Guelph Civic League Blog

Your Chance to Participate in 'Envision Guelph'

2012-03-03T07:59:00.001-05:00

Phase 3 of the Official Plan update is currently underway. Citizens are invited to review the draft policies (see here), attend open houses and provide comments to staff and Council over the next month.

An Open House will be held at the date and time below to review materials, meet with staff, ask questions or provide comments.

Meeting Date: March 6, 2012
Location: Galleria, City Hall, 1 Carden Street
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

City Council will hold a Public Meeting for Phase 3 of the Official Plan Update (OPA 48). Anyone may provide a written submission to, or verbal presentation at the Public Meeting by contacting the City Clerk's Department (519-837-5603 or clerks@guelph.ca).

Meeting Date: April 2, 2012
Location: Council Chambers, City Hall, 1 Carden Street
Time: 7:00 p.m.

For more information contact:
Planning Services
Phone: 519-837-5616
E-mail: OPupdate@guelph.ca

To provide written comments:
Email: OPupdate@guelph.ca
Mail: OP Update, Planning Department, City Hall, 1 Carden Street, Guelph, Ontario N1H 3A1

Results of February GCL poll

2012-03-03T07:32:00.002-05:00

Here are the results from last month's GCL poll. There were 70 votes!

"What should the City do with money saved due to the lack of snow plowing this winter?"

Put it in reserves - for a 'rainy' day

: 39(55%)

Add back some of the services cut in the last budget

: 19(27%)

Add it to next year's snow removal budget: 10(14%)

Spend it on keeping the roads extra clear for the rest of the winter:

2(2%)

We'll send this to councillors and ask what the City is planning to do with the savings.

Monday's Council Meeting Promising to be Controversial

2012-03-03T07:22:00.000-05:00

As mentioned in a previous blog post, two big items are coming before City Council on Monday evening: the 'public meeting' for the proposed 18-storey condo tower downtown, and a decision on the proposal for a townhouse complex near the Speed River at 180 Gordon Street.

So far, for the first proposal, there are 7 delegations and 8 letters to Council. For the second proposal, there are 3 delegations and 1 letter. GCL has corresponded with Council on both issues previously but will send a letter again this weekend supporting the idea of increased density through infill but recommending reduced project sizes in these cases. If you are able to attend the meeting in the Council chambers at 7 pm on Monday, that will lend support to your fellow citizens at the podium.

The Tribune has an article with more details on the 18-storey condo development here.

And one of the delegations, Karen Balcolm, sent her concerns to GCL to be posted on the blog. Here are her thoughts on the 180 Gordon St. development:

"On Monday, March 5th, City Council will have the decision meeting for the proposed 11-unit condo development on the small piece of land adjacent to Marianne's Park at 180 Gordon Street. Council is slated to vote on the staff report recommending in favour of the developer's many requests for bylaws amendments, and on an amendment to the city Official Plan that will allow this development to encroach significantly on the 30 m vegetative buffer along the Speed River. Neighbours and other interested community members (see Hugh Whitely's contribution to this blog) have argued that while there should be some level of infill development on this site, the current proposal is far too intense. The number and significance of the bylaw amendments for this proposal make the very existence of bylaws as a way to regulate development seem irrelevant. The (literal) overshadowing of Marianne's Park by a 40 foot high and 140 foot long structure, combined with the attack on the integrity of the riverside buffer bodes very poorly for future control of infill development and for the protection of public spaces. Raise your voice now. Let Council know that this proposal is too intense for this site, and urge Council to follow its normal practise and push the Developer to engage in meaningful negotiation with those searching for a better infill plan for this site. There are alternatives that would diminish the threat to park and river, and also show greater respect for the city's planning framework."

AND, the City just announced that they will be explaining their recent decision to "repeal a zoning by-law amendment on shared rental housing and take steps to repeal an interim control by-law that prevented the development of certain types of shared rental housing in parts of the City."

It's going to be a busy meeting!

Guelph Civic Museum Now Open!

2012-02-27T09:09:00.001-05:00

The road to a new Guelph Civic Museum was a long and rocky one, but we've finally arrived thanks to some community vision and fundraising. It's a great new civic space - make sure to visit if you haven't already. You'll find a Mercury article on the grand opening of the museum here.

Vote on $5.4M for waste carts on Monday

2012-02-26T20:23:00.001-05:00

Hidden among the 'consent agenda' items on this coming Monday's council agenda is $5.4 million for carts needed for the new cart-based waste system. It seems likely that this agenda item will be extracted from the consent agenda for further discussion, and it will likely be the big issue of the meeting. More details can be found in a Mercury article here.

Celebrating Guelph's 'Granola Factor'

2012-02-26T11:33:00.001-05:00

In a Tribune article Thursday, Councillor Leanne Piper said that she's been hearing from constituents that like Guelph's 'Granola Factor' reputation, and that it represents something unique to our planning process. In other words, our citizens perhaps care more about their community than citizens in other municipalities. Read the full story here.

Courtesy http://fattydumpling.wordpress.com

OMB to be discussed on Beyond the Ballot Box Monday

2012-02-26T10:59:00.000-05:00

From Jan Hall at Beyond the Ballot Box on 93.3fm CFRU:

Veteran of challenges to the Ontario Municipal Board regarding Wal-Mart, Ben Bennett from Residents for Sustainable Development will be joining Jan Hall and Oliver Rockside on Beyond the Ballot Box on CFRU 93.3fm this coming Monday from 8-9 a.m. to chat about the Ontario Municipal Board. With concerns that the OMB does not function very effectively this should be a very interesting discussion.

About Beyond the Ballot Box

Beyond The Ballot Box is Guelph's home for politics and current affairs. Beyond the Ballot Box takes you beyond the elections to discuss the issues and challenges that drive our democratic institutions. Beyond The Ballot Box is produced by Jan Hall and hosted by Jan Hall with Oliver Rockside.

Listen to Beyond the Ballot Box on CFRU 93.3fm, Channel 948 on Rogers cable and worldwide at www.cfru.ca.

Council Agendas and Planning Application Reports

2012-02-25T11:38:00.000-05:00

Here are links to agendas for upcoming Council and committee meetings:

February 27, 2012 Council agenda (votes on $5.4M for waste carts, heritage designation plaques...)

February 27, 2012 Closed Council agenda (according to the Mercury, former Ward 3 council candidate Melissa 'Missy' Tolton is recommended for appointment serve on the municipality's Accessibility Advisory Committee)

Planning Application Reports for the March 5, 2012 Council Planning Meeting - This is the public discussion meeting for the 18-storey residential tower proposed for Macdonell Street. Have a look here to see model images, like the one at right, that show how this building will fit in (or not) with the downtown streetscape. This meeting gives citizens their chance to publicly comment on this proposal, either in writing or in person. Don't miss your chance to provide input!

This is also the deferred decision meeting for the 180 Gordon Street (Marianne's Park) development. The reports include staff responses to public concerns and the staff recommendation to proceed. The image at right shows how far the 30 m setback from the Speed River would affect the development footprint.

This will likely be a controversial and lively meeting!

Guelph's Urban Forestry Management Plan, and the need for action

2012-02-25T10:48:00.001-05:00

The Planning and Building, Engineering and Environment (PBEE) Committee voted last Tuesday to receive a report from consultants Urban Forest Innovations Incorporated and Beacon Environmental regarding an Urban Forestry Management Plan for Guelph. This plan has been in the works for about 5 years already, and is expected to be implemented in 2013. The plan includes:

more tree plantings
better protection and care of existing trees
establishment of a tree inventory program
hiring 4.5 full time equivalent positions, including a senior urban forester

The consultants say that the City’s current staffing and resource allocations are inadequate for moving the City forward with the plan, and that Guelph currently has no mechanisms in place to identify trees as an important asset or track municipal tree removals and plantings.

Later this year, public meetings will be scheduled and staff will report back to council with a final recommended plan.

Mayor Farbridge conceded at the meeting that attaining 40% urban canopy by 2020 is likely not achievable and should probably be amended. This is fairly obvious considering our urban canopy has been decreasing over the last several years. Hopefully, the City can show it means business by implementing this plan - and moving from words to action - as soon as possible.

A Mercury article with more details can be found here.

Developer of 146 Downey goes after costs of OMB appeal

2012-02-24T09:17:00.001-05:00

On June 7, 2010, City Council voted to approve the rezoning for a multi-unit residential development by Seaton Ridge Communities Limited at 146 Downey Street. For background, here is one article from before the vote and another article from after, via the Mercury.

The decision was appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board by Dr. Hugh Whiteley to try to uphold the City's Natural Heritage System as adopted for the Hanlon Creek Watershed. The main issue was the intrusion of the development into the otherwise protected valleyland slope of Tributary A on the last remaining portion of the Kortright IV development.

However, the appeal did not succeed. Now the developer is seeking to be compensated for legal costs, saying that the appeal was "clearly unreasonable, frivolous, vexatious, and in bad faith".

If the developer prevails here, it will be a blow for civic engagement in Guelph.

A quick fix for the health unit mess?

2012-02-24T09:02:00.001-05:00

The notorious Drummond Report handed to the Ontario Government as guidance for cost saving measures recommends that public health come under the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) umbrella and that the province pay all public health costs. If this comes to pass, it may bring to a close the nasty fight between the local health unit and the City over governance issues and the local health unit forcing the City to cough up $17 million for a new building. This has certainly caught the attention of Mayor Farbridge, as described in the Tribune article found here.

Result of OMB hearing on 1897 Gordon Street

2012-02-19T12:14:00.000-05:00

The OMB hearing at City Hall this past week on the proposed 1897 Gordon Street development concluded without a decision. This is fairly typical...the judge said it will likely be several months before she hands down a decision on whether an OMB appeal on the development can proceed.

The was a good turnout of concerned citizens and, in fact, the attorney for the developer submitted the GCL blog post on this topic as an exhibit in the case, apparently saying that the blog post was political and trying to manufacture support for the issue. So much for citizen engagement! While the judge allowed the post to be admitted as an exhibit, she said it will not be treated as evidence or carry any weight.

Mark your calendars for Jane's Walk!

2012-02-18T10:41:00.000-05:00

Here's a message from the Jane's Walk Guelph co-ordinators:

===

Hello Everyone,

I hope this finds you well. Thank you to those who have led a Jane's Walk in the past and to those of you who are new or considering leading one.

It's time to mark your calendars - Jane's Walk 2012 is being held on May 5 and 6th this year.

I am writing to invite you to lead a walk again this year. Perhaps you would like to lead the same walk; a new walk in the same area or even venture out to a new part of Guelph. For those of you who have already connected with us - Thank You. We are excited to have you back.

Lead a Jane’s Walk on Saturday May 5th and/or Sunday May 6th

• for an hour, or two
• around your neighbourhood, or a favourite part of Guelph
• walk, bike, paddle or lead it in song!

We would love some leaders to lead in a different language.

For a fifth year, the GCL is hosting this fabulous event to honour the legacy of Jane Jacobs and her love of urban neighbourhoods. Jane'sWalks started in 2007, and Guelph has hosted a walk each year. Last year over 22 Canadian Cities, over 10 American cities, Dublin, Goa and Madrid participated. Last year Guelph hosted over 20 walks, and it was so popular that we are encouraging more walks. We want you to be involved! Just share what you know and/or are passionate about to get the participants on your walk talking.

It's called "Jane's Walk" in honour of Jane Jacobs. The goal is to get people out, to discover and discuss what's happening in, and observe, our city. All walks are held on the weekend of May 5th & 6th, 2011. Walks are 1-2hr in length. It can educate, motivate and inspire, share but not to vent our politics.

The website does a great job of explaining it: http://www.janeswalk.net/

In brief it's a series of neighbourhood walking tours scheduled at whatever times throughout that weekend; where locals lead a walk around their neighbourhood pointing out all the great spots, buildings, natural features and even cool residents.

Let’s share our world!

Thanks,

Barbara Mann,Susan Ratcliffe, James Gordon, Jan Hall and Val Morse

Jane’s Walks Guelph Co-ordinators

If you are interested, contact Barbara Mann at (519) 822-7360 or barbaralmann [at] gmail.com

Upcoming Council and Committee Meetings

2012-02-16T21:17:00.004-05:00

Here are meeting agendas for the week of Feb 20 – 24th:

Council Strategic Plan Workshop – Feb 22nd (discussions about possible 'bold' change): http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/Council/council_agenda_022212.pdf

Planning & Building, Engineering and Environment Committee – Feb 21st (includes Heritage District report): http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/PEES/pbee_agenda_022112.pdf

Operations & Transit Committee – Feb 21st (includes discussion of commemorative tree plaques): http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/OT/OT_agenda_022112.pdf

OMB hearing on 1897 Gordon Street TODAY!

2012-02-16T08:00:00.005-05:00

Today there is an Ontario Municipal Board hearing to decide whether an Appeal of the Planning Approval for 1897 Gordon Street should be dismissed without a hearing.

At issue in the appeal, if allowed, is whether a primary linkage connecting Halls Pond wetland to the Hanlon Creek wetland (a linkage that involves a 2.5 ha woodlot occupying the northern slope of the Paris Moraine) should be removed.

The hearing will be at City Hall Room 112 starting at 10 a.m. - concerned citizens in attendance could have an significant impact on the outcome.

The following is some more detailed background information from Prof. Hugh Whiteley.

"The hearing is to determine whether the appeal has sufficient merit to be heard by the OMB. The proposed development at 1897 Gordon requires the complete removal of  a 2.5 ha woodlot that is part of the Natural Heritage System adopted by City Council in 1994 and protected under the Official Plan. It also requires the levelling of an iconic portion of the Paris Moraine scheduled for protection as a moraine under OPA 42. The appeal is to maintain the 2.5 ha as a vital part of Guelph's NHS.

The OMB decision on whether or not to allow the hearing will be decided on the documentation provided of substantiated grounds for an appeal; the affidavit of the highly respected ecologist supporting the appeal is the most important evidence,as you will hear if you attend. However the OMB also takes some account of public interest in appeals - an appeal that fails to generate any public interest or engagement is more likely to be judged vexatious and without merit.

The opportunities for individuals to show effective support for a genuinely "Environment First" approach to natural heritage preservation in Guelph are limited. This is a good opportunity and you can be assured that a filled seat at the hearing to-morrow morning will be effective.

The restaffing of the Planning Department that is under way (the posts to be filled are General Manager Planning and Building Services (formerly Riddell); Manager Development Planning (formerly Walters), and the two Environmental Planner positions (formerly McEachern and Young) presents an opportunity for citizens to influence the selection of staff through a demonstration of interest in environmental protection in planning. Attendance at the hearing is one way of bearing witness to this community's valuing of the natural environment."

Committee Meeting Agenda

2012-02-14T09:06:00.004-05:00

The agenda for today's Community and Social Services committee meeting can be found here. Anti-bullying measures, River Run rental costs, and Recreation fees are the topics for discussion.

Organics plant to fire up again on Monday

2012-02-11T23:12:00.002-05:00

Below is a note from City staff via the Ward 2 blog, saying that operations at the organics plant will be allowed to restart on Monday. Let's hope the odour problems have been solved.

"As you are aware, the City stopped the receipt and processing of source separated organic material in December to allow Maple Reinder’s team to develop and implement an action plan to address the odour complaints that were received relating to the Organic Waste Processing Facility (OWPF). In addition, to enable some modifications to the facility to improve processing, amendments to the Certificate of Approval were required from the Province.

Over the last several weeks Solid Waste Resources staff have been negotiating with MOE staff on the Conditions of Approval for the amended Certificate of Approval. I am very pleased to advise you that we received today an amended Certificate of Approval which will allow the facility to begin receiving and processing source separated organic material again, beginning Monday February 13. Waste receipt will be initiated slowly and ramped up over several weeks until we are receiving full tonnages once again. The commissioning process that was halted will now resume." Staff

Will the Hanlon Creek Business Park gamble pay off for Guelph?

2012-02-11T11:39:00.002-05:00

HCBP - unicorns and rainbows?

It was announced this week that a well-known food company may be building a large warehousing and distribution centre in the Hanlon Creek Business Park. The City's manager of Economic Development, Peter Cartwright, says this is a good fit for the park and the City doesn't see any downsides (see Mercury article here).

The downside is that this is low-employment warehousing. According to City documents, the target job density for the Hanlon Creek Business Park is 250 jobs per hectare (see here). The Places to Grow target is 50 jobs per hectare. If this development creates 90 jobs on 8.4 hectares of land, that's a job density of only around 11 jobs per hectare - far, far less than both targets.

One other company, Wurth Canada Limited, bought a 5.1 hectare site that will create around 100 jobs. That's a job density of about 20 jobs per hectare. Again, far less than both targets.

The City sacrificed a large piece of property - agricultural land, thousands of trees, vernal wetlands - betting that 5-10 thousand high-quality jobs could be generated. Most in Guelph were convinced by the City that it was a reasonable gamble (though a very vocal minority were not). Now the land is being sold and the jobs densities are nowhere near what was projected.

Some would argue that any new jobs are good jobs. This is what gets City Hall off the hook when they do land jobs that are less in number and quality than expected. To make the sacrifices and investment worthwhile, the City has to get serious about attracting the kind of employment and job densities that are needed to make the HCBP successful. Otherwise, City Hall has gambled and lost.

Welcome to Market Square!

2012-02-09T21:43:00.000-05:00

The long-awaited official opening of Downtown Guelph's new Market Square will take place starting at 11:30 am on Saturday, February 18th, at City Hall. The focus will be on the new outdoor skating rink, and by that date the new warming centre should be open as well. See http://guelph.ca/marketsquare for more details.

There is one curious thing we'd like to point out. The City of Guelph and the Guelph Tribune put out a flashy "Welcome to Market Square" booklet this past week, one of those news/advertising features. One might expect to see lots of advertising for Carden Street businesses since they were so adversely impacted by the lengthy construction period related to Market Square. Incredibly, only one Carden Street business had an ad. Maybe there is a good reason for that, but it sure seems like a wasted opportunity - both for the City to build good will and for Carden Street businesses to catch the eye of prospective visitors.

Another City of Guelph Reorganization

2012-02-09T21:28:00.002-05:00

Just days after GCL published a first-of-its-kind organizational chart mapping out City Hall (See the City Org Charts tab), it's back to the drawing board. The City has just announced it is once again changing its structure. The Tribune has a good article on the changes here. GCL will be updating our charts soon...stay tuned.

Guelph down to 20% urban tree canopy

2012-02-09T09:31:00.001-05:00

Mature maples marked for destruction to make room
for improvements along Eastview Road.

The City of Guelph commissioned a Canopy Coverage Study to provide an accurate baseline of the City’s existing canopy coverage. The findings show that the Guelph's current canopy coverage is only 20% - much lower than the original estimate of 30% provided by the Framework for the Urban Forest Management Plan completed in 2007. The reasons for this large difference are thought to be differences in methodology, and the loss of mature trees to aging, storm loss, and new urban development. The full study report can be found here.

While our canopy coverage appears to be going down, an amendment to our Official Plan set a target for 40% tree cover, aiming for 2020. Mayor Farbridge made this goal a key feature of her 2010 campaign, and set a corporate objective to make Guelph "a biodiverse City with the highest tree canopy percentage among comparable municipalities". So how on Earth do we get from 20% canopy coverage in 2012 to 40% canopy coverage in a mere 8 years? Even if many thousands of new trees were planted this spring, they would have minimal canopy coverage in 8 years.

In the meantime, new developments (like the Hanlon Creek Business Park, and 94 Maple Street) are popping up all across the City, destroying mature (and in many cases native) trees. We have a recently enacted a tree bylaw that only covers large properties greater than 0.2 hectares or half an acre. The City does not have an urban forestry expert on staff (perhaps not even on retainer). And now the City's two environmental planners are apparently leaving (for reasons unknown, but the above could have something to do with it).

When is the City going to 'walk the talk' with respect to our urban tree canopy? Trees provide valuable services to City residents (see GUFF's website for details). At this point, every mature native tree in the City of Guelph should be considered a precious commodity.

94 Maple development pushing ahead

2012-02-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday evening, the Committee of Adjustment unanimously approved the severances needed for the development of 94 Maple Street property. This despite a relatively large public outcry over the proposed development, which will result in the loss of mature trees and the filling of the ravine to allow two houses to be built. It is hoped that the developer of this property will take great care to make this project as 'low impact' as possible.

Council defers decision on Gordon Street condos!

2012-02-07T09:38:00.001-05:00

It looks like Council has wisely decided to give the process more time with respect to the proposed condo development at 180 Gordon Street. See the Mercury article on the deferral decision here. And many thanks to those who signed up to speak as delegations at last night's meeting, and those who came out for support. This kind of citizen participation is what makes Guelph unique - you can call it the "Guelph Factor" if you like.

Now attention turns to the Committee of Adjustment meeting re the proposed 94 Maple Street development tonight. Apparently, the Committee has received nearly 40 letters on this proposal - perhaps a new record. About 35 of these were letters in opposition. The heat is clearly on the CoA!

For those of you wondering what the CoA is all about, here is the desription from guelph.ca:

"The Committee of Adjustment is an independent body appointed by Guelph City Council. There are two major types of applications to the Committee of Adjustment: Applications for consent to create new lots or adjust boundaries and applications for minor variances to the municipal Zoning By-law requirements or for permission to extend land uses that have existed prior to the passing of the current By-law. The Committee of Adjustment hears applications under Section 45 of the Planning Act and Section 50/52 & 57 of the Planning Act R.S.O. 1990 c.P13, as amended."

Guelph in Globe and Mail

2012-02-06T21:10:00.003-05:00

The Globe ran an interesting article on water treatment today that highlights Guelph efforts with evaluation of grey water systems. It notes that Guelph is "the largest municipality in Canada that relies solely on groundwater". Find the article here.

Mayor responds to concern re the 180 Gordon St. proposal

2012-02-05T11:03:00.000-05:00

From the Ward 2 blog:

"The Mayor responds to a planning procedural concern.

I have been made aware of a procedural concern regarding Council’s consideration of the 180 Gordon application on Monday Feb. 6. As explained to staff, the concern is that Council is holding the Statutory Public Meeting for the proposed Official Plan Amendment on Monday night and this will be the first time that the public will have an opportunity to comment on the OPA. Council is also being asked to approve the OPA the same night and the concern is that Council will not therefore have sufficient time to consider any public comments on the OPA before making a decision.

To this concern our staff respond as follows:

- The zoning by-law amendment application has been considered by the public on 3 occasions: an introductory public meeting on May 3, 2011; a statutory public meeting on October 3, 2011; and a community meeting on November 10, 2011
- It was determined following the October 3 public meeting that an OPA was required to reduce the river setback
- The development proposal has not changed since the October 3 public meeting
- Public concerns regarding the proposal, including potential impacts to the river and on Marianne’s Park have been well voiced at the previous public meetings and thoroughly considered by staff
- The OPA is a technical matter – it does not change the substance of the proposal and does not create any new concerns, therefore asking Council to make a decision the same night as the Statutory public meeting is reasonable

This is all explained in the staff report but I thought it might be helpful for you to be aware of this in advance of the meeting.

Mayor Farbridge"

New GCL Pages!

2012-02-04T15:43:00.001-05:00

You may have noticed that some new GCL pages have been created, with tabs along the top of the page. The first is a list of our current councillors and their contact information. The second is something really unique - organizational charts for the City and the make up of City committees. You won't find some of this information anywhere else! Third, we have the 12 questions that we asked candidates before the 2010 election and the answers from those that were successful. Last is the GCL voting records from the last council for reference.

Lots of information, please have a look!

More on the 180 Gordon Proposal from Prof. Hugh Whiteley

2012-02-04T10:22:00.000-05:00

University of Guelph engineering professor Hugh Whiteley sent this letter to GCL regarding the development proposal for 180 Gordon Street. This is the proposal that is impinging upon Marianne's Park and comes to City Council on Monday, Feb 6th. It's time to write our councillors about this issue (see new City Council tab for contact info!), armed with the facts laid out by Prof. Whiteley. Please read on....

The Official Plan Amendment proposed for 180 Gordon Street is to exempt this property from the 30 m vegetated buffer setback requirement that applies to all properties along the Speed/Eramosa Environmental Corridor. It is clear from the Official Plan that this Environmental Corridor is very important. It is the singled out in the OP for specific attention. Section 3.6.18.3 promotes the improvement of riverfront lands with the retention or restoration of natural heritage qualities. Section 6.9.2 recognizes the riverine systems of the Speed and Eramosa Rivers as significant environmental corridors, and Section 6.9.5 promotes the naturalization and environmental enhancement of the Speed and Eramosa river valleys. These goals and objectives of the OP are implemented through the requirement, with no exceptions, that development is to be set back from the edge of the Speed and Eramosa Environmental Corridor by 30 m. (6.9.1.2; 6.9.5 1a; 6.9.5 1 b).

The OP objective of retention and restoration of a naturalized riparian corridor along the Eramosa/Speed Corridor has been successfully implemented since the adoption of the OP in 1995 and this implementation is a continuation of citizen-based efforts that started decades earlier with the Speed River Project. The success of the implementation has produced a highly valued environmental corridor on both banks of the Eramosa within the city limits and this riverain feature continues upstream to the very tiny headwater streams of the Eramosa. The existence of this length of natural channel is rare in the Province and the urban portion is particularly distinctive and valuable.

Downstream of the confluence of the Speed and Eramosa rivers, with the riverland gateway celebrated by the boathouse as a cultural heritage element, the vegetated and largely naturalized riparian buffer extends to the city limits and downstream. With only two exceptions the whole length of the vegetated buffer, on both banks, exceeds the 30 m minimum width required by the Official Plan, often extending out to 100 m and more. The two upstream exceptions to the full buffer condition being met, the innappropriate positioning of a portion of the former Hart chemical complex, and of the Cargill abbatoir on the former Reformatory property will be corrected in the distant future when land use change occurs. The only other exception is Marianne's Park, which at its narrowest is only 22.5 m wide; this exception is ready for correction now.

It is standard city policy to use the process of planning approval to remedy defects in zoning (failue of existing zoning to correspond to the OP) or other failures to follow city policy. An obvious example of this practice for 180 Gordon Street is the street widening provision that is to be imposed on the property, conveying a strip of land to the city to widen the Gordon Street right-of-way. In exactly the same procedure, since the OP requires a 30 m setback of development from the river, city policy requires that the pinch-point in the 30 m buffer be removed by incorporating the northeast corner of 180 Gordon into the vegetated buffer.

There is no transfer of property involved, just a zoning of the corner triangle as P1 and a requirement for it to be restored to the natural land contour and vegetated. The City has recently illustrated how this works, and works well, in the planning approval given to a project at 1291 Gordon Street. For this property the city required a 30 m buffer for the Hanlon Creek wetland; the entire 30 m buffer is, and remains, within the 1291 Gordon property. The 30 m buffer portion of 1291 Gordon is zoned P1 and the EIR for the property requires the buffer to be a "no-touch" zone with absolutely no disturbance of the surface during construction or anytime after. In addition the city added the further requirement that no building could be closer than 7.5 m to the 30 m buffer boundary.

This is the correct policy for an "environment first" city council. Council correctly applied their chosen approach to 1291 Gordon when the important Hanlon Creek Wetland environmental asset was involved. It is even more fitting that the same policy be followed when the more valued Speed/Eramosa Environmental Corridor can be brought to completion in the Gordon Street gateway where it will be an iconic feature of Guelph's environmental emphasis. The OPA for 180 Gordon Street is not in conformity with the OP policy - which is to restore a minimum 30 m buffer in all areas where it has not yet been established - since the OPA does not conform it must be rejected by council.

There is no need for further argument to justify the rejection of the OPA but further argument doeas exist. In preparing OPA 42 the importance of the Speed/Eramosa corridor was confirmed and the requirement for a 30 m vegetated buffer as a minimum was carried forward without alteration into the amended OP. The present status of Marianne's Park is anaomolous in the Natural Heritage System. This park connects the NHS Restsoration Area applied to Royal City Park downstream to the NHS Significant woodland that adjoins the park upstream, a section of woodland that is itself a prime area for restoration in the future (the woodlot contains a small riparian wetland that could be a highlight gem for the rerouted Eramosa south bank trail).OPA 42 contains a provision for automatic revision in cases were a NHS element has been overlooked. The designation of Marianne's park should be corrected to the restoration area status accorded Royal City Park. With careful attention to the special values attached to Marianne's park as a memorial gentle naturalization of the park would add further value to the vegetated buffer being expanded to its required minimum 30 m.

I understand that Guelph Field Naturalists (GFN) is strongly biased toward a wilderness-based environmental ideal with an emphasis on threatened and endangered species, and that GFN members are interested mostly in terrestrial species. I nevertheless think that the interests of the GFN would be advanced by interventions on issues less central to GFN interests if cases where such interventions challenged Guelph City Council to pay serious attention to the "environment first" planning principle that Guelph City Council has espoused. I also think it would increase GFN's potential to influence decisions if GFN took more interest in restoration on natural heritage areas,

For the GFN, and for others in the community interested in strengthening City Council's resolve to remain "environment first" in its planning direction, Feb 6 is the time to speak out in favour of keeping this policy, sticking to existing proper city planing princples and practices, upholding the OP, completing the mission to restore a 30 m buffer, and doing all of this by rejecting the OPA.

Hugh Whiteley

Minister tells Mayor all's well at the board of health

2012-02-03T09:21:00.001-05:00

Health Minister Deb Matthews has told Mayor Farbridge in writing that she see no problem with governance at the local health board. See the letter via the Ward 2 blog here. It appears the City has run out of options in its fight with the health board.

City staff pushing development proposal affecting Marianne's Park

2012-02-03T08:28:00.004-05:00

City staff have recommended that Council approve a controversial condo development proposal for 180 Gordon Street that puts the squeeze on Marianne's Park overlooking the Speed and Eramosa Rivers. The item goes before Council at a planning meeting on Feb 6th.

The Mercury has been following this story closely - with two articles (here and here) and an editorial (here) in the last week.

The City staff report on the proposal can be found here.

Support for the 94 Maple Street development

2012-02-03T08:14:00.000-05:00

In the last few days, GCL has been sent correspondence in support of the 94 Maple Street development from Ben Polley and Oxanna Adams. This is the same development that is opposed by the Protect Our Urban Ravines (POUR) group (see previous blog posts). Their letters are posted below to provide an alternative viewpoint and to encourage discussion on this complicated issue.

========

As you might imagine, I too share and support the general concerns that are the impetus for establishing POUR. I agree with GUFF that the City has completely insufficient protection afforded to existing trees. I can also fully appreciate the displeasure expressed by some neighbours who have been able to enjoy the view of the lot in its current form, essentially making the property a public good that has to this point been provided by private citizens (both past and current owners).

As such I view the current discussion regarding this application much as one might if an owner was seeking to alter or add to a designated heritage structure. The preservation of architectural or cultural heritage buildings is intended as a community benefit whose cost is borne by the private owner. In such cases, when faced with applications for a visible change to the structure, a balance is intended to be struck between the interests of the building owner and the desired good. Often neither party is completely happy with the outcome but such is the nature of compromise and the limits of both heritage preservation policy and property law.

When my wife and I purchased a designated heritage house in 2009, we proposed to the City several features that were not in keeping with how it would have appeared a century earlier. Among these were a wall mounted solar hot air collector, a rooftop wind turbine and a significant addition. The heritage committee reviewed our proposal and constructively critiqued the whole of our proposal. Importantly, they recognized that we desired to "future proof" the house by ensuring that it would be affordable to maintain and operate and suitable for the comfort expectations of today and tomorrow - some of which would only be made possible with modern alterations. Seeing that our proposed measures would help guarantee another century of happy life for the house, they accepted changes that could be seen as impacting on the historical purity of the home while we altered some original intentions made to understand their potential visual impact.

This collaborative approach was, I think, successful for those charged with protecting a public good and my wife and I as the hopeful homeowners.

In the case of the Maple Street proposal, I cannot speak to its specific measures as well as others. What I can say by observation is this:

*the proponents have followed the often long and difficult process to pursue their plans and to my knowledge, have never sought to circumvent ordinary procedures or acted legally (if not immorally) by, for example, cutting swaths of trees without permit such as we have witnessed happen by large developers in this City previously.

*given the size of the property, it is not outside of reason to imagine that a larger developer or one who was solely interested in the bottom line, would have opted to put forward a drastically larger, multi-unit development. Instead, I beleive that the current proposal is intended to allow for some development but in doing so will essentially render each severed parcel difficult to ever again be developed, thus preserving the remaining elements. (I recognize that any development will substantially change the current vistas and inherently reduce tree cover/natural habitat and that alone may provide some concern)

*the proponents are not an invisible corporate entity or from out-of-town and thus possibly more immune to reaction by the community. Instead, they live on the current property and I expect want to be part of the local and broader community. >From what I have learned, they have always been open to discussing alternate options though I have understood the process to have quickly become adverserial - and rarely face-to-face - rather than the collaborative/constructively critical approach I encountered with my home.

*I think that the owners anticipated that their intention to preserve valuable native trees rather than raze the woods, sever the property so as to limit future development options, and build environmentally- and human-friendly homes would have been exactly the type of thing welcomed in the neighbourhood. I understand that have been genuinely surprised by the negative reaction to their plans (though perhaps on reflection, it is very easy to see why people would wish for the lot to remain as it is) but moreover the uncollaborative and isolating approach of a few of those in opposition which makes finding an acceptable outcome for all much more difficult.

*Personally, I think that the proponents are precisely the type of individuals whom should be encouraged and supported for infill developments in the City. They are local, well intentioned, future-thinking and open to constructive discussion. And I say this even while they have indicated that they would like to learn my own company's typical materials and methods sufficiently after prospectively hiring us for one project to thereafter set out and launch their own business in direct competition. This is an example of the rare honest openness - that might have been expected to raise my own defence against their plans - that I think is commendable and speaks to their integrity. For my part, I am happy to see other builders consider becoming more green even if openly in competition.

Aside from what I said above, if there are indeed valid environmental/native tree cover or other similar concerns within the context of existing policies, then yes, by all means these must be first dealt with acceptably - no shortcuts, no avoidance. This would always be paramount for me. If the Committee of Adjustment views that these are being managed appropriately, then from my view of the personal/professional intentions of the proponent, I would be supportive of the proposal.

Regards,
Ben Polley

Evolve Builders Group Inc

========

To the members of the Committee of Adjustment,

I am writing to notify you of my support for the proposed development at 94 Maple St.

I have read the Environmental Assessment report dated August 15, 2011. The following items discussed in the report were instrumental in my decision.

1) There will be no negative impact to the 3 identified butternut trees located on the adjacent Forest Hill Dr. property. The removal of trees will positively impact at least one of the butternuts.

2) Many of the trees slated for removal from the proposed lots are undesirable non-native species. The owners plan to remove invasive foreign shrubs (buckthorn) and trees (Norway Maple) from the remaining property and replace them with native species. It has long been my opinion that this is exactly what this untended wooded area needs.

3) It does not appear that any bird species will be affected significantly. Protection of our urban bird population might have been a consideration if this was the only treed area in the neighbourhood, but it is not. In fact the planting of native species on this property will in the long term be beneficial to both bird and butterfly populations. As long as tree removal occurs outside of the breeding/nesting season, I am satisfied that there will be no negative impact on the birds.

4) 2 single family, 1200 sq. foot straw bale houses are planned. I welcome the addition of houses of this size and construction to our neighbourhood. They will be an example of how sustainable housing can be achieved. Houses of this size are also visually compatible with others in the area.

5) To the extent feasible the concerns re: retaining wall maintenance and the retention of trees along the lot line with 70 Maple St. have been addressed.

6) The current design has reduced the number and diameter of trees that need to be removed. Of the 73 slated for removal only 23 are in good condition. Approximately 56 trees will be saved. These include 8 sugar maples and as the report states, the location of these existing trees are such that the treed of appearance of the Maple St. frontage will remain. Tree cover will continue to exist for over 65% of the frontage.

I have also met with Curtis Wile and Katharine Philips-Wile; we spent an hour going over the plan details. I am no longer concerned about the amount of fill and how it will look from the street. It appears to me that the houses will be positioned in a manner that blends well with the existing terrain and with the least amount of physical damage possible given the constraints of the topography and the existence of the the storm sewer.

I believe that Curtis and Katherine intend to develop the property in the most environmentally sensitive way possible and that they have accommodated the concerns of their neighbours to the best of their ability and within reason. We need more builders who are willing to think outside the box and offer creative alternatives to the unsustainable cookie cutter suburban housing that we have become accustomed to. We must encourage this type of entrepreneurship and the first place that we can start is by not throwing unreasonable, costly and time delaying roadblocks in their way.

Yours Sincerely,

Oxanna Adams,
22 Maple St.

Letters in support of POUR due by tomorrow!

2012-02-01T09:16:00.000-05:00

For those interested in supporting the Protect Our Urban Ravines (POUR) group that is fighting the development of over a hectare of woodland in the Old University neighbourhood, the deadline for comments to the Committee of Adjustment is tomorrow (Feb 2). POUR has provided some tips for writing a letter to the committee below.

Ideas from Protect Our Urban Ravines (POUR) for Letters to the Committee of Adjustment

Note: letters must be received by February 2, 2012 in order to be provided to committee members before the meeting on February 7th. Send by e-mail to cofa@guelph.ca or by fax to 519-822-4632. You can also mail comments to: Secretary-Treasurer, Committee of Adjustment, City of Guelph, 1 Carden Street, Guelph, ON N1H 3A1.

Here are some issues you could raise in your letter:

1. Negative visual/aesthetic impact on the neighbourhood from loss of trees, adding tons of fill to the ravine (the fill will rise 2.5 metres [8.2 feet] above the existing grade)
2. Loss of habitat for birds & other wildlife--97 species of birds have been recorded on a nearby property
3. Loss of tree canopy:
         *the site is fully canopied now and tree experts say the amount of fill and changes to the water flow on the site will mean even "saved" trees will die
         *trees provide important benefits to the community at large, such as cooling and filtering of the air, improving the quality of ground water
4. A better design that requires much less fill--such as using driven pile footings--could preserve more of the existing topography and trees
5. The City needs to do a better job of protecting existing urban trees and woodlands, which are disappearing at an alarming rate due to development
6. Try to give an example about how this development will affect you personally

Sample letters (please try not to copy these letters exactly or they will have less impact):

______

Committee of Adjustment
Guelph ON
Subject: 94 Maple St

In the years I have been a resident of the Old University neighborhood I have walked past this property many times. I have seen the circle of trout lilies in the spring, the full canopy shading the entire property in the summer, and the sugar maple trees that give Maple St its name.

When the city adopted a natural heritage strategy I expected that this lovely little woods in the city would be protected. It has been there as long as I have been here and I hoped it would be there for today's children. I do not understand how you can permit the trees to be removed when the city has said that it wants to increase the tree canopy. These changes go the wrong way.

______

Committee of Adjustment
Guelph, Ontario

I am writing about the plan to add two houses to the woodlot on Maple Street. I have heard that the developer wants to put houses in the ravine. There is a very steep dropoff from the street into the ravine so you would have to fill up the ravine to put in driveways. I don't think this design is a good fit with the neighbourhood.

They say you cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Trying to stick two houses in that ravine would create a blot on Maple Street, no matter how much you try to pretty it up.

Thanks for your consideration.

______

Committee of Adjustment
Guelph, Ontario

I hope you will not allow the development plan for 94 Maple to go forward. This is a bad plan for the neighbourhood and for the environment.

It will mean the destruction of the ravine and the destruction of dozens of trees. This lot has remained as it is for generations, and there is a good reason for that: it is not a lot that should be developed.

______

Committee of Adjustment
Guelph, Ontario

I am very familiar with the woods on Maple Street and I cannot imagine why the City would support destroying it in order to build a couple of houses. Surely this green space is worthy of protection. It makes our neighbourhood more liveable and I understand the woodlot even contains some endangered butternut trees.

How many truckloads of fill will it take to make this lot “buildable”? How will houses perched on top of mountains of fill improve the streetscape of Maple Street?

Infill is important, but not at any cost. I hope you will reject this ill-conceived plan.
_____

Committee of Adjustment
Guelph, Ontario

The property at 94 Maple has been a large estate lot for at least 60 years, always owned by a single family. Now the owner wants to sever two lots, strip the 2+ feet of topsoil, remove the trees, fill in the ravine and build two more houses.

This should not be allowed, even though it is private property. This large and unique lot is valuable as is, without further development. Our zoning by-law places numerous restrictions on what can be done on private property and is there to protect us from inappropriate development that detracts from the character of the neighbourhood.

We hope the Committee of Adjustment will recognize that this development is not appropriate.

News Items from City Hall

2012-02-01T09:10:00.003-05:00

Here are a few significant news items from City Hall:

1) The idling bylaw has gone from 10 minutes to 3 minutes - see article here.

2) After numerous complaints from riders and bus drivers, the City is revising its new bus routes and scheduling - see article here.

3) The Guelph Innovation District plans may push the Turf Grass Institute out of Guelph - article here.

4) Guelph councillors will return to the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health Board, but will ask for a mediator to examine the issue of the Board building a new headquarters on land leased from the University of Guelph, against the wishes of the City of Guelph - see article here.

5) Finally, it appears that there has been a major shake-up at City Hall around the 2010 Shared Rental Housing by-law amendment. At a closed meeting, with the City's legal team present, councillors asked staff to terminate the City's OMB appeal, bring back a recommendation to lift the Interim Control By-law, and proceed with a licensing program in consulation with the Ontario Human Rights Commission. All of this will be brought to a public meeting of Council in the future. It appears to have something to do with 'minimum separations' and the human rights code. Look for this to be a big issue with residents in the university area. The Ward 2 blog already has one unhappy post on this issue - see here.

January Poll Results

2012-02-01T08:51:00.002-05:00

Here are the results of the January GCL poll, "Should the OMB be used to override the City's Official Plan and bylaws, and the wishes of affected residents?"

There were 70 votes:

9 (12%) - Yes, private property rights should be a priority

44 (62%) - No, the OMB concept needs a rethink.

17 (24%) - The OMB is the place where such conflicts should be addressed.

0 (0%) - Not sure

Two articles of interest from Alan Pickersgill

2012-01-29T11:56:00.000-05:00

Alan Pickersgill writes the "The View From Here" column in the Guelph Tribune and his last two pieces deal with important topics: the Ontario Municipal Board and City Council conflict of interest.

His views on these issues are very similar to those of the GCL:

1) The OMB tends to work against effective municipal planning and needs to be reformed, and

2) The conflict of interest guidelines for City Council need to be more clear.

Pickersgill provides good examples to support each of these views - read the OMB article here and the conflict of interest article here.

Council and Committee Agendas

2012-01-29T11:34:00.000-05:00

Here is the agenda for Monday's council meeting:

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/Council/council_agenda_013012.pdf

Probably of most significance at this meeting is the committee report regarding the Guelph Innovation District Secondary Plan. There are a number of delegations on this subject, and the committee report is included in the agenda material (starting on page 201).

And here is the agenda for the Planning Application Reports meeting on Feb 6th:

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/Council/2006/council_agenda_020612.pdf

Note that all agendas have bookmarks that make it easier to navigate through the documents. You can usually turn the bookmarks on by clicking on the bookmarks icon near the top left of the document.

Appreciating Community Vision

2012-01-21T10:30:00.000-05:00

Susan Ratcliffe wrote an interesting piece for the Mercury where she takes on the naysayers and shows how community vision has helped to preserve some important local architecture, namely the Loretto Convent and the stone wall in the Market Square. She leaves out the part about the long construction delays and their impacts on Carden Street...hopefully just a short blip in the longer story there.

It is worth remembering that there was, and still is, opposition to these projects, just as there was for the organics plants and the River Run Centre. It's never easy building a community with a high 'quality of life'. Sometimes community vision is only widely appreciated after many years have gone by.

Committee Agendas

2012-01-20T21:21:00.000-05:00

Here are links to the agendas for the Planning & Building, Engineering and Environment Committee and Operations & Transit Committee meetings of January 23, 2012:

PBEE Agenda

OT Agenda

Significant Urban Woodland Threatened with Removal

2012-01-18T18:19:00.000-05:00

Here is another example of the protection of our urban forest 'slipping through the cracks' at City Hall, and there is something you can do to help.

The Old University Neighbourhood has one of the last remaining large urban woodlands (over 1 ha or 2.4 acres) close to downtown, but a proposal coming before the Committee of Adjustment on February 7th could mean its demise. The owner of a portion of the woodland between Maple Street and Forest Hill Drive proposes to remove most of the trees and add fill to the steeply-sloped ravine to create two lots for houses.

For decades the ravine has been enjoyed by neighbourhood children and adults alike. More than 90 species of birds have been recorded by a local ornithologist. There are three large federally/provincially-endangered butternut trees within the woodland. The ravine and Maple Street, from which it descends, are both shown on maps of the City from the 1870's. Peterson Creek formerly ran down the ravine; it is now buried in an 80-year-old storm drain in the ravine that empties into the Speed River.

The irony of the proposed removal of the large sugar maples close to Maple Street is not lost on the residents of this leafy neighbourhood. They fear that there won't be any maple trees left on Maple Street. Many of the locals are supporting the newly-formed Protect Our Urban Ravines (POUR) group which is opposing the destruction of the woodland.

Unfortunately, city staff are supporting the proposal even though the city has policies in the Official Plan about the importance of protecting trees and has established a goal of increasing the city's tree canopy to 40%. In addition, the woodland would qualify for protection under the the City's 2010 Natural Heritage Strategy except for the fact that 1) the policies aren't yet mandatory because developers have appealed it to the Ontario Municipal Board and 2) the City has failed to adopt an interim control by-law.

The group is asking supporters to do one or all of the following:

1. Write letters of concern to the Committee of Adjustment. Send letters or email to cofa@guelph.ca by February 2, 2012.

2. Attend the Committee of Adjustment meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 in City Hall. You are encouraged to speak to the committee if you wish; but even if you do not speak, filling the room with concerned citizens is very important.

3. Come to a get-together on the evening of January 23rd. POUR is hosting this event to allow neighbours and interested parties to view maps and other information about the proposal. To receive an invitation to the event, contact Lisa Mactaggart at lmactaggart [at] sympatico.ca

4. Add your name to the list of POUR supporters. Contact Lisa Mactaggart at lmactaggart [at] sympatico.ca

To view the Environmental Impact Study and other documents relevant to this development go to the Active Development Files on the City's web site here. The documents are at the very bottom of the page under the heading "94 Maple".

Guelph City Council Meeting Video Now Archived

2012-01-13T20:44:00.002-05:00

City Hall is now keeping an online archive of videotaped City Council meetings. Four meetings from 2011 have been uploaded, and new videos will be added to the archive following each Council meeting. You can find the archived video here.

Staff clear the air re the Adobe development

2012-01-09T22:00:00.002-05:00

It looks like City staff are trying to correct inaccurate information about their handling of the student housing development proposed by Abode Varsity Living for the corner of Stone and Gordon. A memo from staff on the issue was posted on Ian Findlay's Ward 2 blog, and shows that the developer had agreed to go beyond the usual 180-day deadline for a decision so that there could be a series of meetings with the neighbourhood. They also gave the impression that they would be submitting a revised plan. It is not clear then why the developer suddenly decided to call in the OMB, citing the delay in a decision by the City.

Here's the memo:

"In recent articles in the local media, there appears to be the perception that our Planning Department has been slow on bringing a recommendation to Council for decision on this application. This is inaccurate.

• The original application from Abode was deemed to be “complete” by Planning staff on November 25, 2010.
• The Notice of Public meeting was issued accordingly on December 21, 2010 for the Public Meeting of Council held on January 17, 2011.
• An outcome of the public meeting was that staff were directed to facilitate discussions between the developer and the neighbourhood. The developer indicated to Council that they were agreeable to additional meetings with the neighbourhood, which were held on April 26, June 14, and August 4, 2011 and which resulted in revised proposals on a “without prejudiced basis”. Subsequently, at the last meeting with the applicant held September 2011, the applicant indicated that a revised Traffic Impact Study and a revised Parking Justification Report would be submitted to staff shortly. Throughout this time, Abode gave staff the impression that they would be revising their application, and at no point advised staff that they wished to proceed with their original application.
• Staff were still waiting to receive the updated application when we received notice on December 12, 2011 that an appeal had been made to the OMB.

I hope this summary provides useful context. Staff"

CAFES Committee Agenda

2012-01-08T10:41:00.005-05:00

You can find the agenda for Monday's Corporate Administration, Finance and Emergency Services (CAFES) Committee meeting here:

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/CAFES/cafes_agenda_010912.pdf

December poll results

2012-01-04T21:30:00.004-05:00

Here are the results of the GCL poll for December 2011:

What method should Guelph use for waste pickup?

Continue to use plastic bags                    4 (10%)

Switch to an automated 3-cart system    10 (27%)

Switch to biodegradable bags                   12 (32%)

Switch to a mix of carts and bags    9 (24%)

Not sure        2 (5%)

Note that councillors voted to accept the staff recommendation that Guelph adopt an automated 3-cart system, which came in second place in this poll.

OMB called in yet again...

2012-01-04T21:27:00.001-05:00

Well this is a familiar scene - a developer unhappy with City Hall has called in the Ontario Municipal Board. This time it's regarding a proposal for a mega student housing complex at the corner of Stone and Gordon. Have a look at an artist's rendering that accompanies the article on this topic in the Mercury here.

This proposal has been on the back burner for a while now after the community in and around the area made it fairly clear that they thought the complex as proposal was not a good fit. It appears the developer, Mississauga’s Abode Varsity Living, didn't want to make any changes to address concerns, even after numerous meetings with City staff and residents, so off to the OMB we go.

The issue here is one of local control over planning. The City would have to approve a number of zoning and official plan amendments to allow this development and they've hesitated in doing so (in fact, excessively so - more than a year). Residents have already said they don't want a development of that density there. Yet the developer is quoted as saying, "We've asked the province to make the decision."

Should a developer be allowed to go over the heads of local residents, staff and council? Check out the poll question this month and let us know how you feel.

City Council Takes A Stand on Canada-EU CETA

2011-12-24T07:44:00.000-05:00

On Monday night, Council discussed the issue of the Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). A number of delegations spoke to the issue, including the GCL, urging council to take some action to oppose the agreement, at least until more information is known about the impacts to local governance. There was a fair bit of confusion in the handling of the issue. Staff had recommended at the committee level that the City oppose the ratification of the CETA until more information is known, but the committee voted against that recommendation and adopted a somewhat weaker set of resolutions to go before council. However, Coun. Burcher asked for an amendment to the resolutions that effectively put the staff recommendation back into the motion. That was passed by a 6-4 vote (three councillors were absent). There were a number of other amendments made, all which were either friendly or passed by a vote. In the end, it appears the following resolution was adopted unanimously by council:

"THAT the report dated December 5, 2011 regarding the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement which has been prepared by Economic Development and Tourism Services be received.

THAT the City of Guelph request a briefing from the Ontario Government and from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) on the scope and content of trade negotiations with the European Union, including the details of its procurement, services and investment offers to the EU.

THAT the resolutions regarding the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement be sent to AMO, FCM, the Federal Government, the Provincial Government, the local MPP and MP, the Minister of
International Trade and the opposition critics, for consideration and circulation.

THAT Guelph City Council does not support the ratification of the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement by the Government of Canada at this time without the Government of Canada providing further opportunity for public and municipal government assessment of the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and the opportunity for further input into the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.

THAT the correspondence submitted to Guelph City Council with respect to the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement be forwarded with the resolutions.

THAT the federal government's negotiations ensure that the FCM guiding principles will be fully reflected in any trade agreement reached between Canada and the European Union."

So, some success here, since Council not only voted to "not support the ratification" of the CETA, but also required several actions that will hopefully result in a clearer picture of what the CETA will mean for local governance. Some other municipalities have asked for an outright exemption to CETA by the Province of Ontario, and we didn't get that. But Council's vote sends a clear message to the provincial and federal governments that municipalities are concerned about the potential for loss of local democratic control under the CETA.

One other note. Lloyd Longfield at the Guelph Chamber of Commerce offered the only input to council in favour of the CETA. His correspondence, and those of a few of the delegations, can be found here.

Organics plant back in operation - sort of

2011-12-20T07:59:00.001-05:00

It looks like the organics plant is back in operation, but only to keep the biofilters warm enough to survive. If they freeze, it's back to square one with the plant adding greatly to the cost. In the meantime, Maple Reinders is looking for some reliable ammonia sensors, and nearby residents may have to put up with the occasion waft of decomposing wet waste. See the full Mercury article here.

Monday Council Meeting and CETA

2011-12-18T16:19:00.001-05:00

The agenda for tomorrow evening's council meeting can be found here. There are a couple of interesting agenda items. One is a report from the first year of operation of the new entity Guelph Municipal Holdings Inc. that mainly oversees Guelph Hydro Inc. The report can be found in the agenda starting on page 6.

However, the most significant issue of the evening will be the Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The material related to this is can be found in the agenda starting at page 98. There are a number of delegations signed up to speak to this issue, including the Guelph Civic League. You can read the GCL submission below and get a better idea of the concerns related to the CETA.

Of course, having supporters in the audience is always helpful, so if you have tomorrow evening free, please consider coming down to City Hall at 7 pm. It doesn't appear that it will be a long meeting - the only delegations listed so far are those related to the CETA issue.

The following is the GCL submission.

Hello Mayor and Councillors,

We trust that councillors have read the important information related to the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, included with the agenda package.

In case you haven't, the following is a quick summary.

The CAFES Committee has recommended:

"THAT Guelph City Council does not support the ratification of the Canada-EU CETA by the Government of Canada at this time without the Government of Canada providing further opportunity for public and municipal government assessment of the Canada-EU CETA and the opportunity for further input into the Canada-EU CETA."

This recommendation is based on the following facts:

* the CETA appears to open up the EU’s ability to: access natural resources; bid on national, provincial and municipal government contracts; and open up public municipal water systems across Canada to privatization (GCL notes that waste and transit services would be vulnerable as well).

* Many groups such as the Council of Canadians, the Union of B.C. Municipalities, the Canadian Auto Workers union, the Sierra Club Canada, the Canadian Union of
Postal Workers, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Canadian Community Economic Development Network, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the
Centre for Civic Governance and the National Union of Public and General Employees have raised concerns about CETA.

* 19 Canadian municipalities have adopted resolutions in response to the CETA, including the Ontario cities of Brantford, Brockville, Hamilton, London and Windsor.

In addition, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario has expressed concerns about the impact of the CETA in a number of areas, and in general desires that any CETA deal "offer significant opportunities for economic development for our local companies for any limitations that may be accepted."

Lastly, in a letter from the Guelph Civic League to councillors in advance of the CAFES Committee meeting of Dec. 5th (below), we also described a concrete, real-world example of the potential impacts of the CETA:

* that under the proposed CETA, Ontario's Green Energy Act manufacturing requirement that 60% (for solar) and 50% (for wind) must be done in-province would not be permitted.

This of course would mean the loss of local industry and local jobs. Similar such programs at the municipal level would also not be permitted.

Though the CAFES Committee has recommended that Council not support ratification of the CETA, it did not support using the draft resolution from the Council of Canadians, as provided in the CAFES Committee report in the agenda package, which outlined actions to be taken. Therefore, it is not at all clear what actions the City and Council plans to take on this important issue, if any. In the opinion of the GCL, the City cannot be a bystander on this critical issue for local governance, but must take clear actions that are in the best interests of the citizens of Guelph.

Accordingly, the GCL urges Council to take the following actions:

1) request more information on the implications of the CETA from the Government of Canada, the Ontario Government, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities;

2) request that the Government of Canada provide opportunities for further input on the CETA; and

3) stand with other municipalities across Canada in clearly opposing a CETA that gives the European Union access to municipal-level procurement.

These actions would specifically address the reasons behind City Council not supporting the ratification of the CETA.

A resolution comprising such actions could be easily drafted - perhaps even here this evening - by amending the resolution provided by the Council of Canadians, as included in the CAFES committee report.

We feel this is the best action possible for the City given the current circumstances, and is clearly better than taking no action at all on this important issue.

Sincerely,

Dave Sills, President
Guelph Civic League

City Budget Approved by Council

2011-12-08T06:46:00.001-05:00

As noted in an earlier blog post, the final council meetings regarding the City capital and operating budgets were held this week, and council has passed a budget that corresponds to an increase of 3.52%. Scott Tracey at the Mercury noted the following budget items that were part of this decision:

* metered parking to increase 25 cents per hour ($130,000 revenue)
* hire an internal auditor ($132,700 cost)
* implement affordable bus pass program at mid-year at cost of $135,350
* $100,000 into downtown renewal fund
* remove $290,000 anticipated operational saving from sale of streetlight system (because staff doesn't think sale could be completed during 2012)
* reduce anticipated savings related to energy conservation from $500,000 to $400,000
* provide Guelph Police grant of up to $48,000 to pay for background checks for volunteers
* turned down $20,600 capital request from Macdonald Stewart Art Centre
* put $55,600 into library budget to fund development officer position
* spend $18,000 to subsidize U of G ice rentals until end of current hockey season
* spend $20,000 to design sidewalks for Woodlawn between Nicklin and Elmira
* move comprehensive parking strategy forward in capital budget (no tax impact)
* reinstate bus service on five remaining stat holidays at cost of $27,900
* identify $3.8 million in 2012 capital budget to move Baker Street redevelopment forward (no tax impact)

A few questions remain: does this mean the radical idea of the City selling our streetlight system to Guelph Hydro has thankfully been taken off the table? And does this mean that the $40K subsidy paid by the City to the UofG for use of university facilities for youth athletics has been ended? That would be a shame - it is a very cost effective measure given the UofG has acted as a sort of temporary south end rec centre for the city.

Any other comments on these budget items?

Committee and Council Meeting Results

2011-12-06T21:58:00.001-05:00

Result of CETA motion introduced at the CAFES Committee meeting:

http://www.guelphmercury.com/news/local/article/634943--committee-members-not-ready-to-turn-up-noses-at-trade-agreement

GCL will be there when this issue comes to Council on Dec. 19th. The Mercury also has some video of the CETA protest last weekend courtesy of Troy Bridgeman:

http://www.guelphmercury.com/videozone/634636

Results of garbage collection system debate:

http://www.guelphmercury.com/news/local/article/634988--council-opts-for-cart-based-waste-collection-system

Controversy at the committee chair 'striking' meeting:

http://www.guelphmercury.com/news/local/article/634993--in-controversial-move-councillor-pulled-off-police-board

ACTION re the Canada-EU CETA

2011-12-04T20:13:00.001-05:00

ACTION ALERT

Coun. Laidlaw will bring forward a Canada-EU CETA-related motion tomorrow at the 4 pm CAFES committee meeting. The letter below regarding CETA was sent by GCL to City Council today asking for support of this motion.

In addition, the Council of Canadians - Guelph Chapter will hold a CETA march / rally tomorrow starting at St. George's Square at 3 pm and ending at City Hall before 4 pm, just ahead of the CAFES committee meeting.

You can also sign up as a delegation to speak to this motion if you register before noon tomorrow (contact the City Clerk at 519-837-5603 or clerks@guelph.ca). Alternatively, you could write / call the following members of council who are on the CAFES committee:

June Hofland (chair) - june.hofland@guelph.ca - 519-822-1260 x2505
Todd Dennis - todd.dennis@guelph.ca - 519-822-1260 x2296
Gloria Kovach - gloria.kovach@guelph.ca - 519-822-1260 x2512
Karl Wettstein - karl.wettstein@guelph.ca - 519-763-5105
Karen Farbridge - mayor@guelph.ca - 519-837-5643

Please consider taking one of the above actions to lend your support.

--------

Hello Mayor and Councillors,

As you likely know, the Canadian government is close to concluding negotiations with the European Union (EU) on a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Canada has exchanged an initial procurement offer with the EU (listing sub-federal entities that will be bound by the rules of the procurement chapter) that will almost certainly include Guelph and explicitly tie Guelph to the terms and conditions of this international trade agreement.

The EU is insisting on full access to procurement by municipalities, school boards, universities, hospitals, utilities and other provincial agencies, which could significantly reduce the freedom of these bodies to hire or source locally on public contracts, or to use public spending as a tool for economic development, environmental protection and support for local farmers and small businesses. Procurement rules in the CETA combined with investment protections related to transit, water, electricity and other public services delivered locally may lock in privatization and make it prohibitively expensive to apply new regulations, to re-municipalize services, or create new municipal programs.

A clear example of the impact of CETA is that, under CETA, Ontario's Green Energy Act manufacturing requirement that 60% (for solar) and 50% (for wind) must be done in-province would *not be permitted*. This means the loss of local industry and local jobs. See the Shrybman report for more details: http://www.civicgovernance.ca/files/uploads/FINAL-Shrybman_CETA_report.pdf

The Guelph Civic League urges the City of Guelph follow the lead of 16 other Canadian municipalities and demand that the province exempt Guelph from the Canada-EU CETA in order to protect local democracy and local businesses (Toronto is among the municipalities now considering exemption). We hope councillors on the CAFES committee will vote in support of the CETA motion on Monday as a first step towards this goal.

-

On another front, GCL has conducted an informal poll regarding downtown building heights over the past month on the GCL blog (guelphcivicleague.blogspot.com). We asked the question, "What should the maximum number of stories be for buildings downtown?". Responses were received from 70 blog visitors (only one vote per person is permitted). Of this 70, 52% voted for 6 stories, 21% voted for 12 stories, 7% voted for 15 stories, and 18% voted for 18 stories.

All told, the majority of responses indicated a desire for a low-rise approach to increasing downtown density, and 80% of responses indicated that downtown buildings should be limited to 15 stories or less.

Sincerely,

Dave Sills, President
Guelph Civic League

Big Week at City Hall

2011-12-03T13:39:00.001-05:00

There are a number of important council and committee meetings this week, starting on Monday at 4 pm with the Corporate Administration, Finance and Emergency Services (CAFES) Committee. A motion will be discussed there regarding the possible exemption of the City of Guelph from the proposed Canadian-European Trade Agreement (CETA). CETA has the potential for significant negative impacts on local democracy (see canadians.org for details, including a video made in Guelph!). Six delegations are speaking to this motion. The meeting agenda is here. Contact the City Clerk at 519-837-5603 or clerks@guelph.ca by noon on Monday to be included as a delegation. There will be a rally outside City Hall between 3-4 pm in support of this motion featuring.

Next, at the regular council meeting at 7 pm on Monday, council will deal with two significant issues. One is discussion regarding the proposed plaza development at the corner of Gorden and Wellington. The other is whether to stick to the plan to use carts. Initially, this was required by the province, but a legal decision in another municipality changed that. So, the decision is back in the laps of councillors again - stay with bags, change to carts, or doing something in between. Staff is recommending staying on course and going to carts. A decision is required since the supplier of the City's new garbage trucks needs to know by Dec 15th which type of truck is required. So far, it appears no one has signed up to be a delegation regarding this issue. Agenda here.

Following this council meeting, council will hold a special 'striking' meeting to appoint the the chair of each of the Council standing committees, and councillor to serve on the Guelph Police Services Board. Agenda here.

On Tuesday (Dec 6th) at 5 pm, the Community & Social Services Committee discusses the MacDonald Stewart Art Centre and the Community Gardens Pilot Program Evaluation. Agenda here.

Finally, on Wednesday (Dec 7th) and Thursday (Dec 8th) at 6 pm, council meetings will be held for further deliberation and approval of the 2012 tax supported operating and capital budgets. Agenda for Dec 7th here.

GCL AGM Results

2011-12-02T08:53:00.001-05:00

The Guelph Civic League held its annual general meeting yesterday evening, hosting a crowd of about 20. Several significant motions were passed. First, both organizational members and individual members are now allowed to vote at GCL meetings. Second, formal executive positions were changed to president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer, plus up to five at-large positions. Third, a new membership fee structure was approved: $20 for organizations, $10 for individuals (regular), and $5 for individuals (students).

A new executive was also elected. Serving as president for 2012 is Dave Sills. Anne Gardner will take on the vice-president position. Judy Martin was elected as treasurer. Kevin Ferraro is now past president. Sue Parker was elected to an at-large executive position but has agreed to act as secretary for now.

Finally, Mike Darmon and Rodrigo Goller of Wellington Water Watchers gave a great presentation on the current status of the Dolime quarry and the risk to 25% of Guelph's drinking water. Quite a nasty situation and more information will be posted here soon on actions that you can take to help.

All in all, a good evening. The new executive looks forward to a productive year in 2012! Of course, anyone interested in an organization or individual GCL membership at our new lower rates should send an email to info@guelphcivicleague.ca and we'll set you up.

GCL Annual General Meeting Agenda

2011-11-30T20:50:00.001-05:00

Guelph Civic League's big Annual General Meeting is set for Thursday evening, December 1st (TOMORROW!), from 7 pm to 9 pm at 10 Carden. Here's the agenda for the evening:

========

Welcome and Call to Order – Kevin Ferraro, President
Review of Agenda
Minutes of Annual General Meeting held June 28th, 2010
Annual Report 2010-2011
Review of Financial Statements

Constitution and By-laws
       Proposal of motion to change the by-laws to permit individual voting
       members

Membership Fees
       Proposal of motion to set the membership fees for 2012 at $20 for
       organizations, $10 for individuals and $5 for students.

Election of the 2012 Executive

'GCL in 2012' Brainstorming / Discussion

REFRESHMENT BREAK

Wellington Water Watchers presentation:
       “The Dolime quarry and the potential impacts on Guelph's drinking
       water“ with speakers Mike Darmond and Rodrigo Goller

Adjournment

========

We hope to see you there!

City Clears the Air on Organics Plant - Sort Of...

2011-11-29T12:24:00.001-05:00

From Guelph.ca:

"GUELPH, ON, Monday, November 28, 2011 - The City of Guelph is working with the Ontario Ministry of Environment to investigate whether odours recently reported by nearby residents are coming from the City’s organic waste processing facility.

Because of the neighborhood complaints, the City stopped taking in organic waste on Friday, November 25, to allow for a thorough review of the facility’s odour management system.

The City is investigating to determine the source and cause of any odour.

Once the facility’s odour management system is thoroughly reviewed and any issues are resolved, the City will resume accepting organic waste.

While the advanced, modern technology used at the facility is tried and true, the facility itself is new. The City is committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure the facility’s odour management system is in optimal working order."

The Mercury has come down hard on the lack of City transparency on this issue. See their editorial here.

New Compost Facility Shut Down!

2011-11-26T16:03:00.001-05:00

Some unfortunate developments regarding the new organics composting facility.

There have been reports of foul smells by residents in the area near the $32 million facility and the City and Ministry of the Environment have been investigating. The City temporarily suspended operations at the plant on Friday and is sending organic waste to a landfill in St. Thomas in the interim.

City staff have prepared a couple of briefings now (available on the Ward 2 blog site) that give the impression that the organics facility may not be the problem. According to these briefings, the source of the odour could not be confirmed and an investigation is continuing.

However, the Guelph Mercury is reporting (see here) that the MOE has indeed confirmed that the organics plant is the cause of the odours. The MOE asked the City to produce an action plan by the end of the Friday, and said that they will review the plan and work with the City to ensure proper actions are taken. It is not clear if the MOE asked the City to suspend operations at the facility, or if the City took this action as a precaution.

Assuming the Merc has their story right, one wonders how transparent the City is being on this issue, with them saying one thing and MOE saying another. Does the City disagree with MOE's assessment, or is the City in serious 'damage control' mode? Or does the City's involvement with Maple Reinders Ltd., the designer and builder of the plant, have an influence on what the City can say publicly?

We hope the City shares all information it has related to this problem, and that any necessary corrections are made quickly. Organic waste processing is a huge issue in Guelph and needs to be dealt with openly and effectively.

Beyond Occupy Meeting #2

2011-11-26T15:54:00.001-05:00

The second Beyond Occupy meeting will be at The Paisley Memorial Church at 40 Margaret St. on Tuesday, November 29th @ 7pm

Find the map here:
http://www.waynestuff.com/Waterloo/PaisleyMemorialGuelph.aspx

Contributions will be welcomed to help offset the costs ($50 for rental, $25 for posters, etc.)

More info on the meeting follows...

Presentation Format: The meeting is scheduled for two hours and we have the room for three hours. We can continue to chat and socialize after the scheduled presentation format has concluded. If there are any strong objections to this format please let us know ahead of time so that accommodations can be reached.

1   We would like to spend 10 minutes reviewing what transpired at the last meeting for new attendees and to refresh ourselves as to where we left off. We will also review the scheduled presentation format during this time.

2   We will form break-out groups of four to six people. The next 20 minutes will be spent on introductions within the groups and taking turns speaking and reflecting each others meaning on our central question: "How can we nurture this new catalyst for change?". The intention of this part of the evening is that we actively listen to one another and take the time to reflect back the meaning of what we heard so that everyone in the group is heard the way that they wish to be. It is our hope that attendees will continue this practice throughout the event's activities. In the interest of time we will not be reporting back to the main group after this process. Here is a link with a more detailed description of active listening: http://www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/treatment/activel.htm

3   During the next hour we would like to focus on potential working groups that may emerge from our conversation. Stations, with suggested working group topics drawn from our first meeting's notes, will be set up around the room each with a dedicated facilitator. Using, loosely, the general guidelines of Open Space-
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Space_Technology#Guiding_principles_and_one_law)
-attendees will be encouraged to join in on the conversation that most energizes them and use the Law of two feet: (If at any time during our time together you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing, use your two feet, go someplace else).

Every 20 minutes attendees will be encouraged to circulate and explore some of the other stations. The names of the stations were selected by the Beyond Occupy meeting series working group but it will be left to the attendees to interpret their meaning in their conversations.

The nine suggested working group stations will be:

The structure of the meeting process
Actions and potential actions
Communications
Education
Mapping resources and inter-connectivity
Best practices and models
Overall vision of the Beyond occupy meeting series
Events
Identifying gaps and barriers to participation and inclusion

4 The facilitators of the stations will be asked to report back with the outcomes of their group's conversation. No formal decision-making or general agreements will be called for at this meeting, however, the process of sculpting proposals is encouraged. We will spend our final 30 minutes with the facilitators' presentations and wrapping up the scheduled presentation format. Notes, made up of the facilitators reports, will be e-mailed out to the Beyond Occupy e-mail list.

City Council Meetings

2011-11-26T15:37:00.001-05:00

Council Agenda – Nov 28th

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/Council/2006/council_agenda_112811.pdf

Council Planning Reports – Dec 5th (planning application reports from a variety of different development projects, most notably the development at the SW corner of Wellington and Gordon)

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/Council/2006/council_agenda_120511.pdf

Back to the OMB for Hanlon Creek - hearing today!

2011-11-24T07:25:00.000-05:00

University of Guelph professor and community activist Hugh Whiteley has appealed the approval of development on 2.5 ha of the Hanlon Creek Watershed Natural Heritage System (subdivision at 1897 Gordon Street, the Bird property). The approved development would significantly impact an area of the Paris moraine judged by a City of Guelph environmental planner to be unique within the city. Development would also destroy 2.5 ha of mature coniferous forest that covers this portion of the moraine crest and related wildlife habitat.

Whiteley has retained an environmental lawyer, a highly qualified ecologist and a respected environmental planner, in support of his appeal. We have just learned that, in an attempt to stop the OMB hearing before it even begins, Thomasfield Homes has applied to have the appeal dismissed without a hearing, apparently saying the appeal is without merit and vexatious. The dismissal hearing is today (Nov 24) in Room 112 City Hall beginning at 10:30 am.

It may improve the prospects for defeat of the dismissal motion if the OMB hearing officer finds a substantial number of Guelph citizens in attendance at the hearing. This would be visual evidence that there is widespread support for protection of Guelph's remaining natural heritage areas. You would also be supporting citizen engagement in the City's development process, not an easy task for a citizen to take on. Please consider attending, even if only for the first hour.

Calling for Comments on Silvercreek Development

2011-11-19T12:02:00.001-05:00

On Thursday, November 24th, there will an opportunity for public comment on planned improvements to Silvercreek Parkway in the vicinity of the Silvercreek Developments big box retail proposal for the former Lafarge property. This includes connecting Silvercreek Parkway South with Silvercreek Parkway North via an underpass at the rail tracks.

The public information centre will be held at City Hall from 6-8 pm. Reps from the City and its consultant for this project will be present.

This is the first sign of progress on this proposal since the City, the Howitt Park Neighbourhood Residents' Association (HPNRA), and the developer agreed to a mediated solution before the Ontario Municipal Board. For more information, you can visit the HPNRA web site or email Ron Foley at ronfoley [at] hpng.ca.

'Occupy' gaining momentum in Guelph?

2011-11-18T22:36:00.001-05:00

Tonight was the "Beyond Occupy - What's Next?" meeting at 10 Carden and it was a packed house. About 80 people showed up, from university students to those long retired. Lots of energy, lots of ideas on how to sustain and build momentum. The themes of strengthening local democracy and reducing the gap between rich and poor figured prominently. From the support shown tonight, it appears Guelph may be 'occupied' for some time to come, though in some new form. It will be interesting to see how things unfold, both in Guelph and abroad.

More on the meeting from the Guelph Mercury here.

Council and Committee Meetings

2011-11-18T08:37:00.001-05:00

Council Agenda - appears to be mainly delegations address the operating budget:

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/Council/council_agenda_112311.pdf

Operations & Transit Agenda & Council Budget Agenda for the upcoming week:

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/OT/OT_agenda_112111.pdf

"Beyond Occupy" community meeting

2011-11-13T13:22:00.001-05:00

There will be a meeting next week, hosted by community activists James Gordon and Kevin Sutton, to discuss ways in which the 'Guelph Occupy' movement might be shifted from 'protest' to 'conversation'.

Here are the meeting details:

BEYOND OCCUPY - WHAT'S NEXT?

An invitation to share a meaningful dialogue about the “Occupy Movement”- both local and global. How can we nurture this new catalyst for change?

Friday, November 18th at 7 p.m.

10 Carden Street, Guelph

Contributions accepted for rental of the space

Upcoming Committee Meetings

2011-11-11T21:34:00.001-05:00

Agenda and addendum for the Monday, November 14 Corporate Administration, Finance & Emergency Services (CAFES) meeting:

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/CAFES/cafes_agenda_111411.pdf

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/CAFES/cafes_addendum_111411.pdf

Agenda for Monday, November 14^th Audit Committee meeting:

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/Audit/audit_agenda_111411.pdf

Guelph to sell off its streetlights???

2011-11-10T06:55:00.001-05:00

City staff have floated a trial balloon in the last week regarding the potential sale of Guelph's streetlight system to Guelph Hydro. Staff are saying that the sale could generate up to $10 million for the City, which could be used to fund capital projects. And Mayor Farbridge seems to be onside, suggesting that since the City owns Guelph Hydro, it's really not selling off an asset, just shifting the cost of operating it “from the tax base onto the rate base." She also suggests that the sale wouldn't necessarily lead to higher hydro rates since Guelph Hydro would benefit from operational efficiencies.

Kudos to the City for trying to find creative ways to drum up extra funding for capital projects like a new main library, but it seems unlikely that $10 million could be squeezed from operational efficiencies related to the streetlight system. It is unclear then how Guelph Hydro could absorb the cost of the streetlight network without raising their rates to compensate, or significantly decreasing the quality of service. One way or another, Guelph taxpayers will be paying for any extra capital funding.

There are likely to be transparency issues with such a deal as well. Toronto sold it's streetlight network to Toronto Hydro several years ago, and it led to a protracted legal battle over the right for competing private-sector utility firms to see the terms of the agreement, which had been kept under wraps. We also saw a lack of transparency when the City was negotiating what they called a merger between Guelph Hydro and Horizon Utilities. So just because a City owns its Hydro utility doesn't guarantee full transparency and accountability, as one might expect.

Which brings up another issue. Guelph Hydro is currently owned by the City, but it might not stay that way. Just a short time ago we nearly lost Guelph Hydro to Horizon Utilities. It is entirely possible that Guelph Hydro could one day end up in private-sector hands. At that point, our streetlight system would become a profit-making venture rather than basic City-owned infrastructure, with costs likely increasing significantly. We hope the City is thinking long-term about this radical streetlight proposal.

A meeting where the public can address council on this issue, and the budget in general, is scheduled for Nov. 23. Anyone wanting to speak as a delegation at that meeting should e-mail the city clerk’s office at clerks@guelph.ca.

GCL Annual General Meeting Dec 1st

2011-11-09T07:48:00.000-05:00

Hello GCL supporters!

We would like to give notice of the next GCL Annual General Meeting. It will take place on Thursday, December 1st, from 7 pm to 9 pm at 10 Carden.

We will of course be electing a new executive committee. Note that there is currently a number of vacancies on the executive committee, so please consider volunteering some of your time to support healthy local democracy in Guelph.

There will also be the presentation of the annual report and a discussion on where to focus our energies in the coming year.

In addition, member organizations will be voting on proposed significant changes to the GCL constitution and bylaws. One of the proposed changes is to allow both paid member groups *and* individual members to vote at GCL AGMs and other meetings where votes are required.

Lastly, Wellington Water Watchers will be closing the AGM with a presentation on the Dolime quarry and potential impacts on Guelph's drinking water.

Some snacks and refreshments will be served.

We hope to see you there!

City Meeting Agendas for the Week

2011-11-05T23:50:00.003-04:00

Here are agendas for the upcoming week.

Council Agenda

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/Council/2006/council_agenda_110711.pdf

- Council will vote on the proposed Official Plan amendment related to the Downtown Guelph Secondary Plan (basically the long-term plan for the downtown, including allowable building sizes up to 18 stories)

- there will be 10 delegations at the meeting, and correspondence from a number of individuals and groups is included in the agenda

Council Closed Meeting Agenda

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/Council/2006/council_closed%20public%20agenda_110711.pdf

- more discussion of litigation or potential litigation re County of Wellington / Wellington-Dufferin Guelph Board of Health

Community & Social Services Agenda

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/CSS/css_agenda_110811.pdf

How the System Works: Making Good Local Public Policy

2011-11-02T20:29:00.001-04:00

Here's an invitation to a day-long policy workshop for engaged community members in Guelph/Wellington/Dufferin:

"How the System Works: Making Good Local Public Policy"

November 17, 2011, 8:45am - 4:00pm - Damascus Community Centre, Conn, Ontario (north of Arthur).

The Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Healthy Communities Partnership isinviting you to attend a FREE workshop. It is designed to assist activeand engaged members of Networks, Collaboratives, and Organizations(NCOs) to be more constructive when dealing with local governments onmatters of public policy. The workshop will be facilitated by Sean Moorefrom the advocacy school.

Workshop objectives:

1. Empower NCOs and policy makers to work together to influence thelocal public policy process.
2. Support and build capacity in NCOs to develop a public policystrategy.
3. Showcase local public policy success stories.
4. Dialogue with local political leaders about meaningful engagementwith NCOs.

Policy Workshop Agenda:http://guelphwellingtonlip.ca/files/Policy_Workshop_Agenda.pdf

Please register early as space is limited:http://wdgpolicyworkshop.eventbrite.com/ Registration closes November 11, 2011.

Please contact Alicja Kennedy(alicja.kennedy@wdgpublichealth.ca) if you have any questions.

Want to learn about 'Democracy Circles'?

2011-10-28T09:39:00.001-04:00

There will be a workshop next Tuesday morning, Nov 1st, at 10 Carden on "Democracy circles: the practical applications in various planning and community development contexts" and GCL supporters have been offered four of the limited spaces for this event! The workshop runs from 8 am to 10 am and includes a light breakfast and refreshments.

Interested in going? Leave a comment on this blog post with your name and I'll send it to the organizers so they save a space for you. The first four get seats!

The guest speaker will be Dr. Wayne Caldwell, Director of the School of Environmental Design & Rural Development at the University of Guelph and co-author of "Doing Democracy with Circles: Engaging Communities in Public Planning" (Living Justice Press, 2010).

Here's the workshop description: "Community engagement has become a buzz word. Join us for this session with Dr. Wayne Caldwell to move beyond. We will review on-the-ground experiences with attention to why they sometimes work, when do not, and why. The case studies will include Canadian and international experiences lived by the facilitator. Participants will get a taste of different methods used as well as the enabling conditions needed for relevant outcomes to emerge."

The workshop will be hosted by Barbara Powell, General Manager Community Engagement, City of Guelph, and Linda Hawkins, Director, Institute for Community Engaged Scholarship at University of Guelph.

Mid-rises vs high-rises downtown

2011-10-27T21:25:00.000-04:00

Check out the following article in today's Mercury on the use of mid-rises to increase density downtown. Some interesting comments, too.

http://www.guelphmercury.com/news/local/article/615591--mid-rise-hailed-as-downtown-option

How do you feel about this issue? Are the plans for several downtown high-rises in keeping with the character of Guelph's downtown? Are they the best way to increase density and ensure the health of the downtown?

The Horse Has a Name

2011-10-25T09:05:00.001-04:00

The naming of an integrity commissioner went before Council last night as part of the 'consent agenda' - basically a set of recommendations from committees of council that can be approved en masse by council. Councillor Furfaro asked that the integrity commissioner issue be extracted from the package for further discussion, and raised the point that the integrity commissioner would not be a new position at city hall, but would be on retainer. The retainer will be paid regardless of need for the commissioner's services. There was then some discussion about the cost of the retainer ($5000/yr) but Councillor Findlay reminded the others that the money was already approved in the budget, and 'this horse has left the barn'. The motion was unanimously approved, and Guelph's has its first integrity commissioner - Robert Swayze. As acting mayor Leanne Piper said after the vote, 'the horse has a name'.

GCL has sent letters of support for an integrity commissioner to councillors over the past year, noting that a number of other cities also use such a position to enhance accountability and transparency. In fact, GCL has been advocating for an integrity commissioner since reforms were introduced to the Ontario Municipal Act in 2007.

Council Meeting Agenda

2011-10-20T21:20:00.000-04:00

Here is the agenda for the council meeting on Monday night:

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/Council/council_agenda_102411.pdf

There are some 342 pages in this agenda! Some items of interest for GCL:

- citizen appointments to the Organic Waste Processing Facility Public Liaison Committee (see agenda page 334)
- social media principles and guidelines; a reference for elected officials (see agenda starting page 278)
- retaining services of an integrity commissioner (see agenda starting page 219)

Here are some of the more interesting parts of the report regarding an integrity commissioner:

"The Corporation of the City of Guelph issued an RFP in May, 2011 and has awarded the bid of Robert Swayze, Barrister & Solicitor as the Integrity Commissioner in accordance with Section 223.3 of the Municipal Act, 2001 to assist the City in continuing to provide good governance in an accountable and transparent manner, in particular with respect to contraventions to the Code of Conduct for Council and
Local Boards.

Accordingly, it is necessary to amend the Council and Local Boards Code of Conduct to include the addition of the procedure as included in the revised Code attached to this report.

The Municipal Act provides that the Integrity Commissioner reports directly to Council and is responsible for performing in an independent manner the functions assigned by the municipality. Staff are recommending that his duties include both an advisory role as well as conducting inquiries into contraventions of the Code at
the request of members of Council, employees of the City and members of the public. It is hoped that the advisory role will assist members with guidance on the applicability of the Code so that the need for inquiries can be mitigated.

It will be the discretion of the Integrity Commissioner to commence an inquiry after a request, and this will be preceded by an information report to Council. The Integrity Commissioner is required to report findings to an open meeting of Council including possible recommendations for sanctions against members of Council and
local boards if it is concluded that a contravention of the Code has occurred.

Under the Act, Council makes the final decision whether any penalties are imposed against members."

So, it appears that councillors, City staff and members of the public can initiate an inquiry. And it appears that an inquiry can apply to members of Council, including the mayor, and to members of the following local boards:

· Accessibility Advisory Committee
· Board of Trustees of the Elliott
· Committee of Adjustment
· Downtown Board of Management
· Guelph General Hospital Commission
· Heritage Guelph
· Municipal Election Compliance Audit Committee
· Property Standards/Fence Viewers Committee

Success!

2011-10-19T08:02:00.002-04:00

Last night's event "Guelph Civics 101 - Engaging Your City Hall" was a great success. Nearly 50 people attended. The City's Barbara Powell, Councillor Leanne Piper, and Sierra Club's Judy Martin did a wonderful job giving their perspectives on the issue of engagement. And Tim Mau expertly handled the interactive session after the panel discussion. Many thanks to the City for allowing us use of their committee room for the event, which ended up being filled to capacity. CFRU 93.3 FM's Beyond the Ballot Box will be producing a show related to event. More details on that later.

In this photo are, from left, Prof. Tim Mau, Barbara Powell, Coun. Leanne Piper, and Judy Martin

Story on GCL event in the Guelph Mercury!

2011-10-17T06:40:00.001-04:00

Tony Saxon of the Guelph Mercury wrote up the following story in advance of Tuesday's "Guelph Civics 101 - Engaging Your City Hall" event.

Click here for the article.

Agendas for upcoming council and committee meetings

2011-10-16T07:54:00.001-04:00

Upcoming council and committee meeting agendas:

Council – October 18, 2011 – 6 p.m.

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/Council/council_agenda_101811.pdf

Re development charges dispute for 945 SOUTHGATE DRIVE

Council October 19, 2011 – 6 p.m.

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/Council/council_agenda_101911.pdf

Re approval of new water/wastewater charges

Planning, Building & Engineering & Environment Committee – October 17, 2011 – 12:30 p.m.

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/PEES/PBEE_agenda_101711.pdf

re the new Guelph Lake Nature Centre and Dolime Quarry Management Plan

Operations & Transit Committee – October 17, 2011 – 5 p.m

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/OT/OT_agenda_101711.pdf
re Licence Plate Recognition System & Overnight Parking Exemption Program

Guelph Civics 101 Poster!

2011-10-13T14:05:00.000-04:00

More details on unique GCL event coming up Oct 18th

2011-10-10T16:40:00.000-04:00

As promised, here are a few more details related to our "Guelph Civics 101 - Engaging Your City Hall" event.

First, to bring you this event, we are partnering with University of Guelph's Central Student Association and CFRU 93.3 FM's "Beyond the Ballot Box". The event will unfold on Tuesday, October 18th, from 7 to 9 pm at City Hall in Downtown Guelph.

The focus of the event will be a panel discussion. Representing City of Guelph staff will be Barbara Powell, General Manager, Community Engagement and Social Service Liaison. Barbara has16+ years of experience in local government working directly with residents,service providers and academics. Barb is a resident of Guelph and joined the City of Guelph in 2009. During this past year her work has focused onCommunity Engagement - connecting and building partnerships with citizens,service providers, volunteers and other levels of government. Barb has a keen interest in working withresidents in new and different ways to create a vibrant, inclusive community inGuelph.

Councillor Leanne Piper will represent the perspective of Guelph City Council. Leanne'sintroduction to "politics" came at the grassroots level, where sheparticipated in neighbourhood associations, school councils, and localcommunity organizations and was a founding board member of the Guelph CivicLeague. First elected to office as aschool board trustee in 2003, and then to City Council in 2006, Leanne is a strongadvocate for participatory democracy and a strong public voice at City Hall.

And Judy Martin will give her perspective on how citizens and citizen groups can engage City Hall. Judy isthe Guelph Regional Representative of Sierra Club Canada. Over the past 25 years she has served onSierra Club boards and committees as a volunteer and as paid staff. She has an extensive background inenvironmental policy analysis and advocacy, which includes 12 years as thelegislative director for the Minnesota Sierra Club. She was formerly the Secretary-Treasurer ofthe Guelph Civic League, serves on her neighbourhood association board, theboard of Pollination Guelph, and the steering committee for Guelph Urban ForestFriends.

Finally, Tim Mau from the University of Guelph's Political Science Department will be moderating. Tim is an Associate Professor in theDepartment of Political Science at the University of Guelph,where he teaches courses on Business-Government Relations, Local Government andPublic Management and Administration for the B.Comm. in Public Management andgraduate level courses for the Guelph-McMaster Collaborative M.A. in PublicPolicy and Administration. He also teaches a course on the Politics ofOrganizations for the collaborative M.A. (Leadership) program. Tim has twicebeen named as one of the University of Guelph’s Popular Professors by the annual Maclean’sGuide to Canadian Universities. Dr. Mau completed his D.Phil. at StAntony’s College, Oxford University, where he was a Commonwealth and SSHRC scholar, an MA in Public Policyand Administration from the University of Guelph (joint program with McMaster University) and a BA from the University of Guelph.

We hope to see you there!

Well-being initiative passes another hurdle

2011-10-07T15:00:00.000-04:00

From the Guelph Tribune...note that one of the 'main components' of this initiative is citizen engagement.

===

On an 8-4 vote, city council has approved next steps in pursuing the city’s new “community well-being initiative.”Coun. Gloria Kovach, who said she didn’t favour proposed spending on the initiative, was joined by councillors Bob Bell, Jim Furfaro and Andy Van Hellemond in voting last week against the recommended next steps. These include allocating another $63,000 for the initiative, subject to approval as part of the city’s 2012 operating budget.

City council approved $100,000 in the city’s 2011 budget to begin developing the initiative, which a city staff report says is estimated to cost $610,000 over four years.The city is now planning to put together a group of community leaders led by Mayor Karen Farbridge to champion the new initiative.

The main components of the community well-being initiative are citizen engagement, social innovation, business planning and service integration, the report says. The initiative came to wider public attention at a June council meeting when a staff report said the city wants to be treated as a “mature single-tier municipality” and have the province give it direct authority to manage social services and public health.

City council has been challenging Wellington County’s control over administration of social services in Guelph-Wellington since January 2010, when it moved suddenly to abandon the joint city-county committees responsible for ambulance and social services.

Upcoming committee meetings / agendas

2011-10-07T14:14:00.002-04:00

Here are agendas for some upcoming city committee meetings:

Corporate Administration, Finance & Emergency Services Committee – October 11

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/CAFES/cafes_agenda_101111.pdf

Governance Committee – October 11

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/Governance/governance_agenda_101111.pdf

Community & Social Services Committee – October 12

http://guelph.ca/uploads/Council_and_Committees/CSS/css_agenda_101211.pdf

Guelph Civics 101 - Engaging Your City Hall

2011-10-02T12:24:00.002-04:00

We have a really unique event coming up later this month called "Guelph Civics 101 - Engaging Your City Hall". The focus of the event will be a panel discussion. Representing City of Guelph staff will be Barbara Powell, General Manager, Community Engagement and Social Service Liaison. Councillor Leanne Piper will represent the perspective of Guelph City Council. And Judy Martin, of Sierra Club and Guelph Urban Forest Friends, will give her perspective on how citizens and citizen groups can engage City Hall. Tim Mau from the University of Guelph's Political Science Department will be moderating.

The event will be held on Tuesday, October 18th, from 7 to 9 pm at City Hall. More details on the event will be released soon.

Mark your calendars! =)

Council Meeting - Mon Oct 3rd

2011-10-01T15:46:00.002-04:00

One of the agenda items for this meeting is the controversial, and recently revised, building proposal for 180 Gordon Street, right beside Marianne's Park on the shore of the Speed River. There will be a number of delegations and it looks like perhaps all of them are opposed to the development.

The full council agenda can be found here.

And remember you can watch live on Rogers Cable 20 or via the web here.

Guelph's New Organic Waste Processing Facility Now Open!

2011-09-27T22:03:00.001-04:00

It has been a long, tough road but the organics composting facility that was promised in the 2006 municipal election finally accepted its first load of organic waste today. Guelph is once again an environmental leader in Ontario after years of falling behind and having our organic waste incinerated in New York State.

The total
budget for the facility was $32,825,000 with $4,688,000 of that coming from Gas Tax funds provided by the federal government.

Mayor Farbridge's opening remarks were quite informative and particularly heartfelt, since she considers this one of her proudest moments as Mayor. Read her remarks here.

GCL will be watching this project closely since it is a type of public-private partnership (P3). While the City owns the facility, Maple-Reinders designed and built it, and AIM Environmental Group will operate it and process the organic waste.

But today, congratulations have to be given to the Mayor and Council for sticking with this project and getting it done. It's a major step in the right direction for the long-term sustainability of Guelph.