Council in Action
[By various Federation members]
Council meets on the 2nd and last Mondays of each month at 7:00 p.m. to deal with Regular Council business. Council meets as Planning Board on the 3rd Monday of each month to deal with planning matters.
Council meets as Committee of the Whole in the afternoons prior to the regular Council meeting, usually at 2:00 p.m. Council sits as a committee for the purpose of gathering information and hearing presentations from a wide variety of people such as businessmen, engineers, planners, lawyers, accountants and the Township department heads. Council does this so that the members will be able to make knowledgable educated decisions in solving the problems that come before Council. These meetings are public except when the committee goes in camera (not in public) to discuss personnel matters, purchase of land and confidential matters involving solicitors.
Come and bring a friend.
150 Acre Purchase Council purchased a 150 acre parcel of land in Conc 8 to ensure that land will be available for future commercial/industrial growth in Tiny. The new Provincial Planning Act (Bill 163) became law in March 1995; it makes it much more difficult for a municipality to convert agricultural land to industrial/commercial development. Many Ontario municipalities, anticipating the tightening of regulations, “banked” land for future commercial/industrial development. But Tiny was in a different position. It had nothing in the “land bank”. As well,most of the large tracts of commercial/industrial development Tiny did have were given away under Restructuring (see article page 10).
Deputy Clerk In June, 1995, Council hired Karen Landry as Deputy Clerk of Tiny. She was chosen by Council from 59 applicants.
MVA Opposition In November, 1994, this Council was elected on a platform of opposition to MVA. Mayor Anthony Lancia and Deputy Mayor Doug Taylor are responsible for carrying the opposition of Tiny to County Council which is made up of 32 County Councillors, being the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of each of the 16 municipalities in Simcoe County.
Tiny taxpayers, hopefully, have heard and read a great deal about MVA over the last 8 months. Why hasn’t MVA been a hot topic at Tiny Council? Because all 5 members of Tiny Council are against countywide MVA in all its forms. Of course, this should not be a surprise to anyone. Each member of the present council announced during the 1994 campaign that part of her/his platform was: “I’m against MVA.”
Members of Council consulted Jeff Cowan of the Toronto law firm, Weir & Foulds, regarding Tiny Township’s rights in the countywide reassessment proposal as well as to explore the rights of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor at County Council.
Because Tiny’s Council is against the implementation of the countywide MVA proposal, does not mean that MVA will be defeated. Tiny is dependent upon what the other municipalities in Simcoe County decide. Implementation of countywide MVA requires a two step decision process: a majority of the 16 local municipal councils must vote in favour of reassessment and there must be a majority vote of County Council. Thereafter, the Minister of Finance would have the authority to implement a reassessment effective for the taxation year 1996. IMPORTANT, please see MVA stories on page 1 & 4.
As a matter of record, EACH AND EVERY CANDIDATE in the November 1994 election campaign stated that she/he was against countywide MVA. It appears that a year later, some of the defeated candidates have changed position and are now in favour of MVA. Remember Restructuring?
The Roof on the Perkinsfield Rink After the Federal/Provincial Infrastructure program was announced in the autumn of 1993, Perkinsfield Parks and Recreation Association requested Tiny Township Council to apply for funds to erect a roof over the Perkinsfield rink on County Rd. #6. An application was made for $180,000 and a grant was confirmed subject to the proposal being implemented.
The current Council carried the project to completion by calling for tenders and awarding the construction contract. The Township engineers issued a certificate of approval in August, 1995. Overhead lighting was part of the arena project. The Federal and Provincial governments each paid $60,000; by agreement, the Township, on behalf of its taxpayers, paid $30,000 and the Perkinsfield Parks and Recreation Committee paid $30,000. As all building projects go, the final costs exceeded the original proposal. As previously agreed, the Perkinsfield Parks and Recreation Committee has taken responsiblity for any additional expenses ($26,000) plus some engineering costs.
Lafontaine Rink At its September 11, 1995 meeting, Council, with reluctance, passed a 5-0 resolution closing the Lafontaine rink. “We have a concern for the public safety, and we’re not going to compromise public safety,” said Mayor Anthony Lancia. The Township’s consulting engineers had been called in to give advice on a request by the Lafontaine Parks and Recreation Committee asking the Township to build an addition to the present structure to house change rooms, washrooms, a snack bar and a viewing area. The engineer’s reports of May 15 and August 30, 1995 dealt with the unsafe structural aspects of the building. In 1981, a “barn” type roof had been installed by volunteers over the outdoor Lafontaine rink and later sides were added. The engineers reported to Council that the design was inappropriate for a public building and is only suited for human occupancy maximum of “17 people”. A copy of that report was received by the Lafonatine Parks and Recreation Committee prior to the September 11, 1995 Council meeting. Tests show that, under potential snow load and wind stressing, the building does not conform to the Ontario Building Code.
Arena/Community Complex Council is continuing to investigate joint public/private ventures including an arena and community complex which was reported in the spring issue of The Tiny Cottager.
Sanitary Survey in the Balm Beach/Perkinsfield Area Council is continuing the investigation of sewage and water supply concerns in the Balm Beach/Perkinsfield area (Conc 8 north to Conc 11). The Ontario Clean Water Agency requested further updating of the sanitary survey which earlier had been conducted by the Simcoe County Health Unit. Council provided $7,000 for bacteriological testing to done this past summer.
Georgian Sands Water Tower Council called for tenders and contracts were awarded to construct a 300,000 gal. water tower/reservoir at Georgian Sands. The Georgian Sands water system was expanded in 1986. With the installation of the reservoir, the expansion project will now be completed.
An application for Federal/Provincial Infrastructure money was made and the funds were granted to assist with the Georgian Sands project. The money spent by the Township will not be a tax drain on Tiny because all water systems in the Township are on a “user pay” basis. A reserve fund was established some 7 years ago; each property connected to a municipal water system and each vacant lot within the coverage area of each municipal water system pays a $35 capital levy per year. Through the reserve fund, money is constantly being set aside for necessary repairs and upgrading to the seventeen (17) Township owned water systems.
Tiny Township and the Christian Island Band have been participating in a cooperative training program. Tiny’s Water Superintendent, Mike Emms, is providing training on water system operation and maintenance. As part of the cooperative training program, members of the Christian Island Band have designed and constructed a pump house and reservoir to service 20 homes on Christian Island. Band members enrolled in the training program have been providing assistance with the installation of the Georgian Sands reservoir and watermain installation.
Official Plan Review Council is proceeding with a review of the Official Plan, the major planning document of the Township. In particular, Council is reviewing its Growth and Settlement policies and Forest Resources policies. Bill 163 downgraded some classes of farm land from Agricultural to Rural; this has given Council the opportunity to modify the Township’s “Rural Severance” policies, policies which are important in a rural community. Under existing “severance” policies, farmers have found it very difficult, if not impossible, to sever a parcel of land from their farm.
Simcoe County Official Plan Open House The County OP will be presented to Tiny on Monday, November 20, 1995 at a Public Open House at the Township offices between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. County planning staff will meet with Council that same evening at 7:00 p.m. The County Official Plan program is near the end of the “information gathering” stage with Consultant studies soon concluding on the environment, infrastructure and population. The purpose of the Open House is to present these study results, respond to questions and to consider the policy implications for the Official Plan.
Zoning Bylaw The Township’s zoning bylaw has not been upgraded since the mid 1970s and, consequently, the zoning standards lag far behind Official Plan policies. Council wants to upgrade the Zoning Bylaw. When the zoning Bylaw and Official Plan are not complimentary, confusion results.
Site 41 The MoE reimbursed Tiny $625,000, as its share of the costs awarded by the Environmental Assessment Board for the Site 41 hearings. With the taxpayers’ funds back in the treasury, on July 4, 1995, Council passed a resolution which stated: “Notwithstanding Council’s decision not to appeal to cabinet, Council fully intends to continue its opposition to Site 41, through an appeal to the Conservative Government and/or the judicial process; And Further that the Administrator/Clerk convey Council’s position to Al McLean, M.P.P.” This matter has not appeared on Council agenda again.
Township Calls for Environmental Assessment Council recognized that Tiny has a limited ability to attract commercial/industrial development given the current limitations in sewage servicing ability. Following consultation with the Water Works Superintendent and the Township’s consulting engineers, on May 29, 1995, Council authorized the Township Engineers to prepare an application to “request funding assistance through the Municipal Assistance Program as administered by the Ontario Clean Water Agency to undertake an Environmental Assessment to investigate alternatives to resolve sanitary sewage servicing concerns related to existing and future development in the municipality.”
Councillor Evelyn Klym mentioned at Council, that one of the new innovative technologies is the “solar aquatic” method of sewage treatment.
On July 5, 1995, the Globe & Mail (page A1) carried a front page feature article about smallscale projects with innovative technologies to cleanse waste water. The solar aquatic technology was referred to: “the most intriguing treatment system involves an aquatic greenhouse system, where sewage flows through several tanks filled with aquatic life and finally into a marsh.” The water processed through this system is purified as the aquatic life nourishes itself on the effluent. Pilot projects of this system are in use and being monitored.
New Stations for Fire Department Upgrading of the Fire Department was initiated during Mayor Anthony Lancia’s first term in office; the upgrading is continuing. Council is continuously upgrading the fire equipment and has called for tenders for a new fire station in Wyebridge and one at the Northwest Basin. Land has been purchased to allow for expansion of the Wyebridge fire station.
Economic Development Committee The Committee is on hold as the sheer volume of work for the new councillors has temporarily overburdened Council with long meeting days and volumes of new material to be absorbed. Councillor Susan Kronschnabl has been appointed to be the Council representative to that committee. It has been some time since the advertisement for this committee was placed. If there is anyone who wishes to offer his or her talents in searching for ways to achieve economic growth for Tiny, he or she should write to the Township and ask that Council be advised of their interest in serving.
