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Agenda, By-Law, DBA, Growth, Infrastructure, parry sound, Pool, Town Council, Water Management
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A reasonably light agenda this coming week. Noted below are the topics of greater possible interest. A lengthier abridged list of agenda items follows. Refer to the full agenda available at the Town’s website for additional items and the supporting documents.
9.2.1 & Closed Session c) – It looks as though things are starting to ramp up in discussions regarding a municipal pool complex. The closed session item refers to the acquisition or disposition of municipally owned land for a Wellness Centre. While details are not available as it is a closed session item, it probably refers to a municipal pool complex. The complex might well be affordable if all area municipalities chip in for construction and operation. I wonder though how the Town of Parry Sound will be compensated for the future loss of assessment revenue. I would imagine a recreational complex will require significant space that will not be available for commercial development and become a source of tax revenue. The Town already is home to many non-profit and tax exempt organizations that still require full services. With a very limited footprint the Town needs to capture as much revenue as possible from every square metre if we are to support the many resources shared with our municipal neighbours. (Note: there is a reference to the Township of the Archipelago in 9.2.1 that needs to be corrected.)
10.1.1 – Funding for the Stockey Centre in the amount of $30K per year has been approved by the Department of Canadian Heritage.
10.1.2 – This concerns the agreement to have the Town finance the installation of water and sewer services to Macklaim and Dennis Drives from the Water and Wastewater Stabilization Reserves. It is expected that the costs will be recouped from tax revenues related to the future development of empty lots.
Closed Session
c) a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land for municipal or local board purposes; (Disposition of municipally-owned land) (Potential Wellness Centre Location)
d) Labour relations or employee negotiations. (Performance Review, Dave Thompson), (Personnel Matters) (Update on CAO Candidates)
Correspondence
4.1 – Mark Ideson. Thank you card for supporting him and his family at the PyeonChang Paralympic Games.
4.2 – Al & Lorna Kinnear on behalf of Avery Court residents and the parkette. Letter sent on behalf of 18 residents of Avery Court requesting repair of the severe winter damage caused by snow removal efforts.
Deputations
5.1 – Daryl McMurray, PS Downtown Business Association. Newly adopted Strategic Plan for the Downtown
5.2 – Jeremy Newton, resident. Concerns regarding discarded needles and the needle drop off boxes.
Resolutions and Direction to Staff
9.2.1 – Recreational Complex/Pool. Direction. Whereas an interest in the development of a recreational complex, including a swimming pool, exists in West Parry Sound; And Whereas a recreational complex will meet the needs and interests of all West Parry Sound communities by encouraging healthy lifestyles, social interactions and physical well-being through education, recreation, wellness and athletic activities and will also support the Area’s economic development objectives; And Whereas the West Parry Sound Pool and Wellness Committee has conducted background research on the development of a recreational complex and convened a meeting with West Parry Sound Municipalities and First Nations to present their findings;
And Whereas the West Parry Sound Pool and Wellness Committee, at their meeting of April 24th 2018 passed a resolution requesting that Councils direct their staff/CAO to collectively meet and finalize a common package for future deliberation by Councils, including: (1) preferred governance/operation model of Shareholders Corporation, (2)Terms of Reference, and (3) a funding model;
Now Therefore Be It Resolved that the Council for the Township of The Archipelago hereby directs the CAO to meet with the CAO’s of the surrounding interested Municipalities and First Nations to work towards the preparation of a common development proposal package for future deliberation by all of the Councils which shall include but not be limited to: 1) a preferred governance/operational model for a Shareholders Corporation; 2) a Terms of Reference for the West Parry Sound Pool and Wellness Committee to advance the project; and 3) a funding model for the project.
9.3.1 – Motorized Mobile Ice Cream Truck. Resolution. That Council for the Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound hereby grants permission for Mr. J Athanasiou to operate one motorized mobile ice cream truck for the time period of May 15th, 2018 to September 30, 2018 on municipally owned roads and lands of the Town of Parry Sound subject to the following conditions:
(Editorial note: See the official Town of Parry Sound agenda for a full list of the conditions.)
9.4.1 – Tender – Sidewalk Plow. Resolution. That Council accept the tender from Cubex Ltd for a new model year articulating sidewalk plow in the amount of $187,649.30, including taxes and delivery.
9.5.1 – Discarded Needles. Direction. That the CAO be directed to prepare a report and recommendation on the issue of discarded needles.
By-laws
10.1.1 – Canada Arts Presentation Fund. By-law 2018 – 6829. Being a By-law to authorize the execution of a funding agreement with the Department of Canadian Heritage – Canada Arts Presentation Fund (CAPF) – for Stockey Centre programming.
10.1.2 – Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) – Macklaim Drive and Dennis Drive Municipal Services Installation. By-law 2018 – 6830. Being a bylaw to authorize the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between property owners along Macklaim Drive and Dennis Drive and the Town of Parry Sound.
10.2.1 – Election Sign By-law. By-law 2018 – 6831. Being a by-law to regulate Election Signs in the Town of Parry Sound in federal, provincial and municipal elections.
10.3.1 – Strike the Tax Rates. By-Law 2018 – 6832. Being a bylaw to Strike the Tax Rates for Municipal Purposes for the Year 2018.
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May 13, 2018 at 9:50 pm
Re: loss of future assessment. I’m not so sure that’s a slam dunk. Reminds me of the fallacy you frequently heard back in the day about the downloading of mp3s – musicians frequently claimed that each downloaded mp3 represented loss revenue, and downloaders were sued and fined accordingly. The fallacy, of course, is that you can’t assume that each download would have otherwise been a sale. Many people who would be perfectly happy to download a song for free would not have been willing to pay for it; if paying for it was the only option, they would have just done without.
Similarly, we can’t know for sure that the pool property would have otherwise been developed something that would bear tax revenue. For all we know, it could have remained as vacant as it was before the pool. It’s not like there’s a line up of developers looking for land now. It’s certainly possible that the land would have been otherwise developed, but the it’s also possible my kid could make it into the NHL!
May 14, 2018 at 8:51 am
The analysis you offer is fair enough when it comes to music that is available digitally and is infinitely reproducible at basically no cost. That might even be a fair analogy for property in Seguin – lots of land and lots of lakes. I prefer to think of Parry Sound as a Tragically Hip concert. There are only a limited number of tickets and when they are gone, they are gone. You can’t just create a new seat. The Town of Parry Sound has very limited land, and not all of it is suitable for building, at least at a cost the local municipalities would be willing to pay for in support of a shared expense like a pool. That means prime real estate will need to be used for any pool complex, flat, not too much rock to blast…..
I am quite conscious of how much of the prime real estate in Parry Sound is tied up in non revenue producing activities, but still in need of Town services. Some may consider this observation to be mean spirited given the social responsibilities of these organizations, but I am concerned about the ability of Parry Sound to carry the load and not unfairly tax local businesses and residents. I would heartily welcome Seguin installing a water treatment facility to support a pool complex. I would not resent driving to Humphrey to use it (if I ever would). I’d be happy to pay my share of the actual pool facility costs, but not the required supporting water treatment infrastructure. Let the Seguin taxpayers cover that costs, like the Town of Parry Sound taxpayers cover their’s. Let’s see the how the Seguin taxpayers would squeak about that. They are still trying to get the Province and the Feds to pay for their internet infrastructure with the suggestion that it is a ‘human right’ of sorts.
May 15, 2018 at 12:32 am
If I read you right, you’re saying that Parry sound is incurring a cost – i.e. the loss of potentially valuable taxable land – by providing services that benefit the entire region. You feel, therefore, that it would only be fair for the regional municipalities to compensate Parry sound for that cost.
For my view, I’ve already spelled out that I think your over-stating your case to call it an actual cost or loss. Sure, Parry sound does have a limited amount of land, but they are nevertheless still not using all that they have. And, frankly, it’s not like the Parry sound economy is taking off like a jet plane either, so the safer bet is that the current surplus of usable development land will continue for the foreseeable future. Given that, I think the most I’d be willing to concede is that it’s a “potential loss” , since there was only potential that the land would have been otherwise developed.
But, even if I granted that it was a definite loss – a real cost – I am still not sure it follows that the municipalities owe any kind of compensation.
Imagine this: you live on the outskirts of the GTA and every day you waste hours of your life sitting alone in your car in traffic jams on the 400 series highways getting back and forth from downtown. Then one day you meet some surrounding colleagues who carpool with you. Thanks to their presence, you can now use the HOV lanes, and instead of sitting in traffic for hours, you fly right by and make it home in record time! So, the presence of those colleagues just gave you a real improvement, yes? So would you then turn to them and say “I’d like you to compensate me for the gas I used driving you today” ? Well, maybe you would, who knows. Technically you probably did incur a cost – the added weight of the passengers would have used more gas – but you also got a real benefit, so couldn’t you say you’ve been compensated in kind?
The analogy isn’t perfect, but as i’ve said before, Parry sound benefits from the presence of the municipalities. Thanks to the additional population base, Parry sound qualifies for a level of service that a town of its size would not otherwise receive. The hospital is a great example: Parry sound has a much bigger and better equipped hospital than a town that size would normally have, simply because it is also tasked with serving the surrounding municipalities. Parry sound receives better medical care than they otherwise would because it’s giving the municipalities a ride. You already receive a real benefit because of our presence, yet you think additional compensation is still in order?
May 17, 2018 at 1:20 pm
I’ll take the analogy and look at it from a different perspective – the free rider. I am assuming that the people who are riding with you need to go where you are going, on the same schedule, and would similarly be stuck in traffic if they went by themselves. So, they hint, or you suggest you ride together. Win-win. Well sort of, but let’s not get into the weeds.
I’m now riding with you and you have a quicker ride because of HOV lanes. I also have a quicker ride and it’s much, much cheaper. Do I now ‘free ride’ and hope you don’t ask for some shared expense, or do I suggest that we share the expense. I’m not sure gas money covers it properly; it’s money out of pocket but there is more than gas money in operating a car for regular commuting. What might work better is that you drive one week and I’ll drive the next. If there are four of us, we each get one week a month. That’s win-win to the fourth power.
Friends and people who benefit from the generosity of others are advised to give back, or give forward. Don’t be the friend that always forgets their wallet when the group goes out for a meal, especially if you did the inviting. This is just a variation on the well discussed tragedy of the commons. Free riding works as long as someone wants your company more than a reasonable amount of cooperation and sharing.
To the tune of War’s “Low Rider” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ_LCy89Nt8).
All my friends know the free rider
The free rider is a little cheaper
Free rider drives a little freer
Free rider is a real grafter
Free rider knows every shortcut, yeah
Free rider is the one to avoid, yeah
…and so on. (original lyrics, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/war/lowrider.html)