City Council Meeting Wrap-Up: February 27, 2024
Feb 27, 2024
The City Council meeting on February 27 included the declaration of two vacant seats on Council and an overview of next steps, approval of the Public Art Master Plan and an overview of the City’s first Climate Action Annual Report.
Declaration and Filing of Vacancy for Ward Councillors
Following the recent passing of Councillor Michael Vagnini and Councillor Gerry Montpellier, Council approved a motion to declare the offices of Councillor for Wards 2 and 3 to be vacant.
Council was provided an overview of the two options provided under the Municipal Act for filling the vacancies:
- Appointing a person who has consented to accept the office if appointed, or
- Requiring that a by-election be held under the Municipal Elections Act.
The selection and appointment of a person or the decision to proceed with a by-election must be made within 60 days. A special meeting to determine next steps will be held in the coming weeks.
Council approved the Public Art Master Plan, one of the core actions stemming from the Public Art Policy endorsed by City Council in 2018.
The plan will help the City establish decision-making, management and acquisition processes, and define the roles and responsibilities involved in providing and supporting public art in Greater Sudbury. It includes five broad recommendations related to:
- Revisions to the 2018 Public Art Policy
- Governance for decision-making on the public art program
- Review processes for external requests
- Processes for management of the City’s public art program
- Funding mechanisms
Staff will now prepare a final Public Art Policy for Council’s review and approval by the end of 2024. A business case outlining public art funding options will be presented as part of the 2026 budget process.
Staff shared the City’s first Climate Action Annual Report, highlighting the progress and achievements from corporation-wide efforts to become a net-zero community by 2050.
The report outlines the ambitious goals and actions from the Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP) and the Community Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCCAP), highlighting accomplishments from 2021/22. The report offers a full status update of both completed and ongoing projects and a summary of municipal energy consumption since the implementation of CEEP.
Some highlights include:
- 30 per cent of cycling infrastructure identified in the Transportation Master Plan has been constructed.
- 18 per cent decrease in weather-related by-pass events from 2016 to 2022.
- 10 millionth tree planted and celebrated by the City’s Regreening Program.
- 4,899,908 kilograms of residential green cart waste collected.
- 11,000+ streetlights switched to LED bulbs, resulting in a 40 per cent reduction in electricity use.
The report also provides a look ahead at climate action implementation for 2024 to 2028.
Request for Report Regarding Renovictions
Council approved a member’s motion asking staff to explore opportunities to reduce the number of renovictions in Greater Sudbury, and report back to Council by October 2024.
Renovictions refer to situations where a tenant is evicted because a landlord wants to demolish the rental unit, do major repairs or convert it to another use. This type of eviction is officially done through an N13 notice through the Province’s Landlord and Tenant Board.
Some other Ontario municipalities are exploring by-laws to protect tenants against unwarranted and bad faith N13 evictions, which often affect lower income renters.
For more details on these and other items from this week’s meetings, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/city-hall/mayor-and-council/meetings-agendas-and-minutes.