The City of Guelph’s urban forest has been recognized as a visual amenity, and for its environmental benefits, for many years. However, with the mounting pressures of population growth and climate change (locally and globally) trees in cities must be recognized as more than just an amenity. The urban forest needs to be identified specifically […]
Category: City Policy
Fall leaf pick-up Q & A
I have received a couple of phone calls regarding the City’s fall leaf pick-up schedule. A concern was raised that some streets are being cleared, when many trees are still holding on to their foliage. The following Q and A was provided by staff: What is the cost of the fall leaf pick-up program?
Nimby, Pimby and Sigs
Not in my back yard. Put in my backyard. Special interest groups. Accurate, derogatory or misleading? These are terms that are commonly associated with grassroots organizations that lobby politicians to advance their particular agendas. Recently, Ward 2 City Councillors have received correspondence from: -A neighbourhood group opposed to the building of an medical/residential complex located […]
Local woman draws praise from David Suzuki Foundation
The following article appeared in the November 5 edition of the Guelph Mercury: Inspired by her environment-focused son, Carol McMullen’s efforts to improve air quality in downtown Guelph are being praised by the David Suzuki Foundation. McMullen said over the weekend that it is the city officials who listened to her and acted on her […]
Staff recognition
I am very impressed at how easy Guelph has made accessing tender information and documentation. Your no fee, no hassle online access approach has been a pleasure to navigate! Guelph has the least complicated, most user friendly municipal tender environment I have experienced to date! Please keep up the good work. We will continue to […]
Election bugs
I was delighted to read in the Mercury that the city is looking at changes in the municipal voting system. With only 68 station and 90,000 names on the voting lists this means that each station could have more than 1324 voters. No way would any one be able to handle that many voters at […]
Site alteration by-law
Guelph Urban Forest Friends (GUFF) has reviewed the draft Site Alteration By-Law. We note that the by-law does not include any tree protection measures, and would ask that such measures be a part of the by-law.The Town of Oakville’s site alteration by-law, for example, includes the following:
Letter To The Mayor and All City Councillors
First of all let me start by saying that I do not envy you the monumental tasks that you are facing in the coming months, and years, of your Administration. I watched with some interest the last televised council meeting, at which there was prolonged discussion regarding the leasing of the Loretto Convent for the […]
Communication Change at Council
The following article appeared in the July 20 edition of the Guelph Tribune: City council is changing the way councillors speak and vote at council meetings. Instead of responding when their names are called for recorded votes and just raising their hands for other votes, council agreed Monday to start using an electronic voting system […]
Disclosure of personal information
Councillors have received a number of questions and requests for background information on the legislation that governs the protection of personal information. The legislation that speaks of not releasing personal information is the “Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter M.56”