Council Meeting
Previews & Highlights
Previews and highlights of upcoming and recent City Council and General Committee meetings, posted weekly on Fridays and Tuesdays.
General Committee and City Council meetings air and stream live on
Rogers Television. Formal channels to communicate with City Council include Circulation List and Deputations.
PREVIEW: General Committee
7 p.m., Monday, March 9, 2020
Full agenda
All motions will be considered for final approval at the March 23, 2020 meeting of Barrie City Council. Municipal Heritage Registrar - Cenotaph and the Military Heritage Park General Committee will consider approval of a motion that Barrie Cenotaph and Military Heritage Park be added to the Municipal Heritage Registrar as listed properties. The Registrar is a publicly accessible (barrie.ca) list of properties that includes designated buildings and buildings of heritage interest. It can also be used to determine areas of heritage interest within a municipality. The Registrar is regularly reviewed and updated. Barrie Cenotaph is located in Memorial Square in the downtown, while Military Heritage Park sits near the south shore on Kempenfelt Bay.
Municipal Heritage Registrar - 92 Clapperton St. and 151, 155 and 161 Bradford St. A motion that the property municipally known as 92 Clapperton St. and the City owned properties municipally known as 151, 155 and 161 Bradford St. in Barrie be added to the Municipal Heritage Registrar as listed properties will be considered for approval by General Committee. A publicly accessible list of properties that includes designated buildings and buildings of heritage interest, the Registrar can also be used to determine areas of heritage interest in a municipality. It is regularly reviewed and updated.
Request for review of the Lake Simcoe Protection Act General Committee will consider approval of a motion that calls upon the Ontario government to demonstrate its commitment to clean water in the provincial statutory review of the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan, by ensuring provisions which protect water quality are not weakened and the policies protecting natural heritage are strengthened to meet the Plan’s targets. The motion also asks the Ontario government to work collaboratively with provincial ministries and all levels of government, including First Nations and Metis.
Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) funding for Scanlon Creek Environmental Centre A motion that City staff investigate the feasibility of granting the capital funding request of $150,000 from LSRCA for the Scanlon Creek Environmental Centre, including potential funding sources, and report back to Finance and Corporate Services Committee, will be considered for approval by General Committee. Also called the Nature Centre, it will continue to connect with kids, contribute to a healthier Lake Simcoe watershed and better connect the community to it. The Centre has a cost of $6.5-$8 million, will have more than 8,000 square feet of space, capacity for 250 people and will attract 15,000 visitors annually. Its opening is projected for 2022.
Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) Therapy in the Woods funding for 2020 programs General Committee will consider approving a motion that fees associated with renting the Dorian Parker Centre for LSRCA’s Therapy in the Woods program in 2020 be funded from the Council Strategic Priorities Reserve, in the amount of $1,800, pending approval of all required permits for using Barrie’s Sunnidale Park and associated facilities. Therapy in the Woods is an outdoor education program for early learners with special needs. It is led by Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) staff and is expanding into Barrie for the first time.
Barrie Collingwood Railway - Market Feasibility Study and Service Delivery and Modernization Review A motion that the Market Feasibility Study concerning Barrie Collingwood Railway (BCRY) be received will be considered for approval by General Committee. The motion would also authorize City staff to engage with the County of Simcoe and relevant stakeholders to analyze the Service Delivery and Modernization Review to determine BCRY’s future operations and report back to General Committee. Both reports conclude further action is required to reduce the City’s fiscal and operational commitment to BCRY, a short-line railway. The City owns, operates and maintains 35 kilometres of active rail within Innisfil, Barrie and Essa Township.
Water Operations Branch 2019 Drinking Water System Reports General Committee will consider approval of a motion that a staff report on the City of Barrie’s drinking water system for 2019 be received for information. Barrie’s drinking water system includes the Surface Water Treatment Plant, which draws from Kempenfelt Bay and 12 groundwater wells drilled into a deep acquifer. There are 640 kilometres of waterman and transmission main providing water to approximately 149,900 city residents in Barrie.
Items for Discussion Committee Appointments Seven appointments to various committees and boards will be considered by General Committee. The motion would appoint Councillor Robert Thomson to the Finance and Corporate Services Committee, and Councillor Ann-Marie Kungl to the City Building Committee, the Seniors Advisory Committee, the Active Transportation and Sustainability Advisory Committee, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit Board and both the County of Simcoe Human Services Committee and the County of Simcoe Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. This motion is sponsored by Deputy Mayor Barry Ward.
Community space at Hewitt’s Community Centre General Committee will consider approval of a motion that Corporate Facilities Department staff connect with Sarah Uffelmann of the Ethnic Mosaic Alliance to review the current proposed design for the Hewitt’s Community Centre, and investigate the feasibility to right-size any increase in facility needs - such as the kitchen, office space, gymnasium - in order to accommodate the Alliance and its cultural group partners using the community space, and report back to General Committee. This motion is sponsored by Councillor Sergio Morales.
Public Art Acquisitions A motion that Economics and Creative Development Department staff, in consultation with the Public Art Committee, provide a report to the City Building Committee regarding the practice of paying the appraised value, for insurance purposes, for public art acquisitions, specifically the discrepancy between insured values and fair market values, will be considered for approval by General Committee. This motion is sponsored by Mayor Jeff Lehman.
UNHCR Statement of Solidarity General Committee will consider approving a motion that Mayor Jeff Lehman be authorized to complete and sign the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) of Canada Statement of Solidarity with Refugees that represents local authorities working to promote inclusion, support refugees and bring communities together, on behalf of the City of Barrie. This motion is sponsored by Councillor Natalie Harris.
Clothing and textile collection A motion that Business Performance and Environmental Sustainability Department staff investigate the feasibility of the collection of textiles through various avenues - such as curbside, community bins and special event collection similar to the program being undertaken in the town of Aurora - and report back to General Committee, once the current textile collection pilot project is completed, will be considered for approval by General Committee. This motion is sponsored by Councillor Natalie Harris.