Owen Sound Committee - Corporate Services Meeting Transcript — September 10, 2026

00:00:46 Speaker 02: And I call the meeting to order.

00:00:48 Speaker 02: Before we proceed, I would just like to acknowledge that we have most members in attendance, other than Member Danielle and Councillor Travis Dodd, and Member Greg Melvin.

00:01:01 Speaker 02: Councillor Middlebro' would be here in two minutes, and I do see Member Greg entering the door right now.

00:01:08 Speaker 02: Welcome.

00:01:13 Speaker 02: Moving on, call for additional business.

00:01:15 Speaker 02: Does anybody have Councillor Merton?

00:01:19 Speaker 02: Anybody else looking on my right?

00:01:24 Speaker 03: Through you, Chair.

00:01:26 Speaker 03: I would like to ask a question around e-scooter regulation and enforcement.

00:01:32 Speaker 03: Thank you.

00:01:34 Speaker 02: Perfect.

00:01:36 Speaker 02: Moving on to item number three, which is declarations of interest.

00:01:40 Speaker 02: Does anybody have any declarations of interest?

00:01:44 Speaker 02: Seeing none, we move on to item number four, which is confirmation of committee minutes.

00:01:52 Speaker 02: So confirmation of minutes of the Corporate Services Committee held on July nineteenth, July ninth, two thousand and twenty-six.

00:02:01 Speaker 02: Any questions?

00:02:03 Speaker 02: No. Could I have a mover to move them?

00:02:06 Speaker 02: Okay.

00:02:06 Speaker 02: Member Neil has moved it.

00:02:10 Speaker 02: That gets us to item number five, which are deputations and presentations.

00:02:20 Speaker 02: My apologies.

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

00:02:24 Speaker 02: And it is carried unanimously.

00:02:26 Speaker 02: And now moving on to item number five, depositions and presentations at 5a.

00:02:31 Speaker 02: We do have a deposition from Mike Garvey, a resident of Ovensound, regarding water billing concerns.

00:02:38 Speaker 02: Good evening, everybody.

00:02:48 Speaker 02: Thank you for hearing our deposition, Cecilia Cabrera.

00:02:52 Speaker 02: My fiancée's.

00:02:53 Speaker 02: It's her house.

00:02:54 Speaker 02: We live together.

00:02:57 Speaker 04: Biggest thing is that I assume everybody got copies of this, and it's the water bill, the consumption.

00:03:07 Speaker 04: We shut the valve off below the water metre on the seventh of January before we left to go south last winter, and came back and turned it on on the twenty-third of March.

00:03:19 Speaker 04: Twenty-third of March, when we got home, and according to these gauges here, it says we used all this water.

00:03:30 Speaker 04: And then all of a sudden, on February twelfth, it stops.

00:03:33 Speaker 04: It doesn't show any water being used at all, and nobody was in the house for the whole time.

00:03:39 Speaker 04: And then even like on the bill, it says high continuous consumption recorded from January the eighth to February the tenth.

00:03:49 Speaker 04: The water was shut off.

00:03:50 Speaker 04: Nobody, nobody was in the house from the seventh of January when we left until the twenty-third of March when we got back.

00:04:00 Speaker 04: So, this is the problem we got.

00:04:04 Speaker 04: Is that it says we used all this water and there was no water on?

00:04:11 Speaker 04: I don't know.

00:04:12 Speaker 04: Do I have to explain anymore?

00:04:18 Speaker 02: No, thank you for presenting it to the committee, and I would look to staff for any comments or any concerns that they would like to address.

00:04:34 Speaker 04: When we did get the bill, we went to City Hall and asked, like, we said, the bill is so high and...

00:04:44 Speaker 04: The bill was so high, and we weren't there.

00:04:47 Speaker 04: And they basically said, "Well, the metre only reads the water that goes through it."

00:04:54 Speaker 04: Listen, okay.

00:04:55 Speaker 04: So then they printed us out these sheets.

00:04:57 Speaker 04: So, anyways, there was nobody there, and the water was shut off.

00:05:02 Speaker 04: And all of a sudden, it shows on these sheets that there was water used.

00:05:07 Speaker 04: And then February twelfth, there's no water use, and nobody was in the house, and nobody shut anything off.

00:05:14 Speaker 02: Okay.

00:05:14 Speaker 02: Does anybody have any questions from the committee?

00:05:19 Speaker 02: Yep, Councillor Mudge.

00:05:22 Speaker 02: Through you, Chair.

00:05:25 Speaker 03: Um, just a question around the accuracy of the metres and whether there's any testing from a quality audit or maintenance perspective around whether there's a potential malfunction within the actual metre device itself.

00:05:42 Speaker 03: I know they've been installed not that long ago, but I just was...

00:05:46 Speaker 03: I had sent an email,

00:05:48 Speaker 03: but I'll ask here to find out if that could be possible or how would we check that out just to find out if that's a possibility to explain a possible discrepancy.

00:06:03 Speaker 05: Certainly, so we do rely on the accuracy of the metres, obviously, across to rely on for our billing.

00:06:10 Speaker 05: There is the option to have the metre tested, and that is offered to any ratepayer.

00:06:15 Speaker 05: If you are concerned about whether or not your metre is functioning appropriately, we will test it.

00:06:21 Speaker 05: If that is done and it is determined that the metre is functioning, the cost of that test is borne by the property owner.

00:06:28 Speaker 05: However, if it is determined to be faulty, then of course, the city would cover the cost of that, and that just ensures that we're not testing all the metres that are operating effectively.

00:06:42 Speaker 05: Essentially, in order to register usage, water must be travelling through the metre.

00:07:01 Speaker 04: Yeah, that when you said the homeowner has to look at if there's something wrong with the metre to get it tested.

00:07:09 Speaker 04: The homeowner has to look after it.

00:07:12 Speaker 04: The home, we don't own the metre.

00:07:15 Speaker 04: The city owns the metre, right?

00:07:17 Speaker 04: Like if there is something wrong with the hydro metre, and Hydro comes and checks the metre out, we don't pay Hydro to fix the metre.

00:07:24 Speaker 04: We don't pay the gas company to come and change the metre at the house.

00:07:29 Speaker 04: It's all paid for because we don't...

00:07:31 Speaker 04: That's not our equipment.

00:07:34 Speaker 04: It's the city's equipment.

00:07:35 Speaker 04: Is the is the metre?

00:07:37 Speaker 04: So why would, why should the owner, homeowner, have to pay for the metre that belongs to the city?

00:07:52 Speaker 05: Through you, Madam Chair.

00:07:53 Speaker 05: In the event that the metre is tested and it is determined, if it were to be determined to be faulty, then certainly the city would cover the cost.

00:08:00 Speaker 05: However, if it's tested and it's determined that the metre is functioning as it should be, the city does not cover the cost of that testing.

00:08:06 Speaker 05: That does get charged back to the homeowner.

00:08:14 Speaker 04: And on the paperwork that I give you or gave everybody, it goes over the different...

00:08:20 Speaker 04: Like I put the bills in for the last I don't know two years or whatever, and our average consumption on those bills was between nineteen and twenty-three cubic metres for the bill,

00:08:35 Speaker 04: and this one that is really high is 38 metres, and even the one, the month after that, the next bill after that, this one was 35 metres.

00:08:46 Speaker 04: Like, all of a sudden, now we're using double water, and there's only been two of us in the house, nobody else.

00:08:53 Speaker 04: Nothing has changed in the house.

00:08:57 Speaker 06: Councilmember Blue, I did ask the city manager about this when I met with him yesterday, and he did say that they were reaching out to the water metre people about, you know,

00:09:10 Speaker 06: quality assurance and that sort of thing.

00:09:11 Speaker 06: So, I don't know who is following up on this, but I would hope that someone does follow up with you.

00:09:19 Speaker 06: And if they don't, then please reach back out.

00:09:23 Speaker 06: And because I think clearly something is wrong, and hopefully we can figure out exactly what happened.

00:09:31 Speaker 06: But when I did talk to the city manager, he was looking into this matter.

00:09:35 Speaker 06: So I don't know where it stands currently.

00:09:37 Speaker 06: But if you don't have anything resolved, then reach back out.

00:09:44 Speaker 06: Anyone else?

00:09:46 Speaker 05: Yep.

00:09:47 Speaker 05: I may just address the change in usage.

00:09:50 Speaker 05: So the lower usage was prior to the metre being changed out, and then since you've had your newer metre, it is registering higher usage.

00:09:57 Speaker 05: Is that what I understand that you're saying?

00:10:00 Speaker 04: Yeah, if you go back through, I posted all the water usage for all the bills, and then all of a sudden... it was all of a sudden.

00:10:10 Speaker 04: Yeah, sorry.

00:10:11 Speaker 04: Sorry.

00:10:12 Speaker 04: I...

00:10:27 Speaker 04: No. I did not understand.

00:10:28 Speaker 04: She said that if we're using twice, it seems to be using twice as much water since they put the new metre on.

00:10:44 Speaker 04: They put the new metre in last July, wasn't it?

00:10:48 Speaker 04: June, May, June, July last year.

00:10:51 Speaker 04: I was not.

00:10:51 Speaker 04: It would have been some point after that.

00:10:53 Speaker 04: Like a year, yeah, a year ago, last like this past summer, they changed the metre, put the new metres in.

00:11:00 Speaker 04: Anyway, I'm sure that they will...

00:11:09 Speaker 04: Like we paid our last bill, what it was, it was four.

00:11:17 Speaker 04: And but we didn't, we still haven't paid the 367 for the month.

00:11:22 Speaker 04: So we didn't... that we weren't there and didn't use the water, so that's the only thing that's in dispute.

00:11:28 Speaker 04: Is and it's still even with this our past bill, the usage was 35 m³.

00:11:39 Speaker 07: So, anyways, thank you so much, Mike, for bringing this forward to the committee's attention.

00:11:44 Speaker 07: And I'm sure, as Councillor Middlebro' mentioned, we did have a chat with city staff as well as the city manager.

00:11:51 Speaker 07: If you do not hear anything back regarding the issue, please do not hesitate to come back again, or just shoot us an email.

00:11:58 Speaker 07: And I'm sure the staff will look into it.

00:12:02 Speaker 07: And again, like the director of corporate services mentioned, if you wish to get your metre tested, please let them know, and they'll be happy to test it for you.

00:12:12 Speaker 07: But thank you for bringing the concern forward.

00:12:18 Speaker 07: My apologies, Member Greg.

00:12:22 Speaker 08: Hi, sorry.

00:12:24 Speaker 08: I just had one comment.

00:12:25 Speaker 08: I think the steps being taken are reasonable so far, but I would like to suggest that I, certainly having read everything, would be in favour of a one-time, you know,

00:12:36 Speaker 08: I guess removal of the fee.

00:12:40 Speaker 08: That seems to be inappropriate in this case.

00:12:45 Speaker 06: Councillor Murray, I'm not sure if that's within our realm.

00:12:50 Speaker 06: Is that?

00:12:55 Speaker 05: There is always the option that Council could or this committee could make a motion to recommend Council take action.

00:13:02 Speaker 05: I would caution you that we risk setting a precedent.

00:13:07 Speaker 05: We rely on the metres and the information that they provide us.

00:13:11 Speaker 05: If we're willing to make a one-time adjustment in this circumstance, my concern would be that there may be others who have water use that they cannot explain.

00:13:25 Speaker 05: That would also be looking for a similar adjustment.

00:13:29 Speaker 05: Nothing that I'm not arguing that anything that Mr. Garvey has presented to you is not factual.

00:13:34 Speaker 05: I believe it is.

00:13:35 Speaker 05: I believe they were away.

00:13:37 Speaker 05: I cannot explain what caused the water to pass through the metre.

00:13:41 Speaker 05: However, I can say with certainty that based on the information that we have received from the metre, that it registered use, and so if we were to make an adjustment in this case,

00:13:52 Speaker 05: I would be concerned about the precedent that would set for other users in the city.

00:13:59 Speaker 03: Through your chair, the issue is we're still not sure why, and I think it's really, really important that we answer that question first.

00:14:10 Speaker 03: I'm not sure what the cost would be to have the metre evaluated.

00:14:15 Speaker 03: Understanding that if it's faulty, the cost of that is borne by the City.

00:14:22 Speaker 03: If it's correct, if it's not faulty, as it stands right now, the cost would be borne by the member of the public.

00:14:31 Speaker 03: However, I'm not indicating consideration shouldn't be given.

00:14:35 Speaker 03: I'm just thinking at this particular stage we don't have the answers, and I think we need to find the answer to determine if this is a flawed unit.

00:14:45 Speaker 03: And if so, we need to remedy that first, and also look at any adjustment that may be fair and equitable on an ongoing basis.

00:14:56 Speaker 03: So that would be my request that we start at that step, and have it tested through you, Chair.

00:15:06 Speaker 03: Do we have any idea what it would cost to test equipment?

00:15:10 Speaker 03: Like, are we talking a lot of money?

00:15:18 Speaker 03: Yeah.

00:15:18 Speaker 03: So okay.

00:15:20 Speaker 03: Yeah.

00:15:21 Speaker 03: Thank you.

00:15:24 Speaker 07: Any further discussion or any further questions?

00:15:28 Speaker 07: No. All right.

00:15:36 Speaker 07: Moving forward.

00:15:37 Speaker 07: Thank you so much.

00:15:39 Speaker 07: Moving forward to item number six, which is public forum.

00:15:43 Speaker 07: I do not see anybody in Council chambers.

00:15:45 Speaker 07: I will look at towards the clock to see if we have anything online.

00:15:51 Speaker 07: Seeing none, at number seven we have correspondence received for which direction is required.

00:15:57 Speaker 07: At this point, there is no correspondence items being presented for consideration.

00:16:03 Speaker 07: So moving on to reports of the City staff.

00:16:05 Speaker 07: At number eight, we have report eight A at a Corporate and Facilities.

00:16:09 Speaker 07: Cooperate and Facility Services,

00:16:11 Speaker 07: which is eight A one report CR twenty-six zero-eight-one from the Purchasing and Claims Coordinator regarding biannual summary of awarded purchases between fifty thousand and two hundred forty-nine thousand from January first to June thirtieth,

00:16:27 Speaker 07: twenty twenty-six.

00:16:31 Speaker 09: Good evening, Committee, and through you, Chair.

00:16:33 Speaker 09: As Chair Suneet Kukreja mentioned, I'm here to present the biannual summary of purchases between fifty thousand and two hundred and fifty thousand, from January 1st to June 30th, two thousand and twenty-six.

00:16:45 Speaker 09: The City's Purchasing Bylaw delegates the authority for the approval of standard and non-standard purchases from those amounts from Council to the Director of Corporate Services.

00:16:55 Speaker 09: This delegation allows for an efficient and timely award process and reduces overall project timelines.

00:17:02 Speaker 09: Just for summary, and they are attached to the report for standard procurements.

00:17:07 Speaker 09: The request for proposal award for engineering consulting services for skidder system upgrades for just under one hundred and eighty-three thousand.

00:17:15 Speaker 09: This project came within budget.

00:17:18 Speaker 09: The request for proposal award for engineer consulting services related to the capital needs assessment for water and wastewater facilities.

00:17:26 Speaker 09: This also came under budget at two hundred one thousand.

00:17:29 Speaker 09: A request for tender award for the construction of Weaver's Creek boardwalk trail for one hundred twenty-three thousand, which was also under budget, and that project is almost complete.

00:17:41 Speaker 09: A request for tender for the annual replacement of cathodic protection systems, which was also under budget at 190,000, for non-standard procurements.

00:17:50 Speaker 09: This included buying groups, single and sole source, along with emergency purchases.

00:17:57 Speaker 09: The supply and delivery of a tractor and blower for parks, based on a 15-year replacement, for just over 90,000.

00:18:03 Speaker 09: This was funded from the fleet and equipment reserve.

00:18:07 Speaker 09: Additionally, we had construction related to the renovation for the police washroom, which just came under budget for a hundred thousand.

00:18:15 Speaker 09: The same company completed the Owen Sound Farmers Market washroom renovation, which was slightly over budget at eighty-three thousand eight hundred.

00:18:24 Speaker 09: The deficit will be funded through reserves.

00:18:27 Speaker 09: And then we had a few emergency purchases.

00:18:29 Speaker 09: I know these are over the thresholds, but just for transparency, I did include them.

00:18:33 Speaker 09: So we had an emergency purchase for the construction of Twenty Seventh Street storm sewer replacement for just over six hundred and eighty-four thousand dollars.

00:18:42 Speaker 09: The funding source will be determined upon the project completion.

00:18:46 Speaker 09: And then we had an emergency purchase for the replacement of two flocculators at the water treatment plant.

00:18:51 Speaker 09: Funding source will be determined also upon project completion.

00:18:55 Speaker 09: The initial award was for five hundred and sixty-seven thousand.

00:18:59 Speaker 09: The Manager of Water and Wastewater did complete a report for Operations Committee on this project May 21st,

00:19:05 Speaker 09: and then the recommendation for the report is that the Corporate Services Committee recommends that City Council receive the report for information purposes.

00:19:14 Speaker 09: And with that, I'm able to take any questions.

00:19:18 Speaker 07: Thank you, and I look to my right.

00:19:21 Speaker 07: Want any questions from the committee, Councillor Brock?

00:19:24 Speaker 06: Sorry, I'm not sure if you just said why the two emergency purchases that were for amounts way over are included in this.

00:19:35 Speaker 09: Through you, Chair.

00:19:36 Speaker 09: So just for transparency, and with our new purchasing policy, they will be included.

00:19:40 Speaker 09: So I just started with this report doing it.

00:19:45 Speaker 09: It purchases kind of cross over with our new purchasing policy.

00:19:50 Speaker 09: So I figured it would just kind of visually be, but we'll be changing that report slightly.

00:19:58 Speaker 09: Any other questions?

00:19:59 Speaker 07: Seeing none, I look to my left.

00:20:01 Speaker 07: None.

00:20:02 Speaker 07: Could I have a mover to receive?

00:20:05 Speaker 07: All right.

00:20:06 Speaker 07: I do have Member Franklin.

00:20:08 Speaker 07: All in favour?

00:20:10 Speaker 07: And it is carried unanimously.

00:20:12 Speaker 07: Thank you, Ms. Lourin.

00:20:15 Speaker 07: At 8B, we have a report for parking and bylaw enforcement, which is Report CR-26085 from the bylaw enforcement supervisor regarding parking management and enforcement review.

00:20:33 Speaker 10: Thank you, Chair.

00:20:34 Speaker 10: Through you, this report is the first in a series of parking management enforcement reviews that staff will be bringing forward.

00:20:41 Speaker 10: The focus of today's report is on the traffic bylaw and addressing several enforcement gaps that have been identified through day-to-day operations, public complaints, and evolving transportation needs.

00:20:52 Speaker 10: The recommendation before committee is to direct staff to bring forward the necessary bylaw amendments and to submit an application to the Ministry of the Attorney General for approval of the associated set fines.

00:21:01 Speaker 10: The City of Owen Sound's traffic bylaw regulates traffic and parking on the City's highways and municipal parking lots.

00:21:09 Speaker 10: This report proposes amendments to the traffic bylaw to improve the use and availability of parking spaces, both on highways and in municipal lots, and to promote active transportation methods.

00:21:21 Speaker 10: First, the report proposes a new provision to prohibit stopping or standing a vehicle in a manner that blocks bicycle lanes and multi-use trails.

00:21:28 Speaker 10: This recommendation supports multiple City plans and strategies, including the Transportation Master Plan actions for pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.

00:21:37 Speaker 10: Second, the report proposes a change to parking near intersections.

00:21:41 Speaker 10: Currently, the traffic bylaw requires a sign to be installed to enforce parking too close to an intersection.

00:21:46 Speaker 10: This leaves many intersections open to vehicles parking immediately adjacent to a stop sign, creating unsafe sightlines and forcing vehicles into the opposing lane of traffic at the intersection.

00:21:56 Speaker 10: The proposed amendment prohibits parking within nine metres of any intersection, whether a sign is installed or not.

00:22:02 Speaker 10: This amendment aligns with the County's parking bylaw and municipal practices across the province.

00:22:09 Speaker 10: Third, the report proposes amendments to the length of time that vehicles can be parked on any road.

00:22:14 Speaker 10: The recommendation is to establish a maximum time limit for all streets in the City of 48 hours of continuous parking.

00:22:21 Speaker 10: This is proposed to improve enforcement of a ban on vehicles on City streets.

00:22:26 Speaker 10: Fourth, the report proposes a new section to prohibit the parking of a vehicle that is unplated, unlicenced, inoperable, or immobile.

00:22:34 Speaker 10: The City receives numerous complaints each year about wrecked and unlicenced vehicles parked in municipal lots, with few tools to address these complaints.

00:22:43 Speaker 10: Fifth, the report proposes a new section to require that vehicles be parked within the marked spaces designated on City streets and in municipal lots.

00:22:52 Speaker 10: Sixth, the report proposes an amendment to the time limits for winter overnight parking restrictions in municipal lots to align with the time limits for on-street parking.

00:23:01 Speaker 10: Municipal parking lots currently have restrictions between 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. or 2 a.m. to 7 a.m., depending on the lot in question.

00:23:10 Speaker 10: The proposed amendment adjusts the prohibited times to 1 a.m. to 7 a.m. for all lots.

00:23:14 Speaker 10: This allows more time for winter control operations and more time for enforcement staff to monitor the lots.

00:23:21 Speaker 10: Public Works staff consistently note an inability to properly clear snow in municipal lots due to illegally parked vehicles.

00:23:28 Speaker 10: A review of winter parking enforcement data notes that over the last winter control period, from December 1st, 2025 to March 31st, 2026, one parking ticket was issued for winter overnight parking restrictions in municipal lots.

00:23:41 Speaker 10: In contrast, 131 parking tickets were issued for on-street parking.

00:23:44 Speaker 10: Overwhelmingly, Owen Sound Police, reasonably so, prioritize enforcing on-street parking prohibitions and do not have the time or resources to enforce municipal lots.

00:23:55 Speaker 10: By expanding the prohibited times, this provides a more reasonable period of time to allow municipal staff to flex their hours to ensure that lots are being monitored and enforced.

00:24:05 Speaker 10: Seventh, the report proposes a new section to prohibit parking in an electric vehicle charging space unless the vehicle is an electric vehicle that is actively charging.

00:24:15 Speaker 10: This recommendation supports Action Seven of the Community Actions under the City's Climate Mitigation Plan by improving access to EV charging stations.

00:24:23 Speaker 10: Finally, the report proposes an amendment to the removal and impounding provisions to align them with the Highway Traffic Act provisions.

00:24:30 Speaker 10: This change is administrative in nature and does not alter the practices of bylaw enforcement or of police.

00:24:36 Speaker 10: In closing, these amendments will create clearer and more consistent parking regulations, improve public safety, support active transportation, improve parking availability, and strengthen enforcement effectiveness.

00:24:47 Speaker 10: And with that, I'd be pleased to answer any questions you have.

00:24:52 Speaker 07: Thank you so much.

00:24:52 Speaker 07: I've looked to my left, a member, Greg.

00:24:59 Speaker 08: Hi, thank you, Madam Chair.

00:25:01 Speaker 08: I had a question about the rationale behind the electric parking fee.

00:25:07 Speaker 08: So, if someone parks in an electric spot, but their non-electric car...

00:25:12 Speaker 08: I thought the fee was quite high for that, so just wondering where that came from.

00:25:22 Speaker 08: Thank you for the question, through you, Chair.

00:25:24 Speaker 10: When we were looking at the set fines that we already had in place, we were looking at what kind of fees we already had for certain things,

00:25:36 Speaker 10: and we were looking at what the effect of those parking infractions were.

00:25:44 Speaker 10: So going for that higher fine, which I believe was similar to parking in front of a hospital, and parking in front of buildings that have large assemblies.

00:25:55 Speaker 10: The reason for that was to really restrict and try to prevent people from parking in those electric vehicle spaces.

00:26:05 Speaker 10: We don't have very many in the City, so using them up without having an electric vehicle just completely avoids the reason for having electric vehicle spaces.

00:26:17 Speaker 10: So that's the general idea there.

00:26:22 Speaker 10: Member Franklin, for you, Chair.

00:26:26 Speaker 11: Will there be a public communication or a transition period before the new rules are actively enforced, especially to do with the intersection parking or the EV spaces and the winter overnight lots?

00:26:40 Speaker 10: Thank you for the question, through you, Chair.

00:26:42 Speaker 10: So, with any of the new provisions, they can't be enforced until we get approval of that set fine application back from the Ministry.

00:26:51 Speaker 10: That typically takes anywhere from two to four months.

00:26:56 Speaker 10: So there will be lots of time for us to do some communication there.

00:26:59 Speaker 10: There will be media releases involved once this gets approved, but there will be plenty of time there to make that communication.

00:27:12 Speaker 07: Thank you.

00:27:13 Speaker 07: Looking to my right, Councilmember Brock.

00:27:17 Speaker 06: Thank you.

00:27:17 Speaker 06: I was going to make that same point, so thank you for making that point.

00:27:21 Speaker 06: I think it's important that we do have like a phase-in, where we're not ticketing on the first chance that we get.

00:27:27 Speaker 06: My question was on the seven days for the overnight parking in the winter.

00:27:33 Speaker 06: Moving every seven days.

00:27:35 Speaker 06: I was wondering if we could shorten that up.

00:27:37 Speaker 06: I know the parking lot behind my store is like a big problem in the winter, and so many vehicles parked there all winter didn't move.

00:27:44 Speaker 06: Snow piled up everywhere.

00:27:47 Speaker 06: So I think forcing people to get out there and shovel around those vehicles and move them at least every two to three days, because snow can pile up pretty high in seven days,

00:27:56 Speaker 06: and I think the likelihood of them getting out there and moving them is not as likely as if we could force them to do it every...

00:28:02 Speaker 06: I would say three days might be reasonable.

00:28:06 Speaker 06: So I'm wondering if you'd be willing to entertain that.

00:28:10 Speaker 10: Thank you for the question, and through you, that's a great question.

00:28:16 Speaker 10: The reason that we put seven days in originally is just to have some flexibility there for people who might go on vacation, stuff like that.

00:28:23 Speaker 10: But I have no concerns if the committee wishes to make that shorter, two days, three days, whatever it may be.

00:28:30 Speaker 10: We'll just need a motion to amend item five of the report.

00:28:36 Speaker 06: I don't know what anyone else on the committee feels about that, but I'd be willing to make the motion to move it down to three days, to move the vehicles every three days,

00:28:45 Speaker 06: and if there is a case maybe where someone is going on vacation, if they can leave, you know, let the City know, we can always hopefully make an exception in that regard.

00:28:55 Speaker 07: But okay, so we do have a motion on the floor that is reducing the overnight parking time from seven days to three days, as suggested by Councillor Milbror.

00:29:09 Speaker 07: Any discussion?

00:29:12 Speaker 07: No. All in favour?

00:29:16 Speaker 07: So it is carried unanimously.

00:29:20 Speaker 07: Any other questions regarding this report?

00:29:23 Speaker 07: No. Councillor Martin.

00:29:27 Speaker 03: Through you, Chair.

00:29:28 Speaker 03: I'd like to go back to the communication rollout strategy.

00:29:31 Speaker 03: Eventually, when we get there, you, as you described it, you gave the rationale why, and I think it's really, really important for the public to know why.

00:29:44 Speaker 03: And I would ask that as we do the communication rollout, we include, you know, the reasons for this because they're solid, they're based on comparisons, best practice, a variety of reasons.

00:30:02 Speaker 03: You know, when we change bylaws and we enforce bylaws, we want to encourage understanding of why.

00:30:13 Speaker 03: So my request would be as you develop your strategy to incorporate the rationale for the change.

00:30:19 Speaker 03: Thank you.

00:30:21 Speaker 03: Any other questions?

00:30:24 Speaker 03: I'll just move the recommendation.

00:30:26 Speaker 07: Thank you.

00:30:26 Speaker 07: So, Councillor Milbro has moved the recommendation.

00:30:29 Speaker 07: All those.

00:30:30 Speaker 07: Yep.

00:30:36 Speaker 12: I'm an early riser, so I don't have one business in downtown Old Town.

00:30:41 Speaker 12: But not being able to park until seven a.m. in a municipal lot or on the street might be an issue for me if I were a business owner downtown.

00:30:48 Speaker 12: I'm not sure all the circumstances that affect that, but that's my comment.

00:30:52 Speaker 12: I don't.

00:30:52 Speaker 12: A comment.

00:30:52 Speaker 12: I don't.

00:30:53 Speaker 12: It's a comment.

00:30:57 Speaker 08: Yeah.

00:31:00 Speaker 08: Similar.

00:31:00 Speaker 08: I'm not in this situation, but one hundred seven a.m. would be too late for me on many days when I go to work.

00:31:11 Speaker 10: Thank you.

00:31:12 Speaker 10: Through you.

00:31:13 Speaker 10: Excuse me.

00:31:13 Speaker 10: Sorry.

00:31:14 Speaker 10: Through you, Chair.

00:31:15 Speaker 10: I will say that this does not apply to anyone that gets an overnight parking pass.

00:31:20 Speaker 10: This is for all of the other general spots.

00:31:24 Speaker 10: So we do have overnight parking passes available for Lot 5, which is in the 800 block of Third Avenue East, as well as Lot 9, which is in the 700 block of First Avenue East.

00:31:38 Speaker 10: So if you get an overnight parking pass, you can park during that prohibited period.

00:31:44 Speaker 10: It's just for those people that don't have passes.

00:31:50 Speaker 07: I have a question.

00:31:52 Speaker 07: Till what time does the overnight parking pass take folks up to, like eight or nine in the morning?

00:32:00 Speaker 07: Through you, Chair.

00:32:01 Speaker 10: The overnight parking pass applies from, I believe, any time after 5 p.m., which is when daytime enforcement ends, up to 9 a.m. when daytime enforcement begins.

00:32:22 Speaker 10: Any other questions?

00:32:25 Speaker 07: All right.

00:32:26 Speaker 07: So we do have.

00:32:27 Speaker 07: Councillor Milbro has moved the recommendation.

00:32:30 Speaker 07: All those in favour?

00:32:32 Speaker 07: And I see all hands up.

00:32:33 Speaker 07: So it is moved unanimously.

00:32:35 Speaker 07: Thank you, Riley, for an excellent report.

00:32:38 Speaker 07: Moving to 8C under accounting, we have Report 8C1, which is CR26070 from the Director of Corporate Services regarding AF Zero One Six Reserves and Reserve Fund Policy Update.

00:33:07 Speaker 05: Sorry, I had that open and then I lost it.

00:33:10 Speaker 05: The Reserve Policy and Reserve Fund Update was first presented to Council as part of our capital budget review.

00:33:19 Speaker 05: It was on that agenda when we went through all of the capital projects back in June, and some feedback was received at that time.

00:33:27 Speaker 05: So bringing this forward tonight is sort of the final step in having this policy adopted.

00:33:33 Speaker 05: The changes that have been made since it was first presented to committee, based on Councillor Hamley's recommendation,

00:33:43 Speaker 13: we've reduced the WSIB reserve to $90,000 to better reflect the City's estimated future liability associated with being a scheduled employer, and this moved about $500,000 out of that reserve and into the tax stabilization reserve.

00:33:58 Speaker 13: The airport facility reserve was closed, and the remaining balance transferred to the capital reserve fund, and the trails reserve was consolidated with the parks and trails capital reserve fund,

00:34:08 Speaker 13: recognizing the common asset management objectives of those two funds.

00:34:13 Speaker 13: So really.

00:34:13 Speaker 13: The recommendation here is to endorse the purpose, funding, and intended uses of all of the reserves that are provided in the attached appendix,

00:34:22 Speaker 13: and to direct staff to bring forward a bylaw to adopt the policy reserves and reserve funds.

00:34:27 Speaker 13: But I'm happy to take any additional questions if you have any.

00:34:32 Speaker 07: Thank you, Kate.

00:34:33 Speaker 07: I'll look to my right.

00:34:35 Speaker 07: Any questions?

00:34:37 Speaker 07: Yep.

00:34:40 Speaker 06: Just was looking at the trail reserve; I think it was wherever that is here.

00:34:51 Speaker 06: I don't know.

00:34:55 Speaker 06: Anyway, there's a lot of money in it, so we sat on the Weavers Creek boardwalk for a number of years saying that we didn't have any money to fix it,

00:35:05 Speaker 06: and then looking at how much money's in this reserve, I'm wondering why it wasn't entertained earlier to take some of the money out of the reserve to do that project?

00:35:15 Speaker 06: How is it determined, like how money gets utilised from these reserves?

00:35:22 Speaker 05: Through you, Madam Chair, I would recommend if you are looking at these balances here, it is good to look at them in the context of our multi-year capital plan, because although the balances are here,

00:35:34 Speaker 05: often some of them already are committed to projects, and those are highlighted throughout that plan.

00:35:40 Speaker 05: But certainly, if these reserves are a funding option, staff look at applying them anywhere that they can be.

00:35:48 Speaker 05: So, I'd need if you knew which there's a couple here that it could apply to: the Parks and Trail Capital Reserve, as well as we have a Parkland Dedication Reserve.

00:35:56 Speaker 05: Theoretically, we could put those towards trails.

00:36:02 Speaker 05: But I would suggest that we do look at the eligible.

00:36:06 Speaker 05: Look at the eligibility for these reserves any time we bring forward capital projects in order to get as much done as we can.

00:36:16 Speaker 05: Any other question, Member Franken?

00:36:19 Speaker 11: Just to add on to what was just said,

00:36:21 Speaker 11: so can the committed and the uncommitted reserve balances be clearly presented in the future reports so that you know it's—it's clearly visible for this for the council and the public to see the true flexibility.

00:36:38 Speaker 05: Through you, Madam Chair, certainly we can aim to do that.

00:36:41 Speaker 05: It changes constantly, so I we do know every year we have a year-end audit that reconfirms that the balances that we've reported are audited and confirmed,

00:36:51 Speaker 05: and that is an annual report we provide those balances to this committee every April, I want to say,

00:36:58 Speaker 05: and then again we would provide the reserves and what we're using them for at each capital update.

00:37:04 Speaker 05: But it does change.

00:37:06 Speaker 05: Any time we have, we have the purchasing report that came forward today, and some of those overages will ultimately be recommended to be used from these reserves.

00:37:14 Speaker 05: So, my concern about putting it into something like this report is that it quickly becomes stale dated.

00:37:21 Speaker 05: But that we do provide those updates with our regular reports, so you can expect another update to this with our year-end report, and again with each capital budget update.

00:37:30 Speaker 05: So there's at least three times a year that we do revisit these balances.

00:37:37 Speaker 05: Any other questions?

00:37:40 Speaker 07: I do have a quick question to the director.

00:37:42 Speaker 07: I think it was on page eighty-nine.

00:37:46 Speaker 07: The reserve for the doctor recruitment.

00:37:49 Speaker 07: It does say the funds to be used for marketing, advertisement, and promotional materials.

00:37:55 Speaker 07: When was the last time we did any marketing and promotions under that category?

00:38:01 Speaker 05: Back to you, Madam Chair.

00:38:02 Speaker 05: So that reserve is held by the City of Owen Sound, but the funds that are collected for it are done through by that working group, and so in general they direct where those funds go.

00:38:13 Speaker 05: So we hold it on their behalf, but every year they're using those funds towards marketing efforts.

00:38:18 Speaker 05: It's not necessarily the city doing them directly, but we're supporting that group that continues to work on those scope.

00:38:25 Speaker 07: Thank you so much, and with that, I would look for moving of the report, right?

00:38:33 Speaker 07: Member Monica has moved it, and all in favour.

00:38:38 Speaker 07: It seems everyone is in favour, and it is carried unanimously.

00:38:45 Speaker 07: That moves us to eight C two, which is report CR twenty-six-zero-seven-eight from the Director of Corporate Services regarding twenty-twenty-six T-two financial update.

00:38:57 Speaker 05: Thank you.

00:38:57 Speaker 05: Our last report tonight is a financial update.

00:39:00 Speaker 05: We aim to provide three of these a year, so we have an early one after the first four months of the year.

00:39:06 Speaker 05: This is our T-two, which I've kind of expedited.

00:39:09 Speaker 05: Normally, it keeps to the end of September, but with the election and this committee sort of going on hiatus, I tried to bring it a bit earlier,

00:39:16 Speaker 05: so it doesn't capture quite as many months of elapsed data as it normally would.

00:39:20 Speaker 05: And then again, we bring that final year-end report generally around April, that captures the full year.

00:39:26 Speaker 05: In order to do these updates, I'll take the actual results of the year to date, and in this case, it was to the end of August, and then I'll estimate the remainder of the year,

00:39:36 Speaker 05: typically using last year as my sort of basis, and then adjusting that for known wages and things like that.

00:39:43 Speaker 05: So, based on our current forecast, we are looking at a modest year-end deficit this year.

00:39:49 Speaker 05: Weather-related costs, repair costs, legal expenditures, being the driving factors of that deficit; however, they are offset by strong tax-related adjustments, facility bookings, transit performance, and as with every year,

00:40:05 Speaker 05: we tend to have gapping related to positions that go vacant throughout the year.

00:40:11 Speaker 05: Unlike last year, where we had some significant one-time variances, specifically with the WSIB rebate that we had, I'm not seeing that sort of impact on this year's financials at this point in time.

00:40:23 Speaker 05: Most of the impacts are seasonal type things, and as with any year, weather has such a huge impact on our financial performance.

00:40:34 Speaker 05: So, if we have a heavy winter, that can have a very huge effect on our financials when it comes to the cost of salt and sand,

00:40:42 Speaker 05: the overtime costs for staff that respond to the weather, the fleet maintenance, and fuel costs that come with running them more often, and then that typically moves into the spring.

00:40:54 Speaker 05: We now have heavy winter, heavy runoff, so now we have all those stormwater concerns.

00:41:00 Speaker 05: And this year, we had some significant erosion issues, especially you'll recall at Harrison Park, that we had to do some maintenance throughout the campground and on some roadways.

00:41:09 Speaker 05: So, when we have those heavy winters and wet springs, they tend to impact our financials.

00:41:15 Speaker 05: Our goal, however, is to be okay with a deficit.

00:41:18 Speaker 05: And in fact, at the end of the year, I would be more confident to present council with a small deficit every year because that means we set the tax rate just right.

00:41:30 Speaker 05: It would be—it's harder to explain when we come in saying we have this large surplus.

00:41:34 Speaker 05: It sounds good; we were so efficient.

00:41:36 Speaker 05: But what that really means is we could have had a lower tax levy and still gotten through the operations.

00:41:42 Speaker 05: So I don't let the word deficit concern me.

00:41:45 Speaker 05: We know that some years are going to be up and some years are going to be down, and our goal is to set our levy at something that's sustainable and stable over time.

00:41:54 Speaker 05: And so, if we do end up in a year-end deficit, no alarm bells are going off.

00:41:58 Speaker 05: We're able to fund that from our tax stabilization reserve, and certainly last year we were able to contribute a little bit of money to it.

00:42:06 Speaker 05: So, I would be quite comfortable with that.

00:42:08 Speaker 05: But I'm happy to take any other questions if you have any on this report.

00:42:13 Speaker 07: All right, the floor is open for discussion.

00:42:15 Speaker 07: Any questions?

00:42:16 Speaker 07: Looking at my left.

00:42:18 Speaker 07: Member Franken.

00:42:26 Speaker 11: The higher penalty and interest revenues can point to slower tax payments.

00:42:33 Speaker 11: So my question is: Are the tax receivable trends showing any broader stress among the ratepayers?

00:42:43 Speaker 05: Through you, Madam Chair, I would say yes, they were, and especially last year, I was concerned about some of the balances that were growing.

00:42:51 Speaker 05: But after we've had some, through our collection efforts, we've made a lot of progress bringing those balances down.

00:43:00 Speaker 05: There are also sometimes one or two properties, very large properties or large property owners, can cause a bigger impact.

00:43:10 Speaker 05: So if one large property owns a significant balance, then that can swing it.

00:43:14 Speaker 05: That can have a moderate impact on what that owing balance is.

00:43:19 Speaker 05: However, whenever a property does change hands, the city is paid first.

00:43:25 Speaker 05: We get to collect those taxes.

00:43:27 Speaker 05: So through the process of regular properties buying and selling, we've actually seen those balances come down.

00:43:35 Speaker 05: We have not had a tax sale this year or any sort of strong measures that we've had to undertake in order to bring those balances down.

00:43:42 Speaker 05: And I am eager to see what our taxes receivable are at the end of this year.

00:43:46 Speaker 05: That's the best time to compare them.

00:43:49 Speaker 05: Make sure you use the same point in time.

00:43:50 Speaker 05: And I'm expecting to see that they've come down a bit as a percentage of our revenues from where they were last year.

00:43:58 Speaker 05: Any other questions?

00:44:01 Speaker 05: Seeing none, could I have someone move the motion?

00:44:04 Speaker 07: All right.

00:44:05 Speaker 07: I'll see Member Franken's hands up.

00:44:08 Speaker 07: So, Member Franken has moved the report.

00:44:11 Speaker 07: All those in favour.

00:44:13 Speaker 07: So it's moved unanimously.

00:44:16 Speaker 07: That gets us carried through most of our reports.

00:44:20 Speaker 07: At eight D, there are none for fire.

00:44:22 Speaker 07: Eight E, no reports under clerks.

00:44:25 Speaker 07: Eight F, no reports under human resources.

00:44:28 Speaker 07: Eight G, no reports under information technology.

00:44:33 Speaker 07: Eight H, no reports for taxes and revenue.

00:44:37 Speaker 07: At number nine, we have no matters postponed.

00:44:40 Speaker 07: At number ten, there are no motions for which notice was previously given.

00:44:46 Speaker 07: At number eleven, there is correspondence provided for information, and I do have correspondence from the committee and executive support coordinator regarding community vacancies and applications.

00:45:02 Speaker 14: Okay, so I just wanted to note quickly that as the current committee term comes to an end, and this is the last meeting for many of you here tonight.

00:45:10 Speaker 14: Just a reminder that applications for the next term of committees open online on October 19th and will be open until November 20th.

00:45:20 Speaker 14: Being in an election year, there are a few extra openings on local boards and committees.

00:45:25 Speaker 14: So a full listing can be seen at OwenSound.ca/committeevacancies, which is right here, and you'll see this chart with all of the vacancies that are going to be open for in the new year,

00:45:37 Speaker 14: and the application information will be all on this page as well.

00:45:40 Speaker 14: Come October 19th.

00:45:43 Speaker 14: So, thank you to all the public members for the dedication and time that you spent on this committee.

00:45:48 Speaker 14: It's been great, and I urge you to all consider applying again for next year.

00:45:56 Speaker 07: Before I move on to item twelve, which is discussion of additional business, I would just like to take a moment to acknowledge all the time, effort, hard work,

00:46:05 Speaker 07: and the energy that each one of the community members bring to the table.

00:46:10 Speaker 07: We are very fortunate that you guys decided to volunteer, participate, take the time and effort to provide the valuable input to this community table.

00:46:20 Speaker 07: It was an honour and a privilege to have been served.

00:46:24 Speaker 07: Besides all of you folks, and I wish you all the best.

00:46:28 Speaker 07: And I hope whether it's the election year, whether it's a different council or it's a mix of the current council, I hope that you all bring your valuable feedback to the next committees.

00:46:40 Speaker 07: Thank you, each one of you.

00:46:45 Speaker 07: Yes, I think we should have a round of applause for all of them.

00:46:51 Speaker 07: Thank you.

00:46:54 Speaker 07: At number twelve, we have discussion of additional business, and I will pass the mic over to Councillor Martin.

00:47:00 Speaker 07: Three.

00:47:02 Speaker 03: Through your chair, I've been receiving various correspondence from the public with concerns about e-scooters around safety, particularly with children, pedestrian-related issues when these e-scooters are used on the sidewalks, and also traffic-related concerns.

00:47:24 Speaker 03: I would look to Riley to comment.

00:47:29 Speaker 03: I know we've had communication, and I think it's really important for the public to be aware of what's being planned around the issue of e-scooters.

00:47:38 Speaker 03: So, Madam Chair, if I could ask for clarification.

00:47:48 Speaker 10: Through you, Chair, under Ontario Regulation 389/19 of the Highway Traffic Act, e-scooters are subject to several provincial requirements, including a minimum operating age of sixteen,

00:48:01 Speaker 10: restrictions on carrying passengers and helmet requirements for riders under eighteen years of age.

00:48:06 Speaker 10: The regulation also stipulates that e-scooters may only be operated in areas under municipal jurisdiction where a municipality has specifically permitted their use through a bylaw.

00:48:17 Speaker 10: At present, the City of Owen Sound does not have a bylaw that specifically permits or regulates e-scooter use.

00:48:22 Speaker 10: What this means is that e-scooters cannot be operated on any highways, sidewalks, trails, paths, walkways, or in any public parks in the city.

00:48:31 Speaker 10: While some existing city bylaws touch on the use of vehicles and bicycles on sidewalks, they are not written with e-scooters in mind and do not provide clear direction regarding their operation.

00:48:42 Speaker 10: Recognizing the increasing use of e-scooters and the concerns being raised by the community,

00:48:46 Speaker 10: the City has requested a meeting with the Owen Sound Police Service to review the current legislative framework and discuss the most appropriate path forward.

00:48:53 Speaker 10: As part of this review, the City will also consider whether updates to municipal bylaws are warranted to provide greater clarity regarding e-scooter use and enforcement within the community.

00:49:03 Speaker 10: At present, complaints regarding e-scooter use should be directed to the Owen Sound Police Service non-emergency line at 519-376-1234 to be responded to as time permits.

00:49:19 Speaker 07: All right, that brings us to item thirteen: notices of motion.

00:49:23 Speaker 07: Are there any notices of motion today?

00:49:25 Speaker 07: Seeing none, it brings us to the closing, which is item four adjournment, and it is six twenty.

00:49:32 Speaker 07: And the Corporate Services Committee adjourned for the evening.

00:49:35 Speaker 07: Have a wonderful rest of your day.