City Council

November 28, 2023 · 9 recorded decisions · 12,980 words of debate

Decisions

9.1 Approve the updated Mayor and Council Expense and Education Policy …Carried (12 to 1)
9.2 Advisory Committees of Council Governance Framework, included as Attachment-1 to report 2023-413, dated November 6, 2023, be approved as amended.Carried (13 to 0)
9.2 Advisory Committees of Council Governance Framework, included as Attachment-1 to report 2023-413, dated November 6, 2023, be approved as amended. That City staff…Carried (13 to 0)
10.1 Now hold a meeting that is closed to the public, pursuant to the Municipal Act…Carried (13 to 0)
10.1 Staff to offer an extension of the current pilot program with Royal City Mission to offer drop-in service hours 6 days a week…Carried (13 to 0)
10.2 City of Guelph Recognizes the issue of gender-based violence in Guelph as serious to the health and wellness of our residents and their families. That Guelph…Carried (13 to 0)

Routine business (3)adopting minutes, adjourning and similar

The whole meeting, as text

Transcribed automatically from the City’s recording. Times run from the start of the recording, which begins before the meeting is called to order.

Read the full transcript (12,980 words)

0:09All right, good evening everyone.

0:10I'd like to call the meeting to order.

0:13It's just after six o'clock.

0:16It's a Tuesday, November 28th, 2023.

0:18Welcome to our council meeting.

0:21And right off the top,

0:23we are looking to move into a closed session of council

0:29as described on the open agenda.

0:32It is titled November 2023 public appointments

0:36to advisory committees of council and local boards.

0:39It's under section 2392B of the Municipal Act

0:42relating to personal matters about an identifiable individual

0:45including municipal or local board employees.

0:50And I'll just ask before I call the vote on that.

0:53Is there any disclosure of pecuniary interest

0:55or any general nature thereof for that item

0:58before we go into closed?

1:01Hearing and seeing none,

1:04is there a motion to go into closed for me?

1:08Councillor Gowar will do that.

1:09Councillor Quasen will second.

1:12And is there anyone against that?

1:15Hearing and seeing none, that's unanimous.

1:18So we're gonna have a closed meeting at council.

1:20You don't have to go anywhere.

1:21We're gonna leave.

1:22We'll have a quick meeting and then we're gonna come back.

1:25And then we'll continue that.

1:27I might say this a couple of times throughout the evening.

1:30If for any reason, there's someone here

1:33originally thinking that encampments

1:36and the bylaw issue is going to be on the agenda tonight.

1:39Just wanna make sure that everyone in attendance knows

1:42that's not on the agenda tonight.

1:43So just wanted to make sure I said that out loud.

1:47That's been withdrawn.

1:48With that, we'll move into closed session

1:50and take care of this item.

1:51We'll be right back.

1:52Thank you.

11:49Okay, let's call the meeting back to order here.

11:52We did just move into closed session.

11:54It was under section 2392B of the Municipal Act

12:00related to personal matters about identifiable individual,

12:03including municipal or local board employees

12:06under the title November 2023 public appointments

12:09to advisory committees of council and local boards.

12:13So we had a discussion about that topic in camera

12:16and we are here now to rise and report

12:19what that discussion was by a motion in the public session.

12:22And so I'd like to ask a councillor down

12:26to bring that forward for us.

12:28Yes.

12:29Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

12:30I'd like to bring forward the motion.

12:31I put it on the floor.

12:33There's a seconder and then I'll read it that.

12:36Councillor Broussatell.

12:37Councillor Broussatell.

12:38That city council are rising report

12:41and introduce the following motion

12:42as part of the open meeting.

12:44And that's where we are titled November 2023 public appointments

12:47to advisory committees of council and local boards

12:50appearing on the November 28th 2023 city council agenda.

12:54Number one, that Anne Balaban be appointed

12:56to the committee of adjustment

12:57for a term ending November, 2026

13:01or until such time as its successor is appointed

13:04that Alex Zantout be appointed

13:07to the Elliott community board of trustees

13:09for a three year term effective December 1st, 2023

13:13and ending in November, 2026

13:15until such time as a successor is appointed.

13:18Number three, that Peter Barrow be appointed

13:21to the Elliott community board of trustees

13:23for a three year term ending in November, 2026

13:26or until such time as a successor is appointed.

13:30Number four, that Lisa Wolley be appointed

13:33to the Elliott community board of trustees

13:36for a one year term ending November, 2024

13:39until such time or until such time

13:42as the successor is appointed.

13:45Great, thank you council.

13:47So anything further on that?

13:50If not, I'll call the vote.

13:51Is anyone against those appointments?

13:54Seeing and hearing none, that's unanimous.

13:56So thank you very much.

13:59And I'll consider that matter closed.

14:02And what we're gonna do now, everybody,

14:05is our open meeting doesn't start till 6.30.

14:07So we got a 15 minute kind of window

14:10and right now a little bit of a break

14:11until we officially start at 6.30.

14:14So we'll see you back here in 15 minutes.

14:17Okay, thank you.

29:20All right, good evening everybody.

29:22I'd like to call the meeting to order the open session.

29:24It is Tuesday, November the 28th, 2023, 6.30.

29:29And welcome to everyone, council and staff

29:34and our citizens and residents.

29:36And thank you very much for joining us.

29:40I would like to just ask if you're able,

29:44we're gonna just recognize

29:45and our national anthem to start the meeting off.

29:48Thank you.

31:14Great, thank you.

31:15And just take a moment for silent reflection

31:17before we continue on.

31:31Thank you for our indigenous territorial acknowledgement.

31:34As we gather, let us take time to reflect on the privilege

31:37it is to live and work in Guelph,

31:38the city that has been built over rich indigenous histories.

31:42We're guests here and we should reflect upon

31:45the responsibility to care for this land

31:48and the people who live here today

31:49and the generations to come.

31:51If our actions today can move us towards reconciliation,

31:54we should take pause and make those decisions

31:57with intention and gratitude.

31:59This place we call Guelph has served as traditional lands

32:02and a place of refuge for many peoples over time,

32:05but more specifically, the Anaheowan Rock

32:07and the Haudenosaunee.

32:09This land is held as the treaty lands and territory

32:12with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation

32:15and Guelph lies directly adjacent to the Haldeman track

32:18and is part of the long established traditional hunting grounds

32:22for the six nations of the Grand River.

32:25Many First Nations, anyway,

32:26may tee peoples who have come from across Turtle Island

32:30called Guelph home today.

32:33With that, is there any disclosure of pecuniary interest

32:36or any general nature thereof

32:37for the items in front of us tonight?

32:40Don't hear or see any, so consider that matter closed.

32:44Starting off tonight, we do have some awards

32:48that we are thrilled to recognize.

32:51Right off the top, we have some annual awards

32:54for the Guelph Barrier Free, the Access Recognition Awards.

32:59This is always a really good time

33:01for us to recognize people

33:02that have made some outstanding contributions

33:05to Guelph being more barrier free

33:08for all the reasons that it should be.

33:11So with that, I have the honor of being able to come down

33:14and hand everyone awards here,

33:17but our city clerk is going to read out

33:20the individual's names and recognitions

33:22and we'll get going with that right away.

33:45Thank you so much, Mr. Mayor, I'll begin.

33:47The first award is presented

33:49to Waterloo Wellington Aphasia Program.

33:51The award recognizes the group

33:53as an outstanding contribution of a business.

33:55The recognition message on the award reads,

33:57in recognition of your outstanding work

33:59to raise awareness about Aphasia

34:01through a town hall meeting with the mayor

34:03and hosting a flag raising ceremony at Guelph City Hall.

34:06The award recognizes the Waterloo Wellington

34:09Regional Aphasia Program,

34:10a community-based program managed

34:12through St. Joseph's Health Center in Guelph.

34:14Aphasia is a language problem

34:16often caused by stroke or brain injury.

34:19Aphasia can significantly affect

34:20conversational interactions, talking and understanding,

34:24as well as reading and writing.

34:25This year, the Aphasia Program

34:27celebrated their 10th year of operation.

34:29The Aphasia Program participants and care partners

34:32are being presented with this award

34:34because they went above and beyond

34:35to raise awareness about Aphasia

34:37and strengthen connections with the community

34:39through two initiatives.

34:40A first ever Aphasia town hall meeting

34:42was held with Mayor Cam Guthrie

34:44and City Accessibility staff

34:46to discuss the barriers faced by individuals

34:48with Aphasia in the community.

34:50This event was a collaborative effort

34:52between the Aphasia Program and City staff,

34:54emphasizing the importance of working together

34:56to address these challenges.

34:58The program participants and their care partners

35:00spoke about the barriers they face

35:02in everyday settings in the community.

35:05Following the town hall,

35:06the mayor with participants

35:10expressed feelings of empowerment

35:11and being heard by a public official,

35:13something that they did not think was possible

35:15because of their Aphasia.

35:17They also expressed that the meeting

35:18boosted their self-confidence

35:19in continuing to advocate for change

35:21within their communities.

35:23The second initiative was a public flag raising

35:25and ceremony during Aphasia Awareness Month in June.

35:28The Aphasia Program members raised the Aphasia flag

35:30at Guelph City Hall for the first time.

35:33This symbolic gesture served as a visible reminder

35:35of the importance of Aphasia Awareness and support.

35:38Thank you.

35:58The next award is presented to the Guelph Enabling Garden

36:21Board of Directors.

36:23The award recognizes them

36:24for their outstanding contribution of a business.

36:26The recognition message on the award reads as follows.

36:30In recognition of your outstanding work

36:31to create an improved, inclusive, and safe environment

36:35to host programming in the garden,

36:37the award recognizes the Guelph Enabling Garden,

36:39a garden where all are welcome

36:41and is located within Riverside Park.

36:43The garden hosts many horticultural therapy workshops

36:46and regular events such as the Friday morning

36:49Tea and Tale Summer Series.

36:51Safe and inclusive seating during these well-attended events

36:55has become a challenge in recent years.

36:57The Guelph Enabling Garden Board of Directors

36:59is being presented with this award

37:00because they prioritized accessibility

37:03and work to remove barriers to participation.

37:05The board carries out the garden's mandate

37:07to provide the opportunity for the entire community

37:10to share in the joy of gardening with people of all abilities.

37:14The board of directors made the decision

37:15to replace the older plastic chairs

37:18with safer, stackable, medical grade bariatric chairs.

37:22This led to the board writing grant applications for funding.

37:25These bariatric chairs were purchased

37:27thanks to the generosity of a shared grant

37:29from Rotary Club of Guelph,

37:31Trillium's annual Ribfest fundraiser,

37:33and Service Canada's New Horizons for Seniors grant.

37:36The board of directors went above and beyond

37:38to provide new chairs that are sturdy, accessible, and comfortable.

37:42They reduced the risk of injuries

37:44in addition to removing an inclusion barrier

37:46for people with disabilities.

37:48Thank you.

38:02The next award is presented to Heidi Torreter.

38:05Heidi is being recognized

38:06for an outstanding contribution of an individual.

38:09The recognition message on the award is,

38:11in recognition of your outstanding work

38:12and commitment to accessibility and collaboration,

38:15to remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities

38:18through inclusive programming.

38:20Heidi, the Guelph Enabling Garden's registered horticultural therapist,

38:23is being presented this award

38:25for demonstrating her commitment to inclusiveness,

38:27reducing isolation and engaging clients,

38:30workshop participants, caregivers, parents,

38:33and volunteers of all abilities

38:35to share the communal joy of gardening.

38:37Heidi hosts many horticultural therapy sessions

38:40and community events in the GEG

38:43throughout both the regular season and virtual winter season.

38:47Heidi has gone above and beyond,

38:48hosting many of the HT sessions and programs

38:51in partnership with community organizations,

38:54including the Canadian Mental Health Association,

38:56Community Living Guelph Wellington,

38:58Hospice Guelph Wellington,

39:00Guelph Public Library,

39:02and the Guelph Wellington Seniors Association.

39:04Thank you, Heidi.

39:18The next award is presented to Maddie Workman.

39:21Maddie is being recognized

39:22for an outstanding contribution of an individual.

39:25The recognition message on the award reads,

39:27in recognition of your outstanding dedication

39:29to improving accessibility

39:31by advocating for the removal of physical barriers

39:34to access at Guelph Business.

39:36Maddie is being presented with this award

39:38because she went above and beyond

39:40to advocate for accessibility and inclusivity.

39:43Maddie wrote a letter to the owner of a local business

39:45explaining how physical improvements to their facility

39:48would make their building accessible

39:49so people who use mobility devices are also welcome.

39:53In addition, Maddie was resourceful

39:55in recommending alternative ways

39:56to create a physically accessible facility,

39:59such as the use of portable ramps.

40:01Maddie also took the time to meet with the business owner

40:04to demonstrate how she could navigate the facility

40:07using her own portable ramp.

40:09This contribution has created an accessible

40:12and inclusive environment for Maddie

40:14and people with mobility-related disabilities

40:16to access the services provided by the business.

40:19Thank you, Maddie.

40:40And the final award is presented

40:42to MyLife Counseling Guelph.

40:44The award recognizes them

40:45for their outstanding contribution of a business.

40:47The recognition message on the award reads,

40:50in recognition of your outstanding dedication

40:52to enthusiastically improving accessibility

40:54by removing physical barriers to access

40:56at MyLife Counseling Guelph.

40:59The award recognizes MyLife Counseling Guelph,

41:01located at 109 Surrey Street East,

41:05offers various types of counseling services.

41:07They are being presented with this award

41:08because they have gone above and beyond

41:10to improve the accessibility of their facility

41:13by removing physical barriers to access

41:15by implementing portable ramps at their facility.

41:18In addition, while they waited

41:20for the portable ramps to be delivered,

41:22MyLife Counseling understood the importance of accommodation

41:24and offered alternative services,

41:26which included home visit counseling and virtual counseling,

41:29the new ramps providing inclusive access to their business

41:32so that all clients feel welcome.

41:34Thank you.

42:49Well, we're not done yet, folks.

42:52We have three more recognitions to give out here.

42:56And I wanted to just take a moment

42:59to recognize some amazing young Guelph athletes

43:03that are here with us tonight.

43:06So I'd like to recognize the Team Canada

43:10under 12 formation for their winning dance routine.

43:14At the 2023 World Tap Championship,

43:18held in Germany earlier this year.

43:21And three of those dancers are actually right here from Guelph

43:25from Emotion Dance Company.

43:27And I want to congratulate Sevi Brown, Penelope Hunt,

43:31and Cara Parker for achieving this amazing award.

43:36And they are here with, I think, family, friends,

43:38and maybe coaches and whatnot.

43:40And I would love to give you the City of Guelph medals.

43:45And I'd like to challenge you to tap your way on down here.

43:48So come on down.

43:49Let's give them a round of applause.

46:32Well, we're about to get into the rest of our agenda.

46:35Not that I'm thinking you would love to stay,

46:39but if you're here that you've had the awards

46:42given to you and the recognition to you,

46:44this might be the right time to sort of,

46:46if you want to get up and get to your car

46:50or get to walk and home or bus or whatever you took to get here.

46:54Thank you very much for joining us.

46:56And we appreciate it.

46:59Again, stay if you wish.

47:06All right, everybody, as they're filing out,

47:09we'll just get into the minutes.

47:11And we have a recommendation here

47:13for the open council meeting minutes of October 11th, 17th,

47:17and 24th, and the Committee of the Whole Meeting

47:20held September 6th and October 3rd, 2023,

47:24be confirmed as recorded and without being read.

47:27Would a Councillor, Councillor Boussatou,

47:28the Councillor Allt will move and second that for me.

47:30Thank you so much.

47:31Is there anything on those minutes, Council?

47:34Seeing and hearing none, I'll call the vote.

47:36Anyone against the minutes?

47:39Hearing and seeing none, that's unanimous and it's passed

47:42and I'll consider the matter closed.

47:44We're going to the Committee of the Whole Consent Report,

47:47which is the Mayor and Council Expense

47:50and Education Policy Update,

47:52the Redesigning Advisory Committees of Council,

47:56the Governance Framework.

47:58Any of those two need to be pulled at all.

48:01Which one, Councillor O'Rourke?

48:03I just have a question on the ACOC.

48:06Okay, can we just have a motion then

48:08to move the first item on consent?

48:10Thank you.

48:11Richardson, Claussen is seconding

48:14and anything on that matter further?

48:18Hearing and seeing none, I'll call the vote.

48:20Anyone against that item?

48:23Just one, Councillor Billings, that passes.

48:25Consider the matter closed, thank you.

48:27So you have just a question?

48:29I can go to the item.

48:30Yes, Mayor Guthrie, I was, I phoned in from the road

48:34during our Committee of the Whole meeting

48:36and my concern was that recommendation two talks

48:40about that advisory committees should shape

48:43the city's strategic goals and indicated

48:46that I wanted to follow up so that we change that

48:48so that the recommendation or the commitment rather

48:52is ACOC should help shape the city's strategic goals.

48:56I remember the conversation, I neglected to follow up

49:00but I feel pretty strongly about that.

49:02I'd like to hear from Clerk's whether that's

49:04a significant change but I don't really want to approve

49:08without that amendment.

49:13Okay, I'm hearing in the room some subtle agreement here

49:17and I'm also weary of the fact that we have delegations

49:21as well.

49:23I'm thinking that this matter might be actually quite quick

49:25to just take care of because I sense that

49:28if it's just a minor issue.

49:30So if you don't mind Council, we'll stay on this topic.

49:33Councillor Orwork, would you at least be willing

49:35to move the recommendations before you consider

49:38an amendment?

49:39Sure, that's fine.

49:40Okay, seconded by Councillor Goller.

49:42So this item is on the floor.

49:44Councillor Orwork, would you like to make an amendment

49:46on that then?

49:47Yes, I'm just typing it right now.

49:50Why don't, while you type that we have our staff

49:52maybe just respond to your question that you post.

49:55About that, okay, to staff.

49:58Through you, Mr. Mayor, we don't have any objection

50:00or problems with that amendment.

50:02In fact, it's reflected in large part in the content

50:05beneath the title of that commitment.

50:08Okay, great.

50:09So Councillor Orwork is sending the email,

50:11it looks like adding the word,

50:12I believe it's just adding the word help.

50:15Yes, so.

50:16Would there be a seconder for that at least?

50:18Okay, I'll go, Claeson, that's fine, thank you.

50:22Thanks Mayor Guthrie.

50:22So I think this works.

50:24I think I need two motions.

50:25The first motion to amend commitment number two

50:27of the framework so it reads ACOC should help

50:31shape the city's strategic goals.

50:34And then I believe we need an amendment to the series

50:38so that the advisory committees of council governance

50:40framework included as attachment one to report 2023, 413,

50:44dated November 6th be approved as amended.

50:47So I think I need two motions.

50:51Right.

50:52Okay, that will be reflected then both the wording change

50:56to the word being added of help.

50:58And then also just to reflect that in number five

51:01of the recommendations.

51:03Number one.

51:03And number one.

51:05Okay, yes, attachment one as well.

51:07Okay.

51:08Through you, Mr. Mayor and to Councillor Orwork

51:10just to clarify, so the recommendation number one

51:13on the agenda will be amended as Councillor Orwork noted

51:17to read as amended at the end.

51:19And then we would make that corresponding change

51:22to the actual framework itself

51:24and that specific recommendation

51:26within the framework itself.

51:28Great.

51:30You good with that then?

51:31Perfect.

51:32I am.

51:33Anything further then on the amendment hearing

51:36and seeing none, I'll call the vote on the amendment only.

51:38Is anyone against that amendment?

51:42Okay, no one.

51:42So I consider that matter closed.

51:43That's unanimous.

51:44And so now I'm going back to the main motions as amended.

51:48Councillor Caron, did you want to speak to that quickly?

51:52I don't believe in it.

51:54And I'm looking for guidance here, Mr. Mayor.

51:56I do have an additional motion related to the formation

52:01of a community working group

52:03because this ACOC report is on the agenda.

52:07But I don't believe it's an amendment to any

52:09of the motions that are before us.

52:11So is that an additional motion that I can bring forward

52:15at the end of the meeting?

52:16Or do I need to pull this item

52:18in order to be able to place that on the floor?

52:21I'll take care of this motion, main motion as amended.

52:24I would consider it to be separate,

52:26but I would consider it to be under the same agenda item,

52:30which you can feel free to bring forward immediately.

52:32Okay, thanks.

52:33Okay, so I'll call the vote then on this as amended.

52:37Is anyone against that?

52:40Okay, that's passed.

52:42Thank you.

52:43So Councillor Caron, you are right to raise that now.

52:47So if you want to just give me one second

52:50to confer with the clerk.

52:52Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

52:53And this is just for Councillor Caron's consideration.

52:56I believe the amendment or the motion that you had in place

53:00was related to a terms of reference for a sort

53:04of time limited, bicentennial community working group.

53:10It's really a matter of discussion

53:11between yourself, Mayor Guthrie and Councillor Caron.

53:13That could be tabled now.

53:15It's not necessarily part and parcel with the ACOC framework.

53:19It may be actually, I'll look to DCL Clack Bush.

53:21It might be something that's more in line

53:23with a motion for budget tomorrow evening,

53:27because there is budget dollars associated

53:29with that bicentennial working work

53:31and the potential of a working group.

53:33But I will leave that to a discussion yourself,

53:37Councillor Caron and DCL Clack Bush as well.

53:42Let me go to the potential mover here.

53:44Councillor Caron, and what you know, I'll publicly state,

53:47I'm in favor of what you are bringing forward.

53:50Are you okay with maybe just bringing it forward

53:52at the end of budget tomorrow?

53:55I would be looking for that guidance from you,

53:58Mr. Marin from the clerk.

53:59There is no budget impact to my motion.

54:02And it originally came about as a result

54:06of the ACOC report,

54:10but I recognize that the actual motion itself

54:13is about a community working group and not an ACOC.

54:16So budget tomorrow is fine.

54:17I'll look to you for guidance.

54:19Yeah, I think I'll leave it for budget

54:21because at least the bicentennial issue

54:23is addressed in the budget.

54:25So to me, it would be completely in order

54:27of what you wanna do and table.

54:29So we'll just do it for budget tomorrow, okay?

54:31So a little precursor Council

54:33for what's coming for budget tomorrow

54:35with a thumbs up from Councillor Caron, okay?

54:37So that's good.

54:37So I'll consider that matter closed then.

54:39Thank you.

54:40And that's passed.

54:42We're into the Council consent,

54:43which we already have now the November 2023

54:46appointments to the commit of adjustment

54:48and the Elliott Board of Trustees,

54:50which was already read and voted on earlier

54:53when Councillor Downer brought that forward.

54:55So we are now at the items for discussion.

54:57Thank you to people that have come and waited

55:00and we are at that time right now.

55:02We have two items that will be discussed tonight

55:05with delegations, the first one being daytime drop

55:08in services update.

55:09The second one is coming from Councillor Roark

55:13in regards to intimate partner violence.

55:15And so let's start with the daytime drop

55:17in services update.

55:19We have the report from our staff,

55:24but we have three delegations.

55:26Morgan Dandy, are you here in person?

55:30Oh yeah, okay, you're first, come on down.

55:33And then second, I've just been asked

55:35just to do a little reversal here.

55:37So Kevin, you'll be second.

55:40Yep, you're good with that, right?

55:41Yeah, and then Paul is here.

55:44So it's Kevin Cogill and Paul Costello.

55:48They'll just switch as the three, okay?

55:50So Morgan Dandy is coming down.

55:54Just so all the delegates know,

55:55no more than five minutes, you get to speak.

55:58You'll hear a chime at the four minutes and 30 second mark

56:02to give you a warning that there is only 30 seconds left.

56:06And then once you're done, just stick around

56:08just in case there's a follow up question

56:10from my council colleagues or myself, okay?

56:13So Morgan, you know the drill.

56:14You've been here before, you have up to five minutes

56:17and you can go right ahead.

56:19Thank you.

56:22Mayor and council, I'm here today to implore you

56:27to please make the motion,

56:32give the money for another three months.

56:35As I'm sure you all remember, I ran for city council

56:38and I had a focus on the fact that I am a renter.

56:43And I spent a lot of time getting to know

56:47the population downtown that accesses services,

56:50probably to my detriment, as far as being able

56:54to become a city councillor because the under house

57:00don't tend to vote.

57:03I served breakfast at Hope House every single week

57:06from July until the end of October last year.

57:13And I joined in various meals at Royal City Mission.

57:18Part of the reason why I did that

57:21is because I was on OW at the time.

57:25Since then, my physical health and my mental health,

57:29I have new diagnoses in both and I'm now on ODSP.

57:35I am waiting for the letter that tells me

57:40when I am evicted, what date I must be out of my home.

57:48I was not able to figure out a way to maintain

57:51where I live right now.

57:55I'm an older adult, I'll be 57 in February,

58:00and finding a job right now as someone over the age

58:05of 55 is difficult enough.

58:08I had a great job and my body let me down.

58:12I was not physically capable of sitting in an office

58:16for eight hours a day.

58:17I can't do it anymore.

58:22If it weren't for RCM, I would be even more despairing

58:30than I am right now because I know that at least

58:33I can go to RCM and have somewhere to stay warm

58:36if I end up on the street.

58:39On October 13th, I took in the fourth individual

58:43to stay with me in the four years

58:45that I've been living in my one bedroom apartment.

58:48This individual is a young woman who arrived here

58:51as a refugee from Kenya.

58:53She's here today in the audience,

58:55along with a few of her fellow Kenyans

58:58who are all refugees here and have all found

59:01their community together at RCM.

59:07Royal City Mission is more than just a feeding place

59:11and a warming place.

59:12It is a place where community is formed.

59:17I understand that there are issues in the downtown core

59:23and at the same time, the vast majority of individuals

59:27that access services at Royal City Mission

59:30are not part of the problem.

59:33We cannot allow a small percentage of individuals

59:39that are the most vulnerable to sway us

59:45from supporting the majority of people

59:49that take the time to be in community at Royal City Mission.

59:55When I go in there, people know me, people know my dog.

59:59They love to be able to say hi.

1:00:03I ask people how they're doing.

1:00:05There's specific individuals that I watch out for

1:00:08because I know they're incredibly vulnerable.

1:00:13And when I don't see them, I ask about them.

1:00:14And that's what this community is about.

1:00:17Royal City Mission isn't just a place, it's a community.

1:00:21And if we are not able to find our way clear

1:00:25to staff appropriately

1:00:28so people can have a place to be in community together,

1:00:33what does that say about our city?

1:00:40Breaks in being able to provide service

1:00:46is not something that RCM needs.

1:00:49They need our support to support the most vulnerable.

1:00:52And there are more and more of us that are working

1:00:57that need the supports of places like Royal City Mission,

1:01:05which is gonna be highlighted later this week.

1:01:10That's all I have to say right now.

1:01:12Great, thank you very much, Maureen.

1:01:14Thank you for sharing.

1:01:15And let me see if there's a follow-up question at this time.

1:01:19Okay, there isn't, thank you very much.

1:01:23And now Paul Costello is here from, I'm sorry, Kevin.

1:01:28I'm sorry, Kevin Cockles coming from Royal City Mission.

1:01:31And then Paul Costello from Ontario Public Interest Research Group,

1:01:35or OPERC, is gonna be next.

1:01:44So welcome, Kevin.

1:01:45And again, whenever you're ready,

1:01:46the clock will start only when you start.

1:01:47So go right ahead.

1:01:50Thank you.

1:01:51Mayor Guthrie and council members,

1:01:53thank you for the opportunity to speak this evening.

1:01:56I want to express my gratitude to council

1:01:59for your dedication and acknowledge your desire.

1:02:02It's probably the same as mine,

1:02:03to make Guelph a beautiful home for its residents.

1:02:07One of the things that I do in my spare time

1:02:09is I coach wrestling.

1:02:10And last year I took a team of wrestlers

1:02:12to a local high school.

1:02:13And during that tournament,

1:02:17two youth were stabbed in the plaza across the road.

1:02:21And I'm gonna spare you the details,

1:02:23but the story ends with me faced down on the floor

1:02:25with swats surrounding me

1:02:27and their assault rifles aimed at me.

1:02:30And if I said this happened at Royal City,

1:02:32you might think, well, that makes sense.

1:02:34But in my 13 years at RCM,

1:02:35this has never, nothing close to this has ever happened.

1:02:39And I'm not here to tell you stories.

1:02:41However, this anecdote highlights

1:02:43that we are experiencing violence throughout the community,

1:02:46along with fear, anxiety and desperation.

1:02:49In fact, your next agenda item has to do

1:02:51with domestic violence.

1:02:53A good friend of mine who works with victims

1:02:55of human trafficking recently told me,

1:02:57human trafficking and domestic violence

1:02:58are the children of poverty.

1:03:00And I agree.

1:03:02And I would add that addictions,

1:03:03sex trafficking, domestic violence

1:03:06are the children of poverty and trauma.

1:03:10These challenges are magnified

1:03:11and become highly visible for the city's unhoused population,

1:03:14who are often trying to cope with mental health issues

1:03:17and have no private space

1:03:18in which to hide their coping strategies.

1:03:21At the end of the day, I take my anxiety and my fear home

1:03:25and I curl up in a nice warm bed.

1:03:28But many of my friends do not have this luxury.

1:03:31The struggles that we're seeing around the city

1:03:34and downtown are a result of poverty and trauma.

1:03:39Desperation, that's the word that I would use

1:03:42to describe our neighbors who are struggling to survive.

1:03:45Desperation, it's a word I'd adhere over and over again

1:03:47from our colleagues who work frontline

1:03:49against the fight or against poverty.

1:03:52The Wellington County website reports

1:03:54that the average wait time for housing is five years

1:03:57and some have waited longer than eight years to be housed.

1:04:01No wonder there's desperation.

1:04:04The good news is there have been some incredible successes

1:04:06over the last few years.

1:04:07Grace Gardens has opened, the Kindle Project

1:04:10is almost ready to go

1:04:11and the Dalhous Street facility is being prepared.

1:04:15All of these are incredible efforts

1:04:17in the struggle against homelessness.

1:04:19However, Guelph will not be able to keep up

1:04:21with the housing demand

1:04:22until people are given enough income to live.

1:04:25They need a guaranteed basic income and affordable housing

1:04:28and I know that these issues are way beyond our reach,

1:04:31much further up the chain

1:04:32than the Ministry of Plarm of Government.

1:04:34But in the meantime, the city of Guelph

1:04:37has left to deal with the consequences of decisions

1:04:39made at other levels of government.

1:04:41Those decisions leave people on the street and dying.

1:04:46I took a quick look at my phone this week

1:04:48and I keep a picture of as many of the community members

1:04:52at Royal City Mission that have died.

1:04:54This year, I have 11

1:04:58and I don't have them all.

1:05:01Of those deaths, only two would I consider

1:05:03to have died from natural causes.

1:05:06The rest were death by poverty.

1:05:09Over this year, we have seen the RCEM

1:05:11drop in numbers increase.

1:05:12More people are struggling to afford rent and food.

1:05:15There's no doubt in my mind that our drop in space

1:05:17is needed for those who aren't housed

1:05:18and for those who are under housed.

1:05:20And I'm not suggesting that RCEM

1:05:22should be the organization to receive funding

1:05:24to remain open 12 hours a day.

1:05:26But here we are again at a crisis point in the year

1:05:28with the weather getting colder

1:05:30and there's still no plan to keep our neighbors

1:05:31out of the elements.

1:05:34In the absence of another option,

1:05:36I can tell you that RCEM will fill the gap

1:05:38to allow council to carefully consider

1:05:39more sustainable tactics.

1:05:42Having a space for people who are struggling

1:05:44takes pressure off other services like health services,

1:05:46hospital and ambulance, police services

1:05:49and community services like the library.

1:05:51But what it cannot solve is homelessness,

1:05:53addiction or mental illness.

1:05:55RCEM is a stop gap but a highly necessary one.

1:06:00If we are the ones to fill the gap in services this winter,

1:06:03we will need your financial support.

1:06:06The first motion in the report from staff

1:06:07will help save lives, mitigate risk

1:06:09and help support the most vulnerable in our community.

1:06:11And the second motion would allow for an open process

1:06:14that may lead to a more sustainable solution.

1:06:17Thank you for listening.

1:06:19And thank you very much for delegating, Kevin.

1:06:22Let's see if there's some follow up questions.

1:06:24I'll start with Linda.

1:06:25I'm sorry, Councillor Poussatil.

1:06:27Councillor Downer, Councillor Allt.

1:06:30And then I'll start going.

1:06:31Councillor, Kate and I see you as well.

1:06:33Just remind me just in case, yeah.

1:06:36Thank you, Kevin.

1:06:37And thank you for the work that you do.

1:06:39And I just want to, I guess reflect back to you.

1:06:44Thank you also for acknowledging that the city

1:06:47is also on the front end of this

1:06:49and that there are other levels of government

1:06:51that haven't come to the table.

1:06:53So thank you for acknowledging that as well.

1:06:56When you spoke, you spoke that,

1:06:58you mentioned that RCM may not be the organization

1:07:02that takes this forward.

1:07:06Are you seeing other organizations

1:07:08that are stepping up to the plate?

1:07:10That's my first question.

1:07:11And my second question is about the ask,

1:07:14the amount in there.

1:07:15I will admit it's been years since I've been to RCM,

1:07:19to the facility.

1:07:20I don't have a picture of what the service looks like

1:07:24in terms of number of staff and shifts and things like that.

1:07:27If you can help me with those.

1:07:29Sure, so can you remind me of the first question?

1:07:36When you were speaking, you were saying that

1:07:37it may not be RCM.

1:07:38That is the one that fills the gap.

1:07:41What are you hearing?

1:07:42This is more of a service provider question.

1:07:44Are you hearing things in the community?

1:07:47No, I actually don't know if anyone else,

1:07:49I'm just saying we don't want to take for granted

1:07:51that we would be the people to fill that.

1:07:53And would welcome other services

1:07:56that would be interested in doing that work.

1:08:00And then the second, you were asking questions

1:08:02about kind of operations.

1:08:04So just quick numbers.

1:08:05I did send in a report.

1:08:07This year so far, 48,169 visits.

1:08:12203 is our daily average of drop in number.

1:08:181867 unique individuals accessing the program.

1:08:22And 75,600 meals.

1:08:29Okay, so that is kind of the need.

1:08:32And I don't think we're disputing the need.

1:08:34If you can help me create a picture

1:08:35because it's been many years since it's been there.

1:08:38So 8 a.m. to 7 30 p.m.

1:08:40What does it look like in the people?

1:08:41How do you deliver your services at number of staff?

1:08:46You know, what does it look like?

1:08:48So we always have at least three staff on the floor

1:08:52managing the area and the services.

1:08:57Sometimes four depending on demand,

1:09:00depending on the amount of people in.

1:09:05Thank you.

1:09:07Thank you, Councillor Downer.

1:09:08Then all is next.

1:09:10Thank you.

1:09:11Through you, Mr. Mayor.

1:09:12So I too thank you for the work you do, Kevin.

1:09:16I really do appreciate it.

1:09:20And I don't disagree with anything you've said either.

1:09:23I completely agree.

1:09:25What I'm sort of what I need to know

1:09:30as fiduciary responsibility from Council

1:09:33is the breakdown of your numbers.

1:09:35Because normally when we do a community benefit agreement,

1:09:38we have a significant amount of data around the financials

1:09:42and how it's spent.

1:09:45So we've gone from 20,000 a month, 20,900,

1:09:53a month that we were providing for the eight to 12.

1:09:59And so just let me know who is funding,

1:10:02how are you getting funded from the 12 until 730?

1:10:06So that is individual donors.

1:10:08So that was individual donors.

1:10:10And so now it's, from what I understand,

1:10:15it says it costs 71,000 to run the mission.

1:10:19So is that the shelter part or is that the whole mission?

1:10:23That is our drop-in program.

1:10:24That is the drop-in program.

1:10:27So you're wanting the full 71,000,

1:10:29which is a 300% increase.

1:10:31So you're not planning to do any,

1:10:35so the donations will not be going to this program anymore.

1:10:38So if I can respond to that,

1:10:41the agreement that we had last year

1:10:43was based on four hours of time,

1:10:46but it required us to be open for 12 hours.

1:10:49We cannot guarantee 12 hours

1:10:51when our funding is guaranteed for four hours.

1:10:58So it's about being guaranteed to be open.

1:11:00That's correct.

1:11:01And so you're not,

1:11:04so you don't know,

1:11:07so this 71,000 funds the whole time

1:11:12and so donations will not be going

1:11:14into the drop-in program anymore.

1:11:17Sorry, yes.

1:11:20We would love for them to go into the drop-in program.

1:11:22That's our plan.

1:11:23We just cannot guarantee that we can be open for 12 hours

1:11:26unless we can have guaranteed funding.

1:11:27Our donations have steadily gone down.

1:11:32So the request was for 12 hours to be open.

1:11:36So we're seeing the only way to guarantee an open 12 hours

1:11:39just to guarantee the funding for 12 hours.

1:11:42So if we weren't asking for that guarantee,

1:11:47then what would it be?

1:11:48Well, it would depend on what we're asking for.

1:11:53What would be a continuation of what we had before?

1:11:57So the continuation of what we had before was that we were-

1:12:00And I'm not saying that, I'm just curious, right?

1:12:03A continuation of what we had before.

1:12:04So to fund four hours, can I call a friend?

1:12:10I have-

1:12:10Well, I guess it's just sort of part of my issue.

1:12:12Even at that, even at the 71,000 or the 20,000,

1:12:17we as somebody who oversees the implementation

1:12:22of community benefit agreements,

1:12:23our staff would have to see the breakdown of,

1:12:26okay, how many staff, like any ordinary agreement

1:12:30that we have, like I know in the morning

1:12:32that Hope House gives you breakfast,

1:12:34you've told me that before,

1:12:35and the rest of the day you get a lot of donations

1:12:37and food is mostly funded through food.

1:12:39But I don't understand, I just sort of,

1:12:41we don't have those numbers.

1:12:43And I guess you could bring somebody down,

1:12:45but I don't know, do we wanna do that or?

1:12:49Yeah, I, look, we're here for a discussion.

1:12:52If someone else has more information

1:12:55that can help you answer that,

1:12:57I'm happy to have that person come down.

1:12:58That's not a problem.

1:13:05And just for the formalities sake,

1:13:07although we know each other,

1:13:07I just, you know, you just gotta say your name

1:13:09for the record and then go ahead and answer

1:13:11the question that was posed.

1:13:16Mark Anderson, managing director for Royal City Mission.

1:13:20That matters.

1:13:20Hi, Mark.

1:13:22And I think we need the question asked one more time.

1:13:24So the question was,

1:13:26for the continuation of the existing program,

1:13:29which we paid 20,942, what is that cost?

1:13:36So without a guarantee.

1:13:37Without, well, if,

1:13:43we have to sit down and look at a realistic,

1:13:45what a realistic budget of next year would be like.

1:13:49We haven't been able to do that, to be honest,

1:13:51because the funding has been such in question.

1:13:55We are, Kevin said our donations are going down.

1:13:58They're not going down.

1:13:59They're actually stagnated.

1:14:00They're actually keeping the same,

1:14:01which on a charitable level is actually pretty good, right?

1:14:04Now, because most charities are seeing a drop.

1:14:07So our numbers are staying the same,

1:14:08but our costs are going up.

1:14:09The amount it costs to staff, for instance, are going up.

1:14:15We, when we started this,

1:14:16we were kind of going into a year long initiative, right?

1:14:21And when you're going for a year,

1:14:23you run full out, right?

1:14:26We're now talking about when we went back

1:14:28and did a CBA application,

1:14:30which we did earlier this year for renewal.

1:14:34It's the question of what we're going to be doing long term.

1:14:37So our staff are extremely underpaid and exhausted.

1:14:41So we have to look at looking at ways

1:14:45to maintain their mental health and their care.

1:14:48So we're, our costing for our staff is going up.

1:14:51If we're going to involve them in this again.

1:14:59So that's our reality.

1:15:00If it's just a 20,000, that like people are just like,

1:15:03that's what we can do.

1:15:06We're willing to add four hours

1:15:09to whatever we think we can do.

1:15:12But we have to sit down and figure that out.

1:15:13On a quick look, it's somewhere between four and six hours,

1:15:19at six days a week.

1:15:20And so if,

1:15:24if the decision was just to keep it,

1:15:26the funding where it was,

1:15:28we'd like to say we could do a four hours additional

1:15:33on that funding.

1:15:34Okay. So, so you could continue for the 20,900.

1:15:39A lot of our CBA agreements get a 2% increase for cost.

1:15:42So I understand that's higher in inflation,

1:15:46but then you would be able to do four or six hours

1:15:50the rest of the day based on your level of donations

1:15:53that you have currently.

1:15:55And with,

1:15:58and that that could improve if you had more donations.

1:16:01Yeah. And that was part of the conversation.

1:16:04So,

1:16:06was that we would look at four.

1:16:08So we could offer eight or seven or eight kind of depending

1:16:13if the CBA was to stay the same.

1:16:17But again, we're not looking at an eight hour problem.

1:16:21So it's still not a perfect solution.

1:16:24Does that help with numbers?

1:16:25Yeah. I was just wondering if we just had a continuation.

1:16:30Overall, like to give you a picture.

1:16:31So the draft budget for our,

1:16:35for our drop in and meal program together,

1:16:38cause it's weird,

1:16:38cause they kind of go hand in hand.

1:16:40And for us to separate them is tricky.

1:16:42And we recognize that the money coming from the city

1:16:45is for the drop in program, not for the meal program.

1:16:48Although I can't imagine having a whole bunch of people

1:16:51in a room all day and not feeding them,

1:16:53the grumpy people.

1:16:57It would,

1:16:59it's going to cost us close to a million dollars to run that

1:17:02for a 12 hour thing for three meals a day.

1:17:06It's going to be about that.

1:17:07So hope house is still providing the breakfast.

1:17:09So are they? No, they're not.

1:17:11Oh, they're not. No.

1:17:12Okay. So that just,

1:17:14the timing and everything was just not,

1:17:17wasn't good.

1:17:18Okay. Okay. Great.

1:17:20Thank you.

1:17:21And maybe the two of you could just,

1:17:23why don't you stay up just in case there's another question

1:17:26that comes your way from a,

1:17:28that you can confer on.

1:17:29Alte and then Kate.

1:17:31Thank you very much, Mayor Guthrie.

1:17:33Many of my questions have actually been answered

1:17:35in a different format,

1:17:36but I am going to ask a couple of questions

1:17:38and I apologize if they might seem offensive,

1:17:41but the first question,

1:17:44do we have access to audited statements

1:17:49that would show us where the money is going?

1:17:52Yes.

1:17:53So not obviously not in 2023

1:17:55because our books are not finalized.

1:17:57So in 2024, we'd be happy to provide those.

1:18:00We would love to give you the budget that our budget,

1:18:04even for the program for next year,

1:18:05that would be fantastic.

1:18:06We've always worked with city staff on that.

1:18:08So if council would like to see the budget

1:18:11and all the numbers,

1:18:12we'd be happy to give that to you as well.

1:18:14So annually you do have an audited statement and it's clean.

1:18:18Correct.

1:18:19Okay.

1:18:20The next one, and this is the one that could be offensive.

1:18:22I did have a number of people that emailed me

1:18:24and were concerned about Royal City Mission,

1:18:28receiving funds that were going into capital improvements

1:18:31rather than what we are discussing here.

1:18:33I was wondering if you could outline that.

1:18:35I am aware that there have been bathrooms

1:18:37that have been improved there,

1:18:38but I think you might have got that from a grant

1:18:41that doesn't have anything to do with the city.

1:18:43So if you could please outline whether Royal City Mission

1:18:47is enhancing itself through city money.

1:18:51So the easiest answer is no.

1:18:53I can tell you that the bathrooms were actually paid

1:18:55for by another church that was using our space.

1:18:58We did do capital improvements based on federal grants,

1:19:02which was a walk-in fridge freezer.

1:19:05And then, what was the other one?

1:19:08That's it.

1:19:09Oh, that's it.

1:19:10Yeah, sorry.

1:19:11Thank you.

1:19:12The next question, what I heard you state is that

1:19:15the donations are actually stable,

1:19:18but the numbers being served has increased significantly.

1:19:22So then I understand that proportionately,

1:19:25there is significantly less money being spent

1:19:29from donations per person.

1:19:31Is that correct?

1:19:34Yes.

1:19:35That's simple then.

1:19:36Okay.

1:19:37And finally, you mentioned something

1:19:39that's been bothering me because many of our frontline workers

1:19:44have experienced the same thing,

1:19:47regardless what the service is.

1:19:48Could you please elaborate on the issue of burnout?

1:19:55Well, surprisingly enough,

1:19:57we have done really well with that,

1:19:59but we do have one staff off on a health leave.

1:20:04Watching people suffer daily is hard.

1:20:06It really is.

1:20:07And so again, Mark brought up the thought

1:20:12that we need to pay our staff better

1:20:13and we have no benefits for our staff.

1:20:17So these are all considerations

1:20:18as we're looking at budgeting.

1:20:20So clarify.

1:20:21So you're saying you don't have benefits.

1:20:22When a person's off, they're off without any income.

1:20:25Is that correct?

1:20:28Yeah.

1:20:29Okay. Well, that was a simple answer too.

1:20:31Okay.

1:20:32All right.

1:20:33Thank you very much.

1:20:33I have no further questions.

1:20:34Finally, Councillor Caton, please.

1:20:37Thank you.

1:20:38Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

1:20:39My question was going to be,

1:20:41will they be open if we do not provide the funding?

1:20:44And I think that was answered through them saying

1:20:46that they had a certain amount open for donations.

1:20:49So I think that that's clear now.

1:20:54You okay with that, Kevin?

1:20:56Do you want me to repeat that?

1:20:58No, does it need to be repeated or she's captured it right?

1:21:00She's captured.

1:21:01Okay, perfect.

1:21:01I've got two more questions here.

1:21:03Call her and then I'll work.

1:21:05Thank you, Your Worship.

1:21:08Thank you both for all the work that you do

1:21:10for the City of Guelph.

1:21:14We definitely want to support our community.

1:21:18I think one of the challenges that we're trying to overcome

1:21:22is the increase from 20,000 per month to 63.

1:21:27And I understand that it is the additional hours.

1:21:30It is the adequate pay for staff.

1:21:33Is Royal City exploring other funding opportunities

1:21:36from other organizations?

1:21:38Always.

1:21:39Yeah, so is there any opportunity?

1:21:41I know that the previous data shelter

1:21:44used to receive other funding locally.

1:21:47So would there be ways for us to explore

1:21:50how we can help you stay open, at least for the winter

1:21:54or for the rest of next year,

1:21:57and be able to work with other organizations?

1:22:00What might that look like?

1:22:06It's tricky when the, so the ask was for 12 hours.

1:22:12So, and that's the tricky bit.

1:22:14And so if the ask is for 12 hours,

1:22:18and that's a good ask, right?

1:22:22Like I think that's the right ask.

1:22:23That's what our community needs.

1:22:28It's, we can definitely search for funding from other places.

1:22:32We can even look at like a flexible thing

1:22:36based on income.

1:22:38The problem, like what we're at,

1:22:39you guys are, what we're facing is,

1:22:41we're facing a January, February, March,

1:22:44which are notoriously low.

1:22:46We have gone into our reserves to stay open this year.

1:22:50We have come out of this community benefit agreement

1:22:53further in the hole than when we started.

1:22:56To be able to provide the services.

1:22:58Not in debt, not saying that.

1:23:00We had a small, well, you could have a few months

1:23:03of operating in the bank, right?

1:23:05And so we're not functioning with that at this point.

1:23:08So if we're going into, and we made that decision

1:23:12as an organization to say, we are willing to spend this

1:23:16because we believe this is work worthwhile.

1:23:19And we want to follow through on our commitment

1:23:20to be open 12 hours.

1:23:24It's just if the ask is to maintain that 12 hours.

1:23:28And that's, so we're also, when you look at that $20,000,

1:23:32so that's money that was agreed to in for 2022.

1:23:35So those are money numbers from 2022.

1:23:37We were coming off of COVID.

1:23:38We had no idea we would be at this numbers now.

1:23:43So if you look at, we increased 50% from 2022,

1:23:48from 2021 to 2022, that original ask

1:23:50was based on a 2021 numbers.

1:23:53So we had a 50%.

1:23:54We already were behind when we went into that agreement.

1:23:57Now we're looking at another 30% numbers increase

1:24:00over last year that we're receiving,

1:24:03that we're feeding, that we're having people present.

1:24:05And so this actually, all that does is times three.

1:24:09So it's like the guarantee.

1:24:10It actually doesn't take into consideration the growth

1:24:13and the actual, the need.

1:24:15That was just an easier number to arrive at

1:24:20than unpacking the whole budget and going,

1:24:22because that's what we were asked for.

1:24:25Does that help?

1:24:26Yeah, that really helps.

1:24:27Now I understand how we go from 20,000 for four hours

1:24:32to 60, what was it, 67 for the 12 hours?

1:24:36Yeah, it's just the 20,000 plus 2% times three.

1:24:42That's what it needed to be for the guarantee.

1:24:45But it's actually, it's not based on our current budget.

1:24:49So it's still only proportional.

1:24:53If we want to sit down and talk about the whole budget

1:24:55for the drop and that would actually be another conversation.

1:24:58So, and more.

1:25:01Okay, thank you very much for that.

1:25:03Thank you, your worship.

1:25:05Thank you and councillor O'Rourke.

1:25:07Thanks, Mayor Guthrie.

1:25:09So through you to our delegates,

1:25:12can you help me understand how the funding landscape

1:25:16has changed over the past several years?

1:25:19Cause we don't essentially fund social services, right?

1:25:23And then through COVID,

1:25:26I think you were getting funding from the county

1:25:28because of COVID, we stepped in to fill a gap.

1:25:32And now we are light years away

1:25:35from what that original funding was.

1:25:37And as you know, tomorrow,

1:25:39we need to be looking to take an ax

1:25:40to some of our own services.

1:25:42Okay, so that's where I sit tonight.

1:25:45Not insensitive to the plight of people who are cold

1:25:47and who need a place to be,

1:25:49but I'm looking at what is our responsibility?

1:25:51What are the costs we can contain?

1:25:53So can you help me understand

1:25:55how the funding landscape has changed

1:25:57for you over the past three years?

1:26:05Just trying to, so,

1:26:09we would never received government funding prior to COVID.

1:26:14We actually only got a hand,

1:26:16like maybe one or two grants a year prior to COVID.

1:26:20Through the course of COVID,

1:26:23a lot of organizations, other fellow organizations

1:26:25that were doing drop-in style things

1:26:28got specialized in other areas.

1:26:31And so we became the only place

1:26:34that was open during the day.

1:26:36And so because of that,

1:26:39we definitely did see an increase in our donations

1:26:43over the course of COVID,

1:26:44where most organizations and most charities

1:26:47were actually seeing a decrease.

1:26:48Because of our presence, we did see an increase,

1:26:51which allowed us to expand the programming.

1:26:55The difference was that we could be front,

1:26:58well, Kevin and I would usually be

1:27:00in the executive kind of seats.

1:27:02We were able to do frontline work

1:27:04because there wasn't a lot of executive work to do

1:27:07in the midst of COVID, right?

1:27:09Your meetings were all very, very different.

1:27:11So we were able to do that.

1:27:13Now post, in this kind of scene,

1:27:15we have received money from the county,

1:27:19which we didn't pursue that was offered to us.

1:27:22Even this conversation about the CBA,

1:27:24it wasn't something we went seeking.

1:27:26It was something that was offered

1:27:29that we were invited into.

1:27:32And we continue to look for grants.

1:27:35So we do have, we have,

1:27:39we have, we're actively looking for grants

1:27:42that'll allow us, but those are usually towards

1:27:44capital costs, not operating.

1:27:45And that's where that kind of shift.

1:27:48So we tend to put most of our donations

1:27:50that come in that are for the,

1:27:53for the drop-in or for the meal program,

1:27:54they go towards, it all goes towards operating.

1:27:56And then this would be operating costs.

1:27:58That's kind of the ask.

1:28:00Is that kind of answer? Sorry, it's...

1:28:03Partially, but I know there were changes

1:28:04because the county was funding some

1:28:05and then they reduced their hours.

1:28:07And so we filled that gap

1:28:09and now we're looking to fill the whole 12 hours.

1:28:11So I am struggling with that, to be perfectly honest.

1:28:16I'm wondering, so you mentioned

1:28:19that some organizations really specialized.

1:28:21So have you expanded the services that you provide

1:28:24or are you still providing the same services?

1:28:27Well, yeah, it's expanded.

1:28:29So we used to do dinner.

1:28:32We dinner, dinner in four hours of drop-in

1:28:33essentially is what it was.

1:28:35It's expanded to three meals a day, 12 hours of drop-in.

1:28:39We have a belonging bin storage program

1:28:43for people who have, who are experiencing homelessness.

1:28:46They can have a bin that we store for them

1:28:49that they can access anytime that we're hoping.

1:28:53We have, we're trying to develop recreational programming

1:28:59and all that kind of stuff

1:29:00so that there's more time, more positive times

1:29:05built throughout the day.

1:29:06So those are all things that we've added.

1:29:10It's a lot bigger than it was before.

1:29:15Okay, through you, Meg, I got the last question.

1:29:16So when you're expanding those services,

1:29:19are you then also adding staff, right?

1:29:21And I'm asking you the same question

1:29:23that I've been asking our own staff for a month now, right?

1:29:25Around these choices of expansion.

1:29:29So with those expansions,

1:29:32are you adding more staff, more cost?

1:29:35No, so like the belonging bin,

1:29:38the meal program is something we were already kind of doing.

1:29:40So, and our,

1:29:44we were able to largely fund that with,

1:29:47do that with our current staff

1:29:49and through agreements with other organizations

1:29:53to have partnership on kind of the cooking

1:29:55and the meal program.

1:29:56So we fund, we provide meals out to the 24 hour shelter

1:30:03at the hotel.

1:30:04And so we send food there every day

1:30:06as part of our kind of thing.

1:30:07So we have a partnership with Stepping Stones

1:30:10that allows us to kind of have mutual benefit in there.

1:30:15We haven't added staffing costs since the beginning of the year,

1:30:20basically when we ramped up to 12 hours.

1:30:23And we weren't doing breakfast, we added breakfast.

1:30:26We weren't doing belonging bins, we added belonging bins

1:30:29and it hasn't cost us things out of this money.

1:30:33We've either got grants for the shelves

1:30:35and the bins and that kind of thing,

1:30:37but it hasn't been an operating expense increase.

1:30:42Okay, all right, thanks.

1:30:46Okay, council, thank you.

1:30:47We're gonna go to the next delegate.

1:30:49Thanks to the both of you very much.

1:30:52And then after this delegate,

1:30:55I'm gonna consider council to move into a closed session

1:31:00for some further information.

1:31:03So we'll listen to this delegate first, Paul.

1:31:07Costello from the Ontario Public Interest Research Group.

1:31:10Thank you for joining us, Paul.

1:31:26Good evening, Mr. Mayor, counselors.

1:31:29The Guelph University chapter of OPURG strongly urges

1:31:34that the city of Guelph continue to fund

1:31:38the Royal City Mission.

1:31:39OPURG, which is Ontario Public Interest Research Group,

1:31:44is a campus-based social and environmental justice group

1:31:50that supports student groups and community groups

1:31:53striving to make a difference.

1:31:56I'm on the OPURG Board of Directors

1:31:58and we have a partnership with Royal City Mission.

1:32:05It has been my honor and pleasure to be trusted

1:32:09with frontline volunteer work at the Royal City Mission,

1:32:12doing two-plus shifts a week of two to four hours

1:32:18for about a year around mealtime.

1:32:21Between this and dropping into check-on folks,

1:32:25I witness people with every kind of need and concern,

1:32:30family estrangement, food and housing challenges,

1:32:34and even addiction.

1:32:36At the mission, they can chat with volunteers who care,

1:32:41knowing that their issues are being heard

1:32:44and not being judged.

1:32:47It is where they can also meet supportive friends.

1:32:50Royal City is one of the only places

1:32:53where housing and income challenged people can get this,

1:32:57being processed as sundown by someone with a clipboard

1:33:01and told to find a cot on the floor, does not compare,

1:33:05and is certainly not sufficient.

1:33:07Please fund this much-needed support organization.

1:33:13Well, thank you very much.

1:33:14Let me see if there's a follow-up for you.

1:33:17And there isn't, and thank you for your volunteerism too.

1:33:20Thank you.

1:33:22Okay, that's it for our signed up delegations council.

1:33:27I think I've asked the clerk to put up on the screen

1:33:33a potential motion for us to consider

1:33:36to get some further information in regards to this

1:33:39through a closed session meeting.

1:33:43And it is that the council of the city of Guelph

1:33:46now hold a meeting that is closed to the public

1:33:48pursuant to the municipal act section 2392B and K

1:33:52of the municipal act relating to personal matters

1:33:54but will identify individuals,

1:33:56including municipal or local board employees,

1:33:58and a position, plan, procedure, criteria, or instruction

1:34:02to be applied to any negotiations carried on

1:34:05or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality

1:34:10or local board to consider daytime drop-in services update.

1:34:15Councillor Gowar, you're willing to move.

1:34:17Councillor Claussen is willing to second.

1:34:20Is there anything further on that?

1:34:23Don't hear anything.

1:34:24So I'll call the vote.

1:34:25Does anyone, is everyone in favor?

1:34:26Is anyone against moving into closed?

1:34:30That's unanimous then as well.

1:34:33So we are just gonna have a closed session discussion

1:34:36in regards to this matter.

1:34:38We're gonna go into another room to have that.

1:34:40And then when I come back out,

1:34:41I can give a high level summary of the discussion.

1:34:44So just bear with us as we go do that.

1:34:46Okay, thank you very much.

2:19:06Okay, I'd like to call the meeting back to order, please.

2:19:08Thank you so much.

2:19:10As I normally do with coming out of a closed session,

2:19:13there would be a summary,

2:19:14which I'm gonna give a little bit of that right now.

2:19:18But we actually have an actual motion

2:19:21that will be tabled publicly more than just my summary.

2:19:24So we went back there to talk about contractual agreements.

2:19:27We asked questions, we received information,

2:19:30a lot of back and forth on that topic.

2:19:33And that resulted in a motion

2:19:36that's gonna come forward right now.

2:19:38But there is, before we table that motion,

2:19:42there is the motion of receiving the report

2:19:44that's on the agenda today.

2:19:45So I'd like to take care of that first.

2:19:47Councillor Downer is moving that.

2:19:50Boost Till, thank you,

2:19:51is seconding that for receiving information.

2:19:55Can I call the vote on that, please?

2:19:56It looks like I probably can.

2:19:58Yes, is anyone against receiving this as information?

2:20:02No, that's unanimous, so that's great.

2:20:05Thank you very much.

2:20:06Okay, so now we are gonna table a motion

2:20:10that is coming out of the closed session

2:20:13and that will pop up on the screen.

2:20:15And I would ask Councillor Goller, please, to table that.

2:20:19Thank you, and through you, Worship.

2:20:21The motion is that staff be directed to offer an extension

2:20:24of the current pilot program to Royal City Mission

2:20:26to offer drop-in services six days a week

2:20:31at a maximum cost of 21,322 per month.

2:20:35The pilot extension would be from January 1st, 2024

2:20:38to March 31st, 2024, and the total cost of 63,966

2:20:44to be taken from the tax rate operating contingency reserve.

2:20:49Thank you, am I have a seconder for that, please?

2:20:52Okay, I'm gonna go cross in, thank you.

2:20:55And before I call the vote,

2:20:58is there any further questions only on this?

2:21:01Okay, I don't think there's any questions,

2:21:03any comments on this?

2:21:05And I'd like to try to keep us focused

2:21:07so we can keep moving through our agenda,

2:21:08but absolutely a time for that.

2:21:09Councillor Goller, you go first.

2:21:11Thank you, and through you, Worship.

2:21:12Before the pandemic started,

2:21:14the city was not in the business

2:21:16of providing daytime shelter support.

2:21:19It was something that was provided by the community

2:21:22and it was not a municipal responsibility

2:21:25that has changed, services changed during the pandemic.

2:21:29And we've spent a lot of time this year

2:21:31looking at what resources we needed to provide.

2:21:33We have given many directions to our staff team

2:21:39and as a result of some of those directions,

2:21:42the county is hosting a symposium

2:21:44over the winter in January.

2:21:46So we would be looking at that symposium

2:21:49to come up with a better idea

2:21:51of how daytime space should be funded.

2:21:54So this is a stopgap measure temporary for this winter.

2:21:58And then our hope is that we would have

2:22:01a better plan for next year.

2:22:04Thank you so much.

2:22:06Okay, may I call the vote then on this?

2:22:09Looks like I can.

2:22:11Okay, is there anyone against?

2:22:15No one, that's unanimous.

2:22:16So that's the decision on this at this time.

2:22:19Thank you very much again.

2:22:20Thank you for waiting for us to come out of our closed session

2:22:23and I'll consider that matter closed.

2:22:26Before I continue to the next item,

2:22:27Councillor Goller, sorry, over to you.

2:22:29Your worship, I had sent a message

2:22:31to my staff council colleagues expressing the intent

2:22:35to move the second motion contained in the report.

2:22:40But we've heard the advice that we should really wait

2:22:43until the housing symposium is completed over the winter.

2:22:47So can I ask our staff team,

2:22:50do I need to move a motion now for this to come back

2:22:54at some point or could we have a commitment

2:22:56that sometime in May next year, March or thereabouts,

2:23:01we would have an opportunity to bring that direction back

2:23:05to explore what we do with daytime shelter space.

2:23:10Through the mayor to Councillor Goller,

2:23:12I would certainly my advice and recommendation

2:23:14will be that you wait until the housing symposium

2:23:16and seek the recommendations

2:23:18and the advice that comes out of that.

2:23:20I don't want to presume the outcome of that,

2:23:22but I think this matter will be considered

2:23:24and we'll follow up with our county colleagues.

2:23:26And so any reporting back to city council

2:23:28will flow from that housing symposium.

2:23:31I would imagine there's going to be a number

2:23:33of recommendations for you to consider.

2:23:35This would be only one of them.

2:23:37So rather than a specific requirement

2:23:41that we report back, I would simply say

2:23:43that you know that housing symposium is coming

2:23:45and you'll be receiving recommendations.

2:23:46And I think that's the most appropriate method

2:23:49for this to continue the conversation forward.

2:23:52Okay, thank you for that.

2:23:53Thank you, worship.

2:23:54Great, thank you, Councillor.

2:23:56So this item is closed and I just do want to recognize

2:23:59our guest in the audience,

2:24:00also the chair from the county services.

2:24:03Thank you chair for coming and hearing this conversation

2:24:07and being a part of it.

2:24:08Thank you very much.

2:24:10So with that, I'm going to move on

2:24:13to the intimate partner violence agenda item.

2:24:17This has been requested by councillor Orwork

2:24:20to bring this forward.

2:24:21We do have one delegation.

2:24:25What I was hoping to do council is maybe just to ask

2:24:31if I could have the mover, you know, introduce the motion,

2:24:36have it moved and seconded to allow her to speak

2:24:40to the motion and then we can invite our delegate up.

2:24:46Just to frame it a little bit better.

2:24:49Councillor Orwork and councillor Richardson

2:24:51have both agreed to move and seconded it.

2:24:54And so I would consider it on the floor now.

2:24:56Let me move to the mover to give some commentary to it.

2:25:00And then Cindy McMahon is here.

2:25:02Hi, Cindy.

2:25:03As soon as councillor Orwork is done framing the conversation,

2:25:08I would welcome you to come up to the microphone

2:25:09for your delegation.

2:25:10Okay, over to the mover.

2:25:12Thank you.

2:25:13Thank you, Mayor Guthrie.

2:25:15So as an introduction to this moment, this motion rather,

2:25:19I won't rhyme off the national or the local statistics

2:25:22from women in crisis or a Gulf police.

2:25:24You have that information in the motion.

2:25:27And we all know those reported cases are growing.

2:25:31And we know they are the tip of the iceberg

2:25:33because it takes a lot of courage for somebody

2:25:34to pick up the phone and phone a local social service.

2:25:38And it is insurmountable for many people

2:25:40to pick up the phone and call police.

2:25:42So what I will tell you is that while I brought

2:25:44the motion forward to declare intimate partner violence

2:25:47and epidemic, I did it because it is the number one

2:25:50recommendation out of 85 jury recommendations

2:25:53in the coroner's inquest into the murders of Carol

2:25:56Culleton, Anastasia Kuzik, and Natalie Warmeram

2:26:00in Renfrew County.

2:26:01And they were all murdered on the same day.

2:26:04Because it is Women Abuse Prevention Month,

2:26:07the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

2:26:10And we are days away from the national day of remembrance

2:26:12and action on violence against women.

2:26:14I brought the motion because more than 70 municipalities,

2:26:18Peterborough just yesterday, have already done so,

2:26:21as well as AMO and Ontario Big City mayors.

2:26:24And I felt we too should join this important conversation

2:26:27that has been ongoing since June of this year.

2:26:33I wanted to bring the motion forward

2:26:34to raise awareness of the issue of intimate partner

2:26:36violence and gender-based violence.

2:26:40Because there are tangible actions

2:26:41we can take individually, as well as the corporation

2:26:44of the city of Guelph, Guelph Police,

2:26:46and the Guelph community and its organizations,

2:26:49to prevent intimate partner violence,

2:26:51to support survivors and the organizations that

2:26:53help them, and to advocate for them.

2:26:56Because intimate partner violence

2:26:58is a largely invisible epidemic, it

2:27:01knows no socioeconomic age, cultural, or religious boundaries.

2:27:05It touches individuals, usually women and children.

2:27:09And this notion of epidemic is because it

2:27:14also touches their extended families, their friends,

2:27:17their neighbors, their workplaces, their classrooms,

2:27:19and their communities.

2:27:22And I brought the motion forward for the survivors

2:27:25and hope to reduce additional cases.

2:27:30It was important to work with Guelph, Wellington Women

2:27:32in Crisis to craft a motion that is meaningful.

2:27:34And I want to thank our staff who worked with us

2:27:37to bring this motion into their existing and future work plans.

2:27:42I was initially going to table this motion at our October

2:27:45Council meeting.

2:27:46And that same day, a 44-year-old man

2:27:48shot and killed a 6-year-old, a 7-year-old,

2:27:51and a 12-year-old, another adult, and then himself

2:27:55in Sault Ste. Marie last month.

2:27:56It's another tragic case of intimate partner violence.

2:28:00And the police chief there says he welcomes an inquest.

2:28:03Well, that could happen here.

2:28:05But let's not wait for another inquest or a mass casualty

2:28:08commission or a national report on missing and murdered

2:28:11Indigenous women and girls to take

2:28:13more decisive action on IPV.

2:28:17What I did not expect when working on this motion,

2:28:20because all the other municipalities had done it

2:28:21and thought we should too, and we'll pull it together.

2:28:25And what I found really touching over the last several weeks

2:28:29were lots of phone calls and emails from women

2:28:31thanking me for bringing it forward

2:28:34and sharing their stories.

2:28:36It's important to me and to all of us, I think,

2:28:38to center them in this conversation,

2:28:41because I'm just the conduit.

2:28:44This past Saturday, on the International Day

2:28:46for the Elimination of Violence Against Women,

2:28:48the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition

2:28:50Houses released their annual Femmicide List.

2:28:54It showed that over the last 52 weeks,

2:28:56there have been 62 women and children killed in Ontario.

2:28:59That's more than one fatality each week.

2:29:02And they're not numbers, and they're not only in other places.

2:29:07Just this morning, I spoke with a mom from Guelph.

2:29:10Her name is Kate.

2:29:11She asked me to tell you about her eight-year-old son, Charlie,

2:29:15who was murdered by his dad last May.

2:29:17It's a little boy and his devastated mom

2:29:20right here in Guelph.

2:29:22There are many others whose stories are not mine to share,

2:29:26but that I hold in my heart right now,

2:29:28and I ask that you do the same when you vote

2:29:30on this series of recommendations.

2:29:33Great, thank you so much, Councillor.

2:29:35That's very well, very well-tabled.

2:29:40Thank you very, very much.

2:29:41And we do have one delegate here.

2:29:44As I said, it is Cindy McMahon.

2:29:46And so I welcome you to come on down and be a delegate to this.

2:29:54And I think you've been here all along,

2:29:55so you heard me say you have no more than five minutes,

2:29:58and you'll hear a chime at the four-minute and 30-second mark

2:30:01to give you a 30-second warning.

2:30:03And then feel free to stick around,

2:30:04just in case there is a follow-up question.

2:30:06Okay, go right ahead.

2:30:07Got it.

2:30:08So good evening.

2:30:09My name is Cindy McMahon.

2:30:10I'm the public educator at Wolf Wellington Women in Crisis.

2:30:13And thank you very much for the opportunity

2:30:15to come and speak in support of this motion

2:30:17on behalf of Women in Crisis,

2:30:18and also on behalf of the Wolf Wellington Action Committee

2:30:21on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence.

2:30:23Our position on this is pretty straightforward.

2:30:26We think intimate partner violence is an epidemic,

2:30:28and we think that the sooner we call it that

2:30:30and treat it like it is,

2:30:31then the sooner we can meaningfully actually address it.

2:30:34The Government of Ontario has so far refused

2:30:36to use the term epidemic

2:30:38to refer to intimate partner violence

2:30:40because I'll quote from them.

2:30:42It is not an infectious or communicable disease,

2:30:45but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

2:30:48helpfully remind us that a health issue

2:30:49does not have to be contagious to count as an epidemic.

2:30:52Heart disease is often referred to as an epidemic

2:30:55by the medical establishment.

2:30:56The opioid crisis has been referred to as an epidemic,

2:31:00most notably by the Government of Ontario.

2:31:03The word epidemic, and I'll quote here

2:31:05from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health,

2:31:08quote, can refer to a disease

2:31:10or other specific health-related behaviors

2:31:12such as smoking with rates that are clearly

2:31:15above the expected occurrence in a community or region.

2:31:18So what then is the expected occurrence

2:31:20of rates of intimate partner violence in Guelph?

2:31:23Like what number of cases would be commonly acceptable here?

2:31:27We live in a country that values human rights

2:31:29in a community that cares for and about each other,

2:31:31so the expected and acceptable number of cases,

2:31:34of course, is zero.

2:31:36That is not, as you have heard,

2:31:38the number of cases that we have here in Guelph.

2:31:41So last year at Women in Crisis,

2:31:43we supported 998 clients and 54 children

2:31:46across our programs and took 2,452 calls

2:31:49on our crisis line, and most people

2:31:51who experience intimate partner violence

2:31:53do not call a gender-based violence support organization.

2:31:56They don't call the police.

2:31:57This is the absolute tip of the iceberg,

2:31:59and rates are going up.

2:32:01So in Canada, rates of intimate partner violence

2:32:03were 19% higher in 2022 than they were in 2014.

2:32:07There was a 27% increase in feminicides from 2019 to 2022.

2:32:12About 44% of women in Canada experienced some form

2:32:15of intimate partner violence in their lifetimes.

2:32:18About 54% of trans folks do.

2:32:20So last year, 52 women were killed in 52 weeks in Ontario,

2:32:24and this year, as you've heard, that number is 62.

2:32:27Our current systemic approaches

2:32:29to addressing intimate partner violence are not working.

2:32:33So we need to do better, and to do better,

2:32:35we need to do something different.

2:32:36We need to stop thinking about intimate partner violence

2:32:39as just a private matter between couples.

2:32:41We need to recognize that the place

2:32:43to prevent intimate partner violence,

2:32:44to see it, to name it, to speak out about it,

2:32:47to step in and step up, to take action,

2:32:50to support people when they're being harmed,

2:32:51is the community.

2:32:53This is community work.

2:32:55And it's work that strengthens the community, too.

2:32:57Each person who survives violence

2:32:59experiences health impacts,

2:33:01as well as social and economic consequences

2:33:03that are wide-ranging and also uniquely damaging to them.

2:33:07But the impacts of intimate partner violence

2:33:09go well beyond the individual.

2:33:10They impact our entire city.

2:33:13The economic costs of intimate partner violence

2:33:15are enormous for our criminal justice system,

2:33:18our civil justice system, our healthcare system,

2:33:20our social service operations, and our employers.

2:33:23The social and emotional costs of intimate partner violence

2:33:26on families, friends, coworkers, neighbors,

2:33:29support people, community members, children, everyone,

2:33:32these are even higher.

2:33:34So no one knows this better than the County of Renfrew,

2:33:36where Carol Colleton, Anastasia Kuzik, and Natalie Warmerdam

2:33:39were murdered by a man with a history of gender-based violence

2:33:41in 2015.

2:33:43So the Coroner Jury's inquest made these 86 recommendations

2:33:47to various offices and levels of government

2:33:49to help prevent feminicides resulting

2:33:51from intimate partner violence from happening again.

2:33:53These recommendations are the result

2:33:55of a great deal of research and analysis

2:33:57and a great deal of soul-searching

2:33:59from the community in crisis and in mourning.

2:34:01They are a gift to the rest of us,

2:34:03a path forward to a more effective systemic response

2:34:06to intimate partner violence, and it's time to lend Guelph's

2:34:09voice to the growing chorus of calls

2:34:11to enact the inquest's recommendations.

2:34:13We have an opportunity here to take the initiative

2:34:16where the provincial government has failed to lead.

2:34:18We can leverage the strengths of our community

2:34:20to collaborate on effective strategies for prevention

2:34:23and survivor supports that turn rising rates

2:34:25of intimate partner violence around.

2:34:27But we can only do that if we put the problem out in the open

2:34:30and name it for what it is, an epidemic.

2:34:32Thank you.

2:34:34Well, thank you so much and thank you for your advocacy too

2:34:37on behalf of council.

2:34:38We really appreciate it and the work that you do.

2:34:41Is there any follow-up question at this time?

2:34:44No, thank you so much for being here and stating that.

2:34:47Thank you.

2:34:48All right, is there any questions from council at all

2:34:50before I go any further?

2:34:53No, okay.

2:34:55And is there anything further from a commentary

2:34:57in regards to this?

2:34:58So well laid out if I might add a commentary there.

2:35:02Okay, well, thank you to you, councillor O'Rourke

2:35:04and Richardson for tabling.

2:35:06I know, oh, I'm sorry, councillor Keaton.

2:35:09I'm sorry, go right ahead.

2:35:10Go right ahead.

2:35:11Sorry about that, go ahead.

2:35:12Thank you through you to the mover.

2:35:14I just wanted to thank you for bringing this forward.

2:35:17It's a really, really important topic

2:35:19and with every intersection of equities deserving group

2:35:24that you kind of attached to your risk increases

2:35:28and I know that I hear from so much

2:35:30in the disability community that especially

2:35:33with the lack of social support and the reliance

2:35:38on finances from marriage that this is something

2:35:41that really affects that community quite largely.

2:35:44So I just appreciate this and I'm glad that you brought it

2:35:46forward.

2:35:49Great, thank you so much.

2:35:50All right, I'll call the vote.

2:35:52Is anyone against these recommendations?

2:35:56Unanimous, that's fantastic.

2:35:58So thank you again.

2:36:01We're gonna go to bylaws.

2:36:03The councillor to my right,

2:36:05councillor Boussatou, you are up for bylaws tonight.

2:36:08Do you mind bringing those forward for us?

2:36:10Yes, thank you.

2:36:10I'd like to place bylaws number 2023, 2855 and 2023,

2:36:172858 be approved subject to section 284,

2:36:23subsection 11, four of the municipal act.

2:36:27Thank you.

2:36:28Who's gonna help second that for me?

2:36:30Councillor O'Rourke is great.

2:36:33Anything on these bylaws?

2:36:36Hearing and seeing nobody, I'm gonna call the vote.

2:36:39Is anyone against the bylaws?

2:36:43Hearing and seeing none, that's unanimous as well.

2:36:47Mayor's announcements, do we have any budget town halls?

2:36:50No, just kidding.

2:36:51So I'll see all my friends here tomorrow, bright and early.

2:36:57Yes, maybe, yes, councillor Boussatou is saying,

2:37:01why don't I mention the tree lighting and the whole,

2:37:07what is it councillor Downer?

2:37:09Spirit of the season.

2:37:11So it's this weekend and councillor Downer's gonna tell us

2:37:16all about it.

2:37:20Spirit of the season, it's new this year.

2:37:23So they've combined a number of downtown events,

2:37:27the markets and the tree lighting and the parade

2:37:31all into one fabulous weekend of celebration.

2:37:35And so on Saturday is the Santa Claus Parade at 530

2:37:40that ends up at City Hall for the tree lighting.

2:37:43But there'll be caroling in the St. George's Square.

2:37:47There's going to be wooden huts set up

2:37:50with lots and lots of vendors selling things.

2:37:52There's also a market within the Quebec Street Mall

2:37:56as well this weekend.

2:37:58But this all starts on Friday.

2:38:00So the big party starts Friday afternoon at four

2:38:04and I think it goes till,

2:38:05I'm not sure if it's eight or 10 at night,

2:38:06but the markets are there and on Friday night

2:38:10there's gonna be a fire circus as well in downtown Guelph.

2:38:14And that's gonna be very exciting.

2:38:15If you haven't seen one, just Google it.

2:38:19And so a lot's happening in the downtown

2:38:22and we hope the community comes out and celebrates.

2:38:27I'm on the downtown Board of Management.

2:38:29This is why I, this is why I'm here.

2:38:32She's normally not that smart.

2:38:33Yeah, no, thank you Councillor Downer.

2:38:36That's awesome.

2:38:38And so I hope the whole community comes out to that.

2:38:40And to my colleagues, I am looking forward to seeing you

2:38:43tomorrow ready to rock and roll on wrapping up the budget.

2:38:47So can't wait to see you here, nine o'clock.

2:38:52And staff, I'd like you to show up too.

2:38:56Yeah, with that I need adjournment

2:38:58and I bet you that Councillor Billings

2:38:59is gonna help me with adjournment.

2:39:01Boom, Councillor Chew is seconding to help me.

2:39:05Is anyone against adjournment?

2:39:08Nobody, have a great night everyone.

2:39:09Thank you, see you tomorrow, bye bye.

The City’s official minutes for this meeting