Beginning in the new year, planning committee meetings will return to city hall after a years-long absence.
Public meetings under the Planning Act will be held the first and third Tuesday of each month.
"What's old is new again," Mayor Jeff Lehman said Monday night. "There used to be planning committee of Barrie city council decades ago."
At that time, planning committee acted as an alternative to having general committee to handle Planning Act applications.
"We have so much going on in the city that we're bringing back planning committee ... to do nothing more than to attempt to manage the growth of the city and the pace of planning applications and matters that will come before council," Lehman said.
The mayor says having meetings dedicated solely to planning matters will provide for a more "fulsome" discussion and review.
"We're really giving them extra time so we're not trying to cram in public meetings at the front end of a very busy general committee night, as we heard a week ago," he said of a night dominated by three public meetings. "We don't get to the business side of the agenda often until between nine and 10 o'clock."
Additionally, as planning applications become more complex, Lehman said the change will allow for extra time to hear from the public about concerns that affect them in their neighbourhood.
"It's a major change, actually, in how Barrie city council does its work," he added.
Council also approved other changes to the city's procedural bylaw.
This also includes allowing for deputations at council either objecting or supporting of a recommendation up for consideration with a maximum of five minutes per deputation, as well as amending the order on council agendas. For example, reports from officers, such as the integrity commissioner, will be scheduled prior to deputations.
