Parry Sounds ~ Ideas and Opinions, In and Around Parry Sound

Revised – Item 10.3.1. The original post stated that this item related to the Town’s tax rates, which was incorrect. Item 10.3.1 refers to the property levies for the Downtown Business Association businesses (also known as the Downtown Parry Sound Improvement Area).

This week’s agenda is light in terms of items and interesting topics. But there are a couple of issues that people may want to pay attention to. Two items on the closed agenda are worth noting – the Town seems annoyed with a local taxi company, and there is something going on with regards to the Granite Harbour development concerning property. The taxi company issue is also on the open agenda. The remaining public meeting agenda items are largely focused on day-to-day issues and some tidying up.

2.1.1 – is a public meeting held prior to the regular public meeting of Council to consider a zoning by-law amendment of property related to the proposed ‘Age in Place’ development on College Drive beside Canadore College being.

Correspondence and Deputations

No correspondence is noted.

5.1 – is a deputation proposing community investment of time and effort in the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Skateboard Park.

Consent Agenda

8.1 – extends the HOLDCO (Parry Sound Power) board appointments of three current board members through the end of the year, presumably to ensure continuity in partnership discussions with Lakeland Power.

Resolutions and Directions to Staff

9.1.1 – is a follow up to the taxi issue scheduled for the closed session of Council. Apparently one or more drivers for Parry Sound Taxi have been charged by the OPP. This information was not reported to the town as required by the taxi company’s municipal license. The town is essentially proposing to censure the company for this failure to comply with it license and suggesting that their license will be suspended on another such occurrence. The Town only found out this information by reading it in the local newspaper. It’s worth noting that this taxi company proposed several months ago to take on all responsibility and liability for it’s operations and remove the Town from the taxi driver approval process. It seemed that they were willing to police themselves while maintaining high levels of compliance and passenger safety. Well that doesn’t seem to be the way they actually operate as evidenced by their failure to report the OPP filing of charges to the Town.

9.2.1 – this is a follow on to an agenda item several months ago concerning the realignment of the Downtown Improvement Area boundaries. This Direction requests Staff to return to Council with a by-law for their consideration that amends the boundaries as suggested last Fall, and subsequently amended, by the Downtown Business Association.

9.4.1 – is a Direction for Council to establish a committee to review a new Parry Sound sign on Highway 400.

9.4.2 – is a resolution approving the 2013 Municipal Assistance Program allocations. This is a $15,000 fund in support of community non-profits and economic development agencies. The Mayor and Councillors are being asked to provide their individual preferred allocation of funds for each of the applicants prior to the meeting. These figures will be tallied and averaged to provide the final allocations. I wonder if the individual Councillor allocations will be made public. No, there really is no need to do this and I’m not suggesting it. But it would be interesting to see where individual Councillors think the money should be going.

By-Laws

10.2.1 – is a by-law to execute an agreement for the $25,000 CN grant in support of the Mission Park rehabilitation project.

10.3.1 – is a by-law to formalize the 2013 levy rates for the Downtown Business Association. (Corrected)

10.4.1 – this by-law is for a five-year lease agreement extension with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans/Small Craft Harbours regarding Big Sound Marina and the Town Dock. No, we don’t own the docks, we lease them from the federal government. The new agreement adjusts some minor terms and conditions.

10.4.2 – another by-law, this one authourizing the sale of the ‘old Pump House’.

10.5.1 – a by-law to execute an agreement with the Recycling Council of Ontario.

I told you there wasn’t very much. See you Tuesday.

Pulling together as a Team (June 2013)

Note: Not all agenda items are covered here. I typically skip those 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? The full agenda can be found at the town’s website (http://townofparrysound.com/pagesmith/14).