXT, WE HAVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA.

[2. Approval of the agenda.]

NO, NOTHING ELSE TO ADD.

THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE DISCLOSURE SORRY DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF.

DOES ANY MEMBER HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST? SEEING NONE.

[4. A memorandum regarding whether to continue the Business Licence Fee Waiver Program for a one‐year period from November 1, 2023 to October 31, 2024.]

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

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

ABSOLUTELY. SO ADMINISTRATION REPORTS OUT ON HOW THE COVID ONE-TIME SAFE RESTART FUNDING, WHICH WE RECEIVED FROM THE FEDS, WAS SPENT.

ONE OF THE STRATEGIES REMAINS AN ONGOING INTEREST TO SMALL BUSINESS SECTOR WITHIN YELLOWKNIFE.

POST WILDFIRE AND POST EVACUATION.

I'LL TURN THINGS OVER TO MS. THISTLE, WHO CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SAFE RESTART FUNDING, HOW WE ROLL THIS OUT, AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE INTEREST IN THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEE WAIVER PROGRAM, WHICH HAS COME UP AGAIN POST EVACUATION.

THANK YOU. OVER TO YOU, KERRY.

THANK YOU.

SO, WHEN WE FIRST GOT THIS FUNDING, WE ROLLED IT OUT IN 21-22 IN VARIOUS GRANT PROGRAMS. SO, THE OUTDOOR SPACE IMPROVEMENT GRANT WERE GRANTS THAT WERE UP TO $10,000.

IT WAS A WAY FOR BUSINESSES DURING COVID WHEN ALL THE RESTRICTIONS WERE IN PLACE TO INCREASE THEIR OUTDOOR SPACE SO THAT WE COULD STILL HAVE BUSINESSES OPERATING AND EARNING INCOME WITHOUT VIOLATING ANY OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH RESTRICTIONS OR AFFECTING ANYONE'S PUBLIC SAFETY.

THAT PROGRAM, THERE WAS AN APPLICATION PROCESS, AND THEN WE MADE PEOPLE SUBMIT RECEIPTS, AND THEN WE REIMBURSED UP TO $10,000.

SO THAT WAS A WAY TO MAKE SURE THE PROJECTS WERE DONE AND THEN PEOPLE OR COMPANIES WOULD GET REIMBURSED.

THE INDOOR SPACE IMPROVEMENT GRANT WAS UP TO $5,000, AND WE TRANSITIONED INTO THAT AFTER THE SUMMER, AND THAT WAS AGAIN TO HELP BUSINESSES ADJUST TO THE COVID RESTRICTIONS IN REOPENING, AND IF THEY HAD TO PUT ANYTHING IN PLACE AND IT WAS IN THE SAME FASHION, THERE'S APPLICATION PROCESS.

THEY HAD TO SUBMIT RECEIPTS AND THEN WE REIMBURSE THEM IN AMOUNTS UP TO $5,000.

THE NEXT ONE THAT WE ROLLED OUT WAS THE BUSINESS SERVICES GRANT, AND THAT WAS AIMED AT WAYS BUSINESSES AGAIN, COULD ADJUST TO POST-COVID KIND OF IN COVID WORLD, GETTING MORE DIGITAL, TAKEOUT THINGS LIKE THAT, AND THEY WERE UP TO $5,000, AND THE ONE THAT STAYED KIND OF THE MOST STEADFAST, I GUESS, HAS BEEN THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEE WAIVER PROGRAM, AND THAT'S FOR THE $200 RENEWAL FEE.

SO THAT PROGRAM OPERATED IN THE FIRST YEAR.

AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE REPORT, IT WAS ABOUT $14,000 IN LAST YEAR'S REPORT THAT ROLLED OUT TO BE THIS PAST YEAR, IT WAS $8,000 AND SO, THAT'S WHY WE'VE MADE THE RECOMMENDATION TO CONTINUE THAT PROGRAM FOR THIS YEAR.

SO, ONCE WE RUN THOSE PROGRAMS, WE CAME BACK TO COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL BECAUSE WE HAD MONEY LEFT OVER, AND THAT'S WHEN WE PUT OUT THE FESTIVALS AND EVENTS GRANT, THE COVID RECOVERY BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE CONTINUED THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEE WAIVER PROGRAM.

THE FESTIVALS AND EVENTS GRANT COUNCIL ALLOCATED $30,000 TO THAT, AND IT WAS GRANTS OF $5,000 EACH.

SO, WE HAVE WE FULLY EXPENDED THAT $30,000.

SIX APPLICATIONS WERE APPROVED, AND THE MONEY WAS SPENT.

THERE WERE VARIOUS CRITERIA, INCLUDING YOU HAD TO BE A NONPROFIT, YOUR EVENT HAD TO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

IT HAD TO HAVE OCCURRED THAT YEAR, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS, AND SO IT COULDN'T BE THAT A PRIVATE GROUP WAS HAVING A PARTY AND COULD GET FUNDING UNDER THAT. IT HAD TO BE PUBLIC.

THE COVID RECOVERY BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM, WHERE GRANTS UP TO $10,000 IN COUNCIL, ALLOCATED $200,000 OF THE MONEY TO THAT AND HAPPY TO REPORT AGAIN THAT WAS FULLY SUBSCRIBED TO THE $200,000 HAS BEEN SPENT.

20 BUSINESSES RECEIVE FUNDING.

THAT WAS OUR MOST FLEXIBLE PROGRAM.

THAT WAS DONE INTENTIONALLY.

UP UNTIL THAT POINT, WE HAD NEVER ALLOWED RENT OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE WAGES TO BE INCLUDED IN THOSE COST RECOVERY, AND THIS GRANT WAS OUR MOST FLEXIBLE ONE, AND THAT WAS BECAUSE WE'D HEARD FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE STRUGGLING WITH THE MOST WAS COSTS LIKE RENT AND LABOR.

SO, THAT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL, AND THEN WE CONTINUED WITH THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEE WAIVER PROGRAM, AND AS I INDICATED, WE SPENT ABOUT $8,000 ON THAT PROGRAM IN THE PAST YEAR. SO FESTIVAL IS IN A GRANT.

WE HAD APPLICATIONS STARTED JULY JUNE 12TH TO ENSURE THAT EVERYBODY WAS FULLY AWARE OF THESE PROGRAMS BEFORE THEY LAUNCHED.

[00:05:03]

SO WE DIDN'T WANT ANYONE TO NOT KNOW ABOUT IT.

SO IT WAS DONE SOCIAL MEDIA, RADIO, PRINT.

SO THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF ADVERTISING THAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE PROGRAM LAUNCHED, AND AS I SAID, WE SPENT THE FULL $30,000.

THE COVID RECOVERY BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM.

SAME THING APPLICATIONS.

WE ACCEPTED APPLICATIONS AS OF JUNE 12TH, BUT THE ADVERTISING STARTED ON MAY 31ST AND THE $10,000 AMOUNT ADDED.

WE ISSUED 20 OF THESE AND SPENT THE WHOLE $200,000, AND LIKE I SAID, ELIGIBLE EXPENSES WERE RENT, LABOR, UPGRADES TO SYSTEMS. IT WAS PRETTY WIDE OPEN WHAT YOU COULD SUBMIT, AND WE DID ASK FOR RECEIPTS.

SO THERE WAS PROOF THAT BUSINESSES HAD SPENT THE MONEY WHEN THEY GOT THE $10,000, AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW LIKE $10,000 IN BUSINESS IS NOT REALLY THAT MUCH MONEY WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT RENT AND LABOR COSTS CAN BE.

BUSINESS LICENSE FEE WAIVER PROGRAM THAT COMMENCED NOVEMBER THE 1ST.

IT'S RUN FOR A YEAR.

THE REASON WE WANT TO SAY NOW, NOVEMBER 1ST TILL OCTOBER 31ST, IS BECAUSE THE PROGRAM ACTUALLY OFFICIALLY ENDED ON OCTOBER 31ST AND IS QUITE IT'LL BE QUITE COMPLICATED FOR FINANCE IF WE DON'T COMMENCE THE PROGRAM RIGHT AWAY, BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY IT WOULD MEAN BUSINESSES WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HAVE THEIR FEE WAIVED FOR NOVEMBER.

IT WOULD START IN DECEMBER, OR WE HAVE TO REIMBURSE ANYBODY THAT APPLIES IN NOVEMBER.

SO, IT'S QUITE TIME INTENSIVE.

IT'S JUST EASIER AND MORE EFFICIENT IF IT CAN COMMENCE ON NOVEMBER THE 1ST SO THAT THERE'S NO LAPSE IN TIME, AND SO WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE CONTINUE WITH THIS.

THERE WAS A MEETING OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS LAST MONTH.

THERE WAS A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WERE SUGGESTED COULD BE DONE FOR BUSINESSES.

A LOT OF THEM ARE TERRITORIAL RELATED, BUT ONE THING THAT WAS MENTIONED OR SUGGESTED IS THAT WE CONTINUE WITH THE FEE WAIVER PROGRAM.

WE'VE RUN IT FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.

WE KNOW THAT BUSINESSES ARE STILL SUFFERING AS A RESULT OF COVID, YOU KNOW, COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC AND THEN TO BE HIT AGAIN WITH THE WILDFIRE SEASON WE JUST HAD, THIS IS ONE THING WE CAN DO. WE DO HAVE APPROXIMATELY $22,000 THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEE WAIVER PROGRAM REMAINING, AND.

THE EASIEST WAY TO DO THIS WOULD TO DO THIS WOULD BE IF WE JUST SAID WE WEREN'T CHARGING BUSINESS LICENSE FEES.

WE CAN'T DO THAT. WE HAVE OVER 2000 BUSINESS LICENSES OUT THERE AT $200 PER LICENSE.

THAT'S OVER $400,000.

THAT'S WAY OVER 22,000 THAT WE HAVE LEFT.

SO UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T DO THAT.

WE STILL ARE TRYING TO AIM IT AT BUSINESSES THAT WERE ACTUALLY AFFECTED DURING THE PANDEMIC AND THAT ONGOING FINANCIAL STRAIN THAT WAS EXACERBATED BY THE EVACUATION. NOT ALL BUSINESSES LIKE WE KNEW WERE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED DURING THE PANDEMIC.

THERE WERE SOME BUSINESSES THAT ACTUALLY INCREASED BUSINESS, AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE SOME OF THE CRITERIA WRITTEN THE WAY THEY ARE.

IT WAS AIMED AT, YOU KNOW, SMALL TO MID-SIZED BUSINESSES THAT WE SAW SUFFER THE MOST LOCAL BUSINESSES.

SO, THE CRITERIA HAVE BEEN OFFERED FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, THEY'VE BEEN GENERALLY WELL ACCEPTED.

WE CAN'T SAY WITH CERTAINTY HOW MUCH MONEY WE'LL SPEND, BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON HOW MANY APPLICATIONS COME IN.

AS I'VE INDICATED, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, NUMEROUS BUSINESSES OUT THERE.

IF WE CHANGE THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, THAT COULD INCREASE OUR APPLICANTS, BUT AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, I'D CAUTION AGAINST OPENING IT UP ENTIRELY BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET.

WE NEED MORE MONEY FOR THAT, BUT THIS IS ONE WAY THAT WE CAN HELP CONTINUE TO HELP SOME BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC, AND LIKE I SAID, THAT SITUATION WAS MADE EVEN HARDER FOR THEM AFTER THE SUMMER WE JUST HAD.

SO ANY QUESTIONS I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER.

THANK YOU.

OPENING IT UP TO QUESTIONS.

COUNCILLOR WARBURTON. THANKS.

JUST A QUESTION.

8000, AS YOU SAID, IS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF OUR BUSINESS LICENSE REVENUE.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN DO DIFFERENT TO MAYBE HOPEFULLY GET THAT FULLY SUBSCRIBED THIS YEAR OTHER THAN JUST MAINTAIN THE SAME CRITERIA? I GUESS, BECAUSE IF WE'RE LEFT AGAIN WITH FUNDING NEXT YEAR, THEN WE'VE GOT TO TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN.

SO YEAH. MS. BASSI-KELLETT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

SO, IT'S A BIT OF A BALANCING ACT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CAPTURING THE BUSINESSES THAT WERE HARDEST HIT LOCAL BUSINESSES WITH SMALL WORKFORCES, NOT NECESSARILY LARGE NATIONAL COMPANIES THAT HAVE A BIT MORE RESILIENCE BUILT INTO HOW THEY CAN OPERATE.

I WILL ASK MS. THISTLE IF SHE'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO SOME IDEAS AROUND THIS.

REALLY, IT'S ABOUT BUSINESSES BEING ENSURING BUSINESSES ARE AWARE OF THE ABILITY TO APPLY TO HAVE THEIR BUSINESS LICENSE FEE WAIVED.

I'M HOPING THAT THE ONES THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY APPLIED UNDER THIS WILL CONTINUE TO APPLY, AND THEN WHAT WE CAN DO IS ENSURE THAT THERE'S

[00:10:09]

IT IS ON THE WEBSITE.

AS YOU CAN SEE, ADS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED, AND PERHAPS WE'LL LOOK AT ADVERTISING THEM MORE REGULARLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR INSTEAD OF JUST AT THE BEGINNING OR END OF THE PROGRAM.

COUNCILLOR FEQUET. THANKS, MADAM MAYOR.

YOU MENTIONED THERE WAS MORE THAN 2000 LICENSES.

APPROXIMATELY. HOW MANY? OR CURIOUS IF WE KNOW HOW MANY FALL INTO THOSE SIX QUALIFYING INDUSTRY TYPES THAT ARE LISTED THERE.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT? MS. THISTLE? NO, WE DON'T HAVE THAT DATA.

SORRY. NO PROBLEM.

DO YOU HAVE WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TYPES OF INDUSTRIES THAT ARE EXCLUDED FROM THAT LIST? DO WE COULD YOU GIVE US SOME EXAMPLES? I WAS JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT'S PRETTY IT'S SET VERY SPECIFICALLY, LIKE YOU SAID, TO REFLECT, YOU KNOW, NOT MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS OR TYPES OF INDUSTRY THAT MAYBE DID WELL IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.

SO, I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF YOU KNEW SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF WHAT'S EXCLUDED FROM THAT LIST.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT? MAYBE WE CAN TURN THAT FROWN UPSIDE DOWN AND SAY WHAT IS INCLUDED TO START WITH, AND I THINK THAT WILL BE ILLUSTRATIVE IN TERMS OF THE BUSINESSES THAT AREN'T.

MS. THISTLE? YEAH, IT WAS REALLY AIMED AT, FOR EXAMPLE, TOURISM, RETAIL, RESTAURANTS, SECTORS THAT WE KNEW SUFFERED REALLY TERRIBLY DURING THE PANDEMIC AND WERE STRUGGLING COMING OUT OF THAT AND STILL CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE.

YOU KNOW, EXAMPLES OF ONES THAT WOULDN'T BE COVERED COULD BE LIKE A LAW FIRM, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THAT'S JUST PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE OFFERING A SERVICE THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN HOSPITALITY OR PERSONAL CARE.

IT IS, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE VARIETY OF BUSINESSES THERE.

MOST BUSINESSES FALL INTO ONE OF THOSE LISTED EXAMPLES.

WHERE THE CRITERIA GET A LITTLE BIT STRICTER IS IN THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, WHICH AFFECTS THE SIZE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

REALLY, AT THE TIME, THE DISCUSSION WAS WE DIDN'T WANT, FOR EXAMPLE, GROCERY STORES.

THEY DIDN'T SUFFER DURING THE PANDEMIC.

THEY WEREN'T HARD HIT, SO WOULD PREFER TO SEE BUSINESSES THAT REALLY NEEDED THE MONEY GET GET THE ADVANTAGE OF THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS. SO WE ALSO DID SCANS OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, PROGRAMS THAT WERE OFFERED TERRITORIALLY, AND WE WERE TRYING NOT TO DUPLICATE WHAT WAS DONE ALREADY OR OFFERED TO BUSINESSES AND REALLY TRY AND ADD TO WHAT THEY COULD ALREADY APPLY FOR.

GREAT. THANK YOU FOR THOSE EXAMPLES AND THAT ADDITIONAL CONTEXT TOO.

THAT WAS HELPFUL. THANK YOU.

COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YEAH, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, ON THE CRITERIA.

JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE RATIONALE FOR MAINTAINING THE SAME CRITERIA.

THIS CRITERIA WAS DEVELOPED TO TARGET BUSINESSES THAT WERE MOST AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EXTENDING THIS PROGRAM DUE TO THE EVACUATION, WHICH SEEMS LIKE VERY DIFFERENT THINGS TO DO THE PROGRAM FOR.

SO JUST CURIOUS AS TO THE RATIONALE FOR KEEPING THE CRITERIA THE SAME IN TERMS OF WHICH BUSINESSES CAN APPLY FOR TWO DIFFERENT EVENTS.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION, AND CERTAINLY AT A MEETING OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN MID SEPTEMBER THAT TOOK PLACE ONE EVENING AT [INAUDIBLE], CERTAINLY THERE WAS A REAL PLEA FOR SUPPORT, AND CERTAINLY THERE WAS A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR SUPPORT FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BUT THERE WAS A POINT WHERE, THERE WAS A POINT THAT WAS MADE WAS THAT BUSINESS LICENSING, WHILE A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY EACH YEAR IS YET ANOTHER COST THAT SMALL BUSINESSES BEAR, AND SO THAT WAS CERTAINLY INSPIRING IN TERMS OF WHAT WE LOOK AT WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEE WAIVER, AND WE COULD VERY WELL SEE THAT THERE IS MORE UPTAKE GIVEN, AGAIN, MORE BUSINESSES BEING HIT BY THE WILDFIRE AND MORE INFORMATION BEING PROVIDED AND PROACTIVELY SENT OUT TO THEM SO THAT THEY ACTUALLY KNOW THAT THIS EXISTS.

MS. THISTLE? MORE TO ADD, I'M SURE THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS THAT WE DO NEED TO REMEMBER THIS IS FEDERAL MONEY THAT WAS DESIGNATED FOR A COVID SAFE RESTART.

SO THE PROGRAM WAS REALLY AIMED AT BUSINESSES THAT STRUGGLED AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC FINANCIALLY.

THAT WAS EXACERBATED BY THE EVACUATION, BUT I DON'T THINK ANYONE CAN REALLY SAY THAT THE BUSINESSES HAD FULLY REBOUNDED FROM THE PANDEMIC, AND SO, WE DO HAVE TO REMEMBER THIS WAS COVID SAFE RESTART FUNDING, AND THAT'S WHY WE'VE MAINTAINED THE SAME CRITERIA.

OKAY. THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.

GOOD FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS AGAIN.

SO, IF WE WERE TO CHANGE THIS TO THE CRITERIA HERE TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE ANY BUSINESSES THAT CAN PROVE THEY WERE CLOSED DUE TO THE

[00:15:02]

MS. BASSI-KELLETT? MS. THISTLE? I'D HAVE TO CHECK THE SPECIFIC WORDING TO KNOW IF THAT EXACTLY WOULD VIOLATE IT.

WHERE I WOULD CAUTION ON THAT IS THAT ALL BUSINESSES PRETTY MUCH WERE CLOSED DURING THE EVACUATION, AND AGAIN, THAT IS IN EXCESS OF 2000 BUSINESS LICENSES, AND THAT WOULD BE IN EXCESS OF $400,000, WHICH IS OUTSIDE OF THE BUDGET THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOR THE PROGRAM.

UNDERSTOOD. YEAH, I KNOW A BUNCH OF BUSINESSES THAT WEREN'T CLOSED TO THE EVACUATION, AND YEAH, JUST SORT OF THINKING OF WAYS TO MAKE THIS BROADER AS I KNOW THAT THE EVACUATION AFFECTED.

YEAH, A WHOLE RANGE OF BUSINESSES.

I UNDERSTAND THE CONSTRAINTS AROUND THE FUNDING.

YEAH. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP.

I GUESS THE OTHER QUESTION IS, DO WE KNOW WHY THERE WERE 101 APPLICATIONS FOR THIS WAIVER PROGRAM IN THE FIRST YEAR, AND ONLY 40 IN THE SECOND? WHY THAT BIG DROP? MS. BASSI-KELLETT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. THISTLE. I CAN'T SAY WITH CERTAINTY BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T SPOKEN WITH EVERY BUSINESS LICENSE, EVERY BUSINESS OPERATOR TO ASK WHY OR WHY THEY WHY THEY DID OR DIDN'T APPLY OR NOT APPLY.

AS WAS INDICATED IN PREVIOUS COVID FUNDING REPORT, WE HAD SEEN AN INCREASE IN BUSINESS LICENSE APPLICATIONS AND WE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO MANY THINGS, TWO OF WHICH WERE THAT DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUSINESSES WERE CLOSED SO THEY DIDN'T RENEW OR COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC.

NEW BUSINESSES. NOW WITH THE SEEING THE PROGRAM WERE APPLYING, NEITHER OF THOSE FACTORS IS THERE RIGHT NOW.

ALSO, BUSINESSES WERE OPERATING FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AFTER THE PANDEMIC.

MAYBE THE $200 WASN'T LIKE MAYBE THEY JUST DIDN'T NEED THE $200 TO THE SAME EXTENT, BUT I CAN'T SAY WITH CERTAINTY BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T SPOKEN WITH EVERYONE TO ASK THEM WHY THEY DID OR DIDN'T APPLY.

SO THAT'S THE MOST INFORMATION I HAVE.

OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'LL HAVE A COMMENT LATER.

THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR COCHRANE.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

I'M JUST CURIOUS, BEING THAT WE HAVE 22,000 LEFT OUT OF THE PROGRAM, THIS TOTAL SPEND WOULD COST US 8000.

WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION EXPANDING BEYOND ANOTHER YEAR TO MAYBE TWO YEARS.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. MISS THISTLE.

WE CAN'T SAY THAT IT'S ONLY GOING TO COST 8000.

THE PREVIOUS YEAR IT WAS 14,000.

THIS YEAR COULD BE MORE.

SO THE 22,000 IS THAT'S WHAT'S LEFT THERE.

IT COULD ALL BE SPENT BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.

OR WE COULD HAVE SOME LEFT OVER WON'T KNOW THAT WITH ANY CERTAINTY UNTIL APPROXIMATELY SEPTEMBER OF 2024.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN.

THANKS, MAYOR ALTY.

JUST ONE CLARIFICATION.

APOLOGIES IF THIS WENT OVER MY HEAD, KERRY.

IS THE 22,000 THE TOTAL LEFT IN THE COVID SAFE RESTART FUNDING IN TOTAL, OR JUST THIS MONEY THAT WE HAVE ALLOCATED TO THE BUSINESS LICENSE? MS. BASSI-KELLETT YES, THAT'S THE AMOUNT THAT'S FULLY LEFT OVER WITHIN THE COVID SAFE RESTART FUNDING.

THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND THEN IS THERE A DEADLINE FOR THIS FUNDING OR IS IT IN OUR ACCOUNT AND WE JUST HAVE TO SPEND IT THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, BUT THERE'S NO DEADLINE.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT.

MISS THISTLE.

AS FAR AS I'M AWARE, THERE'S NO SPECIFIC DEADLINE.

THERE IS MONEY RECEIVED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND IT WAS DISTRIBUTED IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGY WAS GIVEN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FUNDING TO RUN DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. THERE WAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT GEARED TOWARDS INDOOR, A CERTAIN AMOUNT GEARED TOWARDS REALLY LIKE PLANNING KIND OF INITIATIVES AND ONE WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

SO WE WORK TOGETHER, AND THAT'S WHERE THE OUTDOOR INDOOR SPACE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS CAME FIRST, AND THEN WE'VE CHANGED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS AS THE NEEDS OF BUSINESSES CHANGE.

CLEARLY DURING COVID, CAN SOME OUTDOOR AREA WHERE PEOPLE COULD ASSEMBLE WAS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND AFTER THE PANDEMIC, AS BUSINESSES CAME BACK KIND OF TO FULL WORKING ORDER, THAT WASN'T AS BIG A DEAL, BUT THERE WAS OTHER REQUIREMENTS.

FOR EXAMPLE, LABOR SHORTAGES WAS A BIG ONE WHEN BUSINESSES FIRST CAME OUT.

SO THE BUSINESS SERVICES GRANT ALSO COVERED ADVERTISING.

SO TO ASSIST WITH COSTS OF EMPLOYERS TRYING TO ADVERTISE AND SECURE EMPLOYEES, BECAUSE THERE WAS THAT WAS ONE THING WE HEARD, YOU KNOW, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.

SO AS TIMES HAVE CHANGED, WE'VE TRIED TO PIVOT, AND THAT WAS WHY THE LAST GROUP OF GRANTS WERE MORE FLEXIBLE, AND WE ALSO INCLUDED SOME FESTIVALS AND EVENTS, GRANTS, WHICH AGAIN, HADN'T BEEN OFFERED PREVIOUSLY, THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEE WAIVER PROGRAM.

LIKE I SAID, IT'S BEEN RUN FOR TWO YEARS NOW, AND THEN, AS INDICATED, SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS EARLIER LAST MONTH DID SUGGEST THAT THIS WAS ONE WAY THE

[00:20:10]

IT'S A PRETTY EFFICIENT, SEAMLESS WAY FOR US TO HELP NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE IT FOR TWO YEARS.

IT WON'T TAKE A LOT OF EXTRA TIME ON BEHALF OF STAFF OR AFFECT STAFF CAPACITY TO ANY GREAT EXTENT BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR PROCESSES IN PLACE SO EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND HOW THEY'RE DOING IT.

BUSINESSES ARGUABLY SIMILAR KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND HOW TO DO IT, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN OFFERED FOR TWO YEARS AND AS INDICATED, WE CAN ADVERTISE IT A LITTLE MORE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, MAYBE QUARTERLY, PUT A PUSH TO ENSURE THAT BUSINESSES DO KEEP THAT AWARENESS.

NO. THAT'S GREAT. YEAH, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE EXTENSION.

I GUESS MY LAST COMMENT I GUESS GENERALLY WOULD BE OR QUESTION FIRST BEFORE COMMENT, I SUPPOSE.

DO WE HAVE A RECORD? AND I'M ASSUMING THE ANSWER IS YES TO THIS, BUT I'M JUST CONFIRMING OF THE BUSINESSES WHO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS GRANT IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT I BELIEVE SO, MS. THISTLE. WE HAVE EVERY BUSINESS WHO'S APPLIED, EVERY BUSINESS WHO'S BEEN ACCEPTED, AND EVERY BUSINESS THAT'S NOT BEEN ACCEPTED FOR EVERY GRANT WE'VE OFFERED.

THAT'S A DELIGHTFUL ANSWER.

THANK YOU, AND I GUESS THE COMMENT THAT WOULD GO WITH THAT IS AS BUSINESSES ARE APPLYING, LET'S CHECK THAT LIST AND SAY TO THEM AS THEY'RE APPLYING, IF WE HAD 101 THE FIRST YEAR AS THERE AND THEN ONLY 40 THE NEXT YEAR, SAY, HEY, YOU DIDN'T APPLY IN YEAR TWO, APPLY AGAIN, BECAUSE THAT SHOULD GET US BACK TO 100 BUSINESSES ROUGHLY.

SO THAT'S JUST THE FINAL COMMENT.

THANKS. THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR PAYNE.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

WHAT I LIKE IS THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY RESPONDING TO THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE LISTENING TO WHAT CAME OUT OF THEIR MEETING LAST MONTH AT [INAUDIBLE].

SO IF THEY SAY IT'S BENEFICIAL, THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH TO GAIN MY SUPPORT.

SO I SUPPORT THIS, AND I WISH WE COULD DO MORE FOR THE SMALL BUSINESSES OF YELLOWKNIFE AND MAYBE IN THE FUTURE.

I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD EVER BE ALLOWED, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A LIKE A TIERED BUSINESS LICENSE FEE, YOU KNOW, X AMOUNT FOR LARGE BUSINESSES GOING DOWN TO SMALL BUSINESSES, LIKE IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOCIETY IS ON A WHOLE TAXED THE RICH MOVEMENT RIGHT NOW.

SO NOT THAT I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS FAIR, BUT I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO A BUSINESS LICENSE, PAYING AN EXTRA $400 OR AN EXTRA $200 FOR A BUSINESS THAT BRINGS IN MILLIONS IS NOT AN OVERSTRETCH.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

WE DO HAVE A BIT OF VARIATION IN BUSINESS LICENSE FEES.

SO LIKE IF YOU'RE AN AMUSEMENT ATTRACTION IT'S 1100.

SO THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUSINESS LICENSE BYLAW TO DO THAT.

I HAD A QUESTION.

JUST WHETHER 20 AND FEWER EMPLOYEES IS A HIGH ENOUGH BENCHMARK, OR IF IT SHOULD BE MORE LIKE 50 AND UNDER.

AGAIN, I DO WANT TO TARGET THE SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT I'M THINKING OF SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE [INAUDIBLE], RACKET CLUB, JUNIPER, ETCETERA, WHO ACTUALLY MAY HAVE MORE THAN 20 EMPLOYEES.

SO JUST WONDERING IF IF 50 AND UNDER WOULD BE A BETTER THRESHOLD.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'LL ASK MISS THISTLE TO SPEAK TO SOME OF OUR RATIONALE AROUND THE NUMBERS.

YEAH, 20 AND UNDER WAS REALLY CHOSEN SPECIFICALLY TO TARGET SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSES.

DEFINITELY COULD ALTER THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.

WE DID DO A LITTLE RESEARCH TO SEE IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW MANY EMPLOYEES.

FOR EXAMPLE, A PLACE LIKE JUNIPER HAS 17 PRACTITIONERS.

SO THEN IF YOU ADD IN SOME ADMIN, IT'S LIKELY THEY COULD GO OVER 20.

SO IS 50 THE RIGHT NUMBER? I CAN'T SAY WITH CERTAINTY HOW MANY BUSINESSES WE WOULD GET APPLICATIONS FROM IF THE NUMBER IS 50, BUT DEFINITELY AMENABLE TO CHANGING THE NUMBER, KNOWING THAT THE HIGHER THE NUMBER IS, THE MORE BUSINESSES ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY, WHICH EQUATES TO MORE OF THE BUDGET AND POSSIBLY OVER THE 22,000 IS THE ONLY CUSHION.

THANK YOU. I WOULD BE OPEN TO GOING UP TO THE 50 EMPLOYEES OR LESS, RECOGNIZING THAT 22,000.

I DON'T WANT IT TO BE THE CUT OFF THAT IF YOU APPLY AFTER THAT, THEN YOU'RE NOT ELIGIBLE.

I THINK THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO USE A LITTLE BIT OF WELL, IT'S NOT THE CITY'S MONEY.

THE CITY IS IN A HUMAN THAT GOES TO WORK, BUT GENERAL FUNDS TO IF THERE IS TEN MORE BUSINESSES, $2,000 MORE.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF COUNCIL'S IN SUPPORT OF INCREASING IT TO 50 OR IF THERE'S AN APPETITE TO KEEP IT AT 20; SEEING MIXED

[00:25:10]

COUNCILLOR MCGURK.

I THINK IF YOU HAVE CLOSE TO 50 EMPLOYEES, $200 PROBABLY MEANS LIMITED TO YOU IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU'RE PAYING IN EMPLOYEE FEES ANYWAY.

I THINK, AND AT THE RISK OF THE PROGRAM THEN BECOMING OVERSUBSCRIBED AND THEN SMALLER COMPANIES NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCESS THAT $200, WHERE THAT REALLY DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE, THEN I THINK THAT I'M NOT NECESSARILY IN SUPPORT OF 50, MAYBE 30 EMPLOYEES.

I CAN SEE THE RATIONALE AROUND 20 BEING A LITTLE BIT LOWER, BUT I THINK 50 IS TOO HIGH.

THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

THANKS, MADAM CHAIR, THANKS FOR THAT INNOVATIVE SUGGESTION.

I THINK I'M MOSTLY IN SUPPORT OF WHATEVER MAKES US NOT HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN.

LIKE TO COUNCILLOR WARBURTON AND COCHRANE'S POINT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN JUST MAKE A MOTION TO SPEND IT UNTIL IT'S SPENT AND IF WE HAVE TO GO NEXT YEAR BECAUSE WE DON'T SPEND IT ALL, GREAT, LET'S DO THAT.

OR IF WE WANT TO INCREASE THE NUMBER A LITTLE BIT TO UP TO 30, LIKE COUNCILLOR MCGURK, I DO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS INTENDED TO HELP THE SMALLEST OF THE SMALL, AND SO I'M LESS OF AN OPINION ON THE NUMBER BUT IF THAT'S A WAY TO HELP SPEND THE MONEY SO WE CAN GET IT OUT THE DOOR AND OR MAKE SURE THAT IT'S JUST YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK TO US TO RUN THIS, RUN THIS ACCOUNT.

THOSE WOULD BE THE THINGS I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF.

THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

THANK YOU. YEAH, I WOULD AGREE WITH COUNCILLOR FEQUET AND MCGURK.

YEAH, TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE FOR INCREASING THE NUMBER, BUT YEAH, 50 DOES SEEM A BIT HIGH TO ME.

YEAH, IN GENERAL, IN AGREEMENT THAT THE BUSINESS LICENSE WAIVER FEE PROGRAM APPRECIATE THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, TRYING TO TARGET THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES. THIS IS A SMALL THING, BUT IT IS REALLY GOOD TO SEE THE CITY TRYING TO DO SOMETHING TO SUPPORT THESE BUSINESSES, GIVEN THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE MONEY THAT THIS IS COVID FUNDING AND THE TIGHT TIMELINES TO ALLOW THE WAIVER FEE THIS YEAR RATHER THAN NEXT YEAR, I UNDERSTAND THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND WOULD JUST SAY TO ANY BUSINESSES THAT FEELS LEFT OUT IN TERMS OF THE EVACUATION AND LOOKING FOR SUPPORTS THERE, JUST TO REACH OUT AND TRY AND FIND OTHER WAYS TO HELP, BUT I THINK, YEAH, A SMALL EXPANSION TO THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES MAKES SENSE TO ME.

50 SOUNDS A BIT HIGH, BUT IN GENERAL SUPPORTIVE.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT WOULD ADMINISTRATION NEED DIRECTION? I DON'T WANT TO PLAY THE.

SILENT AUCTION 20, 50, 30.

CAN WE JUST PROVIDE DIRECTION THAT ADMINISTRATION AIM TO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT PROVIDES ANY MORE CLARITY TO SPEND THE 22,000, BUT TO HAVE A BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY WITH BUSINESSES WHO ARE APPLYING.

AGAIN, IT'S TRYING TO AIM AT THOSE LOCAL, SMALL, ALMOST MEDIUM SIZED BUSINESSES.

DOES THE ADMINISTRATION NEED ANY FURTHER DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL OR ARE YOU GOOD WITH THIS DISCUSSION? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHERE COUNCIL IS COMING FROM.

THIS WE HEAR YOU THAT YOU WANT TO TARGET THOSE BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOCAL, THAT ARE INDEPENDENT, THAT ARE WITH, YOU KNOW, AN EMPLOYEE BASE HERE THAT IS SMALL BUT MIGHT INVOLVE LOTS OF PART TIME OR A NUMBER OF OF EMPLOYEES IN THAT SENSE.

SO I THINK WE'VE GOT A VERY GOOD SENSE.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE AS WELL YOUR DIRECTION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE THIS TO THE MONEY TO BE SPENT, AND THAT'S DEFINITELY WHAT WE'VE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

IF WE CAN PROVIDE SUPPORT, LET'S PROVIDE THE SUPPORT AND LET'S FIND A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DO THIS IN A WAY THAT WORKS RIGHT NOW.

SO WE'VE GOT GOOD WE'VE HEARD COUNCIL LOUD AND CLEAR.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR DIRECTION.

THANK YOU. ACTUALLY, THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT IT IS.

IT'S 20 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES BECAUSE WHEN I THINK OF THOSE BUSINESSES OF THE [INAUDIBLE], ETCETERA, THEY'D HAVE MORE THAN 20 EMPLOYEES BUT IT'S THREE PEOPLE DOING ONE HOUR, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE JUST NOT DQ'D BECAUSE THEY HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE DOING AN HOUR OR TWO.

SO HEARING GENERAL SUPPORT FOR THE PROGRAM.

LET'S RECESS GPC, AND WE'LL GO BACK TO COUNCIL, THEN WE CAN BE ADJOURNED, AND WE'LL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR NOVEMBER 6TH, 2023.

BACK TO ORDER.

[5. A memorandum regarding whether to approve the 2023‐2026 Council Strategic Directions Implementation Actions.]

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

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU TO OUR WHIZ OF A CITY CLERK FOR PULLING THAT UP, BECAUSE I HAD A SLIGHT PANIC IN MY STEP AS I WALKED UP HERE TO KNOW WHERE IT WAS.

SO IT IS MY ABSOLUTE PLEASURE TODAY TO BE ABLE TO COME AND SPEAK TO COUNCIL ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS AROUND IMPLEMENTING AND MAKING REAL COUNCIL STRATEGIC

[00:30:02]

ALTHOUGH IT'S BEEN A YEAR THAT FEELS LIKE TEN YEARS ROLLED INTO ONE.

BACK IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, COUNCIL HAD SPENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME IN THE LATE WINTER AND EARLY SPRING, AND THEN APPROVED IN MAY OF 2023 THE STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS FOR YOUR TERM IN OFFICE, AND SO IN LOOKING THEN AT HOW DO WE MAKE THIS REAL? HOW DO WE MAKE THIS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT WHERE THERE'S MEASURED AND MARKED PROGRESS ON THE THINGS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY OF INTEREST TO COUNCIL? WE WANTED TO COME FORWARD TODAY WITH SOME PROPOSED IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS AND AGAIN, COUNCIL STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS THAT CITY ADMINISTRATION DEALS WITH DAY IN AND DAY OUT, AND THAT INCLUDES OUR CORE LEGISLATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE HAVE TO HONOR.

IT INCLUDES THOSE CORE AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT WE LEARNED VERY CLEARLY DURING COVID, IN PARTICULAR, THAT WE DON'T WE CAN'T DROP THE BALL ON THOSE.

THOSE ARE ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL, AND THAT IS NO SURPRISE TO ANY OF YOU WATER, SEWER, ROADS AND SIDEWALKS.

FIRE. EMERGENCY RESPONSE, SOLID WASTE.

WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE THE KEY THINGS THAT ARE REALLY CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE TO ALWAYS MAINTAIN.

THERE ARE LOTS OF MOTIONS, PROJECTS, AND EXTERNALLY DRIVEN WORK, AND BOY, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF EXTERNALLY DRIVEN WORK LIKE COVID AND WILDFIRES.

DON'T WE KNOW IT? AND SO OF COURSE, COUNCIL STRATEGIC DIRECTION IS THE LENS THROUGH WHICH WE LOOK AT EVERYTHING, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SPECIFIC ACTIONS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN THAT ARE GOING TO ADVANCE WHAT THOSE DIRECTIONS ARE.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE TOOK A LOOK AT.

WE TRIED TO BREAK DOWN WHAT YOU HAVE UNDER THE KEY FOCUS AREAS TO LOOK AT.

THEN ACTIONS THAT CAN REALLY ADVANCE THIS.

SO OF COURSE, NO SURPRISE TO ANY OF YOU.

THIS IS A VERY HIGH LEVEL, AND IN THE PACKAGE, OF COURSE, IS THE MORE DETAILED EIGHT PAGE DOCUMENT THAT GETS INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DEPTH AND IS A LITTLE BIT MORE NUANCED IN TERMS OF WHERE SOME OF THOSE KEY INITIATIVES ARE AND WHAT FALLS UNDER EACH OF THOSE FOCUS AREAS.

SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT AS WELL, AND I SPOKE TO THIS VERY BRIEFLY, BUT THE THINGS THAT DRIVES ADMINISTRATION.

SO WE KNOW LEGISLATIVE COMPLIANCE WE HAVE TO DO THINGS LIKE AND YOU KNOW WE HAD TO GET OUR SPECIAL DISPENSATION ON THIS.

WE WERE LATE THIS YEAR WITH OUR SORRY WE WERE LATE WITH 2022 AUDIT.

WE NEEDED THE OKAY FROM OUR REGULATOR GNWT MUNICIPAL AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS ON THAT.

THE SAME WITH SUBMITTING OUR BUDGET LATE THIS YEAR, WHICH COUNCIL OF COURSE IS VERY AWARE OF.

SO WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE LEGISLATION THAT DRIVES US, AND IT IS A WILD AND VARIED SCOPE OF LEGISLATION, AS YOU WELL KNOW, THAT AFFECTS THE CITY.

WE HAVE OUR CORE AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALWAYS ARE MAINTAINING AND RESPONDING TO, AND THIS, AGAIN, IS NUANCED BECAUSE WE FIND AND MR. GREENCORN CAN SPEAK TO THIS IN SOME DETAIL.

FOR MANY YEARS, WE HAD GREAT FUNDING THAT CAME FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AROUND PIPED INFRASTRUCTURE FOR WATER AND SEWER, AND WE'VE DONE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK TO UPGRADE PIPE, BUT THAT MEANS WE HAVEN'T PAID ATTENTION TO LIFT STATIONS AND PUMP HOUSES OR AS MUCH AS WE SHOULD AND WE SHOULD NOW, OF COURSE, WITH OUR WELL, WE ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO THEM, BUT THEY ARE GOING TO BECOME MUCH MORE IN THE SPOTLIGHT FOR THE KIND OF CAPITAL WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO. MOTIONS, BUDGETED ITEMS, IMPLEMENTATION PLANS THESE ARE ALL VERY REAL, AND SO THIS IS DIRECTION THAT COMES FROM COUNCIL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AT DIFFERENT TIMES, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S THROUGH THE BUDGET, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENTING OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, WHETHER IT'S LOOKING AT ITEMS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THROUGH THE GROWTH STRATEGY, THINGS LIKE FLOOR REPLACEMENT IN THE FIELD HOUSE, WE KNOW THAT'S ONE THAT'S A BUDGETED ITEM THAT IS GOING TO INVOLVE QUITE A BIT OF CONSULTATION.

THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE EXAMPLES THAT COME FROM THE DIRECTION THAT COMES FROM COUNCIL OUTSIDE OF YOUR BROAD STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS, AND THEN OF COURSE, THERE'S ALL THE THINGS THAT COME UP THAT ARE EXTERNALLY IMPOSED ON US, THAT WE FRANKLY DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE BUT TO HAVE TO ENGAGE ON, AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS THE CITY IS AN EVACUATION CENTER. WE'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN PRETTY CONSISTENTLY EACH SPRING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, RESPONDING TO GIANT MINE AND BEING A VERY PART OF PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE GIANT MINE RECLAMATION AND THE OVERSIGHT THAT'S INVOLVED IN THAT.

WE ARE COMMITTED TO THAT THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, AND THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE FOR US TO PLAY IN MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN SEE THE BENEFITS OF THE CLEANUP OF THAT MINE ACCRUING NORTH INTO OUR COMMUNITY.

MARIJUANA LEGISLATION THAT CAME OUT OF THE BLUE.

THAT WAS A FUN ONE TO DEAL WITH.

SO WE HAD TO MONITOR AND LOOK AT ALL THE IMPLICATIONS AROUND THAT, AND OF COURSE, OUR FAVORITE COVID CAUSED A LOT OF EXTERNALLY IMPOSED NEW WAYS OF DOING BUSINESS FOR THE CITY, AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE A LOT OF MAJOR PROJECTS, AND SO THESE MAY BE CAPITAL ITEMS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY, HEY, IT'S IN BUDGET 2023.

THE MONEY WAS APPROVED.

THE CAPITAL PROJECT IS DONE ON TWO NEW THINGS.

WE HAVE MANY MULTI YEAR PROJECTS THAT ARE QUITE NUANCED, THAT TAKE A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT TO NAVIGATE THROUGH WITH OUR OFTEN WITH OUR DESIGN CONSULTANTS AND THEN WITH OUR CONTRACTING CONSULTANTS.

THERE'S A LOT OF WORK UNDERWAY DAY IN AND DAY OUT THAT DRIVES SO MUCH OF THAT WORK, AND THEN OF COURSE, COUNCIL STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS ARE SETTING THE BROAD TONE FOR THAT, AND SO WHEN WE WORK TO IDENTIFY ACTIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY RESPONDING TO THAT, WE WANT TO DO SO RECOGNIZING THAT WE LOOK AT THE FILTER, WE FILTER EVERYTHING ELSE THROUGH

[00:35:08]

THIS OLD CHESTNUT COMES OUT.

MY GOD, MY POWERPOINT SKILLS ARE TERRIBLE.

I KNOW, MS. WOODWARD.

SO IN TERMS OF THE FOUNDATION BASE IS ALWAYS THAT LEGISLATIVE COMPLIANCE AND OUR CORE BUSINESS.

WE THEN LOOK AT THE MAJOR ONGOING MULTIYEAR PROJECTS, INTERNALLY IMPOSED REQUIREMENTS, MOTIONS THAT COME UP REGULARLY, IMPLEMENTATION PLANS, DIRECTION THAT COMES THROUGH GPC, AND COUNCIL REGULARLY, AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE PINNACLE OF THIS OF WHAT WE REALLY ASPIRE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HONOR ALL THE TIME, IS WHAT IS IN THOSE STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS THAT YOU'VE LAID OUT. SO WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT THIS IT'S BEEN A LONG YEAR.

SO SINCE YOU APPROVED THE STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS IN MAY, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF DISCUSSION IN TERMS OF WHAT ARE THE REALLY KEY IMPORTANT ITEMS FOR COUNCIL TO PRIORITIZE, PARTICULARLY FOR 2023, THE REMAINDER OF 2023 AND FOR 2024? WE KNOW THAT HOUSING HAS BEEN A VERY TOP PRIORITY AS ONE OF THE FOCUS AREAS.

CAPACITY IS VERY IMPORTANT AND OUR ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, WE APPRECIATED HEARING THAT FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS.

WE KNOW AS WELL IN TERMS OF THE TOP INITIATIVES IN YOUR STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS AS WELL.

WE HAVE HEARD AGAIN THE FULSOME CONTINUUM OF HOUSING OPTIONS, FROM MARKET HOUSING TO SOCIAL HOUSING TO WORKER ACCOMMODATION, EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN, AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE DO HAVE UNDERWAY THAT ARE ADVANCING THAT NOW A BIG PART OF THAT, THE HOUSING ACCELERATION FUND, FINGERS CROSSED, TOUCH WOOD.

EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY DO ON THAT.

NOW THAT WE'VE SUBMITTED OUR 2022 AUDIT, WHICH WAS THE LAST PIECE OF THE PUZZLE THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WAS WAITING FOR, WE HOPE VERY MUCH TO HEAR WHETHER OR NOT OUR APPLICATION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL, AND THAT CONTAINS A HUGE NUMBER OF INITIATIVES THAT WOULD REALLY BE VERY HELPFUL IN MUCH OF THE WORK THAT'S LISTED HERE AND ELSEWHERE WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPING HOUSING.

FORGIVE ME, I SEE ON HERE THAT RAPID HOUSING FOR THE THARP PROJECT, I WILL THAT IS REACHING HOME.

FORGIVE ME ON THAT. THAT WAS A TYPO I SHOULD HAVE CORRECTED, BUT ALL OF THESE INITIATIVES HERE ARE INITIATIVES THAT WE ARE WORKING ON CONCURRENTLY, AND THAT WILL REALLY BE ABLE TO ADVANCE MUCH MORE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS IS SUCH A PRIORITY FOR COUNCIL.

AGAIN, REALLY WAITING TO SEE ABOUT THE HOUSING ACCELERATION FUND, AND IF THAT COMES THROUGH, THEN WE HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD RESOURCES THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO WORK WITH.

WE KNOW THAT ALIGNING ORGANIZATIONAL SERVICE CAPACITY WITH SERVICE LEVELS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AS WELL.

DEFINING SERVICE LEVELS, MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN BRING THOSE FORWARD TO COUNCIL.

THERE IS SO MUCH CLARITY THAT WE HAVE WHEN THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF WHAT OUR SERVICE LEVELS ARE, WHEN WE KNOW THAT WE'RE RESOURCED TO ADEQUATELY SUPPORT THOSE SERVICE LEVELS, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

MAYOR ALTY WAS REMINDING ME OF IT WAS I THINK IT'S OUR THE, THE ANNIVERSARY OF SNOWMAGEDDON, AND OF COURSE, WE ALL REMEMBER SNOW REMOVAL IS ONE OF THOSE KEY AREAS WHERE WE HAVE VERY CLEAR SERVICE LEVEL STANDARDS AND TO GO BEYOND THAT COSTS US MONEY AND RESOURCES.

SO WHEN WE HAVE BIG SNOWFALLS, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE PLANNING FOR.

CERTAINLY OUR SERVICE LEVELS RIGHT NOW ARE PREDICATED UPON WHAT OUR RESPONSE HAS BEEN OVER THE YEARS.

IF WE SEE MAJOR CHANGES IN WEATHER AND WINDFALL, AND I KNOW OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM IS WATCHING THIS STUFF CLOSELY, THAT MAY VERY WELL MEAN THAT WE CHANGE OUR SERVICE LEVELS TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO GREATER SNOW LOADS EACH YEAR.

SO WE WILL BE WE ARE WORKING ON THIS.

THE BEST ADVICE THAT WE'VE GOTTEN ON THIS IS WE WILL BRING FORWARD THE SERVICE LEVELS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, AND WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF THEM, BUT A NUMBER OF THEM STILL HAVE TO BE DEVELOPED AS WELL, BUT WE WANT TO GET THINGS IN FRONT OF COUNCIL BECAUSE THESE ARE CRITICAL AREAS FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT THE RESOURCING IS WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT BEING RESOURCED FOR, AND THEN THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS AS WELL THAT.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE, OF COURSE, OUR PARKS STANDARDS.

NOT EVERY PARK IS MAINTAINED TO THE STATE OF SOMBA K'E, AND IF THERE ARE RESIDENTS THAT THINK, HEY, I SAW HOW BEAUTIFUL SOMBA K'E IS, COULD MY LITTLE NODE BY MY HOUSE BE LOOK LIKE THAT? NO, IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN THAT WAY.

UNLESS OF COURSE, A DECISION IS MADE BY COUNCIL THAT EVERYTHING IS A TYPE A PARK AND THAT WILL RESOURCE THEM ACCORDINGLY.

SO THESE ARE DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR COUNCIL TO SET THE DIRECTION FOR, AND REALLY IMPORTANT FOR RESIDENTS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE STANDARDS ARE WHEN THEY WALK THROUGH THE COMMUNITY AND SEE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT SNOW IS REMOVED, AND DIFFERENT WAYS THAT PARKS ARE MAINTAINED AS EXAMPLES AND OF COURSE, MODERNIZING DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE OPTIONS. THIS HAS BEEN NEAR AND DEAR TO OUR HEARTS SINCE WE UPDATED THE COMMUNITY PLAN.

THE ZONING BYLAW THEN WAS UPDATED IN 2021.

SO THE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES ARE CRITICAL PIECE OF THIS THAT WE'RE GOING TO REALLY SEE A RANGE OF DEVELOPMENT BEYOND SIMPLY HOUSING.

THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS, AND WITHOUT TRYING TO TAKE AWAY ANY OF THE SURPRISE THAT MISS WHITE WILL BRING FORWARD AS SHE IS DEVELOPING THOSE OPTIONS WITH MONEY, YOU CAN DO THINGS WITHOUT MONEY, YOU CAN'T.

THAT'S A BIG I KNOW.

[00:40:01]

SO WE APPRECIATE WHEN YOU LAY OUT THAT THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK THEN OF COURSE, TO INTEGRATE THESE INTO OUR WORK PLANS SO THAT YOU SEE THIS INFORMATION COMING FORWARD AND YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO DELIBERATE ON THEM AND MAKE DECISIONS.

SO THERE ARE JUST ADVANCED.

I SPOKE AHEAD OF MYSELF.

WE'RE IDENTIFYING PRIORITY ACTIONS.

THESE PRIORITY ACTIONS WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO OUR WORK PLAN.

WE DO WANT AND IT HAS BEEN OUR PRACTICE TO BE ABLE TO REPORT OUT ON OKAY, YOU GUYS SET THESE STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS.

HERE'S WHAT OUR PROGRESS HAS BEEN TO DATE, AND HEY IT'S BEEN GREAT.

WE FEEL REALLY GOOD. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH, YOU KNOW, GOOD MARKERS AND GOOD PROGRESS AND ADVANCE PRIORITY X, BUT PRIORITY Y WE HAVEN'T BECAUSE WE HAD TO DEVOTE ALL OF OUR TIME TO MAKING SURE CORE SERVICES WERE SUSTAINED IN LIGHT OF AN EVENT THAT HAPPENED.

SO REPORTING OUT ON WHAT HAPPENS AND WHY IS VERY IMPORTANT.

I WILL NOTE IN THE TABLE IN THE PACKAGE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DATES THAT ARE PUT DOWN.

SOMETIMES IT SAYS ONGOING, SOMETIMES IT'S 23, 24, 25.

THESE DATES, I'LL BE FRANK WITH YOU.

THEY'RE ASPIRATIONAL AND THEY ARE.

IF EVERYTHING WORKS OUT AND WE DON'T HAVE A CRISIS AND WE DON'T HAVE SOME FUBAR HAPPEN, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE AIMING FOR, AND WE WILL BE, OF COURSE, PROVIDING THE UPDATES TO COUNCIL SO THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND SEE.

HAVE YOU MADE PROGRESS OR NOT? ADMINISTRATION. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED FROM COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO ADVANCE THOSE IDEAS? SO AGAIN, PROVIDING THE ANNUAL UPDATES IS VERY IMPORTANT AND WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION AND DIALOG THAT YOU WILL HAVE TODAY TO SEE IF THESE THINGS HIT THE MARK OR IF THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU FEEL ARE IMPORTANT.

SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU SO FOR PROCESS BECAUSE I THINK WE COULD GO ALL OVER THE PLACE WITH THIS.

WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO GENERAL QUESTIONS.

FOR EXAMPLE I HAVE A QUESTION.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN ABOUT BIOMASS, AND THEN WE CAN ANSWER THAT, AND THEN I WAS THINKING GOING THROUGH KIND OF SECTION BY SECTION.

SO NOT NECESSARILY PEOPLE FIRST ALL AS ONE BUT PEOPLE FIRST.

THAT FIRST KEY INITIATIVE IS CONTINUING TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONS WITH INDIGENOUS GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLES.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD, DELETE OR MODIFY IN THAT SECTION? THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SECTION.

JUST SO FOLKS AREN'T JUMPING AROUND FROM THIS KEY INITIATIVE TO THAT KEY INITIATIVE, BUT I THINK IF WE CAN ASK ALL OF OUR GENERAL QUESTIONS AND THEN FOCUS IN ON THOSE DELETES, ADD, MODIFY RECOGNIZING, WE ALSO HAVE TWO MORE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.

THAT WILL TRY TO SO WE MIGHT PAUSE THE DISCUSSION AND CONTINUE IT AT THE NEXT GPC.

THAT'S WHY I ALSO WANT PEOPLE TO ASK ALL THEIR QUESTIONS TODAY SO THAT THEY CAN THINK.

IF THEY WANT TO, TO MODIFY SOMETHING FURTHER ON.

SO WITH THAT, OPENING IT UP TO QUESTIONS.

COUNCILLOR WARBURTON. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

GENERAL QUESTION.

SO IN THE PEOPLE FIRST SECTION IT ASKS SAYS COMMUNITY PLAN, AMENDMENT, INFILL AND NEW MEDIUM HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.

IT TALKS ABOUT THE ZONING BYLAW.

I'M GOING TO GUESS THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO THE INFILL THAT WE BROUGHT AS A COUNCIL RECENTLY.

IS THAT WHAT THAT'S REFERENCING? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL IF WHEN YOU FLAG THESE QUESTIONS, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL ON THESE PAGES.

IF YOU REFERENCE THE PAGE AND PAGE 28, PAGE 28.

YES. YES, MISS WHITE, I THINK YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS ONE.

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

SO IT IS ABOUT THE DISCUSSION THAT COUNCIL HAD EARLIER THIS YEAR, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN JANUARY ABOUT INFILL AND DEVELOPMENT.

THIS WILL ALSO HELP AND FACILITATE, IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WITH THE HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND.

SO THE TWO WOULD ACTUALLY TIE TOGETHER.

SO IT'S KIND OF A MULTI-PRONGED SERIES OF AMENDMENTS NOT JUST TO THE ZONING BUT TO THE COMMUNITY PLAN AND THEN POTENTIALLY FILTER DOWN TO ALL OF THE BYLAWS THAT WE HAVE THAT IMPLEMENT THOSE PLANS.

THANK YOU. AWESOME.

THANKS, AND SECOND QUESTION.

KAM LAKE IS 2025 ON THAT.

SORRY. I'LL FIND IT FIRST.

KEEP DOING THIS. I'LL ASK A QUESTION FIRST.

KAM LAKE HAS 2025 ON THE PLAN AND COUNCIL HAS IN BUDGET IS LOOKING AT 2024.

IS THAT AN ERROR OR IS THAT INTENTIONAL I GUESS.

PAGE 32.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

A LITTLE BIT INTENTIONAL. I MEAN, IT'S CERTAINLY THE KINDS OF THING THAT WE'RE LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR, BUT RECOGNIZING THAT HOUSING IS NUMBER ONE, CAM LAKE IS NOT SPECIFICALLY HOUSING. MS. WHITE.

THANK YOU, AND IT ALSO REFLECTS THE PROCESS THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH.

[00:45:04]

THERE'S AMENDMENT PROCESS, AND THEN WE HAVE TO CREATE THE SUBDIVISION GET APPROVAL FROM THE GNWT.

SO THAT IS UNREALISTIC TO THINK WILL HAPPEN IN A 12 MONTH PERIOD.

SO WE'LL START, BUT TO ACTUALLY FINISH IT WOULD DEFINITELY BE OVER, AND THEN IF IT'S APPEALED, IF THERE'S HEARINGS, THERE'S SO MANY STEPS THAT GO INTO DEVELOPING ANY SORT OF SUBDIVISION.

SO THAT'S WHY IT'S LISTED AS 2025.

THANK YOU. IF I COULD JUMP IN AND CLARIFY, THEN WOULD THE WORK BEGIN IN 2024? BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE BUDGET ITEMS THAT COUNCIL IS LOOKING TO ADD IS TO MAKE SURE THAT STAFF ARE ABLE TO COMPLETE SOME OF THESE AREAS, OR BEGIN THE WORK ON SOME OF THESE AREA DEVELOPMENT PLANS RECOGNIZING AS MS. WHITE JUST SAID, THAT IT MAY TAKE MORE TIME.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT WORK STARTS WITHIN THE CAPACITY WE HAVE.

MS. WHITE. THANK YOU, AND I CAN CLARIFY THAT WORK HAS ALREADY STARTED ON THIS.

SO WE HAVE A WORK PLAN AND AN OUTLINE.

WE ARE NOW, FINGERS CROSSED, FULLY STAFFED IN THE PLANNING SECTION.

SO WE WILL BE LOOKING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT VERY SHORTLY IF NOT THIS YEAR.

SO THANK YOU. THANKS.

NO MORE GENERAL QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU. I'VE COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

THEN COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN. THEN COUNCILLOR COCHRANE.

THANKS, MADAM CHAIR.

JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK.

I UNDERSTAND THESE IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS.

STAFF WERE OBVIOUSLY WORKING HARD ON THESE AFTER THE SUMMER WHEN THE STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS WERE APPROVED.

JUST WANT TO CONFIRM THAT STAFF DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE THIS TABLE TO REFLECT THE RECENTLY IDENTIFIED TOP THREE PRIORITIES THAT WERE JUST PRESENTED, SO IS THERE STUFF IN THIS TABLE THAT MAYBE DOESN'T REFLECT OUR CURRENT THINKING, JUST BECAUSE YOU GUYS DID THIS EARLIER, OR HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO UPDATE IT? JUST SO WE HAVE THAT CONTEXT WHEN WE'RE THINKING OF THINGS? MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

SO WE STARTED WORK, OF COURSE, ON IDENTIFYING ACTIONS THAT WOULD ADVANCE THE STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS BACK IN JUNE AND JULY.

CLEARLY THAT STOPPED, BUT OVER THE LAST I WOULD SAY SINCE MID-OCTOBER, THERE HAS BEEN WORK AGAIN THAT THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM HAS DONE, AND REVIEWING THESE AT SUBSEQUENT SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE WEEKLY.

SO IT'S BEEN A COLLECTIVE EFFORT TO PUT THIS LENS ONTO THINGS THAT REFLECT WHAT YOUR STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS ARE, HOW THESE FIT TOGETHER WITH OUR CORE SERVICE, AND DEFINITELY WHAT THE MOST URGENT PRIORITIES ARE FOR COUNCIL.

SO TO SUM UP, YES, WE HAVE WORKED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REFLECTING THAT IN THIS DOCUMENT.

THANK YOU. GREAT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT. SO JUST REFERRING TO PAGE 43 AND 44 OF THE GPC PACKAGE.

SO THAT WAS WHERE WE JUST GOT THE THREE PRIORITIES SHARED WITH US AND THE 14 BULLETS UNDER UNDER THEM COLLECTIVELY.

I JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK AGAIN BEFORE WE GO THROUGH THE TABLE KIND OF SECTION BY SECTION, THAT WHAT I UNDERSTAND THIS NOW MEANS IS IF THESE ARE THE THREE PRIORITIES THAT COUNCIL IS COMFORTABLE WITH, AS KIND OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES, IS THAT WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGETING AND THE WORK PLANNING PROCESS, THAT BASICALLY ALL RESOURCES, WHEREVER POSSIBLE, WILL BE ALLOCATED TO COMPLETING THESE FIRST AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION TABLE IS BASICALLY GRAVY, I.E.

IT WILL BE CARRIED OUT WHEREVER POSSIBLE, BUT NOT TAKING AWAY FROM ANY PEOPLE OR MONEY FROM THE THREE HIGHEST PRIORITIES.

IS THAT IS THAT ADMINS UNDERSTANDING TWO OF THAT THOSE 14 BULLETS NOW UNDER THOSE THREE PRIORITIES.

JUST SO I HAVE THE WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE FOR CONTEXT.

I THINK THE 2023-2024 ACTIONS IDENTIFIED IN THE PLAN ARE EQUAL, BUT. RECOGNIZING.

I'LL LET MS. BASSI-KELLETT SPEAK TO THAT.

I LIKE WHERE YOU WERE GOING, MADAM CHAIR.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

SO WE KNOW THAT THESE ARE THE BROAD DIRECTIONS THAT COUNCIL HAS SET.

WE'VE HEARD ABOUT WHAT OUR PARTICULAR PRIORITIES FOR 2023 AND 2024, AND HOUSING, OF COURSE, HAS COME UP BOTH IN THE FOCUS AREAS AND THE KEY INITIATIVES.

SO CERTAINLY THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT IN THE PRESENTATION THAT WE REFERENCED, WHETHER IT'S THE HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND, AND IF WE HEAR THAT WE ARE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT, THAT IS GOING TO UNLEASH A TON OF WORK, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING, BUT IT'S A LOT OF WORK.

WE KNOW THE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES ARE IMPORTANT.

WE KNOW THE INFILL WORK CONTINUES TO BE IMPORTANT AS WE ADDRESS HOUSING.

WORK CAMPS HAVE BEEN STRESSED BY COUNCIL AS SOMETHING THAT YOU DO WANT SOME ANALYSIS DONE ON AND WE NEED TO RETURN WITH, AND THEN OF COURSE IN COMMUNITY SERVICES, WITH THE SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE THROUGH OUR REACHING HOME FUNDING AND THE OTHER FUNDING THAT SUPPORTS HOMELESSNESS THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW, SOME BIG PROJECTS WITH OUR PARTNER, THE GNWT WITH HOUSING NWT, THAT WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING CONTINUES ON AND THAT WE ARE ABLE TO COLLABORATE IN ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE EVERYTHING FALLS INTO PLACE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO ADVANCE THOSE PROJECTS, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT

[00:50:09]

SO YES, THESE THINGS WILL BE A PRIORITY FOR US AS WE'RE LOOKING AT 2023-2024.

THANK YOU. SO BASICALLY, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ON THIS GIANT LIST THAT'S BEEN LISTED AS 2024, BUT YOU THINK ISN'T A HIGH ENOUGH PRIORITY TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE YEAR, I'D SAY WHEN WE GET TO THAT SECTION, YOU'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND THAT IT GET DEFERRED TO A FUTURE YEAR BECAUSE, YEAH.

OR COME BUDGET TIME YOU'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND THAT SIX STAFF POSITIONS GET ADDED SO THAT WE CAN DO EVERYTHING AND WE DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE.

SO THAT WOULD BE HOW I'VE APPROACHED IT.

IF OTHER COUNCILLORS HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS AND.

THANKS. YEAH. SO SORRY.

MAYBE I CAN ASK THIS IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

SO THE 14 BULLETS ON PAGES 42 AND 43.

SO OF THE INITIATIVES, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT IN THE TABLE AND THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT MORE THAN JUST THESE 14 BULLETS.

SO ARE THE 14 BULLETS THE THINGS THAT STAFF BELIEVES FALL UNDER OUR THREE PRIORITIES.

THEY ARE ALL OF THE INITIATIVES AND THE ACTIONS FROM THIS TABLE THAT FALL MOST DIRECTLY IN THESE TOP THREE PRIORITIES, AND THOSE WILL BE THE THINGS THAT WILL BE PRIORITIZED, YOU KNOW, PENDING COUNCIL SUPPORT, THESE PLUS EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE TABLE.

YES. SO ARE THESE HIGHER THAN EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE TABLE? UH, THERE'S DIFFERENT STAFF POSITIONS AT SO THAT'S WHERE THESE WERE PULLED OUT.

JUST SO THAT COUNCIL IDENTIFIED THESE AS THE THREE TOP INITIATIVES.

HOWEVER, THERE'S STILL STAFF CAPACITY TO DO MORE THAN JUST THESE THREE THINGS.

SO, MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

THAT'S EXACTLY IT. SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE CONTINUUM OF HOUSING, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S A BIG PRIORITY FOR PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES AS WELL.

FROM THE SOCIAL HOUSING PERSPECTIVE, PUBLIC WORKS HAS INVOLVEMENT AS WELL IN THAT, AND OF COURSE CORPORATE SERVICES FOR TAKING CARE OF ALL THE MONEY, BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS IN THERE. FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT'S UP ON PEOPLE FIRST, WORK WILL GO ON WITH SOME OF THOSE AREAS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND SO WE HAVE TRIED TO LOOK AT WHAT IS REALISTIC, WHAT WE CAN GET DONE AS A CITY ADMINISTRATION OVERALL, WHILE PRIORITIZING THOSE ITEMS THAT COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADVANCED IN 2023 AND 2024.

SO WHILE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES ARE VERY BUSY ON THE HOUSING FRONT, OTHER DEPARTMENTS WILL BE WORKING ON THINGS LIKE OUR RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN AND OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED THERE.

THANK YOU. OKAY, SO I THINK THAT ANSWERS YES TO MY INITIAL QUESTION.

JUST ABOUT RESOURCES WILL ALWAYS BE FIRST AND FOREMOST PUT TOWARDS THE TOP PRIORITIES, AND WHEREVER POSSIBLE AND WHEREVER WE HAVE STAFF AND MONEY DO ALL THE OTHER AWESOME THINGS IN THIS PLAN.

DID YOU WANT ME TO SOME OF THE GENERAL ONES ON SECTIONS OR OH MY GOD, IT'S GOING TO BE SO FOREVER.

YOU CAN ALSO, BUT EVENTUALLY YOU HAVE TO ASK ALL YOUR QUESTIONS.

OKAY, WELL, I CAN START.

I'LL TRY TO JUST FOCUS ON THE KIND OF CLARIFICATION ONES.

I DID THEM SECTION BY SECTION.

SO I'M NOT I DON'T HAVE THEM BY, YOU KNOW, CLARIFICATION.

JUST GIVE ME A MINUTE HERE.

I GUESS. FIRST QUESTION ABOUT THE ECONOMIC SECTION.

I REMEMBER WE JUST APPROVED THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM, IF WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS ALIGNS WITH WITH THOSE WE REVIEWED THEM AS A COMMITTEE, BUT WE HAVEN'T APPROVED THEM YET.

SO THAT'S COMING THE 27TH.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YES, WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM COUNCIL THAT THERE WERE PRIORITIES AROUND OUR DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION AND OUR VISITOR STRATEGY.

THAT CERTAINLY DOES ALIGN WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY DIRECTIONS.

TOURISM WAS A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS.

WE HAVE WORKED. OVERALL, I'M FORGETTING THE OTHER FOUR OF THE SIX DIRECTIONS IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, BUT WE DID PUT THAT LENS ONTO THIS DOCUMENT.

I'LL ASK MISS THISTLE IF SHE HAS ANYTHING THAT SHE'D LIKE TO ADD.

THANK YOU. NO, NOTHING TO ADD.

AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT INDICATED, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF ACTIONS UNDER THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.

WE ALSO HAVE ACTIONS UNDER THE JOINT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.

YOU SEE SOME OF THE ACTIONS REFLECTED IN HERE THAT COME AS A RESULT OF GROW, WHICH IS OUR AGRICULTURE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

WE'RE CURRENTLY FINALIZING THE TOURISM STRATEGY, WHICH WAS ANOTHER ACTION THAT CAME OUT OF OUR FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.

[00:55:05]

SO WE'VE TRIED TO FIT THEM WITHIN THESE, BUT I THINK, AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT INDICATED, THAT THIS IS THE ACTIONS WE FELT FIT UNDER THE COUNCIL'S STRATEGIC GOALS AND PRIORITIES, BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. FOR EXAMPLE, THE COVID GRANTS ARE NOT REFLECTED ANYWHERE IN HERE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR DEPARTMENT DOES.

OKAY. THANKS.

JUMPING TO PAGE 29.

SORRY. I'LL TRY TO BE MORE HELPFUL WITH THE PAGE NUMBERS.

PEOPLE FIRST.

THIS IS THE POLICY ON THE ROUNDTABLE GATHERINGS.

JUST RECOGNIZING THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING COUNCILS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN DOING.

HAVING AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO ENGAGE A LITTLE MORE INFORMALLY AND A LITTLE MORE INFORMATIVELY.

IS A POLICY ACTUALLY NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THESE? I JUST WANTED TO GET CLARIFICATION ON THAT AND HOW MUCH WORK THAT IS, BECAUSE I THINK WHEN WE WERE PROBABLY ALL SUGGESTING THAT MAYBE WE MAYBE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WE NEEDED TO AMEND OR DEVELOP SOMETHING TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS, AND THAT MIGHT AFFECT HOW MUCH WE WANT THIS TO HAPPEN AND HOW SOON.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSION WITH COUNCIL ON THIS.

WE BELIEVE THAT A POLICY IS A GOOD IDEA.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS ON THE CONTINUUM OF GOOD COMMUNICATION.

EVERYTHING FROM WE'RE PUTTING INFORMATION OUT TO INFORM PEOPLE, HEY, BEAR SIGHTING, AND THIS PART OF THE COMMUNITY, THAT'S NOT ONE WHERE WE'RE CONSULTING WITH PEOPLE.

WE'RE LETTING PEOPLE KNOW, AND THAT'S IT.

TWO OTHER THINGS ON THE ON THE CONTINUUM WHERE WE ARE SEEKING TO ENGAGE WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WE THINK THAT'S VERY HELPFUL TO KNOW.

SO PART OF THIS CAME UP DURING THE DISCUSSION THAT HAPPENED BEFORE THIS COUNCIL, WITH THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL ON THE WHAT KIND OF COMMITTEES COUNCIL HAD, AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION THAT PERHAPS HAVING REGULAR MEETINGS OR ANNUAL SESSIONS WITH THE PUBLIC ON CERTAIN THEMES SUCH AS OUR RECONCILIATION GATHERING, PERHAPS ON ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, THAT WAS ANOTHER THEME THAT WAS IDENTIFIED, COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL AND MEANINGFUL TO THE PUBLIC THAT THEY COULD COME OUT HERE WITH THE CITY IS DOING, MAKE SUGGESTIONS, CONTRIBUTE IDEAS, HAVE THAT KIND OF DISCOURSE BACK AND FORTH AND SO THE DISCUSSION THEN WAS AROUND HOW DO WE SET THAT POLICY? WHAT KINDS OF TIMES DO WE AGREE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A COMMITTEE? WHEN DO WE THINK IT WOULD BE MORE PREFERABLE TO HAVE AN ANNUAL MEETING TO GET AS MUCH INPUT AS WE CAN? BECAUSE PART OF GETTING FEEDBACK FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND FROM RESIDENTS IS ENSURING THAT WE'RE DOING IT IN A WAY THAT WORKS FOR THEM.

WE DON'T WANT TO TELL EVERYONE, HEY, COME TO A MEETING AT 10 P.M.

ON SUNDAY NIGHT AT CITY HALL TO TALK ABOUT.

ISSUE X, THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE HELPFUL TO PEOPLE, AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE'RE PUTTING A POLICY OUT THERE, IT IS SEEKING TO BE PROVIDE AS MANY OPTIONS AS POSSIBLE TO ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC TO GET THEIR INPUT IN WAYS THAT WILL WORK FOR THEM.

MS. THISTLE, ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD IS THAT, YEAH, THIS CAME UP AS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR COUNCIL PREVIOUSLY, THAT WE HAD A CONSISTENT APPROACH TO HOW WE WOULD ENGAGE A CONSISTENT APPROACH, AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT INDICATED, AND WHEN WE WOULD HAVE A ROUND TABLE, HOW THAT WOULD BE HELD FACILITATE IT, NOT FACILITATE IT WHEN GATHERINGS WOULD BE HELD, ON WHAT BASIS, TIME FRAME, ETCETERA. ALSO, IT'S A POLICY THAT'S PRETTY STANDARD IF YOU LOOK AT MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

SO WHILE IT WILL BE SOME WORK, WE WON'T BE INVENTING THE WHEEL.

WE'LL BE LOOKING AT WHAT'S TAKING BEST PRACTICE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, COMMUNITIES, OUR SIZE AND WHAT KIND OF POLICIES THEY HAVE IN PLACE.

ALSO, NOW, WE DID GET A YEAR AND A HALF AGO THE POLICY POSITION IN OUR DEPARTMENT, AND THE GOAL WAS TO HAVE THAT PERSON WORK ON POLICY FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS THAT HAS NOT ACTUALLY COME TO FRUITION, BUT WE'RE HOPEFUL THIS NEXT YEAR WILL BE A TIME WHEN WE CAN FOCUS MORE ON THESE POLICIES THAT WE SHOULD HAVE IN PLACE, SUCH AS THE ONE ON ENGAGEMENT.

GREAT. THANK YOU.

PAGE 28 NEAR THE BOTTOM.

AGAIN, ON THE VEIN OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THESE.

WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF GO THROUGH WHETHER WE WANT TO ADD, DELETE OR STRIKE THEM LATER.

THE DISPOSAL OF THE 50/50 LOT I UNDERSTAND THAT'S SOMETHING COUNCIL DECIDED ON A WHILE AGO AND MADE SOME STEPS ON.

JUST WONDERING WHAT IS THE NEXT STEPS NOW LIKE IS THAT LAND REVERTED BACK TO US? WHAT DO WE GOT TO DO AND WHAT ARE THOSE NEXT STEPS LOOK LIKE IN ORDER TO KEEP THIS? IF THIS LINE WERE TO STAY IN THE ACTION ITEM TABLE, THE RFP PROCESS WAS NEVER COMPLETE.

SO THE LANDS ALWAYS REMAIN THE CITY.

SO THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL REMAINS AND IT'S ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, AND EVERYBODY SHOULD CONSIDER PUTTING AN APPLICATION IN MS.

[01:00:02]

YOUR SORRY, MADAM CHAIR.

YES. SO THIS DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL REMAINS IN PLACE.

WE WILL CONTINUE, OF COURSE, TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS.

WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH TWO POTENTIAL PROPONENTS THAT HAVE NOT COME TO FRUITION, BUT THERE MAY BE OTHERS OUT THERE THAT SEE THIS, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE IT UNTIL THERE IS DIRECTION TO DO OTHERWISE.

THANK YOU. PERFECT.

YEAH. I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THERE WAS LIKE A WHOLE NEW APPROACH OR PLAN THAT YOU'D BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL.

THAT'S GREAT.

OKAY PAGE THE ARTS AND CULTURE MASTER PLAN.

SO SAME PAGE JUST BELOW.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE IT SAID THE WHOLE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

SO THAT'S THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PLAN TO COME TO COUNCIL.

THAT'S THE PLAN, AND IS IT ACTUALLY STILL FOR THIS YEAR OR IS IT GOING TO BE 2024? MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

SO WE HAD THIS HAS BEEN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ARTS AND CULTURE MASTER PLAN HAD BEEN A PRIORITY OF THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL.

IT HAD BEEN DELIBERATELY PLANNED TO BE UNDERTAKEN IN 2022, AND SO JUST IN FALL OF 2022, WE RECEIVED THE FINAL DOCUMENT BACK FROM THE CONSULTANTS, AND SO SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE BEEN WORKING TO DEVELOP AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR HOW WE WILL LOOK AT THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE ARTS AND CULTURE MASTER PLAN AND HOW WE WOULD LOOK AT MAKING THOSE BECOME REAL AND WHAT ACTIONS WE WOULD PUT TO THAT AND SO AT THIS POINT IN TIME, IT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.

I DON'T I'M HOPING THAT COUNCIL UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS, THIS, THIS CRAZY YEAR HAS IMPACTED OUR TIMELINE IN GETTING THIS FINALIZED, BUT WORK CONTINUES ON IT.

I'LL SEE IF MR. WHITE HAS ANYTHING HE WOULD LIKE TO ADD.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THAT WAS VERY THOROUGH.

I GUESS I WOULD JUST ADD THAT WE WOULD HOPE TO HAVE IT IN FRONT OF COUNCIL FOR 2023, BUT MORE THAN LIKELY IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2024, WE'LL HAVE THE IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE FOR YOU GUYS TO REVIEW.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

JUST SCROLLING DOWN TO PAGE 30.

THE. THERE IS.

THE SECOND LINE, JUST THE IMPLEMENTATION OF REVISED TRANSIT ROUTES, INCLUDING COLON, AND IT LOOKS LIKE JUST IT WAS INCOMPLETE.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF YOU COULD CLARIFY WHAT THAT ONE WAS MEANT TO BE.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. JUST THE SECOND ROW ON PAGE 30.

ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND FORGIVE ME FOR THAT.

IN OUR REVIEW OF THIS AT THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM, WE HAD A LIST OF SPECIFICS WHICH WE THOUGHT WOULD PROBABLY BORE YOU, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY SPEAK AT HIGH LEVEL NOW, MR. GREENCORN IS FAMILIAR WITH THIS.

WE'VE HAD LOTS OF ISSUES WITH GETTING THIS NEW TRANSIT ROUTES DONE, INCLUDING MANY PIECES SUCH AS REDOING KAM LAKE ROAD SO THAT OUR LOW LEVEL BUSSES ARE ABLE TO TRAVERSE THAT.

BECAUSE YOU MAY RECALL BEFORE IT WAS COMPLETED THIS YEAR, IT WAS A PRETTY BUMPY ROAD WITH LOTS OF UPS AND DOWNS.

SO MANY PIECES PRECLUDE THE UPDATES TO THE TRANSIT SYSTEM AS PER THE TRANSIT REVIEW THAT WAS DONE IN 2020, BUT I WILL TURN THINGS OVER TO MR. GREENCORN. THANKS.

I BELIEVE COUNCILLOR FEQUET IS REFERRING TO THE COLON THAT COMES AFTER IMPLEMENTATION OF REVISED TRANSIT ROUTES, INCLUDING, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY IT.

SO INCLUDING THE TRANSIT ROUTE REVISIONS, AND THOSE WERE JUST MINOR TWEAKS.

INCLUDING THAT SPECIFIC CLAUSE IS THE REBRANDING OF TRANSIT, IS THE NEW FARE STRUCTURE, AND IS THE EXPLORATION OF SERVICE TO NEW AREAS.

SO IT DOES LOOK A LITTLE WEIRD, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT.

THAT IS HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE VISUALIZED, I SUPPOSE.

PERFECT. THANKS FOR.

THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT.

JUMPING DOWN SAME PAGE SERVICE EXCELLENCE.

ADVOCACY FOR GREATER AUTONOMY FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS.

RECOGNIZING THAT THE CITY.

ACT IS KIND OF BELOW A COUPLE UNDER PAT AND UNDER THE SENIORS AND DISABLED PERSONS PROPERTY TAX REBATE.

I WAS JUST WONDERING WHAT THE GREATER AUTONOMY FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE LINE ITEM WAS FOR IF IT'S NOT THAT BECAUSE BUT YEAH.

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

SO DEFINITELY THE CITIES ACT OR HAVING A STANDALONE CITY CHARTER IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE REALLY BEEN ADVOCATING FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND CERTAINLY LEGISLATIVE CHANGE TAKES A LONG TIME.

TWO THINGS YOU NEVER WANT TO KNOW HOW THEY'RE MADE.

IT'S HOT DOGS AND LEGISLATION, AND THAT'S DEFINITELY BEEN THE CASE WHEN IT COMES TO LOOKING AT THE MUNICIPAL LEGISLATION WITHIN THE NWT.

WE'RE LOOKING AS WELL AT OTHER MEANS THAT CAN ENABLE US TO HAVE MORE LATITUDE.

SO WHETHER OR NOT THAT IS THE TRANSFER OF COMMISSIONERS LAND, WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S A GREATER LATITUDE WITHIN THE PROPERTY ASSESSMENT AND TAXATION ACT, FOR EXAMPLE, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THINGS THAT CAN EXPEDITE PROCESSES, THAT STREAMLINE THINGS THAT WORK TO THE CITY'S ADVANTAGE, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING TO PUT

[01:05:06]

SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS ACROSS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT THAT COULD ENABLE THE CITY TO OPERATE MORE EFFECTIVELY, TO OPERATE MORE EFFICIENTLY, TO HAVE MORE LATITUDE IN MAKING THE DECISIONS THAT WE KNOW THAT WOULD BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU, AS COUNCIL, HAVE BEEN ELECTED TO DO.

WE'RE AN ANOMALY COMPARED TO THE OTHER COMMUNITIES, AND SO OFTEN MANY OF THE LEGISLATIVE INTERESTS THAT WE HAVE TAKE A LONG TIME TO GET ONTO THE RADAR OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, SIMPLY BECAUSE WE'RE ONE COMMUNITY OUT OF 33 AND WE SAW THAT VERY MUCH SO WHEN IT CAME TO THE AMENDMENTS TO THE CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES ACT TO ALLOW FOR A DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION TO BE ESTABLISHED. SO IT'S LOOKING AT LEGISLATION OVERALL AND SEEING WHERE THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CITY CAN BE ADVANCED.

MS. THISTLE, ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? AND PERHAPS IT WAS STRATEGIC TO PUT THE CITY AT LAST, BECAUSE I SUSPECT IT WILL BE THE ONE THAT TAKES THE LONGEST.

SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON MANY OF THESE THINGS AT THE SAME TIME.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS IT TAKES YEARS FOR THE CHANGES TO THE SUMMARY CONVICTIONS PROCEDURES ACT TO ALLOW FOR.

THAT PROCESS TOOK OVER A DECADE TO GET THAT ONE CLAUSE CHANGED IN THE ACT.

SO I SUSPECT A CITY CHARTER WILL TAKE A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND SO PERHAPS IT WAS STRATEGIC WHEN WE PUT IT LAST, BUT YEAH, AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT SAID, NONE OF THESE ARE A STANDALONE, BUT REALLY WE'RE GUIDED BY PRIORITIES AT THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY AS WELL.

SO WE TRY AND MOVE THINGS FORWARD AS WE CAN AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, BUT WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES DRIVING THE BUS.

OKAY. THANK YOU. PAGE 31.

YEAH, I JUST NOTICED.

I NOTICED THE LINE ITEM APPROPRIATELY STAFFED TO MEET SERVICE LEVELS, AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS.

I SEE THE RECRUITMENT STRATEGY TO ROSE UP, AND I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM IF THERE WAS ACTUALLY DIFFERENT STEPS OR PLANS OR TACTICS WE WERE USING ON THE GROUND FOR THESE, OR IF THAT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF THE SAME ACTION.

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

SO A LOT OF THE WORK HERE ARE THE PIECES AND THE COMPONENTS OF THE TALENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY, WHICH WE ARE LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ARTICULATED VERY CLEARLY AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ADVANCE ALL OF THOSE PIECES.

SO AGAIN, APPROPRIATELY, STAFFING TO MEET SERVICE LEVELS IS ABSOLUTELY TIED TO THE RECRUITMENT STRATEGY, BUT IT'S ALSO BEING VERY CLEAR THAT IF THERE ARE IF, FOR EXAMPLE, COUNCIL WAS DECIDE THAT A PRIORITY WITHIN COMMUNITY SERVICES WOULD BE EVERY STREET HAD ITS OWN OUTDOOR RINK. THAT WOULD BE A DECISION THEN THAT WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL STAFF.

SO AGAIN, I'M SORRY, THAT'S A FLIPPANT, STUPID EXAMPLE, BUT STAFFING TO MEET THE SERVICE LEVELS THAT ARE COMMITTED TO IS SOMETHING THAT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.

WE KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, THE HOUSING ACCELERATION FUND, IF WE DO GET THAT, THERE ARE SO MANY INITIATIVES THAT WILL BE ADVANCING THAT SUPPORT HOUSING IN YELLOWKNIFE, AND WE KNOW THAT PART OF THAT WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL STAFF, AND WE HAVE INCLUDED ADDITIONAL STAFF THROUGH THE HOUSING ACCELERATION FUND PROPOSAL, JUST TO BE ABLE TO MEET ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE CONTAINED WITHIN.

SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT THIS POINT WAS SEEKING TO GET AT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT.

JUST JUMPING DOWN TO PAGE 32.

UNDER SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.

I WAS JUST WONDERING IF YOU COULD CLARIFY THOSE MIDDLE THREE OF THOSE FIVE.

SO BIOMASS DISTRICT ENERGY POLICY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

WHAT? YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO VERBS WITH THEM.

SO I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER WHERE WE WERE WITH THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS.

SO IF YOU COULD JUST CLARIFY WHAT EACH OF THOSE IS THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO BIOMASS.

THE CITY HAS HAD GREAT SUCCESS IN IMPLEMENTING BIOMASS, WHICH IS BASICALLY WOOD PELLET HEATING.

WE'VE DONE IT IN A NUMBER OF OUR FACILITIES, ALMOST ALL OF THEM, AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO TAKE THIS TO A HIGHER LEVEL, SO THAT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY THERE ARE INCENTIVES AND THERE ARE PARAMETERS IN PLACE FOR HOW A BIOMASS OR DISTRICT HEATING COULD BE IMPLEMENTED.

DISTRICT ENERGY DOES ALSO TIE INTO THAT, BUT IT'S BROADER THAN JUST THE BIOMASS.

IT COULD HAVE OTHER FORMS OF ENERGY, OTHER FORMS OF HEATING THAT COULD BE INCLUDED, AND SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. GREENCORN AND MS. WHITE WHO CAN SPEAK TO IT.

MY APOLOGIES. BUSINESS CONTINUITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ARE CRITICAL PIECES OF THIS, WHETHER THEY'RE PART OF THE ENERGY INITIATIVES, I WOULD ARGUE PERHAPS NOT.

SO MY APOLOGIES.

I THINK THAT WAS INADVERTENTLY INCLUDED IN THAT AREA, UNLESS I'M TOTALLY MISTAKEN AND MR. MCLEAN WILL CORRECT ME, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, MS. WHITE AND MR. GREENCORN, IF YOU'VE GOT ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD ON BIOMASS AND DISTRICT ENERGY.

THANK YOU. THE ADDITION I WOULD PUT IS WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT POLICY AND REGULATIONS TO SUPPORT THESE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

[01:10:08]

WHAT DOES ALL OF THAT LOOK LIKE AND WHAT POLICIES CAN WE CREATE FOR THAT? SO WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO DATE AND THEN LOOKING FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE KIND OF TIES BOTH BIOMASS DISTRICT ENERGY TOGETHER.

THANK YOU. AWESOME.

THANK YOU, AND THEN JUST DOWN ON THAT SAME PAGE 32, THE STRATEGIC WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATE AND THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

CAN YOU JUST REMIND ME WE HAVE AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

SO IS IT JUST IMPLEMENTING KEY ACTIONS THAT ARE THERE.

OR IS IT LIKE THE WHOLE IMPLEMENTING THE REST OF THE OUTSTANDING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, AND I GUESS CAN YOU EXPLAIN, I GUESS, THE NEED TO UPDATE OUR STRATEGIC WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN ITSELF TO MISS BESSIE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'LL ASK MR. GREENCORN TO SPEAK TO THIS.

THANKS FOR THE QUESTION. THE STRATEGIC WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN HAS A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES IN IT.

IT WAS ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED IN 2017 AND I BELIEVE FULLY FORMALLY ADOPTED IN 2018.

WE DON'T WANT TO REVISE THE WHOLE PLAN, BUT WE DO WANT TO TAKE A LOOK, LOOK AT IT UNDER CURRENT MARKET CIRCUMSTANCES, FOR EXAMPLE, PLASTICS RECYCLING AND THINGS LIKE THAT ARE VERY HIGH ON THE, I GUESS, DESIRABLE SCALE UNDER THAT STRATEGIC WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN, WHICH MAY INCLUDE IMPLEMENTATION OF A BLUE CARD SYSTEM.

WE'RE NOT CONVINCED AT THIS POINT THAT'S THE PROPER PATH FORWARD FOR YELLOWKNIFE.

WE'RE NOT THROWING THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER EITHER, BUT WE NEED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT IT, TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT MARKETS AND SEE WHAT THE BEST PATH PATH FORWARD FOR, FOR THE HIGHER, MORE DESIRABLE THINGS THAT WERE IN THAT STRATEGIC STRATEGIC WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN.

THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME THINGS WE'RE CONTINUING FORWARD WITH IMPLEMENTATION ON, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO GO DOWN A PATH THAT'S, I GUESS, LESS THAN DESIRABLE OR DOESN'T ATTAIN THE BENEFITS THAT WE ONCE THOUGHT IT MIGHT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

NO. PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

PAGE 33.

THE WATER SUBMARINE LINE REPLACEMENT DESIGN, AND AGAIN, APOLOGIES IF IT'S MY BRAIN THAT'S MUSHY.

I KNOW THAT WE'RE HAVING A FUTURE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS.

I KNOW THERE WAS SOME, YOU KNOW, LOOKING DEEPER INTO THE RISKS POST-ISSUANCE OF THE GIANT MINE LICENSE AND JUST CHECKING IN ON THAT WHOLE WATER SERVICE THING AND JUST CURIOUS, I GUESS IS THERE GOING TO BE A CONVERSATION BEFORE ANY MORE WORK GOES ON, OR IS THERE STILL WORK GOING ON THAT STAFF HAVE TO DO IN THE BACKGROUND ON THIS PROJECT? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

SO THIS IS A MASSIVE MULTIYEAR PROJECT, AS COUNCIL KNOWS, THAT INVOLVES A LOT OF ISSUES AROUND THE COMPLEXITY OF THE ENGINEERING AS WELL AS THE FINANCING, AS WELL AS WHAT THE ULTIMATE SOLUTION IS TO THE PROBLEM AT HAND.

SO THERE IS WORK GOING ON IN HOUSE ON THIS, AND WE WILL BE BRINGING SOME INFORMATION FORWARD TO COUNCIL IN THE NEAR FUTURE THAT WE WILL LOOK TO SEEKING TO GET DIRECTION ON.

I'LL ASK MR. GREENCORN, IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING.

SURE. WE ACTUALLY HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED TOMORROW AFTERNOON WITH THE FEDERAL DMAF TEAM JUST TO DISCUSS CURRENT STATE AND HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.

WE DID APPLY IN JULY FOR AN EXTENSION TO 2032.

JUST GIVEN GIVEN THE FACT THAT IT WAS AVAILABLE TO US AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE FALLEN BEHIND IN THEIR DMAF SCHEDULES FOR VARIOUS REASONS. YELLOWKNIFE'S NO DIFFERENT.

SO AFTER THE MEETING WITH THE WITH THE MATH OFFICIALS, TOMORROW WE'LL PUT TOGETHER OUR OVERALL GAME PLAN AND HOW TO ADVANCE THE PROJECT AND HAVE THAT FUTURE DISCUSSION WITH COUNCIL.

PERFECT. THANKS.

JUST HOPING TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON THE ITEM ON THE SAME PAGE.

LOBBY GNWT TO REBRAND THE YELLOWKNIFE AIRPORT.

THAT ONE ESCAPES ME.

MAYBE SOMEONE CAN LET ME KNOW WHAT THAT'S ABOUT.

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

THIS IS PART OF THE JOINT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY THAT THE CITY HAS DEVELOPED WITH THE YELLOWKNIVES DENE FIRST NATION, AND IT'S BEEN A PAIN POINT FOR A LONG TIME THAT THE YELLOWKNIFE AIRPORT, WHILE THE GATEWAY TO THE NWT OVERALL IT IS LOCATED ON CHIEF DRYGEESE TERRITORY, AND SO TO HAVE A POLAR BEAR AND A SEAL AS THE CENTER CENTRAL FOCAL POINTS FOR VISITORS WHEN THEY ARRIVE OFF OF FLIGHTS COMING INTO THE TERRITORY IS A LITTLE BIT MISREPRESENTATIVE, AND SO IT'S BEEN A KEY SYMBOLIC ISSUE FOR THE YELLOWKNIVES THAT WE HAVE ENDORSED AND SUPPORTED THEM ON.

[01:15:04]

ONE OF THE ACTIONS IN THERE IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE YELLOWKNIFE AIRPORT.

IT'S NOT ABOUT REBRANDING THE AIRPORT ENTIRELY, BUT AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT INDICATED, IT'S ABOUT REALLY THAT TERMINAL ONE.

WE DID DEVELOP A WORK PLAN WITH YKDFN, WE'VE MET TWICE IN THE LAST MONTH, AND SO WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.

AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MANY ACTIONS AND MANY PLANS, AND SO WE REALLY PRIORITIZED A COUPLE THAT WE SAW AS LOW HANGING FRUIT OR ONES THAT WE COULD MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT ON TOGETHER. THIS IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH.

SO THIS IS ONE THAT THERE'S ACTION CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE.

THANK YOU.

THE ONE RIGHT BELOW THAT THE TOURISM EXPERIENCE OF TOMORROW AND MAYBE JUST A KIND OF ASSOCIATED QUESTION.

JUST CURIOUS, DEPENDING ON YOUR ANSWER.

IS THIS SOMETHING THAT COULD OR SHOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO THE CITY'S OWN TOURISM STRATEGY? JUST WHEN I SEE THE DIFFERENT ONES, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S A LINK SO THAT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IT'S LESS WORK TO HAVE ONE ONE STRATEGY THAT IS ALL INTEGRATED, BUT MAYBE AGAIN, THIS IS LIKE A DIFFERENT LOW HANGING FRUIT.

SO MS. BASSI-KELLETT BE GREAT. I'LL ASK MISS THISTLE TO ANSWER THIS ONE AGAIN.

THIS CAME OUT OF THE JOINT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND THE SUBSEQUENT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

IF YOU LOOKED AT THE STRATEGY, IT'S IN DIFFERENT SEGMENTS AND ONE OF WHICH IS TOURISM.

THE TOURISM EXPERIENCE OF TOMORROW IS REALLY ABOUT HOW CAN WE MAKE THE EXPERIENCE MORE DIGITAL, AND IT WOULD BE LIKE 3D OR VIRTUAL REALITY.

SO IF YOU COME HERE IN THE WINTER, PERHAPS YOU CAN VIRTUAL REALITY BERRY PICKING OR SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO IF YOU'RE HERE IN THAT TIME OR IF YOU'RE HERE IN THE SUMMER, PERHAPS THERE'S VIRTUAL REALITY.

YOU COULD SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS.

THIS IS ANOTHER ACTION THAT CAME DIRECTLY OUT OF THE JOINT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, AND SO THAT IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WAS PRIORITIZED FOR ACTION IN RECENT DISCUSSIONS.[INAUDIBLE] GUYS, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

THAT'S MY LAST QUESTION. ON THE UNDERSTANDING FRONT, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS REFRESHING OUR MEMORIES BECAUSE I SWEAR TO GOD I HAVE READ ALL THE PLANS AND STRATEGIES, BUT I DEFINITELY DID NOT REMEMBER ALL OF THOSE DETAILS.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALL RIGHT. SO A LOT OF GOOD QUESTIONS COVERED THERE, WHICH IS EXCELLENT.

I'LL TRY AND PARSE OUT SOME OF MY MORE GENERAL QUESTIONS HERE.

UM, ON PAGE 29 THE FACILITY BOOKING AND PROGRAM SOFTWARE REPLACEMENT 2025.

IS THIS BECAUSE THE CURRENT SOFTWARE WENT OUT OF BUSINESS? IS THAT REPLACEMENT AND IS THIS MEAN THAT WON'T BE DONE UNTIL 2025? MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

SO THIS IS ONE THAT WE ARE WORKING ON, AND IN PART IT IS REPLACING BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS PROGRAM, THE PROVIDER IS GOING OUT OF BUSINESS, BUT ALSO THE PREVIOUS SORRY, THE EXISTING PROGRAM HAS NOT BEEN AS USER FRIENDLY AS WE WOULD HAVE LIKED.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO GO ON TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND GO TO A LINK AND TAKE A LOOK AT WHEN ARE THE OPENINGS AT DIFFERENT CITY FACILITIES FOR GROUPS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN RENTING? WELL, UNDER THIS CURRENT PLATFORM THAT WE'RE USING, YOU CAN'T DO THAT, AND SO THAT'S BEEN A FRUSTRATION FOR THE PUBLIC.

IT'S BEEN A FRUSTRATION FOR US AS WELL, HAVING TO KEEP A WHITEBOARD WITH, YOU KNOW, WHO WHICH WHICH FACILITY IS OPEN FOR WHICH TIME.

IT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT THE BEST PRACTICE, AND IT'S FRUSTRATING FOR EVERYONE.

SO IN PART IT'S UPDATING BECAUSE OF THE TECHNOLOGY, BUT IN PART IT'S SEEKING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE AS EASY TO ACCESS FOR RECREATION PURPOSES AS POSSIBLE.

I'LL ASK MR. WHITE IF HE CAN SPEAK TO SOME OF THE ISSUES AROUND THE TIMELINE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO THE TIMELINE IS A LITTLE BIT IN FLUX.

THERE'S ONGOING MEETINGS WITH OUR NEW VENDOR AND OUR KEY STAFF.

WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT IT WILL BE IN PLACE FOR 2025.

THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE IT AVAILABLE MAYBE IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2024.

WE'RE STILL FINALIZING THOSE DETAILS.

THERE'S OBVIOUSLY LOTS TO COORDINATE ON THIS ON BOTH FACILITY BOOKING SIDE AND THE PROGRAM SIDE, AS WELL AS OUR POINT OF SALES.

SO THERE'S STILL QUITE A BIT OF WORK GOING ON, AND OUR TEAM IS WORKING WITH THE [INAUDIBLE] TEAM, AND WE'RE GOING TO EXPEDITE THIS AS BEST AS WE CAN.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YEAH, IT WOULD BE AWESOME FOR EVERYONE TO SEE WHAT TIMES ARE OPEN AND TO BE ABLE TO DO DAY PASSES FOR ALL CITY FACILITIES.

NEXT ONE PAGE 30.

[01:20:03]

WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN? DOES THAT MEAN WRAPPING THE BUSSES DIFFERENTLY? DOES THAT MEAN NEW MAPS OR SIGNS? NEW TICKETING SYSTEM.

WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN? MS. BASSI-KELLETT.

MR. GREENCORN.

THANKS. SORRY.

I JUST PULL UP MY NOTES.

THE REBRANDING OF SERVICES AND THE OVERALL CHANGES TO THE TRANSIT HOPEFULLY COMING INTO EFFECT IN 2024.

IT'S THE RENAMING OF THE WHOLE TRANSIT SYSTEM TO INDICATE THAT THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS NOW FULLY ACCESSIBLE.

THERE'S MULTIPLE THINGS THAT ARE COMING WITH THAT.

SO INSTEAD OF IT BEING CALLED YELLOWKNIFE TRANSIT IS NOW YELLOWKNIFE TRANSIT WITH A FLEX OPTION.

ALL NEW BUSSES WE'RE ANTICIPATING TO BE FULLY ACCESSIBLE HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE YEAR.

AGAIN SUPPLY SUPPLY CHAIN COOPERATING.

IT'S ALSO CHANGING THE LOGO COLOR SCHEMES.

IT MIGHT REQUIRE WRAPS.

I DON'T HAVE FULL DETAILS ON WHAT THAT IS GOING TO ENTAIL, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES ALL NEW SIGNS AT TRANSIT STOPS, NEW SCHEDULES, ASSOCIATED MAPS, PRINTED DOCUMENTS, AND NEW FARE RATES. HOPEFULLY, IF EVERYTHING GOES APPROPRIATELY.

AWESOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

CORDONING. THIS IS STILL ON PAGE 30.

COORDINATING ACCESS.

WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. IT'S THE HOMELESSNESS.

THANK YOU. YES.

COORDINATED ACCESS.

I'LL ASK MR. WHITE IF HE COULD SPEAK TO THIS ONE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UNDER OUR REACHING HOME AGREEMENT WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WE ARE MANDATED TO HAVE A COORDINATED ACCESS PROGRAM IN PLACE, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THAT, AND BASICALLY WHAT A COORDINATED ACCESS MEANS IS EVERY DOOR IS THE RIGHT DOOR FOR SERVICE ACCESS.

SO IF SOMEBODY WHO REQUIRES SERVICES GETS ONTO THE STREET OUTREACH VAN, THEN THERE IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT PERSON TO BE CONNECTED TO THE RIGHT SERVICES, THE SAME AS IF THEY GO TO ANY OF THE NUMBER OF SHELTERS.

IT'S JUST A ONE DOOR INTO SERVICES RATHER THAN BEING PUSHED AROUND, NOT REALLY PUSHED AROUND, MOVED AROUND FROM PLACE TO PLACE TO PLACE TO GET THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.

SO WITH THAT, WITH THAT OBLIGATION CAME FUNDING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

WE HAVE A STAFF MEMBER THAT IS CURRENTLY AND HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH OUR NGOS AS WELL AS THE SERVICES THROUGH THE GNWT.

A LOT OF TRAINING, A LOT OF COMMUNICATIONS, A LOT OF FOLLOW UP TO GET THIS PROGRAM IN PLACE.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND SHAMELESS PLUG.

IT WOULD SEEM LIKE A PARAMEDIC OR CASEWORKERS ON THE STREET OUTREACH WOULD VERY MUCH HELP WITH THAT.

NEXT QUESTION ALSO ON PAGE 30.

JUST CURIOUS WHY THE ACTIVE AND STRATEGY DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR LOBBYING GNWT.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO ACTIVE AND STRATEGY ALSO INCLUDES OUR LEGISLATIVE AND LEGAL FUNCTION.

SO THE CITY SOLICITOR FUNCTION IS THERE AS WELL, AND SO WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT LEGISLATION, ANY BILLS THAT COME TO US FROM THE GNWT OR ANY REQUEST TO ENGAGE ARE ALWAYS DEALT WITH, OF COURSE, THROUGH THE SUBJECT MATTER DEPARTMENT, BUT ALWAYS COORDINATED THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGY.

GIVEN THE CITY SOLICITOR FUNCTION THAT'S THERE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE CLARITY THERE.

PAGE 31.

JUST ON THIS STAFFING TO MEET SERVICE LEVELS.

JUST A QUICK COMMENT THAT I THINK WE NEED TO DEFINE THOSE SERVICE LEVELS BEFORE WE STAFF TO MEET THEM, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT MORE OF THAT LATER.

PAGE 32 THE BIOMASS.

SO BIOMASS, AND SO WHAT I UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE WORK ONGOING WAS ON A DISTRICT HEATING FRAMEWORK.

NOW HERE DISTRICT ENERGY POLICY I BELIEVE IT SAYS JUST CURIOUS.

THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME SHIFTS HAPPENING HERE.

IS A DISTRICT HEATING FRAMEWORK STILL IN THE WORKS? IS THAT PART OF THIS SORT OF LARGER IDEA? JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY THERE.

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

SO ABSOLUTELY, WE'RE LOOKING AT IS BEING ABLE TO HAVE BROADER SYSTEMS IN PLACE SO THAT THE ADVANTAGES OF BIOMASS FOR DISTRICT HEATING CAN BE FULLY UTILIZED.

WE'VE SEEN SOME GREAT EXAMPLES IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

WE WANT TO GIVE A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO J&R MECHANICAL FOR SOME OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE AROUND DISTRICT HEATING IN THE FRAME LAKE AREA.

SO WE WANT TO SEE WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ENABLE MORE MODELS LIKE THAT TO EXIST.

[01:25:03]

I'LL ASK FIRST MR. GREENCORN AND THEN MS. WHITE, IF THEY HAVE ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO ADD TO THIS.

JUST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE BEFORE I HAND IT OVER TO MS. WHITE. ENERGY IS MORE ALL ENCOMPASSING THAN JUST STRICTLY HEATING.

WE DIDN'T WANT TO, I GUESS, PAINT OURSELVES IN A CORNER WITH JUST A HEATING POLICY, BUT IT DOES INCLUDE REAL PROPERTY ISSUES, LEGISLATIVE ISSUES, HOW TO HOW TO LEVY CHARGES.

DOES IT END UP BEING A UTILITY? LIKE IT CAN GET QUITE COMPLICATED, QUITE QUICK.

BEING A UTILITY PROVIDER.

SO WE WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON OVERALL PATH AND POLICY FORWARD ON THE GOVERNANCE OF THESE STRUCTURES, HOW TO INTERACT WITH THE PUBLIC UTILITIES BOARD OR NOT, THOSE DIFFERENT THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THAT, WHAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN A DISTRICT ENERGY POLICY AND NOT LIMITED TO BIOMASS? I BELIEVE THE BIOMASS IN THIS, IN THIS INSTANCE IS ALSO INCLUDING ADVANCING.

THE CITY'S OWN INTEREST IN BIOMASS AND PELLET HEATING.

BECAUSE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF BOILERS THAT ARE ONLINE RIGHT NOW, AND SOME OF THEM ARE COMING TO THE END OF THEIR USEFUL LIFE, AND WE NEED TO ENVISION EVENTUALLY REPLACING THOSE AND MODERNIZING THEM, AND WITH THE ADDITION OF THE AQUATIC CENTER, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR THE BIOMASS THAT'S IN THAT SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD, INCLUDING THE RUTH INCH, THE CURLING CLUB, THE YK ARENA.

SO IT'LL BE MODERNIZING SOME OF THOSE FACILITIES WHILE ALSO TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE BROADER COMMUNITY SCALE SYSTEMS. I'LL PASS IT TO MS. WHITE IF SHE HAS ANYTHING ELSE.

THANK YOU. THE ADDITION I WOULD STATE IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BIOMASS, IF WE LOOK AT OUR EXISTING CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY ENERGY PLAN, BIOMASS AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SERIES OF THE PLAN WAS ABOUT 3% ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.

THAT'S CORPORATE AND COMMUNITY.

SO WHAT THIS ALSO IS LOOKING AT IS WAYS TO ENCOURAGE NOT JUST US.

AS MR. GREENCORN SAID, FOR OUR FACILITIES LIKE THE MULTIPLEX OR THE NEW AQUATIC CENTER, BUT ALSO HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC TO MAKE THAT CHANGE FROM HEATING FUEL OR OTHER SOURCES TO SOME SORT OF BIOMASS? SO LOOKING AT GETTING THAT 3% UPWARDS, AND THEN THAT IN TURN HELPS US REDUCE OUR OVERALL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND WORK TOWARDS MEETING THE TARGETS THAT ARE SET IN OUR PLAN. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YEAH.

UNDERSTOOD, AND THAT'S AN EXCELLENT SEGUE TO MY NEXT QUESTION.

IS THE LIC ENERGY RETROFITS PROGRAM.

I DON'T SEE THAT IN HERE.

I'M JUST CURIOUS, IS THAT PART OF THE DISTRICT ENERGY POLICY OR JUST CURIOUS THE LACK OF THAT INCLUSION, AS WE'VE ALREADY DONE, HIRED CONSULTANTS AND I'VE ATTENDED SOME OF THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION.

JUST WONDERING WHERE THAT PROGRAM IS.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IT IS.

I'M LOOKING BECAUSE IT WAS IN THE PREVIOUS INCARNATION OF THIS DOCUMENT.

PERHAPS I'LL SEE IF MS. WHITE WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND WITH HER.

AS USUAL. EXPERT EYE ON WHERE THINGS ARE AT.

THANK YOU. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT SEPARATE.

IT IS, AS YOU SAY.

WE HAD A CONSULTANT HIRED HAVE A CONSULTANT HIRED, AND SO WE'RE HOPING EARLY 2024 WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO BRING FORWARD TO COUNCIL.

IT'S ACTUALLY PART OF THE REPORT OUT OF THE 2015-2025, BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES SET IN THAT PLAN.

SO IT'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD OPTIONS TO COUNCIL AND LOOKING FOR CONVERSATION AND DECISION AT THAT TIME.

THANK YOU. SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT'LL BE IN 2025? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. MS. WHITE. I THINK ONCE WE HAVE THE CONVERSATION AND SEE THE DETAILS THAT THE CONSULTANT BRINGS FORWARD, WE'LL HAVE SOME DECISIONS TO MAKE AND 2025 MIGHT BE MORE REALISTIC.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

WELL, I'LL HAVE SOME MORE TO SAY ABOUT THAT ONCE WE GET INTO THE ADD DELETE PART.

LET ME JUST GO THROUGH HERE.

THE ESTABLISH--SORRY THIS IS PAGE 33.

ESTABLISH A BUSINESS ACCELERATOR INCUBATOR IN YELLOWKNIFE.

HAS ANY WORK STARTED FROM THE CITY ON THIS? MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANKS VERY MUCH.

I'LL ASK MS. THISTLE TO RESPOND.

IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, THIS WASN'T DEEMED A HIGH PRIORITY.

HOWEVER, WE REALLY SEE THIS AS WHERE WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MAKERSPACE, AS THEY'VE ALREADY DONE THE BUSINESS INCUBATOR.

[01:30:02]

IT'S MORE ABOUT HOW DO WE WORK WITH PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE.

THANK YOU. JUST THE ANSWER I WAS HOPING TO HEAR, AND ON PAGE 34, CONTINUE TO WORK WITH NWT NUNAVUT CHAMBER OF MINES.

IS THERE A SPECIFIC WORK OR IS THIS JUST SORT OF GENERAL STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT? MISS BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IN KEEPING WITH THE MOU THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CHAMBER OF MINES, WE LOOK AT ENSURING THAT THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT EACH OTHER TO AMPLIFY THE IMPORTANCE OF OF ETHICAL MINING IN THE NWT.

OVER TO YOU, MS. THISTLE FOR MORE.

YEAH. AFTER WE SIGNED THE MOU, WE DID MEET WITH THE CHAMBER OF MINES AND DEVELOP A WORK PLAN, AND IN THE WORK PLAN, THERE'S SOME SPECIFIC PRIORITIES THAT THE CHAMBER OF MINES FELT WAS WHERE THE CITY WOULD BE MOST EFFECTIVE.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE TAKING PART IN GEOSCIENCE FORUM THIS NEXT WEEK.

WE'LL BE SPEAKING AT THE SHOWCASE AT ONE OF THE EVENTS ATTENDING ROUNDUP.

THERE'S DIFFERENT ASPECTS THAT THE CHAMBER OF MINES FELT WHERE THE CITY COULD HAVE THE BIGGEST IMPACT.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO, IS WORK ON THE ACTIONS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED THROUGH THAT WORK PLAN THAT CAME AS A RESULT OF THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THAT WAS SIGNED IN TORONTO ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND DO WE EXPECT THAT WORK TO BE COMPLETED IN 2024? MISS BASSI-KELLETT.

CERTAINLY IT'S ONGOING WORK.

WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO AMPLIFY, BUT I'LL ASK MS. THISTLE TO ELABORATE ON WHAT IT IS THAT WE SEE IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

IT'S A BIT OF BOTH.

SOME OF THE INITIATIVES WILL BE COMPLETED IN 2024, AND SOME THINGS WILL BE ONGOING.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT DOING AN INVESTMENT ATTRACTION INFORMATION, WHETHER THAT'S A BROCHURE OR SPOT ON THE WEBSITE. THAT'S ONE THING THAT CAME OUT OF OUR [INAUDIBLE] STRATEGY AND WITH THE CHAMBER OF MINES, SOMETHING THAT COULD HAPPEN IN 2024 AND WILL FLOW THROUGH, CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE CHAMBER ON GEOSCIENCE.

SO AS I INDICATED, WE'RE INVOLVED IN THIS YEAR'S GEOSCIENCE.

WE'VE ALREADY AGREED.

NEXT YEAR WE'RE GOING TO HOST ONE OF THE EVENTS AT OUR VISITOR CENTER.

SO LIKE I SAID, SOME THINGS WILL HAPPEN IN A SPECIFIC YEAR AND THEN OTHER THINGS ARE ONGOING IN NATURE, AND OF COURSE, WE'LL ALWAYS HOPE TO FOSTER A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHAMBER OF MINES.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I THINK THAT'S IT FOR MY GENERAL QUESTIONS.

PERFECT, AND WE'VE HIT OUR 90 MINUTE MARK, SO WE WILL TAKE A TEN MINUTE BREAK AND COME BACK AT 2:45 P.M., AND COUNCILLOR COCHRANE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

IN PARTICULAR, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE CITY MANAGER FOR THE UTILIZATION OF THE TERM FUBAR.

THAT WAS VERY ENTERTAINING, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR CLARIFYING ALL THE THINGS THAT I NEEDED.

CLARIFYING EXCEPT FOR ON PAGE 28 WE HAVE THE TRANSFER OF VACANT COMMISSIONER'S LAND MOA SIGNED AND THEN DOWN TO PAGE 32.

WE HAVE.

WHERE IS THAT ON THE LINE ITEM? CONTINUED WORK WITH GNWT.

NOW I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S MORE OF A BECAUSE OF THE AMBIGUITY WITH THE DUPLICATION OF PRIORITIES OR, YOU KNOW, IT JUST KIND OF MAKES ME THINK ON AN OPERATIONAL LEVEL, THESE ARE KIND OF ONGOING FOREVER CONVERSATIONS, BUT MAYBE I CAN GET A LITTLE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT A POST MOA WORLD IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR US.

I THINK THEY MIGHT BE THE SAME THING, BUT IN TWO DIFFERENT OR TWO CATEGORIES.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION AND THANKS, MAYOR ALTY.

YES, YOU YOU SUMMED IT UP THERE.

SO WE HAVE BEEN IT'S BEEN AN ONGOING PRIORITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT LANDS WITHIN THE MUNICIPAL BOUNDARY OF THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DEVELOP THEM, AND WE'RE NOT STYMIED BY THE FACT THAT THERE SO MUCH THERE IS SO MUCH COMMISSIONERS LAND WITHIN THE BOUNDARY THAT THEN WE ARE HANDCUFFED WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPMENT, AND THIS BECAME ABUNDANTLY CLEAR FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN THERE WAS A REQUEST FROM A TOURISM OPERATOR TO GET A PIECE OF LAND IN A PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WAS RELATIVELY DARK, AND WE HAD NOTHING TO PROVIDE AND HAD TO RECOMMEND THAT HE GO OUTSIDE THE COMMUNITY BOUNDARIES, AND THAT WAS NOT A NICE FEELING TO SAY.

SO WE'VE BEEN ONGOING IN DISCUSSIONS WITH GNWT ON THIS.

SOME OF OUR DISCUSSIONS, OF COURSE, WERE SET BACK THIS YEAR AS WE WERE OBVIOUSLY OTHERWISE OCCUPIED WITH SOME OF THE STUFF THAT'S GOING ON THIS YEAR.

THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF AREAS WHERE WE'VE HIT A BIT OF A WALL ON THESE ISSUES, AND WE ARE SEEKING TO RESOLVE THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES.

[01:35:01]

WE'RE SEEKING TO RESOLVE THEM WITH THE GNWT.

I'LL ASK MS. WHITE IF SHE'D LIKE TO ELABORATE ON THIS, PARTICULARLY THAT ISSUE OF I'M GOING TO SCREW IT UP NOW.

IT'S RIGHT OF WAYS, AND YES, THAT IS CONTINUING TO BE AN ISSUE FOR US.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

SO I THINK BEFORE I ADDRESS THAT, WHAT I'LL SAY IS IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT GETTING COMMISSIONERS LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT'S ALSO FOR SOME OF THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE TO OUR RESIDENTS EVERY DAY, AND BEING ABLE TO OWN THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE ACTUALLY ARE PROVIDING.

SO THINGS LIKE ROADS, LOOKING TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL WORK OUT THE SOLID WASTE FACILITY.

SO IT'S ALSO THAT AS WELL THERE'S MULTIPLE PIECES TO THIS.

SO YES, IT IS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT PROVIDING APPROPRIATE INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE COMING OUT OF THE MOA.

ONE OF THEM IS DEFINED TIMELINES FOR PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS WHEN THEY'RE MADE TO THE GNWT FROM THE CITY.

ANOTHER IS THE ABILITY TO ALLOW RIGHTS OF WAYS AND EASEMENTS ACROSS PARCELS OF LAND FOR THINGS LIKE A HYDRO LINE OR FIBER OPTIC LINE, WHERE WE'RE NOT PARCELING OUT THOSE PIECES TO MAKE THEM SEPARATE PARCELS, BUT THEY CAN ACTUALLY SIT ON TOP OF TITLE SO THE CITY COULD OWN THE LAND UNDERNEATH AND SAY A UTILITY CORRIDOR COULD RUN ACROSS IT, AND WE'RE NOT HAVING THREE PARCELS OF LAND WHERE WE REALLY ONLY NEED ONE.

SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF PIECES, AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONS, WE'RE WORKING ON, AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL AND HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS FOR YOU SHORTLY.

THANK YOU. WELL, I LOVE GOOD NEWS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.

COUNCILLOR MCGURK. THANK YOU.

THANKS FOR ALL THE WORK ON THIS.

I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

UM, I GUESS I WANT TO START.

IN SUSTAINABLE FUTURE, PAGE 32 AND I THINK COUNCILLOR FEQUET HAD ALREADY SPOKEN TO THIS A LITTLE BIT, AND I APOLOGIZE IF I JUST MISSED THE CLARIFICATION, BUT THE BUSINESS CONTINUITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PIECE IS IN ADVANCING ENERGY INITIATIVES, AND I WAS WONDERING WHY IT'S THERE AND NOT IN ANOTHER AREA.

YEAH, IT'LL HAVE TO GET MOVED TO A DIFFERENT AREA.

IT WAS PUT IN THE WRONG ONE.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT.

YEP, THAT WAS A MISTAKE AND THANKS FOR CATCHING THAT, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AS PART OF OUR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.

SO WHAT WE KNOW RIGHT NOW IS BUSINESS CONTINUITY IS SO CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO US.

WE'VE HAD SO MANY DIFFERENT MANIFESTATIONS OF HOW WE'VE HAD A HUGE ISSUE IMPACT THE CITY, AND THAT WE'VE HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CONTINUE TO DO BUSINESS, HOW WE DELIVER CORE AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES, HOW WE MAKE SURE THAT OTHER SERVICES ARE PROVIDED.

SO BUSINESS CONTINUITY WAS A HUGE PART OF THE WORK THAT WE HAD TO UNDERTAKE DURING COVID.

JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE CORE AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES, OF COURSE, BUT THEN THERE WERE OTHER THINGS THAT WE NEEDED TO DO IN THAT CONTEXT.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE LIBRARY REALLY BEEFED UP ALL OF THE VIRTUAL PIECES OF THEIR COLLECTION, AS OPPOSED TO THEY PUT MORE OF AN EMPHASIS ON VIRTUAL, AND INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT SO MANY OF THE BOOKS AND OTHER PUBLICATIONS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE HARD COPIES OF IN THE LIBRARY.

SO BUSINESS CONTINUITY TAKES A LARGE LENS, AND IT CERTAINLY IS TIED IN WITH EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

THE TWO ARE DOVETAIL TOGETHER.

THERE'S BEEN AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK DONE ON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING, BUT ALSO, OF COURSE, ON RESPONSE.

I DON'T NEED TO GET INTO THAT WITH THE COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, FAR BETTER.

SO THIS WORK WILL OF COURSE BE VERY IMPORTANT AS PART OF A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE STAYS WITHIN THE PRIORITIES OF COUNCIL, WHICH WE KNOW VERY MUCH THAT YOU HAVE FELT THAT NEAR AND DEAR AFTER THIS YEAR, AND WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.

THANK YOU. THANKS, I APPRECIATE THAT.

I AGREE THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

THE SECOND QUESTION ON THAT BEING WHY IT'S ONLY ONE DEPARTMENT THAT THIS IS ATTACHED TO.

MISS BASSI-KELLETT.

THAT COLUMN IS ABOUT WHO THE LEAD IS, AND SO WE LOOK TO DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO HAVE LEADERSHIP ROLES IN CERTAIN AREAS, BUT A VERY, VERY BIG PART OF THE MODUS OPERANDI OF CITY ADMINISTRATION IS THAT WE DON'T OPERATE IN STOVEPIPES.

WE WILL HAVE LEADS, BUT WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY, MANY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN MANY OF THESE FILES.

SO MUCH LIKE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGY BEING LISTED AS THE LEAD ON CONSULTING ON NEW LEGISLATION OR WAYS TO INCREASE THE CITY'S AUTONOMY, THAT OBVIOUSLY INCLUDES ALL DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.

SO THIS COLUMN IS REALLY IDENTIFYING WHO IS THE LEAD, AND IN THIS CASE, PUBLIC SAFETY IS THE LEAD ON DEVELOPING OUR EMERGENCY PLANS WITH MANY OTHER PLAYERS INVOLVED.

THANK YOU. GREAT.

THANKS, I APPRECIATE THAT.

THE NEXT QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS AROUND PAGE 33 THE BUSINESS W

[01:40:06]

IT WAS PAGE 34 CREATING COMMUNITY GATHERING OPPORTUNITIES.

I GUESS I'M CURIOUS IT'S STATED AS ONGOING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE CURRENTLY.

THANKS, MS. BASSI-KELLETT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I'LL SEE IF MS. THISTLE WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND TO THIS ONE.

I'M SORRY. COULD YOU GIVE ME THE PAGE NUMBER AGAIN? THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE STUDY.

SO AGAIN, IN THE JOINT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, ONE OF THE IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS, ACTIONS THAT WAS ENDORSED BY BOTH COUNCILS WAS A FRIENDSHIP FESTIVAL OR AN ANNUAL GATHERING.

SO WE DID DEVELOP A WORK PLAN.

OF COURSE, 2023 WAS A BIT OF AN ANOMALY WITH ALL THE EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS THAT HAPPENED.

SO THINGS GOT BUMPED.

SO IN THOSE MEETINGS THAT I'VE MENTIONED THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST COUPLE OF ABOUT THE PAST MONTH WITH YKDFN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICERS, THIS IS ONE THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IN 2024 TO SEE WHAT'S BEEN DONE IN OTHER PLACES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

NOT CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO RUN IT IN 2024.

SO THAT'S WHY IT WILL BE LIKELY AT 2025 EVENT, BUT THE WORK WILL START IN 2024.

SORRY, IT'S THE PAGE 34.

IT'S THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE STUDY HAS CREATE COMMUNITY GATHERING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.

SO STUFF THAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR WAS THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM WITH THE MARKET GROWERS AND THOSE WHO WANT TO BE MARKET GROWERS, AND THERE WAS THE RECREATION PROGRAM LEARNED TO GROW SEEDLINGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT ARE THERE FURTHER ITEMS THAT ADMIN WANTED TO ADD ON THAT ONE? MISS THISTLE. ANOTHER COMMUNITY EVENT THAT HAPPENED WAS THE FARMERS MARKET.

THE YELLOWKNIFE FARMERS MARKET HAD THEIR ANNIVERSARY IN THE BIG SALAD TOSS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, AND WE WERE A SPONSOR OF THE YELLOWKNIFE FARMERS MARKET THIS SUMMER, AS WE ARE REGULARLY.

GREAT. THANK YOU. THERE'S A COUPLE ITEMS HERE THAT, GENERALLY SPEAKING, THROUGHOUT THE STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS THAT SEEM CONTINGENT ON NONPROFITS TO ACTUALLY BE THE ONES TO WE ARE SUPPORTING THEM IN DEVELOPING THESE THINGS.

I SEE THERE'S ALSO DEVELOPING A FOOD AND AGRICULTURE [INAUDIBLE] AND OUR CONVERSATION EARLIER ABOUT THE BUSINESS ACCELERATOR.

I, I WONDER IF WE AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A SILLY QUESTION, I'M GOING TO ASK IT WHERE WE ARE WORKING WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND PROBABLY EXPECTING THEM TO DO THINGS.

SO, FOR INSTANCE, THE FARMERS MARKET, IF WE'RE COUNTING THAT AS A COMMUNITY GATHERING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITY, LIKE ARE WE INDICATING THAT OR SHOULD WE BE INDICATING THAT THESE ARE ACTUALLY GOALS THAT COUNCIL SUPPORTING, NOT DOING OURSELVES OR I DON'T KNOW OR IS THAT SILLY? ONE OF OUR VALUES IS BEING AMPLIFIED, BUT THERE'S STILL STAFF TIME WORKING WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS.

THERE'S COUNCIL'S BUDGET ETCETERA.

SO MS. BASSI-KELLETT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

THAT'S EXACTLY IT. WE LOOK AT THAT PRIORITY AROUND AMPLIFYING OTHERS, KNOWING THAT THERE'S SO MUCH GREAT WORK GOING ON ACROSS THIS COMMUNITY, AND IF THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN CONNECT TO WHETHER OR NOT IT'S, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF SEED MONEY, PERHAPS IT IS ADVERTISING WHAT'S GOING ON.

PERHAPS IT IS PROVIDING A LOCATION FOR MEETINGS OR EVENTS TO HAPPEN.

IF THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN AMPLIFY THAT WORK, THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO.

RECOGNIZING THAT IT'S NOT.

THERE'S SO MUCH GREAT WORK OUT THERE.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

YES. THANK YOU, AND THEN I SUPPOSE A GENERAL QUESTION THAT I HAVE, IT'S MORE PHILOSOPHICAL IN NATURE MAYBE IS THAT.

FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS LIST OF DIRECTION, IT DOESN'T IT'S NOT VERY IT SEEMS LIKE IT COULD HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED PRIOR TO THE EVACUATION, AND I WONDER WHETHER.

THE ADMINISTRATION HAS ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT WHETHER WE MIGHT GET.

THERE MIGHT BE STRUGGLES IN IMPLEMENTING DIRECTIONS, CONSIDERING THE REPERCUSSIONS.

I JUST IMAGINE THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF THINGS LIKE TRAINING IN INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND DIFFERENT SORT OF RESPONSES THAT WE WILL HAVE

[01:45:09]

YEAH, AND ON THAT, I THINK FOR ME, THE TIMELINE MIGHT BE ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WHERE IT SOUNDS LIKE SOME FOLKS ARE USING IT AS THIS IS WHEN THE WORK IS GOING TO START AND OTHERS ARE USING IT AS THIS IS WHEN THE WORK'S GOING TO END, AND SO PERHAPS THERE'S TWO COLUMNS OF WORK BEGINS AND WORK'S COMPLETE BECAUSE TO YOUR POINT OF CAPACITY, THE WORK MAY BEGIN.

HOWEVER, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE DONE IN A YEAR BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH WORK IN THE AFTER ACTION ASSESSMENT OR OTHER EMERGENCY OPS TRAINING.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT COMMENT FROM ADMIN.

THANKS VERY MUCH. IT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT EMERGENCY RESPONSE IS ONE OF THOSE.

FIRST OF ALL, IT'S A LEGISLATIVE RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE THAT WE DO NOT AVOID OR DO NOT STEP AWAY OR STEP BACK FROM AND IT'S ALSO ONE OF OUR CORE AND ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES.

SO ABSOLUTELY, THAT WORK IS ONGOING, LIKE ALL OF OUR OTHER CORE AND ESSENTIAL WORK WHERE WE HIGHLIGHT THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO BRING TO COUNCIL IS AROUND THAT SUSTAINABLE FUTURE AND LOOKING AT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT MAY COME FROM THE AFTER ACTION ASSESSMENT ON WHETHER OR NOT IT'S RESOURCING, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S POLICY BASED, WHETHER OR NOT IT'S OPERATIONAL BASED, WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE AT A POLITICAL LEVEL.

THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE'LL SEE IN THE AFTER ACTION ASSESSMENT AND WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT COMES IN ON THE STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS.

OTHERWISE, THE PREPARATION FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE IS SOMETHING THAT, OF COURSE, IS A VERY KEY PRIORITY FOR US.

WE'VE BEEN DOWN THIS DOWN THIS PATH VERY, VERY STRONGLY IN 2023.

WE KNOW THAT COVID WAS PART OF THIS.

WE KNOW THAT BEING A RECEPTION CENTER TO COMMUNITIES THAT WERE FACING THEIR OWN EMERGENCIES IN 2021 AND 2022, AS WELL AS 2023 BEFORE, WE HAD TO FACE THAT REALITY IS SOMETHING THAT'S AN ONGOING PART OF OUR OPERATION, AND IT'S AN ONGOING PART OF HOW WE MANAGE THE CORE AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES WE HAVE.

SO WHEN THE AFTER ACTION ASSESSMENT COMES FORWARD, THERE COULD BE SOME THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO SEE, AND WE KNOW THAT COUNCIL WILL WORK TO SUPPORT ADMINISTRATION.

AS WE LOOK AT THAT THEN THANK YOU.

THANKS BECAUSE WE ARE COMMENTS.

ANY OTHER ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS THAT ARE NOT SORT OF LIKE OUTSIDE OF THIS WE'RE DOING LATER.

OKAY. I DO HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION, WHICH IS JUST GIVEN THE CURRENT PRICE TAG FOR WHAT? FOR OPERATIONS OR FOR THE SORT OF WILDFIRE RESPONSE TO THE CITY.

IS THERE ANY FEAR THAT WE WILL BE STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN SERVICE STANDARDS OR HIT THESE GOALS BECAUSE WE WON'T BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO DO SO? MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

THAT'S A VERY REAL QUESTION FOR US, AND NOT SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE COST OF THE WILDFIRE.

IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE UNDERFUNDED BY $10 MILLION A YEAR.

IT'S BECAUSE OF THE GROWING PRESSURE ON US AND THE INTEREST THAT THE CITY TAKE ON MORE AND MORE AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY.

SO, ABSOLUTELY, THIS IS A REALLY BIG PART OF THE DISCUSSION AROUND SERVICE LEVELS AND WHY THEY'RE IMPORTANT FOR COUNCIL TO BE AWARE OF AND TO BE SETTING SO THAT REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS ARE OUT THERE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

THE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE CURRENT FINANCES THAT WE HAVE, WHAT IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE CURRENT, WHAT WOULD BE PROPOSED AS A TAX INCREASE, KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THERE ARE SOME SERVICES THAT DO REQUIRE HIGHER SUPPORT.

FOR EXAMPLE, I JUST SORRY MY MIND JUST WENT TO.

AS WE GET READY FOR BUDGET 2024 AND 2025, WE WILL OF COURSE BE LOOKING AT SUPPORTING A AN AQUATIC CENTER, WHICH HAS, OF COURSE, LARGER OPERATING COSTS THAN THE EXISTING RUTH INCH MEMORIAL POOL.

SO SOME OF THESE ARE DELIBERATELY PRE-PLANNED AND THAT WE WENT INTO EYES WIDE OPEN AS WE WERE PLANNING BUDGET ITEMS AND CAPITAL ITEMS. OTHERS LIKE THE WILDFIRE.

AS COUNCILLOR MCGURK SAID, SHE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

WE HAVE TO BE PLANNING AND THINKING ABOUT WHAT THOSE IMPLICATIONS ARE, BUT THE FACT REMAINS WE'RE UNDERFUNDED BY $10 MILLION, AND WE HAVE AN ENORMOUS NUMBER OF PRESSURES THAT ARE ON US. SO THAT IS THE DILEMMA THAT WE CONTINUE TO FACE THE CONUNDRUM AROUND HOW WE PROVIDE GOOD SERVICES WITHIN THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

SO WE WILL PAUSE THERE AND WE WILL BRING THIS FORWARD TO OUR NEXT GPC, WHICH IS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH, AND AS DISCUSSED, WE'LL GO THROUGH KIND OF SECTION BY SECTION.

RECOGNIZING THAT CAN ALSO LEAD TO MORE QUESTIONS.

[01:50:04]

SOMEBODY MIGHT BE, WHOA, WHOA WHOA, WHOA.

I NEED MORE INFORMATION ON THAT BEFORE MAKING A DECISION.

SO IF YOU CAN KIND OF FRAME YOUR THOUGHTS IN THAT SECTION BY SECTION.

SO CONTINUING TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONS WITH INDIGENOUS GOVERNMENTS AND PEOPLES, THEN WE GO TO THE SETTING, THE CONTEXT AND FOUNDATION FOR A FULL CONTINUUM OF HOUSING ALL THE WAY DOWN. SO KEY INITIATIVE BY KEY INITIATIVE.

WITH THAT THE NEXT TWO ITEMS ARE IDENTIFIED AS IN-CAMERA.

[IN CAMERA]

ANYBODY OPPOSED? SEEING NONE, WE CAN MOVE IN-CAMERA, AND WE'LL CALL OUR MEETING BACK TO ORDER, AND WE HAVE NO BUSINESS ARISING.

IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

MOVED BY COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR PAQUETTE.

ANYBODY OPPOSED? SEEING NONE, AND OUR NEXT MEETING IS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH FOR GPC AS NEXT WEEK, MONDAY IS A HOLIDAY AND THEN TUESDAY IS THE ELECTION.

SO HAVE A GREAT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.