sa;1. Following the delegation of Shailene Panylo from the Durham Black Accountability Coalition the Mayor brought forward a motion that was unanimously endorsed by Council - I've copied a picture of the two page motion below, but it should be posted soon on the City's website.
2. A request from the owners of the renovated (former Genosha) 70 King St. E. for an additional 10 leased parking spaces in the Mary St. parkade. Most people might think this a simple yes vote right? But recalling the discussion that took place after Council approved 35 leased parking spaces in the Mary St. parkade in October 2019 for the same owner, and another 15 leased parking spaces in the Mary St. parade for another downtown rental property owner at 14 1/2 King St. E in December 2019, I was curious how many actual spaces are in the parkade and how many are leased as the staff report didn't indicate.
On a review of the original agreement approving the 70 King St. E first 35 spaces, which was 1st before the Community Services Committee meeting in September before the Council approval in October ( linked here: http://app.oshawa.ca/agendas/Community_Services/2019/09-16/REPORT_CS-19-101.pdf ) it s interesting to note how very specific the approval was about not increasing the number of spaces.
Note the statements where it states that in the 1st 5 years of the term the owner "shall have no right to increase or decrease the number of spaces licensed to it for such year of the term;" and the owner..."shall notify the City in writing of the number of spaces (up to but not exceeding (35) that it elects to license from the City for the remaining twenty (20) years of the term;
and the owner..."shall have no right to increase or decrease the number of spaces licensed to it for the remainder of the term;
and the owner..."shall pay the City current market rate each year for each parking space"
Pretty clear that they weren't going to be permitted more than 35 leased spaces. But here it is 9 months later and the staff report about the request for an additional 10 says that the October "agreement wasn't finalized'.
So I asked staff why... the Mayor interrupted my questions saying isn't it a good thing, 70 King St. E is fully rented, and asked if I am against residential in the downtown.
At that point I asked the Mayor not to patronize me, that of course I want residential units downtown, but the issue was parking and I was interested in knowing how many spaces are in the Mary St. Parkade and how many are currently leased. I tried to clarify that my questions were about process...indicating that in my research over the weekend, in a 2017 Agenda I'd come across an email sent to the City from a business on King St. E. objecting to the City leasing more spaces in the Mary Street parkade...it mentioned that there were 654 spaces...I asked the Mayor if he recalled that objection as he was on Council at that time. The email included information that the City would be leasing 85 parking spaces to the new residential building at 100 Bond St. E. and another 140 to the to be completed building at 80 Bond St. E. I asked if that was correct.
That particular stakeholder on King St. and others in the downtown may be interested in this item on the Special Council meeting Agenda, especially considering the changes since 2017 with parking spaces now removed from the north side of King St. from Simcoe to Mary St. and from the south side of Athol St..
The previous Council ordered IBI consultants do a Parking Study and last December the Commissioner of Community Services stated that the Parking Study would be coming 'no later than the first quarter of 2020' and indicated that the Study would inform future parking decisions. Council has now be told the Parking Study should be coming this fall or winter.
Leasing more of the Mary St. parkade spaces to residents in the downtown has its pluses and minuses. Yes, it is helpful to these new Oshawa residents, and provides solid revenue to the City. But consider parking leases to residential tenants can pose a competition between those taking parking spaces for weeks and months without moving them and those with in and out trips to businesses or events in the downtown....consider too both 80 and 100 Bond St. have underground parking, but obviously not enough, and the same owner submitted an application in 2018 for two 21 storey buildings on the corner of Richmond and Mary for 698 residential units and 559 parking spaces... Until autonomous vehicles are popular, parking will remain a problem, and new residential projects imo should include more underground spaces.
When finally I received my answer, that yes there are 654 spaces in the Mary St. parkade and currently 578 are leased...while my mouth was still open hearing that number :) the Mayor asked me to hold my questions as he needed to check something. When he came back a few minutes later, he recommended that the Item for the 70 King St. E. owner's request for 10 additional leased parking spaces be referred back to staff and it was.
3. The Oshawa General's general manager Roger Hunt and owner Rocco Tullio made a delegation regarding their request for support for the Memorial Cup. It was odd trying to question Mr. Hunt as the Mayor was not allowing questions to the Report on the Agenda. I pointed out that the Report included Attachment 4 which was Mr. Hunt's email and 'wish list' of items they were asking the City and Region to contribute towards so it was very constraining not to be allowed to refer to Attachment 4.. http://app.oshawa.ca/agendas/city_council/2020/07-13/report_cncl-20-146.pdf
I managed to ask just a few specific questions, although the Mayor cut a couple short. Mr. Tullio and Mr. Hunt answered a couple others. Mr. Tullio stated there should be a full 2021 playing season, albeit the arena will not reach full capacity with social distance seating. I will try to post a tape of the delegation for those interested. The recommendations in the report were approved: to provide $200K in kind services $50K cash for the street celebration and $110 for capital expenses to improve the video display room, install timers in the visiting team rooms and 11 metal detectors.
4. There were a couple items requiring additional funding for different reasons, but in the end both the expanded scope for the ROUNDABOUT Design for Conlin Rd. E and Grandview St. N. was approved and the additional funding required for the Radio Park redevelopment with the new tennis and PICKLEBALL courts due to specific geotechnical findings was also approved.
5. I had questions and expressed my dissatisfaction with the City Treasurer's report concerning the RENT ABATEMENT requests from two commercial tenants in city-owned facilities. One letter came in March the other in May for assistance as the federal government's Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program does not include leases for provincial or municipal premises.
With my first question I learned that staff had not contacted the two commercial tenants to let them know that this Report would be on yesterday's agenda and give them an opportunity to write or made a delegation. This in my opinion was unacceptable.
I can't understand how the staff recommendation was basically to say sorry, we can't do anything for you or any future city commercial tenants making similar requests. Imo the City should be more responsive. As one tenant is the GEMINI GYMNASTICS, a long term city tenant, that has contributed to sports in the community and had wonderful success in major competitions, doing the City proud, I was hoping for some response from the City that there is hope for additional relief measures coming from the Region, the Province or the Federal government considering Council approved a motion last month asking for financial support from all three levels of government to " help local municipalities assist their local social cultural, service clubs, and children/youth minor sporting originations with clear and definitive relief funding programs directed to help http://app.oshawa.ca/agendas/city_council/2020/07-13/report_cncl-20-144.pdf
Also, I tried to mention that the City of Thunder Bay and the City of Brampton have attempted to provide rent relief for commercial tenants renting from the city. But for some reason the Mayor interrupted and said it was unfair to refer to this.
https://www.thunderbay.ca/en/business/rent-relief-for-city-tenants-covid-19.aspx#
The City of Thunder Bay recognizes the financial hardships placed on the City’s commercial tenants due to ongoing closures and operating restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 22, 2020, council approved a rent relief program for commercial tenants that rent from the City. It is described as a "new program to help commercial tenants is applicable to businesses with a 50% drop in revenue. To measure revenue loss, applicants can compare revenues in April, May and June of 2020 to that of the same month of 2019. The City will waive 25% of rent during the period of April, May and June; tenants will pay 25% of rent during this period; and the remaining 50% will be amortized over the next 3 years of the lease (or lesser balance of the lease). Eligible tenants are invited to submit an application. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2020."
https://www.brampton.ca/EN/City-Hall/News/Pages/Media-Release.aspx/726
"June 24, Brampton City Council approved extending the rent relief program for non-profit and small for-profit tenants within City-owned buildings for an additional three months until September, 2020.... the City has 81 tenants across 41 facilities.
...collects $302,134.68 in rent monthly. The waiving of rent for three months for all non-profit organizations within City-owned buildings would cost the City $202K...Currently, the City has not restricted access to any tenanted space and has communicated to tenants that it is their business decision as to whether or not they want to shut down operations, as the City will continue to facilitate access if needed. However, in light of the current and unprecedented circumstances, some tenants have begun to inquire as to rent relief during the shutdown period."
2. A request from the owners of the renovated (former Genosha) 70 King St. E. for an additional 10 leased parking spaces in the Mary St. parkade. Most people might think this a simple yes vote right? But recalling the discussion that took place after Council approved 35 leased parking spaces in the Mary St. parkade in October 2019 for the same owner, and another 15 leased parking spaces in the Mary St. parade for another downtown rental property owner at 14 1/2 King St. E in December 2019, I was curious how many actual spaces are in the parkade and how many are leased as the staff report didn't indicate.
On a review of the original agreement approving the 70 King St. E first 35 spaces, which was 1st before the Community Services Committee meeting in September before the Council approval in October ( linked here: http://app.oshawa.ca/agendas/Community_Services/2019/09-16/REPORT_CS-19-101.pdf ) it s interesting to note how very specific the approval was about not increasing the number of spaces.
Note the statements where it states that in the 1st 5 years of the term the owner "shall have no right to increase or decrease the number of spaces licensed to it for such year of the term;" and the owner..."shall notify the City in writing of the number of spaces (up to but not exceeding (35) that it elects to license from the City for the remaining twenty (20) years of the term;
and the owner..."shall have no right to increase or decrease the number of spaces licensed to it for the remainder of the term;
and the owner..."shall pay the City current market rate each year for each parking space"
Pretty clear that they weren't going to be permitted more than 35 leased spaces. But here it is 9 months later and the staff report about the request for an additional 10 says that the October "agreement wasn't finalized'.
So I asked staff why... the Mayor interrupted my questions saying isn't it a good thing, 70 King St. E is fully rented, and asked if I am against residential in the downtown.
At that point I asked the Mayor not to patronize me, that of course I want residential units downtown, but the issue was parking and I was interested in knowing how many spaces are in the Mary St. Parkade and how many are currently leased. I tried to clarify that my questions were about process...indicating that in my research over the weekend, in a 2017 Agenda I'd come across an email sent to the City from a business on King St. E. objecting to the City leasing more spaces in the Mary Street parkade...it mentioned that there were 654 spaces...I asked the Mayor if he recalled that objection as he was on Council at that time. The email included information that the City would be leasing 85 parking spaces to the new residential building at 100 Bond St. E. and another 140 to the to be completed building at 80 Bond St. E. I asked if that was correct.
That particular stakeholder on King St. and others in the downtown may be interested in this item on the Special Council meeting Agenda, especially considering the changes since 2017 with parking spaces now removed from the north side of King St. from Simcoe to Mary St. and from the south side of Athol St..
The previous Council ordered IBI consultants do a Parking Study and last December the Commissioner of Community Services stated that the Parking Study would be coming 'no later than the first quarter of 2020' and indicated that the Study would inform future parking decisions. Council has now be told the Parking Study should be coming this fall or winter.
Leasing more of the Mary St. parkade spaces to residents in the downtown has its pluses and minuses. Yes, it is helpful to these new Oshawa residents, and provides solid revenue to the City. But consider parking leases to residential tenants can pose a competition between those taking parking spaces for weeks and months without moving them and those with in and out trips to businesses or events in the downtown....consider too both 80 and 100 Bond St. have underground parking, but obviously not enough, and the same owner submitted an application in 2018 for two 21 storey buildings on the corner of Richmond and Mary for 698 residential units and 559 parking spaces... Until autonomous vehicles are popular, parking will remain a problem, and new residential projects imo should include more underground spaces.
When finally I received my answer, that yes there are 654 spaces in the Mary St. parkade and currently 578 are leased...while my mouth was still open hearing that number :) the Mayor asked me to hold my questions as he needed to check something. When he came back a few minutes later, he recommended that the Item for the 70 King St. E. owner's request for 10 additional leased parking spaces be referred back to staff and it was.
3. The Oshawa General's general manager Roger Hunt and owner Rocco Tullio made a delegation regarding their request for support for the Memorial Cup. It was odd trying to question Mr. Hunt as the Mayor was not allowing questions to the Report on the Agenda. I pointed out that the Report included Attachment 4 which was Mr. Hunt's email and 'wish list' of items they were asking the City and Region to contribute towards so it was very constraining not to be allowed to refer to Attachment 4.. http://app.oshawa.ca/agendas/city_council/2020/07-13/report_cncl-20-146.pdf
I managed to ask just a few specific questions, although the Mayor cut a couple short. Mr. Tullio and Mr. Hunt answered a couple others. Mr. Tullio stated there should be a full 2021 playing season, albeit the arena will not reach full capacity with social distance seating. I will try to post a tape of the delegation for those interested. The recommendations in the report were approved: to provide $200K in kind services $50K cash for the street celebration and $110 for capital expenses to improve the video display room, install timers in the visiting team rooms and 11 metal detectors.
4. There were a couple items requiring additional funding for different reasons, but in the end both the expanded scope for the ROUNDABOUT Design for Conlin Rd. E and Grandview St. N. was approved and the additional funding required for the Radio Park redevelopment with the new tennis and PICKLEBALL courts due to specific geotechnical findings was also approved.
5. I had questions and expressed my dissatisfaction with the City Treasurer's report concerning the RENT ABATEMENT requests from two commercial tenants in city-owned facilities. One letter came in March the other in May for assistance as the federal government's Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program does not include leases for provincial or municipal premises.
With my first question I learned that staff had not contacted the two commercial tenants to let them know that this Report would be on yesterday's agenda and give them an opportunity to write or made a delegation. This in my opinion was unacceptable.
I can't understand how the staff recommendation was basically to say sorry, we can't do anything for you or any future city commercial tenants making similar requests. Imo the City should be more responsive. As one tenant is the GEMINI GYMNASTICS, a long term city tenant, that has contributed to sports in the community and had wonderful success in major competitions, doing the City proud, I was hoping for some response from the City that there is hope for additional relief measures coming from the Region, the Province or the Federal government considering Council approved a motion last month asking for financial support from all three levels of government to " help local municipalities assist their local social cultural, service clubs, and children/youth minor sporting originations with clear and definitive relief funding programs directed to help http://app.oshawa.ca/agendas/city_council/2020/07-13/report_cncl-20-144.pdf
Also, I tried to mention that the City of Thunder Bay and the City of Brampton have attempted to provide rent relief for commercial tenants renting from the city. But for some reason the Mayor interrupted and said it was unfair to refer to this.
https://www.thunderbay.ca/en/business/rent-relief-for-city-tenants-covid-19.aspx#
The City of Thunder Bay recognizes the financial hardships placed on the City’s commercial tenants due to ongoing closures and operating restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 22, 2020, council approved a rent relief program for commercial tenants that rent from the City. It is described as a "new program to help commercial tenants is applicable to businesses with a 50% drop in revenue. To measure revenue loss, applicants can compare revenues in April, May and June of 2020 to that of the same month of 2019. The City will waive 25% of rent during the period of April, May and June; tenants will pay 25% of rent during this period; and the remaining 50% will be amortized over the next 3 years of the lease (or lesser balance of the lease). Eligible tenants are invited to submit an application. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2020."
https://www.brampton.ca/EN/City-Hall/News/Pages/Media-Release.aspx/726
"June 24, Brampton City Council approved extending the rent relief program for non-profit and small for-profit tenants within City-owned buildings for an additional three months until September, 2020.... the City has 81 tenants across 41 facilities.
...collects $302,134.68 in rent monthly. The waiving of rent for three months for all non-profit organizations within City-owned buildings would cost the City $202K...Currently, the City has not restricted access to any tenanted space and has communicated to tenants that it is their business decision as to whether or not they want to shut down operations, as the City will continue to facilitate access if needed. However, in light of the current and unprecedented circumstances, some tenants have begun to inquire as to rent relief during the shutdown period."
