MINUTES

PRIORITIES AND FINANCE COMMITTEE

Meeting #:
Date:	Tuesday, March 05, 2019 at 8:30 A.m. - 9:30 A.m.
Location:	IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER

PRESENT:

• Mayor N. Nenshi, Chair
• Councillor S. Chu, Vice-Chair
• Councillor D. Colley-Urquhart (CPS Chair)
• Councillor J. Davison (T&T alternate)
• Councillor J. Gondek (PUD Chair)
• Councillor W. Sutherland (UCS Chair)
• Councillor E. Woolley (Audit Chair)
• Councillor G-C. Carra
• Councillor G. Chahal
• Councillor P. Demong
• Councillor J. Farkas
• Councillor D. Farrell
• Councillor J. Magliocca

ALSO PRESENT:

• City Manager G. Cole
• General Manager S. Dalgleish
• Acting Chief Financial Officer C. Male
• Deputy City Clerk B. Hilford
• Legislative Assistant T. Rowe

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1.

CALL TO ORDER

Mayor Nenshi called the Meeting to order at 8:31 a.m.

2.

OPENING REMARKS

Mayor Nenshi and Councillor Colley-Urquhart acknowledged the upcoming International Women's Day taking place on 2019 March 08. 

3.

CONFIRMATION OF AGENDA

• Moved by Councillor Woolley

  That the Agenda for today's meeting be amended by adding the following item of Confidential Urgent Business:

  • Item 9.2.1 BIA Governance Matter, VR2019-0014

   

  MOTION CARRIED
• Moved by Councillor Sutherland

  That the Agenda for the 2019 March 05 Regular Meeting of the Priorities and Finance Committee be confirmed, as amended.

  MOTION CARRIED

4.

CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

4.1

Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Priorities and Finance Committee, 2019 February 12

• Moved by Councillor Chu

  That the Minutes of the Priorities and Finance Committee held on 2019 February 12, be confirmed.

  MOTION CARRIED

5.

POSTPONED REPORTS

None

6.

ITEMS FROM OFFICERS, ADMINISTRATION AND COMMITTEES

6.1

One Window Update, PFC2019-0096

A presentation entitled "One Window Update" was distributed with respect to Report PFC2019-0096.

• Moved by Councillor Farrell

  That with respect to Report PFC2019-0096, the following be approved:

  That the Priorities and Finance Committee recommend that Council:

  1. Advocate to the Government of Alberta, Ministry of Seniors and Housing by writing a letter requesting funding for implementation and ongoing operational funding for the One Window initiative; and,
  2. Pending program funding and approval by The Government of Alberta, direct Administration to continue leading the implementation and transition of the One Window initiative with the non-profit housing community until the new entity is operational.
  MOTION CARRIED

6.2

Chinatown Cultural Plan and Local Area Plan – Refined Project Scope and Budget, PFC2019-0294

Items 6.2 PFC2019-0294 and 6.3 PFC2019-0282 were dealt with concurrently.

• Moved by Councillor Farkas

  With respect to Reports PFC2019-0294 and PFC2019-0282, respectively, that Councillor Woolley's Amendment, be amended as follows:

  • PFC2019-0294, by deleting the text "$400,000" and substituting with the text"$450,000"; and
  • PFC2019-0282, by deleting the text "$150,000" and substituting with the text "$200,000".

  For: (2)	Councillor Carra, and Councillor Farkas
  Against: (8)	Mayor Nenshi, Councillor Chu, Councillor Colley-Urquhart, Councillor Davison, Councillor Gondek, Councillor Sutherland, Councillor Woolley, and Councillor Farrell

  MOTION DEFEATED
• Moved by Councillor Woolley

  With respect to Reports PFC2019-0294 and PFC2019-0282, respectively, be amended as follows:

  • Report PFC2019-0294, on page 2 of 10, Recommendation 2, by deleting the text "$500,000" and substitute with the text "$400,000".
  • Report PFC2019-0282, on page 2 of X, Recommendation 1, by deleting the text "$250,000" and substitute with the text "$150,000".

  For: (2)	Councillor Carra, and Councillor Farkas
  Against: (8)	Mayor Nenshi, Councillor Chu, Councillor Colley-Urquhart, Councillor Davison, Councillor Gondek, Councillor Sutherland, Councillor Woolley, and Councillor Farrell

  MOTION DEFEATED
• Moved by Councillor Farrell

  That with respect to Report PFC2019-0294, the following be approved:

  That the Priorities and Finance Committee recommends that Council:

  1. Authorize the withdrawal of $75,000 in 2019 and 2020 for a total of $150,000 from the Planning and Development’s Calgary Building Services Sustainment Reserve to secure funding for the Chinatown Cultural Plan and Local Area Plan;
  2. Approve the overall funding framework for the Chinatown Cultural Plan and Local Area Plan from two City sources, being Planning & Development’s 2019 and 2020 operating budget and the Council Innovation Fund application in an amount totaling $500,000; and
  3. Report back to Council, through the Standing Policy Committee on Planning & Urban Development, with a finalized scope of work by no later than Q3 2019.

   

  MOTION CARRIED

6.3

Council Innovation Fund Application - Chinatown Cultural Plan and Local Area Plan - PFC2019-0282

• Moved by Councillor Farkas

   With respect Reports PFC2019-0294 and PFC2019-0282, respectively, that Councillor Woolley's Amendment, be amended as follows:

  • PFC2019-0294, by deleting the text "$400,000" and substituting with the text "$450,000"; and
  • PFC2019-0282, by deleting the text "$150,000" and substituting with the text "$200,000".

  For: (2)	Councillor Carra, and Councillor Farkas
  Against: (8)	Mayor Nenshi, Councillor Chu, Councillor Colley-Urquhart, Councillor Davison, Councillor Gondek, Councillor Sutherland, Councillor Woolley, and Councillor Farrell

  MOTION DEFEATED
• Moved by Councillor Woolley

   That with respect Reports PFC2019-0294 and PFC2019-0282, respectively, be amended as follows:

  • Report PFC2019-0294, on page 2 of 10, Recommendation 2, by deleting the text "$500,000" and substitute with the text "$400,000".
  • Report PFC2019-0282, on page 1 of 3, Recommendation 1, by deleting the text "$250,000" and substitute with the text "$150,000".

   

  For: (2)	Councillor Farkas, and Councillor Woolley
  Against: (8)	Councillor Carra, Councillor Colley-Urquhart, Councillor Davison, Councillor Farrell, Councillor Gondek, Councillor Sutherland, Mayor Nenshi, and Councillor Chu

  MOTION DEFEATED
• Moved by Councillor Farrell

  That with respect to Report PFC2019-0282, the following be approved:

  1. That the Priorities and Finance Committee recommend Council approve this application for Council Innovation Fund for the Chinatown Cultural Plan and Area Redevelopment Plan in the amount of $250,000; and
  2. That the Priorities and Finance Committee direct Administration to report back to PFC with a project update and how the funds were utilized no later than Q3 2020.
  MOTION CARRIED

6.4

City of Calgary Heritage Assets, PFC2019-0223

The following clerical corrections were noted to Report PFC2019-0223:

On page 4 of 8, 4th paragraph, by deleting the number "1392" within the sentence "Of the 1392 ha of City owned land, 4819 ha have known archeological resources, with Parks manages 76% of that land" and by substituting the number "13924"; and

On page 2 of 4 of Attachment 2, under the heading 'Financial Incentives: Municipal', in the 'Description box', by deleting "$1.6 million" and substituting with the number "$1.2 million"

• Moved by Councillor Woolley

  That with respect to Report PFC2019-0223, the following be approved, after amendment:

  That the Priorities and Finance Committee direct Administration to conduct further analysis on heritage preservation tools and financial incentives and report back to SPC on Planning and Urban Development no later than Q4 2019.

   

  MOTION CARRIED

6.5

2019 Business Improvement Area Tax Bylaw Amendment, PFC2019-0237

• Moved by Councillor Woolley

  That with respect to Report PFC2019-0237, the following be approved:

  1. That the Priorities and Finance Committee recommends that Council give three readings to the proposed bylaw to amend Bylaw 1M2019, the 2019 Business Improvement Area Tax Bylaw.
  2. That Report PFC 2019-0237 be forwarded to the 2019 March 18 Combined Council Meeting.
  MOTION CARRIED

6.6

Established Areas Growth and Change Strategy – Referral to SPC on PUD, PFC2019-0216

• Moved by Councillor Gondek

  That with respect to Report PFC2019-0216, the following be approved:

  That the Priorities and Finance Committee recommend that Council direct Administration to bring the Established Area Growth and Change Strategy update report to the 2019 May 01 SPC on Planning and Urban Development meeting, in conjunction with the Main Streets Investment Program update report, and combine the two updates into one report.

  MOTION CARRIED

6.7

Telling the service story on Calgary.ca, PFC2019-0196

• Moved by Councillor Woolley

  That with respect to Report PFC2019-0196, the following be approved:

  That Council receive this report for information.

  MOTION CARRIED

6.8

Proposed Approach to Council Innovation Fund Update, PFC2019-0247

• Moved by Councillor Farrell

  That with respect to PFC2019-0247, the following be approved:

  That the Priority and Finance Committee refer back Report PFC2019-0247 to Administration to:

  1) Tighten criteria for Council Innovation Projects;

  2) Explore the creation of a new fund or portion of the innovation to fund community-based projects; and

  3) To define the meaning of innovation.

  MOTION CARRIED

   

  Committee, by general consent, suspended Section 78(1)(a) of the Procedure Bylaw, as amended, in order that Committee recess at 11:00 a.m. and reconvene at 2:00 p.m.

   

  
  

6.9

Social Procurement Update - Deferral Report, PFC2019-0167

• Moved by Councillor Carra

  That the Priorities and Finance Committee recommend that Council defer Administration’s Social Procurement response to no later than 2019 May.

  MOTION CARRIED

  Councillor Farrell introduced a group of students from Bow Valley College Level 6 students in Ward 7, along with their instructors.

  
  

6.10

Consideration of the Nose Creek Communities in an Economic Development Context, PFC2019-0146

A presentation entitled "Consideration of the Nose Creek communities in an economic development context" was distributed with respect to Report PFC2019-0146.

• Moved by Councillor Gondek

  That with respect to Report PFC2019-0146, the following be approved:

  That the Priorities and Finance Committee recommend that Council receive this report for information.

  MOTION CARRIED

6.11

Downtown Tax Shift Response, PFC2019-0148

The following document was distributed with respect to PFC2019-0148:

• A presentation entitled "Downtown Tax Shift Response"

• Moved by Councillor Woolley

  That Committee permit a presentation from Esther Kelly with respect to PFC2019-0288.

  For: (7)	Mayor Nenshi, Councillor Chu, Councillor Woolley, Councillor Chahal, Councillor Davison, Councillor Farkas, and Councillor Farrell
  Against: (4)	Councillor Colley-Urquhart, Councillor Gondek, Councillor Sutherland, and Councillor Magliocca

  MOTION CARRIED
• Moved by Councillor Farkas

  That Committee permit members of the public to present with respect to report PFC2019-0148.

   

  Against: Councillor Colley-Urqhart

  MOTION CARRIED

  The following speakers addressed Committee with respect to Report PFC2019-0148:

  1. Esther Kelly; and
  2. Terry Wong.

   

  
  
• Moved by Councillor Farrell

  That Councillor Woolley's Amendment, be amended as follows:

  In the first sentence, by adding the words "up to" following the word "Apply".

   

  Against: Councillor Woolley

  MOTION CARRIED
• Moved by Councillor Woolley

  That Recommendation 1 with respect to Report PFC2019-0148, be amended as follows:

  • By deleting recommendation 1 in its entirety and substituting with the following text:

  1.   Apply $70.9 million in one time funds to assist nonresidential taxpayers through a program to be designed. Administration to consult with members of council returning to April 1 special meeting of Council.

  Vote not put 

   
• Moved by Councillor Colley-Urquhart

  That with respect to Report PFC2019-0148, the following be approved:

  That the Priorities and Finance Committee recommend that Council:

   

  1. Direct Administration, in accordance with Council’s direction of 2018 November 19, to continue to reduce non-residential property taxes and rebalance the residential/non-residential ratio using the following tools:
     1. continue the use of one time funds in 2019 to mitigate the impact to eligible properties through a 2019 Municipal Non-Residential Phased Tax Program (2019 PTP) or similar program in the amount of $44 million to be funded from the Fiscal Stability Reserve ;
     2. transfer an amount of taxes borne by non-residential property accounts to residential property accounts of $22 million in 2020, $21 million in 2021 and $20 million in 2022 and apply efficiencies or reductions in the City’s budget over the period from 2020 to 2022 to the non-residential property tax rate as a highest priority, with a target of $60 million,
     3. should tax room become available in 2019, include an option to apply all or part of the tax room to reduce the non-residential property tax rate as a highest priority;
  2. Direct Administration to continue to work with internal and external stakeholders to identify and examine both mid-term and long-term potential solutions to the economic issue facing Calgary and return to the April 1 Strategic Session of Council for a facilitated discussion;
  3. Direct that Attachment 3 remain confidential pursuant to section 27(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act; and
  4. Direct Administration to launch the Financial Task Force and finalize the draft Terms of Reference (Attachment 4).

  Vote not put
• Moved by Councillor Davison

  That with respect to Report PFC2019-0148, the following be approved:

  That the Priorities and Finance Committee refer Report PFC2019-0148 back to Administration to work with the Mayor and interested Members of Council on potential revisions and come back to Council on 2019 March 18.

   

   

  MOTION CARRIED

6.12

Status of Outstanding Motions and Directions, PFC2019-0288

• Moved by Councillor Chu

  That the Priorities and Finance Committee receive this report for information.

  MOTION CARRIED

7.

ITEMS DIRECTLY TO COMMITTEE

7.1

REFERRED REPORTS

7.2

NOTICE(S) OF MOTION

None

8.

URGENT BUSINESS

9.

CONFIDENTIAL ITEMS

• Moved by Councillor Woolley

  That the Priorities and Finance Committee move into Closed Meeting, at 10:52 a.m. in the  Council Lounge, to consider confidential matters with respect to the following items subject to Section 24 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act:

  • 9.2.1 BIA Governance (Verbal), VR2019-0014

   

  MOTION CARRIED

9.1

ITEMS FROM OFFICERS, ADMINISTRATION AND COMMITTEES

9.2

URGENT BUSINESS

• Committee reconvened in public at 11:06 a.m.

   

   

  Moved by Councillor Gondek

  That Committee rise and report.

  MOTION CARRIED

9.2.1

BIA Governance Matter (Verbal), VR2019-0014

• Committee reconvened in public at 11:06 a.m.

   

  Moved by Councillor Gondek

  That Committee rise and report.

  MOTION CARRIED

•  

  Administration in attendance with respect to Verbal Report VR2019-0014:

  Clerks: B. Hilford, T. Rowe; Advice: C. Male, and L. Kerr.

   

   

  Moved by Councillor Woolley

   

  That with respect to Verbal Report VR2019-0014, the following be approved:

  That the Priorities and Finance Committee:

  1. Receive this verbal report for information; and
  2. Direct that the closed meeting discussions remain confidential pursuant to Section 24 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

   

  MOTION CARRIED

   

  Committee recessed at 11:06 a.m. and reconvened in the Council Chamber at 2:00 p.m. with Mayor Nenshi in the Chair and commenced with item 6.11 PFC2019-0148.

  
  

10.

ADJOURNMENT

• Moved by Councillor Sutherland

  That this meeting adjourn at 5:06 p.m.

  MOTION CARRIED

   

  The following items have been forwarded to the 2019 March 18 Combined Meeting of Council:

  Consent

  6.1 One Window Update, PFC2019-0096

  6.2 Chinatown Cultural Plan and Local Area Plan - Refined Project Scope and Budget, PFC2019-0294

  6.3 Council Innovation Fund Application - Chinatown Cultural Plan and Local Area Plan - PFC2019-0282

  6.6 Established Areas Growth and Change Strategy - Referal to SPC on PUD, PFC2019-0216

  6.7 Telling the Service Story on Calgary.ca, PFC2019-0196

  6.9 Social Procurement Update - Deferral Report, PFC2019-0167

  6.10 Consideration of the Nose Creek Communities in an Economic Development Context, PFC2019-0146

   

   

  Items from Administration, Committees and Officers

  6.5 2019 Business Improvement Area Tax Bylaw Amendment, PFC2019-0237