Mayor counts her 2020 accomplishments
Mayor Diane Therrien says she’s proud of the city’s progress on key projects in 2020 and that she remains dedicated to fulfilling the promises she made when elected mayor in 2018.
In a new year’s message on the city’s website, Therrien says that while the COVID-19 pandemic “threw council and staff for a loop” she remains committed to working toward her 39 campaign promises.
She tallies her progress: eight promised projects are either done or have progressed well despite setbacks.
The following projects already done, says the mayor:
A code of conduct has been adopted for council.
Development application processes have been “streamlined” at City Hall.
The addition of secondary apartments in existing houses has been encouraged by the city.
The city’s rent stability fund and rent supplement program have both been increased.
The city has hosted more regular council drop-ins and neighbourhood forums (in person prior to the pandemic, and virtually since).
The city has created the Peterborough Environmental Advisory Committee (to advise council on combating climate change).
Two other projects are well underway, according to the mayor:
Creation and implementation of a green bin program to collect kitchen organic waste and to compost it locally (the program is expected to begin in 2023);
Adoption of interim rules allowing ride-share services to operate in Peterborough as the police services board (which governs taxi licenses and rideshare licences) considers adopting a new permanent bylaw. Two ride-share services —
Y Drive and Uride — were able to legally launch in November thanks to the interim rules.
Therrien also mentions there were 662 instances of people shifting from homelessness to housing, from the start of 2019 to October 2020.
Meanwhile the city recently applied for money from the federal government to put up 10 modular homes on city-owned property on Monaghan Road.
In 2020 the city bought the building that housed both the Community Training and Development Corporation and the Learning Circle Daycare ( both permanently closed). The idea is to rent 10 modular homes on that property while the city plans to raze the existing vacant building and replace it in a few years with an affordable apartment complex. The modular homes will be rented to families and single parents with children.
NOTE: The mayor ’s full message is posted at peterborough.ca.