REPORT ON COUNCIL August 27, 2007 Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Regular Evening Meeting: 7:10 p.m. – 7:32 p.m. All Members of Council present.
CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 11:45 a.m. – 12: 27 p.m. and 4:16 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. The closed session involved Doug Christie and Russell Christie LLP.
BDO DUNWOODY AUDITORS RECOMMEND AUDIT COMMITTEE: In the course of reporting on his audit of the Township’s 2006 financials (the Municipality is in a strong financial position), Doug Holmes of BDO Dunwoody recommended that an Audit Committee be struck afresh. Such a committee might involve several citizen members and several from Council or it might be comprised entirely of members of Council. Although Major Breckenridge observed that it was difficult to find and keep citizen members of an audit committee in a township whose residents are preponderantly seasonal (63%), and although Councillor Warren opposed the idea of including outsiders in such a committee, it was decided that Clerk/CAO Ruth Coursey prepare a report presenting options for an audit committee. The committee would meet twice with the Auditors, before the audit begins and after it is completed.
DATES SET FOR 2008 BUDGET DISCUSSIONS: Staff has already begun to prepare next year’s budget. The three days when Council will consider it have been set as 19 November 2007, 21 January 2008, and 4 February 2008. Doug Taylor, the treasurer, expects to have the budget ready for adoption on 10 March 2008.
AMO CONFERENCE: Both Mayor Breckenridge and Deputy Mayor Lawrence attended the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in Ottawa from August 19 to 21, and both found the presentations sufficiently useful that the Mayor recommended that all members of Council, the Clerk and the Treasurer attend future conferences. Both Mayor and Deputy Mayor felt that the tour of the Plasco/Alternative Waste Disposal site, which treats garbage efficiently and with no emissions, had impressed a number of those who had supported the installation of Site 41.
SITE 41: The latest on Site 41 is that this year the County intends to spend only $100,000 of the $659,000 allotted for work on berms, temporary roads, and preparation of the first cell, holding the balance over until next year. The $100,000 is to be used for 50 truckloads of fill needed for a rough road and also a liner. Mayor Breckenridge saw the presence of this manoeuvre on the County Council Agenda as one of a number of opportunities that might be seized to urge County Council to consider options other than landfill, to underline the negative impact of methane from landfills on global warming, and the like. Indeed she emphasized several times that she intends to be vigorously vocal at County with regard to the need for fresh thinking about waste management.
CHAMPLAIN CROSS AT TOANCHE: Matthew Desroches, who is employed by the Trillium Foundation to work on preparations for the 400th Anniversary of Champlain’s arrival in Ontario which will take place in 2015, urged Council to set aside $15-20,000 to acquire the land where the Champlain Cross (or rather a succession of them) once stood in Toanche. He is also looking for $80-100,000 to restore the cross, probably through grants.
Champlain spent time at several places in Huronia, including one called Atouacha. Desroches admitted that no one knows whether the Toanche Cross marks the actual place where Champlain erected a cross to claim the land in the name of God and the King of France, but he argued that a new cross would maintain a 100 year history of commemorative crosses on that site, and that the name of the village of Toanche is suggestive.
OVERGROWN, ROCK STREWN SHORELINE CONCESSION ENDS AND PARKS: Township staff has run into difficulties in making shoreline road allowances (like the 8th) and parks (like the Lafontaine Park) useable and pleasant. The Ministry of Fisheries and the Ministry of Natural Resources have rejected plan after plan to redirect disruptive drains, to manage vegetation, and to remove rocks. They find it frustrating that some private landowners have been allowed more latitude.
Deputy Mayor George Lawrence suggested that the DFO be invited to visit some of the problem areas and make suggestions about remediation.
Clerk/CAO Ruth Coursey suggested that the township invest in engineering studies by consultants who are used to dealing with the various government bureaucracies, as they would be aware of what is allowed and what not. The Severn Sound Environmental Association was mentioned as a possibility, though there was some fear that the resources of the SSEA are overstretched. The Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation was also mentioned.
Staff is to prepare a report, setting out the options, after exploratory discussions with the DFO, MNR, SSEA and one or two other possible consultants.
BOARD WALKS FOR BLUEWATER PARK: Council authorized the expenditure of $40,189.14 for wood from a grant so that the Public Works Department can begin to assemble the 16’ sections of walks that are to guide users of Bluewater Park away from fragile native vegetation and gradually growing sand dunes. The first walkway to be prepared is the one from the end of Trew Avenue through the park to the shore.
A JOINT MEETING OF COUNCIL AND THE FIRST NATIONS OF CHRISTIAN ISLAND: As a member of the Huronia Communities Foundation, Councillor George Cornell recently toured Christian Island. He was impressed by what he saw and thought Tiny should respond to the evident desire of the community there to reach out to the larger community around them. Council supported his suggestion that Council meet this fall with the Christian Island First Nations, and that the meeting be on Christian Island.
GIANT’S TOMB SUBDIVISION MOVES FORWARD: Council passed the by-law authorizing a subdivision agreement between LIMO Investments and the Township of Tiny. This allows LIMO to develop its 12-lot, 11.3 (27.9 acre) subdivision on Giant’s Tomb Island.
REMOVAL OF (H) SYMBOLS FROM MANY PROPERTIES IN TOWNSHIP: H1, H2 and H3 symbols are to be removed from many affected properties and the property owners notified.
The H1 symbol concerns Holding Provisions in Shoreline areas to do with septic systems. A huge number of these are being lifted in Concessions 1- 19, as a result of the Septic Re-inspection.
The H2 symbol concerns Holding Provisions on properties on private or unassumed roads. Ten of these are being lifted at various points in the Township.
The H3 symbol concerns the Holding Provision on properties adjacent to waste disposal sites. Three of these are being lifted in Part Lot 110, Concession 2 Old Survey.
To check whether an (H) is being removed from your property, go to “Planning & Development Report PD-10-07” on tiny.ca / Council Agenda / Committee of the Whole Agenda – 2007 / CWC 16 August 27, 2007 / F Staff Reports to Council / 2 Planning and Development / (e)
LOW-COST RABIES CLINIC: Once again, the Georgian Bay Mobile Veterinary Clinic will conduct its annual clinic. It is to take place on Wednesday October 3, 2007 from 2 – 7 p.m. at the Perkinsfield Park pavilion.
