Council wants review of PKED

Questions on economic development agency’s role and cost to city

Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) should have a fouryear contract extension starting in January, city councillors decided — but they also want city staff to complete a review, due by September 2020, of how economic development is delivered in Peterborough.

Coun. Dean Pappas had proposed that PKED’s contract be shortened to two years; he also proposed the review of how economic development is delivered.

For years, PKED has done both tourism promotion and economic development for both the city and County of Peterborough.

But Pappas said the city’s losing jobs faster than they’ve being attracted here: he cited several local business closures, the most notable being the shutdown of manufacturing at General Electric after 125 years in 2017.

The city will pay $1 million for PKED’s services next year; for the county, it’s about $700,000.

Coun. Keith Riel also wanted to shorten PKED’s contract, as did Coun. Don Vassiliadis.

But others didn’t think it was fair to reduce their contract time and urged council to stick with the agency.

Mayor Diane Therrien said Peterborough has lost manufacturing jobs — but so have cities across North American.

“Those sectors have been shutting down for decades,” she said, adding that PKED is working on attracting “jobs of the future.”

“To cut their contract in half will not be helpful in any way,” she said.

It was the second time in less than a week that Pappas had promoted his idea in council chambers.

He spoke of it first on Thursday, at a meeting of the Peterborough Regional Liaison Committee, which oversees services shared between the city and county.

The idea was shot down there, with Therrien plus all county politicians voting against a review; they wanted to stick with PKED instead.

But the three city councillors on that committee — Pappas plus Coun. Keith Riel and Coun. Andrew Beamer — voted in favour of hiring PKED for just two years and rethinking the delivery of economic development in the meantime.