In Praise of a
Serendipitous Bulldog
This summer
Fred Gilbert will retire as the President of Lakehead
University. As the Orillia Campus of Lakehead grows into the
future there will be much telling and retelling of the genesis
of what hopefully will be the most important economic, social
and cultural development in Orillia this century.
In 2002,
Andy Charters presented this community with the challenge of
resurrecting Orillia’s long dormant desire to be a University
town. Along the way many people and many circumstances played
important parts in answering that challenge and taking Andy’s
idea to the platinum LEEDS campus we now see being developed in
Orillia’s west end. If you politely peel away all those smiling
dignitaries, all the rhetoric, all those well intentioned
community contributions and get to the heart of what actually
created this success, you will find Fred Gilbert.
I do not
claim to know President Gilbert that well. I along with many
other Orillians have worked with Fred to achieve our shared
goals; but other than a remorseful discussion on the dilemma of
60 year old hockey players having to replace 30 year old Bauer
skates that I once had with Fred, I could not claim to be an
expert on the life and times of Fred Gilbert. I did however have
an excellent opportunity to experience the process as this
project developed and from my seat in the reds, what I do know
about Fred Gilbert is that without him we would not be where we
are today.
In August
of 2005, after a year of interaction with Lakehead University
which saw our community go through all the required pretenses of
consultation and community participation with the intent of
establishing a campus location, planning possible academic
program and tackling potential student life issues, Mr. Gilbert
suddenly announced to a meeting convened for that purpose, that
Lakehead had done the math and they were coming to Orillia,
first class would be fall of 2006, all committees were disbanded
and thank you very much.
Within
seconds I realized that the City of Orillia had not as I had
previously thought, partnered with the Mats Sundin of academics
but in fact we were in the corner with Darcy Tucker. I always
liked Darcy Tucker.
Anyone who
portrays the partnering of Lakehead and the City of Orillia as a
romance, filled with tales of subtle seduction, nuance and
clever strategy, is misguided. In fact never was there a more
pragmatic courtship. Essentially President Gilbert was invited
to our dance, he arrived, liked the lay of the land, noted our
not-too-well-concealed dowry and said “lets dance”.
From that
point on, without any indication of support from any other level
of government (in fact the opposite), Fred Gilbert issued a
sizable debenture, wrestled his Senate on-side, rallied staff
and basically bulldogged Lakehead’s Orillia Campus into
existence.
Darcy
Tucker was one of those guys you loved if he was on your team
and cared little for if he was not. I am sure if one was able to
look at the entire development process on all fronts, you would
find plenty of folks in Thunder Bay and elsewhere nursing the
results of the occasional elbow delivered by President Gilbert.
On the other hand, in the City of Orillia, you will find many
folks who appreciate that someone had to go into the corners and
that someone was Fred Gilbert and for that they will be forever
grateful.
We now see
student enrollment approaching the 1000 mark, campus
construction is well on it’s way, a residence and food service
building is about to be tendered and recently the Federal
Government leap-frogged the Province and contributed $13,000,000
towards Lakehead’s vision of a 7000 student campus.
A new
President will be installed upon Mr. Gilbert’s retirement and I
suspect a gentler era will begin at Lakehead but Orillians
should all remember and appreciate what was the perfect storm
when the perfect idea met with the perfect Bulldog.
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Parkside Reversal
On March 9th, Orillia City Council finished its
deliberations regarding the new Official Plan. The planners will
incorporate the final amendments approved at that meeting and
send the final product to the Province for ratification.
In the case
of Al Langman’s Parkside development, Council reversed a
decision to designate a plot of land abutting Couchiching Beach
Park at the corner of Parkview and Tecumseth St. for
intensification, and return it to the Parkland designation
originally recommended by the Official Plan consultants. After
the meeting, through the local media, Mr. Langman indicated that
the project was dead.
I find this
puzzling.
All that
happened at the March 9th meeting was a decision by
Council not to pre-zone a piece of City owned land. Mr. Langman
seems to have the opinion that the City’s refusal to change
designations which ultimately results in his project needing an
Official Plan amendment to proceed, ends the possibility of
development.
I disagree.
Council
deals with Official Plan Amendments all the time- some are
successful- some are not. The bottom line is that the City owns
the land in question, Council has not seen a formal application
and because the devil is in the detail, it is my opinion that
Council can’t possibly make a final decision on land use. Any
designation of the property now to Downtown Intensification
would undermine the discussion that is sure to come when the
actual application hits the table.
If in the
end, Council is persuaded by Mr. Langman’s application and
decides that they are willing to sell this piece of parkland to
Mr. Langman, then it only follows that Council through the
zoning process would also grant an Official Plan Amendment. It
is not logical that one would come without the other.
There are
many people from the effected neighbourhood and from all over
the City as well, who have a real issue with the City selling
parkland and putting a development of that size that close to
the lake. Council’s action on Tuesday night simply ensures that
a full discussion will take place without prejudice and if
Council gives its approval and the community at large does not
agree, then there will be an opportunity for the public to
appeal and Council will be required to defend its decision.
I
understand Mr. Langman’s frustration with this process as
Council has reversed their intent but up until final
ratification the Official Plan is an evolving document in draft
form.
I also do
not agree with the notion that Council has misled the developer
as Councillor Cipolla maintains. Through the media, Councillor
Cipolla seems to have already made up his mind without final
details on the eventual application and has conveyed that. I
would note through me experience with the Parkside project that
the majority of Council has been very careful not to give any
indication of pre support or pre refusal to this project.
In a
similar case, the Valle property on Matchedash St., was given
the same treatment. When Mr. Valle comes forward for a
re-designation then the public again will have the opportunity
without prejudice to discuss the change.
In both
cases the developer has the ability to be proactive and defuse
opposition and perhaps we will end up with two quality
developments with full community approval or at least a
community that feels its concerns have been heard.
March/13/10
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Murf Risk Assessment
Accepted
Orillia has
received notification from the Ministry of the Environment that
their Risk Assessment for 255 West St. S has been accepted and
that a draft Certificate of Property Use (CPU) has been posted
for public comment. The draft CPU will be posted for 45 days,
after which time all comments will be reviewed. At that time the
Ministry will make the final decision on the issuance of the
CPU. This is great news for Orillians. Regardless of your
position on the MURF project the MOE decision to proceed to the
next step means that Orillia has an opportunity to reclaim the
use of 32 acres in the City core for recreational purposes.
Whether or not your vision includes a full facility as planned
or just playing fields, this decision has moved the community
one step closer to those visions becoming reality.
We still
have a ways to go yet however. We have already had indications
that at least one citizen will challenge the decision by asking
for an investigative Environmental Tribunal. If the Tribunal is
granted I would expect another significant delay. If the
Minister does not grant a Tribunal there is precedent that the
issue could be taken to a Court of Law and if the complainant is
successful a Tribunal could be ordered by the Courts.
As already
indicated by several Councilors, it is likely that there will be
a redesign of the project. It is my understanding that any
significant alterations to the project will result in a
re-submission of the Risk Assessment. Given that any redesign
will probably result in a reduction in scope of the project, I
would hope that any re-submission would be handled quickly. We
shall see.
The good
news is that Council with a little luck will be able to hand
this issue over to the new 2010 Council much closer to
resolution and the election process should provide the new
Council with clear direction.
Jan,30/10
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It is
anticipated that the contract for the construction of the new
Library will again be presented to Council in February. Staff
has taken the time that our tendering process allows us, to
investigate some concerns put forward by two Orillia taxpayers.
Angelo Orsi and Patrick Kehoe commissioned a report by a soils
engineer that suggested that there were construction
considerations that may have been overlooked through the project
development phase. These concerns were expressed at the last
minute before Christmas break, and given the tender allowed
ninety days for ratification, staff in their wisdom suggested
the delay so the concerns expressed could be responded to and
the Public would feel comfortable going forward. This is no
different than the way Council and Staff deals with most public
concerns. Much like the covenant issue presented last year by
Mr. Kehoe, Council feels it is necessary to take the time to
research and explain the situation. In this case staff will
bring forward a report that addresses the issues raised and I am
confident that if there are any legitimate concerns, they will
be dealt with and the project will not be delayed further.
I am sure
the Public must wonder why every project taken on by Municipal
Governments are subjected to so much controversy, consideration
and reconsideration.
The simple
fact is that Municipal Government is the most accessible form of
Government. The nine members of Orillia’s Council have 30,000
bosses. We hear from those bosses every day of the year. We hear
from them through the phones, emails, letters; we hear from them
at work, at play, at the grocery store, at the gas bar. We hear
from them at social functions and at the coffee shop. We hear
from them through the media and we hear from them at the kitchen
table. We also hear from them through the courts and other
levels of government. There is a feeling among Municipal voters
that unlike Provincial and Federal Governments that control and
dictate what the local representative can say and do, the
municipal politician is a party of one. He or she can be reached
on a more direct level and has no lord and master but the
taxpayer. Consequently there is an expectation that through
public input, change can be achieved. This is the process and
most Municipal Councillors and Mayors recognize and accept it
and for some of us, it is the reason we love the job.
Hopefully
when issues are raised, a good Council will listen, research,
respond and explain. Hopefully when members of the Public see
headlines that claim the Opera House is going to fall down, they
will allow Council to respond before they accept it as fact.
Jan17/10
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Parkside Development
Although
the Parkside project has just hit the news, it has actually been
in the public domain since last spring. Council did receive an
expression of interest from the developer several years ago
in-camera (the issue dealt with land acquisition) but the
project was just brought forward publicly, earlier this year, by
the developer, through the Official Plan process. Prior to the
Official Plan amendment adopted by Council for the area of
interest, the City had made no specific commitments to this
project at any point in the discussions.
During the
Official Plan last spring, I attempted to have the area east of
Laclie, between Neywash and Tecumseth removed from the Downtown
Intensification area but was unsuccessful. At the time the
objection got no press and I was surprised not to hear from any
residents. The recent deputation made by the developer put an
end to that and I am hearing lots of feedback now.
The
Official Plan at this point is a living document and won’t be
finalized until the 14th of December. There is still
an opportunity to amend it. If any resident has views on any
part of the Plan, there is still time to express them and affect
change.
As always
I am willing to listen to any proposal but my first inclination
is to be very sensitive to the neighbourhood’s concerns. For
nine years I have been trying to have the City owned lands
between Tecumseth and Mississaga redeveloped from it’s current
use as random boat trailer parking to a more pedestrian friendly
park-like use so I will continue to be protective of that
direction. Nov.28/09
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Closed Session
Investigation
The procedural question posed
to Mr. Craig stems from the process of evaluating the
performance of Municipal CAO's which is a function that most
Councils, including Orillia's, perform each year.
Outside of the municipal
world, it is unheard of, that the performance of any management
personnel would be evaluated in the presence of subordinates and
it is understandable why that is so. Unfortunately in the
Municipal world there is a catch 22 as the Municipal Act
suggests that a Clerk should be present at all meetings of
Council. The Clerk although guided by Provincial Statute reports
directly to the City Manager and therein lies the problem.
CAO Ian Brown understandably
is uncomfortable with the idea of nine very opinionated members
of Council discussing his performance in front of someone who
works for him on a daily basis and conversely Council is
generally uncomfortable discussing his performance in front of
someone who works for him on a daily basis. All Orillia
Councillors were aware of this dilemma, had discussed the issue
on several occasions, obtained legal opinion of the matter,
consulted other jurisdictions and have made no extraordinary
effort to conceal the fact. In the end there were two points of
view on Council, one based on their strict interpretation of the
Municipal Act and the other based on a legal opinion rendered,
that indicated it should be possible to open a closed session
meeting with the Clerk in attendance and then have her/him leave
the room while the discussion took place and then returning
after the discussion to record any actions that Council may deem
appropriate.
The job of evaluating the CAO
is a very important aspect of a Council's responsibilities. It
is important that the dialogue among Councillors during this
process, be uninhibited and free from constraint. For this to
happen there must be a high level of confidence among all
parties.
In an attempt to keep all
parties at the table during discussions a solution was brokered
that had the Deputy Clerk in attendance for most meetings.
Unfortunately the Deputy Clerk could not attend the meeting in
question and Council with the exception of Councillor Fogarty,
decided to proceed relying on the previously mentioned legal
opinion. The Acting Clerk opened the meeting and was asked to
leave. After her departure a discussion took place regarding the
CAO's performance review which resulted in no direction to
staff.
There may certainly be a grey
area here but it is a grey area that is not unique to Orillia.
Having another opinion from Mr. Craig will either produce a
workable solution or if necessary give Council the impetus to
appeal to the Province for a solution. In the course of his
duties Mr. Craig has also offered comment on the City's policies
regarding closed meetings, and applauds Council's attempt to
fine-tune their procedures since the latest revisions to the
Municipal Act.
Since the start, the coverage
of this story and the manipulation of this story has, in my
opinion done a disservice to Council and the Public. From the
outset this story has been surrounded by words and phrases that
are not appropriate. Phrases such as "ratted out", "whistle
blower", "illegal meeting" skew what is a legitimate procedural
question. Claims that the Mayor deliberately withheld the report
are just not factual. Claims that there was not enough time to
read the report are smoke and mirrors as any Councillors who
feel that they have not had enough time to read or research a
report, have the option to request the report be tabled. This is
especially true in this case given that this issue has no real
time pressure until next spring's CAO performance review. I find
it somewhat inconsistent that Council and the Press can claim to
be concerned about communications with the Public one week and
then allow this degree of misrepresentation to take place.
Oct 21/09
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Market Concerns
The following is a
response to a resident who has concerns with the Market Square
layout, debt, Council's inability to make a decision and worries
that Council is being bullied by the Library CEO and staff on
this issue.
Thanks for the e-mail,
I
must confess that in fact, I might be considered one of the
bullies you referenced. I have been involved in the Library
project and a passionate proponent since literally day one. The
project originated from a meeting almost ten years ago of the
Library Property Committee which I chaired. From that first
meeting and going forward, all considerations have included the
Market Square. We have met with representatives from the Market
throughout the development process and I believe we have been
sensitive to their concerns.
In the end we will
have maintained the sq footage of the exterior market space, we
will have provided an increased interior space, provided
improved infrastructure (water, hydro and facilities) and in my
opinion given the Market a higher profile on West St.
Parking continues to
be a concern and after we receive the results of the parking
study which they will carry out this July in peak season, I
believe we will be able to solve any problems that may arise.
As for design- I was
not in favour of hiring Shore-Tilbe because, in my opinion, they
tend to be too contemporary for my tastes as well as having a
tendency to build expensive buildings. I lost that argument and
the subsequent argument about the actual design. Although I
continue to have issues with the aesthetics, I am not as
concerned about the entire layout of the Market Block.
As mentioned, I believe the new Market Square will be a marked
improvement over what is currently a sloped parking lot.
If, as I anticipate the new Market layout increases the demand
for stall space and we start bursting at the seams, I am more
than willing to expand those seams onto the neighbouring
streets for the 6 or 7 hours a week we would require.
As to debt and the 50
year horizon. I agree this is a building that must service the
community for the next 50 years, that is why it is so important
to make sure the Library is functional and can service those
needs, now and in the future. We are now a growing
University/College town that in my mind, deserves a
state-of-the-art facility.
Debt is not a problem
with this project as both the new twin pad complex and the
Library will be financed from existing reserves.
As for the perception
that this Council has trouble making a decision, I beg to
differ. This Council has proceeded on a fairly ambitious
timeline with this project and I believe the only slow
down was created by our brief reconsideration of the first
proposed design which actually in my opinion contributed to a
more -all be it slight - culturally sympathetic result. Other
than that and taking time to listen to comment and ideas from
the public this project is only a few months behind schedule.
Council's willingness to listen and have full dialogue about all
issues- in the public view, should not be viewed as a negative.
A new $40,000,000
Lakehead campus expansion, a new $20,000,000 sports complex, a
new Library, a rebuilt Market Square, a cutting edge
environmental easement on Scout Valley, the beautiful Clayt
French Park, improvements to our Provincially recognized
re-cycling program, the development of new trails and the Lions
Oval elementary school all approved in the first 2 and a half
years of a term does not make me think that indecision is a
problem with this Council. We do discuss, we do disagree and
some us even get snarky when we lose, but this is how a healthy
democracy works.
And finally, I have
never actually spoken directly to Dawn Silver about the Library
so I can't comment on your concern. I suspect that Ms. Silver as
head of the Library is pushing her agenda as representatives of
the Market are pushing theirs; again a healthy sign in a
democracy. Councillors are continually being pushed from all
sides; we are pushed by staff, we are pushed by the public
and we are pushed by each other. In the end, Councillors with
good intentions realize the difference between leadership and
politics and the right thing gets done.
May 29/09
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West Orillia Sports Complex
On April 9th
Council met to decide some of the elements to be included in the new
West Orillia Sports Complex.
Council
decisions include:
Two NHL sized
ice surfaces. There was a concerted effort by Minor Hockey to make
one of the rinks Olympic size, which is the same length as an NHL
rink but 15 ft wider. The additional cost for the Olympic-sized ice
surface was $550,000. I originally proposed and continued to support
the two NHL rinks as recommended by staff. In my opinion there is no
trend towards Olympic sized ice in Ontario despite having been an
active consideration for twenty years. Olympic ice is appropriate to
consider only after you have satisfied all categories of skaters
from the very small to the adult skater and should be looked at as a
Community's 4th or 5th rink. I concede Minor
Hockey's point that there would be an ability to hold more effective
half-ice practices but this one upside does not offset the negative
impact it may have on all other uses. I still play hockey and my
conversations with adult hockey players who will be expected to
carry the freight financially, indicate that there is very little
interest in Olympic sized ice.Logistically I also believe that you
may have a problem attracting tournaments if teams are forced to
play on a surface that they have had no experience with.
700 seats in
one arena and 200 in the other:
There was a
move to reduce the seating but it went nowhere as there was no
significant cost savings. There was no real science to my original
proposal of 700 seats other than it represents an appropriate
response to our current experiences. The facility will be built to
last 50 years; somewhere within that time frame 700 seats will be
useful.
One playing
field will be artificial turf:
This was
unanimously approved, I think, and represented an additional
expenditure of $500,000. The turf will be the same type of surface
as BMO field and will require significantly less maintenance
($40,000/yr less approx). It will also provide increased revenue
from increased availability. This should give us a fairly quick pay
back on our investment. These fields stretch the season by 2 to 3
months and are not vulnerable to the same weather cancellations as
natural turf. A high quality natural turf surface is still the best
to play on but our climate has to be acknowledged.
Washroom and
Change-room servicing the playing fields:
This was a
great inclusion proposed by staff. Besides providing service to
outside facility users, the element will save space in the Twin Pad
and allow the building to be closed and unmanned during the off
season when only the tennis courts and playing fields are in use. It
will also avoid the inevitable appearance of the aesthetically
challenged and aromatically threatening portable toilet.
April 13/09
___________________________________________________________________________
Woolco Building
I have been
involved in the Library Project since day one, now almost nine years
ago. I sat through all the feasibility studies, program evaluations
and site discussions. At some point in that nine year process and I
can't put an exact date on it, the Committee discussed the idea of
buying an existing building and converting it to our needs. The
discussion included the Woolco building but never went too far
beyond the philosophical. We as a group decided that Orillia was
building a Library for the next 50 years and it should be a
signature building that demonstrated our civic pride. It was also
viewed as an opportunity to redevelop the Market Square/Opera
House area into a significant gathering place. I have not changed my
opinion. The debate currently underway is centered around cost and
potential savings. I am sure that if audited our opinion of costs
could contain a margin of error and I am sure that the opinion of cost
presented by the Woolco building proponents could also contain that same margin of error. I
am satisfied that in the end there is not enough of a price
difference to sway me from my original vision at this time.
The debate has also
been about design. I was a proponent of a more
neo-traditional design for the new Library. I voted against the
hiring of Shore Tilbe based on previous experience and I voted
against the design concept as presented. The majority of
Council decided to go in a different direction and I deemed that
issue lost. I am still hopeful that the Architects picked up on the
concern that many of us expressed and the final design will be
somewhat more sympathetic than originally planned.
As for the Market
Square space issue I have some concerns about how it is going to
work. To that end I have requested that Shore Tilbe present their
interim drawings. I am also on record as being willing to close West
St. to accommodate a larger Saturday morning Market.
As to Parking, I
am a long time member of the Parking Advisory Committee and am on
record as doubting that there will be an unsolvable parking
shortage. During six months of the year for 4 hours each Saturday
Morning there certainly will be some pressure but nothing that I see
as warranting the sacrifice of other elements of this project.
I accept our legal
opinion of title and view the ultimate anticipated cost augmented by
the $4 million grant as appropriate. If, when we get final design
and costing, I find that the project has become unworkable, then at
that time I may look to alternatives but at this time I am committed
to the course we are on and am hopeful that we can produce something
everyone will be proud of.
Mar.5,09
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Budget Report 2009
Your Committee is pleased to
report and recommend as follows:
1. THAT
the 2009 operating budget, excluding the Farmers’ Market
Management Committee budget, be approved as submitted, subject to
the following changes:
a) reducing the Council
Expense budget by $7,000 by eliminating the 2009 remuneration
adjustment for Council members;
b) reducing the
Public Works transit budget by a net $15,000 due to enhanced
Saturday transit service;
c) increasing the
Culture and Heritage Department budget by $15,000 for the second
annual grant to Ontario’s Lake Country;
d) increasing the City Manager’s
Office budget by $43,000 for the addition of a full-time Health and
Safety Officer position;
e) increasing the
Treasury Department budget by $33,000 for an additional full-time
Systems Support Technician position; by $3,000 to link remote
offices to the City's network; and by $3,000 for a backup Internet
link;
f) increasing the
Public Works Department budget by $1,000 for upgrading the Waste
Diversion Site scalehouse software; by $4,000 for map/GIS viewing
software; and by $18,000 for street line painting including crossing
lines at trails;
g) reducing the
Public Works Department budget by $1,000 and increasing the
waterworks budget by $11,000 to cover increased membership fees for
the Severn Sound Environmental Association;
h) increasing the
waterworks/wastewater budget by $1,000 for the utility’s
share of map/GIS viewing software;
i) increasing the
Library budget by $37,000 for replacement of the integrated library
system; by $3,000 for Saturday janitorial service; and by $13,000 to
restore the Director of Children’s Services position to full-time;
j) increasing the
Planning and Development Department budget by $41,000 for the
addition of a permanent Building Inspector position; by $23,000 for
the acquisition of a building permit software system and associated
hardware; and by $12,000 for a permanent part-time clerical support
position;
k) increasing the
Parks and Recreation Department budget by $31,000 to provide
scheduled evening and weekend coverage in parks and facilities; by
$30,000 to enhance turf management practices; by $10,000 for the
purchase of three special event tents; and by $1,000 to fund a
partnership with First Baptist Church for an outdoor ice rink;l)
increasing the Fire Department budget by $6,000 for the
acquisition of a hydrostatic fire hose test machine; and by $118,000
to cover the hiring of two firefighters on July 1 and two
firefighters on October 1;
m) increasing the
Legislative Services Division budget by a net $3,000 for the
acquisition of a new parking ticket database system and associated
hardware; and by a net $2,000 for the addition of a part-time meter
repair/coin collection position, with an associated net increase in
the surplus available for contribution to the Parking Reserve of
$2,000;
n) increasing the
Grants budget by $13,000.
2. THAT the
Farmers’ Market Management Committee budget be approved as
submitted.
3. THAT the
Downtown Orillia Management Board budget be approved as submitted.
4. THAT the
Couchiching Point Canal Committee budget be approved as submitted.
5. THAT
Clauses 26 and 27 of Council Committee Report 2008-17 be adopted.
6. THAT as
recommended in a report dated January 7, 2009 from the Manager of
Legislative Services, the rates for monthly parking permits be
increased in accordance with the report;
AND THAT Chapter 454 of the City
of Orillia Municipal Code be amended accordingly.
7. THAT as
recommended in a report dated January 7, 2009 from the Manager of
Legislative Services, the rate at all on-street and off-street
parking meters be increased to $1.00 per hour;
AND THAT By-law Number 2007-55 be
amended to reflect the rate and time change.
8. THAT as
recommended in a report dated January 7, 2009 from the Manager of
Legislative Services, staff be directed to apply to the Regional
Senior Justice of Ontario to increase the fines for parking at an
expired meter to $8.00 early payment and $10.00 set fine.
9. THAT as
recommended in a report dated January 20, 2009 from the City
Treasurer, Council establish a Reserve Fund for Park Development to
provide funding for development and redevelopment of the City’s
extensive park system;
AND THAT a 2.0% tax levy be used
to fund the reserve on the following schedule:
0.25% tax levy be set aside in
2009 and subsequent years, and
an additional 0.25% tax levy be
set aside in 2010 and subsequent years, and
an additional 1.0% tax levy be set
aside in 2011 and subsequent years, and
an additional 0.5% tax levy be set
aside in 2012 and subsequent years;
AND THAT this reserve be permitted
to borrow funding from other reserve sources, at the discretion of
the City Treasurer, to allow construction of the Couchiching Beach
Washroom to proceed.
10. THAT as
recommended in a report dated January 27, 2009 from the City
Treasurer:
1. Those
Multi-residential, Commercial, and Industrial properties which were
at CVA taxation in 2008 be removed from the capping program;
2. Those
Multi-residential, Commercial, and lndustrial properties which have
crossed from an increasing property in 2008 to a decreasing property
in 2009, or a decreasing property in 2008 to an increasing property
in 2009 be removed from the capping program;
3. The capping
protection for properties increasing in taxation beyond the annual
limits set by Council be funded from the general levy;
4. The Multi-residential
tax ratio be set at 1.60 for the 2009 tax year;
5. The New
Multi-residential tax ratio remain at 1.1 for the 2009 tax year;
6. The Industrial tax
ratio be set at 1.85 for the 2009 tax year;
7. The Commercial tax
ratio be set at 1.98 for the 2009 tax year;
8. The Pipeline tax ratio
be set at 2.637446 for the 2009 tax year;
9. Graduated tax rates
for 2009 remain on two bands of Commercial
assessment; the first band from $0
to $7,000,000 of assessment, and the second band being all
assessment above $7,000,000;
10. For 2009 the low band
Commercial tax rate remain at 58% of the high band Commercial tax
rate.
11. (i) THAT Council
reconsider Resolution 2008-285 regarding deferral of the 1% tax levy
increase for police contract costs in 2009;
and, if such reconsideration
passes:
(ii) That Council reinstate the 1%
tax levy increase for police contract costs in 2009 and reduce the
$400,000 contribution to the 2009 operating budget from the Policing
Services Reserve to $30,000.
12. THAT, with
respect to the Envirosave Program, the Class 1 - Verification only
fee of $25 (Item 20 of Schedule “A” of Chapter 459) be waived for
properties that have been the verification process in the previous
12 months.
13. (i) THAT
Resolution No. 2008-320 regarding inclusion of the sidewalk at Notre
Dame School in the 2010 capital budget requests be reconsidered;
and, if this reconsideration
passes:
(ii) That the
sidewalk at Notre Dame School be included in the 2009 Capital Budget
with a project budget of $13,000 funded out of the
Capital Tax Levy.
14. THAT the
2009 Capital Budget attached to this report be approved, consisting
of a total investment of $23,787,000.
15. THAT,
further to the City Treasurer's report dated January 22, 2009, the
major capital facilities funding schedule attached to the report be
endorsed;
AND THAT the priorities continue
to be reviewed annually as part of the budget process.
Complete Budget Available through
City Hall Link
_______________________________________________________________________________
Arena Closure
At 4:00 p. m.
January 14th the City of Orillia closed the Community
Centre. Here is the series of events that lead to the closure.
Beginning in 1976
the Ministry of Labour required that all arena (and swimming pool)
facilities have a structural inspection at least every five years.
The inspection certificate for the Orillia Community Centre was
valid until the end of 2008.
October 2008 Staff contracts
Tacoma Engineers to undertake structural
inspection of the Orillia Community Centre
November 17 and 18th, 2008 Tacoma conducts the onsite
inspection
December 12, 2008 Staff receives email from Tacoma - their very early
review indicates that it may be possible to keep the facility open
until September 2009
January 12, 2009 Staff receive a draft version of the structural
report indicating that the facility should be closed
January 14, 2009 (10:38am) Staff receive the final report indicating
that the facility should be closed
January 14, 2009 (1:00pm) Copy of the final report given to the Chief
Building Official
January 14, 2009 (2:34 pm) Received clarification email from Tacoma
that the expectation was that the facility should be closed now and
not after Friday’s planned meeting
January 14, 2009 (2:45 pm) Met with staff and Chief Building official.
All were in agreement that the facility should be closed immediately
January 14, 2009 (4:00 pm) Closed the Orillia Community Centre. The
decision was made by staff to close based on the structural report
and the opinion of the Chief Building Official. Staff felt that
proactively closing before being forced to close by either the Chief
Building Official or the Ministry of Labour was the best option.
On January 16th Staff met with Tacoma Engineers to review
their structural report on the Orillia Community Centre.
Clearly they indicated that there is not an immediate solution that
can get the facility operational for the remainder of this ice
season. Although the scope of their contract was just for a
structural inspection they did take a preliminary look at remedial
options. Although they have not advanced the concept into a design,
that they could verify would work, they do believe that there may be
an option that could have the building open for the 2009-2010 ice
season. They estimate that this type of remediation work would
extend the life of the building by 2 to 3 years. They are preparing
a work-plan and the cost to undertake the work and will submit it to
staff early next week. At this point they were not able to give an
estimate for the cost of any remedial work. They did stress that
if the design is viable all stages of the process from design to
construction would have to proceed expeditiously in order to meet a
fall 2009 deadline.
On January 19th
Council engaged Tacoma Engineering to do the above mentioned work
and as well, directed staff to explore other options that could
satisfy our ice needs in 2009. We expect that report in the second
week of February.
This development is
unfortunate and the hockey / figure skating community should be
congratulated for their spirit of co-operation. In hindsight this
structural review should have been done last spring so that the City
would have had time to deal with the result -however unexpected- with
as little disruption as possible. This was a failure of the
Corporation and I, as a director of that Corporation accept full
responsibility.
Going forward
Council has indicated that they will be acting on the
recommendations contained in the Ad Hoc Alternative Strategies
Committee report brought forward on the 19th of this
month.(see Plan B) There have been reports of a facility being ready
in November of 2009. Closer inspection of this optimistic timeline
would reveal some challenges. Democracy cannot move at the same pace
as the private sector and I believe some of the optimism is
predicated on immediate responses. Staff is currently looking into
these options so we will see. The tough question will be; how much
do we spend to have ice by September 2009? and what is a reasonable
timeline for the construction of a twin pad without compromising
quality?
Posted Jan.29, 09
________________________________________________________________________
Plan B
As a member of
the Ad Hoc Alternative Strategies Committee considering the problem
of what to do next in regards to the City’s recreational needs and
the viability of the proposed MURF project this is the position I
have arrived at.
Planus
Timalauerabus
I believe we
should modify our plans for 255 West St. and continue to pursue a
Certificate Of Use from the MOE. The amount of money and time
invested by this Community in the MURF project merits final
resolution. I believe the work that Shaheen & Peaker has done to
date should be subject to a third peer review before going forward.
In the interim
I believe Council should immediately address the needs of the
Soccer/Football/Rugby/Field Lacrosse/Hockey/Figure Skating/Running
and Tennis user groups.
To that end, a
mini complex should be constructed on the City owned land located
directly across from Lakehead University on West Ridge Boulevard.
The Complex
could include
* a
design-built twin pad Arena for a cost of $14/16 million
-
playing fields- including an
artificial pitch with 2 additional full sized pitches, at a cost
of $2,500,000
-
an eight lane rubberized
track at a cost of $300,000
* 4 to 8 tennis courts at a cost of $1 million
The twin pad
arena would be built to accommodate field activity/tennis change
rooms. Fitness rooms or meeting rooms could easily be added cost
permitting. The artificial field and rubberized track would be
fenced and abut the arena. Access to the one artificial pitch would
be controlled through the arena, by arena staff.
Rationale
No matter what
scenario in regards to our present recreation facilities plan
eventually plays out, I believe the above mentioned needs are
pressing and can be addressed without necessarily compromising the
building at some point of a multi-use facility in the City core.
Location- this
greenfield location is ideal for this kind of complex. The Lakehead
University development will ensure services in the area and the City
has already committed to provide public transit. Lakehead does not
anticipate developing their own recreational facilities until at
least phase three which could be 10/15 years from now. In the
interim Lakehead could be our best customer for off-prime hours. The
location will also serve Georgian College and the OPP as it will be
a five-minute drive across Line 15 from the Memorial Ave. Campus and
the OPP Headquarters.
Financial- The
primary concern is that if we build a stand-alone twin pad as well
as a twin pad as a part of the MURF, we risk being over supplied. I
believe that our growing student population, the growth of women’s
hockey and the availability of more prime-time ice hours will
off-set this concern. At worst it could mean a phasing in of the
MURF ice component until demand exceeds supply or converting an
excess rink to an indoor field facility which have proven very
popular in other communities. As we go forward and resolve the end
use of the West St. site, we will get a better feel for how fast our
post secondary institutions are going to expand. I believe the 2010
in-coming Council will be in a better position to assess and respond
to our recreational needs.
Economics- A,
modest-by-comparison, development like this will allow the
Municipality to answer our most pressing recreational needs while
buying time for Council to ascertain what kind of economic pressures
our taxpayers are going to be facing in the near future. As to
Economic Development this strategy will help our post- secondary
schools provide better recreational services that will improve there
chances of success. The argument that we are losing
Industrial/Commercial land is valid but a complex of this size will
probably require only 15/20 acres which will still leave well over
100 acres for industrial development. It could be argued that
meeting the needs of our recreational community could be a more
significant factor in Economic Development than the availability of
land.
Future Options-
As mentioned above, building now will give us the option in the
future of modifying the MURF plan if deemed necessary. It would also
allow us the ability to use the complex as the base of a MURF if the
West St. site is deemed unworkable. With some design consideration
the pool and gymnasium could be added later. This however is not a
plan I would support as I am committed to locate any multi-use
facility in the City center, however if Council in their wisdom
wished to relocate the entire project this would be, at present, the
best location.
Playing Fields
In my opinion,
the provision of decent playing fields is as pressing a need as the
need for an arena. Currently field lacrosse is without a permanent
home, flag football is being played on fields without end zones and
the quality of soccer/rugby fields is ready to be taken to the next
level.
Artificial
pitch- These facilities are becoming more and more popular as they
are perfectly suited to our climate. The turf allows continuous use
from early in the morning until late at night with little
maintenance or deterioration. The season is expanded by several
months as the technology permits use from immediately after the snow
melts until snow-cover settles in for the Winter and rain outs are a
thing of the past. The lighting would allow showcasing of High
School football on Friday nights and the facility could also act as
the home field for the Lakehead Varsity Soccer team.
Rubberized
Track- The rubberized track, although not discussed in previous
plans is a perfect fit for the artificial playing field. The
drainage system that services the playing field can be easily
extended and the lighting that services the field will do double
duty for the track. Currently there are few rubberized 8 lane tracks
in the Province and currently Orillia’s most promising running
athletes go elsewhere to train. A track of this quality would allow
the City to host major running events while providing an excellent
training facility for our own, ever-growing running community.
Tennis, as
mentioned in the AHAS report, is in need of immediate attention.
Locating it here would be the simplest solution
Summary
The above
strategy addresses the Community’s most pressing recreational needs
while allowing for the most options going forward. At the same time
this interim move will buy Council time to deal with the on-going
risk assessment and the developing economic climate. I think if we
don’t panic we have a chance to build something that will be
progressive and prudent, not just reactive.
If Council
decided to move ahead aggressively, construction could begin this
summer and all facilities would be operating by the fall of 2010
which is how I prefer to end this term of Council. The $18,000,000
when added to the Library budget and the Police Services facility
would allow us to keep our total immediate expenditures under
$50,000,000, $25,000,000 million of which is already in reserve.
Posted Jan. 20th/09
_______________________________________________________________________________
Library
Council tabled
for two weeks, the recommendations that were brought forward from a
special meeting of Council held on November 12th to
discuss the Library design. Council wanted to have the soft cost
estimate before they sent the project off for final design. Council
also wanted to give the public an opportunity to comment on the
second design direction which would see some elements introduced
that would be more sympathetic to the heritage downtown. To that end
a public meeting was held on November 27th at 6 in the
Council Chambers. I am completely sympathetic to proponents of the
Library who are understandably anxious to move the project along. As
a Councillor who has been involved in this project literally from
day one, some 8 years ago, I also am looking forward to going ahead
asap. Unfortunately in this case asap can not override the process.
I haven’t spent $20,000,000 lately and as the type of consumer who
takes a year to buy a television, I can not in good conscience
circumvent the process of due diligence. I look forward to moving
ahead once we have the costs and are relatively comfortable that the
design we are choosing represents a building that a majority of
Orillians can support The real go–no-go date however is not until
the building is tendered in the spring and the final price is known.
At that time I do not want lack of process, lack of due diligence or
any surprises to be part of the discussion. As for my opinion on the
building, I am fine with the location; I feel that underground
parking is not practical; I like option A as it represents a
reasonable compromise, increasing the Market space and maintaining
enough parking. Option A also allows for the flexibility of the
Market expanding onto West St. and eventually when we lose our
allegiance to the car we can eliminate parking altogether and make
the space into a dedicated Civic Square. As to design I would rather
see something with a neo-traditional front on Mississaga morphing
into something more contemporary in behind. I believe that the
proposed idea of etching words into the glass is a risk. Much like
tattoos and labels on T-shirts – they all end up stale. These design
opinions are of course not based on science and I respect that
everyone will have their own vision. Hopefully as stated above we
can arrive at a consensus.
Nov. 30th/08
_____________________________________________________________________________
Waterfront Land use Options
Council
received a report from EDA Collaborative Inc. outlining land use
options for Couchiching and Centennial Park. (See complete report on
City Hall link). The report was produced as a result of a request I
put forward asking for some options in regard to improvements we may
be able to carry out in the waterfront area between Brant St. and
Mississaga St. At the core of the discussion is whether or not the
City wants to operate a boat launch and provide unlimited free
trailer parking. The report contains an option that would see
Centennial Drive moved to the west and the Terry Fox Circle closed
and a new Park entrance created off of Brant Street.
As mentioned above, it has been at least 8 years since I first
requested a simple redesign of the above mentioned area. The boat
launch as it is presently configured is dangerous and much too
intrusive, the trailer parking along the old rail bed is a complete
waste of valuable parkland and the aesthetics of the back of the
Front St. buildings need to be addressed. Since that time and in
response to that request Council has commissioned an overall
Waterfront Plan and this new more focused study. Both I suppose are
necessary but both contain options that are currently out of reach
financially. I hope that Council will not be paralyzed by yet
another Master Plan and will look to find some affordable, doable
options that they can act on now. We could close the boat ramp at no
cost; we could flatten and landscape the old rail beds, we could
create a buffer along the back of the Front St. businesses; we could
improve access from Neywash St., We could create an express trail
through the west end of the Parks; we could create some washroom
facilities in a more central location; if the boat ramp stays we
could organize a user pay parking lot off site for trailers and
limit the size of boats. All these things could be done now and not
break the bank. Staff will be bringing back some options at budget
and it is my hope that they will be practical and affordable.
Nov. 30th/08
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