Owen Sound Board - River District Meeting Transcript — July 9, 2025

00:00:16 Speaker 01: Do that again.

00:00:17 Speaker 02: Good afternoon, everyone.

00:00:19 Speaker 02: Welcome to our July ninth River District Board of Management meeting.

00:00:23 Speaker 02: I'd like to call the meeting to order.

00:00:26 Speaker 02: And first off, I'd like a motion to move into closed session, if we could.

00:00:33 Speaker 02: Richard, all in favour?

00:00:36 Speaker 02: Thank you.

00:00:38 Speaker 02: Now, do we ask people to leave at this point until we're finished?

00:00:42 Speaker 02: We'll come get you.

00:00:43 Speaker 02: Thank you.

00:07:45 Speaker 02: We good to go.

00:07:47 Speaker 02: Okay.

00:07:47 Speaker 02: It is now five thirty-seven, and the board is returning to open session.

00:07:52 Speaker 02: In closed session, the board discussed one matter regarding personal matters about identifiable individuals, respecting appointments to the River District Board of Management, and direction was provided to staff.

00:08:08 Speaker 02: Item four: Call for additional business.

00:08:11 Speaker 02: Anyone?

00:08:12 Speaker 02: Tim.

00:08:20 Speaker 03: There we go.

00:08:22 Speaker 03: One thing that was brought up by a local shopper is that, and I just wanted to relay that because I thought it was a pretty interesting line of thinking.

00:08:32 Speaker 03: Is we have obviously dedicated our parking.

00:08:32 Speaker 03: Obviously, dedicated two-hour parking in the River District, and we have a few five-hour lots.

00:08:39 Speaker 03: But there's no conduit to extend beyond that two hours of parking without leaving what you're doing, getting into your car, and moving into another lot.

00:08:53 Speaker 03: And so, the situation that was brought up to me is someone had gone downtown, started their shopping, sat down for lunch, and everything kind of went beyond that two-hour time frame,

00:09:02 Speaker 03: and they ended up with a ticket.

00:09:03 Speaker 03: Or the alternative to that situation is they have to stop what they're doing.

00:09:07 Speaker 03: They have to leave their lunch date.

00:09:08 Speaker 03: They have to find a place to move their car to.

00:09:11 Speaker 03: So I was just wondering if it was in our best interest, in terms of keeping people downtown, keeping people shopping,

00:09:18 Speaker 03: to find a way to transition from two hours into a longer term on an individualized basis.

00:09:26 Speaker 03: So let's say someone's lunch is going longer, or someone decides to go from lunch to shopping; they don't have to actually move their vehicle.

00:09:34 Speaker 03: And some ideas that kind of popped into mind was something where the actual business owner could give a validation code or a mirror hanger or something that allows them to continue for a certain amount

00:09:46 Speaker 03: of time,

00:09:48 Speaker 03: or maybe some alternative.

00:09:52 Speaker 03: No. Any other comments?

00:09:56 Speaker 02: I mean, two things.

00:09:57 Speaker 02: If sometimes if you know it's going to be longer, even if you don't know that it's longer, I would suggest that they just go to the five-hour lot.

00:10:05 Speaker 02: Now, I know it's...

00:10:06 Speaker 03: I mean, that doesn't allow for people to kind of extend their stay in that moment.

00:10:10 Speaker 03: They're having a great time, yeah.

00:10:12 Speaker 03: I hear.

00:10:13 Speaker 03: Yeah.

00:10:13 Speaker 03: And they want to transition from lunch into shopping.

00:10:16 Speaker 03: How do we keep them there and keep them spent?

00:10:19 Speaker 04: Good question.

00:10:19 Speaker 04: Pam's got her hand up.

00:10:20 Speaker 04: She's got an answer for it.

00:10:24 Speaker 04: Discussion of new business is actually agenda item fourteen.

00:10:27 Speaker 04: Yeah.

00:10:28 Speaker 04: Agenda item fourteen.

00:10:28 Speaker 04: So you know, let them know you've got something.

00:10:31 Speaker 04: We'll discuss it later.

00:10:32 Speaker 04: We got a lot of people here waiting to talk to us tonight.

00:10:35 Speaker 04: Okay.

00:10:37 Speaker 04: The other yes.

00:10:50 Speaker 05: Again, it's about garbage bylaws.

00:10:54 Speaker 05: There are four buildings at that one location, and there was a claim that was made, and the next thing is a letter was sent to the owner of that building about applying with that bylaw,

00:11:11 Speaker 05: and at the same time, the other three people weren't involved in that garbage thing.

00:11:19 Speaker 05: We've got it down here under additional business.

00:11:22 Speaker 05: We'll deal with it.

00:11:22 Speaker 05: Oh, okay.

00:11:23 Speaker 05: Sorry about that.

00:11:24 Speaker 06: Yes, Vivica.

00:11:28 Speaker 06: I have one item for additional business regarding a stakeholder meeting in the near future.

00:11:39 Speaker 06: I also have additional business just in regards to some of the conversations that I've been having with the business owners in my...

00:11:54 Speaker 06: in my block.

00:12:00 Speaker 06: Thank you.

00:12:03 Speaker 06: All right.

00:12:05 Speaker 06: Declarations of interest.

00:12:06 Speaker 06: Anyone?

00:12:09 Speaker 06: Seeing none.

00:12:10 Speaker 06: We will proceed.

00:12:12 Speaker 02: Confirmations of minutes.

00:12:14 Speaker 02: Six a.

00:12:14 Speaker 02: Minutes of the River District Board of Management meeting held on May fourteenth.

00:12:18 Speaker 02: Could we have a motion?

00:12:21 Speaker 02: Yes.

00:12:21 Speaker 02: Kathy.

00:12:22 Speaker 02: All in favour.

00:12:24 Speaker 02: Carried.

00:12:25 Speaker 02: Thank you.

00:12:26 Speaker 02: Seven deputations and presentations.

00:12:29 Speaker 02: Seven A. I would like Clark Finley to come up and speak to us, please, if you would.

00:12:35 Speaker 02: Thank you.

00:12:37 Speaker 02: Thanks very much.

00:12:40 Speaker 02: It's only ten minutes, by the way.

00:12:41 Speaker 02: I'll be under that.

00:12:43 Speaker 02: I'm sure.

00:12:45 Speaker 07: Okay.

00:12:45 Speaker 07: So I'm Clark Finley.

00:12:46 Speaker 07: I've lived in Owen Sound for fourteen years now since moving from Scotland.

00:12:49 Speaker 07: I'm going to be talking about how we can revitalize our downtown by making it a place for people instead of a place for cars.

00:12:59 Speaker 07: Okay, so I'm going to share what a great place has in common.

00:13:04 Speaker 07: Compare our main street with other places.

00:13:07 Speaker 07: Highlight the features of a thriving downtown, and finally discuss the objections that people will no doubt have to pedestrianization.

00:13:17 Speaker 07: A great place is safe and accessible.

00:13:21 Speaker 07: It has natural features.

00:13:23 Speaker 07: It's a social space.

00:13:25 Speaker 07: It's a desirable place where people actually want to live, and it should have a strong identity.

00:13:31 Speaker 07: If you search online for images of Owen Sound, you're not going to find the ugly strip malls, the box stores, the vast grey parking lots.

00:13:40 Speaker 07: What you'll find are the scenic cities, quaint downtown stores, the harbour views, the picturesque waterfalls—the things that make Owen Sound unique.

00:13:52 Speaker 07: So we're a hub for the surrounding county, we're the gateway to the Bruce Peninsula.

00:13:56 Speaker 07: We've got abundant natural beauty around here, endless trails, access to the bay, and our downtown should be the focal point that brings all of those features together.

00:14:09 Speaker 07: So our awkwardly named master plan that's up there highlights issues such as car dominance, vast array of unfriendly spaces covered in grey.

00:14:23 Speaker 07: It also highlights the need for an enhanced pedestrian zone and a concentration of retail and pedestrian traffic downtown.

00:14:31 Speaker 07: Because if downtown is strong—sorry, if Second Avenue East is strong—our downtown will be strong.

00:14:37 Speaker 07: A hundred years ago, a bill passed to incorporate Owen Sound as a city.

00:14:41 Speaker 07: This was justified by the increase in manufacturing and shipping, the rail infrastructure and population growth.

00:14:47 Speaker 07: This growth continued throughout the 1900s, but has since failed to match projections.

00:14:52 Speaker 07: It's a priority for our city's leadership to grow the population, but growth is only possible if our town has a healthy heart.

00:15:00 Speaker 07: Right now, it does not.

00:15:03 Speaker 07: So, what opportunity does our main street offer?

00:15:08 Speaker 07: Well, if you journey north on Highway 6, you'll pass straight through Wyatton's downtown.

00:15:12 Speaker 07: The same is true for loads of other places right here.

00:15:14 Speaker 07: So we've got Meaford, Port Elgin, Walkerton.

00:15:17 Speaker 07: You'll notice they all have one thing in common: the highway goes straight through their downtown.

00:15:22 Speaker 07: We're fortunate; we don't have this situation, and there are many alternate routes for traffic.

00:15:29 Speaker 07: This means that a pedestrian zone between, say, Ninth and Tenth Street would cause minimal disruption to traffic.

00:15:38 Speaker 07: So, if we look online for lists of best towns in Ontario, Owen Sound has never featured in these lists.

00:15:44 Speaker 07: In fact, the same two places come up time and time again.

00:15:48 Speaker 07: So, what makes these places special?

00:15:51 Speaker 07: Well, Niagara on the Lake is dubbed the most beautiful town in Ontario.

00:15:54 Speaker 07: It attracts three and a half million visitors each year.

00:15:58 Speaker 07: Why do they go?

00:15:59 Speaker 07: Well, for the historic streets, the wineries, of course.

00:16:03 Speaker 07: Yes, it's close to the GTA, the US border, many other large towns.

00:16:07 Speaker 07: But there's a pull factor.

00:16:08 Speaker 07: People go there for a reason.

00:16:10 Speaker 07: They go because it has a beautiful downtown.

00:16:14 Speaker 07: They don't go because it's got a Walmart.

00:16:16 Speaker 07: It doesn't.

00:16:17 Speaker 07: They go for lots of other reasons.

00:16:20 Speaker 07: The same thing is true in other places.

00:16:23 Speaker 07: Now, if you look at downtown Agern Lake, the main boulevard offers a pleasant experience for pedestrians.

00:16:30 Speaker 07: Large trees create a buffer between the sidewalks and traffic.

00:16:35 Speaker 07: Some parking spaces have even been converted into dining space, even though off-street parking is actually very limited.

00:16:42 Speaker 07: If you look at Alora, a much different case, it's a much smaller place.

00:16:47 Speaker 07: It still attracts three hundred annual tourists.

00:16:50 Speaker 07: They're drawn by the scenic gorge, the small town charm.

00:16:53 Speaker 07: Their positive reputation encourages visitors from further afield.

00:16:58 Speaker 07: Why?

00:16:58 Speaker 07: Well, it's because the downtown's pretty.

00:17:01 Speaker 07: It boasts historic limestone buildings.

00:17:03 Speaker 07: They have a lovely pedestrian bridge across the river.

00:17:06 Speaker 07: They have a walkable market area.

00:17:08 Speaker 07: Otherwise, there's limited space for people.

00:17:11 Speaker 07: In fact, most off-street parking is actually south of the river.

00:17:16 Speaker 07: Now, we don't have a flourishing wine industry or a scenic gorge.

00:17:21 Speaker 07: But during recent visits to both these places, I found that there's nothing particularly special about their downtowns.

00:17:28 Speaker 07: I believe that Owen Sound can do better than these places if we try something that other towns haven't done yet.

00:17:35 Speaker 07: So how can we make our downtown thrive?

00:17:38 Speaker 07: Well, there's a number of things we can do.

00:17:41 Speaker 07: First of all, make it a street, not a road.

00:17:46 Speaker 07: A road is for cars; a street is for people.

00:17:50 Speaker 07: Okay.

00:17:52 Speaker 07: So how do we actually go about this?

00:17:54 Speaker 07: Well, you don't do what this town in South Carolina did.

00:17:57 Speaker 07: This is Bamberg, South Carolina.

00:17:59 Speaker 07: They destroyed their downtown by putting up an ugly railing to protect pedestrians from the busy cars that were fusing by.

00:18:06 Speaker 07: If you look at Hamilton, nobody really wants to go to Hamilton.

00:18:10 Speaker 07: Their downtown is dominated by a one-way system that to improve the traffic flow at the expense of pedestrians.

00:18:17 Speaker 07: These are roads they don't belong downtown.

00:18:20 Speaker 07: This is what a street looks like.

00:18:22 Speaker 07: We must also please stop building car-centric sprawl like this.

00:18:30 Speaker 07: The east side of our town is an ugly place that nobody wants to go to unless they have to.

00:18:35 Speaker 07: People drive there, they shop, they buy stuff, and then they leave.

00:18:39 Speaker 07: They don't spend more time there than they have to.

00:18:41 Speaker 07: Do we really want to keep building more of this in our town?

00:18:47 Speaker 07: Yes, the way people have shopped in recent years has changed.

00:18:50 Speaker 07: People go online.

00:18:52 Speaker 07: People go to big box stores.

00:18:54 Speaker 07: So our downtown needs to offer an alternative experience, something different, encouraging people to go downtown not just to shop, but to dine, to hang out, to watch the world go by.

00:19:06 Speaker 07: And clusters of similar businesses are an net benefit for all people.

00:19:11 Speaker 07: Our downtown must be the centre of community life, where people of all ages can come, interact and build strong social bonds.

00:19:20 Speaker 07: Remember, a street is a place; it's not a route from point A to B. There should be cafes spilling onto sidewalks, restaurants and places for people to sit and relax and hold community events,

00:19:31 Speaker 07: it shouldn't just be a place to buy stuff.

00:19:34 Speaker 07: Some downtowns have created more outdoor space by just removing some parking spaces or expanding existing sidewalks, but these changes, as you can see here in some popular towns, they're just half measures.

00:19:46 Speaker 07: And even some of these restaurant patios that popped up during COVID remain in place despite their popularity.

00:19:52 Speaker 07: But think about it: Do you really want to sit and enjoy a nice meal when you've got cars flying by and exhaust fumes?

00:19:58 Speaker 07: And all the noise that that entails.

00:20:01 Speaker 07: So, what kind of similar places do we have around here?

00:20:05 Speaker 07: Well, I'm sure you've all been to Blue Mountain Village.

00:20:08 Speaker 07: People will drive miles and miles from the city all the way up here to walk around a pedestrianised downtown, and most of them never go near the slopes.

00:20:18 Speaker 07: It's just as busy in summer and fall as it is in the winter.

00:20:22 Speaker 07: People will drive great distances.

00:20:25 Speaker 07: They'll park their car.

00:20:26 Speaker 07: They'll walk a couple hundred yards just to walk around an artificially created downtown with corporate restaurants and a pseudo Irish pub.

00:20:35 Speaker 07: Why can't we offer an authentic experience?

00:20:38 Speaker 07: Earth City Core is overwhelmingly a place for cars.

00:20:43 Speaker 07: Yes, the recent developments in the flexible street on First Ave there is going to offer some alternative spaces, but it's not enough.

00:20:54 Speaker 07: It's not going to address the huge imbalance that we currently have.

00:20:58 Speaker 07: Remember, it's people that spend money; cars don't spend money.

00:21:03 Speaker 07: We must make better use of our valuable downtown space.

00:21:06 Speaker 07: Whether it's live music, art shows, pop-up vendors, Christmas markets, even sporting events, we're blessed with a vibrant artsy.

00:21:14 Speaker 07: We have popular festivals.

00:21:15 Speaker 07: We have an interesting history, but we need to make people proud of our downtown.

00:21:20 Speaker 07: Can we honestly say that people in Owen Sound are proud of their downtown at the moment?

00:21:26 Speaker 07: So, the objections.

00:21:28 Speaker 07: First one.

00:21:30 Speaker 07: I won't be able to get deliveries if I can't park right outside my store.

00:21:36 Speaker 07: Well, that's a—that's an easy one to fix.

00:21:38 Speaker 07: This is Carnaby Street in London, and those are delivery vans.

00:21:42 Speaker 07: You simply make exceptions for deliveries.

00:21:45 Speaker 07: Put the four ways on five kilometres an hour.

00:21:47 Speaker 07: It's fine.

00:21:47 Speaker 07: It's no problem at all.

00:21:49 Speaker 07: In fact, if you're a business and there's no cars parked outside.

00:21:53 Speaker 07: Your deliveries are easier because no one's blocking access, and you can come in at any time.

00:21:59 Speaker 07: So, the next one, mobility access.

00:22:04 Speaker 07: If people can't park right outside my store, they're not going to be able to come.

00:22:08 Speaker 07: Well, in a larger walkable area with no curbs to navigate, accessibility is actually improved for the elderly, people with mobility needs, parents with strollers.

00:22:16 Speaker 07: There will be more antisocial behaviour if the streets close off to cars.

00:22:24 Speaker 07: It will be less safe.

00:22:25 Speaker 07: You're more likely to get hit by a car than by a person downtown.

00:22:29 Speaker 07: But closing the street off, making it a more popular place to be, yes, like many towns, we have our share of antisocial behaviour, drug use, occasional acts of violence.

00:22:39 Speaker 07: But if you have a busy downtown with people around at all times of the day, it creates safety and crowds.

00:22:46 Speaker 07: You'll have a much more vibrant street where such incidents are less likely.

00:22:50 Speaker 07: People tend to conform to societal norms when they're in big crowds.

00:22:56 Speaker 07: Finally, of course, sorry, second last part: cost.

00:23:00 Speaker 07: It's going to cost too much.

00:23:01 Speaker 07: It doesn't cost any money to close the street.

00:23:03 Speaker 07: Yes, if you need to do it properly, you might have to spend some money on infrastructure.

00:23:07 Speaker 07: Well, think how much we have to spend on fixing roads every single year.

00:23:11 Speaker 07: I think there's a lot of work going on right now.

00:23:14 Speaker 07: But a compact walkable downtown actually offers greater value for money to the city's finances than car-centric developments on the outskirts of town.

00:23:24 Speaker 07: When you factor in the cost of utilities, sewers, endless road maintenance, traffic lights, all of these things cost an absolute fortune, and eventually, in the long term, can actually bankrupt cities.

00:23:37 Speaker 07: Almost one hundred thousand dollars was spent in 2024 for free parking, when this is space that could actually generate revenue for the city.

00:23:46 Speaker 07: Remember, land is the base resource from which community prosperity is built and sustained, and it cannot be squandered.

00:23:54 Speaker 07: And of course, the big one: parking.

00:23:58 Speaker 07: No one will come to my store if they can't park right outside.

00:24:02 Speaker 07: When was the last time you parked right outside Walmart and walked in and got something and came back out?

00:24:06 Speaker 07: People will walk great distances to buy something if you make it worth their time.

00:24:12 Speaker 07: If you remove these spaces on Second Avenue East, no one's going to come downtown.

00:24:17 Speaker 07: I'm sorry, this is simply not true.

00:24:20 Speaker 07: Yes, business owners often believe parking is a big priority.

00:24:24 Speaker 07: There are many counterarguments to this.

00:24:26 Speaker 07: I've got lots of links at the back of my presentation, and there are numerous studies showing that parking is actually an overhyped issue.

00:24:34 Speaker 07: In fact, pedestrians and people on bikes are more likely to stop and buy things as well as opposed to people driving buying cars.

00:24:40 Speaker 07: But as time is short, I'll talk about just one.

00:24:44 Speaker 07: Our entire downtown is closed off for many events during the year.

00:24:48 Speaker 07: Yet these are the busiest days that are attended by thousands and thousands of people.

00:24:54 Speaker 07: Why?

00:24:56 Speaker 07: Because they have a reason to go downtown, and funnily enough, they somehow manage to get there despite not being able to park on the street.

00:25:07 Speaker 07: Our downtown businesses should not try to compete with the large chains.

00:25:11 Speaker 07: With the large chain stores, the franchise restaurants, Second Avenue East should offer an alternative experience that attracts people to shop and dine locally, browse the stores, or just sit and watch the world go by.

00:25:23 Speaker 07: Yes, drastic change is difficult, especially if it involves something sacred like parking.

00:25:27 Speaker 07: But I believe our main street can thrive if we prioritize people over cars.

00:25:32 Speaker 07: We know what makes a great place.

00:25:34 Speaker 07: Our town has an excellent opportunity to create a vibrant and thriving downtown, and I believe that the valid objections can be overcome with the will of business owners in the city council.

00:25:43 Speaker 07: We need to make Owen Sound a place where people really do want to live.

00:25:48 Speaker 07: Thank you.

00:25:50 Speaker 07: I also have a link to a video which goes into a lot more detail, and the last slide just has links to everything that I've talked about,

00:25:56 Speaker 07: links to studies backed up with evidence for everything that I've said.

00:25:59 Speaker 07: So, thank you very much.

00:26:01 Speaker 07: Any questions?

00:26:02 Speaker 08: Thank you, Clark.

00:26:03 Speaker 08: Any questions for Clark?

00:26:07 Speaker 08: Yes, Olivia.

00:26:10 Speaker 09: Hi.

00:26:11 Speaker 09: That was really fantastic presentation.

00:26:14 Speaker 09: It was really wonderful.

00:26:15 Speaker 09: I think you touched on a bunch of really, really fantastic points, and I did have a couple of questions.

00:26:23 Speaker 09: I think we all know that no matter which decision we step into, either way, there's going to be folks who are all in on this idea.

00:26:35 Speaker 09: There are going to be folks who are absolutely against this idea, and it's great to have these conversations.

00:26:41 Speaker 09: I think it's super important because if we are going to improve, everything has to be on the table.

00:26:47 Speaker 09: And personally, I mean, just the look of some of that is beautiful.

00:26:53 Speaker 09: I would love to walk through those spaces.

00:26:55 Speaker 09: Some of my favourite places to visit are exactly like you pointed out those walkable spaces.

00:27:00 Speaker 09: Yeah, I visited Canmore a few years ago, and that entire downtown space is shut down to pedestrians, and it's beautiful and engaging.

00:27:11 Speaker 09: And quick Google search here showed me that there typically tends to be an increase in shoppers and revenue and market value in homes.

00:27:24 Speaker 09: Everything kind of pops that up, and so I think that there is definitely a conversation to be had here.

00:27:32 Speaker 09: And I'm actually wondering if there are well, if you've found any studies about sort of trials, like if this were something that we could implement on Saturday mornings when we have the market on,

00:27:45 Speaker 09: or like in the evenings.

00:27:48 Speaker 09: I definitely had a handful of businesses mention to me that their most successful days of the year are absolutely days that we have big events downtown, the Santa Claus parade, the street sale,

00:28:02 Speaker 09: the just any time we have like a big group of people coming downtown, it has been days that things have been shut down.

00:28:10 Speaker 09: So I wonder if instead of jumping all in and saying you know this is going to be the new shift, are there examples of cities that have tried this in sort of like small scale?

00:28:27 Speaker 07: So, Kindergarten did it a few years back during when their bridge was getting work.

00:28:30 Speaker 07: When their bridge was getting worked on, they just closed off the main street, and that was incredibly successful.

00:28:35 Speaker 07: London, Ontario, did it with Dundas Street, their main thoroughfare.

00:28:38 Speaker 07: They renamed it Dundas Place, so they close it on weekends.

00:28:43 Speaker 07: Some places just do it in the summer on weekends as a trial period.

00:28:46 Speaker 07: Obviously, people aren't going to be sitting out on patios in January.

00:28:50 Speaker 07: The point is, there's loads of different options, but I just feel like you need to do something.

00:28:55 Speaker 07: I just walked, just came along Main Street, ten past five on a Wednesday.

00:28:59 Speaker 07: Beautiful summer's day, twenty people.

00:29:02 Speaker 07: I saw twenty pedestrians downtown.

00:29:05 Speaker 07: That's it.

00:29:06 Speaker 07: Where is everyone?

00:29:07 Speaker 07: No one's here.

00:29:07 Speaker 07: They're all up in the main thoroughfare, up in Walmart, Canadian Tire.

00:29:12 Speaker 07: People don't come downtown.

00:29:13 Speaker 07: Why not?

00:29:14 Speaker 07: How are we going to make people come downtown?

00:29:16 Speaker 07: This has to be something.

00:29:17 Speaker 07: Has to be change.

00:29:20 Speaker 07: Any other comments, Tim?

00:29:23 Speaker 03: Well, I'll start off by just voicing an opinion that was put forward to me in advance of your presentation.

00:29:28 Speaker 03: Local business owner was I'll say vehemently against the idea.

00:29:33 Speaker 03: So I'll just put that forward.

00:29:35 Speaker 03: That's not a representation of mine, but we're here to you know represent everybody.

00:29:40 Speaker 03: So vehemently against that concept, I'll say from my point of view,

00:29:46 Speaker 03: I wonder if in the future pedestrianization can be a part of a more tectonic shift in how we look at consumer behaviour in the River District.

00:29:57 Speaker 03: However, that on its own, I worry, is just putting one piece of the puzzle forward.

00:30:03 Speaker 03: You then have to worry about getting the business owners to adapt to the more pedestrianization of their business models.

00:30:12 Speaker 03: A lot of businesses in the River District, they are stop and go stores where people are visiting them specifically and then moving on.

00:30:21 Speaker 03: Did they say why they're being closed?

00:30:25 Speaker 03: If I may, it's a block.

00:30:27 Speaker 03: I think everybody's been on this mobility issues, ramps.

00:30:36 Speaker 03: I will say.

00:30:40 Speaker 03: Well, that's quite all right.

00:30:42 Speaker 03: I'm not here to debate on the behalf of it.

00:30:45 Speaker 03: I think it's and John here wouldn't be the first person to stand in front of us and say they do not like street closures, and there.

00:30:56 Speaker 02: I'm sorry if I could just interject.

00:30:59 Speaker 02: I think there are many of the reasons that you have outlined are, I'm going to say, somewhat valid, and that doesn't mean that in fact we couldn't propose something at some point.

00:31:09 Speaker 02: But I'll just like to address the fact that we did leave two blocks closed for approximately a couple of weeks.

00:31:18 Speaker 02: We spent forty thousand dollars on events throughout the two-week period, and most of those that were involved did experience an increase in sales.

00:31:29 Speaker 02: For instance, okay, but it did.

00:31:31 Speaker 02: It was costly, and I'm not sure that on a full-time basis that would work for us.

00:31:36 Speaker 02: But Richard, would you like to make a comment, please?

00:31:40 Speaker 02: Thanks for the presentation.

00:31:42 Speaker 10: I'm just wondering if the River District Action Plan does have steps moving in this kind of direction, and we've certainly had our facilitator coming up with way more events in the River District over time.

00:32:00 Speaker 10: As you pointed out anecdotally, I've heard from a number of River District businesses who have their worst days when the street is closed.

00:32:10 Speaker 10: Again, so the first item in the action plan is to start by communicating with and surveying River District members to facilitate acceptance.

00:32:20 Speaker 10: I just wondered, did you talk to any River District businesses as you were putting your presentation together?

00:32:27 Speaker 07: I actually addressed that in the longer version of this video.

00:32:31 Speaker 07: Yeah, thing about a one-off event day, it's the equivalent of an obese person complaining that the salad they ate last month didn't do anything for them.

00:32:38 Speaker 07: It's got to be sustained over a period of time.

00:32:41 Speaker 07: You've got to build up the goodwill.

00:32:43 Speaker 07: People have got to get used to coming downtown.

00:32:46 Speaker 07: A business owner that says, "Well, I didn't see an increase in sales when it was closed for Hockey Day in Canada."

00:32:51 Speaker 07: Well, of course not.

00:32:52 Speaker 07: They weren't there to shop in your store that day.

00:32:54 Speaker 07: They were there for that event.

00:32:56 Speaker 07: I'm talking about giving people a reason to come down all the time, not just for special events.

00:33:01 Speaker 07: So, these business owners that vehemently oppose without actually giving specific reasons, I'm sorry, but every time I talk to someone and they give me a reason,

00:33:11 Speaker 07: I've got about fifteen different studies that I can point to to say that this is why you are wrong, okay?

00:33:18 Speaker 07: This is why you're wrong, and yes, you sit there in your store, in your own little kind of narrow view, and you say, "Well, this is going to affect me, and I don't like it."

00:33:27 Speaker 07: But you don't look at the big picture.

00:33:28 Speaker 07: You don't look at the dozens and dozens of other towns around this country, North America and Europe, that have done things like this and saw a benefit.

00:33:36 Speaker 07: So I'm sorry, I just I'm sick of hearing from people who have a very narrow view of it, and then don't actually give specific reasons, or they can't cite studies.

00:33:45 Speaker 07: Watch my video.

00:33:46 Speaker 07: I've got a whole bunch of them in there that literally counteract that specific point.

00:33:51 Speaker 07: Okay, we're not talking about one-off event days.

00:33:53 Speaker 07: We're talking about long-term, sustainable downtown growth by having people come downtown, not just for that one-off Santa Claus parade or the hottest yard sale on the sun, but all the time.

00:34:06 Speaker 07: Why is there?

00:34:06 Speaker 07: Why aren't people down here right now?

00:34:08 Speaker 07: Why is the downtown dead on a Wednesday night in the summer?

00:34:11 Speaker 07: Because there's nothing to do down here.

00:34:12 Speaker 07: People don't want to come.

00:34:13 Speaker 07: The restaurants aren't open.

00:34:15 Speaker 07: If they are, there's limited space.

00:34:17 Speaker 07: I'm sorry, but that just doesn't wash with me, and I'm sick of hearing from business owners that complain that way.

00:34:22 Speaker 07: Thanks.

00:34:24 Speaker 10: Thanks, Mark.

00:34:25 Speaker 10: I'll just follow up.

00:34:26 Speaker 10: We are later in the meeting.

00:34:28 Speaker 10: We're going to talk about the River District Action Plan and sort of going back and looking at it.

00:34:34 Speaker 10: And that might be an appropriate time to sort of look at some of the ideas you brought forward.

00:34:38 Speaker 10: I mean, it is an interesting idea.

00:34:40 Speaker 10: I do see problems with it as well, but I mean you're right on the money,

00:34:44 Speaker 10: and I've said it for a long time that the way to reclaim our downtown is to bring people back to it.

00:34:49 Speaker 10: Because as long as there's nobody in the downtown, the downtown is available to anyone else who wants to be here.

00:34:56 Speaker 10: So I just I'm just going to finish my comments.

00:35:00 Speaker 10: So I think that you know, while there are some great ideas,

00:35:04 Speaker 10: it's important to also know that you know in Owen Sound you've got to talk about something for 30 years before you actually decide to do it, a little bit of humor there,

00:35:12 Speaker 10: but sometimes it's true.

00:35:14 Speaker 10: But I think that you know we can certainly have the discussion with staff as we move forward with revising the plan about including some of these ideas and just seeing about the feasibility.

00:35:29 Speaker 10: So that certainly be my suggestion.

00:35:32 Speaker 07: The only reason I made this presentation is because I'm just sick and fed up with people complaining about downtown and not actually offering alternatives.

00:35:39 Speaker 07: So, thanks for giving me something.

00:35:41 Speaker 02: Thank you.

00:35:43 Speaker 02: Again, thanks, Clarke.

00:35:44 Speaker 02: Pam, did you want to speak, or are we good?

00:35:46 Speaker 02: Thank you.

00:35:47 Speaker 02: All right, let's get right to public forum.

00:36:00 Speaker 02: Do we have anyone who would like to speak?

00:36:01 Speaker 02: Ron, please.

00:36:11 Speaker 02: Ron Cole from Pretty Women's Doctor Cobblers.

00:36:15 Speaker 02: I still have the majority of people coming to see me regarding problems downtown.

00:36:22 Speaker 02: So Lawson's was to see me.

00:36:25 Speaker 02: Sunpoint, Coats and Bass, the Grey County Ranch.

00:36:29 Speaker 02: Who I believed Tim was talking to with that.

00:36:33 Speaker 02: His concern was the quick parking.

00:36:35 Speaker 02: People are just in and out, in and out.

00:36:37 Speaker 11: So he wanted the convenience of that.

00:36:42 Speaker 11: Lawson's has a vast majority of elderly customers, so that's a problem for him.

00:36:52 Speaker 11: So they, I didn't even know about it until people came to ask me about it.

00:36:57 Speaker 11: What's going on?

00:36:57 Speaker 11: And I'm like, I don't know, and I have to look at it.

00:36:59 Speaker 11: I actually enjoyed the presentation; it was very good.

00:37:03 Speaker 11: My main thing with like giving examples of Laura, Niagara on the Lake, they obviously don't have methadone clinics.

00:37:14 Speaker 11: They obviously don't have social programmememememememememememe outreach programmememememememememememes in their downtown core.

00:37:21 Speaker 11: The elephant in the room: Why are people not coming downtown?

00:37:24 Speaker 11: It's due to the homeless, and when I say homeless, that's going to cover the gamut of all the problems with the people that are down there, so you have people sleeping in doorways, urinating, defecating,

00:37:38 Speaker 11: throwing their trash all over there.

00:37:42 Speaker 11: The OSHaRE biggest polluter of downtown.

00:37:45 Speaker 11: They eat their food, leave the stuff all over the place.

00:37:48 Speaker 11: As I just spoke to Pam, I think store owners themselves also need to take ownership of what's going on in their sidewalk and in front of their business.

00:37:58 Speaker 11: Like you can't rely on the city to do everything.

00:38:01 Speaker 11: Go outside your store.

00:38:02 Speaker 11: Look at the sidewalk.

00:38:03 Speaker 11: What's the condition?

00:38:04 Speaker 11: Is there things that need cleaned up?

00:38:07 Speaker 11: So, if everybody pitches in, it makes a better downtown.

00:38:14 Speaker 11: If you were considering this, I would hope that you would hold a public forum for store owners to give their two cents as well.

00:38:22 Speaker 11: If there was three things I was asking the DIA to do, is keep the streets clean as well as the store owners.

00:38:33 Speaker 11: More of a police presence.

00:38:36 Speaker 11: You got to have cops walking around so people feel safe.

00:38:38 Speaker 11: Because people simply do not feel safe because of the situation, and that's why they're not coming downtown.

00:38:45 Speaker 11: If you run into anybody as a business owner out in the public, and the discussion of downtown comes up, they'll tell you why they don't come downtown, and it's obvious.

00:38:59 Speaker 11: And I would ask the DIA to work with the city to incentivize the social programmememememememememememe places to get out of the downtown core.

00:39:09 Speaker 11: Like, since the intersections closed up here, I had two showings this week.

00:39:14 Speaker 11: People coming from Toronto, and now they have to come down Eighth Street instead of Sixth Street, and they get past safe and sound.

00:39:21 Speaker 11: And they're saying to me, "What is that over there?

00:39:24 Speaker 11: What's going on over there?"

00:39:28 Speaker 11: So it's a representation, right?

00:39:30 Speaker 11: When you come in town of what's going on downtown, it's not good.

00:39:36 Speaker 11: It's truly not good.

00:39:41 Speaker 11: So, if anything like something like this, maybe Saturdays in August to test drive it, kind of thing.

00:39:48 Speaker 11: But I think the vast majority of the other store owners that I spoke to weren't.

00:39:55 Speaker 11: Crazy about it.

00:39:57 Speaker 11: I did see definitely some of the value in the presentation, but nothing changes if nothing changes.

00:40:06 Speaker 11: And thanks, Ron.

00:40:08 Speaker 11: Yeah, very good.

00:40:10 Speaker 11: Any questions for Ron?

00:40:12 Speaker 11: No. Any comments?

00:40:14 Speaker 11: Did you want to speak, sir?

00:40:16 Speaker 11: Please.

00:40:22 Speaker 11: Well, my name is James.

00:40:24 Speaker 12: I've been a resident here for Owen Sound for almost nine years, and yeah, I've seen no change in like illegal street use or drugs on the streets.

00:40:38 Speaker 12: No change at all.

00:40:39 Speaker 12: And just recently, just walking down here today, I saw three people using meth on the way down here, and that's only that's only a block.

00:40:48 Speaker 12: It's getting out of control, and there is no. They say they're enforcing it now, like the police and like that.

00:40:55 Speaker 12: I have not seen any enforcement.

00:40:57 Speaker 12: I've seen actually less police downtown, and it's not good for the people coming downtown.

00:41:04 Speaker 12: And the seats that you put downtown, I think that was a little premature.

00:41:08 Speaker 12: I think you have to get rid of the problem first before you get the people down here, and that's the main issue I think.

00:41:15 Speaker 12: Is and a little bit on the stores.

00:41:18 Speaker 12: Another one with that, I think there.

00:41:19 Speaker 12: With that, I think they're just a little bit overpriced, and that's why another reason why people might not shop at those stores.

00:41:27 Speaker 12: Just saying, but no offence.

00:41:28 Speaker 12: But yeah, yeah, and the benches on Coney Lane way premature.

00:41:39 Speaker 12: We have to get rid of the problem first before they were even put there, because now the problem is getting worse in that area.

00:41:46 Speaker 12: Anyway, and another thing too.

00:41:49 Speaker 12: Off topic a little bit, off off off that one completely, the Summerfolk.

00:41:58 Speaker 12: I think that's a little overpriced.

00:42:02 Speaker 12: Like it's not Canada's Wonderland, not Canada's Wonderland at all, not even close.

00:42:06 Speaker 12: And it's more expensive to go there than it is Canada's Wonderland for one day.

00:42:13 Speaker 12: That I think needs to come down a little bit in price, just for.

00:42:17 Speaker 12: I have talked to many people in town that they think it should be, or lowered for the locals anyway.

00:42:27 Speaker 13: And I also have, I've worked on the beds on the on the harbor on on the side there.

00:42:40 Speaker 12: I put for the last four years I've put vegetables and stuff like that through Canadian Mental Health, and this year I was unable to because their budget got blown out of proportion, big time.

00:42:53 Speaker 12: Because the old CEO that used to work there just spent all their money, and people lost their jobs.

00:42:59 Speaker 12: Everything.

00:42:59 Speaker 12: Some programmememememememememememes got dropped because they couldn't afford it, and I lost my job over it.

00:43:04 Speaker 12: And I was just thinking if that could go back to city's property and have them done, have them do something with it besides it just sitting there, have nothing done with it.

00:43:13 Speaker 12: I have nothing done with it, and that might bring some more people back into the city too.

00:43:19 Speaker 12: Because I grew vegetables there for the last four years.

00:43:23 Speaker 02: So, anyway, thank you for your comments.

00:43:27 Speaker 02: Appreciate you coming today.

00:43:29 Speaker 02: Thanks.

00:43:31 Speaker 02: Any comments?

00:43:43 Speaker 02: Thank you.

00:43:56 Speaker 02: Sorry, Travis.

00:43:57 Speaker 02: You'd like to speak?

00:43:58 Speaker 02: I know.

00:43:59 Speaker 02: Yes.

00:43:59 Speaker 02: Go ahead.

00:44:00 Speaker 02: Can you?

00:44:01 Speaker 14: Thank you.

00:44:02 Speaker 14: Thank you, Chair, and I appreciate the opportunity to speak here.

00:44:04 Speaker 14: Thank you for those comments from the gentleman from the public.

00:44:08 Speaker 14: I just did want to make a little bit of a correction and a note there.

00:44:12 Speaker 14: Summerfolk is not a city-run event.

00:44:15 Speaker 14: It's a private organisation run by a nonprofit service group.

00:44:19 Speaker 14: So we do not have any control over the cost of that event.

00:44:23 Speaker 14: So it's great that you're able to bring that to us.

00:44:26 Speaker 14: Unfortunately, that's something that we are not in control of.

00:44:29 Speaker 14: But I just wanted to make sure that you were aware that's not a city-run event.

00:44:32 Speaker 14: So that has nothing to do with pricing being set by the city for that event.

00:44:39 Speaker 14: Thanks, Travis.

00:44:41 Speaker 14: Anyone else?

00:44:42 Speaker 14: Yes, Olivia.

00:44:45 Speaker 14: I agree.

00:44:45 Speaker 09: Thank you both for coming and chatting tonight.

00:44:48 Speaker 09: I just wanted to add on a note to what Travis has said, because Summerfolk is a privately run organisation.

00:45:00 Speaker 09: Of course, we can make suggestions to them and hope that those are carried forward and listened to.

00:45:07 Speaker 09: But what I do know is that Summerfolk every year is always in need of volunteers, and I believe after twelve hours of volunteer work, you're permitted to enjoy the festival for the entire weekend.

00:45:23 Speaker 09: So if folks are finding the prices at Summerfolk to be outside of a comfortable budget for them, there are volunteer opportunities, and they are desperate for volunteers every year.

00:45:37 Speaker 09: Those include serving drinks and tents.

00:45:39 Speaker 09: Those include monitoring doors, checking bracelets, helping with sound equipment, a variety of other things, and they're always happy to have extra people on hand.

00:45:49 Speaker 09: So, if you're looking for an alternative way to enjoy the festival, I would definitely suggest reaching out to the Grey Bruce Folk Society or the Georgian Bay Folk Society.

00:45:57 Speaker 09: My bad.

00:46:02 Speaker 15: Thanks, Olivia.

00:46:04 Speaker 15: Pam.

00:46:05 Speaker 15: Maybe this through the Chair is a great time to plug our midweek music and Sunday nights Harbor Nights, as well as this Saturday.

00:46:13 Speaker 15: There'll be two areas of entertainment within the Hottest Street Sale.

00:46:17 Speaker 15: So I'm not sure if you're getting to those events, but they're no-cost events that have really great and a wide variety of music.

00:46:25 Speaker 15: So we can give you okay.

00:46:31 Speaker 15: Thanks, Pam.

00:46:32 Speaker 15: Yes, Jennifer.

00:46:36 Speaker 16: I just also like to say thank you very much for your efforts in terms of planting vegetables and things like that in some of the planters downtown.

00:46:44 Speaker 16: I think that is a great way to engage people, and I think it's a really lovely idea.

00:46:54 Speaker 16: No, I don't think so.

00:46:55 Speaker 16: No, that's been brought to my attention for the first time, and I appreciate it.

00:46:58 Speaker 16: I really appreciate your effort.

00:47:00 Speaker 16: Yeah, that's great.

00:47:01 Speaker 16: I mean, yeah.

00:47:03 Speaker 16: There's hopefully, if you know, budget concerns are a thing.

00:47:08 Speaker 16: Maybe there could be some kind of like, you know, seed sharing sort of opportunity in the future where, yeah, those that can still continue on.

00:47:18 Speaker 16: Thank you.

00:47:21 Speaker 16: Thank you.

00:47:21 Speaker 16: Anyone else?

00:47:22 Speaker 02: No. Let's carry on.

00:47:24 Speaker 02: Nine correspondence received for which direction is required.

00:47:28 Speaker 02: Anything?

00:47:29 Speaker 02: None.

00:47:29 Speaker 02: Seeing none.

00:47:31 Speaker 02: Item ten: reports of city staff.

00:47:33 Speaker 02: Ten A verbal report from Owen Sound Police Services.

00:47:37 Speaker 02: If I could call on Detective Sergeant Josh Kearney to come up and speak with us.

00:47:42 Speaker 02: Thank you.

00:47:49 Speaker 17: Good evening.

00:47:50 Speaker 17: Like you mentioned, I'm Detective Sergeant Josh Kearney of the Owen Sound Police Service.

00:47:54 Speaker 17: Have a couple of updates.

00:47:57 Speaker 17: I'm reporting on May and June, so the foot patrol hours designated to the downtown core area for May were 89.5 hours, a little lower than usual, and there's a couple reasons why.

00:48:16 Speaker 17: There's a three-week block training period in that window that our members have to get certified on certain things like use of force, so a little bit lower than usual.

00:48:26 Speaker 17: But June was increased as per kind of our normal hours.

00:48:31 Speaker 17: We spent a total of 131 hours in the core, and some of that was on bicycle.

00:48:40 Speaker 17: Twenty twenty-some hours on bicycle.

00:48:44 Speaker 17: Some comments were made earlier about our downtown core, and the Olean Town Police Service.

00:48:56 Speaker 17: The O'Fallon Police Service has begun laying charges again.

00:49:01 Speaker 17: Provincially, those charges weren't accepted under many circumstances in the court.

00:49:10 Speaker 17: So, until the judicial system is penalizing these individuals, it is going to be very difficult for police to continuously lay charges that are not being prosecuted,

00:49:26 Speaker 17: so we as police officers would also like to not see any of this use.

00:49:33 Speaker 17: I can assure you, we are working on it, and we are dedicated to change.

00:49:40 Speaker 17: So, just for perspective, in May, the Onslow Police Service responded to 1,535 calls for service.

00:49:49 Speaker 17: So, although we would love to have multiple people on foot downtown all the time.

00:49:56 Speaker 17: We would love that, but with numbers like that, June was seventeen hundred and sixty-three calls for service.

00:50:04 Speaker 17: So, with minimal officers, for various reasons, right?

00:50:13 Speaker 17: Budget.

00:50:15 Speaker 17: We have platoons from five to seven people.

00:50:17 Speaker 17: So, if you do the math, our officers are working hard and it's difficult to spend as much time as we would like.

00:50:27 Speaker 17: So, just a couple of numbers for kind of put things into perspective, because I would imagine the average citizen has no idea.

00:50:37 Speaker 17: So, any questions?

00:50:41 Speaker 17: Any questions for Josh?

00:50:42 Speaker 17: Yes, Richard.

00:50:45 Speaker 10: Thanks.

00:50:45 Speaker 10: After our last meeting, all of the members here delivered letters to downtown businesses on behalf of the police, and I just wondered if you've had much uptake.

00:50:53 Speaker 10: Have you heard from business owners?

00:50:56 Speaker 10: Is it having the desired effect?

00:51:02 Speaker 17: Sorry, we have had some very positive feedback.

00:51:05 Speaker 17: People have been noticing that there's less use, so it's nice to hear.

00:51:13 Speaker 17: I mean, a police vehicle rolls up the street, or an officer goes walking down the street.

00:51:17 Speaker 17: Most people are going to hide what they're doing, right?

00:51:19 Speaker 17: So it's a little more difficult.

00:51:21 Speaker 17: So, positive feedback so far.

00:51:28 Speaker 02: Having said that, though, we live it every day.

00:51:30 Speaker 02: We see it between, for us, for instance, between Troy and a law firm directly across the street.

00:51:39 Speaker 02: There's an alleyway, so we see what's going on on a fairly regular basis.

00:51:44 Speaker 02: And one instance where I disclosed what I saw,

00:51:55 Speaker 02: it was such that this woman and her two children indicated that she would not be shopping in the downtown with her children again because of what she saw in that alleyway,

00:52:06 Speaker 02: and I don't blame her for that.

00:52:08 Speaker 02: She's now still a shopper in our store, but she leaves her kids at home with a babysitter in order for her to do that.

00:52:15 Speaker 02: That is not good.

00:52:17 Speaker 02: So, and I'm sure that Ron has disappeared, but I know he has similar stories.

00:52:24 Speaker 02: And certainly his comment was between drugs and homelessness.

00:52:27 Speaker 02: It makes up 70 percent of the foot traffic that goes by his door.

00:52:32 Speaker 02: For us in our block, we don't see that.

00:52:36 Speaker 02: So, and I'm not saying there aren't people who have drugs or are homeless not going by our door.

00:52:42 Speaker 02: I'm just saying that we as a destination shop rely on parking within a few metres of our store,

00:52:51 Speaker 02: and people will actually go around the block and come back until the spot's vacant in order to come to our store, and we see that and hear that every day.

00:53:01 Speaker 02: So, I just certainly you know the Selden is right close by, and we do see a police presence there more often than not many a day.

00:53:10 Speaker 02: So I'm sure that a number of hours are spent in that location, and I applaud the police for what goes on there.

00:53:18 Speaker 02: Thank you.

00:53:20 Speaker 02: Any other comments?

00:53:23 Speaker 16: I think what Richard may have been alluding to was:

00:53:26 Speaker 16: Is there been a positive response from the letters that have gone out requesting testimonials from business owners with regards to the push to get the government to change the nature of what they put forward

00:53:45 Speaker 16: to be charged and stuff.

00:53:50 Speaker 17: So we did request some business owners provide like impact statements to us.

00:53:56 Speaker 17: We haven't received very many of those, which is discouraging because everybody has comments, but it would be helpful to have those comments on paper so that we can provide that to the courts as well,

00:54:13 Speaker 17: to kind of strengthen our position on laying charges for possession purposes, and so we need the engagement from the community and feedback to say how this has affected them,

00:54:25 Speaker 17: because it's pretty easy for somebody elsewhere to, who's maybe screening these cases, to be like, oh, well, that you know, that doesn't have a great impact.

00:54:40 Speaker 02: So, I am going to make a suggestion there, and that is for Vivica to possibly put in our newsletter.

00:54:51 Speaker 02: That, and I would volunteer to be the person that they could actually send those or bring those comments into me, and anonymously.

00:55:02 Speaker 02: And I don't know whether anonymously works, but I've heard a few business owners say I don't want to have it revealed that I have stated such and such.

00:55:12 Speaker 02: So I don't know if that would help if it's anonymous.

00:55:16 Speaker 02: But there are some who just don't want.

00:55:19 Speaker 02: I had one person say, "I made a comment at one point.

00:55:22 Speaker 02: My front window was broken two days later.

00:55:25 Speaker 02: So I'm not going to speak up.

00:55:27 Speaker 02: So if that would be helpful, then perhaps we could propose that."

00:55:34 Speaker 02: Any comments on that?

00:55:38 Speaker 17: It would certainly be helpful to have some individuals that were willing to come forward.

00:55:45 Speaker 17: If we have a few anonymous letters, I'm not sure they would carry the same strength, but I would certainly encourage them as well.

00:55:55 Speaker 17: Thank you.

00:55:55 Speaker 17: Any others?

00:55:56 Speaker 17: Yes, Olivia.

00:55:58 Speaker 09: I just wanted to let you know that I had a few people who were enthusiastic about bringing some statements forward, so I will check in with them.

00:56:08 Speaker 09: Actually, because they had told me that they had intended to do that, so yeah, I will follow up with them for you.

00:56:19 Speaker 16: Yeah, and I also had the same response when I hand-delivered all those letters, so I will also check in with my people.

00:56:29 Speaker 02: I see Travis with his hand up, so could we log them in?

00:56:35 Speaker 14: Thank you, Chair.

00:56:35 Speaker 14: I appreciate those comments.

00:56:38 Speaker 14: I think it's really important to remember: back in the 2024 budget, Council had planned and budgeted some resources to be put towards the downtown special constables.

00:56:51 Speaker 14: We were supposed to be using them to walk the downtown core to provide further police presence.

00:56:57 Speaker 14: And the Police Act changed.

00:56:59 Speaker 14: That unfortunately was unable to come to fruition,

00:57:03 Speaker 14: and has ultimately led to a similar discussion of why we supported a letter at this Board last meeting to help with a grant application to help get an individual that would be able to focus

00:57:14 Speaker 14: on foot traffic in the downtown core.

00:57:18 Speaker 14: I also think maybe if we could jump to Director Coulter, just regarding the collabouration discussion that occurred between the Owen Sound Police Board as well as City Council regarding an upcoming event,

00:57:30 Speaker 14: regarding safety in the downtown, and maybe Director Coulter could just further elabourate on that point.

00:57:39 Speaker 14: Thanks, Travis.

00:57:41 Speaker 15: Pam, through the Chair, Vivica did raise a matter of additional business this evening, so she will be putting some information forward under additional business regarding that upcoming meeting.

00:58:00 Speaker 15: Thank you.

00:58:01 Speaker 15: Y'all done?

00:58:03 Speaker 02: Thank you.

00:58:06 Speaker 02: All right.

00:58:08 Speaker 02: Item 10B: Report CS25-073 from Director of Community Services regarding the district.

00:58:13 Speaker 02: Oh, motion to receive.

00:58:16 Speaker 18: Oh yes, the motion to receive would be wonderful.

00:58:18 Speaker 18: And then beyond that, um, we were hopeful that we might be able to move up Item 11A to be the next item to address if we could, please.

00:58:25 Speaker 18: Yes to both.

00:58:27 Speaker 02: Motion to receive the report from... yes, Kathy Hannon, and all in favour, approve.

00:58:35 Speaker 02: Thank you.

00:58:36 Speaker 02: Now, right on to Item 11A, and if you would, Brianna.

00:58:45 Speaker 19: Through you, Chair.

00:58:46 Speaker 19: Thank you for your indulgence in moving my item up on the agenda.

00:58:51 Speaker 19: This matter was postponed from the May meeting to give the Board more time to speak with its members, as noted at the meeting in May.

00:58:58 Speaker 19: Council is looking for feedback from the Board on whether it supports removing the principal residence and rental cap requirements in the C1 and MC zones in the Short-Term Rental Bylaw.

00:59:09 Speaker 19: On your screen is a map of the two zones.

00:59:13 Speaker 19: Following the May meeting, a synopsis was provided to Board members that could be utilised in discussions with fellow River District members.

00:59:21 Speaker 19: I have prepared a couple of draft motions for consideration of the Board, which are going to be up on the screen very shortly.

00:59:29 Speaker 19: The first one is that the River District Board of Management direct staff to forward a memo to City Council supporting the removal of the principal residence and rental cap requirements in the C1 and MC

00:59:39 Speaker 19: zones.

00:59:41 Speaker 19: Or you could do a motion that the River District Board of Management direct staff to forward a memo to City Council not supporting the removal of the principal residence and rental cap requirements in the

00:59:50 Speaker 19: C1 and MC zones.

00:59:51 Speaker 19: Any comments, Richard?

00:59:52 Speaker 19: I certainly had opportunity, with all my letter-passing out in my block, to have some discussions with people.

01:00:06 Speaker 10: I didn't find anybody that was against it.

01:00:11 Speaker 10: You know, there was very little comment about it.

01:00:12 Speaker 10: So I'd be happy to move the first recommendation, supporting this move.

01:00:22 Speaker 16: Sorry.

01:00:23 Speaker 16: My experience with discussing the matter with some of the people in my block was, to be honest, straight down the middle.

01:00:29 Speaker 16: No point outside the ones we had talked about last time was really raised,

01:00:35 Speaker 16: but served the ongoing debate whether you know it may be good versus removing potential rental apartments from... were both the sort of issues, and to be honest, it was kind of right down the centre.

01:00:48 Speaker 16: So, I mean, it's where people are pretty polarized on the topic.

01:00:52 Speaker 16: Yeah, it's where my... it's where people were.

01:00:59 Speaker 16: Anyone else?

01:01:01 Speaker 16: Yes, Olivia.

01:01:04 Speaker 09: I found people were leaning slightly more towards moving it forward, but I agree.

01:01:12 Speaker 09: I had a lot of the same response.

01:01:16 Speaker 09: There were we were pretty split in a lot of ways.

01:01:21 Speaker 16: Yes, Jennifer.

01:01:23 Speaker 16: Sorry again.

01:01:24 Speaker 16: Just thinking about it.

01:01:24 Speaker 16: I mean, is it possible to do something similar to what you did with the initial short-term rental plan?

01:01:29 Speaker 16: Like try trial it for a year, come back to it, see if it... you know, is working or not working, whatever that metric might look like.

01:01:43 Speaker 19: Through you, Chair, I have promised Council a follow-up report after another year of any changes that we've made, just to monitor it.

01:01:54 Speaker 19: But I will say, if somebody has turned something into a short-term rental, they may find it difficult for them to quickly change it back.

01:02:03 Speaker 19: But certainly, you know, it's Council's prerogative to make those changes to the bylaw.

01:02:09 Speaker 19: Travis, you're up.

01:02:12 Speaker 14: Thank you, Chair, and I appreciate those comments coming from all the members who had been doing the door-to-door in their blocks.

01:02:21 Speaker 14: And just to go back to Jen, just to kind of clarify: all this...

01:02:25 Speaker 14: I made that motion at Council to request that this report come to this Board, just so that way exactly kind of what you noted: that you had an opportunity.

01:02:34 Speaker 14: The members of the River District had an opportunity to voice their opposition or in favour of that occurring, to give Council a better idea of how to make a final decision on the matter,

01:02:47 Speaker 14: and whether it's a one-year trial or if it's permanent or it doesn't happen, would ultimately be a discussion that would occur at Council.

01:02:56 Speaker 14: What the purpose of this was was just to get a sense as members of the River District Board would have more of an on-the-ground feel with their fellow business owners about what they would like

01:03:09 Speaker 14: to see and how that might impact the decision by Council,

01:03:13 Speaker 14: so that way we're being open and hearing from all the stakeholders for that matter.

01:03:18 Speaker 14: So I think with either way, whichever the Board chooses to go on this, it's just to give Council... may decide to follow your support or not.

01:03:31 Speaker 14: It will be Council's decision.

01:03:32 Speaker 14: But what we wanted to do was at least allow this Board to canvass the membership and get an idea of what they felt like before Council made a final decision on that matter.

01:03:44 Speaker 14: So hopefully that just provides a little bit more clarity on it.

01:03:48 Speaker 14: So whatever this Board chooses today doesn't mean that's enacting when it comes to Council.

01:03:53 Speaker 14: It's just part of a perspective for Council to consider.

01:04:00 Speaker 14: Thanks, Councillor Dunn.

01:04:02 Speaker 02: I believe Richard has suggested that I direct staff to forward a memo to City Council supporting the removal of the principal residence and rental cap requirements in C1 and MC zones; is that correct?

01:04:16 Speaker 02: All in favour?

01:04:18 Speaker 02: Anyone against?

01:04:20 Speaker 02: It's carried.

01:04:21 Speaker 02: Is that helpful, Brianna?

01:04:23 Speaker 02: Thank you, and thanks for our indulgence.

01:04:29 Speaker 02: Okay.

01:04:35 Speaker 02: Item 10C: Report CR25...

01:04:38 Speaker 02: Oh, I don't want to do that one.

01:04:45 Speaker 02: Okay.

01:04:47 Speaker 02: Report CS25-073, Director of Community Services, regarding the district action plan.

01:04:52 Speaker 02: If you would, please.

01:04:54 Speaker 02: Thank you, Mr. Chair.

01:04:56 Speaker 15: As the Board presented or prepared for your 2025 budget, you set aside funds from your reserve toward the update of the River District Action Plan, and $30,000 was set aside.

01:05:11 Speaker 15: At the time, staff were to request a proposal from BC Hughes outlining the scope of work, and this was going to come back to the Board.

01:05:20 Speaker 15: Unfortunately, BC Hughes is not able to do the work, so there's a couple of options for the Board to consider.

01:05:29 Speaker 15: The first is that we prepare an RFP and request consultants to submit a proposal.

01:05:34 Speaker 15: They would be evaluated based on criteria that would be established with the RFP, and you would retain a consultant to undertake that update.

01:05:45 Speaker 15: The second option is that you would request City staff as well as Vivica to do the work.

01:05:53 Speaker 15: It would happen at the end of 2025 and into 2026, so we would include it in work plans for next year.

01:06:01 Speaker 15: If this is the preferred option,

01:06:03 Speaker 15: we would develop an approach and methodology and bring it back to the Board to make sure you're aligned with kind of how we are thinking the engagement and public consultation would work.

01:06:16 Speaker 15: I would remind the board that the River District Action Plan had four main pillars: River District branding, River District management, experience development, and promotion.

01:06:26 Speaker 15: And I think the plan and pillars and those are the key strategic objectives; they are still very relevant.

01:06:34 Speaker 15: It's the detailed actions underneath them.

01:06:36 Speaker 15: Lots of them have been implemented.

01:06:38 Speaker 15: Some of them are ongoing and can continue.

01:06:41 Speaker 15: But I think looking at those actions and saying, "Okay, if this is our goal, how?

01:06:46 Speaker 15: What does it look like when we're achieving that goal?"

01:06:48 Speaker 15: So, if you pick the option with staff, we would still request a small amount, up to ten thousand dollars, be allocated to support the option, just to allow for room rentals if required, communication, surveys,

01:07:06 Speaker 15: and expenses to support meetings, or maybe special advice if it would be required.

01:07:13 Speaker 15: So the recommendation is just that the board would provide direction to staff regarding the preferred option to undertake the action plan update.

01:07:27 Speaker 15: Thanks, Pam.

01:07:28 Speaker 15: Any comments?

01:07:31 Speaker 15: Yes, Tim.

01:07:38 Speaker 15: I think that using someone like BC Hughes is fantastic.

01:07:43 Speaker 03: If they're not available, I think exploring the option of doing it in-house with the City is a really good option.

01:07:49 Speaker 03: And I think between the people on the board, some of the people that are within the River District, there's some great marketing minds here as well, and can put forward some really good ideas,

01:08:00 Speaker 03: and we can come up with a really good plan of implementation as well.

01:08:04 Speaker 03: I also think one of the core benefits of using Option B is the potential, if we agree upon it, to look at other ways that we can spend the saved budget in terms of marketing,

01:08:18 Speaker 03: in terms of advertising, and bringing people into the core.

01:08:25 Speaker 20: Nothing.

01:08:26 Speaker 20: I too agree that you know BC Hughes has done their job once already.

01:08:33 Speaker 20: We have that plan in place, so I think we need to just look at it and see where we are and see what we've put towards that already.

01:08:42 Speaker 20: Like, have we spent any of the thirty thousand towards that?

01:08:47 Speaker 20: And moving forward, yes, I think we should be supporting the City and helping them do that.

01:08:53 Speaker 20: That way.

01:08:59 Speaker 20: Anyone else?

01:09:02 Speaker 20: Travis.

01:09:08 Speaker 20: Travis.

01:09:09 Speaker 20: Okay.

01:09:10 Speaker 14: Thank you, Chair.

01:09:11 Speaker 14: Yeah, I'll move the recommendation that we move forward with Option Two, which would request that staff undertake the update.

01:09:20 Speaker 14: I agree with Tim.

01:09:21 Speaker 14: I think that if we can do this in-house and have that other twenty thousand dollars to utilise those funds towards actually implementing the plan or helping with some of the actionable items that come from

01:09:33 Speaker 14: it,

01:09:33 Speaker 14: that's the thirty thousand dollars I believe was a figure that was going to come from a reserve allocation for it.

01:09:39 Speaker 14: So in the meantime, those funds I'm assuming would go back.

01:09:42 Speaker 14: The unused funds would go back into our reserve until the updated action plan would be in place, and then we'd be able to use them again.

01:09:53 Speaker 14: Just to highlight that action plan does have current things like strategic closures in the downtown core to enhance tourism and other things like that that I know we haven't fully utilised as of yet.

01:10:04 Speaker 14: So, kind of agree with Tim as well on the marketing component.

01:10:09 Speaker 14: The people in this board, as well as when we have public meetings, will be able to provide a good deal of input about how they envision the downtown and also working with other stakeholders,

01:10:21 Speaker 14: clearly with police and social services on other areas as well.

01:10:26 Speaker 14: And I think that's a great way to go forward.

01:10:29 Speaker 14: Thanks, Travis.

01:10:30 Speaker 02: So, Motion B. Pam, would you like to articulate that for us, or please?

01:10:43 Speaker 15: So, Option B would be that the board would request that the update to the River District Action Plan be completed by staff,

01:10:53 Speaker 15: with a budget allocation of up to ten thousand dollars to support that work.

01:10:58 Speaker 15: Not part of the motion, but it's understood that our first job will be to bring you a report on the approach and methodology, and make sure we're all on the same page before we start.

01:11:11 Speaker 15: All in favour of that motion?

01:11:14 Speaker 15: Carried.

01:11:15 Speaker 15: You got that out.

01:11:15 Speaker 15: You got that, Allison?

01:11:17 Speaker 15: Thank you.

01:11:23 Speaker 02: Now, Item 10C, Report CR-25096 from the Deputy Clerk, reappointment of Director of the River District Board of Management.

01:11:35 Speaker 18: Thank you, Mr. Chair, and through you, a vacancy has arisen on the River District Board of Management as a result of the resignation of a director.

01:11:42 Speaker 18: In accordance with the River District Constitution, the vacancy was advertised on the River District website for a period of 20 days between June 13th and July 3rd,

01:11:51 Speaker 18: as well as on the City's website and social media, and the River District website and social media.

01:11:56 Speaker 18: Earlier this evening in closed session, the board voted to recommend Adrian Robinson for appointment to the board.

01:12:02 Speaker 18: Staff are recommending at this point that the board direct staff to send a memo to City Council requesting that the appointment of Adrian Robinson, as selected by the River District Board of Management, be approved.

01:12:14 Speaker 18: Thank you.

01:12:16 Speaker 02: And matters postponed 11A.

01:12:19 Speaker 02: Do you need a motion?

01:12:20 Speaker 02: We need a motion to accept.

01:12:24 Speaker 02: Richard, all in favour?

01:12:26 Speaker 02: Carried.

01:12:29 Speaker 02: Next, Matters Postponed 11A.

01:12:33 Speaker 02: Matter postponed from the River District Board of Management held 10D.

01:12:39 Speaker 02: Did I forget you?

01:12:39 Speaker 02: Oh, you're 10D.

01:12:41 Speaker 02: Oh, you're 10D.

01:12:42 Speaker 21: Thank you.

01:12:43 Speaker 21: Sorry about that, Kathy.

01:12:44 Speaker 21: Carry on.

01:12:45 Speaker 21: It's okay.

01:12:46 Speaker 21: I'm used to it.

01:12:49 Speaker 21: Okay.

01:12:50 Speaker 21: All right.

01:12:51 Speaker 20: So the bank account is sitting at Bank Accounts 169953, and we have made approximately $553 in interest in the last two months since last meeting.

01:13:06 Speaker 20: So yeah, that's my understanding, and I would like to make a motion to receive it.

01:13:12 Speaker 20: Any questions for Kathy?

01:13:14 Speaker 20: None.

01:13:16 Speaker 20: You said motion to receive.

01:13:18 Speaker 20: All in favour?

01:13:19 Speaker 20: Carried.

01:13:20 Speaker 20: Thank you.

01:13:21 Speaker 02: Now we get on with Matters Postponed 11A.

01:13:27 Speaker 02: We already did that.

01:13:28 Speaker 02: Oh, that's done.

01:13:30 Speaker 02: Thank you.

01:13:31 Speaker 02: Twelve motions for which notice was previously given.

01:13:34 Speaker 02: I don't believe there are any.

01:13:35 Speaker 02: No. And then correspondence provided for information: final approvals for the following business.

01:13:45 Speaker 02: Yep.

01:13:47 Speaker 02: I could speak to that if you'd like.

01:13:49 Speaker 18: So, just to note that on the correspondence provided for information this evening, one business licence was issued to Tibbs Management Incorporated, an ATM business and equipment sales service business located at 945 Third Avenue East.

01:14:02 Speaker 18: And I would encourage the block captain to please introduce themselves to the new business in the block, and we will require a motion to accept this item for information purposes.

01:14:09 Speaker 18: Please, motion to accept.

01:14:17 Speaker 18: Olivia says yes.

01:14:18 Speaker 18: All in favour?

01:14:20 Speaker 18: Carried.

01:14:20 Speaker 02: Thank you.

01:14:21 Speaker 02: Discussion of additional business, and we should start with Tim.

01:14:25 Speaker 02: You were up first.

01:14:29 Speaker 03: It really was just a point of conversation and a point of: is this a large enough issue that we should address it?

01:14:35 Speaker 03: The two-hour limit on parking.

01:14:38 Speaker 03: Is there a regular enough cadence of people who would spend more time and therefore more money in our core, but end up leaving because of that two-hour limit?

01:14:50 Speaker 03: And if it is an issue that we should address, what are the best ways to address it in a call it analog fashion?

01:14:57 Speaker 03: Before we get into apps and things like that.

01:15:02 Speaker 03: Oh, it's Pam.

01:15:05 Speaker 15: Just to provide a bit of background and context, and some numbers which might be helpful: there are 456 municipal parking spaces in lots, and those are permitted at five-hour max, complimentary city and business-sponsored parking;

01:15:23 Speaker 15: and then 374 on the street.

01:15:26 Speaker 15: That's a two-hour maximum.

01:15:29 Speaker 15: There is no perfect system for parking, and I certainly know that sometimes you get downtown or to the River District, and you end up staying longer than you'd initially thought.

01:15:42 Speaker 15: So there is no perfect system, but that system was developed,

01:15:47 Speaker 15: and certainly the Chair and other members of the Board worked a lot with Council at the time to come up with a system that was really simple.

01:15:57 Speaker 15: And two hours on street was geared towards having those spaces be turned over, and the five hours in lots was to accommodate those longer stays in the area.

01:16:08 Speaker 15: What we see is staff who are working in the area and stay longer.

01:16:13 Speaker 15: They then buy a parking pass.

01:16:14 Speaker 15: The City shares that revenue with the Board.

01:16:18 Speaker 15: If the Board wanted Council to look at parking, you could request that as part of the review of all the things that we do.

01:16:30 Speaker 15: We could look at the two-hour limit on street, but that's certainly just in terms of procedure.

01:16:39 Speaker 15: I think that's how you would proceed.

01:16:44 Speaker 15: Travis, were you scratching your head, or do you have a comment?

01:16:49 Speaker 02: I'm always scratching my head.

01:16:50 Speaker 02: I don't know what's going on.

01:16:51 Speaker 02: Perfect.

01:16:51 Speaker 02: Okay.

01:16:52 Speaker 02: Yeah, I have a comment to make, and that is at one point we had $300 in an account for just such occasions as what you describe.

01:17:00 Speaker 02: Now, I'm not sure how we would address that in terms of letting people know.

01:17:06 Speaker 02: But there was that: if you had someone who, in fact, they had a good story, rather than even trying to tax our Office Department at City Hall,

01:17:21 Speaker 02: we would just outright say there is a fund that we could address that through.

01:17:27 Speaker 02: This $300 fund that we had, so there has to be a way of accessing that.

01:17:34 Speaker 02: Okay, and you obviously—yes, Travis does have his hand up now.

01:17:39 Speaker 14: Yeah, thank you, Chair, and I appreciate those comments.

01:17:42 Speaker 14: And maybe just to jump back to Director Colter, do we have something in our current parking bylaw or the arrangement with the River District and the City regarding parking?

01:17:55 Speaker 14: About an update at some point or a revision of what the current standards are, that has been a couple of years of being in play?

01:18:06 Speaker 14: And we actually—I don't know if I recall if we've ever actually looked back into that again to see if that has been appropriate or working.

01:18:14 Speaker 14: We do know that.

01:18:15 Speaker 14: I'll be honest.

01:18:16 Speaker 14: I worked at Nickel Insurance and for a number of years, and a lot of those fellow employees liked to park on the street that didn't allow us to park there for longer than two hours,

01:18:26 Speaker 14: and obviously it took away parking from our customers.

01:18:29 Speaker 14: So having that time limit restricted employees from parking on Main Street and made them move into the lot or get a parking pass as they should.

01:18:40 Speaker 14: So everything kind of has a pro and a con.

01:18:44 Speaker 14: I'm just questioning: is there a revisional vision period?

01:18:47 Speaker 14: Is it something that could come through the River District Action Plan or something regarding parking?

01:18:53 Speaker 14: Or an update of somehow about it?

01:18:55 Speaker 14: I just don't think probably the Board is probably doesn't have all the information today to make a decision one way or another.

01:19:02 Speaker 14: So, is there something that's coming in the future that would provide some further information for the Board?

01:19:10 Speaker 14: Thanks, Travis.

01:19:12 Speaker 14: Other comments, Pam?

01:19:19 Speaker 15: Thanks, Mr. Chair, and I don't know the answer to Councillor Dodd's question, but certainly what we could do is ask the City Clerk, who was here earlier but is now gone.

01:19:28 Speaker 15: We could just ask her when it's expected that parking in the River District would be reviewed, and then I could bring that to your next meeting.

01:19:39 Speaker 15: Thank you, Kathy.

01:19:42 Speaker 20: I also think that when we went through all this discussion over the parking and how we got it all set up, that was one of the issues:

01:19:51 Speaker 20: that if we extended it more than two hours, there were employees taking the spots that were for customers rather than, you know, employees of the businesses.

01:20:08 Speaker 20: So I think that was our deterrent to putting it in that way.

01:20:14 Speaker 20: So I don't know if there would be some sort of maybe we could look at people that think that they're going to do that.

01:20:21 Speaker 20: Maybe they could buy a parking pass that covered them for being on the street or something like that.

01:20:28 Speaker 03: Maybe, and I know there are various ways that we are communicating five-hour parking versus two-hour parking.

01:20:39 Speaker 03: But maybe it does come down to communications: where you are—Customer A or are you Customer B?

01:20:45 Speaker 03: Customer A is popping into the shops to get a coffee and then leaving.

01:20:49 Speaker 03: Customer B is more of a peruser.

01:20:51 Speaker 03: If you're a peruser, you are better suited to park in the lots, and so is that kind of a messaging top-down,

01:20:59 Speaker 03: where we can direct people to the appropriate place for what they know their behaviour is?

01:21:07 Speaker 06: Viveca, thank you, and through you, Mr. Chair.

01:21:11 Speaker 06: It's funny.

01:21:11 Speaker 06: I leaned over immediately and spoke to Pam.

01:21:13 Speaker 06: I was like, "Well, we should do some promotion about all the access points to the lots."

01:21:17 Speaker 06: So we're totally in line with that.

01:21:19 Speaker 06: That is, in fact, if you know the Board so decides and directs, like we can move forward with that immediately, following the hottest straight sale.

01:21:31 Speaker 09: Olivia, thank you.

01:21:34 Speaker 09: I yeah, I was just going to sort of hit that point as well, and just wondering actually if some—I'm not sure.

01:21:43 Speaker 09: Do we have any signage on Eighth directing any information about parking lots that run along?

01:21:54 Speaker 09: I guess it would be First Avenue East, where there are two almost side-by-side lots that are typically pretty open,

01:22:05 Speaker 09: and I think promotion of just what the lots themselves offer in terms of the five-hour is a fantastic thing.

01:22:12 Speaker 09: to just have everybody just aware of.

01:22:15 Speaker 09: But on top of that, I often am telling clients visiting my businesses that there are two lots that are usually wide open just right over here,

01:22:27 Speaker 09: and I think that sometimes people just actually don't know that they exist.

01:22:33 Speaker 09: Thanks.

01:22:34 Speaker 09: Anyone else?

01:22:37 Speaker 09: Does that help, Tim?

01:22:38 Speaker 02: I'm not sure where we go with the fact.

01:22:40 Speaker 02: that we could access it, but like that fund, you know, but it is there.

01:22:47 Speaker 03: Well, perhaps that fund is just used towards communications.

01:22:51 Speaker 03: Maybe it's reallocated towards, or maybe we just go for.

01:22:58 Speaker 03: Pardon me.

01:23:00 Speaker 03: Oh, okay.

01:23:02 Speaker 03: So well, then maybe we just focus on communications, and in the future, maybe look at.

01:23:07 Speaker 03: Maybe as a part of the wayfinding strategy, just ways that if even if you're a visitor, let's say you only come into Owen Sound once a month,

01:23:18 Speaker 03: how do you know to identify the two-hour parking versus the five-hour parking in that moment when really all you want is a sandwich from the Milkmaid.

01:23:40 Speaker 03: Go ahead.

01:23:42 Speaker 20: Do we need a motion to put it included in the newsletter?

01:23:49 Speaker 20: I think I might divert to the River District Coordinator here.

01:23:51 Speaker 20: Are you looking for formal direction or something to be added to a work plan or just through the chair?

01:24:03 Speaker 15: I think we can undertake that communication—not the wayfinding signage, but maybe even some green peas if they're missing.

01:24:13 Speaker 15: So I don't know the answer to Member Leggett's question, but a green pea pointing that way would be helpful.

01:24:20 Speaker 15: So we can check some of those things without a motion.

01:24:28 Speaker 15: Winnie, you're up.

01:24:35 Speaker 05: Okay, we want downtown Owen Sound to be in a safe, clean condition.

01:24:44 Speaker 05: Is there a garbage bylaw for tenants of a particular building as to where to place their garbage, or are they just placing it anywhere?

01:24:56 Speaker 05: Because I know of a scenario wherein four buildings that.

01:25:01 Speaker 05: Four buildings.

01:25:02 Speaker 05: The tenants are placing the garbage at one spot, and then others are thinking that's a location for the garbage.

01:25:12 Speaker 05: Is there a bylaw for that as to where they place their garbage?

01:25:17 Speaker 05: Because I would think that if I'm living at a building, I would place my garbage in front of that building and not somewhere else, other people's building.

01:25:31 Speaker 05: Is there anything like that?

01:25:33 Speaker 02: I believe Pam would have an answer to that, but I can say in our block, we put our garbage directly out in front of our store, along with our cardboard,

01:25:42 Speaker 02: and yet about three doors down, there's a garbage that's considered to be a public garbage can, and there's always four or five garbage bags sitting there without tags on them,

01:25:54 Speaker 02: and our city people are good enough to pick those bags up, regardless of the fact there's no tags, and that doesn't answer your question so much as Pam will now.

01:26:03 Speaker 02: But that tells you that some people place it wherever they feel like putting it.

01:26:12 Speaker 05: And most of these bags that are put there by who knows who, they have no tags on them.

01:26:19 Speaker 05: And I remember when I was working at my store, I was charged for garbage that had no tag, and I complain to the bylaw department, and they send out someone to search that bag,

01:26:38 Speaker 05: and they determine who the owner was.

01:26:42 Speaker 05: But that's still happening now.

01:26:44 Speaker 05: So how do we fix that?

01:26:47 Speaker 05: Do we have another bylaw to say, okay, if you live in this building, your garbage is supposed to be placed in front of you?

01:26:56 Speaker 05: In front of your building, and not somebody else's building.

01:27:03 Speaker 15: I think Member Walcott raises an issue that certainly is one that's been increasingly frustrating in the River District.

01:27:11 Speaker 15: Last Thursday morning, we were walking to a meeting, the eight hundred block.

01:27:15 Speaker 15: I was so pleased as I walked up the street because it was so clean, and then I got to the nine hundred block, and all but you know, it was a real disaster.

01:27:23 Speaker 15: And it was oh, sorry, it was Wednesday morning it was garbage day, but a number of bags had been opened by someone and then the birds did the rest.

01:27:33 Speaker 15: I don't know the answer.

01:27:35 Speaker 15: Does the bylaw say you should put the garbage out in front, exactly in front of your business?

01:27:40 Speaker 15: I don't know the answer to that.

01:27:42 Speaker 15: I do know it says that it's to have a tag.

01:27:46 Speaker 15: Our bylaw group did do a blitz working with the environmental superintendent around bag tags, and I know a number of reminder notices were sent to people about the need for bag tags.

01:28:01 Speaker 15: There was a bag tag holiday during COVID, and I think some people have, you know, carried that forward.

01:28:08 Speaker 15: And the option of leaving the bags if they don't have a tag is not that palatable either.

01:28:16 Speaker 15: So we are looking at some options around waste management in the River District.

01:28:22 Speaker 15: Is there a time ahead of pickup that they should go out?

01:28:28 Speaker 15: Is it okay that it goes out on Tuesday nights?

01:28:30 Speaker 15: Should it be going out on only Wednesday morning?

01:28:34 Speaker 15: Does that create less of an issue?

01:28:38 Speaker 15: Anyways, that's certainly something through the River District Action Plan.

01:28:42 Speaker 15: Cleanliness waste audit is something you know.

01:28:45 Speaker 15: If you have ideas, we'll be certainly open to that.

01:28:49 Speaker 15: I know Heidi would, our environmental superintendent, would be pleased to come and speak with the board and hear your ideas.

01:29:00 Speaker 15: Hold on.

01:29:04 Speaker 05: There was a time when it was recommended that all the garbage be placed after 6 p.m. on the Tuesday, so that it can be taken up on Wednesday morning, but not before 6 p.m.

01:29:17 Speaker 05: Before six p.m., when most of the stores are closed.

01:29:23 Speaker 02: Having said that, some close at five, and they're putting it out then, and there's no repercussions to that.

01:29:32 Speaker 02: Anyone else?

01:29:35 Speaker 02: Thanks, Minnie.

01:29:36 Speaker 02: Vivica, you have an item for us.

01:29:42 Speaker 06: Yes, thank you.

01:29:42 Speaker 06: And through you, Mr. Chair, I did just want to let the board know that invitations will start being sent tomorrow for a community stakeholder discussion for a vibrant River District.

01:29:52 Speaker 06: The meeting will be held on Monday, July 28, from seven to nine p.m., and will be facilitated by Joel Pennington.

01:30:00 Speaker 06: And this is in response to some discussions through council and the community.

01:30:09 Speaker 06: Where is that being held?

01:30:11 Speaker 06: Seven till nine.

01:30:15 Speaker 06: July 28.

01:30:15 Speaker 06: July 28 at the Harmony Centre, seven to nine p.m.

01:30:25 Speaker 06: Thank you.

01:30:26 Speaker 06: Everyone got that.

01:30:29 Speaker 06: And Olivia.

01:30:38 Speaker 09: Sorry, just getting some of these things taken care of.

01:30:41 Speaker 09: I have a few comments from some of the businesses downtown, and yeah, there were some really great things brought forward.

01:30:51 Speaker 09: So I thought I would share them with you.

01:30:53 Speaker 09: Some of them are kind of difficult, and it is one of those things that I think it's sometimes hard to approach difficult conversations.

01:31:07 Speaker 09: But I also think that in order to make things better, we have to address them.

01:31:14 Speaker 09: So, with only the best intentions, I had a lot of really, really great conversations and some really great constructive criticism to bring forward.

01:31:30 Speaker 09: So, one business owner mentioned that there is typically a big pileup of garbage outside of their business, and they don't have a garbage bin outside that is maintained by the city.

01:31:50 Speaker 09: And they thought if there were, maybe there wouldn't be a lot of garbage that they typically collect when they arrive.

01:31:59 Speaker 09: So that is on the corner of Ninth Street East and Third Avenue East.

01:32:10 Speaker 09: They don't currently have a garbage bin, so they said it would be great if they could have one of those.

01:32:17 Speaker 09: Somebody had mentioned that they had had a small sign that they put outside of their business had been vandalized a couple of times.

01:32:31 Speaker 09: Not a really big, I guess, sign.

01:32:38 Speaker 09: It's quite tiny.

01:32:39 Speaker 09: It's just they write little updates day to day.

01:32:42 Speaker 09: The cost of repair is quite low, but they were like it is incredibly discouraging when it just keeps happening.

01:32:48 Speaker 09: And she said the cost of fixing it is probably about fifty dollars.

01:32:50 Speaker 09: But after two or three times, she just said, "I am kind of tired of spending fifty dollars to fix it."

01:32:58 Speaker 09: And she suggested that maybe we have a little bit of a fund, and maybe it's something that we do collectively.

01:33:07 Speaker 09: As businesses downtown, maybe it's something that we can talk about with council.

01:33:12 Speaker 09: But having maybe a little fund put together where people can come in and say, "Yeah, you know, this unfortunate thing happened.

01:33:22 Speaker 09: It's going to be about fifty dollars.

01:33:23 Speaker 09: This vandalized sign could just use a little bit of repair," and maybe that is a budget that could be shared among businesses in the River District.

01:33:33 Speaker 09: So I thought it was a really interesting idea, and I wanted to share that with you.

01:33:39 Speaker 09: There are a couple of businesses specifically who mentioned they were having a lot of issues with improperly disposed of used needles.

01:33:50 Speaker 09: One person specifically said that their mail box became the location for dropped needles, and when she checked her mail box, yeah, where people were delivering mail, people were also dropping used needles.

01:34:07 Speaker 09: So when she reached in to get her mail, of course there were some needles, and it was incredibly scary for her.

01:34:13 Speaker 09: When she got in touch with public health, they said that they would provide her with a sharps container where she could collect sharps and distribute or dispose of them properly.

01:34:25 Speaker 09: But it was definitely something I think that she was a little disappointed to hear because she felt like as somebody who is a business owner and wanting to contribute to a healthy community,

01:34:40 Speaker 09: she felt like she wasn't being protected when other people in the community were being protected.

01:34:49 Speaker 09: In the way that they are being given clean sharps and not having to put them anywhere specific.

01:34:56 Speaker 09: And so I just wondered if maybe there is a location that we could use as like a dedicated drop-off within the River District, so that there are—I mean, business owners are incredibly busy,

01:35:09 Speaker 09: and I think like probably it is something that people are a little less interested in trying to collect their sharps that are being dropped around their businesses.

01:35:20 Speaker 09: Somebody did tell me, which I thought was another sentiment.

01:35:31 Speaker 09: A couple of sentiments, actually, that I would like to share that I think are worth noting.

01:35:37 Speaker 09: One person said that what we're seeing downtown is typical of existing and growing cities.

01:35:43 Speaker 09: He said he may be naive.

01:35:45 Speaker 09: Oh, okay, okay.

01:35:48 Speaker 09: He may be naive, but he is not experiencing that exact same thing that some of the others are experiencing with the disposing of needles in their shop fronts.

01:35:58 Speaker 09: So there are people who are really experiencing some of these issues, and there are some people who are really not experiencing those issues.

01:36:04 Speaker 09: And maybe with that in mind, we could focus on a disposal, a safe disposal location closer to those businesses, knowing that these are typically places that these get dropped.

01:36:20 Speaker 09: And there are business owners who were telling me they've never had to experience that at all.

01:36:25 Speaker 09: So something worth thinking about.

01:36:27 Speaker 09: And finally, there was one that I thought was really, really great, and I think everybody should hear.

01:36:35 Speaker 09: She told me that she grew up in Owen Sound and was very regularly coming down into what we know now as the River District,

01:36:44 Speaker 09: and she said it has been very similar for the entirety of her life.

01:36:50 Speaker 09: She said when she was younger, there were always the same few characters that her mother would kind of grab her by the wrist and tug her away.

01:36:57 Speaker 09: The differences today: we're living in a very specific time with the introduction of all of the types of delivery services that we have at our disposal now,

01:37:09 Speaker 09: and we all know we can have any food we want delivered right to our front steps.

01:37:16 Speaker 09: We can have any product we need delivered within twenty-four hours to our front steps, and so what we're going to find is there is less of a need to come downtown.

01:37:26 Speaker 09: Even though there are other discussions about you know what might be keeping other people from coming downtown, there, I think at the forefront, is always going to be a rapidly evolving way of shopping.

01:37:40 Speaker 09: And she said the thing that we really need to focus on is as our community and shopping evolves, we have to evolve with it.

01:37:49 Speaker 09: And something that she felt really strongly about was people aren't going to come down here for every need they have any longer.

01:37:59 Speaker 09: When they come downtown, they're coming downtown because they're drawn in by other things, and that might be some of our activities.

01:38:09 Speaker 09: That might be you know concert series.

01:38:11 Speaker 09: That might be sometimes when we have different types of shows downtown.

01:38:17 Speaker 09: And she said that she thought that was going to be the difference between maintaining a really vibrant space, clubs and sort of block parties like we saw for Pride.

01:38:33 Speaker 09: Those are the kinds of things that create a sense of community, and when we create a sense of community, we see the community flourish.

01:38:40 Speaker 09: And I thought that was really well said, and so I wanted to share that with you.

01:38:46 Speaker 09: I do have a few other small notes from other businesses, but I think those were the big hitting points,

01:38:55 Speaker 09: and I definitely look forward to hearing more from them because they were giving lots of really fantastic information.

01:39:01 Speaker 09: The one other question that I did have is whether we have access to a directory of the businesses that are within each block,

01:39:10 Speaker 09: because I was finding it really difficult to get in touch with some people, especially within the Harmony Centre, which is locked for the majority of the day.

01:39:17 Speaker 09: But there are multiple businesses within it, and so without any sort of email numbers listing of businesses,

01:39:27 Speaker 09: it's quite difficult to get in touch with some of the businesses that exist within those buildings where there are multiple businesses.

01:39:38 Speaker 02: Vivica, I think you could probably address that through our directory.

01:39:41 Speaker 02: Can you not?

01:39:45 Speaker 06: Thank you, through you, Mr. Chair.

01:39:47 Speaker 06: Yes, I mean you raise an absolute valid point.

01:39:51 Speaker 06: I mean, up until recently, we weren't really leveraging the block captains very much, so it was just kind of in my knowledge bank who was where and why.

01:40:01 Speaker 06: We do have two separate directories.

01:40:03 Speaker 06: One is distributed by block.

01:40:07 Speaker 06: The other is just email, and that's the newsletter one.

01:40:10 Speaker 06: That being said, it's not unreasonable to do kind of an inventory and look at that and get a list, so it's definitely on my radar and something I hope I can get you.

01:40:22 Speaker 06: But I'm glad that there's a specific reason to be getting it out to someone.

01:40:28 Speaker 02: I could just add it's up to individual businesses to also make sure that their information is up to date on our directory, and if that's not the case, then shame on them.

01:40:42 Speaker 02: Yes, thank you.

01:40:43 Speaker 02: Any other comments?

01:40:50 Speaker 15: Yes, Pam.

01:40:52 Speaker 15: Mr. Chair, I just would ask that you indulge me with two things.

01:40:56 Speaker 15: One, just a reminder for the person with the story about the needles: either a letter to police service about the impact of open drug use, or definitely the stakeholder meeting coming up July 28th.

01:41:07 Speaker 15: I think would be a really great place to talk about some of those things.

01:41:12 Speaker 15: And my last item, I'd like to thank Allison Penner tonight; Allison's last meeting with the River District Board.

01:41:20 Speaker 15: I'd really like to thank Allison.

01:41:21 Speaker 15: She's been an incredible resource.

01:41:24 Speaker 15: She makes my job so much easier and does a wonderful job of getting ready for meetings, guiding us through the night, and we'll certainly miss Allison as she heads back to school.

01:41:36 Speaker 15: So we'll see her again, I'm sure, somewhere.

01:41:43 Speaker 02: Thanks for that, Pam.

01:41:44 Speaker 02: Yes, Allison.

01:41:45 Speaker 02: It has been a pleasure having you here with us.

01:41:49 Speaker 02: Thank you.

01:41:51 Speaker 02: All right.

01:41:55 Speaker 02: What did you do with my notes?

01:42:00 Speaker 02: We have notice of motion.

01:42:05 Speaker 02: Anything to report?

01:42:07 Speaker 02: Thing to report, nothing.

01:42:11 Speaker 02: Then I think we're ready to adjourn.

01:42:13 Speaker 02: Thanks, one and all.

01:42:15 Speaker 02: Thanks, Travis.