Standing Committee on Environmental Protection, Water and Waste Management

: WHEREAS, on February 19, 2019, the Environmental Protection, Water & Waste Management Committee is considering the draft 2019 Rate Supported Services Operating and Capital Budgets; and, WHEREAS, the Stormwater Services budget includes an overall revenue increase of 13% to cover the costs of the full capital and operating Stormwater Services program, as approved in the Long-Range Financial Plan for Rate Supported Services; and WHEREAS, the recommended 13% revenue increase to cover program costs would result in an increase of 10.8% for Stormwater ratepayers; and WHEREAS staff has advised that a 1% reduction in the Stormwater rate could be achieved if the Stormwater Services budget was reduced by $410,000; and WHEREAS staff has advised that a reduction of $410,000 in the overall stormwater capital program could be accommodated without a major impact in stormwater services; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Standing Committee on Environmental Protection, Water and Waste Management recommend Council approve that the planned capital investment in stormwater services (page 18 of the Rate-Supported Budget Book, Operating Resource Requirement, Non-Departmental) be reduced by $410,000, with the result being that the 2019 stormwater rate increase would be 9.8%, and that staff be directed to amend the rates on page 21 (Stormwater Services-User Fees) to reflect that change .

WHEREAS City staff are already preparing a report for consideration by this Committee as to the possibility of Ottawa becoming a Bee City; and WHEREAS a consideration of making the City of Ottawa a monarch-friendly city is a natural extension of the work being