Guelph Politico: May 2016

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

The Politico Calendar for June 2016

The month of June brings summer, but it doesn't bring any shortage of events, meetings, or gatherings. Where can you go in June and when? Here's this month's Politico Calendar.

Twice-monthly, Guelph Politico posts the latest inspection results from the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health Unit inspection of local restaurants, hotels, cafes, grocery stores and other businesses that handle food. We call it "Mangez!", and this column highlights the latest inspections done by WDGPH, and the results they've posted.

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for May 30, 2016

It's a special meeting of city council tonight as the horseshoe gathers to hear about what local projects might get federal infrastructure money, and about the possibility of high speed rail coming to town. You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here to read Politico's preview of tonight's meeting. For the complete blow-by-blow of tonight's council meeting, you can follow me on Twitter, or follow along below via Storify.

City Council Preview - What's on the Agenda for the May 30 Meeting?

In another special meeting of council this month (and the last), the mayor and councillors will hear back on pending infrastructure projects: Guelph's share of all that investment money that the Federal government announced earlier this year, and creating a stop in the Royal City for the high speed rail line coming sometime in the next 20 years.

This Week in Press Releases - May 23-28, 2016

Every week, the City of Guelph and other groups send out notices to announce new events, imperatives, and information that you need to know. Here is this week in press releases.

In so much as people wanted someone found and prosecuted for committing the robocall fraud perpetuated against Guelph and other ridings on May 2, 2011, there was also the matter of principle. How could we be sure that the person elected was the right person elected if so many people got a call that told them to go some place where they couldn't vote? Did they all make it to their actual polling stating? How many decided to not to vote at all? It was a Charter issue. Everyone that can vote, should vote, and when the robocall story broke in 2012, that's the angle that Kornelis Klevering decided to pursue.

In Surprise Announcement, CAO Pappert Will Not Renew Contract with the City

In bit of shocking news out of City Hall this afternoon, Chief Administrative Officer Ann Pappert has announced that she will not be renewing her contract with the City of Guelph, which is set to expire this coming October. The renewal of the CAO's contract has been subject of much discussion behind the doors of closed council meetings for many months, but now Guelph's mayor and council will have to turn their attention to finding someone to fill Pappert's soon to be vacated seat.

Appeals in the Sona Case Denied, the Man Himself is Now in Jail

In the Ontario Court of Appeal last Wednesday, Michael Sona arrived with one of three roads in front of him, more jail, less jail or the same amount of jail he was sentence to back in November. Ultimately, the three judge panel chose door number three, but does that mean the case is over, and what about the unanswered questions that linger still?

City Council Preview - What's on the Agenda for the May 24 Meeting?

Hope everyone on council enjoyed the long weekend, because it looks like tonight's council meeting might be a long one. A lot of items are up for discussion, but none more promising or potentially contentious as the launching of the Guelph Energy Efficiency Retrofit Strategy (GEERS). There will be a number of delegations to there to discuss that particular topic, but there's so much to talk about this week as various committee work comes to council for approval and feedback.

GUELPH POLITICAST #38 - Colin Oaks, Project Biologist for Trout Unlimited Canada

The months of May and June mark that time of year when we tend to spend less time in the house and more time outside. The weather is right in the Goldilocks zone: not too hot and not too cool, it's less cloudy and more sunny, and long walks by, let's say the river, are much more enjoyable. So not coincidentally, May and June also mark the 2Rivers Festival here in the Royal City.

Sona and Crown Appeal Sentence Today in Toronto

We may have put a whole other election between us and it, but the robocall scandal returns to the foreground today when the parties arrive at Osgood Hall to appeal the sentence of Michael Sona. The Tory staffer has tried and convicted of "preventing or endeavouring to prevent an elector from voting" back in 2014, but according to his appeal, Sona's been either punished too harshly, or, according to Crown, his nine month prison sentence is too light.

Special Meeting Will Discuss Lack of Return on Investment in District Energy, Plus LIVE BLOG!

City Hall will tackle the always contentious energy file in a special meeting tonight at 6 pm. Two reports are on the agenda: the Financial History of the GMHI Group of Companies and Current Issues, and the GMHI 2016 Restated Budget, and the former will reveal that the City may have to write down $8.7 million in investment into the District Energy assets in Hanlon Creek Business Park and downtown Guelph.

MANGEZ! Dine Safe Guide for May 1-15, 2016

This Week in Press Releases - May 9-13, 2016

Every week, the City of Guelph and other groups send out notices to announce new events, imperatives, and information that you need to know. Here is this week in press releases.

OPEN SOURCES GUELPH BEAT #3 - Closed Meetings and Transit

It's been a while since we've had an Open Sources Guelph Beat, but with all the the local discussion about what's going on at City Hall, it felt timely to add the thoughts of the local radio pundits into the mix. With discord at the council table, and discord at the local transit stops, now seems like a good time for some calm, clear-headed discussion. But instead, you get the two guys from Open Sources Guelph.

Transit Manager Says the Problems Without Peak Service Were Predictable

Almost two weeks into a peak-less summer, people are still frustrated by the reduction of service hours to Guelph Transit, and Transit's General Manager Phil Meagher wants you to know that he feels your pain.

Stone Rd. ServiceOntario Office Closing in October, Says CBC

A report on the CBC today is saying that the ServiceOntario office at 1 Stone Road is closing this October. The Guelph office is one of nine being closed over the next year including offices in Milton and Mississauga, all part of what the provincial government is calling a move "within a framework of fiscal responsibility."

What's the Deal with the Gordon/Gibson Twitter Kerfuffle?

After the previous meeting, a nice quiet productive meeting was on the books as council discussed matters of two planning applications and an endorsement of $5,000 in support for the victims of the wildfire in Fort McMurray and surrounding areas. And then Councillor James Gordon raised a point of order.

After the big meeting of just a few weeks ago, we get ready for something a bit more sedate: planning matters. You can click here for the amended agenda from City Hall, and you can click here to read Politico's preview of tonight's meeting. For the complete blow-by-blow of tonight's council meeting, you can follow me on Twitter, or follow along below via Storify.

RECAP: Mayor Guthrie Delivers Annual State of the City at Chamber Breakfast

An annual event put on by the Chamber of Commerce, this morning it was Mayor Cam Guthrie's chance to tell us about the State of the City, and to be succinct, the State of the City is strong.

In 1998, the public's idea of comic book movies were the horrid Batman films by Joel Schumacher, their idea of superhero TV shows was Saturday morning cartoons, and the comic book industry itself nearly went bust after a sales bubble in the early 90s. (Think the Dot-com crash or the 2008 subprime mortgage implosion, but with comics.) It was in that year, a classics graduate from the University of Guelph decided to go into business selling comics, and despite the odds, Jennifer Haines turned her shop into a made-in-Guelph success story.

Transit Users Not Pleased - Okay Pissed - This First Week Without Peak Service

If users rated your service a 1.8 out of 5 on your own Facebook business page, would you try to make your service better? If your Guelph Transit the answer is 'no'. It's a paradoxic move for the service even as it moves into council mandated budget cuts for the summer and the loss of twice-a-day peak service. The reaction from the public in the last week though has not been good, as the cuts are being blamed for delays and missed transfers by the City's dedicated bus riders.

City Council Preview - What's on the Agenda for the May 9 Meeting?

After last week's highly contentious meeting, it should be a relief to have something a bit more laid back like planning matters. Five major points are on the agenda Monday in what should be a relatively smooth discussion.