Recap...
Kingston city councillors have
finalized the list of municipal priorities
to follow in the remainder of their
term — and what future tax bills
could look like.
The five key strategic priorities
drafted by councillors are to increase
housing affordability; improve
walkability, roads and transportation;
demonstrate leadership on climate
action; strengthen economic
development opportunities; and to
foster healthy citizens and vibrant
spaces.
Politicians have also set their
property tax targets with proposed
rate increases of 2.5 percent in 2020,
2.4 percent in 2021, 2.4 percent in 2022
and 2.3 percent in 2023. The tax hikes
are based on several assumptions:
provincial funding changes will not be
significant, there is new assessment
growth of about $2 million a year, and
municipal service levels will remain
about the same.
For nearly 20 years, new councils
have been meeting early in their term
to draft municipal priorities they’d
like to accomplish and to help focus
the spending of tax dollars.
This council’s direction to staff and
the community will focus on promoting
active transportation, housing, healthy
community, local economic growth and
climate action. There are several goals
within each category to advance.
On the housing file, for example,
the city intends to “accelerate” the
process between planning approvals
and construction, promote more
secondary suites and tiny homes, and
implement the recommendations of
the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing.
For urban and rural transportation,
the city will explore specific north-
south and east-west corridors for
buses and bikes, install crosswalks
around schools, decrease traffic speed,
increase enforcement and fill potholes.
This also includes exploring the
possibility of providing some form
of public transportation connection
in Kingston’s rural areas.
On the climate action file, the city will
“lead by example” with measurable,
effective emission reductions, building
retrofits and other energy efficiencies
that will result in a 15 percent
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
across city operations by 2022.
The city also plans to become carbon-
neutral as soon as possible and no
later than 2040. This includes goals to
electrify the municipal vehicle fleet,
promote green development and
active transportation, expand green
spaces and promote more recycling
and reduction.
In order to strengthen economic
development opportunities, priorities
this term include opening a deep
water dock for cruise ships, assisting
with the opening of a downtown
campus for St. Lawrence College,
supporting new and existing businesses
while fostering innovative arts, culture
and social enterprises. In addition, the
city intends to seek reconciliation with
Indigenous communities, help
revitalize contaminated land, increase
waterfront access and public space,
focus on food security and examine
fluoridation of the city’s drinking water.
Many of the 2019-2022 priorities do
not come with a price tag attached,though most will need some form of
funding, which may be contained in
future budgets.
Meanwhile, Councillor Rob
Hutchison wants to free up millions
of capital dollars to focus on affordable
housing and better roads. Council
approved his motion, just before the
start of priority talks, to defer $24.
million in capital projects to free up
$18 million to create dozens of new
affordable housing units plus $6 million
to fix roads and sidewalks.
Staff actually found over $57 million
in projects that could be delayed for
four years or longer in order to comply
with council’s new directions. The
freed-up cash will enable staff to focus
on meeting the need for more housing
and better roads but also to implement
some other council priorities.
Acting chief administrator Lanie
Hurdle says staff will be able to make
affordable housing a priority with the
new-found money. “That $18 million
is going to 90 affordable units, even if
we don’t get more money from the
provincial and federal governments.”
However, she cautions that the city
doesn’t have any money dedicated for
other affordable housing projects that
may come along.
The adoption of new fast-track
projects means others will have to be
moved further down the priority list.
Council also approved a list of
capital casualties — projects slated to
be done this term that will now be
pushed to beyond 2022. These include
$22.5 million to construct a new multi-
level downtown municipal parking
garage on the Byron lot on Montreal
Street; $7 million to reconstruct Brock
Street between King and Clergy
Streets; $6.5 million to build a new fire
station at Division Street and Elliot
Avenue; $4 million to expand the
Kingston East library; $3 million to
renovate the building at Portsmouth
Olympic Harbour; and $466,000 to
repair the century-old fountain in front
of the Frontenac County Court House.16 JULY 17, 2019
Illustration by Wayne WestfallNews from around the horseshoe by Bill Hutchins