Council Meeting Highlights: February 26, 2024

Council receives and endorses Town of Whitby’s request for Province to temporarily remove tolls on Highway 407 in Durham Region

The Town of Whitby has asked the Province to temporarily remove tolls on Highway 407 (in Durham Region) for the duration of the planned Winchester Road construction work, in an effort to improve overall travel times and alleviate the traffic impacts on surrounding Regional and local municipal roads.

Council endorses Digital Readiness Assessment and Strategy

The City has developed its first Digital Strategy, which establishes an organization-wide commitment and clear accountability and actions to pave the way for a modern and connected City where everyone feels valued and supported.

The Strategy demonstrates the City’s commitment to providing accessible, trustworthy, and convenient digital services that support Pickering’s diverse population and growth, and sets the proposed foundation for future enhanced digital service delivery.

Recommendations from the Digital Readiness Assessment and Strategy will be considered, along with other municipal priorities, through future annual municipal planning and budget processes.

Read Report CAO 01-24.

Council approves all-way stop for intersection of William Jackson Drive and Rex Heath Drive

Area residents have expressed safety concerns with the intersection of William Jackson Drive and Rex Heath Drive with respect to sightlines, pedestrian safety, vehicle volume, and vehicle speed.

In response to these concerns, Engineering Services staff completed a review of the intersection to reduce vehicle conflicts and create a point where pedestrians can cross the road safely.

The installation of an all-way stop will be accommodated through the 2024 Roads Current Budget.

Read Report ENG 02-24.

City reports updated financial assessment related to Bill 23

The Province of Ontario introduced Bill 23 in an effort to get more homes built faster.

Bill 23 amends the Development Charges Act by freezing, reducing, and exempting fees typically levied by municipalities and other authorities to help pay for the cost of growth.

Through this process, the Province has shifted some of the cost of growth from developers to municipalities. In 2023, the City lost $3,738,095 of DC revenues, and at this time, the preliminary estimate for the 2024 DC loss is approximately $2.5 million.

This shortfall can result in slower development of growth-related infrastructure, reduction in service levels, an increase in property taxes for taxpayers, or a combination of all three for many municipalities.

The City is proposing to use casino revenues to make up the 2023 development charge shortfall from Bill 23.

The City is currently in a high-growth phase, and will continue to be in this phase over the next 10 to 15 years. The City is expected to hit a population target of 138,000 by 2032, and with high population growth, comes higher demand for City “Growth Related” infrastructure.

Read Report FIN 02-24

City of Pickering advocates for the reinstatement of transit services in Pickering

On January 2, 2024, Durham Region Transit made changes to bus routes and services in Pickering, and across the Region. This change (in order to maximize transit ridership and improve on-time performance) has resulted in some bus stops being removed from Pickering service. 

This means transit users need to walk further to reach an active bus stop. Updates to some bus routes have significantly increased transit times for Pickering transit users.

The City of Pickering’s Accessibility Advisory Committee has requested the City send a letter to the Region of Durham asking that it reverse the service changes immediately and consult with Pickering residents and key stakeholders, including those with accessibility needs, on any future service changes.

Read Report CS 02-24

Council endorses Summary of Recommendations as outlined in the Independent 4th Review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

The AODA sets out accessibility standards for organizations with an aim to make the province fully accessible by 2025. In 2022, the Government of Ontario appointed Rich Donovan, an expert in accessibility issues, to conduct the mandatory 4th Independent Review of the implementation and enforcement of the AODA.

The report indicated that the Province will not achieve a fully accessible province by 2025, and makes 23 recommendations under three categories: crisis, strategic and tactical. The majority of recommendations are designed to be completed in the next three years.

The Ministry continues to work with partners and across government to address the remaining recommendations that could help meet, achieve or exceed AODA standards by 2025.

Read Report CS 03-24.

Council approves Fire Pumper Rescue Replacement

The Fire Services Department requires one aerial ladder apparatus to replace the 2011 Smeal pumper rescue apparatus currently in service.

The total gross project cost is estimated to be $2,564,456.00 (HST included).

This equipment will be primarily utilized to respond to emergency incidents throughout the City, including structure fires, automobile accidents, medical emergencies, industrial alarms, and specialized rescues. It is designed to be highly maneuverable and carry specialized equipment, 1,500 liters of water, and has a pump capacity rating of 6,000 liters per minute.

Read Report FIR 01-24.