City council tours city facilities to gain a better understanding of operating costs

Members of council toured Centreville Chicopee Community Centre, the Grand River Arena and Breithaupt Centre to gain a better understanding of lifecycle costs related to owning and operating buildings of this nature, as well as the investment needed to maintain this infrastructure into the future. The tour highlighted key areas within each facility that require proactive investment to maintain the existing infrastructure and to ensure the city can continue to deliver the programs and services residents value most and that best serve the needs of the community. 

The strategic council session following the tour focused on two specific issues related to the long-term financial plan, one of which included infrastructure funding related to facility needs.

Public will be consulted to inform garden design of Victoria Park Survivor Garden

Kitchener City Council has approved the direction that staff work with Scott Barker and Gateman Milloy to develop a concept for a Survivor Garden to be located in Victoria Park, as well a public engagement plan to inform the garden’s design. The goal of the engagement is to identify the experiential expectations of survivor groups in the garden space. The information and feedback gathered during the engagement stage will inform the design of the space. Watch for the survey on Engage Kitchener www.engagekitchener.ca 

Read more in staff report INS-19-011.

Council helps to identify places that cycling and trails infrastructure is, and isn’t, working in the community

The comprehensive Cycling and Trails Master Plan was launched in January 2019 to connect the city’s 185 kilometers of trails and 50 kilometers of on-road cycling facilities into continuous networks of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.

A community working group is working with staff to conduct community engagement events between June and September, asking residents to identify the destinations and routes that would make the best candidates for active transportation infrastructure.

Today, staff outlined the deliverables of the plan. Council was asked to identify the places that cycling and trails infrastructure is working in our community, where it is not working and which deliverables should be made a priority.

Read more in staff report DSD-19-131.

Students conduct mock debate on sidewalk winter maintenance 

The winners of the My Ideal City student competition participated in a mock debate immediately prior to Monday’s session of city council.

The 13 winners were selected on the basis of an essay about what their ideal Kitchener of the future would look like. The winning essays outlined a number of proposals: school breakfast programs, mental health counselling for young students, environmental sustainability programs, a vibrant arts scene and expanded green spaces were all suggested by these future leaders.

The mock debate was on the topic of citywide sidewalk winter maintenance, letting the students experience what it’s like to be a member of council discussing the issues of the day.

Council provides staff further direction on sidewalk winter maintenance review

Tonight council approved the following recommendations put forth at Community Infrastructure Services Committee on May 13 directing staff to:

  • Review required level of service as stated in bylaw chapter 687 (Snow and Ice) as outlined in program component 1 of report INS-19-009 
  • Conduct a pilot to evaluate the initial clearing for 8cm snow events program as outlined in program component 2 of report INS-19-009, amended to include an additional clearing of a 40km area after a snowfall under 8cm
  • Develop priority route options as outlined in program component 3 of report INS-19-009
  • Extend the proactive inspection pilot as outlined in program component 4 of report INS-19-009 
  • Extend the assisted services for sidewalk and windrow clearing pilot outlined in program component 5, as amended, of report INS-19-009 
  • Monitor and further evaluate the neighbourhood shared snow blower pilot as outlined in program component 6 of report INS-19-009 
  • Conduct a statistically representative survey as outlined in program component 7 of report INS-19-009
  • Staff to investigate a ‘gig’ style app to connect residents in need of snow removal with residents offering snow removal services

The work related to the sidewalk winter maintenance review is to take place throughout winter 2019-2020 and staff are to report back with results and recommendations in May 2020, with the exception of the level of service review that will take place over the summer of 2019.

 

For more information:

Nicole Amaral
Interim Communications Director
Communications and Marketing
519-741-2200 x 7861
nicole.amaral@kitchener.ca