Tightened security measures for the public, and media, in the Council Chambers and Rotunda are coming early next year at Barrie City Hall.
Restrictions on entering the Chambers’ council and staff circle, as well as one downstairs in the Rotunda, are necessary at meetings of city council and general committee said Wendy Cooke, city clerk/director of legislative and court services, and acting general manager of community and corporate services.
“These measures have been put in place so that there is a consistent procedure in place for members of public and media at every meeting,” she said. “A security guard is always in the Rotunda, even outside of council and committee meetings, when the building is open to the public.
“Beyond that we don't comment on specifics of security measures.”
Cooke declined comment when asked if there had been incidents that have caused councillors and city staff to feel unsafe.
Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson was asked why the new security measures were necessary.
“I think it’s an abundance of caution,” he said. “I’m not the feel-threatened kind of guy. Now some members of council…”
The new measures are to include having a security guard present in the Council Chambers and ensuring that members of the public and media do not enter the council and staff circle, as well as one downstairs in the Rotunda.
Members of the public will still be invited to go to the podium to speak at meetings, Cooke said, but are not permitted to come closer to the circle than that. Someone in the clerk’s office will go to the podium if a member of the public has something they want to provide, to be circulated to councillors.
If there are no members of the public expected to speak, access from the audience to the council/staff circle will be blocked with stanchions, said Cooke.
Members of the media can come down to the bottom of the stairs if they have questions of council, Cooke said, and the media can request staff to ask the councillor to come speak with them.
If the councillor does not have time after the meeting, media will be encouraged to contact the city’s corporate communications department with their questions, to get a response.
There has been one security incident of note in the last year or so.
On Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, at 9:50 a.m., Barrie city police received a call for a report of a trespasser at 70 Collier St., Barrie City Hall.
Police said a male security guard had allegedly been assaulted, received serious but non-life-threatening injuries in the Rotunda area and was taken by paramedics to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH).
A Barrie man was arrested Nov. 27, 2023 and charged with assault causing bodily harm.
The city budget was $1.18 million for security services in 2022, $1.15 million in 2023 and $1.21 million for 2024.
It is $1.23 million in 2025.
