City Council meeting overview package for September 15, 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 6 p.m. on Monday, September 15, 2025:

• June 30, 2025 Financial Report (unaudited), including associated recommendations;
• Site alteration by-law to regulate topsoil removal, fill placement, and grading to protect property, infrastructure and the environment;
• An information report on the option to create an affordable rental housing taxation subclass;
• An information report on the rollout of the Youth Transit Pass Program through 2025 and 2026;
• Replacing a specialized work truck for Water Services at an estimated cost of $225,000 plus tax;
• Providing delegated authority for signing rent supplement agreements funded through the municipal budget to support the City's housing objectives;
• An information report on Ontario's Extended Producer Responsibility Blue Box program and the impact on the City's collection and processing of recyclable material from non-eligible sources after January 1, 2026;
• An information report on measures taken to disinfect Water Treatment Plant Contact Tank 2 and Clearwell 4; and
• Notice of Motion by Councillor Joy Lachica: Be it resolved that staff provide a report to the October 6 General Committee Meeting with a proposal to sever all excess lands not required for the police station site, at 1421 Lansdowne St. W., together with an estimate of market value revenue which could be generated from the sale thereof. 

Items endorsed by General Committee will proceed to the regular Council meeting on Monday, September 22, 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.

Before the public portion of the meeting, Council will hold a closed session meeting starting at 5:30 p.m. to consider two items as permitted under the Municipal Act, 2001, including:

• Section 239(2)(c) A proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality - disposition of land
• Section 239(2)(c) A proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality - Agreement

Quarterly financial report

Council will consider the June 30, 2025 Financial Report (unaudited), including associated recommendations.

Highlights from the financial report include:

• Investment income for 2025 is currently projected to be $8 million, which would be $2.5 million more than budgeted for in 2025.
• Transit fare revenue is projected to be about $350,000 lower than budgeted for the year as revenue has been impacted by multiple service disruptions, such as several days of altered or suspended operations due to heavy snowfall and the March 2025 ice storm that affected ridership and service delivery for more than a week.
• Parking revenue is projected to be about $400,000 lower than the $2,175,000 budget due to reduced revenues at the King Street and Simcoe Street parking garages as well as lower demand for on-street parking in the downtown.
• Landfill tipping fees are projected to be about $1.7 million under budget in 2025, which would result in an estimated net impact of $849,000 to the City for its share of the reduced revenue for the shared City-County landfill, with the two main drivers being the period post March 2025 ice storm where wood waste fees were waived and the reduced construction activity in the region that results in less material brought to landfill.

The quarterly financial report includes:

• Summary of net operating revenue and expenditures
• Financial report supplemental information

Site Alteration By-law

Council will consider a site alteration by-law to regulate topsoil removal, fill placement, and grading to protect property, infrastructure and the environment.

Site alteration activities, when left unregulated, can result in significant environmental damage, destabilized slopes, interference with stormwater systems, and increased risk of flooding. Fill operations and uncontrolled grading can also negatively impact adjacent properties, cause sedimentation of watercourses degrading the natural environment and water quality.

The by-law provides a proactive tool to mitigate these risks, align grading and drainage practices with established planning approvals, and provide a mechanism to apply penalties or require corrective action when work is done improperly.

The by-law applies a three-tiered permit system with exemptions for regular landscaping.

The City of Peterborough is currently one of the few remaining single-tier municipalities in Southern Ontario without a site alteration by-law. Municipalities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) have introduced similar by-laws in response to increasing challenges related to excess soil, illegal fill dumping, and grading impacts on neighboring properties. The absence of a by-law puts the City at a disadvantage when addressing complaints and enforcement related to unapproved alteration activities.

Affordable rental housing subclass

Council will consider an information report on the option to create an affordable rental housing taxation subclass.

In May 2025, the Province introduced O. Reg. 73/25, which amended O.Reg 282/98 to create Affordable Rental Housing Subclasses for multi-residential and new multi-residential properties. This regulation requires municipalities to adopt a By-Law by September 30, 2025 if the municipality wishes to make use of the new subclasses for the 2026 taxation year.

The new affordable housing taxation subclasses could be adopted as early as the 2026 taxation year; however, to fully understand the financial implications of the new legislation, staff will prepare a report for Council in 2026 to review recommendations for the 2027 taxation year. This will allow sufficient time for analysis, consultation and collaboration with other municipalities.

Youth Transit Pass Program

Council will consider an information report on the rollout of the Youth Transit Pass Program through 2025 and 2026.

The Youth Transit Pass Program is aimed at increasing ridership, improving access and education, and supporting long-term transit use by young residents of Peterborough. Although youth aged 13–18 currently represent a small share of total ridership, they hold significant potential to help shift travel behaviour, increase transit use, and build a culture of sustainable mobility within the community.

Key program components include:

• complimentary transit access for youth aged 13-18 during evenings, weekends, and summer months;
• annual registration with structured pass distribution and orientation;
• education-focused program design to support independent, confident transit use; and
• phased pilot implementation through 2025 and 2026, followed by an annual program delivery and evaluation.

The proposed program model aligns with current transit operations and supports future growth by targeting off-peak periods for initial implementation. This approach allows Peterborough Transit to build capacity, manage resources effectively, and evaluate program impacts without overextending the system. Over time, the program will expand and adapt alongside service enhancements, allowing for data-driven adjustments and continuous community engagement.

Draft Implementation Timeline:

• Fall 2025 - During this phase, stakeholder engagement (e.g., school boards, student transportation services, youth organizations, families, and Transit staff) will be prioritized to further develop program specifics and arrive at the final program model and delivery methods. Consultations will also take place with the transit pass provider to identify appropriate systems for registration and data tracking. Additionally, a comprehensive communications plan will be developed to support program awareness and rollout.
• Winter 2025 - The focus will shift to developing the operational aspects of the program. This includes creating registration processes and forms, as well as orientation materials and scheduling procedures. Communications materials will also be prepared, and the evaluation plan will be finalized to ensure effective monitoring and assessment.
• Spring 2026 - Final testing of processes and systems will take place to ensure everything is functioning as intended. Internal staff will receive training to support the successful delivery of the program. Promotional materials will be distributed, and registration and orientation will begin for youth aged 13 to 14 (Intermediate Students).
• Summer/fall 2026 – Phased expansion of registration and orientation to youth aged 15 to 18 (Secondary Students) will be completed to fully roll out the program to youth aged 13-18 in Year One. Tracking and evaluation of the pilot year begins to assess program delivery and impact. 

Ontario's Blue Box program

Council will consider an information report on Ontario's Extended Producer Responsibility Blue Box program and the impact on the City's collection and processing of recyclable material from non-eligible sources after January 1, 2026.

On January 1, 2024, the City of Peterborough transitioned its residential Blue Box recycling program to Ontario’s new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, which transferred responsibility for residential recycling to packaging producers. During the transition period (2023–2025), producers were required to maintain existing service levels, allowing continued co-collection and processing of recyclables from non-residential (“non-eligible”) sources such as businesses, not-for-profits, and institutions.

Circular Materials Ontario (CMO), the Producer Responsibility Organization, contracted Emterra Environmental to service residential sources, while the City retained Emterra under a separate contract to service non-eligible sources. 

In May, CMO confirmed with municipalities that as of January 1, 2026, regulations would no longer allow co-collection or co-processing of non-eligible materials. On June 4, 2025, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) proposed amendments to the Blue Box Regulation that could allow continued co-collection and processing of eligible and non-eligible materials. It is unknown what the cost will be and how this relates to our current program costs until CMO presents this to municipalities. 

City staff will continue to closely monitor regulatory developments and review the City's current contract with Emterra in relation to non-eligible Blue Box materials beyond 2026. Staff will provide Council with an update once a clear regulatory direction has been confirmed, and costs are available.

The City services 1,326 non-eligible sources and collectively generates approximately 320 tonnes of recyclable material per year. If the City were to discontinue service, this material would most likely be landfilled, resulting in a significant loss of landfill capacity.