By Pepper Parr

December 29^th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

 

They are back at it on the 8^th of January.

City Council will be sitting for the most part as a Committee of the Whole with the Mayor in the Chair.

It isn’t all that clear as to how the Committee will handle what used to be done by the three Standing Committees that were in place.

It looks as if the Committee of the Whole will hear from the Chairs of the former Standing Committees – and sort of morph into a Standing Committee that is rolling Staff reports up to the  Committee of the Whole.

Question then is – what will a City Council meeting do?

Will the mayor use her Strong Mayor powers and approve what was done at Committee of the Whole?

This new process will do nothing to encourage people to delegate – who will they be appearing before.

Again – something from the Mayor or an individual Council member would be useful.

Sound confusing?  It is – and there hasn’t been a word, not a single word from any of the former chairs of those Standing Committees is as to how this is going to work out.

What we do know is that the Committee of the Whole will meet for two days – January 8^th and 9^th.  They have cut the meetings down to two days each cycle.  I suspect they will have difficulty with that but I think we are going to have to wait and see how it works out is as we get into the New Year.

Not a word from the Mayor – so far she hasn’t made a year end statement, which is unusual for her.

There hasn’t been anything from the City Communications department – also unusual given that they recently appointed Oanh Kasperski as the new Director of Corporate Communications and Engagement.  She started her job on December 11^th.  No word yet from her.

This Council did not cover itself with is as much is as a fig leaf in 2023.  The last meeting of Council early in December dismal – I’ve never seen such a glum looking group of people in the 12 years I have been cover Burlington’s City Council.

Under the new legislation, O. Reg 180/23 as of July 1, 2023, the Mayor’s powers include:

• Appoint and dismiss the City Manager as well as the head of any division or the head of any other part of the organizational structure (except statutory municipal officers i.e. City Clerk or Deputy, Treasurer or Deputy, Chief Building Officer and Fire Chief); *
• Determining the organization structure of the City; *
• Create committees of Council, assign their functions, and appoint the Chairs and Vice Chairs of committees of Council; *
• Propose the City’s budget subject to Council amendments, a Mayoral veto, and a Council override process;
• Submit matters for Council’s consideration, or veto by-laws, if the Mayor believes it will advance a prescribed Provincial Priority; and
• Direct City staff in writing.

Decision # 7  made on 31^st day of October 2023.

Under Bill 3, the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022, which amended the
Municipal Act, 2001,
Effective January 1, 2024, in accordance with subsection 226.6 of the Act, I Marianne
Meed Ward, Mayor of the City of Burlington, herby dissolve the following standing
committees as prescribed in the City’s Procedure By-law no. 31 -2021, as amended:
• Committee of the Whole
• Community Planning , Regulation & Mobility Committee
• Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services Committee
• Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk & Accountability Committee; and
Effective January 1, 2024, in accordance with subsection 226.6 of the Act, I Marianne
Meed Ward, Mayor of the City of Burlington, hereby establish a Committee of the Whole
and Budget Committee with functions assigned as follows:

Committee of the Whole
I. Responsibilities
The Committee of the Whole shall be responsible for considering all matters that
do not properly fall under the jurisdiction of any other existing Standing
Committees. The Committee of the Whole agendas are divided into the following
sections, with a Chair and Vice Chair assigned to each section:
Community Planning, Regulation & Mobility
The Community Planning, Regulation & Mobility section will include matters
relating to:
a) Matters under the jurisdiction of Community Planning, Regulation and
Mobility including; Community Planning, Building, By-law Compliance,
Transit, and Transportation departments;
b) Public hearings pursuant to the Planning Act, RSO 1990, c. P.13, as
amended;
c) Matters arising from the following boards and advisory committees:
• Aldershot BIA
• Burlington Chamber of Commerce
• Burlington Downtown Business Association
• Burlington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC)
• Committee of Adjustment
• Heritage Burlington Advisory Committee
• Integrated Transportation Advisory Committee (ITAC)
• Burlington Cycling Advisory Committee
• Burlington Agricultural and Rural Affairs Advisory Committee (BARAAC)
• Downtown Parking Advisory Committee
• Property Standards Committee
Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services
The Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services section will include
matters relating to:
a) Matters under the jurisdiction of the Environment, Infrastructure and
Community Services including; Engineering Services, Recreation,
Community and Culture, Roads, Parks & Forestry, and Fire, Assets and
Sustainability departments;

b) Matters arising from the following boards, committees and advisory
committees:
• Burlington Accessibility Advisory Committee (BMC)
• Burlington Sustainable Development Committee (SOC)
• Art Gallery of Burlington Board (AGB)
• Burlington Mundialization Committee
• Burlington Museums Board
• Burlington Performing Arts Centre
• Burlington Public Library Board (BPL)
• Burlington Seniors’ Advisory Committee {BSAC)
• Tourism Burlington

Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk & Accountability
The Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk & Accountability section will include
matters relating to:
a) Matters under the jurisdiction of the City Manager’s Office, Office of the
City Clerk, Corporate Communications and Engagement, Strategy, Risk
and Accountability, Customer Experience, Finance, Human Resources,
Burlington Digital Services, and Corporate Legal Services departments;
b) All public meetings under the Development Charges Act, 1997, S.O. 1997,
c. 27;
c) Burlington Strategic Plan and Vision to Focus workplan;
d) Matters arising from the following board and advisory committee:
• Burlington Hydro Electric Inc. (SHEi)
• Burlington lnclusivity Advisory Committee (BIAC)

II. Composition
The Committee of the Whole shall be comprised of all members of Council.

Ill. Reporting
The Committee of the Whole reports directly to Council.

Budget Committee

I. Responsibilities
The Budget Committee is responsible for hearing public presentations, receiving
financial reports from staff, and providing advice to the Mayor on the operating
and capital budgets; and making recommendations to Council on any operating
or capital budgets in which the Mayor has a pecuniary interest.

II. Composition
The Budget Committee shall be comprised of all members of Council.
Ill. Reporting
The Budget Committee reports directly to Council.
Dated at Burlington, this 31st day of October 2023.
Original Signed by
Mayor Meed Ward

Decision # 8 ,  31^st day of October 2023.

References: MO-03-22 – Appointments to standing committees, boards , committees, agencies and Deputy Mayors , December 13, 2022 *with changes

CL–18–23 – Standing Committee Structure Options, October 17, 2023

Mayoral Decision 07-23 – To establish a Committee of the Whole and Budget Committee

Under Bill 3, the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, 2022, which amended the

Municipal Act, 2001 (the Act); and

Effective January 1, 2024, in accordance with subsection 226.6 of the Act, I Marianne Meed Ward, Mayor of the City of Burlington, hereby appoint the following Councillors as rotating chairs of Committee of the Whole and Budget Committee for remainder of the 2022-2026 Term of Council as established by report MO-03-22: ** Chair changes are bolded, they align the Deputy Mayor of Strategy and Budgets portfolio to the Chair of Budget, with subsequent position changes to ensure equity.

Committee of the Whole

The Mayor shall preside as the Chair for Committee of the Whole for all agenda sections, with rotating Councillors appointed as section chairs and section vice chairs for Community Planning, Regulation & Mobility Environment, Infrastructure & Community Services and Corporate Services, Strategy , Risk & Accountability regular items.

Committee of the Whole – Community Planning Regulation & Mobility Regular Agenda
Year	Chair	Vice Chair
2024	Shawna Stolte	Lisa Kearns
2025	Lisa Kearns	Kelvin Galbraith
2026	Kelvin Galbraith	Rory Nisan

 

Committee of the Whole – Environment Infrastructure & Community Services Regular Agenda
Year	Chair	Vice Chair
2024	Lisa Kearns	Kelvin Galbraith
2025	Kelvin Galbraith	Shawna Stolte
2026	Shawna Stolte	Kelvin Galbraith

Committee of the Whole – Corporate Services Strategy Risk & Accountability Regular Agenda
Year	Chair	Vice Chair
2024	Rory Nisan	Kelvin Galbraith
2025	Kelvin Galbraith	Paul Sharman
2026	Rory Nisan	Lisa Kearns

 

Budget Committee
Year	Chair	Vice Chair
2024	Paul Sharman	Kelvin Galbraith
2025	Paul Sharman	Rory Nisan
2026	Paul Sharman	Shawna Stolte

 Dated at Burlington, this 31^st day of October 2023.

Original Signed by

Mayor Meed Ward