Strategic Plan priorities, performance indicators and initiatives
- Plan and design an increasingly sustainable City as Guelph grows
- Create and execute an ambitious and achievable climate adaptation plan
- Mitigate climate change by reducing Guelph’s carbon footprint
View performance indicators and initiatives in the Guelph Future Ready Progress Report
Departments and programs
- Parks Operations
- Planning and Building Services
- Capital Financing—Contaminated Sites and 100RE
- Grand River Conservation Authority
2022 and 2023 approved budget highlights
- Responding to legislatively reduced development application timelines with addition of planning resources; one permanent planner position in each of 2022 and 2023. Council also approved the addition of two summer student positions within the planning team to address backlog concerns.
- Council approved increased staff resources (a permanent Heritage Planner in 2022 and a temporary two-year position for 2022/23) and capital funding to advance the implementation of the Cultural Heritage Action Plan (CHAP) at a quicker pace than staff proposed, were approved as identified on the Strategic Investment Priority Summary.
- Responding to growing volume of inspection requirements under the Ontario Building Code; one permanent inspector position in each of 2022 and 2023.
- Maintaining our service delivery to a growing City, including the Capital Program Resourcing Strategy, with project management staffing in Water Service, Wastewater Services, Corporate Energy, and Planning Services; in total three permanent positions in 2022, three permanent positions in 2023.
- Addressing escalating Solid Waste Resources’ contractual pricing and haulage volumes, increasing requirements for multi-residential diversion and a new packer truck to meet growing residential demand; in total one permanent position in each of 2022 and 2023 and use of reserves to phase-in contractual obligation and commodity pricing impacts.
- Implementing the Guelph Trail Master Plan (GTMP) and the Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP); capital investment and two permanent positions in each of 2022 and 2023. Capital investment approved from the Strategic Investment Priority Summary.
- Increasing the City’s investment in 100% Renewable Energy (100RE) with a $500,000 increase in base funding transfer to capital in each of 2022 and 2023 as well as carbon credit sales of $300,000 each year.
- Initiating the development of a Climate Adaptation Plan—assessing both our own infrastructure and community infrastructure so that we can be future ready.
- Capital budget investment that focuses on taking care of aging pipe, wells, stormwater ponds and facility infrastructure, leveraging funds for energy conservation and renewable goals where possible.
- Council proposed and approved a reduction in base capital funding of $500,000 for contaminated sites remediation.
2024 to 2031 budget forecast highlights
- Further expansion of Planning Services related to responding to reduced development application timelines with the addition of two further permanent plan examiner and planner positions in 2024/2025. Council also approved the addition of a Heritage Planner in 2025 to advance the CHAP.
- Continuation of asset replacement and renewal programs including the continuation of the Capital Program Resourcing Strategy with four positions in 2024/2025.
- Further implementation of GTMP and UFMP, and CHAP and relating operating impacts associated with these strategies, pending Council approval of funding.
- An escalating increase in 100RE funding of $1 million annually in 2025 to step towards bringing this strategy to sustainable funding for the electrification of the transit fleet and the corporate energy priority plan.
- Significant growth-related capital investment across Water, Wastewater and Stormwater services as infrastructure for Clair Maltby, and other primary intensification areas are built and renewed; includes two positions to service this infrastructure growth. Notably Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion and the Solid Waste Collection Operations Centre in 2024, and Water Services new supply investment through 2025 to 2031.
- Impacts of changing legislation relating to the Conservation Authorities Act and Waste Free Ontario Act in Solid Waste Resources is not yet incorporated into the forecast but could have significant budget impacts.
Local Boards and Shared Services budgets
- Grand River Conservation Authority