Burlington Council Gets Update on Senior Government Funding Applications

At our Jan. 16 meeting, Burlington City Council received a staff report with updates on senior government funding applications that were approved in 2023 and a status report on pending applications for funding. See the charts below, after My Take.MY TAKE:I want to give a giant thank you to our Corporate Strategic Lead of Government Relations Helen Walihura and her entire team for their continued work in compiling and submitting applications for funding on behalf of the City of Burlington. It’s great to see the multimillion dollars they’ve helped secure for our city that allows us to complete projects without its entirety being funded from the tax base. We look forward to hearing more about the pending applications we have. Senior government funding programs from both the federal and provincial government levels remain an important funding source for municipalities. This Council and the City of Burlington will continue to advocate for a long-term, stable, allocation-based, infrastructure funding framework for municipalities.

2023 Approved Funding
Funding Source Amount Approved Approval Details
Federal Active Transportation Fund -- Prospect Street Bike Lanes $3,804,000 Transfer payment agreement yet to be signedTotal eligible project costs: $6,304,000 (City portion 40% of eligible project costs - $2,536,000)
Next Generation 9-1-1 Funding -- Year one intake $900,000 Application submission deadline: January 10, 2023No matching City funding is required.
Trans Canada Trail $20,000 Support for the Plains Rd protected bike lanes.
Trans Canada Trail $12,000 Renewal of the Waterfront Trail in Sioux Lookout Park
Seniors Active Living Centres Program Operating Grant - $42,700Special Grant - $8,605
Heritage Canada -- Celebrate Canada $23,000 Canada Day, recognition of National Indigenous Peoples Day and Truth and Reconciliation
Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation of Canada $37,290 Funding for the purchase of 200 Innotex Particulate Hoods
Next Generation 9-1-1 Program -- Year two intake $1,433,574 One-time expenses incurred from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, that are necessary to obtain and be able to operate a NG9-1-1 call handling system compliant with National Emergency Number Association (NENA) standards, capable of processing NG9-1-1 voice and data records, and that relate to one or more of the following are eligible to be funded:
  1. Upgrades to 9-1-1 system technology for the purpose of NG9- 1-1 compliance,
  2. Procuring services necessary to obtain or implement a NG9-1-1 system, and
  3. Data centre upgrades specific to NG9-1-1.
Total Funding Approved $6,281,169

Pending Applications

Funding Source Amount Applied For Program Details
Investing in Canada Infrastructure -- Transit Stream (November intake) Federal Amount: $12,925,869.78Provincial Amount: $10,770,480.99NB City portion of total project costs 26.67% -- $8,618,323.67 Projects submitted:
  • Conventional Bus Replacement (Greening Initiative) – 2 hybrid-electric low emission buses
  • Conventional Transit Expansion – 9 conventional (1-diesel and 8-low emission buses)
  • Specialized Transit Vehicle Expansion – 1 specialized vehicle
  • Bus Stop Display Panels – six 13-inch or 23-inch solar powered digital information display signs
  • Bus Fleet Electrification Pilot Project– 4 electric conventional vehicles
  • Transit 5-year Business Plan
  • Construction of Transit Building Addition

Application deadline: November 30, 2022These projects have been nominated by the Province to the Federal government.

Green and Inclusive Community Buildings Fund -- Second intake $20,000,000$7,629,830.40 Reapplication for: Skyway Community Centre - (Total project $39,709,120, City Portion of Project: $19,709,120)New Application: Brant Hills Community Centre (Net Zero Retrofit) - (total project cost $9.5 M, City Portion of Project: $1,870,169.60)Application deadline: February 28, 2023No date was provided for a final decision. Timing is related to the volume of applications that were received.
Housing Accelerator Fund (**HAF Funding approval announced on Jan. 15, 2024) $21,000,000 (**Amount Approved) The City’s HAF Action Plan includes seven initiatives:
  1. Streamlining planning and building approval process.
  2. Implementing Major Transit Station Areas and Community Planning Permit System.
  3. Support and encourage the creation of additional residential units and consider opportunities to increase as of right permissions. Burlington is proposing four units as of right and a no parking minimum pilot within a specific geographic area.
  4. Identify opportunities to incentivize the creation of rental and non-market housing.
  5. Build community and partner capacity by creating a Housing Connections Centre.
  6. Public lands and partnerships.
  7. Municipal infrastructure needs.
Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund $7,980,000 Tuck Creek Flood Mitigation – Total eligible project costs $19,950,000. Federal share (up to 40%) - $7,980,000, City’s share - $11,970,000 ($9,263,790 of funding for the Tuck Creek projects is currently secured in the approved 2023 Capital Budget)Application deadline: July 19, 2023Decision timing: No timing was provided
Ontario Resource Centre for Climate Adaptation (ORCCA) Staff Capacity Program Staff capacity position Requested approximately 300 hundred hours of support to complete Action 4-1 of the Climate Resilient Burlington Plan, “enhance emergency notification and communications plan incorporating the needs of vulnerable populations” and would ensure that the related work would be completed faster than what would be possible with existing capacity.”

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The staff report we received also included a recommendation to authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into an agreement with the Province of Ontario in relation 2023-24 Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1) transition support funding that was announced on August 10, 2023. The funding will support:

  • upgrades to 9-1-1 system technology for the purpose of NG9-1-1 compliance,
  • procuring services necessary to obtain or implement a NG9-1-1 system, and
  • data centre upgrades specific to NG9-1-1.

See the approved full motion and My Take below, as well as the staff report, related appendices, staff presentation and additional findings so far, further down this post.APPROVED MOTION:

  • Authorize the Mayor and the City Clerk to execute the necessary agreements and other related documents or by-laws between the Corporation of the City of Burlington and the Province of Ontario, in relation to the Next Generation 9-1-1- funding program, to the satisfaction of the Executive Director of Legal Services and Corporation Counsel.

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To read the staff report and related supporting documents, please click/tap the links below:

BACKGROUND:The purpose of the staff report was to provide members of committee with an update on the status of senior government funding applications, any pending applications (applications that have been submitted and decisions have not yet been made) and any funding programs that are open and being considered by staff. This report does not speak to the funding provided through the Provincial Gas Tax Program or the federal government’s Canada Community Building Fund. Both programs are permanent allocation based programs.The City of Burlington appreciates the support of the federal and provincial governments through the various programs outlined above. Senior government funding programs remain an important funding source for municipalities. We will continue to advocate for a long-term, stable, allocation-based, infrastructure funding framework for municipalities.

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Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Jan. 22, 2024 – What's Happened at the Empty Lot at 515 John St.?