Key Decisions of Kitchener Council – August 22, 2022

Key decisions of Council is a summary of major discussion items presented at Kitchener City Council meetings. It is circulated immediately following each meeting. Please refer to the minutes for an official record of the meeting.

Engagement continues to inform City’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan and shape 20-year vision for Kitchener’s future

During this afternoon’s strategic session, Council was provided with early highlights from community engagement activities to inform the City’s next Strategic Plan. Based on resident feedback that has been collected so far, several themes have emerged including: housing affordability, urban growth, the desire for increased connection and belonging, especially for more vulnerable populations, and an interest in improving access to programs and services to ensure everyone can participate. Engagement for the City's strategic plan continues on Engage Kitchener. During this session, Council was also engaged in a discussion around strategic foresight and broad trends impacting Kitchener, that will be used to help the City define a 20-year vision for the future.

Council approves equity-driven parkland strategy

Council approved a progressive and equity driven report on the nature of parkland in Kitchener. The ‘Spaces’ strategy, the first part of ‘Places & Spaces: A Parks and Open Space Strategy’, sets out the vision for parkland, shaped by extensive community engagement, over the next two decades. It identifies the importance of local parks to community and sets a target of 10 square meters of local park per person across the city. The plan identifies nine critical needs communities, where the City will seek to add new parks over the coming years. The plan directs staff to:

• Work to secure up to 18 new parks in critical needs communities to support community access to local park space.
• Work with partners such as school boards and hydro companies to maximize shared opportunities to use open spaces for the public.
• As part of the plan, a new Parkland Dedication By-law has been passed that includes:
• Removal of an exemption on all downtown development to pay parkland dedication as part of new development.
• Providing a discount to developers who build and sustain supportive housing and affordable rental housing.
• Providing support for developers to build public open spaces into new private developments.

Staff will begin by looking for opportunities where new parks might be located, based on priorities in the plan, and will bring recommendations forward during the 2024 budget cycle for how Council can further support and fast-track securing parkland. Work on ‘Places’, the second part of the strategy, continues and will reflect what community sees as the priorities in making a park a ‘good park’. A draft report is expected in late 2023 on Places.

Project EMPTHY to improve well-being and resilience of Kitchener youth

Council approved moving forward with implementing Project EMPTHY Kitchener (EMPowered, Thriving and Happy Youth). Recognizing the recent impact of the pandemic on Kitchener youth, this initiative is intended to empower youth and support their overall well-being through programs and services, employment and volunteer opportunities, and collaboration with local partners. To explore and understand the short and long-term impacts of the pandemic on Kitchener youth, the City successfully applied to participate in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative’s Summer Fellowship Program. As part of the program, a Harvard graduate student worked with the City as part of a 10-week placement focused on exploring the impact of the pandemic to identify key themes for improving the wellbeing and resilience of Kitchener youth. Findings from this report were used to develop the six action items for implementation, which focus on key themes including youth leadership, strong circles of support, and family-friendly systems. An implementation plan for Project EMPTHY is being developed and will be completed in the first quarter of 2023.

Kitchener brings renewed Boathouse one step closer to reality

The City of Kitchener has moved forward on the next steps to breathe new life into the Boathouse, a key venue in the heart of Victoria Park. A proposal from Walkinshaw Holdings Inc. envisions transforming the Boathouse into an iconic venue for live music, food, and indoor and outdoor entertainment. The proposal places a focus on social responsibility, with paid local live music a minimum of two days a week, and locally sourced food and drink. Walkinshaw Holdings would also establish a local arts fund and form a Community Advisory Committee to ensure that Boathouse programming is inclusive and diverse. If approved to move forward, Walkinshaw would make a significant investment in the facility to offer a waterfront experience unique to Waterloo Region. Proposed investments include expansion of the outdoor patio, upgrading the interior, improving the main entrance and enhancing the views of Victoria Park Lake.

Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge continue to collaborate to support small businesses

In keeping with the City’s strategic goal to create a vibrant economy, Council approved an agreement between the City of Kitchener, City of Cambridge and City of Waterloo to collaborate on the delivery of the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre (WRSBC) services and programs funded in part by the Province of Ontario. The four-year agreement (2022-2026) mirrors the previous agreement between the three municipalities and reaffirms their shared commitment to working together to support small businesses and entrepreneurs. Under the new agreement, the City of Kitchener office will continue acting as the WRSBC headquarters. The WRSBC provides a range of services and supports helping individuals and entrepreneurs to learn, start or grow their companies.

City will not move forward with implementing a Vacant Home Tax

Council voted to not move forward with the implementation of a Vacant Home Tax (VHT) for owners of vacant residential properties in Kitchener. With the legislation in Ontario’s Fair Housing Plan, municipalities have the option to impose a VHT to owners of vacant residential properties of six units or less to encourage them to either sell or rent their properties and increase the supply and affordability of housing. Kitchener Council considered the feasibility of implementing a property tax charge on vacant residential units as a way to increase the local housing supply. Due to a number of factors, including Kitchener’s low vacancy rate, and the cost of implementing this measure, it was decided that Kitchener would not move forward with a VHT charge at this time. The City of Kitchener continues to make progress on the action items identified in the City’s Affordable Housing Strategy, Housing for All, previously approved by Council and will continue to take direction from the Federal and Provincial governments who have announced several strategies to increase the affordable housing supply.