Jan 08, 2024 Governance & Priorities Committee

[00:00:01]

AND I'LL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 8TH, 2024, TO ORDER.

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

FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL, IT HAS BEEN THE TRADITIONAL LAND OF THE YELLOWKNIFE METIS FIRST NATION.

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

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

[2. Approval of the agenda.]

NO, NOTHING ELSE TO ADD.

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

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

[4. A presentation regarding Development Incentives By‐law Update.]

MS. BASSI-KELLETT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.

SO AS COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE LIKELY AWARE, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES BYLAW FOLLOWING DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL TO MODERNIZE HOW THE CITY INCENTIVIZES DEVELOPMENT OVERALL.

A NUMBER OF IRONS ARE IN THE FIRE ON THIS FRONT, AND WE WILL BE COMING FORWARD WITH SOME OPTIONS AND PROPOSALS FOR GPC DELIBERATIONS AND COUNCIL'S ULTIMATE DECISION.

WE WILL BE COMING FORWARD SHORTLY ON THAT, BUT AT THIS TIME, WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR THIS IN ADVANCE OF THE DELIBERATIONS ON BUDGET 2024, SO WE CAN SET THE CONTEXT FOR DECISIONS TO COME AND HOW THE CITY CAN INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPMENT IN A MEANINGFUL WAY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE.

THERE ARE MANY MOVING PIECES TO THIS BEFORE THE PROPOSED OPTIONS COME FORWARD, AND AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO HAND THINGS OVER TO CHARLSEY WHITE, OUR DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, WHO WILL LAY OUT SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH AND PRESENT ON THE STATUS OF THE PROJECT AT THIS TIME.

CHARLES, OVER TO YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

GOOD AFTERNOON. HAPPY NEW YEAR.

I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE SURE.

YEAH. PERFECT. OKAY.

SO, WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS PROVIDE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT OUR CURRENT BYLAW HAS IN IT.

AND THEN I'M REALLY GOING TO GET INTO TWO ASKS, WHICH IS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION WITH REGARD TO THE UPCOMING 2024 BUDGET AS THE CITY MANAGER LAID OUT.

PRIMARILY OUR CURRENT BYLAW.

IT CONSISTS OF MOSTLY TAX ABATEMENT AS WELL AS A GRANT PROGRAM WHICH IS OFFERED FOR HERITAGE PURPOSES.

THE OTHER LISTED INCENTIVES THAT ARE UP HERE ON THE BYLAW, WE REALLY HAVE NOT SEEN MANY APPLICATIONS FOR AND MOVING FORWARD, WHAT THAT TELLS ME AND WHAT THAT TELLS US, AS WE'VE BEEN REVIEWING IT, IS THAT SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS AREN'T REALLY WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR OR AREN'T GIVING THE INCENTIVE THAT PEOPLE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DEVELOPMENT. SO, IT DOESN'T MEAN THERE'S NO DEVELOPMENT, IT JUST MEANS THEY'RE NOT TAPPING INTO THE RESOURCES WE HAVE, WHICH IS WHY COUNCIL PROVIDED US DIRECTION TO UPDATE THIS BYLAW GOING FORWARD.

THIS REALLY JUST PROVIDES A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THOSE ARE.

AS I SAID, THE MAJORITY OF THEM ARE A TAX INCENTIVE.

THERE'S AS WELL AN UPFRONT ABATEMENT, WHICH WOULD BE 100% FOR THAT YEAR, THAT WOULD BE WITH REGARDS TO RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.

AND THEN THERE'S THE GRANT, AS I MENTIONED, WHICH IS AVAILABLE FOR HERITAGE PRESERVATION.

AND THAT IS 50% OF A TOTAL DEVELOPMENT, UP TO A MAXIMUM OF $50,000.

SO WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM THAT WE HAVE IN THIS DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE FUND? WE'LL CALL IT 25% OF THE PARKING FEE.

REVENUE ON A YEARLY BASIS IS WHAT USUALLY GOES INTO FUNDING THIS FUND.

NOW, I SAY USUALLY BECAUSE THERE WAS A TIME IN 2021 WHERE COUNCIL DIRECTED THAT NOTE THAT 25% NOT GO INTO THE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES.

AND THEN IN 2022, WE ALSO, WHICH I'LL SPEAK ABOUT ON THE NEXT SLIDE, HAD A CONTRIBUTION, A ONE-TIME CONTRIBUTION WHERE WE WERE CLOSING A FUND.

AND SO, THE REMAINING AMOUNT WAS TO BE DEPOSITED INTO HERE AS WELL.

SO NOT ALWAYS CONSISTENT.

SO, WHILE WE LIKE TO THINK IT'S 25%, IT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN THAT 25% OF PARKING FEES.

THIS IS THE MOTION I WAS SPEAKING OF, WHERE COUNCIL DIRECTED US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT REVIEW OF THE BYLAW.

AND WE HAD TWO FUNDS AT THAT TIME AS WELL.

WE HAD SOME LAND THAT WAS CURRENTLY FOR SALE IN THE DOWNTOWN.

SO, THIS MOTION KIND OF BRINGS ALL OF THAT TOGETHER, SAYING, PLEASE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CHANGES TO THE BYLAW AS WELL AS PLEASE SELL THE LAND.

AND AS WE SEE AT THE END OF THE MOTION, TAKE THAT 141,000 THAT WOULD BE LEFT OVER.

PUT THAT INTO THE DOWNTOWN LIKE THE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES AND WILL CLOSE OUT.

WHAT WAS THAT REVITALIZATION FUND.

SO, THAT'S A ONETIME 141,000.

SO WHERE AM I GOING WITH ALL OF THIS? Y'ALL PROBABLY LOOKED AT THE PRESENTATION AND WERE LIKE, WHY IS SHE BRINGING THIS UP? SO, WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS IF EVERYTHING THAT IS CURRENTLY IN THE SPEND

[00:05:05]

SO, HAVE WE HAD PEOPLE DO THAT RECENTLY? IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS WE'VE HAD APPLICATIONS COME FORWARD.

WE HAVE PROVISIONALLY APPROVED THEM TO SAY, YEP, THESE MEET THE TERMS OF THE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE.

AND THEY HAVE SAID TO US, WE'RE GOING TO COME FORWARD AND ASK COUNCIL TO GIVE US THAT UP YEAR, THAT UPFRONT ONE YEAR I HAVEN'T SEEN THE APPLICATIONS, BUT IN THE CASE THAT THOSE APPLICATIONS DID COME FORWARD, I TOOK THE AMOUNT THAT THAT WOULD EQUATE TO BECAUSE IT'S BASED ON NOT WHAT THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY IS TODAY, BUT WHAT IT IS GOING TO BE ONCE THE DEVELOPMENT IS COMPLETE.

AND SO, TWO OF THEM, ONE HAS COMPLETED THE BUILDING PERMIT, AND I'M JUST WAITING TO SEE IF THEIR PAST OCCUPANCY AND INTO THE TAX ASSESSMENT.

AND THE OTHER ONE HAS JUST RECEIVED A BUILDING PERMIT.

SO, WE'LL HAVE THOSE VALUES GOING FORWARD.

AND THE REMAINDER OF THAT, WHAT I WANTED TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO IS THERE'S CURRENTLY $100,000 A YEAR THAT COMES OUT OF THIS FUND THAT FUNDS WHAT IS CALLED THE HOMELESSNESS EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM.

SO, OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WHICH IS THE TERM OF WHEN WE HAVE THESE APPLICATIONS WHICH COULD COME FORWARD FOR NOT JUST RESIDENTIAL, BUT ANY OF OUR INCENTIVES.

WE ALSO HAVE THIS COMMITMENT OF $100,000 A YEAR.

AND SECOND, IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT COUNCIL WANTED TO HAVE.

SO, YOU HAVEN'T MADE THIS DECISION, BUT IT WAS FOR A CONSIDERATION, WAS TO EITHER TAKE MONEY OUT OF THIS ACCOUNT OR REJIG WHAT IS THE HOMELESSNESS EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM TO A WHAT WAS BEING CALLED A DOWNTOWN CLEANUP PROGRAM? AND I'M NOT 100% SURE, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE COMING INTO BUDGET.

SO, THIS IS ALL FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER.

BUT POTENTIALLY THAT'S BETWEEN 500,000, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN THAT 1.2 UP TO WHATEVER IT ENDS UP BEING AS THE DECISION OF COUNCIL COMING OUT OF THIS FUND. SO WHAT I AM ASKING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

I WANTED TO SHOW YOU THE NUMBERS BECAUSE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, RIGHT NOW, 2023, SORRY, UH, IS 719,000.

FOR ALL OF THIS.

AND THEN WE'RE COMING FORWARD TO COUNCIL IN 2024 WITH NEW OPTIONS.

SO, THE COMMITMENT IS 100,000 A YEAR ALREADY PLUS THE APPLICATIONS WE HAVE PLUS AN UNKNOWN.

SO, I JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND THOSE NUMBERS GOING FORWARD.

SO, WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS CONSIDERATION FOR CONSISTENT FUNDING.

AND IF MONEY IS BEING USED OUT OF HERE THAT IT BE USED FOR INCENTIVE PURPOSES.

AND TO ROUND IT ALL OUT.

WHERE ARE WE? JUST SO I CAN GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE.

WHILE 2023 WAS A BIT OF A CRAZY YEAR, WE'LL CALL IT, SOME WORK DID GET DONE AND WE HAVE BEEN MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS.

SO, WE'VE TAKEN A REVIEW OF COMPARATORS.

SO THAT'S OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN CANADA AS WELL AS A FEW OUTSIDE JUST TO SEE WHAT THEY DO FOR DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES.

WHAT'S ABOVE AND BEYOND THIS TAX INCENTIVE, WHICH IS 90% OF WHAT WE DO RIGHT NOW.

WHAT OTHER OPTIONS ARE THERE OUT THERE? WE DID AN INTRODUCTION PUBLIC CONSULTATION SURVEY AND THAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

WE'VE CREATED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT WE WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD.

WE DID A FINANCIAL FUND REVIEW, WHICH IS WHAT PROMPTED ME TO COME FORWARD AND SAY, I SAID TO THE CITY MANAGER, COULD I PRESENT THIS TO COUNCIL BEFORE BUDGET? JUST SO YOU ALL HAVE THIS INFORMATION AND FUNDING APPLICATION FOR RESIDENTIAL INCENTIVES.

SO THAT'S IN PROCESS.

UM, NO WORD ON IT YET, BUT HOPEFULLY IN 2024.

AND THEN LASTLY, WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS.

SO, WE'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD SOME ITEMS AS AN OPTION PRESENTATION.

SO, YOU CAN WE'LL GIVE YOU KIND OF LIKE THE BIG MENU.

AND YOU CAN SELECT AND TELL US WHERE TO FOCUS SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DRAFT THIS BYLAW.

I THINK IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO GO BACK OUT FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION, SPECIFIC PEOPLE, AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL.

SO, WE DID HAVE GOOD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CHAMBER AND A FEW OTHERS.

I'D LIKE TO GO BACK AND JUST SEE HOW IT RESONATES WITH THEM AND THEN MOVING FORWARD, BRINGING IT TO COUNCIL.

AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL END WITH A REPEAL AND REPLACE OF THE EXISTING BYLAW.

SO AGAIN, THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENTATION IS JUST TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO CONSISTENT FUNDING AND WHAT WE ACTUALLY SPEND THE MONEY ON GOING FORWARD.

THANK YOU. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OPENING IT UP. AGAIN, THIS IS KIND OF THAT HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW.

AND WHEN THE OPTIONS PAPER COMES FORWARD TO COUNCIL, AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF DIVE INTO WHY IS THIS BEING RECOMMENDED? WHY NOT THAT HOW DOES THIS WORK? HOW DOES THAT WORK? BUT OPENING IT UP TO QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL.

COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL THE WORK ON THIS.

I KNOW WE'RE YEAH, WE'RE ALL EAGERLY AWAITING, UH, I SEE IN THE CURRENT BYLAW THAT IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THE RESIDENTIAL INTENSIFICATION TAX ABATEMENT,

[00:10:07]

DO WE HAVE A DEFINITION OF AFFORDABLE? AND HOW HAVE WE BEEN APPLYING THIS? YEAH. CULVER.

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

AND SO AS MAYBE AS A LITTLE BIT OF A LEAD AND WE'LL SAY WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE HEARING WHERE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE CONCERNS WITH THE CURRENT BYLAW.

WE'LL DEFINITELY AS YOU SEE THE REVISION COME FORWARD, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF THE RESPONSES THAT WILL ALIGN WITH A LOT OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED IN THAT BYLAW.

AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS BEEN QUITE A SENSITIVE ONE.

IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD IDEALLY LOVE TO BE ABLE TO PURSUE.

AS WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THROUGH OUR HOUSING ACCELERATOR FUND PROPOSAL.

AS MS. WHITE SAID, WE HAVEN'T HEARD FORMALLY ABOUT WHAT WILL, WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN OBTAINING THAT FUNDING.

BUT THAT'S DEFINITELY A BIG PART OF THE WORK THAT WE'LL DO AS PART OF THE HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY.

BUT I WILL ASK MS. WHITE IF SHE'D LIKE TO SPEAK IN ANY WAY AROUND AFFORDABILITY AT THIS TIME.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

AND RIGHT NOW, AS IT STANDS, WE DON'T HAVE IN OUR PLANNING POLICY DOCUMENTS A DEFINITION OF WHAT AFFORDABLE IS.

SO, WHAT WE USE IS CMHC, BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE AFFORDABILITY METRICS FOR BOTH, WHEN SOMEONE PURCHASES A PROPERTY AS WELL AS FOR WHEN SOMEONE IS PAYING RENT.

AND SO, IT'S DONE EITHER BY KIND OF WHAT IS A RENT TO INCOME RATIO OR A WHAT IS A TOLERANCE LEVEL FOR PEOPLE WITH MORTGAGES.

AND WE ALL KNOW THAT'S THAT 30% MARK OF 30% OF GROSS INCOME.

SO RIGHT NOW THAT'S WHAT WE USE.

BUT GOING FORWARD, IS THERE POTENTIAL AND LIKELY AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A YELLOWKNIFE.

MORE SPECIFIC.

ABSOLUTELY. BUT RIGHT NOW, FOR THIS BYLAWS PURPOSE, WE USE CMHC.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YEAH. VERY INTERESTED IN THAT SORT OF DEFINITION AND HOW WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.

I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION JUST ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THOSE 10% UNITS, BUT I'LL SORT OF LEAVE THAT FOR WHEN WE GET INTO THE MEAT OF IT.

ALSO, IN READING THAT, IT THE CONSOLIDATED CURRENT BYLAW MENTIONS THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY PROGRAM.

I COULDN'T FIND ANY INFORMATION ON THIS PROGRAM.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION ON.

ON WHAT? THIS IS MS. BASSI-KELLETT. I'LL ASK MS. WHITE IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

WHEN I ACTUALLY STARTED HERE A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I ASKED THE VERY SAME QUESTION.

I SAID, OH, WHAT IS THIS? AND SO, I WAS POINTED TO SOME OLDER DOCUMENTATION WHICH I CAN FORWARD ON TO YOU.

I CAN SAY THAT TO DATE, WE HAVEN'T HAD TO ACTUALLY USE THIS SECTION OF THE BYLAW, SO I HAVEN'T HAD TO BRING THOSE FORWARD.

BUT YES, WE CAN COMMIT TO PROVIDING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

THANKS. YEAH, THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

UM, AND I GUESS SPEAKING TO THAT, NOT HAVING TO APPLY THIS OVER THE LIFESPAN OF THE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM, HOW MANY PROJECTS, DEVELOPERS, ORGANIZATIONS, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE PROGRAM? AND IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET A BREAKDOWN BY THE TYPE OF INCENTIVE? MS. BESSIE KELLY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION READILY AVAILABLE.

IT WOULD TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO PULL THAT TOGETHER.

I'LL ASK MS. CHARLSEY WHITE IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS OR CONFIRM.

THANKS. GREAT.

THANK YOU. IT WILL BE ALL INCLUDED AS PART OF WHEN WE BRING THIS TOGETHER.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE USE AS PART OF OUR ANALYSIS GOING THROUGH SO THAT I CAN ACTUALLY SAY NOBODY'S APPLIED FOR THE FOR THE LEAD.

RIGHT? I CAN SAY THAT RIGHT NOW I KNOW THE ANSWER, BUT IT'LL FORM THE RATIONALE AS TO WHY WE'RE EITHER CONTINUING WITH THE PROGRAM OR WE'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL THAT YOU CONSIDER SOME DIFFERENT OPTIONS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

THANK YOU. YEAH.

SOUNDS GOOD. YEAH.

DEFINITELY CURIOUS TO SEE THAT THAT DATA WHEN WE DIG INTO IT.

IN TERMS OF THE 1.2 MILLION, UM, POTENTIAL OR IMPROVED INCENTIVES, IS THAT FOR ONE YEAR AKA 2024, OR IS THAT FOR ALL FIVE YEARS THAT THE INCENTIVES WOULD APPLY? MS. BASSI-KELLETT MISS WHITE, THANK YOU.

SO, THE 1.2 MILLION I DID FOR THE FIVE YEARS, BECAUSE IF YOU APPLIED TODAY, YOU MAY NOT ACTUALLY COME FORWARD TO COUNCIL TO SAY I WANT THAT UP FRONT UNTIL THREE YEARS FROM NOW. SO, I TOOK IT AS A FIVE YEAR.

THE 1.2 ALSO INCLUDES 100,000 EACH YEAR FOR THE HOMELESSNESS PLAN AS WELL, NOT KNOWING IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT COUNCIL MAY HAVE A DELIBERATION ABOUT THIS YEAR.

SO, 500,000 OF IT IS THAT 100,000 PER YEAR.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

THANK YOU.

AND IF/WHEN WE CHANGE THESE INCENTIVES.

IF A PROJECT WAS APPROVED FOR AN INCENTIVE AS WRITTEN NOW AND THEN, THE INCENTIVE THAT WE CHANGE IT TO IS HIGHER.

[00:15:06]

AND WHAT I SAID TO THEM WAS APPLY.

NOW LET'S SEE WHAT YOU QUALIFY FOR.

NOW WE'LL MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE IT'S A PRELIMINARY APPROVAL.

BASICALLY SAYING, YES, MR. MCLENNAN, YOU MEET THE CRITERIA IN THE BYLAW.

THEREFORE, ONCE YOU MEET THE CONDITIONS, WHICH IS DOING THE BUILDING PERMIT, GETTING OCCUPANCY, ET CETERA, THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH YOUR INCENTIVE.

IF WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE NEW BYLAW AND SOMETHING GREATER, THERE'S NO REASON WHY THEY COULDN'T APPLY.

THEN IF IT WAS A BETTER INCENTIVE, WE WOULD THEN MAKE IT A CONDITION THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER APPLICABLE UNDER THE PREVIOUS BYLAW.

BUT IF FOR SOME REASON WE DIDN'T MOVE FORWARD WITH A SIMILAR INCENTIVE, HYPOTHETICALLY, THEN WE'RE STILL BOUND BY THE EXISTING TERMS OF OUR EXISTING BYLAW BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM.

RIGHT? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH. MAKES SENSE.

THANK YOU. AND TWO MORE.

ONE. SO, TALKING ABOUT BUDGET 2024 BRINGING THIS UP, THOSE 1.2 MILLION LIKE WE WERE BOUND IF THEY I GUESS IF WE APPROVED THE ONE YEAR UPFRONT, THAT'S DIFFERENT.

BUT WE'RE BOUND TO PROVIDE THAT MONEY SUBJECT TO THE 100,000 FOR THE DOWNTOWN BIT.

IS THERE ANY NEW MONEY THAT'S GOING TO BE ASKED FOR IN BUDGET 2024 FOR NEW INCENTIVES OR NO MS. BASSI-KELLETT DEFINITELY A THEME FOR DELIBERATION BY COUNCIL.

BUT MISS WHITE, AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, THE BASIC ANSWER IS NO.

SO, IF WE CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THAT 25% FROM THE PARKING FEES, THIS FUND IS SUSTAINABLE.

I WILL NOT BE AT PRESENT ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING GOING FORWARD, SUBJECT TO WHATEVER CHANGES WE MAKE IN THE NEW BYLAW.

THAT MAY CHANGE IN FUTURE YEARS.

BUT FOR 2024, THE ANSWER IS NO.

I'M NOT ASKING FOR MORE MONEY.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

AND THEN HAVING GONE THROUGH THE REVIEW AND THOSE DIFFERENT STEPS YOU LAID OUT.

IS THERE ANYTHING? LESSONS LEARNED OR A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT STAND OUT IN TERMS OF THE, THE OLD BYLAW AND WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO GET AT WITH A NEW BYLAW.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT? MS. WHITE? THANK YOU. I THINK SOME OF IT IS CYCLICAL WITH REGARDS TO JUST THE WAY THE ECONOMY IS.

IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FOR RESIDENTIAL AND AFFORDABLE RESIDENTIAL.

SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, I HAVEN'T SEEN THOSE APPLICATIONS.

IT'S MOSTLY BEEN FOR INDUSTRIAL RELOCATION.

AND THEN THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS IN THERE THAT I DON'T SEE HAVING HAD ANY APPLICATION EVER.

SO, THOSE ARE ONES THAT WE MAY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH CONSIDERING REMOVING THEM.

AND JUST A CASE IN POINT, I HAD A CONVERSATION RECENTLY WITH A DEVELOPMENT WITH A BOARD WHO WAS LOOKING TO REDEVELOP THEIR PROPERTY, AND I SUGGESTED, HEY, YOU'RE DOING THIS ENVIRONMENTAL UPGRADING AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY.

WE HAVE THIS LEAD PIECE UNDER OUR BYLAW.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED IT? HAVE YOU LOOKED AT IT? THEY SAID, YEAH, WE DID TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

AND OUR CONSULTANT HAS BASICALLY SAID IT'S WE CAN MAKE THE CHANGES AND BE ENERGY EFFICIENT WITHOUT ACTUALLY GETTING THE CERTIFICATION AND THE COST IS PROHIBITIVE.

SO, THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT ANYWAYS.

BUT OUR INCENTIVE TIES IT TO HAVING THAT CERTIFICATION.

SO JUST LOOKING AT THE LANGUAGE AND THE WAY IN WHICH WE'VE PRESENTED SOME OF OUR OPTIONS, MAYBE SOME TWEAKS.

SO, SOME MIGHT BE RECOMMENDING DROPPING, SOME MIGHT BE TO TWEAK, AND SOME MIGHT BE TO KEEP AND ENHANCE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO GO.

THANK YOU. AWESOME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.

I'VE COUNCILLOR WARBURTON THEN.

COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN.

UH, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU FOR PRESENTATION.

SO, JUST TO BE CLEAR RIGHT NOW, THAT HUNDRED-THOUSAND-DOLLAR HOMELESS EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM COMES OUT OF THIS FUND, CORRECT? IT'S THE DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT RESERVE.

AND THEN THERE'S DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES THAT ARE THE RESIDENTIAL INTENSIFICATION INCENTIVE THAT'S PAID-UP FRONT ALSO COMES FROM THE DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT RESERVE.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT? THANK YOU. THAT'S CORRECT.

MS. WHITE, ANYTHING TO ADD? NO, THAT IS CORRECT.

OKAY. SO, IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU'RE IT WOULD THAT WOULD YOU BE LOOKING FOR THAT TO CONTINUE OR IS THAT KIND OF SOMEWHAT UP A BUDGET.

I'M TRYING TO READ TEA LEAVES HERE A LITTLE BIT.

SO, MISS MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT COUNCIL IS AWARE OF WHAT SOME OF THE PREVIOUS COMMITMENTS HAVE BEEN AS YOU GO INTO BUDGET 2024, THAT YOU MAY WANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW SOME OF THESE KEY PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED.

MISS WHITE, ANYTHING TO ADD? THANK YOU. YES.

SO LOOKING FOR CONSISTENCY.

AS I MENTIONED IN MY PRESENTATION SOME YEARS COUNCIL HAS DIRECTED THAT THAT 25% NOT BE PUT IN THE PARKING REVENUE INTO THIS FEE.

SO I'M REQUESTING THAT YOU HAVE CONSIDERATION FOR CONSISTENT FUNDING GOING FORWARD.

AT PRESENT.

UM, THAT 100,000 IS KIND OF ALREADY WORKED INTO MY BUDGETING.

[00:20:03]

I JUST WANTED YOU TO BE AWARE.

AND IF THERE'S TALK ABOUT A DOWNTOWN CLEANUP PROGRAM, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND IS THAT ALSO FUNDED OUT OF HERE.

BECAUSE THAT MAY HAVE AN IMPACT.

SO, I JUST NEED TO KNOW AND WANTED YOU TO KNOW BEFORE YOU MADE THOSE DECISIONS.

THANK YOU.

THANKS. LAST QUESTION, AND I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY A BIT EARLY, BUT A ROUGH ETA AND WHEN WE'D SEE THIS BEAUTIFULLY DRAFTED DOCUMENT.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT? MS. WHITE? WHAT YOU WILL SEE FIRST WILL BE AN OPTIONS STATEMENT.

SO, AS I SAID, IT'LL BE LIKE A MENU OF HERE'S ALL THE AMAZING THINGS.

AND THEN I'LL SAY, WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO FOCUS ON.

WHAT DO YOU WANT US.

BECAUSE THERE'S GOING TO BE IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO BE ABOUT PLANNING, RIGHT.

SO, THERE'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES THAT ARE GOING TO BE IN THERE TOO.

SO, WE'RE GOING TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO GO ABOUT IT.

AND YOU CAN TELL US HOW YOU WANT TO FOCUS.

AND SOME OF THAT WILL BE ABLE TO DO WITH FUNDING THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.

AND SOME OF IT, FINGERS CROSSED, WILL HAVE FUNDING FROM ELSEWHERE.

AND IF NOT, THEN WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

GREAT. THANK YOU.

DO WE HAVE A TIMELINE FOR COMING TO GPC? MS. BASSI-KELLETT? MS. WHITE? SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE ANSWERED THAT.

UH, SO I'VE BEEN WAITING TO HEAR ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE.

BUT HONESTLY, I THINK WAITING ANOTHER MONTH OR TWO AND THAT'S IT.

WE SHOULD COME FORWARD TO GPC AND IT'LL BE AFTER BUDGET.

SO, END OF FEBRUARY, BEGINNING OF MARCH.

I THINK THAT'S THE LATEST. WE SHOULD WAIT.

UM, AND AT THAT POINT, WE JUST CARRY ON.

THANK YOU. PERFECT.

COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN, THEN COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

I'M GOOD. MY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED AND ANSWERED.

PERFECT COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

THANKS, MADAM CHAIR.

YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

THAT WAS REALLY GOOD. YOU ANSWERED ALL MY QUESTIONS, TOO, ABOUT TIMING.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO THIS YET, BUT I KNOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE MENU, THE OPTIONS, BEST PRACTICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

AND YOU JUST ALLUDED TO IT IN YOUR LAST RESPONSE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE THINKING OF DEV INCENTIVES AS WELL.

SO, I MEAN, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THERE'S BEEN TALK OVER THE YEARS ABOUT OPENING WATERFRONT UP AND COMMERCIAL GARDENS AND BASICALLY EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING.

AND I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE BYLAW IS REALLY LOOKING OUTSIDE THE BOX, TOO, AT THOSE TYPES OF THINGS AS WELL.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT? MS. WHITE? THANK YOU. I'LL PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF AN ANSWER, BUT MAYBE I'LL ASK MS. THISTLE IF SHE WANTS TO ADD SOME PIECES, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER WITH HER AND HER STAFF ON THIS IN PARTICULAR.

BUT YEAH, SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT OPENING UP NEW LAND BECAUSE THAT IS A WHOLE OTHER PROCESS.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPMENT OF LAND THAT PEOPLE ALREADY OWN FOR ECONOMIC INITIATIVES, THEN I WOULD SAY THAT THAT IS YES ON THE LIST, BUT I'LL LET CARRIE PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THAT.

THANK YOU. THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.

YEAH. OUR DEPARTMENT HAVE BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY TOGETHER, RECOGNIZING THAT THESE ISSUES ARE CLOSELY RELATED.

ALSO, WE SAW THE COVID GRANT HAD HUGE UPTAKE IN INTEREST, AND THAT FUNDING IS ALL EXPENDED NOW EXCEPT FOR THE BIT THAT WE'RE USING THIS YEAR TO WAIVE BUSINESS LICENSE FEES. SO DEFINITELY AS PART OF THE PRESENTATION AND OPTIONS WILL BE INCLUDING SOME WAYS THAT WE CAN SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THESE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES. THANK YOU.

GREAT. THANK YOU AND DEFINITELY HAPPY TO HEAR THE OPTIONS KIND OF APPROACH AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC AND TARGETED ENGAGEMENT FOLLOWING THAT, I THINK THAT WILL BE REALLY BENEFICIAL AND THAT'S WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR PAYNE.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

THE SEVEN-YEAR DECLINING ABATEMENT FOR THE INDUSTRIAL RELOCATION.

IS THAT TIED TO SPECIFIC AREAS OF TOWN THAT THE BUSINESS CURRENTLY EXISTS? LIKE, AND WHAT AREAS WOULD THAT BE? MS. BASSI-KELLETT? MS. WHITE? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.

AND THE ANSWER IS YES.

SO, WHAT WE HAVE IS LOOKING FOR INDUSTRIAL USES THAT ARE CURRENTLY ALONG OLD AIRPORT ROAD AND TRYING TO HELP FACILITATE THEIR MOVEMENT INTO ANGLE, WHICH AS WE ALL KNOW, WE'VE RECENTLY JUST OPENED SOME NEW LOTS UP IN THAT AREA.

AND WHAT IT IS, THERE'S A FEW TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

SO, THE NEW PROPERTY ALSO HAS TO HAVE AN INCREASE IN VALUE OF $500,000 TO THAT PROPERTY THAT THEY PURCHASED.

SO, THERE'S SOME OTHER TERMS AS WELL.

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT MOVING FROM ONE PLACE TO THE OTHER, BUT THIS HAS BEEN THE PROGRAM'S LARGEST NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE ACTUALLY FOLLOWED THROUGH TO COMPLETION.

YES. OKAY.

THANK YOU.

SO, WE HAVE I'M LOOKING AT THE RESIDENTIAL OPTIONS FOR TAX ABATEMENT.

I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT YEAR IT WAS, BUT WE MADE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO DO SECONDARY SUITES ON THEIR PROPERTIES, ON THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.

OR WOULD THOSE BE OPEN FOR ANY SORT OF TAX ABATEMENT AT ALL? MS. BASSI-KELLET? MISS WHITE?

[00:25:01]

UH, THE ANSWER IS SHORT FORM.

NO, NOT AT PRESENT.

BUT I KNOW WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE THERE IS INTEREST OUT THERE, AND SPECIFICALLY I CAN I'VE BEEN KEEPING TRACK.

I HAVE A LIST OF 15 WHO HAVE SAID, HEY, LIKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S GIVING US 7000.

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU COULD GIVE US? AND SO IT'S ACTUALLY ON THE LIST OF THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR THE NEXT VERSION OF THIS BYLAW.

THANK YOU. PERFECT.

THAT'S. YEAH. THAT'S GREAT. I THINK IT'S A PRETTY GOOD OPTION FOR PEOPLE NOW WHO, YOU KNOW, PARENTS GETTING OLDER, KIDS AGING OUT OF THEIR BEDROOM IN THE HOUSE, SO, LIKE, TO STICK THEM SOMEWHERE ELSE BUT, YEAH, I'LL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT CONVERSATION.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

I JUST HAD A FEW THINGS FOR THE PRESENTATION.

LOOK FORWARD TO THE MENU COMING FORWARD.

THE ONE IS THE HERITAGE COMMITTEE BACK IN 2020 AND 2021 WAS LOOKING TO ENGAGE ON THE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE BYLAW, PARTICULARLY THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION SECTION.

SO JUST WONDERING IF WE'RE LOOKING TO SET UP A MEETING WITH THE HERITAGE COMMITTEE TO ENGAGE ON THAT SECTION.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. MISS WHITE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND SO, ANSWER IS YES, BUT THERE'S TWO PIECES TO IT.

SO, THE FIRST PART IS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE HERITAGE COMMITTEE IS ACTUALLY WORKING ON KIND OF THEIR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES.

AND I BELIEVE THAT. BE THE SAME THING.

SO, WE'RE GOING TO COME TO COUNCIL OR GPC AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.

WE'LL ALSO BE HAVING IT WITH HERITAGE COMMITTEE, AND WE'LL CONSIDER IT AS PART OF KIND OF OUR OVERALL CONSULTATION.

SO, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S A NUMBER OF TARGETED OR FOCUS GROUPS.

THEY WOULD BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THAT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

AND YOU TOUCHED ON IT WITH YOUR LAST ANSWER WITH A LITTLE BIT ON YOUR LAST ANSWER WITH COUNCILLOR PAYNE.

BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE BYLAW IS RECOGNIZING THAT A LOT OF THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS REQUIRE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUNICIPALITY, INSTEAD OF STUFF HAVING TO ALWAYS COME TO COUNCIL, IF IT'S OUTLINED IN THE BYLAW, WHAT ADMIN CAN PROVIDE, THEN WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, POINT APPLICANTS THERE, WHICH I KNOW WE DID FOR THE YWCA FOR THEIR BUILDS.

IT'S LIKE, YEP, YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS.

AND THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT IN THEIR FUNDING APPLICATION AND GET MONEY.

SO, HOPING TO SEE SOMETHING AROUND THAT.

AND THEN ALSO LOOKING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THE FUND HAS A LIE.

THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT RESERVE HAS A POTENTIAL LIABILITY OF 1.2 MILLION OR AS A POTENTIAL LIABILITY OF ZERO.

SO, JUST LOOKING TO SEE WHETHER, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN INCENTIVE IF IT'S UP FRONT OR WHETHER THE ANNUAL IS OKAY. BECAUSE IF MOST PEOPLE ARE LIKE I CAN HANDLE GETTING IT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, THEN COUNCIL DOESN'T REALLY HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION. WELL, WE ALWAYS SHOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT WE MIGHT HAVE $719,000 TO SPEND.

IF WE KNOW THAT REALLY PEOPLE ARE OKAY WITH GETTING IT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

SO, LOOKING TO SEE A BIT MORE, UM, JUSTIFICATION OF ONE WAY OR THAT, LIKE MAYBE WE, WE DON'T EVEN OFFER THE, THE UPFRONT COST IF IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SOMETHING FOR PEOPLE.

SO, I THINK THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS AND KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SIGNALING OUT THERE FOR WHAT I'M LOOKING TO SEE IN THE NEXT ONE.

BUT COUNCILLOR MCGURK.

YEAH. SO, I JUST HAVE A VERY QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE LEED CERTIFICATION BECAUSE YOU MENTIONED THAT PEOPLE HAD FOUND THAT THAT PROCESS WAS COST PROHIBITIVE.

I UNDERSTAND IT'S LIKE, IT'S AN EXPENSIVE THING BUT I GUESS I'M WONDERING IF WE ARE LOOKING OR CONSIDERING, LIKE, REMOVING IT OR CHANGING IT.

ADJUSTING IT.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT WOULD BE NICE TO UNDERSTAND IF THERE WAS, LIKE, A SPECIFIC REASON WHY LEED WAS CHOSEN.

I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE COMMUNITY INCENTIVES, LIKE THE LEED HAS INCENTIVES TO HAVE COMMUNITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES ENGAGE IN THE PROCESS.

AND SO, I'M NOT SURE IF LIKE HISTORICALLY THAT WAS CHOSEN SPECIFICALLY.

AND THEN, ALSO I'M WONDERING IF OR WHAT SORT OF IF WE WERE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO INCENTIVIZE, INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO BUILD BETTER BUILDINGS. WHAT STANDARD WE WOULD FOLLOW IN THAT CASE AS WE DON'T HAVE A BUILDING ACT.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. YES.

LOADED QUESTIONS AND YEAH, ABSOLUTELY THINGS WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT MISS WHITE.

THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO TRY AND ANSWER AN ORDER.

[00:30:02]

SO, THE FIRST ANSWER IS WITH REGARD TO WHY LEED WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE IT IS AN INTERNATIONAL STANDARD.

AND IT TIES INTO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AT THAT TIME.

SO, REMEMBER THIS WAS 2009 AND IT WAS UPDATED, I BELIEVE I WAS TRYING TO LOOK IT SAYS 2015, BUT DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT.

SO, IT'S A STANDARD THAT MOST PEOPLE OR CONTRACTORS CAN QUOTE TO AND THEN BUILD TO OUR BUILDING BYLAW, WHICH WE DO HAVE IN PLACE, WAS UPDATED.

UM, OUR ENERGY STANDARDS ACTUALLY EXCEED SOME OF THE NATIONAL STANDARDS THAT ARE OUT THERE.

SO, THAT'S A GOOD THING FOR ANY BUILD THAT IS IN THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

UM, NOT NECESSARILY TO THE LEED STANDARD.

RIGHT. AND YOU'RE RIGHT. THE COST OF HAVING THAT LEED CERTIFICATION AND GOING THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES IS I UNDERSTAND I HAVEN'T DONE IT MYSELF, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS QUITE EXPENSIVE.

SO, THEY JUST SAID IN THE CONVERSATION THAT THEY COULD MEET AND CREATE ENERGY EFFICIENCY WITHOUT HAVING TO ACTUALLY GET THE STAMP.

AND I SAID, OKAY, SO GOING FORWARD, NOT JUST ABOUT LEED, BUT ALSO OTHER CLIMATE MITIGATION AND WAYS THAT WE CAN ADAPT TO WHAT IS CHANGING AND WAYS THAT WE CAN INCENT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT, NOT JUST WITH REGARDS TO THE DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE BYLAW, BUT ALSO WITH REGARDS TO THE NEW CLIMATE CHANGE PLAN. SO, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT COMMUNITY AND CORPORATE ENERGY PLAN AND MAKE THAT A PART OF THAT BIGGER PLAN.

SO, IT'S GOING TO KIND OF FOLD TOGETHER AND KIND OF CREATE THIS CONNECTIVITY.

THE OTHER PIECE I DO WANT TO SAY IS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WHATEVER INCENTIVES WE PUT IN HERE ARE STACKABLE.

AND I'M SURE THAT'S BEEN A COMPLAINT ACROSS ANY.

I KNOW FOR US AS A CORPORATION.

SO I DON'T WANT TO PASS THAT ON TO PEOPLE WHO ARE THEN COMING TO US FOR AN INCENTIVE AND BE LIKE, OH, BUT YEAH, YOU CAN'T.

IF YOU'RE GETTING THIS, YOU CAN'T GET OURS.

I WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE HAVE THOSE OPTIONS.

AND I THINK ALSO THAT MIGHT BE WHY SOME OF THIS LEAD WAS PUT IN, BECAUSE THERE WERE PREVIOUSLY WAYS TO MIX AND MATCH FUNDING.

THANK YOU. YEAH.

OKAY. THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S HELPFUL.

THANK YOU.

I GUESS I'M JUST.

I'M JUST, LIKE, WEARY OF BUILDERS CLAIMING THAT THEY ARE MEETING A CERTAIN ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARD OR EVEN ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS NOT NECESSARILY LIKE A GOOD GREEN BUILDING.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR THAT.

SO, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT SORT OF YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ON THAT.

THANK YOU.

SEEING NOTHING FURTHER.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE UPDATE.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, THE OPTIONS DISCUSSION AT THE END OF FEBRUARY, BEGINNING OF MARCH.

NEXT UP WE HAVE OOPS.

[5. A memorandum regarding 2023 Third Quarter Forecast and Variance Report.]

WE'VE GOT THIS THIS WEEK AND THEN BUDGET 2024 NEXT WEEK.

BUT SO MAYBE IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THIS FRESH IN OUR MIND.

BUT A REMINDER THAT WORK HAS HAPPENED SINCE THIRD QUARTER, SO YEAH, LOTS TO CONSIDER.

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

AND THAT'S. YES, EXACTLY THE CONUNDRUM THAT WE FOUND OURSELVES IN.

SO OBVIOUSLY THE CITY, WE STILL CONTINUE TO FEEL THE REVERBERATIONS OF WHAT A TUMULTUOUS YEAR 2023 WAS IN MANY WAYS.

AND THAT INCLUDES, OF COURSE, BRINGING FORWARD TO GPC THE THIRD QUARTER VARIANCE FOR THE 2023 FISCAL YEAR.

SO AS GPC KNOWS, WE TYPICALLY DO VARIANCE REPORTING SO THAT WE CAN SHOW ACTUAL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES AT REGULAR MILESTONES, QUARTERLY MILESTONES AS COMPARED TO WHAT WAS ACTUALLY ANTICIPATED IN THE BUDGET IN BUDGET 2023, IN THIS CASE.

AND SO, AS WE LOOK AT OUR FINANCIAL STATUS ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2023, WE KNOW THAT WE WERE STILL FIGURING OUT AS THE DUST SETTLED ON SO MANY THINGS THAT HAD HAPPENED IN THAT YEAR.

IT IS REALLY, REALLY UNUSUAL TO BE BRINGING FORWARD OUR THIRD QUARTER VARIANCE IN 2024 AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

SO, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR UNDERSTANDING AROUND THIS VERY STRANGE CONTEXT THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN.

I REALLY WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SERVICES KATHY PANDYA AND THE SMALL BUT MIGHTY TEAM IN FINANCE, INCLUDING LISA VASS, OUR MANAGER OF FINANCE HERE TODAY WITH US FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK AND PULLING THIS TOGETHER WITH SO MANY CURVEBALLS THROWN AT US OVER THE PAST YEAR IN 2023.

SO, I'LL HAND THINGS OVER NOW TO KATHY TO MAKE A PRESENTATION ON THE Q3 BUDGET VARIANCE FOR 2023.

[00:35:06]

SORRY, I ALREADY SAID HAPPY NEW YEAR, SO I JUST WANTED TO CHANGE.

I'M QUITE EXCITED TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU BACK WITH MY NEW TOM CRUISE HAIRCUT.

AND WHAT A WAY TO START THE YEAR WITH THIS PRESENTATION.

IT'S DEFINITELY SETTING THE TONE IN THE COMING FOR THE COMING SIX WEEKS WITH BUDGET 2024 ON THE CARDS. TODAY'S PRESENTATION SUPPORTS THE 2020 THREE THIRD QUARTER FORECAST AND VARIANCE REPORT THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED.

HOWEVER, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO LOOK AT HOW THIS PRESENTATION IS STRUCTURED, I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THE CONTEXT FIRST, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME CRITICAL, CRITICAL ASPECTS THAT WE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN READING THE REPORT, AS OTHERWISE OUR PERSPECTIVE WOULD BE SKEWED.

THE FIRST POINT TO CONSIDER IS TIMING.

AS MS. BASSI-KELLETT SAID, THE THIRD QUARTER FORECAST AND VARIANCE REPORT ARE USUALLY PRESENTED AROUND OCTOBER EVERY YEAR.

SO, IN NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, THE TIMING DIFFERENCE IS ALMOST INEXISTENT, AND THE REPORT IS THE VERY CLOSE REFLECTION OF REALITY.

HOWEVER, TODAY WE ARE THE 8TH OF JANUARY AND WHAT THE REALITY WAS AT THE TIME IS NOT THE SAME TODAY WHEN YOU WILL BE READING THE REPORTS.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, AS MINOR AS IT IS, EVEN THE LANGUAGE TO BE USED FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE FORECAST AND VARIANCE REPORTS BECAME IMPORTANT TO TRY TO ENSURE THAT THE RIGHT MESSAGE WAS BEING CONVEYED AND RECEIVED.

DUE TO THIS TIMING DIFFERENCE.

ANOTHER FACT TO REMEMBER IS THAT 2023 WAS NOT A NORMAL YEAR, AND THE FIGURES HAVE BEEN IMPACTED HEAVILY BY THE EXCEPTIONAL EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE.

THE LAST DETAIL TO CONTEMPLATE IS THAT FINANCE IS STILL UNDERSTAFFED, AND WORK IS STILL ONGOING TO CAPTURE AND CLOSE ALL TRANSACTIONS FOR 2023, SOME OF WHICH MIGHT PROBABLY INFLUENCE NUMBERS ON THIS REPORT.

JUST TO TELL YOU THAT THE EXCEPTIONAL CONTEXT OF 2023 HAS ADDED EXTRA LAYERS OF COMPLEXITY, BUT I BELIEVE ACKNOWLEDGING THE ABOVE-MENTIONED FACTORS WOULD GIVE US A BETTER LENS FOR THIS PRESENTATION, AS WELL AS FOR INTERPRETING THE VARIANCE REPORT.

LET'S SEE.

NOW THAT WE HAVE CLARIFIED THE CONTEXT, WE WILL NOW ATTEMPT TO TOUCH ON THE MAIN EXPECTED OPERATING AND CAPITAL VARIANCES THAT AROSE IN 2023.

THE CARRY FORWARD BALANCES AND HOW WE ANTICIPATE FUNDING THOSE CARRY FORWARD PROJECTS.

AND FINALLY, WE WILL REVISIT THE NOTION OF ACCUMULATED SURPLUSES, WHICH IS SUCH A GREAT SOURCE OF MISUNDERSTANDING AND MIS MISINTERPRETATION.

I WAS GOING TO SAY BIG SOURCE OF PAIN.

JUST A SIDE NOTE, THAT I WILL BE REFERENCING 30TH SEPTEMBER 2023 NUMEROUS TIMES AS THE SEPTEMBER 2023 ACTUAL NUMBERS HAVE BEEN USED AS THE BASE TO FORECAST THE OPERATIONS AND CAPITAL FIGURES FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2023.

AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, EXCEPTIONAL EVENTS IN 2023 IMPACTED OUR FINANCIAL NUMBERS.

THE GOVERNMENT THE GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND TRANSFERS HAVE BEEN FORECASTED TO INCREASE BY 5.6 MILLION, AS THIS INCLUDES 5.4 MILLION OF WILDFIRE COST RECOVERY.

AS I NOTE, AS OF 30TH SEPTEMBER 2023, THE TOTAL COST OF WILDFIRES ON OUR BOOKS WERE 10.8 MILLION, OF WHICH WE HAVE ESTIMATED TO RECOVER 50% FROM.

THE HIGHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT INCOME ARE SHOWING AN INCREASE OF 4.1 MILLION, NOT JUST BECAUSE WE HAD AN EXCEPTIONALLY LARGER BANK BALANCE, AS WE WERE NOT ABLE TO SPEND ENOUGH CASH DUE TO PROJECT DELAYS, BUT ALSO BECAUSE INTEREST RATES FOLLOWED AN UPWARD TRAJECTORY FOR 2024. THIS ITEM WOULD BE TRICKY TO BUDGET BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN REPORTS BY EXPERTS PREDICTING THAT RATES IN 2024 WILL GO DOWN, AND THE SAME EXPERTS IN A DIFFERENT REPORT IN THE NEXT MONTH SAY IT WILL GO UP.

SO, IN REALITY, NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHERE RATES WILL BE IN 2024.

GOVERNMENT GRANTS RELATING TO CAPITAL EXPENSES HAVE UNDERSTANDABLY BEEN REVISED TO COME IN LOWER THAN THE BUDGETED 44 MILLION.

AS WE ARE NOT ABLE TO MAKE A LOT OF PROGRESS ON NUMEROUS PROJECTS DUE TO CONSTRUCTION DELAYS AND FACILITY CLOSURES CAUSED BY A SHORTAGE OF

[00:40:03]

IN THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES, USER FEE COLLECTIONS WERE LOWER BY 866,000 THAN WHAT WAS ANTICIPATED.

HOWEVER, DEVELOPMENT LEVIES, LICENSES AND PERMITS WERE TRENDING UPWARD AS TWO LARGE PROJECTS HAD OBTAINED THEIR PERMITS.

OVERALL, TOTAL REVENUE VARIATION WAS EXPECTED TO BE A POSITIVE OF 2.3 MILLION.

ON THE OTHER HAND, OPERATIONS EXPENSES WERE PROJECTED TO BE 3.6 MILLION MORE THAN BUDGETED.

AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, AS OF 30TH SEPTEMBER 2023, 10.7 MILLION IS ANTICIPATED.

COSTS WERE INCURRED IN WILDFIRE PROTECTION MEASURES, PROMPTING THE CONTRACTOR, THE GENERAL SERVICES, TO INCREASE EXPONENTIALLY POWER AND FUEL STAFF COSTS.

MINOR CAPITAL EXPENSES AND LANDFILL CLOSURE COSTS.

WERE ALL TRENDING UNDER BUDGET, BUT FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.

WHILE A LOWER USAGE IMPACTED THE UTILITY COST, THE SALARIES, WAGES AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS WERE ANTICIPATED TO BE LOWER DUE TO STAFF VACANCIES. A VARIANCE OF 2.6 MILLION WAS BEING REPORTED, WHICH IS REFLECTIVE OF A TOTAL OF 25 FULL TIME VACANCIES ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION.

A REDUCTION OF 4 MILLION IN MINOR CAPITAL EXPENSES WAS BEING REPORTED.

THIS IS BASED ON A CALCULATION OF 15% OF THE 2023 CAPITAL BUDGET, BUT THIS AMOUNT WILL VARY ON THE ACTUALS AT THE YEAR END.

LASTLY, AS WE KNOW NOW, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ASSET RETIREMENT OBLIGATION HAS INFLUENCED THE LANDFILL CLOSURE COST POSITIVELY.

AND FOR 2023, THIS ITEM DROPPED BY 720,000.

AS A REMINDER, WITH ADDITIONAL WORK UNDERTAKEN BY OUR EXCEPTIONAL STAFF AT THE SOLID WASTE FACILITY, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LIFE OF THE SITE HAS BEEN EXTENDED AND HENCE THE LOWER AMOUNT THAN PREVIOUSLY RECORDED WAS NEEDED TO BE SET ASIDE TOWARDS CLOSURE AND POST CLOSURE COSTS.

THE NET. OPERATING RESULTS FOR 2023 WAS PROJECTED TO BE 1.3 MILLION LOWER THAN BUDGETED, WHICH TRANSLATES INTO A DROP OF 6%. WHILE EVEN WITH THE FORECASTED REDUCTION IN THE ANNUAL SURPLUS, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE FUNDS TO SPEND FREELY. THIS IS NOT TOTALLY THE CASE.

WE SHOULD NOTE THAT, FIRSTLY, THE 2023 FUNDS HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED BY ONE OFF REVENUES BETWEEN INVERTED COMMAS, LIKE THE ANTICIPATED RECOVERY OF COSTS IN RELATION TO THE WILDFIRES AND HIGHER THAN NORMAL INTEREST INCOME.

AND SECONDLY, A HUGE PART OF THESE FUNDS ARE ALREADY COMMITTED TOWARDS COMPLETION OF PROJECTS.

I DO REALIZE THAT THE TERM ANNUAL SURPLUS AND ACCUMULATED SURPLUS ARE OFTEN A SOURCE OF CONFUSION AND DEBATE, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWING OUR SYSTEMS, PRACTICES AND PROCESSES, INCLUDING BUDGET, TO IMPROVE OUR REPORTS AND BUDGETING TO MAKE SURE THAT MISINTERPRETATIONS, IF ANY, ARE MINIMIZED OR EVEN BETTER, ELIMINATED.

IN RELATION TO CAPITAL EXPENSES.

IT WAS NO SURPRISE THAT THERE WERE VARIANCES GIVEN THE WAY 2023 UNFOLDED FROM THE COMMUNITY SERVICES LAND CAPITAL PROJECTS VARIANCES OF 1.6 MILLION. AQUATIC CENTERS 30.3 MILLION.

TO LIFT STATION ONE.

REPLACEMENTS 3 MILLION.

WE HAD A TOTAL OF AROUND 58 MILLION IN CAPITAL VARIANCES, AND HAVING CAPITAL VARIANCES ALMOST ALWAYS GIVES RISE TO CARRY FORWARDS THE NEXT YEAR, AS THE INTENT IS ALWAYS TO TRY TO COMPLETE THESE PENDING PROJECTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

THE CITY HAS ALWAYS HAD CARRY FORWARD BECAUSE FROM YEAR TO YEAR.

BUT SINCE 2020, WITH THE PANDEMIC, THE CARRY FORWARDS HAVE BEEN INCREASING AT DRASTIC RATES.

IT MIGHT BE SURPRISING THAT MORE THAN TWO YEARS AFTER COVID 19, WE ARE STILL LIVING IN ITS SHADOWS.

DISRUPTION IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN, EVER SHIFTING ECONOMIC INDICATORS, HIGH COST AND THE SHIFT IN PRIORITIES OF QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES HAVE HAD A HUGE NEGATIVE IMPACT IN THE CARRY FORWARD OF PROJECTS.

IN MY SHORT SPELL HERE, I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE UP CLOSE THE COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION OF THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM, AS WELL AS THE PRIDE WITH WHICH ALL CITY STAFF EXECUTE THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES.

HOWEVER, THE EXTERNAL PRESSURES THAT I HAVE MENTIONED ARE FAR BEYOND EVEN THEIR CONTROL AND ALL THEY CAN DO IS THEIR USUAL BEST.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE TOTAL CARRYFORWARDS OF 2023 WAS PLANNED TO BE AROUND 57 MILLION, WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE AQUATIC

[00:45:05]

THE SILENT CONFIDENCE THAT THIS FIGURE WILL GRADUALLY DECREASE.

ALSO, ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN TRIAGING PROJECTS ON A PRIORITY BASIS TO TRY TO CURB THE AMOUNT OF CARRY FORWARDS.

BUT LOOKING AT THE LIST OF CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE COMING ON THE TO DO LIST IN THE NEAR FUTURE, AS WELL AS WITH ASSET MANAGEMENT INFORMING OUR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT. HOPEFULLY BY 2026.

I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS NUMBER WILL EVER GO BACK TO PRE 2020 FIGURES.

BESIDES, WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE ECONOMIC CLIMATE AND THE WAY OF DOING BUSINESS TODAY IS VERY, VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE ONES THAT EXISTED FIVE YEARS AGO.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS A BALANCING ACT BETWEEN WHAT WE WANT AND WHAT WE NEED IN TERMS OF CAPITAL PROJECTS.

CORRESPONDINGLY, FUNDS STRUCTURED AS FOLLOWS ARE EXPECTED TO BE CARRIED OVER TO 2024 TO FINANCE THESE CARRY FORWARD EXPENSES.

A LOAN OF 10 MILLION WAS RECEIVED FOR THE AQUATIC CENTER IN 2022, OF WHICH 3.2 MILLION STILL REMAINS.

INTERNAL TRANSFERS OF 37,000 FROM THE IT RESERVE, 4.8 MILLION FROM THE LAND DEVELOPMENT FUND AND 751,000 FROM THE MAJOR COMMUNITY FACILITY RESERVE.

A CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF 32 MILLION OF GOVERNMENT GRANTS RECEIVED OVER THE YEARS THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN SPENT, BECAUSE THEY COMMITTED SPECIFICALLY TOWARDS SOME OF THESE MENTIONED CARRY FORWARD PROJECTS, USER FEES AND CHARGES OF 2.2 MILLION AND FINALLY 13.6 MILLION OF GOVERNMENT GRANTS, WHICH WE EXPECT TO SUBMIT CLAIMS FOR ONCE THE EXPENSES HAVE BEEN INCLUDED.

CLAIMS OF 5.3 MILLION 812,007.5 MILLION WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE COMMUNITY PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE FUND.

THE DMAP AND ISEP, RESPECTIVELY.

HAVING SAID THAT, WE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT LONG TERM CAPITAL PLANNING IN A PRESENTATION ON JANUARY 22ND.

SO, YOU'LL BE SEEING A LOT OF ME.

LASTLY, EVEN IF HE HAD LOOKED AT WHAT ACCUMULATED SURPLUS WAS IN THE PRESENTATION IN THE GPC MEETING OF OCTOBER 30TH, 2023.

I BELIEVE AS WE HEAD INTO BUDGET 2024 DISCUSSIONS, IT WOULD BE IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO BRIEFLY TOUCH ON THIS TOPIC.

AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED IN ONE OF THE EARLIER SLIDES, ACCUMULATED SURPLUS IS SUCH A THORN, WHICH LEADS TO VARIOUS INTERPRETATIONS AND CONFUSIONS.

A YEARLY ACCUMULATION OF POSITIVE BALANCES ON THE STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS, COMBINED WITH AN OVERALL INCREASE IN THE VALUE OF ASSETS, NET FINANCIAL AND NON-FINANCIAL, AND ITS RESERVES, SHOWS THE INCREASE IN THE TOTAL NET WORTH OF THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATION.

ON THE OTHER HAND, SUCCESSIVE YEARLY NEGATIVE BALANCES ON THE STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS WILL CREATE AN EROSION OF VALUE AND MIGHT STRAIN OUR ACTIVITIES AND JEOPARDIZE OUR FINANCIAL HEALTH IF IT BECOMES UNMANAGEABLE.

FOR EXAMPLE, ASSUMING EVERYTHING ELSE STAYS THE SAME, AND WE ONLY HAD THE POSITIVE BALANCE OF 18.9 MILLION SHOWN ON THE FORECAST AND VARIANCE REPORT TO ACCOUNT FOR THE NEW NET WORTH OF THE CITY WILL BE 382 MILLION.

OF COURSE, THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE CITY HAS 382 MILLION TO SPEND.

AN EASY WAY TO LOOK AT IT IS THROUGH A VERY SIMPLE EXAMPLE OF HOUSE OWNERSHIP.

WHEN WE OWNED THE HOUSE, THAT THE VALUE OF THE HOUSE GOES UP BY 25,000.

IT DOES NOT IMPLY THAT WE NOW HAVE 25,000 EXTRA TO SPEND ON VACATION, FANCY TOYS, OR EVEN BETTER, DONATED TO CAFFEE'S HAIRCUT FUND.

WHY? IT'S SIMPLE.

BECAUSE AN INCREASE IN OUR NET WORTH.

THROUGH THE HOUSE DOES NOT HAVE A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN OUR BANK BALANCE.

AND THE SAME IS TRUE FOR THE CITY.

FORTUNATELY, OR UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS HOW IT IS.

AND AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO THE BALANCING ACT AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 381 MILLION IS THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SERVICES.

IN THE MIDTERM AND THE LONG TERM.

HENCE AS A MUNICIPAL BODY.

WHEN IT COMES TO THIS PARTICULAR ELEMENT, WE NEED TO PROCEED IN A CONSERVATIVE MANNER WITH A LONG-TERM PERSPECTIVE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. PANDU, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT WEEK, IN THE WEEK AFTER.

[00:50:02]

COUNCILLOR COCHRANE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

UH, ON BALL, AS ALWAYS.

JUST TO GO BACK TO THE REVIEW OF PROCESS THAT YOU ARE SPEAKING ABOUT HERE WITH ACCUMULATED SURPLUS, ARE YOU COMMITTED TO HAVING THAT DONE BY NEXT VARIANCE? BECAUSE IT'S MAKING ME THINK THAT WE'RE NOT REALLY UP TO BEST PRACTICES RIGHT NOW.

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

AND CERTAINLY, IT'S ROLLING INTO AND INFORMING A LOT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AROUND BUDGET 2024.

BUT I WILL ASK MR. PANDU IF HE WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND TO THIS.

SORRY I MISSED THE FIRST PART.

WAS IT ABOUT TIMELINE? NO, WE DON'T.

I MEAN, I'LL START BY REPLYING TO THE SECOND QUESTION FIRST.

WE DO HAVE BEST PRACTICES.

WE ARE FOLLOWING THEM.

IT'S JUST AS ANYTHING ELSE.

THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, WHETHER IT'S REPORTING WISE, HOW WE CONVEY THE MESSAGE AND HOW WE KIND OF PRESENT EVERYTHING.

SO, WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS RATHER THAN OVERHAULING BIG OVERHAULS.

NOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT IN A VERY SUBTLE WAY IN 2024, BUT IT WILL CERTAINLY NOT BE THERE FOR BUDGET 2024.

IT WILL BE THERE IN 2025.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AND I DO APOLOGIZE. I WASN'T TRYING TO INFER THAT SECOND PART OF THE QUESTION, ANY PART OF THESE PROCESS CHANGES THAT WILL HAVE TO COME TO OUR COUNCIL FOR DECISIONS, OR IS IT PURELY GOING TO BE INTERNAL? MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

AND BEFORE I HAND IT TO MR. PENDO, I WILL SAY THAT WE REALLY, REALLY LOOK TO COUNCIL TO PROVIDE THE OVERSIGHT ON THE FISCAL POSITION OF THE CITY.

AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING INFORMATION IN A WAY THAT CAN ENABLE YOU TO MAKE THOSE SOLID DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT ELEMENT OF RISK YOU'RE WILLING TO TAKE AND WHERE THE REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR US TO ALLOCATE OUR RESOURCES.

SO AS MR. PANDU AND THE TEAM ARE LOOKING AT THIS, THEY'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT HOW TO DO THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF ENSURING THE BEST DECISION MAKING POSSIBLE.

MR. PANDU, OVER TO YOU.

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

NO, THE CHANGES OR THE, IN TERMS OF SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES JUST GOING TO BE INTERNAL.

HOWEVER, IF THERE ARE COST IMPLICATIONS, BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS, THEY WILL CERTAINLY COME TO COUNCIL.

PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.

I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE SO THE 2023 FORECAST COLUMN IN TABLE TWO OF THE PACKAGE LAND SALES, THE ACTUAL NUMBER IS HIGHER THAN THE FORECAST.

SO JUST CURIOUS, UM, WHY THAT IS MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

AND I'LL SPEAK AS A LAY PERSON BEFORE I HAND IT OVER TO BOTH MR. PANDU AND MISS WHITE.

BUT WE CERTAINLY FIND THAT WE ANTICIPATE EACH YEAR WHAT WE THINK IN THE BUDGET, UH, THAT WE WILL SEE AS THESE TARGETS FOR WHAT WE ANTICIPATE THE BUDGET IS, OF COURSE, A PLANNING DOCUMENT.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE UTILIZE TO LOOK AT WHAT WE ANTICIPATE BEING BASED ON THE KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE OF PREVIOUS YEARS AND ANTICIPATED ACTIONS THAT WE EXPECT TO HAPPEN IN 2023.

SO, THE BEST LAID PLANS OF MICE AND MEN AT TIMES WE DO HAVE THE ACTUALS THAT ARE EXCEEDING WHAT WE HAD PREDICTED.

THAT CAN BE A GOOD THING IF IT'S REVENUES, AND IT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THEN THAT WE WILL LOOK AT WHAT WAS THE ROOT CAUSE OF WHY THAT IS HIGHER.

BUT WE CERTAINLY DON'T SEEK TO CHASE ACTUALS DURING THE BUDGET YEAR ITSELF.

WE DO LOOK AT WHAT IS REALISTIC, WHAT IS COMING IN AS REVENUE, AND THEN WE BOOK IT ACCORDINGLY.

SO, MR. PANDU AND MISS WHITE, OVER TO YOU TO ADD YOUR EXPERTISE.

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

I WILL DEFER TO MS. VASS ON THIS ONE.

THANK YOU.

THE PROCESS FOR THE FORECAST IS THAT THE FORECASTING SYSTEM IS OPEN TO THE MANAGEMENT AND DIRECTORS FOR APPROXIMATELY SEVEN TO EIGHT DAYS.

AND THEY, THEY TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR ACTUALS TO DATE, WHICH ARE REFLECTED IN THAT COLUMN THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO.

THEY INPUT THEIR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO END AT THE END OF DECEMBER, 31ST OF EACH YEAR.

THE DIRECTORS THEN TAKE A SECOND REVIEW OF THOSE NUMBERS DURING THE AT THE END OF THAT WEEKLONG PERIOD.

AND THEN THEY SUBMIT THEM FINANCE, THEN TAKES ANOTHER WEEK OR SO TO GO THROUGH.

IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS, WE WILL SEND OUT EMAILS TO THE VARIOUS DIRECTORS OR GO VISIT THE MANAGERS TO GET FURTHER CLARIFICATION ON WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

[00:55:01]

SO, WE JUST GET CLARIFICATION AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS FROM THERE.

AS FOR THE LAND SALE THAT THE NUMBER THERE WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF ADJUSTING AS WE RECOVER FROM 2023.

SO THAT'S WHAT THAT'S ATTRIBUTED TO.

THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

AND HOPEFULLY A SIMPLE ANSWER IS THAT WE SELL LAND, BUT WE ALSO RETURN LAND.

SO, WHEN WE TAKE BACK LAND, WE RETURN THAT MONEY TO THE PROPERTY THAT WE HAD A CONTRACT WITH.

SO, WHILE YES, WE'VE SOLD MORE THAN WE THOUGHT WE WOULD, WE STILL BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WHICH IS THE FORECAST, WILL HAVE HAD TO RETURN MONEY AS WELL.

SO THAT'S WHAT THAT BALANCE IS.

THANK YOU. AWESOME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND, UH, YEAH.

MAKES SENSE. AND THANKS FOR THE PROCESS.

UH, ANSWER. VERY INTERESTING.

AND THANKS FOR INCLUDING THE PERCENTAGE VARIANCES.

IT MAKES IT PRETTY EASIER TO IT MAKES IT EASY TO JUST GLANCE AT AND GET AN IDEA.

A FEW QUESTIONS ON THE GENERAL VARIANCES.

IT ABSOLUTELY MAKES SENSE.

USER FEES AND SALES OF GOODS WOULD BE LOWER.

HOWEVER, NINE AND A HALF WEEKS OF CLOSURE IS 18% OF THE YEAR, AND THE FORECAST IS ONLY FOR A 4% VARIANCE.

UH, DO WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHY THIS VARIANCE SEEMS SO LOW? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

SO, BEFORE I TURN IT TO MR. PANDU AND PERHAPS OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM, I WILL SAY THAT WE DO COLLECT A LOT OF DIFFERENT FEES AND CHARGES.

SOME OF THOSE FEES CONTINUED ON DURING THE TUMULTUOUS EVENTS OF 2023, BASED ON THE KINDS OF SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDED.

SO, IT WASN'T NECESSARILY AN ALL OR NOTHING THING DURING THOSE NINE AND A HALF WEEKS FOR EXAMPLE, WE KEPT UP WITH ALL OF OUR FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICES DURING THE STRIKE IN EARLY 2023. SO, PART OF THIS THEN, IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FEES THAT WE HAVE AND DIFFERENT ARRANGEMENTS THAT WE HAVE WITH USER GROUPS AS WELL.

I'LL ASK MR. PANDU IF HE WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THAT.

AND IF MISS WHITE, MR. WHITE, MR. MCLEAN HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? THANK YOU. FROM.

NO, SORRY, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY SAID, SO I WILL JUST DEFER TO MISS VASS.

THANK YOU. AND WHAT I WANT TO ADD IS THAT SOME OF OUR FEES, UH, THEY'RE NOT TIME BASED, SO THEY'RE VALUE BASED.

LIKE, IF YOU'RE COMING FOR A BUILDING PERMIT, RIGHT? OR EVEN OUR DEVELOPMENT PERMITS, IT'S NOT.

YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS GET THIS MANY IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, IT'S USUALLY APRIL TO SEPTEMBER AND WE GET A TON, BUT THEY'RE BASED ON THE VALUE OF A PROJECT, NOT BASED ON TIME. THANK YOU.

YEAH, IT MAKES SENSE.

OH, SORRY. SORRY.

THANK YOU. WHILE WE'RE SWINGING AROUND THE ROOM, SO FROM COMMUNITY SERVICES, WE CERTAINLY SAW A DECREASE IN OUR PROGRAM REGISTRATIONS, BOTH THE RECREATION AND THE AQUATIC SIDE OF IT.

WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO WITH SOME OF OUR INDOOR FACILITIES IS EXTEND THE SEASONS.

SO RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, FINISHING, YOU KNOW, RIGHT AROUND EASTER, WE'RE ABLE TO EXTEND A LITTLE BIT LONGER AND THEN OPEN UP A LITTLE BIT SOONER TO ACCOMMODATE SOME OF THE OTHER GROUPS. THANKS.

THANKS FOR THE QUESTION. JUST FROM A PUBLIC SAFETY PERSPECTIVE ON USER FEES, WE SEE EBBS AND FLOWS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.

SO, WHILE WE MAY SEE A DECREASE IN ONE QUARTER, WE MAY SEE A LARGER INCREASE IN ANOTHER QUARTER, WHICH WILL OFFSET, BUT. ALL OUR PROJECTIONS ARE BASED ON ANALYTICS OF TRENDS WE HAVE FOR EACH TYPE OF INCIDENT THAT WE BILL FOR.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

MY APOLOGIES.

IN TERMS OF GRANTS AND TRANSFERS AND THIS WAS SORT OF MENTIONED.

SO, WE HAVE WE HAVE RECEIVED $5.4 MILLION FROM HIGHER ORDERS OF GOVERNMENT TO COVER WILDFIRE COSTS ALREADY.

WE HAVE THAT MONEY, MS. BASSI-KELLETT. WE'RE IN PROCESS, MR. PANDYA. THANK YOU.

THAT'S CORRECT. WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANYTHING YET.

WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING AND SUBMITTING THE CLAIM.

THIS IS JUST THE ESTIMATES ARE BASED ON 10.8 MILLION.

THAT WAS COST.

ACTUAL COSTS ALREADY INCURRED AS OF 30TH OF SEPTEMBER.

SO, WE ESTIMATED WE'RE GOING TO GET 50% OF THAT BACK.

SO, THIS IS HOW WE KIND OF FORECASTED THAT NUMBER.

BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN RECEIVED YET.

THANK YOU. OKAY, I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT WOULD BE WILDLY EFFICIENT ON HIGHER ORDERS OF GOVERNMENT.

AND SO, NOW ARE WE ONLY EXPECTING TO RECOUP 50% OF COSTS? I REMEMBER SORT OF 90 BEING A NUMBER THAT WAS SORT OF AROUND MS.

[01:00:04]

WE'RE AIMING TO MAX OUT WHAT WE CAN WITH THE SUPPORT AND ADVICE COMING FROM THE G AND MR. PANDU. YEAH, NO THANK YOU.

THE 50% IS A VERY CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE ANY UPON INQUIRY.

THERE WAS NO, UM, SET, UH, METRIC IN PLACE TO SAY THIS IS HOW MUCH WE'RE GOING TO GET.

SO WE TOOK OUR BEST GUESS AND WE DECIDED TO GO ESTIMATE 50% RATHER THAN 75%.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND IS THAT 10.7 MILLION FOR WILDFIRE COSTS? IS THAT THE FINAL NUMBER OR ARE WE EXPECTING THAT TO BE HIGHER? MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

WE'RE VERY CLOSE ON THAT, BUT WE STILL ARE FINALIZING SOME OF THE NUMBERS COMING IN, MR. PANDYA. AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE 11.3 MILLION, BUT WE ARE VERY CLOSE.

I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE I DON'T WANT TO SPECULATE ANY, ANY NUMBERS, BUT WE ARE IT'S JUST GOING TO BE SLIGHTLY OVER THE 11.3 BUT I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE EXPECTING BIG AMOUNTS.

I DON'T THINK SO.

OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ON THE SALARIES, WAGES AND BENEFITS THE 8% VARIANCE IS DOUBLE ANYTHING WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS. IS THAT PURELY DUE TO VACANCY, OR IS SOME OF THAT DUE TO THE LABOR DISRUPTION? AND WHAT IS OUR VACANCY RATE CURRENTLY? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THAT WOULD BE DUE TO A COMBINATION OF BOTH THE FACTORS THAT YOU MENTIONED.

AND OFFHAND, I DON'T HAVE OUR EXISTING VACANCY RATE EXACTLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME, BUT PERHAPS MR. PANDU DOES.

THANK YOU. AS OF DECEMBER 31ST, OUR VACANCY RATE WAS 10.68%.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, AND ON CAPITAL PROJECT VARIANCE.

JUST A QUESTION ON THE NIVEN RAVINE TRAIL LAND FUND PROJECT.

IT SAYS THERE'S 1,000,000.05 MONEY THAT ISN'T NEEDED FOR THAT.

WAS THAT MONEY COLLECTED FROM NIVEN LAND SALES? DOES THAT MONEY NEED TO BE SPENT IN NIVEN? AND I GUESS THIS IS SORT OF A MORE GENERAL QUESTION ABOUT HOW THAT LAND FUND IF.

YEAH. WAS THAT MONEY SPECIFICALLY COLLECTED FROM NIVEN AND DOES IT NEED TO BE SPENT IN NIVEN? SO, THE OLD LAND FUND, MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS OF DOING SOME ANALYSIS GOING BACK BECAUSE OF QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED ABOUT THE NIVEN LAKE TRAIL AND HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FUNDED 1.9 MILLION FROM THE LAND DEVELOPMENT FUND.

WE'RE GOING BACK TO DO THE RESEARCH ON EXACTLY WHAT WAS COLLECTED.

WE DO OUR PRELIMINARY RESULTS INDICATE THAT, NO, WE DID NOT COLLECT 1.9 MILLION FROM LAND SALES.

THAT WENT TOTALLY TOWARDS THE CREATION OF THAT TRAIL.

IT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THAT.

BUT AGAIN, WE WILL BE COMING FORWARD WITH THAT AMOUNT.

NOW, OF COURSE, THE THE SILVER LINING TO THIS SUMMER'S INCREDIBLE EFFORTS THAT WERE DONE TO BUILD FIREBREAKS IS THAT.

TADA! WE HAVE A NIVEN LAKE TRAIL THAT WAS DONE IN PRETTY TIGHT TIMELINE.

THANKS TO THE GREAT WORK OF OUR OWN TEAM AND CONTRACTORS THAT PULLED TOGETHER ON BUILDING THE FIRE BREAK DOWN THE NIVEN LAKE RAVINE.

SO NOW THAT WE HAVE THAT, THERE IS, OF COURSE, SOME FINISHING WORK TO DO ON THAT, TO MAKE THAT INTO A TRAIL THAT IS OF THE CALIBER THAT, UH, CITY RESIDENTS ARE USED TO SEEING.

SO, WE DON'T REQUIRE THAT FULL 1.9, BUT WE WILL BE COMING BACK WITH A FULL REPORT OUT ON WHAT IS REQUIRED IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT FUND, BUT IT WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS.

MISS WHITE, IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING TO THIS.

THANKS. NOPE, YOU COVERED IT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALTHOUGH I WOULD SAY LIKE THE LAND DEVELOPMENT FUND ISN'T A LOCAL IMPROVEMENT CHARGE, THOSE WOULD BE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

AND SO YEAH, MORE INFORMATION ABOUT REVENUE COLLECTED THROUGH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT FUND AND WHAT EXPENSES ARE CHARGED TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT FUND.

AND I THINK THERE'S LIKE A BIT OF AN ACCOUNTING PERSPECTIVE, TOO, OF WHEN STUFF GETS.

CONSIDERED AS REVENUE VERSUS AN EXPENSE FROM THE SALES AND GETS A LITTLE CONVOLUTED.

BUT SORRY, BACK OVER TO YOU TO COUNCILLOR.

MCLENNAN. YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I UNDERSTAND THAT'S IN PROCESS.

YEAH, THAT WOULD BE QUITE HELPFUL.

AND A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE AND WHAT THE CARRY FORWARDS ARE 2.9 MILLION.

UM, AND WHAT. YEAH.

WHAT'S GOING TO BE DONE IN 2024 WITH THOSE PROJECTS WOULD BE AWESOME TO SEE AS PART OF THE BUDGET.

UM, AND JUST SORT OF A GENERAL QUESTION, UH, FOR ME TO WRAP UP UNDERSTANDING.

YEAH, THIS YEAR IS QUITE CHALLENGING, AND I APPRECIATE MR. PANDU'S COMMENTS ON THE CARRY FORWARDS AND THE SORT OF CHANGES IN THE ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE.

AND YOU DID MENTION A COUPLE THINGS, BUT JUST LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER ON WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING TO ADDRESS THOSE CARRY FORWARDS.

[01:05:02]

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO SHIFT TO TRY TO REDUCE THOSE AMOUNTS? MS. BASSI-KELLETT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

IT'S A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM AND SO MANY OF OUR TECHNICAL TEAM WRESTLE WITH DAY IN AND DAY OUT.

WE HAVE SEEN THE INCREASE IN THE CARRY FORWARDS, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF WHETHER OR NOT ITS SUPPLY CHAIN, ITS INTERNAL CAPACITY, ITS CONTRACTOR CAPACITY.

WE REALLY ARE WORKING ON FOCUSING ON THOSE CORE AND ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT WE NEED THAT ARE PART OF THE CORE OPERATION OF THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

SO, THERE ISN'T A LOT OF FRIVOLOUS, NICE TO DO PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THERE.

SO, WE CERTAINLY WORK TO TRIAGE THE WORK THAT'S REQUIRED, RECOGNIZING THAT IF WE DO NEED TO REPLACE A LIFT STATION, IF WE DO NEED TO DO WORK ON PUMP HOUSES, ON ROADS, ON DIFFERENT KINDS OF INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT'S ESSENTIAL FOR THE DELIVERY OF THOSE SERVICES.

WE CAN'T PUT THEM OFF JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS IN THE QUEUE.

WE KNOW THAT WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO THOSE WITH THE BEST ASSET MANAGEMENT LENS THAT WE HAVE.

SO, IT'S A MATTER OF TRIAGING.

IT'S A MATTER OF LOOKING AT IF ONE PROJECT IS DELAYED, CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT ANOTHER ONE PROGRESSES ON THOSE CORE AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT WE REQUIRE? I WILL ASK MR. PANDU IF HE'D LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING AND MR. GREEN CORN AS WELL.

THANK YOU. NO THANK YOU.

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD, MR. GREENCORN. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, AS KIND OF THE, I GUESS, THE DRIVER OF THE MAJORITY OF THE CAPITAL CARRYFORWARDS ASIDE FROM THE AQUATIC CENTER, WHAT WE DO ON A REGULAR BASIS IS WE TRIAGE OUR WORK, AND WE ALLOCATE IT INTO TWO CATEGORIES PLANNED AND UNPLANNED WORK.

AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO IS CALLED OUR VARIANCE.

REPORTING AND VARIANCES OCCUR FOR VARIOUS REASONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT LENGTH TODAY, WHETHER IT'S THE PANDEMIC, LABOR DISRUPTION, COSTS, LABOR SHORTAGES ON BOTH EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL STAFF.

AND THAT VARIANCE REPORT IS WHAT YOU SEE IN THE CAPITAL CARRYFORWARDS.

THAT'S OUR VARIANCE REPORT FOR THE MOST PART.

AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TO ADDRESS IT OBVIOUSLY IS ONE STAFFING UP SO THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE TO RUN THE PROJECTS.

BUT IT'S ALSO IT'S ALSO TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT'S NECESSARY AND HAS TO BE DONE AND WHAT CAN BE, I DON'T WANT TO SAY PUSHED FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, BUT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT IT IS.

SO, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR PROJECTS PARTICULARLY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE, I GUESS, KEEPING US UP AT LATE AT NIGHT AND ADVANCING THOSE THAT HAVE REGULATORY, HARD REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS BEHIND IT AND ADVANCING THAT WORK.

THAT'S TO GET BACK ON TRACK.

THAT'S TO GET BACK ON A REASONABLE TRACK.

BUT I HOPE THAT EXPLAINS, I GUESS, THE APPROACH MOVING FORWARD AGAIN, THAT'S SUBJECT TO.

MULTIPLE VARIABLES.

AND SOMETHING THAT'S COMING TO MIND IS, IS WHAT NEXT SUMMER LOOKS LIKE.

AND THAT'S CALLED UNPLANNED WORK BECAUSE WE DON'T EXACTLY, WE HAVE A PLAN, AND WE HAVE AN APPROACH TO DO IT.

BUT THE EXECUTION OF IT AND THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS OF THAT EXECUTION.

SO, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.

I'VE GOT AN EXTENSIVE LIST IN FRONT OF ME THAT'S NOT EVEN ON THIS LIST.

SO, I HOPE THAT PROVIDES SOME INSIGHT ON HOW WE ARE TRYING TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH RESPECT TO CAPITAL.

BUT AGAIN, BEST LAID PLANS, RIGHT? SO, WE MAY TENDER, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LIFT STATION PROJECT AND THE MARKET WILL DICTATE WHAT THAT PROJECT IS WORTH.

SO, IF THERE'S LOTS OF COMPETITION, MAYBE WE GET A GOOD PRICE.

IF THERE'S NO COMPETITION, THEN WE COME BACK TO COUNCIL AND GIVE YOU A BRIEFING ON WHAT OUR NEXT STEP IS.

SO AGAIN, IT'S A PROCESS AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO OUR BEST TO CHEW OFF A PIECE AT A TIME.

THANKS. I ALSO THINK THAT THE SLIDE THAT HAS THAT 5.7 MILLION AND IT HAS THE FOUR PROJECTS, THEY'RE ALL MULTI-YEAR PROJECTS.

AND SO, INSTEAD OF DOING ALL 32 MILLION OF THE UM AQUATIC CENTER IN ONE YEAR, HAS BROKEN IT UP.

AND SO, IT ROLLS OVER AND IT DEPENDS ON WHEN THE WORK IS GETTING COMPLETED.

SAME WITH LAGOON SLUDGE REMOVALS LIKE THE MULTI-YEAR.

AND SO PERHAPS TWO YEARS GETS DONE IN ONE YEAR.

SO, YOU ROLL THAT FUNDING OVER.

SO, IT'S NOT ALWAYS JUST UH SOMETIMES GETS INTO THE ACCOUNTING PERSPECTIVE OR HOW WE'RE TRYING TO ALLOCATE THE FUNDING.

AND IF YOU TOOK OUT THE BIG AQUATIC CENTER, I THINK.

YES, THE CARRY FORWARD IS STILL PRETTY HIGH, BUT IT'S NOT AS CRAZY AS IT MIGHT LOOK ON PAPER.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT? ANYTHING? DID I CHARACTERIZE THAT RIGHT, MR. GREENCORN? SORRY, I JUMPED IN THERE.

I WOULD LIKE TO JUST ILLUSTRATE POINT OUT ONE EXERCISE.

IF YOU LOOK ON PAGE, WHERE IS IT? IT'S THE TWINNING FOR SEWAGE FORCE, MAIN TWINNING.

SO, IT WOULD BE PAGE EIGHT OF THE OF THE MEMO.

WE DO GO THROUGH THIS EXERCISE ON A REGULAR BASIS.

[01:10:02]

AND THE SOLUTION TO THAT HAS BEEN BEING WE'VE BEEN CHEWING ON THAT FOR PROBABLY THREE, FOUR YEARS NOW, AND THERE'S NO CLEAR IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED ENGINEERING FEAT. AND WE HAVE SEVERAL, SEVERAL ENGINEERS LOOKING AT IT.

AND WE DON'T HAVE A PERMANENT SOLUTION FOR THE FORCE MAIN TWINNING WHAT THAT WAS MEANT TO DO WITHOUT GETTING IT INTO THE PROJECT TOO MUCH IS, UH, SOLVING, UH, OVERFLOW SITUATIONS WHEN THERE IS A FORCE MAIN REPAIR.

BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE IS WE'RE RELEASING THAT $950,000, CONTINUING THE DISCUSSION WITH OUR REGULATORS.

AND WHEN WE DO HAVE AN ACTUAL PROJECT AND A PATH FORWARD, WE WILL COME BACK TO COUNCIL, PRESENT THAT PATH FORWARD DURING BUDGET.

AND. PRESENT A NEW ASK AT THAT TIME, INSTEAD OF JUST CONTINUOUSLY CARRYING TO ROLL THIS $950,000 OVER.

SO, WHERE WE CAN, WE ARE RELEASING FUNDS AND SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO RE READJUST HERE AND BEST MADE ON THE BEST, UH, BEST LAID PLANS. SO JUST WANT I JUST WANTED TO ILLUSTRATE THAT WE ARE ACTIVELY REVIEWING THIS LIST AND RELEASING FUNDS WHEN IT MAKES THE MOST SENSE.

AWESOME. YEAH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND, UH, YEAH, THANKS FOR ALL THAT WORK.

AND THANKS FOR ALL THE THE WORK IN ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE AND CORPORATE SERVICES FOR THE BUDGET AND THIS AND, UH, YEAH, LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU GUYS A LOT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILLOR. FEQUET. UH, THANKS, MADAM CHAIR.

UM, JUST WITH RESPECT TO THE GOVERNMENT GRANTS RELATED TO CAPITAL FORECASTED TO BE 7.8 MIL LESS THAN THE BUDGETED AMOUNT OF 44 MILLION.

I UNDERSTAND FROM THE NOTE THAT THOSE WERE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION DELAYS AND THE EVACUATION AS.

WHICH MAKES SENSE.

JUST WONDERING, OF THAT 7.8 MILLION, IS IT EXPECTED TO BE RECEIVED IN FUTURE YEARS, OR DID WE LOSE ANY OF THAT MONEY BECAUSE WE WEREN'T ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD ON PROJECTS? MISS MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO WE DO EXPECT TO RECEIVE THE BULK OF THIS BECAUSE IT IS TIED TO PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED.

BUT I'LL ASK MR. PANDU IF HE HAS ANY COMMENTS TO MAKE.

THANK YOU. I'LL DEFER TO MISS WHITE.

UH, SORRY, MISS VOSS.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

UH, YES.

UM, A LOT OF OUR GRANTS, WE DON'T GET TO CLAIM THEM UNTIL THE ACTUAL WORK IS DONE.

AND THAT'S WHAT THAT VARIANCE REFLECTS FOR THE MOST PART.

UH. THANK YOU. UM, OF THAT 18.9 MILLION OF THE ANNUAL SURPLUS, YOU MENTIONED THAT MOST OF THAT WAS ALREADY COMMITTED.

UM, DO YOU DO WE HAVE A MORE PRECISE NUMBER OF OF BALLPARK OF THAT PERCENTAGE OF THAT 8.9, 18.9 MILLION OF ANNUAL SURPLUS OF WHAT'S ALREADY COMMITTED OR RESTRICTED OR.

SPOKEN FOR MS. BASSI-KELLETT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.

SO THAT IS THE ACCUMULATED THAT IS THE SURPLUS FOR 2023 PROJECTED SO FAR.

UH, IT CAN BE DUE TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

SO I WILL ASK MR. PANDU AND MISS VAZ IF THEY'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO THAT.

NO. THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.

WE DON'T HAVE THE DETAIL AT THE MOMENT, BUT WE CAN CERTAINLY COME BACK WITH THE ANSWER.

THANK YOU. GENERALLY, IT'S PRETTY MINIMAL OF AN UNRESTRICTED.

MOST OF IT'S RESTRICTED AND MOST OF IT'S AQUATIC CENTER.

YEAH. NO. NO NEED TO DO EXTRA WORK.

I'M SURE WE'LL GET TO IT DURING BUDGETS.

I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF YOU HAD IT OFF THE TOP.

THANKS. PERFECT.

ANYTHING FURTHER FOR ROUND ONE? ROUND TWO. COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

THANK YOU. SORRY, I JUST MISSED ONE QUESTION.

AND IT'S MORE CURIOSITY.

UM, DOES THE INVESTMENT INCOME THE CITY EARNS OFF OF MONEY HELD FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS? DOES THAT GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND OR DOES THAT STAY IN THE CAPITAL FUND? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. MR. PANDU, THANK YOU.

UH, MOST OF IT STAYS IN THE GENERAL FUND, BUT THE GAS TAX, UH, DOES GO IN THE CAPITAL FUND BECAUSE, UH, WE DO REPORT ON IT.

AND THERE IS A COMPONENT WHERE WE HAVE TO REPORT HOW MUCH OF INTEREST WAS GENERATED.

BUT IT'S NOT.

BUT THE WAY THE GAS TAX WE DO IT IS NOT TIED TO ONE SPECIFIC PROJECT.

IT CAN BE FIVE, SIX DIFFERENT PROJECTS.

THANK YOU. AWESOME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.

COUNCILLOR WARBURTON. UH, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.

UH, JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION.

SO YOU KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT.

UH, MR. GREEN WAS TALKING ABOUT, UM, THE TWINNING OF THE SEWAGE LINE.

UM, THAT WAS SOMETHING WE'RE NOT DOING SO IN BUDGET WHEN, LIKE, AS YOU IDENTIFY THIS PROJECT, IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO SEE IN BUDGET 24 GOING FORWARD, OR LIKE, HOW ARE WE GOING TO SEE THAT I GUESS IN THE BUDGET THINGS WE'RE NOT DOING.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO THIS, UH, PROJECT IS CLEARLY BEING RECOMMENDED FOR REMOVAL FROM OUR BUDGET RIGHT NOW AND THAT IT WILL COME BACK WHEN WE DO HAVE A PRESCRIPTIVE SOLUTION TO THIS.

[01:15:03]

UH, THE TWINNING OF THE FORCE MAIN WAS AN INTENT TO MINIMIZE THE REPERCUSSIONS THAT HAPPEN WHEN THERE IS A FORCE MAIN BREAK, BECAUSE IT'S A SINGLE. IT'S KIND OF LIKE THE FIBER LINE, RIGHT? WHEN THE FIBER LINE GOES DOWN, STUFF HAPPENS.

SO WHEN THE FORCE MAIN GOES DOWN, STUFF HAPPENS.

AND IT WAS ATTEMPT, UH, IN OUR LAST, UH, WATER LICENSE RENEWAL TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.

IT'S BECOME QUITE A DIFFICULT PROBLEM TO SOLVE.

SO WHILE WE ARE RECOMMENDING THE RELEASE OF THAT MONEY, WE ARE STILL CONTINUING TO, TO ADVANCE HOW TO HOW TO ADDRESS THAT PARTICULAR PART OF THE WATER LICENSE. SO WHEN WE DO HAVE IT, I WOULDN'T EXPECT WE WERE NOT BRINGING ANYTHING FORWARD IN 2024 ON THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC.

BUT WHEN WE DO HAVE A SOLUTION AND WE DO FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE, WE'LL DO THE ENGINEERING SCOPE, UH, SCOPE IT OUT, DESIGN IT, AND THEN SUBMIT A CONSTRUCTION REQUEST IF THAT'S WHAT IT REQUIRES.

RIGHT NOW, THE SOLUTION IS TO, UH.

IF THERE IS A FORCE MAIN BREAK, WE TURN OFF LIFT STATION FIVE AND IT OVERFLOWS THROUGH THE CITY YARD TO HOPEFULLY NOT TO CAM LAKE.

UM, DEPENDING ON HOW LONG THE REPAIR TAKES.

BUT THAT'S A MUCH MORE ELEGANT SOLUTION THAN, UH, TRYING TO REPAIR IN THE FIELD AS WE DID IN 2018.

WHICH CAUSED SIGNIFICANT CLEAN UP REPAIRS, I THINK IN THE HALF MILLION RANGE.

SO WHEN WE CAN CONTAIN IT IN THE YARD, IT'S A MUCH MORE EASILY, UH, EASILY, EASILY REMEDIATED PROCESS.

SO. I HOPE THAT MAKES SENSE.

AND I'LL TALK TO MS. BASSI-KELLETT ABOUT PROCESS WISE.

WHETHER WE DO A MOTION TO STRIKE X, Y, AND Z FROM THE BUDGET OR AND WHAT OR WHETHER ADMINISTRATION, THROUGH THE PRESENTATION OF THE BUDGET IS DEMONSTRATING THAT IT'S BEING STRUCK.

SO, UH, NOTHING FURTHER.

COUNCILLOR FEQUET. UH, THANKS, MADAM CHAIR.

JUST LAST ONE. UM, JUST WITH RESPECT TO THE ASSET MANAGEMENT PROJECTS, UM, SO THIS IS THAT, UH, CAPITAL FORECAST THERE WAS THAT CARRY FORWARD OF 433, UH, JUST EXCITED TO SEE THAT IT SAYS THAT THAT VARIANCE WAS DUE TO STAFFING VACANCIES, BUT THE STAFF RECRUITMENT HAS BEEN COMPLETED.

SO, UM, I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF WE GET AN UPDATE ON WHETHER ALL OF THE POSITIONS OR HOW MANY OF THOSE POSITIONS WERE WERE FILLED.

UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S IF ALL OF THAT MONEY WAS DUE TO STAFFING VACANCIES, WE PROBABLY STAFFED UP AT LEAST A COUPLE OF POSITIONS, I ASSUME.

BUT JUST CURIOUS THAT, UH, LINES, UM, CONTRACTORS PLUS STAFFING.

SO NOT A FULL 433 FOR STAFFING, NOT CITY STAFF AT LEAST.

MS. BASSI-KELLETT. I'LL ASK MR. PANDA IF HE HAS ANY INFORMATION IMMEDIATELY ON THIS AT HAND.

YEAH. NO THANK YOU.

UH, MAY I ALSO DID MENTION IT'S A COMBINATION OF, UH, FULL TIME STAFF AND, UH, UH, CONTRACTORS, BUT YES, WE WE DID HAVE ONE, UH, VACANCY WITHIN ASSET MANAGEMENT, AND THAT IS ON THE VERGE OF GETTING FILLED.

NOT YET, BUT ON THE VERGE OF.

THANK YOU. SEEING NOTHING FURTHER.

WE'LL DISCUSS LOTS OF THIS MORE IN DETAIL NEXT WEEK AND THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT UPDATE.

UH, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE MINUTES OF THE CAB MEETING FOR THERE WE GO.

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

AND JUST TO NOTE THE EXCITING NEWS IN THE MINUTES THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS RENEWED OUR REACHING HOME FUNDING FOR ANOTHER FOUR FISCAL YEARS, UH, THE NEXT TWO FISCAL YEARS IS THE AMOUNT, UH, SO STARTING IN COVID IN 2020, WE GOT A TOP UP TO OUR BASE AMOUNT.

SO OUR BASE AMOUNT IS THAT 1.2 MILLION.

UM, SO FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GET OUR BASE PLUS A TOP UP.

SO THAT'S THE 2.7 MILLION.

HOWEVER, IN 2026 AND 2027 IT DROPS DOWN AGAIN, WHICH IS A PRETTY BIG CLIFF OF 1.2 MILLION.

SO FCM AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ARE STARTING THE LOBBYING TO TRY TO GET THOSE LAST TWO YEARS UP.

BECAUSE IT IS.

WE HAVE BEEN DOING LOTS OF GREAT PROGRAMING LIKE HOUSING FIRST HERE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND ONCE WE GET THAT DROP AGAIN, WE WOULD SEE A REDUCTION IN A LOT OF THOSE CORE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE BEEN, UM, THANKFULLY ABLE TO DELIVER.

SO JUST A LITTLE NOTE ON THAT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? AND TO NOTE IT WASN'T A FULL MEETING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET QUORUM, BUT WE DID.

UH, IT WAS IT WAS FOR INFORMATION.

SO WE CONTINUED WITH THE MEETING.

SEEING NONE.

THE NEXT ITEM IS IN CAMERA MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO APPOINT MEMBERS TO SERVE ON THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND AMEND THE TERMS OF REFERENCE.

[IN CAMERA]

SO IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO MOVE IN CAMERA MOVE BY COUNCILOR FEQUET, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR COCHRANE.

[01:20:05]

CAMERA.

AND BUSINESS ARISING FROM IN-CAMERA.

[Additional Item]

IT'S ALSO ADMINISTRATION IS PROPOSING THAT WE UPDATE THE TERMS OF REFERENCE TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE COMMITTEE BEYOND DECEMBER 31ST, 2024. UM, ALSO, THERE'S UM, ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS I WOULD MAKE IS THAT WE INCLUDE A SECTION WHERE COUNCIL CAN, BY MOTION, UM, REMOVE SOMEBODY FROM A COMMITTEE.

WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE THAT.

AND SO THE CURRENT PRACTICE IS JUST THE COUNCIL PROCEDURES BYLAW, WHICH MEANS TAKES AT LEAST THREE MEETINGS.

AND THIS COMMITTEE ONLY MEETS BASICALLY ONCE A YEAR.

SO IT COULD BE UP TO THREE YEARS BEFORE SOMEBODY WOULD BE REMOVED.

UM, IT'S WORDING THAT WE HAVE IN THE HERITAGE COMMITTEE.

SO RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT WE JUST WHEN IT COMES FORWARD TO COUNCIL ON JANUARY 22ND, THAT ADMINISTRATION ALSO MAKES THAT CHANGE TO THE TERMS OF REFERENCE. COUNCIL WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF MAKING THAT CHANGE.

SEEING NODDING HEADS SOUNDS GOOD.

ANYTHING FURTHER? ANY QUESTIONS ON THE TERMS OF REFERENCE? WE'LL ALSO DISCUSS COMMITTEES UH, NEXT MONDAY.

SO, UH, WITH THAT, THE APPOINTMENTS AND THE TERMS OF REFERENCE WILL COME FORWARD TO COUNCIL ON MONDAY, JANUARY 22ND AT 7 P.M.. WITH THAT, THAT IS THE END OF AGENDA.

IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN, MOVE BY COUNCILOR PAQUETTE, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR HENDRICKSEN.

ANYBODY OPPOSED? SEEING NONE. WE CAN BE ADJOURNED AND WE'LL SEE EVERYBODY AT 7 P.M..

OOH!

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.