A new pedestrian crossover on Hunter Street East at the Rotary Trail is one of the items for consideration when Peterborough city council meets as general committee at City Hall after the long weekend.
Council will meet in chambers at 6 p.m. on Tuesday (August 6). Below is a summary of what’s on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting.
Along with the Hunter Street pedestrian crossover, the first council meeting since June 24 will also see councillors consider an official plan amendment and three zoning by-law amendments, a verbal presentation from the city’s external auditors about their audit of the city’s 2023 financial statements along with a letter summarizing their findings, various financial reports for 2023, a summary of the impacts on the 2025 draft budget, two proposed cell towers in the city, and a proposal for a new by-law for Peterborough Transit.
City staff are recommending that the contract to construct a new pedestrian crossover on Hunter Street East at the Rotary Trail be awarded to Drain Bros. Excavating Limited at a total cost of $633,311.02.
According to the staff report, the new pedestrian crossover would introduce new traffic signals at the trail crossing and will include improvements in the vicinity of the crossing, including improvements to accessibility such as tactile walking surface indicators, a new paved road surface, realignment of the trail to be perpendicular to Hunter Street, lighting improvements, and pavement markings and signage.
“The Rotary Trail Crossing at Hunter Street East is currently (a non-signalled) trail crossing linking the Rotary Trail through East City,” the report states. “The mixed-use development of lands along the Rotary Trail south of Hunter Street, which will include four multi-unit residential buildings with approximately 97 new units, will result in increased pedestrian and cycling demand on the crossing.”
If council approves the recommendation, work could begin in August with completion expected in the fall.
Council will also consider a staff report for an amendment to the city’s official plan to permit the construction of a seven-storey 76-unit apartment building at 1180 Armour Road, as well as staff reports for a zoning by-law amendment for 838 Lock Street to permit two additional dwelling units that already exist on the property, a zoning by-law amendment for the development of a 26-unit stacked townhouse development on vacant land at 245 Spillsbury Drive, and a zoning by-law amendment to allow Rowan Tree Children’s School to operate a school and a day nursery at 780 Argyle Street.
Joanna Park of Baker Tilly KDN LLP, the city’s external auditors, will present to council a verbal audit findings report for the year ending December 31, 2023. As part of the city’s annual audit process, the auditors draft a letter for the use of general committee to assist in the review of the financial statements and to raise issues for management’s consideration and potential action.
Baker Tilly KDN LLP has also prepared an acknowledgement letter for its audit of the city’s 2023 consolidated financial statements that summarizes the results of the audit to date. The letter does not identify any significant issues.
In other financial matters, council will receive the city’s treasurer report, 2023 consolidated financial report, and 2023 trust funds financial statement and five-year review, with staff recommending the reports be submitted to the Ontario government.
City staff will also present a summary of the impacts of the city’s 2025 draft budget which, at this initial stage, would see a property tax increase of 8.44 per cent if the status quo is maintained or an increase of 10.28 per cent if other items are included, such as an additional $1.8 million for housing and homelessness and $1 million for operating costs for the expansion of the municipally operated Fairhaven long-term care home.
City council will review city staff reports advising that the public and municipal consultation process has been completed for proposals for two 30-metre tall telecommunication towers to be constructed by Spectra Point on behalf Rogers Communications at 708 Hawley Street and at 780 Argyle Street. The city will provide the results of the consultation process to Innovation Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada, which regulates the construction of cell towers.
City staff will also recommend to council that the city’s outdated 1978 public transportation by-law be repealed and replaced with a new by-law. The existing by-law includes specifies service schedule requirements and specific routes that have not been followed in decades. The new by-law would provide Peterborough Transit with exclusive rights to operate a paid bus service within the city’s boundaries (the by-law would not apply to inter-city bus carriers or to school board or other organizations operating buses to transport students) and would give Peterborough Transit the authorization to operate outside of city boundaries.
Items endorsed by general committee on August 6 will be considered by council for final approval the following Monday, when public delegations will be heard.
Council meetings are streamed live at www.peterborough.ca.
