A $30,000 cap on new council motions, and a deadline for submitting them, could still come to pass.
City council sent the matter to its finance and corporate services committee Monday night for more discussion.
“There’s been three very clear examples in the past 12 months that would have actually caused a lot less stress on council, confusion with residents and better governance with this council and with city staff (had the cap and deadline been in place),” said Coun. Mike McCann.
McCann was referring to motions concerning Shak’s World, the supportive modular homes project on Vespra Street, and the Barrie small-business tax relief grant.
“They are three really good examples where if we actually had maybe a day or two to actually process, go over, consult who we need to consult with, look what other cities have done, consult with city staff, instead of having it come at the last minute. … I just think this is good governance,” McCann said.
Coun. Gary Harvey said he thought McCann’s idea had merit, but was concerned about the wording.
“I truly believe Coun. McCann’s flavour behind this is to stop the last-minute requests that are not on our agenda,” he said, “and we do at times kind of have to go on the fly and we’re totally caught off guard, without potentially having the amount of information that we would like to have in order to make sound decisions.”
“As we’re approaching an election year (2022)… it gets a little more confusing and a little more intense,” McCann said. “(This is) to mini-manage that intensity and mini-manage that passion, for all of council to be able to process an ask over $30,000.”
On Monday night, council considered receiving a defeated motion that any proposed amendments or requests from the mayor and members of council, anticipated to be more than $30,000, be submitted to the city clerk and be circulated to council no later than 4:30 p.m. the Friday before any council meeting, except during budget talks or a declared state of emergency.
It had been defeated by a 10-0 vote on April 19, but was not the motion brought forward by McCann on April 12.
The motion was that a staff report or memorandum be required before the presentation or adoption of any amendment or motion that would require funding of more than $30,000, except during a state of emergency and except at budget time.
So there’s plenty of background for finance and corporate services committee members to discuss at their next meeting on May 18.
The three matters McCann referred to were all added to the agenda the day they were discussed.
Last August, council debated a direct motion that city staff meet with Shak’s World to identify opportunities including leasing the city’s former Youth Centre at 59A Maple Ave., as well as city facilities, to host its proposed programming and its prepared business plan, and report back to councillors on Sept. 14, 2020.
Shak’s World focuses on community and the well-being of youth through basketball. The local non-profit group was searching for facility space and was before council asking for $42,000 to rent it.
In January, city council approved, as an addition to its 2021 budget, a proposed supportive modular housing project on nearby Vespra Street, the old fire-hall site, which carries a $3-million cost.
And in March, a new $800,000 grant program for small businesses in Barrie affected by COVID-related restrictions was referred to city staff for further review and consideration, and a report back to councillors.
