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HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm Svcs - 2008-06-16COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MINUTES JUNE 16, 200$ CITY OF KITCHENER The Community Services Committee met this date commencing at 1:35 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 P. Houston, General Manager of Community Services R. Browning, General Manager of Development & Technical Services D. Chapman, General Manager of Financial Services & City Treasurer K. Baulk, Director of Enterprises J. Witmer, Director of Operations K. Weiss, Director of Business Development & Small Business Centre L Pregel, Manager of Cultural Development K. Kneen, Manager of Your Kitchener Market S. Williams, Assistant City Solicitor R. Willms, Supervisor of Administration J. Mahony, Senior Financial Analyst C. York, Arts & Culture Facilitator C. Goodeve, Committee Administrator 1. CRPS-0$-092 - SAFE & HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION - MAKING CITIES SAFER: CANADIAN STRATEGIES AND PRACTICES REPORT The Committee considered Corporate Services Department report CRPS-08-092, dated June 11, 2008 regarding a recommendation from the Safe and Healthy Community Advisory Committee concerning the Making Cities Safer: Canadian Strategies and Practices report. On motion by Councillor C. Weylie - it was resolved: "WHEREAS social development efforts significantly improve upon crime prevention through law, correctional and enforcement methods alone; and, WHEREAS all orders of government have a critical responsibility in supporting and resourcing these efforts; and, WHEREAS municipalities are the order of government closest to the people and have a unique opportunity to identify and reach the most vulnerable populations; and, WHEREAS many municipalities across the country have taken on this task often with limited resources; and, WHEREAS this task demands a high level of multi-system co-operation; and, WHEREAS municipalities frequently model partnerships for action; and, WHEREAS communities cannot sustain these efforts without clear political leadership and support; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the identified themes and guiding principles for municipalities to plan and sustain successful crime reduction and community safety initiatives as set out in the Making Cities Safer: Canadian Sfrafegies & Practices report developed by the Institute for Prevention of Crime, be endorsed in principle; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that other municipalities be encouraged to similarly engage in actions to reduce and prevent crime and victimization and fear of crime through local actions as outlined in the Making Cities Safer: Canadian Sfrafegies & Practices report; and, COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MINUTES JUNE 16, 200$ - 34 - CITY OF KITCHENER 1. CRPS-0$-092 - SAFE & HEALTHY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION - MAKING CITIES SAFER: CANADIAN STRATEGIES AND PRACTICES REPORT tCONT'D) BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Federal and Provincial governments be requested to model their social development efforts for crime prevention on the level of co-operation witnessed in communities across the country; and, BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the Federal and Provincial governments be requested to provide strategic and long-term resources to municipalities for crime prevention efforts through the establishment and support of permanent centres of responsibility that nurture and sustain local crime prevention." 2. CSD-0$-061 - COMMUNITY PLAYGROUND GRANT APPLICATION - MEADOWLANE PUBLIC SCHOOL The Committee considered Community Services Department report CSD-08-061, dated June 4, 2008 regarding a community playground grant request from Meadowlane Public School. On motion by Councillor C. Weylie - it was resolved: "That aone-time community playground grant in the amount of $750., be approved to Meadowland Public School to assist with costs related to the construction of a junior creative playground facility to be located within the school campus." CSD-0$-064 - GENERAL PROVISION GRANT REQUEST - KITCHENER-WATERLOO YOUTH THEATRE The Committee considered Community Services Department report CSD-08-064, dated June 10, 2008 regarding a general provision grant request in the amount of $4,000. from the Kitchener-Waterloo Youth Theatre (KWYT). In addition, the Committee was in receipt this date of an information report from the KWYT concerning the status of grant applications submitted by the group to the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund and the cities of Waterloo and Cambridge. Messrs. Nicholas Walsh and Bill Brown, KWYT, appeared before the Committee in support of the grant application. Mr. Walsh advised that they anticipate receiving a response in the near future regarding their request to the Region of Waterloo Arts Council for a grant in the amount of $8,000. He added that his group has also requested a $3,000. grant from the City of Waterloo and a $2,000. grant from the City of Cambridge; both of which would be applied toward the 2008/09 season production costs. He noted that they anticipate receiving the results of those grant applications in January 2009. In response to questions, Mr. N. Walsh advised that the grant requested from the City of Kitchener would be used to develop, launch and run a marketing and promotional campaign to draw youth to register for their Fall workshops. He stated that, if approved, the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund grant would be applied toward facility rental costs and cannot be used for the youth registration. Responding to questions related to the projected $11,450. surplus outlined in the budget submitted with the grant application, Mr. Walsh advised that if the grant is not received from the City of Kitchener, the marketing campaign could not be undertaken and there would be no ability to earn the revenue as hoped. He noted that the budget surplus would be used toward subsidizing the registration fee of underprivileged youths interested in joining KWYT and to allocate a set number of tickets to allow underprivileged youths to attend KWYT performances free of charge. Councillor K. Galloway estimated that if the KWYT were to receive all of the grant funding that they applied for their surplus would increase to approximately $28,000. On motion by Councillor J. Gazzola, the recommendation contained in report CSD-08-064 to refuse the $4,000. grant request of KWYT was brought forward for consideration. COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MINUTES JUNE 16, 200$ - 35 - CITY OF KITCHENER 3. CSD-0$-064 - GENERAL PROVISION GRANT REQUEST - KITCHENER-WATERLOO YOUTH THEATRE tCONT'D) Councillor J. Gazzola stated that while he supports the overall objectives of KWYT, given the estimated budget surplus, it would appear that the group does not have a demonstrable need for financial assistance. Councillor K. Galloway advised that she would not support Councillor Gazzola's motion, noting that if it were lost she would bring forward a recommendation similar to the April 15, 2008 Arts and Culture Advisory Committee resolution that aone-time grant in the amount of $1,500., be approved to KWYT. Councillor J. Gazzola's motion was then voted on and LOST. On motion by Councillor K. Galloway - it was resolved: "That aone-time general provision grant in the amount of $1,500., be approved to the Kitchener-Waterloo Youth Theatre to assist with costs related to the promotion of the group's youth registration." 4. CSD-0$-043 -PREFERRED MARKET OPTION AND GOVERNANCE PROCESS The Committee considered Community Services Department report CSD-08-043, dated June 11, 2008 regarding the preferred option for the underutilized space on the upper level of Your Kitchener Market and a process for determining a future governance model. Mr. K. Baulk advised that the Small Independent Vendors Option is being proposed for the underutilized space on the upper level as it best fits the ranking criteria supporting Council's vision of what could lead to a successful market, and was overwhelmingly supported during the public consultation process held in April 2008. In addition, 9 potential vendors have expressed an interest in being full-time vendors at the Market, which could potentially fill nearly 50% of the available 5,700 square feet of leasable space on the upper level. He noted that from an operating budget perspective, this proposal would stabilize the Market's operating subsidy at current levels. He stated that it also has the potential to work in unison with the mini-market proposal put forward by the Kitchener Market Collaborative. He added that staff will continue to work with the Kitchener Market Collaborative to develop their concept, which focuses on utilizing a portion of the remaining space on the upper level for local, fresh and organic food grown or produced within a 100 mile radius of the Market. Mr. K. Baulk further advised that on March 3, 2008, staff were directed to develop a process to review options for the future governance of the Market. Accordingly, it is being proposed that a taskforce be establish to review the pros and cons of various management models and recommend the most appropriate model for the future of the Market. He stated that the terms of reference for the proposed taskforce is outlined in Appendix 4 of report CSD-08-043, noting that it is estimated that the taskforce's recommendation would be brought forward for consideration in December 2008. In addition, effective June 2, 2008, responsibility for the Market was transferred to the Economic Development Division and aShort-Term Strategic Plan was created to move the Market forward while the process is underway to determine a governance model. He stated that the Plan contains 20 strategic action items related to issues within the areas of: infrastructure, partnership development, staff resources, business attraction, marketing, programming, policies and procedures for vendors, and fiscal management. He pointed out that through the implementation of these strategic actions, considerable progress is expected to be achieved over the next 6 months. At the request of Councillor K. Galloway, Mr. K. Baulk agreed to circulate to the Committee the report submitted by the Arts and Culture Advisory Committee as part of the previous public consultation undertaken for the Market. In response to questions regarding the stabilization of the Market subsidy, Mr. J. Mahony advised that, as outlined in Appendix 5, in the best case scenario in 2011 at 90% capacity, it is anticipated that the Market would show a loss of $681,824., which is consistent with the financial goal of stabilizing the Market subsidy at its current level. He stated that while COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MINUTES JUNE 16. 200$ - 36 - CITY OF KITCHENER 4. CSD-0$-043 -PREFERRED MARKET OPTION AND GOVERNANCE PROCESS tCONT'D) revenues would increase as a result of reaching 90% capacity, there would also be an increase in expenses associated with the additional vendors. Mr. K. Baulk noted that at this time it is important to set a reasonable financial goal for the Market, adding that the Market subsidy is similar in nature to those received by other civic institutions. Councillor J. Gazzola advised that in his estimation the community value provided by the Market is different from the Market of 30 years ago, which was a tourist attraction for the City. He stated that given the sizeable expenditure allocated to the Market on an annual basis, consideration should be given to determine the continued role and value of the Market. Ms. C. Ladd noted that staff are not in a position to make such a determination, adding that it is up to Council to decide whether the Market adds value and has a role to play in this community. In response to questions regarding the Short-Term Strategic Plan, Ms. K. Weiss advised that the need to preserve and maintain the current infrastructure within the Market is imperative to ensure the City's financial investment is sustained and to provide an aesthetically pleasing environment to bring in new investment and customers. She stated that the proposed capital upgrades, such as replacing the floor's painted finish and the installation of a P.A. system, were previously approved and included in the 2008 Capital budget. Ms. Weiss added that an aggressive marketing strategy will be undertaken, which will include enhancing the existing fagade, installation of new signage and re-branding. She noted that staff will also be offering new programming and events at the Market, such as Wellness Wednesdays, which are aimed at drawing people to the Market throughout the week. At the request of Councillor J. Smola, Mr. K. Baulk agreed to add assisting with the promotion of the commercial rental units located on the Market block as a strategic action item. At the request of Councillor B. Vrbanovic, Ms. K. Weiss agreed to provide updates to the Committee regarding the implementation of the Short-Term Strategic Plan every 3 months over the next year, starting in September 2008. On motion by Councillor C. Weylie - it was resolved: "That the Small Independent Vendors Option be approved as the preferred go forward model for the upper level of Your Kitchener Market; and, That the Small Independent Vendors Business Case, as appended to Community Services Department report CSD-08-043, be approved and the recommendations contained therein serve as the implementation plan, which includes commencing the process of leasing space to those vendors who have expressed interest in the full-time market; and, That staff be directed to implement the Your Kitchener Market 2008 Short-Term Strategic Plan, dated June 12, 2008 and develop an aggressive marketing campaign focused on vendor recruitment; and further, That a taskforce be established to review options and put forward a recommendation for future governance of the Market, as outlined in report CSD-08-043." 5. CSD-0$-063 -COMMUNITY INVESTMENT STRATEGY The Committee considered Community Services Department report CSD-08-063, dated June 9, 2008 regarding Phase II of the development of a Community Investment Strategy (CIS). Ms. L Pregel advised that the goal of the CIS is to evolve the current grant program into a cohesive and accountable community investment program that aligns the expenditure of resources with community and corporate strategic directions. She reviewed the next steps for funding approaches outlined in Table `A' of the CIS `Tool Kit', contained in report CSD-08-063. She stated that Table `A' describes the different ways the community can access funds from the City and will form the foundation for the comprehensive CIS policy, which will be brought COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MINUTES JUNE 16. 200$ - 37 - CITY OF KITCHENER 5. CSD-0$-063 -COMMUNITY INVESTMENT STRATEGY tCONT'D) forward for consideration in the Fall of 2008. She then outlined the following 3 tiered funding approach for item 14 of Table `A', Community Grants: Tier 1 -referred to as foundational services, comprises services that are considered to be essential to a healthy and vibrant community and are provided by longstanding, credible organizations; Tier 2 -comprises projects or programs selected for support based on Council strategic priorities through an annual peer review process; and, Tier 3 -comprises innovative projects requiring seed funding, which are anticipated to be collaborative projects with other funders in the community. Ms. I. Pregel advised that the first step in implementing the new Tier 1 approach is to negotiate multi-year agreements for those services. However, considering the time these negotiations could take, it is proposed that for the 2009 budget year, existing groups would receive 2008 grant levels plus 2% in exchange for the provision of financial reports and a budget for 2009. She added that the project team will be conducting a detailed investigation with each organization currently being supported by the existing grant program whose services are believed to be potentially ineligible under the proposed Tier 1 criteria. She stated that the following transition strategy of declining funding over the next 2 years is being proposed for organizations identified as ineligible: 50% in 2009, 25% in 2010 and 0% in 2011. She noted that the findings of the detailed investigation are anticipated to be reported at the August 11, 2008 Community Services Committee meeting. Ms. Pregel stated that it is proposed that all Tier 2 funding requests would now be assessed on an annual basis, which would enable Council to weigh the competing priorities for the scarce pool of community grants. She added that although the details of the assessment process are still being developed, preliminary thinking is that it would include a peer review by community members with experience from a variety of sectors, who would consider the relative merits of each request. She noted that Tier 2 applications would be due in early November 2008, with recommendations being brought forward for consideration by mid-December. She commented that staff anticipate presenting the Tier 2 application and detailed assessment process at the August 11, 2008 Community Services Committee meeting. Mr. Anthony Piscitelli and Ms. Wendy Holm addressed the Committee regarding the potential development of acommunity-matching fund to empower residents to undertake community building initiatives. Mr. Piscitelli advised that this concept was developed by Mr. Jim Diers in his book entitled `Neighbor Power: Building Community the Seattle Way'. He added that Mr. Diers addressed the Waterloo Region Community Safety and Crime Prevention Council and spoke about the means with which governments and communities can work together to successfully implement neighbourhood self-help projects. He commented that inspired by the stories and guided by the detailed program descriptions in `Neighbor Power', dozens of cities throughout North America are now engaged in similar community-building efforts. The delegation suggested that once the CIS has been established, consideration could be given to the creation of acommunity-matching fund. In response to questions, Ms. L Pregel stated that discussions are underway with the City of Waterloo regarding the potential synchronization of the 2 municipalities grant processes. She advised that one of the goals of the CIS project is to prevent the duplication of services already provided or funded by the City of Kitchener. She noted that currently the existing minor sports affiliation policy permits only one club /organization per sport to be formally affiliated with the City; however, the means of identifying duplication becomes less clear when considering requests from arts and culture or community service groups. Mayor C. Zehr requested that staff investigate the possibility of establishing an informal process whereby additional sports clubs, who meet all of the other eligibility requirements, could at least be listed with the City while not being officially affiliated. In addition, he suggested that staff develop criteria to withdraw funding to organizations that cease to be in a position of need. He then stressed the importance of ensuring that all stakeholders are aware of the changes proposed by the CIS and suggested a notice of these changes be circulated to all stakeholder groups with a requirement to secure a signature as proof of delivery. COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE MINUTES JUNE 16. 200$ - 3$ - CITY OF KITCHENER 5. CSD-0$-063 -COMMUNITY INVESTMENT STRATEGY tCONT'D) In response to further questions, Ms. L Pregel clarified that the City owns a number of different assets, such as Centre in the Square, Children's Museum, Homer Watson House and Gallery and Registry Theatre, each of which is currently funded through different budgets using various processes. She stated that staff would be investigating the potential of following similar funding approaches for some or all of these assets. She added that grants have traditionally been used as a mechanism to fund the acquisition of services for a wide range of purposes, some of which have been identified as being more consistent with a purchase of service agreement. Accordingly, the next step for items 7 and 10 of Table `A' would be to follow existing purchasing policies and Department business processes in those situations. Ms. Pregel advised that these changes, along with the proposed peer review and consideration of Tier 2 requests on an annual basis, are some of the ways the CIS would differ from the current grant program. Councillor J. Gazzola expressed concern with the proposal that grant requests would only be considered once a year, as opposed to the current practise of quarterly assessments. He noted that while this may improve /streamline the administration of the grant process, in his opinion it represents a reduction in customer service. Several members expressed concerns regarding the degree of stakeholder consultation undertaken to date. In addition, concerns were expressed regarding the language used in the CIS Phase II report, noting the difficulty that it may pose to stakeholders who are trying to provide feedback to the City on the proposed changes to the grant process. A motion by Councillor B. Vrbanovic to amend the recommendation contained in report CSD- 08-063 to approve the CIS Phase II initiatives in principle was brought forward for consideration. In addition, he amended the recommendation further by adding clauses requesting staff to clarify the language of the CIS Phase II report in simpler terms, and to consult the various stakeholder groups regarding the initiatives outlined therein; with the results of that consultation to be presented in September 2008. On motion by Councillor B. Vrbanovic - it was resolved: "That Table A, Community Investment Strategy `Tool Kit', as outlined in Community Services Department report CSD-08-063, be approved in principle as the foundation from which a comprehensive Community Investment Strategy Policy will be developed for Council's consideration in the Fall of 2008; and, That the proposed criteria for Tiers 1, 2 and 3 of the Community Grants Program, as outlined in report CSD-08-063, be approved in principle; and, That the Transition Plan for existing grant recipients, as outlined in report CSD-08-063, be approved in principle; and, That the language of the Community Investment Strategy Phase II report be clarified in simpler terms as a means of better facilitating feedback from stakeholders; and further, That staff be directed to consult the various stakeholder groups regarding the initiatives outlined in the Community Investment Strategy Phase II report, with the results of the stakeholders' feedback to be presented in September 2008." 6. ADJOURNMENT On motion, the meeting adjourned at 3:40 p.m. Colin Goodeve Committee Administrator