Planning and Housing Committee

WHEREAS year to-date temporary construction encroachment permit data is indicating a higher than anticipated permit issuance; and WHEREAS staff believe, based on previous years and the strength of the state of the construction industry, that this account will have a year-end surplus; and WHEREAS Council approved the waiver of patio fees due to COVID-19 in 2020, 2021 and 2022; and WHEREAS a phased-in approach to reinstating patio fees would mitigate the cost to businesses in light of rising material and wage costs and continued economic instability particularly in the downtown core; and WHEREAS applying a 50% reduction for 2023 would allow for an appropriate phase-in to fully reinstated fees in 2024; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Summer Monthly Patio rate, the Winter Monthly Patio rate, and the Café seating per annum fee be reduced by 50% for a net budget impact of $135,000; and THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the temporary encroachment revenue projection be increased by $135,000

WHEREAS a significant portion of the City of Ottawa’s goals regarding growth is to be achieved through intensification; WHEREAs the City’s Committee of Adjustment is an important venue to accommodate intensification, through its role in dealing with applications for minor variances, severances and consents; WHEREAS it is important to ensure that the Committee of Adjustment process is transparent and comprehensible to all participants; WHEREAS community associations have raised concerns about the transparency of the Committee of Adjustment process and the role of City Planning staff in support of the Committee of Adjustment process; WHEREAS the Federation of Citizens Associations (FCA) has engaged with the Committee of Adjustment through participating in the recent KPMG operational review and through workshops on best practices at the Committee of Adjustment; WHEREAS the FCA has developed recommendations to improve the Committee of Adjustment process; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Planning & Housing Committee: Refer the FCA document “Guidance for the City’s Committee of Adjustment” to the Committee of Adjustment and to the City’s Planning, Real Estate & Economic Development Department for their review and comment; Direct the Planning, Real Estate and Economic Development Department to report back to the Planning and Housing Committee with a summary by the end of Q3 2023.

That Planning and Housing Committee recommend that Council, sitting as Committee of the Whole, approve the Planning and Housing Committee 2023 Draft Operating and Capital Budget as follows: The Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Budget, as follows: Right of Way, Heritage and Urban Design: User Fees (pages 4-9); Operating Resource Requirement (page 3); Planning Services: User Fees (pages 12-18); Operating Resource Requirement (page 11); Building Code Services: User Fees (pages 22-29); Operating Resource Requirement (page 21); Long Range Planning - Operating Resource Requirement: User Fees (pages 32); Operating Resource Requirement (page 31); Community and Social Services, Affordable Housing Operating Resource Requirement (page 35). The Planning Committee Capital Budget (page 36), with individual projects listed on revised page 51 (Building Services), page 53 (Housing Services), and 54-56 (Planning and Development).