The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCLK 04-25Report to Executive Committee Report Number: CLK 04-25 Date: September 2, 2025 From: Paul Bigioni Director, Corporate Services & City Solicitor Subject: 2026 Committee and Council Meeting Schedule File: A-1440 Recommendation: 1. That Report CLK 04-25 regarding the 2026 Committee and Council Meeting Schedule be received; 2. That the 2026 Committee and Council Meeting Schedule included as Attachment 1 to this report be approved; and, 3. That the appropriate officials of the City of Pickering be authorized to take the actions necessary to implement the recommendations in this report. Executive Summary: The purpose of this report is to present the 2026 Committee and Council Meeting Schedule for approval. In accordance with Section 238(2) of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O 2001, c.25, every municipality shall pass a procedure by-law for governing the calling, place and proceedings of meetings and the procedure by-law shall provide for public notice of meetings. Relationship to the Pickering Strategic Plan: The recommendations in this report respond to the Pickering Strategic Plan Priority of Foster an Engaged & Informed Community. Financial Implications: There are no financial implications associated with this report or the adoption of the 2026 Committee and Council Meeting Schedule. Discussion: The purpose of this report is to present the 2026 Committee and Council Meeting Schedule for approval. In accordance with Section 238(2) of the Municipal Act, every municipality shall pass a procedure by-law for governing the calling, place and proceedings of meetings and the procedure by-law shall provide for public notice of meetings. In the spirit of openness, transparency, and accountability, the adoption and posting of the annual Committee and Council Meeting Schedule is an important exercise to ensure as much advance notice is provided to the public for regular upcoming Standing Committee and Council Meetings. CLK 04-25 September 2, 2025 Page 2 Section 05.02 of the Procedure By-law provides for all regular meetings of Council to be held on the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 pm unless otherwise provided by resolution of Council. If a Council Meeting falls on a public or civic holiday, Council shall meet at the same hour on the next following day, which is not a public or civic holiday. Section 05.03 states the Executive Committee shall meet on the first Monday of each month at 2:00 pm, and the Planning & Development Committee shall meet on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 pm, unless otherwise provided by resolution of Council. If an Executive Committee and Planning & Development Committee Meeting falls on a public or civic holiday, the Committee shall meet at the same hour on the next following day, which is not a public or civic holiday. Section 06.05 states Statutory Public Meetings under the Planning Act, shall be held on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 pm. If a statutory public meeting under the Planning Act falls on a public or civic holiday, the meeting shall be held at the same hour on the following day, which is not a public or civic holiday. Every effort has been made to adhere to the above noted provisions of the Procedure By-law and any variances or adjustments are due to statutory holidays and/or significant events or dates that impact Members. Statutory holidays have been included on the Meeting Schedule for reference and the only meetings impacted by a statutory holiday in 2026 are the April and September Executive and Planning & Development Committee Meetings. Education and Training Sessions, In-Camera Meetings, and other Special Council Meetings are not included in the Meeting Schedule. If required, these meetings can be called by the Mayor, or by petition of a majority of Members of Council in accordance with the provisions of the Procedure By-law. Similar to the 2025 Committee and Council Meeting Schedule, no dates have been included on the Meeting Schedule for an Executive Committee Budget Meeting. Through Mayoral Direction 01-2025, Mayor Ashe has directed staff to prepare the draft 2026 Current and Capital Budgets in accordance with his Strong Mayor Powers. The budget process will follow the legislated requirements under Part VI.1 of the Municipal Act and the City’s Procedure By-law. Council will receive the budget materials in accordance with the timelines set out by the Mayor in the Mayoral Direction being no later than November 28, 2025. Any meetings that are required to consider amendments to the Mayor’s budget will be scheduled as special meetings of Council in accordance with the Procedure By-law. 2026 Municipal Election Impact The 2026 Municipal Election will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026. As per Section 6(1) of the Municipal Elections Act, the 2026-2030 Term of Council will begin on November 15, 2026. In keeping with past practice in election years, regular Council and Committee meetings have not been scheduled for the months of October and November, and the final meeting of the 2022-2026 Term of City Council has been scheduled for September 21, 2026. The Inaugural Meeting for the 2026-2030 Term of Council is scheduled for November 16, 2026, in accordance with the City’s Procedure By-law and in coordination with the Community Services CLK 04-25 September 2, 2025 Page 3 staff. A Special Council Meeting is also being recommended for December 7, 2026, to afford the new Council opportunity to consider any necessary matters prior to the commencement of the 2027 regular Committee and Council Meeting Schedule. It is necessary to modify the Committee and Council meeting schedule to accommodate the election period due to the large volume of staff time that will be required to prepare for the election in the months leading up to October 2026. This commitment is amplified after Nomination Day and holds steady until well after Election Day. Every staff person from the Legislative Services Division, and various other departments within the City, will be called upon to help administer the election during this time. As the last cycle of Committee/Council Meetings are proposed to be scheduled after Nomination Day (Friday, August 21, 2026), there is a potential for Council to be restricted, by Section 275 of the Municipal Act, in the actions and decisions it is permitted to make if it can be determined there is the possibility that less than three-quarters of the Members of the outgoing Council will serve on the incoming Council. This is referred to as the ‘lame duck’ period. For Pickering City Council, three-quarters of the outgoing Council is six of the seven current Members. There are two different scenarios provided for in the Municipal Act when a lame duck situation could be in effect: 1. After nomination day but before voting day, the determination shall be based on the nominations to the new Council that have been certified and any acclamations made to the new Council; and, 2. After voting day, the determination shall be based on the declaration of the results of the election including declarations of election by acclamation. (Note: This situation will not present itself if there are no Council meetings scheduled after voting day until the inaugural meeting of the 2026-2030 Council). The acts of Council that are restricted under the Municipal Act during a lame duck period are as follows: x the appointment or removal from office of any officer of the municipality; x the hiring or dismissal of any employee of the municipality; x the disposition of any real or personal property of the municipality which has a value exceeding $50,000.00 at the time of disposal (unless the disposition was included in the most recent budget adopted by Council before Nomination Day); and, x making any expenditures or incurring any other liability which exceeds $50,000.00 (unless the liability was included in the most recent budget adopted by Council before Nomination Day). Despite these provisions, Council is not prohibited from delegating authority to another person or body to exercise any authority of a municipality if the delegation is made prior to Nomination Day, and nothing prevents Council from taking action in the event of an emergency. Delegated authority was provided to the Chief Administrative Officer in 2022 through By-law 7934/22. Staff will report back to Council at a later date should it be considered necessary to provide delegated authority to the CAO for the lame duck period during the 2026 Municipal Election. CLK 04-25 September 2, 2025 Page 4 The modifications to the annual Committee and Council Meeting Schedule for the upcoming Municipal Election only apply to the 2026 Meeting Schedule and it is anticipated that a regular meeting schedule will resume in 2027 in accordance with the Procedure By-law. In conclusion, staff are seeking Council approval of the 2026 Committee and Council Meeting Schedule included as Attachment 1 to this report. Once approved by Council, the meeting dates will be posted on the City’s Event Calendar and circulated to Members of Council and Staff in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures. Attachment: 1. 2026 Committee and Council Meeting Schedule Prepared By: Approved/Endorsed By: Susan Cassel Paul Bigioni City Clerk Director, Corporate Services & City Solicitor Recommended for the consideration of Pickering City Council Marisa Carpino, M.A. Chief Administrative Officer 2ULJLQDO6LJQHG%\ 2ULJLQDO6LJQHG%\ 2ULJLQDO6LJQHG%\ S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 31 26 27 28 29 30 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 29 30 26 27 28 29 30 31 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 30 31 S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 29 30 27 28 29 30 31 6WDQGLQJ&RPPLWWHH0HHWLQJV ([HFXWLYH&RPPLWWHH SP _ 3ODQQLQJ 'HYHORSPHQW &RPPLWWHH SP 6WDWXWRU\ 3XEOLF 0HHWLQJXQGHU WKH3ODQQLQJ$FW SP &RXQFLO 0HHWLQJ SP ,QDXJXUDO &RXQFLO 0HHWLQJ SP 6SHFLDO &RXQFLO 0HHWLQJ SP &DQGLGDWH1RPLQDWLRQ'D\ 0XQLFLSDO6FKRRO %RDUG(OHFWLRQ'D\ 6WDWXWRU\ +ROLGD\ 2026 Committee & Council Meeting Schedule January February March April Legend September October November December May June July August $WWDFKPHQWWR5HSRUW&/.