We're done here for the night! Thanks for following along. I'll be home in time to watch Skubal make his Dodgers debut as I write!

We've now adjourned the general committee meeting, and we're waiting for them to reboot the voting technology to enter into a city council meeting to approve a closed session item regarding potential litigation passed tonight. Whatever they're voting on it seems to have passed unanimously.

Coun. Lachica is now introducing a motion under any other business to ensure that anyone receiving a subsidy at the time of a labour dispute loses access to that subsidy.

A notice of motion from Mayor Leal asking staff to report back in the first quarter of 2027 on allowing businesses to be open on statutory holidays. It passes unanimously.

Council votes unanimously to receive a report on the city's tire program update, noting the excess number of tires in the city's landfill. Staff note that there are currently almost 3 times the typical number of tires and may have to stop accepting tires. There is not much discussion. Here's more:

City warns Peterborough landfill may stop accepting tires as stockpile swells to nearly 9,000

Between 8,000 and 9,000 tires are at the Bensfort Road site.

thepeterboroughexaminer.com

Now, council is about to discuss and vote on allowing for the demolition of the historic, but burned out, stone schoolhouse at 297 Hunter St. W. which PACAC recommended for designation late last month. Here is more on that: www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/news/council...

Old Stone School recommended for heritage designation

Roman Catholic Diocese has owned the school since 1921. The city has until Aug. 21 to consider a demolition permit.

thepeterboroughexaminer.com

We're now going through a number of heritage designations. The first for a property at 192 Hunter St. W (Bell Telephone Building) fails 3-7 (Bierk, Lachica, and Riel in favour); 479 Ried St. (William Hamilton Manufacturing) also loses by the same vote.

Councillors Duguay and Vassiliadis both sing the praises of the economic development report and the department. Meanwhile Coun. Riel is now again asking why it took so long to get an update, saying he just learned more from the mayor's speech than he has from the ED director in 19 months.

Now we're on to a report on economic development. A report shows that the team is "now at full capacity" with three people being hired for the portfolio. Coun. Riel asks how all this work, formerly done by "16 people" at PKED is being done by such a small team.

Currently up for discussion is a report on the city's prudent investor standard. Coun. Joy Lachica is asking about options for the city to avoid investing in fossil fuel based companies. Commissioner Richard Freymond says that this is an opportunity to diversify the investment portfolio.

The general committee meeting is underway here at Peterborough City Hall. Coun. Matt Crowley has sent his regrets while Coun. Alex Bierk is joining virtually.

Bluesky! Hello! I'm back after the August break and a week of vacation to bring you updates from tonight's general committee meeting! Follow along here if you want. Tell a friend. Here's this evening's agenda: pub-peterborough.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx...

And we are adjourned until August! Thanks for following along with me these past few months.

Now in any other business, councillors have voted unanimously to send a letter to the ISED and MP Harrison regarding the location of a cell tower.

Peterborough city council has voted against designating two heritage properties—one at 123 Simcoe St. and another at 164 Sherbrooke St.

Now we're on to the unaudited financial report from 2025. Coun. Bierk is asking about the $826,943 surplus for the police. Bierk is re-introducing a deferral on this part of the report so that council can get more information on what that money might be able to be used for.

Coun. Joy Lachica is now speaking to the CPPS and the additions passed by council last week regarding an additional document around voluntary green development guidelines. She says after meeting with staff on this to go over language. Lachica is bringing forward another amendment.

Now a delegation on Lucas Siwnyk and Cathy Zhang are addressing council regarding the notice of objection for 123 Simcoe St., which is the home of Brickhouse Craft Burger. Zhang says that she is here to show that her family is responsible and does not want to demolish the building.

Andrea Lac is not addressing council on the cell tower concurrence on Marina Blvd. saying that she feels her family is being used as an experiment and that council wouldn't want their families to be "microwaved." She says more research is needed prior to this being installed near residences.

Now we have Bob Parkin is addressing council on the budget information report. "Taxpayers need to stand up and voice their concerns as I am," he says, adding that if not, council has a green light to raise taxes.

The first delegate this evening is Murray Davenport from M.J. Davenport and Associates on the CPPS. He is expressing concerns about the zoning for an area south of Lansdowne St. E. as major mixed use, saying that this will prevent expansion for existing businesses based on an OLT ruling re: PATH.

Hello, I'm at Peterborough city hall for the final council meeting before the summer break. Here's the agenda for this evening:

After almost four hours, we are adjourned! Thanks for following along!

Now, in other business, Mayor Leal is speaking to an announcement from this morning from Minister Steve MacKinnon regarding Alto exploring options for a Kingston stop. He assures everyone that Peterborough is still "enshrined" as a stop on the route and hopes this "lowers the blood pressure."

At very long last, we are at Coun. Lachica's notice of motion on the implication of heritage designations on insurance rates for property owners. Again, here is @joellekovach.bsky.social on this matter:

Peterborough councillor proposes motion urging Ontario investigation into rising insurance premiums for heritage homes

Peterborough council responds to rising insurance premiums affecting heritage homes by urging Ontario government investigation into related issues.

thepeterboroughexaminer.com

We're now discussing the preliminary city budget for 2027, which includes a 6.62 per cent tax rate increase, which is effectively, at this very early stage, the cost to run the city at current service levels. The 2027 budget will be decided on by the incoming council in January-February, 2027.

Now we're on to the discussion of the 2025 unaudited financial report, which includes a $826,943 surplus from the Peterborough Police. Mayor Leal, a member of the police board, says he anticipated this coming forward.

Council has voted unanimously for $690,000 to be pre-committed for the purchase of one Articulating Aerial Fire Pumper Vehicle in 2027. Leal asked whether this would help in responding to tall buildings, such as a 17-storey building. It would seem it does. It passes unanimously.

Mayor Leal is providing a series of major points as to why he supports the new CPP bylaw, mostly around making it easier for developers and builders in the area. It's going to bolster the creation of more housing and also create revenue to provide funds for PHC and other affordable housing entities.

Now, a presentation from Caroline Kimble, manager of policy planning for the city, on the final community planning permit bylaw. This has been made possible through federal funding through the housing accelerator fund and took two years of work by staff and extensive community consultation.