At its regular meeting on Tuesday, August 14th, Kingston City Council voted unanimously to gauge more public input on the possibility of the city hosting a gaming facility in Kingston. In its motion, council requested the OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation) to attend a council meeting. The OLG has now indicated they will give a briefing at the September 18th council meeting.
The motion passed by council at the August 14th meeting included a request for OLG to come and make a presentation to council on their process and other information to inform council’s decision. Also in that motion, council voted to:
- Extend the timeline for the online survey to September 5 to provide additional time for public engagement
- Ask staff to provide a summary of research and background information on the topics outlined in this report for the final report being prepared for Council
- Inform the OLG that the City of Kingston is undertaking public consultation and that information will be provided to OLG after the October 2 Council meeting related to the potential for locating a gaming facility in Kingston
- Request OLG to hold a public meeting in Kingston
The public discussion and council motion requested by OLG, is the first step in a lengthy process OLG has established. Councils choosing to ‘express interest or not’ through motions of council does not mean a gaming facility is a pre-determined option in our communities; it’s a decision to move forward in a lengthy process with other interested communities.
Council would like to hear from as many Kingston residents on this issue as possible. Residents interested in commenting on this issue can submit an online survey at www.cityofkingston.ca/casino or call to do the survey over the phone at 613-546-0000.
Residents can also send written comments to Daniel Shipp, City of Kingston, City Hall, 216 Ontario St., Kingston ON K7L 2Z3. The deadline to submit comments into City Hall is September 5, 2012.
Once council has received the feedback, city staff will compile a report to council. OLG has indicated they want a motion from interested councils before they consider proposals in that municipality.
———————————————————————————-
Release source: City of Kingston | Photo: Wikimedia Commons
