Jasbir Raina Unanimously Appointed City's New Chief Administrative Officer After Monday's Council Meeting

Peterborough City Council has unanimously approved the appointment of Jasbir Raina as the City of Peterborough’s new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) effective immediately announce at a Council meeting on Monday night.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Raina began working for the City in June last year as the role of Commissioner of Infrastructure and Planning Services as part of the City’s senior leadership team after working in senior roles at the City of Brampton and the City of Mississauga over the last15 years. He is an engineer and has a Master of Business Administration degree, has extensive professional experience in the public sector in various positions over 30 years.

The CAO is the top administrative position that reports directly to City Council, overseeing the implementation of policies set by Council through the delivery of services by the City of Peterborough’s municipal workforce according to a press release.

“Mr. Raina’s commitment and dedication to the citizens of Peterborough has clearly been demonstrated in his previous role as Commissioner of Infrastructure and Planning Services,” said Mayor Jeff Leal. “We look forward to his leadership and guidance in his new role as Chief Administrative Officer.”

Raina replaces Sandra Clancy, who retired as CAO following a 38-year career with the City of Peterborough.

“It is a great honour to lead the team of professional and dedicated staff who are fully committed to delivering services to the City’s residents,” said Raina “I am beyond excited to take on this value-creating role at the City. I would like to thank the Mayor and members of Council for entrusting me to be City’s next CAO. I look forward to working collaboratively with the Mayor, Council, our community, and all stakeholders to advance priorities of Council to build a Future Ready Peterborough.”

Raina’s professional experience includes serving in the following positions:

• Commissioner, Public Works and Engineering, City of Brampton

• Director, Facilities Services/Operations and Maintenance, City of Brampton

• Manager, Capital Planning and Asset Management, City of Mississauga

• Manager, Facilities Operations and Property Management, City of Mississauga

Raina has a Master of Engineering from the Naval Institute of Technology and a Master of Business Administration from Athabasca University. He also has a Project Management designation through the Project Management Institute and a law certificate from Harvard University.

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Photos: City Hall and Peterborough & District Labour Council Gather For Half-Mast Flag Raising Of National Day of Mourning

All photos by David Tuan Bui.

Roughly over 80 people gathered at City Hall for a flag-raising on the National Day of Mourning. Municipal politicians such as Mayor Jeff Leal and Councillor Joy Lachica spoke at the event. Peterborough & District Labour Council members and several others were in attendance for the event.

The day honours those who have lost their lives in the workplace. A flag has been flown at half mast in memoriam of those who passed on.

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Service Workers Strike on George Street In Peterborough

After the Public Service Agency of Canada union failed to reach an agreement with the federal government prior to the deadline, roughly 100 workers went on a nationwide strike in Peterborough at Water Street on Wednesday morning.

Roughly 100 workers circled George Street outside Service Canada Centre. All photos by Samantha Bianco.

Over 155,000 public service workers have gone on strike nationwide that includes more than 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency employees.

Treasury board workers are demanding a 13.5 per cent wage increase over three years, tax agency workers want a 22.5 per cent increase while wanting work-from-home guarantees. The federal government’s offer of 9.5 per cent was turned down during Tuesday’s negotiations.

“We're here to support our fellow workers across Canada,” said Susan MacMillan of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. “We're 150,000 strong to send a message. We're sending a message to support our unions and trying to negotiate a fair contract for our employees.”

MacMillan says a variety of affected workers have united in support of the strike such as the Union of Taxation, the Department of National Defense and Service Canada. Employees as far as Bancroft and Trenton have come to Peterborough to join the George Street protest.

“We’re being strongly represented in Peterborough,” she added.

The strike concluded at roughly 3 p.m. but will go for as long as it takes until their demands are met according to MacMillan.

The workers are circling George Street between Dalhousie and Sherbrooke Street as they strike. Several vehicles slowed down and honked in support of the workers.

“I am hoping that the support is coming from across Canada,” said MacMillian. “Right now, that's the support that we need.”

The bottom line for the workers is that they get what they feel is deserved during their negotiations with the federal government.

“We just want a fair contract,” said MacMillian.

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Steven Girardi to be Sworn In As Citizens Appointee for Peterborough Police Services Board on April 3

Steven Girardi has been appointed as a Citizens Appointee and is being sworn in as the Peterborough Police Services Board newest member for April 3, announced on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of Steven Giradi.

He was a former superintendent of student achievement for Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board and also had roles such as teaching and as a principal during his 30-year tenure. Steven has been an active volunteer and is currently instructing part-time in the business department at Trent University.

Girardi replaces form city councillor Bob Hall who served since mid-2015.

“The Peterborough Police Services Board looks forward to working with Steven and we are confident his skills and experience will be an asset to the Board, Service and community we serve,” said Mary ten Doeschate, police board chair.

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City of Peterborough Holding Drop-In Session For Rejuvenation of Earlwood Park

The City of Peterborough is asking residents for ideas on rejuvenating Earlwood Park at a public drop-in session on Thursday at the Kimsmen Civic Centre from 6:30 to 7:30.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

City staff are answering questions and seeking input to help meet the park’s needs. The park is located at 52 Earlwood Dr. with construction projected to start in fall 2023 or spring 2024. 

“This is a great opportunity to tell us what you would like to see in Earlwood Park,” said Sean Nailer, the City’s parks and recreation project manager. “Residents are asked to talk with members of their household and take part in the consultation to help identify priorities for the rejuvenation of Earlwood Park.” 

An online survey is open until 11:59 p.m. on March 16 for wanted to provide input. Paper copies are available in the lobby at City Hall at 500 George St. N. 

After the community consultation has closed, the City will post an update, summarizing the findings. Future information about the project and a concept plan will be updated on the Connect Peterborough project page as they come available. 

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City Council Approves Changes To Garbage Pickup; Clear Bags and Bi-Weekly Trash Pickup

City Council has endorsed adopting the clear bags and bi-weekly trash pickup as part of an the Waste Management Master Plan Update during a meeting on Monday night.

File Photo.

The summary of changes in waste management services are the following:

• Requiring the use of clear garbage bags for waste collection

• Moving to every-other-week residential garbage collection starting Oct. 31 at the same time as the introduction of weekly Green Bin (household organic waste) collection service that will reduce the bulk of current garbage material

• Preparing for the provincially-directed switch to producer-responsible recycling program delivery, instead of it being a municipal service, starting Jan. 1

• Bringing a report to Council in the future to amend the Waste Collection Enforcement By-law to include new definitions of the waste stream, collection requirements, and penalties for non-compliance as an option if public education efforts are not effective in changing disposal behaviours

The changes would result in garbage collection would shift to every other week while Green Bin and Blue Bin collection would be provided weekly.

A ‘clear bag’ program refers to the use of a garbage bag that is transparent or see-through. According to the City, use of clear bags for garbage encourages waste diversion in several ways:

• Clear bag Programs improves worker safety and allows Transfer Station attendants the ability to conduct a quick assessment of the contents within the clear bag(s) to ensure that no recyclable or hazardous items are in the bag.

• Clear bags can serve as a reminder if people forget to separate out these materials from their garbage, as the clear bag allows residents to see what is being thrown out.

• Clear bags prompt people to reflect on their waste disposal habits and encourage them to consider waste diversion options.

• Clear bags can assist in with the enforcing of municipal material disposal bans by allowing waste collectors to monitor for compliance and reject any bags containing banned items.

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City Council Endorsing Five-Year Agreement For Lakers Lacrosse Association To Use the Peterborough Memorial Centre

Council has endorsed a new five-year agreement between the City of Peterborough and Lakers Lacrosse Association Inc. to use the Peterborough Memorial Centre including box office services and game-day expenses at Monday’s Council meeting.

File Photo.

Terms of the agreement would include:

• A five-year term starting April 1

• A fixed-rate rental fee for use of the facility for $1,607 plus tax, increased annually based on inflation

• A fixed-rate fee for game day expenses of $4,636 plus tax for each game, increasingly annually based on inflation

• A per-ticket fee on all Lakers tickets for Box Office charges that would be $1 plus tax to start, increasing to $1.50 plus tax in the third year of the agreement on April 1, 2025 and increasing to $2 plus tax in the fifth year of the agreement on April 1, 2027

• A per-ticket capital refurbishment fund fee on all Lakers tickets in the amount of $1.50 plus tax

• A per-order charge of $2.50 plus tax on all Lakers ticket orders

• Recovery by the City of bank charges of 2.75 per cent on tickets purchased by credit card on a per-game basis

• Recovery by the City from the Lakers on applicable Music Tariff charges

• The Lakers receiving from the City 50 per cent of the City's share of gross revenues from food and beverage sales at Lakers games

• The Lakers would be able to sell in-game sponsorship in temporary, non-obstructing locations during Lakers games

• The City would assist the Lakers with the purchase of a new carpet playing surface by providing an interest-free loan of 50 per cent of the cost, up to a maximum of $150,000, that would be repaid in annual increments over the five-year agreement

The new agreement structure considers the requirement to continue to rebuild ticket sales over the next two years from COVID-19 disruptions by maintaining the per-ticket service charge with no increase until 2025.

The revenues to be received through a fixed-rate rental agreement total roughly $75,700 increasing annually by the rate of inflation sourced from the Statistics Canada Consumer Price Index. Revenue received from the per-ticket fees are estimated to be in excess of $102,000 in the first year and increase to an estimated amount in excess of $142,000 in the third year of the agreement based on an average number of 16 games per season.

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City of Peterborough Approves 2023 Budget; 3.15 Per Cent Property Tax Increase

City Council approved the City of Peterborough 2023 Budget, increasing property tax by 3.15 per cent for residential properties not on the water during Monday’s Council meeting.

File Photo.

The proposed increase was reduced by 0.85 per cent from its initial guideline during detailed budget reviews earlier this month according to a press release.

“Council made changes to the draft budget to ensure that investments reflect the priorities of the community, including spending on critical infrastructure and providing support for housing and homelessness, while at the same time respecting the current financial conditions,” Mayor Jeff Leal said. “Our community is building a better tomorrow, together.”

For the typical household, the proposed all-inclusive increase (municipal, education, and sewer surcharge) will equate to an additional $4.44 monthly or an additional $53.23 annually per $100,000 of residential assessment.

“Residents in our community are feeling the costs of inflation and the challenging economic environment in their daily lives. Municipal services are also impacted by those pressures,” said Councillor Andrew Beamer, Council’s finance chair. “Council made difficult decisions to lessen the increasing cost of services for taxpayers, drawing from reserves to meet needs in some areas and cutting spending in other areas to push down the tax increase.”

The budget process started in March last year with community consultation including a survey and a series of drop-in style meetings. Council approved the guidelines for drafting the budget documents in July of the same year. The Draft 2023 Budget was presented on Dec. 5.

The Operating Budget includes roughly $325.8 million for programs and services including waste management, road maintenance, wastewater sewers and treatment, social assistance, affordable housing, recreation, arts and heritage, fire services, and policing.

The Capital Budget is approximately $131.2 million for various infrastructure and capital projects such as road work, a household organic waste composting facility and collection equipment, flood reduction efforts, facility maintenance, funding for the planned replacement of a fire station, sanitary sewer repairs, construction of a new twin-pad arena and police capital projects.

Budget highlights

How the municipal portion of taxes is spent (cost per $100,000 of residential assessment):

23.6 per cent goes to external organizations, including: 

• Peterborough Police Service $232.59

• Peterborough Paramedics $48.89

• Fairhaven Long-Term Care $12.79

• Peterborough Public Health $10.85

• Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development $8.64

• Otonabee Conservation $6.64

• Peterborough Humane Society $3.63

• Business Improvement Areas $1.42

• Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster $1.15

22.9 per cent goes to infrastructure and planning services, including:

• Engineering, Construction and Public Works $102.14

• Transportation $103.79

• Environmental Services $60.59

• Peterborough Airport $18.19

• Asset Management and Capital Planning $12.93

• Planning $10.66

• Building Inspection and Protective Services $6.91

• Office of Infrastructure and Planning Services $1.42

22 per cent goes to capital levy, debt payments, and other financial expenditures, including:

• Capital financing costs $265.67

• Property taxation costs $24.15

• Other expenditures $10.86

• Contingency provision $3.83

13.3 per cent goes to Community Services, including:

• Social Services $95.95

• Arts, Culture and Heritage $42.87

• Arenas $18.88

• Community Services Administration (incl. community grants) $17.18

• Recreation $9.70

11.8 per cent goes to fire services and the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, including:

• Fire Services $149.46

• Communication Services $5.95

• Office of the Chief Administrative Officer $4.65

• Emergency Management $4.01

5.9 per cent goes to Corporate and Legislative Services, including:

• Corporate Information Services $29.79

• Financial Services $18.55

• Human Resources $9.87

• Facilities Management $9.58

• City Clerk $7.08

• Legal Services $5.51

• Facilities and Planning Services $1.35

0.5 per cent ($6.51) goes to City Council

The total of the municipal portion is $1,384.63 per $100,000 of assessment.

Highlights of the 2023 Budget include:

• Police budget includes 11 new hires as the Peterborough Police Service continues to experience an increasing number of calls for service, increasing crime severity in the community, and an increasing population in the communities it serves.

• $6.1 million in municipal spending for housing and homelessness services (a 5.7 per cent increase compared to 2022), including support for approximately 2,000 social housing units, rent supplements, and the operation of four emergency shelters with 106 shelter beds.

• $7.6 million in the capital budget toward the $21.2-million household source-separated organics program implementation with a City-wide green bin program expected to start in fall 2023.

• $1 million for urban forest management strategic plan implementation for tree planting and urban forestry management.

• $750,000 to upgrade 3,000 street light fixtures to LED lights, which reduce energy use and energy costs.

• Holding Peterborough Transit expenses at the 2022 level which reduces the 2023 net requirement by $951,000.

• Deferring an $800,000 project that is part of upgrading water and sewer service to the Peterborough Airport until a land deal is reached to bring the airport property within the City of Peterborough boundaries.

• Establishing a permanent, annual individual artist grant program at $50,000 a year, through a three-year agreement with Electric City Culture Council with funding from the capital budget in 2023 and the program built into the operating budget in 2024 and 2025;

• Providing $281,800 from the capital levy reserve for the final two installments of the City's contribution to the Eastern Ontario Regional Network cell gap project as approved by Council in 2019;

• Using $287,780 from a reserve and contingency to provide additional funding, in addition to the amount included in the Draft 2023 Budget documents, to Peterborough Public Health;

• Deferring, until consideration in the 2024 Budget, a proposed $150,000 project for the next stage of the development of a Downtown Heritage Conservation District Plan; and

• Using $200,000 from the Social Services Reserve to add a third worker at the overflow shelter program and Brock Mission to help individuals with better support for referrals to services and to assist with housing searches, develop more of a harm-reduction focus, address service restrictions differently, and other functions.

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