Council Preview
Council Preview March 4, 2019 Meeting
By John Swartz
Orillia council has a little variety happening at their Monday night meeting with a presentation and two deputations on the agenda – plus an item held over from last week’s committee meeting that involves a presentation.
The winner of the 2018 Athlete of the Year Award will be announced by Mayor Steve Clarke and councillor Ralph Cipolla as the first order of business. Nominated are:
Annie Lloyd, a lacrosse player who won several other awards in 2018 and played on club, university and provincial teams that won championships.
Hemant Patel won many ‘best’ awards and team championships as a member of the Orillia Cricket Club. During 2018 he scored 1,157 runs. He scored 19 runs in the final wicket of a tournament for a come from behind win.
Bob Wink qualified for the World 35+ Waterski Championships held in Chile in 2018, placing 10th in the Over 45 Slalom. He also won 3 gold medals at the provincial rowing championships,
Teddy McCollum-Kuntz won championships as a member of the Orillia Terriers midget hockey team at the International Silver Stick tournament, and as a member of the Orillia Royals baseball team.
Next, council will hear a deputation from Lakehead University on the results of student surveys. Their message to council is there is a need for athletic facilities, student social and meeting space, Indigenous student space, and health services. Last week council approved in principal Lakehead’s wish to do a study on recreational needs/facilities at the campus. Other student services facilities are also in the planning stage.
Ellen Field and Fred Larsen of the Mayor’s Task Force Sustainable Orillia, will make a deputation to outline an approach to sustainability in several areas including agriculture, natural resources, transportation, recreation, and private and public sector services. They are taking a position of not waiting around for other levels of government to act. They are planning an inaugural event in May. They are making a pitch for the City to contribute toward the $5,000 cost of that event and ongoing work in 2018 of $5,000.
From last week’s committee meeting, the consultants who were unable to get to Orillia because of the storm to present the draft report regarding the Streetscape Improvement Master Plan for the downtown will be on hand.
In other business, the proposed smoking ban on City owned property is back with an updated report. Staff outlined three options, Pass the original motion; exempt 2 Hunter Valley Road (Nordia) and the Leacock Museum; exempt those two properties and waterfront parks when the chamber of commerce is holding events as well as the docks at the Port of Orillia. If council proceeds, there is provision to hire a part-time by-law enforcement officer specifically to police smoking.
