The City of Barrie is taking additional steps to deal with homeless encampments.
At Wednesday night's meeting, city councillors approved a direct motion under the state of emergency declared by Mayor Alex Nuttall last month to bring forward existing bylaws to ensure they reflect current processes and practices related to encampment response.
Bill 110 is an update to the use of the city property bylaw to address the use of, and activities permitted upon, open space, environmentally protected land, and city property.
The use of the city property bylaw, which was on the books, did not fully address the lighting of fires, drinking, or the placement of tents on municipal property outside of parks.
"I don't think anybody in this room would consider a tent on a boulevard to be safe or a humane place," said Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson, who moved the direct motion, which was seconded by Coun. Craig Nixon.
Thomson also touched on the change in weather and the risk to people living on boulevards.
"That's where the windrow from the snowplow goes. Cars lose control and end up on boulevards."
The direct motion also asks staff to make an application to the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General for set fines related to the use of city property bylaw, with fine amounts ranging from $100 to $1,000, based on the nature of the offence.
The fines don't change, but because the bylaw is being updated, the city must reapply to the province.
Coun. Bryn Hamilton sought clarity to ensure that new fines were not being implemented to stop people who are otherwise unhoused.
"This is a city-wide bylaw, it's not just directed at one thing," explained Wendy Cooke, city clerk and director of legislative services. "We do not issue fines to those living in encampments. They are issued notices, and when accommodations are put in place, that's when notices are issued."
Under the state of emergency, existing bylaws, procedures and policies can be updated to ensure they "reflect current process and practices related to encampment response, including any new initiatives undertaken because of this declaration."
Coun. Jim Harris repeated what had already been stated about the risk of tents on boulevards with winter approaching.
Mayor Alex Nuttall brought the conversation back to what the state of emergency was about.
"This isn't a winter move, okay. This is a permanent move. The encampments are no longer welcome. They were never safe, and to accept otherwise would be not taking the facts into consideration. "
He said there are massive amounts of drugs, weapons and individuals, both those who are taking advantage of victims and victims inside of the encampments, and victims around them.
"I think we need to be very, very, very clear, which is why I declared a state of emergency, and what the expectation is in the City of Barrie. The expectation in the City of Barrie is that if you want help, if you want housing, and you want support, then we are here to help. We'll bring in the county, and they will bring in the agencies to provide the support necessary. If you want to live in addiction on the side of a road, in the forest, or in a park that's meant for kids to be playing in, please find somewhere else that has those sanctioned areas, because Barrie no longer has these encampments sanctioned."
The mayor added that the city's bylaws need to be brought up-to-date to reflect the expectations and rules of the community.
"There are a lot of individuals that need help, and the only way we improve our community is person after person and individual after individual getting that help and support."
Since the state of emergency was declared, the city has dismantled two homeless encampments, one with more than 20 tents on Mulcaster Street near the courthouse and another on city property in the area of Bradford Street and Tiffin Street.
