Traffic concerns, on-demand transit, snow removal, and more are on Monday’s busy council agenda, with the meeting set for 2 p.m. in the council chamber at the Orillia City Centre.
Council meetings may also be watched on the city’s YouTube channel, and the full council agenda may be found here.
Four-way stops
Coun. Tim Lauer will bring forward a report requesting temporary four-way stops at Brant and Canice streets, as well as at Tecumseth Street and Lightfoot Drive.
Residents feel there has been an increase in traffic volume in the area since Phase 2 of Laclie Street reconstruction began, and Lauer is seeking immediate implementation of the four-way stops through the 2024 construction season.
Last year, traffic-calming measures were introduced along Matchedash Street after Laclie Street reconstruction contributed to a 500 per cent increase in traffic along the roadway.
On-demand transit
Following a report from the city’s on-demand transit working group, council will consider whether to forward ideas for on-demand transit to 2025 budget deliberations for further discussion.
On-demand transit is one of several recommendations from 2023 meant to improve city transit, and the working group has, numerous times over the past year, put together an array of ideas for on-demand transit in Orillia.
Some of these ideas are as follows:
- Entering into an agreement with a third-party software provider that provides for booking, data collection and a dynamic hybrid operating model
- Retaining a fixed route until 7 p.m. and moving to fully on-demand during evenings and weekends, according to existing schedules
- Using a stop-to-stop model
- Including OWLS in the pilot for on-demand transit
- Expanding to underserviced and growth areas in the city as medium-term goal
The working group recommends a one- to two-year phase-in period beginning in 2026, and highlights rider convenience, the ability to pre-book rides, reduced wait times and travel times, and more among the benefits of introducing on-demand transit.
Housing co-ordinator
After being brought onto city staff as a two-year contract position in 2023, council will consider whether to support continuing the housing co-ordinator position through the 2025 budget deliberations.
The contract is currently set to expire June 12, 2025, and the city’s affordable housing committee argues the position should be “continued indefinitely” for a variety of reasons, including the following:
- Developing long-term programs and solutions to increase housing supply cannot be achieved without staff support
- Affordable housing remains a pressing issue in Orillia and beyond
- Outstanding items in the city’s affordable housing action plan “indicate a need for a dedicated position”
Winter maintenance program
Staff will give an overview of the city’s winter maintenance program, including options to increase service levels, which council will consider forwarding to the 2025 budget deliberations.
Currently, the city meets all legislated policy requirements for winter maintenance, city staff report, recommending the city maintain status quo for road clearing while adding an additional $34,000 for sidewalk clearing in the winter.
With the expansion of west Orillia, staff said council could consider increasing from eight plowing routes to 10 plowing routes, which would require a $900,000 capital investment for two new plow trucks, enabling roads to be cleared faster.
Following major snow events, city staff report some boulevards (which accumulate snow after plowing) can take up to three days to clear, and they estimate an annual cost of $126,000 to clear boulevards more quickly.
Staff estimate windrow clearing — the snow banks at the entrances to driveways — would require a $2.4-million capital investment and $700,000 annual operating costs to service the more than 11,000 entrances in the city.
The report comes from a previous council request to explore options and costs for improving response times following snowfall, and to identify options for snow removal in parts of the city where snow storage is limited.
Housing ASAP
The County of Simcoe and the City of Orillia are set to give a presentation on the Attainable Supply Action Plan (Housing ASAP), which identifies actions to increase the supply of attainable housing to moderate-income households.
The county defines attainable housing as affordable to residents earning between 80 and 120 per cent of an area’s median income, in adequate condition and appropriately sized for its residents.
With the supply of housing not meeting demand, and the costs of rentals and ownership skyrocketing, the plan offers a range of strategies to increase attainable and market-rate rental housing, as well as attainable ownership opportunities, bringing forward 43 potential solutions to the attainable housing issue in Orillia.
Some of these strategies include developing a program to facilitate priority housing, creating a public land program and candidate sites catalogue, updating the planning framework to support new housing development, and simplifying the development process.
Tree planting
Council will consider allocating more funds to tree planting in the 2025 budget.
With 50 trees slated for removal in downtown Orillia for sidewalk repairs, and hundreds removed from city parks (with 40 replanted) in 2023, the city also lost nearly 100 trees along road allowances to the emerald ash borer in 2022 (with 63 replanted).
As a result, staff recommend adding $20,600 to both the 2025 and 2026 budgets to increase the city’s tree-planting initiatives.
Council inquiries
Two city councillors will bring forward inquiry motions for their peers’ consideration Monday, requesting staff report back on the ideas at a later date.
Lauer will request a report on the feasibility implementing permanent all-way stops at the intersections of Borland and Peter streets, Jarvis and Peter streets, and Brant and Canice streets.
Coun. Jay Fallis will request a report on the feasibility of permitting bicycle vendors on city streets.
