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Writer's pictureAccountability Team
Nov 214 min read

General Committee – Wednesday, November 27, 2024, 7pm

Updated: Nov 25

Lakehead University is in and the Permanent Market is out (leaving us with LOTS of questions and concerns), Outdoor Racquet Sports Strategy, Transit Network Adjustments, Ward 2 Zoning Amendment


Meeting Location: Council Chambers



🗣️🏙️ Public Meetings

  • Nil



🧑‍🏫📑 Presentations


🏫🎓 Lakehead University STEM Hub Campus Investment in Barrie



⏸️⏯️ Deferred Business

  • Nil



📝📑 Reports of Reference, Advisory or Special Committees


🏛️🫂 Infrastructure and Community Investment Committee


🎾🏸 Outdoor Racquet Sports Strategy (April 2024)

🚏🚍 2025 Transit Network Adjustments

  • Staff Report:  https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13537096&GUID=0A1C7B8F-DE78-463C-AA98-5D63796486C2 

  • Revise Phase 2 of the New Transit Network:

    • Route 2 and Transit ON Demand (TOD) Zone G Adjustments in the first quarter of 2025

    • Route 8 and TOD Zones A and B Adjustments in the third quarter of 2025, to align with the opening of the Barrie Allandale Transit Terminal

    • Route 8 adjustments to new Terminal in third quarter of 2025, to align with the opening of the Barrie Allandale Transit Terminal

    • Implementation of the new Zones E, F and H as TOD Zones, to align with the delivery of the additional buses


💸🤷 Affordability Committee



📑🗂 Staff Reports


🏢🏙️ Zoning Bylaw Amendment Application - 196 and 202 Dunlop Street West (Ward 2)

  • Report: https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13567639&GUID=11899893-AC47-4BD6-9049-B0D217871503

  • Approve the rezoning from 'Residential Multiple Dwelling Second Density with Special Provisions' (RM2)(SP-189) to 'Mixed Use Corridor with Special Provisions' (MU2)(SP-XXX)

  • Special Provisions

    • change front yard setback to 5.83m for 100% of the lot frontage (currently maximum 5m for 25% of the lot frontage)

    • permit landscaped open space within the front yard (currently required to be paved and seamlessly connected with the sidewalk)

    • permit storage of refuse within a privately maintained in-ground waste container (currently required to be stored within main building or an accessory structure)

    • decrease landscaped buffer area from 3m to 2m along the north and west lot lines

    • increase minimum rear yard setback from 7m to 19m


🏫🎓 University Stem Hub Campus Investment in Barrie - Lakehead University

  • Report: https://barrie.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13567641&GUID=84B45496-52EF-4CC2-BE91-24D45F4A76F4

  • Renovate space at the Transit Terminal (24 Maple Avenue) to support the creation of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) University satellite hub of Lakehead University

  • Cancel Capital Project 001292 Permanent Market Development, reallocate its funding to this project (total of $6.5M funded from the Tax Capital Reserve) to support the opening of the campus for September 2026 (this is a highly disappointing turn-around, especially with the number of years and taxpayer dollars that went into the planning for the Market, not to mention resident enthusiasm for the project)

    • $1.25M for 2025

    • $5.25M for 2026

  • Authorize the Director of Facilities to negotiate an initial five-year lease for 24 Maple Avenue:

    • five year term, including an option for renewal

    • basic rent of $1 for the premises, inclusive of utilities, and to keep the facility to the standard of a first-class building for the premises

    • (we are hard-pressed to understand how the city dedicating several million dollars in return for a $1 investment by the university is a fiscally responsible endeavour)

  • Commit $1M in capital contributions towards Lakehead University to support the start-up capital required to equip and fit-out the space at 24 Maple, through the creation of a 2025 Capital Project to be funded from the Reinvestment Reserve and released over 2 years, commencing in 2025 with a $600K contribution

  • Commit to provide further funding to Lakehead University for four years:

    • $400K in 2026

    • $800K in 2027

    • $600K in 2028

    • $600K in 2029

    • (again, the city is committing a tremendous amount of taxpayer money, without naming any direct taxpayer benefit)

  • Authorize the Director of Economic and Creative Development to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding with Lakehead University, and Mayor to execute it

    • alignment on strategic decisions and directions of Lakehead University with the City's strategic priorities

    • operational funding commitments

    • City's recognition of its annual partnership funding contribution

    • commitment to program offerings to meet the needs of the local community and employers and fill needs not currently met by Georgian College, including engineering at the graduate and post-graduate levels

    • 10-year vision for growth and establishing a larger presence as part of a phase 2 program

    • (we note there is nothing here about where these new students will be housed - student housing is already a serious issue for Georgian students, how is the city going to realistically handle this new influx?)

  • Authorize the Director of Facilities to negotiate a new property lease agreement to relocate the Barrie Police satellite office at 24 Maple to another downtown core location "for a term generally consistent with that of the Lakehead lease" ($1 and millions of dollars of donations?)

  • Authorize staff to waive the City's Procurement Bylaw to meet the project timeline (waiving the Procurement Bylaw always sends up a number of red flags for us)



📑🗂 Reports of Officers of the Corporation

  • Nil



💡🗣️ Items of Discussion


💌🧑‍🏫 Invitation to Present - Empower Simcoe



📥🔄 Circulation List Referrals

  • Nil



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