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. 

LIVE BLOG: City Council Meeting for May 9, 2016

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.

GUELPH POLITICAST #37 - Jennifer Haines, Owner of the Dragon

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.