Council Info for the August 22, 2019 Regional Council meeting

Council Info – August 22, 2019

Council Info is a summary of discussion and the major items presented at Council meetings. It is circulated immediately following each meeting. You are encouraged to quote from and copy this information. Please refer to the minutes for an official record of the meeting.

Council sets 2020 budget target

Council directed staff to prepare the 2020 budget with a targeted tax impact in the range of 2.5 per cent for Regional programs (excluding police). Factors impacting the Region’s 2020 budget include:

• changes to provincial funding for Public Health, Seniors’ Services, Employment and Income Support, and Children’s Services;
• additional funding for various development charge exemptions;
• the final year of the Regional Transportation Master Plan funding strategy;
• funding for a wide variety of capital projects;
• service enhancements needed to meet demand and serve growth.

The Regional budget will be approved in January 2020.

Update on Consumption and Treatment Services

Council endorsed an update related to Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS). Here are some highlights:

Community and partner engagement continues to be an important part of planning for CTS. The community advisory group will include a variety of representatives from different sectors, including community members (Old Berlin Neighbourhood Association, Kitchener Downtown Neighbourhood Alliance, 156 Duke Street), Waterloo Regional Police Service, municipal staff and Sanguen Health staff.

The interim site is expected to be ready for operations in September 2019. The full CTS with wraparound services is expected to be ready for operations in February 2020. Both sites will be located at 150 Duke Street, Kitchener.

Public Health staff continues to work with City of Cambridge staff on a process to identify candidate sites for CTS in Cambridge.

Region responds to proposed Public Health restructuring

That Region has responded to the Province’s plans for Public Health restructuring and funding changes. Highlights of the response include:

The Region of Waterloo supports and benefits from the current fully-integrated approach to Public Health delivery in Waterloo Region.

The Region of Waterloo has concerns with the proposed geographic boundaries for the new 10 large public health entities. They would result in Waterloo Region being part of the largest entity (based on population) in Ontario: more than 2.9 million people.

The Region would like to see more appropriate transition periods with attention to effective change management and ensuring the important work of public health continues uninterrupted.

The Region would like the province to reconsider changes to cost-sharing ratios.

All changes to the structure, governance and funding of the province’s public health system should look at evidence. Any changes should preserve the mandate of Public Health and the important work of Public Health should continue uninterrupted.

GRT’s alternative service delivery pilot periods to end by December 2019

Last fall, Grand River Transit (GRT) launched three Alternative Service Delivery pilot projects. Branded as the 901, 902, and 903 Flex, each pilot was planned for operation over 10 months. The routes were designed to provide flexible or on-demand transit to difficult-to-serve parts of the region on a trial basis. With the goals of improving accessibility, partnership, integration, and cost-effectiveness, the pilot project worked to fill gaps in the transit network after the redesign of conventional routes. Through an evaluation of ridership, cost effectiveness and customer satisfaction, staff determined that the 903 Northwest Waterloo auxiliary taxi (ridesharing) service should operate until December 31, 2019, at which point they will be discontinued. Transit Services and Housing Services staff are working to investigate the possibility of replacing the 902 Flex Hespeler Village subsidized taxi pilot service with a community-run shuttle van service upon its scheduled completion on September 6, 2019 and the decision on the 901 Flex Trinity-Freeport community bus service has been deferred back to staff for further review.

Improvements coming to Dundas and Main Streets in Cambridge

Regional Council approved improvements to Dundas Street (Hespeler Road to Franklin Boulevard) and Main Street (Chalmers Street to Franklin Boulevard) in Cambridge. The project will address the deteriorated roadway, underground sewer and water mains, as well as the deteriorated condition of the existing bridge over the Canadian Pacific rail yard on Dundas Street. This construction is also an opportunity to add enhanced pedestrian and cyclist facilities on both Dundas and Main Streets as well as intersection enhancements to improve traffic along these corridors. The construction will be phased to minimize traffic disruption and will occur in stages from 2020 to 2023.

Council approves loan to Cambridge Shelter Corporation

Council approved a loan of up to $750,000 to Cambridge Shelter Corporation (CSC), known as The Bridges. The Region contracts CSC to provide important services, including emergency shelter and supportive housing. The interest-free loan will be used to assist with accumulated debts.

Council approves loan to Ayr and District Citizens Association
Council approved a loan of $240,000 to Ayr and District Citizens Association to assist with urgent capital needs. The Association is adding 21 affordable housing rental units to their existing 32-unit seniors’ Kirkwood apartment on Stanley Street in Ayr.

Plans for community housing funding endorsed

Council endorsed investment and implementation plans for two housing programs: the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) and the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI). The goal of COCHI is to protect affordability for households in community housing, support the repair of existing housing and expand the community housing supply. The goal of OPHI is to address local housing priorities and repair and build new affordable units across Ontario. The Region has received funding of $12,364,400 for these two programs over three years. This funding will help grow and stabilize community housing in Waterloo Region.

Progress report for housing and homelessness plan

Council approved an annual progress report (year 5) for the 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Plan. The progress report highlighted a number of programs that are helping to: improve access to housing supports, facilitate access to emergency shelter, increase housing affordability, create more affordable housing and repair/retrofit existing social housing. In response to the changing needs in our community and requirements by the Province, the Region of Waterloo is currently working to update our 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Plan.

2020 children’s services budget

Children’s Services is working to develop their operating budget for 2020 based on provincial changes to program funding. The province has announced it will no longer fund child care expansion plan costs at 100 per cent (funding will change to 80%/20% provincial/municipal). In addition, administration costs will be reduced and cost-shared on a 50%/50% basis (from 100 per cent provincial). In order to offset the impact of provincial budget reductions, Children’s Services will be reducing one-time spending and discontinuing a parent fee reduction pilot at the end of 2019. This pilot program reduced fees for families to make child care more affordable.

Tenders/Contracts:        

The following tenders/contracts were approved by Council:

• $5,788,456 for Grand River Transit miscellaneous bus parts for a three-year period from the following suppliers: Baker Transit Parts Inc. The Aftermarket Parts Company, North American Transit Supply Corp., Altruck, CBM N.A. Inc., Prevost and Cervus Equipment Peterbilt.
• $1,314,012 to Capital Paving Inc. for Fountain Street North reconstruction, plus a $36,700 increase to facilitate work undertaken by City of Cambridge.
• $1,022,002 to Sierra Bridge Inc. for Cambridge Waste Management Transfer Station floor repairs.
• $971,913 to Upper Canada Road Service Inc. plus a $53,200 increase to facilitate work undertaken on behalf of City of Waterloo for the Separated Bike Lane Pilot in Waterloo.
• $472,680 to Moser Landscape Group Inc. for landscape planting on Franklin Blvd. Cambridge.
• $470,158 to Flow Kleen Technology Ltd. for one 16-month term and an option to renew for an additional two-year term. Flow Kleen will provide a catch basin cleaning program.
• $180,745 to Creative Asphalt and Landscape Inc. for snow removal and disposal for central Heidelberg and Philipsburg areas.

Next Council Meeting
September 18, 2019 at 7 p.m.

For more information, contact:

Bryan Stortz, Director, Corporate Communications, 519-575-4408

Regional Clerk’s Office, 519-575-4400