City to get provincial funding to help with added pot costs

Since the legalization of marijuana is expected to mean added costs for cities such as increased policing, the city’s getting provincial government money to help.

Peterborough can expect $185,590 this year from Queen’s Park. The money’s coming from a $40-million fund the provincial government is handing out over the next two years.

The idea is to help cities offset costs such as increased policing, fire and paramedic services or the development of new public health bylaws, for example, that will arise from pot legalization.

On Monday during budget talks, councillors voted to put the money away in a reserve fund. There was no discussion or debate.

The staff report states that the city can expect to receive its money in two equal payments in 2019 — one in January and another in March.

The second payment is coming because council voted on Dec. 3 not to “opt out” of allowing private pot shops to set up in the city, states the report.

More funds could come later over the next two years, the report further states, “if excise taxes exceed certain levels.”

Meanwhile, the government of Ontario released the names of organizations that were accepted to bid on operating private pot shops in Ontario.

In the Eastern region, five applicants were accepted from more than 11,000 submissions. They are listed on the government website as Brandon Long, Daniel Telio, Patterson & Lavoie, Pure Alpha Holdings and Karan Soneshwar.

Also discussed during budget

talks on Monday evening:

The Mount

Council voted to have a new city staff report — sometime in May — regarding the possibility of the city offering to help fund construction of new affordable apartments in the Mount.

The Mount is a former convent on Monaghan Road that is being redeveloped into affordable apartments, offices for agencies and community space.

The Mount’s chair Stephen Kylie spoke to council at a public meeting last week about the city potentially supporting the project — but he didn’t ask for a specific sum.

On Monday, Coun. Henry Clarke asked for a staff report reviewing ways the city could help with the funding. Council agreed to order that report.

In a separate motion a few minutes later, Coun. Andrew Beamer asked for another staff report that considers putting a limit on the sum council can offer outside causes and organizations every year; when that money is spent, the city gives no more.

“We just don’t have money for all these great organizations,” Beamer said.

Council voted in favour of ordering this further report. Coun. Lesley Parnell said it was “appropriate” to do so.

Canadian Canoe Museum

Council will invite officials from the Canadian Canoe Museum to come to budget talks on Tuesday evening to answer questions about city funding.

The museum is planning a new $65 million museum at the Lift Lock. The Ontario government then promised $9 million and the city $4 million (paid over the next eight years, starting this year).

Ottawa has previously given $1.5 million in seed money to begin project design, with the expectation that as much as $15 million more could be pledged later (perhaps sometime in 2018).

But no further pledge ever came from the feds and Coun. Andrew Beamer said he was concerned about that.

Beamer said he’s also concerned the provincial government will back out of its $9-million promise, since it is freezing many grants.

He wondered whether the city can get its money back if the other levels of government don’t pony up in the end.

Beamer said it was his understanding of the agreement that the city has made a commitment to the canoe museum contingent on the federal and provincial governments also paying their share. City staff said they would invite canoe museum officials to budget talks on Tuesday evening to respond.