Open Council

The 14th Meeting of the Civic Works Committee

Open Council

The 14th Meeting of the Civic Works Committee

November 1, 2022, at 12:00 PM

Original link

The meeting was called to order at 12:00 PM with Councillor E. Peloza in the Chair; it being noted that the following Members were in remote attendance: Councillors J. Helmer, M. van Holst, and P. Van Meerbergen.

1.   Disclosures of Pecuniary Interest

That it BE NOTED that no pecuniary interests were disclosed.

2.   Consent

Moved by P. Van Meerbergen

Seconded by J. Fyfe-Millar

That Items 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 BE APPROVED.

Motion Passed (5 to 0)

2.1   Amendments to the Traffic and Parking By-Law

2022-11-01 SR - Amendments to the Traffic and Parking By-Law

Moved by P. Van Meerbergen

Seconded by J. Fyfe-Millar

That, on the recommendation of the Deputy City Manager, Environment and Infrastructure, the proposed by-law, as appended to the staff report dated November 1, 2022, BE INTRODUCED at the Municipal Council meeting to be held on November 8, 2022, to amend By-law PS-114 entitled, “A by-law to regulate traffic and the parking of motor vehicles in the City of London”. (2022-T02/T08)

Motion Passed

2.2   2023 Stormwater Management Remediation Project Consultant Award

2022-11-01 SR - 2023 Stormwater management remediation project consultant award - Full

Moved by P. Van Meerbergen

Seconded by J. Fyfe-Millar

That, on the recommendation of the Deputy City Manager, Environment and Infrastructure, the following actions be taken with respect to the staff report, dated November 1, 2022, related to the 2023 Stormwater Management Remediation Project Consultant Award:

a)    Matrix Solutions Inc. BE APPOINTED Consulting Engineers in the amount of $106,880.00, including 10% contingency (excluding HST), in accordance with Section 15.2 (d) of the City of London’s Procurement of Goods and Services Policy;

b)    the financing for the project BE APPROVED in accordance with the “Sources of Financing Report”, as appended to the above-noted staff report;

c)    the Civic Administration BE AUTHORIZED to undertake all the administrative acts that are necessary in connection with this project;

d)    the approvals given, herein, BE CONDITIONAL upon the Corporation entering into a formal contract; and,

e)    the Mayor and the City Clerk BE AUTHORIZED to execute any contract or other documents, if required, to give effect to these recommendations. (2022-E03)

Motion Passed

2.3   2025 Transportation Development Charges Background Study Appointment of Consultant

2022-11-01 SR - 2025 Transportation Development Charges Background Study Appointment of Consultant - Full

Moved by P. Van Meerbergen

Seconded by J. Fyfe-Millar

That, on the recommendation of the Deputy City Manager, Environment and Infrastructure, the following actions be taken with respect to the staff report, dated November 1, 2022, related to the 2025 Transportation Development Charges Background Study Appointment of Consultant:

a)    IBI Group Professional Services (Canada) Inc. BE APPOINTED as the Consulting Engineer to complete the 2025 Transportation Development Charges Background Study, in the amount of $251,207 (excluding HST), in accordance with their proposal and Section 15.2 (g) of the Procurement of Goods and Services Policy;

b)    the financing for this assignment BE APPROVED as set out in the Sources of Financing Report, as appended to the above-noted staff report;

c)    the Civic Administration BE AUTHORIZED to undertake all the administrative acts that are necessary in connection with this assignment;

d)    the approvals given, herein, BE CONDITIONAL upon the Corporation entering into a formal contract with the consultant for the work; and,

e)    the Mayor and the City Clerk BE AUTHORIZED to execute any contract or other documents including agreements, if required, to give effect to these recommendations. (2022-F21)

Motion Passed

3.   Scheduled Items

None.

4.   Items for Direction

None.

5.   Deferred Matters/Additional Business

5.1   Deferred Matters List

CWC DEFERRED MATTERS as at October 21, 2022

Moved by J. Fyfe-Millar

Seconded by M. van Holst

That the Civic Works Committee Deferred Matters List as at October 21, 2022, BE RECEIVED.

Motion Passed (5 to 0)

5.2   (ADDED) Councillor M. van Holst - Roadway Improvements at Hamilton Road and Highbury Avenue

2022-11-01 Sub - M. van Holst Roadway Improvements at Hamilton Road and Highbury Avenue

Moved by M. van Holst

Seconded by P. Van Meerbergen

That, prior to the end of Q1 of 2023, the Civic Administration BE DIRECTED to report back to the Civic Works Committee with respect to options to advance the timing of improvements to the intersection of Hamilton Road and Highbury Avenue, along with potential measures to reduce the number of severe accidents in the interim; it being noted that the communication, as appended to the Added Agenda, from Councillor M. van Holst, with respect to this matter, was received. (2022-C09)

Motion Passed (5 to 0)

6.   Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 12:16 PM.

Full Transcript

Transcript provided by Lillian Skinner’s London Council Archive. Note: This is an automated speech-to-text transcript and may contain errors. Speaker names are not identified.

View full transcript (31 minutes)

[7:38] Just so you’re aware, the meetings are not approved for access for me in the East Coast. Jesse will have a look at that and make sure it gets published properly. Thank you. Thanks, Chancellor Halmer.

[11:17] Could you try refreshing to see if the problem is solved now? Let’s do it. Good afternoon.

[15:06] This is the 14th meeting of the Civic Works Committee. Please check the city website for additional meeting details, information. Meetings can be viewed via live streaming on YouTube and the city website. The city of London is situated in the traditional lands in Snobbech, the Haudenosaunee in the linemic, and Adawandran people. We honor and respect the history, language, and culture, the diverse indigenous people who call this territory home. The city of London is currently home to many First Nations Métis and Inuit people today. As representatives of the city and the people of London, we are grateful to have the opportunity to work and live in this territory.

[15:44] I will draw everyone’s attention that there was an added item onto our agenda today and are deferred matters in additional business. The city of London is committed to making every effort to provide alternate formats and communication supports for meetings upon request. To make a request specific to this meeting, please contact cwc@london.ca or 519-661-2489, extension 2425. For everyone’s information, I’m joined in chambers by Councillor Fyff Miller, Councillor Vanholz, Councillor Helmer, and Councillor Van Merbergen are which less virtually online today and Mayor Holder has sent his regrets.

[16:25] Looking now to the committee for disclosures of pecanary interest. Seeing none on the consent items, we have three items before us today. Would anyone like anything pulled separate? Seeing none, I will need a mover and a seconder for consent items 2.1 through to 2.3, moved by Councillor Van Merbergen, seconded by Councillor Fyff Miller, starting a speakers list. Okay, I’ll note that the amendments to the traffic and parking by-law are routine, as is the storm water management remediation consultant award and the D.C. background study for an consultant.

[17:19] Last call for questions or comments. Councillor Helmer, please proceed. Thank you. I just wanted to say on the 2025 transformation development charges background study, I think it makes a lot of sense to have the same firm that’s doing the master mobility plan work. I’ll lead this. They’re obviously very closely related. And I think there’s a lot of efficiency now and having the same firm take on both of those projects last for a minute. Thank you, Councillor Van Holst.

[17:51] Did you have your hand raised as well? Yes, thank you. And just through you to staff. So the choice of IVI as our consultant senate, and I agree there’s certainly efficiencies there as Councillor Hummer pointed out. But in this instance, that was, was this a choice made from a number of applicants for this consulting work? Or was this was simply a choice based on the points that have already been made?

[18:28] Thank you to staff, Mr. McRae. Yeah, through the chair, IVI group was hired through a competitive process initially for the mobility master plan. It involved a short listing of consultants from a request for qualifications and then a subsequent request for proposals. And then the additional phase being awarded today is directly to IVI in that we’ve confirmed that the pricing remains consistent with their initial competitive proposal and supported by the fact that there are significant both efficiencies with respect to the correlation and the synergies between the two assignments and also with respect to schedule and keeping the development charges process on schedule and in that it minimizes any delay time transferring information from one to the other.

[19:32] Thank you, Councillor, a follow up? Thank you. Perhaps staff could remind us of the magnitude of the cost for the original mobility master plan just so we can see the ratio of fees. To staff, if you have that information with you today? I don’t have the exact number, but it’s in the order of $900,000 for the mobility master plan work. Thank you, Councillor, are you satisfied?

[20:07] Yes, this is a small portion of or a reasonable portion being 25% or so of what was the big project they worked on. So I think adding this amount seems fine in this way. Thank you. Thank you, looking to committee if there’s any further questions or comments in regards to the consent items 2.1, 3 to 2.3, seeing none, calling the question. How about the A, Madam Chair?

[20:54] Using the vote, the motion carries five to zero. Thank you, and our schedule items, I have none. Items for direction, there’s none. Deferred matters in additional business. We’ll deal with these ones separate. 5.1 being the deferred matters list, looking for a mover and a seconder, moved by Councillor Fife Miller, seconded by Councillor Van Hulse, looking to see if there’s any questions or comments in the deferred matters list, seeing none, calling the question. Closing the vote, the motion carries five to zero.

[21:44] To item 5.2, and your ad is, it’s a communication from Councillor Van Hulse regarding roadway improvements at Hamilton Road and Highbury Avenue. Councillor, would you like to introduce your topic? Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. I’ll note that there’s been a number of fairly severe accidents at Hamilton and Highbury recently. And of course, some of that may be the result of poor or irresponsible driving. I would note that we did plan to make improvements to that intersection.

[22:21] They were put off to 2029. And I’m wondering if we can have our staff report back to the committee with some options to either advance the timing of those improvements to the intersection or report back with some potential measures to reduce the number or severity of the accidents in the interim. I do have a motion prepared. However, in speaking with staff, it looks like the end of 2022 might not be attainable.

[22:58] So I would like to amend that motion that prior to the end of Q1/2023, staff be directed to report back to the CWC committee with options to advance the timing of improvements to the intersection at Hamilton Road and Highbury Avenue, along with the potential, along with potential measures to reduce the number of severe accidents in the interim. So that would be the motion I hope to put on the floor so that it becomes attainable.

[23:32] I understand there’s only one city parks meeting left before the end of the year. And if I’m to ask staff for something unattainable that I would certainly try to do something much bigger than this. So if I could put that motion on the floor, I would look for a second. Thank you. So the motion is on the floor. The wording is exactly the same as what was pre-circulated just with Q1/2023 as a deadline as per staff’s request. I see a seconder in Councilor, you have two.

[24:07] We’ll go with Councilor Van Merbergen. Looking for any questions or comments? Councilor Helmer. Thank you. I don’t really have any problem with the report coming back to CWC, but the timing for this growth capital project is set out in the budget. And so I wonder if the first place we’re talking about it is actually in the budget discussions which will be happening. So I thought it might be helpful to ask through the chair to staff whether there’s any realignments or timing changes proposed in the upcoming budget updates that you want to talk about now related to this project.

[24:50] And if not, I might suggest to Councilor Benholz that suggesting something for discussion in the budget update might be the most important thing to do at this point to have a discussion about that. Potentially, if there’s a broader discussion that needs to happen, maybe it’s CWC next year and then the budget update a year after that, but I just wanted to ask about it to see if there’s already any timing changes. Mr. McCray. Yeah, thank you through the chair. The project proposed at the intersection of Hamilton and Highbury is a growth project, so DC funded.

[25:30] And therefore the timing is as identified in the current transportation development charges background study and the Councilor is correct in that it is identified as 2029. So the creation of the next background study is, and that’s the item that is under consideration consent item number 2.3, the creation of the next development charges background study for the new bylaw in 2025 is when this project and all the other growth projects will be considered as far as timing and priority and slotted in to an annual program.

[26:15] Councilor? Okay, well, I don’t think there’s any harm in having a report coming to you to see next year. If there’s enough time for staff to turn something around and that can inform that future discussion about the DC bylaw and the timing of all the growth capital projects, including this one. So I’m happy to support this motion from Councilor Rehnholst. Thank you, looking to Councilor Vanholst as you’re the final speaker on the list. Thank you, Madam Chair, and my gratitude to Councilor Hummert who is an excellent suggestion.

[26:51] I did wanna ask just about this transportation to development charges background study. So this will be considered and ‘cause it’s not a question that might come up this afternoon changes to, for instance, River Road, that would also be discussed in this study, would it? So all of those, any of those changes would happen in this transportation development charges background study. Is it, is it fine if I ask that question?

[27:29] Just one second. As you are discussing other committee business to happen this afternoon, another committee at Civic Works. Just the answer to the question might save our staff attending that meeting. If staff could give a brief concise answer is. Thank you. The development charges background study process which manages, considers growth related projects.

[28:08] So it’s going to build from the current DC background study and we’ll also consider what the Mobility Master Plan creates and recognizing that that project is sort of midstream and it is a process that then directly feeds back into the budget process. So that is coordinated through FP&P financial planning policy. Thank you, Ms. McCrae, Councillor Van Holst, you were the last speaker.

[28:41] Yes, thank you. And just, if I could, so both the Hamilton Road would be considered in this process, potentially after this request to send the, about Hamilton and Highbury. And also a previous request about River Road, they would go to the same place and the same. Councillor, are you talking about the River Road Golf Course? No, I’m kind of improvements to— To the Road Intersection at River Road?

[29:14] Yeah. Okay, Mr. McCrae, both will go and be part of this DC changes study for 2025. The current development charges background study does not have improvements to River Road identified. The assessment of all individual projects will be considered based on their growth characteristics. Councillor Van Holst.

[29:46] Okay, Madam Chair, I’m not gonna be later this point anymore. I’ll end at the meeting this afternoon for the Road Golf Course is coming up and of course development along that does have to do with the state of the road as well. So I’ll ask about that this afternoon, thank you. Thank you. Final call for questions from committee. Okay, so this is on the Councillor’s amended motion with the Q1 2023 date for roadway improvements at Hamilton Road and Highbury Avenue, calling the question.

[30:49] Opposing the vote, the motion carries five to zero. Thank you for working through that. At this point, I would like to thank committee members for another year of designated service, the Civic Works Committee, to staff that have joined us in chambers and outside of chambers supporting us and to my wonderful Vice Chair, Councillor Fife Miller for his service as well. That brings us to adjournment of our last official meeting of the Civic Works Committee. I would need a mover and a seconder. We just hang out, which I’m also good with.

[31:22] Councillor Fife Miller, seconded by Councillor Halmer, calling the question. Buy a show of hands, all in favor of parting ways. The committee clerk has said, we’re good to go. I wish you a wonderful day and some of you, I will see this evening as it’s the shine the light on a women’s abuse kickoff in Victoria Park. Have a good day.