Regular Council Meeting - January 13th, 2025

As per the council procedure bylaw, the agenda and minutes will be uploaded when available. 

Please see below for a summary for key items coming from the Monday, January 13th Council meeting:

• Council approved the removal and replacement of the Memorial Wall in Mariners Park to the area just adjacent to its current location in order to enable a covered seating area to be installed for public benefit. Please note that all names on the existing wall will continue to be recognized on the future wall. The City will now be putting this project out for bid as a Design/Build process to determine how it will be constructed.
• Council provided direction to staff to develop a new administrative Memorial Program Policy, with direction to have the City own memorial benches moving forward, allowing greater flexibility for the City to locate seating according to the Outdoor Parks and Recreation Plan, and reducing potential cost increases to those seeking to participate in the memorial program through the purchase of plaques, versus the current program which has residents purchase the bench and plaque. At the direction of Council, provision will also be made for residents to apply for plaques along the remaining walls along the Millennium Walkway. This area is subject to current design planning processes, which may see the walls reimagined and moved to the opposing side of the path to enhance the viewscape, but with the intent to retain the names of those recognized. Policy directives were developed with consideration for responses received from our memorial program survey, completed in the fall. 
• Council received a report on 3 administrative penalties given to the City by the Provincial Ministry of Environment and Climate Change on our permits for the Wantage Road Landfill ($26,000), Sewer Outfalls ($18,460), and Ridley Island landfill ($121,000). The City has been aware of potential penalties due to a combination of issues related to infrastructure and climatic conditions, and has been actively engaging with the Ministry on options to address these issues. We are working with the Ministry to try to reduce the penalties and work toward compliance. Staff will be updating on the path toward compliance and after the final determination.