Highlights from the Nov. 21 Council Meeting

Woodstock – Thursday’s Council meeting got underway at 7 p.m. after a closed session. The meeting began with delegations from the community including Tim Dukes, Executive Director of Operation Sharing, which runs the homeless shelter in Woodstock. Dukes spoke about the need for a dedicated facility that would remove some of the barriers for people accessing the service, increase the number of beds available, and address a number of operational and staffing challenges for the current shelter.

Support for creation of homelessness service centre

Following the delegation, Council voted to direct funding from Ontario’s Building Faster Fund (BFF) to support the creation of a homelessness service centre in partnership with Oxford County. Last week, the City announced it will receive nearly $2 million through the BFF for exceeding its annual housing target in 2023. Use of the funding is guided by strict criteria. Eligible investments include housing-enabling core infrastructure, the creation of new attainable or affordable housing and capital costs related to the development of homelessness services centres.

Recognizing the need to take action to address the growing issue of homelessness in Woodstock, Council approved the motion to partner with Oxford County to acquire a property to support the creation of a new homelessness service centre. While Oxford County would be responsible for the delivery of services, the facility will help the City address related impacts, such as bylaw enforcement and cleanup of encampments. The decision could also play a key role in supporting the development of a campus of services around addiction, mental health and transitional housing in line with one of the strategic priority actions identified by Council.

The City must enter into a Transfer Payment Agreement and submit an Investment Plan to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing by Nov. 29, 2024, to secure the BFF funding. The purchase of the land has to be completed by March 31, 2026, however the facility would not have to be operational by the funding deadline.

Capital Budget overview

Staff presented an overview of the preliminary Capital Budget for 2025 as well as a four-year forecast through 2029. The total proposed Capital Budget for 2025 is $61,363,000, including sanitary sewer and watermain work totalling $17,635,000. The majority of spending will go towards maintenance and replacement of existing assets, with approximately 13 per cent allocated for new or growth-related capital projects.

In addition to road renewal and storm water management projects, the budget includes Phase 2 of the Downtown Revitalization project. Phase 1 was approved in the 2024 budget and will begin in early 2025. There are also several significant parks and recreation projects including the expansion of Southside Park, pickleball courts at Cowan Fields and a spray pad at Cowan Park Sportsplex.

Council will take an in-depth look at the capital budget and forecast at a special meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 5 p.m., and may suggest changes based on the information they receive. The final capital budget is scheduled to be adopted at the Dec. 12 Council meeting.

Update on South Gate Centre expansion

Council received an update on the renovation and expansion of South Gate Centre. The City is contributing $7.8 million for the project, which has a total budget of $9 million. Council awarded the tender in May and construction began in July. During excavation for the new addition, unsuitable soils were discovered. The expected cost to remove the soil is $650,000, which will come from the contingency budget.

Council also approved a change to the scope of the project to include a commercial cooking hood and appliance connections in the servery, millwork with plumbing in the wellness room, and a cement pad for a future gazebo, totalling $320,916.71. These elements were initially removed during the design development phase to ensure the project stayed within budget. Now that the tender has been awarded, South Gate Centre has identified room in the budget for the additions, which will help to support future cooking programs and events.

Details about all the agenda items and topics discussed during the meeting can be found at www.cityofwoodstock.ca/agendasandminutes. Council meetings are live streamed on the City’s YouTube channel and recordings of the meetings are posted online.