Kingston City Council Meeting

Kingston City Council approved the purchase of Highway 2 properties for $6.35 million plus closing costs, approved a Belle Park pilot permit and $70,000 in funding for Feed the People, rejected a proposed nine-unit apartment building at 4 York Street, deferred a decision on 686 Centennial Drive, and passed motions on event waste diversion, non-market housing, workplace safety, and road materials.

Topics Discussed

1. Highway 2 property purchase

Council approved the acquisition of Highway 2 properties through closed report 26-15 for $6.35 million, plus up to $450,000 in closing costs. Funding will come from capital budgets, reserve funds, and debt issuance as determined by the City Treasurer. Council also authorized the Director of Business, Real Estate and Environment to waive conditions in the agreement and directed staff to return in open session with a report on the future use of the properties and budget implications.

Council also waived the normal requirement for two independent appraisals for acquisitions over $1 million.

2. Community harm reduction and Feed the People

Council approved amendments to Report 66 on community harm reduction and public safety, including an Aug. 31, 2026 deadline for funding agreements, eligibility for expenses including naloxone, insurance, police checks and assets up to $2,000, authority for staff to waive permit fees where necessary, and a requirement that staff respond to scope-change requests within 10 business days.

The motion also stated: "No service shall cease solely due to an outstanding municipal requirement unless an immediate public health or safety risk is documented in writing."

Council then approved a parks permit for Feed the People to operate a food distribution tent in Belle Park through Sept. 30, 2027, along with $70,000 in pilot funding. The permit limits operation to 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., for up to three hours per day, at a designated location, for free prepared-food distribution to people experiencing homelessness. Council also removed a condition that would have required all equipment, furniture and fixtures to be removed daily.

Delegate Pamela urged council to focus on the people affected, saying: "When we talked about Belle Park, this is who we're talking about. We're talking about them. It's not a system. It's not a file. It's not a policy. It's real people."

3. Planning: 4 York Street rejected; 686 Centennial Drive deferred

Council voted 10-2 against a zoning bylaw amendment for 4 York Street that would have allowed a three-storey, nine-unit apartment building.

Mayor Bryan Paterson supported the broader idea of adaptive reuse and infill, saying: "I think I really do want to make sure that we're sending a message that these ideas are good. Please keep coming forward with them." But council ultimately rejected the application.

Councillor Paul Chaves said his concern was the scale of changes being sought and how the project fit the area: "What I struggle with here is just the number of concessions that we have to make and the fit with what's already existing there."

Council also deferred Report 72 on 686 Centennial Drive after late correspondence from CN Rail. Mayor Paterson said: "Council is probably aware that we receive correspondence from CN's legal team today," and added that those comments "are very important and should be considered."

4. Waste diversion at special events

Council directed staff to study the costs and impacts of requiring waste diversion plans as a permit condition for large-scale events on city property and to report back by Q2 2027. Until then, staff are to encourage voluntary diversion measures.

A speaker told council that "Skeleton Park Festival is renowned for only producing one bag of landfill trash for the entire weekend of the festival." Delegate Gabriela D. argued landfill disposal should be the last option, noting Kingston's waste must now be trucked long distances out of the city.

5. Housing, workplace safety and other decisions

Council unanimously endorsed participation in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' From the Ground initiative and directed staff to identify at least one municipally owned parcel for non-market housing by Sept. 30, 2026. Councillor Conny Glenn said: "This initiative that's coming out of FCM is driven by the fact that we all know the crisis that's been facing us for the last almost four years here at Council."

Council also passed a motion asking the province to improve enforcement and training related to the Westray Amendment. Councillor Paul Chaves read the resolution: "Therefore be it resolved that Kingston City Council request the province of Ontario ensure that the crown attorneys and health and safety regulators are trained in the application of the Westry amendment."

In other business, council voted 8-4 to appoint a third-party closed meeting investigator, approved a memorial plaque for Constable Rebecca D. Rutten at McLean Park Dog Park, directed staff to report on the viability of high-performance aggregates for roads, and passed the Indian Road renaming bylaws.

Motions

Passed - Closed Report 26-15 - Highway 2 property acquisition - Waiver of two independent appraisals requirement for $1M+ property acquisition - Report 66 - Community harm reduction and public safety amendments - Feed the People Belle Park parks permit and pilot funding ($70,000) - Amendment removing daily removal requirement for Feed the People equipment, furniture and fixtures - Waste diversion at special events study and report back by Q2 2027 - FCM From the Ground non-market housing land initiative - Westray Amendment workplace safety motion - Option Two - third-party closed meeting investigator (8-4) - Memorial plaque for Constable Rebecca D. Rutten at McLean Park Dog Park - Study on high-performance aggregates for municipal roads - Bylaws 10 and 11 - Indian Road renaming - Report 68 from Heritage Properties Committee - Report 70 - Affordable housing capital funding update - Report 65 - Parking bylaw amendments and road renaming items including Station Street to Bethany's Way - Report 66, Clause 1 - Diversity plan policy for council appointments to Kingston Police Service Board - Report 66, Clause 2 - Heritage designation matter for 525 King Street West - Board and committee appointments/resignations listed in the agenda notes - Proclamation of Sept. 18-20, 2026 as Jerrywell Weekend

Rejected - 4 York Street zoning bylaw amendment (10-2)

Deferred - Report 72 - 686 Centennial Drive zoning bylaw amendment and draft plan of subdivision

Attendees

• Mayor Bryan Paterson
• Councillor Conny Glenn
• Councillor Jeff McLaren
• Councillor Gregory Ridge
• Councillor Gary Oosterhof
• Councillor Paul Chaves
• Councillor Ryan Boehme
• Councillor Brandon Tozzo
• Councillor Wendy Stephen
• Councillor Lisa Osanic
• Councillor Vincent Cinanni
• Councillor Jimmy Hassan
• Councillor Don Amos