City of Kingston

That heartfelt congratulations of Kingston City Council be extended to Dr. Rupa Patel, a distinguished local physician, on being named the 2024 Regional Family Physician of the Year by the Ontario College of Family Physicians. Dr. Patel is a dedicated advocate for maternal health and has played a pivotal role in the development of innovative local initiatives, including the “OB Wheel” and the Well Baby Care Clinic. Through her tireless efforts, Dr. Patel ensures that pregnant women and their infants receive crucial primary care when they need it most. Congratulations, Dr. Patel, on this well-deserved honour.

That Council approve the 2025 meeting schedule for City Council and standing committees, attached as Exhibit A to Report Number 24-224.

That a By-Law be presented for all three readings to amend By-Law Number 2004-190, being “A By-Law to Regulate the Use of City Streets", as amended, as per Exhibit A to Report Number 24-258.

That Council acknowledges receipt of the Notice of Objection from Peter Draper dated August 7, 2024, to the proposed designation of the property located at 140-150 Montreal Street, as a property of cultural heritage value or interest pursuant to Section 29(5) of the Ontario Heritage Act and having considered the objections set out in the Notice of Objection pursuant to Section 29(6), has decided not to withdraw the Notice to Intention to Designate the property; and

That Council give all three readings to the Designation By-Law for 140-150 Montreal Street, attached as Exhibit C to Report Number 24-249 and directs the City Clerk to serve a Notice of Passing as prescribed under Section 29(8) of the Act; and

That Council acknowledges receipt of the Notice of Objection from Jeff Blasko and Carly Lindsay dated August 13, 2024, to the proposed designation of the property located at 145-149 Montreal Street and 97 Bay Street, known as the Strainge Terrace, as a property of cultural heritage value or interest pursuant to Section 29(5) of the Ontario Heritage Act and having considered the objections set out in the Notice of Objection pursuant to Section 29(6), has decided not to withdraw the Notice to Intention to Designate the property; and

That Council give all three readings to the Designation By-Law for 145-149 Montreal Street and 97 Bay Street, attached as Exhibit D to Report Number 24-249 and directs the City Clerk to serve a Notice of Passing as prescribed under Section 29(8) of the Act.

That the application for final plan of condominium (File Number D07-002-2023) submitted by Fotenn Consultants Inc., on behalf of Tamarack (Rideau 2) Corporation, for the property municipally known as 998 Highway 15, be exempted under Section 9(6) of the Condominium Act from the provisions of Section 51 and 51.1 of the Planning Act that would normally apply under Section 9(2) of the Condominium Act; and

That final approval be granted to the final plan of condominium (File Number D07-002-2023) submitted by Fotenn Consultants Inc., on behalf of Tamarack (Rideau 2) Corporation, for the property municipally known as 998 Highway 15, subject to the Owner entering into a Condominium agreement with the City, which agreement shall provide further notice to the Condominium Corporation and present and future purchasers, of the conditions contained within the registered Subdivision agreement and that the Condominium Corporation will be responsible for maintaining the approved site works and fulfilling any conditions of the agreement; and

That subject to the satisfaction of the Director of Legal Services & City Solicitor, the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute the Condominium agreement, and the Director of Legal Services & City Solicitor be authorized to forward the necessary signed and stamped originals and required copies of the Final Plan of Condominium to the Land Registry Office for registration.

That Council direct staff to serve a Notice of Proposed Amendment for the properties located at 8 Estate Lane; 8, 14 & 17 Gable Lane; 15 Leahurst Lane; 25, 38, 46 & 51 Heakes Lane; 18 & 24 Penrose Lane; 18, 36, 42 & 46 Lakewatch Lane; 11, 23 & 43 Beechgrove Lane; and 730 & 752 King Street West, pursuant to Section 30.1 of the Ontario Heritage Act, attached as Exhibit C to Report Number HP-24-041; and

That should no Notice of Objection be received by the Clerk of The Corporation of the City of Kingston within thirty (30) days of the publication of the Notice of Proposed Amendment, the Designation By-Law for the former Rockwood Asylum, attached as Exhibit D to Report Number HP-24-041, be presented to Council for all three readings, and that staff be directed to carry out the requirements as prescribed under Section 30.1 of the Act.

That Council direct staff, starting in 2025, to report to the Environment, Infrastructure and Transportation Policies Committee annually on the following four pothole key performance indicators (KPI) and the following index for context:

1. KPI: Total number of potholes identified for each classification of road;
2. KPI: Percentage of potholes repaired (filled) within the timeframe outlined in the provincial Minimum Maintenance Standards;
3. KPI: Percentage of identified potholes that were reported by the public;
4. KPI: Average number of days to repair a pothole based on road classification; and
5. Index: Weather Severity Index.

That Council direct staff to report back to the Environment, Infrastructure & Transportation Policies Committee in Q3 2025 detailing programmatic changes for the extension of the Better Homes Kingston Program, including a detailed budget and the necessary amendments to By-Law Number 2021-23, “A By-Law to Authorize the Undertaking of Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation Works on Private Residential Property as Local Improvements under the Better Homes Kingston Program (BHKP)”.

That Council approve a budget amendment for $20,000 funded from the monies collected from the Cash-in-Lieu of Parking levies to support an expanded car-share pilot program; and

That Council authorize the Manager, Licensing, Parking Operations and Policy, in consultation with the Director of Legal Services, to enter into an agreement with Communauto Inc. for the provision of an expanded car-share pilot program for a period of up to 18 months, starting in Q2 2025.

That the Kingston Community Climate Action Fund applications, attached to Report Number KEAC-24-001 as Exhibit A, meet the objectives and eligibility criteria, and be approved for public donation.

That the resignation of Reza Jamshidi Chenari from the Kingston Environmental Advisory Committee be received with regret. 

Whereas the Government of Ontario has announced it will introduce legislation that would require municipalities to receive approval from the province before the installation of new cycling lanes that would result in the removal of lanes for vehicle traffic; and

Whereas as part of this approval municipalities would be required to demonstrate that the proposed cycling lanes will not have a negative impact on vehicle traffic; and

Whereas cycling lanes are an essential element of urban transportation and road safety planning, and requiring provincial approval represents a significant overreach into municipal jurisdiction; and

Whereas the Kingston 2023 – 2026 Strategic Plan includes a priority to Build an Active and Connected Community with a goal (3.3.2) to prioritize pedestrian connections and dedicated cycling lanes; and

Whereas the Association of Municipalities of Ontario is urging the province to respect local decision-making when considering transportation improvements;

Therefore Be It Resolved That Council expresses its support with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario for maintaining municipal jurisdiction with respect the installation of cycling lanes; and

That a copy of this motion be sent to The Honourable M.P.P. Premier of Ontario Doug Ford, The Honorable M.P.P. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation, M.P.P. Ted Hsu, Kingston and the Islands, M.P.P. John Jordan, Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Kingston Coalition for Active Transportation.

Whereas the City of Kingston is home to a considerable amount of rural land (83% of total land base) that significantly contributes to the local economy through agriculture, tourism, rural businesses, and neighbourhoods; and

Whereas the Rural Economic Development (RED) Grant Program from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness and Ministry of Rural Affairs provides crucial annual funding to support economic growth and job creation in rural areas; and

Whereas cities with large rural components face similar economic challenges as rural municipalities, such as the need for infrastructure improvements, support for small businesses and communities, and rural development strategies; and

Whereas the current eligibility criteria for the RED Grant Program does not adequately account for urban-rural hybrid cities like Kingston, Ottawa, or Hamilton where rural areas face distinct challenges that can benefit from such provincial funding; and

Whereas RED Grant Program guidelines defines “Rural Ontario” as all Statistics Canada census subdivisions (including lower-tier and single-tier municipalities) that either have a population of less than 100,000 people, or have a population density of 100 people per square kilometer or less, as identified in the most recent Statistics Canada Census of Canadian Population, which excludes Kingston; and

Whereas M.P.P. Ted Hsu, Kingston & the Islands has expressed support for broadening the eligibility of the RED Grant Program to include cities with significant rural lands;

Therefore Be It Resolved That the Kingston City Council strongly support M.P.P. Hsu’s efforts to advocate for changes in the eligibility criteria of the RED Grant Program to allow cities like Kingston, with substantial rural land, to apply and benefit from this important funding stream; and

That a copy of this motion be shared with The Honourable M.P.P. Premier of Ontario Doug Ford, the Honourable M.P.P. Rob Flack, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, the Honourable M.P.P. Lisa M. Thompson, Minister of Rural Affairs, M.P.P Ted Hsu, Kingston & the Islands, M.P.P. John Jordan, Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston, and the neighbouring municipalities of Loyalist Township, South Frontenac Township, and the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands.