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4TH REPORT OF THE

 

Investment and Economic Prosperity Committee

 

meeting held on March 25, 2013, commencing at 3:09 PM, in the Council Chambers, Second Floor, London City Hall. 

 

PRESENT:  Councillor J.B. Swan (Chair), Mayor J. Fontana, Councillors M. Brown, D. Henderson and S. Orser and B. Mercier (Secretary). 

 

ABSENT:  P. Van Meerbergen.

 

ALSO PRESENT:  Councillors J. Baechler, D. Brown, J. Bryant, P. Hubert, B. Polhill and H. Usher and A. Zuidema, R. Armistead, J. Barber, G. Barrett, J. Braam, B. Coxhead, M. Daly, C. Dziedzic, H. Filger, J. M. Fleming, K. Graham, M. Hayward, M. Henderson, G. Hopcroft, G Kotsifas, A. Macpherson, D. Mounteer, D. O’Brien, R. Paynter, B. Turcotte, B. Warner, J. Winston and J. Yanchula.

 

 

I.

DISCLOSURES OF PECUNIARY INTEREST

 

1.

That it BE NOTED that Councillor J. Swan disclosed a pecuniary interest in clause 9 of this report, having to do with a presentation by S. Farhi on proposed Farhi Holdings Corporation developments in the City of London, by indicating that his employer, Orchestra London, leases space that is owned by the Farhi Holding Corporation.

 

II.

CONSENT ITEMS

 

2.

Assessment Growth Allocation

 

 

Recommendation: That the Municipal Council resolution adopted at its meeting held on February 28, 2013, with respect to assessment growth allocation BE RECEIVED.

 

3.

2013 Operating Budget for Services within Culture Services

 

 

Recommendation:  That the Municipal Council resolution adopted at its meeting held on February 28, 2013 with respect to the 2013 Operating Budget for services within the Culture Services BE RECEIVED.

 

4.

Immigrant Incubation Centre

 

 

Recommendation:  That NO ACTION BE TAKEN with respect to the Municipal Council resolution adopted at its meeting held on February 28, 2013, related to a request for $25,000 funding for a feasibility study for a Immigrant Incubation Centre; it being noted that the Investment and Economic Prosperity Committee received the attached communication dated March 25, 2013, from J. Heriera, J. Malkin and A. Tang, Directors, London Multicultural Community Association with respect to this matter.

 

III.

SCHEDULED ITEMS

 

5.

City of London Boards and Commissions and Non-Profit Agencies: Job Creation Presentations

 

 

Recommendation:  That the following actions be taken with respect to job creation presentations:

 

a)            the attached presentation from P. White, President London Economic Development Corporation, BE RECEIVED;

 

b)            the attached presentation from L. Da Silva, General Manager, London Convention Centre, BE RECEIVED;

 

 

 

c)            the attached presentation from M. Sinclair, Tech Alliance, BE RECEIVED;

 

d)            the attached presentation from S. Pellarin, Executive Director, Small Business Centre, BE RECEIVED;

 

e)            the verbal presentation from J. Winston, General Manager, Tourism London, BE RECEIVED; and,

 

f)             the Civic Administration BE DIRECTED to report back to the Investment and Economic Prosperity Committee with respect to the following:

 

i)              a summary of existing agencies and their programs, specifically to identify areas for improvement or redundancy;

ii)             a plan to assist agencies to establish a single, practical, measurable and transparent “jobs plan” for the City of London;

iii)            steps to continue to foster relationships with partners in education, health and wealth creation; and,

iv)           a measureable system for retention of students from various graduate programs in the City of London, following graduation, in conjunction with the various agency partners noted above;

 

it being noted that the IEPC did not receive a specific report from H. Filger, Director of Corporate Investment and Partnerships, as Mr. Filger reports regularly to the IEPC with respect to these matters. 

 

6.

Southwest Economic Alliance: Past Work and Plans for the Upcoming Years

 

 

Recommendation:  That the presentation from S. Lavoie, President, Southwest Economic Alliance (SWEA) and D. Mumford, Regional Vice President, Radio and TV Operations Bell Media, Ontario, BE RECEIVED; it being noted that this presentation was considered with clause 5, above.

 

IV.

ITEMS FOR DIRECTION

 

7.

2012 London Convention Centre Results

 

 

Recommendation:  That, on the recommendation of the London Convention Centre (LCC) Board of Directors, the LCC 2012 operational surplus in the amount of $154,093, BE TRANSFERRED to the LCC Special Projects Reserve; it being noted that the Investment and Economic Prosperity Committee received a communication dated March 4, 2013, from the Board of Directors, LCC, with respect to this matter.

 

V.

DEFERRED MATTERS/ADDITIONAL BUSINESS

 

8.

Industrial Land Review Update

 

 

Recommendation:  That the verbal update, from G. Barrett, Manager, Policy Planning and Programs, with respect to the public participation opportunities to be held on April 23, 2013 before the Planning and Environment Committee, relating to the proposed expansion of the Urban Growth Boundary BE RECEIVED.

 

9.

Potential Farhi Holdings Corporation Developments in the City of London

 

 

Recommendation:  That the following actions be taken with respect to the attached communication dated March 25, 2013 submitted by S. Farhi, S. Farhi Holdings Corporation:

 

a)          NO ACTION BE TAKEN with respect to the proposed project located at       199 Queens Avenue;

 

b)         Mr. Farhi BE REQUESTED to provide the Civic Administration with             additional detail, including business plans and due diligence check lists,             satisfactory to the Civic Administration, with respect to the following             projects proposed in his communication dated March 25, 2013:

 

i)              Market Tower and Annex Sale - 151 Dundas Street;

 

ii)             402 Corridor Development - 500 acres along the 402 north of Colonel Talbot Road;

 

iii)            Top of the Thames - 435-451 Ridout Street;

 

iv)           Lagrou Park - 2679 Dundas Street;

 

v)            Courthouse Square - 74 Fullarton Street; and

 

c)         the Civic Administration BE REQUESTED to review and report back to             the Investment and Economic Prosperity Committee (IEPC), within 90             days of receipt of the information requested from Mr. Farhi in b), above;

 

it being noted the IEPC received a presentation from S. Farhi regarding this matter.

 

 

VI.

CONFIDENTIAL

 

(See Confidential Appendix to the 4th Report of the Investment and Economic Prosperity Committee enclosed for Members only.)

 

The Investment and Economic Prosperity Committee convened in camera from 6:55 PM to 7:05 PM after having passed a motion to do so, with respect to:

 

C-1.

A matter pertaining to instructions and directions to officers and employees of the Corporation to a proposed acquisition of lands; advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose; reports or advice or recommendations of officers and employees of the Corporation pertaining to a proposed acquisition of lands; commercial and financial information supplied in confidence pertaining to the proposed acquisition the disclosure of which  could reasonably be expected to, prejudice significantly the competitive position or interfere significantly with the contractual or other negotiations of the Corporation, result in similar information no longer being supplied to the Corporation where it is in the public interest that similar information continue to be so supplied, and result in undue loss or gain to any person, group, committee or financial institution or agency; commercial, information relating to the proposed acquisition that belongs to the Corporation that has monetary value or potential monetary value;  information concerning the proposed acquisition whose disclosure could reasonably be expected to prejudice the economic interests of the  Corporation or its competitive position; information concerning the proposed acquisition whose disclosure could reasonably be expected to be injurious to the financial interests of the Corporation; and instructions to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the Corporation concerning the proposed acquisition.

 

VII.

ADJOURNMENT

 

            The meeting adjourned at 7:05 PM.