Transcript: Ajax Tackles Funding and Housing - Council Meeting - April 20, 2026 | Summary 611

Okay. Are we doing the national anthem or do we go right to the uh land acknowledgement? Uh I would go right to the land acknowledgement just because of the audio of the national anthem. Okay. We'll call this meeting to order. This meeting of Ajax Council is being held virtually. This meeting is also being livereamed. May be viewed online at ajax.ca-live. A friendly reminder to all participants to please activate your microphone only when recognized by the chair. And to those making submissions as part of a public meeting or during question period, please ensure you clearly state your name. If you decide you no longer wish to speak to an item on the agenda, please leave the virtual meeting and continue watching the live stream on the YouTube should you wish to do so. Start with the land acknowledgement. Like to begin this meeting by acknowledging, excuse me, that the land in which we gather is situated within the traditional and treaty territory of the Missagas. More specifically, the Missagas of Skugog Island First Nation, signitories of the Gunshot Treaty of 1788 and the Williams Treaties of 1923. This land is and will continue to be home to the indigenous peoples. Let us acknowledge the mistakes and traumas of the past through authenticity and support truth and reconciliation. Let us celebrate, engage and celebrate indigenous communities by being leaders of action in acknowledging United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's recommendations towards truth and reconciliation. Let us keep these principles close as we continue towards truth and reconciliation and as we move forward with kindness and respect as a community. Does any member of council have any disclosure of peer interest? Okay, not seeing any in the speakers list. Let me go to my agenda here. We have first the adoption of the minutes. I'm going to go through this as I've done before virtually since I don't have names on the list. I'm just going to go W one, W two, W three, and assign. If anybody doesn't wish to move or second an item when we get to that, please let me know. So, the first item moved by councelor Tyler Moore, second by councelor Crawford, that the minutes of the regular meeting of council held on March 23rd, 2026 be adopted. Questions or comments on the minutes? Seeing none, open the vote, please. That carries. Next option is question period. I believe we have one member of the public, Mr. Glass, who had a question. Is that correct to the clerk? Do you, Mr. Chair? Yes. And we do have him on the meeting. So, we'll just allow him to speak here one moment. Okay. Hello. Can you hear me? Here we go. We can hear you. Please go ahead. Great. Thank you, chair. Uh, concerning item 10.7 on the agenda. Once the council chambers are restored to normal, will in-person delegations return as a standard option for residents? Yes or no? If no, can you please explain precisely why? Thank you. Thank you. Uh, to the clerk or deputy CEO Cooper, whoever can answer that, please. Through you, Mr. Chair. Yes, we'll continue to offer delegations in accordance with the procedure bylaw. And if the motion passes on today's agenda, there will be a staff report on a future meeting um that outlines uh everything that's asked for within the motion, including the answer to that question. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Did any other member of the public come forward to the clerk and and wish to speak today on any questions? No additional members of the public. Okay. Thank you. Uh just let me go here. Moving on to delegations. We have two delegations, one delegation, sorry, one public meeting. First delegation item 7.2, general government committee report, April 13, 2026. report FIN 202608 and OES 202602. Mr. Glass, Ajax resident. Mr. Glass, please go ahead. You have five minutes. And you can hear me? We can hear you. Perfect. Uh, mayor, members of council, thank you for the opportunity to speak. I want to focus on the 2025 operating results report, specifically on the investment related revenues, reserves, and what that means for taxpayers. What the 2025 numbers show us on page 62, the town received 20.2 million in revenue, mostly from investments, but also from slots and alexicon. Of that, 17.1 million was transferred to reserves across all revenue sources as shown on page 63, leaving a difference of roughly 3.1 million that was not. The report notes that 627,000 of that was retained in the general fund, but the overall gap remains approximately 3.1 million. At the same time, wages were over budget by 2.4 million, while many other items like consulting and vehicle maintenance were significantly overbudget as well. At the December 15, 2025 budget meeting for 2026, I raised concerns during my delegation about how investment revenues are treated and used. And later in that same meeting, the mayor asked staff why equity investment income is not included in the operating budget. Financial staff responded, "Strategically, we do not include the equity investment in the operating budget. That investment income is to be allocated to the reserves." And they further clarified when responding to councelor's question, we take investment income and allocate it to reserve. It's not just it's not budgeted through the operating budget. Then last week at the general government meeting, uh finance staff said the following. We did not contribute some of the interest earned to capital reserves as we typically would have in the past. This was to help offset operating pressures. This is a very important point for residents to hear to help offset operating pressures. These comments and the consistent pattern of being unable to manage things like staffing costs to their very generous budget allocation should give residents pause to understand how investment revenues are being applied in practice for taxpayers. Taxes are set high through the budget based on conservative revenue assumptions. And by conservative, I mean lower investment revenues. Actual revenues then come in consistently much higher than budget. 12 million in 2025,6 million in 2024 for example. And now part of that overperformance appears to be used to support operations instead of flowing entirely to reserves as was stated. I also understand the standard explanations. Yes, investment revenue can be volatile. Yes, reserves are important and they support the town. But I'm not asking about forecasting. I'm asking what happens after the investment revenue is already earned because at that point there is no longer uh an issue of volatility. It's a choice. Residents have absorbed multiple years of higher tax increases. But when the results come in stronger, none of that benefit come back to us. Other municipalities like Clarington face the exact same situation. After strong investment results in 2025 were known, Clarington reduced their 2026 tax increase while still allocating generously to the reserves. The municipal act is built on accountability to taxpayers. Clarington shares the upside. Ajax keeps it. That is the choice I'm talking about. Bottom line, Ajax residents have carried the downside through higher carry the downside risk through higher taxes while the town keeps all of the upside and is now using that to cover things like a $2.4 million staff overrun. And I don't think that's fair. It's not conservative budget. It's a system that depends increasingly on overperformance of investments in order to function. And we need to be worried about that because if investment returns weaken, there is no cushion. Pressure will go right back to taxpayers or into cuts in staff and services. So, I'd like to close with two questions. Number one, was the full 3.1 million not transferred to reserved in 2025 used to support operations? And number two, why not follow Clarington's approach and return investment gains to residents through tax relief? Do residents deserve clear answers? And given this, I'd like to ask council to reconsider approval of items 7.2 and 11.1 until that gap between the budget assumptions and the actual results, especially the impact on taxpayers, is addressed. Thank you. Now, I did have one other delegation, but I was consolidated into to to one. Um, I was told that I could ask the council for a motion to extend my time for another 5 minutes to do the other delegation, but I leave that with you, chair. Thank you. I don't know what your other delegation is on. I'm just going by what's on the agenda. Um, I'm going to before I open the council, I want to ask um, Miss Matum, if you can please just speak to the the questions that were asked by the delegate and then I'll open up to council, please. through the chair. Um to answer the first question of the 3.1 million, I'm trying to locate that exactly, but if you're referring to the full um uh investment income uh that was earned um this year, sorry, was it last year or this year? Uh when you say I'm trying to bring it up 20 2025. The 2025. So, so there was 625 approximately that uh we did retain in the operating budget this year and that is that was to um to put aside to help deal with taxation pressures um you know current and future. So uh that that is going to be helping um uh the the the tax base. Um and um to your second question um are we going to follow Clarington's example? Um through our financial planning process um we take some care into how funds are allocated throughout our budgets. So on an annual basis we do do take a look at uh pressures coming forward as well as and it's not just um operating pressures but also capital pressures. So any monies that we do set aside in our capital reserves do assist taxpayers in keeping the tax rate lower in the long run because we will be using um some of those monies that were set aside to deal with our capital infrastructure. Okay. Sorry, it's not we're not doing debate. She's the treasures answer your questions. I saw councelor Lee in the in the question list. Were you still there? There you are. Please go ahead. Yeah, sorry. Um, just based on the the flow of conversation, I think uh Mr. Glass wanted to address another point on GDC. So really what should have happened was he should have continued into the other delegation and then I would have had the ability to ask for an extension of time. Um so since that hasn't happened and we went straight to answering his questions. I was wondering if it's appropriate that I ask for an extension of time. Now let let me ask let me just ask the clerk procedurally because I was not aware that two delegations were combined into one. Can you let me know what happened please? Yes. So through you Mr. chair. Uh we did receive two delegation requests from Mr. Glass and as per the procedure bylaw, you're allowed to register for a delegation per matter on the agenda. On today's agenda, uh there's item 7.2 which is the general government committee. Both of his delegations were related to the general government committee. So you'll see as today's um delegation is listed as 5.1, we reference both staff reports that he would like to speak to and the delegate was provided the information that both of those staff reports could be covered within his one five minute delegation. Okay, Mr. Glass, how much time do you need for the the second item? I think it was about four minutes. Okay, please go ahead. And it it is on the infrastructure levy, so it is completely different than the operating report. That's fine. Go ahead. Okay, great. Thank you. I appreciate that. Mayor, uh mayor and members of council, thanks again for the opportunity to speak. At the start of the term in 2023, uh staff presented uh and council approved a plan that said Ajax had a growing infrastructure and funding uh gap risk with respect to its asset management plan. And the solution was clear. A 2% infrastructure levy added to property taxes each year from 2023 through 2026 to help close the gap. In 2024, council was told it would take about 32 million per year to maintain existing assets and the 2% levy and other funding sources. The town would have about 26 million, leaving a gap of roughly 6 million per year. That plan and funding approach continued through 2025 with the expectation that the 2% levy would remain in place till 2026. In December 2025, as part of the 2026 budget uh process, the levy was reduced from 2% to 1% in a six to1 vote with the justification of affordability pressures. Uh I understand affordability. I've spoken to it many times and I did appreciate the reduction of 1% on the tax bill. Uh but now with the April 2026 asset management report uh in the general government meeting on page six it says we now require about 26 million per year to maintain the approved service levels and it also shows the 2026 budget provides only 17 million which results in a projected $88 million funding gap over the next 10 years. But what is not clear in the report is how the reduction in the levy from 2 to 1% is reflected in the overall asset management plan and long-term funding gap. There is no clear consolidated reconciliation of the decision uh and the materials provided and that matters. The 2024 plan referenced approximately 32 million annually to maintain assets. This report now references only 26 million. How should residents interpret that change from 32 million in 2024 with a higher 2% levy to 26 million now with only a 1% levy and that uh what it does to the overall funding gap and long-term plan. Related to this, I do have a question for the member of council who brought forward that motion in December. What analysis supported reducing the levy from 2% to 1% as it relates to asset management? While I appreciate the reduction, as I said, the proposed tax increase, I was not clear how this would impact the asset management plan given what was clearly communicated in prior years about the risk to town's asset. So, based on those own numbers, there's an $88 million funding gap over the next 10 years and a lower 1% levy. That gap appears to have widened. It looks like in 2027, the next council and residents will be left with a clear choice. One, if we want to maintain current service levels, funding must increase, which will likely mean higher property taxes. Or two, if we want to avoid that, then service levels must be renewed and adjusted to something more sustainable. And that raises a broader C question. Is carrying an asset base of nearly 2.8 billion something that Ajax residents can realistically afford to maintain over time? These are straightforward questions because right now a key funding decision has been made, but how that decision connects to the overall asset management plan is still still clearly not shown. And this is what I'm trying to understand. I would encourage council not to approve item 7.2 2 today without clearly understanding the impact of the 1% infrastructure levy not just for this year but for coming years because this this report should arm the next council with this information prior to it coming in. Thank you. That was it. Hello. Sorry, Mr. Chair. Can you just turn your microphone on? Sorry, I'll say that again. My apologies. Um, thank you for so clearly um articulating what I've been saying right the way through that that we have two options as a council. Increase taxes to pay for the increases or reduce service levels. Um, and and you're bang on with that. I will just comment that you you you also correctly highlighted the funding gap in infrastructure. The province directed us to do an asset management plan and then an asset funding plan which we've done and identified that and you're I assume aware that the 2% asset levy that we put in place four years ago wasn't enough to fill that gap. We've also filled that gap with the investment strategy and better than than average returns to help um move some of those things forward. But you're absolutely correct. Reducing the 2% to 1% this year. Nothing's getting cheaper and nothing's getting more affordable. That is going to have an impact. Uh I'm just going to open it up to Miss Metham please just to say do you know what that impact is and where it's reported and then I'll open it up to council lead to answer the question. the chair if you're referring to the impact the difference between um the 32 mill or sorry the 88 million funding gap when um we originally brought uh an asset management plan to council there was we we laid out um the existing service level and at that time uh council had uh has made a decision to decrease that service level to uh a more manageable level. So that that gap first of all has been reduced already from um the 32 million I don't have that study in front of you but to quote your numbers um 32 million down to about 24 $25 million um and and yes that gap was identified um uh to council the 2% infrastructure levy has been filling it but the the the recent reduction in that 1% is putting us a little bit further behind but to um to follow up what the what the mayor has spoken about with the investment income. We are using some of that investment income to uh contribute to those reserves to assist uh the future um taxpayers from um you know from it's going to help fill the hole. Not although it won't fill the hole completely and there is still going to be a gap. This is something that we will um continue to monitor and we will bring further reports to council explaining uh the magnitude of what we will be looking at. Okay. Thank you, Councelor Lee. Thank you, Chair. Um I mean the question is posed to the mover of the amendment and I guess that was me. Um second by councelor Bower. I think um part of this role as I've been here in the past eight years is about balancing priorities and balancing what is best for the constituents uh short term versus what's best for the constituents long term and it's uh an ever difficult balance as you know the director of finance and yourself mayor have pointed out um yeah I think it was at the time the decision was made and I absolutely stand by it we were hearing loud and clear from people across the municipal ality across the town that you know affordability was at a particularly tough time and this was in the midst of various tariffs and various uh price increases. Um, and you're right, we are seeing more price increases now. um with the information I had at the time, I thought it was best to um make the whole um a little bit not as filled um as we could have filled it, but at the same time managing the day-to-day of the constituents and you know, I I still think it was a good idea and a future I I don't have a crystal ball to say whether it was a perfect idea, but at the time uh relief was needed and it was what we could do at the time to provide that relief to our constituents. Thank you, Chair. Okay. Um, not seeing any other members of council in the speaking list with any questions. So, thank you, Mr. Glass, for your delegations. So, let me get to our next item. Next item is the public meeting official plan amendment application OPA26- A4 and zoning bylaw amendment application Z6/26-21 and 23 Harwood Avenue South and 103 Heron Streets pursuant to section 284.3 of the Municipal Act 2001. I'm just going to open with some comments and then I will um turn it over. There we go. So, I'm going to open with I'd like to encourage my colleagues to support this OPA and ZBA amendments for 21 and 23 Harvard Avenue South. Uh they're coming forward today under the strong mayor tool. This development will consist of 12story mixeduse building containing 161 dwelling units and approximately 600 square meters of ground flooror commercial space as well as a five-story senior's building with 49 units. The proposal also includes three levels of underground parking to support both residential and commercial uses. Um, council, you recall that the redevelopment of these lands was initially approved in June of 2023, but since that time, the proponents taken additional steps to strengthen the project, acquired additional property at 103 Heron Street, and redesigned a little bit um, which requires some amendments today. Since the project is first conceived, we work closely with town planning team and resulting amendments before us are technical in nature and reflective of the purchase of the additional land. And I'm using strong mayor tool today to keep this council approved project moving forward in a timely way um particularly in an environment where housing delivery matters and I'm calling my colleagues please today to support the bylaws before us. Also like to note the representatives from Patrina Developments are available to address any project specific questions council may have. Thank you. I'll open it up to actually just let me think about this to the clerk. Is the developer here online? Yes, through you, Mr. Chair. We do have representatives from the um property online today, I believe. Do they have a presentation or concept plan to show or just here to answer questions? Uh I believe they're just here to answer questions. Um Chris has put himself into the speaker queue if you'd like to let them speak. Okay. So Mr. Kakorus, I've let you in and uh councelor Henry has a question. Councelor Henry, please go ahead. Thank you. Um thank you, Chair. Quick question. Um so first of all, congratulations on accumulating another property to expand um the project, which is great to hear. Um, but we haven't seen you folks in a while and I'm going to ask you what I ask um everybody who comes back to us and and I understand yours is slightly uh different uh situation because you acquired some property and uh you're looking to expand, but what are we looking at timelines for this project to move forward? Are you yourself doing it? Um uh what does this look like? Could you let council know? Uh well, what we're um anticipating is uh final approval for everything uh hopefully uh this early this year. Um and then uh we will not be completing the project on our own. Um we will be what we hope to do is joint venture with a builder developer uh to see it to the end. Um but if we can't find a joint venture partner then um our intention would be to sell it to a builder and then the builder would complete the project. So um I guess I'll bring the mayor into this question portion. Um Mr. Mayor, what does that look like as far as moving forward? Because I I understand uh why you're doing the mayor directive and I support it. Um I support the project. I just want to know like obviously there's going to be a time lapse when um um the applicant as he's mentioned is not doing it themselves and they're looking for a builder. So they haven't secured a builder as per se yet which means we're not looking at putting shovels in the ground most likely this year and maybe not next. What does that look like as far as the mayor directive you've brought forward? Does that change anything? Is there anything that needs to be added in there? Um, I brought this forward today for a couple reasons. One, I anticipate uh this council not making any decisions for probably the next 8 months or so given the election coming up. So, I wanted this done and in the works so they can continue through site plan. So, um, when they do get to to site plan completion and ready to pull permits, hopefully they do have a builder lined up and the financing available at the time to be able to go ahead and do this project. and it's not held up in the interimm with the municipal election and uh you know the the turnover that's going to be happening throughout that process cuz without this today they could go through a regular OPA ZBA but it could be next year before that could be addressed and and site plan process could continue. So it's just about saving time. Actually, what we'll do to make this easier, I'll let you back in, counselor Henry, but let's um Sorry, I hit a button. I apologize button. I have a very Yeah, I have a very touchy screen. I hit a button. I apologize. Um, so that makes that makes sense to me and um I understand why you're doing it. So, that was my only question. I just wanted to uh confirm what that looked like for the future of the project and you know uh that all that information is out there and we're all aligned on that. Happy to support. Thank you. Thank you, Council Lee. Thank you, Chair. Um, just to confirm, um, because we got this back on Friday the 13th. Um, there's no huge changes in terms of height or parking or any of the major questions we have. Right. This is looks like we're changing the uptown to mixed and then we're changing the rear yards. I don't know. just sometimes I I want to just make sure that we're crossing our tees and dotting our eyes in terms of what the actual mayor's directive is asking for. Mr. Kakurus, can you confirm these are just mostly technical in nature? Is there any major changes to the project? Well, what what the uh added parcel um at 103 Heron uh basically we're severing the rear portion of the backyard and adding it to the development. Uh what that allows is for the senior's building to be expanded uh by about uh 11 units. So there is an increase um in the size of the senior's building. Big picture though, it's there's nothing really new here. Um it's just a few more units are being added and then um there wouldn't what do we impact what do we think what do we estimate the impact to 102 and 104 heron street to be pretty negligible compared to what it was before or yeah it's it's the same yeah 102 uh the other houses um adjacent to the property on the east are not really impacted by this okay I appreciate the answers and thank you chair Okay, Councelor Bower, you're next. Here we go. Thank you very much, Mayor Collier. Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you, Mr. Kakoras, for being here today. I don't actually have any questions for you. I just wanted to bring attention uh to the correspondence that was submitted to council this morning. And there is one question. and it was submitted to planning services. There was one letter uh from the owner resident of 25 Harwood Avenue South that listed out some of the concerns that they had uh regarding the proposed development, traffic impact, sunlight shadowing, daylight access, ventilation, air circulation, density compliance, excavation and soil protection of adjacent adjacent properties, property boundaries and setbacks. construction impact. I just wanted confirmation. I know this information was discussed back at the original um at the initial time of this proposal and I just wanted confirmation from staff that this this letter uh will be responded to and these these concerns will be addressed if they haven't already been. I'll just before we open it up to excuse me planning council Bower. This is OPA ZBA. So all of the items that the resident uh business owner had pointed out are covered through the site plan process which wonderful. Thank you. So this will go um through staff. I'll have staff say it so I'm not saying it but u or um the planner on this file. Could you just um discuss what's happening with the correspondence please? Uh yeah through the through the mayor uh to the may to to councelor Bower. Uh this will all be dealt with through the site plan process. All those questions that that you've raised uh we'll deal with that through the site plan. Perfect. Thank you very much. Um and Mr. Kakars, good luck to you. I think this is a a very positive development that's coming and uh I wish you the best success. Thank you. That was my uh comment. Mayor. Okay. Don't see anybody else in the speakers list. So Mr. Kakor, thank you for being here today. Thank you. Does any member of the public have any questions on this application? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Confirming that we did not receive any requests for members of the public to join today's meeting virtually. Okay. So, that would conclude the public portion. We satisfied the public requirement, Miss Graassi. Yes, correct. Thank you. Let me just go back find where we are. Here we go. Uh, next is items of correspondence. We had three items pulled from the council information package. Um, I'll speak to the first one. I think this is an important matter. Um it's been 10 years since Ontario's last provincewide property assessment. Um after the last planned update was postponed due to CO 19 and this has never been rescheduled. Um property assessments were normally updated on a regular four-year cycle. Um the impact through impact to reflect changes in market value over time. This has not happened in a decade. Assessments did not increase municipal tax revenue overall. I think that's important for for residents to understand. They simply redistribute tax responsibility based on relative property values. So if your property the average property went up 20% and yours went up 25%, it would affect yours a little bit. Or if yours went down more than what the average was. But if yours went up the same as the average, your property taxes would be um unchanged or should be unchanged. But this unusually long pause in updating property values has added uncertainty for homeowners and businesses and reduced transparency in the property tax system. And we've seen organizations like AMO, big city mayors, local chambers of commerce, and major property owners call on the province to restart the cycle. Um, I would like to endorse this. Um, but I would need a a seconder on a motion to endorse. Do I have a seconder? Uh, I'll just go with who's first. Councelor Lee, you're seconding. Okay. So, I would just like to move a motion to endorse. Any questions? Seeing no questions, can we open the vote, please? Oh, I was question speak. Oh, okay. There we go. Chair. Yeah, you. Yeah. Um, I guess like a lot of people are unsure of what actually this means to their property tax. as you pointed out there's come some mis misperceptions in terms of like oh will this automatically increase uh my you know my uh property tax. So to the director of finance let's say um this um the entire government sees that Ajax supports motion they're like okay we got to change this now they update it and all the all of a sudden all our properties are updated to their current 2026 values. What does that mean from a town point of view? because realistically if my property went 2x um I wouldn't necessarily be paying 2x in in property tax though correct uh that is correct so through the chair um as uh the mayor pointed out yes uh as property values increase uh well change as a whole there will be some properties uh we we expect that as a whole the property tax base will increase but if you're there will be some that increase over the average and some that decrease over the average and um you are correct that uh and there's also going to be a shift between the non-residential and residential or potential uh slight changes there. So overall from a taxation perspective we're not getting additional dollars but the the changes in your taxes will be relative to your change compared to the average. So it's not a necessarily a two times comparison. Um right you're correct with that. Okay, that's helpful. Again, a lot of people are worried about this and I the government must be worried about it themselves, which why they haven't done it in 108 plus months, but I think um you know to use verbiage uh we need to rip the band-aid off and figure out what the actual values are so that municipalities can figure out you know their funding models uh going forward. So absolutely support the endorsement. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Councelor Henry. You're next. There you go. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Yes. Um, supporting the motion. Uh, wanted to ask the director of finance a question if I can through the chair. Um, we had a conversation a while back um, involving assessment levels and the differences between the wards. And from my recollection, I have an email somewhere, but from my recollection in our discussion, um, W 2 had, uh, it seemed like higher impact assessments. Even when we took out certain homes on certain streets that had higher value, like what I like to refer to as a millionaire row, billionaire row, um, we still had we were still seeing that up in war 2 with all the new builds that are up this way. So, my understanding, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that when this assessment's done and it kind of evens things out and brings um other wards up to um a current tax base level, that kind of evens things out across the town. It doesn't necessarily put W 2 um uh newer homes in a higher tax bracket. Correct. That is correct. through the chair to councelor Henry. That is correct. Um uh the the assessment change uh will be done again on a property by property um uh basis. However, it it it all depends on what the average change in assessment is. So we won't be able to determine where properties. It doesn't matter what word they're in, but it'll be it doesn't matter where they are. they will just be compared to what the average increases across um across Ajax 100%. And I was just pointing that out because my board is is facing that. But um that little advocacy piece there. But um from our understanding and uh we we had EMPACT come in and do a meeting at the Ajax Library. Myself um councilors Bower and counselors Tyler M. We hosted it and from our understanding EMPAC is ready and prepared to go. They've got everything ready. They're waiting for the province to trigger it. So this motion comes at the perfect time. We're we're ready for this now. Thank you. Happy to support. Okay. Um now I'm not seeing anybody else in the speakers list. So to the clerk, please open the vote. Okay. And that carries the next item. There way ma'am. I'm juggling a bunch of screens here. Item 6.2, Durham District School Board request for provincial school board governance consultation process pulled on behalf of councelor Bower. Councelor Bower, please trigger your mic. There you are. Go ahead. Thank you, Madam Collier. Uh both items 6.2 2 and 6.3 are in reference to the Durham District School Board and their concerns about the um removal of the schoolboard trustee. And quite honestly um at the time that these items came forward there were there were rumors and gossip and everything up in the air about what the province was going to do. So since that time the there was a decision made and these elected positions will remain in this municipal election and really I just wanted to bring these letters forward. Uh I recommend we receive them for information to draw attention uh to uh both the importance of elected officials and school board trustees and um possibly mine and others frustration for uh sort of the last minute willy-nilly nature of decisions um for for if these positions were considered valid and legitimate and worthy of being um on the ballot. So, I just wanted to bring attention to this um and put it on our formal agenda. Thank you. Okay, Council Bower, is that just a motion to receive? Oh, hold on. Let you back in. There you go. Uh, thank you, Mayor Collier. Yes, it is a motion to receive both items 62 and S. Okay. Um, can we just put counselor dies? Is there your second stick with the board three? Is that all right, Joan? Sorry, councelor. All right, there you are. And you're gone. Okay. Uh, anybody else wish to Oh, councelor Bower, you're back. Yeah. Uh, sorry. I don't know if if uh regional counselor dies was answering or not. You had asked if it was fine to put her on and that's fine with me. I guess if it's fine with her then we're good to go. One second. We'll see. Councelor dies. Is that okay? Yes. Thank you. That's great. Thank you. Um okay. Anybody else wish to speak to this motion to receive? No. Please call the vote. Okay, that carries. Councelor Bowerer, you have the next item as well. Key your mic. There you go. Go ahead. Uh, thank you, Mayor Ker. I uh I had asked for 62 and 63 to be put together. Same comments as before. Many of us, many representatives started their municipal uh politic role through the schoolboard trustee position. So, if we could just receive this information, too, I'd appreciate it. Okay. And I see the clerk on the screen. What did I do wrong? Nothing through you, Mr. Chair. We did combine 6.2 and 6.3 at the request of councelor Bower. So, the last uh vote did cover both of those items. Okay. Any further questions by members of council? Seeing none. Okay, thank you. Figure out where we are again. Uh, standing committee reports, community affairs and planning committee report, April 7th, 20 Oh, none. Sorry. Uh, 7.2 GGC. April 13, 2026. Just let me bring up the resolution. We've done the correspondence. Done the correspondence. Proceed for information. There we go. Standing committee. So, we're on to war two. moved by councelor um Henry, second by councelor Lee that the recommendations from the general government committee meeting of April 13, 2026 be adopted. Questions? Okay, seeing no questions, open the vote, please. That carries unanimously. Go. Next item, departmental reports 8.1 PDS 2026-10 update to traffic bylaw 45-2020 schedules 1, 10, and 22. This is deferred from the April 13th general government committee meeting. Um, Mr. Romanowski, is there anything additional to this any presentation or anything? No. Through the chair uh to the chair? Uh, we're just waiting for any um I I think there's some motions that or some amendments to the motion that's been brought forward. believe the clerk has that wording. Okay. To the clerk. Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, we are aware of a couple uh amendments. I don't know if councelor Henry would like to start with hers. So, I'll go to council now for speakers list. Councelor Henry, you're first. Go ahead. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh thank you to the clerks. Um so uh very simply and I guess the clerks could bring up the wording um the latest version of the wording for the mo for the um amendment to the bylaw. So it's regarding bylaw 45 I believe it's 2020. If we could just have it brought up onto the screen that would be great. Excellent. There we go. So, um, very simply put, oh, I was right. 452020. Okay. So, very simply put, um, with this new, uh, community safety zone for this new school in the area and, uh, staff had recommended where the community safety zone would go. We're just ask I'm just asking for the extension and I have had community consultation with the residents of the area and they're in agreement. I wanted to make sure before I brought this forward um that we extend the community safety zone from where it ends about 24 houses on Hurst away from church that we just extend it right to church so we don't have half the street at 40. Do you have a seconder before you get too deep into this? Oh, I'm so sorry. I did ask uh councelor Lee. I was trying to get a hold of councelor Lee and asked if he wanted to second that. Hold on one second. Hold on one second. Good to second, sir. Councelor Henry, please continue. Thank you. So, just to um have that extension of the street, which is roughly 24 houses to go right to church. That's all we're asking for here. And we have the wording from um staff here in in the amendment. Hopefully everyone will support. Thank you. to you, Mr. Mayor. I'm not sure if your microphone is on. Ah, that would be helpful. Um, Mr. Romanowski, you came on. You please speak to this. Uh I guess you had a question but to the counselors in the speakers list if you are bringing another amendment then turn your mic off for now and so I can just see those that want to ask questions to this one and then key your mic when we're done with this one. Mr. Romani please and I'll go to councelor Lee. Yeah, Mr. Chair, I just wanted to clarify that this this amendment here is strictly just for the speed limit. It's not going to deal with the community safety zone or the school zone. We're going to leave those signages where they where they typically go. This will just be an extension of the 40 km an hour speed limit out to Church Street as opposed to uh 50 transitioning to 40. So, that's really the purposes of this amendment. And I just want to clarify as councelor Henry was talking about extending community safety zones and school zones. It it's just extending the speed limit. Does Mr. Pena have any issues with this amendment? Has he reviewed it? We've reviewed it and if this is council's direction, then we will see it through. Okay. Uh go to councelor Lee. Thank you, chair. Um, so I'm agreeing to it because it's in the ward and like councilor Henry said, it's been spoken with community members. I just, um, I have a fundamental problem with just, you know, um, citizens in a sense making traffic related issues without knowing the full background, full studies, full education required to make these decisions. This one seems innocuous enough, but I guess my question back to uh director Romanowski is um anything that is done today can also be undone. Correct? For example, if we see accidents being caused by this, and I'm not saying I do, but I'm saying um we um there there's a mechanism to reverse this if need be. Correct? Uh through the chair to council Lee, yes, it would be the similar process that we're going through now. Uh typically we would want to keep the speed limit uh 40 kilometer speed limit within the school zone and the community safety zone. Uh we understand the request that's being made here by councelor Henry. Um typically though uh this wouldn't be a practice that we would want to extend to other types of areas. Um but definitely it could be uh it could be re it could be undone in the future if council chose to do that if any issues did arise. Now not necessarily this street particularly but you had mentioned typically this would not be suggested. Can you give the rationale why it would not be uh again I don't know I'm I was an English poly because our practice planning the chair to councelor Lee our practice would be to maintain that 40 kilometer zone in the school zone and community safety zone and have 50 outside of those uh because it's a change uh you can if you just 40 kilometer an hour the whole street that the community safety zones on you're not really providing that definition or the differentiation between a 50 and a 40. Um, now the streets all 40. So there you're kind of I guess watering down the speed on the road for lack of a better term. Um, and hoping that everybody's adhering to the 40. Uh but given that it's just a short distance from church to the end of this um and it's defined by an intersection, you'd be entering Hurst Street at that point with a 40. Uh it would be different than the 50 or 60 that's on Church Street now. So we'd find it appropriate in this situation. And sometimes um the change of speed limits um if the question is would the change of speed limits sometimes be act as um a physical uh distinction in a community between a community safety zone and a non-comm community safety zone. That's right. Okay. Physical changes. I understand. Okay. Um that is very helpful. Um, obviously we I think I'll still support, but um you know um hopefully uh yeah, hopefully this works out the way uh we intended to. Thank you, Chair. Okay, Councelor Henry, you wanted back in. Thank you, Chair, and thank you to the director uh of planning. Yes. Um I do understand that the community safety zone itself is not being extended. So thank you for that clarification. And um uh further to um regional counselor uh Lee's point, you know, this is a one-off. This is not something we're looking for for every community safety zone. This is because of this particular area. Uh there's been a lot of consultation with the community over the last year with regarding the actual um speed limit in this area and there was a lot of requests uh when the new school opened to have the community safety zone put in place. So, um, from the community, uh, to staff, uh, they are very happy that you're bringing this forward and, uh, um, the community safety zone itself, and they're very happy for the work and consultation you've done within, um, the area and listening to all the residents. I just wanted to give that feedback to staff. Thank you. Okay. Uh, not seeing anybody else in the speakers list. I'll call the question on this item. Please open the vote. Okay, that carries. Um, anybody else have any amendments or questions to the matter before us? Councelor Bower. Um, thank you, Mayor Collier. Yes, regional counselor D and I also have an amendment we'd like to bring forward um following the same direction as councelor Henry and that is uh that staff if you could please bring it up on the screen clerk I'd appreciate it that staff be directed to reduce the speed limit from the default 50 km an hour to 40 km an hour on R Ash Ashbury rain Ashbury Boulevard range road between Oddley Road south and Lacorage Road. So, this is uh as you know, that road was opened not too long ago and the uh some and lots of community comments um for and against, but one thing that did remain common uh amongst all parties was the importance of safety on that road and speeding was one of them. This is a road, if you remember, that does not have sidewalks or lighting and that has quite a lot of pedestrians and school age children who walk up and down to take the bus now that it's been restored. So, Joe, regional counselor dies and I met with the area residents uh to talk about some traffic uh measures that could be put in place. One of the options was this reduction in speed from 50 to 40. like to thank Mayor Collier for also attending that meeting and hearing the needs of um sorry not that meeting but the follow-up meeting we had with staff to go through these lists of options that could be presented. Since this bylaw is being opened today, uh we thought that it would make sense to bring um this request to this bylaw at this time versus um once we do go through all of those other items uh for the safety along range road. So, um I ask that my colleagues uh please support this. Thank you. I'll just I'll just add councelor Bower. Yes, we did have and I'll just cuz some of the other councilors may not be aware, I did commit to having a meeting with you and councelor Dy and staff to discuss some improvements to this site. Staff have taken these comments and are going back and are are going to report back to council with um you know costs and and and that type of thing for this area. But this is one of the items we did discuss and this is something we can do easily and cheaply um which will assist. Councelor Dice, hear me? Yep. Thank you. I appreciate that, Mayor Collier. I think um it was really really important to the residents about reducing the speed limit because it is a a straight thoroughfare and we know there's going to be some challenges with that. So, I appreciate it if we can get that um speed reduced in that area and then we we will have the opportunity to work with staff on some of the other issues. Thank you. Not seeing anyone else in the speakers list. Please open the vote. That carries. Does any other member of council have any questions or amendments? Councelor Crawford. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, my amendment is that staff be directed to install no parking signs on Kumer Crescent between north property line of ninekmer crescent and east property line of 19kr crescent. And my seconder is councelor Rob Tyler Morren. Councelor D, did you want to speak to this or were you bringing in an amendment? I was I was going to bring a motion to the floor, but I can wait. Thank you. Okay. So, council Tyler Min as a seconder, please. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, know this street well. It's um it's a tricky corner and I would ask support from uh our colleagues on this one. I um I support it and glad we're bringing this up. Thank you. Okay. I have a question. Is is Mr. Panda on the on the line, Mr. Romani, or are you able to answer questions to staff? I'm wondering if we looked at this area for for no parking. This is the first I've heard of this. So, have we looked at this area and have staff examined it and looked at this option? We've we've did a desktop analysis. I don't know if we've been out to the site, but this is pretty typical on crescent with these types of elbows. We have lots of these streets all around town. Um, currently just based on kind of the layout of the street. Um, and you you technically by letter of the law the you couldn't park here even if there was wasn't any signs uh there. um just because there's not really any opportunity to park in accordance with the on street parking bylaw on these curves because all the driveways kind of converge on each other. Um we would just ask that the motion be changed from 9 to 7 and from 19 to 21 to capture the the appropriate cornering. Um I think councelor Crawford had mentioned uh 9 to n 9 to9 or something like that. Um but we haven't done a desktop desktop review. Um but if this is council's desire to direct staff to install the signs uh we could go through that process. Okay. Didn't get a chance to actually speak to the motion. Oh, okay. Go ahead. So, the property um the owner of the property on number 11 uh contacted me almost a year ago. We started this conversations back in June of last year. Um the winter has been ridiculously hard for them to try to get out. While I don't disagree with uh director Romanowski that this should not be an area that park that where people should be able to park or should be enough room to park, they actually really do park there. And therefore when they do park there it does move into the driveway of 11kmer. So I feel like what we believe shouldn't be happening is happening and so we need to stop it from happening. So that's why I brought this forward. Thank you. I think my question and and my concern with this councelor Robert is just simply as director Romanowski said there's areas all over town where this is an issue. I'll just say Clemens for instance and and I would count on common sense to prevail but unfortunately it it rarely does and on a you know on a a sharp corner you've got people parked on both sides of the road and can barely squeeze through on a bend. Um, I guess my question is cuz I like council Lee also don't really think council should be doing one-offs in this manner, Mr. Romaneski, is are we looking at doing something like this at these problem areas across town because this is this is a one-off, which is fine. This is this is a, you know, a constituency matter, but this is not an issue all over town. through the chair to the chair. Um, it would be quite an ownorous task to go around town and look at all the crescents. I mean, look at Noddingham, look at South Ajax. Uh, they're they're all over the place. What whatever shape, form they come in. Uh this definitely would be something that we would have that we're already going to probably look for through the parking master plan anyways just of how we manage parking on our streets and the various neighborhoods. So it'll kind of be a um a little kind of sidebar kind of exercise through the parking master plan. I don't know where it's going to go, but um I think the I think what's being put forward as a one-off, we we can manage that in this instance. Would it make sense through the parking master plan to develop some sort of warrant for this? We have warrants for stop signs. Um would it make sense to have some sort of warrant for this? So, in standard situations, it just applies. Um, that's definitely something that we could look at through that project of whether or not we can create a warrant process to evaluate that or if there's just different wording or if we're not using signs, maybe we're using painting on the roads or curbing. So, we haven't really explored it to that degree, but that's something that we can take into consideration through the parking master plan review. Okay, thank you. I don't see anybody else in the speakers list. Councelor Crawford, were you done? Did you have anything to add? Yeah, I'm done. Thanks. Let's open the vote. Okay, then that carries. Um, Miss McCclardy, I see you popped on my Oh, there you go. Councelor Lee, do you have want to speak to this or have an amendment? Um, chair, I have an amendment, but not in the way that um the previous amendments followed. Um, is there wording that this council can put in to prevent this happening until the next traffic or parking study? So, can we put in wording for example that says um you know recommendations the last recommendation would be and um any further one-off amendments would require um a like a two-thirds majority from council. I don't know if that's procedurally uh available to do, but just like I think it especially with a new a potential new council coming in next term. Uh my concern is we we this will lead to more and that's not um proper governance. So um you know sort of to cut off the new one-offs until um the next parking study. Is that is that an appropriate amendment? I don't know how this works. I I would tend to agree with you. I think it should be not oneoffs. It should be a proper um wholesome process that looks at all areas and examines all areas rather than just political, you know, respectfully political uh um or or or resonant driven requests. But uh I guess to the clerk, can you speak to that please? What the process would be? I believe that um amendment would be in order if council Lee wanted to bring it here. Sorry, do you mind repeating the amendment? Uh councelor Lee. So, um it would be like item six on this uh traffic bylaw that no further um oneoff uh requests be approved without a a majority of a two-thirds majority of council. Again, I'm I'm just trying to prevent um a new council counselor hypothetically um making theoretical promises during a campaign and then tying up the system and uh bringing these one-offs that may not have been vetted or properly looked at. Um again, trying to remove the uh the politics from the policy. Uh through you, Mr. Chair. Yes, we can look at an amendment along that along those lines procedurally. Um, I would ask that the director uh of planning um comment whether or not this is something that can be included in the current uh traffic bylaw as it stands or if it would be something that was looked at through the parking master plan. Mr. Robinowski. All right. Could I just get clarification Jacqueline on on your question there? Apologies. Uh, regional councelor Lee is asking for an amendment that would uh procedurally allow for amendments to the traffic bylaw um in this fashion with a twothirds vote um instead of with a simple majority if they're not a um an amendment that went through your regular traffic processes to decide whether or not a sign or a speed limit or anything in the traffic bylaw was changed. I guess I'm confused as to what I'm being asked to comment on. I I don't think it's a regular traffic bylaw thing. I think it's related to the the park like the parking component of it. Okay. So, Mr. Chair, go ahead. Council Lee, are you asking if just to clarify and I again I don't know have a better word than one-offs that that any more uh amendments or changes to this in the interimm before the parking master plan is done not be allowed? Is that kind of the the spirit of what you're trying to do? Uh quite honestly, I'm willing to go one further and say any traffic and parking related bylaws um require a twothirds council um uh of uh pending the report pending the future updates to the respective reports. Okay. Through you, Mr. Chair. I would recommend at this point um if we can to maybe table this until later in the meeting and we can have staff look at a possible amendment and then we can come back later in the meeting. Um okay. So, let me go. Council, you're okay if I go back to there's two more people in the speaking list. They've already spoken. Um, but let the clerk sort of word smith this and come back in a few minutes. Okay. He's gone off. So, we'll assume that. Um, councelor Henry, you've spoken. Do you um since we don't have the motion on the floor yet? Sorry, I've spoken on my amendment, but to this further last piece, I just like to ask I'm I'm unclear because um from my understanding um regional counselor Lee and myself have brought forth a master parking plan. We got it budgeted. It was taken out of the budget that would have addressed it was deferred because they weren't ready for it yet because another piece wasn't completed. So, it was moved to the next year. So, where what year is it budgeted for, Mr. Mayor? I believe it's 2027. Um, but I I stand to be corrected if staff um it just there was a piece that wasn't ready yet for it to proceed this year, so we bumped it, I believe, to 2027. Mr. Ronaski, yes, through the chair to councelor Henry, 2027 is when we it's currently slotted in uh and so it is budgeted for 27 then, but it's in the budget. It's has no money allo allocated to it. It will be in the coming budget and we'll reallocate funds to it for council's uh approval and consideration and approval. So will that like as we've been speaking today uh director uh that uh master parking plan will address all the concerns the oneoffs everything else correct? Uh I would hesitate to say through the chair to councelor Henry that's going to take care of all the concerns. I think it'll be a wholesome comprehensive review of what a parking master plan should be uh through cons well there'll be consultation with it. I'm sure council will have feedback, input, suggestions, directions, etc. for us to carry out through that process. So um I would never say that the bylaw or any policy fixes all the problems because uh they inherently create other problems that we can't foresee. Uh so um really what we would have to do is just start the process uh properly uh craft our RFP in terms of reference etc. Uh and then just kind of take our take our steps through that process and then uh consultation and council engagement will eventually lead us down that path to what does this parking master plan look like. Understood. And I guess my my further concern is like when councelor Morren and myself brought forth the motion with regards to the stop signs that was something that we discovered on our own that was an unintentional consequence of allowing the parking on the aprons. And there could be further things like that. And I'm worried, not just, you know, somebody comes forward and wants a stop sign, but I'm worried that uh what we're talking about here today, bringing forward in a motion, could prevent that. And that might be necessary through our staff um consultation that we already do. So, that's my concern with this. And then uh the piece where we're talking about um having two thirds to bring it forward like right now currently we bring a motion to the floor. It either passes or it doesn't. That's that's what council does together as a group. We you know we make those decisions. But you're saying it would take twothirds to even get it on the floor. Is that what we're talking about? Councelor Henry. First we don't have a motion on the floor yet. So we're hypothesizing this. But secondly, I think the intent is that if changes were to be made on a one-off basis, if I understand correctly, it would be considered a reconsideration, which would require 2/3 because we'd be approving this today based on the facts that's in it today. So to amend it would be a reconsideration to the clerk. Is that accurate or Yes, through you, Mr. Chair, that is accurate. I was just going to advise that there is no amendment on the floor to be discussing right now. So, I would suggest that these conversations are withheld until there's an amendment on the floor to discuss. Understood. Thank you. I just wanted to get some more clarity. Yes. And if I could just clarify through the chair, um it looks like we have the parking master plan at $450,000 in the 2028 budget. Uh so it'll be up to council to um make that decision if that project stays there or moves forward. Sorry. where where they want to put it 450 in 2028. Um so that's something that we can consider council consider bringing forward or moving wherever they they would like to move it through that's up to the new council for the next for the next budget process. So So I would also imagine Yes, I did. And I would imagine not 27 That's right. I've corrected that. Um, and I would also caution that that cost uh associated with it will probably have to be amended and that cost will probably increase as it's been some time since we did those estimates. Director, is there a reason why it was pushed to 28 and not 27? Is your team not ready to go in 27 for this? There were As as the mayor alluded to, there were certain projects that needed to be completed like the ITMP, which this council just heard of at the last um meeting. Sorry, point of order chair. Um this is not I was waiting for that. We're we're getting pretty far off topic, folks. Um this isn't about the fire master plan. So I think the question's been answered. Uh did you have anything else? Parking parking master plan, mayor, not fire master plan. Sorry, parking master plan. So, yes, we're good. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Councelor Crawford, did you have uh a question? I just want to clarify that this will be coming to us by the end of the the meeting. Is that what this is what's happening here? Uh the clerk is here, I believe. So, through you, Mr. Chair? Yes. Staff are working on a proposed amendment language for regional counselor Lee, and we'll have something before the end of the meeting today. So, what what I plan on doing, councelor Crawford, is is let's finish the questions on this right now and then we'll we'll just park it, move on, and then when when staff are ready, we'll come back to it. We won't do the final vote until then. Councelor D. Thank you, Mr. Chair. If if it's okay, I'd like to put forward a motion on the floor regarding the Meadowway, the Durham Meadowway. And this is something it's seconded by councelor regional counselor Crawford. And this is something regional counselor Crawford we have this as later in the meeting. Sorry regional counselor dies. We have this later in the meeting. I'm sorry I don't see it. Okay. Yeah. All right. I appreciate it. Thanks. Thank you, Miss Graci. I was just cving through trying to find where it was because I was I thought we're out of order as well. So, is there any more questions on the update to the traffic bylaw schedules 1,0 and 22? And as I said, we'll we'll park it and come back for the final vote with the council le's amendment. Okay, seeing none, let's move on to the next regional council reports. Do we have any regional council reports? Councelor Crawford, please go ahead. Yeah, I just wanted to say at transit we approved the fair cap um uh funding uh model that will be taking place in July of 2027 uh pending the budget for the regional council, which is great because for people who ride on the bud on the bus frequently, uh you only have to go 36 times and then you can ride free for the rest of the month. So, it is a savings for those individuals that uh ride the bus to and from work every single day. And so, I just wanted to let everyone know that that was happening as of July 2027. Any other regional council reports? Not seeing any. I'll just point out we had the Durham Regional Police Board meeting this morning. Um so council is aware our tenure capital for our tenure capital plan is coming forward uh next month in May and there will be a number of consultations and education for counselors um over that time just to kind of bring everybody up to speed and it is pretty uh pretty in-depth. Uh questions on regional council reports? Seeing none, let me just find the sheet here. So we're on ward three now. Moved by councelor Bower, second by councelor dies that the regional council reports of April 20th, 2026 be received for information. Anything further on this? Please open the vote. That carries. Uh, brings us to business arising notice of motion. Town of Ajax use of CCTV cameras 10.1. Councelor Crawford, please go ahead. Thank you. I uh this motion really speaks for itself. Um I think that anytime that we're installing cameras in our facilities, it's a good idea that the public knows that the cameras are there. Um are they, you know, all the different things that I outlined in this motion and uh I'm hoping for your support. Thank you, Council Boward. Thank you, Mayor Collier, and thank you, Regional Counselor Crawford, for bringing this motion forward. I'm happy to second it. Um, also important, I think, for information for us to know and our residents to know is the use of, the purpose, the um reasoning, all of that info about the blue emergency phone units that are in Rotary Park parking lot and town hall parking lot. Uh Joanne, regional counselor DY and I regularly uh receive questions about that. So and we do we are able to get some information from our corporate uh security specialist, but I thought this would be a good way to bring some more wholesome information to all of council. Thank you. Okay, I think I've got to ask the clerk something because we were supposed to go in camera, but councelor Lee, uh, sorry, I can withhold till we go on camera if necessary. Okay. Well, let's just finish this one notice of motion and then we'll because I I think I was supposed to take us in camera on something. Is it on this one? It's not on this one. This is just a standard motion, right? No. Through you, Mr. Chair, I would finish uh item 10.1 and then we will uh go into camera to deal with the items under uh item 14.1 and 14.2 and then we'll come back out of camera to continue dealing with the business arising from notice of motion. Got it. Okay, Council Lee. Thank you, Chair. Um, I know this is specifically covering town of Ajax use of CCTV cameras, but would it be uh of do staff have the information of where DRPS um cameras are located as well? I I don't think I don't think we've ever actually formally received a report from this council as to where all the DRPS cameras are within the town. Um, I I keep seeing more and more, I guess, is kind of my issue. I was just wondering if it's possible as a friendly to just include the location of the um DRPS cameras as well in this motion. If it's a separate motion, I completely understand. I I don't know, Miss McCclardy. Through the chair to regional council Lee. Um we can most definitely include the ones that the town have partnered with DRPS on. in terms of their own cameras that they may have up and around uh town or the region. You have would have to go through the region, but we definitely have some partnerships with them that we can definitely outline and how we work with them and what our MLOU states with them. Thank you. Um then to the mover, if uh friendly is available, I would very much like to add friendly. Thank you, chair. Okay. One second, councelor Crawford. Good with that. Friendly. We're all friends. Okay. Uh on that I don't see anything further. So we'll open the boat please. Okay. So we're going to come back to this. We're going to move now for t for um benefit of time to the close session item 14 to the clerk. Do I need to read something or can we just have a motion to go in camera? Uh we do need to state the reasons. Do you have that or would you like me to read them? You can go ahead please. It's not in front of me. Sure. No problem. So today, council is asking for a motion to go into close session for two items regarding uh to discuss a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by municipality or board as per section 239 C of the municipal act as amended along with to discuss a trade, secret or scientific, technical, commercial, financial or labor relations information supplied in confidence to the municipality or local board which if disclosed could reasonably be expected to prejudice significantly the competitive position or interfere significantly with the contractual or other negotiations of a person group of persons or organizations as per section 2392I of the munct 2001 as amended. I'd be looking for a mover please. I can see regional counselor Sterling Lee. Mr. Chair, would you like to turn your microphone on? I can't see the individuals, so go ahead and you pick if you can see them. Okay. And then I also have uh councelor Bower as your seconder. Okay. On the motion to go in camera. Oh, councelor D turned his off. Okay. Votes. And that carries. Uh, Madam Clerk, do you need five minutes to take us offline and everything or can we go right in? Uh, yes, please. I'd recommend a fivem minute recess to move into close session. Okay, it's uh 2:25. Come back here at 2:30. So to you, Mr. Chair, confirming we are now back in open session. Okay, just give me a second to get organized here as I go back. There we go. We're going to go back to item 8.1, the PDS 202610 update to traffic bylaw 45-2020 schedules 1, 10, and 22 in open session. Um, through discussion with the clerk, I have been told that the motion that councelor Lee was looking to bring forward would not be considered uh in in order. So, I'm going to rule that out of order. So there is not a motion coming on that. Do we have any further discussion on the traffic bylaw update? Okay, seeing none in the speaker's list, this has been, I believe, three, perhaps four amendments to it uh on the motion as amended. Please open the vote. Okay, that carries. Back to the agenda here. We're going back to our motions. We've done the first 10.1 10.2 supporting tourism for 2026 FIFA World Cup. Councelor Bower and Councelor Lee. Councelor Bower, please key your mic, you have the floor. Uh thank you, Mayor Collier, and thank you uh regional counselor Lee for being on this motion with me. This is uh all about tourism, about excitement about the FIFA World Cup. So, this is not a new uh request to extend um the licensing of alcohol services until uh later hours. I think it's 3:00 a.m. on our motion. This was done during the Olympics. This was done at other major the other major sporting events. This was done at the last um World Cup in 2022. So, it's just to bring it forth again for this very exciting time and opportunity to bring people together and and also help our local businesses possibly make a few extra dollars. Thank you. Mr. Chair, can you please turn on your microphone again? Shoot. There we go. I'll get the hang of it this one of these days. Um, anybody else wish to speak to this matter? Seeing none, please open the vote. Okay. And that carries unanimously. Going back to the agenda, the next item is item 10.3, review of town soccer resources. Regional Councelor Lee. Councelor Bower. Councelor Lee, please go ahead. Thank you, Chair. Apparently, Councelor Bower and I have football on the mind this month. Um, this one is I'll just read the resolution if uh that's okay. The Ajax Council directs operations and manageable services staff to prepare a report by June 2026 outlining the town of Ajax's current position on the installation of soccer netting on municipal soccer fields, an overview of the town's turf field booking and permitting process, as well as a high level scan of how other comparable municipalities manage access to artificial turf fields and feasibility risks and operational implications allowing public use of artificial turf fields during unbooked periods. Um, this comes from a lot of feedback I get. um we've been getting over the past few summers of why aren't the Nets on um soccer um posts during the summer months um you know we see other um soccer clubs have it also with the just um the um current flux of Ajax soccer club I just thought it was really important to just kind of outline um the town and our soccer policies you know maybe update them see if there's any opportunity to modernize or increase um fees were applicable and so this report would just address a lot of those things that um we're kind of putting together peacemail and we'll just put in one place. So, uh looking for support from council. Thank you, chair. Sorry, Councelor Henry, you're next. Oh, thank you. Sorry. Um, so I just wanted to ask staff a quick question. If I could ask the director um of operations a quick question. Is Mr. Meredith online with us? He is. Go ahead to the chair. Excellent. So um we had some um issues um up in North Ajax uh last season with regards to residents complaining about this issue. And I know that came through me um uh to staff and I just I I'm trying to you know go back in my memory there. Um wasn't this an issue that the Ontario province had a regulation in place that was a safety issue because of somebody getting hurt? Was there a reason that we did this? Through the chair to councelor Henry. Um there is some best practices that that you're referencing in terms of why we don't currently do that and that is something that we will articulate in our report which we'll present to council in in June. So so we have we have some history on it and we know sort of the the framework in terms of why we don't necessarily include nets for all of our men soccer fields. that's generally placed the the requirement is generally placed on the permit holder as it relates to installing the nets um on the evenings that they have permits so that they're not around and required sort of inspections on a routine basis. So we will address it sort of within our our staff report um and we'll go from there. All right. But uh sorry did you and I I apologize my mic went out for a minute. Did you say that there is or is not a provincial law in place? I'm just being careful. I'm just I'm just being careful on your wording of provincial law just to find out like I don't want to say there is there is something that is there as it relates to the health and safety of the netting that gets used. Whether I want to say it's a law or a regulation, I'm not 100% certain, but we will address it in in our staff report. But there is there is some Got it. Right. There's some framework. We'll say regulation. Yeah, framework. We'll be careful. We'll be very careful. All right. Sounds good. Thank you. Okay. Not seeing anyone else in the speakers list. Please open the vote. And that carries. Next item, criminal exploitation of minors for organized crime. Councelor Henry. Councelor Crawford. Councelor Henry, please go ahead. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, so this is a motion that's come to us um from from about a year's worth of work um through um a regional counselor Crawford and myself and hearing um some feedback from the community um some some feedback well some all-around feedback let's just say and what we're looking at here is when we have and if we can have the motion up on uh the screen uh madame clerk when we are looking at what is happening um with criminal enterprises and adults that are recruiting um youth into those enterprises. And what happens after the fact when you know when there is um the youth are found, they're brought home, they're returned to their family, and at that point there is this fear of what happens next. And that's basically what this motion speaks to is what are what is being done to protect the youth that are being trafficked into these uh criminal enterprises? How are we protecting our youth? How are we making sure that they have the opportunity? You know, they're being asked to testify. they're being asked to do uh their part when when they're out of these enterprises, but at that point um there is there is such a fear uh what has been placed upon them. And we've seen that with um you know, for reference, our missing um um black boys and we're seeing how, you know, they've been returned home. Their parents have somehow gotten them, brought them back home. What does that look like? They don't want to talk to counselors. They don't want to talk to the police. They're fearing for their life. They're fearing for retribution. they're fearing for their family safety. There's a lot of elements in this and we've taken all that feedback, all that consultation process, we've put it into a motion. Um, you know, we've spoken with um different organizations and this is the information that we've come up with. So, we're really hoping for council support on this. This was in the works for quite some time um since I'd say February, early February 2025 and hoping that um the the work of a year's worth of work in this motion that council will support. Any questions? Um please uh uh ask opportunity to ask. Okay. I just I would like to I'm gonna let Marilyn Crawford, councelor Crawford, excuse me, speak to this as a secondary and then I'm gonna ask Miss Brownbridge to come in and speak with um some more details about what DRPS is already doing on this matter and uh working with organizations. So, Councelor Crawford, uh please go ahead. Thank you. Um the only thing I really don't have anything more to add. Um I' I've attended two um two meetings to do with the uh missing black boys. Very informative and I know that there was a round table held with the police and with the Durham region uh discussing this with many organizations. The only thing I would ask is that the motion it says circulated to Durham Region municipalities but also to Durham Region Council. Can we add that in there to to uh how this is circulated if that's okay? Um, I really don't have anything much to add to what uh, Councelor Henry has said. Um, but I do think this is an important advocacy piece that we should we should be supporting. Thank you. Okay. Well, it's your motion, so you can do what you want with it. Councelor Henry, are you fine with that friendly amendment? I am. Mayor Collier, I think that's a great additive to this. Thank you. Uh, regional counselor Crawford. Mr. Mr. Brownidge, can you speak to the information you got regarding DRPS and some of these things that are um being done now and and how they may affect it, please? Um sure. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um one of the things that staff have been working on following the direction received from council related to the missing black boys and um general youth exploitation is um participating and organizing um the round table that regional counselor Crawford has mentioned. Um these roundts are designed to uh include stakeholders like DRPS, like victim services, uh like the region, the school boards, um and other um agencies and community organizations that are uh connected to um this kind of very complex issue. Um one of the goals of those um roundts is to provide some um is to provide some guidance and direction around the type of advocacy that um these grassroots organizations would be um recommending that um municipalities like the region like DRPS uh as an agency of a municipality um and uh folks like the town or agencies like the town um should be undertaking as a result of that. Um, I also understand that um the chief uh at DRPS had a meeting, I think it was last week or the week before uh with MP McKelie and MP Turnbull um where they discussed bill C16 um which is currently in front of the standing committee um of justice and human rights federally. Um, and there are some components of that legislation uh that seeks to amend the criminal code um that would kind of speak to this specific offense and and the creation of a specific offense for the recruitment of young persons into criminal activity. Um, so DRPS is doing some uh research to understand how that bill will impact the work that they do. Um, as well as uh combining that uh that work with the work of the roundt. Um, so DRPS, the town staff and the regional staff are are heavily engaged with community organizations on uh on this matter. Thank you for that clarification. Uh, councelor Henry, you want back in? Thank you, uh, Mr. Mayor. So, I do appreciate what uh DRPS is doing and and please don't think that this motion is in any way to um put them down for the work they've been doing. Um this simply is, you know, the consultation process that the information that we've received and I did flag this by uh Chris Boie and I had asked him is there anything you change in this motion? You know, I I've done that with other groups as well. And I literally had um um Ruth from Ladder to Rise grab and hug me and not let go when she read this motion and said, "Nancy, this is exactly what the community has been asking for. It's exactly what we want. This is the advocacy piece that we're asking for. Please bring this forward." So I have I did circulate the motion to um to uh community members that have been working for quite some time on this and it's not to take away from the work the roundts are doing. This is the piece that we're bringing forward through the community consultation process that we've had prior to the work that is starting uh recently with the roundts. So, uh, please know that there was consultation from our part. Okay. Not seeing anybody else in the speakers list. We'll call the vote. And that carries. Next item, ethical investment and human rights due diligence and public pension funds. Councelor Henry and Councelor Crawford. Councelor Henry. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So recently um and if we could have the motion up on the screen again, Madame Clerk, recently um there's been some information that's hit the news and we know that um you know there's been some I'm just waiting for the motion to appear so I can speak to it properly. There we go. So we know that there has been some um um so here the information with stand earth uh found the Canadian pension plan CPP and Ontario uh municipal employees retirement systems. So, we understand, you know, that this was something that perhaps an oversight, obviously not meant to happen, but we have to correct it. When we find places in in in spaces and policies that aren't operating as they should be or that there's a flaw in them or that there's something we have to flag, uh we have to stand up and say, "Hey, this isn't right, and we need this corrected." And we're at the point right now where we're looking at what's happening with our friends to the south. Uh we as Ajax have a very good and strong reputation with our EDI department with all the work that's been done over the years and um having anything linked to ICE uh when we are the most diverse uh municipality in the you know in the entire region of Durham not a good look. We want to make sure that we are standing on the right side of history here and we're saying hey we need this flagged and we need this looked at. So I'm hoping council colleagues will support this. Thank you. Councelor Lee. Thank you, Chair. Um, you know, speaking of something that's been worked on for a while, um, I was actually I had worked on with the region, uh, regarding our investment policy, uh, I think two and a half years ago regarding um, ethical investment. It wasn't targeted towards ICE specifically. I mean, if anyone asks, I'm not thoroughly against ICE. um but rather um at the time it the ethical was defined as arms sales uh big polluters and so forth. this motion well well-intentioned um it it seems to cover all like I don't I'm not sure what ethical means in this case beyond the you know the the preamble of um you know we're anti-ICE according to the US government right now ICE is not doing anything wrong right like ICE is a federal agency um and so I it just it begs the question like do we also object to uh the United States being arm sales to certain countries ries and should we, you know, um, put those arms dealers, uh, onto, um, this ethical list. Um, big polluters, um, you know, the Alberta oil sands is one of the huge contributors to carbon. And so I ethically have a big big problem with that. And I would also argue that they should be included in this ethical list as well. So unless we define what ethical investment means to the town of Ajax, we're just saying that I'm not even sure what this motion says specifically then outside of the whereas it talks about ICE, but ethics is is a very uh slippery slope unless it's uh specifically defined. Um AI another example you know there are certain companies that deal with AI but they are offering returns on investment that some um funds may not want to pass up. So um I guess I would look for clarification as to what ethical governance and transparency in the investment of public funds means um and hope to have it in the resolution. Okay. Councelor Henry, you wish to respond. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So, um, when we're looking at this in particular, it's been brought to the attention, you know, we have some, um, and you know, councelor Lee, you've referenced, um, that the US government says ICE isn't doing anything wrong. I believe you said, if I heard that correctly, according to them. Um, you know, I I personally don't agree with, you know, I know that's not your statement. I get that. I'm not accusing you of that. But I'm just saying, uh, yeah, I I don't have that same feeling as what the US government is saying. Uh, we have a very diverse word that you and I govern. And um as it is, you know, I did circulate this motion to um a few members within the community and they were 100% Nancy, 100% this is what we're looking for. So when we look at where companies are investing where where sorry where businesses um where plans are investing our money our public funds into companies that are you know um using products for instance um the I call them zip ties that are you know being used as handcuffs for um ICE members in particular where there's certain things you'd you'd have to go back and read the full uh report that was referenced. It's very troubling and concerning and I don't think our public dollar should be used for that and I think the members of our community would agree with that and have agreed with that because they've given me the thumbs up to bring the motion forward. I don't tend to bring motions forward unless I've circulated with u members of our community, especially lead members of of the community. So, um I I'm not sure what you're looking for in more definition here. Um, happy if you want to bring forth a friendly, but uh, I gave a raw motion to the clerks and they refined it slightly to meet uh, what was needed for today's motion. Um, and if you have a friendly, I'm happy to hear it. Councelor Henry, I'm going to let him back in, but I think what he's trying to say is, I mean, where do you draw the line? We know there's countries that have child labor. Does that mean we don't do any import export with that company? That's that's a matter of definition of what is you think is moral and ethical. Like you don't use hair products as somebody tests on animals for instance would be an ethical thing to some people other people not important. I think that's more what he's asking. like I don't like the fur trade or you know a little more of definition of what actually is ethical because technically depending on anybody's interpretation we could ban everything everywhere because there's something that some people are going to find um bad pretty much with everything based on interpretation. Uh councelor Lee I saw you first and let you back in. Uh since I was given an opportunity to um offer friendly then I would offer um it'd be 1.1 1A where we give examples of um ethical investment guidelines. So uh A being you know companies associated with um ICE and I'm not sure what specific um you know wording we want to use there. two, um, companies that deal with the sale of arms to other countries, um, that are currently perpetuating an armed conflict. Uh, three, uh, companies that emit large amounts of carbon um, damaging to the environment. Uh, four, uh, companies that use child labor. And I mean, those are four pretty big ones. But I mean, like, if we're talking about ethical, then let's talk about Oh, I mean, five, uh, companies uh, that misuse uh, uh that endorse the unregulated use of artificial intelligence. That's pretty like for me that is making a statement on ethics. Um now I understand this council may not align with my version of ethics to to the mayor's point, but um unless we outline what ethical investment means to us, we're just saying uh we should do better than this. Um and I've consulted many people on these kind of five tenants and resoundingly people agree with that. So, um, if I'm being offered the ability to add friendlies, those would be the friendlies I would add. Thank you. I think we before we go too far down this this rabbit hole, um, I think we're given way too much credit that the federal provincial government are going to act on what the Tanovich Act says. So, um, before before I spend an hour words smmithing this, I mean, it it's I don't know what the results going to be. Just want to mention that. And and It's a long meeting. Just trying to move things along. Councelor Henry, respect your comment there, Mayor. Um, so, uh, when I said a friendly, um, I was talking about something small friendly. I hear what, uh, regional counselor, uh, Lee is saying. However, this motion specifically came out of a report, a news report specifically is referencing a particular um you know, group San Earth and the information that broke on the news. I'm sure that councelor Lee does um circulate those type of things that he referenced uh points one for what he would like to amend and I suggest he bring that forward in another motion I'd be happy to support. We're talking here today about this and this in particular. So, councelor Henry, you would not consider those friendly amendments. I I consider them separate motions. Okay. So, that's a no. No. Um, let's move on. Council Lee, let me go ahead. Guess what? I'm going to put forth these as I would like to put these forth as amendments to the motion. Okay. So, we have a formal amendment. Do you have a second, Council? No, I need a seconder. Uh, I I will ask uh I'll let the council see if anyone wants to go ahead. Thank you, J. No, no, that's it. So, can you read them again? No, no, no. I'm just asking if you could read them. Henry, hold on. Council Lee, did you type it up and send it to the clerk? Yes. Did the clerk by chance take note when you were speaking and have it ready for us as the amendment? I believe so. Yes. Okay. Can we get that on the screen please? Miss Graci the the amendment which is five points. Okay. Sorry, Mr. Mayor. It's very hard to see the way the screen is. Okay, there you go. I would I would add one one thing further, councelor Lee, which you might think is friendly and and just put an F uh like this is not a substantial list other that can be added. Yeah, because I mean appreciate that is a couple, you know, that that could be considered not. And then just very quickly, you know, like um just just speak on it very quickly, you know, it the motion mesh references um you know, stand.ear and a lot of these positions are very much in line with what stand.ear um supports. So it's actually not like out of order even. It's just um expanding to very specific actionable items that the town of Ajax is asking for this in this. Okay. So those that I just wanted more time to consider it. But you know what? You're right. I'm not I'm not adamantly opposed to this, but I wanted it to be brought forth in a separate motion to have more time because there might be things that I want to add in that list and doing it on the floor makes it a little difficult. I'm not that opposed to it. Consider it a friendly and let's move on. Okay. Well, no, there is an official motion moved and seconded on the floor. Um, constantly moved it. I second it. Um, so councelor Henry, I'm going to drop you off of this now. Um, councelor Crawford, do you want to speak to the amendment? Well, I would have liked to have spoken and spoken to the actual motion since I was a seconder, but I guess I was irrelevant in this conversation. So, actually, stop right there. You didn't have your name in the speakers list until right now. So, if you clicked your button, I would have recognized you. So, don't start that. Please go ahead. You have the floor. I have nothing to say. Okay. Anybody else wish to speak to the amendment? Having no comments on the amendment, please open the vote. Okay. The amendment passes on the main motion. Does anybody wish to speak further to the main motion as amended? Okay, seeing nobody in the speakers list, please open the vote. And that carries. Next item, request for operational funding for supportive and trans transitional housing projects and this is moved by myself, seconded by councelor Lee. Just let me go through and I think the motion speaks for itself. Does anybody have any questions or wish to speak to the motion? Okay, not being seeing anybody in the speakers list. Please open the vote that carries. Sorry, I just have to go back up to the top here. And item 10.7, council chambers restoration. Councelor Henry, second by councelor Crawford. Please go ahead. Councelor Henry, key your mic. And councelor Crawford, if you wish to speak, it's the second. There you go. My my apologies, Mr. Mayor. Umh the chambers. Okay, here we go. So, we've had a lot of Well, I have I've had a lot of folks reach out to me about the chambers. What's going on? So, I said this in the accessibility meeting the other night. You know, we had a pipe burst in the chambers, burst right over where the mayor usually sits, flooded the entire chambers. Staff went in uh water up to their ankles. staff work very good as what I would, you know, describe as, you know, they move quickly. Staff move quickly. They know what to do and they move as one. A lot of staff move as one and that's because they know what they're supposed to be doing. Uh the problem, well, not the problem. You know, we're looking for information for the public portion of it. And at the time when all this happened, you know, staff's immediate uh forefront was, you know, to contain the situation, make sure records underneath what was happening to them, preserve records underneath, get the situation under control. And they did all that. And they did it fabulously. Now, from the outside looking in, folks are like, well, when are we getting, you know, when can we come to council? When can this happen? When can that happen? Well, how much is being spent? Well, what does this look like? Are we getting a new council? And there's a lot of questions that, you know, I don't have answers to at this time to give out publicly. And therefore, that's where this motion came from. We're like, you know what? Let's get staff to give you the answers in a proper format. And that way, everybody knows what's going on. I know behind the scenes things are under control. I know staff is doing what they should be doing. I know that things are moving and progressing as they should be. However, the public needs to have some information um given to them and I think this is the best way to do it. So, thank you, Councelor Robert. Please go ahead. Yes. Uh thank you. I um I think so as I understand it, the CEO's uh offices are also under construction now. I didn't I'm trying to understand is that part of this water damage because that seemed to be like out of the scope of what we were looking at. Mccclardy through the chair. No. Um this is part of the accommodation plan that's occurring around town right now. Um we um have had some issues with um uh like some soundproofing in the offices between the boardroom and other offices and as well as temperature issues and and some challenges um described to us by staff. So it's just some regular repairs and maintenance that are taking place. Okay. So unrelated to this at all? Unrelated. So that means we won't cook in the boardroom anymore. I'm assuming. Okay. I just think yeah, this is um the project of redoing the chambers is going to be a big project and I think it's important that we um that we understand the the full cost of it and if the full cost of it is covered under the insurance and if not how much more it's going to cost um the taxpayer. That's that's it's all about accountability and transparency. Thank you. Okay, councelor Bower and thank you to councelor Henry and C regional councelor Crawford for bringing this motion forward that I will support. I'm just a little curious or I'm I I find um the last whereas uh question I think it's odd that it's even there whereas it's understood that once the council chambers is reopened hybrid meetings in person and and virtual will continue consistent with long-standing practice and subject to the town's normal procedural rules. Um, I think it's great that we're having this report and this conversation and we'll we'll be fully fully um sharing it with our residents. I just I don't remember ever there being a discussion that we would cancel the ability to have uh meetings in chambers in person with the hybrid function. We did all of that IT work to be able to allow, you know, some some tech in there to be able to to run these meetings. So, it's, you know, it's fine. I accept that it's in there. I just I've never heard from any member of council or any member of staff or any resident that we would uh threaten or even consider removing um in person and hybrid meetings at council chambers. So, it's just a comment. It's not a question. Thank you. But happy to support the motion. Okay. Uh councelor Crawford, we'll get back in. Yeah. Yeah. I just I think thank you councelor Bower for that question. I think that I don't know for whatever reason there's some sort of conspiracy theory around this and that we're going to change all the procedures. So I think what it is is it just assures um uh residents that uh once the chambers are open again that everything returns back to normal. So personal like delegations in person will all happen in normal as normal. uh business as usual before the flood happened would happen as normal. It's more of not not an assumption something would change, but more of an assurance that everything goes back to normal. If I'm wrong, the motion the mover of the motion can correct me. Okay, Councelor Henry, you wanted to come back in. There you go. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh yes, thank you councelor Bower for your um comment and regional councelor Crawford is 100% correct. Um I've heard nothing from staff that this is going to change in any way, shape or form. I've tried to assure some folks of that that um have reached out to myself andor counselor uh Crawford. I think we've both tried to reassure some folks. But, you know, this little bit of wording uh added in there is is just that formal process of saying, "Folks, we're going back to normal. Everything's going to be as it was, but better probably. Actually, better." And uh you don't have to worry about this. That we're putting this in writing and letting you know, you know, nothing is changing. That's all it is. I hope that that explains it. Okay. I don't see anybody else in the speakers list. So, we'll open the vote, please. And that carries. That concludes the motions. I've got two others in the speakers list. What's this about? Councelor Henry. Oh, sorry. Did I hit a button? What? I'm sorry. Councelor Dy, same thing. Yes. Thank you. I do have a motion. And I believe staff was forwarding it to you regarding the middleway. Um, okay. Well, hold on. We would need a notice of to to suspend the rules if it's not printed in the agenda. Um, so I guess we need a motion to suspend the rules, madam clerk. Yes, please, Mr. Chair. Okay. So, councelor D, you're going to bring the motion to suspend the rules to allow a motion without notice. Do we have um a second? Yes. is raising his hand. Seconded by councelor Crawford. Oh, okay. I just took the first one on the list. So, councelor second by councelor Crawford. Okay. On waving the rules, this will require twothirds vote. So, open the vote, please. Okay, that carries. Councelor Dy, go ahead with your motion. Thank you. I appreciate that, Mr. Chair. Um we've spoken about this before regarding the meadowway as uh the region is moving ahead working with municipalities of Ashawa, Whitby, Ajax and Pickering to continue the Meadowway project um which will go tip tip of Greenwood and into the um the transnational trail here around um Ajax and it's a really important project. the Meadowway. I've been I'm on TRCA and we we uh they are in charge of that project with the Weston family and it is really transforming things particularly in the hydro corridor which is underutilized land and they have transformed that land all the way from Toronto through scar bro and are now collect connecting into Durham and and beyond because it's very very popular for one thing but it has been extremely successful in that it has created parkland for many of the communities that that trail runs through. They've um put in gardens and meadowways and all kinds of activities for children. It's really quite a success story. So, we spoke about this previously and there is a fee there's a fee for pre preliminary design work and it's in the motion here. Um, it's on the screen here. And I think it's really very important that we contribute to this project because if we don't, we're the missing link. And the missing link will suffer because this is a huge tourism draw. And it's also really a great opportunity for um leisure activities in a a new and open space. It will connect, like I say, from Toronto all the way down. So you've got people that can now come from Niagara along the waterfront trail in the north up into our communities and beyond because it will continue. So I'm hoping you know that you can see your way to reconsider this. I think it's a really really important um project and the the region now is is moving towards the design with the other municipalities. So I really feel very strongly that we should be part of that link as it moves ahead and I hope you will support that. Okay, Councelor Crawford, you're next. Thank you. Uh thank you your worship. Um I think that this was actually just an oversight on our part. We had a report come forward to us uh back I think in um Miss Brownidge would have to remind me but I think it was 2024 or 2025 and uh the recommendation at the time was to receive for information with the idea that we would put a motion in for the next budget but unfortunately I think we all forgot is what it comes down to and so um I'm glad that we were able to actually bring this forward. We were act we actually negotiated a much lower rate with the region because some of this uh project had already been done in through the town of Ajax. So it it is 120 well just just shy of $120,000 and definitely worth the investment finally getting some use of the hydro fields u for some good exercise and some good use. Thank you. Okay, Councelor Lee. Um, thank you, Chair. Um, as the town's pre-minent advocate for cycling across the town, I just want to say I very much support this. Thank you, Chair. Councelor Henry. Uh, thank you, Mr. Mayor. So, um, I do support the motion. I just want to point out um I know this area very well because it's um adjacent next to her drive what we were talking about earlier in the agenda and I want to point out um a lot uh a lot of advocacy behind the scenes went into this um and I do recognize that but uh we have I know this is you know kind of kind of odd to mention at this point in time but I feel I have to mention it because I know that Um uh we're looking at a lot of folks coming through this corridor and we have um a large amount of coyotes that have been reported in that area in uh last 2025, summer of 2025. We have a lot of um garden snakes in that area where I have my current residents uh last year reported 25 minimum 25 snake hatchings on their front lawns in their back that are adjacent to this existing pathway. And I feel that if we're going to be making this a tourist area, if we're going to be looking at this to be doing some bike riding through here, like large groups like what we have at the waterfront, anything like that, we have to really look at the maintenance of this area. And maybe in the future, not now, but I just want to point this out. and maybe changing what the maintenance looks like in this area for cutting back from 1 meter to maybe 2 to 3 m from the pathway because I've got people jumping out screaming up there right now at certain seasons when eggs are hatching uh with snakes in them and I know they're garden snakes and operations of Tommy Council you got nothing to worry about but the folks that live up there don't feel that way so now we're going to put bikes on this pathway happy to support we have to do it I believe we have to do it it's part you know what everybody else is doing, but I don't want that to go unnoticed because I feel like we need to up the maintenance in there if we're going to be doing this in the future. Okay. I don't see anybody else in the list. I'm going to ask a couple of questions. Um because I I had a different recollection. We had the report. Um it was for information only. My recollection is we didn't proceed with it because it wasn't in the budget. And this is just my understanding the $120,000 is just for the design, not the actual work. Is that accurate? And I think the logic was why pay for the design if we're not going to do the work. M um to the mayor, just to clarify, this project is the preliminary concept work of uh of the meadowway. So following this project, there will also be detailed design work and then the eventual construction. Um I think the town has and the director of finance may or the interim director of finance may have a a specific number for me, but I think there's three or four maybe five different trail projects in the long range forecast um that are a part of the Meadowway project. Um and as a result of that in the future at some point there will be construction work that the town will undertake. Um the recommendations for the meadow way any additional costs beyond what we would scope for a normal trail project um that includes signage other you know elements of interconnectivity um there would be additional budget impacts is associated with that. Okay. Uh I have a question about bullet two with the financial contribution and I don't know if this was through consultation with staff or the mover and seconder chose these reserves but we know the challenges with DC's and development reserve would this not be more appropriate should we go ahead to come from say strategic initiatives or parkland acquisition even or CBC if there's any money in uh to the mayor. Uh yes, this this uh was um the consultation did happen with myself. Those four projects are in uh the the DC background study. So we did keep the funding um in in line with the rest of the design work that was that would be done in the future. Um there it's up to council's direction to uh direct a different funding source, but we felt that it it would best align with the uh there's currently four projects in the long range capital forecast that currently have some design budgeted out in future years and it would just fall in line with the existing funding sources. So you're saying we're just going to use the design money that we already had allocated for our four capital projects here? No, that is not what I'm saying. I'm saying that we would allocate the the funding uh commensurate with with how it's split in the DC background study. Okay. So, our four capital projects that we already have that are already applicable to different developments uh and that up in this area are already funded and will already go through design through the town. Anyway, uh to the chair, they are not all funded. Um most of them are pushed out for design and and uh construction to happen in future years at this point. Um uh yes and and this would just be an additional contribution to do the um the conceptual design as Miss Brownidge alluded to. Okay. Well, I guess what I'm what I'm asking is we've already decided that we have these four capital projects. So we've already designed like I don't know why the region's going to design stuff in Ajax. We already designed stuff in Ajax. That's why you have four proposed capital projects. No, no, no. The capital projects are in the long range forecast and design both the design and construction costs are to be funded at future dates. Okay. That wasn't what I was asking. Mr. What do you have? So, just to the mayor, I think one of the other um elements here that's that's worth noting is staff met with the region uh following uh the December council meeting when this was initially brought forward to see if there was an opportunity to align the future scopes of work uh for the design for the town's trail projects um with this conceptual design. And because this is looking at kind of more meadow way, let's say focused initiatives as part of this whole network, um it was beyond and and separate from the detailed design work that would happen for our existing trail projects um that we have in in the forecast. Okay. Okay. I'm not going to beat this to death. I think it'll probably pass. It's it's one of those it's it's a nice to have. It's not a need to have. And that's why I really struggle with it cuz we have it's not budgeted. We're adding this to the budget. We just approved the budget a couple of months ago. So really this is kind of a reconsideration, but technically it's not based on the legislation. So um yeah, I'm I'm not real happy about it, but I'll probably support it. Anybody else want to speak to this before we call the vote? No. Please open the vote. and that carries. I believe that concludes motions. Yes. Moving on to bylaws. We have to do these in two parts. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yep. I do believe there is another motion that uh councelor Crawford is being asked to walk on without notice as well. So, we need to do the notice of the rules again. Yes. If you don't mind turning on her microphone, we can let her um put her request into you. Okay. Do I need a new uh a new motion to wave the rules with us? It doesn't cover under the other one. Okay. I need a motion to wave the rules. What is the motion you want to bring forward? Uh the motion is um it's an advocacy motion to funding certainty for organizations supporting the black community. Do you want to put it? Well, I just wanted an idea what we were waving the rules for before we w the rules. So, I have a motion to wave the rules. Do we have a seconder? I see a bunch. Councelor Lee. Okay. Councelor Lee is the seconder. Uh is that right? Yes. Okay. on the motion to wave the rules. I don't think we need discussion. Open the vote, please. Requires 2/3. Okay, that carries. Councelor Crawford, please go ahead. Uh, thank you. Uh, thank you, Mr. Mayor. uh if you could mind putting up the motion. I received a rather uh panic call from uh one of the organizations in our town. Um and it is from the Durham Family and Culture Center. Uh they had been receiving funding from the provincial government on a very regular basis, probably the last 5 years. And then we're told um this year that they would no longer be receiving any funding. And why does that matter to us? Well, they had to lay off 90% of their uh employees because of this lack of funding. And while I understand that the funding was never meant to be part of uh staff hiring, uh the funding was there for programming and in order to deliver programming, they needed to hire staff. So, um I just think that they didn't give any bridge funding, nothing in between that. And uh and so I felt like it was necessary for us to uh be able to advocate on their behalf that the provincial government remain either remain with the funding or at least give them some sort of bridge funding. Um they are they service about 500 black families here in the town of Ajax and it's all about literacy. It's all about next steps. It's all about keeping kids in school. They do some really good work and uh I really I just I hope that I can count on your support. There we go. Sorry, I couldn't get back on that page. Um, okay. I don't see anybody else in the speakers list, so call the vote. And that carries. Before I move on, are there any other motions coming with no notice? Okay, not seeing anything. So, uh, moving on to the resolutions we need to do in two parts. Uh, the bylaws, sorry. And we've got the first one, 40 and 41-2026 be approved. We're on ward uh I think we're on ward one moved by councelor Crawford second by councelor Tyler Moore and that bylaws 40-2026 and 41-2026 be approved and that is the final tax rate bylaw and the amended traffic bylaw. Questions on those two items? Okay, hearing seeing none, please open the vote. Okay, those carry. And then on the next is bylaws 42-2026 and 43-2026 since that's a mayor's directive. Uh I will move it. Can I get a seconder please? Just whoever shows up in the speakers box. Moved by second by councelor Crawford that bylaws 42-2026 to 43-2026 be approved. And this is to do with the property. Oops. At 103 Heron Street and 21 and 23 Harwood Avenue South. Anybody wish to speak to this before we vote? Okay. Not seeing any. Please open the vote. That carries. We've already done the close session. Is there any notice of motion? Council Lee. Thank you, Chair. Um, in May, I'll have two notice motions. One is regarding a a 911 access fee um to um fund emergency services. The second one is the raising of nonresident fees for recreation and culture u memberships. Thank you. Okay. Any other member of council have any notice of motion? Okay. Seeing none. Any new business and announcements? Councelor Tyler Mour. Oh, there we go. Okay. Can you hear me? Thank you. Um, once again, it's our last one of this council tour, but Marilyn Crawford and I, MLAN Community Center, 95 Miguel Drive, Ajax, Ontario, on Tuesday, April 21st, 2026 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. We're having our final community ward meeting of this term. And this time, we have our friends coming from the bus rapid transit team. They'll be joining us to discuss construction of transit corridor through Ajax which everybody sees. Uh so looking forward to seeing everybody. Come on out. We always say we'll have tea, coffee, and timbits. Um yeah, hope to see some new people as well. Thank you, Council Bower. Thank you, Mayor Collier. Hard to follow that. Uh, councelor Tylen Warren. So, regional counselor Joanne Dy and I invite our W three residents. It is also our last meeting of this term on Monday, April the 27th at the ACC uh at 6:30 it starts. And if you have questions about the supportive housing project at Achilles and Harwood, we will be having representatives from Durham Region and from Lacage Health uh that will be coming specifically to talk about that project. So please come with your questions uh to our meeting Monday the 27th 6:30 in the Admiral's room at the ACC. Thank you. Okay, councelor Lee. Thank you, Chair. Um, on May 12th and 13th, Hello Hope Canada is having its first ever stay sensitized conference at the Audi Rec Center in partnership with the Ajax uh the town of Ajax uh where the theme is not racist is not enough. Many of uh council will remember Aubrey Nurona. Um he led us through some um anti-racism training and this is his uh organization uh where hopefully we will have conversations about connection, courage and community. So looking forward to that. On the 22nd, which is in two days, there's a few things happening. First things first, the Ontario big city mayors is having their advocacy day at Queens Park where Mayor Collier has um allowed me to represent the town. So there'll be very good advocacy. I think uh some of the key conversations will be regarding the DC uh waving program that um the provincial and federal governments um had introduced. So um I'll report back to council once we hear more on that. Also on the 22nd is councelor Bower's birthday. So, happy birthday, Lisa Bower. Um, and dare I say the most important thing on the 22nd is uh the Town of Ajax Social Club is having its uh trivia, which has not happened in many years. Uh, my team is looking to avenge its loss from three years ago. It's it's been top of mind for that long. So, uh hopefully all town employees will come to play because we're going to bring our best. Thank you, Chair. You're welcome. Any other announcements or new business? Okay. Um, we've already done the close session. So, through you, Mr. Chair. Uh, oh, yes. Can I just request a motion to ratify the um direction provided in close session, please? Yeah. I'm just trying to find it. Uh, that would be the one on page 23 of the resolutions. I believe close session miss page 27 of the resolution package please. Okay. So the one that's on page 23 is one not for public. Right. Correct. Okay. And we were supposed to that we did do that in Cameron. There you go. Rise from close session. Ratify. There we go. 26. So moved by we just finished W three back to W no we just finished W one. W two moved by councelor Henry second by regional councelor Lee that all directions approved during the closed session be ratified. Questions? Oh councelor Henry there. Did you have questions? No. Okay. Open the vote, please. There we go. That carries. We've got the confirming bylaw. Um W three moved by councelor Bower second by councelor dies that bylaw 44-2026 being a bylaw to confirm the proceedings of the council of the corporation of the town of Ajax regular meeting held on April 20th 2026 be approved those in favor That carries. And finally, moved by councelor Crawford, second by councelor Tyler Moore, that the April 20th, 2026 meeting of the council of the town of Ajax be adjourned. Please open the vote. And that carries. Okay. Thank you so much everyone. Enjoy the rest of your day.

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