Open Council

17th Meeting of the Infrastructure and Corporate Services Committee

Open Council

17th Meeting of the Infrastructure and Corporate Services Committee

November 17, 2025, at 1:00 PM

Original link

The meeting is called to order at 1:00 PM; it being noted that Councillor P. Van Meerbergen was in remote attendance.

1.   Disclosures of Pecuniary Interest

That it BE NOTED that no pecuniary interests were disclosed.

2.   Consent

Moved by J. Pribil

Seconded by S. Franke

That Consent Items 2.1 to 2.6 BE APPROVED.

Motion Passed (5 to 0)

2.1   Limited Tendering and Cooperative Procurement - Sewer Operations Trucks LT-2025-260

2025-11-17 Staff Report - Ltd Tendering and Cooperative Procurement-Sewer Operation Trucks

Moved by J. Pribil

Seconded by S. Franke

That, on the recommendation of the Deputy City Manager, Finance Supports, the following actions be taken with respect to the procurement of Sewer Operations Trucks:

a)    approval BE GIVEN to exercise the Limited Tendering provisions and Cooperative Purchasing in accordance with section 13.3 iii (a) and (e), and 20.0 of the Procurement of Goods and Services Policy;

b)   limited Tendering negotiated price BE ACCEPTED to purchase three (3) Vacall AllCatch catch basin cleaning trucks for a total estimated price of $2,400,000 (excluding HST) from Amaco Construction Equipment Inc. in Mississauga Ontario;

c)    limited Tendering negotiated price BE ACCEPTED to purchase one (1) Vactor Truvac HXX Hydro Excavator for a total estimated price of $873,157 (excluding HST) from Joe Johnson Equipment Inc. in Innisfil Ontario;

d)    limited Tendering negotiated price BE ACCEPTED to purchase one (1) Vactor 2100i Combination Sewer Cleaning truck for a total estimated price of $894,000 (excluding HST) from Joe Johnson Equipment Inc in Innisfil Ontario;

e)   the financing for this purchase BE APPROVED as set out in the Sources of Financing Report as appended to the staff report dated November 17, 2025 as Appendix ‘A’; and

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

Motion Passed

2.2   Closing Part of Ashland Avenue

2025-11-17 Staff Report - Closing Ashland Ave

Moved by J. Pribil

Seconded by S. Franke

That on the recommendation of the Deputy City Manager, Environment & Infrastructure, the following actions be taken with respect to closing part of Ashland Avenue:

a)    the closing of part of the southerly Ashland Avenue on Registered Plan 494 BE APPROVED;

and

b)    the proposed by-law, as appended to the staff report dated November 17, 2025 as Appendix ‘A’, BE INTRODUCED at the Municipal Council meeting to be held on November 25, 2025, for the purpose of closing part of Ashland Avenue.

Motion Passed

2.3   2025 Accessibility Compliance Report

2025-11-17 Staff Report - 2025 Accessibility Compliance Report

Moved by J. Pribil

Seconded by S. Franke

That, on the recommendation of the City Manager, the 2025 Accessibility Compliance Report BE RECEIVED for information purposes.

Motion Passed

2.4   2026 Authorization for Temporary Borrowing

2025-11-17 Staff Report - 2026 Authorization for Temporary Borrowing

Moved by J. Pribil

Seconded by S. Franke

That, on the recommendation of the Deputy City Manager, Finance Supports, the proposed by-law, as appended to the staff report dated November 17, 2025 as Appendix “A”, BE INTRODUCED at the Municipal Council meeting to be held on November 25, 2025, to authorize the temporary borrowing of certain sums to meet current expenditures of The Corporation of the City of London for the year 2026.

Motion Passed

2.5   2025 Miscellaneous Accounts Receivable Write-off

2025-11-17 Staff Report - 2025 Miscellaneous Accounts Receivable Write-off

Moved by J. Pribil

Seconded by S. Franke

That, on the recommendation of the Deputy City Manager, Finance Supports, the 2025 Miscellaneous Accounts Receivable Write-off BE RECEIVED for information.

Motion Passed

2.6   2025 Provincial Offences Act Accounts Receivable Write-off

2025-11-17 Staff Report - 2025 Provincial Offences Act

Moved by J. Pribil

Seconded by S. Franke

That, on the recommendation of the Deputy City Manager, Finance Supports, the Civic Administration BE AUTHORIZED to write-off cases, totaling $23,250 in Provincial Offences Act (POA) accounts receivable in accordance with the Ministry of the Attorney General (the “Ministry”) Write-off Directive and Council approved Accounts Receivable and Collections Policy.

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

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

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

     

A matter pertaining to the proposed or pending lease 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    Labour Relations/Employee Negotiations    

    

A matter pertaining to reports, advice and recommendations of officers and employees of the Corporation concerning labour relations and employee negotiations in regard to one of the Corporation’s unions including communications necessary for that purpose and for the purpose of providing instructions and direction to officers and employees of the Corporation.

6.3    Solicitor-Client Privileged Advice / Litigation/Potential Litigation

       

A matter pertaining to advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege including communications necessary for that purpose from the solicitor and officers or employees of the Corporation; the subject matter pertains to litigation or potential litigation with respect to a claim for compensation following the expropriation of property located at 124-126 Wellington Road at the Ontario Land Tribunal (“OLT”); and for the purpose of providing instruction and directions to officers and employees of the Corporation.

6.4    Land Acquisition/Disposition / Technical, Commercial or Financial Information Belonging to the City / Position, Plan, Procedure, Criteria or Instruction to be Applied to Any Negotiations  

     

A matter pertaining to the proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality, including discussion of financial and other information necessary for that purpose; and technical, 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.

6.5    Personal Matters/Identifiable Individual / Litigation/Potential Litigation / Solicitor-Client Privileged Advice    

   

A matter pertaining to personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees, litigation or potential litigation and advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose and directions and instructions to officers and employees or agents of the municipality.

Motion Passed (5 to 0)

The Infrastructure and Corporate Services Committee convenes In Closed session from 1:20 PM to 2:54 PM.

7.   Adjournment

Moved by S. Franke

Seconded by J. Pribil

That the meeting BE ADJOURNED.

Motion Passed

The meeting adjourned at 2:56 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 (34 minutes)

[15:51] Good afternoon, everyone. I will look to call the 17th meeting of the Infrastructure and Corporate Services Committee to order. I’ll start with the land acknowledgement. The city of London is situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lenapawik, and Adawandran. 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, Métis, 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.

[16:27] 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 ICSC at London.ca, or 519-661-2489, extension 2425. I’m joined today in council chambers with all members of committee, except for Councillor Van Meerbergen, who is joining us online. Nice to see you. And we have a number of visiting Councillors here. We have Councillor Stevenson with us, and we also have Councillor Hillier, and I know there’s some other folks online.

[17:04] Councillor McAllister, nice to see you online as well. And with that, we will go to item one, which is disclosures of pecuniary interest. Seeing none, we’ll move to item two, which is our consent agenda. We have six items under consent. I’m looking for a, to see if anyone first would like anything pulled. Seeing no request to pull items, I’ll look for a move and a seconder, and then we can begin questions. Councillor Pribble and Councillor Frank, thank you, and with that, I’ll go to committee first for questions.

[17:42] Councillor Hockett. Thank you, Madam Chair, for recognizing me. I am fine with most of the consent items. I’ll be supporting them. I do have a question now on 2.3, the 2025 Accessibility Compliance Report, and maybe through you to staff. If I can see that we are in compliance, the ODA compliant, but I’d like to know a little bit more about the training process for staff. Do we need to be trained and what that process looks like? Thank you, and Mr. Govindaraj, do you mind if taking a seat and helping to address those questions?

[18:25] Through you, Chair, thank you, Councillor Hopkins. All staff at the city and volunteers do get some kind of accessibility training when they start, it’s virtual, and they’ll go through a few modules. And when it comes to council and council members, I know in the initial onboarding, there is potential for some training that’s been done. And I know staff are looking at the next round of council, how to do those trainings when we onboard. But I know for this year, we have done a lot of new modules for staff internally.

[19:01] One is mostly around how to make accessible documents, how to update information that goes to council and how many various reports that go and come to council, but also looking at procurement. How do we get documents that are coming to council through various consultants and other reports to be accessible? So that’s the only reason London is one of the few municipalities that’s been able to have a completely compliant report on all different standards. Councillor Hopkins.

[19:38] Yes, for you, Madam Chair, it’s good to have that information. I’m pleased to know that the training is available, and it is done. I know when I’ve done the training, I’ve done a test, and it’s been quite scary as I do have to pass the test as well, but it’s a great learning opportunity on what we need to do in the city. So thank you. Thank you, Councillor. I’ll look to other committee members. Councillor Pribble, go ahead. Thank you, I might as well start with the same point, the compliance report, and my question is, in the executive summary, it states for public service organizations and for consultation with accessible community advisory committee, this consultation with the ACAC, is it during, has it already passed, or now when it’s completed, it will be consulted with this advisory committee?

[20:38] Thank you, Councillor Pribble, through you, Chair. Once this report is approved at council, we will be sharing your ACAC too, as an FYI. Councillor Pribble. Thank you, I’m once again, Mr. Chair, and then when it’s shared with the ACAC, then the ACAC will be able to make certain potential recommendations, changes, suggestions. The questions that this report that we are completing is from the ministry. So we are just complying to their requirements, but when it comes to any kind of input from ACAC, it could be more focused on the multi-year accessibility plan.

[21:19] I know we will be having a new plan from 2027 to 2030. I think that’s a moment where ACAC can give some substantial feedback. Councillor Pribble. Okay, thank you for that. So one more last question. When it says, because now when I receive this response, my question is, and for consultation with the ACAC. So what kind of consultations will ACAC be able to do? I know ACAC will give some feedback when it comes to the upcoming plan that we will be developing, but we will also be sharing a much more updated report on 2025 on all the actions that were taken.

[22:03] So that report will be coming after the end of December, but in the new year. Councillor? Thank you, no more questions on that. On 2.1, if I can please ask for the Chair to staff, there is a remaining balance just over $3 million. If there are any expectations that we would go over or we feel confident that 3.1 is sufficient for the, till the end of the multire budget for this initiative.

[22:45] Okay, I’m just looking to see which staff would like to take this question. Ms. Farbona, if I direct it to you and then you can direct it from there. Can you repeat the question, please? Councillor Pribble. Certainly at the point 2.1, when I look at the appendix A, the financials budget approved $13.4 million, balance for future works, $3.1 million. And just my question is, if it’s sufficient, if you believe it’s sufficient, then we don’t have to go to the other sources, just like such a service or fun.

[23:22] Thank you. Ms. Farbona and I also saw Mr. Freeman online. So I’ll go to him first or to you. Okay, I’ll go to the answer or Mr. Freeman, Ken. Okay, thank you. I’ll go to you first and then I’ll go to Mr. Freeman. Go ahead. Thank you through the Chair. So based on our understanding right now, we believe that that is sufficient. Certainly, there’s always changes that occur and we’re always monitoring, but at this point, we believe it is sufficient. Thank you, Mr. Freeman. Did you wanna add to that? Okay, Councillor?

[23:56] Thank you for that. And the last one is 2.4, the temporary borrowing. We are approving $102 million. And I do see that, or as always, we try to go first internally then externally through the City Reserve Funds. If we do have to tap into these amounts, is the expectations that the entire amount that we would go forward would be internally, or do you believe that there would be potentially we would go externally as well? Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Murray. You look ready to answer that question.

[24:28] Go ahead. Thank you, through you, Madam Chair. Yes, the intention would be if we were ever in a situation where we needed to temporarily borrow the intention would be the first look at internal sources to secure all of, if possible, any requirements that we might have, only after exhausting any internal options. Would we then look to potentially tap into our external line of credit? But as I believe we voted in the report, it’s not something that we’ve historically had to do. And let’s hope that continues to be the case going forward. Councillor?

[25:00] Thank you, no more questions? Thank you, looking to other members of committee, seeing no other questions there for other members, council members, I’ll go to Councillor Stevenson, go ahead. Thank you very much. A couple of questions on 2.3 for the compliance report. Does that include our boards and commissions that are consolidated in our financial statements, or is that just the city of London? Mr. Commander, I’d like. Through you, Chair, it’s only for the city of London, not the bots, thank you. Councillor Stevenson.

[25:34] Thank you, so do they have to do their own? Your Chair, yes, they would have to complete their own reports. Thank you for that. And then in terms of 2.2 for Ashland, can I just ask what the finishing on that area will look like? And I’m assuming the city will be maintaining it until it’s potentially sold to someone else? I’ll go to Ms. Stan.

[26:06] Go ahead. Or Ms. Chair, go ahead. Let me ask through the chair, this is a report one of two. The first one is to close it as a public highway. There will be a separate process that will bring forward to review whether it’s needed for municipal purposes, and if not, how to dispose of it at that time. Councillor? Thank you, so just as a follow up. In the meantime, the condition that people can expect of that area. Through the chair, the construction project for that phase of rapid transit is out for tender right now.

[26:40] So that area will be part of the construction zone over the next construction season and a half. And so going forward, we’ll probably be completing that second phase of this process to determine municipal need during that time. And hopefully by the time we finish construction, we’ll be putting it back into whatever its ultimate purpose is, which is likely just grassed with an easement over because there are municipal services underneath. Councillor? Okay, thank you for that. And then moving on to 2.5, I did just have a couple of questions. I’m wondering if all of the miscellaneous invoices can be added to the tax roll, and if not, which ones?

[27:18] And then do we add all of the invoices that we’re able to, to the tax roll, to try to ensure that there’s collection at some point in the future? Thank you, I’ll go to Mr. Collins. Through the chair to committee, the civic administration ensures that any time there’s an opportunity afforded through by-law to add a fee to tax rolls where we can’t collect, we will add to the tax roll. That’s our first approach before we look to assessing the collectability of taxes. So we use all the mechanisms afforded to us through by-law.

[27:52] Thank you. Councillor? Okay, that’s great to hear. And which ones on there are we not able to of the five that are listed, Mr. Collins? So of the five that are being written off, none of them can be added to tax roll, hence they’re before or been identified to committee. Miscellaneous receivables can make up of landfill site fees, pumping station fees, by-law property standards and fractions, fire services inspections, motor vehicle collision fees, bulk bin collections are examples of some of those fees that get grouped under miscellaneous receivables.

[28:40] We generally see the motor vehicle collisions being uncollectible, basically due to the infraction being done by our driver who is from out of town. So it’s not a resident to the city of London, thanks. Councillor Stephens? Thank you very much for that. Is there any opportunity to communicate with other municipalities and collect that way or is that not an option? Mr. Collins? Through the chair, I do not, I’m not aware of the response at the moment, I can certainly follow up and respond back to the Councillor.

[29:21] Thank you, Councillor? Perfect, thank you so much for that. My other question is, there’s a mention in under 1.4 that only a small percentage of invoices are sent to the collection, I’m assuming that’s because most of them are collected in house, but I just wanted to confirm, Mr. Collins? Through the chair to committee, that would be correct. We exhaust all the in-house avenues before we turn over to third party collections. As when we do go to third party collections, they do charge a fee, which is roughly 1/5 of the fine collected, so we exhaust all in-house avenues before we look to third party collections.

[30:07] Back in 2024, we expanded the number of third party collection agencies from three to four to ensure that we are, ensuring that we’re capturing all the monies owed back to the city for possible, thank you. Councillor? Thank you very much, it’s good to hear, I know taxpayers like to hear that, that all the efforts are made, and especially when it’s for fines, for things that are a problem. One last question on this one is under 2.1, I wondered what statute and which fees are they that expire, and if it needs to come later on in email, that’s fine.

[30:45] Mr. Collins? Through the chair to committee, the predominant one that comes to mind, which is the motor vehicle collision one, we’re there’s about a two year limit, which is the bulk of the ones that are being sought to be written off, thank you. Perfect, that’s great, so then on 2.6, there’s two $10,000 invoices, and I just wondered if we know what those are for, I’m assuming they’re individual invoices, or maybe they’re an accumulation of fees, but I was just curious, Mr. Collins?

[31:25] Through the chair to committee, with disclosing too much information, I could advise that there were offenses under the Employment Standards Act. One was for approximately $10,000, the other one was just over $12,000, one was a general offense, and one was a offense related to the director’s liability, and both the falters are pretty much bankrupt, so there’s no ability to collect from them. Councillor?

[32:00] Thank you very much, just one last question. I guess it’s the same thing, we’ve got a half a million in write offs on these provincial offenses, and just give us an idea of what that is that we’re writing off, is it again out of towners or expired, Mr. Collins? Through the chair to committee, as outlined on page 34, the number of cases that are being written off, run the gamut of different offenses, so it would be hard to pinpoint a certain fine.

[32:43] I do draw committee’s attention to the paragraph underneath the table on page 34 of the agenda, table three, where it says, the write off process is for accounting and financial statement purposes only. Write offs do not absolve a convicted offender from the requirement to pay the amount owing on a case, so it’s still owed, however, for financial statement reporting purposes, due to the unlikelihood of being able to collect, we write off to ensure that we have transparent, accurate financial statements presented to reflect the community.

[33:20] Councillor? That’s all my questions, thank you. Thank you, looking to other visiting council members, and I thought Deputy Mayor Lewis joined us as well. Any other questions before we call the vote? Okay, seeing none, we open that for voting. Closing the vote, motion carries, five to zero. Thank you, we have no scheduled items and no items for direction.

[33:57] I have not been made aware of any additional business or we have no deferred matters at this time. With that, we’ll move to item six, which is our confidential. There are five items, and the reasons are listed in the agenda. I’m looking for a mover and a seconder, Councillor Hopkins, and a seconder to go in camera. Councillor Pribble, thank you, and we’ll open that for vote. Closing the vote, motion carries, five to zero.