Council Reports: November 26, 2007

Posted on November 26, 2007 by Webmaster

REPORT ON COUNCIL
November 26, 2007
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:03 a.m. – 3:17 p.m.
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:00 p.m. 7:26 p.m.
All Members of Council present.

CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 11:51 a.m. – 12:49 p.m. and 3:01 p.m. – 3:16 p.m.

NEW CAO/CLERK APPOINTED: Mayor Breckenridge announced that Doug Luker is to be Tiny’s CAO/Clerk, beginning December 1.

COUNCIL SETS GOALS FOR NEXT THREE YEARS: Mayor Breckenridge presented the results of Council’s and Senior Staff’s four days of Strategic Planning discussions (August 29 and 30 and September 11 and 20). A number of initiatives and goals were established for the areas of Sustainable Development, Community Culture and Community Stewardship, namely
1) Sustainable Development:
i) Conduct research and develop strategy regarding septage treatment capability by Oct. 2008
ii) Develop strategy to successfully lobby internet service providers by June 08 (with a goal of 100% coverage for affordable high speed internet access by Dec/09)
iii) Prepare a needs assessment and office functionality plan by Dec. 2008
iv) Prepare beach park master plans – Lafontaine in 2008; a beach park secondary master plan – Balm Beach in 2009; and a municipally-owned waterfront land use strategy (acquisition, development, protection, maintenance, remediation, promotion, DFO and MNR, parking strategy) by Dec. 2008
v) Undertake an Official Plan Review to align the Township with County growth study targets by June 2009
vi) Complete a Township asset inventory to assist in asset management by Sept. 2008; and create a long term asset management plan by Dec. 2008
vii) Undertake financial impact analysis on all strategic initiatives in order to maintain financial stability and a low to moderate MMAH risk rating
2) Community Culture
i) Arrive at an image plan and strategy in order to achieve a high quality, consistent image, both within and outside the Township, and establish a brand strategy by June 2009
ii) Establish a community culture map (lifestyle, character etc.) by December 2008.
iii) Create a communication plan to improve the quality of communication with all stakeholders by March 2008.
3) Community Stewardship
i) Institute a safety services inventory and review to ensure the safe enjoyment of our community (fire, ambulance etc) by April 2008.
ii) Arrive at a plan to resolve issues regarding key municipal properties by June 2009. Do an encroachments business case analysis. Prioritize and complete the first case by June 2008. Draft a land “issues” statement for the public by March 2008.

BEACH WATER QUALITY REPORT: Jerry Capko, of the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, gave a report that raised many troubling questions.
He began by reminding Council that he had sent a letter on August 8 saying that a geometric mean of 100 or higher E. coli for samples taken at a particular beach would no longer automatically result in a recommendation that a warning be posted. Rather, “The decision to post will be based on a wider set of parameters assessing risk than before.” As a result, there would probably be fewer recommendations that beaches be posted.
Reducing the number of unnecessary postings, he explained, was the first stage of a three-phase initiative. Often in the past a beach was posted on a Wednesday or Thursday, on the basis of Monday sampling, when samples taken Wednesday proved to have acceptable E. coli counts. Stage two was to reach an understanding of factors at each beach that would indicate that a particular location should be posted immediately, before samples taken had even been analyzed. And Stage Three was to anticipate the arrival of such conditions so that anticipatory warnings could be issued.
This past summer, the Health Unit made only one recommendation that a beach be posted as being likely to be unsafe for swimming. According to the Health Unit’s beach-by-beach list of sample results for the summer, this occurred on August 15, at Conc 2 West Lawson Rd Beach, with the advisory lifted 2 days later on August 17.
Asked whether it was safe not to resample, not to check that the assumptions were correct, Capko observed that Ontario’s standard of 100 E. coli or less in swimming water is extremely conservative. Environment Canada’s standard is 200 or less and some areas have a standard of 1000 E. coli or less. He commented that most E. coli are safe. He also said that the 100 or less standard is not a regulation, and that there is no testing for pathogens.
(He did not say anything about E. coli as an organism indicating recent fecal contamination and thus useful as an measure of the likelihood of the presence of harmful pathogens.)
Following its new policy, the Health Unit did not recommend posting at four beaches because of high results for samples taken on 9 July, when Conc. 3 W had a geomean of 854.07, Conc 7 West Beach a geomean of 634.39, Jackson Park a geomean of 628.23 and Trew Ave a geomean of 256.82. Nor did the Health Unit retest to make sure its assumptions were correct. The decision, he said, was based on past experience for that time of year at those locations.
He could not explain why the Health Unit recommended posting at Conc 2 W Lawson Rd for a geomean of 521.54 for samples taken on August 13, but did NOT recommend posting Conc 16 West Beach which had a geomean of 587.99 on the same day. Nor could he explain why Conc. 16 was resampled on August 14 while resampling was not done at Conc 2 until August 16. He could not explain why resampling was done the following day at a number of locations that had high counts when results arrived only on the afternoon of that day. Nor could he explain why the Health Unit did not change its description of the area sampled near Jackson Park when its sample locations had changed.
Bruce Beauchamp who was directly in charge of sampling results and one of four who decided whether results warranted posting could have answered some of Council’s questions, but, even though he was in the audience and his presence had been mentioned, no one asked for his views.

DATES FOR COUNCIL MEETINGS IN 2008: In general, Council meets on the second and last Monday of each month. However, Council decided to cancel the second meeting in February (due to Council’s attendance at the ROMA/IGRA Conference) and to move the second meeting in June forward to the 23rd (because of Canada Day).

MAYOR’S PIG ROAST AND CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT: Next summer’s Mayor’s Pig Roast has been scheduled for Saturday, July 5 and the Mayor’s Golf Tournament for Saturday, August 16th.

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Council Reports: November 13, 2007

Posted on November 13, 2007 by Webmaster
REPORT ON COUNCIL
November 13, 2007
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:00 a.m. – 3:53 p.m. 
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
All Members of Council present.
CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 1:50 p.m. – 3:52 p.m. Jim McIntosh of legal firm of Burgar Rowe Professional Corporation was present.
STAFF CHANGES: 1) ACTING CAO/CLERK APPOINTED: Doug Taylor, the Township’s Treasurer, is to serve as Acting CAO/Clerk until a new appointment is made. 2) CHIEF MUNICIPAL BY-LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER LEAVES AND A TEMPORARY REPLACEMENT APPOINTED: Shawn Crawford has accepted a position with Orillia as that city’s Chief By-Law Enforcement Officer. As Orillia has a population of 30,000, this is clearly a good career move. We wish him well. We were fortunate to have his clear head and dedication for the period he served in Tiny. Andrea Smith has been appointed Acting Municipal By-Law Enforcement Officer.
ONLINE PAYMENT OF PARKING TICKETS: On the recommendation of a report from Shawn Crawford, Council authorized the purchase of software to allow online payment of parking tickets (consistent with the practice in neighbouring municipalities).
POWER OF ENTRY BY-LAW: In accordance with the Municipal Act, 2001 and on the recommendation of a Report from Shawn Crawford, Council passed By-law 07-082 providing authority for the municipality to inspect land for compliance to all the Township’s By-laws. The Municipal Act says that during an inspection, a municipality may – Require production of documents; – Inspect and remove documents for the purpose of making copies or extracts; – Require information from any person concerning a matter related to the inspection; – Examine or take tests, samples or photographs necessary for the purposes of the inspection.
COUNCIL COMPENSATION DECISION DELAYED: Council has discussed a number of reports regarding Council compensation, and has heard one oral presentation urging some form of pay for performance. They decided to wait for input from the new CAO/Clerk before making a decision on the matter.
REQUEST BY CHURCH IN THE PINES FOR AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION REJECTED: Church in the Pines, which holds services attended by 20-50 people on eight weekends each summer at Cawaja Beach, asked that an electrical connection be supplied in the park for its sole use. Apparently the property owner who has been supplying electricity turns the power off when away from the cottage. Staff recommended that the Church use a neighbouring supply or a generator, as it is inappropriate that Township resources be provided for a private group and that providing such a resource implied that property rights were ceded over the park. Council rejected the request.
REPORT ON THIS YEAR’S COMBINED BRUSH/LEAF AND YARD WASTE COLLECTION: It was unfortunate that most leaves were still on the trees when the pickup was done on October 15-19. But the late fall was only one reason for a light collection of 17 tonnes. Moreau Enterprizes reported that only one in 20 homes put yard waste out for collection. The County charged the Township $2.56 per household, whether households participated or not, for a total $24,024. In his report, Henk Blom, Manager of Public Works, noted that “leaf drop off at the Transfer Station is free.” When authorizing this experimental collection, Council was conscious that it might take some time for residents to become alert to the existence of this service. They therefore decided to have a similar collection next autumn, on November 15. After that collection they will decide whether to persist with this service. However, they also asked staff to obtain cost estimates for an “in house” (rather than a County) pick up service for 2008.
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Council Reports: October 29, 2007

Posted on October 29, 2007 by Webmaster

REPORT ON COUNCIL
October 29, 2007
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:03 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:04 p.m. – 7:28 p.m.
All Members of Council present.

CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 2:30 p.m. – ??? and 4:19 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Jim McIntosh of the legal firm of Burgar Rowe Professional Corporation was present.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO NOISE BY-LAW IN FAVOUR OF OUTDOOR PATIOS REJECTED: In response to complaints about music emanating from the patios of two businesses in Balm Beach, Shawn Crawford, Chief Municipal By-law Enforcement Officer, presented a report. It recommended that noise from outdoor patios be exempted from the Township’s Noise By-law between noon and 8:00 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, and from noon to 11:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Councillor Nigel Warren enquired why not leave the By-law as it stands. Why offer a permit to make noise?

Council opposed the proposed amendment. There will continue to be a 24-hour-a-day prohibition of noise from commercial outdoor patios if it disturbs someone’s peace. Tiny’s rules regarding such noise are similar to those in neighbouring municipalities.

SOUTHERN GEORGIAN BAY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Council decided to ask the Chamber to place more emphasis on membership services, to require municipalities to fund less of the budget and members more, to not hire an Economic Development Officer and to review the tourism component of its activities. Council also decided to discuss the funding of the Chamber (Tiny’s share of the Chamber’s $378,142 budget is $19,740) during budget deliberations.

REPORT RE 2007 SUMMER RECREATION PROGRAMS: Bonita Desroches, Community Recreation Co-ordinator, presented a report about last summer’s camp and soccer programs. We note that 69% of camper spaces were taken up by township residents (57% full time and 12% seasonal) while surrounding townships absorbed the balance (including 13.25% participation by residents of Midland). The pattern for soccer was similar, with 72.58% of spaces occupied by township residents (53.23% full time, 19.35% seasonal), and the remaining spots occupied by residents of Penetang and Midland. The total cost to Tiny of summer camps and soccer was $23,497.67.

Neighbouring municipalities might be reminded of this sort of service when Tiny is asked for funding for libraries and arenas.

REPORT RE RECREATION MASTER PLAN / RECOMMENDATIONS: Bonita Desroches, the Township’s Community Recreation Co-ordinator has been charged with getting the Recreation Master Plan implemented. Her report focused on how to deal with co-ordinating the scheduling and booking of municipal parks and buildings (currently handled by each of six recreation associations) and how to implement new partnership agreements between the township and the associations. The new partnership agreement should (according to the report)

– Clarify roles and responsibilities
– Protect both parties from liability
– Protect the Township’s investment in Municipal parks and buildings
– Ensure that the community’s needs are met to the greatest extent possible.

Council agreed to hear from the recreation associations at its next meeting, prior to coming to any decisions.

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Council Reports: October 9, 2007

Posted on October 9, 2007 by Webmaster

REPORT ON COUNCIL
October 9, 2007
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:05 a.m. – 5:54 p.m. 
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:09 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
All Members of Council present.

CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 3:47 p.m. – 5:54 p.m.

NEW CAO TO BE HIRED: As reported in the Fall Tiny Cottager, Ruth Coursey’s last day in Tiny Township was November 9, 2007. Zinner & Company (which helped recruit Ruth Coursey and also Doug Taylor, the Township’s treasurer) is to assist in recruiting at new CAO/Clerk.

CHANGES TO BY-LAW 06—01 REGARDING FENCES: After a long discussion, Council passed an amendment to the township’s general Zoning By-law concerning fences. They had before them proposed amendments drafted by staff and a consultant. Their decision was to exclude from the amendments all special provisions regarding fences in front yards and in rear (i.e. waterfront) yards on the shore, recycling bins and garbage, and recreational areas like Camp Marygrove or Camp Wildfire. The issue of “vista” on the shore is to be addressed during the review of the Official Plan.
The Amendment – By-law 07-076 — as passed includes the following provisions:

“a) A fence shall not exceed a height of 1.9 metres;

“b) Fence height is to be calculated by taking the measurement from grade to the top of each post. No single fence post shall exceed a maximum height of 1.9 metres;

“c) Decorative caps on top of a post may encroach into the height restriction to a maximum of no more than 0.3 metres;

“d) No fence is to be constructed from ungraded used lumber, unsightly and/or deteriorating used material. In all residential zones, no fence is to be constructed from barbed wire or any device designed to transmit electric current through a fence;

“e) Fences to enclose swimming pools shall not be subject to the above provisions, however must comply with all other Municipal By-laws and Ontario Building Code regulations; and

“f) In reference to fences in Sight Triangles, see Section 4.21.”

REPORT ON COUNCIL REMUNERATION: Mayor Breckenridge read out a report from the North Simcoe heads of Council about Council remuneration. The report, which is being considered by each of the four participating municipalities, argues that the subject needs to be addressed because of
• increased responsibilities borne by Councils as a result of the new Municipal Act
• changes in technology which have caused more work (among them, the use of electronic files and laptop computers)
• increased length of Council terms of office (which were once 1, then 2 years, then 3, and now 4 years).
The longer term coupled with the heavier workload has resulted in Council members losing benefits and having to give up their regular jobs. Mayor Breckenridge noted, for example, that the hours she spends each week amount to 35 or 40 hours, and that she has not been able to continue her consulting business.
One suggestion in the Report was that members of Council be paid a percentage of MPP’s salaries. Deputy Mayor George Lawrence opposed that idea. He (and others) asked for data for comparable municipalities, and Ruth Coursey (CAO/Clerk) asked Council to pick its comparators, as assembling data is labour intensive and, in the past, Councils have been unhappy with staff’s and consultants’ choice of comparable municipalities. Council is to select comparables at its next meeting.

“TOWNSHIP PROPERTY RECORDS” UPDATE: Henk Blom, Manager of Public Works, presented a report about the current state of identification of boundaries of lands owned by the Township. He noted: “To date, the Township has identified through deeds, registered plans & reference plans a total of 300 roads (including laneways, walkways, reserves and daylighting), 14 beach areas & 38 saleable properties (parks, lots, blocks etc).”
(NOTE: We have been told that anyone who has a question about a particular property should address it to the Clerk’s Department.)

Identification is complete in the entirety of the land (right across the township) in
Concession 1 – 54 roads and beaches;
Concession 2 – 49 roads, beaches and blocks
Concession 3 – 50 roads, beaches and blocks
Concession 5 – 87 roads, beaches and blocks
Concession 6 – 21 roads and blocks
Concession 7 – 17 roads and beach
Concession 4 is 80% complete for 58 roads, 4 beach areas, and 12 properties with a survey of Bluewater to Crossland Road Beach Area underway.
Concession 8 is 66% complete with the survey of the beach block from Jackson Park to Lundy Lane 66% complete.

Some work has been done on Concessions 9 and 10 and surveys are planned for the “Beach Re: Becking, Concession 5”; Wahnekewening Beach in Concession 13; Asselin Park in Concession 17; the Beach Block at the end of Bow Road in Concession 16 and Tee Pee Point Parkette Beach in Concession 16.

LOCAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AT A CROSSROADS: As the Chamber currently has no economic development manager and its tourism manager has resigned, it was decided that the four member Mayors should consult with their Councils about the direction the Chamber should take in the future. Discussion ranged widely. Usually, businesses run and finance the local Chambers of Commerce. The North Simcoe Chamber is exceptional in having four political representatives on its board and in being financed largely by municipalities. There was some feeling that the local Chamber should be more conventional in its membership and financing. That groups like Community Futures, the County of Simcoe, the Georgian Bay Tourism Association have taken on some of the traditional roles of a Chamber suggests that the local Chamber is not doing its job well. Council felt that the Chamber should rethink its role and staffing and that the Township’s annual contribution of $20,000 is inappropriate given the modest number of participating businesses in Tiny.

TANGIBLE CAPITAL ASSETS: Treasurer Doug Taylor reported that his department is making good progress in gathering data about the Township’s capital assets and should have the necessary information entered by the deadline of January 1, 2009. Amassing this data has necessitated the hiring of extra staff, but will facilitate better management of assets.

SECURITY RECOMMENDATIONS TO BE IMPLEMENTED: Earlier this year Council approved the hiring of a consultant to perform an audit of Township data, digital protocols, servers, internet, computers, notebooks and software program and to make recommendations about ensuring the security of data. Council approved the consultant’s recommendations.

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Council Reports: September 24, 2007

Posted on September 24, 2007 by Webmaster

REPORT ON COUNCIL
September 24, 2007
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:00 a.m. – 8:47 p.m.
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:00 p.m. – 8:31 p.m.
All Members of Council present.

CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 5:22 p.m. – 6:20 p.m. and 8:31 p.m. – 8:47 p.m.

MARK AITKEN, CAO SIMCOE COUNTY, SPEAKS TO COUNCIL RE WASTE, LANDFILLS AND SITE 41: After giving general comments about County services, Aitken supplied a little history about County landfills. Apparently problems surfaced in the 1980s all across the County – illegal dumps, garbage that spilled beyond dump sites, burning, use of quarries and the like. The County assumed responsibility for landfills in 1990 and gradually brought them up to appropriate standards. Recently the County has instituted a number of programs – blue boxes, the mining of landfills, bag limits — that have reduced the volume of garbage going to landfills. Right now, Aitken estimated that the County would have seven years of space available, were both population and garbage flow to remain constant. But of course both will change: population will rise and garbage volume may fall when the green bin organics program begins next September. And various initiatives should further decrease the volume – diversion of wood (for wood chips), shingles (for asphalt), drywall (for kitty litter), disassembly of electronic equipment (for precious and expensive metals) and so on.
Members of Council argued that the County should be taking a leadership role in investigating new, adventurous strategies for dealing with waste – by looking to Europe for models, by investigating environmentally friendly technologies rather than landfills, by adding retrieval of methane gas to the plans for Site 41. But Aitken kept returning to the need for landfill space; he seemed not to grasp that landfills are no longer appropriate and that the County should be proactive and innovative. He was content to watch York and Durham come up with new technological solutions, and then, possibly, to follow their lead.
Regarding Site 41, Aitken reported that tests have revealed that the underlying clay layer is at the right density and moisture level across the sample area. He expects the landfill to be receiving garbage by next fall.

COMMITTEE OF ADJUSTMENT ANSWERS QUESTIONS: Appointed by Council, the Committee of Adjustment has been given the power to make decisions about requests for minor variances from the Township’s Official Plan. Judy Hibbs, Chair of the Committee, told Council that in making decisions, the Committee took into account the kind of precedent that would be set, the right of property owners to improve their properties, the views of neighbours, advice from the Township’s planning department, and, particularly, what was observed during the visits the Committee paid to each site under review. Other members of the Committee are John Kerk, Bill Sweenie, John Turner and Gibb Wishart.
Councillor Nigel Warren is the member of Council who most frequently expresses concerns about Committee decisions, so it was he who guided the discussion. He asked why the Committee regularly allows variations from the minimum lot size required by the Official Plan as long as the lot is able to accommodate both a well and a septic system – and was told that many cottages were in bad shape and needed to be replaced, and others had been in a family for a long time and expansion should be allowed, particularly if the expansion were made on the cottage’s existing footprint by adding a storey.
He asked why Environmental Protection zoning was so frequently ignored – and was told that in the view of the Committee, EP zoning was broad brush zoning, and that fine-tuning was supplied by the environmental assessments commissioned by the applicants. They said that no such assessments have been rejected.
He asked about the Committee’s views regarding applicants who put up a building or made a renovation and then asked for forgiveness of infringements of rules (something that came up frequently when an owner wanted to sell a property) – and was told that when the building was well constructed, the Committee’s impulse was to accept it, but if a deck were in the wrong place, they would insist that it be removed.
Council asked the members of the Committee to prepare a report suggesting changes to the Official Plan that would address recurrent problems.

DISCUSSION OF ORAL PRESENTATION BY JOHN AND ELLY MARION (OWNERS OF THE CONTENTIOUS FENCE IN BALM BEACH): In an oral presentation to Council earlier in September, the Marions asked questions about three matters that affected their enjoyment of their property: the introduction of live musical entertainment on the Surf Restaurant’s patio adjacent to their property; the involvement of private citizens in beach cleanups at Balm; and threats against their fence at the public meeting on fencing.
At this meeting, as Council and the CAO discussed the questions, numerous points were made. It was felt that some of the issues concerned private (as opposed to public) property matters and were thus outside the control of staff and Council. But some were definitely in the public domain. Councillor Nigel Warren asked that responses given by staff to five questions posed in the Marions’ July 27th letter be given in writing, and Mayor Breckenridge asked that Council be copied on all responses that staff makes to letters addressed to Council.
Councillor George Cornell urged everyone to see the situation at Balm Beach as an opportunity to improve community relations – possibly by implementing more of the ideas in the Balm Beach Master Plan and by getting liability insurance to cover community volunteers who want to participate in beach maintenance under township staff’s supervision. The ensuing discussion suggested that both suggestions would be pursued.
Staff and Council expressed frustration that these issues were consuming so much of their and the OPP’s time. Mayor Peggy Breckenridge urged members of the Balm community to work together.

RECREATION MASTER PLAN ADOPTED: Council adopted the Master Plan, subject to several conditions (for discussion of the proposed Master Plan, see the Report on Council for December 5, 2006):
that public consultation be sought prior to any significant expenditure or change to community recreation programs
that the Community Recreation Committee be consulted prior to the sale of existing designated parkland
that beach access be improved on existing road allowances, blocks, walkways, and that opportunities be explored for purchasing beach property for the enhancement and improvement of Township owned waterfront parks, and
that consideration be given to opening hitherto under utilized or undeveloped shoreline parkland.

BUILDING ACTIVITY DOWN: There has been a dramatic decline in building activity in the township in comparison with 2006. Where in 2006 total construction value stood at $27,440,000 at the end of August (on 453 building permits), this year the value stood at $25,334,000 (on 371 building permits), and would have been $7 million lower if not for the inclusion of one project, the Lafontaine retirement complex, Le Villageois.

BUDGET DELIBERATION DAY CHANGED: The date of the first day of budget deliberations has been changed from Monday, November 19, 2007 to Thursday, November 22, 2007 at 9 a.m. in the Council Chambers.

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Council Reports: September 10, 2007

Posted on September 10, 2007 by Webmaster

REPORT ON COUNCIL
September 10, 2007
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:00 a.m. – 1:42 p.m.
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:00 p.m. – 8:39 p.m.
All Members of Council present during Committee of the Whole. Mayor Peggy Breckenridge absent during the Regular Evening Meeting.

CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: None.

NO SUNDAY GUN HUNTING: The last Council rejected gun hunting on Sundays. Recently, Staff was asked to ascertain whether it were possible to allow Sunday gun hunting for geese management only, only to find that hunting cannot be limited to one species: it must also include small game, deer, moose, birds etc. With this information in hand, Council decided not to re-open the matter. Sunday gun hunting is still forbidden in Tiny Township.

INDUSTRIAL WIND TURBINES – A NEW APPROACH: Representatives of the Coalition of Residents – Tiny (CORT) and the Wind Power Steering Committee for Tiny Township Residents (Committee) met with members of staff and proposed that the Township engage an Environmental Consultant to investigate and provide a preliminary report on the parameters, scope and costs of a visual impact study. They suggested that a number of groups be advised of the commissioning of the preliminary report and that their participation in the study be invited, among them Ventus Energy Inc., the Beausoleil First Nation, the Provincial Ministry of Parks and Recreation, the Provincial Ministry of the Environment and the Federal Ministry of the Environment. CORT and the Committee volunteered to pay the costs of the preliminary report and of advising other groups. The thought is that a visual impact analysis could be used for projects throughout Ontario. Council decided to accept the offer.

AUDIT COMMITTEE REJECTED: Council decided not to pursue the Township auditors’ recommendation that an audit committee be established.

WOODLAND BEACH PARK MASTER PLAN: Michael Sullivan of LGL Limited presented a draft Master Plan for Woodland Beach Park. The ideas in the Plan grew out of a public information session with Woodland Beach residents on July 21.
Recommendations for improving the Park include drainage, definition of public areas, installation of “Pay as you go Parking” for non-residents, improved access to parking permits for residents, more picnic tables, garbage and recycling bins, reduction of the number of access points to give vegetation a chance to regenerate, improved access for seniors and the disabled, and more signage. There was a list of short-term actions, and another of long-term, more expensive actions.
The Plan emphasized community stewardship.

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Council Reports: August 27, 2007

Posted on August 27, 2007 by Webmaster

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.

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Council Reports: August 13, 2007

Posted on August 13, 2007 by Webmaster

REPORT ON COUNCIL
August 13, 2007
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:00 am – 6:43 p.m. 
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:10 p.m. – 7:50 p.m.
All Members of Council present.

CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 1:37 p.m. – 6:43 p.m. The subject of the closed session was “Education and training purposes”.

OPP QUARTERLY REPORT: Inspector Philbin reported that, where last year the Midland Detachment had fewer active officers than usual, this year it is well staffed; indeed it is a little above maximum strength. As a result the OPP are once more doing directed patrols. The statistics for May, June and July were presented with comparative figures from 2006 and 2005. In almost all categories, the hours served this year increased over those in 2006. However, the 2005 numbers were even higher. Surprisingly, when asked about this, Philbin said that he didn’t know why.

COMMITTEE OF ADJUSTMENT TO BE INVITED TO MEET WITH COUNCIL: Councillor Nigel Warren expressed his frustration that some decisions of the Committee of Adjustment appear not to be minor and that some decisions reached seem to violate the Township’s Official Plan. Staff reminded Council that all but one member of the Committee of Adjustment has at least one term’s experience, and that the Committee considers variances from the established rules. Council decided to have a meeting with the Committee after its Strategic Planning Sessions.

COMMUNITY RECREATION COMMITTEE TOURS FACILITIES: Councillors George Cornell and André Claire reported that, because at least half of the Community Recreation Committee had not served on the old Parks and Rec Committee, the new group, along with Clerk/CAO Ruth Coursey and her assistant Anita Weatherell, and the Manager of Public Works Henk Blom, toured the Township’s major recreation facilities to familiarize themselves with Tiny’s resources.

HANDLING AND NATURE OF PUBLIC MEETINGS: Members of the public who attended the public meeting on fences apparently expressed frustration that members of Council did not respond to their questions. Several members of Council likewise felt uncomfortable about being unable to respond. There was some discussion about the difference between a public meeting (at which the public has its say on a subject) and a town hall meeting where there is a dialogue between individual members of the public and members of Council.

FIRE DEPARTMENT GIVES EVERY APPEARANCE OF BEING WELL-RUN: Once every month, Fire Chief Randy Smith reports on the previous month’s activities, and a summary of activity for the year to date. We note that there is twice monthly training at each of the five stations, a program of Building/Property Inspections and of regular public education presentations. In July the Fire Department responded to 32 emergency calls.
Asked about CUPE’s attempt to unionize the Township’s Fire Department, Chief Smith commented that CUPE backed off in frustration because there was no interest. We suspect that this is so because the volunteer fire fighters feel they are well managed, effective, and well-treated.

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Council Reports: July 30, 2007

Posted on July 30, 2007 by Webmaster

REPORT ON COUNCIL
July 30, 2007
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:00 am – 3:07 p.m. 
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:01 p.m. – 7:28 p.m.
All Members of Council present.

CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 11:45 a.m. – 12:27 p.m. and 2:24 p.m. – 3:06 p.m.

SITE 41 AGAIN: On July 9, Council agreed that the Mayor and Deputy Mayor should call a meeting of the North Simcoe heads of Council to discuss future directions regarding waste management in North Simcoe now that County Council had agreed 16-15 (the vote was weighted, so the spread was actually greater than this appears) to fund the first stage of the dump site – i.e. the installation of berms, temporary roads and a test cell — at a cost of $659,000.
Reporting on this meeting, Mayor Breckenridge said that Mayor Dubeau of Penetanguishene, who voted at County in support of Site 41, was persuaded to come when the agenda included growth management as well as future directions for waste management and the proposed hospital merger. Mayor Breckenridge told Council that she feels strongly that it is important to work together with our neighbouring municipalities on waste management in an attempt to mitigate as much as possible the impact of the decision by County Council to go ahead with the first stage of Site 41. Out of the meeting of North Simcoe Mayors and Deputy Mayors came the decision that a letter would be developed by Tiny and circulated for approval to the others, urging the County, in the light of the close vote, to look again at waste management and possible alternatives.
With regard to the same meeting of North Simcoe Mayors & Deputy Mayors, Deputy Mayor Lawrence reported that he felt shocked by Mayor Breckenridge’s statement at it that it was time to move on. He feels that the initial installation at Site 41 might not work out and that it is too soon to “throw in the towel.” He urged Tiny’s Council to pass a motion similar to the one that Midland’s Council passed 9-0 asserting continuing opposition to Site 41, and asked that it, like Midland’s motion, be sent to other municipalities in Simcoe County with a letter encouraging each of them to take a similar vote. That evening, on a recorded vote, all five members of Council voted in favour of the following motion:
“That notwithstanding the June 26, 2007 decision of the Council of the County of Simcoe to proceed with the initial site preparation work on Landfill Site 41, the Council of the Township of Tiny is opposed to this action and respectfully requests that the County of Simcoe invest in County recycling, investigate alternative energy and 21st Century waste management technologies and pursue the immediate development of a County wide Waste Management Strategic Plan;
“AND FURTHER THAT this motion be forwarded to all County of Simcoe municipalities to encourage each municipality to consider passing a similar resolution.”

NORTH SIMCOE HOSPITAL ALLIANCE PRESENTATION: Ron Crane, Acting Director of the Huronia District Hospital Board, came to explain to Council why his Board had recently recommended that HDH and Penetanguishene General Hospital be merged into a single Catholic corporation. He said that the long time “working relationship” between the two hospitals needed to be made more cohesive if they were to have a stronger voice in the region. Huronia District Hospital is non-denominational, and its land, building and equipment is owned by its Corporation; the Penetanguishene General Hospital sits on land owned by the Grey Sisters, while its Corporation owns the building and equipment. The Penetang hospital board, which has a $3.5 million surplus, refused to amalgamate into a non-denominational joint hospital, while the HDH board saw a joint Catholic hospital as a way of eliminating part of its $5 million debt ($3.5 million of which is in a bank loan) and as achieving a joint entity.
In response, the five members of Council asked a series of tough questions. Deputy Mayor George Lawrence asked why Council was not told that amalgamation was being discussed when, earlier this year, Council was asked for a donation of $2.50 per person in Tiny Township toward the hospitals’ capital campaign (and was told that negotiations were confidential at that stage). Councillor George Cornell asked why the Chatham-Kent amalgamation, where one hospital remained non-sectarian and the other Catholic, had not been taken as a model (and learned that the board had taken a cursory look at that situation, but not an in depth look). When Councillor André Claire asked specifically about the withdrawal of reproductive services, he was told that the LHINs would make sure that basic services were covered. Councillor Nigel Warren, who had applied to serve on the Board of HDH and had been rejected after being asked his views on abortion, asked a series of questions about the independence of the current and proposed board from Catholic control and got answers that did not accord with his personal experience. Mayor Peggy Breckenridge asked about the consultative process with the broader community and about HDH’s financial statements, observing that it was very difficiult to assess the hospital’s business case without the latter. Crane’s assertions about the actual level of HDH’s debt ($3.5 or $5 million) were unconvincing.
Council learned that if the proposed amalgamation is defeated by the membership of HDH, then nothing would change.

LEGAL SERVICES FOR TOWNSHIP: Council decided to consider whether to change the Township’s legal service providers. Staff was directed to ask for competitive proposals.
This sort of review is a good idea. During the last Council’s term of office, Burgar Rowe Professional Corporation of Barrie, which handles the Township’s day-to-day legal work, was frequently slow with its responses to requests for advice. On the other hand, we recall that Ian Rowe acted vigorously and effectively for the Township with regard to the Renouf water system.

ELECTRONIC MESSAGE BOARD: Council approved the staff recommendation that an electronic message board be purchased for the front lobby of the township offices at a cost of roughly $2,000. It will be used to make residents aware of events and other useful information. There are plans for a larger electronic sign in front of the Township Offices, but not until the property is landscaped.

PREPARATION BEGINS FOR THE TOWNSHIP’S OFFICIAL PLAN REVIEW: Shawn Persaud, of the Township’s Planning Department, presented two preparatory reports. One drew to Council’s attention recent provincial initiatives to which the Township’s Official Plan must conform, namely the “Provincial Policy Statement”, “Places to Grow: Growth Plan for the Great Golden Horseshoe”, the “Clean Water Act (Bill 43)” and the “Planning and Conservation Land Statute Law Amendment Act, 2006 (Bill 51)”. County Plans and Policy likewise govern local municipal Official Plans, notably, in the case of Tiny, the County of Simcoe’s Official Plan and the County of Simcoe Waste Disposal Sites Study. Many of these documents require the Township to focus future development in its hamlets and to safeguard its natural resources – water, prime agricultural land and the like. Persaud also noted that thoughtful decisions must be made about the Township’s growth – where, how much, and so on.
His second report listed the amount of vacant land designated for development in Tiny’s various land categories (while observing that there are constraints on development in some lots):
Shoreline (below the Nipissing Ridge, near Georgian Bay and Farlain Lake) – 695.62 hectares (1,732.49 acres)
Settlement Areas (Lafontaine, Toanche, Perkinsfield, Wyevale and Wyebridge) – 112.3 hectares (278.9 acres)
Country Residential (in the rural area) – 38.1 hectares (94.76 acres)
Employment Area (the industrial park near the public works yard and the Huronia Airport) – 111.8 hectares (276.77 acres)

POPULATION STATISTICS: Statistics Canada reported that the Census of 2006 revealed that the permanent population of the Township grew from 9,035 to 10,784. In 2006, Tiny’s permanent population occupied 4,337 dwellings (out of a total of 9,072). The median age of Tiny’s population was 46.9 years, well above the provincial median of 39.0.

SAFETY AT JACKSON PARK: In response to a letter from the Rochelle Beach Association, Councillor André Claire asked that staff prepare a report about various safety issues related to the boat launch, among them the installation of buoys and cautionary signage in the Park.

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Council Reports: July 9, 2007

Posted on July 9, 2007 by Webmaster

REPORT ON COUNCIL
July 9, 2007
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:03 am – 2:10 p.m. 
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:00 p.m. – 7:11 p.m.
All Members of Council present.

CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 11:41 a.m. – 12:43 p.m. and 1:31 p.m. – 2:09 p.m.

JULY LONG WEEKEND PROBLEMS: Although infractions of by-laws kept the By-Law Department extremely busy on the July long weekend, the extent of the problems was not fully evident in the report submitted by Shawn Crawford, Chief Municipal Law Enforcement Officer, largely, Council gradually discovered, because the reporting form focusses on the number of occurrences of violations rather than the number of complaints. In addition the few charges laid bore no relationship to the number of occurrences. For example, only one charge resulted from the 40 fire violations that occurred on a weekend when there was a fire ban in effect, and none for the 15 watering violations.
The explanation was that By-law lays no charges as long as people are co-operative and have no previous violations on record.
Some members of Council felt that when a by-law had been fully advertised (as was the case with the fire ban and with the prohibition against lawn watering), charges should have been laid. There is to be a discussion of whether the By-law Department should move from its current policy to one of zero tolerance.
There was an astonishing incident at Balm Beach, which was not mentioned in the report, but which was raised by George Lawrence. Apparently someone shot more than 50 firework rockets from a rental complex, which landed on the Arcade’s roof. For various reasons, it took considerable time to control this situation. In this case a charge was laid.

SUNSET BAY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION WANTS TO BUILD A CENTRE: At the June 25 meeting of Council, Hans Merzbacher, president of the Sunset Bay Community Association, asked Council for the right to use part of the park between Sequin & Manitou for a Sunset Bay Association Community Centre.
When the request was discussed at this meeting, Clerk Ruth Coursey noted that, before it would be possible to lease parkland to the Sunset Bay Association, the Park would have to become a sixth major community park (the five community parks are Lafontaine, Wyebridge, Perkinsfield, Toanche, and CBO at Balm Beach); a Master Plan would have to be prepared; and financing of the project, including long-term maintenance, would have to be carefully considered. She noted that the two seniors’ buildings in the township – the Swinging Seniors on Balm Beach Road West and the Bayshore Seniors on Lawson in Woodland Beach – are privately owned.
The request is to be considered during the review of the Township’s Official Plan.

PUBB GROUP ASKS TO SPEAK TO COUNCIL ABOUT FENCES: Even though a public meeting about fences has been scheduled for August 11, the PUBB (Preserving the Use of Balm Beach) group, asked to make an oral submission to Council. After considerable discussion, Council decided that the PUBB group should make its presentation at the public meeting and then, if still concerned that their points had not been heard, they might speak to Council at its meeting on August 13. Some 64 individuals attended the evening meeting to protest this decision, but Council stuck by its decision.

A SECOND BRUSH AND LEAF AND YARD WASTE COLLECTION AUTHORIZED FOR FALL 2008: Council decided to authorize a brush and leaf and yard waste collection in the fall of 2008 in addition to the trial collection this fall on October 15. Their feeling was that a single collection was not sufficient to give a sense of the interest in and the cost of such a collection. By making the decision about next year now, Council ensured that next year’s collection date would be included in the County’s 2008 Curbside Collection Calendar.

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