HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Agenda - 2026-03-02Council Meeting Agenda
Monday, March 2, 2026,4:00 p.m.
Council Chambers - Hybrid
City of Kitchener
200 King Street W, Kitchener, ON N2G 4G7
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delegation section on the agenda below for registration in-person and electronic participation
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Pages
1. COMMENCEMENT
The meeting will begin with a Land Acknowledgement given by the Mayor and
the singing of "O Canada."
1.1 Ramadan Observance - Evening of February 17, 2026 — March 19,
2026
1.2 International Women's Day - March 8, 2026
2. MINUTES FOR APPROVAL
Minutes to be accepted as circulated to the Mayor and Councillors (regular
meeting held February 2, 2026, and special meetings held February 2, 6, and 9,
2026) - Councillor S. Davey
3. DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST AND THE GENERAL NATURE
THEREOF
Members of Council and members of the City's local boards/committees are
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required to file a written statement when they have a conflict of interest. If a
conflict is declared, please visit www.kitchener.ca/conflict to submit your written
form.
COMMUNICATIONS REFERRED TO FILE
4.1 Flag / Illumination Request under Policy MUN-FAC-442
4.1.a Illumination - Dominican Republic Independence Day - February 27,
2026
4.1.b Flag - Dominican Republic Independence Day - March 1, 2026
4.1.c Flag - Irish Real Life Festival - March 7 - 17, 2026
4.1.d Illumination - World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) - May 3, 2026
4.1.e Illumination - Environmental Sensitivities/Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
(ES/MCS) Awareness Month - May 12, 2026
4.1.f Illumination - Global Porphyria Day - May 18, 2026
PRESENTATIONS
5.1 Canadian Association of Certified Planning Technicians, City of
Kitchener, Employer of the Year
5.2 WR Community Energy Report - Energy Security
5.2.a Matthew Day, WR Community Energy
DELEGATIONS
Pursuant to Council's Procedural By-law, delegations are permitted to address
the Committee for a maximum of five (5) minutes. All Delegations where
possible are encouraged to register prior to the start of the meeting. For
Delegates who are attending in-person, registration is permitted up to the start
of the meeting. Delegates who are interested in attending virtually must register
by 2:00 p.m. on March 2, 2026, in order to participate electronically.
6.1 None at this time.
REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
7.1 HERITAGE KITCHENER - FEBRUARY 3, 2026
7.1.a Heritage Permit Application, HPA-2026-V-001 - 41 Michael Street,
DSD -2026-021
That pursuant to Section 42 of the Ontario Heritage Act, Heritage
Permit Application HPA-2026-V-001 to permit the demolition of a
detached garage and the construction of a detached garage at the
property municipally addressed as 41 Michael Street be approved, as
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outlined in Development Services Department report, DSD -2026-021,
in accordance with the supplementary information submitted with this
application and subject to the following condition:
1. That final building permit drawings be reviewed and heritage
clearance provided by Heritage Planning staff prior to the
issuance of a building permit.
7.1.b Municipal Heritage Register Review Update - February 2026, DSD -
2026 -044
That pursuant to Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, the cultural
heritage value or interest be recognized, and designation be pursued
for the following properties, as outlined in Development Services
Department report, DSD -2026-044:
• 20 Linden Avenue
• 305 King Street West
7.2 FINANCE AND CORPORATE SERVICES COMMITTEE - FEBRUARY
9, 2026
7.2.a 2026 Neighbourhood Association Affiliation, CSD -2026-060
That the list of proposed Neighbourhood Associations, as attached to
the Community Services Department report CSD -2026-060, be
approved for affiliation for the year 2026 and added to the City's third -
party liability insurance program.
7.2.b Municipal By-law Contract for Police Dispatch System, CSD -2026-047 13
That Council support entering into a formal agreement with the
Waterloo Regional Police Services (WRPS), the City of Waterloo, the
City of Cambridge, and the Town of North Dumfries for the provision
of dispatch services for Municipal Bylaw Enforcement provided the
Cities of Waterloo and Cambridge are participating in the program;
and,
That Council authorize the Mayor and Clerk to execute said
agreement for the provision of dispatch services; said agreement to
be to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor; and further;
That staff be directed to issue a letter to the Waterloo Region Police
Services and the Waterloo Regional Police Service Board to request
collaboration with City of Kitchener Staff on matters affecting city
services
7.3 PLANNING AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES COMMITTEE -
FEBRUARY 9, 2026
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7.3.a Annual Zoning By-law Update 2026, DSD -2026-039
That City initiated amendment ZBA25/029/COK/SH (Annual Zoning
By-law Update) to Zoning By-law 85-1, be approved in the form
shown in the `Proposed By-law' attached to Report DSD -2026-039 as
Appendix "A"; and
That City initiated amendment ZBA25/029/COK/SH (Annual Zoning
By-law Update) to Zoning By-law 2019-051, be approved in the form
shown in the `Proposed By-law' attached to Report DSD -2026-039 as
Appendix "B" with the following amendment:
That paragraph 45 be replaced in its entirety with the following:
Section 7.3, Table 7-4, Additional Regulation (8) of By-law 2019-
051 is amended by adding the portions of the below text that are
highlighted in grey, deleting the portions of the below text with
a strikethrough as follows:
(8)Despite the minimum interior side yard setback, for any
portion of a wall located on beside an interior side lot
line yard having a common -wall common wall, but not forming
part of a common -wall common wall, the minimum interior side
yard setback from such interior side lot line shall be:
a) 1.2 meters; or
b) 0 meters when there is a 1.5 meter maintenance
easement over the abutting property for the maintenance
of walls, eaves, and real property; and further,
That pursuant to Section 34(17) of the Planning Act, R.S.O., c. P.13,
as amended further notice is not required to be given in respect to
Zoning By-law Amendment ZBA25/029/COK/SH.
8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS - NIL
9. NEW BUSINESS
9.1 - MAYORAL BUSINESS AND UPDATES - MAYOR B. VRBANOVIC
9.2 Notice of Motion - S. Stretch - Cold Water Ice Making Pilot
Councillor S. Stretch has given notice to introduce the following motion
for consideration this date:
"WHEREAS the City of Kitchener's cold water ice making pilot at
Sportsworld Arena demonstrated measurable environmental and
financial benefits, including a reduction in energy usage, CO2
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10.
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emissions and operational costs, and;
WHEREAS these environmental, financial and operating
improvements were achieved while maintaining a good quality of
ice and a positive user experience, and;
WHEREAS the City has expanded the cold water ice making
program to Activa Sportsplex and Lions Arena;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT staff be directed to
prepare an issue paper as part of the 2027 budget process that
evaluates the potential to expand this program to Grand River
Arena, Don McLaren Arena and the Kinsmen and Kiwanis ice
pads at The Memorial Auditorium."
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
STAFF REPORTS
11.1 ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
11.1.a Pitch Kitchener — 2025 Update, FIN -2026-100
12. BY-LAWS
12.1 THREE READINGS
12.1.a Being a by-law to provide for the widening of Woolwich Street as a
public highway in the City of Kitchener.
(By-law 2026-019)
12.1.b To further amend By-law No. 2010-190, being a by-law to prohibit
unauthorized parking of motor vehicles on private property.
(By-law 2026-020)
12.1.c To further amend By-law No. 88-171, being a by-law to designate
private roadways as fire routes and to prohibit parking thereon.
(By-law 2026-021)
12.1.d To further amend By-law No. 2008-117, being a by-law to authorize
certain on -street and off-street parking of vehicles for use by persons
with a disability, and the issuing of permits in respect thereof.
(By-law 2026-022)
12.1.e To confirm all actions and proceedings of the Council for March 2,
2026.
(By-law 2026-025)
12.2 LATE STARTER BY-LAWS TO BE ADDED TO THE AGENDA,
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PENDING APPROVAL OF THE REPORTS OF THE COMMITTEES
12.2.a Being a by-law to amend By-law 85-1, as amended, known as the
Zoning By-law for the City of Kitchener — Annual Zoning By-law
Update 2026.
(By-law 2026-023)
12.2.b Being a by-law to amend By-law 2019-051, as amended, known as
the Zoning By-law for the City of Kitchener — 2025/2026 Annual
Zoning By-law Update.
(By-law 2026-024)
13. ADJOURNMENT
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February 13, 2026
Dear Members of City of Kitchener Council,
WATERLOO REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE
P.O. Box 3070
200 Maple Grove Road
Cambridge, Ontario N3H 5M1
519-570-9777
Regarding the Finance and Corporate Services Committee on February 9, 2026,
pertaining to Report CSD -2026-047 "Bylaw Enforcement Dispatch Service Contract with
WRPS", we wish to take this opportunity to clarify statements that were made and
questions that were posed.
The Waterloo Regional Police Service Board (WRPSB) passed a motion in July 2023
directing the Service to work with Regional and Municipal partners to develop a
methodology for annual cost recovery for 9-1-1 and Bylaw Services. As a result, WRPS
began conversations in 2024 with the leadership of the City of Kitchener, as well as
leaders from the City of Waterloo, City of Cambridge, and North Dumfries Township, to
explore cost recovery for bylaw dispatching.
The need for a new dedicated bylaw channel was driven by two primary concerns:
Protecting privacy and ensuring the security of confidential police communications.
Legitimate concerns were raised related to information sharing with non -police
employees per RCMP guidelines. Currently, WRPS Communicators answer bylaw
related calls for service and then dispatch municipal bylaw officers over police radio
channels, exposing WRPS to serious liability under our legislative requirements. As
a result, the agreement provides a dedicated radio channel for bylaw enforcement
dispatch services, separate from core police operations.
• Addressing resource concerns. With the volume of municipal bylaw calls for service,
the current system was impeding WRPS' ability to meet the National Emergency
Number Association (N ENA) standards for 9-1-1 emergency call times. As a result,
the new dedicated bylaw dispatch model will include a new public bylaw phone
number. This will ensure that 9-1-1 calls are answered promptly.
As mentioned above, discussions involving enhancements of the bylaw dispatch model
began in July 2024. After several meetings with involved stakeholders an agreement was
reached in 2025 to ensure the level of service and safety that is required and expected by
all Waterloo Region residents.
Full costing impacts on WRPS for bylaw dispatch services is in excess of $1 million dollars
for the City of Kitchener alone. In the new agreement, only a portion of these costs are
being recovered. WRPS is not recovering costs for any call taking functions or capital start-
up costs, which significantly decreases total cost impacts for the City of Kitchener.
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WATERLOO REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE
P.0, Box 3070
200 Maple Grove Road
519-570-9777
No legislative requirement has ever been in place in Ontario for a police service to provide
municipal bylaw dispatch services. Under the Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA),
WRPS is not legally required to provide municipal bylaw dispatch services, and this
remains unchanged from the previous Police Services Act (PSA). Historically, revenue
generated by municipalities has never been provided to WRPS to manage this municipal
responsibility.
Given the productive and collaborative work that occurred with impacted municipalities to
reach the By-law Dispatch Services Agreement, including significant concessions by
WRPS (delayed implementation timelines, capital and operational cost absorption, etc.),
we are disappointed by the inaccurate framing that has occurred in the public sphere.
While we weren't invited to attend the committee meeting on February 9, 2026, we remain
available to discuss these details in any forum, and we remain committed to strengthening
respectful working relationships with the City of Kitchener.
Sincerely,
Mark Crowell
Chief of WRPS
CC Ian McLean, Chair of the Waterloo Regional Police Service Board
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Staff Report
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Corporate Services Department www.kitchener.ca
REPORT TO: Council Meeting
DATE OF MEETING: March 2, 2026
SUBMITTED BY: Ryan Scott, Chief Procurement Officer
PREPARED BY: Nicole Amaral, Digital Lab Director
Ryan Scott, Chief Procurement Officer
WARD(S) INVOLVED: N/A
DATE OF REPORT: January 29, 2026
REPORT NO.: FIN -2026-100
SUBJECT: Pitch Kitchener — 2025 Update
RECOMMENDATION:
That Council receive this report for information on the progress of the Pitch Kitchener program
and the outcomes of the inaugural pilot round; and,
That Council endorse the continuation of the Pitch Kitchener program as an annual initiative,
subject to confirmation of required annual funding; and further,
That staff be directed to bring forward a funding request as part of the 2027 budget process to
support future iterations of Pitch Kitchener.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
• The purpose of this report is to provide Council with an update on the Pitch Kitchener
program and the results of the 2025 pilot round.
• The key finding of this report is that the program pilot was successful and staff recommend
continued funding to support the program as an annual initiative.
• The financial implications are a $100,000 program allocation captured in the 2026 budget
process.
• Community engagement included consultation with industry partners, staff and the local
tech community.
• This report supports Stewarding a Better City Together: Focuses on City employees as
stewards of Kitchener; responsive, innovative, diverse & accountable public servants
working together to serve residents; removing barriers and championing a better city and
a better world.
BACKGROUND:
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
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The Pitch Kitchener initiative was launched to create an accessible, transparent, and
innovation- focused procurement pathway aligned with the City's goals for modernization and
improved service delivery. The program aims to:
• Enable early and meaningful engagement with startups.
• Provide a standardized intake and evaluation process for pilot proposals.
• Support City service areas in piloting innovative technologies without drawing from limited
operational budgets.
• Strengthen Kitchener's position as a municipal innovation leader.
The inaugural program launched with $100,000 in funding and operational support from
Communitech's Fast Track Cities program.
REPORT:
Program overview and intent
Pitch Kitchener centralizes the intake of innovative vendor proposals and provides a transparent
and structured process for assessing, piloting, and scaling solutions that address municipal
needs. The program balances innovation enablement with responsible risk management and
alignment with the procurement by-law.
2025 Challenge statements and pilot outcomes
Two challenge statements were issued in 2024, and the pilots were conducted in 2025:
• Sewer System Inspection: focused on improving condition reports for large sanitary trunk
systems.
• Autonomous Technology: focused on opportunities in grass cutting, road inspection, golf
course operations, and customer service.
Three companies were shortlisted and pilots were conducted:
• ConeLabs — Engineering Division
o Purpose: AI -powered drone inspections for bridges and roadways.
o Results: Successful; deliverables met.
o Outcome: Multi- year agreement; expected to offer improved inspection data and
efficiency.
• Real Life Robotics — Sport Division - Doon Valley Golf Course
o Purpose: GPS -driven analytics to support golf course flow, customer experience,
and efficiency improvements.
o Results: Successful; deliverables met.
o Outcome: Multi- year agreement; expected ROI in operational efficiencies
• TextGenetic — Fleet Division
o Purpose: Predictive maintenance analytics using Al.
o Results: Showcased maintenance data; partial inclusion of predictive
maintenance.
o Outcome: Pilot closed.
Financial summary
• Of the $100,000 budget, $90,000 was utilized with $10,000 remaining.
Future programming requires ongoing annual funding to support pilot activities.
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Community and organizational benefits
• Simplified process for vendors to engage with the City.
• Centralized intake reduces staff burden and ensures consistent vetting processes.
• Strengthens the City's innovation culture and increases exposure for local startups.
• Supports risk- tolerant experimentation aligned with service improvement goals.
Program learnings and recommendations
• Challenge selection should focus on well- scoped, pilot- appropriate problems.
• Consideration may be given to continuous intake rather than annual cycles.
• Ongoing program ownership within the innovation lab in TIS and support from
Procurement is essential.
• Use partner and staff feedback to evolve the Pitch Kitchener program to enable:
o A transparent, low- risk way to test and learn from rapidly evolving technologies
o Use of lightweight external expert input to challenge assumptions, strengthen
decisions, and build internal capability
o Regular internal learning and reporting to improve accountability and
organizational learning
o Creation of clearer pathways for local tech businesses to engage earlier, pilot
solutions, and contribute expertise
o Support for local innovation, economic development, and visibility of successful
solutions
• A funding request for operating budget should be submitted for 2027.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This report supports Stewarding a Better City Together: Focuses on City employees as stewards
of Kitchener; responsive, innovative, diverse & accountable public servants working together to
serve residents; removing barriers and championing a better city and a better world.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Capital Budget — The recommendation has no impact on the Capital Budget.
Operating Budget — The recommendation has no impact on the Operating Budget.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM: This report has been posted publicly with the Council agenda.
CONSULT: Industry partners, including Communitech, were consulted during the development
and execution of the pilot round.
COLLABORATE: Industry partners collaborated with staff on pilot design and evaluation.
ENTRUST: Not applicable.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
There are no previous reports/authorities related to this matter
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APPROVED BY:
• Jonathan Lautenbach, GM — Financial Services
• Victoria Raab, GM — Corporate Services
ATTACHMENTS:
N/A
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