Open Council

16th Meeting of the Infrastructure and Corporate Services Committee

Open Council

16th Meeting of the Infrastructure and Corporate Services Committee

October 27, 2025, at 1:00 PM

Original link

The meeting is called to order at 1:00 PM; it being noted Councillor S. Franke was in remote attendance.

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. Pribil

That Consent Items 2.1 to 2.5 BE APPROVED.

Motion Passed (5 to 0)

2.1   Biosolids Management Master Plan - Notice of Completion (Referred July 22, 2025)

2025-10-27 Staff Report - Biosolids Management Master Plan

Moved by P. Van Meerbergen

Seconded by J. Pribil

That on the recommendation of Deputy City Manager, Environment and Infrastructure, the following actions be taken with respect to the Biosolids Management Master Plan:

a)    the Notice of Completion BE FILED with the Municipal Clerk;

b)    the Biosolids Management Master Plan report BE PLACED on public record for a 30-day review period; and

c)    the recommended implementation plan presented in the Biosolids Management Master Plan BE APPROVED following the 30-day public review period and following responses to any comments received in accordance with the Master Planning process;

it being noted that if comments are received that require material changes to recommendations in the Biosolids Management Master Plan, the Plan will return to Council with revised recommendations;

it being further noted that the pace for advancing the projects recommended through this Master Plan will be further refined during design and may also require adjustment to meet the constraints of existing program budgets, and any Council decisions made through the upcoming 2028-2031 multi-year budget process.

it being pointed out that the Infrastructure and Corporate Services Committee received communications from C. L. Ivanitz, Law Clerk, Beckett Personal Injury Lawyers and G. Sheil, PLC Member, with respect to this matter.

Motion Passed

2.2   Single Source Procurement - Replacement of Flow Monitoring and Rain Gauge Equipment

2025-10-27 Staff Report - Single Source Procurement-Replacement of Flow

Moved by P. Van Meerbergen

Seconded by J. Pribil

That, on the recommendation of the Deputy City Manager, Environment & Infrastructure, the following actions be taken with respect to flow and rainfall monitoring equipment purchase:

a)    supply of flow monitors and rain gauges BE AWARDED to Blue Siren Inc. at a total upset limit of $300,000.00 (excluding HST), in accordance with Sections 13.3 iii (a) and 13.3 iii (e) of the City of London’s Procurement of Goods and Services Policy;

b)    the financing for this purchase BE APPROVED as set out in the Sources of Financing Report, as appended to the staff report dated October 27, 2025 as Appendix ‘A’;

c)    the Mayor and the City Clerk BE AUTHORIZED to execute any contract or other documents, if required, to give effect to these recommendations; and

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

Motion Passed

2.3   Appointment of Consulting Engineer: RFP-2025-201 Gainsborough Road Rehabilitation Detailed Design and Construction Administration

2025-10-27 Staff Report - Appointment of Consulting Engineer RFP-2025-201

Moved by P. Van Meerbergen

Seconded by J. Pribil

That, on the recommendation of the Deputy City Manager, Environment & Infrastructure, the following actions be taken with respect to the appointment of a consulting engineer for the detailed design, tendering and construction administration of the Gainsborough Road Rehabilitation from Wonderland Road to Aldersbrook Road (RFP-2025-201):

a)    the proposal submitted by Dillon Consulting Limited BE ACCEPTED to provide consulting engineering services to complete the detailed design, tendering, and construction administration services at an upset amount of $306,884 (excluding HST), as per Section 15.2 (e) 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 staff report dated October 27, 2025, as Appendix A;

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.

Motion Passed

2.4   2024 Annual Reporting of Lease Financing Agreements

2025-10-27 Staff Report - 2024 Annual Reporting of Lease Financing Agreements

Moved by P. Van Meerbergen

Seconded by J. Pribil

That, on the recommendation of the Deputy City Manager, Finance Supports, the report regarding the 2024 Annual Reporting of Lease Financing Agreements BE RECEIVED for information.

Motion Passed

2.5   Pre-Authorized Tax Payment Plan By-Law and Collection of Property Taxes By-Law

2025-10-27 Staff Report - Pre-Authorized Tax Payment Plan By-Law

Moved by P. Van Meerbergen

Seconded by J. Pribil

That, on the recommendation of the Deputy City Manager, Finance Supports, the following actions be taken with respect to property taxation for 2026:

a)    the proposed by-law, appended to the staff report dated October 27, 2025 as Appendix “A” BE INTRODUCED at the Council meeting to be held on November 4, 2025, to amend By-law A.-5505-497 being “a by-law to authorize the implementation of a pre-authorized payment plan” so that the calculation of pre-authorized payments is based on the previous year’s taxes increased by the average increase in total property tax rates in the residential class of the previous year; and

b)    the proposed by-law, as appended to the staff report dated October 27, 2025 as Appendix “B” BE INTRODUCED at the Council meeting to be held on November 4, 2025, to amend By-law A-8426-294 entitled “Property Tax Collection by-law” so that the calculation of the interim tax levy will be set at a percentage of 42.63% of the previous year’s taxes.

Motion Passed

3.   Scheduled Items

None.

4.   Items for Direction

None.

5.   Deferred Matters/Additional Business

None.

6.   Confidential (Provided to Members only.)

Moved by A. Hopkins

Seconded by J. Pribil

The Infrastructure and Corporate Services Committee convenes In Closed session to consider the following:

6.1    Land Acquisition / Solicitor-Client Privileged Advice / Position, Plan, Procedure, Criteria or Instruction to be Applied to Any Negotiations

A matter pertaining to the proposed or pending acquisition of land by the municipality, including communications necessary for that purpose; advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege; commercial and financial information, that belongs to the municipality and has monetary value or potential monetary value and a position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality.

6.2    Land Acquisition / Solicitor-Client Privileged Advice / Position, Plan, Procedure, Criteria or Instruction to be Applied to Any Negotiations

A matter pertaining to the proposed or pending acquisition of land by the municipality, including communications necessary for that purpose; advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege; commercial and financial information, that belongs to the municipality and has monetary value or potential monetary value and a position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality.

6.3    Labour Relations/Employee Negotiations

A matter pertaining to personnel, labour relations and potential employee negotiations in regards to the Corporation’s management employee group, advice and recommendations of officers and employees of the Corporation including communications necessary for that purpose.

Motion Passed (5 to 0)

The Infrastructure and Corporate Services Committee convenes In Closed Session from 1:13 PM to 1:33 PM.

7.   Adjournment

Moved by P. Van Meerbergen

Seconded by J. Pribil

That the meeting BE ADJOURNED.

Motion Passed

The meeting adjourned at 1:35 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 (32 minutes)

[10:30] Good afternoon, everyone. I’ll look to call the 16th meeting of the Infrastructure and Corporate Services Committee meeting to order.

[16:48] We’ll start with the land acknowledgement. The city of London is situated on the traditional territory, sorry, traditional lands of the Anishinaabeck, Haudenosaunee, Lenapawek, and Audewandran. We honor and respect the history, languages, and culture of the diverse indigenous people who call this territory home. The city of London is currently home to many First Nation, Mayty, and Inuit today. As representatives of the people of the city of London, we are grateful to have the opportunity to work and live in this territory. The city of London is committed to making every effort to provide alternate formats and communication supports for meetings upon request.

[17:21] To make a request specific to this meeting, please contact icse@london.ca or 519-661-2489, extension 2425. I’m joined today in chambers with Councillor Pribble, Councillor Van Mierbergen, Councillor Hopkins, and online we have Councillor Frank and Councillor Hillier. Thanks everyone for joining us. We’re going to get started with what number? Item one, disclosures of culinary interest. Seeing none, we’ll move on to item two, which is the consent items.

[17:57] I am looking to committee to see if there’s any requests for items to be pulled. Seeing none at this time, I’ll look for a mover and a seconder, Councillor Van Mierbergen, Councillor Pribble, thank you, and I’ll look for some discussion on these items. Councillor Pribble. Thank you, Mr. Chair, to the staff. Just one clarification and that has to do with the point 2.5. I know it says regarding 2026 when the bills will be sent out in terms of January and May, but I just want to confirm that the dates, the deadlines to pay will be the same, which is February and March and then June, August, October.

[18:40] If you could please confirm that, thank you. Mr. Collins. Mr. Chair, to the committee, to the Councillor’s question, yes, to confirm that the dates, those five dates that are aligned on the report will be consistent in 2026. Councillor Pribble. And that’s all I have, thank you. Thank you, looking to other members of committee for any questions or comments on the items in front of us. Councillor Hopkins. Thank you, Madam Chair. And I do have a question on maybe, I’ll start with 2.1, the Biosolids Management Master Plan.

[19:20] I understand we’ve got a few edits as well. On the agenda, I want to thank staff for doing the public participation meeting. I do have a question around the OTA mitigation at W12. Do we know what it looks like right now as we go out to, well, as we, you know, as the recommendation is here, it’s going to go out for a 30-day public review, but I think having a little bit more information on the OTA mitigation as it relates to W12 is a good starting part for the conversation.

[20:03] Thank you. I’ll go to Ms. Sherry to get the conversation started. Thank you, Madam Chair. I will certainly start at Mr. Utterkirk as here as well if he wants to provide additional information with respect to the Biosolids facility proposed for W12A as part of this plan. When it were constructed, the intent would be for it to be hauled in fully sealed liquid waste and containment trucks and we would expect this to be a fully enclosed facility so you would expect to see dual doors, negative pressure between the doors to eliminate escapee odors as well as full containment on the processing facility through its exhaust system as well, so filtering, et cetera.

[20:36] I certainly, I would anticipate that a facility of modern design of this caliber would generate less odor than the landfill itself which, of course, by the nature of landfill operations will have open bases where we’re working actively to dispose of waste. Councillor Hopkins. Thank you for that. I’d lift very close to the Greenway plant and would the odor mitigation that goes on there, would it be very similar to the plans for W12, Ms. Sherry? It’s certainly the W12A landfill, sorry, for the facility of W12A, this would actually be a higher level of mitigation than it’s possible where you have some open spaces, including tertiary treatment ponds, some outdoor lagoons.

[21:22] But Mr. Otterkirk is here and he’s involved in both the proposed facility and W12A, so I’m happy to turn it over to him for some more detail. Mr. Otterkirk? Thank you and through the chair. Yeah, a lot of the technologies for the odor mitigation will be similar, but as Ms. Sherry mentioned, it’s the ability to control those odors is going to be actually increased at the facility that we’re proposing at W12A because it’s being received in full liquid form inside contained tankers. It would be unloaded through sealed pipes and everything is contained from start to finish as opposed to out of treatment plant where you have open tanks and other vents that have to be in place to accommodate the process.

[22:01] Councillor Hopkins? Good to know ‘cause I think the Greenway plant does a good job dealing with the odors, so that’s good to know. Going forward, and I know we’ll be holding another public participation meeting as well for the public to give further comments, so thank you for that. I do have another question as it relates to the 2.4, the 2024 annual reporting of lease financing agreements. I want to thank staff for the report. I was really looking for a little bit more information and having a better understanding as to how many lease agreements that we have as it relates to capital lease agreements.

[22:45] Is that there for the public information? Just as kind of curious as I was reading the report. Thank you, Mr. Collins. Through the chair to committee, the number of property leases that we have, approximately 22, which relate anywhere from Dundas Street for Social Services in East London, at West Mount Mall in Wonderland for West Social Services, as well as City Plaza and other various facilities that the city currently undertakes.

[23:22] Councillor Hopkins. Thank you for that information, I find that quite helpful. And with that, those are my questions, thank you. Thank you, I’ll go to Councillor Perbal. Thank you, Mr. Chair, to the staff. I do have a follow-up on the 2.1 biosolids and it states the 30-day period and if there will be certain objections or suggestions that it would have to be reviewed that potentially it will be extended if not that in 30 days, it will be applied this proposal, which is in front of us. But my question is the individuals, and I understand that the sooner the better they send their suggestions, recommendations, whatever it is or their concerns, but will be kind of the latest within the 30-day period that you would recommend the residents or anyone who wants to submit any submission to do it by certain what period of time.

[24:23] Ms. Chair. Thank you, Madam Chair. Certainly any time within the 30 days is available to anyone who wishes to comment during under the legislation. I will also note that as individual projects in the biosolids management program that’s described in this report proceed, we would also be looking to engage as we move closely towards the design and construction of any facility that’s included in this plan. Councillor Perbal. I do understand within the 30 days, but again, potentially the review, if someone sends it on the 29s or 30 days, I don’t think it will give our staff, you enough time to kind of review and to see to review it.

[25:03] So is there a certain specific, again, suggestions to the residents by when within the 30-day period, they should make their submissions? Ms. Chair. Thank you, Madam Chair. So the 30-day period is the statutory period in which residents are permitted to provide comments that we have to review. So up to the end of the 30 days, it would still be received as an in-time comment related to the environmental assessment process. Councillor Perbal, does that satisfy your question? No, I do have one more follow-up. So if someone submits it on 30th day, which is within the guideline, and if it’s something potentially that could be of a concern or something potentially that we need to review.

[25:45] So based on this on the 31st day, it would become legal, is that correct? Or does it give us additional time for our staff to review and make appropriate recommendations or changes? Ms. Chair. So all comments that are received with respect to the 30-day period, we are obliged to review no matter when they’re received within those 30 days. So if anyone comments within that 30-day period under the legislation, those comments would be then considered as whether or not they’re material or material to the approval of the actual EA by the ministry.

[26:19] So there’s no restriction with respect to when people can submit those comments up to the end of the 30-day posting period. Councillor Perbal. Thank you, no more questions? Okay, looking for any other speakers to these items. Okay, seeing none, if you’ll permit me from the chair, just to make a comment on the 2.3, the appointment of consulting engineering for 201 Gainesboro Road Rehabilitation. First, I just wanna thank staff for the report that’s in front of us for this much-needed construction work in the Gainesboro area.

[27:01] I know that when I’ve talked to residents about construction in this area and along the stretch, what I’ve heard is, oh, can it be extended all the way down Gainesboro? So we can finish the entirety of that corridor all at once because I think everyone feels there’s a great need for it to all be done. And the big thing I hear from people is the need for bike lanes on Gainesboro Road, especially to match some of the infrastructure that we have elsewhere in the area. And then hopefully to connect better to Wonderland Road.

[27:36] So definitely needed. As we go through this upgrade, I know that there will be some transit stop impacts. And I’m just wondering how that will be mitigated to address concerns during the construction timeline. Through the chair, as we develop a construction schedule, we would coordinate with LTC as well to make sure that they’re aware of the upcoming plans and all necessary adjustments are made.

[28:11] Thank you. And again, much appreciated. And I know there’ll be further dialogue with the community on this as well. Thank you. I know Deputy Mayor Lewis just joined us. We are just on consent items right now and just finishing up with questions and seeing that there are none additional, I will look to open the vote on all items for consent. Closing the vote, motion carries, five to zero.

[28:58] Thank you. We have no scheduled items, items for direction. I’ll go to deferred matters in additional business. So there are any items for additional business. Okay, seeing none, we’ll move to item six, which is confidential. We have three items in front of us for confidential matters today as outlined in our agenda. We have land acquisitions, list or client privilege advice, position plan procedure, et cetera for 6.1 and 6.2, and then labor relations, employee negotiation matter for 6.3.

[29:30] I’ll look for a motion to go in camera. Councilor Hopkins, seconded by Councilor Perble, and we will get that open for a vote. Closing the vote, motion carries, five to zero. Thank you. Just give us a moment to get the rooms set up. Thank you.

[31:57] I’ll go to Councilor Hopkins to report out from in camera. I’d like to report out that progress was made for the three items that we went in camera for. Thank you, and with that, we’re at item number seven, which is a motion to adjourn. Councilor Van Meerberg, and seconded by Councilor Perble, by hand, all in favor, motion carries. Thanks, everyone. Have a great day.