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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 9, 2026 Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda Main Committee Room April 09, 2026 - 07:00 PM Members of the public may observe the meeting proceedings by viewing the livestream on the HTML Agenda or the archived video available on the City's website. For inquiries related to accessibility, please contact Legislative Services Phone: 905.420.4611 | Email: clerks@pickering.ca. Land Acknowledgement Review and Approval of Agenda Disclosure of Interest Approval of Minutes February 12, 2026, Meeting Minutes Page 3 Delegations/Presentations Shauna Tawadrous, City of Pickering, Supervisor, Public Affairs & Corporate Communications Page 8 Digital Transformation Journey New Business Homelessness Subcommittee Updates C. Paxton, Chair Training and Education 1. 2. 3. 4. 4.1 5. 5.1 6. 6.1 6.2 Events and Programs Durham Region Community Safety and Well-Being Updates Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan 2025-2029 J. Kamalanathan, Durham Region, Community Safety and Well-Being Policy Advisor Other Business Next Meeting - June 11, 2026 Adjournment 6.3 6.4 7. 8. 9. Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee Meeting Agenda April 09, 2026 - 2 - 1 Present: Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Electronic Meeting February 12, 2026 - 07:00 PM L. Appelbohm C. Bamford M. Kenworthy J. Larendowicz D. Magagna A. Muhammad C. Paxton A. Rizvi M. Eskins, DARS Inc. J. Kamalanathan, Durham Region Councillor S. Butt E. Knox, Community Safety and Well Being Advisor J. Currie, Legislative Coordinator Regrets: K. Hamilton P. Patel 1. Land Acknowledgement E. Knox read the Indigenous Land Acknowledgment Statement. 2. Review and Approval of Agenda - 3 - Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes February 12, 2026 2 Moved By C. Bamford That the agenda for the February 12, 2026, Community Safety and Well Being Advisory Committee Meeting be approved. Carried 3. Disclosure of Interest No disclosures of interest were noted. 4. Approval of Minutes 4.1 November 13, 2025, Meeting Minutes Moved By A. Muhammad That the Minutes of the November 13, 2025, Meeting of the Community Safety & Well Being Advisory Committee be approved. Carried 5. Delegations/Presentations There were no delegations. 6. New Business 6.1 Homelessness Subcommittee Updates M. Eskins provided a brief overview of the DARS, This is Home Documentary event, noting that it was well attended and that feedback suggested the event may be better suited as an evening event. C. Paxton provided an update regarding events supported by the Committee in 2025 and and encouraged the Committee to continue supporting these initiatives. C. Paxton invited Committee Members to offer suggestions for potential 2026 events. A brief discussion ensued between Committee Members regarding: • holding events during the month of April, prior to the summer break; • the high impact and positive reception of the Whiskers and Wellness event; - 4 - Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes February 12, 2026 3 and, • organizing a World Homeless Day event at the DARS Farmhouse in 2026, independent of the Durham Region event. Moved By C. Bamford That the Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee endorses the Homelessness Subcommittee's support of This is Home Documentary evening screening, Whiskers and Wellness and World Homelessness Day Pickering event in 2026. Carried 6.2 Coldest Night of the Year 2026 Re: Raising Funds for Pickering – Durham Youth Services E. Knox provided a brief overview of the City's involvement with the 2026 Coldest Night of the Year event, highlighting fundraising and expanding the walking team by inviting City staff to walk and donate. E. Knox invited members to volunteer by joining the walking team or making a donation. A brief question and answer period ensued between Committee Members and staff regarding whether there were alternate volunteer opportunities in addition to walking in the Coldest Night of the Year event. 6.3 DRAFT 2025 Year End Report and 2026 Work Plan E. Knox presented the draft 2025 report and 2026 work plan noting that this was a high level overview of the accomplishments of the last year and a pathway for the work plan in 2026, and that it would be circulated for the Committee's review and feedback. A brief discussion ensued between Committee Members and staff regarding when the report would be going to Council and the opportunity for Committee Members to provide a delegation. Moved By A. Muhammad That the Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee endorses the 2025 Year End Report and 2026 Work Plan. - 5 - Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes February 12, 2026 4 Carried 6.4 Traffic Calming and Speed Enforcement Updates E. Knox provided an overview of information received from N. Emery, Coordinator, Traffic Programs & Operations, Engineering Services, regarding current traffic safety programs and initiatives. A discussion ensued between Committee members and Staff regarding: • whether residents were following posted speed limits, noting that Council recently approved developing a Pickering traffic calming policy in consultation with an engineering firm; • opportunities for the City to partner with local schools to deliver an education program for parents related to traffic safety; • the process for approving City bike lanes, including the criteria and factors considered during evaluation; and, • the potential for launching an education campaign regarding the safe use of e- scooters. 6.5 Training and Education E. Knox provided a summary of various training opportunities that had been supported by the Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee, highlighting the Egale Canada Workplace Inclusion Training, Workplace Inclusion for Staff, Workplace Inclusion for Leaders, and Dementia Friendly Communities Lunch and Learn. 6.6 Events and Programs E. Knox provided an update regarding upcoming events and programs including a community safety meeting for home and auto safety and the 24 hour street outreach team. E. Knox proved information pertaining to a community safety themed town hall focused on engagement and situational awareness. Discussion between Committee Members and staff ensued regarding whether the situational awareness program could be offered to youth groups and ensuring partnerships with the Region, DRPS, and other organizations to avoid duplication of work. - 6 - Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes February 12, 2026 5 6.7 Durham Region CSWB Updates J. Kamalanathan, Durham Region, provided a summary of the new Durham Region Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, outlining the historical background of the initiative and noting that the updated Plan continues to build on the seven established priority risk factors. 7. Other Business Councillor Butt emphasized the importance of increasing awareness of the Community Safety and Well-Being Advisory Committee's events and programs among both new and existing residents of the City of Pickering. Councillor Butt further acknowledged the recent school shooting tragedy in British Columbia and expressed concerns regarding mental health awareness and supports within local schools. M. Eskins provided the Alex Monaghan Foundation as a community resource offering youth programming related to mental health in the City of Pickering. M. Eskins raised concerns regarding the banning of individuals experiencing homelessness from City properties due to behaviours that may be linked to mental health challenges. M. Eskins noted an opportunity to develope guidelines and educational materials to help individuals understand behaviours that could result in being restricted from City properties. 8. Next Meeting - April 9, 2026 9. Adjournment Moved By J. Larendowicz That the meeting be adjourned. Carried The meeting adjourned at 8:58 p.m. - 7 - Digital Transformation Journey City of Pickering - 8 - Shauna Tawadrous Supervisor, Public Affairs & Corporate Communications Faiza Malik IT Project Lead & Business Analyst Outreach Team Kristen Fox Supervisor, Customer Care Centre - 9 - The City is advancing several projects that modernize how we operate as an organization and serve our customers. These initiatives focus on improving efficiency, strengthening cybersecurity, and enhancing the service experience for residents and customers interacting with the City. These efforts are guided by the City’s Digital Strategy, first developed in 2024. The Strategy establishes an organization-wide commitment, along with clear accountability and actions, to advance the City’s digital transformation. Background LetsTalkPickering.ca/Digital - 10 - Through this portal, residents will be able to: Log on with a personalized profile Submit service requests Track the status of requests View past requests and service history Connect with the City anytime, from anywhere The portal will complement existing in-person and phone services, ensuring residents can continue to access City services in the way that works best for them. Project Overview - New Online Service Portal - 11 - The new service portal is being developed with input from staff and the community, guided by a simple principle: services work best when shaped by the people who use them. Key areas of focus include: Community Feedback Community-informed design: Resident feedback is helping guide how the portal will look, feel, and function. Ease of use: We want the experience to feel simple and intuitive, based on how residents actually access services. Accessibility: Feedback is helping us consider how to make the portal clearer, more inclusive, and easier to use for a wide range of people. - 12 - Useful, relevant services: Input is helping us better understand which services and information residents want to find quickly and easily. A strong foundation for the future: Early feedback will help ensure the portal is built around real needs and can continue to improve over time. Community Feedback Continued... - 13 - Experience with the current service request process What the portal could look and feel like Future service/digital integrations with the portal that could be valuable Purpose of engagement This session gives us the opportunity to hear directly from residents about: Feedback opportunities will remain open throughout spring 2026, and insights gathered will help inform the ongoing design and development. The City anticipates launching the portal in 2027 (timelines subject to change). - 14 - Take 10 minutes, and either with a friend in the room, or independently, move through the boards and share your thoughts! Need some time to think on it? Visit LetsTalkPickering.ca/Digital to fill out our feedback form, or email kfox@pickering.ca - 15 -