The Council Round-Up (November 2024)
A snapshot of what's happening in council chambers around Waterloo Region
Region of Waterloo:
Get a snapshot of how the Region of Waterloo is making progress on the Growing with Care strategic plan.
While riders enjoy the quiet ride and appreciate the reduced emissions of electric buses, regional staff recommend against adding electric buses to Grand River Transit’s fleet. “We don’t believe it’s possible to meet our current service level needs, and our next few years’ service needs, with electric buses,” staff said. Reasons for that include bus manufacturers’ output and a lack of charging ability around the region’s bus depots. “An e-bus can only work 200 kilometres before needing a recharge, whereas a diesel bus can run all day.”
Local community advocate, Kevin Thomason noted in a recent weekly update that the provincial government has followed through on its plan to remove Regional Planning Authority from the Region of Waterloo and delegate it to seven area lower-tier area municipalities beginning January 1st, 2025. “Not much is currently understood about how the transition will happen, or how so many shared planning services and planning needs are going to coordinate,” said Thomason. Stay tuned.
Well, this is kind of cool (also, it’s nice to see this connection finally completed). See how Region of Waterloo crews installed a new bridge for cyclists and pedestrians over Highway 7/8.
Regional Council is asking the Ontario government to continue funding all existing consumption and treatment sites beyond their proposed end dates of March 2025. Council also joined the Ontario Big City Mayors in calling on higher levels of government to take immediate action to solve the homelessness and mental health crisis. Since then, 13 Big City Mayors penned a letter to the province asking them to “become an intervenor on any court case that restricts the ability of municipalities to regulate and prohibit encampments.” In reaction to that, this letter was signed by dozens of elected officials.
At the October 23rd meeting, Council:
approved operation of the Erb’s Road Hybrid Emergency Shelter until at least 2030
voted to move forward with its Municipal Speed Camera program to help enforce speed limits
supported the following investments: $80,000 to attract doctors to this community; $249,000 to implement a Food Bank Volunteer Pilot Program; and, $50,000 to create a Waterloo Region Newcomer Ecosystem Mapping Project
It’s municipal budget season. Waterloo Region aims to keep this year’s tax increase to under 8%. A June forecast predicted an increase of 12-13%. Inflation, cost escalation, revenue and funding adjustments, and continued service expansions are the main drivers of the proposed increase, according to the report.
While council directed staff to come back with a lower increase, the report states “Reaching the less than eight per cent tax guideline involves deferring proposed required expansions and reducing and/or eliminating service levels. These choices bring varying levels of risks and impacts to community.”
Council is considering deferring some items such as the Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, improvements to public transit and paramedic services, and upgrades to improve cybersecurity. “However, cancelling planned service expansions would only bring the projected tax hike down to about 9.5 per cent.”
The second (and final) public input meeting is scheduled for November 27th. Click to register as a delegate.
Council is considering different budget options:
expand services for an estimated 12% tax increase
keep our services similar for an estimated 9% tax increase
reduce services for a tax increase of less than 8%
Regional Council is starting with a preliminary operating budget of $1.4 billion, up from last year’s final operating budget of $1.25 billion.
Regional taxes comprise ~57% of the residential property tax bill in Waterloo Region.
Final approval of the 2025 Plan and Budget is scheduled for December 11.
You can learn more about the Regional budget on the Engage WR page.
Waterloo:
Waterloo ward two Councillor Royce Bodaly shared in his recent newsletter that the City of Waterloo is in the midst of updating the Official Plan. Feedback to date has shown support for increasing the amount of neighbourhood commercial uses, desire to allow mixed use development in certain areas where it is currently restricted, increases to height permissions being proposed in Major Transit Station Areas and support for eliminating parking minimums within development outside of MTSAs.
Waterloo celebrates Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee’s 20th anniversary. GRAAC has helped shape numerous projects in Waterloo, including:
Button Factory elevator installation
Autonomous accessible washroom in uptown Waterloo
Eastside Library Branch development – interior features, new universal washroom corridor design
Waterloo Park – central promenade, west splash pad, wayfinding signage, Eby Farm playground expansion
City-wide municipal facility accessibility audits
Waterloo Council considers the future of the live animals which reside at the park’s Eby Farmstead for five months each year, at a cost of $75,000/year. “City managers want to stop displaying live animals at Waterloo Park because the enclosures fall short, there are better ways to use the space and some people find it outdated to display animals for entertainment.” Upgrading the Eby Farmstead to modern standards would require relocation of the display and additional operating costs for permanent staff.
“Drainage is poor and leaves ruts and gullies within enclosures. Visitors worry about lack of pasture and grazing areas. The animals can’t be provided with sufficient time to rest.”
“It is not a core deliverable service of the municipality. And we need to focus the limited resources we have,” staff said.
Update: Waterloo Council has decided to conclude the live animal display at Eby Farmstead. The animals will be re-homed, and the former enclosure space will be reimagined as part of the Waterloo Park Plan update in 2025.
Kitchener:
The City of Kitchener has released its 2025 budget, outlining a plan that includes three key priority areas: delivering City services, investing in infrastructure and advancing strategic priorities.
For the average home in Kitchener, the rate increases for the 2025 budget are:
property taxes: 3.9% or $49 annually
water utility: 4.9% or $23 annually
sanitary sewer utility: 6.9% or $41 annually
stormwater utility: 7.4% or $18 annually
The 2025 budget represents a combined annual increase of $131 for the average household, based on the average assessed value of $326,000 and annual water consumption of 170m3. The city’s portion represents 30% of the total property tax bill for Kitchener residents.
Work is happening on Schneider and Shoemaker Creeks to reduce flood risks and restore creek habitat. The concrete lining will be removed and the creek flood plains naturalized. Construction for phase one of the project is expected to begin in 2025.
As part of the creek restoration project, new trail connections will be created by:
extending the Iron Horse Trail between Ottawa Street and Sydney Street
adding a new trail between the Iron Horse Trail and Courtland Avenue
Keeping with the water theme, “Kitchener council has approved its new integrated sanitary master plan, a detailed strategy for upgrading, expanding and maintaining 834 km of sanitary infrastructure to meet Kitchener’s growing needs.”
Everyone in Kitchener can help keep maintenance costs as low as possible by taking care of what they flush down their toilets and pour down their drains and sinks.
Use a strainer for your sink, tub and shower drains.
Use your green bin for kitchen waste, not drains.
Do not put these common household materials in your toilets and sinks:
Cleaning wipes like disinfectant wipes, baby wipes, sanitary wipes, and paper towels.
Fats, oils, and grease. Add these to your green bin.
Cambridge:
Ward 4 Cambridge Councillor, Ross Earnshaw noted in his recent newsletter that 88 events and activities have been offered by the BIA in the Lower Main Street pedestrian mall this year. “Due to the ongoing success of the annual closure, Council has directed city staff to explore the possibility of a year-round pedestrian mall there.”
Beginning in 2025, non-profit and co-operative affordable housing providers in Cambridge will be exempt from paying the city’s portion of property taxes for the next 20 years. The exemption will not affect the city’s total revenue, but rather shifted to property owners. The estimated cost of this shift will be around $890,000, spread across all taxpayers.
Councillor Shwery expressed concern about that shift. “We are telling everybody, they continually have to pay more and more and more,” she said. “We should look for funding elsewhere but not put this on the current taxpayers.”
Councillor Hamilton disagreed. “If we provide someone with a home, that is a tremendous investment in our society and the social goods that come from having a cohesive healthy community. Taxpayers will see the results tenfold when people who go into these homes yield sustainable, profitable, community-based lives that will ultimately make out city stronger.”
Cambridge Council also discussed using municipally-owned lands for affordable homes. Originally, four properties were recommended by staff but Council reduced that to two. Council, on a motion put forth by Councillor Cooper, reduced the potential height and density of what could be built on these lots. Check out the Deeper Dive section below for a thread on the public meeting discussing the two proposed properties (warning - there are some really inaccurate and hurtful stereotypes shared by some of the delegates in that thread).
A Deeper Dive:
Click the following links for summaries of recent Council, Committee, and Board meetings. A comment from the thread follows each link.
"I'm sure you're aware that one of the biggest concerns of the neighbourhood, because I think they're all single, 1, 1 1/2 storeys in that area, and they had concerns about the 20 storey height of what was being proposed. Is there any opportunity to take this back to public consultation?" - ward 9 Councillor Debbie Chapman
“What happens if we start playing with the proposed staffing increase. If we halve it, we're saving short-term pain, but losing long-term gain." - Police Services Board member Karen Hobbs
“Within a kilometer, we have many affordable homes. Why do we need more in our own neighborhood? They should be spread out in the city. Our home value will decrease and crime will increase.” - a delegate opposed to more affordable housing in his neighbourhood
“As an advocate of affordable housing, I’ve often heard those opposing such developments tell city councils that they are not against affordable housing in principle, they just don’t want it ‘here’. Well, if we take all the ‘here’s’ that I’ve heard are not appropriate spots for affordable housing, they add up to just about everywhere. And that gets us nowhere.” - WR YIMBY delegate in support of more affordable housing
"The Youth Engagement Strategy has prioritized pre-charge diversions as outlined in the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The ability to divert youth into evaluated, meaningful programming will assist in improving overall outcomes and help to prevent involvement in the criminal justice system." - WRPS Youth Engagement Strategy
Upcoming Events:
This weekend! The Globe Studios Fall Art Show and Open House.
Indigenous Food Tasting Workshop: Listen and learn about the Indigenous ingredients of Canada while enjoying Three Sisters Soup and Wild Rice Salad. November 28th, 6:30pm Grand River Stanley Park KPL
Come celebrate the launch of a new archival collection - the Grand River Rainbow Historical Collection, which contains rare archival materials documenting LGBTQ+ organizing in Kitchener-Waterloo. Featuring panelists Cait Glasson, Jim Parrott, and Amy Smoke. Thursday November 28th, 7pm at KPL Central.
{dis}ABILITY Unleashed will be held on December 7th in the Studio Theatre at Centre in the Square, and features music, dance, comedy, poetry, and more from a lineup of artists living with disability. Inclusive, accessible, and impactful, {dis}ABILITY Unleashed honours the diverse contributions of disabled individuals across disciplines in our community.
Relative to other new expenditures, I'm sorry, $80k to attract desparately needed, new physicians to the region is anemic, no pun intended.
I read the additional commentary about the affordable housing proposals for Cambridge. And while I am unsure whether that was time spent _productively_, it did give me a great sampling of some choice NIMBY soundbites.
Thank you for all the work that you do Melissa! Both with Citified and by live-posting these council meetings!