The Corporation of the City of St. Catharines CITY COUNCIL AGENDA Regular, Monday, November 15, 2021 Council Chambers and Electronic Participation, 6:00 PM
This Meeting of Council will be held in person at Council Chambers and electronically for the Members of Council. Due to capacity limits due to the COVID-19 pandemic the public can only participate electronically.
This Meeting may be viewed online at www.stcatharines.ca/youtube
Public Comments: The public may submit comments regarding agenda matters to the Office of the City Clerk by contacting [email protected] by Monday, November 15, 2021 before Noon. Comments submitted will be considered as public information and entered into public record.
Electronic Delegations: Those wishing to speak to an item on the agenda must complete the City’s Electronic Delegation Form by Monday, November 15, 2021 before 9:00 a.m. and attend a test session with City staff on Monday, November 15, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.
His Worship Mayor Walter Sendzik takes the Chair and opens the meeting with a Land Acknowledgement |
1. | Mayor's Report |
2. | Adoption of the Agenda |
3. | Adoption of the Minutes |
| 3.1 | Regular Council, Minutes of October 18, 2021
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| 3.2 | Regular Council (Budget), Minutes of October 19, 2021
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| 3.3 | Regular Council (Budget), Minutes of November 3, 2021
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[Addenda]
4. | Declarations of Interest |
5. | Motion to Move Consent Reports Consent Reports are approved in one motion which approves all of the recommendations contained in each report. Prior to this motion, a councillor may request that one or more of the reports listed under Item 6 be moved to the list of Discussion Reports. |
6. | Consent Reports |
| 6.1 | Office of the Chief Administrative Officer COVID-19 Update: November 15, 2021
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[Addenda]
| 6.2 | Legal and Clerks Services, Office of the City Clerk 2022 Schedule of Meetings for City Council and Budget Standing Committee
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| 6.3 | Legal and Clerks Services, Office of the City Clerk 2022 Deputy Mayor Schedule
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| 6.5 | Financial Management Services Updated 2022 Capital Budget and Four-Year Forecast and Asset Management Status (Approval of this report will set a Public Meeting for the November 29, 2021 meeting of Council to discuss the 2022 Capital Budget and Four-Year Forecast and Asset Management Status)
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[Addenda]
7. | Public Meetings |
8. | Presentations |
9. | Discussion Reports |
| 9.1 | Legal and Clerks Services, Office of the City Clerk 2022 Municipal and School Board Election Voting Method (Staff presentation precedes discussion of the report)
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| 9.2 | Community, Recreation and Culture Services, Programs and Cultural Services 2029 Historic Welland Canals Task Force Terms of Reference
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10. | Motions |
| 10.1 | Burying Utility Lines on Regional Road 87 Councillor Garcia will present the following motion:
WHEREAS the Niagara Region is planning a reconstruction of Regional Road 87 which includes Main Street, Lock Street and Lakeport Road in Port Dalhousie; and
WHEREAS the Council-approved Heritage Guidelines for the Port Dalhousie Heritage District identified the existing mature street trees with large canopies on Main Street as a heritage feature that should be maintained where possible during road reconstruction and/or utility works yet, many of these trees have been cut down since the Heritage District was approved in 2003; and
WHEREAS currently, when a large mature tree requires removal, the Niagara Region will not replant a tree species that will grow to have a large canopy if it is in the same location as overhead utilities; rather they will plant smaller ornamental tree species; and
WHEREAS if the utilities were buried, when other mature trees along Main Street require removal they could be replaced with similar species that will grow to provide a similar canopy and help retain and enhance this heritage attribute; and
WHEREAS once the required Environmental Assessment prior to reconstruction is completed, the Niagara Region will begin transitioning to detailed design and implementation/construction and the Niagara Region and their consultant will need to consult and liaise with the various utility companies to discuss existing infrastructure, potential conflicts and other impacts; and
WHEREAS Port Dalhousie is one of the most visited areas of our city and region and it will be one of the sites for the 2022 Canada Games, the site for the 2024 World Rowing Championships plus the site of annual regattas which attract thousands of visitors;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that City Council urge the Niagara Region to work with the utilities involved to consider burying the utility lines as part of the reconstruction within the heritage district in order to help beautify Port Dalhousie and preserve and enhance what is left of the tree canopy.
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| 10.2 | National Childcare Program Councillor Porter will present the following motion:
WHEREAS the province of Ontario has the most expensive childcare in the country, presenting a financial hardship for many families and a barrier for women’s full economic participation; and
WHEREAS the $34 billion early learning and childcare spending commitment announced this year by the federal government will bring transformative change to child care by lowering parent fees and expanding the supply of regulated not-for-profit and public child care in this country; and WHEREAS the federal government has already reached childcare agreements with BC, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec; and
WHEREAS the provisions of each agreement vary to some degree, but the majority of the jurisdictions have agreed to use the federal funds to: a) lower parent fees by 50 per cent by the end of 2022 and to $10 a day by 2025-26 or sooner; b) improve the wages and working conditions of early childhood educators, and c) publicly fund the expansion of not-profit and public childcare;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of St. Catharines request that the provincial government take the necessary steps to work with the federal government on a bilateral agreement to ensure the new national child care program be made available to Ontarians, and that it focuses on increased access, affordability, quality and responsiveness, all of which are essential to the COVID-19 pandemic response; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff actively monitor federal developments and engage in provincial and regional discussions; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that City Council request the City Clerk circulate Council's decision to other municipalities in Ontario, the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.
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| 10.3 | Independent Review of OMERS’ Investment Performance Councillor Porter will present the following motion:
That the City of St. Catharines Council call for an immediate, comprehensive and independent third-party expert review of OMERS’ investment performance and practices over the past ten years, conducted by the OMERS Pension Plan’s sponsors and stakeholders; and
That such a review would, at a minimum: Compare OMERS plan-level, and asset class-level performance to other comparable defined benefit pension plans and funds, OMERS internal benchmarks, and market-based benchmarks. Examine OMERS decision-making processes around the timing of various investment decisions. Assess the risk management policies and protocols that were in place and determine if they were followed and/or if they were sufficient to protect the plan from undue risk. Assess whether the disclosures provided to the OMERS Administrative and Sponsorship Boards were sufficient evidence to allow the Boards to respond appropriately and in a timely manner. Examine executive compensation, investment fees and investment costs at OMERS in comparison to other major defined benefit pension plans and funds. Examine other relevant issues identified by the third-party expert review. Make recommendations for changes at OMERS to ensure stronger returns moving forward. Issue their final report and recommendations in a timely manner. Publicly release its full report and recommendations to ensure that it is available to OMERS sponsors, stakeholders, and plan members; and
That the City of St. Catharines Council further calls on the OMERS Administrative Corporation to: Provide all requested data, documentation and information required of the review panel to fulfill its mandate. Establish a step-by-step plan, with OMERS sponsors and stakeholders, to implement any recommendations set out in the review report.
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11. | Call for Notices of Motion |
12. | Report Requests |
13. | Committee and Task Force Minutes |
| 13.1 | Minutes to Receive: Anti-Racism Advisory Committee, meeting of September 21, 2021 and October 19, 2021 (draft) Cultural Sustainability Committee, meeting of October 13, 2021 (draft) Economic Sustainability Committee, meeting of October 14, 2021 (draft) Equitable Recovery Sub-Committee, meeting of August 16, 2021 and August 23, 2021 (draft) Fallen Firefighters Memorial Task Force, meeting of October 5, 2021 (draft) Museum Advisory Committee, meeting of August 24, 2021 (draft) Museum Advisory Committee, meeting of October 26, 2021 (draft) Public Art Advisory Committee, meeting of September 14, 2021 Recreation Facilities Allocation Policy Sub-Committee, meeting of March 16, 2021; April 1, 2021; April 14, 2021; May 4, 2021; May 19, 2021; June 9, 2021; June 23, 2021; and July 14, 2021 Recreation Master Plan Advisory Committee, meeting of October 5, 2021(draft) Social Sustainability Committee, meeting of November 4, 2021(draft)
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| 13.2 | Amendment to Terms of Reference for the Advisory Committee on Older Adults That City Council approve amending the Composition section of the Terms of Reference for the Advisory Committee on Older Adults as follows:
The Committee shall be comprised of up to 12 members as follows: Eight citizen members which fall within one or more of the parameters of: older adult, professional, occupational, and/or social interest in the quality of life for older adults. One representative from each of the City’s three Older Adult Centres (who are interested and applies). One representative from the Canadian Association of Retired Persons – Niagara (who are interested and applies).
The Committee Chair, or designate, may be requested to attend the Niagara Age-Friendly Leadership Council meetings.
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| 13.3 | Report Request from Anti-Racism Advisory Committee regarding Calls to Action in the Wake of the London Islamophobic Attack That staff report back regarding what Council can do to support the initiatives contained in the motion put forward by the Anti-Racism Advisory Committee, and referred by the Social Sustainability Committee, regarding Calls to Action in the Wake of the London Islamophobic Attack (These are additional initiatives to the presentation Council received on October 18, 2021). See the Social Sustainability Minutes of November 4, 2021, page 40, for the Anti-Racism Advisory Committee's recommended Calls to Action in the Wake of the London Islamophobic Attack.
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| 13.4 | Report Request from Anti-Racism Advisory Committee regarding Employment Equity That staff prepare a report regarding the Anti-Racism Advisory Committee's proposals for an employment equity policy. See the Social Sustainability Minutes of November 4, 2021, page 42, for the Anti-Racism Advisory Committee's proposals for an employment equity policy.
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| 13.5 | Report Request from Anti-Racism Advisory Committee regarding Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Murdered Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People That staff prepare a report regarding the Anti-Racism Advisory Committee's recommendations on the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Missing and Murdered Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan. See the Social Sustainability Minutes of November 4, 2021, page 43, for the Anti-Racism Advisory Committee's recommendations on the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Missing and Murdered Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan.
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| 13.6 | Report Request from Anti-Racism Advisory Committee regarding Racist / Hate Incident Response Protocol That staff prepare a report regarding the Anti-Racism Advisory Committee's recommendations on a Racist / Hate Incident Response Protocol. See the Social Sustainability Minutes of November 4, 2021, page 45, for the Anti-Racism Advisory Committee's recommendations on a Racist / Hate Incident Response Protocol.
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14. | Closed Session Council will meet in Closed Session for the following purpose(s): |
15. | Motion Arising from Closed Session |
16. | By-laws |
| 16.1 | Reading of By-laws
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[Addenda]
17. | Adjournment |