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2023-10-31 Growth Committee Agenda Packet - Open Session�B City of Saint John Growth Committee - Open Session AGENDA Tuesday, October 31, 2023 12:00 pm Meeting Conducted by Electronic Participation 1. Call to Order 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Minutes of June 22, 2023 2.2 Minutes of July 4, 2023 3. Approval of Agenda 4. Disclosures of Conflict of Interest 5. Consent Agenda 5.1 Common Council Referral: Heritage Grants (Recommendation in Report) 6. Presentations/Delegations 7. Business Matters 7.1 Affordable Housing Update 7.2 North End Secondary Plan Update 7.3 Saint John Industrial Parks Update 8. Referrals from Common Council 9. Adjournment Pages 1-3 4-5 6-10 11-16 17-21 22-25 Growth Committee Meeting Open Session June 22, 2023 The City of Saint John MINUTES- OPEN SESSION GROWTH COMMITTEE MEETING JUNE 22, 2023 12:00 P.M. 2nd FLOOR COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL Present: Mayor Donna Noade Reardon Councillor Joanna Killen Councillor Brent Harris Councillor Gerry Lowe Absent: Deputy Mayor John MacKenzie Also Present: Chief Administrative Officer B. McGovern Commissioner Growth and Community Services J. Hamilton Director, Growth and Community Planning D. Dobbelsteyn Director, Permitting & Development A. Poffenroth Administrative Officer R. Evans Administrative Assistant A. MacLean Administrative Assistant K. Tibbits 1. Meetine Called to Order Councillor Killen called the Growth Committee open session meeting to order. 2. Approval of Minutes 2.1 Minutes of June 6. 2023 Moved by Mayor Noade Reardon, seconded by Councillor Harris: RESOLVED that the minutes of June 6, 2023 be approved. MOTION CARRIED. 3. Approval of Agenda Moved by Councillor Lowe, seconded by Councillor Harris: RESOLVED that the agenda of June 22, 2023 be approved. MOTION CARRIED. 4. Disclosures of Conflict of Interest 5. Consent Agenda 6. Presentations / Delegations 7. Business Matters 7.1 Ethnocultural Small Grant Program 1 Growth Committee Meeting Open Session June 22, 2023 J. WaIdschutz reviewed the submitted presentation "City of Saint John Ethnocultural Small Grant Program." The Ethnocultural Small Grant Program was established as a pilot program in 2022 to support new and existing ethnocultural groups with incorporation, growing their membership, and enhancing service delivery. It is recommended that the program transition from a pilot to a permanent offering. The budget envelope in 2023 for the program is $20K and is already accounted for in the 2023 operating budget. Subject to Council approval, the application for Ethnocultural Small Grants will open in June 2023 until September 2023 or until the fund is exhausted. Moved by Mayor Noade Reardon, seconded by Councillor Harris: RESOLVED that the Growth Committee recommends that Common Council approve the Ethnocultural Small Grant Program Policy as presented to the Growth Committee on June 22nd, 2023, and direct staff to implement the program. MOTION CARRIED. 7.2 Urban Beautification Grant Update Y. Mattson reviewed the submitted presentation "Growth Committee: Beautification." Since implementation in 2016, the Beautification Grant has facilitated $551,636 of investment into beautifying the Central Peninsula. As the creation of a Neighbourhood Plan for the North End begins, it is recommended that the program be extended to incorporate the Old North End and Douglas Avenue as a new neighbourhood of focus. Incentives will remain available in the Central Peninsula for a one-year transition period during 2023. After the transition period, the program will leave the Central Peninsula and fully transition into the North End. Moved by Mayor Noade Reardon, seconded by Councillor Harris: RESOLVED that the Growth Committees makes the following recommendation to Common Council: 1. Common Council receive and file the Urban Beautification Program report; and, 2. Common Council adopt the amended Urban Beautification Policy as presented to the Growth Committee on June 22, 2023. MOTION CARRIED. 7.3 Community Enhancement Program — Update and Funding Request B. Purinton reviewed the submitted presentation "Community Enhancement Project Update and Resource Proposal." The Community Enhancement Project began in 2022 to enhance the City's Property Bylaw Compliance programs. Mr. Purinton discussed the new Unsightly Repair Program and advocacy efforts regarding vacant buildings. Referring to the $215K resource proposal from the Community Services Reserve, the funds would be used to increase Property By-law Compliance resources by enhancing the City's Minimum Property Standards Program and increasing the capacity of the Dangerous and Vacant Building Program, including efforts under the new Unsightly Repair Program. Moved by Mayor Noade Reardon, seconded by Councillor Harris: RESOLVED that the Growth Committee recommend that Common Council approve an expenditure of $215,000 from the Community Services Reserve for resources associated with a 15-month Community Enhancement Pilot program as outlined in the submitted report. MOTION CARRIED. Growth Committee Meeting Open Session June 22, 2023 Adjournment Moved by Councillor Lowe, seconded by Mayor Noade Reardon: RESOLVED that the open session meeting of the Growth Committee be adjourned. MOTION CARRIED The open session meeting of the Growth Committee held on June 22, 2023, was adjourned at 12:45 p.m. Growth Committee Meeting Open Session July 4, 2023 The City of Saint John MINUTES- OPEN SESSION GROWTH COMMITTEE MEETING JULY 4, 2023 12:00 P.M. 2nd FLOOR COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBER, CITY HALL Present: Councillor Joanna Killen, Chair Mayor Donna Noade Reardon Deputy Mayor John MacKenzie Councillor Brent Harris Councillor Gerry Lowe Also Present: Acting Chief Administrative Officer M. Hugenholtz Director, Growth and Community Planning D. Dobbelsteyn Administrative Assistant A. MacLean Administrative Assistant K. Tibbits 1. Meetine Called to Order Councillor Killen called the Growth Committee open session meeting to order. 2. Approval of Minutes 3. Approval of Agenda Moved by Councillor Lowe, seconded by Councillor Harris: RESOLVED that the agenda of July 4, 2023 be approved. MOTION CARRIED. 4. Disclosures of Conflict of Interest 5. Consent Agenda 6. Presentations / Delegations 6.1 Final City Market Strategic Plan (T. Mathiesen and K. Hunt, Consultants, joined the meeting electronically) D. Dobbelsteyn stated that this is the final draft of the City Market Strategic Plan. The plan has received extensive public engagement from citizens, vendors and other stakeholders, resulting in refinements to the draft plan by the consultants. Mayor Noade Reardon, Chair of the steering committee noted that the plan was unanimously approved by the committee. 4 Growth Committee Meeting Open Session July 4, 2023 Consultants T. Mathiesen and K. Hunt reviewed the submitted presentation "City Market Strategic Plan 2023-2033" and highlighted the key takeaways from the public feedback, culminating in the creation of the final strategic plan. Based on community input, the following key takeaways were identified: • The City Market continues to be a treasured landmark in the Uptown; • Transparency and reinforcement around heritage protection policies and clear communication before, during, and after changes are made will be crucial in continuing to strengthen public trust and support for the Strategic Plan; • An opportunity exists for the city to lean into this discussion and address the questions that were raised as a result of this process through future communications concerning the strategic plan. Moved by Deputy Mayor MacKenzie, seconded by Councillor Harris: RESOLVED that with the support of the City Market Strategic Plan Steering Committee, the Growth Committee endorse the 10-year City Market Strategic Plan and recommend to Common Council that the Chief Administrative Officer be directed to: 1. begin implementation of the plan; and 2. bring a resourcing plan to Common Council on an annual basis for the duration of the strategic plan for their consideration as part of annual budget deliberations. Adjournment Moved by Councillor Lowe, seconded by Mayor Noade Reardon: RESOLVED that the open session meeting of the Growth Committee be adjourned. MOTION CARRIED. The open session meeting of the Growth Committee held on July 4, 2023, was adjourned at 12:25 p.m. 5 GROWTH COMMITTEE REPORT Report Date October 25, 2023 Meeting Date October 31, 2023 Service Area Growth and Community Services Her Worship Mayor Donna Noade Reardon and Members of the Growth Committee SUBJECT: Request for Supplementary Heritage Grant Funding OPEN OR CLOSED SESSION This matter is to be discussed in Growth Committee Open Session AUTHORIZATION Primary Author Commissioner/Dept. Head Chief Administrative Officer David Dobbeisteyn Amy Poffenroth J. Brent McGovern RECOMMENDATION That the matter be referred to the Finance Committee for consideration. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Staff has reviewed the request from the Heritage Development Board and believe that if approved, this matter can be dealt with by adjustments to the 2023 operating budget instead of requiring the use of an Operating Reserve such as the Growth Reserve or the Community Services Reserve. As such, staff recommend that this matter be referred to the Finance Committee for their deliberation. Staff intend to bring a full report with analysis and recommendation on the matter to Finance Committee in November. If the request for supplemental grant funding is recommended by Finance Committee to Council for approval and ultimately approved by Council, this still leaves sufficient time for staff to process payouts for the outstanding heritage grant applications for 2023. C.1 PREVIOUS RESOLUTION COMMON COUNCIL, SEPTEMBER 5, 2023 RESOLVED that the correspondence from J. Watson regarding the Heritage Grants Program be referred to the Growth Committee. STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT BELONG and PERFORM SERVICEAND FINANCIAL OUTCOMES N/A INPUT FROM OTHER SERVICE AREAS AND STAKEHOLDERS Staff from Growth and Community Services and Finance have reviewed the request and intend to present a recommendation and analysis to the Finance Committee. ATTACHMENTS • J. Watson Heritage Grants Program —Submission Form r� SUBMISSION TO COUNCIL FORM The City of Saint John ABOUT PERSON/GROUP PRESENTING i4mle w�+rsc)n4 First Name: cii,:!; ;<, to rimer 1r,t Last Name: Name of Organization/Group (where applicable): Mailing Address: tit r nce- Sx}INT JOHN City or Town: Inch he tea enter € A Province: u click here Lo Fnter tf',:x Day Time Phone Number. ri!3(_ , here v) it-r1 Email: 46-9I T,qCrE UCv666F* 3o4RD Postal Code- C If you do NOT wish to have your personal information (address, phone number, email) become part of the public record, please check this box, ABOUT YOUR SUBMISSION PCR I TfiGE GRANT.` Topic of Submission: Click hors to c„tf�; lext To F/NgNc6 ('prrrn, JrTnd' Purpose for Submission (what is the ask of Council): Executive Summary: cry . 'tw-n1 to e! '!-I : �t v. ;o a ne Vt57rNCr tqI , 600 +N tiDDITIONAL f/Egr TRUE GRIM? "0/"C, YOUR SIGNATURE Signature: vv Date: j fi to j U W 47r0/ 13tj14S f 23, ,zp2 3 FOR USE BY THE CITY OF SAINT JOHN ONLY Date Received::'.r, !%rr .a ent,et Cnandl Meeting Date: r h e r i t a g e @j s a 17771. 7 n:es August 23, 2023 Common Council c; o Jonathan Taylor, Common Clerk City of Saint John Common Council The City of saint whn 15 Market Square Saint John, NB E2L LE8 Canada Subject: Request for Additional Funding for Heritage Grant Program Dear Members of the City of Saint John Common Council, I am writing to you as the Chair of the Heritage Development Board to discuss the urgent need for an additional $40,000.00 as fimding for our heritage grant program. Our heritage grant program supports homeowners in neutralizing some of the high costs of intervening in heritage buildings, incentivizing the preservation of our incredibly rich heritage and over the past three years, has faced significant challenges due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As you may be aware, the heritage grant program has encountered challenges stemming from the stipulation that all work must be finalized by the 31st of November in the grant year. Regrettably, the compounding effects of the global shortage of construction materials and skilled workers, exacerbated by COVID-19 restrictions, have significantly impeded numerous projects from meeting this deadline. Consequently, we have observed a decline in the proportion of grants that have been fully disbursed. Despite an annual funding allocation of $80,000 for the program, in 2021, only 68% of the approved funding was distributed, with a slight improvement to 83% in 2022. It is important to note that any unused funding from the grant cannot be carried forward to the following year. This restriction has placed additional strain on our heritage grant program, limiting our ability to support important projects and initiatives aimed at preserving and promoting the rich heritage of our city. However, it is with great pleasure that we inform you of the growing interest in the heritage grant program as the economy gradually recovers. As of the beginning of August 2023, 100% of the allocated funding for the program has already been conditionally approved, and we have reached an additional 38% of applications on the waitlist, resulting in a balance of over $30,000.00. With a budget of only $80,000, the Heritage Grant Program has supported $587,595 in development and improvements in the City's Heritage Conservation areas this year. This clearly illustrates the strong demand for heritage projects and highlights the positive impact they have on our community. Given these circumstances, we kindly request that the City of Saint John Common Council consider the following factors when evaluating our appeal for an additional funding: 1. The exceptional circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in delays and challenges for numerous heritage projects. 2. The increased interest in our heritage grant program over the years. 3. The inability of many projects to meet the 3 V of November deadline due to the shortage of construction materials and workers. 4. The unavailability of cant' -forward funding, which has limited our ability to support heritage projects in the past. We firmly believe that by providing $40,000 as extra funding this year, we can mitigate the loss of work experienced during the COV ID-19 pandemic and support the completion of important heritage projects in our city. The additional funding will not only contribute to the preservation of our rich cultural heritage but also stimulate economic growth and community development. On behalf of the Heritage Development Board, I would like to express our gratitude for your attention to this matter and your continuous support of our efforts to protect and promote the heritage of Saint John. We remain committed to working collaboratively with the Common Council to ensure the success and sustainability of our city's heritage. Thank you for your time, consideration, and ongoing commitment to our shared heritage. 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AUTHORIZATION Primary Author Commissioner/Dept. Head Chief Administrative Officer Brian Irving & Jacqueline Boucher Melanie Tompkins Brent McGovern RECOMMENDATION Growth Committee recommends that: 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 to Growth Committee and Council's approval of a budget and business case. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The mandate from Council to revitalize the Saint John Industrial Parks as one of its catalytic infrastructure projects has triggered a reevaluation and repositioning of the Saint John Industrial Parks within the City's economic development and land opportunity eco-system. This work has provided opportunities to investigate options that address the long-term operations, maintenance, governance, funding, and future development of the City's industrial parks to support Council's priority of Grow. Recent efforts by staff have focused on the governance surrounding the industrial parks. A governance review is underway and staff are anticipating presenting the results of this governance review in December 2023. Whichever governance model is selected, the industrial parks will require long- term funding to support the next several years of strategic work (in addition to operations). The purpose of this report is to seek Growth Committee's support to WA -2- allocate funding from the Strategic Real Estate Reserve to an Industrial Parks Operating Reserve. PREVIOUS RESOLUTIONS On May 18, 2022, Common Council resolved to endorse the following eight high - impact initiatives as the City of Saint John's top priorities for catalytic growth to address critical infrastructure and partnerships needed to propel the City forward: Four key infrastructure projects: Innovative Central Peninsula Learning Commons, Redevelopment of Fundy Quay, a new Comprehensive Recreation Facility, and Investing in Industrial Parks. Four advocacy efforts: Comprehensive Tax Reform, Matching Dollars for Bilateral Funding, Affordable Housing, and Post -Secondary Education. On August 25, 2022, Growth Committee recommended that: Common Council approve the allocation of up to $100,000.00 from the Strategic Real Estate Capital Reserve Fund for consulting work on the Saint John Industrial Parks Value Chain Assessment Project. On September 6, 2022, Common Council resolved that: Common Council allocate $100,000.00 from the Strategic Real Estate Capital Reserve Fund for consulting work on the Saint John Industrial Parks Value Chain Assessment Project, and That Contract 2022-092204P - Consulting Services — "Saint John Industrial Park (SJIP) Market Assessment" be awarded to Deloitte LLP at a tendered price of $87,500.00 (plus HST), and that the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute the said contract and any documents ancillary thereto. On April 11, 2023, Growth Committee recommended that: Common Council allocate up to $155,400.00 from the Strategic Real Estate Capital Reserve for strategic planning consulting services and other expert consulting services required to facilitate the workstreams identified by Deloitte LLP in their Final Report & Roadmap entitled "Saint John Industrial Parks Market Assessment.". W -3- REPORT Council's decision to revitalize the Saint John Industrial Parks as one of its catalytic infrastructure projects has triggered a reevaluation and repositioning of the Saint John Industrial Parks within the City's economic development and land opportunity eco-system. A stakeholder engagement process combined with market sounding completed by Deloitte LLP have provided the foundation necessary to reposition the Industrial Parks within the economic framework of the City and the broader region. One of the recommended workstreams identified by Deloitte in their report was "Internal Strategic Planning" which included a review of structural and governance models. Staff, with consulting support from Terry Conrod, have worked closely with the Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and General Counsel on this governance review. While the governance review is not yet complete, it is clear that in order to set the industrial parks up for success in the coming years, additional funding for strategic work will be required, no matter the governance model. This strategic work is anticipated to include legal, human resources, governance, and accounting services. The other workstreams identified by Deloitte will also require funding for strategic priorities such as studies, marketing initiatives with strategic partners, park expansion design and engineering activities, and oversight and professional services. Staff preliminarily estimates the cost of these strategic initiatives and the implementation of the recommendations from the governance review to be approximately $600,000 over 3 years. This rough estimate currently contemplates a need for $250,000 in 2024, $180,000 in 2025 and $170,000 in 2026. These estimates are very preliminary and will be further built out, vetted, and supported by a business case prior to being presented to Growth Committee and Council for approval before any funds are drawn from the proposed Industrial Parks Reserve. When DevelopSJ was dissolved on December 31, 2020, approximately 1.6 million dollars (representing Develop SJ's financial assets) were turned over to the City and placed in a Strategic Real Estate Reserve which Council created along with a related Policy intended to address the future use of these funds. The purpose of the Strategic Real Estate Reserve is exclusively to support strategic real estate development. The recommendation to allocate $600,000.00 to an Industrial Parks Operating Reserve will not impact the existing Industrial Parks budget. That annual budget for the parks is minimal and supports the ongoing maintenance and day-to-day M11 -4- operations of the industrial parks. The proposed Industrial Parks budget for 2024 is approximately $285,000 and includes one FTE salary and fringe benefits. The funds being sought to be placed in an Industrial Parks Reserve are additional to the annual operations budget for the parks, and are intended to be focused on strategic initiatives stemming from the Deloitte report and the governance review. The staff recommendation will allow the requested funds to be allocated from the Strategic Real Estate Reserve to a newly created Industrial Parks Operating Reserve. In order for the funds to be drawn from the newly created reserve, this Committee and Council will have to approve the actual expenditure of funds based on a detailed budget and business case, each of which will be developed once the governance review for the industrial parks has been approved by both Growth Committee and Council. STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT This work aligns Council's priority of Grow. The Catalytic Project and associated opportunity represent a renewed focus on the City's industrial business attraction, expansion and retention work with the key performance indicator of tax base growth at the fore. SERVICEAND FINANCIAL OUTCOMES The Strategic Real Estate Reserve Policy was created by Council on May 17, 2021, and was established from the net financial assets returned to the City as a part of the wind-up of Develop SJ. As of the date of this report, there is $1,278,926.80 held in the Strategic Real Estate Reserve. A high functioning Industrial Park operation will result in earned business. This results in new investment and tax base growth. INPUT FROM OTHER SERVICE AREAS AND STAKEHOLDERS Direction was provided from the CAO and the Chief Financial Officer in the matter of earmarking funds from the Strategic Reserve for Industrial Parks purposes. ATTACHMENTS N/A i►R