Minutes of Guelph City Council

Tuesday, December 16, 2025 at 9:00 A.m. - 6:00 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
• C. Clack-Bush, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Public Services
• T. Gayman, Acting Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Infrastructure, Development and Environment
• S. O'Brien, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Corporate Services
• K. Gibson, Acting General Manager, Engineering and Transportation Services
• D. McMahon, General Manager, City Clerk's Office/City Clerk
• R. Russwurm, Manager, Design and Construction
• S. Laughlin, Downtown Revitalization Advisor
• A. Miller, Project Engineer
• G. Brennan, Council and Committee Coordinator
• A. Sandor, Council and Committee Coordinator
• J. T McDonald, Board and Committee Coordinator

Also Present:

• Samantha Lawson, Chief Administrative Officer, Grand River Conservation Authority

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2.

Call to Order

Mayor Guthrie called the meeting to order (9:03 a.m.).

2.1

Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest or General Nature Thereof

There were no disclosures.

3.

Authority to move into closed meeting

• Moved By Councillor Caton
  Seconded By Councillor Richardson
  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:

  Chief Administrative Officer 2025 Year-End Performance Review
  As per section 239(2)(b) and d) of the Municipal Act, regarding personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees and labour relations or employee negotiations.

  Closed December 2025 Public Appointments to Advisory Committees of Council - 2025-577
  As per section 239(2)(b) of the Municipal Act, regarding personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees.

  Expression of Interest - 170 Stephanie Drive - 2025-600
  As per section 239(2)(c) of the Municipal Act, regarding a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board.

  Affordable Housing Property Acquisition - 2025-580
  As per section 239(2)(c) of the Municipal Act, regarding a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board.

  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 Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)

  The following items were considered:

  
  

3.2

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

3.3

Confirmation of Closed Minutes

3.4

Chief Administrative Officer 2025 Year-End Performance Review

3.5

Closed December 2025 Public Appointments to Advisory Committees of Council - 2025-577

3.6

Expression of Interest - 170 Stephanie Drive - 2025-600

3.7

Affordable Housing Property Acquisition - 2025-580

4.

Open Meeting – 10:00 a.m.

Mayor Guthrie called the meeting to order (10:19 a.m.).

4.4

Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof

There were no disclosures.

5.

Closed Meeting Summary

Mayor Guthrie noted the following:

Chief Administrative Officer 2025 Year-End Performance Review

Council gave direction to staff.

Expression of Interest - 170 Stephanie Drive - 2025-600

Council gave direction to staff.

Affordable Housing Property Acquisition - 2025-580

Council gave direction to staff.

December 2025 Public Appointments to Advisory Committees of Council - 2025-576

• Moved By Councillor Allt
  Seconded By Councillor Hauser
  1. That Colleen Harper, Melissa Mitchell, and Lili Ann Prenger be appointed to the Accessibility Advisory Committee for a term ending November 2026 or until such time as successors are appointed.
  2. That Seemeen Patel be appointed to the Economic Development and Tourism Advisory Committee for a term ending November 2026 or until such time a successor is appointed.
  3. That Gregory Campbell be appointed to the Transportation Advisory Committee for a term ending November 2026 or until such time a successor is appointed.

  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 Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)

6.

Confirmation of Open Minutes

• Moved By Councillor Downer
  Seconded By Councillor Busuttil
  1. That the minutes of the open Council Meetings held November 12, 18, and 26, 2025, and the open minutes of the Committee of the Whole meeting held November 4, 2025, be confirmed as recorded and without being read.

  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 Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)

7.

Committee of the Whole Consent Report

• Moved By Councillor Caron
  Seconded By Councillor Busuttil

  That the December 16, 2025 Committee of the Whole Consent Report, identified below, be adopted.

7.1

2025 External Audit Plan - 2025-578

• 1. That KPMG LLP’s 2025 External Audit Plan be received for information.

  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 Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)

8.

Items for Discussion

8.1

St. George's Square - Final Design - 2025-548

Kyle Gibson, Acting General Manager, Engineering and Transportation Services and Stacey Laughlin, Downtown Revitalization Advisor, presented on St. George's Square - Final Design.

The following delegates spoke:
Sya VanGeest
Alec Purves
Morgan Dandie

• Moved By Councillor Klassen
  Seconded By Councillor Goller
  1. That the Final Design for St. George’s Square, as outlined in report 2025-548, dated December 16, 2025, 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 Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)

8.3

2025 Third Quarter Budget Monitoring Report - 2025-581

The following delegates spoke:
Kristopher Plummer

• Moved By Councillor Busuttil
  Seconded By Councillor Richardson
  1. That the capital project budget adjustments in Attachment 2, Funding Adjustments (Table 4) 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 Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)

  Council recessed (11:38 a.m.). Council reconvened (12:25 p.m.). 

  
  

8.4

Grand River Conservation Authority, Bill 68, Plan to Protect Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2025 (No. 2)

The following delegates spoke:
Susan Watson
Hugh Whiteley

Samantha Lawson, Chief Administrative Officer, Grand River Conservation Authority, spoke to this item.

• Main Motion
  Moved By Councillor Billings
  Seconded By Councillor Chew
  1. That Guelph City Council respectfully requests that the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Chief Conservation Executive meet Grand River Conservation Authority representatives to review the Grand River Conservation Authority alternative proposal to Conservation Authorities consolidation.
  2. That Guelph City Council respectfully requests that the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Chief Conservation Executive seriously consider the Grand River Conservation Authority proposal for conservation authorities as it enunciates a path forward that will address the Government's concerns most democratically and productively.
  3. That Guelph City Council expresses continued concern that municipalities are negatively impacted by legislative changes that result in the downloading of services to municipalities without the provision of additional funding and calls on the Province of Ontario to fund the proposed Provincial Conservation Agency without the use of municipal revenue sources.
  4. That this resolution be circulated to the Premier of Ontario, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, Chief Conservation Executive and MPP Mike Schreiner.
• Amendment to Main Motion
  Moved By Councillor Downer
  Seconded By Councillor Billings
  1. That the Association of Municipalities of Ontario be added to the circulation list.
• Amendment to the Amendment
  Moved By Councillor Caron
  Seconded By Councillor Chew
  1. That the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and other GRCA member municipalities be added to the circulation list.

  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 Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)
• Amendment to Main Motion, as Amended
  Moved By Councillor Downer
  Seconded By Councillor Billings
  1. That the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and other GRCA member municipalities be added to the circulation list.

  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 Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)
• Main Motion, as Amended
  Moved By Councillor Billings
  Seconded By Councillor Chew
  1. That Guelph City Council respectfully requests that the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Chief Conservation Executive meet Grand River Conservation Authority representatives to review the Grand River Conservation Authority alternative proposal to Conservation Authorities consolidation.
  2. That Guelph City Council respectfully requests that the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Chief Conservation Executive seriously consider the Grand River Conservation Authority proposal for conservation authorities as it enunciates a path forward that will address the Government's concerns most democratically and productively.
  3. That Guelph City Council expresses continued concern that municipalities are negatively impacted by legislative changes that result in the downloading of services to municipalities without the provision of additional funding and calls on the Province of Ontario to fund the proposed Provincial Conservation Agency without the use of municipal revenue sources.
  4. That this resolution be circulated to the Premier of Ontario, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, Chief Conservation Executive, MPP Mike Schreiner, Association of Municipalities of Ontario and other GRCA municipalities.

  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 Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)

9.

By-laws

• Moved By Councillor Downer
  Seconded By Councillor Allt
  1. That by-laws (2025) – 21164 through by-law (2025) - 21166, (2025) - 21179, (2025) - 21180, (2025) - 21182, by-laws (2025) - 21184 through by-law (2025) - 21186, (2025) – 21188, (2025) – 21190, and (2025) – 21191, be approved subject to Section 284.11 (4) of the Municipal 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 Hauser

  Carried (13 to 0)
• Moved By Councillor Busuttil
  Seconded By Councillor Hauser
  1. That the 21-day in-year budget amendment period prescribed in Ontario Regulation 530/22 Section 9 (3), in reference to the in-year budget amendment proposed by Mayoral Decision A82 dated December 16, 2025, be shortened and the final day for amendments be December 16th, 2025.

  Voting in Favour: (12)	Mayor Guthrie, Councillor Gibson, Councillor Allt, Councillor Downer, Councillor Billings, Councillor Caron, Councillor Caton, Councillor Klassen, Councillor Richardson, Councillor Busuttil, Councillor Chew, and Councillor Hauser
  Voting Against: (1)	Councillor Goller

  Carried (12 to 1)

10.

Adjournment

• Moved By Councillor Gibson
  Seconded By Councillor Billings
  1. That the meeting be adjourned (1:28 p.m.).
  Carried