City council has agreed to dissolve four city committees as part of broader changes to its committee structure and public appointment process.
The economic development committee, farmers’ market advisory committee, Orillia Sunshine Youth Senate, and the town and gown committee will be axed as part of the changes, which will also see committee member terms change from three years to four – concurrent with terms of city council.
Due to a difficulty getting residents involved and a lack of pertinent issues in a number of years, among other reasons, city staff recommended dissolving the four committees listed above in a report to council in December, with city politicians postponing a decision on the matter to its Feb. 12 meeting.
The city’s three mandatory advisory committees — the accessibility advisory committee, municipal heritage committee, and waste management advisory committee — will each remain in effect with a “simplified set” of guidelines, including less rigorous agenda and minutes structure, meant to encourage public engagement.
Following city staff discussion with the city’s advisory committees and council members, city politicians opted to reconfigure several general advisory committees into working groups, as opposed to forming community engagement teams — formed of community volunteers and two council liaison members — originally proposed by staff.
The working groups are as follows:
- Affordable housing working group;
- Climate change, sustainability, and environmental working group;
- Orillia food access/sustainability working group;
- Recreation working group;
- Transportation and parking working group;
- Downtown BIA parking working group
At last week’s council meeting, assistant clerk Robin Cadeau said the working groups will have a somewhat relaxed requirement for “minutes and votes and proper motions,” as compared to the mandatory advisory committees.
Coun. Ralph Cipolla spoke against dissolving the economic development committee.
“We're a growing city right now (with) possible expansion, and we need all the jobs we can get,” he said. “I think having an economic development committee will help and strengthen and solicit and market new businesses, new manufacturers to come into Orillia.”
Coun. Tim Lauer responded the city is simply removing the committee as is, with the potential for a new structure on the horizon.
“We are in the course of doing an economic development study, and out of that I assume will come some sort of recommendation as to a committee structure or something new,” he said. “All we're doing is getting rid of what was, which we're not using anymore, and we will soon be replacing it with a new model.”
During the meeting, Lauer also successfully proposed the downtown parking BIA working group — to look at parking in the downtown, specifically — in addition to the transportation and parking working group.
“I believe the way the BIA parking advisory committee currently runs is ideal, and if we were to water that down by making it a part of the transportation committee, I think we might get some decisions that didn't jive,” he said.
Regarding the dissolution of the farmers' market advisory committee, Coun. Jay Fallis said he supports the idea of an annual open forum between city staff and market vendors.
"I really do appreciate the idea of staff doing an annual open forum with the vendors of the farmers' market because I think it will be important in understanding how that market is functioning," he said.
