Council summary for Monday, Jan. 21, 2019

The council summary below provides a snapshot of the major items presented at this evening’s council meeting. Please refer to the minutes for an official record of the meeting.

Business plans
The 2019 business plans were presented for the corporate services, which includes corporate communications, finance, fleet and procurement, human resources, information management and technology services and legislative services. The presentations outlined the priorities for this year.

Waterloo Park lake frontage reconstruction
Council approved spending $772,000 for the lake frontage reconstruction. The proposed scope of this project includes detailed design and public consultation for the decommissioning of Lions Lagoon after the end of the 2019 season, which consists of the splash pad area, associated buildings, design and reinstatement of the shoreline area, and design and construction of a new activity area along the reconfigured shoreline. The details of this project will be coordinated through the implementation of the Laurel Creek and Silver Lake Environmental Assessment Addendum detailed design and construction project that is currently underway. This will be brought back to douncil in approximately the second quarter of 2019 with a project update. Future public information centres will be held as part of the design process prior to finalizing the design. A replacement water play facility will be required for the 2020 summer season, with public consultation and planning to begin for a location in Waterloo Park west.

Uptown community improvement plan (CIP) 2018 annual update report
The uptown community improvement plan (CIP) is designed to generate reurbanization in the form of building rehabilitation, infill, intensification and redevelopment within a specific area in a community. Specifically, the uptown CIP focuses on promoting specific land uses in the uptown community improvement project area including employment and affordable housing that have been included in the official plan as a high priority, in addition to heritage conservation and sustainable design.

In 2018 a total of 18 applications were received and 11 applications have been approved to date. The CIP is divided into two application windows. One window occurs in early spring and the other window occurs in early fall. Nine applications were received as part of the spring round. Eight of the applications were approved with one of the applications requiring additional information to satisfy Planning concerns (still under review). In terms of the fall round, nine applications were received. Six of the applications were for buildings that were either listed on the city’s heritage inventory or designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, so planning staff requires additional information and/or heritage permit applications. Once planning staff have the information they require, these applications will be processed accordingly. Of the remaining three applications in the fall round, two applications were approved for 75 King Street South and 46 King Street North. The final fall application is for a commercial building improvement loan at 98 King Street North and is being recommended by the CIP committee for council approval.

Revised program refund and withdrawal policy
Council approved changes to it its program refund and withdrawal policy. Changes include:
• A reduction in administrative fees on refunds from 20 per cent to 10 per cent.
• The application of administrative fees to both refunds and credits on customer accounts.
• The addition of a 24 hour ‘buyer’s remorse’ period after registration in which no administrative fees will be charged for withdrawing from programs.
• An adjustment in withdrawal deadlines for camps and single day programs from five business days before the program begins to 14 calendar days in advance of the first program date.

Tender award – Waterloo Public Library main branch mechanical upgrades
Council approved a tender award of more than $880,000 for mechanical upgrades for the Waterloo Public Library. The work will be completed by Superior Boiler Works and Welding Limited. The systems being replaced were originally installed in 1965 and 1988 and are in need of replacement, in order to maintain an acceptable interior environment within this building.

Tender award - Beaver Creek sanitary pumping station emergency overflow tank
Council approved a tender award of more than $1.5 million to Finnbilt General Contracting Limited. Once installed, the emergency overflow tank will provide approximately one hour of peak wet weather flow storage. Construction of the tank is expected to commence in spring 2019, weather permitting, and be completed by fall 2019, including restoration and landscaping. This project represents a significant wastewater infrastructure upgrade and supports the growth of Waterloo’s West Side.

City utility rates
Council approved the 2019 city utility rates. The annual financial impact of the overall city utilities increase for 2019 is 4.4 per cent (or $44.44) for the average household; of which the city’s share is 2.4 per cent (or $23.65) and the Region of Waterloo’s share is two per cent (or $20.79). The rate increases proposed by the City of Waterloo include various factors. The single largest factor to the water and sanitary sewer rates is the proposed rate increases from the Region of Waterloo, our sole supplier of drinking water and treatment provider for our wastewater. For these services, the region charges wholesale rates to the city. The effective date for the new rates is Feb. 1, 2019. Full details can be found in staff report IPPW2019-001.

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Media contact:
Tony Iavarone
Director, Corporate Communications
519-747-8513
tony.iavarone@waterloo.ca