Report to Council Details Government Relations Advocacy & the Dollars it Brings Back Into Burlington

At our June 21 meeting, Council approved receiving and filing a Government Relations Annual Report that detailed GR advocacy and the dollars it helps bring back into Burlington.Click here for the staff report and supporting documents:

• Staff report: CS-07-22 Government Relations Annual Report
• Appendices:
  • CS-07-22 Appendix A Senior Government Funding
  • CS-07-22 Appendix B Advocacy Issues
  • CS-07-22 Appendix C Provincial and Federal Pre-Budget Submissions
  • CS-07-22 Appendix D Conference Delegation Meetings

The purpose of this report is to provide the members of the Corporate Services, Strategy, Risk and Accountability Committee with an annual updated on the City’s GR efforts. As committee is aware GR at the City includes the following areas of responsibility:

• Identifying and helping secure funding for identified strategic priorities and projects;
• Advocating to senior levels of government to help advance identified City priorities, strategic goals and issues impacting residents, businesses and City operations; and
• Monitoring and reporting on changes to legislation and issues that impact City’s strategic goals and operations.

MY TAKE:When we speak with one voice as a Council via resolutions, we’re stronger. We also are more successful in our requests for funding for projects. In addition, when we work with the Ontario’s Big City Mayors (OBCM) caucus or the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), we have a fighting chance of success of our priorities being met – a most recent example being the resolution Burlington Council passed around ‘Keira’s Law’, that most recently got a third reading. It matters what we do, in terms of government relations, and it’s making a difference in our city and beyond.I’d like to thank Helen Walihura, the City’s Government Relations Manager, on all the work she has done with government relations over the years, to ensure we are successful in making our voice heard, and getting our share of upper-level government dollars for our community.Scroll further down for some highlights from the staff report.

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REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:FundingWhile we have continued to operate within the pandemic environment since the last GR update, direct funding to support the financial implications experienced by municipalities because of the COVID-19 has decreased. The City continued to advocate for additional Safe Restart Funding (SRA) to support municipal operating pressures to date none has been provided. Municipalities including the City of Burlington did receive additional SRA funding to support transit operations and investments for public infrastructure projects through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure (ICIP) Program – COVID-19 Resilience Stream. Appendix A details the funding the City received for both programs.Approved Funding

• Great Lakes Protection Initiative - Areas of Concern Funding (Federal)
  • Grindstone Creek Erosion Control
• FCM Green Municipal Fund – Zero Carbon Feasibility Studies (Federal)
  • Appleby Ice Centre,
  • Brant Hills Community Centre and
  • Fire Stations 2 and 7
• Audit and Accountability Fund – Phase 3 (Provincial)
  • Land Management Technology Review
  • Web Architecture Modernization
• Municipal Energy Plan Program (Provincial)
  • Preparation of an Electric Mobility Plan
• Seniors Active Living Centres Program (Provincial)
• 2022 Celebrate Canada Grant (Federal)

Pending Applications

• Canada Green and Inclusive Community Fund (Federal) - City Project: Skyway Community Centre
• Active Transportation Fund (Federal) - City Project: Prospect Street Bike Lanes
• Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility Inclusive Community Grants (ICG) Program2022-23 (Annual Provincial) - City Project: Mobi-Mats for Beachway Park
• The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) (Federal) – City Project: EV Charging Stations at Nelson Community Centre, Mountainside Community Centre, Haber/Norton Park, Mainway Ice Centre, Appleby Ice Centre, Tansley Woods Community Centre

Looking ahead there are a number of funding programs that staff are actively considering for other important City projects -- the Low Carbon Economy Challenge - Champions stream: 2022 Intake is one of them. The eligible projects the City of Burlington has submitted expressions of interest and will be submitting formal proposals for funding include:

• Robert Bateman High School Revitalization; and
• Brant Hills Community Centre – Deep Energy Retrofit

AdvocacyAdvocacy helps ensure the City’s voice is heard on issues of importance to our community, as well as issues that impact City priorities and operations. GR coordinates and assists in the preparation of the tactics used to advance our interests with senior government decision makers. These tactics include:

• City and Regional Council resolutions;
• Letter-writing;
• Delegation meetings;
• Provincial and Federal pre-budgets submissions;
• Comments on proposed legislation and regulations;
• Meetings with local MPs and MPPS; and
• Membership and participation in key municipal and industry associations i.e. Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), Ontario Big City Mayor’s Caucus (OBCM), Ontario Public Transit Association, Canadian Urban Transit Association, etc.

Appendix B contains a listing of the various issues and advocacy tactics the City has used to comment on them.Conference DelegationsA City delegation led by the Mayor once again attended the annual AMO conference. At the 2021 conference, six delegation meetings took place. Please refer to Appendix D for a listing of delegation meetings that were attended.The 2022 AMO Annual Conference in August will be an opportunity to meet with the newly formed provincial government. Delegation meetings at this conference will be used to as introductions to new Ministers and Parliamentary Assistants and an opportunity to discuss the City’s key advocacy priorities:

• A long-term, stable, allocation-based, infrastructure funding framework, supported by both the Provincial and Federal governments, that provides municipalities with a steady flow of infrastructure dollars for municipally identified priority projects including infrastructure renewal, transit and active transportation;
• A commitment to working together with municipalities and the federal government on innovative solutions and partnerships to increase attainable housing options for residents at every stage of life;
• Continued investments in broadband and high-speed internet services to expand opportunity, access and economic participation;
• Acknowledgment and support of municipal governments as key partners in Ontario’s economic recovery and future prosperity;
• Financial support of municipal efforts towards creating carbon neutral communities through community tax incentives/grants for deep home energy retrofit programs, funding to support alternative fueling infrastructure for municipal fleets (EV/Hydrogen) and community tax incentives/grants to support EV vehicle purchase and charging infrastructure;
• Continued supports for businesses and industries hardest hit by the pandemic.

Rural AdvocacyIn CS-07-21, Government Relations Update, the topic of rural advocacy was raised. As noted Burlington is a unique community, in that it is not predominantly rural, yet its rural area faces issues that are not likely to be discussed at AMO. It was determined that the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) Conference would provide an excellent opportunity to begin to discuss the unique challenges facing rural areas within urban municipalities.Two very productive delegation meetings were held with the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Deputy Minister of Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. GR staff recommends that the City continue to attend ROMA as an opportunity to advance our rural priorities and issues.Monitoring and ReportingOver the last year, COVID-19 continued to impact City services, including GR, but to a somewhat lesser extent. GR updates were no longer daily. They will continue to be used to provide Council and senior staff with details on provincial and federal announcements, new legislation and other relevant news items or reports.Our City's Government Relations Department will continue to build and maintain positive relationships with senior levels of government to advance the City of Burlington’s strategic priorities and initiatives.