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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFCS-17-024 - LAV III Follow Up REPORT TO: Committee of the Whole DATE OF MEETING: January 30, 2017 SUBMITTED BY: Dan Chapman, Deputy CAO PREPARED BY: Dan Chapman, Deputy CAO, 519-741-2200 x 7347 WARD(S) INVOLVED: 10 DATE OF REPORT: January 25, 2017 REPORT NO.: FCS-17-024 SUBJECT: Light-Armoured Vehicle (LAV) III Monument Follow-Up Report ___________________________________________________________________________ RECOMMENDATION: That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to enter into the following agreements in support of the Kitchener LAV III Monument project, to recognize the service of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, to the satisfaction of the City solicitor: LAV III Monument Agreement with Canada Company License Agreement with Department of National Defence Any other supporting or related agreements as may be required BACKGROUND: On June 15, 2015, the Finance and Corporate Services Committee received a delegation from the Royal Highland Fusiliers in relation to an opportunity to submit an application for a Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) III Monument to honour the service of Afghanistan veterans. Consideration was deferred to August 24, 2015 at which time City Council adopted the following motion: “That a letter of support be provided for the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) III Monument program application being submitted by the Royal Highland Fusiliers for its installation in front of the Kitchener Armoury located at 350 East Avenue; and further, That $10,000 be approved as the City of Kitchener’s contribution toward installation of the LAV III Monument; and further, *** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. *** Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance. 4. - 1 That staff be directed to investigate the possibility of local area service clubs / organizations assuming responsibility for the perpetual maintenance of the LAV III Monument, but failing that, the City shall provide an up-front allocation of funds to provide assistance with perpetual maintenance (e.g., an additional $5,000 from the City’s 2015 capital contingency on a one-time basis).” The purpose of this report is to update Council on the status of the initiative and seek approval for the next steps required to bring it to completion. REPORT: Progress Update Subsequent to Council’s previous consideration of this matter in 2015, City staff have continued to work with representatives of the Regimental Trust of the Royal Highland Fusiliers (the “Fusiliers”) to clarify the LAV III Monument program requirements and the request of the Fusiliers. Also during that time, the cities of Cambridge and Waterloo have each completed the installation of their own LAV III monuments. In both cases, the municipality took title to the monument through an agreement with Canada Company, the program coordinator. Both monuments were placed on city-owned land with financial support from the municipality for the initial purchase and installation as well as the ongoing maintenance. As directed by Council, the City circulated a request to service clubs and other community organizations introducing the opportunity to partner in maintenance of the monument. The KW Kinsmen club expressed interest and it is reasonable to expect that other organizations (e.g., cadets) will also be potential partners in future maintenance activities as has been the experience of other municipalities. Clarified Request of the Fusiliers Through ongoing discussion, the Fusiliers have clarified that two agreements are required in order for the Kitchener monument to proceed: LAV III Monument Agreement – this agreement with Canada Company (the program coordinator) sets out the terms and conditions under which title to the monument passes to the “community”. National Defence License Agreement – this agreement with the Department of National Defence (DND) sets out the terms and conditions under which the Federal Government will allow the monument to be placed on DND-owned lands which, in this case, are the Kitchener Armoury lands. 4. - 2 The key elements of both agreements are that the City of Kitchener, as the “community”, will: 1. take title to the monument; 2. insure the monument and indemnify Canada Company and the Federal Government for liability associated with it; and 3. ensure that the monument is maintained to a reasonable standard. The Fusiliers have confirmed that their request for “community” ownership would see the City of Kitchener enter into these agreements the same as has been done in other municipalities. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The recommendation of this report supports the achievement of the city’s strategic vision through the delivery of core service. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The City allocated funding of $15,000 in 2015 to provide support to the up-front installation costs ($10,000) as well as the perpetual maintenance costs ($5,000). These funds remain available for these purposes. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: INFORM – This report has been posted to the City’s website with the agenda in advance of the meeting and a copy has been provided to the Regimental Trust of the Royal Highland Fusiliers. CONSULT – The recommendation of this report has been developed in collaboration with representatives of the Regimental Trust of the Royal Highland Fusiliers. PREVIOUS CONSIDERATION OF THIS MATTER: FCS-15-110 (August 24, 2015) ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Dan Chapman, Deputy CAO 4. - 3