[1. Opening Statement]
[00:00:02]
AND I'LL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 15TH, 2024, TO ORDER AND 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 YELLOWKNIVES DENE FIRST NATION.
WE RESPECT THE HISTORIES, LANGUAGES AND CULTURES OF ALL OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, INCLUDING THE NORTH SLAVE METIS AND ALL FIRST NATIONS, METIS AND INUIT WHOSE PRESENCE CONTINUES TO ENRICH OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
[2. Approval of the agenda]
MS. BASSI-KELLETT ANYTHING FURTHER TO ADD TO THE AGENDA? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE DISCLOSURE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF.
DOES ANY MEMBER HAVE A CONFLICT BEFORE COUNCIL TODAY? SEEING NONE.
[4. A presentation regarding Budget 2024]
NEXT, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE DRAFT 2024 BUDGET.WOO-HOO! [CHUCKLING] MS. BASSI-KELLETT. OVER TO YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
IT'S MIND BLOWING HOW QUICKLY THIS DAY HAS ARRIVED.
SO, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW, THE ANNUAL BUDGET PROCESS IS CYCLICAL, WITH IMPLEMENTATION AND FUTURE YEAR PLANNING TAKING PLACE IN Q1, LONG TERM FISCAL OUTLOOK AND CAPITAL AND [INAUDIBLE] ASKS BEING EXAMINED IN Q2, Q3, WE TYPICALLY END UP IN PROACTIVE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, CARRY FORWARD CONFIRMATION VARIANCE PROJECTIONS, AND THEN, OF COURSE, IN Q4, STARTING IN OCTOBER, IS WHEN THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT IS COMPILED, PRESENTED, DEBATED BY COUNCIL AND THEN ULTIMATELY ADOPTED, BUT OF COURSE, BUDGET 2024 IS ANYTHING BUT NORMAL.
I DID NOT SAY THE WORD UNPRECEDENTED.
I KNOW EVERYONE NEEDS TO TAKE A SHOT EVERY TIME THAT WORD IS SAID, BUT GIVEN WHAT A TOTAL CURVE BALL OF THE YEAR, 2023 WAS, WE'VE HAD TO DO A NUMBER OF ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BUDGET PROCESS FOR 2024.
TODAY IS THE BIG REVEAL, AND WE'RE REALLY PROUD TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THAT TODAY.
NOW, ADMINISTRATION IS SEEKING TO BRING A LEAN BUDGET, FOCUSING ON THE CORE SERVICES AND ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT CAPITAL COSTS CONTINUE TO ESCALATE. OPERATING COSTS FOR THE AQUATIC CENTER, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE OPERATIONAL BY EARLY 2025.
ALL OF THESE COSTS ARE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET PLANNING SINCE THE PROJECT.
CERTAINLY THE AQUATIC CENTER WAS APPROVED IN 2021.
ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS ADD TO THE OVERALL FINANCIAL CONTEXT FOR BUDGET 2024.
IT'S NO NEWS. I THINK WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE SETTING THEIR BUDGETS.
WE SEE THAT THEY TOO ARE WORKING TO BALANCE INTERESTS.
THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE SERVICES AND AFFORDABILITY ARE VERY MUCH A REALITY.
OSOYOOS BC IS THE ONE THAT'S THE JAW DROPPER TO 39% INCREASE, 5% IN MONTREAL, 7.5% IN VANCOUVER, 9% IN JASPER, 10% IN HALIFAX.
TODAY IS THE DAY FOR OUR BIG REVEAL, AND SO IT IS MY PLEASURE TO HAND THINGS OVER TO KAVI PANDOO, OUR DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SERVICES, TO PRESENT THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DRAFT BUDGET 2024 WHICH YOU WILL RECEIVE A HARD COPY AFTER THE PRESENTATION AND FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND MEDIA, IT WILL BE AVAILABLE AND POSTED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE AFTER MR. PANDOO'S PRESENTATION.
BEFORE I HAND IT OVER, ONE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY IS I WANT TO COMMEND MR. PANDOO AND ALL THE STAFF INVOLVED IN THE COMPILATION AND COMPLETION OF THE BUDGET DOCUMENT.
THIS YEAR IS NOT ONLY BEEN UNUSUAL BECAUSE OF WHAT A TUMULTUOUS YEAR 2023 WAS, IT'S ALSO BEEN IMPACTED BY THE SUDDEN DEPARTURE OF KEY STAFF WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE BUDGET PROCESS AND WHO HAVE THE CORPORATE KNOWLEDGE.
TRADITIONALLY, MR. PANDOO PICKED UP THE BUDGET IN SEPTEMBER AND HAS BEEN RUNNING WITH IT FULL STEAM AHEAD AND I COMMEND HIM FOR THE WORK THAT HE'S DONE.
THANK YOU, MS. BASSI-KELLETT, AND, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
THERE YOU GO. I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHERE TO START, BUT AS I STAND HERE TODAY TO INTRODUCE BUDGET 2024 TO YOU.
ONE WORD COMES TO MIND: DIFFICULT.
THE BUDGET PROCESS IN ITSELF IS ALWAYS CHALLENGING, AND ADMINISTRATION ALWAYS WORKS DILIGENTLY TO PULL TOGETHER A SOLID FISCAL PLAN TO SUPPORT THE DELIVERY OF THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS, AND A PLAN THAT IS BASED ON WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT IS EXPECTED TO HAPPEN
[00:05:10]
BUT PREPARING BUDGET 2024 WAS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT AT ALL LEVELS BECAUSE OF HOW 2023 UNFOLDED, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, AS WE GRAPPLE WITH THE QUESTION WHAT IS EXPECTED TO HAPPEN IN 2024? WELL, HOPEFULLY NOTHING LIKE 2023, AND WE CAN, AS A CITY, GET BACK TO OUR BORING ROUTINES, WHICH WE SO MUCH COMPLAIN ABOUT, YET WE SO MUCH LOVE TODAY.THERE IS A SENSE THAT DESPITE THE ADDED LAYERS OF COMPLEXITY.
IN PREPARING THIS DOCUMENT, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD, AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERY MEMBER OF THE ADMINISTRATION TEAM, THE MANAGEMENT TEAM, MY PREDECESSOR, SHAROLYNN WOODWARD AND NOW RETIRED MANAGER, BUDGETING AND TAXATION, CHRISTINE SIU, FOR ALL THEIR DEDICATION, HARD WORK AND SUPPORT IN REACHING THIS MILESTONE.
NOW LET'S TRY TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DISCUSS TODAY BECAUSE I AM VERY EXCITED.
SO, THE BUDGET DOCUMENT IS READY.
IT'S 133 PAGES, BUT I WILL TRY TO KEEP THIS PRESENTATION SHORT AND SWEET, J UST LIKE ME.
[CHUCKLING] SO, WE WILL RECAP THE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE BUDGET 2024, INCLUDING THE CONTEXT, THE PILLARS AND FUNDAMENTALS. WE'LL LOOK AT THE 2024 EXPENSES AND REVENUES.
ONE TIME OPERATING COSTS WILL JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT GENERAL FUND AND NEW RESERVE PROPOSAL.
THIS WE WILL SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME PROBABLY I WILL SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME DISCUSSING THIS.
BECAUSE I THINK THIS ONE IS I KNOW EVERYONE LIKES TO TALK OR ANTICIPATING WHAT THE INCREASE IS GOING TO BE BUT I FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AND I THINK FROM AN ADMINISTRATION PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE.
SO QUITE EXCITED TO DISCUSS IT, TO INTRODUCE IT AT LEAST, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE 2024 CAPITAL PROJECTS, STAFFING REQUIREMENTS, TEN YEAR CAPITAL PLANS, AND THEN WE'LL SEE AS TO WHAT INCREASE WE'RE LOOKING AT.
HOPEFULLY NOT TRYING TO BEAT [INAUDIBLE] THAT.
THAT WAS THE CITY OR THE TOWN.
THE CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES ACT REQUIRES THE CITY TO ADOPT A BUDGET EVERY YEAR, BUT NO BUDGET IS THE SAME AS THE CONTACTS ARE DIFFERENT FOR 2024.
THE FIRST POINT TO CONSIDER IS TIMING.
BY THE TIME BUDGET DELIBERATION STARTS ON THE 5TH OF FEBRUARY, WE WOULD ALREADY BE IN FIVE WEEKS INTO 2024, AND NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE WOULD BE PRIVY TO MORE UP TO DATE INFORMATION ON SOME OF THE PROPOSED ITEMS IN THIS BUDGET.
THIS IS NOT A NORMAL OCCURRENCE, AND IT HIGHLIGHTS THE FACT THAT WE'RE STILL DEALING WITH A TIMING DIFFERENCE I MENTIONED IN MY PRESENTATION LAST WEEK. BUDGETING ALWAYS INVOLVES UNCERTAINTY.
NEVER HAS THIS BEEN MORE APPARENT THAN OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AS A COMMUNITY AND A COUNTRY WHERE COPING WITH HIGH RATES OF INFLATION AND SEEMINGLY BROKEN SUPPLY CHAINS, COUPLED WITH UNPRECEDENTED CHANGES IN THE MAKEUP AND COLLECTIVE EXPECTATIONS OF THE WORKFORCE, AS WELL AS UNPREDICTABLE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS LOCALLY, THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT THE OVERALL LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, STAGNATING POPULATION GROWTH AND THE IMPENDING DIAMOND MINE CLOSURES AND LASTLY, UNFORTUNATELY, THE CITY CONTINUES TO BE UNDERFUNDED BY THE TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT EACH YEAR BY SOME MILLIONS.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN, THOUGH, IT IS ENCOURAGING TO SEE TOURISM SECTOR BOUNCING BACK, MULTIPLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS HAPPENING, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE AQUATIC CENTER IN FULL SWING, AND OUR EXISTING STAFF MORE DETERMINED THAN EVER TO EXECUTE THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES WITH PRIDE.
AS USUAL, BUDGET 2024 HAD TO BALANCE THESE CONCERNS AND OPTIMISM.
[00:10:05]
VALID TODAY.ADDRESSING THE FUNDAMENTALS THAT PRIORITIZE, PRIORITIZE CORE SERVICES AND CONSULTING WITH STAKEHOLDERS, THESE PILLARS ESTABLISHED THE FOUNDATION OF THE BUDGET PROCESS AND A CONTEXT FOR DEALING WITH THE NUMEROUS FACTORS THAT IMPACTED BUDGET 2024.
AS MENTIONED IN THE EARLIER SLIDE, ONE OF THE KEY PILLARS OF THE BUDGETING PROCESS IS THE IMPORTANCE OF FUNDAMENTALS, THE NEED TO MAINTAIN CORE SERVICES TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS, THE NEED TO SUSTAIN OUR FACILITIES WITH OPTIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF YELLOWKNIFERS, AND THE NEED TO DELIVER PROGRAMS THAT OFFER A RANGE OF ACTIVITIES FOR OUR DIVERSE POPULATION.
JUST A NOTE THAT FOR BUDGETING PURPOSES, CORE SERVICES CAN BE CONSIDERED TO INCLUDE WATER AND SEWER, ROADS AND SIDEWALKS, FIRE AND AMBULANCE, AND SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.
BUDGET 2024, AS WE WILL DISCOVER TOGETHER, WILL BE RECOMMENDING PROJECTS THAT SUPPORT EACH OF THESE.
LET'S LOOK AT THE 2024 REVENUES AND EXPENSES SPREADS.
I WILL START WITH THE EXPENSES FIRST, AS THE CITY CONTINUES TO BUILD NEW INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS SIDEWALKS, TRAILS, FACILITIES, AS WELL AS EXTEND THE RANGE OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, ONGOING MAINTENANCE COSTS INCREASES ACCORDINGLY.
THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT COSTS CONTINUE TO BE PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING.
IN 2024, WE EXPECT WE EXPECTING TO SPEND 28.7 MILLION ON OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.
THE OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE BUDGET COVERS DAY TO DAY SPENDING ON SERVICES SUCH AS RECREATIONS, PARKS AND ROAD MAINTENANCE, LANDFILL TRANSIT AND FIRE SERVICES, AMONGST OTHERS.
59.7 MILLION ON CAPITAL PROJECTS, 37.3 MILLION ON WAGES AND BENEFITS, 18.2 MILLION WILL BE ALLOCATED TO AMORTIZATION, INTEREST AND LONG TERM DEBT AND VALUATION ALLOWANCES IF ALL THE RECOMMENDED OUTCOMES ARE PURSUED.
2024 EXPENDITURES ACROSS ALL FUNDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ALMOST 143.9 MILLION.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WE ARE EXPECTING TO RAISE A TOTAL OF $93.3 MILLION IN REVENUES SPREAD AS FOLLOWS $38.6 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAXES, $22.5 MILLION IN GOVERNMENT GRANTS, $9 MILLION FROM USER FEES AND CHARGES $2.3 MILLION FROM INVESTMENT INCOME.
NO SURPRISE THAT PROPERTY TAXES IS ANTICIPATED TO ACCOUNT FOR 41% OF OUR REVENUE, WHILE GOVERNMENT GRANTS WILL CONTRIBUTE 24%. AS THE TOTAL BUDGETED 2024 EXPENSES ARE 127.9 MILLION.
AFTER ADJUSTING FOR AMORTIZATION, AND THE TOTAL EXPECTED REVENUES FOR THE YEAR ARE 93.3 MILLION.
ADMINISTRATION HAS RECOMMENDED USING 3.5 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND, AND 31.6 MILLION FROM THE CAPITAL FUND TO ENSURE ALL EXPENSES ARE COVERED.
A LOT OF O&M EXPENDITURES ARE INCURRED EVERY YEAR TO PAY PEOPLE, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON, AND ACQUIRE THE MATERIALS AND SERVICES REQUIRED TO DELIVER CITY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
AMONG THEM, WE DO HAVE ONE TIME EXPENSES.
BUDGET 2024 IS PROPOSING 75,000 TO UPGRADE THE CITY'S RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO ENSURE WE HAVE ADEQUATE CAPACITY TO ACCOMMODATE THE EVER INCREASING PAPERLESS BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT.
100,000 FOR TRAINING AND MENTORING OF OUR EXISTING STAFF, WHO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE THIS STEP UP AND ASSUME MORE CRITICAL AND LEADERSHIP ROLES IN THE NEAR FUTURE. 100,000 FOR THE STARTUP AND INITIAL FUNDING FOR THE DESTINATION MARKET ORGANIZATION.
AS A REMINDER, COUNCIL HAS DIRECTED THAT ONCE THE DMO IS ESTABLISHED, THE HOTEL LEVY FEES COLLECTED SHOULD PAY THIS 100,000 BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.
100,000 FOR A CONSULTANT TO REVIEW, PROVIDE AN OPERATING MODEL RECOMMENDATION AND A DRAFT AND DRAFT A MULTIYEAR FUNDING PROPOSAL TO BE PRESENTED TO THE FEDERAL AND TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENTS FOR A STREET OUTREACH PROGRAM, 40,000 FOR FOR A COFFIN LOWERING DEVICE AT THE CEMETERY AND FINALLY 100,000 FOR EXECUTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE AFTER ACTION ASSESSMENT AND 20,000 FOR HOLDING A PUBLIC EDUCATION SESSION IN THE SPRING OF 2024 ON EVACUATION PREPAREDNESS, INCLUDING A THIRD PARTY TO BE A KEYNOTE SPEAKER AND
[00:15:06]
FACILITATOR. AT THIS POINT, I WOULD LIKE US TO HAVE A GLANCE AT THE GENERAL FUND AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS.THE GENERAL FUND IS USED FOR THE PROVISION OF DAY TO DAY SERVICES, AND TYPICALLY AROUND 75% OF THE MONEY NEEDED TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES COME FROM PROPERTY TAXES, WHILE USER CHARGES CONTRIBUTE MOST OF THE OTHER BALANCE.
AFTER ALL ADJUSTMENTS AND PROVISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE, THE BALANCE OF THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE YEAR SHOWS A DEFICIT OF 3.5 MILLION TO FUND THIS SHORTFALL. ADMINISTRATION IS RECOMMENDING TO PLOW MONEY BACK FROM THIS FUND ITSELF.
OUR BUDGET POLICY STATES THAT THE GENERAL FUND BALANCE SHOULD BE MAINTAINED BETWEEN 10 TO 15% OF BUDGETED EXPENDITURES, AFTER THE AFOREMENTIONED 3.5 MILLION TRANSFER.
THE 3.3 MILLION WHICH WE MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
THIS IS IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO THE EVENTS OF 2023.
AS CLIMATE CHANGE CONTINUES TO EMERGE AS A FOCAL POINT OF DISCUSSION, CYBERCRIME CONTINUES TO EVOLVE, WITH NEW THREATS SURFACING EVERY YEAR IN THIS DIGITAL ERA AND OTHER UNEXPECTED SITUATIONS THAT POSES RISKS TO THE WELL-BEING OF THE CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS.
HAVING NO EMERGENCY FUNDS SET ASIDE, ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES IS NO LONGER AN OPTION.
I REMEMBER DURING COVID PANDEMIC, THERE WAS A TIME WHERE THERE WAS A LACK OF VENTILATORS IN HOSPITALS AND SOME MUNICIPALITIES, EVEN IF IT WAS OUTSIDE OF THEIR MANDATE, HAD TO TAKE SIZABLE LOANS TO BUY VENTILATORS PRIVATELY, AS WELL AS INCUR EXPENSES TO SET UP THEIR ARENAS AS TEMPORARY HOSPITALS JUST TO MAKE SURE THEIR RESIDENTS WERE TAKEN CARE OF.
THIS IS ONE SMALL EXAMPLE AS TO HOW ISSUES CAN EMERGE OUT OF NOWHERE AND BECOME A HUGE FINANCIAL PROBLEM THAT NEEDS SOLVING, AND LET'S BE HONEST, THE AMOUNT OF ISSUES THAT ARE EMERGING NOWADAYS MAKES YOU THINK THE WORLD HAS GONE REALLY BONKERS.
ANYWAY, THE PURPOSE OF THE EMERGING ISSUES RESERVE IS TO DEAL WITH THE RISK OF UNFORESEEN EVENTS INVOLVING SUBSTANTIAL COSTS SO THAT THE CITY CAN MITIGATE, ADAPT, MANAGE AND RECOVER FROM SUCH AN EVENT.
CURRENTLY, THIS RESERVE IS BEING RECOMMENDED WITH THE 2024 WILDFIRE SEASON IN MIND, BUT WE WILL HAVE TO FURTHER DEFINE THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THIS RESERVE TO ENSURE THAT IT IS USED ONLY FOR ITS INTENDED PURPOSE, THAT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
NOW, THE QUESTION THAT ARISES IS HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH FUNDING TO START THIS THIS RESERVE? I DON'T BELIEVE ANYONE CAN GIVE AN EXACT ANSWER, AS THERE ARE SO MANY NUANCES AND MOVING PIECES TO THIS QUESTION.
HOWEVER, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALL THE TREMENDOUS WORK THAT HAD BEEN DONE BEFORE AND DURING LAST SUMMER'S WILDFIRES UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM, WE BELIEVE 3.5 MILLION IS AN ADEQUATE NUMBER AS INITIAL FUNDING.
BESIDES, AT THE TIME OF DETERMINING THIS AMOUNT, THE COST OF THE WILDFIRE IS NOW RECORDS WAS 10.5 MILLION AND 3.5 MILLION IS ONE THIRD OF THOSE COSTS. HERE WE ARE SILENTLY HOPING THAT IN CASE OF ANY EMERGENCY, OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT WILL PITCH THE OTHER TWO THIRDS, BASED ON THE FACT THAT CLOSE TO HALF OF THE POPULATION OF THE TERRITORIES LIVES IN YELLOWKNIFE.
CURRENT DATA SHOWS THAT LAST YEAR'S WILDFIRE COST THE CITY AROUND 11.3 MILLION.
WHILE WE ARE HOPING TO RECOVER MOST OF THESE COSTS FROM OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, THOSE FUNDS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE RECEIVED FOR A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT MAY 2024 IS AROUND THE CORNER.
[00:20:02]
JUST A NOTE THAT THE ABOVE MENTIONED 3.5 MILLION HAS NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE 2024 BUDGET YET BECAUSE ADMINISTRATION, EVEN IF IT HAS MADE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE AMOUNT, UNDERSTANDS HOW IMPORTANT THIS TOPIC IS TO THE COMMITTEE AND DID NOT WANT TO SET ANY KIND OF PARAMETERS AROUND THIS DISCUSSION.WHAT WE ARE SUGGESTING NOW, IT IS FOR COMMITTEE TO DECIDE IF A YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO GO AHEAD WITH SETTING UP THIS RESERVE AND B THE AMOUNT.
BUDGET 2024 FOCUSES ON UPGRADING AND REPLACING AGING INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENSURE THAT THE CITY CAN CONTINUE TO DELIVER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES IN A SUSTAINABLE AND FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE MANNER.
IN THIS RESPECT, WE HAVE 59.7 MILLION EARMARKED TOWARDS CAPITAL EXPENSES, INCLUDING 34.3 MILLION IN CARRY FORWARDS, 3.6 MILLION FOR THE EAGERLY AWAITED AQUATIC CENTER, 4.4 MILLION FOR THE FIRE HALL PROJECT, 2.1 MILLION TO REPLACE AND REDEPLOY FLEET UNITS, ACCORDING TO THE CITY'S FLEET MANAGEMENT PLAN AND PRACTICES 2.8 MILLION FOR CONTINUED WORK ON THE LAGOON SLUDGE REMOVAL INITIATIVE AND 2.2 MILLION FOR THE LANDFILL PROJECT.
BUILDING UP ON MY PRESENTATION LAST WEEK, I WANTED TO AGAIN HIGHLIGHT THAT IN RELATION TO BOTH OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGETS, THE NUMBERS PROVIDED DURING BUDGET DISCUSSIONS ARE ESTIMATES BASED ON THE BEST AVAILABLE INFORMATION AT THE TIME, AS THE FINAL NUMBERS TEND TO BE INFLUENCED BY FACTORS THAT ARE SOMETIMES OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
WE DO SEE THESE REFLECTED IN YEARLY VARIANCES BETWEEN BUDGET TO BUDGET AND BUDGET TO ACTUALS.
AS WE ALL KNOW, WHILE THE CITY'S POPULATION HASN'T INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT YEARS, SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH IN OTHER AREAS HAS CREATED MOUNTING PRESSURES INFRASTRUCTURE, SERVICE AND PROGRAM INFRASTRUCTURE, SERVICE AND PROGRAM DEMANDS, LEGAL AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND STAKEHOLDER EXPECTATIONS HAVEN'T STOOD STILL.
THEY HAVE ALL CONTINUED TO INCREASE.
AS SUCH, THERE IS A NEED FOR MORE STAFF SO THAT WE CAN ADEQUATELY AND SAFELY DELIVER THOSE SERVICES AND PROGRAMS WE ARE MANDATED TO PROVIDE IN BUDGET IN PREPARATION FOR BUDGET 2024.
AS IN RECENT YEARS, THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM LEADERSHIP TEAM CAREFULLY REVIEWED THE IDENTIFIED NEEDS FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF AND EVALUATED THEM USING A STRUCTURED MATRIX THAT CONSIDERED HOW THE PROPOSED ROLES ALIGN WITH THE CITY'S MANDATE AND COUNCIL PRIORITIES.
BASED ON THIS WORK, THE DRAFT BUDGET 2024 INCORPORATES THE NEED FOR A FINANCIAL ANALYST AND A SENIOR BUDGETING AND TAX OFFICER TO SUPPORT THE EVER INCREASING WORKLOAD IN FINANCE, AS WELL AS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY IN OUR FINANCIAL SYSTEMS AND BUDGETING PROCESSES, AND INCREASE HELP INCREASE THE, THE STANDARD OF FINANCIAL REPORTING.
THE LABOR RELATIONS OFFICER POSITION TO COUNTER UNPRECEDENTED HIRING CHALLENGES.
A MANAGER EMERGENCY PROGRAM TO SUPPORT AND MAINTAIN THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDES THE PLANNING CONTEXT OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, MITIGATION AND RECOVERY IN COMPLIANCE WITH TERRITORIAL MANDATES.
THESE TWO POSITIONS WILL CREATE STEPS OF A NEW EXPERIENCE AND POSITION HIERARCHY WITHIN THE PLANNING FUNCTION THROUGH THE JOB CLASSIFICATION, RENEWAL, THE MANAGER, ASSET MANAGEMENT AND GIS TO BECOME A PERMANENT POSITION TO CONTINUE WITH IMPLEMENTATIONS OF LEVELS OF SERVICE AND ALSO TO PROVIDE STABILITY AS WE MOVE CLOSER TO BUDGETS.
BEING INFORMED BY ASSET MANAGEMENT DATA AND PRACTICES FOR LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY.
ONE POOL MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR STARTING IN JULY 2024, FIVE POOL MAINTENANCE STARTING IN OCTOBER 2024, AND THREE LIFEGUARDS, ONE CASHIER PLUS ONE CASUAL LIFEGUARD STARTING IN 2025.
NEXT UP IS THE TEN YEAR CAPITAL PLAN.
[00:25:04]
THE CITY PLANS TO INVEST TWO 271.2 MILLION OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS TO SUSTAIN THE INFRASTRUCTURE IT DEPENDS ON TO DELIVER SERVICES AND PROGRAMS. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT THE CITY CAN SAFELY PROVIDE CORE SERVICES TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ITS RESIDENTS, AS WELL AS THE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT RESIDENTS HAVE COME TO VALUE.THIS LONG TERM INVESTMENT WILL ALSO CREATE A PROTECTED CAPITAL RESERVE, EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 22.9 MILLION BY 2033 FOR UNEXPECTED COSTS.
IN THE BUILD UP OF THE TEN YEAR CAPITAL PLAN, THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT ARE MADE IN TERMS OF REVENUE AND EXPENSES, SOME ASSUMPTIONS ARE IN OUR CONTROL AND SOME ARE NOT, AND AS COMMITTEE HAS SEEN IN MOST RECENT YEARS, OUR EXPENSES HAVE GROWN FASTER THAN OUR REVENUE INTAKE AND I EXPECT THE SAME TREND TO CONTINUE.
AS SUCH, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO IMPLEMENT THOSE ASSUMPTIONS, ESPECIALLY THE REVENUE THAT ARE UNDER OUR CONTROL WHENEVER WE CAN, IF WE WANT TO KEEP A CERTAIN LEVEL OF SERVICE.
CURRENTLY WE TRANSFER 1 MILLION.
OTHER ITEMS THAT WE ARE ASSUMING WILL INCREASE ARE AS PER THE FOLLOWING.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE REPLACEMENT LEVY, AS ITS NAME SUGGESTS, COVERS THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES, AND THE CURRENT LEVY IS $13.50.
THE WATER AND SEWER FUND FINANCES THE WATER AND SEWER SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CITY.
MOST OF ITS REVENUES COME FROM USER CHARGES REFLECTED ON A MONTHLY WATER BILL.
FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS ARE LOOSELY FUNDED ON A USER PAY BASIS.
IT HAS BEEN, AS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
BUDGET 2024 RECOMMENDS ANNUAL 3% INCREASES IN THESE FEES NOW BEFORE WE TURN TO PROPERTY TAXES.
I JUST WANTED TO REQUEST COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO BE OPEN MINDED AS WE ARE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO REMEMBER THAT I AM JUST THE MESSENGER.
AS A REMINDER, LAST YEAR WE PROJECTED A TAX INCREASE OF 10.45% IN 2024 AND A FURTHER INCREASE OF 7.46% IN 2025, BUT AS COMMITTEE KNOWS, THESE PROJECTIONS WERE ASSUMING.
NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THEN.
AS SUCH, ADMINISTRATION, GIVEN THE HEALTHY BALANCE IN THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND, IS RECOMMENDING TO DRAW DOWN THIS FUND TO REDUCE THE TAX INCREASES AND TO BRING IT INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE BUDGET POLICY.
SPECIFICALLY, 3.5 MILLION IS BEING SUGGESTED TO BE PULLED FROM THE GENERAL FUND IN 2024 TO BRING THE TAX INCREASE THIS YEAR TO 7.22%, AND A FURTHER 2 MILLION WILL BE USED IN 2025 AND 2026 TO RESULT IN AN ANTICIPATED 7.6% AND 9.64% PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, RESPECTIVELY, AND TO REDUCE THE BALANCE AS WELL OF THIS FUND TO BRING IT INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE BUDGET POLICY, WHICH MENTIONED THAT.
NOW WHAT THIS TRANSLATES TO FOR INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLDS DEPENDS, OF COURSE, ON THE ASSESSED VALUE OF THEIR PROPERTY.
THIS TABLE SHOWS 2024 EXAMPLES FOR THREE DIFFERENT ASSESSED VALUES.
[00:30:03]
2024 PROPERTY TAXES ARE BASED ON 2023 ASSESSED VALUES, WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO BE 0.86% HIGHER THAN THE 2022 ASSESSED VALUES.FOLLOWING A REVIEW OF BUILDING PERMITS AS OF 30TH OF SEPTEMBER 2023.
THE IMPACTS FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS WILL BE DIFFERENT BECAUSE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES TEND TO BE LARGER AND HAVE HIGHER ASSESSED VALUES, AND A DIFFERENT MILL RATE APPLIES TO THEM.
NOW, IF ANYONE WANTED TO KNOW OR DO A SIMPLE CALCULATION REGARDING HOW YOU KNOW WHAT THEIR PROPERTY TAX IS GOING TO BE, WE CAN I'M JUST GOING TO PUT THE FORMULA UP.
NOW. WHAT'S THE NEXT STEPS? FROM NOW UNTIL JANUARY 31ST, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OUR RESIDENTS WILL BE INVITED TO SUBMIT THEIR QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK BY EMAIL TO ADMINISTRATION, WHO WILL COMPILE ANSWERS AND POST THEM ON OUR WEBSITE.
FURTHER, WE HAVE SET ASIDE THE EVENINGS OF FEBRUARY 5TH, 6TH AND 7TH, 2024 WITH THE EIGHTH RESERVE JUST IN CASE EXTRA TIME IS NEEDED FOR DELIBERATIONS TO SET THINGS UP FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL OF THE 2024 BUDGET ON FEBRUARY 12TH, 2024.
I THOUGHT MAYBE I SHOULD BRING IT UP AGAIN.
JUST TO PUT EVERYTHING IN CONTEXT AS TO WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH AND I KNOW IT'S NOT.
I WOULD NOT WANT TO BE IN YOUR SHOES, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
I, WE ADMINISTRATION, WE DO WORK WITH THE NUMBERS.
WE LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING EVERY DAY, BUT WE DON'T MAKE THE DECISIONS.
HOWEVER, AS COUNSELORS, YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEST, HOW TO TAKE THE CITY FORWARD, AND I WILL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. PANDOO, AND OF COURSE, TO YOUR TEAM, TO ADMINISTRATION.
A LOT OF WORK TO GET TO THIS STAGE AND THEN A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT OF WORK.
I'M REALLY STRESSED TO COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT JANUARY 31ST TO GET YOUR QUESTIONS TO ADMINISTRATION.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR NOW OF, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, DISCUSSION ON THIS.
BINDERS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED MS. BASSI-KELLETT. JUST AFTER THIS MEETING, AND I DO SEE THE BUDGET IS ONLINE, AND THEN, THIS PRESENTATION WILL ALSO BE ONLINE.
COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN. THANKS, MAYOR ALTY.
JUST ON THE EMERGENCY ISSUES RESERVE, PROPOSAL.
JUST A CLARIFICATION OF PROCESS.
SO IS IT PART OF THE BUDGET PROPOSAL, THE 3.5 MILLION, AND IF IT COUNCIL DECIDES TO GO FORWARD WITH IT, WILL THAT A NEW POLICY RELATED TO THAT RESERVE BE PRESENTED AND FOR APPROVAL ON FEBRUARY 12TH AS WELL? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD COME LATER? JUST A PROCESS QUESTION.
THANKS. I THINK IT WOULD PROBABLY COME LATER BECAUSE IT'S A BYLAW, BUT MS. BASSI-KELLETT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION, AND YES, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AROUND AT PRECEDENTS IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO LOOK AT THE BEST PRACTICES THERE. AS MR. PANDOO SAID, WE WANT TO MAKE INFINITELY SURE THAT THIS IS USED EXPLICITLY FOR THE REQUIREMENTS OF EMERGENCY, RESPONSES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, DIVERSE THINGS, WHETHER A HEALTH PANDEMIC, WHETHER OR NOT AN EVACUATION, WHETHER AN EXTREME WEATHER EVENT.
I'LL ASK MR. PANDOO IF HE'D LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING HE DOES NOT WANT TO ADD.
NO THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO SAY PROCESS WISE, WE HAVEN'T DECIDED ANYTHING YET, BUT IT WILL COME.
THANK YOU. NO, THANKS FOR THE CLARIFICATION ON THAT, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING INNOVATIVE WITH THINKING ABOUT THESE TYPES OF EMERGING SITUATIONS THAT, AS YOU SAID, ARE BECOMING, PARDON ME, BECOMING THE NORM.
SO THANKS VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, DEPUTY MAYOR.
I JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK ADMINISTRATION FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
I THINK THIS HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES I'VE REALLY I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO BUDGET.
[00:35:05]
NOT ONLY BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S A PROBLEM AT HAND WE HAVE TO FIND SOLUTIONS AND, I LIKE BEING VERY SOLUTION BASED, BUT I ALSO ENJOYED THE DELIVERY OF IT FOR MR. PANDOO. HE HAS HIS FLAIR, AND I'M VERY SADDENED TODAY.THERE'S NO TOM CRUISE HAIRCUT GOING ON, BUT I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT ADMINISTRATION HAS PUT FORWARD BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A REALLY ROUGH YEAR, AND TO BE ABLE TO PULL THIS TOGETHER, CONSIDERING EVERYTHING THAT'S OCCURRED, I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? DISCUSSION? FOR MYSELF, AND I KNOW, YOU MENTIONED IT IN A PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S STILL CORRECT.
WHAT'S THE, PREVIOUS YEARS? FOR EVERY 1%, IT EQUALS 300,000.
WHAT'S, THE DOLLAR FIGURE PER PERCENT? MS. BASSI-KELLETT. IT'S IN THAT BALLPARK.
ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
I'LL ASK MR. PANDOO IF HE'S COMFORTABLE SHARING, OR IF WE NEED TO RETURN WITH THAT.
YEAH, WE'D DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT, AND, JUST SO I'M CLEAR AGAIN, I'LL REVIEW THE BUDGET AND MAYBE IT'LL BE CLEAR TO ME, BUT YOU MENTIONED THE 3.5 MILLION PROPOSED TO GO IN THE EMERGING ISSUES RESERVE HASN'T BEEN INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET YET.
SO IF COUNCIL INCLUDES 3.5 MILLION, IT'D BE EITHER AN INCREASE TAX OR WE'D HAVE TO DRAW DOWN THE GENERAL FUND POTENTIALLY FURTHER THAN.
PERHAPS JUST A BIT MORE CLARITY ON THAT MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I'LL ASK MR. PANDOO TO SPEAK TO THE DETAIL.
THAT'S THE TWO OPTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
EITHER YOU DRAW DOWN FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO BRING IT IN LINE WITH THE BUDGET POLICY, OR YOU DECIDE TO LEAVE IT AS IS, BUT THEN OUR THE GENERAL FUND WILL BE AT 21%.
SO NOT IN LINE WITH OUR BUDGET POLICY, AND THE OTHER OPTION IS TO RAISE TAXES TO COVER FOR, WE DID RECOMMEND 3.5, BUT YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY NUMBER. WE, BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED, IT'S DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH AN INITIAL NUMBER, BUT EVEN WITH THAT 3.5, THERE IS SOME RATIONALE BEHIND IT HOW WE CAME UP WITH THAT 3.5.
THANK YOU, AND INCLUDING IT AS MR. PANDOO HAS PRESENTED, WILL NOT MEAN AN ADDITIONAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE BEYOND.
THANK YOU. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR, BECAUSE ADMINISTRATION DREW DOWN FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO GET FROM THE 16% TO THE 7.22% DRAFT. BIG CAVEAT STILL, AND SO IF WE DRAW DOWN THE GENERAL FUND, ANOTHER 3.5 MILLION, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'D STILL BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR POLICY, AND I'M SEEING A VERBAL, OR A MOUTH, BUT, MS. BASSI-KELLETT, IF I CAN JUST GET CONFIRMATION THAT WE DRAW DOWN 16% AND WE COULD STILL DRAW, NOT DRAW DOWN 16%.
GO FROM THOSE. MR. PANDOO UNDERSTANDS THAT.
SEEING NOTHING FURTHER, AND, WE WILL ALL EAGERLY READ THAT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, AND ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC AND GET YOU OUR QUESTIONS BY THE 31ST.
[5. A memorandum regarding whether to amend the Terms of Reference for the Community Advisory Board on Homelessness.]
MS. BASSI-KELLETT. DO YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.GIVEN THE CYCLE OF HOW THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD HAS BEEN FUNCTIONING VERY EFFICIENTLY IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT THE REACHING HOME FUNDING THAT WE GET, ALLOCATING IT TO ELIGIBLE AND WORTHY CAUSES.
SO THE PROPOSAL IS TO CHANGE THE TERMS OF REFERENCE FROM REQUIRING AT LEAST FOUR MEETINGS A YEAR AT THE CALL OF THE CHAIR TO REQUIRING MEETINGS AS REQUIRED BY THE CALL OF THE CHAIR. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AND THAT WOULD BE MORE CONSISTENT WORDING WITH OUR OTHER COMMITTEES.
WHEN WE DID THE OVERHAUL ON TERMS OF REFERENCES LAST TIME, ONE OF THE THINGS HERITAGE COMMITTEE HAD THAT WAS A MINIMUM OF NINE, AND SO IT WAS LIKE, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THAT EIGHTH AND NINTH MEETING AND THERE WAS NOTHING TO DISCUSS.
[00:40:04]
COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN. THANKS, MAYOR ALTY.YEAH JUST AS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE PAST YEAR, I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS AS A BURNING ISSUE, AND I KNOW IT HASN'T COME FROM CAB ITSELF, AND I KNOW CAB ITSELF HASN'T BEEN, CONSULTED ON THIS POTENTIAL CHANGE.
SO I WOULD BE HESITANT TO MOVE FORWARD FROM GPC TODAY WITH THIS.
TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I HAVE SOME POTENTIAL WORDING THAT I'D WANT TO PLAY WITH AS WELL TO, SO IT'S NOT AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR THAT IT'S AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COMMITTEE BECAUSE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE SIGNED UP FOR A CERTAIN LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION IN OUR COMMUNITY ON A CRITICAL SUBJECT OF HOMELESSNESS.
SO I WOULD BE REALLY HESITANT FOR GPC TO PROCEED ON THIS TODAY, BUT THAT'S WHERE MY MIND IS.
I JUST I DON'T I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS AS A BURNING ISSUE.
I KNOW AGAIN, CAB HASN'T REVIEWED THIS OR SEEN IT OR SEEN IT AS A BURNING ISSUE TO BRING IT FORWARD.
SO IF ANYTHING, I WOULD SAY TO MY COLLEAGUES, IF THIS IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO PURSUE, I WOULD SAY I HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED WITH CAB IF I'M STILL THE CHAIR AFTER TODAY, ON THE 25TH AND THE EIGHTH, SO I COULD BRING THIS ISSUE TO CAB FOR REVIEW OF THAT, AND THEN IT COULD COME BACK TO GPC BUT THAT WOULD BE MY PREFERENCE FROM A GOVERNANCE PERSPECTIVE, OF MAKING SURE THAT THE COMMITTEE IN QUESTION IS ENGAGED AND CONSULTED.
THANKS. JUST TO NOTE IT'S AT THE CALL, BUT IT'S NOT.
SO COMMITTEE MEMBERS CAN APPROACH THE CHAIR TO REQUEST THE MEETINGS CALLED.
IT'S JUST THAT COMMITTEE MEMBERS CAN'T, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS, DISCUSSION. COUNCILLOR COCHRANE.
IT DOES ALLOW US TO CALL THE MEETING WHENEVER IT'S NECESSARY.
AS WITH HERITAGE, WE HAD A BUNCH OF MEETINGS WHERE THERE WASN'T A LOT TO DISCUSS.
NOW I KNOW THE FRUITION, THE MAKEUP, THE ENTIRE INTENT OF CAB IS DIFFERENT THAN HERITAGE, BUT IT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE JUST BEEN UPDATED AT THE SAME TIME AS WHEN WE WERE UPDATING THE TOURS, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND YOUR HESITANCY, HESITANCY, AND YOUR WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONSULT.
SO I'M NOT AGAINST THE IDEA OF GOING BACK, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S UNDERSTOOD.
THIS IS PRETTY MUCH BASIC HOUSEKEEPING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? DISCUSSION? COUNCILLOR FEQUET.
THANKS, MADAM CHAIR. YEAH, JUST MORE, I GUESS.
I RESPECT THE FACT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE FLEXIBLE.
SO IF HERITAGE COMMITTEE IS TO MEET AT LEAST TWO TIMES AND WHENEVER AS NEEDED OR SOMETHING MORE REALISTIC, LIKE YOU'RE USUALLY WHEN YOU SEE THIS IN GOVERNANCE DOCUMENTS FOR ORGANIZATIONS, IT'S TYPICALLY WAY UNDER FOR THAT EXACT REASON.
SO YOU HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY THAT YOU'RE NOT CALLING MEETINGS FOR NO PURPOSE, BUT YOU ARE GIVING FOLKS WHO ARE SIGNING UP AND VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME OR GETTING PAID FOR THEIR TIME AN EXPECTATION OF WHAT, THEIR FREQUENCY AND TIME COMMITMENT MIGHT BE.
SO, I MEAN, IN GENERAL, THAT'S MORE OF WHAT I'M SUPPORTIVE OF TO SEE ACROSS OUR COMMITTEES TO HELP.
BECAUSE IF THESE COMMITTEES ARE FOR US TO DO OUR WORK AND WE WANT THE PUBLIC TO JOIN THEM, OR THE PEOPLE WITH SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE, BEING AS HELPFUL AS WE CAN, WOULD BE KIND OF MY LEANING AND IN GENERAL, I GUESS, JUST KIND OF BUILDING ON WHAT COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN SAID.
I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S TIME THAT WE'RE SPENDING TALKING ABOUT THIS, READING IT, DECIDING ON IT LATER, AND SO I THINK ANY TIME WE'RE DOING EVEN A MINOR REVISION, IT'S ALWAYS, WOULD BE MY PREFERENCE TO JUST JUST CHECK IN WITH THE COMMITTEE TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NOTHING ELSE THAT THEY WANT TO UPDATE.
I'M NOT I KNOW OUR TERMS OF REFERENCE DID GET A FULL UPDATE, A FEW YEARS BACK, AND SO THEY'RE ALL PRETTY, PRETTY TIGHT BUT THERE COULD BE OTHER THINGS WE DON'T KNOW OR NEW PRACTICES SINCE THAT 2020 UPDATE.
SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES.
THERE WAS 17 MINUTES MEETINGS, 2021 HAD 15 MEETINGS, 2022 SCALED DOWN TO SIX 2023 JUST THREE.
SO IT'S KIND OF ALL OVER THE PLACE DEPENDING ON WHEN THE FEDS COME FORWARD WITH MORE MONEY.
WE HAVE TO HURRY UP AND A BIT OF A HURRY UP AND WAIT GAME.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT.
SO SUPPORTIVE OF BEN OR OF COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN POINT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, DEPUTY MAYOR ARDEN-SMITH.
[00:45:02]
COME FORWARD WITH FUNDING AND YOU HAVE TO PULL TOGETHER A MEETING RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS HAVE TO BE, DISCUSSED WITHIN THE COMMITTEE.MOST COMMITTEE MEMBERS KNOW THAT WHEN THEY'RE SIGNING UP.
THIS IS A PRETTY HEFTY COMMITTEE YOU ARE MEETING QUITE OFTEN, AND I WOULD I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY IT'S THE BUSIEST, AND SO BEING ABLE TO BE FLEXIBLE AND NOTING THAT MAJORITY OF THE COMMITTEE KNOWS IT'S QUITE HOMELESSNESS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IT'S A HEAVY HITTING ISSUE FOR ALL OF YELLOWKNIFERS, AND SO I THINK MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THAT, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, AS COUNCILLOR COCHRANE POINTED OUT, IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE SETTING FORTH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS ALREADY KNOW KIND OF WHAT THEY'RE THEY'RE ENGAGED IN, WHAT THEY'RE IN FOR, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS COMMITTEE, AND JUST ALIGNING IT WITH OUR TERMS OF REFERENCE IS VERY IMPORTANT AND CONSISTENCY.
FOR MYSELF, I'M IN SUPPORT OF WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
THE CAB HAS DISCUSSED LOOKING NOW THAT WE HAVE ANOTHER FOUR YEARS OF FUNDING TO ACTUALLY DO TWO YEAR CONTRACTS INSTEAD OF THE ANNUAL, WHICH MEANS THERE WOULD BE A REDUCTION IN MEETINGS, WHICH WOULD BE THEN.
OH, WE GOT TO HAVE OUR THIRD AND FOURTH MEETING BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD THOSE TO BE IN COMPLIANCE.
SO, AGAIN, THE WORDINGS WILL MEET AS REQUIRED TO PERFORM THE DUTIES OF THE COMMITTEE, AND SO WHETHER THAT'S TWO MEETINGS, 317 IT IS AT THE CALL OF THE CHAIR, AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REACH OUT TO THE CHAIR IF THEY FEEL LIKE THERE'S BUSINESS THAT NEEDS TO ARISE.
I'M NOT HEARING OTHERS REQUESTING THAT IT BE DELAYED.
SO, COUNCILLOR FEQUET, IF THAT'S NOT THE CLEAR INTERPRETATION, PLEASE CLARIFY ON YOUR ROUND TWO.
YEAH, I GUESS I WOULD BE IN SUPPORT OF HOLDING BECAUSE I JUST REALIZED.
SO WITH THE IMPENDING MEETING COMING UP, SO SOON IN THE COMING WEEKS, I THINK ONE OF THE OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WOULD BE A REALLY BIG BENEFIT FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS, IN KIND OF CONCERT WITH ITS TERMS OF REFERENCE IS I KNOW WE HAVEN'T GOT INTO THE COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLES DISCUSSION, BUT I RECOGNIZE THAT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE TAKING TIME ARE ACTUALLY OUR EXPERTS AND OUR SERVICE DELIVERERS, OUR PROGRAM DELIVERY FOLKS ON THE GROUND WITH THESE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, AND I RECOGNIZE THAT ASKING THEM ABOUT FUNDING AND NOT ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD MAYBE BE WORKING ON AT THAT SAME TIME IS MAYBE NOT THE MOST EFFICIENT USE OF THEIR TIME, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT TO LET THEM HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT THIS TERMS OF REFERENCE, TO THINK ABOUT THIS COMMITTEE AND HOW IT MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE COMBINED OR AFTER OR BEFORE OTHER KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS IN THAT SAME SPACE, BECAUSE WE I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT WE NEED TO DO WORK OR THAT FOLKS ARE WILLING TO DO WORK IN THAT SPACE, AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK THAT IS THE REASON THAT I WOULD SUPPORT JUST HOLDING UP ON THIS.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT TIME SENSITIVE TODAY, IN MY UNDERSTANDING, AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE A REALLY GREAT CONVERSATION FOR CAB TO BE ABLE TO HAVE TO MAKE BEST USE, ESPECIALLY OF THOSE VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE SHOWING UP FOR THOSE MEETINGS.
THANKS. COULD I GET A CLARIFYING QUESTION? YOUR RECOMMENDATION IS THAT CAB HAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT EXPANDING THEIR ROLE? BECAUSE CURRENTLY CAB'S ROLE IS TO ADVISE ON THE REACHING HOME FUNDING, AND SO, JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE JUST GET A CLARIFICATION FROM YOURSELF. NO, THANKS.
I WAS SUGGESTING THAT WE MAKE, BETTER USE OR ASK AND SOLICIT INPUT FROM THE FOLKS WHO ARE VOLUNTEERING TO BE PART OF CAB BECAUSE THEY ALREADY LEAVE THEIR JOBS TO COME MEET WITH US ABOUT THIS, MAYBE TACKING ON AN EXTRA HOUR TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE OTHER THINGS WE COULD BE DOING SINCE WE HAVE THOSE FOLKS.
SO THOSE GROUPS TOGETHER, IS ONE SUGGESTION I'VE HEARD IN THE LAST YEAR, BUT, I MEAN, I GUESS I'M JUST SAYING WE SHOULD BE ASKING THOSE FOLKS, AND THAT COULD HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME AS THIS. I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THIS PROPOSED CHANGE.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, I JUST THINK WE SHOULD JUST HAVE THAT KIND OF HOLISTIC CONVERSATION WITH THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT WE'RE ASKING TO DONATE THEIR VERY VALUABLE TIME TO THIS CAUSE.
I WILL CLARIFY TO SAY THAT I AM IN SUPPORT OF THIS GOING FORWARD.
I DO THINK THIS IS BASIC GOVERNANCE, BUT IF THE CHAIR FEELS THAT HE WANTS TO BE ABLE TO OPEN UP A DIALOG WITH HIS COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO INFORM THEM OF THIS CHANGE, WHICH AGAIN, I DO SUPPORT, I WILL SUPPORT THE DELAY.
[00:50:06]
I APPRECIATE THAT, MADAM CHAIR.TO CLARIFY, I'M NOT IN SUPPORT OF A FULL CONVERSATION WITH THE EXPANSION OF THE TOUR.
HOLDING OFF BECAUSE YOU'LL BE KIND OF THE CLOSE.
CAN I GET SOME CLARIFICATION FROM COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN ABOUT LIKE I'M NOT LIKE IT'S A SMALL CHANGE, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS THIS CHANGE.
COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN, DO YOU WANT TO CLARIFY? YEAH, I CAN PICK UP ON THAT.
I GUESS FOR ME, IT'S I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PROBLEM IS WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE WITH THIS CHANGE.
SO I AGREE WITH YOU. IT'S TINY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, FROM A PROCESS PERSPECTIVE, I WOULD ARGUE FOR ANY COMMITTEE CITY OR NON-CITY OF A GOVERNANCE NATURE, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT ANY POTENTIAL CONVERSATION, THEIR PARTICIPATION, THEIR THEIR ACTIVITIES, AND SO I AGREE WITH YOU.
WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE ANOTHER CONVERSATION AROUND COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS, POTENTIALLY COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLES WITHIN THE CITY, AND SO I THINK THERE'S DIFFERENT SPACES THAT DIFFERENT IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS, AND TO ME, THE CONVERSATION AROUND HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS IS SORT OF THE CRITICAL ISSUE IN OUR CITY, AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN THAT STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS AS A CITY, AND SO, TO ME, WHY ARE WE SPENDING A MOMENT HERE MAKING IT CHANGE TO NUMBER OF MEETINGS WITHOUT ENGAGING IN THE COMMITTEE, WITHOUT HAVING THE BROADER CONVERSATION? I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MORE OF A DISCUSSION.
ABOUT NOT MORE OF A DISCUSSION TO FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THE PARAMETERS AROUND THE MEETING REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS COMMITTEE? BECAUSE AS THE MAYOR SAID, THE COMMITTEE EVERYTHING UP TILL LAST YEAR, WHICH AS WE KNOW WAS KIND OF A FUBAR YEAR, WE HAD THREE OFFICIAL MEETINGS AND ONE MEETING, WHICH WAS SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER, TO SORT OF BRING EVERYBODY BACK AND UP TO SPEED, AND UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO DAY OF ISSUES, QUORUM WASN'T REACHED, SO MEMBERS WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT ON THE DAY, BUT OTHERWISE WE WOULD HAVE MET THAT REQUIREMENT AND ALSO PURPOSEFULLY, IN MY OPINION, AS THE CHAIR.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S THE CONTEXT WHERE I'M IN.
AGAIN, I APPRECIATE IF GPC WANTS TO MOVE FORWARD.
I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO RAILROAD OR SIDESTEP IT.
THAT'S WHERE I'M SITTING ON THIS.
RIGHT NOW I'M I'M NOT INTERESTED IN BRINGING THIS BACK.
I THINK THAT I'M IN SUPPORT OF JUST MOVING FORWARD TODAY.
THANK YOU. SEEING NODDING HEADS, BRINGING IT FORWARD FROM COUNCILLOR WARBURTON.
COUNCILLOR COCHRANE WOULD BE TO HOLD.
YEAH. MY ONLY THING IS, I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE THAT CAB'S GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO.
IMPROVE ITS EFFICIENCY IN ALLOCATING FUNDING, AND EVERY MEETING THAT WE HAVE IS A MINIMUM 3 TO 4 CITY STAFF, AND SO, AGAIN, TO HAVE IT DICTATE AT LEAST FOUR MEETINGS PER YEAR, AND WE ARE MEETING JUST TO MEET IS FOR CITY STAFF MEMBERS NOT BEING ABLE TO DO OTHER WORK AND FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE TO ALSO NOT BE DOING THEIR VERY BUSY JOBS, WHICH WE DO STRUGGLE TO GET QUORUM FOR THIS COMMITTEE BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE SO BUSY.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M NOT IN SUPPORT OF HAVING A NUMBER DICTATED, JUST LIKE I WASN'T IN SUPPORT OF HERITAGE HAVING NINE, IT REALLY SHOULD BE. IF YOU CAN BE EFFICIENT AND GET YOUR JOB DONE IN TWO MEETINGS IN A YEAR, IF YOU'RE FISHING CAN GET IT DONE IN THREE.
IF YOU NEED THE FOUR, THAT'S GREAT, BUT JUST TO CALL A MEETING.
SO I'M IN SUPPORT OF THAT, BUT, SEEING THAT WE DON'T HAVE, THE MAJORITY, WE WILL HOLD THIS THEN, AND COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN WILL BROACH THIS WITH THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD ON HOMELESSNESS WHEN THEY MEET, LATER THIS
[00:55:06]
MONTH, AND IT WILL COME BACK TO COUNCIL OR GPC.SORRY IF THERE'S, A DESIRE TO AMEND THE TERMS OF REFERENCE, AND WITH THAT, NEXT IS A MEMORANDUM REGARDING WHETHER TO APPOINT A DEPUTY MAYOR AND WHETHER TO APPOINT MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AS REPRESENTATIVES ON THE SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF COUNCIL.
[6. A memorandum regarding whether to appoint a Deputy Mayor and whether to appoint Members of Council as representatives on the Special Committees of Council.]
SO WITH THIS, IT'S AN ANNUAL THING WE DO IS TO APPOINT DEPUTY MAYOR AS WELL AS THE ESTABLISHED COMMITTEES. BREAK THIS UP INTO ABOUT A FOUR PART DISCUSSION.POINT ONE WILL BE ARE THERE ANY COMMITTEES ON HERE? THAT SHOULD BE REMOVED.
THOSE TERMS OF REFERENCE WOULD COME BACK TO GPC FOR REVIEW AND THEN MOVE FORWARD FOR APPROVAL.
POINT 2, THEN WE WOULD THEN DISCUSS, DEPUTY MAYOR.
EACH PERSON THAT'S INTERESTED HAVE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.
IF YOU CAN SAY YOUR POINTS IN LESS.
THAT'S GREAT, AND THEN COUNCILLORS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO Q&A THAT.
THEN WE'LL GO IN-CAMERA, THE CANDIDATES WILL LEAVE AND WE'LL WE'LL DISCUSS AND THEN MOVE OUT OF IN-CAMERA APPOINT OR MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON THE APPOINTMENT AFTER DEPUTY MAYOR.
THEN WE'LL GET INTO APPOINTING COUNCILLORS TO THE VARIOUS COMMITTEES.
BECAUSE DEPENDING ON WHO'S DEPUTY MAYOR, THEN OTHERS WOULD WANT TO STEP ON OTHER COMMITTEES, AND THEN FINALLY, POINT FOUR, IT WAS IN OUR 2019 GOVERNANCE THAT ONE WAY TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC AND GET RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL IS THROUGH COMMITTEES.
OTHER WAYS IS THROUGH COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLES OR COMMUNITY GATHERINGS.
HISTORICALLY, WE'VE DONE THEM AS A CITY WE DO THE RECONCILIATION GATHERING, BUT COUNCIL, IF WE WANT TO FORMALIZE IT MORE TO SAY WE WANT TO DO X NUMBER, THESE ARE THE THEMES.
ADMINISTRATION WOULD THEN GO BACK, DO A MEMO FOR GPC'S CONSIDERATION, COME FORWARD JUST OUTLINING, WHAT THEY PROPOSE FOR THOSE THEMES, TIMING AND COST.
SO ANY QUESTIONS ON KIND OF THAT FOUR PART PROCESS? SEEING NONE.
WE'VE GOT THE PROPOSED COMMITTEES THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR A WHILE.
ONE THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION TO ADD WOULD BE HUMAN RESOURCE AND COMPENSATION COMMITTEE, AND JUST TO GIVE WHAT I'M SEEING FOR THIS COMMITTEE AGAIN, ADMINISTRATION WILL HAVE TO BRING FORWARD A TERMS OF REFERENCE AND THAT'S WHEN WE CAN KIND OF WORDSMITH AND GET A FULL APPROVAL ON, BUT THE PURPOSE WOULD BE TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL RELATED TO THE RECRUITMENT, HIRING, PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, CORRECTIVE ACTION AND TERMINATION OF THE CITY MANAGER.
ONE IS THAT THIS COMMITTEE WOULD ONLY PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH IS WHAT OUR COMMITTEES DO.
SO THIS ISN'T AN HR COMMITTEE FOR US TO LOOK AT LIFEGUARD ACTS, FINANCIAL ASSISTANT [INAUDIBLE].
COUNCILLOR COCHRANE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
I FULLY SUPPORT THE CREATION OF THIS COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN.
JUST LIKE COUNCILLOR COCHRANE, JUST GOOD GOVERNANCE.
SO THERE'S A NATURAL TIME WITH A NEW CITY MANAGER WHO WILL BE COMING ONLINE IN THE COMING MONTHS.
HOPEFULLY, THAT GOOD GOVERNANCE CAN KICK IN, AND WE CAN IMPROVE ON THE PROCESSES WITHIN OUR CITY.
THANKS. THANK YOU SEEING GENERAL SUPPORT OF THAT.
[01:00:05]
MAYOR'S ROLE IS TO PROVIDE THE DAILY OVERSIGHT OF THE CITY MANAGER, RECOMMENDATION IS ONLY TWO CITY COUNCILLORS.ONCE WE GET TO FOUR, WE'RE ALMOST AT QUORUM, AND IT SHOULD BE A WHOLE COUNCIL THING.
SO, WITH THAT, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMITTEES THAT FOLKS WOULD LIKE TO ADD OR DELETE? COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN, AND THEN, DEPUTY MAYOR ARDEN-SMITH PERHAPS A CURVEBALL, BUT I'LL THROW THIS PERHAPS TO ADMIN, BUT THE HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION HASN'T MET SINCE 2020, AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT COMPLETELY WITHIN OUR PURVIEW, BUT PERHAPS A CONVERSATION WITH THE GNWT AND THE YKDFN ABOUT THE EFFICACY OF THE HOMELESSNESS COMMISSION, AND CAN WE GET RID OF THE FORMALITY OF A TERMS OF REFERENCE AROUND HAVING A COMMISSION WHERE WE'RE NOT MEETING IN SETTING PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS, BUT NOT MEETING THOSE PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS, AND MAYBE JUST BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND CONVERSATIONS THROUGH, I KNOW WITH THE NEW HOMELESSNESS STRATEGY FROM THE GNWT COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLE OR ADMINISTRATIVE COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLE PIECES.
SO I JUST PERHAPS MAYBE NOT SOMETHING WE DELETE TODAY, BUT SOMETHING FOR A RECOMMENDATION TO, FOR ADMIN TO OPEN THOSE CONVERSATION DOORS WITH THE N.W.T, AND WIKB-FM FOR SURE. SO WITH THE NEW HOUSING MINISTER THAT WAS GOING TO BE A DISCUSSION IS BECAUSE IF IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO, IF THEY DON'T HAVE TIME OR IF IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GET THE COMMISSION UP AND RUNNING, THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO, TO COUNCIL, BUT, THAT MEETING'S STILL WORKING TO BE SCHEDULED.
SO FOR NOW IT WOULD STAY, THAT 1ST MAY COME BACK FOR FOR A DELETION.
I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH BASE ON THE YELLOWKNIFE COMBATIVE SPORT COMMISSION.
NOTING THAT THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE TO NO ACTIVITY.
I WAS THE CHAIR ALL OF LAST TERM, AND WE MET [INAUDIBLE] AND SO I WANT TO CHECK WITH ADMINISTRATION TO SEE, WHAT THE.
I DON'T WANT TO USE THE WORD VALUE, BUT IS YEAH IS IT REQUIRED, IS IT NECESSARY TO HAVE THIS SEEING AS THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY ACTION ON THIS IN WELL OVER SIX YEARS? YEAH, THAT ONE'S REQUIRED BY BYLAW.
SO WE WOULD HAVE TO DISSOLVE THE COMBATIVE SPORTS BYLAW, I GUESS.
THAT ONE IS AT THE CALL OF AN EVENT.
SO IF NOBODY'S GOING TO HAVE A COMBATIVE SPORTS EVENT, THEN THIS COMMITTEE WON'T MEET, NEXT YEAR BUT IF SOMEBODY IF THERE IS A PROMOTER IN TOWN WHO DOES WANT TO HAVE AN EVENT, THEN THE COMMISSION GETS STRUCK.
MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
YOU NAILED IT. THIS IS A REACTIVE COMMITTEE.
IT'S REACTIVE TO A COMBATIVE SPORT EVENT GOING ON.
IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF A, BOXING, WHATEVER KIND OF EVENT, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
MR. WHITE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS FOR SOME TIME.
NOT MUCH TO ADD THE COMBATIVE SPORT, WOULD, GOVERN ANY BOXING, KICKBOXING, MUAY THAI OR MIXED MARTIAL ARTS EVENT IN TOWN AND THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY INTEREST EXPRESSED FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND I HONESTLY CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME WE HAD AN EVENT.
COUNCILLOR BUSSEY, I THINK SHE WAS SURPRISED AT WHAT HAPPENS AT THOSE.
[CHUCKLING] YOU HAVE TO SIT FRONT ROW.
I THINK IF YOU'RE ON THE COMMISSION OR SOMETHING.
THE ONE THING WITH IT, IT'S LIKE DEVELOPMENT APPEAL BOARD.
IT'S GOT TO COME TO COUNCIL, SO WE'VE GOT TO APPOINT SOMEBODY IN THE FASTEST WAY POSSIBLE.
SO IT IS FROM A WORKLOAD PERSPECTIVE.
IT'S A LIGHT ONE FOR FOR PEOPLE CONSIDERING.
OKAY, AND SO THEN, IF AND WHEN THIS EVER IS REQUIRED.
SEEING AS THERE'S ONLY A CHAIR, THEN OTHER MEMBERS WILL BE APPOINTED, AS REQUIRED.
I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY IS UP TO DATE ON THAT COMMISSION.
MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MR. WHITE, IF YOU HAVE SOME INFORMATION TO SHARE.
SO AS, COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH MENTIONED, WE'D HAVE TO START FROM SCRATCH AND REAPPOINT I DON'T RECALL HOW MANY, BUT I THINK IT'S LIKE 5 OR 6 ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONERS. THANKS.
[01:05:05]
ALLOWS, FIND MEMBERS SO THAT IF AND WHEN REQUIRED, WE HAVE PEOPLE IN PLACE AND WE DON'T HAVE TO RUSH AROUND TRYING TO FIND OUR MEMBERS.SEEING NOTHING FURTHER, WE WILL JUST ADD THAT ONE AND, [INAUDIBLE] WILL COME FORWARD FOR THAT ONE.
SO WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO PART TWO OF THIS, WHICH IS THE DEPUTY MAYOR.
SO WE'VE GOT COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH COUNCILLOR COCHRANE AND COUNCILLOR FEQUET WHO HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST AND JUST MAKING SURE COUNCILLOR.
THANKS, MADAM CHAIR. YEAH, I PUT MY NAME FORWARD INITIALLY, BUT IN THE HOPES THAT THE HUMAN RESOURCE AND COMPENSATION COMMITTEE WOULD GET ESTABLISHED AND SINCE COUNCIL JUST DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT TODAY, I'M HAPPY TO WITHDRAW MY NAME.
ANY OTHERS INTERESTED? SEEING NONE.
SO WE'LL GO IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
WE'LL START WITH COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO COUNCILLOR COCHRANE, BUT COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE THE FLOOR, JUST KIND OF LET US KNOW YOUR INTEREST, WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING TO THE POSITION.
WELL, WHAT I'M BRINGING TO THIS POSITION, I'M BRINGING EXPERIENCE FOR ONE.
IT, IT EXPANDS ON WHAT IT IS THAT I'VE LEARNED AS A CITY COUNCILLOR.
WHAT I BRING TO THE TABLE, I BRING STABILITY, I BRING CONSISTENCY, I BRING KNOWLEDGE.
I MEAN, THE WHOLE REASONING BEHIND BEING ON COUNCIL IS I SEE IT NOT JUST FOR MYSELF, BUT I SEE IT AS A STEPPING STONE, FOR INDIVIDUALS LIKE MYSELF.
THE PEOPLE THAT WE PUT INTO THESE POSITIONS.
BECAUSE WHEN MADAM MAYOR IS AWAY, THE DEPUTY MAYOR IS TO STEP IN THESE SHOES AND MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE HAVE OUR MEETINGS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO WRANGLE OUR PEOPLE BACK IN AND GET FOCUSED ONTO THE ISSUE AT HAND THE, BE PROBLEM SOLVERS.
CLARIFICATION IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY WHENEVER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GOVERNANCE, AND I THINK, I HAVE DISPLAYED THAT I'M MORE THAN CAPABLE OF, OF FULFILLING THIS ROLE AND GOING FORWARD.
SO THAT IS WHY I WANT TO CONTINUE AS, AS DEPUTY MAYOR.
ANY QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
COLLEAGUES. OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE HAVE SHARED MANY EXPERIENCES THAT HAVE OFFERED US THE POTENTIAL TO SEE BOTH THE BEST AND THE WORST OF WHAT IT IS TO GOVERN THIS COMMUNITY IN THE 21ST CENTURY, FROM THE EXTREMES OF THE ENVIRONMENT, AND MOST LIKELY, ITS NEW NORMAL, TO HAVING A FRONT SEAT OF WHAT THE DEMANDS OF THE MODERN LABOR MOVEMENT WILL BE GOING FORWARD, AND EVEN PARTICIPATING IN WHAT WAS THE MOST DISRUPTIVE AND EXTRAORDINARY ACTION EVER EXPERIENCED BY THIS COMMUNITY'S MEMBERS WITH THE EVACUATION OF YELLOWKNIFE.
IT'S BEEN A HECK OF A LOT FOR A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO PRIMARILY WANTED TO DEAL WITH HOUSING, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, AND SERVICE STANDARDS, AND I WANT TO OFFER A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION FOR THE TIRELESS WORK AND BOUNDLESS ENERGY IN TACKLING EVERY CRISIS THE UNIVERSE CAN THROW AT THEM.
THIS COUNCIL AND THIS COMMUNITY OWE YOU AN ENDLESS AMOUNT OF GRATITUDE.
I CAN CONFIDENTLY STATE THAT I AM NOT THE LEADER I WAS A YEAR AGO, THAT I HAVE GROWN INTO THE ROLE AS I KNOW ALL OF YOU HAVE OVER OUR SHORT BUT TUMULTUOUS YEAR OR SO, AND FROM THAT GROWTH MIXED WITH MY PRIOR EXPERIENCE, SKILLSET AND COMMITMENT, I PUT MY NAME FORWARD TO SERVE THIS YEAR AS DEPUTY MAYOR.
THROUGHOUT OUR TIME ON COUNCIL, I HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW ALL OF YOU AND VICE VERSA, BUT FOR THE FOLKS LISTENING IN, I'M A DIPLOMATIC, CALM, AND RELIABLE LEADER WHO MEETS EACH CHALLENGE WITH A SENSE OF PRAGMATISM, POSITIVITY, STRATEGIC INSIGHT, AND IS VERY MUCH PROCEDURE DRIVEN.
I HOPE THAT I HAVE ALSO DEMONSTRATED TO ALL OF YOU THAT EVEN AT ITS MOST TENSE, AND IF WE DISAGREE, THAT I HAVE NEVER BEEN A PERSON WHO IS DISAGREEABLE, ONE THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS CONTINUE TO HAVE A DIALOG WITH, AND THAT I AM ALWAYS ON YOUR TEAM, AND THAT YOU CAN TRUST THAT I WILL ALWAYS MOVE FORWARD WITH YOU AS WE STRIVE FOR OUTCOMES THAT BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF YELLOWKNIFERS.
[01:10:06]
TUMOR WALKOUT, RAISING OF THE FLAG OF THE FRANCOPHONIE AT THE SNOW CASTLE, AND THE EVER EXCITING 2023 SWAN OF NORTHERN LIGHTS CONFERENCE, WHICH FOCUSED ON WASTE MANAGEMENT.I HAVE ALSO HAD THE DEEP HONOR AND PRIVILEGE OF BEING ON THE JUDGES PANEL FOR THE FLOATS OF THE CHRISTMAS PARADE, AND WIN OR LOSE, I CAN COMMIT TO CARRYING ON THAT DUTY EVERY YEAR FOR THE REST OF OUR TERM, AS IT IS PROBABLY THE FAVORED DATE NIGHT FOR MY HOLIDAY OBSESSED FIANCÉE.
I HAVE ALSO HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO SERVE AS ACTING DEPUTY MAYOR FOR A FEW WEEKS, WHEN BOTH HER WORSHIP AND MADAM DEPUTY MAYOR WERE OUT OF TOWN, AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT I AM VERY PROFICIENT AT SIGNING ALL SORTS OF STUFF.
IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, THE REASON I'VE GIVEN YOU ALL A PEEK OF MY UPDATED RESUME IS NOT ONLY SHOW YOU MY EXPERIENCE IN THE ROLE, BUT ALSO TO EXHIBIT MY TIME COMMITMENT, WHICH I KNOW WE ALL GUARD PRECIOUSLY, BUT IF YOU NEED SOMEONE UP AT 7 A.M.
TO TALK ABOUT THE VIRTUES OF GARBAGE DISPOSAL AGAIN, I'LL BE THERE IN A FLASH.
IN CONCLUSION, I WANT TO THANK DEPUTY MAYOR ARDEN-SMITH FOR PUTTING HER NAME FORWARD.
I KNOW YOU WILL CONTINUE TO BE AMAZING IN THE ROLE OF DEPUTY MAYOR.
WE GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO THROW OUR HATS IN AND BEING THAT I'M THE FIRST GAY MATE ON COUNCIL WHO PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE CHANCE LIKE THIS 20 TO 30 YEARS AGO, THIS IS NOT LOST ON ME.
I THINK AT ITS MOST BEST, THE DEPUTY MAYOR SHOULD BE IN MANY WAYS REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT MODERN YELLOWKNIFE LOOKS LIKE, AND I, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE WHO SITS IN THESE CHAIRS, AM AT LEAST A REFLECTION OF THAT.
THANK YOU, COLLEAGUES, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, AND THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
ANY QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE WITH THAT, IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO MOVE IN-CAMERA.
MOVE BY COUNCILLOR WARBURTON, SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR MCGURK.
ANYBODY OPPOSED? SEEING NONE. WE'LL MOVE IN CAMERA.
OKAY. SO APPRECIATE BOTH CANDIDATES PUTTING THEIR NAMES FORWARD TO GREAT CANDIDATES.
COUNCIL IS LOOKING TO APPOINT COUNCILLOR COCHRANE AS DEPUTY MAYOR WITH THE DESIRE TO ROTATE THROUGH AND MAKE SURE THAT, WE HAVE AS MUCH AS MANY PEOPLE THAT CAN FILL THIS ROLE IN AND LEARN IT, AND, AND GROW THEIR, THEIR LEADERSHIP.
SO REALLY APPRECIATE, COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH FILLING THAT ROLE OR BEING IN THAT ROLE FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS AND, AND HOW MUCH YOU'VE YOU'VE DONE.
SO APPRECIATE THAT AND LOOK FORWARD TO DEPUTY MAYOR COCHRANE, NEXT WEEK, BUT IN WITH THAT, NEXT WE MOVE INTO COMMITTEES.
WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED TO PUT YOUR NAME FORWARD ON? I KNOW YOU'VE DONE THE COMBATIVE SPORTS COMMISSION.
IF YOU WANTED TO PUT YOUR NAME FORWARD FOR THAT ONE TOO, OR IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE, I'M PRETTY SURE THERE'S THREE OTHERS OR TWO OTHERS THAT HAVE PUT THEIR NAME FORWARD FOR THAT COMMISSION, AND, I'VE ALREADY BEEN ON COMBATIVE HERITAGE AND CAB, SO I'VE BEEN IN ALL THREE.
I MEAN, WE CAN GO BACK TO HERITAGE, I GUESS.
I WOULD LIKE THAT, AND I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY WITH WHAT HERITAGE IS LOOKING TO DO AND THAT WILL WE'LL CHAT ABOUT IN REGARDS TO, FOLLOWING UP ON YOUR YOUR LAST TIME ON HERITAGE, GROWING THE, RECOGNITION OF INDIGENOUS HERITAGE IN YELLOWKNIFE.
ANYBODY INTERESTED IN PUTTING THEIR NAME FORWARD TO BE THE ALTERNATE IF COUNCILLOR FEQUET CAN'T? COUNCILLOR MCGURK WILL.
OKAY, AND COUNCILLOR FEQUET, YOU WANTED TO, RAISE A QUESTION COMMENT DISCUSSION THERE? YEAH, THANKS, MADAM CHAIR.
JUST KIND OF IN THE SAME VAIN THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THE ROTATING TERMS FOR THE COMMITTEES.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I GUESS I WANTED TO POSE TO MY COLLEAGUES IS THAT OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THESE COMMITTEES ARE MORE ACTIVE, AND THERE'S A LOT MORE TO LEARN TO GET UP TO SPEED ON THEM, AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF AND THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SOMETHING WE DECIDE ON THIS YEAR.
[01:15:05]
OF CONTINUITY, AND ALSO JUST GETTING UP TO SPEED ON SOME OF THE BIGGER COMMITTEES TO MAYBE HAVE TWO YEAR TERMS FOR THESE COMMITTEES.ALTHOUGH WHEN I DID SHARE IT WITH MADAM MAYOR, SHE SUGGESTED THAT IT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE GOOD BECAUSE THE LAST YEAR IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE FOR DISCUSSION.
SO IT'S ONE LESS THING WE HAVE TO DO, BUT THAT OBVIOUSLY ISN'T MY INTENT.
I WASN'T INTENDING TO LIKE, LOCK PEOPLE IN TO WHAT THEY DECIDED TODAY.
SO, BUT IF THIS WAS SOMETHING WE THOUGHT OF FOR NEXT YEAR, IN ADVANCE OR TALKED ABOUT OR HAD SUPPORT FOR MAYBE NEXT YEAR, THOSE THOSE APPOINTMENTS NEXT YEAR WOULD BE FOR TWO YEARS, AND WE AND THAT WOULD ONLY HAPPEN TWICE IN A FOUR YEAR TERM, AND THAT MIGHT GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTINUITY, BUT STILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO CHANGE A LITTLE BIT AND HAVE THE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES AND ROLES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE, SEE WHAT PEOPLE'S GENERAL THOUGHTS ARE.
MOST PEOPLE WILL BE GOING INTO THEIR SECOND YEAR WITH THESE COMMITTEES.
SO INADVERTENTLY THAT IS HAPPENING.
THE OTHER THING WE MIGHT AND JUST AFTER IN REFLECTING ON IT, IF WE ARE CONTINUING THE DEPUTY MAYOR'S ROTATING, THEN IT DOES IT MEAN THAT SOMEBODY WOULD BE STEPPING AWAY FROM ONE COMMITTEE AND YOU KIND OF REORG THAT WAY? SO, I THINK MY PREFERENCE RIGHT NOW WOULD JUST BE A ONE YEAR APPOINTMENT AGAIN WITH, WITH ALL THESE AND AGAIN CAN PONDER IT FOR THE REMAINING PART OF THE YEAR, AND WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION NEXT JANUARY IF IT'S A KIND OF A TWO YEAR THING AFTER THAT, BUT SEEING ANYBODY WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT? EVERYBODY'S SHAKING SAYING THAT'S.
YEP. OKAY. SO JUST FOR THE RECORD, THAT WOULD BE COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN WILL BE ON THE AUDIT COMMITTEE.
THE PRIMARY WOULD BE COUNCILLOR WARBURTON WITH COUNCILLOR PAYNE AS THE SECONDARY, FOR THE GRANT REVIEW COMMITTEE, COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN AND COUNCILLOR MCGURK FOR HERITAGE COMMITTEE, COUNCILLOR ARDEN-SMITH FOR MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON ECONOMIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
COUNCILLOR WARBURTON FOR THE YELLOWKNIFE SPORTS COMBATIVE SPORTS COMMISSION COUNCILLOR PAYNE THE HUMAN RESOURCE AND COMPENSATION COMMITTEE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE TERMS OF REFERENCE.
HOWEVER, THERE HAS BEEN SO WE WON'T BE APPOINTING BUT TWO COUNCILLORS HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST AND THAT'S COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN AND COUNCILLOR FEQUET, BUT THOSE WON'T BE MOVING FORWARD TO COUNCIL YET BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO APPROVE THE TERMS OF REFERENCE FIRST.
SO IT'LL JUST BE THAT BLOCK FROM AUDIT COMMITTEE TO THE COMBAT OF SPORTS COMMISSION THAT WILL BE MOVING FORWARD TO COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL NEXT MONDAY, JANUARY 22ND AT 7 P.M..
THE TERMS OF REFERENCE, FOR THE HUMAN RESOURCE AND COMPENSATION COMMITTEE.
MS. BASSI-KELLETT, WOULD YOU HAVE A TIME FRAME OR NEED A BIT TO DISCUSS WITH STAFF? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
IT PROBABLY WON'T BE UNTIL AFTER BUDGET DELIBERATIONS, THOUGH.
WE'RE THREE MINUTES, BUT I'LL PLANT THE SEED AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO DISCUSS IT.
WOULD BE, COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLES, OR IF WE CALL THEM COMMUNITY GATHERINGS.
AS MENTIONED, COMMITTEES ARE ONE WAY WE CAN ENGAGE AND HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THERE'S OTHERS, AND SO THE ONE THAT I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE FOR THIS YEAR IS SOMETHING A BIT MORE BROAD AND INCLUSIVE THAN COMMITTEES, WHICH IS COMMUNITY GATHERINGS.
SO FOR 2024, I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT WE HOLD FOUR COMMUNITY GATHERINGS, ONE ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, LIKE, MR. PANDOO MENTIONED IN THE BUDGET, JUST, HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A THIRD PARTY EXPERT COME AND SPEAK AT THE START AND, AND HAVING THE, THE COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLES, A CLIMATE CHANGE ONE WITH OUR TEN YEAR COMMUNITY ENERGY PLAN COMING TO A CLOSE, I'D SUGGEST WE HAVE A FACILITATOR PRESENT ON WHAT WE'VE DONE AND THEN HAVE GROUP DISCUSSIONS AT THE TABLE TO HELP INFORM THE NEXT TEN YEAR PLAN.
SO A SIMILAR FORMAT AS OUR RECONCILIATION COMMUNITY GATHERING, THE THIRD WOULD BE ON RECONCILIATION AGAIN, SAME FORMAT AS WE'VE PREVIOUSLY DONE, FACILITATOR TALKS ABOUT WHAT THE CITY HAS DONE, HAS SOME PROMPTING QUESTIONS, AND THEN COMPILES THAT IN A REPORT ON WHAT WE HEARD, COMES TO COUNCIL TO INFORM OUR NEXT ANNUAL RECONCILIATION WORK PLAN, AND THEN THE FINAL ONE THAT I'D RECOMMEND FOR 2024 WOULD BE THE ARTS AND CULTURE, AND SO AS STAFF ARE WORKING TO DRAFT AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURE MASTER PLAN, I'D PROPOSE THE COMMUNITY GATHERING IS AN
[01:20:06]
OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THAT WITH THE PUBLIC, HAVE SOME SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT.THE FACILITATOR WOULD GATHER FEEDBACK AND THEN HELP INFORM ANY CHANGES TO THE DRAFT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN BEFORE IT COMES TO COUNCIL, AND SO WE'LL TAKE A PAUSE IN A SECOND, BUT IF COUNCIL IS IN SUPPORT OF THOSE FOUR PROPOSED THEMES, THEN I'D RECOMMEND THAT ADMINISTRATION COME BACK WITH A MEMO THAT AGAIN OUTLINES, THOSE FOUR THEMES, A BUDGET, AND BUT I'LL OPEN IT UP TO YOUR THOUGHTS ON THOSE FOUR, IF YOU'D WANT TO ADD, IF YOU'D WANT TO DELETE, ETC., BUT AS WE'VE REACHED OUR 90 MINUTE MARK, WE'LL TAKE A TEN MINUTE BREAK AND COME BACK AT 1:40 P.M..
OKAY. WE WILL CALL OUR MEETING BACK TO ORDER.
THE FOUR POTENTIAL THEMES, WHETHER YOU'RE SUPPORTIVE OR NOT, WHETHER YOU'D LIKE TO.
THEN WE'LL START THE 2025 BUDGET IN NOVEMBER, AND YOU TAKE OUT TWO MONTHS FOR SUMMER, AND THE YEAR IS PRETTY CONSUMED, BUT OPENING IT UP TO QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, DISCUSSION. COUNCILLOR MCGURK.
I GUESS THIS IS, A BIT OF A QUESTION FOR ADMIN AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE USEFUL, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF THE ADDITION OF A.
I'M NOT SURE IF IT WOULD BE PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC OR CITY SERVICES, SOMETHING SO THAT RESIDENTS CAN HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE CORE OPERATIONS OF THIS MUNICIPALITY ARE, AND I THINK THAT THERE'S HAD THE CONVERSATION BEFORE, THAT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT HELP RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE OF THE CITY OUTSIDE OF JUST THE SPECIFIC ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE GO OVER AS COUNCIL.
SO AN OVERVIEW OF PUBLIC WORKS, COMMUNITY SERVICE, PUBLIC SAFETY, PLANNING AND LANDS.
IF IT WOULD, IF THEY THINK IT WOULD BE USEFUL, WOULD IT BE MORE USEFUL FOCUSING ON A SPECIFIC AREA OR GENERAL OPERATIONS? GOTCHA. OKAY. I GUESS THEN, YEAH.
TO THE QUESTION ABOUT THE FOUR THEMES, WHETHER YOU'RE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT AND THEN WHETHER YOU'RE, IN SUPPORT OF, OF ADDING A FIFTH SOMETHING AROUND OPERATIONS.
MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND SO WE ALWAYS, IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION, BECAUSE WHAT I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REMISS AT SOMETIMES IS EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CORE AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT THE CITY PROVIDES.
OFTEN, AS RESIDENTS, WE TEND TO TAKE THOSE SERVICES FOR GRANTED UNTIL THEY'RE NOT THERE, AND SO, AS WAS, THE LAST WEEK, WE DID NOT HAVE SNOW REMOVAL SERVICES IN THE EXTREME COLD.
I PERSONALLY HAD WATER AND SEWER ISSUES BECAUSE OF MY HOUSE.
AS A CITY, THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS CONSISTENT CORE AND ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
I APPRECIATE WHERE COUNCILLOR MCGURK IS COMING FROM IN WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY HAVE AN APPRECIATION OF THESE SERVICES, THAT THEY KNOW THAT, THAT THEY'RE NOT THINGS THAT PEOPLE TAKE FOR GRANTED.
I'M WONDERING IF IF A ROUND TABLE IS THE WAY TO MEET THAT, BUT I'D REALLY LIKE TO TAKE THAT AWAY AND PERHAPS HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH COUNCILLOR MCGURK TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHERE SHE SEES THIS GOING.
THANK YOU. THE OTHER ONE I WOULD MENTION IS WE STILL HAVE OUR COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION ROUND TABLES, AND SO THAT THE WHOLE IDEA OF SETTING THOSE UP WAS TO TRY TO GET A BIT MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT CITY OPERATIONS, AND SO IN 2023 AND EVEN IN 2022, WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MANY AS WE'D LIKE, BUT, LOOKING TO HAVE THOSE BACK STARTING IN MARCH AFTER AFTER BUDGET.
COUNCILLOR MCGURK. YEAH, I JUST I'M THINKING THAT THE, THE NICE THING ABOUT THESE SORT OF LARGER THEMATIC ONES IS THAT IT CAN ADDRESS, REALLY A LOT OF GENERAL QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS AND THOUGHTS VERSUS PEOPLE HAVING TO TUNE INTO
[01:25:04]
MULTIPLE DIFFERENT, SPECIFIC MEETINGS.THANK YOU. I'VE COUNCILLOR FEQUET AND THEN COUNCILLOR COCHRANE.
OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE THE WORK PLAN YET TILL POST BUDGET ON THE WATER RATE REVIEW AND WHETHER THERE WAS GOING TO BE ANY ENGAGEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, OR IF MAYBE THAT'S ALL COMPLETED, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
MS. BASSI-KELLETT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE QUESTION.
SO WE HAVE HAD SOME WORK UNDERWAY TO LOOK AT WATER RATES DATING BACK TO 2018.
WE HAD A COUPLE OF SPECIFIC ISSUES AT THE TIME THAT WERE REALLY PROBLEMATIC IN TERMS OF, SPECIFIC BUSINESS, COMMERCIAL INTERESTS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WERE REALLY NOT FAIRLY BILLED FOR THE WATER CONSUMPTION OR WERE HAVING CHALLENGES WITH THE WATER CONSUMPTION RATES THAT WE HAD.
WE HAVE ADDRESSED THOSE ISSUES.
WE CONTINUE, THOUGH, TO WORK WITH CONSULTANTS ON THE WATER RATES REVIEW.
WE'D LIKE THEM TO REPORT OUT ON THEIR WORK.
WE'RE NOT, TWO COUNCIL AT SOME POINT.
WE DO ENVISION IT MIGHT BE IN 2024.
THIS, OF COURSE, IS DIFFERENT THAN ANY OF THE WORK THAT'S UNDERWAY, LOOKING AT SURFACE WATER LINES OR OTHER ISSUES, BUT THE WATER RATES THEMSELVES WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS UNDERTAKEN IN 2018.
I'M HOPING THAT ANSWERS COUNCILLOR FEQUET QUESTION.
I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP IF I HAVE NOT ANSWERED IT.
THANK YOU. NO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SO I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THE FOUR THAT THE MADAM MAYOR OUTLINED.
THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR COCHRANE.
I AM CERTAINLY IN SUPPORT OF THESE PUBLIC GATHERINGS.
I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE UTILIZATION OF THE CART PROCESS IS NOT A BAD IDEA.
I THOUGHT THE LAST YEARS OR CARTS WE HAD ON PUBLIC, WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WERE VERY INFORMATIVE, NOT ONLY TO ME, BUT TO THE PUBLIC AS A WHOLE AND UTILIZATION OF THAT FORMAT, THROUGH THE NEXT YEAR, I THINK WOULD BE VERY VALUABLE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR WARBURTON AND THEN COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN.
I HEARD ABOUT THOSE HAPPENING.
SO THERE'S LOTS OF WAYS WE CAN DO IT, AND I KNOW PEOPLE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE WEDDINGS AT THE PUBLIC OR THE WATER TREATMENT PLANT, BUT ALAS, IT'S NOT AN OPTION. COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN.
IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO GET MARRIED.
ABSOLUTELY. IN SUPPORT OF THE FOUR THAT YOU PROPOSED.
SO I WANT TO EITHER PROPOSE AN ADDITION OF A FIFTH ONE, WHICH I HATE ADDING SOMETHING FOR.
SO I WOULD EITHER SUGGEST THAT, AGAIN, WITH THIS BEING SUCH A KEY PRIORITY OF OUR STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS AND OF COUNCIL, THAT WE EITHER ADD A FIFTH ROUNDTABLE OR IF YOU GIVE ME THE NOD, I AM HAPPY TO WORK WITH CAB IN ORDER TO SORT OF CREATE A BIT OF A CONVERSATION MORE THROUGH THAT AVENUE, BUT I THINK WITH IT SUCH A CRITICAL ISSUE IN OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK IT WOULD BE AN OVERSIGHT TO NOT HAVE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AROUND HOUSING AND OR HOMELESSNESS.
IF THERE'S GENERAL SUPPORT, WHAT I'D RECOMMEND IS WE'LL ADD IT AS A FIFTH AND ASK ADMINISTRATION FOR A RECOMMENDATION ON WHETHER IT'S A COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLE OR IF IT'S DRIVEN MORE THROUGH CAB.
SO YEAH, I'M SEEING SUPPORT FOR THAT.
COUNCILLOR PAYNE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
I'M NOT GOING TO ADD ANYTHING THAT EVERYBODY ELSE HASN'T TALKED ABOUT, SO, NO, I APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILLOR PAYNE, DO YOU WANT US TO LOWER THE BLINDS? YEAH, THERE WE GO.
FOR SECOND ROUND, COUNCILLOR FEQUET, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING?
[01:30:02]
JUST ONE THOUGHT I FORGOT TO MENTION.WE HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF GATHERINGS AND EVENTS, AND I KNOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE LESS FORMAL THAN THE COMMITTEE APPROACH, BUT I DO THINK WE I WANT IT TO SEEM LIKE IT'S OUR EFFORT THAT WE ARE PUTTING INTO ENGAGING WITH RESIDENTS IN A MORE IN A, IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAT MIGHT BE MORE AMENABLE TO THEM.
SO THAT'S JUST MY PREFERENCE FOR THE LANGUAGE, THAT'S ALL.
SEEING NOTHING FURTHER, THOSE FIVE THEMES THEN, WILL BE THE RECOMMENDATION FOR 2024, AND ADMINISTRATION WILL COME FORWARD WITH A MEMO, TO FLESH THOSE OUT A BIT MORE, AND SOME OF THOSE WILL REQUIRE BUDGET.
OTHERS WILL PROBABLY HAVE HAD THEIR BUDGET ALREADY INCLUDED IN IN THE BUDGET.
MS. BASSI-KELLETT ANY FINAL COMMENTS FROM ADMINISTRATION? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
I DO WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR, AND WE WILL ELABORATE ON THIS WITHIN THE MEMO ITSELF, THAT, BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE WITH ORGANIZING THE RECONCILIATION GATHERINGS THAT WE HAVE, WE'VE DONE TWO SUCCESSFULLY.
SADLY, LAST YEAR'S WAS CANCELED BECAUSE OF, IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW.
THESE TAKE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME.
HEY, JUST TELL PEOPLE WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PLANNING IN TERMS OF THE SCOPE.
THERE IS COMPILATION WORK THAT THE CITY ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO DO, BECAUSE AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THIS IS BEING CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THE CITY HAS DONE THAT HAS TO BE PULLED TOGETHER, AND AGAIN, IN A PERFECT WORLD, WE'D BE PULLING THAT TOGETHER ALL THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO SHOWCASE AND PORTRAY THE GOOD WORK, THAT IS BEING DONE, BUT AGAIN, LIMITED RESOURCES MEAN WE DON'T OFTEN HAVE TIME TO CELEBRATE WHAT'S BEEN DONE BECAUSE WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT, URGENT ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
SO THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT TIME CONSTRAINT.
THE SECOND THING I'D LIKE TO ADD IS THAT SOME OF THESE THEMES MAY COME UP IN INTERESTING WAYS.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT PERHAPS A VENUE TO TALK ABOUT HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS COULD BE THROUGH CAB, DISCUSSION OF ARTS AND CULTURE COULD BE THAT AT THAT POINT WHEN WE HAVE AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO PRESENT TO GPC THAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT COMPONENT, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC IS AWARE AND ARE ACTIVELY INVITED TO PARTICIPATE.
SO WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO BE ABLE TO MEET THIS, BUT WE WILL COME BACK WITH OPTIONS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE AS ELABORATE A WORK PLAN OR AS ELABORATE PLAN THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE RECONCILIATION GATHERING.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IS THAT IT IS REALLY WONDERFUL WHEN COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE ABLE TO BE AT GATHERINGS, IT'S GREAT TO SEE A FULL HOUSE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. I KNOW THAT'S A REALLY DEMANDING THING TO ASK, GIVEN OTHER SCHEDULED THINGS IN YOUR LIVES, BUT IT HAS BEEN REALLY WONDERFUL TO SEE THAT AS OPPOSED TO JUST 1 OR 2 BEING ABLE TO BE AVAILABLE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
WITH THAT, WE WILL BRING A BIG HONKING MOTION FORWARD TO, NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH IS JANUARY 22ND AT 7 P.M, AND I'LL WORK WITH THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE CAPTURED, EVERYTHING FROM OUR DISCUSSION TODAY.
WITH THAT, THE NEXT TWO ITEMS ARE IN CAMERA A PERSONNEL MATTER AND A LAND MATTER.
[IN CAMERA]
CAN I GET A MOTION TO MOVE IN-CAMERA? MOVED BY COUNCILLOR COCHRANE, SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR PAYNE.ANYBODY OPPOSED? SEEING NONE. WE CAN MOVE IN CAMERA, AND WE HAVE NO BUSINESS ARISING FROM IN-CAMERA.
IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN, MOVED BY COUNCILLOR COCHRANE, SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR HENDRICKSEN.
ANYBODY OPPOSED? SEEING NONE. WE WILL SEE EVERYBODY NEXT MONDAY AT 12:05 P.M..
HAVE A GOOD WEEK.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.