Council Preview
By John Swartz
Orillia council meets at 2 p.m. Monday September 14. There are no presentations or deputations and if there is no one taking advantage of the public forum, council will go directly into a closed session
There are two items on the closed agenda. First is to do with a development charges reduction program driven by a letter from the ministry of municipal affairs and housing. there is a report related to this on the public agenda below.
Next is a discussion regarding offer to purchase city lands, a road and road allowance. There is no information which road is involved.
Nice To See You
Back in public council has 9 reports on the agenda. The first is to do with residential culvert replacement and repair. There have been 13 complaints in the last year of flooding and residents believe the storm water system of ditches and culverts in their areas are compromised. Staff determined three of those required replacement.
Staff note the City does not lower, raise or replace culverts unless there is flooding affect to other City infrastructure (roads, sidewalks). Damage to your property? Oh well. The average cost of culvert replacement is $10K and is done by contractors, not City staff.
Residents are expected to keep ditches and culverts clear and staff say they have been switching from reacting to complaints to looking for problems. It may be staff has taken note of the increased storm activity and severity trying to get ahead of the game.
Staff recommend some changes to policy in part to clear up who is responsible for replacement or repair, and to define the costs involved and who pays that bill.
Walk With Me
The City along with the Chippewas of Rama, the Township of Rama and the Orillia Snowmobile Club paid to have an environmental study done at The Narrows with an objective of building a snowmobile/pedestrian bridge.
That was finished in 2015 and was only good for ten years. Funding was applied for to build the $16 million project and the province and the feds were asked for $13.5 million of that. The money from the feds depended on the province approving, which they did not, so the project did not happen.
However, staff want to know if this project should be kept alive, which means substantially redoing the environmental assessment because the Environmental Assessment Act has changed.
Staff say they would need $15K to have the original consultant, Aecom, report on what work will have to be updated and the cost of doing so.
It Pays To Clean Up
Next is a 40-year forecast of the City’s waste management system. The investigation is aimed at identifying costs to maintain and operate the landfill and staff has determined $58 million will be needed for things like capping, constructing an export waste transfer facility when the landfill reaches capacity, possible offsite organics processing and a landfill gas collection system.
Recently federal regulation changes mean the City does not have to collect and destroy methane gas because the landfill is below limits set for doing so. Staff also state some of the capital expenditures foreseen are not part of the 10-year capital plan because they won’t be need that soon. At the same time staff say any major capital spending will likely be debt financed rather than having to add to the tax levy now and socked away in a reserve.
Another report outlines fee increases for throwing things away. Everything is going up. the only things that are still free without charge are getting rid of sand used on roads in winter and tires. Even the cost of blue and green bins is going up.
That Burned Up Real Good.
A fire in February at the municipal garage destroyed a sidewalk plow. Insurance wrote it off and paid $163,000, but a replacement will cost $196,724, so staff want council to approve $34K from the fleet and equipment reserve fund and permission to get a new one before winter.
Affordable Housing
Two reports relate to affordable housing. One is to approve a grant to Sionito Community Development Corporation’s project to build 115 units on property at 26 West Street North (the former fitness center across from the Opera House, which includes the parking lot behind it). The grant amount is 110K per unit for 20 units of the total project, which amounts to $200K.
Sionito asked for grants for 80 of the units, but the rules of the grant are only up to 50% of the fund’s balance can be awarded to one developer and the fund’s balance is $405K.
Staff also has a report asking council to amend the 2026 per door grant program guidelines. This is a different fund than the one used in the above case and is funded by the federal government and is additional to other housing development grant programs.
The problem is Orillia gets grant money to pass on in installments according meeting new housing starts. The total amount Orillia was eligible for is $4.5 million. To get the 3rd installment Orillia has to verify it will achieve 908 housing units by December 23, 2027.
The changes being asked for are adjustments to the timing of payouts to developers according to milestones (permits issued, construction start dates, occupancy, etc.) and the percentages of payouts earned. This is in order to get developers to speed up their projects so Orillia can meet its goals. There are two installments of $1.1 million of grants at stake.
Homeless People Concerns
Businesses surrounding the Lighthouse have had issues with some homeless people causing problems, and staff at the Orillia Opera House also have concerns about increased safety issues for those working late at night. To that end staff are asking council to create a business support working group for the remainder of this term, presumably to continue with new members in the next term.
The group would include the mayor, two council members representatives from the lighthouse, three members from affected businesses and one person each from the OPP, Simcoe County, the City’s economic development office and legislative services.
The motion also creates 5 permit parking spots for Opera House staff in lot 4, presumably close to the building and directs that the OPP be asked to increase foot patrols downtown and around the Lighthouse.
Congratulations, You Get To Pay
The province’s push to increase housing development by, in part, shifting the responsibility of developers to pay, through development charges, the cost of adding to municipal infrastructure to property owners and tax payers in general is the subject of the next report.
The city needs to reduce development charges by 50% in order to get a grant, funded by the province and the feds (i.e. from income taxes) worth 90% of the lost amount of DC charges. The City has pay, or forego the remaining 10% (funded by the tax levy).
Staff provided some projections of what that means in dollars. Applications have already been submitted for a total of $114 million of which $83.4 million would be eligible for grants.
Furthermore staff indicate there is $94 million of capital projects which would be funded in part by development charges in the 10-year capital plan which will be affected.
Motions
There is a motion resulting from a letter by a Dancy Drive resident regarding sewage backups that have happened. Incidents outlined in the letter occurred following storms and asks why Dancy Drive residents got different treatment than others.
The motion asks council to have “staff be directed to prepare a report to council committee on the feasibility of developing a City-wide plan to assist residents of streets/neighbourhoods impacted by flooding (indoor and outdoor) as a result of both human and natural causes.”
There are three enquiry motions. Councillor Whitney Smith has two of them. One is to have staff report on:
Opportunities to address gaps related to rental housing standards and tenant protections within the City, and that the report include, but not be limited to the following:
– A review of comparable municipal approaches across Ontario to address rental housing and tenant protection issues, including measures to address bad-faith renovictions such as Toronto’s Rental Renovation Licence By-law, and whether similar measures may be appropriate for Orillia;
– An assessment of rental housing issues within the City of Orillia, including whether there is evidence of bad-faith evictions (renovictions), recurring property standards concerns related to rental housing, or other issues that may warrant municipal action;
– A review of existing City by-laws and the City’s legislative authority under applicable provincial legislation to identify whether there are gaps in rental housing standards or tenant protections that could reasonably be addressed by the municipality;
– A review of existing waste, recycling and organics requirements applicable to rental properties, including whether the existing requirements adequately address the amount and capacity of receptacles required based on the number of residential units or occupants;
– Identification of potential municipal measures available to address any gaps identified through the review including the potential impacts on both tenants and rental property owners; and
– The anticipated financial, staffing and enforcement implications of any options identified, together with staff recommendations for Council’s consideration.
Smith also would like staff be directed to prepare a report with respect to the following:
The feasibility of establishing a designated off-leash dog area with water access at Couchiching Beach Park; to include consideration of:
– Potential suitable locations along the waterfront where dogs could safely access the water for swimming;
– The appropriate size, boundaries, fencing, signage, waste receptacles and other amenities required to provide a clean and safe area;
– Separation from designated public swimming areas, beaches and other high-use recreational areas to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all park users;
– Accessibility, maintenance, environmental considerations and public safety;
– Estimated capital and ongoing operating costs; and
– Any required amendments to City by-laws, policies or other approvals necessary to
permit dogs to be off-leash and access the water within the designated area.
Councillors Jeff Czetwerzuk and Jay Fallis would like to have staff report on the feasibility, program design, and associated costs of implementing a rebate program to support the installation of wastewater backflow prevention solutions at private residences to be included in the 2027 budget.
Council meetings are open to the public or can be watched on the City’s Youtube channel.
(Photos by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia; Images Supplied)
