REPORT ON COUNCIL
January 14, 2008
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:03 a.m. – 4:16 p.m.
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:04 p.m. – 7:17 p.m.
All Members of Council present.
CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 10:30 a.m. – 12:50 p.m.
STAFF CHANGE: Steven Harvey has been appointed as the Township’s new Chief Municipal Law Enforcement Officer effective February 1, 2008.
A CONSERVATION AUTHORITY FOR TINY? According to Peggy Breckenridge, reporting on a meeting of the Severn Sound Environmental Association, the Province’s new Clean Water Act requires that all of Tiny be under the guidance of a local conservation authority. Currently, only the eastern side of Tiny Township is included in the Severn Sound Environmental Association. If the western half of the township were to be included in the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, the cost would be very heavy. She felt that it would be better to have the SSEA extend its coverage to include all of Tiny. Fees would probably double, but they would still be much less than the cost of being part of the NVCA.
SPREADING OF SEPTAGE ON FARM FIELDS: As a result of concerns raised by Ron Brewster who owns a farm on the 6th Concession regarding the heavy spreading of septage on nearby lands, staff was instructed to prepare a report. Apparently the Ministry of the Environment, which issues permits for such spreading, fails to monitor and control such spreading.
ASSISTANCE FOR UPGRADES TO RESIDENTIAL WELLS AND SEPTICS NEAR MUNICIPAL WELLHEADS: The Province has allocated $7 million for the next four years for protection of municipal drinking water sources. The SSEA is responsible for administering this program in our area. Keith Sherman announced that this money is to be used for
1) private well de-commissioning and/or upgrading;
2) septic system inspections and upgrades;
3) runoff and erosion protection;
4) pollution prevention review for commercial /industrial.
1) and 2) apply to all residential lots within 100 m of a municipal wellhead. Application forms will be on the SSEA website (www.severnsound.ca) soon and all work must be done by October 1, 2008. 50% funding applies, up to $6,000 for wells and $10,000 for septics. Municipalities may top up this 50%, which Sherman recommends.
BUILDING ACTIVITY SLOWED IN 2007: Although, the overall construction value for 2007, at $35,269,000, seemed to compare favourably with the overall value for 2006 at $35,059,000, the fact that $7 million of the 2007 value arose from one public building, the retirement complex Le Villageois in Lafontaine, means that regular building activity slowed considerably.
