Lana Foulds

The meeting reconvened into open session following a committee of the whole closed meeting where discussions included personal matters, commissioner transportation public works recruitment, and a parcel pending acquisition or disposition. Council waived procedural rules to receive critical reports. A primary focus was directing staff to prepare a draft zoning bylaw and request the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to approve a Minister's Zoning Order (MZO) for a parcel in the Clogs Road Business Park to accommodate a business with tight timelines. Discussions confirmed that the MZO was sought due to time constraints preventing the use of the standard zoning process, which would risk losing the potential economic opportunity for Kingston. Concerns regarding environmental contamination were addressed, confirming the intended industrial use is indoors with no significant water usage or byproduct contamination. Council debated the precedent-setting nature of the MZO, affirming that while the request was supported for this specific economic opportunity, future MZO requests would be evaluated strictly on a case-by-case basis. The motion to support the MZO request passed. Following this, bylaws related to By-law One were read and passed.

The meeting, identified as a special meeting of the Administrative Policies Committee, focused on the comprehensive review of the procedural by-law, which was originally enacted in June 2010 and had been amended 11 times. The staff aimed to modernize the by-law for greater clarity, efficiency, and to address procedural needs for electronic meetings and state of emergency provisions. Key discussion points included clarifying parliamentary procedure regarding bringing forward reconsideration motions when a member is delayed due to official council business, and addressing communication protocols for receiving resolutions from other municipalities. The committee was tasked with advising Council before the end of the month.

The council meeting commenced with an acknowledgement of traditional lands. Key discussions focused on the proposed interim control bylaw for near campus neighborhoods, intended to prevent destabilizing development such as converting single-family homes into high-occupancy rentals. Delegations voiced concerns about loss of neighborhood character, privacy, and safety due to these large-scale rental conversions, emphasizing the need for the bylaw as a timeout while the official plan is updated. Declarations of pecuniary interest were made by several council members related to property interests, Queen's University affiliation, or business involvement affected by the proposed bylaw. The agenda was formally amended to address a new motion earlier in the proceedings. A delegation also presented on the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston and Area's purchase of services and Community Hub at the West End facility.

The meeting addressed procedural matters, including rules for public participation, notification procedures for decisions and Ontario Land Tribunal hearings, and the meeting's five-part format for reviewing applications. Business commenced with the approval of the agenda, amended to prioritize the application for 51 Alwington Avenue. Committee members confirmed a quorum was present, with two members absent. The main topic discussed was a minor variance application (File D1305-2024) concerning the conversion of a detached garage to an additional residential unit at 51 Alwington Avenue. The discussion involved clarifying six existing variances (related to parking stall size, driveway width, setback, lock coverage, and aisle width) and the applicant's request for a seventh variance to allow an existing chain link fence along the northerly property line to remain, instead of the standard requirement for a privacy fence. Concerns were raised regarding maintenance access due to the zero side yard setback and drainage, which staff indicated would be addressed at the building permit stage. It was confirmed that the proposal to add a second unit falls within the property's entitlement under urban residential zoning bylaw provisions, although specific amenity space requirements do not apply for only one additional unit.

The meeting included the approval of the agenda and the confirmation of the minutes from the December 21, 2021 meeting. A primary focus was the update on the 1081 Montreal Street property, which involved discussions with the property owner's representative regarding progress toward securing full funding for the planned seniors' apartments development. The owner confirmed that while most compliance items were addressed, final heritage impact assessment steps were pending full funding, which was estimated to take two to three more months. The committee ultimately voted to close the property standards complaint order, despite previous concerns from city staff regarding potential future non-compliance related to heritage aspects, concluding that removing the order would not harm the heritage application process.