The new term of Guelph city council is officially underway after Mayor Cam Guthrie and 11 city councillors were sworn in Monday night during a ceremony at city hall.
Coun. Bob Bell missed the meeting and will be sworn in at a later date.
Guthrie is joined on council by 10 returning councillors and two new faces — Rodrigo Goller and Dominique O’Rourke.
“We began our election campaigns as 13 individuals — each with our own names on our signs and our own ideas and perspectives. But now, as a council, we become one team,” Guthrie said in his address.
“As a team, we must be committed to listening to one another, learning from one another and harnessing our best ideas to move this great city forward together.”
During the term, council will see construction begin on the long-awaited South End Community Centre. They will also receive a report on a massive review of Guelph Transit and oversee the merger of Guelph Hydro and Alectra Utilities.
But first, city council will address the idea of brick-and-mortar cannabis shops opening in Guelph during a meeting on Dec. 17.
Guthrie also addressed what he called the growing crisis of homelessness in Guelph and said he has already taken steps to deal with it, including the creation of an emergency task force.
“The task force will be about action and not about talk,” he said.
“It will bring forward measurable solutions to issues that are affecting people in all corners of our city.”
Guthrie added the city also needs to create more affordable housing, including the redevelopment of the former IMICO site at Beverley and Stevenson streets.
“We need to offer a range of housing choices in the market so that there is something for everyone,” he said.
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