Finance and Economic Development Committee
Minutes 29
Tuesday, October 5, 2021
12:00 PM
Electronic Participation
This Meeting was held
through electronic participation in accordance with Section 238 of the Municipal
Act, 2001 as amended by the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020.
Notes: 1. Please note that these Minutes are to be considered DRAFT
until confirmed by Committee.
2. Underlining
indicates a new or amended recommendation approved by Committee.
3. Except where otherwise indicated,
reports requiring Council consideration will be presented to Council on 13
October 2021 in Finance and
Economic Development Committee Report 29.
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Present:
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Chair: Mayor
J. Watson
Vice-Chair: Councillor L. Dudas
Councillors: J. Cloutier, G. Darouze, E. El-Chantiry, G. Gower, A. Hubley,
M. Luloff, S. Moffatt, T. Tierney
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No
declarations of interest were filed.
CONFIRMED
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FINANCE SERVICES DEPARTMENT
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REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Finance and Economic Development Committee recommend
that Council:
1. Adopt the optional Small Business Property Tax
Subclass for the 2022 taxation year and subsequent years, based on the
criteria outlined in the report;
2. Adopt a 15% discount for the Commercial and Industrial
Small Business Property Tax Subclass, phased in equally over two years
starting in the 2022 taxation year;
3. Eliminate Commercial and Industrial Excess Land
Property Tax Subclass discount, phased out equally over two years starting in
the 2022 taxation year;
4. Direct the Deputy City Treasurer, Revenue Services, to
apply to the Government of Ontario to match the Small Business Property Tax
Subclass discount approved by Council on the Small Business Tax Subclass
Business Education Tax rate; and
5. Appoint an Appellate Authority and Program
Administrator for the Small Business Property Tax Subclass, per the Small Business
Property Tax Subclass Regulation, as outlined in the report.
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Wendy Stephanson, Chief
Financial Officer, Finance Services (FS) and Joseph Muhuni, Acting Deputy City
Treasurer, Revenue, FS, spoke to a PowerPoint presentation, a copy of which is
held on file with the City Clerk.
Following questions to staff, the report
recommendations were put before the Committee and were CARRIED as presented.
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REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Finance and Economic Development Committee recommend
that Council direct the Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer to make a request
to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to make amendments required
to Municipal Regulations to include the proposed pilot project approach for adopting
the Prudent Investor Standard model as described in this report.
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CARRIED
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REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Finance and Economic Development Committee recommend
that Council:
1. Receive this report in response to the motion in
Document 4.
2. Approve the inclusion of “sustainability” in the
Procurement By-law section 3.1, under the definition of “Best Value”.
3. Approve the inclusion of a sole-source rationale for
social enterprises owned by non-profits or charities in section 22 of the
Procurement By-law.
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Committee heard
from the following delegations who spoke in support of the report and
Councillor Dudas’ motion:
·
Phil Robinson, Executive Director, Community Laundry
Co-Operative
·
Michael Murr, Executive Director, Centre for Social
Enterprise Development (CSED)
·
Ian Bingeman, Manager, Social Enterprise Platform Ottawa
Community Foundation
The report
recommendations CARRIED as presented.
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REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Finance and Economic Development Committee receive this
report for information.
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RECEIVED
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REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
1. That the Finance and Economic Development Committee
recommend that City Council approve amendments to:
a. The Signs on City Roads By-law (By-law No. 2003-520)
as attached in Document 1; and
b. The Temporary Signs on Private Property By-law (By-law
No. 2004-239), as attached in Document 2.
2. That the Finance and Economic Development Committee
recommend that City Council delegate authority to the City Clerk to place the
amending by-laws for enactment on a future agenda of Council, as further
described in this report.
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CARRIED
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REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That the
Finance and Economic Development Committee recommend that City Council:
1. Receive
this report for information;
2. Approve
the ward numbers and names for use in the 2022 Municipal Elections, as
described in this report and set out in Document 6;
3. Approve
amendments to the Procedure By-law related to the timing of the inaugural
Council meeting in 2022, further to legislative changes made by Bill 68, the Modernizing
Ontario’s Municipal Legislation Act, 2017, as described in this report.
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CARRIED
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PLANNING,
INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Finance and Economic Development Committee recommend
Council:
1. Approve the acquisition of the fee simple interest in
the Beachburg Subdivision Rail Corridor, from Dagmile Holdings Inc. (formerly
Ottawa Central Railway Inc.) shown as 26 parcels on Document 1 being the “Fee
Simple Lands”, having a total value of $740,000, plus applicable taxes and
closing costs.
2. Delegate authority to the Director, Corporate Real
Estate Office to enter into, conclude, execute, amend, and implement on
behalf of the City, the Purchase Agreement for the acquisition of the “Fee
Simple Lands”, as described in this report.
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CARRIED
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REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Finance and Economic Development Committee recommend
that Council:
1. Approve the renewal of a lease between City of Ottawa
and 370 Catherine Street Operating Limited Partnership for 5,541.76 square
metres of office space at 370 Catherine Street for a term of 10 years commencing
November 1, 2021 and expiring on October 31, 2031 along with two early
termination options, , for a total base rent consideration of $4,220,641 plus
HST for the initial five years of the 10-year term;
2. Delegate authority to Director, Corporate Real Estate
Office to finalize and execute the lease agreement and to negotiate market
rent for the remaining five years of the 10-year term in accordance with the
term’s conditions detailed in this report.
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CARRIED
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REPORT RECOMMENDATION
That the Finance and Economic Development Committee receive and
recommend Council receive this report for information.
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RECEIVED
Correspondence was received by Michael
Crockatt, President & CEO, Ottawa Tourism, on October 5, 2021, which is
held of file with the City Clerk.
That, in
accordance with the Procedure By-Law 2021-24, the Finance and Economic Development
Committee resolve In Camera pursuant to Subsections 13 (1)(e), litigation or
potential litigation affecting the city, and 13(1)(f), the receiving of advice
that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications
necessary for that purpose, to receive and consider the Light Rail Transit (LRT)
– Legal Update - In Camera - Reporting out date: Not to be reported out.
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The
following motion was introduced:
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MOTION No. FEDC 2021 1/29
Moved by Vice-Chair
Dudas
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the
Finance and Economic Development Committee resolve In Camera to receive
and consider LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (LRT) – LEGAL UPDATE –
pursuant to the Procedure By-Law, Subsections 13
(1)(e), litigation or potential litigation affecting the City, and 13(1)(f),
the receiving of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including
communications necessary for that purpose – Reporting out Date: Not to be
reported out.
CARRIED
Committee resolved In Camera at 1:06
pm and resumed in open session at 4:51 pm.
Upon resuming
in open session, Mayor Watson advised that the Finance and Economic Development
Committee met In Camera to consider Light Rail Transit (LRT) – Legal
Update.
As noted above, the content of the In
Camera update regarding the O-Train Confederation Line LRT Stage 1 contains
information pertaining to the legal aspects of the subject matter, the material
falls within the exception contemplated by Subsections 13(1)(e), and 13(1)(f) of
City Council’s Procedure By-Law. As such, this matter will not be reported out.
The subject matter of this item was
the receipt and consideration of an update on the legal issues and options with
respect to the Light Rail Transit (LRT). Upon resuming in open session, Mayor Watson
stated that no votes were taken other than procedural motions and/or directions
to staff and the following motion was then presented:
Committee then
considered the following motion:
MOTION No. FEDC 2021 2/29
Moved by Councillor
A. Hubley
WHEREAS the City delivered a Notice of Default on September 24,
2021, to the Rideau Transit Group (RTG) in relation to the August 8th
Derailment outside the Tunney’s Pasture Station and the September 19th
Derailment near the Tremblay Station; and
WHEREAS the City acted promptly in delivering this Notice of Default
in light of the seriousness of the events and the consequences under the
Project Agreement (the “Agreement”); and
WHEREAS in response to the Notice of Default, RTG was required to
submit to the City a plan and schedule for the remediation of its breaches
under the Agreement; and
WHEREAS on October 3, 2021, RTG submitted its purported plan and
schedule to the City to remedy its breaches while at the same time disputing
the Default; and
WHEREAS the City has reviewed RTG’s purported plan and schedule and
continues to find both are unsatisfactory under all of the circumstances; and
WHEREAS the City is not waiving any contemplation of litigation
privilege, lawyer-client privilege or public interest privilege;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Finance and Economic Development
Committee recommend that City Council:
1. Direct
the Director, Rail Construction Program, to deliver a Notice of Dispute under
the Project Agreement with respect to the RTG Defaults; and
2. Direct
the Director, Rail Construction Program to proceed promptly to have the Defaults
confirmed through the contractual dispute resolution process in the Agreement
including, as necessary, asking the Court to confirm the validity of the RTG defaults;
and
3.
Direct the City Manager to report back to Council on the outcome of
these actions.
CARRIED
The meeting
adjourned at 4:54 pm.
_____________________________ _____________________________
Committee Coordinator Chair