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Writer's pictureAccountability Team
Jan 265 min read

City Council - Wednesday, January 31, 2024, 7pm

Updated: Feb 3

Finalizing the 2024 Budget


Meeting Location: Council Chambers



🧑‍⚖️🫅 Student Mayor(s)


🫅👋 Comments from Outgoing Student Mayors

  • Hayden Jack, Seven Oaks Academy

  • Mackenzie Bentley-Isaacs, Innisdale Secondary School – postponed to next meeting



📜📜 Confirmation of the Minutes



🏆🏅 Awards and Recognitions

  • Nil



🗣🎙 Deputations


💰📊 2024 Business Plan and Budget - Service Partners (minus Police Service)

  • Deputation by Trudee Romanek (Request: https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=12626543&GUID=945CC208-E745-450C-90F7-5D096FDFF7BB)

  • Deputation by Victoria Scott (Request: https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=12626578&GUID=9CEA058F-88A5-4A71-A692-5835F1B3E720)

  • Ms. Romanek was unfortunately cut off before completing her deputation – EBO invited her to share it in full, linked at https://www.engagebarrie.org/post/full-deputation-re-library-budget

  • EBO's Victoria Scott shared her deputation on the blog, as well: https://www.engagebarrie.org/post/deputation-re-library-budget

  • Some rather aggressive "questioning" from Morales & Hamilton – mostly statements and statements disguised as questions, plus arguments against what the residents were saying.

    • There was also much talk (from Nuttall & Hamilton) over reserve funds, which neither deputant had mentioned, and was not part of the amendment from last week, either – which is what both deputants were speaking to.

    • Councillor Morales went so far as to claim that money was not being cut from the Library Budget (despite the amendment being to remove $78,387 from the Library's Budget request), and accused them of giving out misinformation.

    • Councillor Hamilton asked Ms. Scott if she had gone to the Library Board to ask them about their reserve fund, which of course she hadn't, as neither her deputation nor the motion she was speaking to had anything to do with reserve funds.

    • We've seen these approaches before in Council when talking to other Councillors or community partners, but it's troubling to see them treat members of the public this way, as it would dissuade many from speaking up in the future.

  • Nuttall and Morales also made some very cryptic references to money for the Library, but no explanation (or money) came forward in the later item discussion/debate.

  • While references continued to be made to Reserve Funds, as with City Reserves, these funds are usually "reserved" for specific purposes, and may not be drawn on for operations or other purposes. As Councillor Courser noted in General Committee the previous week, the Library Board is further bound by the Public Libraries Act (as is any municipality's contract with the Library), which includes restrictions and rules around Reserve Funds.

    • Further, BPL has their Reserves Policy available to the public on their website: https://www.barrielibrary.ca/about-bpl/about-the-library/policies/reserves-policy.pdf, which clearly states "Reserve funds are intended to provide an internal source of funds that will build long-term capacity, and are not intended to replace a permanent loss of operational funds or eliminate an ongoing funding gap." Reserves are established with Board and City of Barrie Council approval to accomplish the work of the Board. (i.e., Council already approved both the existence and terms of Library Reserves)

    • There are currently three Library Reserves:

      • Vested Sick Leave Benefits Reserve (to pay employee sick leave, based on a valuation prepared by an independent firm)

      • Future Capital Expenditures Reserve (for the use of capital or other projects that cannot be funded through the operating budget)

      • Future Collection Acquisitions Reserve (used to enhance and support new and existing formats in the circulating Library collection)

    • Reserves can only be dissolved with the approval of the Library Board


💰📊 2024 Business Plan and Budget - Barrie Police Service



💸⚖️ Tax Applications

  • Nil



📝📄 General Committee Report, January 17


🤐🤫 Confidential Information Supplied by Higher Levels of Government

  • Confidential information explicitly supplied in confidence to the Municipality or Local Board by Canada, a Province or Territory of a Crown Agency of any of them

  • Receive the motion contained in the confidential notes

  • RECEIVED unanimously



📝📄 General Committee Report, January 24


Section A (Reports to be Received)

💰🤷 Affordability Committee


Section B (Items Approved on Consent)

💰🚧 Funding Requests: Emergency Retaining Wall Reconstruction and Asset Management Plan Update

  • Report:  https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=12592802&GUID=E5E50C74-AE16-429C-B30F-9BE2569B410D

  • Create a new Capital Project in the 2024 Capital Plan for emergency reconstruction of the retaining wall on the south side of Blake Street and the west side of Nelson Square West at 18 Nelson Square West, with $425K in funding

  • Increase funding by $200K for Capital Project EN1470 - Asset Management Plan Updates - Regulatory Compliance and Program Advancement

  • CARRIED unanimously


Section C

💰📊 2024 Business Plan and Budget - Service Partners (minus Police Service)

  • Report:  https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=12599761&GUID=ABC26C07-6AF0-4727-809B-2AE2EE88D90F

  • Approve the Barrie Public Library Board request of $9.7M, minus the $78,387 allocated to the information referral and community navigation position

  • Approve the County of Simcoe request of $30.5M

  • Approve the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority request of $370.8K

  • Approve the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority request of $420K

  • Approve the Barrie Area Physician Recruitment request of $60K

  • Approve the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit request of $2.2M

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

  • AMENDMENT by Kungl, re: paragraph 7b: to have the Barrie Public Library Board present to the Community Safety Committee instead of the Finance and Responsible Governance Committee

    • rationale was consistency, and allowing similar conversation to occur with Police Services Board and Barrie Public Library Board

    • discussion was that it would be better to move the Police Board reporting to the Finance and Responsible Governance Committee

    • Kungl was convinced to withdraw her amendment and instead amend Section D

    • AMENDMENT WITHDRAWN

  • CARRIED (in original form) unanimously


Section D

💰📊 2024 Business Plan and Budget - Barrie Police Service

  • Report:  https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=12599761&GUID=ABC26C07-6AF0-4727-809B-2AE2EE88D90F

  • Approve the Barrie Police Services Board request of $67.5M

  • Councillor Harvey declared conflict and did not participate

  • AMENDMENT by Kungl: to have the Barrie Police Service Board present to the Finance and Responsible Governance Committee instead of the Community Safety Committee

    • Amendment FAILED [FOR: Kungl, Courser; AGAINST: Riepma, Nixon, Thomson, Nigussie, Harris, Morales; UNKNOWN: Hamilton]

  • CARRIED (in original form) unanimously



⏸️⏯️ Deferred Business

  • Nil



➡️📜 Direct Motions

  • Nil



🧑‍🏫📑 Presentations

  • Nil



📜📜 Bylaws


Bill 008 - Expropriation, Huronia Road Improvements, Lockhart Road to South of McKay Road East (Wards 8 & 9)


Bill 009 - Amendment to Speed Bylaw


Bill 010 - Part Lot Control Exemption, 120-130 Greer Street, even numbers


Bill 011 - Part Lot Control Exemption, 132-142 Greer Street, even numbers


Bill 012 - Part Lot Control Exemption, 144-154 Greer Street, even numbers


Bill 013 - Part Lot Control Exemption, 141-155 Greer Street, odd numbers


Bill 014 - Part Lot Control Exemption, 129-139 Greer Street, odd numbers


Bill 015 - Part Lot Control Exemption, 117-127 Greer Street, odd numbers


Bill 016 - Confirmation Bylaw













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