HomeMy WebLinkAboutFCS Agenda - 2019-04-15Finance & Corporate Services Committee
Agenda
Monday, April 15, 2019
1:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m.
Office of the City Clerk
Council Chamber
Kitchener City Hall
nd
200 King St.W. - 2 Floor
Kitchener ON N2G 4G7
Page 1 Chair - Councillor S. Davey Vice-Chair - Councillor P. Singh
Consent Items
The following matters are considered not to require debate and should be approved by one motion in accordance
with the recommendation contained in each staff report. A majority vote is required to discuss any report listed
as under this section.
1. DSD-19-063 - Middle Strasburg Trunk Sanitary Sewer Credit/Refund Agreement Request
2. DSD-19-065 - Brownfield Remediation Program Application - Tax Incremental Grant
- 98-100 Victoria Street South
Delegations
-law, delegations are permitted to address the Committee for a maximum of five
(5) minutes.
Item 3 - Nancy Keizer Chair, Waterloo Region Tourism Marketing Corporation
Discussion Items
3. CAO-19-007 - Municipal Accommodation Tax (30 min)
- (Ontario Regulation 435/17 Transient Accommodation Tax)
(Staff will provide a 5 minute presentation on this matter)
4. COR-19-017 - Digital Kitchener - 2019 Update (30 min)
(Staff will provide a 5 minute presentation on this matter)
5. FIN-19-030 - Long-Term Financial Plan: Project Scope and Timeline (30 min)
(Staff will provide a 5 minute presentation on this matter)
Information Items
FIN-19-031 - Additional Federal Gas Tax Funding
Jeff Bunn
Manager, Council & Committee Services/Deputy City Clerk
** Accessible formats and communication supports are available upon request. If you require assistance to
take part in a city meeting or event, please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 **
REPORT TO:Finance& Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:April 15, 2019
SUBMITTED BY:Hans Gross, Director of Engineering, 741-2200 ext. 7410
PREPARED BY:Linda Cooper, Manager Development Engineering, 741-2200 ext. 7974
WARD (S) INVOLVED:Ward5
DATE OF REPORT:March 20, 2019
REPORT NO.:DSD-19-063
SUBJECT:Middle Strasburg Trunk Sanitary Sewer-Credit/Refund Agreement
Request
RECOMMENDATION: That Council authorize the Mayor and Clerk to execute a
development charges credit/refund agreement withthe developers (Kitchener Green
Developments Inc., Kitchener Green 3 Developments Inc., 2079546 Ontario Limited, Cook
(South Estates) Limited, Max Becker Enterprises (II) Limited) in respect to the developers
payment for the costs of the engineering fees and construction of the Middle Strasburg
Trunk Sanitary Sewer (MSTSS), in addition the agreement will contain provisions
authorizing the acceptance of lands from the developers by the municipality on which the
project will be constructed, to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor.
BACKGROUND:
This project was considered by council previously, please refer to the previous consideration of
the matter section of this report for further details.
As identified in the 2018 capital forecast, the MSTSS project was budgeted mainly in 2022-2023,
with a small amount of funding in 2018 ($213,000) for the portion of the MSTSS included as part
of the Region of Waterloo tender for Fischer Hallman Road reconstruction. As part of the 2018
final budget day discussions, Council also approved advancing $680,000 of funding from 2022
to 2018 so the detailed design for the whole MSTSS project could be completed in order to meet
MSTSS in its entirety and thus
on February 7, 2018, the City received a development charges credit/refund application request
from the developersto advance the detailed design and construction of the MSTSS. The
developers havehad ongoing discussion with the City. Staff at thetime wasin support of this
application and to date the developer grouphadsubmitted all required information to process
their application.City council approved the execution of entering into a credit for service
agreement with thedevelopers group on April 16, 2018.
***This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
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REPORT:
In accordance with the Kitchener Growth Management Plan and the 2014 Development Charge
Background studies, the City of Kitchener is planning to construct the north (upstream) portion
of the new Middle Strasburg Trunk Sanitary Sewer (MSTSS).This project is illustrated in Figure
1.0. The portion of the MSTSS from Huron Village Subdivision tothe crossing of Strasburg Road
and Strasburg Creek has been constructed. Approximately 1250 m of 3100 m are completed.
The new trunk sewer will be approximately 1850 m long and will connect to thepreviously
installed portion of this trunksewer.
Through detailed design numerous issues were encountered which increased the project cost
significantly. Main components that increased the project costs were archeological,
geotechnical, environmental and species at risk and thus required additional trenchless
construction then originally planned.
Some developers that were part of the previous developers group no longer want to participate
in the agreement and thus the City received a revised request for a credit for service agreement
on February 15, 2019. The intent from the original agreement remains unchanged; however, the
parties to the agreement have changed along with the project costs have increased as
highlighted during the 2019 budget process.
Figure 1.0 Middle Strasburg Creek Trunk Sanitary Sewer EA Alignment
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The MSTSS was included in the 2014 Development Charges (DC) Background Study as a
2022/2023 project with atotal cost of $10.25 Million. As part of the 2019 budget, an additional
$5.5 Million was approved to be added to the project in 2024.
Other Considerations:
As illustrated in Figure 2.0, all 13parcels of land owned by the developers are dependent on the
MSTSSbeing completed.Included in this need for critical infrastructure is the new library and
community centre planned within the Rosenberg community.
Lastly, one furthernote is the traffic congestion on Fischer Hallman Road and the immediate
need for capacity improvements to address the issue.
1, 2 Kitchener Green 3 Developments Inc.8Big Spring Farms Limited
3Kitchener Green Developments Inc.9Activa Holdings Inc.
4B&B Kieswetter Excavating Inc.10City of Kitchener
5, 13 20795446 Ontario Limited11Activa Investments Corporation
6Stamm Investments Limited12Deerfield Homes Limited
7South Estates
Figure 2.0 Land Ownership
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Project Costs
The total cost estimate for construction is $14,000,000.00 which includesthe following:
o Engineering Fees for theproject ($1,000,000.00)
Consultant fees for inspection and contract administration
Cost for City staff including project management, tender advertisement, permit fees and
administration
o Middle Strasburg Trunk Sanitary Sewer (Huron to Bleams Rd)and related works
($11,376,287.00)including a 15% contingency
o Middle Strasburg Trunk Sanitary Sewer Region contract ($1,600,000.00)
Rd widening
The developerswill fund the project as follows:
o Prior to the award of tenders, the developers will provide either a letter of credit or cash to
commitments in relation to the works are fully secured. In addition, all property required for
the construction, maintenance and ownership of the MSTSS will be transferred to the City.
o If during construction any unforeseen issues arise and sufficient funds are not available in
the letter of credit to cover the costs, the developer is responsible to provide the funds
required to complete the project.
the funds.
If, after tendering process, the total value for all project works exceeds the amount agreed upon
with the developers and defined in the credit for service agreement, then the developers have
the ability to terminate the agreement.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
StrategicPriority:Safe and Thriving Neighbourhoods
Strategy:#3.3 Manage growth, curb urban sprawl, and foster more mixed-use development,
ensuring new development is integrated with the diversity and character of the surrounding
community.
Strategic Action:#51 Kitchener Growth Management Strategy 2017-2019
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Capital Cost:
The capital costs for this project will be borne by the developer.In accordance with Council
Policy I-537 (Development Charges Credit/Refund Agreements), the City will reimburse the
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developer through development charge credits and refunds for significant growth related capital
items that are advanced by the developer.
Policy I-537 allows developers to proceed with such projects and be reimbursed by the City
through crediting, in this case, the sanitary portion of the Development Charge payable upon the
issuance of the building permits.
Policy I-537 also allows for a r
capital forecast, but only to the extent the City has met its projected development charge revenue
targets, City wide.This ensures that there are adequate funds to cover the project in the future.
For example, if the City has only reached 60% of its anticipated Development Charge revenue,
throughout the City, then the developer is only entitled to 60% of the refund in that year.Every
year subsequent to that, the developer receives a refund calculated in the same manner.Based
upon this policy, a draft agreement has been prepared by Legal Services in consultationwith
legal counsel for the developer.
Operating and Maintenance Costs
9Capital Forecast, Middle Strasburg Trunk
Sanitary Sewer is to be constructed in 2022-2023.Thereis no additional operating or
maintenance costs to this agreement. The developers agree that if maintenance is required prior
to June 30, 2022 the City will perform the required maintenance and bill the developers
accordingly.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM
council / committee meeting.
CONSULT The City has consulted with GRCA and the Region of Waterloo to ensure the Part
II Order issued by the MOECC is being adhered to. The public was previously consulted with
during the Environmental Assessment; the open house was on November 13, 1996.
PREVIOUS CONSIDERATION OF THIS MATTER:
On April 17, 1998 council approved the Environmental Study Report and it was submitted for
MOE for the 30 day review.
On March 11, 2008 council approved the retention of StantecConsulting to complete the detailed
design and contract administration for the construction of the first phase of the Middle Strasburg
Trunk Sanitary Sewer. It further approved entering into a credit for service agreement with Activa
Holdings Inc. for thecost of the detailed design and construction of the trunk sewer.
In January 2018 as part of final budget, Council approved the advancement of $680,000.00 to
complete the detailed design for the remaining portion of the trunk sewer.
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On April 16, 2018, Council authorized the Mayor and Clerk to execute a development charge
credit/refund agreement with the developers group in relation to construction and engineering
fees associated with the Middle Strasburg Trunk Sanitary Sewer as outlined in staff report INS-
18-012.
In January 2019, as part of final budget, Council approved the increase of $5,500,000.00 to the
Middle Strasburg Trunk Sanitary Sewer account in 2024.
CONCLUSION:
The developers grouphas had ongoing discussions with City staff. At this time,the developer
grouphas submitted all the required information to process their application and staff has had
the opportunity to review the application in detail. Said developers areproposing to fund the cost
of the Middle Strasburg Trunk Sanitary Sewerand related appurtenances. Further they have
also agreed to pay anymaintenance cost of the subdivision infrastructure until such time as it
appears in the capital budget. As such, staff recommends that the credit/refund agreement for
the Middle Strasburg Trunk Sanitary Sewerbe approved.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Justin Readman, General Manager, Development Services
Department
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REPORT TO:Finance and Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:April 15, 2019
SUBMITTED BY:Brian Bennett, Manager, Business Development, 519-741-2200 X 7230
PREPARED BY:Rob Morgan, Capital Investment Advisor/ Brownfield Co-ordinator,
519-741-2200 x7734
WARD (S) INVOLVED:Ward 9
DATE OF REPORT:March 11, 2019
REPORT NO.:DSD-19-065
SUBJECT:Brownfield Remediation Program Application Tax Incremental Grant
98-100 Victoria Street South
___________________________________________________________________________
That the Brownfield Remediation Program Application for 98-100 Victoria Street
South, received from 2373074 Ontario Inc. dated January 29, 2017 be approved
subject to the
That in exchange for a completed and filed Record of Site Condition for the subject
property, the owner will be provided a tax incremental grant on the redevelopment of
the property in the form of an annual rebate on City taxes in an amount equal to 100% of
the City Tax Increment; and,
That the City Tax Increment be defined as the difference between the City portion of real
property taxes for the 2017 taxation year and the new City portion of real property taxes
levied as a result of a new assessment by the Municipal Property
Assessment Corporation (MPAC) following completion of the project as
compensation for the remediation of the above subject lands; and,
That the Citypropertytaxgrantisestimated to be $327,815.00,payablein 1 year
following re-assessment byMPAC
and,
That the Regionof Waterloo Brownfield Coordinatorbecirculatedacopyof any decision
madebyKitchener City Councilregarding this Application;and further,
That the Mayorand Clerk beauthorizedto execute an Agreement, subject to the
satisfaction of theCitySolicitor,with the RegionofWaterlooand2373074OntarioInc.,to
implementtheprovisionsof the BrownfieldRemediation Program Application for
98-100VictoriaStreet South, asoutlinedintheDevelopmentServicesDepartmentReport
DSD19-065.
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BACKGROUND:
In January of 2017, the City of Kitchener and Region of Waterloo received ajoint Tax Increment
Grant (TIG) application from 2373074 Ontario Inc. relating to the remediation and redevelopment
of the property municipally known as 98-100 Victoria Street South (Map Attachment 1). The 0.92
acre property located on the north side of Victoria Street South,close to Bramm Street,was
historically usedfor a mixture of commercial and residential purposes as well as vehicle storage.
The land is being redeveloped into a mixed-use development consisting of two condominium
towerscontaining 348 residential units and 450 square metres of commercial use.The project
is being constructed in two phases,with the first phase nearing completion this summer.
In order to facilitate the proposed development,the City sold to2373074 Ontario Inc.a 0.30 acre
parcel of landfrom its Bramm Street holdingsfor $1,200,000.00 which allowed for the property
to be squared offcreating a more developable lot.
REPORT:
Contamination and Remediation
The Environmental Consultants for this project are Pinchin Environmental. Referring to the
Remedial Work Plan dated January 23, 2017and the Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
(ESA), several boreholes and groundwater monitoring wells were installed throughout the site.
At the conclusion of the test period it was determined that there wereimpacts primarily of sodium,
chlorideand some metalsin the soils and/or groundwater that exceed TheMinistry of the
Environment, Conservation and ParksTable 2 standards. The sources of the contaminants
appear to be related primarily to the municipal bulk salt storage and handling operations that
historically occurred approximately 60 metres upgradient from the property.
Eligible Remediation Cost
City and Regional staff are satisfied with the documentation submitted by the applicant
estimating eligible remediation costs for the site at $801,241.00. This amount plus a 10%
allowance for indirect costs afforded under the joint TIG program ($80,124.10), results in a
maximum eligible joint TIG of $881,365.10. The TIG would be cost-shared between the Region
and the City of Kitchener with grant proportions determined by each
municipal taxes levied on the property in the year the application was submitted (2017) with
approximately 62.8% (a maximum of $553,551) being provided by the Region and the remaining
37.2% (maximum $327,815.00)provided by the City of Kitchener. Given the relatively small
amount of remediation costs and the significant tax increment the TIG will be paid out in one
year. The payment will be made after the property is redeveloped and ultimately reassessed by
the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), likely not before 2021.
As a condition of final approval of eligiblecosts, invoices must be submitted by the applicant
and must be approved for eligibility by City of Kitchener and Regional staff.
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Pre-remediation assessment and taxes vs post redevelopment assessment and taxes
The anticipated joint Tax Increment Grant payments and schedule are determined for each
application based on the following steps:
The first step includes a calculation of the anticipated assessment increment. This is based on
the pre-remediation MPAC assessment value(s) and the estimated post-remediation and
redevelopment assessment value(s) for thedevelopment as provided by the Applicant.
AssessmentAssessmentAssessment
Increment*
$965,171.00(2017)$94,994,000.00(est.)$94,028,829.00(est.)
*These values are based on estimates and will be confirmed by MPAC upon project completion.
The anticipated assessment increment is then used to calculate the expected annual increase
in municipal taxes (Region and City) that would be generated by the remediation and
redevelopment of the property
MunicipalMunicipalTotal
Area Municipality
Tax Increment*
City $4,495.71$346,547.91$342,052.20
Region$7,591.49$585,183.59$577,592.10
Total$12,087.20$931,731.50$919,644.30
*Tax amounts do not include the education portionof annual taxes levied as the School Boards
do not participate in the program and are rounded to the nearest dollar.
Impact of the Joint TIG Program in Kitchener
The infusion of private investment in the redevelopment of brownfield properties which is
supported by the Brownfield Financial Incentive Program (BFIP) is helping to ensure the efficient
use of existing infrastructure, as well as supportingthe Municipalis broader
economic development and land use planning objectives.
Once the redevelopment of this property is complete, MPAC estimates it will have a total
assessed value of $94,994,000.00compared to $965,171.00 in 2017.
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ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
the delivery of core service.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
With the approval of this application the City of Kitchener will provide a total municipal property
tax rebate estimated to be a maximum of $327,815payable in one installment not expected to
be sooner than 2021.
Funding for this application has been accounted for in the Brownfield Capital Account.The
source of funding for these grants is ultimately the new tax assessment growth that will result
from redevelopment.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM
council / committee meeting.
This Application has not been circulated to the public. Staff would note that this approval applies
only to the City of Kitchener portion of the proposed Tax Incremental Grant. The Region of
Waterloo Council will considerits portion of this application at their Planning and Works
Committee.
CONCLUSION:
Investment Advisor, Director of Revenue, City Solicitor, and Director of Planning), reviewed the
Brownfield application and are satisfied that the application meets the eligibility and application
requirements. Staff support acceptance within the terms and conditions of the Region of
Waterloo City of Kitchener Brownfield Remediation Program.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Justin Readman, General Manager Development Services
Department
Attachments:
A)Property Location
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Attachment A: 98 100 Victoria Street South
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REPORT TO:Finance and Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:April 15, 2019
SUBMITTED BY:Dan Chapman, CAO
519-741-2200 ext. 7350
PREPARED BY:Kathryn Dever, Director, Strategy & Corporate Performance
519-741-2200 ext. 7370
Kim Kugler, Director, Sport
519-741-2200 ext. 7544
Cory Bluhm, Executive Director, Economic Development
519-741-2200 ext. 7065
WARD (S) INVOLVED:All Ward(s)
DATE OF REPORT:March 29, 2019
REPORT NO.:CAO-19-007
SUBJECT:Municipal Accommodation Tax(Ontario Regulation 435/17 Transient
Accommodation Tax)
_____________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
Thatabylaw be established for implementation of a mandatory 4% Municipal
Accommodation Tax for hotels in the City of Kitchener effective July 1st, 2019; subject
to equivalent approvals by the other lower tier municipalities in Waterloo Region; and,
That the 50% (Waterloo Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation-WRTMC) / 40%
(City) / 10% (Region of Waterloo) revenue sharing modelas outlinedwithin this report
be approved; and,
That staff be directed to establishaMunicipal Accommodation Tax Reserve Fund to
outlined in Appendix B of this report; and,
That the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)and Clerk be delegated authority to enter
into an agreement with the Waterloo Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation to
collect the revenues on behalf of the City of Kitchenerand for the use of 50% of the
Municipal Accommodation Tax funds by WRTMC. (Note: Administration costs to be
deducted prior to distribution of funds); and,
That the CAO and Clerk be delegated authority to enter into other agreements as may
be required to administer and govern work to be funded from the MAT; and,
That staff/WRTMC report back in 2020 to Council on the progress of the new Municipal
Accommodation Tax; andfurther,
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3 - 1
That a joint study be undertaken by WRTMC and the Municipal partners in 2022 with
respect to the effectiveness of the program to inform potential program refinements
at that time.
BACKGROUND:
On November 23, 2017, the Province of Ontario issued the Transient Accommodation
Regulation 435/17, which came into force December 1, 2017 and provides the necessary
provisions for lower tier and single tier municipalities across Ontario to implement a Municipal
Accommodation Tax(MAT). These voluntary fees have been used to raise funds for
destination marketingand tourismacross Ontario and North America for many years but have
not been implemented in Waterloo Region.
As a popular destination for culture, events (sports and otherwise), sightseeing, business and
government travel, the Region of Waterloo welcomes more than 4.8 million visitors a year.
Accommodation supply in Waterloo Region totals approximately 3,000 rooms, with 1,090being
in the City of Kitchener. Visitors to Waterloo Region have a significant economic impact locally
injecting approximately $357 million into our local economy on an annual basis.
The purpose of this common report is to recommend the implementation of a 4% Municipal
Accommodation Tax for all Waterloo Region lower tier municipalities effective July 1st, 2019.
It is estimated that this will generate $3.271M annually ($938,000 in the City of Kitchener)
which would be split between the Waterloo Region Tourism Marketing Corporation (50%), the
participating lower tier municipalities (40%), and the Region of Waterloo (10%).
REPORT:
Introduction
In the spring of 2017 the Provincial Government announced budget plans to give municipalities
the power to levy a hotel tax.On November 23, 2017, the Province of Ontario issued the
Transient Accommodation Regulation 435/17, which came into force December 1, 2017 and
provides the necessary provisions for lower tier and single tier municipalities across Ontario to
implement a Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT).Voluntary fees (known as destination
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marketing fees) have been collected in a number of municipalities across Ontario (Ottawa,
Toronto, Sault Ste. Marie, Niagara Falls) for many years but have not been implemented in
Waterloo Region.
Waterloo Region Tourism Marketing Corporation and Regional Tourism Organization 4 (RT04)
have both been advocates of the need for more revenue tools to enhance the competitiveness
of tourism in our broader community.RT04 commissioned a report by CBREinthe summer of
2017 that documented the potential implications of a hotel tax on its key partners.This report
providedthe following revenue estimates for Waterloo region:
Hotel Accommodations* within Waterloo Region and Estimated Revenue from a 4%
Municipal Accommodation Tax
MunicipalityHotel PropertiesRoomsEstimated 4% MAT
Revenue
Cambridge101,026$1,200,000
Kitchener101,090$938,000
Waterloo4538$640,000
Woolwich3313$475,000
Wilmot16$10,000
Wellesley116$8,000
North Dumfries000
TOTAL282,973$3,271,000
*Note The CBREstudydid not include properties in Wellesley, North Dumfries orshort term
rentals (ie: Airbnb, Homeaway, VRBO, home-to-go). Municipalities with a significant clustering
of short term rentals would also generate revenue from this framework. This additional revenue
has not been factored into the numbers above.
WRTMC further engaged Gaining Edge consulting to prepare a business case for MAT for
Waterloo Region. Their findings are included in Appendix A.
Sharing of revenue with WRTMC
With regards to revenue sharing with WRTMC, the Provincial regulations provide for the
following:
Where no formal Destination Marketing Fee (DMF) exists, municipalities can impose a
tax.Local municipalities that choose to impose a tax may reach an agreement with a
person or entity to collect it on their behalf.
The rules set out a minimum amount of tax revenue sharing that must occur, but in no
case do the regulations require municipalities to share more tax revenue than they
collect.
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Waterloo Region and the Area Municipalities formed the WRTMC in 2007.This organization
has a $1.05 M annual budget with approximately 60% of the funding coming from the Region
and Area Municipalities, as outlined below:
Municipality2019 Contribution
Region of Waterloo$300,000
City of Cambridge$90,000
City of Kitchener$90,000
City of Waterloo$90,000
Township of Wilmot$10,000
Township of Woolwich$10,000
Township of North Dumfries$5,000
Township of Wellesley$5,000
TOTAL$600,000
The WRTMC Board has long considered a voluntary DMF for our community but did not find
consensus from the accommodators and as such no DMF has been implemented.Therefore
by regulation the area municipalities would be required to provide at least 50% of revenues
collected through this proposed tax to WRTMC.
Municipal staff has considered the foregoing regulations and recommendthat 50% of the
revenues from the MAT be provided to WRTMC for the advancement of their tourism strategic
plan with a goal of increasing overnight accommodation metrics within our community.Based
on the hotel accommodation calculations earlier inthis report,the 50% allocation to WRTMC is
expected to be approximately $1.6M annually.Aproposed sports hosting office would be
funded through the WRTMC portion as well.
Municipal funding (40%) would be used to support and enhance tourism, sport, and cultural
offerings, as well as major event attraction efforts in a variety of ways. Appendix B outlines
more information on the specific proposed uses.
The Region of Waterloo would be remitted (10%) of the anticipated annual revenues
($327,100) for enhancement and promotion of their cultural funding allocations.It is anticipated
this will strengthen the position of key cultural institutions within the Region thereby also
enhancing the tourism component of our economy.
Ontario regulation 435/17, Section 6, requires that tourism organizations that receive funding
from a MAT enter into agreements with local municipalities respecting reasonable financial
accountability matters in order to ensure that amounts paid to the entity are used for the
exclusive purposeof promoting tourism, and the agreement may provide for other matters.
WRTMC is committed to entering into an agreement with its municipal funding partners for the
collection, disbursement and use of the MAT funding based on the outcomes of this council
report and the council reports of the other applicable local tier municipalities (City of
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Cambridge, City of Kitchener, Township of Woolwich, Township of Wellesley, Township of
North Dumfries and Township of Wilmot).
What types of accommodations are required to pay this tax?
As an eligible hotel transient accommodator doing business and/or facilitating business
transactions within the boundaries of the Region of Waterloo, the accommodator will be
obliged by law to collect and remit a four percent (4%) MAT on all rooms sold for overnight
accommodation. Revenues generated from other hotel services, including but not limited to
such things as meeting room rentals, food & beverage, and room service, will be excluded
from the MAT.
Bed & Breakfast operators will be required to collect and remit the MAT until an exemption is
applied for and approved.
It is also expected that short term rentals (STRs -
MAT.It is understood that Airbnb has agreements in more than 300 jurisdictions globally to
collect and remit hotel taxes on behalf of their hosts and guests, and as such implementation
in Waterloo Region is not expected to be difficult.
Currently the proposed 4% MAT would be applicable to all eligible hotel transient
accommodators including STRs in the City of Cambridge, City of Kitchener, City of Waterloo,
Township of Woolwich, Township of Wellesley, Township of North Dumfries and Township of
Wilmot. This framework is proposed to exclude campsites, given that no other municipality in
Ontario is implementing a MAT for this form of rental.
What types of accommodations would be exempted from this tax?
Accommodations that are rented for 30+ consecutive nights (including seasonal trailer
parks)
Lodgings provided to students by a university, college or post-secondary while the
student is registered at and attending the institution
Every hospital referred to in the list of hospitals and their grades and classifications
maintained by the minister of Health and Long-Term Care under the Public Hospitals
Act and every private hospital operated under the authority of a license issued under the
Private Hospitals Act
Every long-term care home as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Long-Term Care Homes
Act, 2007, retirement home and hospices
Treatment centres that receive provincial aid under the Ministry of Community and
Social Services Act
Every house of refuge, or lodging for the reformation of offenders
Every charitable, non-profit philanthropic corporation organized as shelters for the relief
of the poor or for emergency
Every tent or trailer sites supplied by a campground, tourist camp or trailer park
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Every accommodation supplied by employees to their employees in premises operated
by the employer
Every hospitality room in an establishment that does not contain a bed and is used for
displaying merchandise, holding meetings, or entertaining
A traditional Bed & Breakfast operator may apply to the local municipality for an
exemption from the charging and remittance of the Municipal Accommodation Tax,
o namely the Bed & Breakfast establishment meets the definition of the local Zoning
By-laws;
o the Bed & Breakfast establishment is occupied and operated by the property owner,
and is classified in the residential property tax class;
o the accommodation purchases are invoiced by the Bed & Breakfast establishment
and not a third party home-sharing listing entity.
What happens with the funds generated through the MAT?
Funds generated through the MATwill be invested in sales, marketing, bid acquisitions, bid
hosting, office operations support and tourism development activities through the Waterloo
Region Tourism Marketing Corporation. WRTMC promotes Waterloo Region for leisure
visitors, meetings and conventions, festivals and sporting events, tour operators, and travel
trade. WRTMC also invests in long term destination attraction/retention/development initiatives
aimed at enhancing the visitor experience.The current budget of WRTMC is approximately
$1.05M and the additional anticipated MAT revenue is expected to be $1,615,000.
In 2017, WRTMC engaged in a broad discussion with stakeholders, Board members and staff
to develop a 3 year strategic plan. In late 2017 and throughout 2018, WRTMC and RTO4
engaged in an assessment of Waterloo Region (DestinationNext) followed by consultations
with community leaders, stakeholders, tourism industry partners and elected officials to
develop a Strategic Plan for Waterloo Region. This plan is a 10 year destination road map that
includes a vision, goals and strategic initiatives. It reflects on the importance of paying as much
attention to the management of the destination, as it does to the marketingand event hosting.
And the foundation of the plan is the unique selling propositions of the region.Actions
recommended from the secondplan are not solely the responsibility of WRTMC, but rather
include municipal partners, community groups and volunteer organizations.
The following table shows the responsibilities and actions to be undertaken by WRTMC and
the estimated costs involved for a one year term. WRTMC will develop further policy that
guides allocation of the increased budget, with a goal of avoiding duplication and enhancing
transparency.
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Strategic ObjectivesTacticsKey Performance Spend
Indicators
Develop a strategy to enhance # of festivals, growth of Current spend
(Budget $1,047,600)
and grow festivals, build festivals, event impact year
collaboration within WR over year, # of festivals &
Focus on event
festivals, collaborate with events receiving Celebrate Marketing
generation as a key
municipal staff, Festivals & grants, amount of $400,000 -38%
enabler of tourism
Events ON and MTCS for Celebrate $$ received in
development within
Celebrate funding, build WR, ROI on digital ads, Communications/
Waterloo region
marketing content, digital ExploreWR website & Content/Public &
advertisingsocial media analyticsMedia Relations
$64,325 -6.1%
Continue to build hosting
# of RFPs received, # of
resume and target larger
Supporting Pillars #2
site visits, # of events
Sales
profile events as thenational
Sport Hosting and #3
booked, ROI analysis of
$83,940 -8%
and international level
Festivals, Events &
sport events, # of bids
for Sportand festivals, build
Attractions.
submitted for local sport &
Research
relationship with local sport
festival organizations,
$16,500 -1.6%
organizationsand PSOs, grow
growth of volunteer base
volunteer base
Staff
$417,407 39.8%
Website improvements &
Raise the profile &
updates, collateral # of RFPs received, # of
brandassociation of
General & Admin
development, image & video site visits, # of meetings
the technology
$65,428 -6.2%
development, content booked
knowledge sector with
creation,social media, attend ROI analysis of meetings in
Waterloo Region
Forecasted spend
trade shows, host fam visits, the region
through development
(Budget $2,500,000)
build bid support fund
of meetings & events.
Marketing
Digital advertising, social ROI on ads, web & social
Supporting Pillar #1
$858,600 34%
media, public & media media analysis, earned
Knowledge &
relations, familiarization visits, media coverage, leads
Tecnology
Communications/
travel trade show attendance generated from show
Content/Public &
& sponsorshipattendance & site visits
Media Relations
$140,000 5.6%
Analysis of current offerings
and gaps, align with
Target product
Sales
municipalities, RTO4 and # of outdoor experience
development &
$300,000 12%
Destination ON to enhance offers, # of bookings by
enhancement of
marketing of G2G Trail, Grand meetingand tour operators,
outdoor experience
Research
River, support and analysis of earned media coverage,
$64,000 2.5%
local operators and offerings, web & social media
Supporting Pillar #4
media & travel trade fam analytics
Urban Outdoors
Product Development
visits, Newsletters, web &
$100,000 4%
social media content
Visitor statistics,
Bid Support
Researchbenchmarking, data
Benchmarking info
$250,000 10%
evaluation, Event impact
Supporting all Pillarscalculator
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Establish WRTMC as Media development & Staff
communication, regular $634,400 -26%
Authority, while newsletters, fam visits, media
# of speaking engagements
adopting a singular support for visits, build website General & Admin
by CEO/staff, earned
focus on high return content & community $153,000 6.1%
media,User generated
target markets and engagement, participate in
content, Instagram posts
eventslocal events, est. presence on
industry Board of Directors &
Supporting all Pillarsvolunteer committees
There will be future opportunities for stakeholders to be involved in planning and budgeting of
future MAT proceeds.
The City of Kitcheneris expected to receive approximately $375,200 annually (40% of the
$938,000 Kitchenergenerated revenue).The intention of this funding is to support and
enhance tourism, sport, and cultural offerings, as well as major event attraction efforts in a
variety of ways. Appendix B outlines more information on the specific proposed uses, which
would be governed by the proposed Reserve Fund guidelines.
It is important that the municipal share of funds raised through the MunicipalAccommodation
Tax be segregated and only used for approved municipal purposes to demonstrate
transparency and accountability to the hospitality industry. To that end, staff are
recommending to create a specific
revenue, as outlined in Appendix B.
Stakeholder Consultation
WRTMC has consulted with the hotel industry on the MAT issue overthe past six years and
more extensively since the provincial legislation was introduced.The majority of hotel partners
agree that a municipal accommodation tax will level the playing field (as all accommodators
will be affected) and is a good way to stabilize marketing and tourism funds for Waterloo
Region.
There are some stakeholdersthat prefer 100% of all funds to be directed to WRTMC to ensure
that tourism promotion receives maximum benefit. In response, staff throughout the region are
proposing to place revenue into a dedicated account for the purpose of tourism-related
activities and to report on expenditures. This will ensure all monies are directed to tourism-
related activities.
It is proposed that staff report back to Council in 2020 on the implementation of the Municipal
Accommodation Tax.Further, it is proposed that a formal joint study be undertaken by the
WRTMC and municipal partners in 2022 to assess the impact of investments made with this
revenue and to inform refinements to the model asappropriate.
3 - 8
Implementation
A decision by the local Waterloo region area municipalities for implementation of a MAT on
st
July 1, 2019 is the recommendation contained within this report. This timeframe will provide a
reasonable notice period for thestakeholder accommodators within our community and in turn
their respective customers.In addition it is expected that little time is required for the various
accommodator billing systems to be updated to accommodate the MAT and for WRTMC to
implement theadministrative system for collections and distribution.
Should Council approve this report, City staff will also draft a bylaw that would enable the MAT
including the following requirements
Subject of the tax to be imposed;
Tax rate or the amount of tax payable;
Manner in which the tax is to be collected, including the designation of any persons or
entities who are authorized to collect the tax as agents for the municipality and any
collection obligations of persons or entities who are required to collect the tax.
The by-law may also provide for: exemptions from the tax e.g. university and college
residences occupied by students; bed & breakfast; rebates of tax; penalties for failing to
comply with the by-law; interest on outstanding tax; penalties or interest; audit and
inspection powers; dispute resolution mechanisms; and enforcement measures.
It is anticipated like other Cities in Ontario that a simplified remittance form can be used by the
local accommodators similar to that used by business to remit HST/GST to the Canada
Revenue Agency. Accommodators would complete the simplified MATform on a monthly
basis and remit the associated MAT to the WRTMC.
Conclusion
Various communities across Ontario are moving toward the implementation of the MATin
order to promote and advance the tourism potential of their Cities.Recent decisions and
considerations by other Ontario jurisdictions include:
CommunityProposed MATImplementation Date
st
City of Ottawa 4%January 1, 2018
City of Sault Ste. Marie4%January 1, 2019
Niagara Falls$2/room nightIn place
Waterloo Region 4%July 1st, 2019
Municipalities
City of London4%October 1, 2018
City of Toronto4%April 1, 2018
City of Kingston4%August 1, 2018
City of Windsor4%October 1, 2018
City of Hamilton3%Voluntary DMF in place
City of Barrie4%January 1, 2018
3 - 9
City of Stratford3%Voluntary DMF in place
City of Brockville4%May 1, 2018
City of Cornwall4%July 1, 2018
City of Huntsville4%April 1, 2019
City of Markham4%January 1, 2018
City of Mississauga4%July 1, 2018
City of North Bay4%February 1, 2018
City of Oakville4%January 1, 2019
City of St. Catharines4%January 1, 2018
City of Sudbury4%September 1, 2018
City of Thunder Bay4%September 1, 2018
City of Timmins4%January 1, 2019
* Proposed rates still subject to council approval
The percentage of MAT revenue that Tourism Marketing Corporations receive from the list
above varies from 50% (as proposed here) to 100%. A 50% allocation is the most common
allocation,based on available information.
More locally, the Cities of Guelph and Brantford do not have independent destination
marketing organizations, and until these are established, they cannot introduce a MAT. The
City of Stratford has had a voluntary DMF in place for a number of years, although the largest
hotels (Arden Park and The Bruce) do not participate. The Stratford DMF generates $80,000
per year.
A 4% MAT in Waterloo Region will assist in further development of tourism potential,
assist in maintaining and developing tourism oriented assets and events (including event
hosting support) and complement respective municipal economic development strategies.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The
the delivery of core service.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
It is estimated that a 4% Municipal Accommodation Tax will generate $938,000 annually in the
City of Kitchenerbased upon the affected hotel properties. It is proposed that the City will retain
40% ($375,200), 10% will be remitted to the Region ($93,800), and 50% ($469,000) will be
provided to WRTMC for tourism promotion, includingfundingthe newly proposedsport hosting
office.
The City will retain the first year revenues in the newly created MAT Reserve Fund given the
uncertainty of the estimates and potential for annual changes in the amount allocated. Beginning
in 2020, funds are proposed to be used to support and enhance tourism, sport, and cultural
3 - 10
offerings, as well as major event attraction efforts in avariety of ways. Appendix B outlines more
information on the specific proposed uses.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM
council / committee meeting.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Dan Chapman, CAO
Appendix A Business Case for a Municipal Accommodation Tax
Appendix B Potential Uses for KitchenerShare of MAT Revenue
3 - 11
APPENDIX A Business Case for a Municipal Accommodation Tax
February 25, 2019
Minto Schneider
CEO
Waterloo Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation
Waterloo, Ontario
Dear Minto,
GainingEdge is pleased to submit this letter outlining our rationale for WRTMC to increase its revenues through
the introduction of the MAT. Having advised more than 120 DMOs in 37 countries over the past ten years, we
have developed a clear understanding that marketing a destination in a dynamic environment requires
significant financial resources. It is our view that the MAT will enable Waterloo Region to realize its potential
from the tourism and business events sector by implementing a funding source that is substantive, dedicated
and dependable.
Background
The visitor economy is a significant contributor to the quality of life and job opportunities in the region.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, the region attracted 4.8 million visitors in 2016,
including 1.2 million overnight visitors, deliver $357 million in spending to local restaurants, retail,
accommodation, transporation, and experiences such as arts and culture, recreation and entertainment.
The region is growing and changing, driven by renewal and development initiatives. It is imperative that visitor
markets are properly served to maximize the benefits of this transformation. The region can improve its position
with visitors, operators and event planners who are willing to stay longer and spend more by better leveraging
its brand and improving amenities, infrastructure and partnerships.
In October 2018, GainingEdge submitted the 5ĻƭƷźƓğƷźƚƓ tƌğƓ ŅƚƩ ƷŷĻ ğƷĻƩƌƚƚ wĻŭźƚƓ to WRTMC on behalf of
its stakeholders. The plan was the cumulation of an extensive effort that included input from more than 250
private- and public-sector participants from the region. This collaborative effort will assist industry, government
3 - 12
and other related sectors to support and implement a long-term destination vision and key strategic initiatives.
A key conclusion of the Destination Plan states:
Increased funding for Explore Waterloo Region \[WRTMC\] is necessary to take a lead role in coordinating
the next phase of the Destination Plan. Because this is a road map with ideas that transcend the tourism
organizations, and the various municipalities in Waterloo Region. The effective engagement and
alignment of all stakeholders is the key element to a successful destination plan that will benefit
residents, businesses and visitors for years to come.
Carrying out the destination plan will take considerable effort from the industry and stakeholders. While
the destination has strengths and assets to forge a new direction, structural and funding issues need to
be addressed to move forward with success.
Funding of Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs)
The ability to attract tourism and business events require a well-funded effort through DMOs that bring their
destinations together in a consolidated manner, providing the marketplace with a unified solution to assist their
needs. This hyper-competitive DMO environment is intermixed with a significantly new world for DMOs. They
are having to adapt to disruptive marketplaces driven by rapidly changing visitor and event planner expectations
and extensive technology impacts.
Destinations around the world are investing significant resources to generate the social and economic benefits
from this industry sector. In North America, the main source of funding for DMOs are hotel taxes, comprising
70% of the budgets of these organizations.
Chart: Funding Source as Proportion of Budget (from Destinations International, 2017)
In a recent survey conducted by Destinations International, it was determined that a total of 41 out of 196
DMOs have budgets of US$10 million or more, with 35 in the US$5-$10 million range, 49 within US$2-$5 million,
35 within US$1-$2 million, and the remaining 36 below US$1 million. Up until this year, WRMTC fell within the
last category.
3 - 13
Chart: Budget of 196 DMOs (from Destinations International, 2017)
WRTMC Budget Comparison
The ğǝĻƩğŭĻ budget of the 196 DMOs surveyed is more than US$6.5 million. Closer to home, the following
cities, which often compete with Waterloo Region, are all better funded:
City of Hamilton, Tourism & Culture CDN $8.9 million
Tourism London CDN $4.0 million
Tourism Windsor Essex County CDN $2.1 million (expected to be higher with MAT)
Tourism Kingston CDN $1.2 million
And although the $250,000 increase to WRTMC for sport hosting development is welcome, the $1.05 million
(CDN) budget for 2019 means that the region still lags the others. WRTMC can be a leader, if not the leader,
amongst them. Waterloo Region product is attractive, the stakeholder collaboration is strong, and the expertise
is in place. The missing piece, though, is resources. Without addressing the budget shortcomings, the bureau
will not be able to set the pace.
Despite the small budget, WRTMC delivers strong returns relative to its investment. The efforts of the
organization:
Help businesses grow and prosper
Attract visitors, conventions and events to the region
Generate jobs and tax revenue
Connect with the community on the benefits of tourism
With incremental funding, WRTMC and its partners will be even more proficient in identifying, pursuing and
securing new commitments from convention, travel trade, sports and niche segment groups, while helping to
manage a sustainable industry on behalf of the community.
Benefits of Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) for WRTMC
A key advantage of accommodation taxes to fund DMOs is that they are directly tied to the visitor industry and
generate significant amounts of revenue. Room taxes and levies are common in North America as the chart
3 - 14
above illustrates. They shift the financial burden of funding DMOs from local taxpayers to visitors. The MAT is
highly desirable for WRTMC for the following reasons.
Substantive: generates the necessary funds for WRTMC and the municipalities of the Region of Waterloo to
compete
Total estimated revenue from a 4% MAT is more than $3 million
Dedicated: funds collected are to be used to support destination marketing and management
Enables delivery of the strategic initiatives agreed by stakeholders in the 5ĻƭƷźƓğƷźƚƓ tƌğƓ ŅƚƩ ƷŷĻ
ğƷĻƩƌƚƚ wĻŭźƚƓ
Dependable: funding mechanism in place for the long-term due to government legislation
WRMTC makes commitments on behalf of the community for meetings and sport events that are often
years away from coming to the region
Another advantage of the MAT is that it effectively ties WRTMC to the ebbs and flows of industry. Revenues will
increase or decrease based on how the industry is performing. Therefore, WRTMC must act as a business and
be commercially focused. With its entrepreneurial industry board, we are confident WRTMC will innovate and
respond to opportunities as they arise.
5ĻƭƷźƓğƷźƚƓ tƌğƓ
ŅƚƩ ƷŷĻ ğƷĻƩƌƚƚ wĻŭźƚƓ. The intent is to attract higher spending segments such as key meeting and corporate
clients, sports groups, and targeted leisure segments.
20162028Variance
# of Visitors4.8 million6.5 million+1.7 million (+35%)
Visitor Spending
$357 million$585million+$228 million (+65%)
Table: 2028 Targets for Visitors and Visitor Spending
Budget Implications of the MAT
The implementation of the MAT would enable WRTMC to be more competitive through enhanced marketing
and communications programs, increased sales activities and stronger organizational capacity. The MAT will
enable WRTMC to offer bid support to event organizers, a key business development tool that has been lacking
to date. It will also help facilitate investment in product development, which is a critical part of the
recommendations in the 5ĻƭƷźƓğƷźƚƓ tƌğƓ ŅƚƩ ƷŷĻ ğƷĻƩƌƚƚ wĻŭźƚƓ.
3 - 15
Current Enhanced
Budget Budget
Revenue $ 1,047,600 $ 2,512,600
Municipal - Core Funding 600,000 600,000
Municipal - Sport Support 150,000 -
Provincial (RTO4) 100,000 100,000
MAT - 1,615,000
Private Sources 197,600 197,600
Expenditure $ 1,047,600 $ 2,512,600
Marketing, Communications & Research 480,825 1,014,000
Sales & Bid Support 83,940 550,000
Product Development - 125,000
Personnel 417,407 659,400
Administration 65,428 164,200
Net Income $ - $ -
Table: Forecasted Budget with MAT
Final Comments
Simply put, WRTMC is inadequately funded and has been since its inception in 2007. The organization is under-
resourced to compete in the regional, national and international marketplace.
If the Region of Waterloo is sincerely committed to enhancing its position as a tourism and business events
destination, they must set their aspirations to be much higher than the existing situation. As witnessed in
hundreds of destinations across North America, the introduction of an accommodation tax, such as the MAT, to
fund WRTMC will have a significantly positive impact. With substantive, dedicated and dependable funds,
WRTMC can leverage incremental resources to make strategic investments that will benefit the Region of
Waterloo well into the future.
Please do not hesitate to ask if we can be of further assistance.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Vallee
Executive Consultant, GainingEdge
Cc: Gary Grimmer, CEO, GainingEdge
3 - 16
APPENDIX B Potential Uses for KitchenerShare of MAT Revenue
The following list of potential uses is outlined for discussion. Staff is proposing to create a MAT
reserve fund with applicable terms andguidelines for Council approval.
Market Research (Facility Research -Convention, Theatre, Stadium, Arena, Pool).
Tourism Sport & Cultural Permanent Infrastructure, e.g., acquisition or improvement of
tourism related facilities and public spaces.
Sport/Festival/Event Infrastructure permanent or one time infrastructure like
washrooms, seating, staging, fencing, Wi-Fi, etc.
Major Festival and Events Expansion & Development including building a reserve for
targeting and attracting major festivals and events.
Bid Funding for International, National and Provincial Event Hosting (Arts & Cultural,
Conferences and Sporting).
Grant Funding for International, National and Provincial Event Hosting (Arts & Cultural,
Conferences and Sporting) to assist with transportation, road closures, etc.
One-Time Festival, Convention or Sporting Acquisition Costs, e.g., Hometown Hockey
Sponsorship, Maple Leaf Training Camp.
Collaborative Tourism Marketing Efforts (over and above WRTMC).Facilitative role
e.g., collaborative outbound marketing by all Arts organizations, destination marketing
campaign by all local micro-breweries.
Additional staff resources if needed to support the above bidding, hosting and or
marketing.
3 - 17
REPORT TO:Finance and Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:April 15, 2019
SUBMITTED BY:Dan Murray, Director of Technology Innovation and Services, 519-741-
2200 x7825
PREPARED BY:Dan Murray, Director of Technology Innovation and Services
Sarah-Beth Bianchi, Manager of Digital Transformation and Strategy
WARD (S) INVOLVED:All
th
DATE OF REPORT:March 29, 2019
REPORT NO.:COR-19-017
SUBJECT:Digital Kitchener -2019 Update
___________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
THAT staff be directed to begin work on the proposed opportunities for Digital Kitchener
in 2019, as outlined in this report.
BACKGROUND:
by Council in January
2017. Digital Kitchener is a visionary strategy that guidesour path to be a smart city and
approach the application of technology in interesting and creative ways.
Digital Kitchener was developed with a significantstakeholder engagement plan far surpassing
theand expanded the mandate of the
Technology Innovation and Services division beyond an internal service provideras it had
been previously been defined.Digital Kitchener includedsuch engagement efforts as:
Reaching approximately150 staff from operations through workshops,
questionnaires and in-person interviews
Engaging nearly 100 citizens through seven of Ctees
Hostingsessions with local postsecondary students
Soliciting ideas fromlocal tech leadership and other community visionaries through the
Reaching over 800 online users through two social media campaigns
Co-developing a questionnaire with a local non-profit that generated 440responses
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
4 - 1
The result of these efforts was anew, multi-year vision for the use of information and technology
that focused on four strategic themes: Connected, Innovative, On-Demand and Inclusive.These
themes are further defined below in the report.
In recognition that this strategy would run much broader than the traditional deployment of
technology solutionsand that technology development moves at a brisk pace, staff have utilized
a flexible approach to implementation through annual work planningfor Digital Kitchener.By
selecting five to six focused opportunities on a yearly basis,Digital Kitchener hasbeen able to
exercise greater flexibility in pursuingthe best opportunitiesrather than be tied to a static,tactical
work plan. It also generated more opportunities for the City to create excitement around Digital
Kitchener as a distinct body of work.
This report provides an update to council on the previous
planto dateand its proposed work for 2019.
REPORT:
Digital Kitchener anticipated a 4-yearvision which puts us at the halfway pointof the planned
lifespan of the strategy. The following outlines the accomplishments of Digital Kitchener under
each strategic objective since Council approved the vision inJanuary 2017.
Connected:building smarter infrastructure to become a more competitive, more productive and
more attractive place to live and work.
With a lack of reliable data to determine overall internet performance and usage
information, Kitchener participated in apilot project with the Canadian Internet Registry
Authority (CIRA) to deploy anInternet speedtest. Since deploying, nearly 10,380tests
have been run by Kitchener residents and businessesproviding local Internet
performance data.
The insights from the CIRAspeed test later became an asset in working with the Region
of Waterloo to support joining the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT)
fibre network project. We have been working with local stakeholders and SWIFT
representatives to understand how
SWIFT is currently waiting for funding agreements to be finalized in light of the change
in provincial government in 2018.In late 2018, the SWIFT project released more data
to the public that more clearly outlines the availability of what the Canadian Radio and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) defines a basic Internet service of 50Mbps
download and 10Mbps upload speed.
In late 2017, the City finished the deployment of our narrowband Internet of Things (IoT)
mesh network across the City. This deployment was completed as part of
4 - 2
retrofit of street lights to LED. Dimming schedules were implemented to the new LED
streetlights maximizing the energy savings while meeting require illumination levels.
th
In 2018 we set out to better understand the driving investment factors for 5generation
telecommunications networks (known as 5G)toguidethe development of proactive
processes and establishing master agreements to allow access to city assets.This work
led to the City approving the first telecommunications tower lease on City land which will
improve cellular service to the Huron area and generate income from the land lease.
Working proactively with service providers will ensure the City has more influence over
the esthetics and locations of tower proposals and will signal to the service providers that
we are preparedto work with them to deploy next generation communications
infrastructure.
Innovative:inspiring a community of creative mindsto drive change that has meaningful impact.
In 2017, weset out toadopt start-up behaviors to better challenge our status quo.A
primary outcome of this was to establish the Digital Kitchener Innovation Lab at
Communitech.The Lab was officially launched on November 28, 2017and welcomed its
first co-op students in January 2018.The Lab has allowed us to develop a working
relationship with Communitech and its many tenants including other enterprise labs
located therewhile we are exploring IoT technologies that can transform our city services.
Once the lab was established and operational in 2018, staff collaborated with various
divisions to understand what business problems that could be solved leveraging IoT
solutions and to build capacity for IoT at the City. The following are some of the
accomplishments through that workby the lab and TIS staffin 2018:
o Development of CLARA, an IoT data and analysis platform built using cloud
technologies. This platform will facilitate the collection of data collected throughout
many of our pilot projects and we hope to add some Machine Learning and Artificial
Intelligence capabilities over the course of time.
o The Lab developed a low cost IoT data collector based on Arduino circuit boards
and a Raspberry Pi computer. We continue to explore low cost sensor offerings
and their applicationsas these will be helpful in future pilots.
o We piloted garbage bin monitors in the downtown Molok receptacles.
Unfortunately, this particular application did not work out due to the shape and size
of bins but the technology itself may be useful in other applications.
o Working with our Transportation planning staff, we have developed a Smart
Parking pilot that will be trialed in 2019.
o We are working with a local IoT firm to develop an IoT asset tracking device that
will leverage our narrowband IoT network and allow the City to keep tabs on our
many smaller assets such as park benches and picnic tables.
o We are piloting pedestrian counting and bicyclecounting solutions to help better
understand the usage of our trail networks.
4 - 3
o Working with the local IoT firm Eleven-X, we have developed a solution that will
provide near real time collection of stormwaterflowdata that was previously
manually collected.
o We are very eager to work on the development of Automated Meter Reading
(AMR) for water and gas services pending the certification of the meter equipment
by Measurement Canada.Work has begun to consider aspects of a pilot
deployment and we hope to movethis work forward as the equipment is made
available to us.
Kitchener also collaborated with the Open Data Exchange (ODX) on the Civic Challenge
program. Two unique opportunities wereidentifiedand problem statements were defined
with stakeholders. While the Civic Challenge program itself was unable to be completed
due to project constraints and staff vacancies, both the problem statementsidentified in
the process arebeingaddressed internallythrough staff collaborations and applying
innovative thinking and technologies.
In 2018, we restructured Technology Innovation and Services to include a Digital
with City staff to help them transform their services and workflows leveraging technology.
The results have been impressive to date and the demand for their services continues to
grow.
City staff have actively participatedin thedevelopment of the regional application for the
. In June 2018, theSmart Waterloo
Regionapplication for the Smart Cities Challenge was shortlisted as one of five finalists.
ment has ensured Digital
themesare representedin the submission.City staff remain engaged in this
work and look forward to the federal government announcing the outcome in the next 3
months.
In 2018, staff set out to consider more functional, collaborative work spacesat Kitchener
facilities for staff. Staff looked at workplace trends being implemented at leading local
companies known for their collaborative spaces and considered how these could be
implemented in our common spaces. Subsequently, agroup of staff workedtogetherto
th
transform the 10floor common area to make it more usable for staff looking to work as
teams in a more flexible space.New projection and display equipment was also
deployedin meeting rooms at the Kitchener Operations Facility to allow staff to use
mobile technology to collaborate more effectively.
On Demand:enhancingaccess to open data and online services.
In 2017, weset out to make our data more meaningful by putting it in the hands of more
people. This work was achieved through a number of online service projects that aligned
with this commitment, including:
4 - 4
Launching anewfederated open data websitewith a consistent look and feel with
other municipalities within Waterloo region. This new site also enables visualizations
of data and allows developers using open data to connect to live city data through
Application Programming Interfaces (API)
The City launched theTax and Utility Billing Portalallowing residents and businesses
self-serve access to their billing information and utility usage.
Throughout 2018, staff in Corporate Customer Service,Communications,and
Technology Innovation and Services (TIS) have been working collaboratively on the
development of newonline customer service and web experience that will consolidate
relevant information in a personalized manner for each web visitor.This work will
continue through 2019.
Staff have been working collaboratively with stakeholders on privacy and security
aspects in preparation for the wider adoptionof available cloud-basedtechnologies.
Significant preparation work was completed in 2018 for an Office365 pilot.
Throughout 2018, TIS staff deployed the latest Microsoft operating system, Windows
10,to over 1200 computers across the organization. Windows 10 offers many features
to increase staff mobility, collaboration,productivityand overall network security.
Inclusive:improving digital literacy and access so that Kitchener can be a community where no
citizen is left behind.
Working with stakeholders across the City and other agencies that offer digital inclusion
programs such as KPL, we have been working to develop a morecomprehensive
approach to City-facilitated inclusion programs. Recommendations for Council
consideration are forthcomingthat will shapethe delivery of public access computers
and free public Wi-Fi in our facilities. This work includes the development of a
measurement framework for our offerings that is unique in the municipal space.
TIS staff continue to improve our free public Wi-Fi in our facilities as new requirements
are being surfaced by facility staff. A number of our community centres have requested
expanded Wi-Fi coverage to meet the growing use of Wi-Fiin our facilities and to meet
programming needs.We are working proactively to identify new opportunities to
expand public Wi-Fi as facilities and public spaces are constructed or renovated.
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Digital Kitchener Initiatives Proposed for2019
While initiativespursued in the last two yearswill continue, staff have also been assessing further
opportunitiesthat align with the Digital Kitchener vision. Initiatives recommendedfor 2019
include:
ThemeOpportunity
Development of a 5G Readiness Plan based on 2018
work (Communicationtowerplacement, Small cells, and
Municipalaccess agreementswith providers.)
Wi-Fi installation in the downtown with Small Cell
provisions using existing Cityplacedconduit.
IoT pilot projects implemented
Connected
narrowband network including:
Smart Parking
Asset Tracking
Pedestrian and Bike Counters
AMR for Water and Gas (pending certification of
devices by Measurement Canada)
Ongoing and continued support of SmartWR Smart Cities
Challenge proposal and resulting initiatives.Should the
$50M grantnot be awarded to SmartWR, the City of
Kitchener will collaborate with ourmunicipal partners to
determine what initiatives we can help move forward in
Innovative
the absence of the prize funding.
LeverageDesign Thinkingapproaches forexploring new
opportunities and buildingfacilitation capacity among
staff.
Continued development of new customer service and web
experience with personalized content for web visitors.
Development of a corporate approach and decision
On Demand
framework for use of digitalformsto reduce paper and
enable digital approval workflows.
Microsoft Office 365 pilot deployment.
Implementation of the Public Access to Technology
program and related measurement framework (pending
Council approval.)
Inclusive
Ongoing development and support of SmartWRpublic
access initiatives for the Smart Cities Challenge proposal.
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These proposed areas of opportunity in 2019will be presented at committee on April 15. As
with the work of Digital Kitchener in previous years,any actions from these initiatives requiring
budget or resource consideration will be brought backto council for further consideration in the
form of a staff report.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
Strategic Priority:Effective and Efficient City Services
Strategy:5.2Improve the design and delivery of city services so that provide what citizens
want in the most reliable, convenient and cost efficient way.
Strategic Action:#68 Corporate Technology Strategic Plan and Digital Kitchener
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
No financial implications at this time. Any initiatives resulting from Digital Kitchener with budget
implications will be brought forward to council for consideration.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM th the agenda in advance of the
council / committee meeting.
CONSULT The Digital Kitchener Strategy was approved in January 2017 after extensive
consultation with stakeholders.
COLLABORATE oration with
various internal and external partners.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Victoria Raab, General Manager, Corporate Services
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REPORT TO:Finance and Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:April 15, 2019
SUBMITTED BY:Jonathan Lautenbach, Chief Financial Officer, 519-741-2200 x 7334
PREPARED BY:Jonathan Lautenbach, Chief Financial Officer, 519-741-2200 x 7334
WARD (S) INVOLVED:All
DATE OF REPORT:March 29, 2019
REPORT NO.:FIN-19-030
SUBJECT:Long-Term Financial Plan: Project Scope and Timeline
_________________________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
That staff be directed to develop a Long-Term Financial Planbased on the proposed scope and
timeline as outlined in this report.
BACKGROUND:
A Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP) is a key strategic document which outlines a
comprehensive financial framework for the municipality. It is
Plan and includes guiding principles, financial priorities and strategies, as well as financial
forecasting and modelling. Its purpose is to help Council and staff in the decision-making
process by formalizing the financial policies and practices of the municipality and by
Every year, Council approves an annual operating budget and a 10-year capital budget. The
budget proces
operational needs. However, as municipalities continue to face mounting financial challenges
such as infrastructure deficits, impacts from climate change, economic uncertainty, legislative
pressures, and increased expectations from residents related to the delivery of service, there is
a need for a long-term financial planning approach that goes beyond the annual budget
process. Long-term financial planning is considered an industry best practice and one that
many municipalities in Ontario have adopted as part of their strategic planning process.
The development of a Long-Term Financial Planhas been identified and included as a
strategicitem in the 2019 Business Plan and this work is expected to be completedin 2019.
The overall scopeand timeline related to theLTFP are outlined further in this report.
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
5 - 1
REPORT:
Goals and Objectives:
ALTFP should be viewed as a financial roadmapfor themunicipality. Itwill guide the City
moving forwardfrom a financial perspective, highlighting where we want to go, while
considering multiple optionsand approachesto help us get there.It is not intended to replace
the existing budget process, but rather will support the process by ensuring proper
consideration is given to all financial areas, supportingthe overall financial health of the
municipality.
engage in long-term financial
willprovidea high-level overview of the
, looking
short-and long-term financial needs.
The overall goal of the LTFP is to strengthen the Citrall financial position. Specific
objectives will be to:
Develop a financial framework to support the strategic decision-making process
Establish financial priorities,strategies, and policies supported by Council
Align financial policies and processes with industry best practices
Consider different funding approa
Develop a strategic priorities
Integrate policy decisionsinto modelling to understand potential financial impacts
Provide a relevant, easily understood document for the public
Achieve better alignment between the budget and year-end process
Use asset management data to support financialforecasts and modelling
Project Scope:
environment, revenue and expense forecasts, debt position and affordability analysis,
strategies for achieving and maintaining financial balance, and plan monitoring mechanisms
that the LTFP will include the following components:
1.cial condition
2.A financial framework that outlines financial priorities and strategies
3.Financial forecasts for a 10-year timeframe (Operating, Capital, and Reserves)
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4.A summaryof financial policies
5.Key financial indicators
financial condition will include socio-economic indicators and
(SORP-4) for assessing financial condition, considering indicators related to sustainability,
flexibility, and vulnerability. The municipal BMA study will also be referenced as part of this
municipalities. This current assessment will be used to form a baseline in ordertoestablish
The development of a financial framework will create an action plan forthe City to follow. It will
identify strategic areas of focus from a financial perspective and include recommended actions
tobe implemented over the term of Council. It is expected that the LTFP will be updated each
term of Council to ensure that it aligns with the overall strategic direction of the organization. It
is proposed that the LTFP financial framework be developed based on threeguiding principles.
Theseprinciples will provide the proper financial lens for priority-setting and decision-making
and will be incorporated into our strategic planning process.
The LTFP willhelp to enable a responsible, flexible, and sustainable government.
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Under each of these themes, financial priorities will be outlined along with recommended
strategies and action items.
Financial forecasts and modelling included in the LTFP will be based on the 2019 Operating,
Capital, and Reserve forecasts incorporating new assumptions and strategies that are
supported as part of the LTFP consultation process. The forecasts will also incorporate
information from other existing plans such as master plans, WIP, Asset Management Plans,
etc.The forecasts will be for a ten-year timeframe for the years 2020-2029.
The financial policies intended to be reviewed/developed as part of the LTFP include:
Specific PoliciesScope of Review
Reserve & Reserve FundsPolicy(existing)Reconfirm min/max targets,consider consolidation of
reserve funds, identify potential need for new reserve
funds
InvestmentsPolicy(existing)Review new prudentinvestor regulations,consider
potential changes to overall investment strategy,
review letter of credit requirements for development
Capital Financing and Debt Policy (new)Include long-and short-term financing optionsfor
capital works,including debtand internal borrowing
Dividend Policy (new)Documentcurrent practicesrelated to Gas Utility,
Golf, and Parking dividend
Budget Control Policy (new)Review and documentvariance reporting process for
operating, development of capital project reporting
framework
In addition to the review and development of these financial policies, it is expected that three
specific issues willbe addressed through the LTFP:
Specific IssuesScope of Issue
Infrastructure FundingFocus onfacility infrastructure needs, considering
various funding strategies andoptions
Operating Budget Room(Expiring Debt)EDIF Debt starts coming off the books in 2020,
creating operating budget capacity. A strategy is
needed related to this additional budget room
Investment IncomeChoose a consistent approach related to the amount
of investment income to include in the budget every
year.
5 - 4
Staff will be engaging with Council on these specific issues during two strategic sessions (May,
August) as outlined in thetimeline included in this report.
Other areas of interest that have been identified by Council through discussionsand as part of
the 2019 budget process include:
Use of a 3-year CPI average as a method of comparison related to tax rate increases
Consideration related to moving to a multi-year budget
Affordability and other measures that can be used to assess the impactof increases
It is expected that the LTFP will look at these issues and/or address them through
recommendations to complete additional work as an action item as part of the LTFP.
Timeline:
The overall project includes 3 specific phases as shown in the table below:
Research approach taken by other municipalities and review relevant documents
Review GFOA, PSAB, and industry best practices related to long-term financial
planning
Review the City's existing financial policies and procedures
Review forecasting and modelling and identify any gaps
Phase 1
Initial engagement with CLT and Council regarding the overall financial framework
Identify financial strategies and key action items to be included in LTFP
Develop 10 year financial forecasts for operating, capital, and reserves
Determine policy objectives to be acheived as part of the LTFP
Determine assumptions to be included in the financial models (economic, legislative,
Phase 2
level of service, lifecycle funding)
Develop draft LTFP for review by CLT, Staff, and Council
Engage the public on the LTFP (open houses, drop-in session, etc.)
Finalize the LTFP to bring forward for final approval
Incoporate the LTFP into existing plans and processes
Phase 3
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Work has already been completed under phase 1andstaff arenow entering phase 2 of the
projectwith all phases expected to be completed by October 2019. The overall timeline related
to the development of the LTFP is shown in the following:
Major MilestonesDate
FCSCommittee MeetingOverview of LTFP Project Scope and TimelineApr15, 2019
Council StratSession Infrastructure Funding & Operating Budget RoomMay 27, 2019
Council Strat SessionInvestment Income & Review Draft PoliciesAug 26, 2019
FCSCommittee Meeting Draft LTFP for ReviewSep 9, 2019
FCSCommittee Meeting Final LTFP for ApprovalOct21, 2019
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
Strategic Priority:Effective and Efficient City Services
Strategy:5.4 Ensure the responsible stewardship of public funds within a supportive policy
framework
Strategic Action:#CS09 Long Term Financial Plan
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The LTFP is being completed using internal resources.It is expected that,when completed,
the plan
financial position, ensuringthat the City can continue to deliver expected programsand
services for the communityboth now and in the future.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM
council / committee meeting.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Dan Chapman, Chief Administrative Officer, Office of the CAO
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REPORT TO:Finance and Corporate Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:April 15, 2019
SUBMITTED BY:Ryan Hagey, Director of Financial Planning, 519-741-2200 x 7353
PREPARED BY:Ryan Hagey, Director of Financial Planning, 519-741-2200 x 7353
WARD (S) INVOLVED:All
DATE OF REPORT:March 25, 2019
REPORT NO.:FIN-19-031
SUBJECT:Additional Federal Gas Tax Funding
___________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
For information
BACKGROUND:
On March 19, 2019the Government of Canadatabled its2019 Federal Budgetandannounced
that it would be providing an additional $2.2 billion to Canadian municipalities to addressshort-
term priority infrastructure needs throughaone-time allocation of Federal Gas Tax Funding. It
is expected that approximately $820 millionof total announced fundingwill be providedto
Ontario municipalities.The Association of Municipalitiesof Ontario(AMO) isresponsible for
administering theFederal Gas Tax program, providing fundingtoOntario municipalities on an
annual basis.
The Federal Gas Tax Fundhas becomea consistent and reliable source of funding for
municipalities since it was introduced in 2005. The Cityhas received over $70 million since the
Gas Tax Fund program was established and has been provided funding on an annual basis. The
and this amount was included and applied to
projects as part of the 2019 Capital budget. With this recent Federal announcement, the City
anticipates receivingan additional $7 millionin 2019over and above itsregular allocation.
Staff will be bringing a report back to Council on May 13, 2019 to provide options related to how
this additional funding could be applied to infrastructure related projects in 2019.Since the City
has made progress in recent years in addressing road and underground related infrastructure
needs through the WIP program and by allocating annual Gas Tax Funding to road resurfacing
efforts, it is recommended that options related to the allocation of additional funding be focused
on addressing infrastructure under the culture, tourism, sport, and recreation categories.
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
IF1 - 1
REPORT:
The City of Kitchener has been a recipient of Federal Gas Tax funding since its inception in
2005. In the early years of the Federal Gas Tax, it was unknown if the funding would be for a
limited time or an ongoing funding stream, but subsequent Federal governments have
continually recommitted to the Federal Gas Tax and have recognized it as an important
contributor to maintaining and improving municipal infrastructure.
Recently, Federal funding commitments to Federal Gas Tax have beenmade in 5-year
increments, the most recent term being from 2014-2018. During that time the Kitchener received
nearly $33million. From its inception in 2005 to the end of 2018, Kitchenerhas received more
than $70 millionin Federal Gas Tax funding. During the next 5-year term (2019-2023), Kitchener
is projected to receive a base allocation of nearly $37 millionin Federal Gas Tax funding.
The use of Federal Gas Tax funding was originally restricted to engineering infrastructure (e.g.
roads, water, and sewer), but in 2014 the eligible categories listing wasexpanded to include
other types of infrastructure. The current list of eligible categories includes:
public transitshort-line rail
wastewater infrastructureshort-sea shipping
drinking waterdisaster mitigation
solid waste managementbroadband and connectivity
community energy systemsbrownfield redevelopment
local roads and bridgesculture
capacity buildingtourism
highwayssport
local and regional airportsrecreation
Through the 2019 Federal budget, the Government of Canada committed to make an additional
one-time, supplementary transfer of Federal Gas Tax funding to municipalities. Specifically,
page 80 of the budget document includes the following:
Because many municipalities across Canada continue to face serious infrastructure
deficits, Budget 2019 proposes a one-time transfer of $2.2 billion through the federal Gas
Tax Fund to address short-term priorities in municipalities and First Nation communities.
19 and will
provide much needed infrastructure funds for communities of all sizes, all across the
country.
Troximately $7million, so based
on the language in Budget 2019, Kitchener can expect to receive an additional $7 million(or $14
millionin total) to help address infrastructure in the near term.
IF1 - 2
Specific details,such as the timing of the additional transfer, have not yet been provided to
municipalities. That type of detailed information will flow to Ontario municipalities through AMO.
In the meantime, this report is being provided to make Council aware of:
1)The additional Federal Gas Tax funding,and
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2)SCommittee meetings to
provide some options on how the funding could be allocated.
Staff will be developing some recommended criteria for Council to consider to help determine
the best potential useof these additional funds. This criteria will be included as part of the report
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provided to Committee on May 13.It is anticipated that the options brought forwardfor
considerationwill align under the culture, tourism, sport, and recreation categories.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The
the delivery of core service.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The additional $7 millionof Federal Gas Tax funding will be allocated to capital projects based
on further discussion with Council.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM
council / committee meeting.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Jonathan Lautenbach, Chief Financial Officer, Financial Services
IF1 - 3