Barrie City Council Removes Art Members from Poet Laureate Selection Committee

During the March 20 General Committee Meeting at City Hall, the council deliberated and voted on various items.

Barrie City Council voted to alter the composition of the selection committee for the city’s Poet Laureate. The new selection committee will replace individuals associated with poetry, literary, and cultural backgrounds with three city councillors.

Ward 4 Councillor Amy Courser opposed Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson’s amendment to remove specific members (Chief Librarian, a poet laureate from another community, and a municipal cultural staff person) from the poet laureate selection committee, and replacing them with three council members. However, Mayor Nuttall supported the changes by highlighting the varied experiences of council members and the value they bring to municipal governance. The council approved the changes. 

During the meeting, the council also passed a motion to direct staff to investigate the feasibility of developing a new disc golf infrastructure. The staff will also look into the feasibility of updating the Parks Strategic Plan in 2025, including related costing and reporting.

Sergio Morales, Ward 9 councillor, inquired about delegating authority for temporary public art exhibitions to staff, sparking a debate on council oversight and the importance of the council’s involvement in art selection, reflecting on past issues with public art decisions. His changes were rejected by the council. 

In the end, Mayor Alex Nuttall and Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson expressed gratitude for recent funding announcements from federal and provincial governments, recognizing the staff's and council's efforts in housing and infrastructure projects.

0:0:0 Intro
0:01:00 Ref. Committee Recap
0:08:00 Poet Laureate
0:25:00 Disc Golf Course
0:29:00 Delegation of Authority for Art Exhibitions
0:47:00 Acknowledgments of Funding Announcements