REPORT ON COUNCIL May 14, 2007Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:00 a.m. – 5:54 p.m.Regular Evening Meeting: 7:00 p.m. – 7:27 p.m.All members of Council present. (Mayor Peggy Breckenridge absent in the morning.)
CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 4:56 p.m. – 5:53 p.m.
NO REPORTS RE 2006 SWIMMING WATER INVESTIGATIONS: Under New Business, Councillor George Cornell asked that there be reports from the Severn Sound Environmental Association and from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit about their investigative work into swimming water quality in 2006. Ruth Coursey, Clerk/CAO, said that she would check with both groups.(We wonder why the reports were not presented months ago, while there was still time to make decisions about the SSEA’s research objectives this summer.)
BY-LAW ENFORCEMENT: Various by-law enforcement issues have surfaced during recent meetings of Council. In an attempt to understand the constraints faced by staff, Council asked for a report about the way By-laws are enforced. They learned that the Chief Municipal Law Enforcement Officer (Shawn Crawford) has a staff of 15 from May 1 to Labour Day, most of them students. From Labour Day to the end of October, there are two By-law enforcement officers, and for the balance of the year, only one, and he may be away on vacation or fully occupied with paperwork. In the period when the Township has only one By-law Officer, enforcement is reactive – in response to complaints – rather than proactive. In the summer some by-laws are administered proactively – in particular parking regulations and the sign by-law (which prohibits advertising signs on Township road allowances), watering regulations in dry periods, heavy pick-up items put out at the wrong times, and some aspects of encroachment. Council will be discussing its priorities during its Strategic Priorities Sessions, and will be deciding whether the staffing of the By-law Department is adequate to deal with the job that Council wants done.
COUNCIL ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL ATVS: Council passed a motion directing the Chief Municipal Law Enforcement Officer (Shawn Crawford):- “To significantly increase patrol hours in 2007 and direct that enforcement officers have zero tolerance regarding illegal operation of motorized machines. This would result in charges being laid in all instances where there is a reasonable prospect of conviction.- “To erect additional signage and/or boulders in areas where Council feels it is necessary and appropriate.- “That the Chief Municipal Law Enforcement Officer work in conjunction with the Ontario Provincial Police to prepare a press release regarding the operation of motorized machines including ATVs in the Township.- “That the Chief Municipal Law Enforcement Officer post on the Township website the restrictions for the operation of motorized machines and applicable phone numbers in order to report complaints. [See tiny.ca / Administration / Departments & Services / By-law Enforcement / Motorized Machines]”
COMPLAINTS NO LONGER TRACKED: One of the good initiatives of the last Council was the decision to have staff record complaints. The first report revealed some problems with what was tracked. There was to be a subsequent report, fine-tuning the exercise. It was not forthcoming. When Councillor George Cornell asked how staff was coming with this issue, he learned that they had stopped tracking complaints and that the matter would be discussed during the Strategic Planning sessions. We hope it will be addressed. This was an important initiative and one that should be re-instituted, with carefully thought out guidelines and objectives.
