Report on Council
March 11 and 25, 2019
Committee of the Whole Meetings: March 11, 2019: 9:00 a.m. – 6:20 p.m. and March 25, 2019: 9:00 a.m. – 10:23 am (the Special Meeting re the Township’s Teedon Pit Extension comment letter) and 10:40 a.m. – 2:55 p.m.
Regular Meetings of Council: March 11, 2018: 6:50 p.m.- 7:04 p.m. and March 25, 2018: 6:05 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
Mayor George Cornell, Deputy Mayor Steffen Walma and Councillors Cindy Hastings, Tony Mintoff and Gibb Wishart present at all meetings.
Announcements:
- Tiny Connect – Sign up at tinyconnect.ca
- Change the Hour, Change the Batteries (Smoke Alarm and CO Detector)
- Half Load Season – March 1 to April 30, 2019
- Earth Week – calendar of events on tiny.ca – April 22-27
- Town Hall Meetings – May 25, 2019, 10 a.m. to 12 noon, Tiny Township Community Centre and September 19, 2019, 7- 9 p.m., Wyebridge Community Centre
Regional Culture Committee proposed: In February, Fred Hacker proposed that Tiny, Tay, Penetang, Midland and the Beausoleil First Nations support the formation of a temporary Joint Culture Committee and that one Council member and one staff member be appointed to serve on it. This Committee would create and adopt terms of reference, and each community would then make appointments to the committee as per the terms of reference. He requested a $10,000 contribution from each community each year and that one staff member be available to support activities in Tiny. In March, Council decided to contribute $10,000 for a trial year, and that participation be subject to the participation of the other four parties.
Budget: On March 11, Council formally approved the 2019 Budget “at a 5% tax rate increase plus 1% to Capital Infrastructure Funding.”
Appointments to Committees:
- Accessibility Advisory Committee – Deborah Clyne, Richard Gould, Deputy Mayor Steffen Walma
- Heritage Advisory Committee – John Bryant, André Claire, Gary DuBeau, Judith Eccles, Randy Hargrave, Bonnie Reynolds, Gillian Reynolds, Councillor Gibb Wishart
- Mayor’s Charity Golf Tournament Working Committee – Andrew Chomentowski, Marilyn Hughes, Liesje Lancia, Mayor George Cornell, Deputy Mayor Steffen Walma
- Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee – Paul Bell, John Bryant, Cristan Cooper, Kelly Lapham, Mary Jane Price, Chuck Stradling, 1 representative from each of École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Croix and Wyevale Central Public School, Deputy Mayor Steffen Walma, Councillor Cindy Hastings
- Senior Advisory Committee – Brian Emond, Christine Greer, Tracy Hinks, Lynn Moon, Elaine Stephenson, Barbara Willis, Councillor Tony Mintoff, 1 Representative from each of the Bayshore Senior Citizens Association, the Georgian Shores Swinging Seniors, and Le Club de l’Age d’Or de Lafontaine
- Tiny Trails and Active Transportation Advisory Committee – Brian Emond, Kevin Mullan, Barbara Willis, Councillor Cindy Hastings
- Youth Advisory Committee – Aurora Desroches, Tristan Drury, Naomi Hales, Samantha Mitchell, Kennedy Pestill, Julia Sickinger, Deputy Mayor Steffen Walma
- Committee of Adjustment – Marilyn Desroches, Chris Figgures, Louise Maurice, Roger Robitaille, Councillor Gibb Wishart
- Police Services Board – Kevin Leonard (Community Representative), Barry Godding (Provincial Appointment), Mayor George Cornell, Councillor Cindy Hastings
- Property Standards Committee/Fence Viewers – Ron Cobbett, Judith Eccles, Dave Evans, Todd Galliford, Rob McKinney
- Livestock Valuer – Pierre Paul Maurice
Bluewater Dunes Ratepayers Association/Corporation Community Bulletin Board: After discussing Bluewater Dunes’ request for a community bulletin board, Council decided that the township would purchase the necessary material, install the sign and provide basic rules of use, while the association would make a financial contribution to the township for the material, maintain the information posted and ensure compliance with the intent of a community board.
Special Meeting re Township’s Comments Letter to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry about the Extension of the Teedon Pit in Concession 1: Of the many residents who attended the special meeting on March 25, twelve spoke. They expressed concerns about the quantity of precious water used for washing gravel, about disturbing wildlife habitat, about local wells and springs being sullied by silt intermittently since 2009, about the importance of holding meetings like this in the evening when working people can attend, about the impact on adjacent townships, about drawing on the expertise of Dr. William Shotyk, Dr. John Cherry, hydrogeologist Wilf Ruland (all with special information about the aquifer under the Teedon Pit), and Jagger Hims Limited (retained by Simcoe County during the Site 41 battle). There were concerns about CRH Canada Group Inc (owner of the Teedon Pit) having access to an important resource (gravel) without paying for it, about the fact that no copies of the Township’s comments document were available at the meeting, about the province’s ability to overrule the township, about the views of those on CRH’s Community Liaison Committee being largely ignored. One member of the audience recommended that someone become a shareholder (at a cost of $2,000) in CRH in order to mount a campaign prior to the next shareholder meeting in Ireland.
Members of Council made three additions to the comments letter – namely that a baseline be established for all wells within 500 meters of the pit (depth, yield, water quality prior to activity in the pit), that comments made earlier with regard to the Permit To Take Water application be included, that recycling of road materials not be permitted and also that the comments letter be copied to the local MP and MPP. Councillor Mintoff (with the support of Councillor Wishart) raised the possibility of adding a statement at the beginning of the letter, saying that the township is opposed to the extension application entirely. Deputy Mayor Walma and Councillor Hastings objected to that approach on the ground that they wanted the various specific issues dealt with. Mayor George Cornell supported working within the rules.
At the Regular Meeting of Council later that day, the comments letter as amended was approved. The letter included peer review letters regarding a number of the studies that accompanied the application.
Sewage System Reinspection Program: Bill Goodale and Dan Hurley of C.C. Tatham & Associates provided Council with a history of the reinspection program, and a specific report about Tatham’s findings in 2018. A surprising number of basic deficiencies continue to be found (159 initially, plus many more as a result of pump out reports) as properties come up for reinspection every six years. Inspections in 2019 are to be done in the northeast quadrant of the Township including Toanche, Farlain Lake and Champlain Road.
Internet and Cell Service: In response to a draft motion from Deputy Mayor Walma, an Ad Hoc Committee is to be established to discuss partnerships and ideas regarding internet and cell service to residents in rural municipalities. The Committee is to include Deputy Mayor Walma, Councillor Mintoff, appropriate members of staff and Chris McLaughlin from the North Simcoe Community Futures Development Corporation.
Legal Representation re: Teedon Pit Extension Application: Councillor Wishart proposed that the Township consider additional legal representation regarding the Teedon Pit Extension Application. In this he was supported by Councillor Mintoff. The motion was defeated. The Township continues to be represented by Sarah Hahn of Barriston LLP in Barrie. (See FoTTSA’s 24 March letter to Council in the Communication section of the Committee of the Whole Agenda for April 8, 2019.)