Regular Meeting of Council

That the following Minutes of the Council of the City of Kenora be adopted as circulated:- November 19, 2024 Regular Council

That all items listed under the heading of Public Consent Agenda for the City Council Meeting dated December 17, 2024 be hereby adopted as recommended.

That Council hereby re-appoints John McDougall to the Synergy North Board for a term no later than November 14, 2026.

That Council hereby tables Motion #4 indefinitely until further information is received.

That Council hereby adopts new fees and charges for 2025 that were supported through the November 26 Special Committee of the Whole budget meeting; and further These fees and charges include the general fees which reflect parking, docking, animal, fire, recreation, engineering, tourism, Lake of the Woods Cemetery, planning and building fees; and further That in accordance with public notices bylaw 160-2022, public notice is hereby given that Council intends to adopt new fees and charges in all applicable bylaws and Schedules for the Fees and Charges to incorporate 2025 operating budget increased fees; and further That three readings be given to amended General Tariff of Fees and Charges bylaw, Regulate Parking lots and Structure bylaw, Traffic and Parking bylaw, Keeping of Animals bylaw, Cemetery Rates & Fees bylaw, Tariff of Fees for Planning Act Applications bylaw, Construction, Demolition and Change of Use Permits bylaw; and further That bylaw number 161-2024, 123-2024, 42-2024, 43-2024, 35-2022 and 42-2019 is hereby repealed.

That Council hereby directs Administration to submit resolutions for consideration by the membership at the KDMA Conference February 6,7,8, 2025 being held in Ear Falls.

That Council hereby authorizes the following members to attend the 2025 municipal conferences: Kenora District Municipal Association (KDMA), Mayor Poirier Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA), Mayor Poirier and Councillor Manson Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), Councillor Koch and Chaze Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), Mayor Poirier

That Council hereby receives this informational report for an amendment to bylaw number 150-2010, Keeping of Animals; and further That Council maintains the current bylaw under Schedule “C”, being a list of Animals Prohibited to be Kept as Pets, includes All Diumusand Nocturnal Raptors (such as Eagles, Hawks and Owls).

That Council hereby tables this motion to indefinitely.

That Council gives three readings to a bylaw to adopt the new City of Kenora Emergency Response Plan; and further That bylaw number 135–2017 be hereby repealed.

That Council hereby increases the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) rate from four (4) percent to five (5) percent effective April 1, 2025; and further That in accordance with Notice By-law Number 160-2022, public notice is hereby given that Council intends to give three readings to a by-law to amend the MAT to five percent on all fixed accommodations at its December 17, 2024, Council meeting to give effect to the new regulation; and further That bylaw number 158-2020 be hereby repealed.

That Council gives three readings to a bylaw to appoint Gordon Howard as the Fire Chief and the Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC) for the City of Kenora; and further That bylaw number 162-2022 be hereby repealed.

all Ontarians deserve and expect a safe and respectful workplace; and Whereas municipal governments, as the democratic institutions most directly engaged with Ontarians need respectful discourse; and Whereas several incidents in recent years of abuse and workplace harassment have occurred amongst members of municipal councils; and Whereas these incidents seriously and negatively affect the people involved and lower public perceptions of local governments; and Whereas municipal Codes of Conduct are helpful tools to set expectations of council member behaviour; and Whereas legislation would hold both accountable and protect all municipal offices; and Whereas municipal governments do not have the necessary tools to adequately enforce compliance with municipal Codes of Conduct and support appropriate accountability when it comes to perpetrating violence and harassment in the workplace; and Whereas the fundamental underlying principle of broadening diversity, equity and inclusion in politics rests on the assumption the workplace is safe; and Whereas government legislation would require members of council to comply with the workplace violence and harassment policies, that a process of removal be established for substantiated cases of egregious violence or harassment, as well as restrict officials whose seat whose seek has been vacated from seeking immediate, subsequent re-election; and Whereas the aforementioned elements are consistent with previously developed legislation, as well

That By-law numbers 162-2024 and 172-2024 to 179-2024 be now read a First & Second Time and approved in their present form and presented for Third & Final Reading.

That By-law numbers 164-2024 to 170-2024 be now read a First & Second Time and approved in their present form and presented for Third & Final Reading.

the cost of policing services for the City of Kenora have gone up exponentially each year wherein in 2023 our OPP policing bill was $6,437,146 with the province providing one time funding support to offset this high policing bill in the amount of $511,417, in 2024 our OPP bill came in at $6,960,519 wherein the province provided additional one-time financial assistance in the amount of $532,475, and in 2025 our OPP bill has increased $2.358M or 36.7% and come in at $8,786,451 with an additional one time funding of $1,721,378; and Whereas these alarming policing costs have consumed the largest portion of the city’s budget (8.8% increase in 2025 prior to the rebate), to the point of being unsustainable; and Whereas the police budget is inconsistent and unpredictable due to the nature of the billing model and the fact that it is based on calls for service, overtime, court security, and salaries and benefits, which are all unpredictable to any degree of accuracy; and Whereas the fact that the increases to the largest outside agency cost to the city is unpredictable and not within the control of the city from year to year causes a great deal of uncertainty to the city’s budgeting process and creates a tension whereas service levels, major projects and plans are all put on hold until the police budget is released; and Whereas decisions on the police budget, police core service levels, infrastructure, fleet, personnel, and service delivery priorities are all made independently withou

That pursuant to Section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, authorization for Council to move into a Closed Session at 6:16 p.m. to discuss items pertaining to the following:- Disposition of Land (1 matter - lease of municipal land request) Educating & Training Members of Council (1 matter- CSWB draft plan) A trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information, supplied in confidence to the municipality or local board, which, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to prejudice significantly the competitive position or interfere significantly with the contractual or other negotiations of a person, group of persons, or organization (1 matter-development) Council will be verbally reporting out in a general sense on all items considered in the closed session once we return from the closed session and move back to open session.

That this meeting be now declared closed at 9:09 p.m.

That Council gives three readings to a bylaw to appoint Gordon Howard as the Fire Chief and the Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC) for the City of Kenora; and further That bylaw number 162-2022 be hereby repealed. December 17, 2024 Regular Meeting of Council Minutes 7

Whereas all Ontarians deserve and expect a safe and respectful workplace; and Whereas municipal governments, as the democratic institutions most directly engaged with Ontarians need respectful discourse; and Whereas several incidents in recent years of abuse and workplace harassment have occurred amongst members of municipal councils; and Whereas these incidents seriously and negatively affect the people involved and lower public perceptions of local governments; and Whereas municipal Codes of Conduct are helpful tools to set expectations of council member behaviour; and Whereas legislation would hold both accountable and protect all municipal offices; and Whereas municipal governments do not have the necessary tools to adequately enforce compliance with municipal Codes of Conduct and support appropriate accountability when it comes to perpetrating violence and harassment in the workplace; and Whereas the fundamental underlying principle of broadening diversity, equity and inclusion in politics rests on the assumption the workplace is safe; and December 17, 2024 Regular Meeting of Council Minutes 8 Whereas government legislation would require members of council to comply with the workplace violence and harassment policies, that a process of removal be established for substantiated cases of egregious violence or harassment, as well as restrict officials whose seat whose seek has been vacated from seeking immediate, subsequent re-election; and Whereas the aforementioned element

December 17, 2024 Regular Meeting of Council Minutes 10 That By-law numbers 164-2024 to 170-2024 be now read a First & Second Time and approved in their present form and presented for Third & Final Reading.

Whereas the cost of policing services for the City of Kenora have gone up exponentially each year wherein in 2023 our OPP policing bill was $6,437,146 with the province providing one time funding support to offset this high policing bill in the amount of $511,417, in 2024 our OPP bill came in at $6,960,519 wherein the province provided additional one-time financial assistance in the amount of $532,475, and in 2025 our OPP bill has increased $2.358M or 36.7% and come in at $8,786,451 with an additional one time funding of $1,721,378; and December 17, 2024 Regular Meeting of Council Minutes 11 Whereas these alarming policing costs have consumed the largest portion of the city’s budget (8.8% increase in 2025 prior to the rebate), to the point of being unsustainable; and Whereas the police budget is inconsistent and unpredictable due to the nature of the billing model and the fact that it is based on calls for service, overtime, court security, and salaries and benefits, which are all unpredictable to any degree of accuracy; and Whereas the fact that the increases to the largest outside agency cost to the city is unpredictable and not within the control of the city from year to year causes a great deal of uncertainty to the city’s budgeting process and creates a tension whereas service levels, major projects and plans are all put on hold until the police budget is released; and Whereas decisions on the police budget, police core service levels, infrastructure, fleet, personnel, a

That pursuant to Section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, authorization for Council to move into a Closed Session at 6:16 p.m. to discuss items pertaining to the following:- December 17, 2024 Regular Meeting of Council Minutes 13  Disposition of Land (1 matter - lease of municipal land request)  Educating & Training Members of Council (1 matter- CSWB draft plan)  A trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information, supplied in confidence to the municipality or local board, which, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to prejudice significantly the competitive position or interfere significantly with the contractual or other negotiations of a person, group of persons, or organization (1 matter- development) Council will be verbally reporting out in a general sense on all items considered in the closed session once we return from the closed session and move back to open session.