The opioid crisis, the prospect of creating a managed encampment in Orillia, housing, local swim advisories, and other issues are among the items at Monday's busy city council meeting, which is set to begin at 1 p.m. with a special meeting regarding the city's Official Plan.
The meeting will be held at the Orillia Opera House due to ongoing work at council chambers at the Orillia City Centre.
The opioid crisis
The city’s opioid crisis working group will bring forward several recommendations for city council consideration, after meeting on numerous occasions since May to develop strategies for addressing the opioid crisis locally.
The working group recommends establishing an addiction and overdose crisis working group, with the aim of identifying a location and funding opportunities for a drop-in centre/community hub, as well as developing a public awareness campaign to reduce stigma and build support for the community hub.
The proposed hub aims to increase community connections, help people meet their basic needs, and provide access to harm reduction, housing services, and more, notes the report.
If established, the addiction and overdose crisis working group – which will be formed of city officials and numerous community agencies – will report back to city council by April 2024.
Portable toilets and garbage pickup for encampments
Following an inquiry brought forward by councillors Jay Fallis and Janet-Lynne Durnford, city staff have recommended against the idea for portable toilets and regular garbage collection at the city’s homeless encampments.
Staff noted that public washrooms, portable toilets, and garbage disposal sites are found at numerous locations throughout the city, and cited “numerous issues” that have arisen with a similar initiative in Peterborough.
Staff also noted that garbage collection sites will need to be accessible by a truck, including snow-clearing in winter, and that contract services would be required to carry out garbage collection and portable toilet services.
Local swim advisories
Following Coun. Tim Lauer's inquiry on the perceived rising number of swim advisories at local beaches, city staff have recommended a comprehensive review of the city’s existing stormwater operations and maintenance plans.
Between 2018 and 2023, there have been 39 local swim advisories, with a total of 10 in 2023 – a 37.93 per cent increase over the city’s four-year average.
According to the health unit, there are five primary factors that affect water quality: rain, wind, waterfowl, wet sand, and shallow water.
Staff found there were significant levels of intense rainfall in the summer of 2023 compared with previous years, and noted a rise in e.coli bacteria at local beaches generally follows intense rainfall events.
City staff, in consultation with the environmental advisory committee, will look into the specific types and sources of contamination that result in swim advisories.
Open public forum
Following an inquiry motion by Coun. Luke Leatherdale, city staff have recommended against proposed changes to council’s open public forum session at its meetings.
As it stands, members of the public may only speak to items on the current council agenda. Leatherdale had requested city staff look into opening the public forum up to any municipal issue.
City staff noted that members of the public may write letters to council members, request a deputation at a city council meeting, or otherwise contact members of council with issues of concern.
Ontario housing affordability task force
At Monday’s council meeting, city politicians will select Orillia’s top five recommendations from the Ontario housing affordability task force report, completed in 2022.
The task force proposed that Ontario build 1.5 million homes, between 2021 and 2031, a goal which the provincial government has since adopted, to help increase the supply of housing amid rising housing costs.
In a letter to the city in September, minister of municipal affairs and housing, Paul Calandra, requested the city identify its top five priorities from the task force’s report.
City financial statement and audit report
City staff have completed the city’s financial statement and audit report for 2022, stating that the city “continues to demonstrate a positive and healthy trend, with an increase in net financial assets and accumulated surplus.”
Between 2021 and 2022, the city’s financial assets grew by $42.4 million, due in large part to reserve fund contributions and unspent, committed capital funds.
The city’s accumulated surplus, as well, grew by $22.5 million over that time.
Orillia Fire funding
City council will consider $360,000 in funding for 9-1-1 emergency response upgrades, as the fire department awaits approval on a recent grant application sent to the provincial government.
The provincial government previously announced $208 million in funding to improve the province’s 9-1-1 response system, and the Orillia Fire Department previously received capital budget approval for $265,000 for the upgrades.
If the $360,000 in additional funding is approved Monday, the funding will make up a shortfall in provincial funding to carry out the upgrades, with city staff noting the funding will be required to carry out the work, and that the intention is for provincial grant funding to replace any approved city funds.
Council inquiries
The council inquiries will be discussed at Monday’s council meeting.
First, Coun. Janet-Lynne Durnford will seek council’s support for a report placing an infill sidewalk on the south side of Fittons Road East, between Jamieson Drive and Fitton Heights, as well as building a pedestrian crosswalk across Fittons Road East at Jamieson Drive.
Mayor Don McIsaac, Coun. Tim Lauer, and Durnford will also seek council’s support for a report on the estimated cost and timeline to resurface Cedar Island Road approximately 140 metres southeast of the Elgin Street/Cedar Island Road intersection, to the section approximately 220 metres southeast of that intersection.
Finally, McIsaac, Durnford, and Coun. Jay Fallis will request a report outlining options to establish managed encampment sites within the city, with independent structures and 24-hour support for chronically homeless individuals, with consideration to possible locations, infrastructure requirements, partners, costs, and more.
Click here to read the 190-page agenda and its related reports.
The meeting is open to the public and is also shown live on Rogers TV in Orillia. It is later available for viewing on the city's YouTube page.
