Special Meeting of Council

Motion to receive report 2024-64-CAO.

Whereas the City of Cornwall has established a framework distinguishing between Corporate Policies, which require Council approval, and Administrative Procedures, which are approved by Administration, as outlined in Report 2016-07-CAO, "Corporate Policy Review"; and Whereas Council has the responsibility to approve policies that have a broad impact on the municipality’s governance, mission, and key service goals, including but not limited to policies related to human resources that affect the entire organization; and Whereas it is the opinion of this Councillor that certain Administrative Procedures, particularly Human Resources (HR) policies, may have broader implications and should be classified as Corporate Policies, thereby requiring Council approval; and Whereas the HR Services Review presented as Consent Item #6 during the Council Meeting of June 25, 2024, contains HR policies that were shared with Council for information but should be subject to formal Council approval; and Be it resolved that the City of Cornwall Council reaffirms its authority to review and approve all HR policies, and directs that all HR policies presented as part of the "HR Services Review" return to Council for formal approval; and Now therefore be it further resolved that Administration be directed to update the Policy Governance Framework to ensure that any policies that, particularly those related to human resources, have significant organizational impact are classified as Corporate Policies an

Motion to receive Report 2024-12-FS for information and approve the seven first Policies contained with the Report: 1. Harassment and Workplace Violence Prevention Policy 2. Health and Safety Policy 3. Disconnecting from Work Policy 4. Electronic Monitoring Policy 5. Employee Data Retention Policy 6. Whistleblower Policy 7. Accessibility Policy

Motion to defer the two last Policies on Report 2024-12-Fire Services until the new Communication Manager has been hired, until the local media has been consulted and until the authors of these Policies are properly identified: 1. Media Relations Policy 2. Social Media Policy

Motion to receive Report 2024-85-Financial Services for the 2024 Annual Report for the Municipal Grants Program.

Motion to receive the First Quarter Non-Competitive Procurement Report for the period ending June 30, 2024.

Motion to approve an adjustment of base pay for Members of Council, on an annual basis, reflect the same rate of increase as the Non-Union group (2023 2%, 2024 2%, 2025 3%, 2026 3%) for this term of Council.

Motion to take the total value of Option 1 of the Benefits Package in the amount of $47,152.80 and apply $7,152.80 to the base of the Mayor’s annual salary to a total of $66,373.52 and that the remaining $40,000 be divided equally between Councillors to bring their base annual salary to $26,001.20. A recorded Vote resulted as follows: For Against Abstain Conflict Justin X Towndale, Mayor Claude E. X McIntosh, Councillor Maurice X Dupelle, Councillor Sarah Good, X Councillor Carilyne X Hébert, Councillor Elaine X MacDonald, Councillor Syd X Gardiner, Councillor Denis X Sabourin, Councillor Todd X Bennett, Councillor Results 6 3 0 0

Motion to make no changes to the pension benefits.

Motion to direct the Clerk to conduct a municipal review of Council’s compensation for term starting in 2026 and that this review be presented to Council no later than July 1, 2025.

Motion to make no changes to the benefits.

Motion to direct Staff (Office of the City Clerk) to prepare and present a By-law to Council for adoption.

1. Motion that Council direct Staff (Infrastructure and Municipal Works) to formalize a Memorandum of Understanding with the Township of South Glengarry, which requires an equal division of all costs related to the necessary engineering and cost recovery studies, among others, to thoroughly evaluate the request for water and/or wastewater services; and 2. That Council direct Staff to prepare a report to Council upon the completion of the requisite engineering and cost recovery studies.

That Council endorse the subject Resolution of support for the proposed Bell Mobility 75-meter-tall self-supported telecommunication tower at 120 Boundary Road following which a municipal concurrence letter can be issued by staff. The operative clause of the accompanying Resolution is as follows: Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Council of the Corporation of the City of Cornwall supports and endorses the proposed Bell Mobility 75-meter-tall self-supported telecommunication tower to be situated at 120 Boundary Road, as herein described.

That Council authorize the transfer of funds as follows: a. $1,187,373 be transferred from the Working Reserve b. $ 44,558 be transferred from the Water Works Reserve c. $ 221,934 be transferred to the Wastewater Works Reserve

Whereas, in December of 2023, as proposed by Mr. Rick O’Connor, President of MuniverseRO Consulting Inc., Council adopted the revised Procedure By-law 2023-112. By that By-law, Council adopted Article 9.1 of the Rules, that places the In Camera Meeting toward the end of the Public Meeting, rather than prior to it, as had been the custom for many years. At the time, there was no movement to resist the change in the order of occurrence of the two meetings, and certainly not the 2/3 vote that it would have taken to deviate from the prescribed order as described in Article 9.1., and Whereas since that time, the law of unintended consequences suggests that Council reconsider the change in order of the meetings. It has become apparent that the change causes a severe stress to those Councillors who are employed full time and in some instances at great distances from Council Chambers, and Whereas meetings subsequent to that of December 11, 2023, have demonstrated that punctual attendance at the public meeting is actually impossible for some Members of Council, and Whereas some Ontario municipalities have adopted the public/in- camera sequence, but not all have, and Whereas in larger cities, election to a seat on Council is an election to a full-time position, with a family-supporting wage as recompense. This situation allows a person to step away from their primary employment without jeopardizing their welfare and meet during business hours. But that is not the case in Cornwall, wher

Motion to receive Report 2024-89-Financial Services

Motion to adopt the Confirming By-law 2024-074 to confirm the proceedings of the Council Meeting of August 27, 2024.

Motion to adjourn the Special Meeting of Council of August 27, 2024, at 11:05 p.m.