The Tiny Cottager Online

Report on Council: December 12, 2011
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:00 am –12:07 pm; 12:45 pm -3:30 pm
Confidential closed session 3:30 pm – 4:38 pm
Regular Meeting: 7:00 pm – 7:18 pm
Mayor Millar, Deputy Mayor Lawrence, Councillors Claire, Warren and Wishart present

Various Awards to Tiny and Staff
Twelve members of Tiny staff were presented with awards for years of service, ranging from 5 years to 40 years.Council also accepted a “Blue Community” award from the Council of Canadians, symbolized by a lapel button for each member of Council. The Township of Tiny is the first Blue Community in Ontario and the third in all of Canada. The Blue Communities Project is an initiative of the Council of Canadians and the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and calls on municipalities to recognize water as a human right, to ban the sale of bottled water in civic spaces, and to support the public ownership of water utilities. Information may be found on http://canadians.org/blog/?p=10405.

By-law Department Business Model
Council reviewed a report by Steven Harvey, Chief Municipal Law Enforcement Officer, regarding the various options for a By-law Department Business Model. A discussion took place comparing surrounding municipalities’ business models, the costing for an enhanced model and enforcement issues and trends. In reviewing the by-law department’s proposed business model, Councillors Claire and Warren noted that having two officers travel together was inefficient and unnecessary because they have radio communications and are instructed to avoid confrontations and call the OPP if they need backup. Councillors felt that By-law doesn’t need more staff, since the existing staff can be used more efficiently. Hence a $76,000 increase was not seen as necessary. The Committee agreed to table the report for further discussion at a future Committee of the Whole meeting.

Farm Succession Planning
Charles Kouassi of Le conseil de la Cooperation de l’Ontario spoke regarding a farm succession planning project in Southern Georgian Bay. They have come up with strategies to stem the decrease in the number of active farms. The idea is to introduce farm owners without a succession plan to worker–shareholder co-ops that are ready to take over farming. Le conseil would also recruit, train and help 30 young Canadians to begin farming through a farm incubator.  It would also recruit and help 20 farmers with their succession plans through sale, rent, lease or legacy and create farm co-ops and incubator farms to work up to the gradual transfer of farm to worker shareholder co-ops.

Balm Beach Parking
The Committee reviewed a report from Doug Luker, CAO/Clerk, regarding the Balm Beach Pay Parking Program. Pay parking is to be implemented in public areas except privately owned spaces in front of or adjacent to existing businesses. It is recommended that these spaces be signed as Customer Only parking. It is recommended that staff work with business owners to develop consistent signage. Except for all publicly owned spaces in front of existing businesses these spaces will be designated 30 minutes free parking. A clarification of paid and private parking spots in front of the Surf Restaurant needs to be made. Balm Beach Rd permit parking will be provided along the north side. Thirty minute free parking will be provided in specific areas to accommodate businesses on Balm Beach Rd. No Parking signs will be posted on side streets. Pay parking is to be installed at Parent Park. All permit parking holders will be allowed to park in either pay parking or permit parking areas without additional charge. Permit parking holders must abide by the 30 minute parking restrictions. Rates are to be set at a minimum charge of $0.25/15 minutes to a maximum of $15/day. Pay parking would be enforced 5:00 am – 10 pm with parking prohibited from 1:30-5:00 am. Pay parking will be in effect May 15 -Sept. 15. Additional no parking areas will be implemented to ensure that the overflow doesn’t encroach in neighbouring areas. The speed limit on Balm Beach Rd will be reduced to 40km/h. Accessible parking and unload and go spaces are to be provided in key locations. All parking receipts are valid through out township parks. Revenues would be used to offset costs associated with maintenance of parks and beaches.  Council voted to implement the recommended program in the Spring and Summer of 2012.

Land Use Study
Council directed staff to obtain the services of MHBC Planning to undertake a Residential Land Use Study at a cost of $15,000 plus taxes and disbursements.This study will review the amount of land in the Township of Tiny that is currently designated for future development in the Township Official Plan and also review future residential development lands in the context of the Provincial Policy Statement 2005, the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe 2006 and possible amendments, and the proposed County of Simcoe Official Plan.

Accessibility Advisory Committee
Recommendation/Municipal Administration Building
Council accepted the Accessibility Advisory Committee recommendation for the barrier-free entrance of the Municipal Administration Building and directed staff to initiate the tendering process for the proposed works.

Lafontaine Pavilion/Protective Netting
Council approved the acquisition of protective netting for the Lafontaine Pavilion in the amount of $1600; the cost to be taken from the 2011 Parks Operating Budget.
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiatives/Township RepresentationCouncil appointed Councillor Gibb Wishart to represent the Township of Tiny at the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiatives (GLSLCI) meetings.

No Presentation by Beausoleil First Nation on Proposed Wind Turbines
Councillor Warren inquired as to the reason why the Beausoleil First Nation did not attend today’s meeting to discuss the proposed development of a Wind Power project. Doug Luker, CAO/Clerk, reported that the Beausoleil First Nation Band has advised that they would not discuss the project at this time as it is still in the prefeasibility phase.

Discussion/Leaf and Yard Waste Collection
Henk Blom, Manager of Public Works, advised that a legal opinion for the collectionof the leaf and yard waste has been requested but has not been received. The matter was tabled pending receipt of the legal opinion for discussion.

Parks and Recreation Department Budgets
Several associations mentioned that their snack bars were broken into, adversely affecting this revenue source that helps to cover the costs of programs.

Report on Council: November 28, 2011
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:00 am –12:15 pm; 12:45 pm -1:27pm
Confidential closed session 1:27pm -1:48 pm
Regular Meeting: 7:00 pm – 7:18 pm
Mayor Millar, Deputy Mayor Lawrence, Councillors Claire, Warren and Wishart present

Georgian Sands/Lafontaine Water Supply Class Environmental Assessment – R.J. Burnside and Associates Limited – Update on Preferred Alternative
The preferred alternative from the environmental assessment of alternative solutions for the water supply to Georgian Sands and Lafontaine municipal water systems which are experiencing increasing nitrate concentrations was presented and discussed.
In the short term (4-6 months) the Georgian sands and Lafontaine water systems would be interconnected and the water blended for a cost of $1.5 million. Then a new well would be drilled at Concession 17 and Rue Jules Leger (cost $3.5 million) and the water would be connected to the Georigian Sands system (8-12 months) The works would be funded from the Water Department capital reserves. Agricultural practices and septic systems are known nitrate sources but it is difficult to determine which source has the greatest impact. Over time the township wil have the ability to regulate practices through the Source Water Protection Plan once it is implemented. The Source Water Protection Plan is to be approved by the Province of Ontario in 2013 and implemented over 2 years. Source Water Protection Plan will identify land use activity threats and plans will be implemented to manage, eliminate or reduce the risks associated with land use activity.  Eliminating sources of nitrates may result in long term improvement of ground water quality.

Property Standards By-law
The Committee considered a report from Steven Harvey, Chief Municipal Law Enforcement Officer, regarding a proposed Property Standards by-law. In order to enact a Property Standards by-law an amendment to the Official Plan will be required. The Ontario association of Property Standards Officers has created a model Property Standards By-law for municipalities to use as a drafting template. The new provisions increase acceptable standards for properties and deal with properties with damaged or abandoned buildings, exterior yard issues not covered by the Clean Yards By-law. Municipalities would have the ability to respond to residents’ complaints, require the property owner to take action and failing that the municipality could complete the work at owner’s expense and apply the costs to the property taxes.
Mr. Harvey felt that additional staff training will be necessary to maintain qualified staff to properly enforce the by-law at a cost of $900/year/person. It would also be necessary to establish a Property Standards Committee to hear appeals. Council voted to direct staff to draft a Property Standards By-law and initiate the necessary Official Plan amendment and to schedule a public meeting, and also to draft an updated Clean Yards By-law for Council consideration and approval.

North Simcoe Economic Action Initiative
Doug Luker, CAO/Clerk, provided a summary of  the North Simcoe Economic Action Initiative. As background, 4 Mayors of North Simcoe initiated  the creation of the North Simcoe Economic Action Initiative which includes 5 strategies for economic success: build an educated workforce; change the maufacturing base; develop four season tourism; invest in healthcare; build on existing educational facilities; introduce agricultural bio-science. Part 1 of the report outlines the vision and strategy for the initiative and Part 2 providesdetail on the proposed organizational structure and funding options.Council voted to approve Part 1 and Part 2 Strategy Documents.

2012 Development Charge
Council approved the 2012 proposed development charge at $4,856 (from $4,656) per household for residential units and $16.59 (from $15.91) per square meter gross floor area for non-residential units.

Trew Avenue and Glen Forest Trail/Request for “No Parking”
Council discussed a staff investigation of the requests for “No Parking” on Trew Avenue and Glen Forest, and decided to seek input from the Bluewater Dunes Restoration Advisory Committee and the Community Recreation Committee prior to making a final deliberation.

Canada Post Mailboxes and Snow Clearing Efforts
Canada Post is replacing the old green mailboxes with superboxes. (Once the superboxes are in place owners of mailboxes receive a letter with keys and their new superbox location. Seasonal users of boxes should check on their mailboxes.) Glenn Desroches, Road Superintendent, reported that he was been contacted byChris Smith of Canada Post seeking his input on the placement/location of the newMailboxes but the final decision rests with Canada Post. He also reported that clearing the snow in front of the mailboxes is Canada Post’s responsibility.

REPORT ON COUNCIL
November 14, 2011
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:00 am –11:38 pm
Confidential closed session: 11:38am –12:35 pm and 1:10 pm – 3:28 pm
Regular Meeting: 7:07 pm -7:43 pm
Mayor Millar, Deputy Mayor Lawrence, Councillors Claire, Warren and Wishart present

Information: County Hires 25 New Employees
There has been a 1.5% increase in the Simcoe County Corporate Services budget due to 25 new staff hired. The majority were Ontario Works Program case management positions.

Information: Beausoleil First Nation Proposes Wind Turbine Project
The Beausoleil First Nation has been approved for funding under the Aboriginal renewable Energy fund program to study the feasibility of the development of an industrial wind turbine power project for the northwest side of Christian Island. The Chief and Council have duly informed Tiny Council. Council resolved to acknowledge their letter and begin a dialogue, and to find out whether Tiny has any jurisdiction.

OPP Contract
Doug Luker, the CAO, presented a report to Council subsequent to the visit by senior OPP officers at the October 31 meeting. The officers had pointed out that Tiny has two options for OPP services, either continuing the current year-to-year arrangement under Section 5.1 of the Police Services Act or engaging in a 5-year contract under Section 10.0. The report costed out only the Section 10 option. In a recorded 3-2 vote (with Mayor Miller and Councillor Wishart in favour) the 3 other Councillors voted against engaging in a 5-year contract with the OPP under Section 10.

Blocks 44 & 45 Tiny Beaches Road North
Tiny Beaches Road has never been adequately surveyed in the Ardmore Beach area and Ontario Hydro, Bell, Rogers and Enbridge do not have easements along this portion of the road. This means that properties on the western side of blocks 44 & 45 cannot be serviced which brings up the question of why building permits were issued if the lots can’t be serviced. There is also a municipal drain 8’ inside the block impacting an owner’s driveway. A report from Henk Blom was received for information and Council directed staff to enter into discussions to rectify the problem and transfer necessary property to the Township.

Sixth Street Balm Beach
Council directed Henk Blum to clear a 1.5 metre wide walking path from Sixth Street for easier access to the beach since Tiny owns the 20’ wide path to the beach.

Wyevale Park Master Plan
In his report to Council from The Parks and Recreation Committee, Councillor Wishart remarked that this park requires some reconfiguring. There have been requests for soccer pitches; the school right beside it has needs and there is no community centre. Ideally the park could coordinate plans with the trail system that runs through it. There is also the option of moving the rink and putting a cover over it. In order to seek funding from Trillium to help cover the costs of these options Wyevale would have to have a park Master Plan. Council directed staff to prepare a cost estimate for the study, to be discussed in the 2012 Budget Meetings.

CBO Park
The Cawaja Balm Ossossane (CBO) Parks and Recreation Association was reorganized with Jim Clause, President. CBO is interested in getting the community park operating as an active park. Mayor Millar stated that Council could be persuaded with a sound business case to change the status of the park. It became passive because it wasn’t being used. Under the present status the municipality doesn’t mow or repair anything on park land. At the moment staff is working on developing a master plan to present at budget time.

Georgian Bay Snowriders Club
The club requested a longer term for the land use agreement between the club and the municipality. Council only agreed to a 1 year contract to allow the newly formed Tiny Trails Sub-Committee to come up to speed. The Committee will develop long term plans for multi-use trails. The Club also suggested that they assume responsibility for maintenance along the 160 km trail in lieu of their annual $1,000 donation.

Bluewater Dunes Advisory Committee
Mayor Miller stated that council needed a report from the Joint Health and Safety Committee as to the safety of the maintenance workers traveling to the pump house because of the location of where the snow is dumped. Maintenance staff will look at the premature closing of a section of boardwalk up to Nicole Blvd behind the pump house. They are also looking at liability for maintaining and not maintaining the boardwalk.

Review of the FoTTSA Letter on the McMahon Subdivision
The letter from FoTTSA to the Mayor and Council was forwarded to staff for input. An OMB hearing is scheduled to reconcile the developer’s proposal for 51 lots with the County’s limit of 20 lots and the Federation’s contention there should be zero lots
because the property is in an Area of Scientific and Natural Interest (ANSI). FoTTSA will be seeking party status because of the precedent this could set.

Time Limit to be Sought for Long-Standing Draft Approved Subdivisions
There are three subdivisions in Tiny (in addition to the McMahan Woods subdivision) that were approved between 1990 and 1997 without a time limit being set as to when the approval would expire in the absence of the development taking place. Since that time, Tiny’s Official Plan and Zoning By-law have undergone significant changes, to which the proposed developments may not conform. Section 51(32) of the Planning Act allows an approval authority to impose a condition that a draft plan of subdivision lapses not less than three years from the approval date.
It was moved by Deputy Mayor Lawrence, seconded by Councillor Claire, and carried 5-0, that the Township solicitor be directed to send a letter to the County of Simcoe, the approval authority for plans of subdivision in the Township of Tiny, requesting that all three draft subdivision plan approvals be amended to reflect a three-year lapsing time.
The subdivisions are:
* the Sokol/Downer Plan of Subdivision, in Part Lot 22, Concession 5 (Part 1, 51R-22943), draft approved on September 26, 1990;
* the Montebello Beach Development Plan of Subdivision, in Part Broken Lot 21, Concession 5, draft approved on January 25,1993;
* and the Ontario Potato Distributing Plan of Subdivision, in Part Lot 18, Concession 16, draft approved on September 2, 1997.

Report on Council: October 11, 2011
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:00 am – 12:26 pm
Confidential closed session 11:07 pm – 12:25 pm
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:00 pm – 7:14 pm
Mayor Millar, Deputy Mayor Lawrence, Councillors Claire, Warren and Wishart present
(Councillor Wishart sent regrets for the Regular Evening Meeting)

Boundary Issues Along TBRN/Ardmore Beach
Richard Galas requested permission to make an oral submission on resolving the ownership of a strip along Tiny Beaches Road from Balm beach to TBRN 96. It seems that properties to the west of the road are “landlocked“ by this strip. This has been brought to the attention of the Township before. It was decided that the issue will be discussed on November 14th, when a staff report should be available.

Discussion on Speeding Problems at Farlain Lake
Council agreed that there is a problem at Farlain Lake, but this is a broader issue as speeding is a problem in other areas also.  A report has been requested from Public Works on methods and costs of traffic calming, their costs, criteria and trial periods.

Safety Issues in Jackson Park and Cove Area
CAO Doug Luker informed Council that they had neither jurisdiction nor liability over Federal waters. As a result Council resolved that it does not support the municipal distribution of buoys in the waterways due to liability concerns. (Note: They do have control over signage at the park, and in the past we had two Small Watercraft Committees fully supported by two separate Councils.)

Proposed Wyevale Park Master Plan
The question of a Master Plan for Wyevale Park was discussed. It was seen as needed, but there was discussion about how to fund such a Plan. It was proposed that Township land – Lots 29 & 30, Plan 51M361 – be declared surplus and be sold in order to help fund the Master Plan.  Several Councillors were concerned.  Deputy Mayor Lawrence said we should check the Park and Recreation finances and this could be putting the cart before the horse.  There is a need, but not necessarily funded by selling this land. A motion by Mayor Ray Millar, calling for staff to initiate, through an RFP process, a comprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan for the Wyevale Park died for lack of a second.

Senior Staff Hiring Process
Councillor Claire expressed concern about the process for hiring senior staff (at the moment a Fire Chief is being hired).  CAO Doug Luker felt he makes the final decision.  Councillor Claire felt that was not clear and he felt that Council should make the final decisions.  Councillor Claire requested a review so that that by Nov. 30 there will be no uncertainty

Dead Fish and Birds on Tiny’s Shores
Councillor Claire noted that residents have reported sightings of many dead fish and birds on the shoreline. Dawn LaCroix, engineering technologist, presented information on dead fish and dead birds found on the shores of Tiny.  She has contacted MNR and more information can be viewed on Tiny’s website.  Tests are being done. Although the results have not been received at this time, the Ministry has indicated that the death of a large number of fish and wildlife is not uncommon at certain times of the year and is cyclical in nature. The cause is most likely due to botulism and no cases of human illness are attributed to this according to public health agencies. The Ministry has provided the Township with a fact sheet outlining the cause and what private shoreline owners can do to dispose of the dead fish or birds. This information will be provided on the Township website.
Note: there may have been thousands of birds washed up on Tiny’s shores. They should NOT be buried in the sand!

Budget Meetings for 2012 Budget Year
A slightly revised schedule for budget meetings was adopted. All meetings are open and start at 9:00 am on: November 2nd, November 23rd, December 5th

*** edit: this report as originally posted had an incorrect set of dates for the 2012 Budget meetings.  The correct dates are now listed in the post.