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City Council - Wednesday, December 11, 2024, 7pm (or immediately following General Committee)

Writer's picture: Accountability TeamAccountability Team
Dec 6, 20249 min read

Updated: Dec 11, 2024

no agenda was made public until Saturday - please note the late addition of the Joint Land Needs Analysis, which states that annexing land from our neighbours would not solve employment land problems (but using existing Barrie land could)


Minutes: not yet available

Meeting Location: Council Chambers or online


All Present



🧑‍⚖️🫅 Student Mayor(s)

  • Nil



📜📜 Confirmation of the Minutes



🏆🏅 Awards and Recognitions

  • Nil



📑🗂 Reports from Officers

  • Nil



🗣🎙 Deputations

  • Nil



💸⚖️ Tax Applications

  • Nil



📝📄 General Committee Report, December 4


Section A (report received)

  • RECEIVED unanimously

💰🏛️ Finance and Responsible Governance Committee

Section B (consent items)

  • APPROVED unanimously

💰↔️ Reserve Fund - International Relations Committee

  • Transfer $20,000 from the International Relations Committee Reserve fund to the 2024 International Relations Committee budget

🎨⌫ Graffiti Removal


Section C (also approved on consent, unsure why separate)

💰📊 2025 Business Plan and Budget - City Operations and Infrastructure Investment Funding Portions

💰📊 Operating Budget Approvals

  • Approve the 2025 tax-supported base operating budget for City Operations and the Infrastructure Investment Fund, with gross expenditures of $342.6M and a net property tax levy requirement of $197.8M

🚰🚛 City Operations and Infrastructure Investment Funding

  • Approve the 2025 budget request for City Operations, with a net tax supported municipal funding requirement of $197.8M (0% tax rate increase for operations, 2% increase for Infrastructure Investment Funding)

  • Approve the New Investment and Service Recommendations as outlined on p.20 of the Business Plan with a net cost of $1.9M (operating) and $74K (capital) and a net property tax levy requirement of $701K with additional funding of $41K from the water rate, $14K from the wastewater rate, $649K from capital projects and $454K from reserves (keeping in mind that the former CEO warned council repeatedly over the last few years that the reserves were being stretched and starved)

  • Approve the Water base Operating Budget with gross expenditures of $34.2M and revenues of $34.2M, and the proposed 2025 Water Rates as outlined in the Business Plan

  • Approve the Wastewater base Operating Budget, with gross expenditures of $46.5M and revenues of $46.5M, and the proposed 2025 Wastewater Rates as outlined in the Business Plan

  • Approve the Parking Operations base budget, with gross expenditures of $2.4M and gross revenues of $2.4M, and the proposed 2025 Parking Rates as outlined in the Business Plan

  • Exclude the following estimated expenses from the 2025 Business Plan:

    • Amortization Expense - $67.6M

    • Post-employment Benefit Expenses - $1.7M

    • Solid waste landfill closure and post-closure expenses - $500K

⚒️👍 Capital Budget Approvals

  • Approve the 2025 ($8.4M), 2026 ($37.6M), 2027 ($19.1M), 2028 ($26.7M) and 2029 ($42M) Capital Budget relating to new capital spending requests, with the following amendments to reflect changes brought forward after the budget binder was created:

    • Amend the Performing Arts Centre Redevelopment:

      • design the facility with a maximum total building cost of $65M in hard and soft construction costs for the building itself, including fit out of all seating and audio-visual components, to be funded from the Theatre Reserve

    • Add new sidewalks on Edgehill Drive east of Pringle Drive to connect to existing sidewalks - estimated cost of $975K, funded 60% from DC Reserves and 40% from the Tax Capital Reserve

    • Add Little Lake Boardwalk and Dock, $500K to be funded from the Tax Capital Reserve

    • Add Ferndale Lighting and Furniture Upgrades, $100K in 2025 funded from Tax Capital Reserve

    • Add Splash Pad - Peggy Hill CC, $50K in 2025 and $1.25M in 2026, funded from Tax Capital Reserve

  • Any Industrial Development Charge Discounts in 2025 to be funded by any year-end surplus, with any remaining balance funded from the appropriate capital reserve

🧑‍⚖️📑 Bylaw Update and Forecasts Received for Information

  • Repeal and replace Bylaw 2024-024 with a bylaw incorporating the fees and charges presented in the 2025 Business Plan, effective May 1, 2025

  • Receive operating forecast information for 2026-2028 presented in the 2025 Business Plan

💰👍 Reserve Approvals

  • Transfer $600K from the Vacation Reserve to the WSIB reserve to fund anticipated 2025 WSIB expenses

  • Establish an 'Automated Speed Enforcement Reserve' to be funded through net fine revenue collected (after offsetting costs associated with operating the program), to be used for Road Safety initiatives, as outlined in the Automated Speed Enforcement Program Update

  • Transfer $2,741,165.50 of the Building Faster Fund out of the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve and hold it as deferred grant revenue for Sophia Trunk Storm Sewers project, and amend funding for the project to include Province of Ontario Grant Funding (Building Faster Fund) of $2,741,165.50, with an offsetting reduction of Tax Capital Reserve funding

🧑‍💻🧑‍💼 Council and Staff Authorization Requests

  • Authorize the Executive Management Team to add temporary non-complement positions to the end of the budget year using existing approved funds to deal with any unforeseen circumstances that impact delivery of City Operations

  • Authorize the Executive Management Team to implement the economic adjustment for the Non-Union Group of employees (including full time, part time and students), effective January 1, 2025

  • Authorize staff to submit applications for grants that would reduce expenditures associated with projects, programs and services approved as part of the Operating and Capital Budget

  • Authorize two of either the Mayor, Clerk, Chief Financial Officer or Treasurer (or their designates) to execute any agreements that may be required to accept grant funding from other levels of government or other partners, to reduce expenditures associated with programs, services, and/or capital projects

  • Authorize staff to submit applications for grants that would reduce future capital expenditures, fund service enhancements, or enable capital projects to be advanced, and a report or memo be presented prior to the execution of any agreement associated with the acceptance of such grant

  • Authorize the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer to make the necessary alterations to the transfer to and/or from reserves to reflect changes since the 2025 Business Plan's publication on November 20, 2024

  • Authorize the City Clerk to prepare all necessary bylaws to implement the above recommendations

  • AMENDMENT by Thomson / Harvey

    • Add to paragraph 8:

      • F. That Capital Project PR-1188 Fleet Replacement Program (active) - page 36 of the Capital Plan - be increased by $1.6M in 2025, $2.4M in 2026, and $2.5M in 2027 with the entire $6.5M to be funded from the Fleet Management Reserve, and

      • G. That the Capital Project EN-1564 Waterfront Multipurpose Use Artificial Sports Field - page 79 of the Capital Plan - be deleted, with the identified funds being transferred to the new Capital Project entitled Downtown Barrie Sports Field and Cadet Parade Grounds, to align with motion 24-G-223, adopted by City Council on October 23, 2024

    • CARRIED (could not see vote)

  • MOTION, as amended, CARRIED unanimously


Section D

  • RECEIVED unanimously

💸🤷 Affordability Committee



📝📄 General Committee Report, December 11

  • Report from December 11: not available, since meeting occurs immediately preceding this one


Section A

  • RECEIVED unanimously

💸🤷 Affordability Committee


Section B

  • APPROVED unanimously

🚪🤗 Doors Open Barrie

  • Recommendation:  Direct the Economic and Creative Development and Recreation and Culture Services Departments to investigate the feasibility of including Doors Open as a City-initiated event, including integration with Culture Days Programming, and report back to the Heritage Barrie Committee

🤐🏷️ Confidential Proposed or Pending Disposition of Land Matter - Surplus Property

💰🏖️ Waterfront Property Acquisition (Wards 1 and 2)

  • Report:  https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13604901&GUID=99BDCEF5-7810-4854-83A4-75D8918B514C 

  • Authorize the Director of Legal Services to negotiate acquiring the property "Part of Water Lots 26 and 27" lying in front of 185 Dunlop Street East

  • If these negotiations fail, authorize the Director of Legal Services to start expropriation proceedings for the property instead, to expand and enhance the public waterfront in accordance with the City's Official Plan, Waterfront and Marina Strategic Plan, and 2023 Waterfront Strategic Plan Update

  • City of Barrie to make an application to Council for approval to expropriate the property, with City Clerk executing the required forms

  • Serve and publish the 'Notice of Application for Approval to Expropriate', and have the Chief Inquiry Officer report to Council on any requests for inquiries

  • Authorize the Director of Legal Services to settle the expropriations or any negotiated agreements relating to the property, with the City Clerk executing all associated and required documents

  • Authorize the Director of Legal Services and the Executive Director of Development Services to acquire other properties within and surrounding Kempenfelt Bay, as such properties may become available, subject to future approval by City Council

  • Approve a new Capital Project for the acquisition or expropriation of the property and potential future acquisitions of other waterfront properties, with a budget of $500K, to be funded from the Tax Capital Reserve


Section C

  • APPROVED unanimously

🤐🏷️ Confidential Proposed or Pending Disposition of Land Matter - Surplus Property



⏸️⏯️ Deferred Business

  • Nil



🧑‍🏫📑 Presentations

  • With agreement of Council, the Presentation was moved ahead of the Direct Motions


🧐🗺️ Joint Land Needs Analysis - Stage 2



➡️📜 Direct Motions


🙋⁉️ Request to Introduce Direct Motion Without Notice re: Joint Land Needs Analysis - Stage 2

  • CARRIED (could not see vote)


🧐🗺️ Joint Land Needs Assessment

  • MOVED by Thomson / Harvey:

    • Whereas the City of Barrie is forecast to experience significant population in employment growth to 2051, and

    • Whereas to address this growth, Hemson Consulting was jointly retained to evaluate the need for additional employment and residential lands at the boundaries of the City of Barrie and the Town of Springwater, and City of Barrie and Township of Oro-Medonte, and

    • Whereas the findings of the Joint Needs Analysis to study Stage One and Two completed by Hemson Consulting determined that there is a need for an additional 930 hectares, which is translated into 2,298 acres of land, for comprehensive community employment area uses and residential development in the City of Barrie which could be addressed through a boundary adjustment, and

    • Whereas the study findings of the vacant lands within the City of Barrie were identified, the natural heritage areas exist within the vacant lands with several of the parcels of land being vacant within Barrie's existing boundary as a result of them being undevelopable was not addressed as part of this study, and

    • Whereas upon review of the 2009 Barrie Innisfil Annexation Bill 196 adjustment, the City of Barrie's boundary to include 2,293 hectares of land with 61% of this being deemed developable and the remaining being natural heritage and environmentally protected, and

    • Whereas upon review of the previous data and in consideration of the lands within the City of Barrie it would be reasonable to consider that approximately 60% of the lands within the new expanded area would be developable, and

    • Whereas the City of Barrie owns most vacant parcels of land surrounding Little Lake, and

    • Whereas the City of Barrie will be working with the Province of Ontario to establish a protection plan for the lands surrounding Little Lake, and

    • Whereas for the City to achieve the 2300 acres of developable land as identified within the Hemson study, the City of Barrie would require approximately 4,000 acres of gross land, a much larger number than initially proposed in the City of Barrie to the Townships of Springwater and Oro-Medonte, and

    • Whereas it is understood by all parties that there will be no servicing provided to subject neighbour municipalities without a boundary adjustment,

    • Therefore be it resolved that given the information contained within the Joint Needs Analysis and Study Stage One and Two completed by Hemson Consulting, the City of Barrie's experience with development lands within the City boundary and historically experienced within the 2009 annexation, the initial land request proposals to the Townships of Springwater and Oro-Medonte be reassessed to better respect and identify the City's demonstrated need for vacant land required for comprehensive community employment lands and residential housing in order to meet provincial targets and that an updated request to include Little Lake area lands in addition to the4,000 acres of gross land be forwarded to the Province of Ontario, the Provincial Land Facilitator with the request for this matter to be dealt with in an expeditious manner, and

    • That the mayor and CAO can continue with meeting identified by the Provincial Land Facilitator to negotiate an update to the City of Barrie's border with neighbouring municipalities and staff report back on January 8, 2025 with the scope of work to proceed to Stage Three to identify Barrie's boundary with neighbouring municipalities.

  • AMENDMENT by Hamilton / Morales:

    • That the Direct Motion concerning Joint Lands Needs Assessment be amended as follows:

      • That as part of their report back, Staff verify the developable industrial land needs identified by Hemson

    • CARRIED, unanimously

  • MOTION, as amended, CARRIED unanimously



📜📜 Bylaws


🏨💵 Bill 138 - Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) Collection Agreement Renewal


🏡💵 Bill 139 - Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) Collection Agreement Renewal (Internet-based Accommodation Sharing Platforms)


💸🧾 Bill 140 - 2025 Interim Tax Bylaw


🧑‍⚖️✅ Bill 141 - Confirmation Bylaw
















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