REPORT ON COUNCIL
March 5, 2007
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:07 a.m. – 3:09 p.m.
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:03 p.m. – 7:49 p.m.
Four members of Council present. Mayor Peggy Breckenridge away on vacation.
CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 2:01 p.m. – 3:08 p.m.
WEST NILE VIRUS REPORT: The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit reported on findings in Tiny Township with regard to West Nile Virus Surveillance in 2006. As background, the Health Unit noted:
“West Nile virus (Wnv) is a mosquito-borne virus that is transmitted in nature through a bird-mosquito-bird cycle. Mosquitoes that bite an infected bird may transmit the virus to other birds, or to other mammals such as humans and horses. Most people who contract Wnv will be asymptomatic or will experience only mild flu-like symptoms. However in some individuals, Wnv infection can cause severe illness, and sometimes death. Since its introduction into North America in 1999, 640 human cases have occurred in Ontario.
Surveillance strategies focusing on the reservoir (birds), the vectors (mosquitoes) and incidental hosts (humans and horses) are used to identify the presence of extent of Wnv in a geographic area.” The Health Unit reports —
Dead birds: Of the 56 dead birds selected for testing from the whole Simcoe Muskoka area last summer, 11 tested positive for Wnv, and one of these was from Tiny.
Mosquito larvae: At the catch basin at 78 Tiny Beaches Road South and at the natural site at 24 Balsam Street, the sites selected for the larvae surveillance program in Tiny, no larvae were found in the summer of 2006.
Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes were trapped at a location at or near Kettles Beach on the northeast shore of Tiny.
Human surveillance: There were no reported instances of West Nile disease in Tiny last summer. (There were 41 cases in Ontario, one of them in Adjala-Tosorontio.)
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO NOISE AND OPEN-AIR BURNING BY-LAWS WITH REGARD TO CONSTRUCTION AND FIREWORKS: Shawn Crawford, the Township’s Chief Municipal Law Enforcement Officer, explained that the Township’s Noise By-Law is in force 24 hours a day, but that normal construction noise is allowed from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. all seven days of the week. He recommended that this approach be continued, as seasonal residents often want to undertake repairs and projects on the weekend.
Councillors Claire and Warren observed that they would prefer a 9 a.m. start time on weekends, and in this Deputy Mayor George Lawrence supported them. Councillor Cornell felt that there was no need for a change in the by-law: most people voluntarily limit noisy construction activities on the weekend. He noted that there were only four complaints about construction noise in 2006. The upshot was that the start time for noisy construction is to be 9 a.m. on weekends and statutory holidays.
There were a number of complaints about fireworks in 2006. They were set off at all hours of the day and on many evenings and weekends beyond the holidays when they were traditionally used. The discussion ranged beyond noise to the sale of fireworks, safety, and hours appropriate for setting them off. The consensus was that what is needed is a thorough-going fireworks by-law, limiting sale to a week prior to Victoria Day and Canada Day, setting the hours when they may be set off on those weekends, banning them from Township-owned property, and addressing safety issues.
WOODLAND BEACH MASTER PLAN: Firms qualified to complete a Woodland Beach Master Plan Study are to be invited to submit proposals. (Tiny Township’s Official Plan requires that Master Plans be completed for each of the five major shore parks. So far plans have been completed for Balm Beach, Jackson Park, and for Bluewater Park.)
POSSIBLE RECONSIDERATION OF ENCROACHMENT BY-LAW: Council decided to pay site visits to the 20 or so properties where there are existing encroachment agreements prior to discussing the Encroachment By-law.
HIGH SPEED INTERNET IN TINY: By way of supporting the online petition, Council instructed staff to send letters to Bell Canada and Rogers Communication urging that their service be extended to all areas of Tiny.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EXERCISE: Fire Chief Randy Smith reported that the mock disaster exercise for the whole of Simcoe County, in preparation since last July, had taken place on February 22. It gave municipalities in the County a chance to try out their Emergency Plans. Apparently, many aspects of Tiny’s plan worked well, but one that did not was the Township’s communications system. Deputy Mayor George Lawrence, who observed the operation, reported that he was impressed at how well staff performed. Mr. Smith will report in detail, in due course, about “Operation ‘Deep Chill’”.
FLYING OF THE FRANCO-ONTARIO FLAG: In a letter, Richelieu Penetanguishene Inc. requested that the Township fly the Franco-Ontario flag during Francophone Week, March 19-25.
Councillor André Claire warmly supported the request. The Clerk (responding to questions from other members of Council) outlined the last Council’s reasons for not allowing any flags to be raised except the usual ones. All members of Council then agreed to raise this particular flag, as it is an official flag in the Province of Ontario, while reaffirming that no other flag raisings or declarations would be allowed.
PRESENTATION BY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY: Doug Lorriman of the North Simcoe Branch of Habitat for Humanity explained the value of its work and asked that the Township donate a lot. The matter was referred to budget discussions.
COMMITTEES: In the evening, the names of citizens selected to serve on Township Committees, were announced:
Committee of Adjustment: Judith Hibbs, John Kerk, Bill Sweenie, John Turner, Gibb Wishart
Historical and Heritage Committee: Lynn Downer, David Ladell, Jim Parrott, Gordon F. Robbins
Bluewater Dunes Restoration Advisory Committee: Eugene Chambers, Kate M. Dewey, Anthony Rovito, Victoria White
Midland Public Library Board: Paula Steven
Penetanguishene Public Library Board: Helene DeVillers
Springwater Public Library Board: Claude Richardson
Fence Viewers: Andre Maheu, Michael Therrien
Livestock Evaluator: Michael Therrien
