Minutes of Committee of the Whole Meeting

Tuesday, November 04, 2025 at 1:30 P.m. - 8:00 P.m.

Council Chambers

Guelph City Hall, 1 Carden Street

Council:

• Mayor C. Guthrie
• Councillor P. Allt
• Councillor C. Billings
• Councillor L. Busuttil
• Councillor L. Caron
• Councillor E. Caton
• Councillor K. Chew
• Councillor C. Downer
• Councillor D. Gibson
• Councillor R. Goller
• Councillor K. Hauser
• Councillor C. Klassen
• Councillor M. Richardson

Staff:

• T. Baker, Chief Administrative Officer
• T. Gayman, Acting Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Infrastructure, Development and Environment
• S. O'Brien, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Corporate Services
• J. Krauter, Deputy Treasurer/Manager, Revenue and Treasury
• D. Gronc, Manager, Corporate and Community Safety
• C. Matthews, Manager, Community and Affordable Housing
• D. McMahon, Manager, Legislative Services/Deputy Clerk
• L. Gatto, Supervisor, Taxation Revenue
• D. McKenzie, Planner ll - Affordable Housing
• G. Brennan, Council and Committee Coordinator
• J. T. McDonald, Council and Committee Assistant
• A. Sandor, Council and Committee Coordinator

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1.

Call to Order

Chair Klassen called the meeting to order (1:30 p.m.).

1.1

Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof

There were no disclosures.

2.

Authority to move into closed meeting

• Moved By Councillor Caron
  Seconded By Councillor K. Hauser
  1. 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:

  Wastewater Lab Closure - 2025-476

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

  Voting in Favour: (11)

  Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Goller, Councillor Allt, Councillor Downer, Councillor Billings, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Klassen, Councillor Richardson, Councillor Busuttil, and Councillor K. Hauser

  Carried (11 to 0)

  The following items were considered:

  
  

2.1

Call to Order (closed meeting)

2.3

Wastewater Lab Closure - 2025-476

3.

Closed Meeting Summary

Chair Klassen noted the following:

Wastewater Lab Closure - 2025-476 

Council gave direction to staff.

4.

Open Meeting - 2:00 p.m.

Chair Klassen called the meeting to order (2:01p.m.)

4.4

Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof

There were no disclosures.

5.

Staff Recognitions

5.1

Completion of Municipal Administration Program (MAP) AMCTO and Completion of Municipal Accounting and Finance Program (MAFP) AMCTO

Vice-Chair Caron recognized Andrew Sandor, Council and Committee Coordinator, for his achievements.

6.

Service Area - Governance

Councillor Busuttil assumed the Chair

7.

Consent Agenda - Governance

7.1

Diversity Plan for the Guelph Police Service Board - 2025-470

• Moved By Councillor Caron
  Seconded By Councillor K. Hauser
  1. That the Diversity Plan for the Guelph Police Service Board, included as Attachment-1 to report 2025-470, be approved.

  Voting in Favour: (13)

  Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor Allt, Councillor Downer, Councillor Billings, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Klassen, Councillor Richardson, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Chew, and Councillor K. Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)

9.

Service Area - Infrastructure, Development and Environment

Councillor Klassen assumed the Chair.

10.

Consent Agenda - Infrastructure, Development and Environment

10.1

City of Guelph Source Protection Plan Proposed Amendments and Endorsement - 2025-480

• Moved By Councillor Goller
  Seconded By Councillor Richardson
  1. That Council endorse the draft water quantity policy amendments to the Grand River Source Protection Plan as per Section 34 of the Clean Water Act.

  Voting in Favour: (13)

  Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor Allt, Councillor Downer, Councillor Billings, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Klassen, Councillor Richardson, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Chew, and Councillor K. Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)

11.

Service Area - Corporate Services and Office of the Chief Administrative Officer

Councillor Caron assumed the Chair.

12.

Items for Discussion - Corporate Services and Office of the Chief Administrative Officer

12.1

Affordable Housing Programming and Policy Update, 2025-309

Cushla Matthews, Manager, Community and Affordable Housing and Lisa Gato, Supervisor, Taxation Revenue, presented the Affordable Housing Programming and Policy Update

The following delegates spoke:
Susan Watson
Stephanie Clendenning
Tay Caton, Get Involved! Guelph
Joan Fenlon
Ken Thompson, Get Involved! Guelph
Scott Frederick, The Ward Residents Association
Daniel Kaufmann
Dominica McPherson, Guelph and Wellington Poverty Elimination Collaborative
H. Werner Zimmermann

Council recessed (2:55 p.m.). Council reconvened (3:00 p.m.).

• Main Motion
  Moved By Councillor Klassen
  Seconded By Councillor Richardson
  1. That staff be directed to continue to advocate to the Province for legislative changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to ensure that the issue of renovictions is being addressed consistently across Ontario.
  2. That staff be directed to continue to collect data on, and monitor the implementation of, municipal renoviction by-laws and return to Council in Q1 2027 with an updated report and recommendations about both a renoviction by-law and rental replacement by-law.
  3. That staff be directed to draft a complaint-based vacant home tax by-law for Council approval, with a vacant home tax rate of two per cent, subject to the inclusion of $275,000 in estimated expenditures and estimated program revenues (based on a two per cent tax rate), in the 2026 budget update.
• Amendment to clause 1 of Main Motion
  Moved By Councillor Goller
  Seconded By Councillor Allt
  1. That staff be directed to continue to advocate to the Province for legislative changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to ensure that the issue of renovictions is being addressed consistently across Ontario. And, that if changes occur, that staff be directed to inform Council, through an information report, of any applicable impacts.​

  Voting in Favour: (13)

  Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor Allt, Councillor Downer, Councillor Billings, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Klassen, Councillor Richardson, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Chew, and Councillor K. Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)

• Councillor Downer called a Point of Order and asked for clarification on the amendment to the second clause to determine if it was contrary to the main motion.

  Chair Caron ruled that the amendment was in order.

  Amendment to clause 2 of Main Motion
  Moved By Councillor Caton
  Seconded By Councillor Busuttil
  1. That clause 2 be replaced with:​​ That staff be directed to begin development of a framework for a Renoviction By-law and Rental Replacement By-law in 2026, subject to the inclusion of $311,000 in estimated expenditures, in the 2026 budget update.

  Voting in Favour: (13)

  Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor Allt, Councillor Downer, Councillor Billings, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Klassen, Councillor Richardson, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Chew, and Councillor K. Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)
• Amendment to clause 3 of Main Motion
  Moved By Councillor Goller
  Seconded By Councillor Klassen
  1. That staff be directed to draft a complaint-based vacant home tax by-law for Council approval, with a vacant home tax rate of four per cent, subject to the inclusion of$275,000 in estimated expenditures and estimated program revenues (based on a four per cent tax rate), in the 2026 budget update.

  Voting in Favour: (13)

  Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor Allt, Councillor Downer, Councillor Billings, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Klassen, Councillor Richardson, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Chew, and Councillor K. Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)
• Main Motion as amended
  Moved By Councillor Klassen
  Seconded By Councillor Richardson
  1. That staff be directed to continue to advocate to the Province for legislative changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to ensure that the issue of renovictions is being addressed consistently across Ontario. And, that if changes occur, that staff be directed to inform Council, through an information report, of any applicable impacts.​
  2. That staff be directed to begin development of a framework for a Renoviction By-law and Rental Replacement By-law in 2026, subject to the inclusion of $311,000 in estimated expenditures, in the 2026 budget update.
  3. That staff be directed to draft a complaint-based vacant home tax by-law for Council approval, with a vacant home tax rate of four per cent, subject to the inclusion of$275,000 in estimated expenditures and estimated program revenues (based on a four per cent tax rate), in the 2026 budget update.

  Voting in Favour: (13)

  Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor Allt, Councillor Downer, Councillor Billings, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Klassen, Councillor Richardson, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Chew, and Councillor K. Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)

12.2

Advancing Affordable Housing on City-Owned Properties, 2025-461

Dawson McKenzie, Planner II, Affordable Housing presented the Advancing Affordable Housing on City-Owned Properties.

• Moved By Councillor Klassen
  Seconded By Councillor Gibson
  1. That Council endorse exploring an expanded City role in delivering affordable housing through options two and three, as described in this report, depending on the site-specific context, while maintaining the ability to pursue option one, as described in this report, where required.
  2. That Council endorse option three, as described in this report, for delivering affordable housing on lands located at 5 Normandy Drive and 7 Eastview Road.
  3. That the project budget of $3,406,150 be funded through both the Housing Accelerator Fund and $400,000 from the Affordable Housing reserve (119), and this capital project budget be set-up through the Q3 Budget Monitoring report.

  Voting in Favour: (13)

  Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Goller, Councillor Allt, Councillor Downer, Councillor Billings, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Klassen, Councillor Richardson, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Chew, and Councillor K. Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)

14.

Adjournment

• Moved By Councillor Busuttil
  Seconded By Councillor Klassen
  1. That the meeting be adjourned (5:30 p.m.).
  Carried