Council Meeting Article

Council opened its seventh meeting of the session with ceremonial recognitions, then moved through expropriation matters, shelter and homelessness items, housing and economic development programs, transit reporting, planning applications, environmental encroachment issues, infrastructure agreements, and final bylaw votes. Major decisions included land expropriations tied to the W12A landfill, approval of an amended affordable housing incentives bylaw, extension of facade and building code loan deferrals, approval of a Western Fair Association agreement for the Expo Center, and several planning and social service funding votes.

Topics Discussed

1. Ceremonial recognitions and workplace safety

Council recognized International Thalassemia Day for May 8, with Councillor Anna Hopkins noting City Hall would be lit red. The Mayor also marked the National Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured on the job. Discussion of workplace safety included psychological injury. Councillor Sam Trosow said London's special focus was on "a very very particular and emerging type of workplace injury and that is psychological damage."

2. Micro-modular shelters and homelessness response

Council debated the cost and operation of the micro-modular shelter site. Councillor Susan Stevenson said residents wanted more detail on the project's "$7 million in property tax money" and asked whether a fuller cost breakdown could be made public. She also said people were questioning the reported cost of "$4,800 per month per shelter."

Mayor Josh Morgan defended the program's broader value, saying emergency room visits, inpatient stays, ambulance transfers and police interactions can all decline "when you provide people with spaces." He added that the shelter site would not solve the entire homelessness problem, "but it certainly helps for those individuals who are in it." Council ultimately received the report on the site in a 12-1 vote.

3. Facade and building code loan deferrals

Council approved an amended plan to defer repayments in the Facade Improvement Loan Program and Upgrade to Building Code Loan Program through March 31, 2028, where applicants request the deferral in writing and property taxes are paid in full. Debate focused on whether the Economic Development Reserve Fund could support the move.

Councillor Skylar Franke said she was "really hard pressed to make a decision here and pull money from that ACEV reserve fund without knowing exactly what items are coming out of those plans," referring to upcoming downtown and economic development strategies. Staff warned that "the current uncommitted balance … of the economic development reserve fund is approximately $10 million," and that redirecting repayments would limit the city's ability to issue new loans. A referral motion failed 3-10 before council adopted the amended deferral plan 11-2.

4. Planning, transit, and environmental items

Council advanced an affordable housing incentives bylaw amendment, then dealt with transit reporting and planning matters. On rapid transit, Hopkins said she was "excited about … rapid transit operational readiness" and encouraged the London Transit Commission to provide a progress report before the formal Q4 update.

Planning debate included the 350-356 Windermere Road item, where members discussed whether denial without prejudice would be preferable to risking an appeal for non-decision. On 845-875 Commissioners Road East, councillors raised concerns about development near sensitive open space. Trosow said the application raised "very troubling issues about our relationship to to open space and open space that is particularly near and adjacent to sensitive areas."

Council also debated Medway Valley encroachments. David Ferreira argued council should not signal openness to private occupation of public land, saying "it is not okay for publicly owned lands to be taken over by property owners," especially parkland and environmentally significant area land. Trosow similarly warned against a policy approach that would excuse encroachments after the fact.

5. Social services, housing administration, and infrastructure agreements

Council discussed changes to the housing wait-list, including a drop in the urgent list. Staff said people were removed when they no longer met the urgent definition, found housing elsewhere, refused an offer, or had income changes affecting eligibility.

Council also debated temporary municipal bridge funding amid delayed federal renewal decisions. Morgan said, "It's a bit of a challenging situation when there's a funding announcement for renewal of funding after the funding has ended. It creates gaps in a system."

On infrastructure and facilities, council approved property acquisition at 141 Highbury Avenue North for future intersection improvements. It also approved a construction and contribution agreement with the Western Fair Association to redevelop part of the Expo Center, formerly the Agroplex, into three gymnasiums.

Motions

• Move into Closed Session (6 items) — Carried 13-0
• Confirmation of Minutes, March 31, 2026 — Carried 12-0
• W12A Landfill Land Expropriation / Authorization to Expropriate Lands in Schedule A — Carried 12-0
• Authorization under the Expropriations Act for related expropriation plans, notices, and possession — Carried 12-0
• Receive report on micro-modular shelter site — Carried 12-1
• Housing Accelerator Fund item, Part A — Carried 9-4
• Housing Accelerator Fund item, Part B — Carried 13-0
• Amendment to Bylaw CP 1545-41, Affordable Housing Community Improvement Project Area financial incentives — Carried 13-0
• Final motion on amended Affordable Housing Financial Incentives Bylaw — Carried 11-2
• London Transit Commission rapid transit operational readiness review, Part A — Carried 13-0
• London Transit Commission rapid transit operational readiness review, Part B — Carried 10-3
• Debentures report — Carried 13-0
• Planning and Environment Committee report items 1-5, 7-9, 12, 14-17, 19 — Carried 13-0
• Referral motion on CIP / reserve fund matter — Failed 3-10
• Amendment to the amendment on CIP / reserve fund reporting — Carried 13-0
• Amended motion on Facade Improvement Loan Program and Upgrade to Building Code Loan Program deferrals — Carried 11-2
• Motion to extend the meeting past 6 p.m. — Carried 13-0
• Property acquisition, 141 Highbury Avenue North for Highbury Avenue and Hamilton Road improvements — Carried 12-1
• Construction and Contribution Agreement with Western Fair Association for Expo Center redevelopment — Carried 12-1
• Housing Accelerator Fund Bylaws (Bills 182 and 183), all three readings — Passed 12-1 on each reading
• Commissioners Road bylaw (Bill 181), all three readings — Passed 10-3 on each reading
• Motion to adjourn — Carried unanimously

Attendees

Councillors identified in the meeting notes as present or speaking: - Anna Hopkins - Susan Stevenson - Sam Trosow - Jerry Pribil - Peter Cuddy - Hadleigh McAlister - David Ferreira - Steve Lehman - Skylar Franke - Corrine Rahman - Paul Van Meerbergen

Also present in discussion: - Mayor Josh Morgan - Deputy Mayor

Note: The source notes do not provide a complete attendance roll call.