The summer meeting schedule at Tom Davies Square is a journalist's delight.
Rather than weekly meetings at night Mondays and Tuesdays, in summer, city council and all its committees meet two days a month in July and August, starting early in the morning and running until evening. This year, they also held strategic planning sessions on Wednesday, something not covered by the media -- or mentioned in an earlier version of this story, as pointed out by one city councillor on my twitter feed.
Two days of non-stop action and no five-hour meetings that run until the wee hours. What's not to like? But with so much going on, here's a look at some of the stories you might have missed:
Emotional motions
The never ending soap opera known as the Battle of the KED is a backdrop for a lot of motions from councillors. Most recently, Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc withdrew his motion that would have changed a bylaw to prevent the downtown BIA from suing the city again. At the July 9 city council meeting, Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini made a dramatic speech about how the BIA has a constitutional right to sue the city, and threatened to walk out during the vote because he believed it was illegal.
City staff pointed out similar bylaws already exist in Peterborough and Toronto and that what Leduc was proposing was well established legally. But, perhaps sensing he didn't have the votes to win, Leduc withdrew his motion.
Delayed motions
Speaking of delayed motions, a vote on a plan to require Greater Sudbury Utilities to pay the city dividends was also delayed. The GSU says it already pays more back to the city than the vast majority of municipally owned utilities, and that requiring a dividend payment on top would lead to higher rates. City staff say their policy would give the city a share of profits without affecting rates. It's another issue that has divided council, and for the second meeting in a row, a vote was deferred.
No drink minimum
Councillors did agree, however, to eliminate booze as an acceptable expense claim for councillors and city staff. The only exception would be when a drink is included in the price of a ticket for a function. Vagnini was accused during last fall's municipal election campaign of claiming booze expenses, and he had the highest claims for hospitality expenses of any councillor. But he angrily denied the claims and posted his expenses to his Facebook page. Regardless, the option has been eliminated.
Draining conversation
Councillors also approved an extra $4.163 million for the Paquette-Whitson Municipal Drain, a $12.743 million project that will improve flooding fears in the Valley. It has been in the works since the 1990s, and money has been set aside for years. But bids came in higher than expected, and staff needed permission to draw on reserve funds to make up the shortfall. Previous drain projects in the area added water flow into the Whitson River, raising flood fears. The project will include large stormwater management ponds and will help filter stormwater of toxins before it reaches the river.
Making it easier to be green
Finally, at the July 8 operations committee, councillors approved a plan from Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh to put some meat on the bones of climate emergency declaration they made earlier this year. A report later this year will include options for developers who can save money on development charges if they build green initiatives into housing. The initiatives include solar-powered hot water systems that heat at least 25 per cent of a building's water, and discounts for other solar-powered systems. Plus they can get discounts if they show the building meets the latest green technology requirements under the Green Building Council of Canada.
