'It honestly has been a very frustrating process going forward ... We will see what tomorrow brings. That's where we are at,' says warden

The County of Simcoe has delayed its decision on whether to support the City of Barrie's proposed boundary restructuring with the townships of Oro-Medonte and Springwater.

"We were expecting to come to council today with a request of council to make a decision on a proposed annexation proposals by the City of Barrie," Rob Elliott, the county's general manager of engineering, planning and environment, said during today's council meeting.

On Oct. 1, Barrie city council endorsed the annexation of almost 2,150 total acres from Springwater and Oro-Medonte, for employment and residential purposes, in a boundary restructuring deal projected to cost the city nearly $39 million by 2030.

The land annexation would break down to approximately 1,472 acres from Springwater and 677 acres from Oro-Medonte -- for a total of 2,149 acres.

The plan had been to provide county councillors with a summary of the input received and recommendations regarding council's support for each of the restructuring proposals.

However, a "very recent request" from the Office of Provincial Land and Development Facilitator (OPLDF) prompted county council to defer any decisions at this time, noted the report.

"It was a call to our warden seeking a pause of the decision today, as there are going to be meetings held tomorrow to try to bring everyone to a common place on this one," Elliott said.

The purpose of the initial report, he added, was to update council on the current status and advise that there is a meeting being held Wednesday with all parties, including officials from Barrie, Oro-Medonte, Springwater and the county, as well as provincial representatives from the OPLDF. Details around the meeting remain unclear, however, including when and where it will take place.

"It honestly has been a very frustrating process going forward," said Warden Basil Clarke. "What I can say is that the province is looking for a made-in-Simcoe solution. That's what they've said to me and that they want (to see) if we can come to some kind of agreement before they have to do it themselves.

"We will see what tomorrow brings. That's where we are at," he added.

It is anticipated that the OPLDF will hold additional discussions between all parties involved to look at any remaining issues and potential solutions, stated the report.

The report also noted that staff have recommended county council authorize the warden, chief administrative officer and senior staff to attend the discussions to represent county interests and "provide input that could achieve mutually acceptable outcomes."

After the discussions are complete, staff will provide council with an update, as well as any recommendations that may be necessary.

Wednesday's meeting is being facilitated by the province and is expected to be closed to the public, according to county staff.