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HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm Svcs - 2008-01-07COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MINUTES JANUARY 7, 200$ CITY OF KITCHENER The Community Services Committee met this date commencing at 1:36 p.m. Present: Councillor G. Lorentz -Chair Mayor C. Zehr and Councillors B. Vrbanovic, J. Smola, J. Gazzola, K. Galloway and C. Weylie. Staff: C. Ladd, Chief Administrative Officer T. Speck, General Manager of Corporate Services A. Pappert, General Manager of Community Services R. Browning, General Manager of Development & Technical Services R. Regier, Executive Director of Economic Development S. Turner, Director of Enforcement J. Witmer, Director of Operations K. Baulk, Director of Enterprises M. Hildebrand, Director of Community Programs D. Chapman, Director of Financial Planning & Reporting D. Keehn, Interim Director of Aquatics & Athletics G. Hummel, Manager of Park Planning S. Berry, Manager of Maintenance Operations R. Willms, Supervisor of Administration C. Collins, Marketing Communication Associate C. York, Arts & Culture Facilitator N. Voll, District Facilitator C. Goodeve, Committee Administrator 1. CSD-0$-003 - 2007 ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE COMMISSION AGREEMENT The Committee considered Community Services Department report CSD-08-003, dated December 19, 2007 regarding the 2007 Artist-in-Residence Commission Agreement with Mr. Paul Roorda for his work entitled "Paper Memory". On motion by Councillor K. Galloway - it was resolved: "That the final commission of the 2007 Artist-In-Residence, Paul Roorda, be approved and installed at a City-owned site yet to be determined; and further, That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute the 2007 Artist-In-Residence Commission Agreement with Paul Roorda in a form satisfactory to the City Solicitor, such agreement encompassing the terms set out in Community Services Department report CSD-05-136." 2. CSD-0$-004 -GENERAL PROVISION GRANT REQUEST - MILLENNIUM CHORAL ORGANIZATION The Committee considered Community Services Department report CSD-08-004, dated December 18, 2007 regarding a request by the Millennium Choral Organization (MCO) for a general provision grant in the amount of $2,400. Messrs. Alex Pietrobon and William Greenwood, MCO, advised that their organization has been in existence for approximately 20 years and until recently had operated as a profit- making venture with all surplus funds being donated to other community organizations. Mr. Pietrobon stated that in May 2005, MCO obtained not-for-profit status as a means of accessing larger corporate donations. He added that they are now struggling to raise sufficient funds to support their operation and in 2007 ran a deficit of approximately $11,000. He stated that as a result of raising ticket prices and reducing the fees paid to their professional musicians, the organization has bee able to reduce that deficit by 50%. He noted that they are requesting this grant from the City as a means of leveraging additional donations from the private sector. Mr. Pietrobon added that even though MCO is currently facing a deficit position, it does not wish to raise membership fees as that could potentially prohibit participation by some members. COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MINUTES JANUARY 7, 200$ - 2 - CITY OF KITCHENER 2. CSD-A8-004 -GENERAL PROVISION GRANT REQUEST - MILLENNIUM CHORAL ORGANIZATION tCONT'D) In response to questions, Mr. W. Greenwood advised that the issue of increasing membership fees will be discussed at the next MCO Board meeting. He stated that the Board has decided to scale down venue performances and will continue to use church halls until they are in a better financial position. Mr. Pietrobon added that prior to becoming a not-for-profit organization MCO made approximately $100,000. in contributions to charitable organizations throughout this community. He confirmed that MCO intends to seek annual funding from the City of Kitchener. Councillor K. Galloway advised that MCO's grant request was considered several times by the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee (ACAC) and received approval at their November 20, 2007 meeting. She stated that MCO's original grant request was for $5,000., as they intended to perform at the Centre in the Square in 2008, thereby tripling their venue and rehearsal costs. She noted that acting on the recommendations made by ACAC, MCO has revised their grant request and are now asking for only $2,400. Mayor C. Zehr requested that a list of the choirs currently receiving grants from the City be provided prior to the January 14, 2008 Council meeting to allow for a relative values comparison. In addition, he requested that MCO also be provided with this information to enable them to outline how they differentiate from those groups. A motion by Mayor C. Zehr to refer the recommendation contained in report CSD-08-004 to the January 14, 2008 Council meeting was brought forward for consideration. On motion by Mayor C. Zehr - it was resolved: "That the following recommendation contained in Community Services Department report CSD-08-004 be referred to the Januarv 14, 2008 Council meeting, to allow for the circulation of the list of choirs currently receiving grants from the City: "That a general provision grant in fhe amount of $2,400. fo fhe Millennium Choral Organization, be approved. "' 3. CSD-A8-006 -COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM (CDIP) GRANT REQUEST - THE HEALING OF THE SEVEN GENERATIONS The Committee considered Community Services Department report CSD-08-006, dated January 3, 2008 regarding a request by The Healing of the Seven Generations Outreach Program for aone-time Community Development Infrastructure Program (CDIP) grant in the amount of $15,000. Ms. Donna Dubie, The Healing of the Seven Generations, advised that her organization has been in operation for 2 ~/2 years working with survivors and intergenerational survivors of the Residential School Legacy. She stated that they service Aboriginal men, women, youth and seniors through a variety of services including healing circles, cultural teachings, ceremonies, educational forums on health and parenting for young mothers. She added that originally they were financed by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation to service 15 families; however, they currently work with approximately 300 families. She noted that very few Aboriginal-specific services exist to help Aboriginal people; and, those agencies that do deliver these services are grossly underutilized by Aboriginal people as they do not feel safe or comfortable enough to participate. Ms. Dubie stated that her organization is continually searching for core funding from the various levels of government to help cover costs associated with servicing these families. In response to questions, Ms. D. Dubie advised that the funding from the Aboriginal Healing Foundation was only provided for 2 years and has since ended. She stated that while they COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MINUTES JANUARY 7, 200$ - 3 - CITY OF KITCHENER 3. CSD-0$-006 -COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM (CDIP) GRANT REQUEST - THE HEALING OF THE SEVEN GENERATIONS tCONT'D) have been awarded a $122,000. Trillium Foundation Grant, to be paid in 2008 / 2009, it will primarily be used toward funding their annual budget of $90,000. She added that the Region of Waterloo has provided them with approximately $7,000. over the past 3 years, as well as various in-kind services. She stated that when her group was funded by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, their services were provided on a weekly basis. She noted that now their services are provided to an even greater number of people, but due to a lack of funding are only being offered on a monthly basis. She added that the requested grant would assist them in returning to their previous service level. Ms. Dubie confirmed that she was aware that the requested grant would be provided on a one-time only basis and noted that her group may potentially receive future funding from the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. Councillor J. Gazzola stated that, in his opinion, as this group has been operating for over 2 years, they do not qualify for a CDIP grant; given that those funds are intended to be seed money for community development projects. He requested that The Healing of the Seven Generations provide a copy of their budget for the upcoming fiscal year prior to the January 14, 2008 Council meeting. On motion by Councillor B. Vrbanovic - it was resolved: "That aone-time Community Development Infrastructure Program grant in the amount of $15,000., be approved to The Healing of the Seven Generations Outreach Program, to assist with costs associated with strengthening the presence of the outreach program to ensure that the needs of the Aboriginal community are being met." 4. PRESENTATION -KITCHENER-WATERLOO ART GALLERY UPDATE The Committee was in receipt this date of a copy of the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery (KWAG) presentation, dated January 7, 2008. Ms. Peggy Jarvie, President, KWAG, provided an update of her group's current status and highlighted the following: • the Gallery's operating budget has stabilized at $1.2M in 2007, compared to $578,000. in 2001 when services and operations were significantly reduced; • the Gallery currently has over 70 active volunteers; • visitor attendance exceeded 30,000 in 2007, which was an increase of 18% over 2006; and, • the Gallery's curatorial programs have been recognized nationally. In response to questions, Ms. P. Jarvie stated that while the City of Kitchener provides KWAG with a significant amount of funding, similar levels of support are not being met by other area municipalities. Mr. Allan MacKay, Curator, KWAG, advised that the Cultural Properties Review Board of Canada has prohibited KWAG from issuing tax receipts in exchange for art donations, as long as some of the Gallery's permanent collection is being used as collateral for a line of credit. Several members expressed concern with the Art Gallery's inability to expand its collection by not being able to issue tax receipts, and it was suggested that alternative means of securing the line of credit should be investigated. 5 CSD-0$-002 -SIDEWALK WINTER MAINTENANCE AND ENFORCEMENT ISSUES The Committee considered Community Services Department report CSD-08-002, dated December 12, 2007 regarding proposed communication and by-law enforcement measures relating to sidewalk winter maintenance issues. COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MINUTES JANUARY 7, 200$ - 4 - CITY OF KITCHENER 5 CSD-0$-002 -SIDEWALK WINTER MAINTENANCE AND ENFORCEMENT ISSUES tCONT'D) Mr. G. Hummel advised that at the September 24, 2007 Community Services Committee meeting, several delegations addressed the Committee concerning sidewalk winter maintenance issues. As a result, staff were directed to investigate the feasibility of sidewalks being maintained city-wide as a municipal service and how this service is provided by other municipalities. He stated that staff reported back on that issue at the October 9, 2007 meeting and were requested to investigate options to expand the current communication plan literature and by-law enforcement measures as a means of enhancing voluntary compliance. Mr. Hummel then reviewed the recommendations contained in report CSD-08-002. In response to questions, Mr. S. Turner advised that the inherent difficultly in enforcing a sidewalk snow-clearing by-law, is that enforcement cannot start until some period of time (24 hours) has elapsed since the end of the snowfall to allow a property owner time to clear their sidewalk; after which there is a required notification period, unless it is a repeat offender. He added that when responding to a complaint, staff are required to also examine the 8 properties on either side of the property for which the complaint was received. He noted that this typically results in several other notifications being issued. He stated that the standard compliance timeframe after notification has been issued is 24 hours and if the sidewalk is still not cleared, a service request is sent to Operations staff. He pointed out that for the winter of 2006 / 2007 the By-Law Enforcement Division received 1,493 complaints, of which 151 were forwarded to the Operations Division. He stated that whenever City staff clears a sidewalk where the property owner has failed to comply, a fee is charged and added to the property tax roll. He noted that the existing fee for clearing a single frontage property is $125. and $250. for a larger frontage. Mr. Turner added that in order to more accurately reflect the actual costs involved, staff are proposing that these fees be increased to $300. and $500. respectively. In addition, where circumstances warrant it, officers will lay a charge of $95. (including costs), as a pre-cursor to having Operations clear the sidewalk. He noted that it is hoped that these revised fees may act as an incentive to achieve a higher degree of voluntary compliance. Mr. Turner advised that due to the possibility of the fees being changed, bills for sidewalks cleared by staff during this winter season have yet to be issued to property owners. Several members expressed concern regarding the proposed fee increase, stating that it could be seen as being overly punitive, when at times the City has difficulty meeting the prescribed snow removal timeframe. Mr. G. Hummel advised that on average 95% of all City streets are cleared within 24 hours of the cessation of a storm. He stated that the proposed fee increase is based on full cost recovery as a means of preventing the tax base from being penalized for the offence of one property owner. He added that by the time Operations staff is called to clear a sidewalk there is a considerable build up of packed snow and ice, which can take a crew of 3 staff plus equipment over an hour to clear. Councillor J. Gazzola requested that staff investigate the cost of contracting out this service. Mayor C. Zehr requested that staff report back with information regarding the sidewalk winter maintenance fee being based on direct cost recovery, as opposed to full cost recovery. He further suggested that any potential increase in the fee should not be billed retro-actively. Councillor B. Vrbanovic inquired into whether the groups who originally addressed Council in September 2007 have been updated regarding this matter and was advised that staff will be meeting with the Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee (GRAAC) on January 24, 2008 to review the measures that have been proposed to date. Additional concerns were expressed regarding the windrow created by a snowplow, which blocks the end of driveways and the entrance to sidewalks located on corner lots. It was requested that information be provided in the communication plan informing residents that it is the property owner's responsibility to clear windrows that have been plowed onto sidewalks. Further, staff were requested to investigate and report back with options to address the issue of windrows blocking corner lot sidewalks and the end of driveways. Councillor G. Lorentz requested that additional information be provided detailing how other municipalities undertake city-wide winter sidewalk maintenance, and the cost they incur as COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MINUTES JANUARY 7, 200$ - 5 - CITY OF KITCHENER 5 CSD-A$-002 -SIDEWALK WINTER MAINTENANCE AND ENFORCEMENT ISSUES tCONT'D) a result of delivering that service. He suggested that discussions of issues, such as winter maintenance, grass cutting and leaf collection, should take place at Council's Strategic Sessions; and, requested that sidewalk winter maintenance be added to the agenda for the next Council Strategic Session. On motion by Councillor J. Gazzola, the staff recommendation in report CSD-08-002 was brought forward for consideration. At the request of Councillor J. Gazzola, it was agreed that the recommendation would be considered in 3 separate parts. At the request of Mayor C. Zehr, it was agreed to defer and refer paragraph 2 of the recommendation to the January 14, 2008 Council meeting to allow time for information to be provided regarding the sidewalk snow-clearing fee being based on direct cost recovery, and the cost to potentially contract out that service. At the request of Councillor B. Vrbanovic, it was agreed that no action be taken regarding paragraph 3, as it is within staff's purview, and thereby does not require Council's authorization for the By-law Enforcement Division to utilize staff within their pool of part-time officers to assist with the enforcement of Chapter 687 (Snow and Ice). Councillor J. Gazzola's motion was then voted on and it was resolved: "That expanded communication and by-law enforcement measures, as described in Community Services Department report CSD-08-002, be implemented for the winter of 2007 / 2008 and that staff report back to Council in the spring of 2008; and further, That the following recommendation be referred to the January 14, 200$ Council meeting, pending additional information from staff to address concerns raised by the Committee: `That the fee for removing snow and / or ice from sidewalks, in instances where the abutting property owner has failed to remove it, pursuant to Chapter 687 (Snow and Ice), be set at $300. for a single lot and $500. for larger lots."' 6. CSD-A$-005 -SNOW DAY PROGRAMMING AT CITY FACILITIES The Committee considered Community Services Department report CSD-08-005, dated December 24, 2007 regarding snow day programming at City facilities. On motion by Councillor J. Gazzola - it was resolved: "That no further action be taken in respect to Community Services Department report CSD-08-005 (Snow Day Programming at City of Kitchener Facilities)." 7. ADJOURNMENT On motion, the meeting adjourned at 3:43 p.m. Colin Goodeve Committee Administrator