2024.08.27 – Special meeting of the executive committee of the City of Gatineau held in the committee room of Maison du citoyen, 25 Laurier Street, Gatineau, on Tuesday, August 27, 2024 at 1:37 p.m. at which

CONSIDERING THAT council, by resolution number CM-2019-164 of January 21, 2020, and amended by resolution number CM-2020-42 of January 21, 2020, granted a financial contribution equivalent to 15% of the maximum eligible cost (CMA) required by the AccèsLogis Québec program for the ACL 7044-Saint-Étienne project;

CONSIDERING THAT due to the presence of power lines on the construction site and the delay incurred by Hydro-Québec to perform safety work, construction work was partially interrupted;

CONSIDERING THAT during the site shutdown, the building was exposed to heavy precipitation and water infiltration, causing partial contamination of the building;

CONSIDERING THAT under the advice of specialized firms, the organization and the contractor agreed on the urgency of proceeding with decontamination and on the method to be applied to ensure the building's safety;

CONSIDERING THAT the contractor GMR performed the work and is claiming from the organization a total amount of $600,000 plus taxes for the decontamination work, costs related to the site shutdown, as well as costs related to the extension of the work due to site conditions;

CONSIDERING THAT a portion of the costs associated with the decontamination work were not eligible under the AccèsLogis program and that the organization does not have the financial capacity to assume them;

CONSIDERING THAT to avoid legal action, the organization decided to initiate a mediation process to resolve the dispute with the contractor;

CONSIDERING THAT following the mediation that took place on May 1, 2024, both parties agreed on an amount of $600,000 plus taxes, which the organization must pay to GMR Construction, distributed as follows:

• Costs related to the Hydro-Québec work stoppage: $255,000;
• Costs related to the extension of work due to site conditions: $165,000;
• Costs related to decontamination: $180,000;

CONSIDERING THAT the costs related to the site shutdown as well as those related to the extension of work due to site conditions are eligible under the AccèsLogis program;

CONSIDERING THAT article 91.1 allows any local municipality to grant aid to any solidarity cooperative that has, by its statutes, prohibited itself from distributing a patronage dividend or paying interest on any class of preferred shares;

CONSIDERING THAT the City of Gatineau could finance this request from the allocated surplus – Additional aid for affordable housing:

PROPOSED AND UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT this committee recommends that council:

• Grant financial aid of a maximum amount of $180,000 plus taxes (i.e., $206,955), drawn from the allocated surplus – Additional aid for affordable housing, to the Coopérative de Solidarité Innovation Habitation Outaouais to cover the costs of the agreement related to the building's decontamination work under the following conditions:
  1. THAT the aid is conditional upon compliance with the conditions provided for in article 91.1 of the Loi sur les compétences municipales;
  2. THAT only the actual amount of the work is eligible, including the costs listed below, namely: o For the execution of work related to the decontamination of the building;
• Authorize the treasurer to proceed with the payment of a maximum amount of $206,955 to the Coopérative de Solidarité Innovation Habitation Outaouais to cover the amount of the agreement for the building's decontamination work, fully completed, and following the presentation of the final invoice and a purchase order prepared by the Service de l'urbanisme et du développement durable;
• Authorize the mayor or, in her absence, the acting mayor, and the clerk or, in her absence, the deputy clerk or assistant clerk, to sign any document necessary to give full effect to this resolution;
• Authorize the treasurer to perform the accounting entries to follow up on this. This executive committee recommendation comes into effect on the day of its approval by municipal council resolution. A treasurer's certificate was issued on August 26, 2024. Adopted.

CONSIDERING THAT the company Marché de l’Encan MJT Larose inc. has filed a request to proceed, at its own expense and in compliance with current regulations, with the installation of municipal services to serve the integrated project located at 216, 232, 248, and 264, chemin Filion;

CONSIDERING THAT an agreement must be signed between the City of Gatineau and the company Marché de l’Encan MJT Larose inc. to establish the guidelines governing the construction of municipal services in the integrated project located at 216, 232, 248, and 264, chemin Filion:

PROPOSED AND UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT this committee recommends that council:

• Accept the agreement to be entered into between the City of Gatineau and the company Marché de l’Encan MJT Larose inc. concerning the integrated project located at 216, 232, 248, and 264, chemin Filion, shown on the overall plan prepared by the firm QDI, bearing number G-2024-033-03;
• Ratify the request presented by the aforementioned company to build, at its own expense and in compliance with the current regulations of the City of Gatineau (Règlements numéros 98-2003 and 99-2003 and their amendments), the municipal services and streets in the project;
• Notify the ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs that the City of Gatineau does not oppose the issuance of the authorization required for the installation of municipal services in this project;
• Notify the ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs that the City of Gatineau undertakes to maintain the stormwater management works that will be built in this project and that will be transferred to it, and to register them in its operation and maintenance register;
• Attest that the existing water and sewer networks are capable of serving the above-mentioned project and comply with the various infrastructure master plans;
• Authorize the aforementioned company to have the specifications and plans necessary for the execution of the work alluded to above prepared, also at its own expense, by the firm QDI;
• Endorse the request of the aforementioned company aimed at entrusting the supervision, with residence, of the aforementioned work to the firm QDI and that the resulting expense be assumed by this company;
• Accept the recommendation of the aforementioned company to retain the services of Les Services EXP inc. to perform quality control of materials and that the resulting expense be assumed by this company;
• Authorize Hydro-Québec to proceed with the connection of the street lighting network, in accordance with the plans that will be approved by the Service de la planification des actifs et des investissements;
• Require that the company, its assigns, and legal heirs transfer to the City of Gatineau, free of charge, the municipal services and easements required in this project;
• Authorize the mayor or, in her absence, the acting mayor, and the clerk or, in her absence, the deputy clerk or assistant clerk, to sign the agreement, the contract related to obtaining the easements that are the subject of this, all as they will appear on the final plans that will be filed at the Bureau de la publicité des droits;
• Authorize the treasurer to reimburse, upon presentation of documents produced by the Service de la planification des actifs et des investissements, the City's share related to the work of adding streetlights on existing poles on chemin Filion, up to a maximum of $20,000 plus applicable taxes;

The funds provided for this purpose will be taken from the following budget item:

The treasurer is authorized to perform the accounting entries required to follow up on this agreement. This executive committee recommendation comes into effect on the day of its approval by municipal council resolution. A treasurer's certificate was issued on August 26, 2024. Adopted.

CONSIDERING THAT the company Développements Endokto inc. has filed a request to proceed, at its own expense and in compliance with current regulations, with the installation of municipal services to serve the Station 3 project located at 218, boulevard Maisonneuve;

CONSIDERING THAT an agreement must be signed between the City of Gatineau and the company Développements Endokto inc. to establish the guidelines governing the construction of municipal services in the Station 3 project located at 218, boulevard Maisonneuve:

PROPOSED AND UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT this committee recommends that council:

• Accept the agreement to be entered into between the City of Gatineau and the company Développements Endokto inc. concerning the Station 3 project located at 218, boulevard Maisonneuve, shown on the overall plan prepared by the firm Consultants Yves Auger & Associés inc., bearing number C-2/3;
• Ratify the request presented by the aforementioned company to build, at its own expense and in compliance with the current regulations of the City of Gatineau (Règlements numéros 98-2003 and 99-2003 and their amendments), the municipal services required to serve the project;
• Attest that the existing water and sewer networks are capable of serving the above-mentioned project and comply with the various infrastructure master plans;
• Authorize the aforementioned company to have the specifications and plans necessary for the execution of the work alluded to above prepared, also at its own expense, by the firm Consultants Yves Auger & Associés inc.;
• Endorse the request of the aforementioned company aimed at entrusting the supervision, with residence, of the aforementioned work to the firm Consultants Yves Auger & Associés inc. and that the resulting expense be assumed by this company;
• Accept the recommendation of the aforementioned company to retain the services of the firm GHD to perform quality control of materials and that the resulting expense be assumed by this company;
• Require that the company, its assigns, and legal heirs transfer to the City of Gatineau, free of charge, the municipal services and easements required in this project;
• Authorize the mayor or, in her absence, the acting mayor, and the clerk or, in her absence, the deputy clerk or assistant clerk, to sign the agreement, the contract related to obtaining the easements that are the subject of this, all as they will appear on the final plans that will be filed at the Bureau de la publicité des droits;
• Authorize the treasurer to reimburse, upon presentation of documents produced by the Service de la planification des actifs et des investissements, the City's share related to the work of widening the sidewalk on rue Saint-Étienne, up to a maximum of $16,000 plus applicable taxes;

The funds provided for this purpose will be taken from the following budget item:

The treasurer is authorized to perform the accounting entries required to follow up on this agreement. This executive committee recommendation comes into effect on the day of its approval by municipal council resolution. A treasurer's certificate was issued on August 26, 2024. Adopted.

CONSIDERING THAT cities and municipalities must take measures to ensure the protection of life, health, and the integrity of persons and property during disasters, in accordance with several legislative texts, notably the Loi sur la sécurité civile (RLRQ, c.S-2.3), the Loi sur les cités et villes (RLRQ, c.C-19), and the Code municipal du Québec (RLRQ, c.C-27.1);

CONSIDERING THAT the Société canadienne de la Croix-Rouge (Canadian Red Cross), through its resources, including a volunteer force, and its expertise, is likely to help and support, as an auxiliary to public authorities, cities and municipalities during disasters, according to the availability of its human and material resources;

CONSIDERING THAT this committee, by its resolution number CE-2023-953 of November 22, 2023, authorized the signing of the agreement between the City of Gatineau and the Société canadienne de la Croix-Rouge, Quebec division, so that it ensures the care of disaster victims during a disaster;

CONSIDERING THAT the City has adopted a policy for the Management of services to disaster victims during a minor disaster (PO-012) and that this policy stipulates that any extension of the services of the Société canadienne de la Croix-Rouge beyond 144 hours must be approved by the municipal council and a specific budget authorized;

CONSIDERING THAT a fire broke out on June 29 at 166, rue Principale in Aylmer and that the Société canadienne de la Croix-Rouge ensured the care of several disaster victims;

CONSIDERING THAT particular circumstances led to extensions of support to disaster victims by the Société canadienne de la Croix-Rouge:

PROPOSED AND UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT this committee recommends that council:

• Authorize, a posteriori, the Director of the Service des loisirs, des sports et du développement des communautés to sign the service agreement with the Société canadienne de la Croix-Rouge aimed at extending support to the victims of 166, rue Principale beyond the first 144 hours provided for in the Policy for the management of services to disaster victims during a minor disaster;
• Mandate the treasurer to identify the budgets to follow up on this. This executive committee recommendation comes into effect on the day of its approval by municipal council resolution. A treasurer's certificate was issued on August 26, 2024. Adopted.

CONSIDERING THAT the City is recognized as an Age-Friendly Municipality (Municipalité amie des aînés - MADA) and that, in this capacity, it works to put an end to ageism, to adapt its policies, structures, and services to promote the participation of seniors by relying on consultation, partnership, and the mobilization of the entire community;

CONSIDERING THAT the City adopted, in December 2022 (CM-2022-844), the 2022-2026 Integrated Action Plan – Families, seniors, and people with disabilities;

CONSIDERING THAT in January 2022, a Seniors Commission was created, composed of elected officials, citizens, and community partners, and was mandated as the official monitoring committee for the Age-Friendly Municipality recognition, and that the Table des aînés de Gatineau is a member of it;

CONSIDERING THAT the City recognizes the importance of establishing partnership links with associations and organizations for seniors as well as with seniors in Gatineau and that, to do so, the Table des aînés de Gatineau will play an important role, in collaboration and consultation with the City;

CONSIDERING THAT it is important for the City to collaborate with the Table des aînés de Gatineau to deploy the four major action strategies of the 2022-2026 Integrated Action Plan – Families, seniors, and people with disabilities, namely:

• Working well with the community;
• Knowing well;
• Informing well;
• Improving accessibility:
  • of municipal communications;
  • of public facilities and infrastructure;
  • of events and activities;

CONSIDERING THAT the acceleration of the aging of its population in recent years is considered an important demographic issue in Gatineau;

CONSIDERING THAT the Table des aînés de Gatineau has the mission of being a non-profit consultation organization that collaborates with the community for a better quality of life for seniors. Its objectives are to represent all seniors in their diversity, recognize the participation and contribution of seniors to collective life, and collaborate with and influence community bodies in the development and implementation of policies and programs;

CONSIDERING THAT the Table des aînés de Gatineau supports initiatives and projects that improve the quality of life of seniors in Gatineau and that it is an important actor and leader through its complementarity and will, moreover, allow for the support and consultation of community organizations for seniors;

CONSIDERING THAT the Table des aînés de Gatineau was set up in 2014 with the goal of providing the region with local tables to reach all senior organizations in the City and that it is the main consultation body in Gatineau that facilitates discussions and the mobilization of the actors concerned;

CONSIDERING THAT the Table des aînés de Gatineau sits on the City's Seniors Commission;

CONSIDERING THAT the Table des aînés de Gatineau is a "Major Partner" of the Service des loisirs, des sports et du développement des communautés and that it is already recognized in the Community Development Support Framework:

PROPOSED AND UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT this committee recommends that council:

• Approve the partnership agreement protocol between the City of Gatineau and the Table des aînés de Gatineau 2024-2026;
• Authorize the mayor or, in her absence, the acting mayor, and the clerk or, in her absence, the deputy clerk or assistant clerk, to sign the partnership agreement protocol with the Table des aînés de Gatineau 2024-2026 attached hereto as well as any other document to give it full effect;
• Authorize the treasurer to issue checks to the Table des aînés de Gatineau, within the framework of the partnership agreement protocol mentioned above as well as according to the clauses and conditions stipulated in the partnership agreement protocol to be entered into, upon presentation of accounts payable documents prepared by the Service des loisirs, des sports et du développement des communautés;
• Authorize the treasurer to provide for the sums provided for in the agreement for the years 2025 and 2026, in order to follow up on the partnership agreement protocol. This executive committee recommendation comes into effect on the day of its approval by municipal council resolution. A treasurer's certificate was issued on August 26, 2024. Adopted.

PROPOSED AND UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT this committee recommends that council adopt Bylaw number 42-3-2024 amending Bylaw number 42-2003 concerning the maintenance of public peace and good order on the territory of the City of Gatineau in order to allow the use of firearms under specific conditions. This executive committee recommendation comes into effect on the day of its approval by municipal council resolution. Adopted.

CONSIDERING THAT the municipal council must take all necessary means to ensure that the municipality's municipal tax revenues are collected promptly:

PROPOSED AND UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT this committee recommends that council:

• Order the clerk or deputy clerk to sell at public auction, in the Jean-Despréz room of the Maison du citoyen, 25, rue Laurier, Gatineau, on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at 10 a.m., and all following days, if applicable, the properties appearing on the list of properties for sale for unpaid taxes prepared by the Service des finances on July 12, 2024;
• Exclude from this auction, at the request of the Director of the Service des finances and treasurer, the following properties appearing on the list of properties excluded from the sale for unpaid taxes:
  • 5531-37-5955;
  • 5627-14-3346;
  • 8945-17-6067;
  • 7941-27-4353;
  • 5927-34-9049;
  • 5630-12-9574;
• Authorize the imposition of $115 fees on each of the properties registered on the list of properties for sale for unpaid taxes that have not been paid at the time of the adoption of the list, for various expenses related to this sale such as bailiff fees, newspaper publications, research, and others;
• Authorize the clerk or deputy clerk to subtract from the sale the properties whose owners appear on the list of properties for sale for unpaid taxes and who have paid their property taxes to the Service des finances before the auction;
• Authorize the representatives of the Service des biens immobiliers to bid and, if applicable, to become the successful bidder on behalf of the City of Gatineau, in accordance with the provisions of article 536 of the Loi sur les cités et villes and article 18 of the Charte de la Ville de Gatineau, for properties that are part of the list of properties adopted by the executive committee and that may be necessary within the framework of various municipal and future projects or for land reserve purposes;
• Authorize the treasurer to draw from the "Property Acquisitions" reserve the sums required to follow up on this. However, should the municipality dispose of properties during the year, the treasurer is authorized to draw these same sums from the proceeds of the disposition of properties for the current year;
• Authorize the mayor or, in her absence, the acting mayor, and the clerk or, in her absence, the deputy clerk or assistant clerk, to sign the deeds of sale mentioned in article 525 of the Loi sur les cités et villes;
• Authorize the mayor or, in her absence, the acting mayor, and the clerk or, in her absence, the deputy clerk or assistant clerk, to sign the withdrawal deeds resulting from the sale of properties for unpaid taxes, if they are presented within the period provided for in article 531 of the Loi sur les cités et villes. This executive committee recommendation comes into effect on the day of its approval by municipal council resolution. A treasurer's certificate was issued on August 26, 2024. Adopted.

CONSIDERING THAT the investment plans – Maintenance component of the City of Gatineau include sums reserved for the replacement of vehicles and equipment for the Fire Department;

CONSIDERING THAT an amount of $1,500,000 is currently available in the Investment Plans – Maintenance component for the purchase of a pumper truck;

CONSIDERING THAT following the opening of the bids for the purchase of this vehicle, an additional amount of $536,000 is necessary to complete the financial package;

CONSIDERING THAT this cost overrun must be drawn from the Reserve for project adjustments – Maintenance component:

PROPOSED AND UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT this committee recommends that council authorize the treasurer to draw an amount of $536,000 from the Reserve for project adjustments – Maintenance component in order to complete the financial package for the purchase of the Fire Department's pumper truck. The treasurer is authorized to perform the accounting entries required to follow up on this. This executive committee recommendation comes into effect on the day of its approval by municipal council resolution. A treasurer's certificate was issued on August 26, 2024. Adopted.

CONSIDERING THAT council, by resolution number CM-2017-63 of January 24, 2017, had confirmed the financial contribution equivalent to 15% of the maximum eligible cost of realization (CMA) for the realization of an affordable and community housing project to be carried out by the organization Maison d’hébergement pour Elles des Deux Vallées in the Masson-Angers sector;

CONSIDERING THAT the initial project was to offer, within the framework of the AccèsLogis Québec program - Component III, initially 16 housing units, then 20 housing units for people with special needs "victims of violence";

CONSIDERING THAT the project has changed sites and will now offer 17 transitional housing units at the final commitment stage, according to the "New construction – call for tenders" mode of the AccèsLogis Québec program;

CONSIDERING THAT the cost of realizing the project has increased due to the addition of an extra housing unit, as well as due to the rise in interest rates and the price of construction materials, thus increasing the municipal contribution equivalent to 15% of the maximum eligible cost of realization to $458,681;

CONSIDERING THAT the project benefited from financial aid of $338,080 from the grant agreement concluded on March 31, 2020, between the ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation (MAMH), the Société d’Habitation du Québec (SHQ), and the City of Gatineau (CM-2020-190);

CONSIDERING THAT this financial aid was reduced by the SHQ to $287,368;

CONSIDERING THAT the project benefited from additional financial aid of $1,000,000 from the agreement concerning the financing of housing projects on the territory of the city of Gatineau concluded on March 31, 2023, between the SHQ and the City of Gatineau (CM-2023-261);

CONSIDERING THAT the project benefited from additional financial aid of $1,380,366 from amendment number 1 to the grant agreement concluded on March 31, 2023, between the MAMH, the SHQ, and the City of Gatineau (CM-2023-263);

CONSIDERING THAT the project benefited from additional financial aid of $2,268,400 from amendment number 1 to the grant agreement concluded on March 31, 2023, between the MAMH, the SHQ, and the City of Gatineau (CM-2023-262);

CONSIDERING THAT to fill the shortfall, the project benefits from additional financial aid of $200,000 from the 2024-2025 programming of the Programme Rénovation Québec (PRQ) of the SHQ shared equally between the City of Gatineau and the SHQ;

CONSIDERING THAT the amounts granted to the ACL 7036 – Toit d’Érica project in the various financing agreements concluded between the City and the government of Quebec have generated interest totaling $405,661;

CONSIDERING THAT the City of Gatineau must respect the conditions of the AccèsLogis program regarding financing related to municipal financing:

PROPOSED AND UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT this committee recommends that council:

• Modify resolution number CM-2017-63 of January 24, 2017, to include the addition of an extra housing unit and to establish the municipal contribution at $458,681 equivalent to 15% of the eligible cost of realization to respect the conditions of the AccèsLogis program;
• Modify resolution number CM-2020-190 of March 17, 2020, to authorize the payment of the grant of $287,368 instead of $338,080, according to the terms defined in the agreement signed between the MAMH, the SHQ, and the City of Gatineau;
• Authorize the payment of the additional financial aid of $1,000,000 according to the terms defined in the partnership agreement protocol signed between the SHQ and the City of Gatineau;
• Authorize the payment of the additional financial aid of $1,380,336 according to the terms defined in amendment 1 of the agreement signed between the MAMH, the SHQ, and the City of Gatineau;
• Authorize the payment of the additional financial aid of $2,268,400 according to the terms defined in amendment 1 of the agreement signed between the MAMH, the SHQ, and the City of Gatineau;
• Grant and authorize the payment of the additional financial aid of $200,000 according to the terms defined by the Programme Rénovation Québec of the SHQ;
• Authorize the payment of $405,661 representing the sum of the interest generated by the financial aid from the various government agreements to which the project is entitled;
• Authorize the treasurer to perform the accounting entries required to follow up on this. This executive committee recommendation comes into effect on the day of its approval by municipal council resolution. A treasurer's certificate was issued on August 26, 2024. Adopted.

CONSIDERING THAT each year, during the filing of the City's financial report, ongoing projects are allocated;

CONSIDERING THAT over the last few months, a rigorous exercise has been conducted by the General Management with their respective services in order to analyze in depth the merits and future use of ongoing projects;

CONSIDERING THAT it emerged that certain plans, policies, and/or projects had ended and that the sums could be returned to the free surplus:

PROPOSED AND UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT this committee recommends that council authorize the treasurer to proceed with the cancellation of the ongoing projects identified in the attachment and to return the sum of $2,116,806.32 to the unallocated surplus. This executive committee recommendation comes into effect on the day of its approval by municipal council resolution. A treasurer's certificate was issued on August 26, 2024. Adopted.