Orillia faces long-term budget strain from $5.4M ice storm recovery

The City of Orillia aims to seek disaster relief after the ice storm cleanup hits $5.4M and counting.

Orillia’s budget and service delivery will be impacted by March’s devastating ice storm over the coming years, city council heard on Monday.

A staff report to council indicates that the city spent at least $5.4 million since the time the storm hit on tree clearing and repairs to streetlights and traffic lights, with the bulk of that taking place after a state of emergency concluded.

From April 10 to June 12, city staff estimate the city will have paid over $4.5 million alone in tree and brush clearing, with an additional $281,000 expected to be spent on traffic and streetlight repairs in that same period.

“The magnitude of damage across the city warrants continued remediation until June 12 at which time imminent risks will be addressed,” reads the report to council. “The scale of the damage has necessitated the use of additional operating funds to ensure the safety of the Community and service delivery continuity. This unexpected financial burden will have lasting impacts on the city’s operating budget and service delivery in the months and years ahead.”

To recoup those costs and save some trouble for the city’s coffers, staff will look to apply for disaster relief funding from the province.

Through Ontario’s Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance (MDRA) program, staff estimate that it could apply for at least $4.7 million from Ontario alone.

However, council was told Monday night that the $5.4 million figure did not account for the total recovery cost that Orillia incurred, with other costs, such as fuel and generator rentals or brush disposal from landfills, tracked separately.

City staff will deliver a full cost analysis at a future City Council meeting and will seek a resolution in support of the City’s MDRA application at that time.