iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Adjourned at 10:14 p.m. Goodnight Ptbo! Thanks for joining me.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Three minute break and then a city council meeting to ratify some earlier business to do with bargaining.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

"This is important to a lot of people - that the people who represent them publicly take a stand on this," says @alexbierk.bsky.social

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Leal says a report "would clarify for us" that the principle set out by the feds for AI data centres (that they minimize water use, for example) would be followed.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Duguay wonders whether council wouldn't be better off directing staff to review the planning details now - he doubts an interim bylaw can be adopted.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Now @joylachica.bsky.social notice of motion to create an interim bylaw to stop AI data centres until we come up with a planning review.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

CAO Raina says now that the report will be attached to the draft budget document for 2027. But no ideas from the review will shape the staff-recommended budget, he insists.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

@joylachica.bsky.social says she stands by her deferral motion, even though senior staff has just said they won't use it in 2027 budget document. She needs it in writing.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Duguay says the savings outlined are important and valuable. "It serves to inform the next council" as they contemplate spending. Their task here is to accept the report. "There are some thorny topics," but the consultant was asked "to find ways to be efficient and effective" with tax money.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Haacke asking now about taxes collected by the airport. City treasurer Freymond says there are 3 "buckets" of taxes collected by the airport: Township, county and education taxes. In 2026, a grand total of $326,000 was collected (of that, $136,193 was collected by the township).

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Duguay asks the consultants whether the idea was to present this now, for the next council to consider?

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

On condo garbage collection, Baldwin says "We're going to get huge pushback on that... Rn it's kind of settled down (the controversy)."

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Bryden says (in response to Baldwin) that the city ought to consider whether to continue subsidization of the airport without having control over the lands.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Leal asks the consultant whether the 3Ds - "dither, delay and defer" is a good idea. Leal says he coined that phrase himself. Bryden says he might borrow that phrase.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

@mattcrowley.bsky.social asks about "underleveraging of partner funding sources" - he says he read this as a fault of the city. Are we just not taking advantage of funding that's available?"

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

That's the Efficiency report, Ptbo. Challinor says lots of opportunities were identified here, and some can be realized quickly. Others will be more complex and take time.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Oh wait there was one more.... Succession planning: Needs to be a "formal knowledge transfer" between longtime and experienced workers and those who join the city, Challinor says.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

The city currently owns and manages the airport but doesn't get the full taxes from it, Challinor now saying. She says future spending on the airport should be contingent on securing control over the property, she says.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Ah no wait: the Efficiency Review is being presented in public by Ernst & Young

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

The Efficiency Report seems to have been presented in closed session, and now there's a vote to receive it for information. @alexbierk.bsky.social is asking for a deferral; this carries 6-5

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Also tonight: a number of properties recommended for heritage designations (including Prince of Wales school).

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Hey Ptbo. I'm a city hall rn, covering your general committee meeting because the inestimable @sebastianj-l.bsky.social is away.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Oh hey - I love this idea. Could be replicated in any city - including Peterborough - don’t you think?

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Meeting adjourns at 8:45 p.m., just shy of 3 hours after it began. Thanks so much for following along - I'm happy to provide you with this free service! G'night.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

@alexbierk.bsky.social says "we don't know what is happening, on and off that site... I'm just disappointed" that the city cannot "create some sort of understanding of what's happening on that site" in terms of contamination (quite apart from demolition plans).

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

"I don't believe for one minute GE will answer any quesitons they aren't obligated to answer. You can ask until the cows come home," says Haacke.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

"We rely on our professional staff and their processes" to ensure safety, says Duguay. "I'm fully satisfied that will be in place.... it's law."

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Ilmar Simonovski, municipal operations commissioner, says he's been in the buildings at GE and they are completely empty (in other words, ready for demolition).

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Baldwin asks whether we have had an application for demolition yet from GE Vernova. No, says city CAO Raina.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Riel says he doesn't see a problem with @joylachica.bsky.social motion. The plan could be heard in closed session, he says.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

"I think as leaders around this table, we should know" all about the demolition plan and safety, says @alexbierk.bsky.social

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

But now @alexbierk.bsky.social is asking for council to direct staff to direct staff to get a plan regarding the level and extent on contamination in and around the GE site (in the soil and structures, for instance), and identify roles of various agencies in ensuring a safe demolition.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Council votes a final time now to apply for funding through Build Canada Homes to build a Peterborough Housing Corporation (PHC) project at 1190 Hilliard St. The project is designed, but paused due to lack of funding.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Lato says Prince of Wales parents were largely dismayed that council did not vote to place heritage designations on the buildings. "We all know this site is poisonous. We won't know how poisonous it is, until the chemical inventory."

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Nicholas Lato, of Frederick Street, making a deputation now regarding the heritage status of the GE buildings. He's concerned that council voted down a proposal to place heritage designations on the eight buildings GE plans to preserve.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

@alexbierk.bsky.social says "we're heavily relying on that funding to continue operations" at the modular sleeping cabin grouping. He asks whether that funding will be renewed, at the end of March?

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Question time. Coun. Riel asks about funding to build affordable housing, particularly social housing projects proposed by Peterborough Housing Corporation. Smith says he cannot say precisely, yet.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

United Way campaign chair Paul Rellinger says they are now $80K shy of their $1.6 million goal for the campaign (which is completed at the end of March).

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

City staff rally raised over $14K for the United Way campaign! Chair Paul Rellinger here receives the cheque. Laken Macfarlane was the city staffer who took the lead.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Oh dear, 'blinding migraine' sounds awful... I gotcha covered.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Hello Peterborough. I'm at city hall right now, filling in for @sebastianj-l.bsky.social (this is still his beat - I'm needed as a fill-in!) Anyway, this is a council meeting I'm about to cover - please stay tuned.

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Joelle Kovach @joellekovach.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

It’s keeping time again!!! Yay!