City Watch – March 20th, 2019

Laval City Hall

Report of the Governance Commission

The members of the executive committee recommend that Laval’s city council adopts the final reports of the Governance Commission concerning the following organizations: Laval Symphony Orchestra; Quebec Center for Biotechnology Innovation; Corporation of André-Mathieu Hall ([co] motion); Multi-Sports Complex of Laval; Eco-Nature; Regroupement du sport in Laval and Regional Television of Laval. The mission of the commission is to review the practices and procedures of non-profit organizations receiving municipal financial assistance in order to reinforce the three pillars of municipal responsibility through transparency, accountability and sound governance within the targeted organizations. By-law L-12293 constituting the Governance Committee was adopted at a special meeting of City Council on Thursday, December 10, 2015 and was amended by By-law L-12581, adopted at a regular meeting of Council on June 5, 2018. Previous organizations that have been reviewed this past year include Cosmodôme; Club de soccer Fabrose; Cité de la culture et du sport de Laval; Centre d’interprétation des biosciences Armand-Frappier; Fondation Cité de la Santé; Patinorama (Objectif Zénith); Tourisme Laval; Axion 50 plus; Corporation du Centre du Sablon; Association de baseball Les Associés de Laval; Club de patinage artistique de Laval and La Centrale des artistes

In 2017, the Commission met with 15 non-profit organizations that reported on their use of the grants obtained from the City of Laval in 2016. In fulfilling its mission, the Commission can count on the support of the Governance Secretariat, which is responsible for the stewardship of the Commission, and acts as an advisor to the Commission and its Chair for all matters in governance.

Members of the committee include; Stéphane Boyer who is the acting president and municipal councilor of Duvernay-Pont-Viau, Isabella Tassoni municipal councilor of Laval-des-Rapides, Aline Dib municipal councilor of Saint-Martin, ​Aglaia Revelakis municipal councilor of Chomedey and ​Claude Larochelle councilor of Fabreville.

Construction of fire station 6

The executive committee forwarded a recommendation for city council approval to award a contract of $ 648,344.02 to VBGA Architects in exchange for integrated professional services for the fabrication of architectural plans, specifications and the supervision during the construction phase of the work as part of the building project of the new fire station number 6.

Municipal subsidies

The executive committee has agreed to award grants in the amount of: $40,000 to Bluff Productions for the research, development and execution of its annual activities for the year 2019; $13,000.00 to the Laval Dynamic Athletics Club for the rental of specialized indoor spaces for training purposes for the year 2019; $5,000 to the Sir Wilfrid Laurier Foundation financial support program for the organization’s annual fundraising galas and $5,000.00 for the Maison de Soins Palliatifs (Palliative Care Hospice) Laval to support its fundraising gastronomic evening held on February 7, 2019.

Acoustic barriers on Highway 15

The executive committee ratified the awarding of a $100,427.01 contract to WAA Montréal Inc. in exchange for the professional landscape architectural services. The firm is expected to provide technical assistance during the improvement and repair of the vegetation/landscape acoustic screens planted on Highway 15 along Guillemette Street.

Appointment of rotating associate members to the executive committee

Under the charter of the City of Laval, the mayor may submit to the council for approval a proposal to appoint, for a specified period, municipal councilors to assist the members of the executive committee as associate councilor. The proposed schedule of associate advisors includes: Mr. Gilbert Dumas from November 5, 2018 to April 19, 2019; Jocelyne Frédéric-Gauthier from April 22, 2019 to October 4, 2019; Mr. Vasilios Karidogianns from 7 October 2019 to 20 March 2020; Mr. Yannick Langlois from March 22, 2020 to September 4, 2020; Mr. Eric Morasse, from 7 September 2020 to 19 February 2021 and Mr. Aram Elagoz, from 22 February 2021 to 6 August 2021.

Nomination of a street name

In accordance with the resolution of the committee of toponymical number CT-2018-18, the executive committee agreed to recommend to the council to name the track located on the projected lot 6 241 601 of the cadastre of Quebec “rue Léonise-Valois”. This approach is consistent with the criteria of the toponymical naming policy to improve the representativeness of women in Laval topology and takes into account the themes established in terms of the street name system.

Aline Dib, Member of the Board of Directors of the Union of Quebec Municipalities

The executive committee renewed the term of office of Ms. Aline Dib, Municipal Councilor of Saint-Martin, as its representative on the Board of Directors of the Union of Quebec Municipalities for two years from April 1st 2019 to March 31st 2021.

Financial Agreement between the City and the Quebec Center for Innovation in Biotechnology (QBIC)

The Executive Committee has forwarded for City Council approval the financial assistance agreement negotiated between the City of Laval and the Quebec Center for Biotechnology Innovation (CQIB). The financial agreement aims to define the conditions for the payment of financial assistance in the amount of $360,000 for the years 2019 and 2020. The CQIB has played a role as an incubator in life science technology development for 23 years in Laval and has welcomed more than 50 biomedical startup companies in Laval. Currently 10 companies are established in laboratories and offices of the QBIC and employ more than 60 people in quality occupations.

Restoration of the André-Benjamin-Papineau House

The Executive Committee has agreed to award a contract of $62,925.82 (taxes included) to Les Consultants S.M. Inc. for professional consulting engineering services related to the renovation and restoration of the Andre-Benjamin-Papineau home. The contract includes the preparation of plans, specifications and tender documents, the obtaining of the required authorizations and certificates as well as the execution and supervision of the construction works.

Development of the Maison des Arts parking lot – Reduced mobility

The executive committee has asked city council to approve a $498,657.50 (taxes included) contract awarded to Excavation P. Dupras Inc. for renovation work on the parking lots of Laval’s Maison des Arts. This work consists of redoing the access ramps and parking facade of the Maison des arts. They no longer meet updated accessibility standards for people with reduced mobility.

Financial assistance to promote the exports of Laval companies

The members of the executive committee have presented for city council approval the financial assistance agreement negotiated between the city and Quebec’s Ministry of Economy and Innovation (MEI) for the promotion of exports from the Laval region. MEI has agreed to renew funding for the City to allow for the continuity of service. This is intended to stimulate the exports of Laval companies. These services will be organized around the following axes: promotion of exports; organization of trade missions and access to services of government partners. The new agreement will cover the period from April 1st 2018 to March 31st 2021 and will include financing in the sum of $320,000 over the three years.