Council Meeting Highlights: December 11, 2023

Council endorses City’s first Corporate Strategic Plan

Council endorsed the City of Pickering’s first Corporate Strategic Plan (2024 – 2028).

The Plan consists of a Land Acknowledgement; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Commitment; Vision for the City; Corporate Values, Principles, and Beliefs; six Strategic Priorities; 23 areas of Strategic Focus; and 88 Actions.

The six Strategic Priorities are:

Priority 1: Champion Economic Leadership and Innovation

Priority 2: Advocate for an Inclusive, Welcoming, Safe & Healthy Community

Priority 3: Advance Innovation & Responsible Planning to Support a Connected, Well-Serviced Community

Priority 4: Lead & Advocate for Environmental Stewardship, Innovation & Resiliency

Priority 5: Strengthen Existing & Build New Partnerships

Priority 6: Foster an Engaged & Informed Community

Strategic planning is a vital tool used by municipalities to define common goals, a shared vision, and a collective plan of action. The Corporate Strategic Plan provides a blueprint and roadmap for Council and staff, who will work together to deliver on the strategic priorities identified in the Plan over this term of Council, and beyond.

Council directed staff to prepare an operational plan that defines measurements of progress and benchmarks of success.

Progress on the Corporate Strategic Plan will be reported to Council and the community annually.

Read Report LEG 06-23 to learn more.

Council receives AMO’s correspondence regarding Social and Economic Prosperity Review

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) delivered correspondence to the City of Pickering regarding a Social and Economic Prosperity Review.

As per Council Resolution, the City will forward a copy of the resolution to the Honourable Premier Doug Ford; the Honourable Paul Calandra, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; and the Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy, Member of Provincial Parliament, Pickering-Uxbridge.

This review would help to create a sustainable, accountable provincial-municipal relationship, where both orders of government can meet their responsibilities, grounded in:

• Affordability and fiscal sustainability
  
  
• Fairness for taxpayers and affordability for residents
  
  
• Coordinated and timely infrastructure investment resilient to climate realities
  
  
• Increased housing supply and affordability
  
  
• Robust health and social services supporting increased economic participation
  
  
• Long-term economic development and prosperity for Ontario and its communities
  
  
• Modern, effective, and streamlined service delivery

Council to introduce motion requesting amendments to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act

The City’s Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee provided recommendations to Council, requesting support for amendments to the Highway Traffic Act.

The Committee recommended that Council be requested to send a letter to the Province of Ontario to amend s.205.1 of the Highway Traffic Act, to permit municipalities to locate an Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) system temporarily on any roadway under the jurisdiction of municipalities, and as determined by municipalities, and not only be restricted to community safety/school safety zones.

Currently, Pickering has three ASE cameras that rotate through 15 community safety zones.

Council will forward the letter to the Ontario Minister of Transportation, the Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; local Member of Provincial Parliament; the Association of Municipalities in Ontario; and all Durham Region area municipalities.

Read Report CS 36-23 to learn more.

Council approves 2024 User Fees, effective January 1, 2024

Council approves the recommended 2024 User Fees, which will be effective January 1, 2024.

The revised User Fees will be incorporated into departmental budgets through the 2024 Budget development process. A general increase of 3 per cent is expected to reduce the taxpayer-funded cost of service delivery by $575,000, and lower the City’s required 2024 tax levy increase by approximately 0.7 percent.

User Fees are an important revenue source for the City of Pickering, and help to cover some or all of the cost of delivering customer-specific services like recreational programs, licenses, and processing of development applications. These fees benefit the community by reducing the tax rate, while ensuring the City is able to continue to provide the highest quality of services to its customers.

Read Report FIN 23-23 to learn more.

Council approves $8,753.52 grant for St. Paul’s On-The-Hill Food Bank

Council approved a grant in the amount of $8,763.52 to St. Paul’s On-The-Hill Food Bank, to help fund rent and food for the month of December 2023.

St. Paul’s On-The-Hill is a volunteer-based community food bank that serves Ajax and Pickering residents. The organization has experienced an increase in demand for its services of approximately 41.63 per cent, when compared to the same time last year.

St. Paul’s On-The-Hill has served 9,298 children from January 1, 2023 to November 30, 2023. This funding will help support the basic needs of residents, and is consistent with the principles of the City’s Community Safety & Well-Being Plan.

View the December 11, 2023 Meeting Video