Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall is acting unilaterally during one of the only periods in his term so far to help bring a youth shelter renovation project to fruition.

On Monday, the mayor issued a memo to staff, which he shared on social media, saying he was exercising his “powerful mayoral powers” ​​to fund the project. Youth Haven Emergency Shelter Renovation Project.

In the memo, Nuttall directs staff to provide Youth Haven with a grant of $4,212.64, which is the cost of water collection fees collected by the city.

“Youth Haven is an incredible organization, and with this action we are taking concrete steps to help make vital resources available to those who need them most,” Nuttall wrote on social media Monday.

Powerful mayoral powers give mayors of large municipalities the ability to propose and pass bylaws with the support of only a third of councilors, veto bylaws, and hire and fire city leaders. service.

The mayor also directed staff to provide grants to the organization to cover city construction or development costs that may not have already gained council approval.

Nuttall said the project is eligible for these grants given that it is run by a nonprofit organization aimed at bringing affordable housing to the market.

The site in question, located at 22 Wellington Street East, is where the organization’s emergency shelter was located before its recent demolition. The project will see the construction of a larger facility allowing the organisation, which supports disadvantaged young people, to help more people in need.

In October, Youth Haven leaders told CTV News there was a $1 million fundraising goal for the facility, with about $650,000 raised.

Staff hope to have the project completed by spring.

With files from CTV’s Rob Cooper.