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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-08-11 Special Council Agenda Date:August 11, 2025 Time:5:00 PM Location:Council Chambers or Electronic Participation Municipal Administrative Centre 40 Temperance Street, 2nd Floor Bowmanville, Ontario Inquiries and Accommodations: For inquiries about this agenda, or to make arrangements for accessibility accommodations for persons attending, please contact: Michelle Chambers, Legislative Services Coordinator, at 905-623-3379, ext. 2101 or by email at mchambers@clarington.net. Alternate Format: If this information is required in an alternate format, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator, at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131. Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information: If you make a delegation, or presentation, at a Committee or Council meeting, the Municipality will be recording you and will make the recording public on the Municipality’s website, www.clarington.net/calendar. Written and oral submissions which include home addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses become part of the public record. If you have any questions about the collection of information, please contact the Municipal Clerk. Cell Phones: Please ensure all cell phones, mobile and other electronic devices are turned off or placed on non-audible mode during the meeting. Copies of Reports are available at www.clarington.net/archive The Revised Agenda will be published on Friday after 3:30 p.m. Late items added or a change to an item will appear with a * beside them. Pages 1.Call to Order 2.Land Acknowledgement Statement 3.Declaration of Interest 4.Matters of Business 4.1 Motion regarding Jury Lands Foundation 3 4.2 FSD-026-25 - Elexicon Financing Strategy Update 2025 5 5.Confidential Items 5.1 Presentation by Amanda Klein, President and CEO, Elexicon regarding Elexicon Update Municipal Act Section 239(2) (i) 5.2 FSD-025-25 - Elexicon Agreement Update Municipal Act Section 239(2) (i) 5.3 LGS-027-25 - Proposed Disposition of Land by the Municipality Update Municipal Act, 2001 Section 239 (2) (c) and (k) 5.4 LGS-028-25 - Proposed Acquisition of Property by the Municipality Update Municipal Act Section 239(2) (c) and (k) 6.Confirming By-law 7.Adjournment August 11, 2025 Special Council Agenda Page 2 Municipality of Clarington Special Council Meeting Resolution # Date: August 11, 2025 Moved By: Councillor Traill Seconded By: Councillor Woo Whereas Council has supported the Jury Lands Foundation (JLF) grant application to the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) for $80,000; And whereas the grant was successful and has seen the development of a "Rejuvenation Garden" adjacent to the Cafeteria building, with produce being donated to the East Clarington Food Bank; And whereas a storage container has been purchased, installed, and a mural will be painted on the container in early August; And whereas the OTF grant provided funding for events including a speaker series, movie nights and a community picnic/market; And whereas the speaker series has been ongoing since April at the Sarah Jane Williams Heritage Centre and the movie nights are at the Visual Arts Centre , but the OTF grant requires some events to be held on site; And whereas the JLF was working with the owner of the site to gain access for community events, (essentially for parking) and a license agreement has been drafted and reviewed with the owner and their insurer; And whereas liability would be the responsibility of JLF; And whereas this is much like the permits necessary for the use of the municipal property; And whereas the JLF permit applications have been reviewed with staff and are ready to be issued when dates are confirmed; And whereas the owner of the site has advised that, until ownership is transferred to Clarington (and then to JLF), their insurer will not permit any events to take place on or near the site, thereby jeopardizing the JLF's OTF funding; Page 3 2 And whereas future municipal access to the site will be via a new entrance from Lambs Road to match the future road alignment as approved in Official Plan Amendment 121; Now therefore be it resolved that: 1. To facilitate municipal access without requiring use of Kaitlin's easement, the planned gated driveway access be constructed in the Fall of 2025 through the donation of materials and in-kind contributions from local contractors in the same manner that the Ehrenwort Trail was constructed in 2015 from Sprucewood to the Ring Road (i.e. NOT using Clarington staff); and 2. To ensure the timely construction of the driveway, funds already approved in the 2023 budget (Resolution# PD-080-23), be used to augment any construction materials, design fees and labour donations that JLF is unable to secure; and 3. All interested parties, including Kaitlin Corp., be notified of Council’s decision. Page 4 Staff Report If this information is required in an alternate accessible format, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131. Report To: Special Council Date of Meeting: August 11, 2025 Report Number: FSD-026-25 Authored by: Trevor Pinn, Deputy CAO/Treasurer, Finance and Technology Submitted By: Trevor Pinn, Deputy CAO/Treasurer, Finance and Technology Reviewed By: Mary-Anne Dempster, CAO By-law Number: Resolution Number: File Number: Report Subject: Elexicon Financing Strategy Update 2025 Recommendation: 1. That Report FSD-026-25, and any related delegations or communication items, be received for information; 2. That the Mayor be requested to phase-out Elexicon dividend and interest revenue from the operating budget in 2026 and 2027 and that the Deputy CAO/Treasurer be directed to put any future dividend and interest revenue from Elexicon into capital reserve funds to assist with financing future capital budgets; 3. That the Deputy CAO/Treasurer, as the Shareholder Representative, be authorized to approve the Memorandum of Understanding and any related documentation necessary to give effect thereto, on behalf of the Municipality, as substantially outlined in Report FSD-025-25, in a form satisfactory to the Deputy CAO/Solictor. Page 5 Municipality of Clarington Page 2 Report FSD-026-25 Report Overview This report provides an update on pending shareholder transactions and a financial update including the 2024 financial statements. The Pickering and Ajax RFP to transact their shares is complete and at this time there are no pending share transactions. The 2024 Consolidated Financial Statements are included at Attachment 1 and shows an improving net income in 2024 compared to 2023. Elexicon has also completed customer surveys to complete a capitalization plan, this plan will require Elexicon to invest in the necessary infrastructure to service a growing customer base and maintain delivery reliance to existing customers. This investment plan will require significant capital financing. It is being recommended to continue the phase-out of the operating budget reliance on investment income from Elexicon. Future investments are recommended to go into capital reserves to assist with the Municipality’s asset management plan. 1. Background 1.1 Elexicon Corporation (“Elexicon”) is a holding company that is owned jointly by five municipal shareholders as follows: Shareholder Percentage Ownership Town of Ajax 21.828% Town of Belleville 9.044% Municipality of Clarington 9.248% City of Pickering 27.880% Town of Whitby 32.000% 1.2 Elexicon Energy Inc. (“Energy”) is a fully owned subsidiary of Elexicon. Energy is a rate regulated electricity distribution company that delivers electricity to over 180,000 customers throughout ten municipalities in Ontario. Page 6 Municipality of Clarington Page 3 Report FSD-026-25 1.3 Elexicon was formed in 2019 through the merger of Veridian and Whitby Hydro and assumed the same operating territory as its predecessor organizations. 2. Potential Shareholder Transaction 2.1 Following the merger in April 2019, shareholders were not able to transact t heir shares for 18 months. Since that time there have been several potential shareholder transactions contemplated. 2021 Potential Sale by Pickering 2.2 On October 31, 2021, the City of Pickering approved report FIN 15 -21 “City Centre Financial and Legal Implications”. The City expressed at that time an interest to sell their shares in Elexicon as a way to partially fund the City Centre project. 2.3 In 2022, the City of Pickering indicated that it was no longer pursuing a sale of its shares. 2024 Request for Proposals by Pickering and Ajax for Shares in Elexicon 2.4 On July 3, 2024, the City of Pickering and the Town of Ajax issued a joint statement that noted that they had jointly retained Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (“BLG”) to undertake a non-binding request for proposal to explore the potential sale of their combined share ownership in Elexicon Corporation. 2.5 The Unanimous Shareholders’ Agreement (“the USA”) outlines the rights, responsibilities, timelines and processes that must occur when one or more shareholders wish to sell their shares. 2.6 The non-selling shareholders have the right of first refusal at the same price, terms and conditions of any potential sale. Further, any sale for a controlling share (more than 50%), the non-selling shareholders have the right to elect to also sell at the same terms, conditions and price (the “piggyback right”). 2.7 On July 18, 2025, Pickering notified Elexicon and the other shareholder representatives that the City had concluded the process started by the RFP and “has decided not to proceed with a sale at this time and has formally terminated the RFP process.” Ajax provided similar notification. Page 7 Municipality of Clarington Page 4 Report FSD-026-25 3. Elexicon Financial Update Financial Statements 3.1 The Consolidated Financial Statements for Elexicon Corporation for the year ended December 31, 2024 are attached as Attachment #1. These statements are completed under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) which is significantly different than the reporting requirements that the Municipality follows. 3.2 The Consolidated Balance Sheet includes both regulatory assets and liabilities, these do not necessarily offset and are shown specifically separate on the balance sheet. These amounts will be dealt with in the future through OEB orders. 3.3 The Corporation has seen a decrease in its current ratio (current assets/current liabilities) in 2024 and currently is approximately 0.64. A ratio below 1.0 means that current liabilities exceed current assets and may indicate liquidity concerns. However, cash and accounts receivable exceed accounts payable which indicate that the Corporation is able to meet its immediate obligations. 3.4 Total liabilities have increased in 2024 while shareholders’ equity decreased, this indicates a raising debt to equity ratio. The Ontario Energy Board has prescribed targets for debt to equity ratios and the capital structure of local distribution companies in Ontario. A raising debt to equity ratio may require shareholders to maintain equity within the company to maintain the required equity investment. 3.5 The consolidated Statement of Income and Comprehensive Income shows a net income of net movements in regulatory balances of $5.6 million which is $5 million higher than in 2023. This number is relevant to Council as it shows the net income after the impacts of rate regulation are factored in. 3.6 The 2023 net income was impacted by an unrealized loss on an interest rate swap which was $9.2 million higher than the unrealized loss in 2024. 3.7 During the year, Elexicon added over $81 million in property, plant and equipment which was primarily $30.8 million in the distribution system and $39.9 million in projects still under progress. This investment supports the earlier comments that investment in the distribution system is required to maintain the system and support the growing community that Elexicon serves. Capitalization Plan 3.8 In April and May of 2025, Elexicon sought input from its customers and stakeholders on their draft capital investment plan for 2027 to 2031. Page 8 Municipality of Clarington Page 5 Report FSD-026-25 3.9 The investment plan addresses a number of challenges, including rapid growth that puts pressure on the existing electricity systems and requires additional resources and new solutions to manage effectively. 3.10 The plan will build electrical capacity to enable communities to grow, replacing aging and deteriorating infrastructure, improving resilience in the grid to extreme weather events, respond to increasing electrical demand (EV chargers etc) and manage rising costs. 3.11 The capital investment plan will form part of the rate application that Energy is required to file with the OEB to set future electrical rates. 3.12 The capital investment plan will require financing, in the form of debt or equity, to implement. 3.13 To fund the investment in the long-term sustainability of Energy, funds may be required to be kept within the corporation for self-financing. This will reduce dividend revenue to shareholders until the cost for these investments can be included in rates. 4. Financial Considerations 4.1 The investment in Elexicon consists of both fixed income (promissory notes that earn interest), and equity (shares that earn a dividend). The dividend revenue is subject to approval by the Board of Directors and is discretionary. Over the past several years we have seen declines to the dividend revenue, and with the anticipated capital investments expected over the next few years Staff anticipate income to be kept within Elexicon rather than being declared as a dividend. 4.2 The Municipality has already taken steps to eliminate the reliance on the Elexicon dividends to balance current budgetary needs. Dividends received in the future will be used to fund future capital and other one-time needs. This is prudent fiscal management as dividend revenues are not a guaranteed source of income and are dependent on several factors outside of the control of the Municipality. 4.3 Mitigating the impact of removing Elexicon investment income will be increased third - party investment income. Over the past five years, the Municipality has been more active in investments and has benefitted from investment revenues increasing higher than expected. It should be noted that investment revenues are not anticipated to remain at the 2024 level; however it is expected that an increase in investment revenues is sustainable. 4.4 Staff recommend the removal of Elexicon investments from the operating budget, offset by an increase in investment revenues. Any investment income from Elexicon should be put into capital reserves for future capital budget needs. Page 9 Municipality of Clarington Page 6 Report FSD-026-25 5. Strategic Plan 5.1 Not Applicable. 6. Climate Change 6.1 Not Applicable 7. Concurrence Not Applicable. 8. Conclusion It is respectfully recommended that the Municipality complete the transition to fully remove the Elexicon investment income from the 2026 Budget Update and future investment income be placed into capital reserves. Staff Contact: Trevor Pinn, CPA, CA, Deputy CAO/Treasurer, 905-623-3379 ext.2602 or tpinn@clarington.net. Attachments: Attachment 1 – Elexicon Corporation 2024 Audited Financial Statements Interested Parties: The following interested parties will be notified of Council's decision:  Elexicon Corporation  City of Pickering  Town of Ajax  Town of Whitby  City of Belleville Page 10 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 11 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 12 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 13 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 14 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 15 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 16 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 17 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 18 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 19 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 20 Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 21 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 22 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 23 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 24 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 25 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 26 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 27 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 28 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 29 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 30 Electricity Act, 1998 Electricity Act, 1998 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 31 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 32 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 33 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 34 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 35 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 36 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 37 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 38 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 39 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 40 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 41 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 42 Notice of Amendments to Codes Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 43 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 44 Getting Ontario Connected Act Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 45 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 46 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 47 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 48 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 49 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 50 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 51 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 52 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 53 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 54 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 55 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 56 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 57 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 58 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 59 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 60 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 61 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 62 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 63 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 64 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 65 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 66 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 67 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 68 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 69 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 70 Attachment 1 to Report FSD-026-25 Page 71