In this irregular Thursday edition of the Guelph Politico Tip Sheet, we will go in-depth with the debates and decisions about this week’s city council meetings. Your regularly scheduled Tip Sheet will be in your inbox first thing Friday morning!
Planning Meeting of City Council – March 20
Delayed a week because of March Break, the monthly planning meeting of council got underway at both an unusual day and time. For the next few weeks, meetings will begin at 10 am in order to accommodate those that fast during the Holy Month of Ramadan, but this meeting left one hungry for controversy as council tackled a couple of very non-controversial items.
First, in closed session, council received information about “Acquisition of Property for New Paramedic Station” and there was a motion in the open session that the mayor and clerk be directed to execute an Agreement of Purchase and Sale for that new property. Where precisely this new station will be was not disclosed and will likely remain need-to-know until the deal is finalized.
Next, council approved the Development Fee Review without any further questions or discussions, which brought council to the final item, the Demolition Control Bylaw Review. Policy Planner Lucas Mollame presented changes to the bylaw that have been about 35 years in the making including increased fines for demolishing without a permit, new definitions, new conditions for the preparation and submission of a permit, and an updated list of exemptions.
There was one delegate on the subject, council frequent flyer Susan Watson who pointed out the connection between vacant homes and demolition by neglect and the cost of construction. She said that there are cost savings when it comes not demolishing a house, and we need to have a public airing on the vacancy tax issue in order to have more ways to stop houses from being demolished by owners who just let nature take its course.
Council asked for clarity about the difference between demolition and renovation, and about Watson’s concerns around demolition by neglect. As luck – or fate – would have it, there’s an update to Property Standards around heritage properties coming to council this summer that might answer some of their questions.
Mayor Cam Guthrie then asked if staff needed some direction from council about developing a course of action to fight demolition by neglect saying that he and other colleagues are hearing a lot of complaints from constituents about vacant buildings being neglected in neighbourhoods around town. General Manager of Operations Doug Godfrey said that staff are looking at what tools they have right now and how the City can improve compliance and that July’s report will be a place to start.
On other matters, staff were asked if there were any measures to get developers who demolish sites for residential development to get the proverbial lead out after bringing down a building like the old Royal Brock hotel (there isn’t), or if there’s any municipality that makes the recycling of demolition materials a condition for a demolition permit (staff weren’t sure about this one).
The recommendations were approved for the Demolition Control Bylaw Review, and everyone was free to go in time for the lunch rush.
Click here to see the complete recap of the meeting.
The next meeting of city council will be the regular meeting of council on Wednesday March 26 at 10 am. You can see the Politico preview here, and you have until tomorrow at 10 am to register with the clerks office as a delegate or to send a correspondence.
For more information on Guelph City Council meetings, from agendas to live-tweets to recaps, you can visit that page on Guelph Politico here.
Finally, feel free to reach out to me by email at adamadonaldson [at] gmail [dot] com, or find me on Facebook, Twitter, and, of course, GuelphPolitico.ca!