Owen Sound Council Meeting - Regular Meeting Transcript — April 13, 2026

00:00:13 SPEAKER_001: Good evening This is the Onsound City Council April thirteenth twenty twentysix It is five thirty We're calling the meeting or I am calling the meeting to order I note the councillor Middleborough is not in attendance but may be attending virtually

00:00:27 SPEAKER_001: if her connection works Number two call for additional business

00:00:34 SPEAKER_001: I've got I think five items two attendances that I've been to two events coming up and one other regarding the census

00:00:44 SPEAKER_001: Deputy Mayor Greig I think is on the motions tonight

00:00:48 SPEAKER_001: At oh before I get there number three declarations of interest Councillor Ham

00:00:54 Brock Hamley: Thank you Your Worship I'm declaring a direct pecuniary Interest on item eleven B eleven C and twenty one I which are the gas tax agreement the court security program and the encroachment agreement with MTO And the nature

00:01:10 Brock Hamley: of my interest is that I work for the government of Ontario

00:01:14 SPEAKER_001: Good thank you Any others Seeing no others I didn't look to staff for additional business Seeing none

00:01:22 SPEAKER_001: Okay Now confirmation of the council minutes Deputy Mayor Greig

00:01:27 Scott Greig 3: Moved by myself Deputy Mayor Greig seconded by Councillor Hamley that the minutes of the following meetings be adopted as printed one closed session of the regular council meeting held on March 9 2026 closed session of the Community Services Committee meeting

00:01:41 Scott Greig 3: held on March 18 2026 and three regular council meeting held on March 23 2026 Perfect

00:01:50 SPEAKER_001: Thanks All in favor

00:01:52 SPEAKER_001: That is carried Number five motion to move council into committee The whole

00:01:58 Scott Greig 3: Moved by myself Deputy Mayor Greig seconded by Councilor Hamley That city council now move into committee The whole to consider public meetings deputations and presentations public forum matters arising from correspondence reports to city staff consent agenda committee minutes matters postponed

00:02:14 Scott Greig 3: motions for which notice was previously given and additional business

00:02:19 SPEAKER_001: Thanks All in favor That is carried So we're now in committee The whole at number six in our agenda we have no public meetings At number seven a we have a deputation from Shauna Doyle but I think it's probably someone

00:02:32 SPEAKER_001: else introducing her No

00:02:36 SPEAKER_001: So on sound North Grey Union Public Library Information Specialist introducing Ah you're doing the introduction Introducing the Poet Laureate Welcome

00:02:51 SPEAKER_001: Your Worship Council Members Staff and Public My name is Shauna Doyle and I work at the Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library And tonight I have the pleasure to announce the new 20262027 Poet Laureate Jennifer Frankum Tonight

00:03:07 SPEAKER_001: I am joined by Library CEO and Chief Librarian Tim NicholsHarrison and the new Poet Laureate Jennifer Frankum The Poet Laureate program is hosted by the Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library with funding from several members of the community

00:03:24 SPEAKER_001: the Poet Laureate's honorarium and other expenses for the current term are covered by donations from Philip Faulkner Pat Lorenzo David Medill CFP of BMO Nesbit Burns Never supported by taxbased funding the

00:03:40 SPEAKER_001: existence of the Poet Laureate program depends entirely on donations from community members who see the benefit of having a local advocate for the literary arts Tonight I have the honor of introducing Jennifer Frankum as the new Poet Laureate Jennifer

00:03:56 SPEAKER_001: Frankum fashions poems out of everyday moments of wonder She began writing daily after a breakdown at twentyfour in nineteen eightyseven With counseling family support medication and grit she went on to teach high school English creative writing careers

00:04:13 SPEAKER_001: civics family studies parenting ESL and special education for twentynine years in Port Elgin Jennifer has three poetry collections in print and a picture book for toddlers all with the Bruce Dale Press During

00:04:29 SPEAKER_001: her term as Owsampoet laureate Jennifer is looking forward to leading poetry workshops for teenagers adults and seniors and giving interranging poetry readings throughout Grey and Bruce counties She will continue to write poems To to celebrate and commemorate

00:04:46 SPEAKER_001: the overlooked bits of beauty as well as advocate for poetry which she believes is a taproot of the soul and its healing and a force for good And now I will pass the mic to Jennifer to say some words

00:05:00 SPEAKER_001: Thank

00:05:07 SPEAKER_001: you Shauna That was lovely

00:05:10 SPEAKER_001: Your Worship Council Members Staff and Public I am Honored to have been appointed on Sound Poet Laureate for 20262027

00:05:19 SPEAKER_001: Thank you to the Poet Laureate Advisory Committee for their confidence and support and to outgoing Poet Laureate Rebecca Dm for her encouragement camaraderie and friendship

00:05:28 SPEAKER_001: Thank you to the financial sponsors of the Poet Laureate Program Philip Faulkner Pat Lorenzo and David Madill CFP BMO and Edsbit Burns Your monetary support will allow me to travel the highways and gravel roads of Grand Bruce giving workshops and

00:05:44 SPEAKER_001: speaking to those who need a community of writers

00:05:47 SPEAKER_001: Writing has been a source of healing for me It is a vehicle for understanding thoughts and feelings joys and sorrows It is both personal and universal Since my first breakdown in March one thousand nine hundred and eightyseven at age twentyfour

00:06:00 SPEAKER_001: on a teachers' college retreat my journals have been a repository for my plans to move forward for my private thoughts and poems that I was not able to share in that era When I obtained a teaching job a year and

00:06:12 SPEAKER_001: a half after my breakdown I needed to hide that I had been in a psychiatric ward with the hope that one day I would be able to come out of the mental illness closet and tell my story and help others

00:06:22 SPEAKER_001: to tell theirs as well This time has arrived Writing poetry is a private endeavor It is the still small voice of the inner life When the time arrives and confidence grows far from the time of shame and loss of pride

00:06:36 SPEAKER_001: that small voice becomes public By sharing My my poetry and my story during public readings and workshops I give others permission to tell their stories and to heal also

00:06:49 SPEAKER_001: A rather serious poem I have visited the underworld I have returned In the lockedup place Gord steeped his tea in a plastic cup of juice He might have been a scientist He showed his gleaming teeth I met a retired

00:07:05 SPEAKER_001: school principal who wished to found a charity He was a kind and wise man We talked of teaching and healing of how every child needs a bed He wished to make it so

00:07:19 SPEAKER_001: In group I wrote the date on the board before the nurse's lesson It was as routine as my meds would become One holy capsule each morn One white tablet before bed

00:07:33 SPEAKER_001: I met a woman pregnant with her eighth who did not want the child she prayed aloud as you might pray when wretched

00:07:42 SPEAKER_001: My new husband brought timbits and laughter to the ward The young women smiled crowded round giggling My man was the man of the hour He has been the man of my life

00:07:55 SPEAKER_001: He knew the way of things changed He softened my fearful thoughts He wrote in a notebook sorrow worry anger regret We have bested the theft of loss of madness We are thirtyone years in

00:08:10 SPEAKER_001: What the movies get wrong about psychiatric wards is encyclopedic in nature in nurture Inhabitants have battled oppression and depression abuse emotional and otherwise coercion guilt tripping controlling stifling hurtful

00:08:26 SPEAKER_001: language which has skewed and shrunk selfimage to phantom shadows

00:08:32 SPEAKER_001: The psychiatrist Enters the room lights a candle in the patient's darkened soul until the patient holds the candle for herself shines the light for others

00:08:47 SPEAKER_001: Ink rivered my journals Mom read novels by Maeve Binchy and John Steinbeck though mostly at home she baked and at the hospital healed the sick She didn't know where my poems came from when my words finally decided to arrive and

00:09:02 SPEAKER_001: I didn't know what to tell her Ink tentative and tremulous rivered my journals Mom looked a bit skeptical as if this writing every day might take me away from something more practical that would get me out of the house and

00:09:14 SPEAKER_001: through my depression How was she to know that my poems were tonic and scalpel bandage and salve and most of all forceps that tugged me singing out of grief's cave into the gleaming day my eyes open

00:09:31 SPEAKER_001: for the first time the world a holy wonder My body bathed in light

00:09:49 SPEAKER_001: We thank Tim and Ms Doyle for coming in and and doing the introduction tonight and to Ms Frankum thank you for coming in and stepping up I hope you have a great couple of years and

00:10:02 SPEAKER_001: I'm sure you will I've heard from your predecessor that she quite enjoyed it for a couple of years I've heard it several times from her that she's quite enjoyed it a few times So thank you again and

00:10:14 SPEAKER_001: good luck good good travels Thank you

00:10:21 SPEAKER_001: At number eight on our agenda is public forum If there's anyone that wishes to Ask ask a question make a comment to council We get you to step up push the microphone state where you reside and your name and go

00:10:35 SPEAKER_001: ahead

00:10:38 SPEAKER_001: Okay name is Doug Murdoch Live at Eight Avenue East Olmsted This will begin with

00:10:46 SPEAKER_001: worked on a renovation down on a house in the corner of Ninth Avenue East and Twentieth Street

00:10:52 SPEAKER_001: The work is being done by Barry's Construction

00:10:56 SPEAKER_001: Two weeks in the work a lot of the neighbors noticed no building permit posted

00:11:02 SPEAKER_001: So I said Okay I'll inquire I inquired to the building department No building permit had been issued So my question is why was the work being done

00:11:14 SPEAKER_001: So the lady who I was talkingI don't know who it wasasked if I wanted to speak to the building inspector I said yes He called me back

00:11:23 SPEAKER_001: and talking to him alls I got was a couple wells out of them Like what kind of response is that Moving to two thousand and twentysix Barry's Construction again another house renovation on the corner of Tenth Avenue West or Tenth

00:11:39 SPEAKER_001: Street West and Sixth Avenue West No building permit posted So I phoned again or I emailed the got the deputy building inspector She said one had been issued I said emailed her back So while if it had why

00:11:55 SPEAKER_001: isn't it posted

00:11:58 SPEAKER_001: Just wondering Next one is

00:12:02 SPEAKER_001: I've been contacted the bylaw and asked who's responsible for the homeless encampments off on along the rail trail off Twenty Sixth Street It's a mess in there Like is that the responsibility of the city

00:12:20 SPEAKER_001: Like do you anybody know is the city cleaning that mess up or there's like four encampments in there

00:12:29 SPEAKER_001: I've just stole your microphone from you because we can't really talk back and forth But

00:12:35 SPEAKER_001: you're here giving us information Staff will certainly look at it and follow up For anyone else that makes observations we really encourage you to go to the website which is onsoundca and hit report a concern that That way it gets

00:12:51 SPEAKER_001: recorded It gets tracked It gets followed up If it doesn't get followed up and it keeps beeping and the more calls we get in the same thing we start to

00:13:01 SPEAKER_001: build a It builds a record that we're able to follow up on So

00:13:08 SPEAKER_001: Yes but I like I contact like with the first complaint I contacted the building department so

00:13:16 SPEAKER_001: they know I called So and with this one I as say it was bylaw was involved and I haven't heard anything back yet So

00:13:24 SPEAKER_001: given that you brought it to our attention I'm pretty sure it will be followed up on fairly quickly Thank you

00:13:32 SPEAKER_001: So then any other concerns The best go through reporter concern

00:13:38 SPEAKER_001: I would really encourage that Doug because then it gets it's there There's a record built and it gets tracked So that's the best way

00:13:48 SPEAKER_001: Okay and the other other one I had it's same thing I dealt with the parks manager over a course of years and nothing's been done

00:14:01 SPEAKER_001: And that's to do with the loss of all the trees at the wastewater treatment plant For

00:14:08 SPEAKER_001: years walking by I wondered why all the Tbars and the wires were still on them So I got looking at them and the

00:14:18 SPEAKER_001: trees are starting to grow around the wires and the rubber hose there So I contact the parks manager and he said Well that's the least of my concern I said Well taxpayers are paid for them for all the work done

00:14:33 SPEAKER_001: down there I said Something's got to be done Nothing was done So and then so I end up going down I said Well there's no sense I'm dying if he's not going to cut them cut all the wires Next problem

00:14:47 SPEAKER_001: the beavers moved in Same thing

00:14:50 SPEAKER_001: Didn't seem to care

00:14:53 SPEAKER_001: Solution would have been just to put guards around the trees get rid of the beaver But now we've lost all the

00:15:00 SPEAKER_001: the trees down there So

00:15:02 SPEAKER_001: like shouldn't be taxpayers paid the first time to re to put them in and they shouldn't be paying the second time I think responsibility should be on the people who Didn't do their job

00:15:14 SPEAKER_001: Should be need pay for themselves and replace the trees that were lost

00:15:19 SPEAKER_001: Thanks for your information Thank you

00:15:22 SPEAKER_001: Is there anyone else that wishes to speak to matters

00:15:34 SPEAKER_001: Hi there My name is Kelly Carmichael and I reside at thirteen forty nine Fifth Avenue West Owen Sound and I'm here kind of on a delegation sort of a group of people who live in the area among Brook primarily about

00:15:49 SPEAKER_001: the bike lanes on Fourth Ave and just to express on behalf of a soup club actually that I'm about to depart to attend the final meeting of the soup season

00:15:58 SPEAKER_001: all of whom are member are constituents who residents in the Brook area all who are supportive of having a bike lane on Fourth I have a young son and I'm in this area of where I'm thinking about getting a train

00:16:10 SPEAKER_001: trailer to be biking around with him this summer and it would make a big difference for my safety and for the safety of other families and for individuals who are biking independently to have a dedicated space on the roads If

00:16:20 SPEAKER_001: we're in a reconstruction project it just makes sense to do it at that time Obviously we don't need to look very hard to see the international and local impact of increasing gas prices reliance on petroleum

00:16:33 SPEAKER_001: You know it just makes sense I think at this point in our

00:16:37 SPEAKER_001: Time time on Earth to be looking towards other modes of transportation and making that as friendly and safe as possible So on behalf of myself and also the rest of my soup club we would all love to see a bike

00:16:47 SPEAKER_001: lane on Fourth Ave in any capacity whether that's the more limited option that's a little bit more affordable or the full you know whole shebang which would be our preference And I think would be great for other areas when we're

00:16:59 SPEAKER_001: doing reconstructive work to build that in you know from the baseline But certainly to have some sort of dedicated space Thanks

00:17:08 SPEAKER_001: Good Thank you for that feedback We are looking at Fourth Avenue and trying to figure out what to do with it So or maybe we know what we're doing with it Thank you for that

00:17:17 SPEAKER_001: And is there anyone else

00:17:20 SPEAKER_001: Seeing no others Go to number nine which is correspondence received for which direction of council is required

00:17:30 SPEAKER_001: It's correspondence from Donald Stratham of Lutheran social Services with regard to a request to waive building permit fees for Saint Clair Place

00:17:46 SPEAKER_001: Anything from staff that we need to hear from on

00:17:54 SPEAKER_013: Thank you Your Worship Council had asked me today what the building permit fee would be estimated at and we don't have final building plans I know you're working on that but based on the information we have the number of units

00:18:08 SPEAKER_013: with the commercial space staff estimate the building permit fee would be 127575

00:18:15 SPEAKER_013: Good thank

00:18:20 SPEAKER_013: you Councillor Hamley

00:18:24 SPEAKER_013: I

00:18:26 SPEAKER_013: think I want to make a motion Is that okay Yeah

00:18:31 SPEAKER_013: What was the number Again Pam I apologize

00:18:34 SPEAKER_013: Yeah

00:18:36 Brock Hamley: yeah I would move that Council direct staff to waive the one hundred twentyseven thousand five hundred seventyfive and eightyfour cent

00:18:46 Brock Hamley: building fees for the

00:18:49 Brock Hamley: the

00:18:51 Brock Hamley: Lutheran Social Services Development

00:18:55 Brock Hamley: Thank you Deputy Mayor Greig

00:18:58 Scott Greig 3: My first question to that Effect would be are there any other examples staff can refer to where this action has been taken by council

00:19:12 SPEAKER_013: Looking at the mayor did council reduce the building permit fee by half perhaps for the hospice So I believe we waived everything for the hospice

00:19:26 SPEAKER_013: That would be the precedent

00:19:38 Scott Greig 3: I'm just I'm going to place some opposition to the motion on the floor I think there's a very real cost to the actions that have to be taken in terms of building inspection We could sit around here for days and

00:19:53 Scott Greig 3: weeks and debate the merits of DCS I think the waiving of development charges for this project is in the neighborhood of greater than six hundred zero Staff can correct me on that but there's a significant financial waiving

00:20:09 Scott Greig 3: of fees for development charges for this project as well as within the minutes of the corporate community services later this evening I think it was three hundred and ninetyeight zero over ten years of tax being waived or recommended

00:20:26 Scott Greig 3: to council to waive as well but perhaps staff could just clarify the amount of development charges that are being waived for this this project because it is a significant financial benefit that's already being offered and supported by council

00:20:44 SPEAKER_013: Again and through your worship just based on our understanding of the project the city DCS would be around three hundred and eightynine thousand The county of Gray portion Of the DCS DCs would be two hundred and fortytwo thousand and as

00:21:00 SPEAKER_013: the deputy mayor mentioned in the community services minutes tonight there is a recommendation regarding a brownfield financial tax incentive and it would be three hundred and ninetyeight thousand

00:21:15 SPEAKER_013: dollars

00:21:20 SPEAKER_013: Councillor Merton

00:21:22 SPEAKER_106: through your worship

00:21:24 SPEAKER_106: I do support a motion to waive all or part of the building permit fees and some additional information I'd like to bring forward to the table

00:21:38 SPEAKER_106: When I had the pleasure of sitting on the municipal nonprofit housing board

00:21:44 SPEAKER_106: the city donated land that they had come across forfeited land And

00:21:53 SPEAKER_106: the parcel

00:21:55 SPEAKER_106: the remaining two hundred and fifteen thousand of the two hundred and sixty thousand dollars of that land was to be funded through the city's land sale reserve The city wrote off fifty thousand in outstanding tax arrears associated with the properties

00:22:12 SPEAKER_106: That was obviously gratefully received by that board

00:22:18 SPEAKER_106: and certainly established a pattern of demonstrating that the city supported nonprofit and affordable housing in our city

00:22:28 SPEAKER_106: We know there's a need The latest Gray County stats have shown that by the by names list there are 379 seniors on this list There are additional of course groups This housing that's proposed

00:22:45 SPEAKER_106: to be built will focus on providing housing for seniors

00:22:50 SPEAKER_106: for affordable and rentgeartoincome as well as some market housing

00:22:57 SPEAKER_106: this group has explored every possible opportunity for funding They have been diligent determined and as they have sought costs keep escalating

00:23:11 SPEAKER_106: It would be

00:23:13 SPEAKER_106: a positive for our community to be able to Assist them in finally taking this home past home plate to get those shovels in the ground

00:23:24 SPEAKER_106: The mandate from the provincial government is to build housing The provincial government has clearly identified this expectation by legislation and policy direction

00:23:37 SPEAKER_106: We can demonstrate that Owen Sound is complying with this provincial mandate to remove barriers to building homes Here in Owen Sound

00:23:48 SPEAKER_106: I support the motion

00:23:51 SPEAKER_106: recognizing that the city has demonstrated action in the past towards affordable housing

00:23:59 SPEAKER_106: Demonstrating the city has waived fifty thousand dollars in tax fees previously

00:24:07 SPEAKER_106: Would the councillor consider amending the motion to have an upset limit

00:24:14 SPEAKER_106: at an amount determined at least to fifty zero

00:24:21 SPEAKER_106: I am in support of total but also want to demonstrate that there has been steps taken prior

00:24:30 SPEAKER_106: to

00:24:33 SPEAKER_106: Councillor Hamley I'm just I'm not sure what you mean Carol

00:24:38 SPEAKER_106: Through you Mayor there

00:24:42 SPEAKER_106: is no doubt it's a lot of money that the city is being asked to provide

00:24:49 SPEAKER_106: You named the total amount

00:24:51 SPEAKER_106: and I'm willing to pass and approve I'm willing to approve that motion tonight However

00:24:59 SPEAKER_106: wondering to match what was done before if there could be a proportion of those building permit fees be approved up to an upset limit Limit whether that's an option for consideration or whether you would prefer to stay

00:25:16 SPEAKER_106: with the total amount

00:25:21 Brock Hamley: Yeah I'm going to stay with the total amount

00:25:24 Brock Hamley: You know I think and I'll maybe elaborate on why I'm doing this I think we get so few opportunities to support housing There's just not a lot of tools in our toolbox and this is one tool that we have to

00:25:36 Brock Hamley: actually help and advance it So that's why I'm making the motion up to

00:25:43 Brock Hamley: comment Mayor

00:25:46 SPEAKER_106: I support the total amount

00:25:49 SPEAKER_106: and I believe that this council will be demonstrating to the provincial government that we are goingwe are meeting their mandate and in fact going above and beyond And that may be a point of an additional motion based on the outcome

00:26:05 SPEAKER_106: of this

00:26:09 SPEAKER_106: Anyone else wish to speak to it We call the vote John

00:26:14 SPEAKER_107: Through the mayor I'll support the motion I think that if there's any kind of housing that we should be supporting it should be the explicitly affordable

00:26:23 SPEAKER_107: nonprofit like nonmarket housing of which this is to my understanding 50 of the 40 units will be explicitly affordable by

00:26:34 SPEAKER_107: by a definition that we can hang Our hats on and that other folks can hang Yeah where other folks can hang theirs

00:26:41 SPEAKER_107: And I'm conscious too that we may hear perspectives that say But like are we opening up a precedent for things I think that nonmarket housing that is explicitly affordable If there's any loophole I want us to be creating to support

00:26:55 SPEAKER_107: That's the type of housing I think we should be I also wonder

00:27:01 SPEAKER_107: if it would be helpful for us going forward Forward to add something specific to the fees and charges bylaw when there is explicitly affordable

00:27:11 SPEAKER_107: nonmarket housing being developed by

00:27:15 SPEAKER_107: yeah nonprofit organizations in our community but that isn't connected to this specific motion Happy to support Councillor Hamley's I'm

00:27:25 SPEAKER_001: just going to call the question and move on So I'm going to call the question on Oh

00:27:32 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: sorry Mayor Through you to council Might I suggest

00:27:37 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: we don't have that exact building permit fee number You have a very specific fee number in your motion

00:27:43 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: Could you either add up to the 127575 or eliminate the number

00:27:48 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: and just say waive the building permit fees Just for clarity otherwise with that exact amount we'll have to come back to council if it changes by five dollars

00:27:58 Brock Hamley: Okay I will amend the motion to say Waive the building fees

00:28:06 SPEAKER_001: Okay With that I will call the question All in favor One two three four five I'm six Two opposed I think so That carries

00:28:18 SPEAKER_001: Carried

00:28:28 SPEAKER_001: It isn't always easy for us to waive

00:28:33 SPEAKER_001: because we're worried about setting precedents We always have to raise money as Scott has said It's a real fee It's a job that we go out and do that we are trying to receive money for It's not like an abstract

00:28:47 SPEAKER_001: fee It's a fee for services However given the importance of the project the how many years you've been working on it how close you're getting and what you need just to get it over that line the fact that it's downtown

00:29:02 SPEAKER_001: etc I think this one works and I think everybody agrees with that But it is a tough decision Thank you

00:29:10 SPEAKER_001: Number ten A report from the Director of Corporate Services

00:29:17 SPEAKER_001: Carol

00:29:19 SPEAKER_106: Through you Mayor A followup motion I would have is to request that a letter be sent from the Mayor to the Premier of Ontario

00:29:28 SPEAKER_106: indicating that we have here in Owen Sound on several instances instances met the requirement of the province of Ontario to get housing built There is a push for this and it is

00:29:44 SPEAKER_106: time that we spoke up and indicated we are following that mandate

00:29:51 SPEAKER_106: every way we can and above what we are directed to do

00:29:56 SPEAKER_106: We mentioned about the nonprofit and that was and the gift of lands This is another example where when we are asked What are you doing Owen Sound to help people who need affordable housing We need to

00:30:13 SPEAKER_106: celebrate and advocate and I would request that the mayor send a letter identifying the actions taken by this council

00:30:26 SPEAKER_106: It was I believe it was a motion Yes

00:30:29 Brock Hamley: I will I'll have to add this to my growing list of declarations of pecuniary interests Your Worship And the nature of my interest is that I work for the government of Ontario

00:30:42 SPEAKER_001: Thank you He's stepping out Anyone want to comment Deputy MacGreg

00:30:49 SPEAKER_001: I'm

00:30:50 Scott Greig 3: going to voice opposition to the request of being that the very next report is the fourth phase of bringing down the tax ratio for the old multi multi residential tax class to equivalent to one That

00:31:07 Scott Greig 3: alone has significant savings over the past four years That action I don't want to

00:31:13 Scott Greig 3: speak too early here and Steel Kate Thunder is coming up but we have on other occasions and we did bridge financing for the Thompson build on Ninth Avenue East I mean

00:31:25 Scott Greig 3: this was one example of many and I don't think we

00:31:30 Scott Greig 3: need to direct the mayor to try to

00:31:33 Scott Greig 3: be so specific and in acknowledging an action or an item like this tonight because we I think on a continuum we're looking for every advantage or every opportunity we can to support affordable affordable housing without

00:31:50 Scott Greig 3: placing too much burden on the other residential taxpayers in the municipality

00:31:58 SPEAKER_001: We're supposed to talk to it once according to the bylaws But I think it's easier for me just to call the question Your hand was going up

00:32:06 SPEAKER_001: That was up Okay

00:32:09 SPEAKER_107: Through the mayor I've maybe got similar concerns in highlighting just one

00:32:13 SPEAKER_107: one sliver For although

00:32:16 SPEAKER_107: maybe my understanding is wrong and that the intention was to send a letter saying we're hearing criticisms that municipalities are not supporting housing Owen Sound is taking these steps and listing all of the things that we've done My

00:32:31 SPEAKER_107: I have a little bit of concern that we know that this that municipalities are being asked to cover more and more responsibilities when it comes to supporting housing that were previously responsibilities of the province and the federal Government and

00:32:49 SPEAKER_107: I'm a little worried that in this climate such a letter could be held up at a press conference to say See the municipalities are on board We don't need to make them whole after removing DCS and we don't need to

00:33:01 SPEAKER_107: provide more funding for the downloaded responsibilities

00:33:05 SPEAKER_107: And I don't think that's a quiver I want to put an arrow into Although I think that there is

00:33:12 SPEAKER_107: benefit to

00:33:15 SPEAKER_107: benefit to letting more people know what we are doing So I don't think I'll support this motion though I absolutely support the intention

00:33:22 SPEAKER_107: intention to celebrate the work and clarify the work that we are doing

00:33:27 SPEAKER_107: Good Thank you I'm going to call the question All in favor

00:33:30 SPEAKER_001: One Opposed Everyone else So that's defeated Thank you

00:33:36 SPEAKER_001: Report from city staff Ten A Report from the director of corporate services with regard to 2026 multiresidential tax reduction Your final Worship Sorry

00:33:51 SPEAKER_001: I'm just trying to find my screen Here we go

00:33:54 SPEAKER_656: As Councillor Greg mentioned this is the final year in a fouryear plan to reduce the multiresidential ratio from its original amount down to one And we in conjunction with the county have been taking

00:34:10 SPEAKER_656: an equal step each year to reduce that ratio over time

00:34:16 SPEAKER_656: There's lots of reasons why you might like to reduce a ratio and ultimately there's a few positive impacts from this It certainly

00:34:27 SPEAKER_656: will be passed along to those tenant holders in the form of rent reductions Not certainly significant but you could say for certain that there will be no rent increases on any of these properties as a result of taxation thanks

00:34:43 SPEAKER_656: to reducing the overall tax ratio

00:34:47 SPEAKER_656: Another

00:34:49 SPEAKER_656: reason why we might consider this is a risk

00:34:52 SPEAKER_656: mitigation tool that the city would employ if the province were to ever direct municipalities to reduce their ratios There's no

00:35:03 SPEAKER_656: knowing how quickly they would want us to do that and by getting to one now we reduce the risk that we would have to face significant reductions in that ratio that we didn't plan ahead for in the future

00:35:16 SPEAKER_656: I won't go through the whole report as Councilor Greg noted This was recently presented at the county It does make sense to do this in conjunction with the county and I understand that it was approved there just last week So

00:35:27 SPEAKER_656: this is the city sort of matching that step As I mentioned this would be our final year so we won't be bringing forward this type of tax policy in the future But we may look at looking We may start looking

00:35:38 SPEAKER_656: at some of our other ratios now that we've completed this this goal So overall when you reduce one ratio on one one division or tax class it shifts the burden to others We're not changing the amount of taxation that we're

00:35:53 SPEAKER_656: bringing in we're changing that burden of taxation So we are seeing a slight increase to the residential tax rate over and above what council approved at budget time but that's offset by a decrease to the tax rate for multiresidential of

00:36:07 SPEAKER_656: over eight percent

00:36:09 SPEAKER_656: So if there's any other questions I can certainly take them It is a complex topic but I'm hoping after four years of making this presentation that it's starting to sort of sink in a little bit

00:36:20 SPEAKER_656: Thank you John

00:36:23 SPEAKER_107: Through the mayor I'm curious about the comments around knowing that there will be no increases to rent and how tenants would

00:36:32 SPEAKER_107: be informed that this policy applied to their units I ran into

00:36:38 SPEAKER_107: someone in the neighborhood last week and got an update that their landlordtenant

00:36:45 SPEAKER_107: hearing had gone in their favor after a new landlord had tried to increase rates beyond what was legal So we know that it is not out of the realm of possibility that despite a reduction in tax ratios that a given

00:36:58 SPEAKER_107: landlord might pass on a maximum or above maximum rental increase to a tenant despite the benefits of a policy like this How does the city make sure that tenants in affected properties know that this will be applying to them

00:37:15 SPEAKER_107: so that the community legal clinic doesn't get more calls than they already do for

00:37:22 SPEAKER_107: disproportionate increases to folks' rent

00:37:26 SPEAKER_656: So the city will send rent reduction notices to any impacted unit holder in the city if this is if their particular property is affected by this however the city itself and our staff do not audit rents charged by those landlords

00:37:41 SPEAKER_656: So it is up to the tenants to follow up with their landlords and seek legal counsel if they don't feel that that it's being acknowledged

00:37:51 SPEAKER_656: Deputy Mayor Greig

00:37:53 Scott Greig 3: and I'm glad you noted one other piece of this conversation For twenty years the city has been working to migrate Downward its commercial and industrial tax ratios to meet the county's ratios and

00:38:08 Scott Greig 3: and we kind of went on hiatus for four years while we we undertook this initiative without trying to shift too much burden all at once back onto the residential taxpayer But could you speak to that effectively

00:38:22 Scott Greig 3: What was an agreement in place twenty five years ago that the city continues to desire to slide those rates downward to match in the future

00:38:32 SPEAKER_656: Certainly so Owen Sound is actually unique in the province That we are the only lower tier that I'm aware of that sets their own tax ratios and that was a unique agreement that was settled on at the time that Owen

00:38:43 SPEAKER_656: Sound went from being a single tier to joining the county and becoming part of Grey County At that time if we had immediately moved to the ratios that would have been put in place at the county it would have been

00:38:53 SPEAKER_656: extremely punishing for a residential taxpayer So we were given Given ability to retain our own ratios so long as we were working over time to bring our ratios closer to the county and theoretically at some point once all of our

00:39:07 SPEAKER_656: ratios are married to the county we would

00:39:11 SPEAKER_656: let go of that authority to set our own ratios and just move with the rest of the county as a whole But for the time being we aim to do that little by little We mentioned at one point that it

00:39:22 SPEAKER_656: was a 10year plan but anytime there's reassessment that kind of gets thrown out the window for a couple years so it's certainly it's certainly taking longer than ten years But I can say for certain that in no circumstance have we

00:39:35 SPEAKER_656: ever allowed our ratios to move further away from the county and and maybe we'll start looking again at commercial or regular industrial ratios when we come back in future years

00:39:47 SPEAKER_656: Okay can we have a motion

00:39:50 SPEAKER_656: Come on there we go John

00:39:53 SPEAKER_001: I'll move the motion in the report

00:39:55 SPEAKER_001: Thank you Anyone else Seeing no other hands going up we'll call the question On favor that is carried

00:40:03 SPEAKER_001: Thank you Ms Allen Next Ms Bloomfield 2027 Committee Structure Calendar

00:40:13 SPEAKER_001: Through

00:40:14 SPEAKER_009: your worship I have prepared a few slides to walk through a summary of staff report CR twenty six zero three one respecting the 2027 Committee Structure and Calendar

00:40:25 SPEAKER_009: This is the third report in series of reports presented to Council It builds on previous reports and incorporates feedback received to date with the aim of finalizing a comprehensive and effective framework for two thousand and

00:40:37 SPEAKER_009: twentyseven terms of reference and calendar have been reviewed by and supported by the senior leadership team

00:40:44 SPEAKER_009: In preparing this report staff developed the two thousand and twentyseven Council and Committee meeting calendar There is a small typo on the calendar attached to the report it notes that the police board meets at 10 am but it is actually

00:40:55 SPEAKER_009: 9 am I will update this in the calendar

00:40:58 SPEAKER_009: Early approval of the meeting schedule provides municipal election candidates council board and committee members staff the public and the media with timely and comprehensive notice of all meeting dates

00:41:11 SPEAKER_009: Staff recommend that council approve the committee terms of reference attached to the report which will be incorporated into the 2027 board and committee bylaw The The main difference differences between the current structure and new structure are that all committees are

00:41:24 SPEAKER_009: called advisory as they all function the same way and it reduces confusion for council staff and the public The former standing committees are renamed to recognize that city work is increasingly crossdepartmental and supports the direction set by council through the

00:41:40 SPEAKER_009: Vision 2050 strategic plan

00:41:43 SPEAKER_009: The updated names move away from departmentbased labels and better reflect the range of reports Corporate matters and decisions considered by each committee

00:41:53 SPEAKER_009: The former standing committees now have the word community as part of their title to emphasize that the group exists to represent reflect and serve the broader community not just internal stakeholders and also signals that the committee's work is grounded in

00:42:06 SPEAKER_009: community perspectives needs and impact

00:42:11 SPEAKER_009: The corporate services committee has been combined with the service review ad hoc committee to create the Resilient Community Advisory Committee

00:42:19 SPEAKER_009: Communications will now report through this committee as it previously did not have a home committee and it relates to city operations

00:42:26 SPEAKER_009: Animal control bylaw enforcement and fire services will be addressed by the former operations committee

00:42:32 SPEAKER_009: The composition includes all of council and no public It provides all of council with the opportunity to have indepth analysis of the operating and capital budget union mandates and other services the city provides It will meet the first Tuesday of

00:42:45 SPEAKER_009: operations 9 committee am

00:42:49 SPEAKER_009: now be called the Sustainable Community Advisory Committee Adding Animal Control Violent Enforcement and Fire Services ensures that these matters are addressed by a committee that has public members and it also will even out the number of reports reviewed by committees

00:43:03 SPEAKER_009: There is no change to the composition of this committee and it will meet monthly on the third Thursday at five thirty

00:43:10 SPEAKER_009: The

00:43:11 SPEAKER_009: Community Services Committee will now be called the Vibrant Community Advisory Committee There have been no changes to mandate or composition It will continue to meet monthly on the last Wednesday of the month at five thirty There

00:43:23 SPEAKER_009: have been no changes to the name of the Tom Thompson Art Gallery Advisory Committee and no changes to the mandate or composition This was in part to ensure that grants received by the art gallery are not jeopardized It is being

00:43:34 SPEAKER_009: recommended that the chair and vice chair be a council member as they are most familiar with the procedural bylaw and code of conduct This committee will continue to meet quarterly on the first Wednesday of the month at 2 pm

00:43:47 SPEAKER_009: As requested by Council staff have included working groups in the draft Board and Committee Bylaw It is a subcommittee appointed to achieve specific goals tasks or projects within a set time frame

00:43:58 SPEAKER_009: The composition is flexible as long as there is less than five members of Council and there are more public members than Council members A working group is meant to be selfsufficient and use limited staff resources Working groups will not be

00:44:10 SPEAKER_009: subject to the city's procedural bylaw which will allow for more flexibility in achieving their outcomes For instance quorum is not required to hold a meeting there is no need for a formal agenda or minutes and there are no live streaming

00:44:22 SPEAKER_009: requirements

00:44:26 SPEAKER_009: During recruitment of public members for 2027 board committee vacancies staff will also introduce and promote individuals sharing information about their areas of interest and ask them to identify whether they would be interested in serving on a working group Should one

00:44:40 SPEAKER_009: or arise

00:44:42 SPEAKER_009: This working group roster will then be used to quickly identify public members to serve on working groups Individuals will be able to add themselves to the roster at any time A working group can be initiated quickly and in three ways

00:44:54 SPEAKER_009: by council by committee or by staff Working groups can begin before the board and committee bylaw is updated but all working group members will be included in the board and committee bylaw for transparency and tracking purposes

00:45:08 SPEAKER_009: At the request of council staff reviewed the start date for board and committees Staff have included changes to the board and committee bylaw to have council appointments begin December fifteen th rather than February one st

00:45:20 SPEAKER_009: This would leave one month where boards would not have formal representation after an election We are hopeful that they can rearrange their meeting schedule as they had indicated Their preference is to receive permanent appointments as quickly as possible

00:45:35 SPEAKER_009: Staff also reviewed the timelines for public member appointments The board and committee bylaw includes the updated process as noted on this slide

00:45:43 SPEAKER_009: This will allow public appointments on boards to begin December 15th and committee terms to begin January 1st The

00:45:49 SPEAKER_009: changes to the appointment timelines need to also be updated in the board committee and seat selection policy along with the seating arrangements to note the new start date

00:45:58 SPEAKER_009: Public member appointments on the Community Services Committee Operations Committee and Tom Thompson Art Gallery Advisory Committee that extend beyond 2027 will be provided the opportunity to continue their term on the corresponding committee with vacancies being filled through recruitment

00:46:14 SPEAKER_009: In response to feedback received during the review of the committee structure and to ensure the procedural bylaw aligns with the board and committee bylaw staff recommend making the following updates to the procedural bylaw remove references to standing committees publish committee

00:46:28 SPEAKER_009: agendas one week before the meeting with the republished permitted in extenuating circumstances 72 hours in advance of the meeting

00:46:36 SPEAKER_009: and make housekeeping changes to the chair and budget amendment section

00:46:43 SPEAKER_009: The recommendation in the report is that in consideration of staff report CR twentysix zero three one respecting the twenty twentyseven committee structure and calendar City Council approves the terms of reference for the Resilient Community Advisory Committee Sustainable Community Advisory Committee

00:46:58 SPEAKER_009: Vibrant Community Advisory Committee Tom Thompson Art Gallery Advisory Direct staff to bring forward a bylaw to amend the board committee and seat selection policy to amend committee start dates and council seating start dates Direct staff to bring forward the 2027

00:47:12 SPEAKER_009: board and committee bylaw for approval including new terms of reference working group clauses and any changes to the Great Salt Lake Conservation Authority board Direct staff to bring forward a bylaw to amend the procedural bylaw to publish committee agendas earlier

00:47:25 SPEAKER_009: remove standing committee references and make housekeeping changes to the absence of the chair and budget amendment sections as outlined in the report

00:47:33 SPEAKER_009: Direct staff to provide notice of the proposed amendments to the procedural bylaw in accordance with the notice bylaw and approves the 2027 council and committee meeting calendar substantially in the form attached to the report And with that I can take

00:47:45 SPEAKER_009: any questions

00:47:47 SPEAKER_009: Thank you Any questions

00:47:50 SPEAKER_009: Seeing none

00:47:53 SPEAKER_009: There's a recommendation in front of us Deputy Mayor Greig I'll move that recommendation read by the clerk without

00:48:01 SPEAKER_009: reading it a second time

00:48:05 SPEAKER_009: Okay Councilor Farmer

00:48:09 SPEAKER_107: Through the mayor I'm going to speak in opposition to the recommendation because I don't believe that this plan is the best possible option for the next term of council There are components that I support like making the process of striking

00:48:19 SPEAKER_107: a working group clear updating the terms for committee membership and earlier agenda publishing But on the whole I can't support it First because it would see us once again reducing the number of seats for public members on city committees and

00:48:31 SPEAKER_107: second because it misses an opportunity to meaningfully update our committee structures so they support the Vision Two Thousand and Fifty We heard clearly from members of the public and committee that having public members adds value to our discussions and we're

00:48:43 SPEAKER_107: making this decision at a time when reducing or diminishing public feedback or input is common in the wider political zeitgeist But I don't think we need to follow that trend in Oceanside by removing public participation from one third of our

00:48:56 SPEAKER_107: current standing committees To the second point we spent a lot of time and money

00:49:01 SPEAKER_107: and that's both staff time and the time of the public in creating the Vision Two Thousand and Fifty plan This council approved that plan and envisions a more collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to city planning and operations The proposal before us

00:49:14 SPEAKER_107: actively chooses not to try something new in pursuit of the vision that this council approved and keeps us locked in a status quo for those committee organizations that both staff and the public have identified previously has room for improvement despite

00:49:27 SPEAKER_107: the rebranding for the names

00:49:30 SPEAKER_107: Simply renaming operations and community services doesn't provide a structure to meaningfully break down the silos between departments or the silos in our thinking around these issues at that table And I've heard the argument for both of those decisions that removing

00:49:46 SPEAKER_107: public members from corporate services so so council can have daytime meetings and maintaining the status quo is a way to reduce the amount of time that staff are at meetings to respect their worklife balance and I agree that's an important

00:49:58 SPEAKER_107: consideration But there are other ways to support that goal For instance instead of staff being compensated for regular meeting attendance with additional lieu time we could experiment with a

00:50:12 SPEAKER_107: process or a culture of staff flexing hours So if they're here late one night they come in or go home early on another day that week which would in my imagination help individuals catch up on the life things like grocery

00:50:22 SPEAKER_107: shopping laundry and general adulting that it's hard to do in lump sum of blue time once a year That's just one idea and I'm sure that there are others that don't discourage public engagement or lock us into a structure that's

00:50:34 SPEAKER_001: comfortable Just just gonna just gonna stop you there Did you not say all of this the last time this came up and then we voted to set it up this way and bring it back

00:50:48 SPEAKER_001: through the mayor and to the mayor

00:50:50 SPEAKER_107: I certainly participated in the conversation that led to the report before us My understanding was that with a motion on the floor currently that per the procedural bylaw we can speak to those the matter on the floor and that the

00:51:04 SPEAKER_107: time limit there would be the same as for any other matter within the procedural bylaw But I'll look to the clerks if this is different It just seems to me if we had this discussion before council voted in a certain

00:51:14 SPEAKER_001: way it would take a twothirds vote to turn it over and we're trying to rehash something that we've already decided I

00:51:21 SPEAKER_001: thought the idea was that we went through all of that at this time so we could get to this point that would come back basically as this written up not to

00:51:30 SPEAKER_001: rehash all the all the same thing again But unless I'm wrong Ms Bloomfield what we decided last time

00:51:43 SPEAKER_001: through you

00:51:45 SPEAKER_009: Your Worship I would say that

00:51:49 SPEAKER_009: this report reflects what council previously requested but because it is a new report with some new information it would there is an opportunity to make comments on this motion and this report Okay thank you Go ahead

00:52:05 SPEAKER_009: Through the mayor I only had two lines left Too the

00:52:11 SPEAKER_107: structure that we're approving is familiar

00:52:15 SPEAKER_107: I think there's an opportunity for us to pursue a more creative and new approach without leaning back on being comfortable with what we're already doing at the expense of creativity or improvement

00:52:27 SPEAKER_107: Which is all to say I don't support the motion and I will also request a recorded vote

00:52:33 SPEAKER_107: Councilor Martin

00:52:35 SPEAKER_106: Through your worship

00:52:37 SPEAKER_106: first of all I want to thank staff This bringing this forward has taken a lot of work a lot of time and I do appreciate this

00:52:47 SPEAKER_106: I will not be supporting the recommendation as it's presented

00:52:52 SPEAKER_106: There are a couple of areas that cause me concern the resilient community advisory committee that does not have public representation concerns me when I look at the scope

00:53:04 SPEAKER_106: and

00:53:05 SPEAKER_106: and where this community will be or this committee will actually be drilling down into The very aspect aspects of things that affect daily life the finances and the engagement concern me

00:53:20 SPEAKER_106: The other component is the ratio on the other committees of council to public and would support less council by one and more public by one So

00:53:37 SPEAKER_106: I will not be supporting because of the concern about lack Of community engagement in the resilient community advisory committee

00:53:46 SPEAKER_106: Thank you

00:53:48 SPEAKER_001: Not seeing any other hands going up so I'll call the question On favor Scott's motion to move the recommendation as is

00:53:55 SPEAKER_001: always recorded vote

00:54:00 SPEAKER_001: Councillor Dodd

00:54:02 SPEAKER_001: In favor

00:54:03 SPEAKER_001: Councillor Farmer

00:54:05 SPEAKER_001: Opposed Councillor Hamley In favor

00:54:10 SPEAKER_001: Councillor Koepke In favour

00:54:13 SPEAKER_001: Councillor Kukracja In favour

00:54:16 SPEAKER_001: Councillor Merton

00:54:19 SPEAKER_001: Opposed

00:54:21 SPEAKER_001: Deputy Mayor Greig

00:54:22 SPEAKER_001: In favour

00:54:24 SPEAKER_001: Mayor Boddy

00:54:26 SPEAKER_001: Sorry In favour

00:54:29 SPEAKER_009: The resolution carries with six in favour and two opposed

00:54:34 SPEAKER_009: Thank you

00:54:36 SPEAKER_001: So we're at ten C verbal Verbal report from deputy Mayor Greg from Gray County Council Nothing to report

00:54:42 Scott Greig 3: I guess I have a little bit to report There's two meetings to cover since our last City Council meeting a couple weeks ago Council issued tenders for two road projects Main Street reconstruction and Dundalk came in significantly under budget with

00:54:56 Scott Greig 3: three bidders which was or is a very large product project as well as a surplus for road work on County Road 12 Council received an annual report regarding Provincial Offences Court Provincial Offences Court is part of the Ontario Court of

00:55:12 Scott Greig 3: Justice And while more than a hundred separate pieces of legislation may be heard in the court the most common arise from the Highway Traffic Act Municipal Bylaws Automobile Insurance Act Dog Owners Liability Act Building Code Act Trespassing and Licensing Act

00:55:26 Scott Greig 3: Owen Sound Police filed 1100 tickets as part of 11796 filed from agencies in Bruce and Grey Fines arising from municipal bylaws see twentyfive retained to apply against core costs and seventyfive remitted back to the originating

00:55:43 Scott Greig 3: municipality Staff continue to advocate for improved sustainability of the selffunded POA model noting most recently during a Roma delegation that many fine amounts remain unchanged after several decades Greater than twentytwo zero records

00:55:59 Scott Greig 3: of unpaid fines totaling more than thirteen five million dollars is outstanding

00:56:05 Scott Greig 3: which is not outstanding but it's outstanding

00:56:10 Scott Greig 3: Exemplifying that fines for drivers' license and mandatory automobile insurance represent more than fifty percent of defaulted fines a trend not specific to Gramblers The department has expanded its collection efforts by transitioning from one collection agency to

00:56:26 Scott Greig 3: three agencies Staff presented the green development program The program has an anticipated launch date of spring 2026 and we'll see collaboration

00:56:37 Scott Greig 3: with municipalities to confirm their preference for participation And the last item of the March meeting was to postpone the primary motion on road exchanges and to subsequently return the matter back to the task force with enhanced reporting by that time

00:56:51 Scott Greig 3: from staff and with attendance from lower tier municipal staff at that meeting The first of two April meetings was delayed Agenda and I note for council that county council supported the reduction of the older multiresidential tax class ratio to one

00:57:05 Scott Greig 3: Council received a strategic plan status update which indicates about 33 of the objectives and goals have been completed with 50 of 77 items or 65 in progress currently The 77 items result from the four pillars which were internal operations and

00:57:21 Scott Greig 3: service delivery building communities for the future workforce development and lastly giving everyone a place to call home

00:57:30 Scott Greig 3: I also note for council that several onthesound items are contained on the accessibility agenda meeting for this Friday which was rescheduled due to a lack of quorum from an earlier date And lastly the Cruise and Connect business networking event is

00:57:45 Scott Greig 3: Thursday April twentythird on the Chichimec Tickets available on the county website link via Eventbrite I welcome any questions and ask for council's adoption of the verbal report

00:57:58 SPEAKER_001: Any questions Deputy No you're not a Deputy Mayor yet Councillor Farmer

00:58:04 SPEAKER_107: Thank you through the Mayor I'm just curious the postponement of the road exchanges project What's what does that mean for the timeline Having heard previously that there was real interest in completing the project prior to the election in

00:58:20 SPEAKER_107: the fall

00:58:24 Scott Greig 3: there'll be consideration of other dates for implementation or transfer but not July six as the go forward date

00:58:34 SPEAKER_001: Okay I'm going to call the question on favor

00:58:37 SPEAKER_001: and that is carried

00:58:40 SPEAKER_001: So that gets us through to consent agenda Noting that the procedural we weren't following the procedural policy and that the integrity commissioner suggested I needed to I'll get Ms Bloomfield to read the consent agenda and then I'm going to ask

00:58:55 SPEAKER_001: if there's anything that needs to be polled and voted on separately Then we're proceeding

00:59:03 SPEAKER_009: Through your worship on the consent agenda this evening is the third election report a report on the 2026 provincial gas tax letter of agreement a report on the 2026 court security and prisoner transportation program a report on an extension of

00:59:16 SPEAKER_009: Grey County street sweeping agreement a report on the delegation of authority for servicing agreements a report on the Ninth Avenue East reconstruction Reconstruction Encroachment and Delegation of Authority for Encroachment Approvals a report on the award of the billing and hot

00:59:29 SPEAKER_009: mix asphalt paving joint tender and a report on the appointment of a director to the River District Board of Management There are minutes for receipt from the Bruce County Poverty Task Force the Library and the Police Board The last item

00:59:41 SPEAKER_009: on the consent agenda is the information package A full listing is available at Eleven L

00:59:46 SPEAKER_001: Thank you Is there anything that needs to be pulled and voted on separately Councilor Farmer

00:59:51 SPEAKER_107: Through mayor as we're changing the culture of this I'm a little unclear if I want to highlight something from the information package Is that a separate vote to move it afterwards Okay I'd like to pull the correspondence package as

01:00:05 SPEAKER_107: or just specific items This is this is new to me A couple years in is it better to pull the whole thing so it can be moved on its own or just pull specific items I would suggest you pick out

01:00:16 SPEAKER_107: the thing that you want to pick out

01:00:18 SPEAKER_107: I'd like to pull items one C and two B I'd also like to pull the police service board minutes If we're not getting a verbal report on that I've just got one quick question following up about the reported additional hours

01:00:33 SPEAKER_107: for armed court security There

01:00:36 SPEAKER_107: if there's not an opportunity to ask about that otherwise Okay So pulling eleven K and then within the correspondence package one C and two B Okay

01:00:48 SPEAKER_107: Go ahead

01:00:50 Scott Greig 3: And I'd also like to pull eleven G I have a question regarding that tenyear award

01:00:57 SPEAKER_001: Good Thank you So then I'm going back to you Anyone else Seeing none Going back to you

01:01:04 Scott Greig 3: So I'll work my way through this That move by myself Deputy Mayor Greig That in consideration of the items listed on the April thirteen two thousand and twentysix consent agenda save and accept items B and C

01:01:21 Scott Greig 3: and K and L

01:01:26 Scott Greig 3: subsection 1C and 2B

01:01:30 Scott Greig 3: and 11G

01:01:33 Scott Greig 3: 1 receives the

01:01:37 Scott Greig 3: items and 2 approves the recommendations

01:01:42 Scott Greig 3: contained

01:01:45 Scott Greig 3: within

01:01:53 Scott Greig 3: Can I see your list

01:02:13 SPEAKER_001: So we're voting to move forward with all except for 11B

01:02:18 SPEAKER_001: 11C 11K 11

01:02:25 SPEAKER_001: and items 1C and 2B within 11L That makes sense Call the question on favor

01:02:34 SPEAKER_001: That's carried

01:02:38 SPEAKER_001: Okay So if we can go back to whichever order you've got there

01:02:43 Scott Greig 3: That move by myself Deputy Mayor Greig That in consideration of the items listed on the April thirteenth two thousand twentysix consent agenda City Council

01:02:55 Scott Greig 3: approve eleven B and eleven C

01:03:04 Scott Greig 3: Those two are the ones with a declaration of pecuniary interest

01:03:10 Scott Greig 3: Gotcha Okay

01:03:13 SPEAKER_001: so we're moving ahead with eleven B and eleven C I see you stepping out

01:03:28 SPEAKER_001: So they have been moved Any discussion of those Seeing none Call the question And those on favor

01:03:36 SPEAKER_001: they're carried

01:03:42 Scott Greig 3: I will move that in consideration of the item

01:03:48 Scott Greig 3: eleven

01:03:50 Scott Greig 3: G

01:03:53 Scott Greig 3: within listed on the April thirteenth two thousand twentysix consent agenda City Council receive and approve the recommendation contained therein and I have just two easy questions for the director motion

01:04:10 SPEAKER_001: is on the floor I'll go back to you with regard to the discussion

01:04:15 Scott Greig 3: This tender is being awarded to a company with a little further travel distance and I'm just inquiring with staff on our process for monitoring This is certainly a little further than the general

01:04:29 Scott Greig 3: transportation that one sees with hot mix So just wanted to double check on how we are situated for staffing complement to

01:04:39 Scott Greig 3: adequately test the materials on application as well as it was noted in the report further information coming back to committee this summer on future roads for resurfacing However

01:04:56 Scott Greig 3: last year we did have a twoyear

01:04:58 Scott Greig 3: slate So I'm wondering is this because we achieve more last year and this year with

01:05:04 Scott Greig 3: extra dollars or better pricing and you're looking at enhancing the road list or what was that speaking to

01:05:14 SPEAKER_108: Through your worship to Deputy Mayor Greig so a couple things This is a contractor that we city staff current city staff have never worked with before So whenever that comes up we check references and we

01:05:30 SPEAKER_108: also have identified in the report that we're going to be carrying ten thousand dollars of funding for consulting services to assist with that sort of on the on the site inspection and testing

01:05:47 SPEAKER_108: For that reason because we're not we've never worked with them before we don't really know what to expect The references you know everything was fine We followed our purchasing policy and so that's why we're recommending this award

01:06:03 SPEAKER_108: and then as far as the locations that you mentioned this winter was pretty hard on our roads So we're actually going to be making a few changes over what we what we presented to you last year So that is why

01:06:17 SPEAKER_108: we are going to be coming back with a different like with a with a fresh report with the updated list of locations

01:06:27 SPEAKER_001: That answered both questions Yep Okay Call the question All in favor That that is carried

01:06:34 SPEAKER_001: 11K was the minutes of Police Service Board

01:06:41 SPEAKER_001: Do you want to move them and then ask your question

01:06:44 SPEAKER_107: Yeah through the mayor I'll move the minutes My question was specifically noting the large number of hours dedicated to having a an armed officer to provide court security at the two locations If there's any up update or ongoing

01:07:00 SPEAKER_107: advocacy knowing that there were some presentations or discussions around Roma

01:07:06 SPEAKER_107: around reexamining that the implementation of that recommendation across Ontario wondering whether that there's any ongoing work there either at the police board association of police board level or at the county level that council should be aware of

01:07:19 SPEAKER_107: Good thank you Councillor Merton

01:07:23 SPEAKER_107: Councillor Capkey

01:07:25 SPEAKER_107: Thank you Your Worship

01:07:28 SPEAKER_107: If I

01:07:29 SPEAKER_107: had the question earlier I could have asked the chief or the chair if there was anything further To my understanding last reported was that the chief as in discussions with the staff at the courts and I don't know of any

01:07:45 SPEAKER_107: result yet unless Council Merton has heard anything more

01:07:51 SPEAKER_106: Through you Mayor That's exactly correct That the chief had conversations with all of the courts located in that building to find out certainly where they were what their expectations

01:08:07 SPEAKER_106: were and perhaps that question could be taken back

01:08:12 SPEAKER_106: to the next Police Services Board meeting which I believe is in

01:08:16 SPEAKER_106: next week sometime so that we can provide a more fulsome response to that question

01:08:23 SPEAKER_001: Okay

01:08:24 SPEAKER_001: call the question on favor that's carried So that was to receive the

01:08:32 SPEAKER_001: One Sound Place Service Board meeting held on February eighteenth twenty six Now there's two items in correspondence

01:08:40 SPEAKER_107: Thank you through the mayor So one C and two B are Amos update and AMCTO's update around information on Bill one hundred the Province's Better Regional Governance Act which gives the provincial government the authority to handpick the heads of regional

01:08:54 SPEAKER_107: councils and give them strong chair powers cuts the number of seats on the Simcoe and Niagara councils and requires all regional governments to reassess their composition AMCTO and the item of correspondence specifically advised against these kinds of composition

01:09:10 SPEAKER_107: changes during an election year This is an expansion of the thinking behind I think cutting Toronto's council back in two thousand and eighteen The incremental expansion of strong mayor powers across Ontario the changes to lower tier representation for conservation

01:09:26 SPEAKER_107: authorities and

01:09:28 SPEAKER_107: even just today news around changing local school board trustee roles And

01:09:35 SPEAKER_107: reading these correspondents and watching these changes I'm concerned that the province is reducing opportunities for democratically elected representatives to make independent decisions And I have a sneaking suspicion and honest fear that there's a future step or natural Natural conclusion to

01:09:50 SPEAKER_107: this kind of plan that would maybe see them disband all lower tier municipalities and consolidate representation on small appointed regional or upper tier tables and I'm wondering whether the county

01:10:04 SPEAKER_107: is has had a chance or if our county reps know how a bill like that changing

01:10:12 SPEAKER_107: regional composition would impact Gray County or if this we're not a region if we're a upper tier interested in any wanted to flag that as a fear and ask if there's any knowledge around how that would impact us so far

01:10:28 SPEAKER_107: Acknowledging that these are all recent changes and the answer might just be we don't know

01:10:36 SPEAKER_107: You can answer after me because I'm short

01:10:39 Scott Greig 3: I think it's a terrible idea I think it's excluding significant amounts of the population from perhaps demonstrating an Interest interest and running for government because it's really turning developing it into a fulltime job and probably in doing so eliminating a

01:10:55 Scott Greig 3: vast amount of people from potentially having the ability to even facilitate that in the schedule So I think it's I don't know where it comes from It's terrible appearance to me So

01:11:08 SPEAKER_001: no the county has not looked at it I mentioned at county council the other day to bring attention to everybody but until it's on their plate they really there's not much they can do

01:11:21 SPEAKER_001: Through the mayor

01:11:24 SPEAKER_001: is

01:11:25 SPEAKER_107: is it if it's not on the plate yet they can't make a comment I

01:11:30 SPEAKER_107: would move a motion to for Owen Sound Council to send a letter to our local MPP

01:11:38 SPEAKER_107: expressing concern with changes to the composition of regional councils and highlighting Our belief that having a

01:11:47 SPEAKER_107: wide variety of representation among elected officials leads to good and appropriate government

01:11:57 SPEAKER_107: Councillor Hamley

01:11:59 Brock Hamley: I'm going to add Councillor Farmer's motion to my declarations of interests and the nature of my interests that I work for the Government of Ontario

01:12:12 SPEAKER_001: Miss Bloomfield you running out of paper for for Brock Okay so motion is on the floor Any further discussion

01:12:20 SPEAKER_001: Call the question All in favor

01:12:22 SPEAKER_001: One two three Opposed One two

01:12:30 SPEAKER_001: Oh you don't know what the motion was

01:12:35 SPEAKER_001: Miss Bloomfield can you read back the motion

01:12:42 SPEAKER_009: Through your worship I may need some help from the mover but my understanding was that he's requesting that council send a letter to the MPP expressing concerns with the changes to proposed changes to the legislation

01:13:00 SPEAKER_001: Regional Governance Act last Friday change in

01:13:07 SPEAKER_001: Simcoe Niagara So you're aware of that So the motion is to send a letter to the local MPP saying we're not in favor of that So again

01:13:20 SPEAKER_001: I was going to start over Do you want to speak to it first or no Okay

01:13:24 SPEAKER_001: So I will go back to

01:13:28 SPEAKER_001: that's the motion We'll call the question in favor One two three four five six That's carried

01:13:39 SPEAKER_001: That cover off both items Councillor Farmer and the correspondence

01:13:44 SPEAKER_001: That's all for me Thank you

01:13:47 SPEAKER_001: Okay so we'll move on Number twelve committee meetings or minutes with recommendations for approval

01:13:53 SPEAKER_001: Starting with minutes of community services held March eighteenth twenty twentysix I've got Councillor Middlebrooke on that Someone else picking it up Councillor Kepke

01:14:04 SPEAKER_001: Thank you Worship Councillor Councilor Middlebro provide provided me her notes from that meeting as

01:14:11 SPEAKER_001: she's unable to attend

01:14:14 SPEAKER_001: Committee confirmed the minutes of the community services meeting held on February 18th Committee received a deputation from Ounces Minor Baseball ReSwing for the Fences Campaign Baseball Diamond Refurbishing Partnership Jesse Edmonds of the Ounces Minor Baseball made a presentation

01:14:30 SPEAKER_001: on how minor baseball has grown 134 since 2021 and the association is hoping to see capital upgrades to the baseball parks in the city And he presented some options for revenue generation slash partnership to

01:14:46 SPEAKER_001: aid in the capital upgrades Mr Edmonds was told that under service review we would be looking at the service levels of sports fields in an upcoming report and that the information provided would be taken into consideration Committee received a deputation

01:15:02 SPEAKER_001: from Jarrett Coop of the Georgian Bay Folk Society requesting inkind support for Summerfolk Music and Craft Festival Mr Coop was seeking inkind donations of the rental costs of Kelsey Beach space for Summerfolk Committee put forward a motion that in consideration

01:15:19 SPEAKER_001: of the deputation from the Georgian Bay Folk Society on March 18 2026 respecting inkind support for the Summerfolk Music and Craft Festival the Community Services Committee recommends that City Council approved providing inkind support in the form

01:15:35 SPEAKER_001: of waiving park rental fees for the 2026 festival which carried Committee received a presentation from the senior planner respecting Community Improvement Plan programs 2025 wrapup The CIP plan was adopted in 2020

01:15:52 SPEAKER_001: There were five active capital grant programs delivered on a firstcome firstserved basis A total of five CIP applications were approved in 2025 including three façade structure improvement grants and two accessibility grants The total project

01:16:09 SPEAKER_001: value for the five projects was 54500 A

01:16:13 SPEAKER_001: total estimate value of the grants is 22400 For every 1 invested

01:16:20 SPEAKER_001: by the city 244 is invested by grant applicants Report from the director of community services regarding a donation by the Tyson Downs Association of an outdoor automatic external defibrillator

01:16:37 SPEAKER_001: The Tyson Downs Association was established after Tyson Downs' sudden cardiac death to promote education and awareness aimed at increasing survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest The association has offered the city the donation of

01:16:53 SPEAKER_001: a Save Station outdoor automatic external defibrillator which will be placed on the external wall of the Harrison Park Inn restaurant the cabinet connects via cellular service allowing twenty four seven monitoring including a door activated

01:17:10 SPEAKER_001: secure camera monitors conditions such as temperature power alarm doors and battery status There are two more proposed locations for future installations

01:17:22 SPEAKER_001: at City Hall and Kelso Beach at Neawash Park The recommendation in the report is that in consideration of staff report CS twenty six zero one eight respecting the donation of an outdoor automatic external defibrillator by the Tyson Downs Association

01:17:39 SPEAKER_001: Community Services Committee recommend that City Council one accept the donation of an outdoor cabinet and AED along with eight years of monitoring approve the proposed location at the Harrison Park Inn exterior wall for installation of the unit approves the other

01:17:54 SPEAKER_001: location locations City Hall in Kelsey Beach at Neywatch Park for installation of future units and directs staff to support the efforts of the Tyson Downs Association through communication education and awareness The motion was carried

01:18:09 SPEAKER_001: Report from the senior planner regarding draft sidewalk patio guidelines

01:18:14 SPEAKER_001: Patios in the municipal right of way of the River District are oneway The city encourages a vibrant and pedestrianfriendly streetscape street furniture

01:18:25 SPEAKER_001: and sidewalk patio

01:18:28 SPEAKER_001: guidelines are a 2011 document and need updating Staff consulted the River District Board on the draft guidelines at its meeting on March 11 and will consult the Grey County Joint Accessibility Advisory Committee and River District businesses with prior

01:18:44 SPEAKER_001: patio approvals on the draft guidelines It was intended that after all consultation a report Would come back to committee on April 22 with a draft sidewalk patio bylaw for consideration Committee expressed concerns on the tight timelines

01:19:00 SPEAKER_001: as patio season was approaching and suggested that the report go straight to council at its April 27 meeting which is captured in the recommendation motion Draft guidelines were attached to the report that provided updated guidelines on the city

01:19:16 SPEAKER_001: sidewalk patio approvals process and patio operations and design guidelines

01:19:24 SPEAKER_001: And in consultation with the clerks' department it was decided that guidelines be transitioned to a bylaw to have a mechanism for enforcement which is consistent with other municipalities across Ontario The updated guidelines implement the majority of the guidance

01:19:40 SPEAKER_001: provided by the Ontario Traffic Council's restaurant patio guidelines specifically in regard to accessible routes fencing and roadside barriers The recommendation that was brought forward was that in consideration of staff report CS twenty six

01:19:56 SPEAKER_001: zero one three respecting the draft street furniture and sidewalk patio guidelines the Community Services Committee recommend that City Council direct staff to consult with the Gray County Joint Accessibility Advisory Committee and River District business owners with previous

01:20:12 SPEAKER_001: patio approvals on the draft guidelines and bring forward a report including input received from stakeholders holders and a draft sidewalk patio bylaw for consideration at the April twenty seven twenty six regular

01:20:29 SPEAKER_001: council meeting The motion carried

01:20:32 SPEAKER_001: Report from the senior planner reapplication for brownfield financial incentive ten forty three and ten fifty seven Third Ave East Saint Clair Place An application has been received for the city's brownfield financial tax incentive program under the Community

01:20:48 SPEAKER_001: Improvement Plan for environmental remediation work completed at 1043 and 1057 Third Avenue East The remediation was required to facilitate redevelopment of the property for a mixeduse development of 40 affordable gearedtoincome

01:21:05 SPEAKER_001: rentals The total eligible costs for the environmental remediation are 398252

01:21:15 SPEAKER_001: The brownfield financial tax assistance will be provided over a tenyear period and will terminate in the eleventh year when tax assistance provides an equal to the eligible costs The approval of the application is subject condition as

01:21:31 SPEAKER_001: per staff recommendation Recommendation in the report is in consideration of staff report CS twenty six zero twenty one respecting an application for the city's brownfield Financial financial Tax incentives Incentive Program by Lutheran Social Services for environmental remediation

01:21:48 SPEAKER_001: work completed at 1043 and 1057 Third Ave East Community Services Committee recommends that Council One approve the application subject to conditions outlined in Schedule B Direct staff to bring forward bylaws upon first reassessment

01:22:05 SPEAKER_001: of the property by Impact to a cancel municipal taxes to a maximum upset limit of three hundred ninetyeight thousand two hundred fiftytwo dollars and eightyseven cents pursuant to Section three sixtyfive one of the Municipal Act two

01:22:21 SPEAKER_001: thousand one and B authorize a financial incentive program agreement between the city and the property owners

01:22:28 SPEAKER_001: Number three direct staff to issue notice to the County of Grey of the cancellation of municipal taxes and request that the county pass a bylaw to provide similar cancellation of taxes Levied levied for upper tier purposes pursuant to section 3652

01:22:44 SPEAKER_001: of the Municipal Act 2001 and for direct staff to submit an application for matching education property tax assistance to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Municipal Services Division That motion carried Under

01:23:00 SPEAKER_001: correspondence committee received a memorandum from the chief building official and manager of planning and heritage regarding development update which provided an update of February's building activity Skydell Building A structures completed up to the fifth story Community

01:23:16 SPEAKER_001: Living Building walls and floors are in place Twelve building permits were issued Twentytwo six hundred and fiftyseven in building permits were collected Fortyfour building inspections were conducted

01:23:29 SPEAKER_001: Website from the Ontario Provincial Conservation

01:23:33 SPEAKER_001: Agency provided information of the transformation of the provincial conservation agency committee moved that council receive the items for information purposes And with that I move to receive the community services minutes of March

01:23:49 SPEAKER_001: 18 and the recommendations contained therein And can take any questions Although I don't know I'd like to take questions Answered it all

01:24:00 SPEAKER_001: Deputy Mayor Greig I said where is he coming

01:24:02 SPEAKER_001: My question will go to staff I'll give you a break

01:24:05 SPEAKER_001: So recently

01:24:08 Scott Greig 3: there was a motion came from the committee respecting possible partnership and financing options for multiyear support including a ten thousand dollars donation and waiving of rental fees regarding Summerfolk and Calso Park I'm wondering

01:24:24 Scott Greig 3: why is or how is this motion different and to what extent then is a notice of motion to revisit an item that we've already spoke to here around the chamber because this sounds

01:24:41 Scott Greig 3: at the next meeting we had the same same subject

01:24:49 SPEAKER_013: matter through the mayor and perhaps I'll look to the clerk But the presentation from Mr Coop at the meeting previous was about a partnership looking for three years ten thousand dollars each of those years in addition to the

01:25:06 SPEAKER_013: waiving of the rental fees which is about four thousand dollars each year

01:25:13 SPEAKER_013: This presentation was considered separately and certainly open to input if we got that item incorrect

01:25:30 Scott Greig 3: Go ahead Thanks for that You answered the second question because it was going to be how much is the value It was not in the report

01:25:39 SPEAKER_001: Okay Anyone else Seeing no one else Call the question On favor

01:25:44 SPEAKER_001: Oh somebody's stomach growled Did you have a question

01:25:52 SPEAKER_001: So I I guess we're approving

01:25:57 SPEAKER_001: the recommendation for Summerfolk Then is that what I took out of that

01:26:01 SPEAKER_001: You would be approving the minutes if you vote to approve the minutes and that would include the business that was carried out by the committee that day

01:26:13 SPEAKER_001: I'm going to call the question All in favor of approving the minutes and that is carried

01:26:23 SPEAKER_001: Next

01:26:24 SPEAKER_001: Deputy Mayor Greig minutes of the Operations Committee meeting held March nineteen two twenty six

01:26:29 Scott Greig 3: Okay thank you And through you Mayor Boddy as part of the March operations meeting committee had a presentation from WSP regarding the Fourth Avenue West reconstruction The presentation placed before committee the preferred option of four earlier options being to proceed

01:26:45 Scott Greig 3: with two traveled three point five meter lanes for a road cross section of seven meters The road is currently three point five meters northbound and five meters southbound for 85 meters total This preferred design eliminates onstreet parking

01:27:02 Scott Greig 3: while adding a threemeterwide multiuse path on the east side The proposed phase one consisting of Fourth Avenue from 15th Street to 17th Street as well as a component of 15th Street east and west of Fourth Avenue and

01:27:18 Scott Greig 3: 16th Street for one block

01:27:21 Scott Greig 3: west to Fifth Avenue is scheduled from 4 August to November of two thousand and twentysix and the completion

01:27:28 Scott Greig 3: phase of one block east

01:27:31 Scott Greig 3: and west of Fourth Avenue on Seventeenth Street and the remaining Fourth Avenue west work from midspring to October of two thousand and twentyseven

01:27:41 Scott Greig 3: Comments were heard on behalf of the nursery school operating at the elementary school regarding detour considerations and traffic navigating to their business as well as the preferred location of the crosswalk on Fourth Avenue near the school and busing concerns located

01:27:58 Scott Greig 3: at Sixteenth Street West which result in higher pedestrian activity largely being children

01:28:05 Scott Greig 3: Committee recommends that Council approve the funding reallocation of approximately sixty thousand dollars for traffic and pedestrian signal upgrades at the intersection of Ten th Street and Eighth Avenue West resulting from a January two thousand twentyfive collision vehicle

01:28:21 Scott Greig 3: detection systems are damaged and inoperable In early two thousand and twentysix a subsequent collision further damaged pedestrian movement signalized hardware As a result all approaches received timed threephase indications regardless of actual traffic

01:28:38 Scott Greig 3: demand In addition to restoring function the proposed work will extend the remaining lifespan of the intersection infrastructure which sits longterm as an unfunded capital plan item Possible funding sources identified in the report are unused funds for pedestrian

01:28:54 Scott Greig 3: school crossing work at that intersection as well as a portion of funds approved at Ninth Avenue and Fifteenth Street East

01:29:02 Scott Greig 3: pedestrian school crossing

01:29:05 Scott Greig 3: Committee recommends that council amend the fees and charges bylaw to establish a contractor disposal fee at the leaf and yardway site The fee of two hundred dollars would begin this season Dictate that contractors using the site may only dispose of

01:29:18 Scott Greig 3: material from Owen Sound or participating municipalities and are not permitted to bring material from commercial and industrial sources The estimated revenue of four thousand dollars based on twenty contractors would be applied to the cost of onsite security with

01:29:34 Scott Greig 3: a review at the end of the season I would note that this was the only vote which did have a dissenting vote at the meeting Committee received the annual transit report of note two thousand twentyfive saw a slight decrease in

01:29:47 Scott Greig 3: ridership of just over two percent primarily due to winter operational disruptions in February Regular monthly pass usage declined however transit revenue increased supported in part by continued growth in the affordability pass There

01:30:04 Scott Greig 3: is increasing use of the flexible fare products for occasional travel Last year one thousand five hundred eightyseven ten ride passes and two hundred twentyfive day passes were sold highlighting demand for options that offer flexibility and value

01:30:19 Scott Greig 3: total transit revenue of seven hundred ten thousand dollars is applied against a total operating cost of

01:30:25 Scott Greig 3: one point eight four six million dollars leaving a net cost of one million one hundred thirty six thousand dollars In two thousand twenty six staff are working to integrate conventional transit to Google Transit to improve planning visibility promotion of student

01:30:41 Scott Greig 3: passes opportunities for family Family fare options or free options under twelve for children and are proposing to work with the contractor to extend the agreement by an additional five years as it concludes in August of two thousand twentyseven Currently

01:30:57 Scott Greig 3: this extension would provide sufficient time for consultation planning and procurement of future services and vehicles

01:31:08 Scott Greig 3: Committee received the annual wastewater report High instantaneous influent plant flows and collection system volumes are a major concern

01:31:17 Scott Greig 3: Infiltration and inflow is a major issue and believed to be concentrated in certain areas of the collection system Investment in monitoring technologies and collection system infrastructure improvements is highly recommended A comprehensive study with advanced flow monitoring equipment

01:31:33 Scott Greig 3: should be considered Leachate haulage volume from Genoa landfill was up considerably in two thousand and twentyfive which I would just note that it's a benefit that we treat leachate at our wastewater treatment plant as opposed to trucking it somewhere else

01:31:48 Scott Greig 3: where it'd be more cost

01:31:51 Scott Greig 3: damaging Flow trends for the plant were in the typical range for the year and the average daily flow of twelve eighty two cubic meters per day was forty nine two percent of the plant's capacity There was one effluent exceedance in

01:32:05 Scott Greig 3: two thousand twenty five Ministry of the Environment Climate Change and Parks was notified verbally and in writing and chemical dosing was adjusted to correct the issue The acute lethality testing on fish was zero percent fish kill during the year It

01:32:20 Scott Greig 3: was a very good report and congratulations to staff

01:32:24 Scott Greig 3: And committee received a memo updating on winter control as of meeting date outlining activities and lost production due to mechanical breakdowns I welcome any questions and ask for council's endorsement of the recommendations Contained with within and I would have a

01:32:40 Scott Greig 3: followup item as there is no direction on the Fourth Avenue It was a presentation at that time

01:32:47 Scott Greig 3: I'll just ask for questions first

01:32:52 Scott Greig 3: Do you want your

01:32:55 Scott Greig 3: Go ahead

01:32:57 Scott Greig 3: Thank you Your Worship

01:32:58 SPEAKER_020: Glad to hear that this was just a presentation and that was going to be my question Is what's the followup from that presentation Will There be a detailed report breaking out those different options You know I'd love to hear the

01:33:11 SPEAKER_020: perspective of committee

01:33:14 SPEAKER_020: regarding those different options Why are we go You know what is the preferred option What's the weighting there

01:33:21 SPEAKER_020: In that presentation there shows the different option types But in this I don't see where it states that there is onstreet bicycle lanes of those options they provide in the presentation all of them either no

01:33:38 SPEAKER_020: on street or bicycle lanes unless you're using the multi use path

01:33:42 SPEAKER_020: So just like those kind of clarity on those pieces

01:33:46 SPEAKER_020: does on street parking need to be required on that's I believe that's a collective roadway

01:33:53 SPEAKER_020: a

01:33:54 SPEAKER_020: collector roadway So you know does that need to have on street parking Maybe maybe not But if you can remove on street parking and put a bicycle lane on there and not rip up you know I drive past that and

01:34:04 SPEAKER_020: I looked at how many After Councillor Middlebrooke mentioned that how many hydro poles go up and down Fourth Avenue the trees that align that street the sidewalk on the east side of that is actually in fairly good condition considering

01:34:21 SPEAKER_020: the when we look at probably our critical index on infrastructure I really struggle to think about what we're going to do to rip up some of that stuff to place down a multi surface or multiuse purpose pad made sense on

01:34:36 SPEAKER_020: Alpha Street because we couldn't do a sidewalk on north side of Alpha So I'm really kind of just looking for more perspective from that committee especially where it leads That doesn't that just kind of comes to twentieth ends at fifteenth

01:34:49 SPEAKER_020: hit the hit the bridge basically and move on So I just have some concerns I would love to hear when we're going to get the next about the preferred

01:34:59 Scott Greig 3: Deputy Greg go ahead If I could from a procedural perspective ask that we call the vote on the recommendations in the minutes because it was only a presentation we will have a more fulsome discussion following the vote on the minutes

01:35:15 Scott Greig 3: and it'll be a good conversation and a little lengthy So I'd like to separate it from the recommendations within the minutes if I could chair

01:35:25 Scott Greig 3: Okay So just hold

01:35:27 SPEAKER_001: Okay Any other questions Seeing none call the question All in favor So that carries So the minutes are approved Now I'm going to go back to Deputy Mayor Greig

01:35:40 SPEAKER_001: So

01:35:42 SPEAKER_001: excellent points

01:35:44 Scott Greig 3: The direction for how we move forward would have to come from council Staff have a preferred alternative which was preferred option number three of four which were presented at an open house Kind of midwinter at the church

01:36:01 Scott Greig 3: Three days I think after the operations meeting there was a request for proposal I think for

01:36:12 Scott Greig 3: scoring prospective contractors for the project and at 60 percent completed drawings for

01:36:20 Scott Greig 3: option three So as a council we need to vote and provide direction on a specific option I think so Staff have that direction

01:36:32 Scott Greig 3: So at this time and it will facilitate conversation I will move option one which is status quo be the direction that council

01:36:45 Scott Greig 3: directs staff to move forward with for completing adequate design for being able to tender

01:36:56 Scott Greig 3: reason comments that you made

01:37:01 Scott Greig 3: Councillor Dodd One of the conversations or questions about the crosswalk was a midblock crosswalk on 1700 block does not serve the school which sees any busing activity dropoff at 16th Street So why would you have a crosswalk further

01:37:17 Scott Greig 3: north that doesn't really align with It's it's not really a walking school It's a dropoff school

01:37:25 Scott Greig 3: so concerns I have are and

01:37:30 Scott Greig 3: I agree with you The existing sidewalk on the east side is in excellent shape and the hydro poles look to be in very good condition And at the meeting the engineer did mention that any hydro poles that would have to

01:37:43 Scott Greig 3: be removed or relocated would carry a cost estimate of twenty to thirty thousand dollars per hydro pole I

01:37:55 Scott Greig 3: do know that

01:37:57 Scott Greig 3: last week I was out Thursday night speaking with residents on the street myself

01:38:04 Scott Greig 3: There is a desire for onstreet parking to facilitate their snow removal as residents on Fourth Avenue

01:38:12 Scott Greig 3: Onstreet parking is used by the school That is largely a dropoff and pickup

01:38:17 Scott Greig 3: What about getting your roof done or driveway worked on Where to contractors delivery couriers park the ball diamond parking at Harrison Field was

01:38:28 Scott Greig 3: provided as a response for lost parking

01:38:31 Scott Greig 3: for events like Summerfolk where people park extensively in that area Right now for Summerfolk along Fourth Avenue

01:38:39 Scott Greig 3: however we've seen and some of us on council would remember turf damage that occurred at Kelso going back a few years That was not insignificant in dollars it's very expensive So after the rain we had yesterday I don't think you'd

01:38:53 Scott Greig 3: be contemplating parking at Harrison Field or considering using as a parking lot

01:38:58 Scott Greig 3: The cost of the project in Option One has been stated as the lowest potential cost and the shortest timeline to complete the project I would comment that cyclists who are adults don't use the multiuse trail

01:39:15 Scott Greig 3: If you've got road cyclists And groups of road cyclists adults they're going to be using the roadway So think of the local cycling clubs they're not on the multiuse trail they're on the roadway So now you've limited the ability of

01:39:29 Scott Greig 3: vehicles to pass cyclists And as a cyclist myself I think it's actually more dangerous now that I've got someone that's if I'm doing 33 30 kilometers an hour and the mayor's doing 50 he's able to stay ahead of them

01:39:45 Scott Greig 3: But there's pressure there as a cyclist and and you're not going to use the multiuse path It's a little more recreational different

01:39:55 Scott Greig 3: I

01:39:56 Scott Greig 3: wonder what

01:39:58 Scott Greig 3: city document has the multiuse path for direction because I wonder is it going to go in future through frontage south of Library on Second Avenue West to the Mill Dam

01:40:13 Scott Greig 3: north of the transit terminal on Third Avenue East Second

01:40:18 Scott Greig 3: Avenue to Harrison Parkis that going to get a multiuse path and people's front yards in the future I'm not sure what document exactly we're drawing that from I'm concerned with extra climate and emissions created that we're maybe not considering if

01:40:34 Scott Greig 3: we have

01:40:35 Scott Greig 3: unnecessary removals And I will just end with saying last Thursday night which I was knocking on residences on Fourth Avenue to see if they're aware of the preferred option before council tonight In no specific order what I

01:40:52 Scott Greig 3: heard from the residents on the east side that would be most impacted with a tenfootwide path in front of their house is status quo status quo no comments status quo either way on

01:41:08 Scott Greig 3: parking or no parking on the street status quo status quo or option two which is bike lanes on the street

01:41:19 Scott Greig 3: Status quo likes the parking Status quo

01:41:25 Scott Greig 3: no answer

01:41:27 Scott Greig 3: Status quo likes parking Preserve trees as a priority

01:41:34 Scott Greig 3: and one that could not make the public meeting but somewhat opposed to losing the parking So that's what I heard from the residents between 1600 and 1800 block

01:41:44 Scott Greig 3: standing on their on their porches last Thursday So that's what motivates me to move forward in directing option one at this time before council But tonight staff need direction from council on a preferred option to advance in the tendering

01:42:00 Scott Greig 3: process

01:42:02 SPEAKER_001: I'm a little confused by all of this How did this become a council decision tonight Without a report in front of us

01:42:11 SPEAKER_001: should this be a notice of motion How did I don't understand Is there urgency Why are we making the decision tonight Coming from minutes that didn't even point out that council is going to have to make that decision

01:42:25 SPEAKER_001: Somebody help me

01:42:27 SPEAKER_001: Tim

01:42:30 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: Through you Mayor and I'll lean on the clerk for her instinct on first on the notice of motion I'm not one hundred Certain percent certain but listening to council I'm not It might be that the item would be referred back

01:42:42 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: to the ops committee for April twentythree rd and asking the operational committee operations committee to advance a singular option back to council to review and let the committee do that work for council And then

01:42:56 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: if it could if those minutes were I'll call it rushed to the April twentyseventh or come back to May eleven th council would then have a preferred option by the operations committee to discuss whether that's option one two or three

01:43:09 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: But it would be the operations committee taking a look at that more in depth

01:43:14 SPEAKER_001: And is that in the timeline that is

01:43:19 SPEAKER_001: built in or are we in a rush

01:43:24 SPEAKER_001: To

01:43:26 SPEAKER_108: the mayor I would suggest that if we want to revisit this that we assume that the project doesn't start until next year

01:43:37 SPEAKER_108: so that means that we have to decide tonight

01:43:44 SPEAKER_108: Mr Simmons

01:43:47 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: through you Mayor Again at timingwise operations committee is next week on April twenty April twentythird If those minutes could be prepared for the April twentyseventh council meeting were a difference of two weeks from tonight so I'm not certain of timing

01:44:03 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: I have not had any chance to consult with the director of public works but timingwise it's about a twoweek difference here from tonight to April 27th And if operations committee has a preferred option to bring forward then on April 27th

01:44:18 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: council could discuss that preferred option

01:44:21 SPEAKER_001: We're making a huge decision by the seat of our pants I feel so I'm wondering if we can maybe just recess for 10 minutes for staff to figure out what we're doing and come back in and we can try and

01:44:34 SPEAKER_001: go from there So I'm going to recess at 714 I want to come back at 725

01:52:50 SPEAKER_001: Okay it's seven twentythree Back a couple minutes early but Mr Simmons what did we resolve

01:52:57 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: Through you Mayor and to and to Council After discussing with the Director of Public Works we feel that the best option at this point would be to refer the item back to the operations committee next week The operations committee is

01:53:10 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: familiar with the project they've seen the presentations they've seen the materials and ask the operations committee to specifically

01:53:19 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: recommend an option that could come back to council for council discussion In speaking with the clerk the clerk did say that they could prepare the minutes of the operations committee next week to be on the April twentyseven Council agenda So

01:53:33 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: again a small amount of time there but we feel as though again with where Operations Committee members are and understanding the project they've got most of that information and will they'll be charged then with choosing a preferred option by the

01:53:48 Tim Nicholls Harrison 2: committee of option one two or three that Council can discuss

01:53:52 SPEAKER_001: Okay so I'm going to ask Deputy Mayor Deputy Deputy Mayor Greig to withdraw his previous motion make new motion as he sees Fet or Branas he's Fet whichever Go ahead

01:54:06 Scott Greig 3: I will withdraw that motion then And is the city manager requiring a subsequent motion to direct it back to committee or we will just intend on having committee address it This actually I think works for Councillor Milborough who's not able

01:54:19 Scott Greig 3: to join tonight but who did speak to this item when it was before council a month ago

01:54:26 Scott Greig 3: Oh

01:54:28 Scott Greig 3: okay I make a motion to refer the item back to committee for the April meeting for direction from committee to council on a preferred option

01:54:38 Scott Greig 3: Perfect Any discussion Councilor Farmer To

01:54:42 SPEAKER_107: the mayor I think that's a really good idea I think that if our goal is to have informed decisions like we have

01:54:50 SPEAKER_107: the committee has seen this project a couple of times over consecutive monthly meetings with discussions about the pros and cons for those in each session I think it's

01:55:01 SPEAKER_107: not best practice if we're swaying each other based on information that we've collected individually The reason that we have public information sessions and we subscribe to

01:55:14 SPEAKER_107: we pay a fee to have our city as a platform to collect public feedback where

01:55:19 SPEAKER_107: people can widely advertise and we're not

01:55:23 SPEAKER_107: cherry picking information based on who happened to be home At the given time that we knocked on the door protects us from having nine people descend on each committee's or each neighborhood to knock on doors So I'd much prefer that

01:55:35 SPEAKER_107: more fulsome discussion than basic conversation on

01:55:40 SPEAKER_001: yeah chance at the moment

01:55:43 SPEAKER_001: Anyone else Otherwise I'll call the question All in favor That is carried That's unanimous

01:55:50 SPEAKER_001: So

01:55:53 SPEAKER_001: I guess it's through all of twelve I think So at thirteen we have no postponed matters At number fourteen we have motions for which notice was previously given Motion given by Deputy Mayor Greig Go ahead

01:56:07 Scott Greig 3: So the motion was Whereas on March eighth two thousand twentysix Owen Sound Fire and Emergency Services responded to a rescue in Georgian Bay Now therefore be it resolved that City Council directs staff to prepare a report on the costs borne

01:56:19 Scott Greig 3: by the city and prepare to issue proportionate invoicing I would like to thank Councillor Kepkie for seconding the motion because I think it does actually just provoke at least a good conversation here this evening

01:56:35 Scott Greig 3: We're all certainly very grateful to the emergency services who all responded to the emergency for their response and the successful rescue of fishermen I used the terms foreseeable and predictable for the events that day

01:56:51 Scott Greig 3: and I still believe very much in that I'm going to walk back a few years late '90s or early two thousands The scenic city order of good cheer used to have the dinner cruise over two nights the Friday and the

01:57:06 Scott Greig 3: Saturday night For those that are old enough and can remember and I recall one even It's always the last weekend in April One year it was well into the high twenties thirties and the Friday night dinner cruise could not leave

01:57:21 Scott Greig 3: the harbor because of the ice inside the inner harbor And I remember on the Saturday night being on the dinner cruise being looking over the railings as we were gently pushing the ice out of the way

01:57:34 Scott Greig 3: Given that week given winds and how ice is out there going out on that ice would not have been one's best life decisions Recently locally on February twenty one Strava is a

01:57:50 Scott Greig 3: popular app with athletes A local athlete ran across the bay that day and tried to create a segment which is something that people can compete on But Strava the digital app a mapping company that planners are familiar

01:58:06 Scott Greig 3: with and use for a variety of different applications

01:58:10 Scott Greig 3: they disallow such an attempt because it's deemed to be hazardous and potentially dangerous

01:58:18 Scott Greig 3: activity

01:58:19 Scott Greig 3: This is what we saw that day on March eighth One of the great things about fishing hunting is that you can beyond just having your license you can become a member of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters Which

01:58:36 Scott Greig 3: beyond the valuable conservation work that is done in supporting the membership and the federation

01:58:44 Scott Greig 3: it's It's in support of conservation supporting your hobbies and sports It also has a five million dollars liability insurance coverage for members to be a member of the OFA If you went backcountry

01:59:01 Scott Greig 3: skiing in British Columbia or Alberta

01:59:04 Scott Greig 3: the purchase of insurance would be an expectation for what you're looking to undertake for an activity I've had and there's been terrific response I think across the province in terms of emails that I've been getting It's it's been

01:59:20 Scott Greig 3: intriguing I have more emails in support of and I believe public attitude certainly is much more in support of holding the fishermen more financially responsible for the cost that day Yes it was a rescue and that is what the services

01:59:36 Scott Greig 3: are there for But

01:59:39 Scott Greig 3: there's only so many services If an eight Eightyearold is struck by a car biking on a spring day

01:59:46 Scott Greig 3: or a person suffers a heart attack or a stroke or two vehicles meet in an intersection or a fire breaks out What is potentially compromised from the actions If a slower response to other emergencies is a potential outcome yes some

02:00:02 Scott Greig 3: say

02:00:03 Scott Greig 3: fines in that situation may cause individuals to think about calling 911 I tend to Disagree with that I think the only thing that's going to prohibit you from calling nine hundred and eleven would be a dead cell phone

02:00:17 Scott Greig 3: And if a stranger called nine hundred and eleven on your behalf if you're incapacitated and your life was saved I don't think you would have any regrets with the action of someone you didn't know calling nine hundred and eleven on

02:00:31 Scott Greig 3: your behalf We know that approximately fortytwo percent of total net operations for the city of Oceanside are police and fire

02:00:40 Scott Greig 3: for cost it's a very expensive service provision At the last council meeting I announced through the verbal report from the county Gray County EMS has seen a fortythree one percent increase over the past five years eight nine six percent

02:00:56 Scott Greig 3: alone and this has to be supported with a median after tax household income on sound of not too much more than sixty thousand dollars There has been some great comment comments in some of the emails There's two that are just

02:01:11 Scott Greig 3: threatening

02:01:15 Scott Greig 3: So I have no respect for any email that comes in and just threatens someone There's nothing standing behind that email So those are simple deletes But I have a really good email here that I'm just going to end with

02:01:29 Scott Greig 3: I believe you are raising a valid and necessary discussion when individuals take on known risks that can lead To to costly and potentially dangerous rescue operations it is reasonable to consider how responsibility should be shared However rather than billing individuals

02:01:45 Scott Greig 3: after the fact I would encourage consideration of a more structured and proactive approach Specifically I believe ice fishing itself should require a dedicated license separate from a standard fishing license and that this license should be mandatory for anyone participating in

02:02:00 Scott Greig 3: fishing ice fishing activities This license could include an embedded insurance component that helps cover the cost of emergency response services in the event of a rescue Such a system would ensure consistent cost recovery without discouraging people from calling

02:02:16 Scott Greig 3: for help distribute risk fairly across all participants reinforce that ice fishing carries unique and seasonal hazards

02:02:25 Scott Greig 3: provide a clear and enforceable framework rather than relying relying on case by case billing

02:02:33 Scott Greig 3: Ontario already has the infrastructure to administer licensing systems efficiently making this a practical extension rather than a new burden I appreciate your willingness to raise this issue With the right structure in place I believe it is possible to improve both

02:02:48 Scott Greig 3: accountability and safety without unintended consequences And I will note that two things there are some impediments to the idea proposed that can be spoke to by staff tonight and And just to wrap up that last week

02:03:04 Scott Greig 3: after the rescue the high on Monday was seventeen the Tuesday after the ice rescue three the Wednesday two with rain the Thursday was minus two the Friday was the high was one degree with snow and if you don't think it

02:03:20 Scott Greig 3: could happen again when I was running on Saturday morning on East Bayshore Road and you looked out from the new development way out there was ice fishing taking place So it's there are inherent risks with it and that's the weather

02:03:35 Scott Greig 3: forecast in a couple days leading up to it So it's all

02:03:40 Scott Greig 3: it's contingent upon wind direction and how that Ices placed in the harbor It's it's there's a lot of subjectivity goes on and risk resulting from

02:03:52 Brock Hamley: it Councillor Hamley can I see the chiefs here Can I maybe ask the chief He's probably looked at this and thought about this How much did this incident actually cost the city Roughly obviously it's an estimate

02:04:16 Brock Hamley: Our operating costs that day were an additional 4700 That's no contribution to capital or equipment just fuel staff time

02:04:26 Brock Hamley: Okay thank you I

02:04:29 Brock Hamley: I can't support the motion You know I think I think tourism is an incredibly important part of our local economy and I think this motion just sends the sends

02:04:45 Brock Hamley: the message that if you come to Owen Sound and something happens

02:04:49 Brock Hamley: we either we're not going to show up or we're going to bill you for it So I honestly think even putting this motion on the table the reputational damage that's been done to Owen Sound is pretty significant and I can

02:05:02 Brock Hamley: I can almost bet you people are thinking twice about coming here

02:05:06 Brock Hamley: So I just really disagree with the motion

02:05:10 SPEAKER_106: Councilor Merton

02:05:12 SPEAKER_106: through you Mayor

02:05:14 SPEAKER_106: First of all I want to thank

02:05:16 SPEAKER_106: Fire Chief Phil Eagleson for answering the questions that I had forwarded because I the conversation is important The questions Needed need to be answered and with that I'd like to add some comments We know that there's been quite a variety

02:05:32 SPEAKER_106: of public responses to this rescue and the factors that led to it

02:05:38 SPEAKER_106: However

02:05:40 SPEAKER_106: placing those concepts judgments preconceptions aside

02:05:47 SPEAKER_106: we need to consider the logistic restrictions to any consideration of invoicing the anglers or for that matter any other agency or municipality These include jurisdictional restrictions privacy of information concerns actual

02:06:04 SPEAKER_106: incurred cost and unintended consequences These factors require a sober second thought to the motion and the intent behind it

02:06:15 SPEAKER_106: In Gray Bruce we often use the phrase collaborative partnerships In this rescue as in the mutual aid plan established in the 1940s It's a similar principle good neighbor practices and no fee for mutual aid

02:06:31 SPEAKER_106: So we're not talking about invoicing a municipality My understanding was the intent was more around invoicing the anglers The personal information of the individuals rescued by the Gray County paramedics and OPP

02:06:48 SPEAKER_106: is private information and we have been advised that it will not be shared with us So there is no process or ability to invoice these individuals for the rescue

02:07:01 SPEAKER_106: Our fire department was present for support if needed but did not actually participate in the physical rescue itself

02:07:10 SPEAKER_106: All the individuals were rescued by the OPP Aviation Services OPP will not be invoicing for their service

02:07:20 SPEAKER_106: we cannot invoice for a service provided by others

02:07:24 SPEAKER_106: The cost of the rescue from what I understand

02:07:27 SPEAKER_106: was not in addition to as in overtime but was part of our current budget And you've identified the actual cost to our operating budget

02:07:39 SPEAKER_106: and did not impact any other service that would have been required by our municipality at that time

02:07:46 SPEAKER_106: First responders are fire department and other agencies do indicate that they are very cautious about charging for emergency response as it may delay or deter early calls to 911 which in turn puts our early our first

02:08:02 SPEAKER_106: responders and emergency services at higher risk

02:08:08 SPEAKER_106: Jurisdiction limits our authority to regulate or issue fines for fishing on the harbor Fishing is regulated by the Ministry of Natural of Human of Natural Resources

02:08:19 SPEAKER_106: We all understand how important community safety and wellbeing is but it should be without the fear of financial retribution when rescued from a lifethreatening situation

02:08:32 SPEAKER_106: That needs to remain our top priority

02:08:35 SPEAKER_106: For these reasons and because of the logistics behind this motion and the fact that there are significant barriers to implementing it

02:08:45 SPEAKER_106: I will not be supporting the motion and I would ask for a recorded vote

02:08:51 SPEAKER_001: Anyone else wish to speak to it

02:08:54 SPEAKER_001: Go ahead Councillor Farmer

02:08:56 SPEAKER_107: Thank you to the mayor I won't be supporting the motion although I'm sympathetic to the

02:09:02 SPEAKER_107: the chorus that looks at someone else who got themselves into a pickle and says Shouldn't you have known better I think there's a conversation that should be had more widely about risk Because because there's a lot of things that we

02:09:13 SPEAKER_107: do that are risky

02:09:16 SPEAKER_107: that are very practical hobbies Even the folks who might chase the same Strava segment by swimming or kayaking that just being on the water at all is a risk But there are so many things that we do

02:09:30 SPEAKER_107: in our day to day that are risks that we mitigate and that

02:09:33 SPEAKER_107: are fine It's I think carelessness or ignorance to

02:09:38 SPEAKER_107: the situation that's the issue here And I also note that among the many partners that participated Owen Sound Fire Department is only one of

02:09:49 SPEAKER_107: what more than half a dozen including OPP Aviation the OPP Marine Unit InterTownship Fire Department our Fire Department Hanover Fire North Bruce Peninsula Fire Air Orange Grey County Paramedics Bruce County Paramedics

02:10:02 SPEAKER_107: MNR Grey Bruce OPP and Wellington County OPP And certainly this was a really expensive thing The fortyseven hundred dollars and I'm a little unclear whether that was like for all the staff time involved or

02:10:16 SPEAKER_107: just we burned that much more gas the The amount of money that Owens Sound incurred for costs for that I think is

02:10:24 SPEAKER_107: a very small fraction of the actual cost of this And certainly when I see bringing like Air Orange who was having a an aneurysm that could have gone somewhere else in those situations we don't know But

02:10:38 SPEAKER_107: I'm As I've been thinking about how to respond to a motion like this I'm reminded of a friend I went to school with from the states who ended up in her twenties with brain cancer and successfully was treated and in

02:10:51 SPEAKER_107: an American hospital got the invoice It was covered by insurance but she saw what that would have cost

02:10:57 SPEAKER_107: I don't think that we can come up with a system right now that responds to that I'm certainly sympathetic to moving to a process where people get to see the cost of the care that they provide as we are good

02:11:08 SPEAKER_107: neighbors or work to do the humane thing to help folks out when they need it

02:11:14 SPEAKER_107: But I can't support the motion as it's written because I think there's a

02:11:19 SPEAKER_107: If we're going to make changes that should be futurelooking and

02:11:25 SPEAKER_107: Those are my thoughts

02:11:27 SPEAKER_107: Anyone else

02:11:30 SPEAKER_107: Okay I'm going to call the question All in favor

02:11:33 SPEAKER_107: Yes sir

02:11:35 SPEAKER_107: Oh recorded vote Yep

02:11:38 SPEAKER_107: Councillor Dodd Opposed Councillor Farmer

02:11:43 SPEAKER_107: Opposed

02:11:44 SPEAKER_107: Councillor Hamley

02:11:46 SPEAKER_107: Opposed Councillor Kepke Opposed Councillor Kukraysia Opposed Councillor Merton Opposed

02:11:57 SPEAKER_107: Deputy Mayor Greig Opposed

02:12:03 SPEAKER_107: Chairbody Body

02:12:07 SPEAKER_107: Opposed

02:12:09 SPEAKER_009: The resolution was defeated with

02:12:12 SPEAKER_009: none in favor and eight opposed

02:12:16 SPEAKER_009: Good Thank you

02:12:18 SPEAKER_001: Additional business I think I had five things One that I can start with I received a letter though I don't think I forwarded it and it wouldn't have been on tonight's agenda anyway but I got a letter

02:12:34 SPEAKER_001: from or an email from StatsCan

02:12:39 SPEAKER_001: informing that the next census of population will begin on May fourth two thousand and twentysix Census data are essential for planning a wide range of programs and services including education healthcare transportation labour market programs These data form

02:12:55 SPEAKER_001: a critical foundation for evidencebased decision making across jurisdictions and help ensure resources are aligned with the needs of Canadians

02:13:08 SPEAKER_001: Canadian households will receive a census invitation letter in the mail with a secure access code instructions and how to complete the questionnaire We encourage everyone in the community to complete that questionnaire with with Census Canada or

02:13:24 SPEAKER_001: StatsCan when when you get it

02:13:36 SPEAKER_001: What the

02:13:40 SPEAKER_001: heck

02:13:47 SPEAKER_001: did I just do Over the last couple of weeks I've attended a couple different

02:13:59 SPEAKER_001: Wow I think I just lost it Doesn't matter Over the last couple weeks I've attended a couple different

02:14:07 SPEAKER_001: presentations One was Bruce Powers'

02:14:11 SPEAKER_001: breakfast for municipal leaders

02:14:14 SPEAKER_001: James Scaniak spoke at it and talked specifically about Bruce C They're just starting the process There's an awful lot of planning and awful lot of research that has to be done

02:14:27 SPEAKER_001: Certainly environmental impact studies and other impacts and things before they move forward

02:14:35 SPEAKER_001: They haven't even started to look at which model of they will look at They've got a lot of work to do and then they will apply to the government to get approval to move ahead I think he said there's one

02:14:49 SPEAKER_001: of about four different

02:14:51 SPEAKER_001: applicants that could be coming forward They being one of them and there's no way they're not guaranteed to be approved if anything But it's information to pay attention to

02:15:04 SPEAKER_001: Second thing last Friday I went to Georgian College in Barry Campus for municipal leaders in the area

02:15:12 SPEAKER_001: They have done a study and needs study labor study of what is required for our region to look at some of those things that we're talking about like Bruce see like Ontario Pump Storage Lake on Hydrogen Optimized and

02:15:28 SPEAKER_001: Development of Hydrogen to get to those clean energy things that we're talking about that are going to help our children and our grandchildren

02:15:37 SPEAKER_001: reduce carbon footprint and and help the next generations that are coming

02:15:43 SPEAKER_001: All of these are going to require specialized labor and training and Georgian Colleges working on those programs already and

02:15:51 SPEAKER_001: Municipalities being a partner with Georgian College and with the Clean Energy Frontier is pretty important as we move forward

02:16:01 SPEAKER_001: With that coming up next Wednesday I think it's seven o'clock outside of City of Onondaga City Hall Here is the

02:16:11 SPEAKER_001: Earth Day so that's at seven o'clock So that ties into what I've just been talking about having staff trained and having clean energy and Things that we need to do to move forward and take leadership in that

02:16:24 SPEAKER_001: So that's at 7 pm next Wednesday

02:16:28 SPEAKER_001: around the city hall either in front or behind

02:16:31 SPEAKER_001: Next item that is coming is Thursday night is

02:16:36 SPEAKER_001: culture arts and volunteer award night Is at 7 pm I believe at the Harry Lumley Community Bayshore Center

02:16:46 SPEAKER_001: Everybody is invited to come out and

02:16:49 SPEAKER_001: celebrate the the winners of culture arts and volunteer services in On Sound

02:17:01 SPEAKER_001: The ice is out at the arena and lacrosse is starting soon The new floor carpet is going down It looks great It's

02:17:11 SPEAKER_001: going to be a big addition for minor lacrosse junior lacrosse senior lacrosse and major lacrosse which will be firing up soon I encourage everyone to get out and see some games especially major This is arguably the best league in the

02:17:24 SPEAKER_001: world or one of them And some of the best players are playing in Ontario so it's a great thing to see That hit five one two three four That hit five I think that was my list

02:17:36 SPEAKER_001: Plus plus census So I don't really need the list I remembered it So with that we can go to number six which is motion of the committee The whole rise report

02:17:48 SPEAKER_001: Moved by myself Deputy Mayor Greig that the committee of the whole rise and report All in favor That is carried Back to formal session Motion to adopt proceedings

02:18:00 Scott Greig 3: Moved by myself Deputy Mayor Greig Seconded by Councillor Hamley that the action taken in committee of the whole in considering public meetings deputations and presentations public forum matters arising from correspondence reports to city staff consent agenda committee minutes matters postponed

02:18:15 Scott Greig 3: motions for which notice was previously given and additional business be confirmed by this council

02:18:21 SPEAKER_001: And all in favor and that is carried

02:18:26 SPEAKER_001: Notices of motion Is there any notices being given Seeing no hands going up

02:18:31 SPEAKER_001: Next will be a motion to move into the closed session Just before I do that I would like to note that if you are watching this meeting on Rogers Cable TV or the Rogers TV website their feed will not reconnect

02:18:43 SPEAKER_001: to this meeting We'll return to the open session to report out of closed session and review the bylaws If you would like to view the remainder of the open session you can watch the live stream on City's Council and Committees

02:18:56 SPEAKER_001: website at wwwonsoundcameetings The recording of the meeting will also be posted in this website

02:19:06 SPEAKER_001: following the meeting So

02:19:10 SPEAKER_001: Number number nineteen motion to move into close

02:19:13 Scott Greig 3: Moved by myself Deputy Mayor Greig seconded by Councilor Hamley that City Council now move into closed session to consider one minutes of the closed session of the regular council meeting held on March twentythree two thousand twentysix two one matter regarding

02:19:26 Scott Greig 3: labor relations or employee negotiations respecting fire services three one matter regarding advice that is subject to solicitorclient privilege including communications necessary for that purpose and the position plan procedure criteria or instructions instruction to be applied to negotiations

02:19:43 Scott Greig 3: respecting consultation requirements and for one matter regarding a proposed or pending acquisition of land by the municipality and the position plan Procedure criteria or instruction to be applied to negotiations respecting property on Second Avenue West

02:19:58 SPEAKER_001: And I'll call the question All in favor That is carried We'll move into closed session Take us a minute or two to roll over

03:29:57 SPEAKER_001: Okay It is now nine pm City Council is returning to the open session During the closed session City Council reviewed minutes of the closed session of the regular council meeting held on March twentythree two thousand and twentysix We discussed one

03:30:09 SPEAKER_001: matter regarding labor relations or employee negotiations respecting fire services Direction was provided to staff Discussed one matter regarding advice that is subject to solicitorclient privilege including communications necessary for that purpose Position plan procedure criteria

03:30:25 SPEAKER_001: Or instructions to be applied to negotiations respecting consultation requirements and no direction was provided And D discussed one matter regarding a proposed or pending acquisition of land by the municipality The position plan procedure criteria or

03:30:41 SPEAKER_001: instruction to be applied to negotiations respecting property in Second Avenue West No direction was provided

03:30:49 SPEAKER_001: Some bylaws

03:30:52 SPEAKER_009: Through your worship the bylaws listed for approval on tonight's agenda include the confirmatory bylaw a bylaw to adopt official plan two thousand and twentysix a bylaw to amend the zoning bylaw for housekeeping purposes a bylaw to execute an agreement with

03:31:04 SPEAKER_009: IPAC Paving Limited respecting milling and hot mix asphalt paving a bylaw to adopt the city's external communications strategy a bylaw to amend the board and committee bylaw to appoint Megan Cookson to the River District Board of Management a bylaw to

03:31:17 SPEAKER_009: adopt council's budget policy a bylaw to execute a license agreement and all other documents necessary to complete minutes of settlement with Sonic Inc a bylaw to execute an encroachment agreement with the Ministry of Transportation respecting the Ninth Avenue East Reconstruction

03:31:30 SPEAKER_009: Project and a bylaw to amend the delegation of powers and duties bylaw respecting encroachment agreements for construction purposes and servicing agreements

03:31:41 Scott Greig 3: Moved by yourself Deputy Mayor Greig seconded by Councillor Hamley that bylaw numbers two thousand twentysix two zero two eight through two and including two thousand two six zero three seven C seven except two thousand twenty six dash zero three six

03:31:56 Scott Greig 3: be passed and enacted Call the question all in favor That is carried Back to you Moved by myself seconded by Councillor Koepke that bylaw

03:32:05 Scott Greig 3: two thousand twenty six dash zero three six be passed and enacted

03:32:11 SPEAKER_001: And all in favor And that is carried That completes our work for tonight It is nine o two pm We're adjourned Thanks everybody