City council will be back in the council chambers Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. for their regular meeting. Among the many items on the 625-page agenda are four closed session reports, two deputations, an update on bringing speed cameras to the city, a report calling for designating a part of Atlantis Drive as a community safety zone, an update on the city's housing plan, "new" debt and three notices of motions from various councillors.
There are also two items that are for the birds: a staff report on ways to control the geese population, and an update on nuisance birds in the downtown core.
Green Haven request
Officials from Green Haven, a local 14-bed women's shelter, will be making a presentation Monday, seeking one-time funding of $71,500 — the cost of operating one of their beds for a year.
According to their presentation, some staff have been laid off due to funding shortfalls. The report outlines that 12 of the facility's beds are funded by the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services, but two beds have been operating without funding since the new facility opened in 2020, putting a "strain" on operations.
Local Immigration Partnership
Sandra Lee, the County of Simcoe's manager of strategic partnerships, business intelligence and system planning, will be on hand to discuss the 2023 Community Settlement Strategy launched by the Local Immigration Partnership.
County officials are requesting the city use this document to "inform their own community planning processes, leading to improved social and economic outcomes for newcomers residing in Simcoe County."
Speed cameras
It appears speed cameras could soon be coming to some Orillia streets. City council will be asked to sign a four-year deal with the Town of Newmarket "for the provision of an automated speed enforcement program."
Automated speed enforcement (ASE) employs a combination of cameras and speed measurement devices to detect and record vehicles exceeding posted speed limits. Under the Highway Traffic Act, ASE is limited to use in school zones and community safety zones. As a result, council will have to enact bylaws declaring those "zones" to use ASE.
Council will also be asked to spend $285,000 which staff says will cover initial leasing costs, public awareness, installation and electrical connection of speed cameras in four community safety zones. The program is not expected to be operational until late next year.
What would potential fines look like. According to the report:
In school zones, vehicle owners would receive fines depending on how fast above the posted speed limit they were travelling:
- $3 for every km when driving 1-19km over the posted speed limit;
- $4.50 for every km when driving 20-29km over the posted speed limit;
- $7 for every km when driving 30-49km over the posted speed limit;
- $9.75 for every km when driving 50km or more over the posted speed limit.
In community safety zones, the fines above would be doubled.
Goose management
The city has had an active "goose management system" for several years, deploying various strategies — at a yearly cost of $25,00 to $30,000 — to minimize the impact of the geese on the city's waterways, parks and streets. According to a staff report, the strategy have been effective, reducing the number of "resident goose nests" from over 250 in 2017 to less than 50 in 2024.
Staff are recommending the program continue in 2025, when a competitive bid process will be followed to hire a qualified wildlife management company to provide goose management services.
Seagull issues
Does Orillia need a city-wide bird management program? A staff report, citing "a significant increase in seagull activity" in the downtown core says yes and is seeking $120,000 annually for the program.
It is also seeking council approval to spend $168,000 for a seagull abatement program to be operated from the Orillia Public LIbrary's rooftop. The report notes the library roof "has become a popular nesting ground for seagulls, compromising rooftop equipment through excessive debris predominantly composed of droppings and feathers."
The report notes "decoy predatorial birds and reflective spinning devices" have not worked to date.
Major projects
The city is going further into debt to fund two major projects.
Council will be asked to approve a debenture of up to $7.2 million for the next phase of the Laclie Street reconstruction project (from Cedar Street to Parkhurst Crescent) and $12.4 million for the upgrades to the Brian Orser Arena, which is currently shuttered while the work occurs. The road work debenture is to be paid off within 20 years; the arena upgrades debt is expected to be paid off within 10 years.
Housing
City council will be asked to adopt, in principle, a new implementation plan for the Housing Attainable Supply Action Plan (Housing ASAP) that has been crafted in tandem with the County of Simcoe. It lays out short-, medium- and long-term goals that could "result in a diverse mix of housing options to meet market demand of current and future residents."
Ward System
Coun. Tim Lauer is presenting a notice of motion that he will introduce a motion calling for the dissolution of the ward system at the Nov. 4 meeting. He will be urging the city to return to an "at-large" system.
