Planning and Housing Committee

Minutes

Meeting #:

3

Date:

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Time:

9:30 A.m. - 3:30 P.m.

Location:

Champlain Room, 110 Laurier Avenue West, and by electronic participation

Present:

• Chair: Councillor Jeff Leiper, 
• Vice-chair: Councillor Glen Gower, 
• Councillor Riley Brockington, 
• Councillor Cathy Curry, 
• Councillor Laura Dudas, 
• Councillor Laine Johnson, 
• Councillor Theresa Kavanagh, 
• Councillor Clarke Kelly, 
• Councillor Wilson Lo, 
• Councillor Tim Tierney, 
• and Councillor Ariel Troster 

Absent:

• Councillor Catherine Kitts 

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1.

Notices and meeting information for meeting participants and the public

Notices and meeting information are attached to the agenda and minutes, including: availability of simultaneous interpretation and accessibility accommodations; in camera meeting procedures; information items not subject to discussion; personal information disclaimer for correspondents and public speakers; notices regarding minutes; and remote participation details.

Accessible formats and communication supports are available, upon request.

Except where otherwise indicated, reports requiring Council consideration will be presented to Council on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 in Planning and Housing Committee Report 3.

The deadline to register by phone to speak, or submit written comments or visual presentations is 4 pm on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, and the deadline to register to speak by email is 8:30 am on Wednesday, February 15, 2023.

2.

Declarations of Interest

No Declarations of Interest were filed.

3.

Confirmation of Minutes

3.1

PHC Minutes 2 – Tuesday, January 31, 2023

• Carried

4.

Finance and Corporate Services Department

4.1

2023 Draft Operating and Capital Budget – Planning and Housing Committee

ACS2023-FCS-FSP-0001 - City Wide

The draft budget was tabled at the Council meeting of February 1, 2023. The Planning and Housing Committee’s report on the draft budget will be considered by Council at its meeting of March 1, 2023

 

Don Herweyer, General Manager, Planning, Real Estate & Economic Development, (PRED) and Cyril Rogers, General Manager and Chief Financial Officer, Finance and Economic Development (CSD) 
presented an overview of the Budget and answered questions from the Committee.  A copy of the slide presentation is filed with the Office of the City Clerk.

The following staff were also present and responded to questions: 

PRED:

•  Charmaine Forgie, Manager, Business and Technical Support Services
•  David Wise, Director, Economic Development & Long Range Planning
•  Court Curry, Manager, ROW, Heritage & Urban Design Services
•  John Buck, Chief Building Official
•  Derrick Moodie, Director, Planning Services

CSD:

• Donna Gray, General Manager
• Lauren Reeves, Manager, Affordable Housing

The following members of the public spoke before the Commission and provided comments on the report recommendations:

1. Mike Bulthuis, Ottawa Community Land Trust
2. Kaite Burkholder Harris, Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa
3. Valerie Wright, Lynne Markell, Council on Aging
4. Alex Cullen, FCA
5. Aileen Leo and/or Peter Tilley, Ottawa Mission
6. Mary Stuart, Climate and Environment Coordinator, CAFÉ
7. Mary Huang

The following written submissions were received by, and are filed with, the Office of the City Clerk, and distributed to Committee Members: 

•   Submission dated February 6, 2023 from Alex Cullen, FCA
•   Submission dated February 14 and 15, 2023 from Aileen Leo, Ottawa Mission
•   Letter dated February 14, 2023 from Emma Bell-Scollan
•   PowerPoint submitted on February 14, 2023 from Marty Stuart, CAFES
•   Letter dated February 15, 2023 from Mike Bulthuis, Ottawa Community Land Trust
•  Submission dated February 14, 2023 from Valerie Wright, The Council on Aging Ottawa

• Report Recommendation

  That Planning Committee consider the relevant portions of the draft 2023 Operating and Capital Budgets and forward its recommendations to Council, sitting as Committee of the Whole, for consideration at its meeting to be held on March 1, 2023.

  Carried as amended
• Motion No. PHC 2023-3/1
  Moved by G. Gower

  WHEREAS year to-date temporary construction encroachment permit data is indicating a higher than anticipated permit issuance; and

  WHEREAS staff believe, based on previous years and the strength of the state of the construction industry, that this account will have a year-end surplus; and

  WHEREAS Council approved the waiver of patio fees due to COVID-19 in 2020, 2021 and 2022; and

  WHEREAS a phased-in approach to reinstating patio fees would mitigate the cost to businesses in light of rising material and wage costs and continued economic instability particularly in the downtown core; and

  WHEREAS applying a 50% reduction for 2023 would allow for an appropriate phase-in to fully reinstated fees in 2024;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Summer Monthly Patio rate, the Winter Monthly Patio rate, and the Café seating per annum fee be reduced by 50% for a net budget impact of $135,000; and

  THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the temporary encroachment revenue projection be increased by $135,000

  Carried
• Motion No. PHC 2023-3/2
  Moved by L. Johnson

  WHEREAS a significant portion of the City of Ottawa’s goals regarding growth is to be achieved through intensification;

  WHEREAs the City’s Committee of Adjustment is an important venue to accommodate intensification, through its role in dealing with applications for minor variances, severances and consents;

  WHEREAS it is important to ensure that the Committee of Adjustment process is transparent and comprehensible to all participants;

  WHEREAS community associations have raised concerns about the transparency of the Committee of Adjustment process and the role of City Planning staff in support of the Committee of Adjustment process;

  WHEREAS the Federation of Citizens Associations (FCA) has engaged with the Committee of Adjustment through participating in the recent KPMG operational review and through workshops on best practices at the Committee of Adjustment;

  WHEREAS the FCA has developed recommendations to improve the Committee of Adjustment process;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Planning & Housing Committee:

  1. Refer the FCA document “Guidance for the City’s Committee of Adjustment” to the Committee of Adjustment and to the City’s Planning, Real Estate & Economic Development Department for their review and comment;
  2. Direct the Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development Department to report back to the Planning and Housing Committee with a summary by the end of Q3 2023. 
  Carried
• Motion No. PHC 2023-3/3
  Moved by G. Gower

  That Planning and Housing Committee recommend that Council, sitting as Committee of the Whole, approve the Planning and Housing Committee 2023 Draft Operating and Capital Budget as follows:

  1. The Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Budget, as follows:
     1. Right of Way, Heritage and Urban Design:
        1. User Fees (pages 4-9);
        2. Operating Resource Requirement (page 3);
     2. Planning Services:
        1. User Fees (pages 12-18);
        2. Operating Resource Requirement (page 11);
     3. Building Code Services:
        1. User Fees (pages 22-29);
        2. Operating Resource Requirement (page 21);
     4. Long Range Planning - Operating Resource Requirement:
        1. User Fees (pages 32);
        2. Operating Resource Requirement (page 31);
  2. Community and Social Services, Affordable Housing Operating Resource Requirement (page 35). 
  3. The Planning Committee Capital Budget (page 36), with individual projects listed on revised page 51 (Building Services), page 53 (Housing Services), and 54-56 (Planning and Development).
  Carried

  CARRIED with Councillors Brockington, Johnson, Kavanagh and Troster dissenting on the Municipal Investment in Affordable Housing 2023 (Housing Services Capital Budget, Page 53). 

  
  

5.

In Camera Items

There were no in camera items.

6.

Notices of Motions (For Consideration at Subsequent Meeting)

There were no Notices of Motion.

7.

Inquiries

There were no Inquiries.

8.

Other Business

There was no other business.

9.

Adjournment

Next Meeting

February 27, 2023.

The meeting adjourned at 12:52 pm.