That with respect to Report C2024-1097, the following amendment be adopted: That Recommendation 3.a be amended as follows: Deleting the words 4C; and, and inserting the words 4B, and Attachment 4C, subject to the following changes: in their place; and Inserting the following sub-bullet under Recommendation 3.a: That the table titled Streets be amended by deleting the $7.00 per square foot charge proposed for 2025 and 2026 for Street Use Permits Seasonal Cafes/Patios, and replacing it with $0.00 for Street Use Permits Seasonal Cafes/Patios for 2025 and 2026.
Motion C2024-1097 bundles three council directions: 1) re-create a Finance and Budget Committee to do detailed reviews of operating budgets and oversee service planning each four-year term, 2) reverse the 2023 transit fare freeze so fare changes can resume and move $3,000,000 into the Primary Transit Network, and 3) ask the provincial government to waive Section 358.1 of the Municipal Government Act to avoid shifting tax burden between residential and non‑residential property classes.
These steps increase council oversight of how money and services are planned, could restart changes to transit fares while directing new funds to transit network improvements, and seek temporary provincial relief to prevent tax-class shifts while assessment values rebalance.