Finance and Corporate Services Committee

WHEREAS the City of Ottawa’s current policy framework for voluntary donations to the City for community benefits is set out in the Donations to the City for Community Benefit Policy, which was approved by City Council in 2018 and applies only to City staff; and WHEREAS the staff report titled, “Policy Framework for Voluntary Donations for Community Benefits – Information and Options,” describes two potential options for updating the policy framework to address the matter of Members of Council soliciting and/or facilitating donations to the City for community benefit; and WHEREAS Option 2 as described in the staff report would prohibit Members from soliciting and/or facilitating donations to the City, and require any Member approached by a potential donor to: Direct the potential donor to City staff to address any donation in accordance with the existing Donations to the City for Community Benefit Policy, or Bring forward the proposed donation and/or a proposed facilitation approach for Committee and/or Council consideration and approval by way of Councillor’s report or motion; and WHEREAS adopting Option 2 and the associated requirements would provide for the City to continue to receive donations for community benefit through City staff under the Donations to the City for Community Benefit Policy, without any concerns related to Member solicitation and/or facilitation; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that City Council approve policy framework updates to prohibit Members of Council f

WHEREAS the staff report titled, “Policy Framework for Voluntary Donations for Community Benefits – Information and Options,” provides examples of broader “community benefits frameworks” and “community benefit agreements” measures adopted by municipalities, including: The City of Toronto’s Community Benefits Framework, which “focuses on ways to maximize the use of City of Toronto levers (such as procurement, real estate transactions, or financial incentives for specific sectors and uses) to create inclusive and equitable economic opportunities through community benefits initiatives,” and The City of Vancouver’s Community Benefit Agreements Policy, which seeks to ensure that developers promote growth for the communities they are investing in through local hiring and social procurement; and WHEREAS the staff report also notes that certain Council-approved initiatives may incorporate community benefits, such as Council’s approval on November 22, 2023, that Build Ottawa be directed to “incorporate potential community benefits including, but not be limited to equitable hiring practices, funding for training, public realm enhancements; and greater accessibility when developing evaluation criteria for the disposal of surplus lands”; and WHEREAS consideration of broader community benefits frameworks/agreements was not in the scope of staff’s current review and report regarding matters relating to the solicitation and/or facilitation of donations to the City by Members of Council; and

WHEREAS Option 1 as described in the staff report would expressly permit Members to solicit and/or facilitate donations to the City with a value of up to $250,000 in accordance with various limitations as well as requirements regarding matters such as staff concurrence, transparency mechanisms and disclosure. This would be set out in new Donation Procedures for Members of Council, under the existing policy; and, WHEREAS multiple jurisdictions have frameworks to permit Members to negotiate public benefits with developers in the public interest and there is strong interest by many councillors to continue the practice subject to strong new governance; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that City council approve a policy framework to permit Members to negotiate public benefits in accordance with Option 1 as described in the report For (4) R. King, J. Leiper, R. Brockington, and S. Menard Against (7) M. Luloff, L. Dudas, G. Gower, T. Tierney, G. Darouze, C. Curry, and M. Sutcliffe

BE IT RESOLVED that Item 5.1 – Policy Framework for Voluntary Donations for Community Benefits – Information and Options – be laid on the table. Mayor Sutcliffe ruled Motion FCSC 2024 16-04 out of order. Councillor Leiper appealed the Chair's decision pursuant to Subsection 44(2) of the Procedure By-law, and a vote was called on the following question: Shall the Chair be sustained The Chair was sustained on a division of 7 Yeas to 4 Nays as follows: For (7) M. Luloff, L. Dudas, T. Tierney, R. Brockington, G. Darouze, C. Curry, and M. Sutcliffe Against (4) G. Gower, R. King, J. Leiper, and S. Menard