Tag Archives: Fire Department

Council Agenda Preview – February 4, 2014

03 Monday Feb 2014

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It looks like a rather light meeting agenda in terms of the number of listed items. I don’t expect that it will last beyond 8:30 or so.

Closed Session

In the closed session of Council the only obvious interesting topic concerns the pending acquisition or disposition of land regarding Parry Sound Power/Lakeland Holdings.

Deputations

5.1 – Wayne Simpson of Wayne Simpson & Associates. Deputation. Regarding a consent application for Parry Sound Dock Limited. [No information is provided in the council package regarding this deputation.]

Consent Agenda

8.1 – Resolution on Joint and Several Liability Insurance – Randy Pettapiece, M.P.P. Perth-Wellington. Resolution. That Council support this resolution in the Ontario Legislature to limit the Town’s liability risks with letters to Mr. Pettapiece and numerous Ontario associations.

Resolutions and Direction To Staff

9.3.1 – Stop The Great Lakes Nuclear Dump. Resolution. Parrry Sound sends letters urging the Governments of Canada and Ontario to reject (and seek alternatives to) Ontario Power Generation’s proposal to bury radioactive nuclear waste in the Great Lakes Basin. [Seems a reasonable course of action by the Town. I’m not sure what the alternatives are. The USA is dealing with similar issues regarding the safe storage of expired nuclear power plant fuel. In their case they are proposing to bury it in Nevada, but are meeting considerable opposition.]

9.4.1 – Trails Master Plan. Direction. That Council direct staff to explore partnership opportunities for a Trails Master Plan and, as appropriate, specifications for a Request for Proposal be developed and advertised. [Both Seguin and McDougall townships have dropped out of a project to develop a trails master plan for reasons that I don’t understand. The Town is proposing to partner with other local non-municipal trail groups. The R&R notes that trails are an increasingly important driver of local economic growth.]  

9.4.2 – Big Sound Marina Operations. Direction. Council direct staff to prepare an operational plan that would see Big Sound Marina operated in-house through the Department of Development and Leisure Services with facility and grounds to be maintained by the Department of Public Works; and Council direct staff to include the provision for both seasonal and transient services in the operational plan; and the report be brought forward to the February 18, 2014 Council meeting. [My sense is that the Town, out of necessity, intends to go into competition with its taxpayers by operating a marina with seasonal dockage. (Disclosure, my extended family operates a marina in Parry Sound.) It seems no private businesses expressed interest in operating the facility even though they had been offered the opportunity to service both seasonal and transient boaters. I’ll also be interested in seeing how the Town blends union and non-union staff at the Big Sound Marina (dock staff and maintenance staff). I suspect they will need to depend heavily on summer students. The R&R indicates that they do not intend to ‘undercut’ the local marinas in terms of seasonal dockage, but adding in another supplier (the Town) will surely reduce income for others unless there is an influx of new seasonal boaters. It’s actually a rather complex issue with the net/net that it seems the Town wants to limit its losses on operating the Big Sound Marina by taking seasonal dockage income from local businesses. There is no simple solution but I hope they ‘consult’ with the in-town marinas.]

9.4.3 – Film Location Guidebook. Direction. Council adopts the Parry Sound Film Location Guidebook per Schedule ‘A’ attached. [A how-to work with the Town manual for companies wishing to do on location filming in Parry Sound.]

9.4.4 – Sign By-law Variance (10 Bay Street). Resolution. Staff are directed to issue a permit for a Sign at 10 Bay Street according to the application submitted. [This relates to the new Boston Pizza. It’s a little confusing. It seems the sign does not comply with local by-laws but Staff is recommending it be permitted.]

9.6.1 – Market Square Park Proposal. Direction. Council direct staff to co-ordinate consultation meeting(s) with representatives from the Legion, Summer Market, Art in the Park, Downtown Business Association (DBA) and Town staff regarding the proposed changes to Market Square Park and Council direct staff to provide the DBA with a letter advising them that any changes to Town-owned property require prior approval from Council. [A follow up to last meeting’s deputation regarding a grant application by the DBA to support ‘enhancements’ to Market Square Park. The list of parties to be co-ordinated all have activities that take place in the park.]

By-Laws

10.2.1 – Land Ambulance Services Grant (LASG) Transfer Payment Framework. By-law. To authorize the execution of an agreement between Town of Parry Sound and the Province regarding transfer payments to support the land ambulance services that are overseen by Parry Sound.

10.2.2 – Fire Dispatch Agreement. By-law. To authorize the execution of an agreement between Parry Sound and West Parry Sound Health Centre regarding fire dispatch services. [I hadn’t realized that the health centre provides this service to the Town. The price is quite reasonable at about $7K per year, and certainly fits with the existing health centre’s emergency activities.]

10.4.1 – Stockey Centre Rental Rates. By-law Amendment. To amend by-law 2010-5408 regarding fees and service charges for the Town and to repeal By-law 2012 – 6110. [A bit of fiddling with rates to find the best blend of pricing to encourage more use of the Stockey Centre.]

On the Trail Again (North Shore Rugged Trail) (Parry Sound in Black & White)

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I won’t be at this meeting but hope that the people interested in serving on Council will start attending. It’s important to understand what you are signing up for. It’s not as simple as it might seem.

Note: Not all agenda items are covered here. I typically skip items that have little material impact on the town. These items include simple requests for Tag Days (permission to canvas), Awareness Weeks/Months, road closures for civic events, and the like. Want to see everything that is on the agenda along with the supporting documents? The full package can be found at the town’s website (http://townofparrysound.com/pagesmith/14).

Council Agenda Preview – December 17, 2013

15 Sunday Dec 2013

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(Note: there is a correction to Item 10.1.1 – there is only one multifunction machine, not three as originally posted. I apologize for the error.)

This is a rather full meeting agenda that will take an hour and a half or the better part of three hours depending on how talkative the Councillors are. There are two interesting presentations that will probably exceed the generally allotted limit of ten minutes. Add on a dozen or so resolutions and by-laws, councillor reports, questions of Staff, and you have the potential for a longer session. I’m betting on shorter rather than longer given the weather and the season.

In the closed session of Council an issue of boundary adjustments with McDougall is continued. Is this perhaps related to the Hall project on Louisa Street? It would be simpler if the developer only had to work with a single municipality.

Correspondence

4.1 – the Parry Sound Downtown Business Association regarding concerns about a lack of designated pedestrian crossings, traffic lights or stop signs along James Street from Seguin Street to Rosetta Street to assist people crossing the street. [This is on the agenda for discussion as 9.5.1.]

4.2 - Lev Nikiforov with a request to meet with Council regarding the construction project on 81 River Street. [This is also the subject of a deputation, item 5.3. I’ll provide more detail there.]

4.3 – a petition with 50 signatures requesting the transit bus operate on December 24 and December 31, 2013. [It seems the bus is not scheduled for the 24th and 31st. A number of residents feel these are days when the bus should run, the eves of Christmas and New Year. I agree, it’s the time of the year when things are busy and generosity is appreciated. But where is the public transit study and discussion that Council has promised? I thought we were to have a discussion and decision on the future of the public transit system several months ago. How are we doing with compliance to the new regulations?]

Deputations

5.1 – Marianne King-Wilson, Waterfront Advisory Committee with a presentation on Branding. [This follows up a discussion at the last meeting of Council regarding logos and ‘slogans’ for the Town.]

5.2 – a presentation by Tulloch Engineering regarding the Town’s Asset Management Plan. [This is a big deal from what I can tell and a requirement the Town has to receive future provincial funding for infrastructure projects. No plan, no money, or at least no money until you have a plan, and it appears we may have one soon.]

5.3 – a deputation by Lev Nikiforov regarding the construction project on 81 River Street. [This is the project that was started without the necessary Town approvals and was forced to stop. Recently the necessary approvals were granted but the builder is asking for some relief with regard to the fees to be paid. From what I can tell he is asking to make a partial payment that will allow him to complete only the structural portion of the project. A cash flow issue I imagine.]

Consent Agenda

8.1 – Parry Sound Hydro Corporation board appointments for Roger Alexander, Gord Rempel, Bill Lawrence and Al Downing through June 30th, 2014. [While it’s not a secret, it’s not widely appreciated that the merger between Parry Sound Hydro and Lakeland Holding will not take place on January 1st, 2014 as mentioned in presentations. The merger can only take place once provincial approval is received. This may take months, so Parry Sound Hydro needs to operate, and that requires a board of directors whose terms were set to expire the end of December.]

8.2 – a revision to the schedule of council meetings to include an additional special meeting of Council to discuss the 2014 budget. [This will be the penultimate public discussion of what is in, and out, of the 2014 budget. I will remind you that these public budget meetings generally only cover new and exceptional items for the upcoming year. The much larger part of the budget is generally just carried over from the previous year and adjusted for inflation. That's why taxes always go up, expenses are added not subtracted, if we are lucky only as much as inflation.]

Resolutions and Directions to Staff

9.2.1 – a resolution to approve the 2014 Land Ambulance budget in the amount of $8,138,658, which is an increase of 2% over the 2013 budget. [This is largely a rubber stamp approval as the business of the land ambulance service is supervised by the EMS Advisory Committee.]

9.3.1 – a resolution to install a “Former Village of Carrington” sign on Parry Sound Rd. at a cost of $450 plus HST. [This is a nice nod in recognition of the Town’s history. A small thing but part of developing a sense of community.]

9.4.1 – a direction for Town Staff to provide notice of changed rental rates at the Stockey Centre effective 2014 (I think). [The new ‘slimmed down’ rates are targeted to daytime uses of the Stockey Centre and are intended to reflect the reduced facility needs of local non-profit groups. It seems reasonable in my opinion. It’s a public building, let’s make it easier for the public to use it. A too often empty facility soon becomes considered a 'white elephant'.]

9.5.1 – a direction for Town Staff to investigate the cost of an analysis of pedestrian traffic on James St. [See also item 4.1. There is some concern that it is difficult for pedestrians to cross the busy shopping area of James Street. There are no lights or stop signs, and with cars parked along the street it can be hard for drivers and pedestrians to see each other. Rather than do a study to determine ‘traffic’ it seems like something that should just be done. Any impact on lost parking spots will not be major if it is more convenient to park in the municipal lot and safely cross the street. Parking on James Street when it’s busy is a challenge for even those who consider themselves parallel parking experts. Sometimes studies are just a waste of time and money and seem a way to delay or avoid the obvious.]

9.5.2 – a resolution to increase the per tag price of household waste disposal from $3 to $5, effective February 1st 2014. [You lost the chance to stock up on permanent postage stamps, but you have until February 1st to stock up on garbage tags in case this resolution is passed. The Town doesn’t, and won’t, make money on this even with the proposed increase.]

9.5.3 – a resolution to reimburse sellers $0.25 per Garbage Tag sold on behalf of the Town effective January 1st 2014. [Hmm! Why not buy up a few hundred at $3.00 and then sell them at $5.00? That's arbitrage in action, and a few hundred dollars in profit.]

By-Laws

10.1.1 – a by-law to enter into a three-year leasing agreement with De Lage Landen Financial Services Canada for one copier to be used at the Stockey Centre. [This is separate from the copier agreement approved at the last meeting of Council that was for the town office.]

10.2.1 – a by-law to renew the Rose Point Area Fire Protection Agreement, with the Township of Seguin to have Parry Sound provide fire protection for the Rose Point area and a couple of other properties proximate to Parry Sound. [It’s much faster for the Parry Sound Fire Department to repond to emergencies in the Rose Point area. In exchange Seguin provides Land Ambulance space in their fire station. It’s a win-win and a small demonstration of the benefits of municipal co-operation.]

10.4.1 – a by-law to grant Site Plan Approval and authorize the execution and registration of a Development Agreement with the Near North District School Board. [This continues the process of constructing a new K to 6 school off of Beatty Street. It seems all of the necessary documentation and adjustments have been received to allow Council to grant the requested approvals.]

Warmer Days (Parry Sound in Black & White)

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Note: Not all agenda items are covered here. I typically skip items that have little material impact on the town. These items include simple requests for Tag Days (permission to canvas), Awareness Weeks/Months, road closures for civic events, and the like. Want to see everything that is on the agenda along with the supporting documents? The full package can be found at the town’s website (http://townofparrysound.com/pagesmith/14).

Council Meeting Notes – October 15, 2013

16 Wednesday Oct 2013

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Last night’s meeting provided no real surprises. I thought that Council indirectly provided Staff with some direction in terms of how the town should handle it’s history as an industrial centre. The direction was to embrace the history of the town and not try to put a veneer of polish on it through a renaming process. This was evidenced by Council’s decision to reject the proposal to rename Smelter Wharf to Sunset Wharf (a good decision in my opinion), or solicit input on a renaming of Salt Dock Road. (A question for Staff and local residents – is it Smelter Wharf or Smelters Wharf? The sign down as the wharf reads Smelter Wharf, singular – not possessive, but the council agenda and at least one Councillor refer to it as Smelters Wharf.)

Beyond this there were no real surprises in Council’s discussion and decisions. The meeting was over by 9:05.

Questions of Staff and Councillors Report Notes

1. The sidewalk on Cascade Street at the CN crossing will need to be modified. This will delay the installation of the crossing gates until later this year. [I'm a bit surprised that this has only now been identified as an issue, this is a project that has been in the works for more than a year.]

2. There will be an advanced green light at the intersection of Bowes and Forest Street.

Correspondence and Deputations

4.3 – this item which relates to a letter to Council concerning an issue of excessive noise associated with the operation of the new Pioneer gas bar was followed up by a deputation at the meeting. Council directed By-law to look into the concern.

Resolutions and Directions to Staff

9.1.1 – Municipal Dog License Program (Direction); Council to direct Staff to prepare a new Animal Control By-law for Council’s consideration at the November 5, 2013 meeting. [CARRIED - with a reduction to $50 in the fine for failure to report a change in status of dog ownership (death, move, ...).]

9.1.2 - Reallocating Feral Cat Funding (Direction); Council to direct staff to use the Feral Cat Program funding in the amount of $3500 to host a Spay/Neuter Day event in November 2013 in partnership with the Barrie OSPCA High Volume Spay/Neuter Clinic. [CARRIED - with positive support from Council]

9.2.1 - Mission Park Playground Equipment (Resolution); request that a ‘web climber’ playground structure be purchased from ABC Recreation at a cost of a little more than $32,000 plus HST. About two-thirds of the funds are coming from funds raised by the community. [CARRIED - some questions were asked regarding the durability and warranty of the equipment. Apparently Sudbury has three of these units and are quite pleased with them.]

9.4.1 - Renaming Smelter Wharf (Resolution); request that upon the recommendation of the Waterfront Advisory Committee, Council rename Smelter Wharf to Sunset Wharf. [DEFEATED - Council feels there is merit in celebrating, rather than ignoring, the Town's past.]

9.4.2 - Renaming Salt Dock Road (Direction); request of Council that upon the recommendation of the Waterfront Advisory Committee, Council direct staff to seek public input on the name change of Salt Dock Road from residents on Salt Dock Road. [DEFEATED - see 9.4.1 for one of the considerations in Council's decision. It was also noted that asking residents to change their address would be expensive and burdensome.]

9.4.3 - ‘Seattle’ and ‘Atlantic’ Anchors (Direction); another recommendation of the Waterfront Advisory Committee, in this case asking Council to direct Staff to work with Belvedere Heights regarding a plan to relocate the ‘Seattle’ and ‘Atlantic’ anchors to the Stockey Centre. [CARRIED - Council will be communicating with Belvedere Heights regarding responsibility for the costs of landscaping at Belvedere related to the relocation of the anchors.]

9.4.4 - Council Approved Sign Application (Resolution); request to authorize the Chief Building Official to issue a Sign Permit for a sign on the Bowes Street Road allowance in front of number 80. [CARRIED - no discussion.]

9.5.1 - Parry Sound Canoe Club, (Direction); request that Council direct Staff to prepare a lease agreement between the Town and the Parry Sound Canoe Club for the use of property adjacent to the William Street Park. [CARRIED - with recommendation that it be located at the east end of Yvonne Williams Park. It was noted by one councillor that the Town had sold premium lots adjacent to William Street Park whose use and value would be compromised by a canoe club building. The original William Street Park site also presented issues with existing infrastructure.]

9.5.2 - Wakefield & Dufferin Reconstruction Funding (Direction); request that Council identify the rehabilitation of Wakefield Street and Dufferin Street as the highest priority item for the Small, Rural and Northern Municipal Infrastructure Fund – Capital Program. [CARRIED.]

9.6.1 – Airport – Found Aircraft Debt Deferral, (Resolution); request that Council approves the deferral of the long term debt principal and interest payments related to the Found Aircraft Canada leases at the Parry Sound Area Municipal Airport Commission. [CARRIED]

By-Laws

10.1.1 – EMS Contract Renewal (By-law) to authorize the execution of an agreement between the West Parry Sound Health Centre and the Town of Parry Sound for the provision of Emergency Medical Services for three years (2014-2016). [CARRIED.]

10.1.2 – Emergency Plan Identified Positions (By-law) naming David Thompson, Peter Brown and Jesse Langford as the Town’s emergency contact personnel. Also a By-law to amend By-law 2004-4669, a By-law to adopt a Emergency Management Program, and to repeal By-law 2011 – 6006. [CARRIED.]

10.2.1 – Closed Meeting Investigator Fee Increase, (By-law) appointing Local Authority Services Ltd. as Parry Sound’s Closed Meeting Investigator and to repeal By-law 2007-5127. [CARRIED.]

10.4.1 - Fleck Street Service Manager Housing Facility Agreement, (By-law) to authorize the execution of a Service Manager Housing Facility Agreement between the District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board, 905888 Ontario Inc. and the Town of Parry Sound. [CARRIED.]

10.4.2 – Fleck Street Purchase and Sale Agreement, (By-law) to authorize the execution of an Agreement of Purchase and Sale between 905888 Ontario Inc. and the Town of Parry Sound. [CARRIED.]

10.6.1 – Parry Sound Area Airport Commission Representation, (By-law) to amend the Airport Commission Agreement with the Township of Seguin. [CARRIED.]

These notes review only those portions of the council meeting that I see as having greater importance or general community interest. See my agenda preview posts for additional comments.

The official minutes from council meetings are available at the Town of Parry Sound website, no later than the Friday following the meeting. The full council proceeding are available on video through Cogeco. Schedule details are available from the town office (705-746-2101).

Delivering the Goods (Parry Sound in Black & White)

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Council Meeting Notes – April 2, 2013

03 Wednesday Apr 2013

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Council did well to get finished by 9:30, despite the addition of three unscheduled deputations that took almost half an hour in total. For the most part discussion was disciplined and on topic. There were no deferred items. Council continues to come together as a group and make headway.

A short preface to these notes. It seems council needs to start thinking about what type of vision and sense of place they have for Parry Sound. Remember the old joke for which the punch line is, “We’ve already defined what you are, we’re now simply agreeing on the price.”? Well council needs to decide whether the town ethos is ‘anything goes if it brings business to town’, or if we want to raise the general standards of appearance to establish ourselves as a ‘quaint’ little near north town that attracts visitors with its charm. It’s not easy to be quaint with a lumber and rail history, and the consequences of decades of associated neglect and abuse. It will take work and purpose. We can look to the some of the towns in Muskoka for a sense of what this means and looks like. A couple of the agenda items should force council to put together their vision of the town. But I suspect they won’t. They will look at each item as a ‘one up’ issue with no consideration of the bigger picture, and what the net sum of all of their decisions will be. It’s not function or form. It’s function and form.

Closed Session Follow Up

It seems council has selected a new Director of Public Safety based on their ratification of a contract. We’ll need to wait for the formal announcement. No names were mentioned.

Correspondence and Deputations

Correspondence -  the invitation for council representatives to attend a joint meeting of the West Parry Sound Health Centre Board was received.

There were three unscheduled deputations.

The first related to council’s recent decision to return the issue of ATV use in town to staff for further review. The speaker felt that the topic had not been fairly reviewed with little opportunity for public input. Council assured the speaker that the matter had not been dismissed and would be reviewed further. They didn’t mention that staff would not be able to get to the ATV issue until late summer at the earliest, given more pressing issues.

The second deputation was in reference to council’s decision to turn the application for a realtor’s advertising sign on a downtown building. After some discussion and questions the individual was advised to request a reconsideration of their application.

The third deputation provided council with an update on the activity of the Tower Hill Gardeners, a volunteer group that has been working to complement the activities of town staff with the Tower Hill garden. It was reported that the Tower Hill Gardeners, www.towerhillheritagegarden.org, put in more than 600 volunteer hours last year. The presenter requested council support agenda item 9.5.1, the proposal for volunteers to rehabilitate the Tower Hill Ranger’s Cabin.

Consent Agenda

Council approved a new board member for the Parry Sound Downtown Business Association (DBA) Board of Directors.

Resolutions and Directions to Staff

9.1.1 – council approved staff’s recommendation to forgo the construction of an animal shelter based on cost and the service provided in Bracebridge by the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) – Muskoka Branch. There were expressions of general support for this type of service but an acknowledgement that it was not possible without the financial support of the surrounding communities.

Council approved $3,500 for a spay/neuter program. It was noted that very little of this amount was likely to be spent because there was no community support to house the feral cats for the necessary period after their surgery. This was in part due to concerns about transmissible diseases, and the reality that feral cats really don’t like being kept in a ‘recovery room’. They can be feisty.

There was discussion and approval for staff to look into a method by which the feeding of feral cats could be ‘discouraged’. If you feed them they will stay, and they will breed. There’s no balance of nature when cats are fed and left to their own devices. Having grown up on a farm, and having had barn cats to keep the rodent population down, I came to realize that the cats survived only as long as they were fed by us. Nature took its own course if humans were left out of the equation. If you want a cat, have a cat, and take on the associated responsibilities of feeding, vaccinations, providing a home, and spay/neutering. How would the community feel if an individual were to start feeding sea gulls downtown? How about bears? (Oh wait, we know how people feel about bears.)

Council approved the sale/scrapping of the animal trailer after considerable discussion. The issue debated was whether it was reasonable to sell the trailer for its intended use given its unsuitability for animal care. Staff advised that if re-purposed, the trailer was likely to be stripped down and only it’s chassis reused.

9.1.2 – council split on the issue of two new ‘sitting’ areas in the downtown. The sitting area in the Gibson Street parking lot was approved with an understanding the DBA and town would discuss adjustments to the location so as to ensure appropriate sight lines for safety. (Hey, sitting at this ‘parkette’ one would have a great view of advertising right across the street ;-).)

The James Street ‘pop up parkette’ was turned down on the basis that it would take critical parking spaces and might create a safety hazard.

9.3.1 – there was approval for the proposal from staff regarding paperless council meetings through the use of electronic documents. It was agreed that the expense would be included as part of the 2013 budget discussion. Note: the next budget meeting, hopefully the last, is scheduled for April 233d, starting at 6:30 PM. There was a brief discussion of what should and shouldn’t be considered for pre-budget approval. I’ll offer my thoughts in a general sense next week.

9.4.1 – a resolution in support of signs on the CN trestle over Bowes Street was carried. I’m not in agreement but let’s see how this evolves. As a professional in the area of sales, marketing and advertising, I would suggest that advertising only works if it attracts attention. So if you want people who are driving into town to not focus on the road as they merge from two lanes to one, put up something to catch their attention. And I’m waiting for the first person with an RV/load who realizes too late that their vehicle doesn’t fit under the trestle to complain/sue that they couldn’t see the height limit sign because of the advertising. But of course, adding advertising will help beautify the town as at least one councillor seemed to suggest. I guess you could claim that we are a ‘border’ town and need to take on that appearance. Perhaps the border between Seguin and McDougall? This all goes back to the vision that council has for the town. Commerce or community? Commerce and community?

9.4.2 – the revised resolution for transferring town property on Fleck Street to a developer for the the building of an affordable triplex was approved. This was approved last year but needed revision to meet regulations concerning the transfer of property for below market prices to a private business.

9.5.1 – council approved a proposal by a citizens’ Ranger Cabin Restoration Committee to restore the Ranger Cabin on Tower Hill at no cost to the town.

9.5.2 – the DBA proposal for a raised garden at the foot of Jukes Lane was carried. Council also approved staff’s recommendation that the DBA consider other locations for additional raised gardens.

By-Laws

10.1.1 – by-laws to increase set fines for by-law traffic violations and to revise overnight parking areas were approved with limited discussion.

10.3.1 – council approved an agreement with Vianet for upgraded internet service.

10.3.2, 10.3.3 – both bylaws setting the tax ratios and tax claw-backs were approved by council.

There was a bit more that isn’t covered here. Check out the actual council minutes for a summary of all the decisions. For additional background take a look at my council meeting preview notes posted on this site.

A Comet Sets Over Parry Sound
(click for larger view – it’s worth it)

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Louisville Derailment Update

04 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by in Parry Sound, Reflections, Safety, Train

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Well it looks as though the unlucky residents who happened to be within a 1.2 miles radius of the train derailment south of Louisville KY on Monday will not be heading home tonight. There has also been a ‘shelter in place’ order given to residents within a 5 mile radius of the accident. This means they are required to stay in their homes with the windows closed and all ventilation devices turned off, including heating, cooling and even bathroom fans, until further notice.

Stuff happens, but this is pretty ridiculous, seven days and counting. It can be argued that transporting hazardous materials by rail reduces the risk of accidents relative to trucking (which I agree with), but when an accident does happen it causes a much bigger problem. There is not just one hazardous tanker, there are generally many, and the volume is much greater. The problem in the Louisville accident seems to be related to the fact that one of the tankers was highly combustible and another highly poisonous, and they both derailed close to each other.

Do we know what is being shipped through Parry Sound on the 35 or so trains that pass through daily? Do we, as residents, know what to do in the case of a similar emergency? Shouldn’t we know?

As a child we were given instructions on what to do in case of a nuclear attack. Since then there have been many more derailments than nuclear attacks. Perhaps we need to know what to do in case off a derailment. Like debates about the impact of climate change, we know it will happen, the only argument concerns how bad and when.

Speaking of ‘stuff’ happening, as I was preparing this post my family came home and told me that there was a fire on Bowes Street, at the intersection with Forest Street. I headed out and caught a few photos. The lesson here is that ‘stuff’ does happen and you need to be prepared. We are fortunate to have a trained and capable volunteer fire department. I would not want to see them having to deal with a train tanker chemical fire for which they and the town were not prepared.

Council Meeting Summary – 2012-04-17

18 Wednesday Apr 2012

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It was a packed house last night at Council, standing room only for the early part of the meeting. And there were surprises, some of which may provide a look ahead.

The two big issues on the agenda, as far as I saw them, rezoning at 9A Belvedere (10.4.1) and space sharing at the Smelter Wharf (9.4.3), had quite different treatment by council. More on this below.

First the body count: the mayor and all of the councilors, except Dave Williams, were in attendance. It’s interesting to speculate how one vote might have gone had Councilor Williams been in attendance. Staff numbered about eight for at most of the meeting. Media numbered three, Moose-FM, Cogeco and North Star. There were more than 40 in the audience, two dozen fire fighters in support of their president’s deputation to council, about ten opposing the 9A Belvedere rezoning, four for the KPMG deputation, and a few others interested in better understanding the issues before council that evening.

There were two scheduled deputations. Wayne Gilbert, President of the Parry Sound Volunteer Fire Fighter’s Association, provided facts and figures summarizing the association’s services to Parry Sound. This followed a rather odd presentation from KPMG, the finance and accounting firm, analyzing Parry Sound’s financial performance versus other northern Ontario communities. The analysis was interesting, albeit a little superficial, and revealed that they did little research into the town’s current budget status and analysis process. What was odd, at least from my perspective, was the somewhat condescending tone of the presentation. They made a few assumptions about Parry Sound that seemingly underestimates the town’s level of financial sophistication and controls. Not the best way to try and attract new clients in my view.

There were also a couple of deputations regarding the rezoning applications before council as well as letters from town residents on these rezoning applications.

Councilor reports provided little new information. There was consistent praise for the organizers and town staff concerning last weekend’s Timbits 2012 Provincial Elementary School Championships. Having spent a short time at the Bobby Orr Community Centre catching some of the action I completely agree with the praise. Let’s hope it returns to Parry Sound. We are ideally located for province wide events, central to Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Ontario.

Interesting and Notable Council Decisions and Actions Continue reading →

Special Meeting of Council – 2012 Budget Discussions

14 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by in Budget/Financial, Parry Sound, Town Council

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Parry Sound Council and Staff met last night, March 13th, for round two of the budget discussions. There has been an earlier meeting in February that reviewed the ‘wish list’ in terms of town expenditures as requested by the departments and various community groups. This meeting revealed there was a large gap, about $1.8 million, between what was being requested and the projected revenue for 2012. Last night’s meeting attempted to eliminate that gap, and for the most part seems to have succeeded. I’ll provide a short summary of what I thought I heard.

All seven council members were in attendance as well as the town staff department heads. There were three people in the audience. James King from the Moose-FM was the only media present. I’m sure he will be providing a report on air of what he heard last night. The audience included only one person from the Parry Sound Citizen Finance Committee. This is a disappointment. Although this group will meet separately tonight, attendance at last night’s meeting was necessary to understand the issues that council and staff are wrestling with. In general I find that too many people in Parry Sound sign up for committees and then fail to attend meetings. If people want a place at the table they need to show up or they need to offer their seat to someone who will.

The meeting lasted about three hours. Here are some of the highlights. If you want more detail you need to start attending the meetings; there is no admission charge.

  1. By the end of the meeting the budget gap stood at about $450,000. If this gap is not eliminated or reduced it implies there will need to be a 2% tax rate increase. In addition to an expected increase in property valuation assessment from MPAC this amounts to a 5.7% overall increase in average property taxes.
  2. On the income side, the town lost $149,000 in federal grants that were made available in 2011. There was a 2011 budget surplus of about $650,000 that will be brought forward to help reduce the budget gap. There was good news in that FedNor agreed to pick up 75% of the cost of the capital improvement expense at Big Sound Marina.
  3. Capital equipment was a significant part of the 2012 budget. The town has put off investments in heavy equipment for a few years and it coming back to bite. Staff will be look at leasing options. Leasing may be a reasonable way to address the budget gap. The biggest piece of equipment needed is a 7-ton plow truck that costs about $200,000. Paying for it out of this year’s budget will be a big hit, but it will have a 10-year plus lifetime. Leasing will raise the cost, sort of like one of us leasing a car, but it helps even out the expenses. Not a first choice, but a reasonable choice with a large budget gap.
  4. Staff proposed that another capital equipment purchase, the Fire Department’s $1.3 million fire truck, be deferred for at least one year.
  5. Public transportation was a major topic of discussion. This is one of the larger town expenses but is little used. It is likely that service will be cut unless ridership rises. It’s not just the cost of the service that is an issue; it’s the fact that so few people are benefiting. There should be no immediate cuts but expect to hear something from council by the end of the summer.
  6. Staff proposed a freeze on cost of living salary increases and salary reviews for non-union staff. They are putting their money where their mouth is.

There were many, many more issues discussed and wrestled with. It seems this year’s very large budget gap is not a surprise to staff and council. Expenditures in previous years pointed to 2012 as a point where expenses peaked relative to income, with the following years coming into balance much more easily. Tough decisions remain to be made, including the possibility of a small increase in the tax rate to get over this ‘hump’ year.

My sense is that Parry Sound council and staff have made decisions over the past few years that on balance have had a positive return to the community. Yes there are cheaper places to live, but not many that offer as much value. You can move to Seguin or Carling or McDougall if you want cheaper property taxes. But what about the additional cost, in dollars, cents and time, spent on commuting to work or school or shopping or social activities? It adds up pretty quickly. And let’s not forget about other services that these municipalities don’t provide. I have lived with a well, septic tank and water purifier – I’ll take town water and sewer.

Local communities are able to hitchhike on the back of Parry Sound. By virtue of our investments we are able to offer shopping resources, the Stockey Centre, the Bobby Orr Community Centre, free boat launches, summer entertainment and much more to our residents and neighbours. We pay and they benefit. It may not seem fair but it’s part of the price of living in Parry Sound. We must be doing something right, the last census showed that the permanent population of Parry Sound has grown in the last few years versus a drop in Seguin and no change in the other municipalities. People are voting with their feet.

Okay, we’re down to a $450,000 budget gap that may mean a 2% rate increase. I expect council and staff will reduce that deficit a little and we will need to pay a little more. But the worst may be behind us. If council and staff can continue to keep a rein on expenses going forward we should not be faced with similar increases in 2013 and beyond.

Next meeting will be March 21st, details will be forthcoming. Be there if you want to understand how things are done. I suggest you contact members of the Citizen Finance Committee if you have any suggestions to offer. Oh, unlike one of our neighbouring municipalities, don’t expect insults and high drama at this or any other council meeting. This is a council and staff that is determined to work as a team.

Council Meeting Summary – 2011-12-20

21 Wednesday Dec 2011

Posted by in Parry Sound, Town Council

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Last night’s Council meeting was interesting on a couple of fronts. Council wrestled with the issue of a new aerial ladder truck, the topic of social media, and the rezoning issues were not as simple as I initially thought when reading the original agenda.

Discussion Notes and Decisions

Items 2.1.1, 2.1.2 and 2.1.3 the open public meeting rezoning sessions revealed some concerns. Item 2.1.2, the application to rezone a rural property to ‘Special Provision’, basically allowing for commercial activity, was opposed by local residents on the basis of anticipated noise and traffic increases as well as the prospect of blasting to prepare the property for industrial use. (As an aside – I learned last night that the Town has no bylaws limiting or controlling blasting. Given the common need to remove rock for construction projects the lack of any type of regulation seems to be an oversight. We have Town bylaws regarding fireworks but not blasting?) We’ll see where this discussion ends up. My sense is that the Town has little enough property that it does not need more trucking and construction type businesses. But this is a Council decision. In the case of the eight unit apartment, Item 2.1.1, a next door neighbour requested that Council approval be contingent on the construction of an appropriate privacy type barrier. The third rezoning request, item 2.1.3. was unopposed.

As expected the rezoning request for 24 Bay Street, Item 10.4.1, was approved. Interestingly there was no Council discussion on the merits of the objections raised by a neighbour at a previous Council meeting.

Well prior to the meeting I certainly didn’t get the thrust of Item 9.1.1, “Provision of Public Notice” for the Town. I thought this related to improving communication of Town activities and initiatives with residents. It seems however that what is at issue is the practice of certain Council members messaging during Council meetings. I believe any type of censorship is inappropriate, but I also believe it be a matter of respect and good business that Councillors and Mayor pay full attention to the proceedings at hand. Having Councillors sending or receiving messages during Council sessions would seem to be a distraction. I am actually more concerned by the receiving than the sending of messages (although I disapprove of both practices). It might be construed that receiving a message during a Council meeting is a way for someone to influence the discussion of an active or upcoming agenda item. There are many times I would have liked to offer my ‘two cents’ during the active discussion of a topic, but was prevented from doing so by the meeting rules. But it would be nice if I could text or email a Councillor or the Mayor during a Council meeting discussion to make my point. Let’s have our elected officials focus on the meeting and leave the sending and receiving of messages to the close of the meeting. Any urgent family messages could be directed to town staff who could then interrupt the meeting as appropriate.

I’ll be sending a proposal to Council concerning social media as it relates to keeping town residents up-to-date with current issues. I’m not sure Staff and Council really gets it. It doesn’t have to be that hard.

The wood chipper Item 9.2.1 was approved.

Item 9.3.1 a request for pre-budget approval for a new ladder truck for the Fire Department was turned down with the intention that it would be reviewed again when more information was available on how the million dollar plus expense would be paid for.

I have questions on this investment. Yes, safety should not be compromised. (Please note that there is limited available information on this purchase, for some reason it is being kept ‘confidential’ at the request of the supplier. This strikes me as ridiculous; it is a major expense, the same piece of equipment is being offered to other municipalities, and the Fire Department and Town are not requiring an RFP for the purchase. Complete transparency on this issue seems mandatory.)

But why a 117 foot aerial ladder truck? There was a suggestion made that not having the truck would reduce the Town’s fire safety rating and raise insurance costs. The reality as I understand it is that it would raise the insurance rates for those properties that require a 117 foot aerial ladder truck. If this was not the case then every community that did not have a 117 foot ladder truck would have a poorer fire insurance rating and would pay higher rates; even if they didn’t have a building higher than two stories.

This seems to me a case of ‘the difference between the men and the boys is the price of their toys’. If you have ever bought a car you have faced the salesperson who offered you a fully equipped vehicle at a ‘bargain price’ that is much more expensive than you had budgeted or felt you needed. Yes those heated leather seats would be nice, and the ability to tow a 25 foot boat you don’t own would be a real advantage, if you owned a 25 foot boat. Let’s look at getting what we need, not what is being offered as a bargain. I would suggest the purchase of a new ladder truck, something we probably need, be considered only after a full analysis of needs and options is prepared. A million dollar plus piece of equipment will come with much higher annual costs for maintenance and training. It might even require additional staff to operate or maintain it. But we won’t know any of this until a full analysis is provided to Council and the the Town. And let’s drop the secrecy issue, this is a very big purchase that needs to be understood and debated, not something that is done behind closed doors.

I applaud the three councillors who raised the issue of cost and asked that the issue be reviewed with more information. It’s hard to say no to something that has ‘safety’ written all over it. But an informed decision is the basis for a good decision.

All-in-all an interesting meeting, much more fun than most prime time television. The next Council meeting is January 17th. See you there.

TOPS Council Agenda Preview – 2011-12-20

19 Monday Dec 2011

Posted by in Parry Sound, Town Council

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I had a chance to look at the Council package at Town Hall this afternoon. Unfortunately some of the schedules for the meeting were not included, I’ve asked why they were omitted, and will see if they can be included in future Council packages made available to the public.

Interesting and Notable Agenda Items

It looks like an interesting agenda, not too many controversial issues but some that will have a lasting impact on Parry Sound.

Items 2.1.1, 2.1.2 and 2.1.3 relate to rezoning applications that will be the subject of an open meeting. Two of the rezoning requests involve converting residential properties to commercial use, while the third requests rezoning to allow for an 8 unit apartment building.

On the subject of rezoning, the application for 24 Bay Street, Item 10.4.1 seems as though it will be approved by Council based on the recommendation of TOPS staff.

Item 9.1.1 is of personal interest as it addresses the “Provision of Public Notice” for the Town. I’m hoping that the new policy will allow for, and require, the use of ‘push’ notifications using social media. ‘Push’ notifications means that you will be told of upcoming events directly through your choice of communication, Twitter, RS feeds or email, rather than needing to go to the Town website to see what’s new and important.

9.2.1 seems a no-brain decision if the funds can be made available to purchase the recommended wood chipper. The $20,000 capital cost should significantly reduce the Town’s expenses starting in 2012 for shredding plant materials (branches, leaves, etc.) dropped off at the transfer station.

9.3.1 requests prebudget approval for a new ladder truck for the Fire Department. This is a big expense as the estimated cost of the vehicle is more than $1 million dollars according to discussions at earlier Council meetings.

Suggestions for attending Council meetings and letting your voice be heard.

1. The meeting starts at 7:00 sharp. You don’t need to attend the full meeting. There are no breaks, but people regularly slip out of the meeting after their subject of interest is discussed.
2. If you want to present your point of view on any subject there is an opportunity to present a deputation at the start of the meeting. Mayor McGarvey asks the public if they wish to make a deputation at that time. This is the only opportunity at the meeting to express your opinion, even for a topic that is to be discussed later. There is no opportunity to express an opinion once the deputation portion of the meeting passes. There is also no intermission, or recess, where you can speak to a Council member. If you want to discuss something, or express your opinion, you need to do it at the beginning of the meeting.
3. You may also present your position on any town related issue even if it is not on the Council’s agenda. To do this you need to schedule your presentation at least a week before the next Council meeting so that it can be included in the agenda and Council members have an opportunity to review any materials you will be presenting. The person to contact about your presentation is Ms. Jackie Boggs, Deputy Clerk, EA to the CAO and Deputy Treasurer. She can be reach at the town office, 705/746-2101. Shorter, more informal presentations can usually be made as part of the Deputations portion of the meeting.
4. Town Council meetings are pleasant and informal, with the understanding that the audience can only provide their input prior to the meeting, or during the Deputations portion of the meeting.
5. Council meetings are a good opportunity to meet and speak with the Parry Sound local media. The North Star and Moose-FM are always present and happy to speak with those attending the meeting.

I hope this helps. See you at the meeting.

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