Kitchener City Council held a lengthy meeting covering several major items. The most significant was a compensation review for elected officials—the first since 2002—recommending increases to bring base pay to the 60th percentile of comparable municipalities. Council also debated a Waterloo Regional Police proposal to install CCTV cameras and automated licence plate readers as a one-year pilot, with councillors raising questions about privacy, oversight, and how the program would be accepted in the community. The meeting also included recognition of retiring economic development director Brian Bennett, approval of body camera policies for bylaw officers, updates to the emergency management plan, and a digital strategy update focused on AI integration and maintaining in-person and phone service options.

Topics Discussed

Council Compensation Review

After more than 20 years without a comprehensive review, council considered recommendations to increase elected officials’ base pay to the 60th percentile of the defined pay market. The presentation cited “the 2026 market summary annual pay rates at the 60th percentile” as $156,762 for the mayor and $68,835 for councillors, and stated that “the base pay for mayor is below all percentile benchmark targets,” while councillor base pay was described as competitive at the 50th percentile but below higher benchmarks.

Several councillors said they were uncomfortable voting on their own compensation. Councillor Chapman said, “I’ve never worked a job…where I actually sit down and decide what my raise is going to be… I feel I’ve got a huge conflict of interest in this.” Councillor Micho echoed that concern, saying, “I’ve never sat around a table and decided what I was going to or what I deserve to get,” and objected to the scale of the proposed increases “when… we are in really tough times right now.”

Other councillors argued the discussion should focus on what the job should pay for future officeholders. One speaker said, “This is a full-time job and then some… this compensation decision is not necessarily outlining what we want to be paid… but what is fair compensation for anyone new that might be coming into this office.” Councillor Stretch argued that being able to run without considering pay “is an absolute privilege,” and said council should consider “who’s coming next and after us.”

Council also discussed a funding approach tied to the municipally owned gas utility. The presentation described an option where “the absolute remuneration would stay the same” but the difference in base pay could be attributed to the gas utility governance role and “covered by the municipally owned gas utility instead.”

Police CCTV and Licence Plate Reader Program

Waterloo Regional Police requested a partnership with the city to install CCTV cameras and automated licence plate recognition (ALPR) on municipal street lights as a one-year pilot funded through a provincial grant. Police told council the cameras are “strictly for after the fact use,” adding, “We don’t have the capacity at this time to even live view all of those cameras at one time.” Police also stated, “We don’t use artificial intelligence for facial recognition.”

Police said camera locations would be selected using “an evidence-based data-driven approach,” including “a three-year historical analysis” of crime reporting statistics, calls for service, and “concerns identified by community.” They also told council they have “definitely seen an increase in crime that is coming from the GTA area,” describing vehicles travelling into the region to commit crimes and then leaving.

Councillors raised concerns about the longer-term implications of expanding surveillance. One speaker warned, “My concern is… a positive step but down a potentially very negative road in the future of surveillance,” and questioned whether future councils might face pressure to keep video “in perpetuity” or move toward real-time monitoring.

Councillor Initis said they wanted “a little bit more public input with regards to how this is rolled out,” adding, “I’m not sure whether this is something that’s going to be accepted in the community or not.” Councillor Chapman urged council to seek input from community legal organizations, saying, “once we have two cameras, tomorrow we’ll have more.”

Council ultimately deferred the item to allow for additional community consultation.

Body Camera Policy for Bylaw Officers

Council approved a policy requiring property standards and compliance officers to wear body cameras and activate them during public interactions. During the broader discussion of camera use, staff also reiterated limits on monitoring capacity for CCTV systems, emphasizing that footage is primarily used after incidents rather than being watched live.

Major Housing Development at 5 Charles Street

Council discussed a proposed development of 400 residential units at 5 Charles Street, including 80 affordable units, and the project’s early-stage status. The proposal would eliminate the public parking lot at 91 Queen Street. Council discussed timing and notice for any future closure, and questions were raised about infrastructure capacity and whether a holding provision could be required.

Digital Strategy and AI Integration

Staff presented updates to the city’s digital strategy, including workflow automation. One update said a process redesign “saved staff 34 hours of work” and replaced it with “a process that takes 40 minutes and is automated.” Staff also emphasized the city would not move services to a single online channel: “We will not simply provide services in one channel… we are… building services online” while also creating in-person options and strengthening phone support.

Motions

• Passed: Body camera policy for bylaw officers and CCTV camera policy updates
• Passed: Emergency Management Plan and bylaw updates
• Passed: Digital strategy update
• Deferred: Police CCTV and automated licence plate reader pilot program (for community consultation)
• Under Discussion: Council compensation increases (amendments proposed; final vote pending)

Attendees

Present: Mayor Vrbanovic, Councillors Chapman, Singh, Davey, Schneider, Stretch, Deno, Micho, Initis, and others referenced in discussion.