REPORT ON COUNCIL
August 30, 2004
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:00 a.m. – 6:50 p.m.
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:05 p.m. – 8:36 p.m.
All Members of Council present.
CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 5:38 p.m. – 6:50 p.m.
PARKING COMPLAINTS/WAS THE ESSENTIAL POINT MISSED? There have been complaints about large numbers of cars parking on Concession 4 West near Pine Forest Drive, on Trew Avenue, on Concession 5 West, on Concession 6 and Old Trail, on Concession 8 West, and on Pennorth Drive. The Manager of Public Works, Henk Blom, viewed these in the light of traffic safety and reported that driveways were not blocked and that emergency vehicles were able to get through.
This report did not mesh well with another report on the agenda, which listed parking infractions on the long August weekend, many of them in the areas reviewed by Mr. Blom.
Moreover (and this was not mentioned except in a question from the audience), the important point about this sort of parking was missed entirely. These parking problems are all in areas where people from outside the Township are permitted to park without permits and access concession ends and small shore parks. They are freeloading on the taxpayers of Tiny who have to pay for by-law enforcement, garbage cleanup, and who may find their local beach park overcrowded.
SEPTIC RE-INSPECTION PROGRAM: There have been a number of complaints about “intimidating” letters sent to owners in connection with the Septic Reinspection Program and about seemingly unreasonable requirements made of homeowners. Because of this Bill Goodale of C. C. Tatham and Associates made a preliminary report about this year’s re-inspection program, and responded to questions from Council and members of the audience. Even if there is no evidence that a system is malfunctioning, a owner may be asked to expose the bed if there are structures overlaying it or if there are poplars nearby or trees in the bed area: structures even slightly over the bed are against the rules and trees (particularly poplars) clog the tile bed with their roots. Letters are to be couched more tactfully. As, some of the problems have resulted from ill founded reactions by older owners, Goodale was asked also to make contact by telephone when a serious letter went out to ensure that owners understood what they were being asked to do.
LE VILLAGEOIS DE LAFONTAINE: Hitherto Council has been willing to give this retirement housing project in Lafontaine moral, but not financial, support. At this meeting of Council, Councillor Rob Panasiuk argued for a different way of viewing the situation, namely that the project could be seen as a way of financing a 10,000 square foot Community Centre available for use by all residents in Tiny Township, at a cost of no more than $8,000 a year for the next ten years – $8,000 being the difference between giving the Villageois project a “residential” as opposed to a “multi-residential” zoning. That level of financial commitment is essential if the project is to be considered for funding from senior levels of government. Tiny Township’s ongoing support is contingent upon funding being acquired.
EXOTIC ANIMAL BY-LAW: Council continues to be uncertain about the need for an Exotic Animal By-law. There is reluctance to create a regulation in the absence of any problem. One question was whether or not the drafting of such a By-law could be retrospective if a problem with an exotic animal presented itself. The legal view of this is not absolutely clear, though it looks as if Council could control a problem after the fact, by drafting a By-law to deal with it. The By-law Officer would like a By-law so that he has some basis for action if a problem occurs. Council decided to revisit the issue in six months.
PAID DUTY OPP ON LONG WEEKEND: Council decided to hire a paid duty OPP officers for 10 hours on each of the three days of the long August weekend. They were to administer speeding tickets in several trouble spots in the Township. Some 49 vehicles were stopped; 29 charges were laid; of these 27 were for speeding; and of the 27, 12 were for infractions more than 20 kilometres over the posted speed limit. One driver was charged with driving without a license and one with failing to yield. Council decided to hire Paid Duty Officers again on the Labour Day weekend, and to then decide whether this is an effective method of controlling speeding in the Township.
TINY TRAIL BRIDGES: Questioning from Councillor Panasiuk elicited the information that the Township has received $275-300,000 from the SuperBuild Fund for P3, the bridge south of Wyevale that was finished early this year. An additional $70,000 is being held back, probably until the bridge project is completed. The deadline for dealing with the remaining bridges with the help of SuperBuild is not until 2006. There is to be a public meeting to ascertain how much support there is for spending money on rebuilding the remaining bridges.
PLAN TO HEAR WHAT DAVID LAMBDEN HAS TO SAY: Finally, the citizens of Tiny are to learn how much work was done and how much remains to be done on the Land Identification Project, which was to ascertain how much land the Township actually owns on the western shore of Tiny Township. And members of Council will be able to establish Lambden’s views about the sort of mapping that should accompany the new Zoning By-law. Nick McDonald, the planner who prepared the new Zoning By-law, and Rusty Russell, the Orillia lawyer who prepared the list of lands the Township owns using information from Lambden, will both be present. Mr. Russell is to chair the meeting. Plan to attend the
Special Committee of the Whole Meeting
10 a.m.
September 18, 2004
Wyebridge Community Centre
8340 Highway 93
As this is a Committee of the Whole Meeting, the bulk of the meeting will be given over to Council’s questions. If there is time, you may be able to ask questions at the end.
