Report on Council: December 2017 & January 2018

REPORT ON COUNCIL

DECEMBER 18, 2017 AND JANUARY 8 and 29, 2018:

Committee of the Whole Meetings: January 8, 2018: 9:00 a.m. – 3:20 p.m. and January 29, 2018: 9:00 a.m. – 5:43 p.m.
Regular Meetings of Council: December 18, 2017: 9:00 a.m. – 10:58 a.m.; and January 29, 2018: 6:33 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.
Mayor George Cornell, Deputy Mayor Steffen Walma and Councillors Cindy Hastings, Richard Hinton and Gibb Wishart all present December 18, 2017, and January 8 and 29, 2018. Councillor Hinton arrived at 9:20 a.m. and Councillor Hastings left at 11:33 a.m. on January 8, 2018.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

  • January 5, 2018 – The Township purchased the beachfront portion of the Surf Restaurant property for $550,000
  • February 22, 2018, 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – North Simcoe Community Futures Development Corporation Breakfast Meeting re Bill 148, Brooklea Golf and Country Club
  • February 22, 2018, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. – A Conversation on Climate Change, Midland Cultural Centre, hosted by Sustainable Severn Sound
  • March 22, 2018, 6-7 p.m. – Recreation Master Plan Open House, SpringHill Suites Marriot, 612 Applewood Crescent, Vaughan (Conference Room)
  • March 22, 2018, 7-8:30 p.m. – Official Plan Open House, SpringHill Suites Marriot, 612 Applewood Crescent, Vaughan (Conference Room)
  • March 23, 2018, 5-6:30 p.m. – Official Plan Open House, Council Chambers, Tiny Township
  • May 1, 2018 to July 27, 2018 – Nomination Period for 2018 Municipal Election

STAFF:

Tony Mintoff, Fire Chief, retired on January 31, 2018

TEEDON PIT COMMUNITY LIAISON COMMITTEE:

Council recommended that Councillor Hinton be appointed to that Committee.

Note that R.J. Burnside & Associates is scheduled to make a report at the Committee of the Whole Meeting on February 12 regarding the application for a Renewal of the Permit to Take Water for the washing of gravel in the Teedon Pit.

2018 PARKING PROGRAM:

On January 8 and 29, after considering a report about the 2017 Parking Strategy by Steve Harvey (By-law), Council decided that the 2017 boundaries, Permit Parking Hours (8 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and dates (May 15 to September 15), cost of resident parking permits and number per household remain the same for 2018, as would the fee structure for Non-Resident Parking Permits and the process for dealing with attendees of garage sales and auctions. An additional accessible parking spot is to be installed at Trew Avenue as is signage indicating that tennis court parking in the Bluewater Beach Park area is for tennis court users only. Paid and permit parking is to remain at Bluewater Beach Park. Moreover, no general changes are to be made to the Parking Program.

Staff is to report back on a number of matters.

APPOINTMENTS:

Once again, Council appointed Councillor Hasting as its representative on the Committee of Adjustment. It appointed Gail Nowak as the Township Representative on the Midland Public Library Board and Andrew Chomentowski, Marilyn Hughes, Liesje Lancia and Dick Wesselo as members of the Mayor’s Charity Golf Tournament Working Committee, with Councillor Hinton as Chair.

CLIMATE CHANGE:

After hearing a report from Sustainable Severn Sound, Council decided that Tiny Township should join the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Partners for Climate Protection Program and carry out its “five-milestone framework” within 10 years of joining the program and to report on progress at least once every two years. This involves endorsing the Government of Canada’s commitment to the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature increase to below two degrees Celsius and to pursue efforts to limit the global temperature increase to 1.4 degrees Celsius.

Details appear in the Report from the Committee of the Whole Meeting for January 29, 2018, item H) in the Complete Regular Agenda, February 12, 2018.

WYMBOLWOOD BEACH PHRAGMITES CONTROL RESEARCH SUPPORTED:

After hearing a presentation from Lynn Short about the impact her spading technique had on Phragmites in the period from 2016 to August 2017, Council agreed to supply in kind support for 2018. This includes:

  • Continued use of tools….
  • Assistance in locating volunteers.
  • New updated sign to inform the public of the research….
  • 100 paper bags to contain cut plant debris.
  • Collection of bagged stalks and thatch….
  • 2 parking passes for use at the research site….

GREENBELT EXPANSION INTO SIMCOE COUNTY:

Deputy Mayor Walma reported that the County has requested an extension of the comment period in order to schedule another planning session regarding greenbelt location in the County.

BUILDING ACTIVITY:

Building activity in Tiny continued to be vigorous in 2017. In 2016 the total construction value was $46,940,000. In 2017 the total rose to $52,799,000.

STREETLIGHT POLICY:

Council decided to accept Manager of Public Work, Tim Leitch’s recommendation, in his Report on Streetlight Policy, that Dark-Sky Initiatives be incorporated with existing practices & standards and guidelines when reviewing requests from the public for street lights.

TELECOMMUNICATION TOWERS:

Xplornet proposes to erect two towers, one at Concession Road 3 West and Crosslands Road, the other at Concession Road 19 West and Sandy Bay Road. The proposal is currently in process.