City Council meeting overview package for October 27, 2025

Peterborough, ON - City Council will consider the following items during its General Committee meeting in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 500 George St. N., starting at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, October 27, 2025:

• A presentation by Alto high-speed rail representatives regarding the planned rail network for passenger service between Toronto and Quebec City, with a stop in the City of Peterborough;
• A presentation by Lakelands Public Health to present the health unit's 2026 budget and report on the merger process for the health unit that now encompasses Haliburton, Kawartha, Northumberland and Peterborough areas; and
• Notice of Motion from Councillor Lesley Parnell that Council support the Elect Respect pledge.

Starting at 6 p.m., Council, sitting as General Committee, will hold a public meeting under the planning act to consider:

• Amendments to the City's Official Plan to update the policies related to Strategic Growth Areas and enable the implementation of a city-wide Community Planning Permit System.

Items endorsed by General Committee will proceed to the regular Council meeting on Monday, November 3, 2025 to be considered for final approval.

The meeting is livestreamed at peterborough.ca/WatchCouncil. Agendas and recordings of meetings are posted at peterborough.ca/agendas.

To speak as a registered delegation at a Council meeting, individuals must register no later than 11 a.m. on the day of the meeting. To register, complete the online application at peterborough.ca/delegation, or phone 705-742-7777 ext. 1820.

Lakelands Public Health presentation

Council will consider a presentation by Lakelands Public Health on the health unit's 2026 budget and on the merger process for the health unit that now encompasses Haliburton, Kawartha, Northumberland and Peterborough areas.

On January 1, 2025, the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit and the Peterborough County-City Health Unit (operating as Peterborough Public Health) merged as the Haliburton Kawartha Northumberland Peterborough Health Unit (operating as Lakelands Public Health).

The newly formed health unit (Lakelands Public Health) needed to establish a funding formula for the municipalities and the First Nations communities which achieves local levy harmonization (an equalization of the per capital amount paid by each funder). For the funders of the former Peterborough Public Health (including the City of Peterborough), this will require additional contributions each year until the equalization of contributions has been achieved.

In 2026, the increase in funding to the health unit will be mitigated by a one-time payment to the City from the province, equal to the additional 15.75% levy, that may be used to offset the increased levy or
put into reserves to support future levy harmonization costs. The mitigation funding is available as part of the provincial merger funding approved for 2026, and is anticipated, but not approved yet, for 2027.

The anticipated provincial funding increase of 1% for the 2026 budget will not address inflationary cost increases. The 2026 Lakelands Public Health budget is increasing by 3.7% compared to 2025. This represents an increase of $3.46 per resident, $2.97 of which is coming from local funders with the remainder coming from the province.

Notice of Motion re: Elect Respect pledge

Council will consider a notice of Motion from Councillor Lesley Parnell that Council support the Elect Respect pledge:

Whereas democracy is healthy when everyone is able to participate fully and safely and contribute to the well-being of their community; and

Whereas we are witnessing the dissolution of democratic discourse and respectful debate across all levels of government and in neighbouring jurisdictions; and

Whereas Ontario’s municipally elected officials and municipal staff are dealing with increasingly hostile, unsafe work environments facing threats and harassment; and

Whereas social media platforms have exacerbated disrespectful dialogue, negative commentary, and toxic engagement which disincentivizes individuals, especially women and candidates from diverse backgrounds from running for office; and

Whereas better decisions are made when democracy is respectful and constructive and the voices of diverse genders, identities, ethnicities, races, sexual orientation, ages and abilities are heard and represented around municipal council tables; and

Whereas the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s Healthy Democracy Project has identified concerning trends with fewer people voting in local elections and running for municipal office; and

Whereas in 2024, female elected representatives from across Halton formed a group called H.E.R. (Halton Elected Representatives) which pledged to speak out against harassment and negativity in politics and called on elected officials to uphold the highest standards of conduct; and

Whereas H.E.R. Halton has launched a campaign called Elect Respect to promote the importance of healthy democracy and safe, inclusive, respectful work environments for all elected officials and municipal staff that encourages individuals to participate in the political process.

Now Therefore Be It Resolved That the Council of the City of Peterborough supports the Elect Respect pledge and commits to:

• Treat others with respect in all spaces—public, private, and online
• Reject and call out harassment, abuse, and personal attacks,
• Focus debate on ideas and policies, not personal attacks,
• Help build a supportive culture where people of all backgrounds feel safe to run for and hold office,
• Call on relevant authorities to ensure the protection of elected officials who face abuse or threats, and
• Model integrity and respect by holding one another to the highest standards of conduct; and

Be It Further Resolved That the City of Peterborough calls on elected officials, organizations and community members to support the Elect Respect campaign and sign the online pledge at www.electrespect.ca; and

Be It Further Resolved That a copy of this resolution be sent to the:

Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, MP Emma Harrison, MPP Dave Smith, the Peterborough Police Chief, and all Ontario Municipalities.

Official Plan amendments

Council will consider amendments to the City's Official Plan to update the policies related to Strategic Growth Areas and enable the implementation of a city-wide Community Planning Permit System.

The Community Planning Permit System is a key initiative under the City’s Housing Action Plan for the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. The Planning Act requires enabling policy language to be contained in the Official Plan to enact a Community Planning Permit System.

The enabling policies set out the parameters for the Community Planning Permit By-law while updated Strategic Growth Areas policies provide direction for the next phase of the Community Planning Permit By-law creation process.

The proposed Official Plan Amendments are intended to update the development objectives and parking measures for the Strategic Growth Areas; implement statutory requirements for the Community Planning Permit System; and implement Council’s direction of April 2025 to remove building height and angular plane requirements from the Strategic Growth Areas policies in the Official Plan.

The CPP By-law is currently being drafted and is expected to be complete for Council consideration in spring 2026.

Creation of a Community Planning Permit System (CPPS) is one of seven initiatives identified under the City’s Housing Action Plan for the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. The CPPS is a land use planning tool that streamlines the development approvals process by combining zoning by-law amendments, site plan approvals and minor variances into a single application and approval process.

A CPPS is implemented through a Community Planning Permit (CPP) By-law, which implements the City’s Official Plan and replaces the zoning by-law to regulate land uses, identify discretionary uses and establish development standards such as lot size requirements, minimum and maximum building heights, setbacks, parking requirements, and amenity space requirements.