Decisions on Kaiwo Maru event planning, bylaw alignment with provincial legislation, and affordable housing initiatives.
The General Purposes Committee meeting addressed several key issues. Regarding the Kaiwo Maru 2026 event, the committee referred the event options report back to staff for further details on revenue, expenses, programming, sponsorship, and potential coordination with the Maritime Festival. Concerning bylaw amendments, the committee introduced and gave first readings to several bylaws, aligning them with provincial legislation, with further discussion on the implementation timeline for short-term rental regulations. Regarding affordable housing, the committee approved a policy draft for Council consideration to address exceptions for income exceedance in low-end market rental housing and directed staff to establish a LEMR home registry, expand public information resources, and assess the program’s effectiveness. Finally, the committee addressed the issuance of gift cards to employees, directing staff to withdraw the practice and implement structured recognition programs.