59 Carden St.

All signs point to Downtown

I noticed this sign, on Wellington Street, on the weekend. It caught my eye, in light of recent stories we've run about downtown merchants feeling passed-by.

A similar sign on Woolwich Street, north of downtown, also directs traffic towards the core.

City keeping quiet about its own budget

I find it odd the city's website offers little comment on the proposed 2010 budget, which has been the topic of much discussion since it was released to the media on Wednesday.

Oh sure, there's a link to the full budget package on the city's homepage, but no press release and no mention on the mayor's blog.

When we were given the massive budget binders during the briefing a couple days ago, city officials said the idea was to get the proposed budget out into the community to begin discussion about it.

That it's done -- with seniors and neighbourhood groups so far leading the opposition -- but official input in that discussion has been lacking.

Burcher gets sunny position from FCM board

Coun. Lise Burcher has been appointed the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' governance representative for the Caribbean and Latin America.

Burcher has an established history of working with FCM's international programs, including work in Mozambique and an August trip to Argentina where she represented FCM at the Federation of Latin American Cities, Municipalities and Associations (FLACMA) congress. While there Burcher gave a presentation on climate change, highlighting Guelph's Community Energy Plan.

Burcher is an elected member of FCM's board of directors and sits on several FCM committees.

City unveils preliminary 2010 budget, and it's not pretty

A bunch of us media-types had a sit-down this morning with senior city officials to get a sneak peek at the 2010 budget.

Councillors will begin their negotiations next week looking at a potential 9.2 per cent tax increase, given the anticipated $8.1 million decline in revenue and other costs -- such as debt and insurance payments -- the city can't get out of.

Staff have provided a slate of possible cost-savings or revenue-generators to lessen the tax impact, but some of these will prove unpalatable for councillors and members of the public.

It will be an interesting couple of weeks.

We'll have all the details in the paper tomorrow.

SUBBOR to pay city $2.5 million in legal costs

The city announced tonight it has reached an agreement with SUBBOR and its parent company, Eastern Power Limited, which will see the companies pay the city $2.5 million in legal costs to settle a breach of contract lawsuit.

The city will receive about $500,000 in each of five years beginning next March, with interest payable on any missed payments. The settlement is less than the city spent defending itself against the initial lawsuit, but is likely more than Guelph would have been awarded if a judge had determined the final settlement amount.

We'll have a full story in the paper tomorrow.

Have your say in city budget

There are a number of meetings scheduled over the next few weeks where you can have your say on how city officials spend your money.

Next Monday, councillors will hear a presentation on the tax-supported operating budget, and eight days later councillors will hear delegations about the operating and capital budgets.

The following Monday, Dec. 14, council will hear presentations on, and probably approve, the water and wastewater budgets.

The next night, Dec. 15, councillors will debate and hopefully approve the tax-supported operating and capital budgets. If they do not get through them all that night, they will regroup on Dec. 16 to finish them off.

For more information, or to get info on how to register as a delegate, check out this city press release.

Two council meetings in one day? Yay!

If you're looking for me for the next 12 hours or so, I'll be at a council meeting.

Wellington County council, which tends to drag its meetings into all-day affairs, is having a rare Monday get-together, beginning at 10 a.m., and city council meets tonight at 7 p.m.

I've been getting a fair bit of feedback about my column in last Friday's paper criticizing county councillors for bankrolling a lawsuit by two off its staff against a private citizen. It will be interesting to see if that issue comes up this morning, and whether any of that discussion will be held in open session.

We'll have coverage of both council meetings in tomorrow's paper.

Next stop bylaw blitz?

Posted by Phil Andrews

Residents in the Ironwood-Scottsdale area are appealing to various city officials in search of relief over mischief at and around a Guelph Transit stop in the neighbourhood.

Mayor Farbridge, councillors Lise Burcher and Leanne Piper, transit officials and city police are apparently aware of the residents' concerns. They centre around littering, vandalism, public urination and other property crime.

Apparently the problems are chronic and arise on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening - bad times for the police to respond or patrol purportedly.

Residents are of the understanding a civic meeting will be held about the issue on Monday.

Perhaps we'll explore its roots and possible fixes pending the outcome of that proposed gathering.

Ho-Ho-Honestly people, step back a little bit

This is the view my daughters (foreground) had of last weekend's Santa Claus parade.

We showed up 45 minutes before the start to stake out a good spot, only to have a crowd arrive two minutes before the parade began and stand in front of the kids.

Is it honestly that difficult to understand that adults should give the kids front-row seats for the Santa Claus Parade and stand behind them so everyone can see? Even when we asked the crowd of mostly adults (some of whom didn't even come with kids!) to move back, they just shuffled their way out onto the road again.

I meant to post this as a rant earlier this week, but with a dozen SC parades scheduled in the county in coming weeks maybe you could consider it a public service announcement instead.

Remember when only 15 trees were slated for removal at Royal City Park?

Remember back in 2005 when city staff revealed a plan to remove 15 poor-condition trees from Royal City Park, raising significant public concern?

Well, the study that resulted from that incident has led to a new report which recommends the removal of more than 50 trees from the downtown-area park. Earlier today, members of the community development and environmental services committee green-lighted the cutting, which is to take place "immediately."

There is a caveat that each removed tree must be replaced, and a further recommendation that 100 new trees be planted over the next five years.

We'll have more in the paper tomorrow.