Community Services Committee

Minutes

Meeting #:

14

Date:

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Time:

9:30 A.m. - 4:30 P.m.

Location:

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

Present:

• Chair Laura Dudas, 
• Vice-Chair Jessica Bradley, 
• Councillor Riley Brockington, 
• Councillor David Brown, 
• Councillor Marty Carr, 
• Councillor David Hill, 
• Councillor Theresa Kavanagh, 
• Councillor Rawlson King, 
• Councillor Wilson Lo, 
• Councillor Stéphanie Plante, 
• and Councillor Ariel Troster 

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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 hybrid 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 26, 2025, in Community Services Committee Report 14.

The deadline to register by phone to speak, or submit written comments or visual presentations is 4 pm on Monday, February 24, 2025, and the deadline to register to speak by email is 8:30 am on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.

These “Summary Minutes” indicate the disposition of items and actions taken at the meeting. This document does not include all of the text that will be included in the full Minutes, such as the record of written and oral submissions. Recorded votes and dissents contained in the Summary Minutes are draft until the full Minutes of the meeting are confirmed by the Committee. The draft of the full Minutes (for confirmation) will be published with the agenda for the next regular Committee meeting and, once confirmed, will replace this document.

2.

Declarations of Interest

No Declarations of Interest were filed.

3.

Confirmation of Minutes

3.1

CSC Minutes 13 – Tuesday, November 26, 2024

• Carried

4.

Responses to Inquiries

4.1

OCC 2024-20 Alternative funding housing solutions

5.

Community and Social Services Department

5.1

Long-Term Care Accountability Agreements with Ontario Health

File No. ACS2025-CSS-GEN-004 – City-wide

• Report recommendation(s)

  That the Community Services Committee, as Committee of Management, approve the 2024 Declarations of Compliance that are required under the 2023-25 Long-Term Care Home Service Accountability Agreement – Multi Homes and the 2023-25 Multi-Sector Service Accountability Agreement as detailed in this report.

  Carried

6.

Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services Department

6.1

Cultural Funding Policy and Program Structure Review

File No. ACS2025-RCF-GEN-0001 – City-wide

Direction to staff (D. Hill)

With the understanding that applications are reviewed by an arm’s length independent jury who make recommendations to the General Manager, Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services, staff are directed as follows:

• That the funding agreements include an acknowledgement for applicants that the funding is to be used for the purposes applied for, and that the City’s funding is not an endorsement of any opinions that may be expressed by the applicants or participants to their events; 
• That the funding agreements include a provision that the City may require recipients to remove or relocate the City of Ottawa logo or statements that may imply the City’s endorsement at the City’s discretion; and
• That Cultural Funding staff continue to work with the Equity and Inclusion Committee to review the range of equity-seeking communities that align with City Council approved strategies, to identify opportunities, such that everyone benefits from cultural funding programs without discrimination or exclusion.

• Report recommendation(s)

  That the Community Services Committee recommend that City Council:

  1. Approve the new Cultural Funding Policy as outlined in Document 1.

  Carried with the dissent of Councillors D. Brown, and D. Hill and W. Lo.

  Carried

7.

Office of the City Clerk

7.1

Status Update – Community Services Committee Inquiries and Motions for the period ending February 7, 2025

File No. ACS2025-OCC-CCS-0027 – City-wide

• Report Recommendation(s)

  That the Community Services Committee receive this report for information.

  Received
• Motion No. CSC 2025-14-01
  Moved by L. Dudas

  WHEREAS the report relating to the status of inquiries and motions for the period ending February 7, 2025 omitted some of the outstanding motions and directions in document 1;

  THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Document 1 be replaced with the version attached to this motion and on file with the City Clerk.

  Carried

8.

Councillors’ Items

8.1

Councillor D. Hill – Use of delegated authority in 2023 by the Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services Department, as set out in Schedule “E” of By-law No. 2023-67

File No. ACS2025-OCC-CCS-0009 – City-wide

• Report Recommendation(s)

  That the Community Services Committee receive this report for information.

  Received

9.

In Camera Items

There were no in camera items.

10.

Information Previously Distributed

10.1

Community safety and well-being plan 2023-24 progress update

File No. ACS2025-CSS-GEN-001

11.

Motions of Which Notice has been Previously Given

11.1

Motion – Councillor T. Kavanagh – Belltown Dome Facility Replacement

File No. ACS2025-OCC-CCS-0008 – Bay (Ward 7)

• MOTION 

  BE IT RESOLVED THAT staff be directed to engage with the community to determine their priorities and preferences for the future recreational use of the Belltown Dome site, ensuring a thorough and inclusive public consultation process; and

  BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT following the engagement process, staff work with the Ward Councillor and the community to analyze the results of the community consultation and develop next steps in determining: 

  1. The preferred community option,
  2. Funding options for the development of a concept plan,
  3. Preliminary costing for the preferred option to inform future funding discussions.
  Carried

11.2

Motion – Councillor T. Kavanagh – Bay Ward Accessible Recreational Facility Project Development

File No. ACS2025-OCC-CCS-0007 – Bay (Ward 7)

Direction to staff (Councillor R. Brockington)

That Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services Department staff provide, by email, information on the facility condition index of the J.A. Delude Arena and what possibilities staff envision could happen at the site going forward, if the site were re-developed.

• MOTION 

  BE IT RESOLVED that City staff consider the needs of Bay Ward and the Inner Urban Transect as soon as possible when opportunities for new multiuse facilities with arena ice pads arise.

  Carried with the dissent of Councillor W. Lo.

  Carried

12.

Notices of Motions (For Consideration at Subsequent Meeting)

There were no Notices of Motion.

13.

Inquiries

13.1

Costs Associated with Emergency Shelter Stays

Submitted by Councillor A. Troster:

The affordable housing crisis has been of significant concern since the City of Ottawa first declared a housing and homelessness emergency in January 2020. Since this initial declaration, the city has experienced unforeseen rates of homelessness and individuals seeking refuge at emergency shelters, which continue to worsen every year. Many shelters have become severely overwhelmed by the escalating number of individuals experiencing homelessness, with the chronic lack of affordable housing continuing to push their already limited capacities. As well, recent research findings from HelpSeeker Technologies’ report on homelessness in Ontario indicate that approximately 65.2% of people experiencing homelessness stay in emergency shelters due to a severe lack of alternative housing solutions.

While the City is scaling up investments in multiple forms of affordable housing, our shelter system is still overburdened, and this places on-going financial and logistical pressure on the City.

Could staff please provide the following information: 

• The average annual cost to the City of a single individual staying in the shelter system 
• The average annual cost to the City of a single parent with 1-3 children staying in the shelter system 
• The average annual cost to the City of a single parent with more than 3 children staying in the shelter system 
• The shelter options for couples of the opposite sex and average annual cost to the City, if applicable 
• The emergency shelter options for individuals with pets and average annual cost to the City, if applicable

Finally, are the above noted costs fixed or variable depending on use?

14.

Other Business

There was no other business.

15.

Adjournment

Next Meeting: Tuesday, March 25, 2025

The meeting adjourned at 10:59 am.