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2023-11-21 Growth Committee Agenda Packet - Open Session Growth Committee Meeting Open Session October 31, 2023 MINUTES OPEN SESSION GROWTH COMMITTEE MEETING OCTOBER 31, 2023, AT 12:00 P.M. MEETING CONDUCTED THROUGH ELECTRONIC PARTICIPATION Present: Mayor Donna Noade Reardon Deputy Mayor John MacKenzie Councillor Gerry Lowe Also Present: Councillor Paula Radwan Chief Administrative Officer B. McGovern Acting Commissioner Growth and Community Development A. Poffenroth Director Growth and Community Planning D. Dobbelsteyn Director Legal J. Boucher Senior Manager Community Support Services C. Coes Director Industrial Parks B. Irving Manager Community Planning J. Kirchner Communications Manager E. White Manager Housing A. Reid Director Legislative Services / City Clerk J. Taylor Deputy Clerk P. Anglin Administrative Assistant A. MacLean 1. Meeting Called to Order 1.1 Appointment of Acting Vice-Chair Growth Committee Moved by Mayor Noade Reardon, seconded by Councillor Lowe: RESOLVED that Deputy Mayor John MacKenzie be appointed Acting Vice-Chair of the Growth Committee. MOTION CARRIED. Acting Vice-Chair Deputy Mayor MacKenzie called the Growth Committee open session meeting to order. 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Minutes of June 22, 2023 Moved by Councillor Lowe, seconded by Mayor Noade Reardon: RESOLVED that the minutes of June 22, 2023, be approved. MOTION CARRIED. 2.2 Minutes of July 4, 2023 Moved by Mayor Noade Reardon, seconded by Councillor Lowe: RESOLVED that the minutes of July 4, 2023, be approved. MOTION CARRIED. 3. Approval of Agenda Moved by Councillor Lowe, seconded by Mayor Noade Reardon: Growth Committee Meeting Open Session October 31, 2023 RESOLVED that the agenda of October 31, 2023, be approved with the addition of 1.1 Appointment of Acting Vice-Chair Growth Committee. MOTION CARRIED. 4. Disclosures of Conflict of Interest No disclosures. 5. Consent Agenda 5.1 Common Council Referral: Heritage Grants Moved by Councillor Lowe, seconded by Mayor Noade Reardon: RESOLVED that the matter be referred to the Finance Committee for consideration. MOTION CARRIED. 6. Delegations/Presentations 7. Business Matters 7.1 Affordable Housing Update Mr. Reid provided an update on the status of the CMHC application that was submitted by the City of Saint John in August. He highlighted how the application submitted by the City of Saint John aligns closely with the CMHC top 10 best practices. Moved by Mayor Noade Reardon, seconded by Councillor Lowe: RESOLVED that: 1. Affordable Housing Update be received for information. 2. Growth Committee recommends Common Council resolve to submit a letter to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, with clarifications pertaining to how the City of Saint Johnwill pertain to the 10 best practices released, with special regard to ending exclusionary zoning. MOTION CARRIED. 7.2 North End Secondary Plan Update Ms. Kirchner provided an update on the North End Secondary plan and highlighted the next key steps. The project is composed of 4 phases: Project Initiation Community Engagement and Visioning Plan Development Plan Refinement and Adoption North End Secondary Plan is expected to be launched in 2024 and completed by the end of 2025. Moved by Mayor Noade Reardon, seconded by Councillor Lowe: RESOLVED that Affordable Housing Update be received for information. MOTION CARRIED. 7.3 Saint John Industrial Parks Update Referring to the submitted report 2024-2026 Allocation from Strategic Real Estate Reserve for Saint John Industrial Parks, Mr. Irving gave a brief overview of the current circumstances regarding Saint John Industrial Parks. Moved by Mayor Noade Reardon, seconded by Councillor Lowe: RESOLVED that the Growth Committees makes the following recommendation to Common Council: Growth Committee Meeting Open Session October 31, 2023 1. Subject to meeting the terms of the Strategic Real Estate Reserve Policy, that Council transfer a total of $600,000.00 from the Strategic Real Estate Reserve Fund to an Industrial Parks Operating Reserve; and 2. That any draw of the funds allocated to the Industrial Parks Operating Reserve be subject MOTION CARRIED. 8. Referrals from Common Council 9. Adjournment Moved by Councillor Lowe, seconded by Mayor Noade Reardon: RESOLVED that the meeting of October 31, 2023 be adjourned. MOTION CARRIED. The open session meeting of the Growth Committee held on October 31, 2023, was adjourned at 12:42 pm. Respectfully Submitted, Anna MacLean, Recording Secretary PROPOSED 2024 GROWTH COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE DATE TYPE Tuesday, January 16 Growth Committee Closed; Open Tuesday, February 27 Growth Committee Closed; Open No meetings in March only if required Tuesday, April 9 Growth Committee Closed; Open Tuesday, May 28 Growth Committee Closed; Open No meetings in June - only if required Tuesday, July 16 Growth Committee Closed; Open Tuesday, August 27 Growth Committee Closed; Open No meetings in September - only if required Tuesday, October 8 Growth Committee Closed; Open Tuesday, November 19 Growth Committee Closed; Open No meetings in December - only if required GROWTH AT A GLANCE Development permits received: Building 550 permits received 640652653607584550 (5-year average same period: 627) October201820192020202120222023 Value of $127.1 million projects (5-year average same period: $82.5 million) Number of units created Building & Development 550 359 29 (5-year average Upcoming same period: 236) 19 Infrastructure 20 projects with over 151 165 1,700 new units Plumbing planned. 111 62 Planning Heritage Qspevdfe!cz!Djuz!pg!Tbjou!Kpio! Dpsqpsbuf!Dpnnvojdbujpot xxx/tbjoukpio/db Opwfncfs!3134 CROISSANCE EN UN COUP D’ŒIL Development permits received: Permis de 550 640652653607584550 octobre201820192020202120222023 (moyenne sur 5 ans pour la même période : 502) Valeur des 127.1 millions de dollars projets de (moyenne sur 5 ans pour la même période : 82.5 millions de dollars) Nombre d’unités permis supplémentaire créées développement 550 359 (moyenne sur 5 29 Puit et carrière ans pour la même À venir 19 Infrastructure période : 236) 20 projets avec plus 151 165 de 1700 nouvelles Plomberie unités prévus. 111 62 Patrimoine Qspevju!qbs!m“êrvjqf!ef! dpnnvojdbujpot!hêoêsbmft!ef!mb! xxx/tbjoukpio/db wjmmf!ef!Tbjou!Kpio opwfncsf!3134 Dwh‘I /haaL99w9thw Report DateNovember 15, 2023 Meeting DateNovember 21, 2023 Acting Vice Chair MacKenzieandMembers of the Growth Committee SUBJECT: Beautification Grant Program OPEN OR CLOSED SESSION This matter is to be discussed in open session. AUTHORIZATION Primary AuthorActing CommissionerChief Administrative Officer Yeva MattsonAmy Poffenroth J. Brent McGovern RECOMMENDATION 1.That Growth Committeereceive and file the Urban Beautification Grant report. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Sincethe Beautification Grant program was updated in July 2023, we have seen the program begin to shift from the Central Peninsula to the North End. Staff had reserved $30,000 for beautification grants for the North End,and $30,000 on a first come-first served basis for the North End and for the South End. As the program in the North End is new and propertiesonly hadaccess to it for less than half a year, thefunds dedicated solely to the North Endhave not been fully utilized. Several projects within the Central Peninsula have been waitlisted for funding. As the 2023 grant cycle is drawing to a close, this report is simply to update the Growth Committee that staff willbe reallocating any remaining funds still in the NorthEnd envelope to those on the 2023 Central Peninsula waitlist. PREVIOUS RESOLUTION In July2023, Council changed the Beautification Grant Policy to encompass the North End. The pilot program occurred in the South End, Uptown, and Waterloo Village neighbourhoodsof the City with the intention that the program would shift focus as new Neighborhood Plans were createdacross the City. With the upcoming focus on the North End Neighbourhood Plan, the programwasshifted from the Uptown to also include the North End, with the funds being split between both locations for 2023 and the intention to fully shift to the North End in 2024. The Grant envelope increased from the previous $50,000 to $60,000. The intention was to have $30,000solelyfor the North End, with the rest of the - 2 - envelope being flexible for use in the Central Peninsula or the North End on a first-come, first-serve basis. STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT Common Council adopted a set of Priorities for 2021-2026. Under and Belong, priorities include promoting population growth and community vibrancy through beautification. REPORT With the shift in focus from the Central Peninsula to the North End for a new Neighbourhood Plan, Council voted to transition the Beautification Grant program from the Central Peninsula to the North End. The intent of the shift was to allow for a smooth transition of the program over the course of a year, allowing for both Central Peninsula residences to have a final year of access to the Grant program while also allowing for North End residences to start applying for the program. Initially, the grant envelope of $60,000 was divided into two parts, with $30,000 solely dedicated to the North End and the rest of the funds being flexible on a first-come first-serve basis between the Central Peninsula and the North End. The new grant policy and updated North End Boundary were not voted into effect by Council until July 2023, which left less than half a year for applicants in the North End to become familiar with the program and to apply for the grant. Due to this limited amount of time and the newness of the program shift, the City received fewer grant applications from North End residences. Of the $30,000 allocated for the North End, approximately $9,000 was granted to approved applications. The Central Peninsula ended up with more applications submitted due to it being an established grant program better known to local residents. The $30,000 of flexible funds has been committed to approved applications in the Central Peninsula, with approximately $15,000 worth of further grant funds waitlisted. As the window for application submission and completion has nearly drawn to a close, staff intend to move the unspent funds from the North End grant envelope to the waitlisted projects in the Central Peninsula. /hb/\[…{Lhb Due to the updated policy and program boundaries being passed by Council in the summer of 2023, the grant program was only available in the North End for a short timeframe, which resulted in less participation by residents. In 2024, staff will be rolling out a new communications strategy to ensure the program is promoted through a variety of mediums, including posters, City website, social media, and more. Staff will also be exploring whether housing tenure has an impact on overall application volume. It is expected that next year there will be an increase in North End applications as residents will have the full program year to apply. - 3 - SERVICE AND FINANCIAL OUTCOMES The Beautification Grant Program is an existing grant stream administered by staff with a grant envelope of $60,000. $30,000 was initially set aside solely for the North End, but as the program draws to a close for the year, unused funds form the North End will be used towards waitlisted projects in the Central Peninsula. There is no impact to the 2023 operating budget by this decision. Dwh‘I /haaL99w9thw Report DateNovember 15, 2023 Meeting DateNovember 21, 2023 Service AreaGrowth and Community Services Interim Chair John MacKenzie andMembers of the Growth Committee SUBJECT: Increasing Resources for By-law Enforcement of the Community StandardsProgram OPEN OR CLOSED SESSION This matter is to be discussed in Growth Committee Open Session. AUTHORIZATION Primary AuthorsActing CommissionerChief Administrative Officer PBentley/ B PurintonAmyPoffenrothJ. Brent McGovern d RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that Growth Committee recommend that Common Council approve an expenditure of $180,000from the Community Services Reservefor resources associated with an up to24-month expansion of the Community StandardsProgram as outlined in this report. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY During General Operating Budget discussionon October 16, 2023,multiple Councillorshighlighted theneed foradditionalby-law enforcement officers that enforcestandards within our City.TheCommunity Standards Programis operated by oneby-law enforcementofficer who works to achieve these goals. Since 2022, the programhas experienced a significant caseload increaseand would greatly benefitfrom additional resources. interestto increase enforcement of community standards, staffis recommending the hiring of anadditional by-law enforcement officerfor up to24months. The newofficerwould allow the program torespond desireto ensure that by-law standards are being met, but also respondto the increased numberof complaints received for unsightly premises and zoning infractions.Increasing stafffor the programwould improve neighbourhood aestheticsand standards in alignment with Council priorities and the 10-year strategic plan. PREVIOUS RESOLUTION - 2 - N/A STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT The Belong priority focuses on enhancing quality of life, ensuring community safety, and cultivating community pride by providing our citizens with safe, clean, Community Standards Program directly addresses those needs by enforcing general community standards. The Grow priority focuses on both population and economic growth with the goal annually. By enforcing by-law standards, the Community Standards Program improves the perception and liveabilty of neighbourhoods, which can encourage investment from residential and commercial developers primary development area. REPORT The Community Standards Program focuses on issues that impact the aesthetics, enjoyment, and pride of a neighbourhood. The program works to address unsightly premises, zoning by-law issues, and general upkeep of properties. This key standards program enhances citizen quality of life, ensuring our citizens are provided with safe, beautiful, vibrant neighbourhoods that cultivate community pride. The program also improves the perception of neighbourhoods, which can encourage investment from developers leading to growth. Since implemented in 2019, the program has been a success. Operated by a single standards officer, the program resolves over 125 unsightly premise and zoning cases each year. These cases are primarily resolved by working with property owners to achieve voluntary compliance. As a result, formal enforcement measures rarely become necessary to resolve a case. However, in the rare cases where enforcement is necessary, staff can arrange cleanup of unsightly premises and can pursue fines when addressing zoning violations. Over the past two years, the program has seen a substantial increase in the number of incoming cases. Several factors have contributed to this, including population growth and implementation of the Integrated Customer Service Centre which streamlined the complaint submission process for citizens. Additionally, where over 400 cases have been resolved since program implementation, it is likely that more complaints are being submitted as citizens have greater confidence that a complaint will lead to results. Due to these and other potential factors, the rate at which new cases are being added has increased 70% in 2022 and in 2023 when compared to prior years. As a result, more cases are being added than can be addressed with current capacity and the overall caseload has reached record levels. The caseload can no longer be - 3 - handled by just one officer; the program would benefit from additional resources. Staff is recommending that another standards officer be added which would double the capacity of the program. Doing so would allow for gradual reduction of the caseload down to normal levels and ensure there is capacity to address the increased number of incoming cases. If this recommendation were approved, it would allow this key standards program to have a greater impact in our communities. Further, staff commits to returning to the Growth Committee to report on measured outcomes of the expanded service for 2026 budget consideration. In alignment with the 10-year strategic plan, improving the Community Standards Program will provide our citizens with safer, aesthetically pleasing neighbourhoods that better cultivate community pride. SERVICE AND FINANCIAL OUTCOMES The proposed enhanced service would require additional staff to augment the Community Standards Program. By increasing the level of service provided by this program, the City will experience safer, aesthetically pleasing, more vibrant neighborhoods that cultivate community pride. The up to 24-month service expansion would cost $180,000, which is proposed to Community Services Reserve. The Reserve currently has $585,000 in the fund; if this service enhancement is approved, there will be $405,000 remaining in the reserve. INPUT FROM OTHER SERVICE AREAS AND STAKEHOLDERS N/A ATTACHMENTS Presentation . f Click here to enter text. . . . law Enforcement - Growth CommitteeNovember 21, 2023 of the Community Standards Program Increasing Resources for By ƭ ƒ ğ Ʃ Officer ŭ Program ƚ Ʃ law Enforcement - t By Ļ Community Standards ĭ Ɠ ŭ ğ Ɠ ź ź ƌ ĭ Ʀ Ʃ ǒ ƒ ƚ ƚ ƭ / Ļ ƭ w ķ Ʒ Ʃ Ɠ ğ Pilot Program** Ļ ķ Manager of the Ʃ Buildings ProgramBuildings ProgramBuildings Program Ɠ Ʃ 1 additional staff for ğ **Community Enhancement ǒ Dangerous and Vacant Dangerous and Vacant Dangerous and Vacant Ʒ / { Ǥ Ʒ ź Ɠ ǒ ƒ ƒ ƚ Manager of Community Standards Compliance Programs / Inspector Pilot Program** Minimum Property Standards Program Property Standards 2 Minimum Property Standards Inspectors **Community Enhancement 1 additional Minimum Zoning Dog Control Pits and Quarries Unsightly Premises Mobile Home Parks law Enforcement Officer - By Community Standards Program Responsible for enforcement of standards for Questions? DƩƚǞƷŷ /ƚƒƒźƷƷĻĻ wĻƦƚƩƷ M&C No.N/A Report DateNovember 18, 2023 Meeting DateNovember 21, 2023 Service AreaGrowth and Community Services Acting Vice Chair MacKenzie and Members of the Growth Committee SUBJECT: Sophia RecoveryCentre Funding Request AUTHORIZATION Primary AuthorActing Commissioner/Dept. HeadC hief Administrative Officer C ara Coes A my Poffenroth J. Brent McGovern RECOMMENDATIONS The Chief Administrative Officer recommends: That theGrowthCommitteerecommend to Common Council that the City of Saint John enter into aformalagreementfor an amount of$50,000 with the Sophia Recovery Centre,and Common Council approve drawingthe funds from the Community Services Reserves in 2024. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On September 18, 2023, CAO McGovern referred a funding request received from the Sophia Recovery Center(SRC)for its evaluation and recommendation to Growth & Community Services. The SRCis requesting $50,000 from the City of Saint John to support their approximate $1.5million project, as well as ongoing support for seasonal snow removal from the driveway and parking lot at the new facility. Theirpackage of information submitted outlines therationaleand impact ofthis project, including theeconomic impact. To facilitate the consideration of the SRCsfinancial request to the City of Saint John, the Chief Administrative Officer reviewed the Business Case to confirm it met all criteria of the Grant Policy and the Community Services Reserves Policy, and asked staff to conduct anevaluation of the opportunity toprovide a recommendation for the SRCsproposal incorporates three evaluation categories: strategic alignment, economic impact,and community impact. Sassessment concludes that there is merit in the City entering into a formal agreementfor financial supportwith Sophia Recovery Centre. Staff recommends that the City does not provide in-kind snow removalof their parking lot and driveway. - 2 - This recommendation proposes a one-time funding envelope commitment from the Community Services Reserves Fund, entering into a formal service agreement in 2024 as per the Grant Policy. PREVIOUS RESOLUTION w9{h\[95 October 22, 2022; that as recommended by the Finance Committee in the submitted report M&C 2022-311: FAS-023 Grant Policy, Common Council approve FAS-023 - Grant Policy. w9{h\[95 March 6, 2023; that as recommended by the Growth Committee in the submitted report M&C 2023-57: Community Services Reserve, Common Council establish a Community Services Reserve Fund from $800,000 in initial seed funding that was budgeted as part the 2023 Operating Budget and that Common Council approve the Community Services Reserve Policy as attached to M&C 2023- 57, which will guide the use of this fund. REPORT .ğĭƉŭƩƚǒƓķ On September 18, 2023, the Sophia Recovery Centre (SRC) submitted a business plan to the Chief Administrative Officer, which outlined the details of the Sophia Recovery Centre facility project. The package also included a financial and in-kind ask to the City of Saint John. The Chief Administrative Officer referred the package to the Commissioner of Growth and Community Services to assemble a cross- corporate staff team to facilitate an evaluation of SRCs financial request. hǝĻƩǝźĻǞ ƚŅ tƩƚƆĻĭƷ The Sophia Recovery project will replace their current rented spaces throughout the city, bringing all staff and operations together under one roof. SRC purchased the property in June 2023, fundraising campaign June through September, with site preparation set to be completed at end of October 2023 and the renovation beginning with a target completion and relocation date of February 2024. The project is just a few weeks behind, scheduled to begin site preparation week of November 20, 2023. As described in the SRCs package, the project is driven by the growing need in the community to provide space for staff, programs and services delivered by Sophia Recovery Centre. Completion of this project will result in monies saved through the transition from paying rental fees to a mortgage, the addition of available parking for clients and staff, increasing programs and services offered to meet the and expansion. The project is estimated to cost $1.5 million, of which SRC will be contributing approximately $1 million via financial assets and fundraising. Additionally, Sophia - 3 - Recovery Centre has secured $485,000 of Provincial funding through the RDC Community Development Fund. tƩƚƆĻĭƷ 9ǝğƌǒğƷźƚƓ To make a recommendation, staff used three broad categories to effectively evaluate the merits of the project and whether it should be considered for City of Saint John funding. The three categories are: strategic alignment, economic impact, and community impact. STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT The first critical consideration in evaluating this project is to demonstrate that the -existing strategies and plans. This project has strong ties to two of the core categories from Council Priorities 2021-2026, Grow and Belong. 1. DƩƚǞ This project will contribute to the labour market, both in development and operations. 2. .ĻƌƚƓŭ Saint John continues to expand on its quality-of-life offerings and recognizes the need to introduce expanded program and service offerings the Sophia Recovery Centre will provide such as client and caregiver care, in person sessions, increased mental wellness-based offerings, community spaces, and collaborative opportunities within the community. This expansion will also help reduce usage of acute programs and emergency care services in hospitals. This project aligns s municipal plan, acknowledging the importance of community facilities creating complete and healthy communities; recognizing natural spaces, recreation, and community facilities enhance social interaction while providing diverse activities and amenities. COMMUNITY IMPACT Assessing community impact has not yet been defined. The City of Saint John is working on initiatives on how to inform the public of the value and impact of its own quality-of-life offerings and services, which require a comprehensive analysis and clarity on what precisely is meant by community value (which falls outside the scope of this assessment and report). Examples of community impact within our community have been seen through fees, PRO Kids, Community Services offerings, and senior and youth programming and services. While measuring impact is a work-in- progress, the City acknowledges that there are improvements needed in our efforts towards justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, including our efforts towards Truth and Reconciliation. - 4 - According to the documentation shared by Sophia Recovery Centre, the project is expected to impact neighborhood and public safety, healthcare, family and school lives, social services, and employment. The project is expected to enhance the development and delivery of programs to upwards of five hundred women by end of 2025; having served three hundred and thirty women in their 2022/2023 fiscal year. According to the documentation submitted by the SRC, they intend to enhance their existing partnership with GNBs . ECONOMIC IMPACT Through a robust partnership and integral role as a community partner with GNBs Health, SRC is currently in discussions to secure a 10-year funding commitment. As a secondary funding source, Sophia Recovery Centre has an established and stable funding partnership with United Way. A formal social return on investment analysis of SRC programs, completed in 2017 by SiMACT, evaluated the level of perceived operations, finding that a $6.03 of value is created on every program dollar invested at the Sophia Recovery Centre. Therefore, an annual social and economic return of close to $5 million dollars is a reasonable estimate and expectation. Additionally, the future development of a social enterprise, generating additional revenue in support of Centre operations is intended for one-third of the acre property. 9ǣƦĻƓķźƷǒƩĻ /ƚƓƭźķĻƩğƷźƚƓƭ City staff reviewed and impact on the community with the expansion project. Staff conclude that a request for $50,000 is a reasonable ask of the City of Saint John and meets the Community Services Reserve Fund Business Case requirements. intends to provide safe and inclusive spaces for all members of the community. This expansion offers recovery to those community members needing additional support, it offers safe public spaces for all community members to feel welcome and this project also provides support to community members who are developing skills to gain resources to support their recovery and family long term through employment opportunities and well clients. Staff conclude that due to rising costs, staff capacity, weather unpredictability while being mindful of our core focus of maintaining public spaces, it is not recommended to support annual driveway and parking lot snow removal at the new facility. Staff recommend SRC engage external service providers and other funding opportunities in the community to support this need. - 5 - $485,000, and with the SRCs investment, including fundraising, are set to achieve approximately $1 million. of this project is the to fund capital projects that are not owned by the City of Saint John. The City does have a long history of offering grants to non-profit organizations in the community to improve their ability to deliver new and improved services to the Saint John community. Staff has reviewed the granting policy as well as funding options, including the Land for Public Purpose and Beautification grants in assessing how the City could financially support this funding request. staff is recommending the City enter into a formal agreement as per the policy for an amount of $50,000 with the Sophia Recovery Centre, drawing funds from the Community Services Reserves in 2024. wĻĭƚƒƒĻƓķğƷźƚƓ After assessing SRCs proposal across the three assessment categories of alignment, economic and community impact, as well as investigating funding methods within the City, staff believes there is merit in contributing to this project. While staff acknowledge that the overall community impact is difficult to evaluate, with metrics provided by Sophia Recovery Center and Council Priorities of maintaining a safe and inclusive community, staff conclude that this project is important to all members of the community and the overall vibrancy of the City of Saint John. STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT Grow: Service Delivery, Strategic Alignment with the 10-year strategic plan. Belong: Quality of Life, Social Well-being, Wellness programs and services. SERVICE AND FINANCIAL OUTCOMES As outlined in the Community Services Reserves Policy: {ĻĭƷźƚƓ Њ͵Ћ tƚƌźĭǤ {ƷğƷĻƒĻƓƷ; The purpose and exclusive use of this reserve is for supporting innovation, piloting & testing new one-time initiatives intended to improve quality of life and enhance inclusion or community development in Saint {ĻĭƷźƚƓ Ћ͵Ћ 9ǝğƌǒğƷźƚƓ /ƩźƷĻƩźğ ğƓķ tĻƩƒźƷƷĻķ …ƭĻ ƚŅ ƷŷĻ CǒƓķ; All Projects must give strong evidence that the completion of the Project will lead to increased inclusion and community development as confirmed by Growth Committee - 6 - {ĻĭƷźƚƓ Ћ͵Б 9ǝğƌǒğƷźƚƓ /ƩźƷĻƩźğ ğƓķ tĻƩƒźƷƷĻķ …ƭĻ ƚŅ ƷŷĻ CǒƓķ; Third-party organizations may not apply for this Fund, though, Common Council may elect to use funds from this reserve to support the Community Services Agenda via a formal agreement with a controlled entity of the City, or an incorporated non- profit organization. It is important to note that monies already allocated from the Community Reserves Fund leave the remaining balance of $585,000. Based on the current property assessment of $148,800, the city presently collects $4,098 in municipal property taxes annually. Water and sewer collected for this property in 2023 has exceeded 2022 consumption levels and is currently at $1,083 as of September 2023. Additionally, a building permit application was submitted with a construction estimate of $600,000 and permit fee of $5,460. With the proposed improvements to the site, it can be assumed that the property assessment value will increase post-development, allowing for additional tax capture. Based on the 2023 property assessment and the annual water and sewer consumption, the City of Saint John could expect $5,181 annually. With the one- time injection of $5,460 in permitting fees, and annual revenue thereafter, the city could realize its financial return on investment within nine years. INPUT FROM OTHER SERVICE AREAS AND STAKEHOLDERS This report was supported by the Finance, Growth & Community Services, Public Works & Transportation, and Permitting & Infrastructure. ATTACHMENTS Package submitted by Sophia Recovery Centre included. Dwh‘I /haaL99w9thw Report DateNovember 15, 2023 Meeting DateNovember 21, 2023 Interim Chair MacKenzieandMembers of the Growth Committee SUBJECT: North End Neighbourhood Plan Grant Application OPEN OR CLOSED SESSION This matter is to be discussed in open session. AUTHORIZATION Primary AuthorActing Commissioner/ Chief Administrative Officer Department Head Jennifer KirchnerAmy Poffenroth/ David J. Brent McGovern Dobbelsteyn RECOMMENDATION Growth Committee Recommends that Common Council: 1.Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to develop a sustainable North End Neighbourhood Plan that will include sustainability goals, specific targets, actions, and an implementation and monitoring strategy; and, 2.Allocate $200,000 from the Growth Reserve toward the development of the North End Neighbourhood Plan and in-kind contributions in stafftime toward the cost of this initiative. 3.Direct the Chief Administrative Officerto submit a funding application to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities(FCM) for the North End Neighbourhood Plan and that the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to sign any required documents ancillary to the application. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Sincethe successful completion and initial implementation of the Central Peninsula Secondary Plan, Council has prioritized the development of a North End Neighbourhood Plan to continue the goal of creatingdetailed plans within which serve to establish a platform to prioritize and coordinate reinvestment, growth andtransformation in these communities. of this new neighbourhood plan in the North End is intended to commence in early 2024with completion anticipated in mid-2025. In preparation for thedevelopment of this Plan, staff has identified a funding opportunity through the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal - 2 - Fund. The recommendations presented in this report are required to facilitate the funding application. PREVIOUS RESOLUTION N/A STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT Common Council adopted a set of Priorities for 2021-2026. The development of a Neighbourhood Plan promoting sustainability goals and smart growth align with several of the Outcomes and Objectives identified under goals. These include priorities such as promoting population growth, growing our property tax base, and strengthening and improving the quality of life of our neighbourhoods. REPORT CONTEXT After the adoption and initial implementation of the Central Peninsula Secondary Plan, Council identified the North End as the new priority for neighbourhood planning. The North End Neighbourhood Plan will be a strategic, living document intended to support growth and reinvestment within the Plan boundary, including the Old North End neighbourhood. In anticipation of the commencement of this plan, Community Planning has begun to focus on initial action items that can support the start of the project in 2024. This included the shifting of the Beautification Grant Program from the Central Peninsula to the North End to coincide with the project launch and the search for funding opportunities to support the plan development. This report identifies the required resolutions of Council needed to support the funding application for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Green Municipal Fund. BACKGROUND Neighbourhood or Secondary Plans provide a framework for growth, revitalization and development within specific geographic areas. These plans d provide more detailed planning direction for the specific geographic areas. Each Neighbourhood Plan will share certain commonalities such as land use and development frameworks, but each plan will vary greatly based on the strengths and opportunities apparent for each neighbourhood, and will require unique and specific changes to other existing Plans and By-ation. ANALYSIS Staff has identified the Green Municipal Fund, operated by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, as a funding opportunity for the development of this Plan. This Fund was utilized previously to support the creation of the Central Peninsula Secondary Plan. - 3 - The FCM Green Municipal Fund is for the development of a . The Fund supports the creation of land use plans that establish a vision and priority actions that support sustainable development at a neighbourhood-scale. Included in this is a sustainable development vison that incorporates not only environmental but also social and economic objectives and touches on areas such as land use, and sustainable transportation. The Green Municipal Fund provides funding for 50% of eligible costs up to a total of $175,000. As identified in the provided recommendations, $200,000 has been identified as the city contribution toward the plan development, in addition to considerable in-kind contributions representing staff time. CONCLUSION The proposed recommendations are required to facilitate the submission of a funding application which will provide additional investment for the development of the next Neighbourhood Plan. As outlined in the report, the development of the North End Neighbourhood Plan is intended to commence in early 2024 with an estimated 18-month development timeline. The additional funding will help supplement the $200,000 budgeted by the City, in addition to the contribution of staff time and resources. SERVICE AND FINANCIAL OUTCOMES The development of the North End Neighbourhood Plan has been identified as a priority in the -Year Strategic Plan and has been identified as a 2024- 2025 initiative for the Growth and Community Services Department. $200,000 in funds has been previously allocated in the 2023 Operating Budget for the completion of the plan. However, as a result of workplan adjustments, the start of the plan development was shifted to 2024. The $200,000 allocated for the North End Plan in 2023 will be placed in the Growth Reserve at the end of 2023 with the approval of Council which will cover this cost therefore it is being recommended that the $200,000 be allocated from the Growth Reserve for the plan development in 2024. INPUT FROM OTHER SERVICE AREAS AND STAKEHOLDERS The recommendations were prepared in consultation with the broader Growth and Community Planning Service Areas, the Finance Department and the CAO. ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1 North End Secondary Plan Update