MERTON, Carol

It is true that the Owen Sound population has remained relatively stable, and the 2026 Statistics Canada Census report, when available, will more accurately reflect our current state. Environics Analytics estimates the city's population has climbed to over 24,000, up from 21,612 in the 2021 census.

Status quo in the governance oversight and operational management of our City is not an option. The Owen Sound Operational Review conducted by MNP link here provided recommendations and comparators to guide operational transformation. In the reality of today, with the affordability and housing crisis and the looming uncertainty of the impact of tariffs on the business, multi-year capital budget plan and the Asset Management strategy of the City, the unaddressed recommendations provide a framework for change management from a fiscally responsible and service delivery lens that focuses on getting back to basics of the core, essential and mandated services of the City. See the City's Service Review Action Report.

I support a robust performance evaluation for the City Manager and Senior Leaders that ties in key performance indicators, measurable deliverables, linkages to community and council identified priorities identified through the Strategic Vision 2050 activity and demonstrates a return on investment for the tax payers.

Performance metrics should encompass a variety of components including fiscal responsibility, operational efficiency, strategic plan execution, communication and engagement with community, Council and external stakeholders, intergovernmental relationships and advocacy.[/Q2]

Currently the market demand for highly skilled senior leaders for executive positions predetermines what is likely to attract applicants, fill the positions and retain those with the level of experience, enthusiasm and energy to address the challenges of the current municipal environment. Top executive candidates generally expect customized agreements that balance risk and reward. Job security has been a key recruitment strategy to achieve the goal of engaging the skills and attributes of a strong and effective executive level leader. In a contract position base salaries often are higher to offset the lack of longer term job security.

Residential taxes are still higher than is financially comfortable for many in our community. The operating and capital budgets require a review from the lens of core, basic and mandated services. The facilities condition assessments and asset management information identify a significant funding gap to be able to maintain to maintain and upkeep the City facilities. Any potential growth of the tax base from new residential development will not adequately broaden the tax base to cover these expenditures.

Additionally, upcoming union contract negotiations, anticipated and yet to be finalized tariffs on supplies, services, and impact on Request for Proposal and tender submissions are factors that need to be included as well as the rate of inflation. This requires adaptability and refinement for both operating and capital budgets. As stated by the City of Owen Sound, "Implementing the Service Review Priority Opportunity Action Plan has created the first-of-its-kind, three-year work plan for the City Manager and Strategic Leadership Team, elevating the accountability and transparency of the organization." A Service Review Ad Hoc Implementation Committee will continue until November 2026. The reports found here identify actions taken and savings to date.

There is more work to be done to address the cost of government and the services provided to the residents of Owen Sound. A new Committee structure will roll out in 2027 and cost of services provided as well as external factors and their impact needs to be a responsibility of each Committee.

I support operational efficiency reviews with a focus on the core, essential and mandated services as an expectation for City leadership as part of every budget submission. I support consideration of regional approaches and shared services as a mechanism for cost containment, particularly in rural municipalities, where critical mass and content expertise can be shared. I support an evaluation of services to determine if they align with our core, essential and mandated services and if not, evaluate if they are potentially revenue generating to offset the expenditures required.

There are opportunities to improve the communications with residents, businesses and external stakeholders by utilizing the currently funded Communications department to produce a regular Council highlights summary after each Regular and Special Council meeting outlining the Committee recommendations, approvals and decisions made, the impact of those decisions and actions to be taken.

I support respectful communication and timely responses between the community, the media and community in response to questions that may arise that include the supporting rationale and legislative requirements that govern the decision framework.

I support ongoing education for Council and staff on effective communication strategies, navigating and building positive relationships and conflict resolution training.

I support community involvement and engagement and consider this to be value added to decision making and a valuable resource to assist our City in moving forward.

I encourage residents to consider opportunities to be public members of Committees, Task Forces and Working Groups as well as City Hall reaching out to obtain public input using a variety of engagement and survey tools. I would like to include public members on all of the newly formed Committees coming forward in 2027. I support training of Chairs of Committees in conducting effective meetings, ensuring active engagement of all members and facilitating idea exchange based on a shared understanding of the scope and purpose of the specific Committee and mandate of working groups and task forces.

Owen Sound is facing an Affordability, Addiction and Mental Health crisis. This crisis is broad in scope, is a complex issue and will require a whole community approach including other government partners to work towards effective and sustainable solutions. As a result, we are seeing more individuals who are precariously housed and on the edge of becoming homeless. The Grey County By- Names list continues to grow and more people require access to the social service support agencies and food providers. This includes a growing need for support by our seniors and those who have young families.

This crisis affects and impacts everyone. Owen Sound has contributed and is committed to participation in the Grey Bruce Community Safety and Well-Being Plan.

Housing and homelessness have been identified there as a top priority there as a result of public input. Local expertise already exists within our city staff, the social service and support agencies, and those with lived experience of housing insecurity.

I have actively participated on the Affordable Housing and Finance Working of the Institute of Southern Georgian Bay and their recommendations for municipalities and research can be found on the website.

A "Housing First" approach with wraparound supports has demonstrated success in addressing the crisis and needs to continue to be aggressively pursued here in our area. Key actions that might benefit our community include advocating for and supporting requests to expand the Brightshores Wellness and Recovery Centre and mental health care resources, augmenting the mobile Supportive Outreach Service, supporting an affordable and available housing supply for rapid rehousing, and re-initiating the Neighbourhood Response Team to support the downtown by advocating for additional and sustainable funding. Repurposing underutilized City facilities has been implemented recently by the leasing of Rice House to the Women's Centre Grey and Bruce to provide housing for abused women and children and those women who have been trafficked. Further review for other opportunities to repurpose existing facilities and collaborate with community service providers might prove beneficial to meet address current and future needs.

A relatively new initiative through the Community Foundation Grey Bruce is a Community Development Corporation designed to tackle regional affordable housing needs. I support the recent Housing Strategies advocated for by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario that include:

- Providing long-term predictable funding through a renewed bilateral agreement.

- Focusing investments on households experiencing the greatest housing need.

- Renewing and expanding the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit.

- Increasing investment in non-market housing and preservation of existing affordable housing stock.

- Expanding supportive and transitional housing.

- Making Reaching Home a permanent and expanded program.

- Advancing Indigenous-led housing and homelessness solutions

We know that Grey County has an active role in housing in partnership with non profit housing providers and community agencies to provide rent geared to income housing for singles, seniors and families. They provide supports to tenants to maintain independent living, manage the wait list for rent geared to income housing, administer Provincial Housing Programs and have a 10 year Housing and Homelessness Plan.

This does not sufficiently address the growing spectrum of our housing and rental needs in Owen Sound. This does not support those service agencies and organizations whose financial and human resources are becoming increasingly strained from the growing demand and Provincial funding restraints. Grey County participation and actions does not exclude this city from rolling up our sleeves and taking a more active role in housing locally. In February 2022 I had introduced a motion regarding establishing an Owen Sound Housing Plan with the rationale for the motion included in the attachment. Some of the suggestions have been addressed and there are still opportunities listed in the attachment below that can still apply in 2026 and beyond.

The City of Owen Sound charges development fees on new residential and non-residential builds is intended to cover infrastructure and growth-related capital costs. Recently the City has supported affordable rental housing initiatives in new multi dwelling units by not charging the development fees on the percentage of units guaranteed by the developer to be affordable for a specified period of time. The City has supported the recent housing initiative by Lutheran Social Services by forgiving the building permit fees on St. Clare Place. Owen Sound is experiencing historic development growth, with construction values reaching an unprecedented $214.5 million. Some of the key developments with shovels already in the ground and in active construction include Harbour West, a six-building, $45-million residential project will bring 224 rental apartments (10% affordable) to the historic west waterfront former BCK property, East Bayshore Road Apartments, a major residential rental community by SkyDev will have over 700 units on former RCA lands and Heritage Grove Shopping Centre, a Commercial expansion adding a new FreshCo grocery store, alongside larger spaces for Princess Auto, PetSmart, Winners, and HomeSense. St. Clare Place, a 40 unit apartment building by Lutheran Social Services, is anticipated to break ground within the next few weeks and a new school on the east side of Owen Sound has approval to proceed.

There is still more work to be done. We know that there is an "affordability gap" between what the developers can afford to build, given current supply chain issues and costs and the uncertainty relating to tariffs and what individuals can afford to pay. This especially affects the "missing middle" income groups whose wages are insufficient to buy or rent homes in the area. This component of the market provides an important resource of skilled trades, service and business front line staff and heath care providers needed in our community. Expanding Community Improvement Plans and a Community Wealth approach to lend, spend and invest locally to support more affordable and near market housing is a new economic approach to fuelling civic resilience.

Transparency and accountability in the appropriate and effective use of tax payer dollars in essential in building trust. In recent budget cycles the Director of Corporate Services and Treasurer of the City of Owen Sound has been allocating and reporting on distribution and realignment of administrative and support costs to more accurately reflect the cost of doing City business. I support this process and reporting practice going forward.

The Library and Police Services are governed by their own Boards and have separate legislation, municipal shared service agreements and service contracts which governs their operations. Each submits their budget for consideration annually with expenditures and variances identified. The City has a Bids and Tenders portal available on the website for public viewing.

The City Solicitor provides advice on any restrictions of public information or closed meeting and legislation requirements based on personal privacy of identifiable individuals, the security of municipal property, and land acquisitions or dispositions. Additional closed meeting topics may involve labour relations and employee negotiations, active or potential litigation, and advice subject to solicitor-client privilege, confidential information received from other levels of government or Crown agencies, or proprietary trade secrets that are matters not within the public domain.

I support the Water and Waste Water reports and recommendations presented at the same time as the Operating and Capital budgets. It is important for Council to be aware of the total impact of these costs to households, rather than in segmented components.

Recognizing this key Council responsibility for ensuring water and waste water systems are fiscally sustained, properly maintained and adequately funded to prevent environmental or health hazards, I support the City's current needs analysis and Council accountability when establishing the budgets for the water and waste water City department based on qualified staff input and recommendations.

Municipal council members in Ontario carry a strict legal and statutory duty of care regarding local water and wastewater systems, with significant personal liability for non-compliance or negligence. There is a Statutory Duty of Care in the Safe Drinking Water Act Section 19 that imposes a direct personal duty on anyone who exercises decision-making authority over a municipal drinking water system or oversees its operating authority explicitly including municipal councillors. While daily operational duties can be delegated to an accredited and licensed operating authority, a council's legal oversight responsibility and liability cannot be delegated.

Response Pending