Special City Council - Budget
Meeting Agenda

Wednesday, October 30, 2024 at 9:00 A.m. - 5:00 P.m.

Council Chambers

Guelph City Hall, 1 Carden Street

Changes to the original agenda are noted with an asterisk "*".

City Council meetings are live streamed at guelph.ca/live. Visit guelph.ca/delegate to submit correspondence or register to speak before Council regarding an item on this agenda. 

To listen to the meeting over the phone, call 1-416-216-5643 and enter access code 2338 550 2879.

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1.

Call to Order

1.1

O Canada

1.2

Silent Reflection

1.3

First Nations Acknowledgement

1.4

Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof

2.

2025 Draft Budget Update

2.1

Mayor's Draft 2025 Budget Update - 2024-458

Presentation:
Tara Baker, Chief Administrative Officer
Trevor Lee, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Corporate Services
Colleen Clack-Bush, Chief Administrative Officer, Public Services
Jayne Holmes, Chief Administrative Officer, Infrastructure, Development and Environment
Shanna O'Dwyer, Acting General Manager, Finance/City Treasurer 
Jodie Sales, General Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Intergovernmental Services

3.

Authority to move into closed meeting

• That the Council of the City of Guelph now hold a meeting that is closed to the public, pursuant to the Municipal Act, to consider:

3.1

Call to Order (closed meeting)

3.2

Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof (closed items)

3.3

Closed - Mayor's Draft 2025 Budget Update - 2024-459

 Section 239(2)(d) of the Municipal Act, regarding labour relations or employee negotiations.

4.

Closed Meeting Summary

5.

2025 Draft Budget Update Companion Report - Council Budget Decisions - 2024-457

• The following recommendations will be brought forward to City Council for decision at the Special City Council Budget meeting on November 27, 2024:

   

  1. That the 2025-2027 rates fees and charges be readopted, subject to any amendments in budget confirmation years 2026 and 2027.
  2. That the Development Applications Fee By-law be amended to reflect the changes in Attachment-1.
  3. That in accordance with the General Reserve and Reserve Fund Policy, total transfers to and from reserves and reserve funds for 2025 are approved.
  4. That a one-time transfer from the Library Capital reserve fund (#157) to the Infrastructure Renewal reserve fund (#150) to properly align funding and expenditures for Baker District debt servicing costs is approved.
  5. That Appendix A of the General Reserve and Reserve Fund Policy be amended to reflect the creation of a Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) reserve fund (#304) and a Building Faster Fund (BFF) reserve fund (#306) in accordance with the terms and authority identified in the 2024-457 2025 Draft Budget Update Companion Report – Council Budget Decisions report, dated October 30, 2024.
  6. That Council acknowledges the City’s reserve strategy deployed in the 2025 budget update results in operating contingency reserve balances that continue to be below approved targets, and that staff continue to be directed to replenish these reserves as a first priority through the allocation of year-end surplus until such point that they reach a minimum of 75 per cent of target over the multi-year budget period.
  7. That Council acknowledges that the 10-year capital budget and forecast included in the 2025 budget update will significantly draw down the City’s capital reserve funds and rely on inter-reserve fund borrowing, and that this is expected to result in balances below policy targets at times during the budget and forecast period.
  8. That Council acknowledges that the 10-year capital budget and forecast included in the 2025 budget update will be supported by debt financing at the same level as the debt strategy proposed in the 2024-2027 multi-year budget, and that the projected debt levels are in excess of the credit rating agency criterion, which will likely impact the City’s future credit rating.
  9. That given the sustained increase in the size of the capital budget and forecast, the projected drawdown of reserve funds and increased reliance on debt, staff be directed to undertake a sustainability analysis on the overall level of tax supported capital funding, and report back to Council with any recommendations prior to the next multi-year budget cycle (2028 – 2031).
  10. That staff be directed to assess the long-term capital needs of the water and wastewater services, and the impact on customers of adjusting utility rates between the services to achieve a balanced capital reserve fund forecast for each service; and that proposed adjustments resulting from this assessment are presented as part of the 2026 budget confirmation process.

6.

Adjournment