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

The agenda for this week’s meeting is packed. There are several items that may prove to be controversial, and may require discussion and debate among the Councillors. More interesting will be how Council and Mayor handle the new electronic materials that they will be using on their iPads. As I mentioned in an earlier post, it’s possible to review long documents on a tablet device but in many ways not so simple. The closed session topics include Parry Sound Power.

There continues to be nothing on the agenda related to rail safety. A disaster like Lac-Megantic can’t happen here, can it?

Public Meeting

2.1.1 – a public meeting is being held prior to the open session of council to consider the rezoning of a property on Fleck Street from a “Residential Second Density (R2)” zone, to a “Special Provision (SP)” zone. This would permit a three unit multiple dwelling in addition to the uses allowed by the “Residential Second Density” zone. This request is likely to move forward without any substantial objection. Parry Sound is little by little becoming the town of multiple residence units in response to growing rental demands.

Correspondence

4.1 – Jim MacCoubrey, President, 4-H Club, a letter regarding the preservation of nature and trees in Parry Sound parks and beaches. It includes a request to be on any tree preservation committee of Council that may be struck.

4.2 – Keith Smith & Jim MacCoubray, a letter regarding a request to sit on a Parks Committee of Council to establish where and what type of trees could be planted in memory of a loved one. (Note that in their letter to Council they also invite me to move to Barrie or Toronto if I really love flowers that much. I don’t understand how requesting a plan for tree planting translates into loving flowers and hating trees. I hope they don’t start bashing the Mayor and Horticultural Society for planting flowers.)

4.3 – Jack Patterson, President of the Algonquin Regiment Veterans’ Association, a letter regarding the establishment of the Association’s headquarters in Parry Sound and the Algonquin Pageant on November 2, 2013.

4.4 – Alicia Macklin, a letter with a request to establish an ice cream tricycle business in Parry Sound that would be permitted to operate on the Rotary Algonquin Fitness Trail.

Deputations

There are no scheduled deputations.

Consent Agenda

8.1 – A request that Parry Sound call on levels of government to implement a national dementia strategy.

Resolutions and Directions to Staff

9.1.1 – a resolution to accept the engineering and design services proposal from Tulloch Engineering for the reconstruction of the Fire Hall Retaining Wall in the amount of $24,550 +HST with an internal transfer of funds for this repair. Note: this is only for the design and engineering costs, the actual repair and reconstruction costs are not mentioned in the report or resolution. The repairs will probably be implemented in Spring 2014 and be part of the 2014 budget. It looks as though the wall actually was starting to shift. Has anyone heard what’s going on with the wall at the Bobby Orr Community Centre? A concern about it was also raised in a council meeting earlier this year.

9.1.2 – a request that Council amends the Customer Service Manual to meet the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarian with Disabilities Act. This is a rather lengthy document that makes up much of the 252 pages of the council package. It’s the result of much work and effort and provides important guidelines on how to best meet the needs of those with disabilities. There is also a request for funds to develop and implement a new municipal website.

9.3.1 – the recommendation that the request for a town resident to change their billing service from Metered Residential to Flat Rate Residential be denied. There is also the recommendation that all future requests of this type be similarly denied. The council package contains considerable background information on this recommendation. I agree with the recommendation for what that is worth. It will help ensure more water conservation.

9.4.1 – a recommendation from the Waterfront Advisory Committee that Council adopt the attached Schedule “A” as the new Town of Parry Sound corporate logo. The thrust of the redesign as I understand it is to provide a more ‘tourist/recreation friendly’ face to the town’s logo. Resolution 9.4.2 requests that 2013 committee funds be rolled over to 2014.

9.4.3 – a Staff recommendation that the rezoning application of K & C Hall Holdings on Louisa Street be denied. There are many arguments put forward in support of the recommendation, most notably that the rezoning is in conflict with the existing zoning for that area in the Parry Sound Official Plan. Rezoning is presumably not permitted until the Official Plan is amended. There are several conditions noted that the developers need to meet in order to permit a change in the Official Plan. Not a Catch-22 but rather a process that it seems some had hoped could be shortened.

9.4.4 – a recommendation that the request for modification of Draft Official Plan concerning K & C Hall Developments be postponed until the September 17^th meeting of Council to permit time for provincial input.

9.4.5 – a resolution to allocate from the Smelter Wharf Reserve Fund for the approved repairs to that same wharf.

9.5.1 – a request for Council to accept the $21,022 (HST extra) quotation from the PipeSpy company to flush and clean 15,900 meters of sanitary sewers and eleven wet wells.

9.5.2 – a resolution that follows up a decades old requirement for certain property owners on Seguin Street to be hooked up to the town’s main sanitary sewer on Seguin Street. Several commercial properties are not yet connected, and presumably now put their waste into the Miller Street sewer. The resolution provides for a two-year period to complete the connection.

9.5.3 – a request for a new riding lawn mower in the amount of $10,070.58 including taxes.

9.6.1 – this is a resolution to have building department staff investigate the feasibility of a Lot Grading Plan Submission policy for new residential builds in the Town of Parry Sound. There is no supporting information provided in the council package. I suppose the background will be presented at the meeting.

By-Laws

10.1.1 – an agreement to provide by-law enforcement to Carling Township. The terms are consistent with those outlined by Council at an meeting earlier this year.

10.4.1 – a by-law to remove the holding provision for the ‘Age in Place’ development property and follows the completion of various tasks including the town’s assumption of College Drive as a public street. Details are provided in the council package.

10.5.1 – a by-law to formally approve the closure of the entrance/exit to Burritt Street as agreed by Council at a recent council meeting.

It’s a pretty full meeting. See you Tuesday.

Returning the Empties

Note: All agenda items may not be listed above. I often skip items that have little material impact on the town. The full agenda and supporting documents can be found at the town’s website (http://townofparrysound.com/pagesmith/14).