State of the City Chamber of Commerce November 1, 2007
Overview Snapshot of the city Council s first year: an update Key themes & opportunities for the future
Snapshot of the city Population growth Household income Unemployment rate Job rate Assessment composition Tax burden comparisons City reserves & debt
Population growth
Household income
Unemployment rate Unemployment Rates Guelph vs. Ontario 8 6.8% 6 4 2 4.2% 0 2001 2006
Job Rate Jobs/100 people Waterloo Guelph Kingston Cambridge London Burlington Oakville St. Catharines Barrie Brantford Job Rate 61.7 58.7 55.2 50.6 49.1 47.1 47.1 45.1 44.1 43.3 71% of working Guelph residents are employed in Guelph
Employment - successes Synnex Canada Denso Manufacturing ($78.2 M expansion) Skyjack ($24.8 M investment) Data Centre (120,000 sq. ft.) 250 jobs 322 jobs 360 jobs 140 jobs
Employment - successes Staybridge Suites (5 storey, 116 room hotel) Fairfield Inn and Suites (5 storey, 88 room hotel) 150% increase in industrial building permits ($) over 2006 Capital One Ventures (two 40,000 square foot industrial buildings) Stone Road Mall expansion and renovations
Assessment composition (%) Cambridge Brantford Barrie Burlington Guelph London Kingston St. Catharines Waterloo Oakville Residential 79.8 82.2 82.8 83.0 83.7 84.4 85.3 85.4 85.9 86.2 (Industrial)/ Commercial/ Institutional 20.2 (7.2) 17.8 (4.4) 17.2 (2.7) 17.0 (4.5) 16.3 (4.9) 2nd 15.6 (1.8) 14.7 (1.3) 14.6 (1.7) 14.1 (3.5) 13.8 (3.6)
Residential tax burden
Industrial tax burden
Debt 10 Debt charges as a % of expenditures 8 6 4 2 0 Cambridge Brantford Barrie Oakville Kingston Guelph Burlington London St. Catharines Waterloo Average Median
Debt Management $60,000,000 Net Debt Charges vs 25% Net Revenue $50,000,000 $40,000,000 $30,000,000 $20,000,000 $10,000,000 $0 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Base Year 25% of Net Revenue Fund Revenue Net Debt Charges
Median Reserves 120 100 Reserves as a % of taxation Reserves as a % of taxation 80 60 40 20 0 Guelph London Barrie Brantford Oakville Burlington Kingston Waterloo St. Catharines Cambridge Average
The first year Customer service Asset management Growth management Continuous improvement Global environmental concerns
Customer Service Community Design and Development Client-focused project management Building Department On-line services Biz Pal Finance Tendering process New City Hall Central customer service desk
Customer feedback 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!
What do we talk about? Service Delivery Projects 80% to 90% of resources to service delivery & asset management 10% to 20% capacity for projects
Turning the crank Budget Approx. $300 M operating and capital in 2007 Assets Water Wastewater Stormwater Roads Bridges $370 M $480 M $300 M $380 M $20 M $1.55 billion of infrastructure assets
Turning the crank 420 km storm water pipe & 97 ponds 502 km road 496 km of water pipe 457 km of sewer pipe 522 hectares of park & open spaces 4 million transit km travelled per year 46,000 tonnes of solid waste 19 M cubic metres of pumped & treated water
Growth strategy: Places to Grow Greater Golden Horseshoe: Fastest growing urban area in Canada Third fastest growing urban area in North America Grow by over 4 million people by 2031
Places to Grow Good for the economy 2 million new jobs Attract innovators, skilled workers and investment But 45% longer commuting times 42% increase in auto emissions More than 1,000 square kilometres of farmland consumed
Implications for Guelph by 2031 65,000 new residents 45,000 new jobs 40% of new growth in the built boundary i.e. not green field City boundary Urban Growth Centre Greenfield Areas Built Boundary Substantial change in the form of growth
Local Growth Strategy Guelph Quest Guelph residents choose their future Urban Design Guidelines
Employment lands Short Term Supply Long Term Supply Hanlon Creek Business Park York Road Study Actions South Guelph Lands Land Strategy
Hanlon Creek Business Park South Guelph Employment Lands TOTAL 600 acres (243 ha.) by 2008
Downtown New Downtown Economic Development Manager hired Community Improvement Plan for the downtown Multi-year plan for attracting investment New initiatives, e.g. visit Brantford to see downtown university campus
Downtown Redevelopment Redevelopment Opportunity Baker Street
Redevelopment opportunity
Downtown: Gummer & Victoria buildings Partnership for redevelopment & intensification Photo: Candace Sepulis
Downtown: Parking 2 hour free onstreet parking pilot Short and medium term parking plans developed Long-term parking strategy underway
Water 50 year Water Management Master Plan approved No consideration of a pipeline to Lake Erie Perfect score (100%) on Chief Drinking Water Inspector s Annual Report for 2005-06
Wastewater Optimization of the performance of the existing system Potential deferral of a $20 million capital expansion from 2010 to 2024 50 year Waste Water Master Plan underway
Waste management 50 Year Waste Management Master Plan underway Short-listing proven technologies to process our organic stream
Waste Management A 17.9% reduction from 2005 - $824,398 saved 4.7 Cost of Residential Waste Collection in $million, adjusted for inflation 4.5 4.3 4.1 3.9 3.7 3.5 2005 2006 2007
Transit Among Ontario cities with a population of 50,000-150,000 #1 in ridership (6 million trips) #1 in efficiency rating (cost per trip) #2 in effectiveness rating (trips per capita)
Transit Service on statutory holidays On-time performance predictability has risen from 40% to 85% GPS tracking system (NextBus) Currently 40-minute service at peak to ensure transfers Proposed budget expansion for 20-minute peak service in 2008
Guelph Police Service Lower crime rate than Ontario cities of similar size Declining overall crime rate Corporate Goal # 2 Illegal Drugs New Co-ordinated Enforcement Team Substance Abuse Strategy
New main public library Guelph Public Library Circulation 32% increase 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007* (Projected)
Community Energy Plan Increase in population of 65,000 Net reduction in energy consumption Reduction in GHG from 16 to 7 tonnes
Future themes Optimize opportunities: Baker Street; Gummer & Victoria buildings; Loretto Convent Plan for growth: community participation; infrastructure sustainability Build on strengths: engaged citizens; heritage and culture; vibrant downtown; diverse economy Grow a sustainable future: world leader in energy conservation; leading-edge waste management, water, and wastewater systems
Future opportunity
Downtown York District
Innovation District (York lands) = 426 ha. Current Employment Land Inventory = 433.25 ha.
Guelph Innovation District Integrated energy planning Research & Innovation Waste Resource Innovation Centre Reduce waste Increase diversion Extract value
Guelph Innovation District Employment Education Environment Energy Excellence