May 05, 2025 Governance & Priorities Committee

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I WILL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR MONDAY, MAY 5TH, 2025 TO ORDER.

[1. Opening Statement]

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 MÉTIS AND ALL FIRST NATIONS, METIS AND INUIT, WHOSE PRESENCE CONTINUES TO ENRICH OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY.

SO JUST BEFORE WE BREAK AND DO RECESS FOR OUR SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING, JUST A QUICK ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RED DRESS DAY.

SO I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THAT DOWN THE PATH FROM CITY HALL AT THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, PEOPLE FROM ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY ARE GATHERING FOR A CEREMONY OF REMEMBRANCE AND THEN AN ADVOCACY MARCH DOWN DOWNTOWN.

AS TODAY IS RED DRESS DAY, TODAY IS A DAY TO REMEMBER THE MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND GIRLS AND ALL TWO SPIRIT AND LGBTQ PLUS CANADIANS WHO WHO WE HAVE LOST BY TURNING OUR EYES AWAY FROM THEM AS A COUNTRY, WE MUST REMEMBER THEM.

WE MUST WORK TOGETHER TO CONTINUE MAKING CANADA A PLACE THAT IS SAFE FOR EVERY PERSON, NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE.

SO WE'LL NOW RECESS OUR MEETING UNTIL THE CONCLUSION OF OUR SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING, AND WE'LL CALL OUR GOVERNANCE AND PRIORITIES COMMITTEE MEETING FOR 2020 OR FOR MAY 5TH, 2025.

BACK TO ORDER. COUNCILLOR FEQUET AND COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

ARE YOU STILL WITH US? SEE IF THEY'RE THERE. I MEAN, WE HAVE QUORUM ANYWAY, BUT THERE WE ARE. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE THERE IF YOU'RE THERE.

OKAY. SO AT ADMINISTRATION'S RECOMMENDATION, IF EVERYBODY'S OKAY WITH IT, WE'LL SWITCH THE ORDER OF THE AGENDA AND PUT THE WILDFIRE

[2. Approval of the agenda.]

SO WE CAN GET INTO THE WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN FROM PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THEN WE'LL START THE WORK PLAN DISCUSSION TODAY.

BUT WE CAN CARRY IT OVER INTO OUR NEXT GPC. SO IF EVERYBODY'S GOOD WITH THAT OKAY.

THUMBS UP. THANK YOU. SO WITH THAT, I WILL PASS IT OVER TO MR.

[5. A memorandum regarding 2025 Community Wildfire Protection Plan.]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIR, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING MAYOR DESIGNATE.

WE ARE PLEASED TO BRING FORWARD THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN.

THIS IS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WEEK, AND WE HAVE A FULL WEEK OF ACTIVITIES ALIGNED WITH IT AND SOME IMPORTANT TRAINING FOR COUNCIL.

NEXT WEEK. THIS TIME NEXT WEEK I'M GOING TO NOT SAY TOO MUCH.

MORE THAN. THAN TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. MCLEAN .

TO TAKE US THROUGH THE WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN, A PLAN THAT HAS UNDERGONE A FAIR AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT OF TIME AND ENERGY THAT WE ARE EXCITED TO TAKE COUNCIL THROUGH. SO MR. MCLEAN .

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS, COUNCIL, FOR BEING ABLE TO DISCUSS OUR COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN, OUR 2025 UPDATE. SO THIS PLAN HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE 2012.

OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME, WE'VE EXPERIENCED SOME WILDFIRE EVENTS IN AND AROUND THE COMMUNITY, WHICH HAS CHANGED THE SCOPE OF THE DOCUMENT. NOT REALLY THE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT WE'RE HAPPY HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN DETAIL.

THIS REVIEW WAS STARTED IN 2024 AND, WE JUST RECEIVED AND FINALIZED THE THIS COPY IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.

IT IS CURRENTLY UP ON OUR WEBSITE UNDER ADDITIONAL WILDFIRE INFORMATION FOR THOSE THAT WOULD CHOOSE TO GO ON AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT THEMSELVES.

SO A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON IT DEVELOPED AS AN NWT COMMUNITY STANDARD TO PROVIDE PRACTICAL AND OPERATIONAL WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE RISK MITIGATION STRATEGIES TO HELP REDUCE THE WILDFIRE THREAT AROUND THE GREEN SPACE THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

THEY'VE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE IN NOT ONLY PROVIDING THEIR EXPERTISE IN THIS DOCUMENT, BUT ALSO FUNDING THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN, NOT ONLY FOR THE CITY, BUT I BELIEVE ACROSS ALL NWT FORESTED NWT COMMUNITIES.

SO THE 2025 UPDATE BUILDS ON THE 2019 PLAN, AND THAT INCLUDES THE WORK THAT WE'VE RECENTLY DONE IN 2023 WITH FUEL BREAKS AND IN 2024 WITH THE FINALIZATION OF THE FUEL BREAKS.

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MITIGATION MEASURES ARE BASED ON THOSE FIRESMART DISCIPLINES AS WELL AS CURRENT RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE AROUND WILDFIRE PREVENTION. IT CONSIDERS PAST INCIDENTS OF WILDFIRE AROUND THE COMMUNITY, THE WILDFIRE BEHAVIOR POTENTIAL CURRENTLY EXISTING, AND ALL THE DIFFERENT FUEL TYPES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR IN OUR BOREAL FOREST HERE AROUND AROUND YELLOWKNIFE, WHICH IS ALLOWS US TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE OVERALL THREAT AND DETERMINE OUR PRIORITIES.

SO THERE'S SEVERAL PLANS FROM THE PLAN, SORRY.

THERE ARE SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION ON HOW TO TREAT THE FUEL ON BOTH MUNICIPAL AND NON-MUNICIPAL LAND.

AS WE HAVE PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS HERE BEFORE, THE CITY DOESN'T OWN A LOT OF LAND WITHIN OUR MUNICIPAL BOUNDARY.

SO WE HAVE TO CONTEMPLATE IN HOW WE TAKE MITIGATION AND PREVENTATIVE MEASURES IN THE LAND THAT'S NOT OWNED BY THE CITY, AND THE GOAL OF EACH OF THE ACTIONS IS TO REDUCE THE OVERALL THREAT.

SO I USE THE WORD PREVENTION, MITIGATION AND PREPAREDNESS.

I'LL JUST TAKE YOU BACK TO OUR CONVERSATIONS LAST YEAR ON OUR COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PLAN, WHEN WE WERE DEVELOPING IT AND SOME OF THE CONTEMPLATIVE IDEAS THAT CAME OUT OF OUR AFTER ACTION ENGAGEMENT. THERE'S FOUR PILLARS THAT ALLOWS US TO BE PREPARED FOR EMERGENCIES IN THE COMMUNITY.

PREVENTION AND MITIGATION INCLUDES ALL THOSE ACTIONS TAKEN TO REDUCE THE ADVERSE IMPACTS OF AN EMERGENCY OR DISASTER.

OUR PREVENTATIVE AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES FOR WILDFIRE ARE BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THE RISK ASSESSMENT AND THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN, AND INCLUDE BOTH SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM ACTIONS.

SOME OF THOSE ACTIONS THAT WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT ARE VEGETATION TREE OR VEGETATION TREATMENT.

EXCUSE ME. THAT IS THE THINNING, PRUNING AND REMOVAL OF VEGETATION AS WELL.

IN THE PLAN THERE'S CONTEMPLATION FOR PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS SUCH AS ZONING RESTRICTIONS, APPROVING OUR OPERATING STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES AND SOME OF OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT.

SO THESE ACTIONS WILL ALLOW US TO BE READY OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN IS A FIVE YEAR DOCUMENT.

SO THE SCOPE OF THE WORK CONTEMPLATED IN THE DOCUMENT IS OVER A FIVE YEAR PHASE.

ONE OF OUR OTHER PILLARS THAT WE'RE WE'RE DISCUSSING IS OUR PREPAREDNESS, AND YOU CAN SEE FROM SOME OF THE NOTES HERE.

SINCE 2019, PLAN REVIEW THE NUMBER OF FIRESMART INITIATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLACE INCLUDE A AVAILABILITY FOR HOMEOWNERS TO DISPOSE OF THEIR FIRESMART DEBRIS AT THE SOLID WASTE FACILITY FOR FREE.

FIRE DIVISION PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN TRAINED AS ADVANCED FIRESMART HOME ASSESSORS TO HELP HOMEOWNERS WITH FIRESMART ING THEIR PROPERTIES, AND IN 2024 YKFD WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE 23 ASSESSMENTS FOR RESIDENTS AND RECOMMEND ACTIONS FOR THEM TO TAKE AND MAKE THEIR OWN PRIVATE LOTS SAFER. WE LOOK TO EXPAND THAT PROGRAM IN 2025 AND ENGAGE WITH MORE HOMEOWNERS, AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL BE UPTAKE OF THIS LAST YEAR.

AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, COUNCIL GAVE DIRECTION TO PUBLIC SAFETY TO HOLD A CONSULTATION PUBLIC CONSULTATION SESSION ON WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS FOR THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WE DID IN CONJUNCTION WITH ECC IN APRIL OF LAST YEAR AND THEN FIRESMART COMMUNICATIONS WERE ADVANCED TO RESIDENTS DURING THE 2024 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WEEK AND RECENTLY JUST AS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, THE CITY PARTICIPATED IN THE NWT WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS WORKSHOP HELD HERE IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ADMINISTRATORS AND FIRE STAFF FROM THE 29 VEGETATED, VEGETATED COMMUNITIES IN THE NWT AND SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS TO DISCUSS ALL THINGS WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCY FOR EACH OF OUR COMMUNITIES, AND AS ALWAYS, TRAINING AND EXERCISE OPPORTUNITIES RELATED TO WILDFIRE ARE ONGOING.

AS MR. VAN DINE STATED, NEXT WEEK WE GET TO HAVE A SESSION WITH WITH YOU ALL AND COUNCIL.

IT'LL BE VERY ENGAGING AND EXCITING. NOT ONLY IN WILDFIRE PREPARATION AND MANAGEMENT, BUT ALSO ACROSS THE WHOLE CONTEXT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR THE CITY. SO I HAVE A VERY BUSY SLIDE HERE THAT SAYS A LOT.

SO THE SLIDE ON THE MIDDLE SLIDE SHOWS THE LAND AUTHORITY.

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WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH THE AUTHORITIES TO DETERMINE AND FINALIZE HOW WE CAN TAKE ACTION TO MITIGATE THE HAZARDS ON THOSE LAND OWNERSHIPS. ON THE FAR RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE PROPOSED FUEL BREAKS.

SO PRIORITY A IS THE MAGENTA COLORED AREAS. PRIORITY B IS THE YELLOW COLORED, AND THERE'S ALSO SOME CROSS-HATCHING ON SOME OF THE MAGENTA AREAS, AND THAT'S PRESCRIBED BURNING.

SO THE CITY IS WORKING WITH ECC TO DETERMINE THE PRESCRIBED BURN TREATMENT OF THOSE AREAS.

IT'S A VERY ANY PRESCRIBED BURNING IS A VERY HIGH RISK ACTIVITY.

REQUIRES SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE FROM ECC. THE CITY WOULD NOT TAKE THAT ON THEMSELVES, AND IT CAN ALSO BE TRIGGERING FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SEE THE SMOKE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO IN CLOSE PROXIMITY. SO THERE'S A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN FOR THAT, AND THE EARLIEST POINT IN TIME, WHICH WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO HAVE A TREATMENT PLAN AND TO TAKE ACTION, WOULD WOULD BE IN THE FALL. SO WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER MAGENTA AREAS? SO THE, THE PRIMARY ON, ON YOUR FAR LEFT. HERE YOU CAN SEE THE PRIORITY AREAS A AND B, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE MAGENTA AREAS PRIOR PRIORITY A 163 HECTARES OF MUNICIPAL LAND. WITHIN THAT 163 HECTARES OF MUNICIPAL LAND.

THERE'S ALSO ZONES WHICH HAVE HIGHER PRIORITY, AND SOME OF THOSE ZONES WOULD BE WHERE THE WHAT WE CALL THE.

IF YOU REMEMBER FROM THE ORIGINAL SLIDE, THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE, WHERE THAT MIXES WITH THE PLANNING AREA, BUILT UP HOUSING, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE VEGETATIVE MANAGEMENT, WE WERE LOOKING AT THE LAND AUTHORITIES.

SO THERE'S A WAY TO APPROACH THIS USING NWT FIRESMART GUIDELINES, MANY YELLOWKNIFE STRUCTURES DON'T HAVE ADEQUATE CLEARANCE FROM THE WILDLAND OR EVEN SOME OF THE ORNAMENTAL LANDSCAPE.

FUELS THE ADEQUATE CLEARANCE BEING TEN METERS, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE GRAPHIC HERE.

THE TYPES OF FUELS THE FIRE STANDARDS RECOMMEND REMOVING ARE UNMAINTAINED GRASS LEAVES, OUTBUILDINGS, FENCES, FIREWOOD PILES OR NONRESISTANT FUEL TYPES OF FUEL IN THE TREES.

WE WOULD SEEK THROUGH OUR FIRESMART PROGRAM AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH AS WE STATED LAST YEAR, WE DID, I THINK I SAID 32. WE'RE LOOKING TO INCREASE THAT THIS YEAR WHERE WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE PRIVATE LANDOWNERS TO TAKE THAT ACTION ON, ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY TO ESTABLISH ADEQUATE FIRE VEGETATION STANDARDS.

WHEN WE LOOK AT THE MUNICIPAL AND TERRITORIAL OWNED LANDS WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT 100 METER BUFFER IN THE COMMUNITY WITH THE MODERATE TO HIGH WILDFIRE BEHAVIOR RATING, AND WE WANT TO PRIORITIZE THE FUEL MAINTENANCE ON THESE LANDS IN ORDER TO MITIGATE THEM SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SAFER BUFFER ZONES AROUND THE CITY.

SHOULD WE HAVE A WILDFIRE? POINT START AROUND THE COMMUNITY.

SO STARTING LOCALLY IN, IN OUR GREEN SPACE AND GROWING OR SIMILAR TO 2023, IF WE HAVE A WIDE FACE WILDFIRE APPROACHING THE CITY FROM OUTSIDE OUR MUNICIPAL BOUNDARY.

SO FUTURE MITIGATION WORK HERE. SO YOU CAN SEE HERE FROM OUR OPERATIONAL PREPLAN THAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED, THERE ARE SEVERAL ZONES THAT WE'VE BROKEN THE CITY DOWN TO.

LIKE I SAID, ON OUR BIGGER SCALE MAP, THERE'S LARGER CONTEMPLATION OF OF PRIORITY AREAS, AND THEN WE'VE BROKEN IT DOWN INTO THESE SMALLER ZONES AND LOOKED AT HOW WE ADDRESS THOSE. BUT FUTURE MITIGATION WORK COMES THROUGH TREATING THE VEGETATION.

SO THERE IS DMAF, DISASTER MITIGATION ADOPTION FUND FUNDING FOR COMMUNITIES TO CONDUCT WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS, VEGETATION MODIFICATION. THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITIES IS THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THIS,

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SO IT HAS QUITE THE ELABORATE TITLE THERE, BUT NONETHELESS, THE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE NOW, AND ALL THE WORK APPLIED FOR UNDER THAT FUNDING WOULD NEED TO BE CONSIDERED OR SORRY, COMPLETED BY 2032.

THE AGREEMENT IS BASED ON THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN, IT'S PRESCRIPTION IN THE SCOPE, WHICH INVOLVES HAND CREWS, SMALL EQUIPMENT TO DO THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.

THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF HECTARES THAT THE CITY WOULD NEED TO PROVIDE IS 131, AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM OUR.

AS YOU MAY REMEMBER FROM OUR PREVIOUS SLIDE, WE HAD 221 HECTARES OF VEGETATION ON A MUNICIPAL LAND ALONE. SO THE FUNDING MEETS THE SCOPE OF THE WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN.

FUNDING IS ONLY AVAILABLE ON A RECOVERY BASIS.

SO SHOULD WE CHOOSE TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT, WE WOULD HAVE TO CASH FLOW THE WORK IN ADVANCE AND THEN FILE A CLAIM BACK TO THE NWTAC TO GET THE REIMBURSED FROM DMAF. WE CAN FILE CLAIMS TWICE A YEAR, APRIL AND OCTOBER AND PART OF DOING THE WORK AND ENTERING IN THIS AGREEMENT IS ADDITIONAL CONSULTATION WITH INDIGENOUS GOVERNMENTS, AND I BELIEVE WE'VE WE'VE FLAGGED THAT ON THEIR RADAR INITIALLY HERE THERE'D BE MORE WORK TO DO, AND THEN LAND WATER BOARD REQUIREMENTS ARE NEEDED.

JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WE'RE MEETING THE INTENT OF THE AGREEMENT, AND THE AGREEMENT HAS TO BE ENTERED INTO AT MUNICIPAL COUNCIL LEVEL.

THAT MEANS WE CANNOT SIGN OFF ON IT. IT WOULD NEED TO BE ENDORSED BY OUR NEW MAYOR.

SO WHAT ARE OUR NEXT STEPS? THE ADMINISTRATION AND INTENTION OF THE CONTRACT IS INITIATIVE.

ON OUR CURRENT IS NOT INITIATIVE. EXCUSE ME ON OUR CURRENT WORK PLAN.

HOWEVER, WILDFIRE PREPARATION IS IT'S PART OF OUR LARGER EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM.

THERE ARE TRAINING, EXERCISE AND FIRESMART INITIATIVES OCCURRING RIGHT NOW.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK IS HEAVILY WEIGHTED ON THE BALANCE OF PROBABILITIES FOR FUTURE WILDFIRES, AND ADMIN WILL BRING A MEMO TO GPC TO ADVANCE THE AGREEMENT WITH DMAF.

MOVING FORWARD FROM THIS PLAN. FUEL REDUCTION TREATMENTS AND MITIGATION ACTIONS FOR MUNICIPAL LANDS WILL BE DEVELOPED BASED ON IDENTIFIED AREAS OF PRIORITIES.

HOWEVER, WE'RE GOING TO NEED SUPPORT FROM OUR PARTNERS TO ADDRESS THOSE PRIORITY AREA A OR PRIORITY A AREAS.

EXCUSE ME. ON THE TERRITORIAL AND FEDERAL LANDS.

SO NEXT STEPS ALSO INCLUDE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PROMOTION OF FIRESMART CONCEPTS OF RESIDENTS.

WE ARE GOING TO BE OUT AT THE TRADE SHOW, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE ENGAGING AGAIN WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN ON THEIR PRIVATE LOTS TAKING ACTION. WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE JUST TO GO IN AND HOLISTICALLY START CUTTING VEGETATION DOWN.

THAT'S NOT OUR INTENT. IT'S NOT GOOD. PRACTICE.

EITHER WE WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE RISK ON THEIR PROPERTY AND HOW THEY CAN MAKE IT SAFER, AND THEN FUTURE STEPS WITHIN THE FIVE YEAR TIME FRAME MAY ALSO INCLUDE STRATEGIC LEVEL FIRESMART POLICIES.

IN THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, COMMUNITY PLAN AND OR FIRESMART REGULATIONS POTENTIALLY IN OUR ZONING BYLAW.

SO WITH THAT, I WOULD SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND ANY QUESTIONS ARE WELCOMED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES ON THE PRESENTATION? YEAH, COUNCILLOR WARBURTON. THANKS. THAT'S AWESOME TO HEAR THAT WE'RE PROGRESSING ALL THAT STUFF.

I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS EMAILED TO ME, ACTUALLY AROUND EASEMENTS.

SO FOLKS ARE THIS PARTICULAR FOLK WAS SAYING THAT AN EASEMENT BEHIND THEIR HOUSE.

THERE'S A LOT IN TOWN. UTILITY EASEMENTS OVERGROWN.

IS THAT ON THE LANDOWNER? WHICH MAYBE THE CITY? OR IS THAT ON THE UTILITY OWNER? BECAUSE I'VE SEEN BOTH DOING WORK.

SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU COME BACK LATER. THAT'S FINE.

MR. VAN DINE, DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THIS? DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST DIRECT ALL THE QUESTIONS TO MR. MCLEAN ? DOES MISS WHITE HAVE ANYTHING TO OFFER WITH RESPECT TO EASEMENTS? SO THAT DEPENDS ON WHAT KIND OF EASEMENT IT IS AND WHO OWNS THE LAND UNDERNEATH. SO I DON'T HAVE A STRAIGHT ANSWER FOR YOU.

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YEAH. MR. MCLEAN , YOU CAN SEE THE FRUSTRATION ON THE DIRECTOR'S FACE THERE.

SO, YEAH, MR. MCLEAN CAN PROBABLY ELABORATE A BIT MORE.

I WOULD JUST OFFER IF THE LAND OWNERSHIP IS A CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, THE MAINTENANCE AND FIRESMART OF THAT LAND WOULD BE DONE THROUGH A CONTRACT WHICH WOULD BE FUNDED BY THE ULTIMATE RECIPIENT AGREEMENT THAT I REFERRED TO.

THANKS. COUNCILLOR WARBURTON. THAT IS ALL I HAVE.

IT MIGHT BE AN IDEA FOR THE RESIDENT TO LOOK AT THE GIS MAP TOO, AND SEE WHO OWNS THE PIECE OF LAND BEHIND THEIR HOUSE, ITS UTILITY EASEMENTS, ITS POWER LINES. THERE YOU GO. THERE YOU GO.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COUNCILLOR FEQUET ? THANKS, MR. CHAIR. YEAH. JUST WONDERING IF ADMIN COULD SPEAK TO THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THAT CAME UP ABOUT YELLOWKNIFE.

SHOULD INCLUDE FIRESMART BEST PRACTICES INTO FUTURE REVISIONS OF CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE BYLAWS, POLICY REGARDING EXTERIOR STRUCTURE AND MATERIALS, INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, AND LANDSCAPING STANDARDS. THIS HAS COME UP IN 2012 AND 2019 AND AGAIN IN THIS REVIEW. SO JUST WONDERING WHAT OUR THOUGHTS ARE ON OBVIOUSLY THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF WORK.

WHAT'S ADMINS IDEA OF ARE WE GOING TO IGNORE IT? ARE WE DOING STUFF IN THAT SPACE OR IS IT KIND OF ON THE BACK BURNER IN THE GARDEN PLOT FOR WHEN WE HAVE TIME? MR. VAN DINE. SO PUBLIC SAFETY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US, AND SO AS PART OF OUR EFFORTS, WE WILL BE UPDATING OUR BYLAWS AS THEY COME. WE ARE DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO BE IGNORING OR DEFERRING.

WE WILL BE UPDATING AS WE BECOME ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WILL BE DOING THAT I THINK COUNCIL WILL BE FAMILIAR WITH IS OUR GENERAL COMMUNITY PLAN UPDATE IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE MORE TOP LINE POLICY INSTRUMENTS WITH WHICH WE WILL BE APPLYING THESE CONCEPTS AND THEN DRILLING DOWN AS WE GO THROUGH THROUGH THE REGULAR BUSINESS OF UPDATING OUR BYLAWS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

ANYTHING ELSE? YEAH. JUST ONE MORE QUICK ONE.

SECTION 8.3 HAD TALKED ABOUT VALUE PROTECTION UNITS AND INCLUDED A RECOMMENDATION.

NINE, I BELIEVE IT WAS JUST ABOUT ALL THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE MAY NEED TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO AN EVENT IN THE FUTURE, AND I REMEMBER BEING BRIEFED POST EVACUATION LAST TIME ABOUT INVENTORIES THAT WERE TAKING PLACE, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THAT WORK WAS DONE OR WILL BE DONE AND WILL BE READY AND TO INFORM BUDGET DELIBERATIONS COMING UP IN THIS FALL. MR. VAN DINE. YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIR. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. WE ARE TRYING TO CHANNEL ALL OF OUR CAPITAL QUESTIONS INTO INTO REGULAR BUDGET CYCLES, AND THIS IS TOP OF MIND, AND ONE OF THE REQUESTS THAT I'VE BEEN MAKING OF MR. MCLEAN AND HIS TEAM TO BE READY FOR BUDGET 2026.

GREAT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? JUST FOR MYSELF THEN JUST YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PRESCRIBED BURN.

SO JUST WOULD THAT BE THE CITY LEADING THOSE OR THE GNWT? I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM. I'LL TURN IT TO MR. MCLEAN .

THANK YOU. SO WHAT'S CONTEMPLATED IN THAT PROCESS IS WITH ECC ON BEING THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT.

IF I CAN JUST TAKE YOU BACK TO THIS SLIDE HERE QUICKLY WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE HASHTAG PIECE ON THE WESTERN FLANK OF BY THE MUNICIPAL BOUNDARY THERE. THERE, WHAT THEY'VE SUGGESTED IS THEY TAKE A LOOK AND THEY BREAK THAT AREA, AS YOU SEE HERE, DOWN INTO ONE HECTARE PIECES.

THEY NEED TO REALLY GO OUT AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE DENSITY OF THE VEGETATION IN THAT AREA AND KIND OF PUT A BOOTS ON THE GROUND RECON.

THE REASON WHY IS THEY MAY NOT NEED TO BURN THE WHOLE SPACE OUT.

THEY MAY JUST DO A PRESCRIBED BURN AND TAKE OUT THE GROUND FUELS OR THE LATTER FUELS, AND YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS NOT TO SCOUR THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

THERE'S YOU KNOW, VEGETATION THAT'S ACCESSED BY BY LOCAL PEOPLE'S.

THERE'S YOU KNOW, ANIMAL HABITAT, THERE'S BIRD HABITAT, ALL THOSE THINGS WE NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AND BE RESPONSIBLE AND RESPECTFUL OF HOW WE MANAGE THIS SPACE. SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE WAITING FOR KIND OF A TREATMENT PLAN IS IS THE TITLE THAT THEY WOULD USE ON HOW WE WOULD ACTION ANY PRESCRIBED BURNING. IT WOULD BE DONE BY ECC AS THEY'RE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS.

BUT HOW THE CITY PARTICIPATES IS A CROSS TRAINING EVENT FOR OUR FIRE DIVISION SO THAT WE CAN LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THE STRATEGIES AND TACTICS IN A PROCESS LIKE THAT. SO WE'RE BETTER INFORMED FOR FUTURE COLLABORATION.

THANKS. PERFECT. THANKS FOR THAT CLARITY, AND THEN ALSO JUST A NOT IN YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT JUST TO CONFIRM,

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WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND ON THAT PROGRAM. WE'VE ACTUALLY TRAINED MORE INDIVIDUALS ON TO BE HOME ASSESSORS.

WE'VE DONE A LIST OF PROPERTIES THAT PRIMARILY BACK ONTO THE INTERFACE AROUND THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

THE FIRE DIVISION HAS THOSE ADDRESSES. SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS CROSS-REFERENCE THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COME OUT AND GET THAT INFORMATION, AND HAVE US COME OVER AND DO AN ASSESSMENT AND CROSS-REFERENCE THAT WITH THOSE AREAS THAT WE'VE THOSE ADDRESSES THAT WE'VE DEFINED THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AND THEN WE'RE TRYING TO COVER THAT GAP OFF TO, TO GET OUT AND TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THOSE PROPERTIES.

THANK YOU. PERFECT. THANKS, AND THEN LAST QUESTION IS YOU HAD MENTIONED THE MEMO COMING TO COUNCIL FOR THE DMAF AGREEMENT.

DO WE HAVE A ROUGH TIMELINE FOR THAT? I BELIEVE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS I UNDERSTAND.

PERFECT. THANKS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO. OKAY, THEN MR. VAN DINE WILL BRING IT TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS THE MEMO REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE AFTER ACTION ASSESSMENT

[6. A memorandum regarding an update on the City of Yellowknife After Action Assessment: 2023 North Slave Complex Wildfires Recommendations.]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CHAIR. SO WITH THAT TITLE, I THINK IT SORT OF DESCRIBES IT VERY WELL, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING, AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. MCLEAN TO CARRY US FORWARD AND INVITE ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE STAFF TO PARTICIPATE.

THANK YOU. MY APOLOGIES FOR YOU WON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME FOR THE WHOLE PRESENTATION THOUGH.

SO, AS YOU KNOW, IN DECEMBER 2023, THE CITY RETAINED KPMG AS A CONSULTANT TO COMPLETE AN AFTER ACTION ASSESSMENT FROM THE 2023 NORTH SLAVE COMPLEX WILDFIRES. AT THE DIRECTION OF COUNCIL, THE CONTRACTOR PRESENTED THEIR FINDINGS IN THE INDEPENDENT FINAL REPORT TO COUNCIL IN JULY OF 2024. ON NOVEMBER 5TH 25TH EXCUSE ME 2024, ADMINISTRATIVE ADMINISTRATION PROVIDED AN UPDATE TO COUNCIL ON THE STATUS OF THE AFTER ACTION ASSESSMENT RECOMMENDATIONS.

AS ADMINISTRATION HAD INITIATED MANY OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS MOST PRIOR TO EVEN THE FINAL REPORT BEING RECEIVED.

SO OUR TEAM IS HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE A FURTHER UPDATE ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THE STATUS OF THEM, AND PRESENTING TODAY WILL BE ELIZABETH THOMPSON.

SHE IS OUR MANAGER OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, AND STACIA KEAN IS HERE.

SHE'S OUR MANAGER OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND INVESTMENT WHO DEALS WITH COMMUNICATION, AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THEIR EXPERTISE TO CONTINUE ON.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO AS CRAIG SAID, I'LL BE GIVING A QUICK UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE AFTER ACTION REPORT, AND THEN SHARE SOME ADDITIONS TO OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM THAT WILL GO TOWARDS FILLING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS. SO WE'VE HAD A BIT OF A BACKGROUND ON HOW WE GOT TO THE KPMG REPORT, AND OUR LAST TIME PRESENTING IT THE AFTER ACTION ASSESSMENT PROVIDED US WITH 26 RECOMMENDATIONS ACROSS FIVE THEMES THE CROSS-AGENCY COORDINATION, PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS, CONSIDERATIONS FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER AND CONTINUITY MANAGEMENT AND EVACUATION PLANNING, RESPONSE AND RECOVERY. TO DATE, 25 OUT OF THOSE 26 RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN STARTED, WITH 18 BEING EITHER COMPLETE OR EVERGREEN AS CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES. THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS IS SUPPORTED BY WORK ON INTERNAL EMERGENCY PLANNING DOCUMENTS, BY DEVELOPING SYSTEMS OF PROVIDING INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, AND THROUGH ONGOING COORDINATION WORK, AND WE'RE PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO SHARE SOME OF THE RESULTS OF THAT WORK TODAY.

SO AT OUR UPDATE LAST FALL, I SPOKE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PLAN.

THE COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PLAN IS A LIVING DOCUMENT WHICH SERVES AS THE OVERARCHING FRAMEWORK FOR EMERGENCY PLANNING IN THE CITY, AND IT'S THE BASE OF THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.

SO ALL OTHER HAZARD SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS AND INTERNAL PLANS AND PROCEDURES ARE CREATED UNDERNEATH IT AS A FRAMEWORK.

THE CURRENT VERSION OF THIS PLAN WAS CREATED LAST YEAR AND SHARED PUBLICLY AT THAT TIME.

AS PER OUR REQUIREMENTS AS A LOCAL AUTHORITY UNDER THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACT, THE PLAN HAS BEEN REVIEWED FOR 2025 AND IT WILL BE AUTHORIZED AT OUR NEXT MEETING OF THE LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION.

THERE'S BEEN NO SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES TO THE CONTENT OF THE PLAN, AND THE UPDATED VERSION WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE ONCE IT'S COMPLETE.

UNDERNEATH THE OVERARCHING PROGRAM UMBRELLA THAT THE PLAN CREATES, INTERNAL RESOURCES AND PROCEDURES AS WELL CONTINUE TO BE REFINED AND DEVELOPED AS THEY'RE REQUIRED, AND TRAINING, EXERCISING, AND ENGAGEMENT OF STAFF CONTINUES TO BE A PRIORITY.

[00:30:05]

SO THIS IS ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT FALLS INTO OUR EMERGENCY PROGRAM FRAMEWORK. UNDERNEATH THAT COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PLAN, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PLAN AND CONTINUED WORK ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED WITHIN IT GOES TOWARDS STRENGTHENING OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AS WELL AS OVERALL COMMUNITY RESILIENCE.

REGULARLY REVIEWING, UPDATING AND ACTIONING THE ITEMS IN THIS PLAN, AS WELL AS SHARING INFORMATION ON ONGOING WILDFIRE MITIGATION EFFORTS AND THE FIRESMART PROGRAM, HELPS TO COMPLETE RECOMMENDATIONS SEVEN, TEN AND 11 FROM THE 2023 AFTER ACTION ASSESSMENT.

SO, AS PART OF OUR WORK TO PROVIDE CLEAR AND ACCURATE EMERGENCY INFORMATION TO RESIDENTS CITIES, HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE OUR NEW EMERGENCY ALERTING SYSTEM.

VOYENT ALERT. VOYENT IS USED IN HUNDREDS OF MUNICIPAL AND REGIONAL DISTRICTS ACROSS CANADA FOR EMERGENCY ALERTING PURPOSES, INCLUDING BANFF, JASPER, KAMLOOPS AND PEACE RIVER, TO NAME JUST A FEW.

VOYENT ALERT IS A CLOUD BASED SERVICE THAT OPERATES AND STORES THEIR DATA IN CANADA.

THE CITY IS ABLE TO USE THE SYSTEM TO SEND EMERGENCY ALERTS VIA A MOBILE APP, THROUGH EMAIL, THROUGH TEXT MESSAGE, OR THROUGH AUTOMATED PHONE CALL.

USERS SIGN UP TO BE ALERTED THROUGH AS MANY OR AS FEW OF THOSE MEDIUMS AS THEY LIKE, AND THERE'S NO COST TO REGISTER AS A USER.

ONCE RESIDENTS HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THE SYSTEM AND ENTERED AT LEAST ONE ADDRESS OR LOCATION PIN, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GET EMERGENCY ALERTS FROM THE CITY.

IF ONE OR MORE OF THEIR CHOSEN ADDRESSES IS THEN IMPACTED BY AN EMERGENCY, AND SIGNING UP IS AS EASY AS DOWNLOADING THE APP FROM THE APP STORE OR BY REGISTERING ONLINE. I'LL JUST NOTE THAT THIS SYSTEM WILL BE USED FOR EMERGENCY ALERTS ONLY.

THE INTENT OF THE SYSTEM IS TO PROVIDE CLEAR, ACCESSIBLE, INFORMATIVE AND TIMELY INFORMATION DIRECTLY TO THE PUBLIC, AS WELL AS TO INCREASE THE ACCESSIBILITY AND REACH OF THAT INFORMATION.

IMPLEMENTING THIS NEW EMERGENCY ALERTING SYSTEM IS REFLECTED IN AFTER ACTION ASSESSMENT RECOMMENDATION NUMBER NINE, AND SO OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM IS GOING TO PROVIDE A QUICK DEMO OF THE ONLINE REGISTRATION PROCESS.

WE HAVE THE STACIA JUST GOT TO USE THE MIC. THERE YOU GO.

SORRY. YEP. HI, EVERYONE. SO, STACIA KEAN WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM.

SO WE HAVE OUR VOYENT ALERT WEBSITE PULLED UP.

YOU'LL NOTICE AS I SHOW YOU WHAT WE DO, YOU'LL WONDER IF IT'S THAT EASY, AND IT IS.

SO YOU'LL SEE. THIS IS THE WEBSITE. THERE'S OUR WEB.

INFORMATION ON THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE WEBSITE HAS ALSO BEEN UPDATED SO YOU CAN ACCESS THE HOW-TO'S THERE SO YOU CAN PUT YOUR ADDRESS OR USE YOUR LOCATION.

SO I'M JUST GOING TO CLICK HERE TO USE MY LOCATION.

YOU'LL PRESS ALLOW. YOU CAN PUT HOME OR OFFICE.

JUST KEEP IT AS LET'S SAY WE PUT OFFICE THERE.

THEN YOU'LL CLICK NEXT. IT'LL ASK YOU TO CONFIRM THAT THIS IS THE LOCATION SERVICE BY THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE, AND YOU'LL CLICK NEXT, AND THEN YOU CAN RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION TO CONFIRM THAT YOU'VE SIGNED UP.

SO IT CAN BE TEXT, EMAIL, PHONE CALL. HALL. I'M GOING TO TRY THIS PHONE CALL HERE, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO SAY ONE.

THEN YOU SHOULD GET A PHONE CALL BECAUSE WE'RE ALL WAITING WITH BATED BREATH HERE.

IF IT TAKES A FEW MINUTES TO COME THROUGH. I DID TRY THIS WITH A TEXT AS WELL, AND IT DOES COME THROUGH, SO YOU CAN WORK THAT WAY, AND THEN YOU'RE SIGNED UP, SO YOU HAVE. OH, THERE WE GO.

IT WORKS. SO JUST TO CONFIRM WITH FOLKS THAT IT'S THAT EASY.

SO THEN YOU'LL BE SIGNED UP TO RECEIVE THE NOTIFICATIONS.

THE OTHER WAY THAT YOU CAN DO THIS IS TO DOWNLOAD AN APP.

SO WE HAVE THE INFORMATION ON THE SLIDE DECK AS WELL THAT YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE APP THROUGH GOOGLE OR APPLE AND SIGN UP THAT WAY AS WELL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. STACIA, AND AS SHE MENTIONED, THERE'S SOME MORE DETAILED FAQS ON THE WEBSITE AS WELL ON HOW TO REGISTER IF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION. SO ALONG WITH OUR EXCITING NEWS ABOUT VOYENT ALERT TODAY, WE'RE ALSO PLEASED TO BE LAUNCHING OUR NEW PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS CAMPAIGN.

THE GOAL OF THIS CAMPAIGN IS TO ASSIST RESIDENTS WITH BECOMING MORE PREPARED AT AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, WHICH IN TURN BUILDS INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY LEVEL RESILIENCE.

RESILIENT COMMUNITIES AND INDIVIDUALS TYPICALLY RECOVER FASTER FROM EMERGENCIES BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT RISKS THEY COULD FACE.

THEY ENGAGE IN PLANNING FOR THE UNEXPECTED, AND THEY MOBILIZE THEIR STRENGTHS WHEN NEEDED TO HELP OTHERS. A COMMUNITY THAT IS RESILIENT AND PREPARED ALSO ALLOWS EMERGENCY RESPONSE

[00:35:04]

SO WITHIN THE NEW PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS CAMPAIGN, THERE ARE FIVE MATERIALS, STARTING WITH THE PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS GUIDE, WHICH PROVIDES A CHECKLIST OF STEPS THAT RESIDENTS CAN TAKE TO BECOME MORE PREPARED.

IT WALKS THROUGH THE STAGES OF FINDING EMERGENCY INFORMATION, CREATING AN EMERGENCY PLAN, AND BUILDING AN EMERGENCY KIT.

ONCE RESIDENTS ARE READY TO CREATE THEIR PLAN, THEY CAN USE THE HOME EMERGENCY PLAN WORKBOOK. THIS WORKBOOK IS DESIGNED FOR RESIDENTS TO FILL OUT WITH THEIR OWN HOUSEHOLD INFORMATION.

BY READING THROUGH THE WORKBOOK AND FILLING IN THE BLANKS, RESIDENTS WILL BE WELL ON THEIR WAY TO HAVING THEIR OWN PERSONAL FAMILY EMERGENCY PLAN, AND THEN FINALLY, THE PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS CAMPAIGN IS COMPLEMENTED BY THREE BROCHURES THAT PROVIDE SPECIALIZED INFORMATION ON SPECIFIC NEEDS.

SO WE'VE GOT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR PETS FOR SENIORS, ELDERS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, AND FOR TOURISM OPERATORS. THESE THREE ITEMS PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PLANNING TIPS.

THEY HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR EMERGENCY SUPPLIES THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO VARIOUS SPECIALIZED NEEDS, AND THERE'S OTHER CONSIDERATIONS THAT YOU MIGHT NEED TO THINK ABOUT PRIOR TO AN EMERGENCY OCCURRING.

ALL OF THESE MATERIALS ARE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON YELLOWKNIFE.TA, AND WE'LL ALSO HAVE PRINTED COPIES AVAILABLE AT THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE BOOTH AT THE TRADE SHOW MAY 10TH AND 11TH. SO LOOKING AT OUR NEXT STEPS.

PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE PROMOTED THROUGH EVENTS SUCH AS THE ANNUAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WEEK, WHICH IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW MAY 4TH TO 10TH. RESOURCES ARE BEING SHARED ONLINE THROUGH A DAILY SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGE, AND THEN, AS MENTIONED, STAFF WILL BE PRESENT AT NEXT WEEKEND'S TRADE SHOW TO TALK MORE ABOUT VOYENT ALERT AND PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS.

INTERNALLY, WE'RE CONTINUING WORK TO INCREASE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES.

SO THAT INCLUDES TRAINING IN EMERGENCY OPERATION CENTERS AND THE INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM.

WE ALSO HAVE SPECIFIC TRAININGS, SUCH AS CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS, THAT'S BEING OFFERED TO APPLICABLE STAFF ENGAGEMENTS ONGOING WITH COMMUNITY RESPONSE PARTNERS TO HELP BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND DISCUSS RESPONSIBILITIES BEFORE AN EMERGENCY EVENT HAPPENS.

WE'RE ALSO AWARE THAT WHEN THE 2023 AFTER ACTION ASSESSMENT IS COMPLETE, THERE MIGHT BE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS THERE THAT IMPACT COMMUNITIES, AND SO WE'RE READY TO INCORPORATE THOSE INTO OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, AND THEN FINALLY, ALL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND PLANNING ITEMS WILL CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH A CYCLE OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AS AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES? YEP. COUNCILLOR WARBURTON. THIS MIGHT BE FOR THE CITY MANAGER.

SOME OF THE IN THE DECK. THERE IS SOME UPDATES ON WE'RE WORKING ON STILL KIND OF THE OVERLAP RESPONSIBILITY OF EVACUATION CENTERS.

WHO CALLS AN EVAC THE COMMUNICATION PORTION. SO I JUST WONDERED IF THERE'S AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH US IN THE CITY ON WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES TO SORT OUT SOME OF THE DETAILS, AND I'M PLEASED WITH THE PROGRESS THAT ELIZABETH AND HER COLLEAGUES HAVE MADE AND MR. MCLEAN AND IN TYING DOWN ONE OF THE PIECES THAT WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT TODAY IS THAT FOR NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT YELLOWKNIFE IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR OWN REQUIREMENTS, BUT WE OFTEN ARE CALLED UPON TO BE A HOST COMMUNITY FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES IN THE IN THE TERRITORY, AND THAT WORK IN ITSELF IS IS EQUALLY ONEROUS AND A HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY.

THROUGH THAT, WE'VE--MR. MCLEAN AND OTHERS--HAVE REACHED OUT TO ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE SALVATION ARMY TO COORDINATE OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE THEM COME IN AND PROVIDE SUPPORT TO VISITING COMMUNITIES WHEN WE NEED THEM OR IN OUR OWN CIRCUMSTANCE.

WE HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH SCHOOL BOARDS TO MAKE SURE THAT SCHOOL BOARDS WERE, ARE AWARE OF OF OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND EVACUATION, SCENARIOS. WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH OUR SENIORS COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE AWARE OF AND DIALED IN TO OUR REQUIREMENTS.

IN TERMS OF THE PROTOCOLS IN MOVING TOWARDS THE LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE HERE TO THE REGIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE, WITH WITH THE TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT AND WITH OUR COLLEAGUES AT MUNICIPAL AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.

THAT LINE OF COMMUNICATION IS WORKING VERY WELL TO BE TESTED.

WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO TEST IT ANYTIME SOON, BUT IF WE ARE TO HAVE AN EVENT, I'M REASONABLY CONFIDENT THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO OVERCOME AND BE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT THAN WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE EXPERIENCE A FEW YEARS AGO.

I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. MCLEAN FOR ANY FURTHER EXAMPLES OR DETAILS THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

NOT SURE IF THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, BUT I DON'T HAVE IT.

[00:40:01]

YOU'RE ALL GOOD. OKAY. COUNCILLOR FEQUET. THANKS, MR. CHAIR. RECOMMENDATION 13 FROM THE KPMG AFTER ACTION ASSESSMENT WAS TO ESTABLISH A POSITION WITHIN THE CITY EOC THAT CAN BE ACTIVATED TO COORDINATE WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS TO ENHANCE COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION.

THIS HAS BEEN CHECKED OFF AS COMPLETED. SO JUST LOOKING FOR CONFIRMATION.

WHAT POSITION WITHIN THE CITY WILL SERVE IN THIS ROLE? AND WILL THAT POSITION BE TAKING ON ANY OTHER ROLES DURING SUCH AN EVENT OR IN THE EOC? THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. VAN DINE.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I'M VERY PLEASED TO SHOW THAT POSITION RIGHT HERE.

ELIZABETH THOMPSON IS IS OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR, AND SHE'S BEEN DOING A WONDERFUL JOB INTEGRATING HER ROLES WITHIN OUR REGULAR BUSINESS AND WORKING ACROSS ORGANIZATIONS TO ENSURE THAT OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AWARENESS IS IS RAISED, AND WE'RE JUST WE'RE PLEASED TO HAVE HER PART OF THE TEAM.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COUNCILLOR FEQUET? YEP. ONE QUESTION, ONE COMMENT. WILL THERE BE A MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR ICS TRAINING FOR THE INDIVIDUALS SERVING IN LEADERSHIP ROLES WITHIN THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. VAN DINE. YES.

THAT IS A REQUIREMENT. WE'RE ROLLING THAT OUT.

I MYSELF TOOK IT RELATIVELY SOON AFTER MY ARRIVAL AS AS PART OF MY ORIENTATION, ANY NEW EMPLOYEE ACTUALLY IS HAVING IS BEING INTRODUCED ICS 100 AS A STANDARD MEMBER OF THE ONBOARDING PROCESS FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO RAISE OVERALL LITERACY AND AWARENESS TO THE PROGRAM AND THE FORMAT SO THAT THEY CAN STEP IN IF REQUIRED.

WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT THE HIGHER LEVEL COURSES THAT YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH, AND SO THAT IS THAT'S PROGRAMING THAT IS BEING ACQUIRED AND BUILT AND COSTED FOR THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COUNCILLOR FEQUET. YEAH.

I JUST WANT TO SAY GREAT JOB ON THE COMMS. THE HAND GUIDE, THE BROCHURES.

I PARTICULARLY APPRECIATED THE AWARENESS OF THE INDIGENOUS LAND WE LIVE ON AND THE REFERENCES TO HAVING YOUR MEDICATIONS IN COUNTRY FOOD READY IN ADVANCE. SO BIG [LOTE] TO ALL THOSE WHO HELPED PUT THOSE PRODUCTS TOGETHER.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO, AND I DON'T HAVE ANY EITHER. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE ALL DONE.

SO THANK YOU. THE NEXT ITEM WE HAVE IS OUR WORK PLAN, AND SO I WILL GIVE IT OVER TO MR.

[4. A memorandum regarding whether to adopt the 2025‐2026 Revised Work Plan.]

I'VE ALREADY SORT OF MENTIONED THIS, BUT WE'LL SEE HOW FAR WE GET IN TERMS OF MR. VAN DINE WILL DO THE PRESENTATION. WE'LL GET AS MUCH QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS AS WE CAN TODAY, AND IF WE NEED TO TABLE IT FOR THE NEXT MEETING, WE'LL DO THAT TO KEEP IT GOING.

BUT AT LEAST WE'LL GET IT. GET THE CONVERSATION MOVING.

MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, AND THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE ON THE WORK PLAN, AND I THINK THOSE, THOSE COMMENTS OF INTRODUCTION WERE SUPER HELPFUL TO REINFORCE THE POINT THAT WORK PLANNING IS A IS AN ONGOING ACTIVITY.

IT IS A MANAGEMENT TOOL, OBVIOUSLY, TO CALIBRATE AND RECALIBRATE AS AS THINGS COME ALONG, AND TODAY'S OPPORTUNITY IS TO DO A BIT OF A CHECK IN, AND SO I WILL START THAT CHECK IN NOW SO JUST TO REMIND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL THAT COUNCIL WILL WRAP THEIR ARMS AROUND A FAIRLY ROBUST WORK PLAN IN MAY 2024 WE PROVIDED AN UPDATE IN AND AROUND THE BUDGET PREPARATION FOR BUDGET 2025 IN NOVEMBER. WE THEN HAD THE BUDGET APPROVED IN IN DECEMBER, AND THEN WE DID AN UPDATE IN MARCH, AND TODAY WE'RE WE'RE LOOKING TO JUST SHARPEN THAT PICTURE FOR FOR COUNCIL.

IN THAT PICTURE WE DID PROVIDE TWO COUNCIL AN UPDATED WORK PLAN BASED ON SOME ENGAGEMENT THAT WE HAD WITH COUNCIL SINCE THE MARCH 5TH UPDATE AND WE'RE HAPPY TO REPORT ON THOSE ADJUSTMENTS AND SOME PROPOSED CHANGES THAT WE'RE WE'RE LOOKING FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER.

TO REINFORCE THE POINT TODAY, WE ARE NOT NECESSARILY LOOKING FOR COUNCIL TO TAKE A DECISION TODAY, BUT WE ARE LOOKING TO GET COUNCIL'S RELATIVE TEMPERATURE CHECK ON WHERE THE EFFORT THAT WE'RE PROPOSING SHOULD, SHOULD BE PLACED. BUT IN THAT THE WORLD CONTINUES TO TURN, AND WITH THAT, DESPITE BEST EFFORTS IN MAY OF 2024 TO PUT ARMS AROUND A WORK PLAN AND COUNCIL'S AMBITION RELATIVE TO ITS STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT CONTINUE TO HAPPEN OUTSIDE OF THAT CONTEXT,

[00:45:01]

AS WE HAD SOME INDICATIONS BASED ON SOME WORK THAT HAD BEEN COMMISSIONED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR ABOUT WHAT IT MIGHT COST BY WAY OF A CLASS D ESTIMATE TO REFIT THE BUILDING TO MAKE IT MORE CONTEMPORARY, ENERGY EFFICIENT AND DEAL WITH SOME OF THE HVAC ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN PLAGUING A BUILDING OF THIS AGE.

I ALSO WANTED TO RAISE AND BRING TO COUNCIL'S IN PERSPECTIVE AND GAZE THAT WATERFRONT ACCESS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN ON COUNCIL'S VARIOUS COUNCIL'S AGENDAS. NOT ONLY THIS COUNCIL.

PREVIOUS ONES AND ONES BEFORE THAT. TO TRY AND SEEK OPPORTUNITIES TO ALLOW YELLOWKNIFERS AND TOURISTS TO GET MORE USABLE ACCESS TO GREAT SLAVE LAKE AND BACK BAY.

OVER THE LAST NUMBER OF MONTHS, THERE HAS BEEN NEW ACTIVITY WITH RESPECT TO SMALL CRAFT HARBOR ACTIVITIES.

A TINY LITTLE PROGRAM THAT'S OFFERED BY FISHERIES AND OCEANS.

THEY'VE DONE SOME OUTREACH TO BOTH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES AND TO COMMUNITIES INCLUDING YELLOWKNIFE'S WITH RESPECT TO THE POTENTIAL IN OUR BACK BAY AREA. I WANTED TO JUST BRING THAT TO COUNCIL'S ATTENTION, TO SAY THAT WE'RE VIGILANT ON BOTH WATERFRONT ACCESS AS WELL AS POTENTIAL CHANGES TO OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL CRAFT HARBOR DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS AN AUTHORITY ON ONE OF MY FAVORITE SUBJECTS MODERNIZATION.

COUNCIL'S ALREADY APPROVED IN BUDGET 2025. AN ITEM WITH RESPECT TO ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT, AND WE HAVE JUST RECENTLY AWARDED AN RFP WITH RESPECT TO THAT WORK AND WILL BE BEGINNING THAT EFFORT MOMENTARILY.

COUNCIL IS ALSO MADE AWARE THAT PRIOR TO THE WORK PLAN BEING ADJUSTED THAT WE FOUND OURSELVES NEEDING TO DO A WEBSITE UPGRADE. SO THAT WORK IS UNDER IS UNDERWAY, AND WE'VE NOW BEEN OR WILL BE ISSUING A BIT OF A EXCUSE ME, WE WILL BE DOING AN IT REVIEW TO REVIEW ALL OF OUR CURRENT SYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE.

WE TODAY YOU HEARD ABOUT VOYENT AND OTHER SOFTWARE, BUT WE HAVE A PLETHORA OF SYSTEMS ACROSS CITY HALL THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT DATED AND DON'T NECESSARILY TALK TO ONE ANOTHER PARTICULARLY WELL, AND SO WE HAVE SOME WORK UNDERWAY TO TRY AND GET A LINE OF SIGHT ON WHETHER THAT CAN BE IMPROVED, AND THEN THERE'S MORE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY BY COUNCIL IN, IN BOTH THEIR STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS AND IN PAST DISCUSSIONS HAS BEEN THE CITY'S NEED TO TRY AND IMPROVE UPON SYSTEMS LIKE CLICK AND DETECT TO FIND AN EASY MEANS INTO CITY HALL TO HAVE PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED AND RESOLVED.

OUR WEBSITE, CURRENTLY CONFIGURED, GIVES RESIDENTS AN ABUNDANCE OF PLACES TO POTENTIALLY CHECK INTO OR TO EMAIL.

ALL OF YOU ARE ON SPEED DIALS OF MANY YELLOWKNIFE RESIDENTS WHEN THERE'S AN ISSUE, AND THAT'S A FUNCTION OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE MOST EFFICIENT. SO WE HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING OTHER SYSTEMS ACROSS ACROSS CANADA THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE US SOME GUIDANCE ON HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THOSE SYSTEMS, AND SO I'M JUST FLAGGING THAT WE MAY BE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK IN BUDGET 2026 DISCUSSIONS, OR PERHAPS BEFORE TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE ALREADY STARTED AND CONSOLIDATED INTO WHAT COULD LOOK LIKE A MODERN 3-1-1 SYSTEM FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

SO I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT THAT AND TEASE YOU WITH THAT POSSIBILITY FOR THE MOMENT.

IN TERMS OF THINGS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLICATED, AND COUNCIL IS AWARE YOU'VE RECEIVED TWO PRESENTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO NT POWER

[00:50:06]

ULTIMATELY, WITH THE QUESTION IN MIND IS, IS YELLOWKNIFE THINKING IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY ABOUT ITS POWER NEEDS BOTH FOR ITS CURRENT REQUIREMENTS BUT ALSO ANTICIPATED REQUIREMENTS THAT MAY COME DOWNSTREAM WITH ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND INVESTMENT.

ON PUBLIC SAFETY. WE ARE MOVING INTO ANOTHER SEASON IN WHICH ENCAMPMENTS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT.

WE'RE ANTICIPATING ARE GOING TO REQUIRE A BIT OF FOCUS AND ATTENTION FOR THE CITY AS WELL AS OTHER AGENCIES.

WE ARE AWARE THAT DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES, AS WELL AS THE HOTEL ASSOCIATIONS, HAVE BEEN VERY CONSISTENT IN WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD A LEVEL OF VISIBILITY FOR SUPPORTS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WHETHER THAT'S EITHER THROUGH LAW ENFORCEMENT, MUNICIPAL ENFORCEMENT, OR THROUGH SOCIAL MEANS.

THE REACHING HOME PROGRAM THAT COUNCIL HAS UPDATED HAS STARTED UNDER THE NEW PROGRAMING GUIDELINES, AND WE DO HAVE SOME MORE ACTIVITY THAT'S HAPPENING THERE.

BUT NEVERTHELESS, WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL AT SOME POINT FOR AN UPDATE WITH RESPECT TO WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS.

I NEED NOT SAY ANY MORE. WE JUST TOOK YOU THROUGH A VERY DELIBERATE AND COMPREHENSIVE PRESENTATION ON OUR READINESS FOR THE COMING SEASON.

ON THE QUESTION OF ADVOCACY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT BEEN A AN AREA OF FOCUS SINCE SINCE MY ARRIVAL FOR COUNCIL. NEVERTHELESS, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE TOUCHED ON HERE HAVE COME UP EITHER IN DISCUSSIONS WITH WITH YOU INDIVIDUALLY OR IN THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, TALKING TO VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND OTHERS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT RAISES THE QUESTION TO WHAT EXTENT DOES COUNCIL IN THIS POINT IN ITS MANDATE, DOES IT FEEL AS THOUGH IT IS COMFORTABLE ENOUGH, CONFIDENT ENOUGH IN ITS PRIORITY SETTING TO TAKE ITS GAZE, MAYBE JUST A LITTLE HIGHER AWAY FROM THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONAL TO SOME OF THOSE MEDIUM AND LONGER TERM PROJECTS THAT THE CITY MAY WANT TO GET ON RECORD AROUND. COUNCIL DID PASS A MOTION IN IN DECEMBER OF 2025 WITH RESPECT TO ATTRACTING DAD INVESTMENT. SOME WORK HAS ADVANCED IN THAT REGARD AT A WORKING LEVEL, AS I WAS DIRECTED TO REACH OUT TO OFFICIALS AT NATIONAL DEFENSE, BOTH HERE WITH JTFN AS WELL AS WITH DND IN OTTAWA, AND I'LL BE PLEASED TO GIVE YOU MORE ON THAT AS TIME PERMITS. HOWEVER, A RATHER LARGE QUESTION HAS COME TO THE COMMUNITY WITH RESPECT TO AN ARCTIC SECURITY CORRIDOR WHICH WOULD BE ESSENTIALLY ON THE DOORSTEP OR RUN THROUGH A YELLOWKNIFE PUBLIC COMMENTARY HAS BEEN MADE BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT GROUPS. THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE IS NOT ON RECORD YET IN STATING A POSITION ON THIS POTENTIAL, AND IT IS A QUESTION THAT COUNCIL MAY WANT TO CHOOSE TO TURN ITS GAZE TO AND DECIDE WHAT AND HOW THAT PROJECT MAY OR MAY NOT BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY WITH RESPECT TO OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT.

WE'VE BEEN CONTINUING TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY ON A NUMBER OF FRONTS.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BEING ONE. BUT IT DOES RAISE QUESTIONS, AS WE HEARD FROM NWT POWER CORP., THAT THEY ARE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT TOLLESTON AND OTHER AREAS FOR SUPPLY, AND THE QUESTION TO YELLOWKNIFE IS, ARE WE AS A MUNICIPALITY, AS A CAPITAL CITY? DO WE HAVE A PARTICULAR VIEW ON WHERE THE TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT OR NT POWER CORP.

IS INVESTING SIGNIFICANT EFFORT FOR THE RETURN THAT WE THINK MIGHT BE NEEDED? SO THAT OPENS UP THAT QUESTION WITH OUR COLLEAGUES.

WE KNOW THAT INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING IS BOTH SOMETHING THAT THE NEW FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL LOOK, LOOK TO, TO TRY AND PROBABLY PUT SOME EFFORT INTO IN ITS UPCOMING BUDGET, TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENT AS WELL,

[00:55:02]

IN PARTICULAR. THE AIRPORT IS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PIECES OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT IS ONE IN WHICH THERE IS TREMENDOUS ECONOMIC VALUE IN THE DAY TO DAY.

BUT THERE'S ALSO A PUBLIC SAFETY VALUE FOR THE AIRPORT, AS WE KNOW FROM THE EXPERIENCES IN 2023.

SO THEREFORE, IS IT TIME TO BE TAKING OR SUGGESTING THAT WE PUT A PROCESS IN PLACE TO START THINKING ABOUT THAT IN A MORE DELIBERATE WAY? AND THEN FINALLY, OF COURSE, COUNCIL DID HAVE ITS JOINT MEETING LAST WEEK WITH THE YELLOWKNIFE'S COUNCIL AND THE CHIEFS OF [INAUDIBLE] THAT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE, ONGOING RELATIONSHIP THAT CONTINUES TO GROW AND BUILD, AND IN THAT CONVERSATION COUNCIL, I THINK, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM THEM THE IMPORTANCE OF LAND CLAIM SETTLEMENTS, IN THEIR VIEW, AND I THINK COUNCIL WAS QUITE GENUINE IN EXPRESSING ITS INTEREST IN WANTING TO SUPPORT THE TIMELY AND FAIR RESOLUTION OF THOSE THOSE THOSE CLAIMS AND WHETHER OR NOT WE'D LIKE TO SPEAK MORE PUBLICLY ABOUT PUBLICLY ABOUT IT.

THAT'S SORT OF THE BROAD STROKES, I THINK IF YOU WERE TO TALK ABOUT ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES IN A WORD OR WORDS, I WOULD SAY MORE ON THE VEIN OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND INVESTMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND WHETHER THE CITY HAS HAS THE ABILITY, WHETHER COUNCIL HAS THE INTEREST IN PUTTING SOME LEANING INTO THIS PARTICULAR AREA, WHICH DOES ALIGN WITH ITS ULTIMATE STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOR A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, THESE THESE INITIATIVES WERE NOT NECESSARILY IN MIND AT THE TIME THAT YOU SET THAT STRATEGIC DIRECTION. SO WITH THAT I'M GOING TO PAUSE MR. CHAIR, AND JUST NOTE THAT WE DID SHARE AN UPDATED VERSION OF THE WORK PLAN, THE 2025 WORK PLAN BASED ON SOME BACK AND FORTH AND DISCUSSIONS SINCE MARCH 5TH.

WE SHARED THAT A FEW WEEKS BACK ON APRIL 17TH AND VERY INTERESTED IN HEARING COUNCIL'S VIEWS ON HOW WE CAN FOCUS, PERHAPS DEFER OR DROP SOME ITEMS IN ORDER TO FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU.

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

COLLEAGUES, I'LL OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.

AGAIN, WE'RE GOOD AS FAR AS WE SORT OF CAN ON THE CONVERSATION, AND IF WE SORT OF HIT A WALL, I WANT YOU TO TELL ME THAT, AND WE CAN ALWAYS DEFER THE CONVERSATION AND KEEP IT GOING ON OUR NEXT GPC.

COUNCILLOR FEQUET I SEE YOUR HAND UP ALREADY.

GO FOR IT. THANKS, MR. CHAIR. MAYBE I'LL COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN HAD TO LEAVE.

SO I HAVE HIS QUESTIONS BEFORE ME, SO MAYBE I'LL ASK THOSE FIRST.

JUST ASK YOUR QUESTIONS, AND THEN IF. BECAUSE WE MAY END UP DEFERRING ANYWAY, IN WHICH CASE COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN.

SO GET THROUGH YOURS FIRST AND THEN WE'LL SEE WHERE WE'RE AT. SURE.

FIRST QUESTION TO ADMIN. JUST GIVEN THE LARGE NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT TYPICALLY COMES THROUGH THE ANNUAL AUDIT PROCESS AND THE MANAGEMENT LETTER AND THE, AND THE MULTITUDE OF FINANCIAL POLICY INITIATIVES.

JUST IN THE TIER ONE SECTION OF THIS WORK PLAN ALONE DOES ADMINISTRATION BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHING THAT'S PROPOSED RIGHT NOW? CONSIDERING CONSIDERING ALL THE FINANCIAL AND CORPORATE WORK IN THAT BASKET? MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES.

I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. PANDOO TO PROVIDE MORE GRANULARITY, IF THAT'S NECESSARY.

ALL THIS TO SAY IS THAT AUDIT, AUDIT RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, AND MANAGEMENT RESPONSE LETTERS ARE STANDARD BUSINESS.

WE'RE VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO MEET THE SUGGESTIONS.

I BELIEVE WE'RE QUITE FORTHRIGHT WITH THE AUDITORS DURING THE AUDIT PROCESS AROUND SYSTEMS THAT WE, WE FELT WERE A LITTLE WEAKER THAN THEY SHOULD BE IN TERMS OF DOCUMENTATION.

PART OF THAT IS RELATED TO TECHNOLOGY. PART OF THAT IS RELATED TO BUSINESS PROCESSES.

BUT WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT THE AUDITORS WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE SOME OF THAT, THAT CONVERSATION, AND I THINK THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS BACK TO US ARE THE KINDS OF RECOMMENDATIONS WE WERE HOPING TO RECEIVE.

[01:00:05]

YEAH. WE'LL TRY TO GET TO AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN TERMS OF THE AUDITOR'S RECOMMENDATION, BUT WE DO HAVE A LOT OF THEM.

I DO AGREE SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CLASSIFIED AS PRIORITY LONG TERM, SHORT TERM.

SO THERE'S A LOT TO GO THROUGH. ONE OF THEM IS THE PROCUREMENT POLICIES, WHICH HAVEN'T BEEN UPDATED FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS.

SO BEFORE WE CAN ADDRESS THAT. THEY ARE TIED TO A LOT, SO IT WOULD BE MULTIYEAR BEFORE WE EVENTUALLY GET A TICK NEXT TO THAT REQUIREMENT. NOW, COMING TO THE FINANCIAL POLICIES THEMSELVES, EVENTUALLY WE WOULD WANT TO GO TO A FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK THAT CAPTURES ALL THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN ONE PLACE.

BUT AT THE MOMENT, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS BEFORE WE EVENTUALLY GET TO THAT POINT.

SO WE DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WE ARE CAPTURING AND WE ARE ADDRESSING ALL THESE CHALLENGES IN A WAY THAT WHEN WE DO EVENTUALLY GET TO THE MANAGEMENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK, IT'S AS ROBUST AS IT CAN BE. HOWEVER, WE DO THAT WILL TAKE THE TIME IT TAKES.

BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE DO HAVE SOME PRESSING NEED FOR SOME OF THE FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON THE WORK PLAN.

BASICALLY DRIVEN BY RISK AND OPPORTUNITY. THE RISK IS THE NEW EMERGING ISSUES RESERVE POLICY, AND THE OTHER ONE IS THE ASSET MANAGEMENT POLICY, WHICH BASICALLY WE CURRENTLY DO HAVE AN ASSET MANAGEMENT POLICY, BUT I THINK WE CAN IMPROVE ON IT. THE IDEA IS TO BETTER TIE THE ASSET LIFE CYCLE, THE RISK AND THE BUDGET. SO THAT'S WORK. THAT'S WE NEED TO DO IT.

IT CAN'T WAIT FOR THREE, FOUR YEARS BEFORE WE GET THERE, AND THE OTHER ONE IS THE INVESTMENT POLICY WHICH I THINK WE THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REORGANIZE INTERNALLY HOW WE FRUCTIFY THE MONEY THAT WE CURRENTLY HOLD IN OUR GENERAL FUND AND THE OTHER FUNDS.

SO I WOULD SAY, YES, WE THESE ONES WILL GET DONE.

NO DOUBT. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THAT.

HOPEFULLY IT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION. COUNCILLOR FEQUET.

YEAH, THANKS FOR THE SHARING THE VISION. ONE SINGLE FRAMEWORK.

EVENTUALLY ALL THE PIECES WILL FIT UNDER IT. LOTS OF WORK TO DO. APPRECIATE THAT THIS WON'T.

IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS. NEXT QUESTION IS COULD ADMINISTRATION JUST PROVIDE SOME DETAILS ON THE SCOPE OF THAT INITIATIVE TITLED RELATED TITLED DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT TOOLS. JUST NOTICING THE COMPLETION DATE IS Q2 THIS YEAR.

SO IS THIS WORK THAT'S ALREADY STARTED, ALMOST DONE, OR IS IT ACTUALLY WORK YET TO BE STARTED? AND JUST ASKING IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE PUNTED DOWN THE ROAD IF THE LATTER.

MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT PARTICULAR QUESTION.

SO THAT PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT TOOLS COMMITMENT CAME FROM A DISCUSSION THAT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE ARE A LITTLE BIT INCONSISTENT ACROSS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OUTREACHES TO THE COMMUNITY, AND I BELIEVE COUNCIL IS AWARE OF THAT.

I'M JUST RESETTING THE STAGE A LITTLE BIT. WHAT COUNCIL DID DO PRIOR TO MY ARRIVAL IS THEY DID INVEST WITH A PY RESOURCE THAT WAS MADE AVAILABLE THAT WAS INITIALLY ALLOTTED TO OUR COLLEAGUES IN PUBLIC WORKS.

WE'VE SINCE MOVED THAT RESOURCE INTO OUR, OUR NEW ECONOMIC AND OPPORTUNITIES AND INVESTMENT GROUP AND COMMUNICATIONS FUNCTION TO PROVIDE A WIDER LEVEL OF SUPPORT TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS MORE GENERALLY.

I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE'VE JUST STAFFED THAT POSITION.

SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT RESOURCE THAT IS ACTUALLY COMING ON STRENGTH, I BELIEVE TODAY.

SO IN TERMS OF THE TIMING OF Q2 IN DISCUSSIONS WITH DIRECTOR THISTLE WE'RE GOING TO WAIT FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL TO GET UP AND RUNNING. BUT I THINK THE INITIAL SCOPING OF THAT WORK WILL BE AT LEAST UNDERWAY THIS YEAR, AND PROBABLY BY Q2, WE'LL AT LEAST HAVE A PICTURE THAT WE CAN PRESENT TO COUNCIL AS TO WHAT THE PLAN MIGHT LOOK LIKE.

COUNCILLOR FEQUET. GREAT, GREAT. THANK YOU. COULD ADMINISTRATION ELABORATE ON THE INITIATIVE TITLED SAFETY DIRECTIVES AND PROCEDURES UPDATE, JUST SO WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT IS. MR. VAN DINE, THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO MAYBE DRAW UPON MR. MCLEAN FOR THAT ONE. THANK YOU. I BELIEVE THE SAFETY PROCEDURES UPDATE IS WITH IN REGARDS TO

[01:05:03]

THAT WAS AN UNDERTAKING THROUGH OUR HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE A DESIGNATED INDIVIDUAL WORKING ON FINISHING THOSE UP. I DO KNOW THAT THERE IS SOME SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION DONE ON THEM, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU WITH A STATUS OF THE OVERALL WORK.

THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR FEQUET. THANKS. THANKS FOR THAT RESPONSE.

THAT MAKES SENSE. I JUST WASN'T CLEAR IT WAS AN OHS.

I DID SEE THAT HR WAS THE LEAD, BUT THAT MAKES TOTAL SENSE.

SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO. SO, GLAD THAT'S BEING UPDATED. NEXT QUESTION.

THE ORGANIZATIONAL REVIEW IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION BY Q4 2025.

I THINK MANY OF US WERE HOPING TO RECEIVE THE RESULTS OF THIS PRIOR TO THE UPCOMING BUDGET DELIBERATIONS, BECAUSE WE WERE HOPING FOR SOME SOLID RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW COUNCIL CAN BETTER SUPPORT STAFF AND OUR ORGANIZATION AT A ORGANIZATIONAL, HIERARCHICAL STAFFING LEVEL. IS THERE ANY WAY THAT CAN BE BUMPED UP A QUARTER, GIVEN THAT IT'S PRIMARILY BEING CARRIED OUT BY AN EXTERNAL CONSULTANT? THAT SEEMS PRETTY IMPORTANT FOR TO INFORM A LOT OF OUR DELIBERATIONS IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET.

MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

YEAH, WE I HAVE THAT SAME CONCERN, AND SO IN THE INITIAL KICKOFF DISCUSSION THAT I HAD WITH THE CONSULTANT LAST WEEK, WE BROUGHT THAT I BROUGHT THAT TO THEIR ATTENTION.

ONE OF THE MITIGATION STRATEGIES THAT THEY OFFERED IS SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE DONE WITH OTHER CLIENTS IS THEY WILL BE MOVING FAIRLY STRIDENTLY TO COLLECT THE INFORMATION AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN THE PAST AND IN PREVIOUS PROJECTS OF THIS NATURE IS THEY'VE FURNISHED AN INTERIM REPORT OR INTERIM GUIDANCE, AND SO WE'RE HOPING THAT INTERIM PROVISION WILL BE SUFFICIENTLY HELPFUL THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ALLOW THAT INFORMATION TO FIND ITS WAY INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS A LITTLE MORE SOONER THAN THAN IT MIGHT BY THE CONCLUSION DATE OF THE CONTRACT, WE HOPE TO HAVE USABLE INFORMATION BEFORE THAT DATE.

GO AHEAD, COUNCILLOR FEQUET. AWESOME. THANK YOU.

THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR. WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN ON THAT FRONT. LOOKING AT THE ANTICIPATED COMPLETION OF THE BIKE LANE TRIALS IN Q3, JUST HOPING ADMIN COULD SPEAK TO HOW THAT INITIATIVE IS PROGRESSING, AND IF WE CAN ANTICIPATE SEEING THOSE THIS SUMMER.

MR. VAN DINE. THE PUBLIC WORKS, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THE PUBLIC WORKS TEAM IS MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR SUMMER PROGRAMING, AND I'LL INVITE MR. GREENCORN TO ELABORATE WHERE WE ARE IN IN THE PLANNING OF THIS WORK.

THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. AS MR. VAN DINE SAID, IT'S PRETTY BUSY SEASON FOR US TRYING TO GET OUR TENDERS AND COMPETITIONS OUT THE DOOR.

WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES, SUCH AS THE $40 MILLION LIFT STATION AND $8 MILLION LANDFILL CELL $8 MILLION, 60 UNIT UNDERGROUND WATER AND SEWER JOB ON MANDEVILLE, NOT TO MENTION OUR WASTE SCALE OPERATIONS THAT IT'S BEEN SEVEN YEARS IN THE WORKS.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET ALL OF THAT WORK OUT THE DOOR.

AT THE SAME TIME, WE WILL ENDEAVOR TO GET WORK DONE ON THE BIKE LANES.

THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, WE DON'T DO ANY LINE PAINTING FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. THE DUST WILL NOT IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO PUTTING PAINT ON THE ROAD, NOR IS IT SUPER WARM YET, AND IT'S MAY. BUT I DIGRESS.

SO I'D BE REMISS TO PUT ON TO KEEP Q2 ON THERE, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S REALISTIC.

WE WOULD PREFER TO KEEP Q3 ON THERE AND CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS THAT OBJECTIVE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE SOME OTHER PRIORITIES IN THE BAILIWICK. THANK YOU. COUNCILLOR FEQUET, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT RESPONSE.

MOVING DOWN TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY ITEM IN THE WORK PLAN GIVEN THAT THERE IS AN EXISTING STRATEGY AND THERE'S ALSO THE MAYOR'S TASK FORCE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH LAST YEAR REVIEWED THE ASSOCIATED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND ACTUALLY MADE MORE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT REFLECTED A MORE REALISTIC LIST OF PRIORITIZED ACTIONS. I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES THAT AN UPDATE TO THAT STRATEGY NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY, OR IS IT ONE OF THOSE THINGS WE CAN BUMP DOWN THE LIST, JUST GIVEN THAT WE HAVE STUFF TO COMPLETE? SOME OF THOSE PRIORITIZE ACTIONS, AND THERE WAS A LOT LEFT IN THAT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN GET TO.

MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. I BELIEVE THERE'S CERTAINLY VALUE IN IN COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION GIVING SOME THOUGHT ABOUT UPDATED PRIORITIES WITH RESPECT TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT THIS JUNCTURE, BASED ON WHERE WE ARE AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE PRESENTED BY WAY OF CONTEXT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SWIRLING AROUND THE COMMUNITY,

[01:10:04]

I WOULD ABSOLUTELY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT SOME OF THOSE PAST COMMITMENTS COULD BENEFIT FROM A QUICK GLANCE.

ARE THEY STILL THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMITMENTS THAT THE CITY SHOULD BE PUTTING ITS ENERGIES INTO WORK.

PLANNING DOES GIVE COUNCIL AND ADMINISTRATION A CHANCE TO STEP BACK AND SAY, WHILE WE COMMITTED TO THAT, BACK THEN, IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME. BUT IS IT THE IDEA THAT IT'S GOING TO, YOU KNOW, BRING THE THE, THE BIGGEST IMPACT? SO I BELIEVE THAT'S A WORTHWHILE EXERCISE WHEN WE DO IT.

I GUESS IS FOR DISCUSSION AND FURTHER FURTHER DELIBERATION WITH, WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS AND TYING IT TO SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I HAD MENTIONED WITH RESPECT TO POTENTIAL INVESTMENTS FROM DND, OR PROJECTS SUCH AS THE SECURITY CORRIDOR.

COUNCILLOR FEQUET. THANK YOU FOR THAT RESPONSE, AND YEAH, JUST TO BE CLEAR, I WAS BY NO MEANS SUGGESTING WE SHOULD NOT ADVANCE CONVERSATIONS ON ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT SEEM TO BE PRESENTING THEMSELVES.

IT WAS MORE JUST A QUESTION ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR STRATEGY DOCUMENT THAT WAS PRETTY NARROW AND LOCAL.

A LITTLE MORE LOCAL IN SCOPE. THAT'S WAS MY COMMENT.

JUST A QUESTION ABOUT THE NORAD WORKING GROUP BEING REMOVED.

JUST WONDERING TO KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING STILL ADMINISTRATION IS STILL PLANNING ON HAVING AROUND OR.

YEAH. CAN YOU GIVE US A STATUS UPDATE? MR. VAN DINE.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YEAH. I THINK COUNCILLOR FEQUET MAY HAVE PUT HIS FINGER ON A STRUGGLE THAT WE HAVE WITH RESPECT TO REPORTING SO THAT THE THAT THE ITEM BEING PROPOSED ON THE LIST WAS SUGGESTED THAT IT COME OFF BECAUSE IT'S UNDERWAY AND IT'S DONE.

NOT SO MUCH BECAUSE WE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS OF VALUE ANYMORE.

SO WE'RE STILL STRUGGLING WITH HOW TO RECORD THIS INFORMATION.

BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU AND COUNCIL THAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO OUR WORK WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES AND WITH DAD AND NORAD OFFICIALS.

YEAH. GO AHEAD, COUNCILLOR FEQUET. AWESOME. JUST TWO MORE.

ONE WAS A COMMENT, I GUESS, ABOUT JUST THE IMPORTANCE AND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'RE STARTING TO MOVE CLOSER AND CLOSER DURING AT LEAST THIS TERM.

WE HAVE BEEN REALLY BEING ABLE TO DISCUSS KIND OF THE BUDGET AND THE OPERATING PLAN OR THE WORK PLAN IN THIS CASE AT THE SAME TIME, OR AT A VERY SIMILAR TIME, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT'S BEING PROPOSED IS THEN THE REASON THAT WE'RE APPROVING A BUDGET, AND SO I APPRECIATE THE MULTITUDE OF UPDATES WE'VE GOT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN MOVE CLOSER TO A MORE ALIGNED APPROACH WHERE THE BUDGET AND THE WORK ARE PART OF THE SAME CONVERSATION, BECAUSE I THINK THAT WILL MAKE THAT WILL CREATE AN EFFICIENCY FOR US AND SOME CLARITY, TOO. I ONLY I REALLY APPRECIATE I THINK ALL THE MAIN TOPICS ARE ACTUALLY IN THERE.

THERE'S ACTUALLY A LOT OF STUFF THAT CAN PROBABLY STILL COME OUT OR BE MOVED DOWN, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE ADMIN TO KEEP THROWING THOSE AT US AS THEY, AS THEY COME ACROSS THEM. MY ONE POTENTIAL CONCERN WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT THE BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN, AND I MAY HAVE MISSED SOMETHING. I DID READ THOSE COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PLANS AND THE DOCUMENTS THAT CAME OUT LAST YEAR.

BUT I SEE THAT IT'S IN THE GARDEN PLOT AND NOT PRIORITIZED ANYMORE, AND MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT BUSINESS PLANS ARE TYPICALLY DEVELOPED ALONGSIDE KIND OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANS AND FRAMEWORKS B ECAUSE THERE'S THE INITIAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE PERIOD AND THE ONGOING MANAGEMENT OF EMERGENCY IN WHICH WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE TO DELIVER CORE MUNICIPAL SERVICES AND OPERATIONS, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK DONE IN THIS SPACE BY A LOT OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS IN THE NWT FOLLOWING 2023, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IF ADMINISTRATION CAN SHED SOME LIGHT ON WHY THE BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN ISN'T KICKED AWAY UP HIGHER. AMONGST ALL THE REALLY GREAT WORK THAT THE TEAM IS DOING IN THIS SPACE.

MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

I BELIEVE THAT'S A HARD ONE TO T RY AND DEPRIORITIZE.

I MEAN, IT ABSOLUTELY IS ONE. I THINK WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HEAR BACK FROM COUNCIL IN A CLEAR MANNER IS THAT AS WE ARE APPROACHING AND GETTING READY FOR BUDGET 2023 OR BUDGET 2023, BUDGET 2026 AS A RESULT OF THE EXPERIENCES OF 2023 THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO SEE HOW WE CAN POSITION THAT BETTER. ALL OF OUR TREMENDOUS EFFORT HAS REALLY BEEN TO CLOSE THE GAP ON EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS GENERALLY AS YOU HEARD FROM FROM THE TEAM EARLIER. BUT BUSINESS CONTINUITY IS AN AREA THAT DOES PRESENT ITSELF AS A RISK FACTOR THAT WE WILL REQUIRE SOME ADDITIONAL TIME AND ENERGY, AND WE DID, AND I'M JUST TRYING. THERE IT IS.

[01:15:02]

HOPEFULLY THAT'S NOT TOO OBFUSCATING FOR FOR COUNCIL, BUT IT IS A RISK AREA THAT WE SHOULD BE SPENDING SOME TIME ON.

YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THE SLIGHT OBFUSCATION, SO THAT'S ALWAYS GOOD.

COUNCILLOR FEQUET. PERFECT. THAT 'S A GREAT ANSWER, AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THAT KIND OF BUMP UP THE LIST AS IT'S ABLE AND THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS FOR ME, MR. CHAIR, AND I'M HAPPY TO ASK COUNCILLOR MCLENNAN WHEN SOMEONE ELSE SPEAKS.

THANKS FOR. THANKS VERY MUCH. SO I AM GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT'S 20 MINUTES TO THREE.

WE CAN. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

COUNCILLOR WARBURTON I KNOW BETWEEN. OKAY, SO WE'LL MAYBE GET THROUGH YOUR QUESTIONS AND THEN MAYBE I MIGHT SUGGEST AT THAT POINT WE DEFER FOR THE DAY SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF TIRED IN EVERYBODY. ALSO, WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THAT 3:00 ANYWAY, SO WE'LL GET THROUGH COUNCILLOR WARBURTON QUESTIONS.

WE'LL DEFER THIS CONVERSATION THEN TO CONTINUE AT OUR NEXT GPC.

SO I'LL PASS IT OVER TO COUNCILLOR WARBURTON. THANK YOU.

WHERE ARE WE GOING? HERE. START WITH I SAW THERE'S FOR PLANNING DEVELOPMENT.

THERE'S THE CAM LAKE THAT'S IN THE WORK PLAN THERE. I'M NOT SEEING ANYTHING ELSE IN THAT WORK PLAN FOR INFILL LOTS, LAND DEVELOPMENT, THAT KIND OF THING. IS THAT JUST BECAUSE IT'S THIS KIND OF OPERATIONAL, OR IS THAT BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN KIND OF PARKED? MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, AND I BELIEVE, COUNCILLOR WARBURTON IS POINTING HIS FINGER ON A THEME THAT COUNCILLOR FEQUET HAD SURFACED AROUND REPORTING. YES, THERE'S A WHOLE HOST OF OPERATIONAL ACTIVITY THAT IS NOT CAPTURED IN THIS WORK PLAN, AND OVER TIME, I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN GET TO A BETTER DESCRIPTION OF WHAT IS MORE HIGHER LEVEL PUBLIC FACING PRIORITIES TO MAKE PROGRESS AGAINST OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES VERSUS SOME OF THE DAY TO DAY ACTIVITIES BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT DIRECTOR WHITE AND HER TEAM HAVE A VERY ROBUST WORK PLAN IN TERMS OF MAKING PROGRESS ON NOT ONLY KAM LAKE, BUT ON THE COMMUNITY PLAN UPDATE ON OUR CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN ON SOME OF THE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS WITH RESPECT TO INTRODUCING BETTER SERVICE LEVELS TO RESIDENTS AND DEVELOPERS IN THE COMMUNITY. COUNCILLOR WARBURTON. YEAH, THANKS.

THAT'S WHAT I FIGURED. SO AND THEN GOING BACK, I KNOW YOUR YOUR SLIDE THERE.

IN YOUR PRESENTATION. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EMERGING ISSUES.

WE GOT ENCAMPMENTS CONCERNS ABOUT DOWNTOWN SAFETY.

BUT IN THE WORK PLAN, I'M NOT REALLY BESIDES MED DIRECTIVES, I'M NOT REALLY SEEING ANYTHING THAT SPEAKS TO CHANGING OR DISCUSSING OR MOVING OUR PUBLIC SAFETY CONVERSATION. SO MAYBE SOME CLARITY ON WHAT WORK IS HAPPENING ON THAT.

MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. YES, ABSOLUTELY.

SO THE, THE, THE CONTEXT PIECE THAT I WAS TAKING COUNCIL THROUGH TODAY WAS JUST TO GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE OF WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPE, THAT WE HAVEN'T TURNED OUR ATTENTION TO, THAT THE WORK PLAN REALLY DOESN'T SPEAK TO THE DEGREE THAT WE MIGHT NEED IT TO.

EXCUSE ME, AND SO WE ARE LOOKING TO BRING FORWARD A PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL THAT I BELIEVE YOU'RE EXPECTING WITH RESPECT TO MED PRIORITIES, AND IN THAT CONTEXT, WE'D LIKE TO TRY AND ILLUMINATE SOME OF THE NEAR-TERM ACTIONS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO TAKE WITH RESPECT TO SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS, SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS, THOUGH.

WE JUST HEARD IN SOME OF THE COMMITMENTS THAT HAD BEEN MADE BY BY BY THE INCOMING FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AROUND COMMITMENTS TO 1000 NEW RCMP OFFICERS AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS THAT MIGHT BE ON THE HORIZON THAT WE'LL NEED TO INVESTIGATE AND SEE HOW THAT MIGHT TRANSLATE FOR FOR THE CITY OF YELLOWKNIFE.

OKAY. LAST QUESTION. IT'S A COMMENT OR QUESTION, BUT THE I LIKE TO SEE HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT ALL THE CITY FACILITIES AND BUILDINGS AS A COHESIVE WHOLE. WE HAVE DONE IT TRADITIONALLY.

VERY THIS IS WHY WE HAVE A MULTIPLEX AND A FIELD HOUSE AND A POOL, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T THINK TEN MINUTES AHEAD ABOUT THINGS RETIRING IN 20 OR 30 YEARS.

SO THE FACT THAT 'S ON OUR RADAR NOW IS GIVES ME HOPE, AND WE'RE THINKING OF OTHER WAYS OF SOLVING PROBLEMS OTHER THAN THE CITY JUST OWNING AND

[01:20:02]

THAT'S ON NUMBER TWO ON THE WORK PLAN, BUT I'M JUST I'M, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THE REPORT FOR TWO YEARS, ALMOST YEAR AND A HALF. COUNCIL JUST THOUGHT AFTER ASKING MULTIPLE TIMES THIS SPRING.

SO I'M CURIOUS, LIKE, HOW LONG ARE WE GOING TO SIT ON THAT BEFORE WE KIND OF.

I KNOW SOME OPPORTUNITIES WITH THAT PROPERTY, WITH OTHER THINGS PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT, BUT YEAH, WHAT'S WHAT'S THE TIMELINE SEEMS QUITE SLOW FOR SOMETHING THAT WE NOW HAVE TO DO SOMETHING WITH AND PAY FOR SITTING THERE.

MR. VAN DINE. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. SO IN THE BUDGET 2025 DELIBERATIONS, I THINK WE PUT FORWARD SOME FORWARD LOOKING COMMITMENTS WITH RESPECT TO ENGAGING THE PUBLIC ON THAT. THOSE DOLLARS WERE TIED TO 2026.

SO WE MAY WANT TO REVISIT THAT IN A DISCUSSION, IF THAT'S COUNCIL'S DESIRE THAT MAY REQUIRE SOME OTHER FINANCIAL ADJUSTMENTS IF WE WANT TO ACCELERATE SORTS OF THINGS. BUT WHEN COUNCIL TURNED ITS ATTENTION TO THAT QUESTION, IT DID POINT TO 2026 AS TO MAKING THOSE DOLLARS IN THAT PROCESS, OCCUR. SO I JUST JUST REPORTING BACK THE COMMITMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE PREVIOUSLY ON THAT.

I GUESS IT'S MORE AN EXAMPLE OF JUST SPEAKING TO IF OPPORTUNITIES COME UP TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY THAT SOLVE A PROBLEM QUICKER.

I DON'T WANT TO BE STUCK IN A RUT AND JUST STUCK TO ONE DECISION POINT.

IF SOMEBODY IN THE COMMUNITY HINT HINT HAS AN AMAZING USE FOR RMP, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR IT, AND IF IT DOESN'T INVOLVE TAX DOLLARS TO DO IT, THAT'S EVEN BETTER.

THANKS. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR THAT. OKAY, SO AS AGREED, WE WILL DEFER THE CONVERSATION STILL.

SO PLEASE, COLLEAGUES, SEND YOUR QUESTIONS IN OVER THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO SO WE CAN CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.

AT THAT MEETING, WE'LL GO THROUGH THOSE, FINISH GOING THROUGH ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT ARE THERE CHANGES THAT WE WANT TO MAKE TO THE WORK PLAN.

SO WITH THAT WE'LL DEFER THAT ITEM, AND IF I CAN GET A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

COUNCILLOR COCHRANE. SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR WARBURTON.

HAVE A LOVELY ONE. SEE YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.