Council: increases transparency, welcomes casino giants, adds more trees
CBC News | Posted: November 15, 2017 10:08 AM | Last Updated: November 15, 2017
Everything you need to know from Tuesday's full council meeting
All boards welcome at city hall
The London Police Service isn't the only city agency that is welcome to holds it board meetings at city hall in an effort to increase transparency.
City council has extended the invitation to its 12 other boards and comissions, including the London Transit Commission and the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. Council is also encouraging the agencies to live stream their meetings.
"I think it's an important step in ensuring people feel welcome and in an inviting space that removes some of the barriers that historically have been there," said coun. Mo Salih - who made the initial request for the police services board to hold its meetings at city hall.
Concerns regarding relocation inconveniences were raised. However, council clarified that all agencies would have the option to decline the offer and continue running meetings at their respective centres.
Proposed Casino
Councillors are inviting OLG and Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Limited to discuss, for the first time in-person, a proposed casino for London.
Gateway, a Canadian entertainment giant, has plans to build a casino that would include a hotel, eateries and gaming slots. The proposed $140 million project would employ 700 people. Gateway currently employs about 300 people at the Western Fair Slots.
Following the meeting, Londoners will have the opportunity to weigh in at public consultation meetings.
More trees in the Forest City
The Forest City is getting more trees.
Councillors approved a five year action plan between 2017 and 2021 that would work to achieve a city tree canopy goal of about 34 per cent by 2065.
Every year, the city spends about $1 million on tree planting. However, the new plan will increase that budget by about $450,000. It will be reviewed and revised every five years until 2065.
Election sign bylaw approved
City council has approved a new election sign by-law that imposes stricter rules around candidate signs ahead of an election.
Candidates won't have the opportunity to stack their signs, prompting a 10 metre distance per sign, per candidate. Candidates will have four days to get take election signs down, instead of three days.
And although signs can now be bigger, they have to be set back from the road. Election signs placed within eight metres of roadways should be below 1.8 metres in height.