City reviewing BIA bylaw

City council will hear a staff report Tuesday on an updated bylaw for business improvement areas.

Peterborough has two such associations: the Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) and the Village Business Improvement Area (VBIA) in East City.

The new bylaw would recommend that BIAs can appear before council as a delegation, but can’t pass resolutions contrary to a council policy and can’t take part in an Ontario Municipal Board or other tribunal unless certain commitments are met. That would involve developing a budget for its participation and obtaining 66 per cent support from its members, the report states.

This became an issue last year when the DBIA pursued an OMB appeal of council’s decision to allow a casino in the south end, rather than downtown.

The two sides reached a settlement that saw additional funding go to the DBIA in return for dropping the appeal.

The report also would put limitations on BIA spending, banning debt without council approval and prohibiting any expenditures that aren’t included in a councilapproved budget.

The report calls for changes to the way these associations, which represent commercial businesses in a defined urban area, can expand or change their borders.

Another section of the report confirms council’s final approval of BIA directors.

The Municipal Act gives cities the ability to set and administer bylaws for BIAs. In Peterborough, that was first done in 1980 with the creation of the Central Business Improvement Area, now called the DBIA. That bylaw also determined the formal boundaries of the DBIA – it’s the area between Bethune St. and the Otonabee River, from Murray St. south to Dalhousie St.

The VBIA represents businesses in East City’s commercial district along Hunter St. E.

Evinrude signs

The Evinrude Centre would get updated digital signs inside and out if council approves a staff recommendation for a sponsorship deal with local firm Movingmedia Inc.

The deal would see the city pay $100,000 toward indoor signage. The city would pay the cost of electricity and the internet, but that would be offset by an estimated $28,000 in annual revenue from streaming digital ads.

Movingmedia would pay $115,000 to upgrade the outdoor sign and cover ongoing expanses, while paying $3,600 to the city yearly for utility costs. Movingmedia would also provide free ad space to the city while selling the additional space on its own, garnering those revenues.

Trail crossing

If approved, the city would use money from the 2015 and 2016 Tollington Parks Endowment Fund to realign a trail crossing on Parkhill Rd. and install a pedestrian crosswalk.

The Rotary Greenway Trail crossing is located just west of George St. near Benson St. at the bottom of the Parkhill Rd. hill. From the busy crossing, the trail heads south into the city core and north toward Trent University.

The city will receive $166,158.73 – a combination of the 2015 and 2016 endowments from a fund set up in 1996 to improve city parkland. That initiative was led by city resident Gordon Tollington.

The project is meant to enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety at the busy crossing, the report states.

Mayor’s blood drive

A push for more blood donations spearheaded by the city’s mayor is expected to come in on target, or perhaps a bit under, organizers say.

Canadian Blood Services brought in 47 units of blood Tuesday (15 over target), 17 units Wednesday (15 under target) and 41 units Thursday, with Friday’s numbers unavailable.

Mayor Daryl Bennett holds the blood drive each year.

Economic development

Council will receive a report from Peterborough Economic Development, offering an update on its second quarter results.

The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and can be followed live at www.peterboroughexaminer.com.