City of Waterloo Council Summary September 23, 2024

Posted On Monday September 23, 2024

** The council summary below provides a snapshot of the major items presented at Monday’s council meeting. The council meeting webcast is available on the City of Waterloo YouTube page. Please refer to the minutes for an official record of the meeting.

Waterloo’s first Get READI Plan sets direction and goals to make Waterloo a welcoming and inclusive place for all

Council received a draft of the City of Waterloo's first Get Reconciliation, Equity, Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusion (READI) Plan, the plan that sets the direction and long-term goals that will guide the City of Waterloo to become a welcoming and inclusive place for all. The plan is the result of a joint effort involving the City of Waterloo’s READI team, community members and various City staff teams, and reflects lived experiences of communities in Waterloo. It is a foundation for the City’s Reconciliation work, and becoming more equitable, inclusive and accessible. City of Waterloo staffed worked closely with organizations representing equity-denied groups to establish priorities and goals for advancing READI initiatives, and to welcome their feedback at throughout the development of the plan.

The plan identifies six priority areas for advancing READI across the Waterloo community:

  • Improve Indigenous relations and foster Reconciliation.
  • Enhance the built environment.
  • Cultivate a culture of belonging.
  • Increase diversity of staff and leadership.
  • Focus on equitable distribution of resources.
  • Build trust through systems of accountability.

The goals within each priority area include short, medium, and long-term aspirations. The City of Waterloo will work towards achieving these goals within the specified timelines and recognizes that some efforts will require longer-term planning and resources. The final Get READI Plan will be shared with Council and shared on the City’s website in December 2024 with an accompanying Implementation Plan to be released in early 2025.

Waterloo Fire Rescue implements Fire Safety Box requirements for better access to buildings and fire safety plans in an emergency

Council approved the new Fire Safety Box bylaw, requiring owners of apartment and other buildings required to have a Fire Safety Plan to make that plan available, along with keys for accessing the main entrance and/or service room, in an external Fire Safety Box. Using the Fire Safety Box, firefighters can get access to closed buildings and information about the building when responding to an emergency. The new bylaw also requires timely response by building owners/designates following an alarm, to reset the system and ensure support for displaced persons as may be required. Timely reset of systems by this designate will ensure fire and life safety systems are maintained and operating as they are intended, while freeing crews to be available to respond to other emergences.

Fire safety education, fire code enforcement and emergency response contribute to public safety and improved quality of life as part of the City of Waterloo's Complete Community strategic priority. The Fire Safety Box bylaw supports Waterloo Fire Services as they meet the needs of our growing and changing city.

Delegates offer feedback on Waterloo’s Official Plan update

Council heard from several delegates providing feedback to proposed changes to the City of Waterloo Official Plan. Residents, students and property owners shared comments for consideration as staff continue to update the plan that will guide short and long-term growth and development in the City of Waterloo.

The proposed changes in the Official Plan update are currently focused on City Form and Land Use, including:

  • Updating Population and Growth Targets into the Official Plan, including minimum density targets for Greenfield Areas, Employment Areas and Major Transit Station Areas.
  • Allowing development up to 30 storeys as-of-right on some lands within Major Transit Station Areas.
  • Updating urban design policies which guide the built forms of new development throughout the city.
  • Introducing the new Minor Neighbourhood Corridor to the City Structure, which plans for small-scale intensification.
  • Introducing the Station Area Mixed Use land use designation, which plans for the mixed-use redevelopment of employment lands within the Major Transit Station Areas.
  • Removing maximum residential densities for new development from the Official Plan, to simplify the development review process.
  • Amending certain policies within the plan to be more permissive of Additional Residential Units, enabling the future implementation of four dwelling units on all residential lots.
  • Introducing more flexibility into the commercial and employment land use designations.

 Details on the proposed updates, including maps of designated areas and contacts to provide additional feedback are available on Engage Waterloo: https://www.engagewr.ca/waterloo-official-plan. The final recommended draft for this phase of the review will be presented December 2024.


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Media contact:

Cari Van Niekerk
Director, Corporate Communications
cari.vanniekerk@waterloo.ca