Strategic Planning and Budget Committee Minutes

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

6:00 P.m. - 9:00 P.m.

Council Chambers

Members Present:

• K. Redman, 
• D. Craig, 
• R. Deutschmann, 
• J. Erb, 
• S. Foxton, 
• M. Harris, 
• C. Huinink, 
• C. James, 
• J. Liggett, 
• D. McCabe, 
• J. Nowak, 
• N. Salonen, 
• S. Shantz, 
• K. Williams, 
• and P. Wolf 

Members Absent:

• B. Vrbanovic 

Should you require an alternative format or a copy of the official minutes please contact the Regional Clerk at Tel.: [phone], TTY: 519-575-4605, or

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1.

Call to Order

Chair M. Harris called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m.

2.

Land Acknowledgement

Chair M. Harris provided a land acknowledgement.

3.

Declarations of Pecuniary Interest under the “Municipal Conflict of Interest Act”

None declared.

4.

Delegations

4.1

Barbara Hankins, Chair, KWS Players' Association, and Rebecca Diderrich, Player's Committee member

B. Hankins and R. Diderrich provided a presentation on behalf of the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony (KWS) Players' Association with respect to the KWS. A copy of the presentation is appended to the original minutes. They seek the Region's support in advancing the KWS.

In response to questions, R. Diderrich clarified that, at present, they have not specified a dollar amount for their request, rather, they are seeking the Region's support.

S. Foxton joined the meeting at 6:03 PM. ()

4.2

Victoria Baby, CEO, Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo and Stratford Perth

V. Baby appeared before the Committee and provided a presentation on behalf of the Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo and Stratford Perth. A copy of the presentation is appended to the original minutes. She requested Regional financial support for a capital build in the Humane Society. 

In response to questions, V. Baby clarified that the Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo and Stratford Perth also serves the City of Cambridge and provides education and outreach to those communities. She further highlighted that the Province does not allocate funding to Humane Societies or the charitable programs and services they offer.

4.3

Hardy and Renate Willms, Kitchener

H. Willms appeared before the Committee expressing his concern with property tax rates and stressed the importance of affordable housing. 

J. Liggett joined the meeting at 6:19 PM. ()

4.4

Harald Drewitz, Chairperson, Kitchener Tax Watch Group

H. Drewitz appeared before the Committee, urging its members to take into account taxpayers' affordability. He emphasized concerns about inflation rates, credit card interest rates, and the rising costs of food and groceries. He encouraged the Region to prioritize and consider the affordability of taxpayers.

4.5

Kathy Ekert, Kitchener

K. Ekert presented before the Committee, advocating for an increased budget to prevent evictions and expressing her concerns on this matter. She emphasized the importance of upholding the Residential Tenancies Act to ensure better living conditions.

4.6

Melissa Bowman, Kitchener

M. Bowman appeared before the Committee expressing support for sustained investment in the transit system. She underscored the importance of maintaining the frequency of the ION light rail, ensuring it does not dip below the levels of the bus services it replaced. Furthermore, she requested an increase in investment in transit, highlighting its positive impact on increased ridership and the cultivation of pride in the transit system.

4.7

David Alton, Lived Expertise Coordinator, Social Development Centre Waterloo Region

D. Alton appeared before the Committee urging a more significant commitment to address the plan to end chronic homelessness. He emphasized the need for all departments to collaborate with one another, as well as with agencies and community partners. He encouraged fostering creativity in securing funding for this critical initiative.

4.8

Sara Escobar, Homelessness and Housed Justice Worker, and Jason Spencer, Program Director, Community Justice Inititatives

S. Escobar and J. Spencer appeared before the Committee calling for increased action to address homelessness in the Region. They stressed that a unified and collaborative response from the Region is essential to create space for people to shelter, along with an infusion of funds for support workers and frontline workers to acknowledge the challenging nature of the work.

In response to questions, S. Escobar discussed youth homelessness, highlighting their organization's street outreach efforts. They noted that the complexities of the issue have increased, and the gap in youth homelessness has grown.

4.9

Kevin Boutilier, Erbs Road Shelter

K. Boutilier appeared before the Committee, expressing support for the Erbs Road shelter and sharing the personal positive impact it has had on him.

4.10

Tim O'Brien, Erbs Road Shelter

4.11

Jane Willoughby, Kitchener

J. Willoughby appeared before the Committee regarding the emergency shelter at Edith MacIntosh Child Care Centre, explaining the situation and outlining the associated issues and concerns in the area. These concerns included the location of the facility, diminished property values in the vicinity, and the health hazards it posed.

4.12

Mark Egers, President, Waterloo Regional Police Association

M. Egers addressed the Committee on behalf of the members of the Waterloo Regional Police Association, emphasizing the critical need for increased allocation of resources to enhance public safety.

In response to questions, M. Egers spoke to the staffing gap and highlighted that the current workload is unsustainable.

4.13

Gina Georgiou, Kitchener

G. Georgiou appeared before the Committee advocating for comprehensive government funding to address homelessness. She further requested that the budget allocate support for temporary subsidies to assist individuals in the community in accessing housing.

4.14

Nicholas Aboagye, Kitchener

N. Aboagye appeared before the Committee urging an increase in funding for transit systems, with a specific emphasis on ION light rail service. Additionally, he expressed a need for more commitment to addressing climate change through sustainable transportation initiatives.

4.15

Howard Dyck, Citizens Supporting the KW Symphony

H. Dyck appeared before the Committee urging them to maintain the previous allocation of funds designated for the KWS. Furthermore, he discussed the potential implications for Waterloo Region following the recent loss of the KW Symphony.

4.16

Nicholas Olsen, Waterloo

N. Olsen appeared before the Committee recommending an increase in service times for ION. He expressed the view that cutting ION times or maintaining the status quo isn't the preferable course of action in his opinion.

4.17

Damian Mikhail, Waterloo

D. Mikhail appeared before the Committee in support of the proposed amendment to the transit budget, specifically advocating for the maintenance of 15-minute headways during off-peak hours, as indicated in the petition.

4.18

Craig Sloss, Waterloo

C. Sloss provided a presentation regarding the 2024 budget, focusing on the Waterloo Regional Police Services (WRPS) budget. A copy of the presentation is appended to the original minutes. He addressed the overestimation of the police budget for 2023 by WRPS and called for a reallocation of funds, specifically advocating for more money to be allocated for non-police responses to mental health crises. This would involve dispatching professionals other than officers to handle mental health call. Furthermore, he recommended that the council reject the current WRPS budget request until it undergoes revision. He suggested using the resultant savings to invest in crime prevention initiatives and prevent service reductions in other regional services.

4.19

Kimberly Barber, Kitchener

K. Barber provided a presentation to the Committee speaking in support of the KWS. A copy of the presentation is appended to the original minutes. She emphasized that the KWS is a vital component of the arts ecosystem, highlighting the significant loss not only to the orchestra, its musicians, and the audience but also to educational institutions, related arts organizations, and community groups.

4.20

Shiva Subramanian and Ashwin Annamalai , Waterloo

S. Subramanian and A. Annamalai appeared before the Committee emphasizing the importance of the ION light rail. They highlighted the crucial role of reliable and high-frequency rail transit in the community.

4.21

Isabella Stefanescu, Waterloo

I. Stefanescu appeared before the Committee urging support for the renewed KWS orchestra. She emphasized that the symphony's renewal is contingent on support from the Region of Waterloo. She strongly encouraged the Committee to maintain the annual grant for the KWS orchestra.

4.22

Joanne Bender, Piano Teacher, KW Symphony Players Association

J. Bender appeared before the Committee emphasizing the value of the KWS, especially for the youth. She echoed the sentiments expressed by the KWS Players Association and further advocated for investing in the future of the community, particularly in its youth, while supporting the continued funding of the KWS association.

4.23

Julian Ichim, Kitchener

J. Ichim appeared before the Committee requesting that the Region to take action on homelessness and expressing opposition to the funding allocated to the Waterloo Regional Police Services (WRPS).

4.24

Michelle Angkasa, Waterloo

M. Angkasa addressed the Committee in support of the KWS. She emphasized the necessity for improved transit, advocating for more frequent and reliable services. Additionally, she spoke about homelessness, stressing the need for action on this issue and urged the council to take more proactive measures in both areas.

4.25

Nigel Gordijk, Waterloo

N. Gordijk appeared before the Committee regarding transit service levels, specifically advocating to maintain the 15-minute service intervals for the ION light rail service.

4.26

Sam Goncalves-Horton, Waterloo

S. Goncalves-Horton addressed the Committee, expressing strong support for the ION light rail and specifically highlighting the importance of peak headways. He suggested increased investment in the LRT to further enhance its effectiveness.

4.27

Remington Zhi, Waterloo

R. Zhi addressed the Committee, strongly supporting the ION light rail. They requested a reduction in wait times for off-peak bus services, emphasizing that these are high-usage times, and lowering wait times would encourage greater utilization of the transit system.

4.28

Jack Dunne-Mucklow, Waterloo

J. Dunne-Mucklow appeared before the Committee expressing support for the amendment to the ION Light Rail service and endorsing the affordable transit program. They emphasized that the ION is a core part of the Region and requested the Committee to continue supporting this essential service.

4.29

Rodney Chan, Waterloo

R. Chan provided a presentation to the Committee regarding the ION rail service and bus lanes. A copy of the presentation is appended to the original minutes. He addressed crowding issues, particularly highlighting significant demand in the evening. He expressed concerns about extended wait times posing a safety risk for riders. Additionally, he proposed the creation of designated bus lanes to alleviate road congestion and reduce delays for buses.

J. Liggett left the meeting at 9:03 PM. ()

4.30

Marinus de Groot, Kitchener

M. de Groot addressed the Committee, in support for the KWS in the 2024-2025 budget. He spoke about the benefits that the KWS provides to the communities.

4.31

Brian Doucet, Kitchener

B. Doucet provided a presentation in support for the ION LRT. The presentation is appended to the original minutes. He spoke specifically about the service's reliability and precision as key contributors to its significant advantages.

4.32

Jonathan Lin, Waterloo

J. Lin appeared before the Committee expressing support for the ION LRT amendment. He spoke about the various uses for the service and underscored its benefits in contributing to a better quality of life.

4.33

Lori Mark, Kitchener

L. Mark addressed the Committee, emphasizing the need for more support regarding the waitlist for community affordable housing. She requested that the budget prioritize measures to prevent homelessness and reduce the wait times for securing affordable housing in the community.

4.34

David Scott, Cambridge

D. Scott appeared before the Committee in support of the KWS. As a longtime subscriber and supporter of the KWS, he voiced concerns about the community and the Region to support the symphony's continued existence and well-being.

In response to a question from the Committee, D. Scott spoke about what the KWS means to the people in the City of Cambridge, mentioning that there is a significant following of the KWS in Cambridge, and that there is a strong appetite for this kind of cultural service in the community.

4.35

Haadhi Faizal, Waterloo

H. Faizal appeared before the Committee expressing support for the ION LRT, highlighting its service benefits, particularly its reliability. He further emphasized the importance of having reliable transit for buses as well and encourages more initiatives for bus transit reliability.

4.36

Artem Klymovych, Woolwich

A. Klymovych addressed the Committee, discussing the proposed property tax rate increase in Budget 2024. He spoke to historical data and posed questions to the Committee, including whether there is an eventual end to these increases while ensuring efficient service in the Region and about staffing differences between the Region and its neighboring areas.

4.37

Joshua Beech Falshaw, Kitchener

Delegation withdrawn.

5.

Call for Delegations

6.

Communications

6.1

Nathan Whalen, re: Expense Reduction Levers for Budget 2024

Received for information.

6.2

Zack Red, re: Police Budget Surpluses 

Received for information.

6.3

Stephanie Levac, re: Police Budget Surpluses

Received for information.

6.4

Vincent Strickland, re: Police Budget Surpluses

Received for information.

6.5

Greg Thornton, re: Police Budget Surpluses

Received for information.

6.6

Evan Mitchell, re: KW Symphony

Received for information.

6.7

Sacha Geer, re: Police Budget Surpluses

Received for information.

6.8

El Gillies, re: Police Budget Surpluses

Received for information.

6.9

Moni Sadri, re: Police Budget Surpluses

Received for information.

6.10

Kez Vicario-Robinson, re: Police Budget Surpluses

Received for information.

6.11

Ian Whitman, re: KW Symphony

Received for information.

6.12

Cory Albrecht, re: LRT service hours

Received for information.

7.

Adjourn

• Moved by D. McCabe
  Seconded by C. James

  That the meeting adjourn at 10:23 p.m.

  In Favor (14)

  J. Erb, J. Nowak, K. Redman, M. Harris, S. Shantz, S. Foxton, D. McCabe, D. Craig, P. Wolf, C. James, R. Deutschmann, N. Salonen, C. Huinink, and K. Williams

  Carried (14 to 0)