Monthly Archives: December 2013

TOPS – 2013 Council Minutes Compiled

27 Friday Dec 2013

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Linked in this short post is a single file compilation of the minutes from the Town of Parry Sound Council meetings. It’s a simple way to search for the resolutions, directions, by-laws, and much more that were the subject of discussion and agreement at Council in 2013. Here is the link, it’s not a very large file despite comprising 280 pages. The minutes are in chronological order for those of you who would like to read it as historical non-fiction.

Searching is easily done with even the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Just enter the term you are looking for in the ‘Find’ field (it’s found in the Edit menu).

The Town agendas are available at the Town’s website. They are very valuable documents that provide the background for the items discussed at council meetings. They are too large to compile in any practical manner. I suggest you search the minutes for any issues of interest and then go to the Town’s website and look up the corresponding agenda. Here’s a link to the agendas page. Town Staff deserves credit for taking the time to upload and archive these documents online (since September only when Council went electronic).

Path to the Future or the Past? (Parry Sound in Black & White)

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Let it Snow, but ….

23 Monday Dec 2013

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please hold off until January! I guess that would have been Council’s holiday wish.

The whack of snow we have received so far this month shouldn’t be a surprise. I can remember many brown Christmas’s spent in Parry Sound, but I can also remember the snowy ones. The statistics would suggest that white is much more likely than brown. Here are figures for the average snowfall in Parry Sound as presented in Wikipedia (article link).

Month             Snowfall (cm)       Snowy Days
November             30                          7
December            102                        16
January                 91                        18
February               60                         12
March                   34                          9
April                     10                          4

It turns out that December is the snowiest month. Much of the snow is considered ‘lake effect’, where the cold northwesterly winds pick up moisture from the warmer Lake Huron and Georgian Bay and then drop it as they meet the colder highlands of the coast. With the arrival of the new year more of the lake and bay are frozen over and there is much less moisture to be captured by the cruel winds of January.

But why is December so often ‘brown’? I believe it has to do with the amount of rain that usually falls in December versus January. With the lower daily mean temperatures in January (-9 degrees C) versus December (-5 degrees C), precipitation that falls is more likely to be rain in December than it is in January. The mean rainfall in December is 36mm, versus 16mm in January. And as skiers and snowmobilers well know a great snowfall followed by rain is about as good as nothing. This explains why last year was a pretty poor season for snow sports. Early December started with considerable snow but was followed by rain. It was only in January that the snow came and hung around.

This all leads to the decision of Council to put off delivery of the new 7-Ton plow until January 2014 to coincide with the new budget year. We were committed to purchasing the plow, so the money was going to be spent. But to ‘meet the numbers’ delivery was put off until the New Year. But I wonder. I was walking along Bowes Street this morning and saw a pretty shiny 7-Ton truck go by with it’s blade down. Perhaps it’s the truck that was delivered a year ago or perhaps the manufacturer decided to deliver it a bit early but still invoice January 1st. Looking at the historical figures it might have been a good idea to have taken delivery of the 7-Ton truck in November.

Regardless, the Town Staff have done a great job of keeping the streets clear and passable with what they have. The purchase of the trackless plow/blowers has paid off handsomely this year. As January approaches it seems more and more likely that what we have received so far will stay, and more will arrive. It promises to be a great season for outdoor winter sports.

Anyone sorry that they don’t live in Toronto?

Over the Hill and to the Museum We Go (Parry Sound in Black & White)

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Council Meeting Notes – December 17, 2013

20 Friday Dec 2013

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Well, the meeting was over in about an hour and a half. It helped that the branding deputation came in under the ten minute limit, and two of the Councillors were absent. Comments and discussion were to the point.

The items of interest from the Councillors Reports, and Questions of Staff include:

  • there are issues with a property on Avenue Road related to grading and zoning issues that seem to be a concern for Council.
  • The Kinsman outdoor rink should be up and running no later than Friday the 20th.
  • The rink at Mission Park is operating with efforts being made to secure lighting to permit night skating.

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. [An agenda item, 9.5.1., Council agreed to have Staff look into doing a traffic survey.]

4.2 – Lev Nikiforov with a request to meet with Council regarding the construction project on 81 River Street. [This was the subject of a deputation, item 5.3.]

4.3 – a petition with 50 signatures requesting the transit bus operate on December 24 and December 31, 2013. [This item was read with no follow up discussion or decision at the meeting. So I guess there will be no service on those two days. Strange! But the whole issue of where the Town is on the public transit system is a mystery to me.]

Deputations

5.1 – Marianne King-Wilson, Waterfront Advisory Committee with a presentation on Branding. [I really enjoyed the presentation and learned how the Town’s logo was designed. It’s a template for how we should look at future designs. I was surprised that there were no comments or questions from Council. Lead, follow or get out of the way.]

5.2 – a presentation by Tulloch Engineering regarding the Town’s Asset Management Plan. [The presentation focused on the methodology of the study with no ‘state of the town’ summary. That is presumably buried in their report. I’ve extracted the report it from the agenda package and have it linked here. It might be worth summarizing the report, perhaps a project for the holidays.]

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. The deputation confirmed that it was a cash flow issue. To make progress the builder needs a town permit. To get the permit the builder needs money. But to get the necessary money from the bank for the permit and to advance construction the builder needs to move the project forward. For that he needs the permit. A classic ‘Catch-22’ situation. He needs to get his ‘backers’ to cough up some money. Council decided not to provide any relief given that they have not provided similar relief to other builders who have followed the rules and not started work without the necessary permits.]

Consent Agenda

8.1 – Parry Sound Hydro Corporation board appointments for Roger Alexander, Gord Rempel, Bill Lawrence and Al Downing through June 30th, 2014. [CARRIED]

8.2 – a revision to the schedule of council meetings to include an additional special meeting of Council to discuss the 2014 budget. [The date and time of the next budget meeting is January 12th starting at 6:15 PM in the Council chambers. It’s open to the public.]

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. [CARRIED]

9.3.1 – a resolution to install a “Former Village of Carrington” sign on Parry Sound Rd. at a cost of $450 plus HST. [CARRIED]

9.4.1 – a direction for Town Staff to provide notice of changed rental rates at the Stockey Centre effective 2014. [CARRIED]

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 was discussion and agreement that the traffic study should be conducted as was feasible with resources and the weather. It’s likely a report will only be ready in six months.]

9.5.2 – a resolution to increase the per tag price of household waste disposal from $3 to $5, effective February 1st 2014. [CARRIED. Staff was also instructed to look in to the possibility of acquiring used scales for the transfer site. Apparently most municipalities use weight for determining tipping charges. The Town does it by bags and truck/trailer load estimates.]

9.5.3 – a resolution to reimburse sellers $0.25 per Garbage Tag sold on behalf of the Town effective January 1st 2014. [CARRIED. FYI the Town sells about 9,000 tags er year.]

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. [CARRIED]

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. [CARRIED]

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. [CARRIED. There was discussion regarding responsibility for clearing the roads and sidewalks in this construction area. Apparently the responsibility falls on the School Board, but the Town is providing some basic snow removal for now.]

Repair or Replace? Bad to worse. (Parry Sound in Black & White)

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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).

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).

Committees – Dead or Castrated?

09 Monday Dec 2013

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I’m still bummed by the Finance Committee’s request to go on a hiatus, in the middle of budget season, and asking Town Staff to look into policies and procedures for how a finance committee should operate. It also brings to the forefront issues the Town has with committees. Let me share my experience and thoughts with committees.

At this point, according to the town’s website we have a total of 18 committees as listed below. Here’s a link to the page that provides more information on the individual committees and links to their minutes. (My understanding of their current status is provided in italics.)

  • Bobby Orr Hall of Fame Advisory Committee [Active, no minutes published]
  • Boulevard Maintenance Committee [Unknown, no minutes published]
  • Citizens’ Finance Advisory Committee [Active, minutes published]
  • Civic Pride Committee [Unknown, no minutes published]
  • Committee of Adjustment [Active, minutes published]
  • Community Emergency Planning Committee [Unknown, no minutes published]
  • Community Rail Safety Committee [Currently inactive, minutes published]
  • Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts Advisory Committee [Active, no minutes published]
  • Facade Improvement Committee [Not formed]
  • Fence Viewers Committee [As required only, no minutes published]
  • Municipal Heritage Committee [Not formed]
  • Town / Algonquin Regiment Veterans Assoc. Heritage Committee [Active, minutes published]
  • Property Standards Committee [As required only, no minutes published]
  • Provincial Offences Advisory Committee
 [Active, no minutes published]
  • Public Transportation Committee [Active, regular deputations, no minutes published]
  • Specialized Transportation Committee [Unknown, no minutes published]
  • Waterfront Advisory Committee [Active, minutes published]
  • Youth Action Committee [Unknown, no minutes published]

I sit on two of these committees, the Community Rail Safety Committee and the Stockey Advisory Committee, let me share my experiences. In the case of the Rail Safety Committee we met over the period of about a year. The citizens on the committee met separately and worked through issues for discussion with the full committee which include two members of Council and four members of Staff. The citizen’s group provided the full committee with its recommendations more than a year ago. What has become of the recommendations? Well actually nothing as far as I can tell. Hmm, interesting outcome.

The Stockey Advisory Committee is also interesting. It was made very clear to me when I requested information about the Stockey Centre that the committee was not a board. We would look at what was presented to us and offer comments and suggestions. Well we have looked and we have commented, but only on issues that have been presented to us. Okay, I get it. I am reminded of the comment, “Beware of those requesting feedback they are seeking validation’.

So the committees I have been sitting on have had little more than zero impact. But if you are required to have a committee by statute you had better have a committee if you want to at least meet expectations.

The Waterfront Committee has been busy and is moving things forward bit by bit. Their minutes are a wealth of information and suggest a committee that is quite active, meetings are frequent and minuted. They even have a budget to work with. Perhaps that’s why I’m confused by the recent proposals to Council concerning a new logo and slogan. Both items were presented with little or no detail to explain their intent and benefits. There was no deputation, and little written support in the R&R,  to provide Council and the public with the necessary background on the proposed changes. There are very capable people serving on the Waterfront Committee. You can’t just toss out this type of proposal before Council and hope they ‘get it’ on first look. Somewhere there is a disconnect.

And there is the Finance Committee. I have been going through the minutes of this committee and perhaps have some idea of what’s going on. I’ll provide my thoughts in a separate post. There seem to be issues that are not well disguised by the committee’s request for a hiatus and help in understanding their responsibilities.

And why have some committees just ‘disappeared’. What happened to the Façade Improvement Committee and the Heritage Committee? Well if you don’t get the support of Council and Staff perhaps you start to think you are part of a charade. Why go through the motions if Council and Staff don’t want to ‘play’.

Staff recently suggested Council turn down a suggestion to form a Parks Committee. I applaud the staff member for that recommendation. There is no reason to form committees if Staff and Council have no interest in their recommendations. Lead, follow, or get out of the way. No need to bluff.

Council and Staff can bemoan the fact that there is little public attendance and input at public meetings. But if the Town isn’t why bother to speak? It seems to be more effective to buttonhole a member of Council at work or home rather than stand up and express an opinion at a public meeting.

Dead or Castrated? Perhaps more like neglected, ignored and a little ‘managed’. But what’s the solution?

Let’s work through some ideas in a separate post. Something needs to be done.

Sometimes the Right Door Isn’t the Front Door (Parry Sound in B&W)

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Council Meeting Notes – December 3, 2013

05 Thursday Dec 2013

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A decision has been made. Parry Sound will be merging Parry Sound Hydro corp. with Lakeland Holding. Council, absent one member, voted unanimously to approve the merger and shareholders agreements. I have been following this for about 18 months now and I believe that the Town has made a good and necessary decision. ‘Kicking the can’ a bit further down the road was possible, but would have still required a decision at some point. The hydro business is a major topic of provincial interest and concern, and I imagine there will be additional changes wrought by provincial edict. The town’s interests will be better protected as part of a larger organization. Congratulations to Parry Sound Hydro, it’s staff and board, Lakeland Holding management and board and Parry Sound Council and Staff.

Everything else on the agenda paled in comparison with the Parry Sound Hydro decision. I will mention that I wouldn’t be looking to Council for marketing and advertising advice if I were a client. I won’t disagree with the decision of Council concerning item 9.4.2, but the process was predictable. Council may not pretend to know very much about the operation of a power generator, but when it comes to promotional materials we are all experts. The business of marketing and advertising is no less professional and demanding than the business of turbines and generators, but somehow we all think we know what is best. It’s human nature I suppose, but it really does put the town at a disadvantage. There are many stories about clients who over ruled marketing professionals on the basis that they ‘didn’t like it’ or ‘didn’t get it’. Just yesterday I read a suggestion that advertisers should put a ‘hairy arm’ into every ad. The ‘hairy arm’ referred to one advertising person who discovered the client always needed to make a ‘correction’, so they deliberately put in something that was wrong (originally it was hairy arm in the corner of the ad). Once the boss ‘corrected’ the ad it was good to go, with no significant changes. At some point you need to trust the professionals. And if you don’t have professionals on staff, go out and hire their services. As a Town we have no problem dropping tens of thousands on advice about what to do with a sagging wall, but we can do our own advertising and marketing. How’s that working so far?

The items of interest from the Councillors Reports, and Questions of Staff include:

  • the library roof should be completed this week.
  • there is a concern about building projects interfering with winter snow removal and traffic/pedestrial safety. Staff was requested to return with a proposal to limit the season for these types of projects.
  • there was a $7,000 donation to Harvest Share from CP.

Correspondence and Deputations

4.2 – Citizens Finance Advisory Committee, recommending Staff undertake a fact finding initiative to better understand how other communities operate in regards to a finance committee. Requesting a hiatus until the fact finding initiative is completed. [Well this one is a disappointment. Here we are heading into budget season and the Citizen’s finance Committee is taking a ‘hiatus’. And the next budget will be with a new council and presumably a new committee. Why now? Is there some political pressure to limit their input to the budget? Are the committee members too ‘busy’ to get together? Or is it simply a sense that the committee has little ability to accomplish anything so why bother? I have rarely seen committee members at the open sessions of Council where the budget is discussed, and hardly ever at regular sessions of Council where many issue that impact the budget are discussed. (A couple of them do attend regularly, but only a couple.) Is it time to establish a ‘Shadow Budget Committee’ to provide Council with the voice of the ‘People’? Or perhaps just the ‘Person’? Every individual has the right to make a deputation to to Council and I hope that more people will take the opportunity. Yeah, you get criticized, but it can make an important difference.]

Consent Agenda

There is nothing significant on the Consent Agenda.

Resolutions and Directions to Staff

9.1.1 – a refund of unused 2013 EMS budget levies to the municipal partners.[CARRIED – council asked for an explanation of why it couldn’t be put into reserve or just credited against 2014. The answer is that it could prejudice provincial grants in 2014.]

9.1.2 – a request to purchase eight track chairs for EMS, at a price of $21,490.57. [CARRIED – with an explanation of what these devices are used for.]

9.2.1 – an update on OPP police costing. [CARRIED – a big issue that Council is pushing to level the costs for communities. Right now Parry Sound is at a severe disadvantage.]

9.2.2 – Council approve the revised REDAC Terms of Reference. [CARRIED – as suspected it’s an initiative/request from Seguin township. In my opinion it’s an attempt to limit any sort of regional co-operation that might lead to amalgamation.]

9.3.1 – approval of a renewal of Parry Sound’s general insurance policy for another year ($249,507.12, tax included). [CARRIED – this is an increase of about 10.5% over 2013 and seems to be the lowest price available to the Town.]

9.4.1 – a request for $14,340 plus taxes for INCON Construction Ltd., to repair the Town Dock kiosk decking. [CARRIED – this involves structural and cosmetic repairs.]

9.4.2 – a pair of recommendations concerning the Town’s slogan and corporate logo. [CARRIED – the logo below was approved after considerable discussion, which I’ve commented on above.] [DEFEATED – the slogan ‘Sound of …’. Don’t get me started on this decision. It may be the right decision, probably not. Too many people consider themselves to be marketing and advertising literate. I know how to buy, therefor I know how to market. I know how to drive a car, therefor I know how to design cars. Or, I know how to eat, therefor I know how to cook. Yup, you sure do. How’s that working for you? You should be able to take care of your medical issues without a physician seeing as have been living for this many years and it’s been okay so far.] [CARRIED – council agreed to a session on branding led by a community member.]

PS_Logo

9.4.3 – a resolution to deny a deposit refund to the Algonquin Regiment Veteran’s Association, and a resolution to deny a request from the Algonquin Regiment Veteran’s Association to place a directional sign at the Stockey Centre directing people towards the Memorial. [DEFEATED – the refund will be issued. This seemed unfair to Council given the organization’s limited resources. I agree with the decision but suggest they might have chosen to levy the deposit penalty and then make a donation in the same amount to the association, or offered them a credit. Who knows what other ‘deserving’ organizations will ask for similar treatment. How will Council decide what organizations are deserving?] [DEFEATED – Council has requested Staff work with the veteran’s association to develop signage that works for all involved.]

9.6.1  – the C.A.O. investigate a Mayor for a Day Program for 2014.

By-Laws

10.1.2 – an update to the Town’s dog by-law as reviewed at an earlier session of Council as well as the application to the Chief Justice of Ontario Court of Justice for the revised fines. [CARRIED – no meaningful discussion.]

10.2.1 – two by-laws; the first to execute a Merger Participation Agreement between Parry Sound Hydro Corporation (Holdco) and Lakeland Holding Ltd., and a second to execute a Shareholders’ Agreement between Parry Sound and Lakeland Holding. [CARRIED – both items, see discussion the discussion earlier. I spoke with an individual after the decision who was passionately convinced it was a bad deal for the town. I can imagine scenarios where the Town could have a better return, but unfortunately my sense is that the Town could not afford the cost or the considerable risk that it entailed.]

10.3.1 – approval of three-year multifunction copier/printer lease agreements with Near North Business Machines as previously approved by Council. [CARRIED – no discussion.]

What is Old Shall Soon be Renewed (Parry Sound in B&W)

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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).

Council Agenda Preview – December 3, 2013

02 Monday Dec 2013

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The big issue this meeting is the Parry Sound Hydro / Lakeland Energy merger. I have been hearing a couple of concerns from people in town concerning the merger. Hopefully they will choose to express their concerns tonight at the open meeting being held at the Bobby Orr Community Centre (December 2nd, 7:00). My sense is that we can either trust the board’s recommendation to merge and expand the Cascade Street facility, go alone with the financing and construction of the expansion, or do nothing and just keep up basic maintenance. The last choice seems an eventual dead end and I’m not sure we can afford the second (cost and risk), so the first seems to be the best choice. Can we negotiate a better deal? Perhaps but that would mean another round of discussions, a new agreement and then approval from all of municipalities who are shareholders of Lakeland Power. Plan on another year if that’s the choice.

I note that there is a discussion in the closed session concerning a border adjustment with McDougall Township. I’m not sure what it’s about, but it seems our neighbours to the north are far more open to win-win discussions than our neighbours to the south. Oh, council will also be getting some training about lot grading in the closed session.

Correspondence and Deputations

There is nothing significant, see the online agenda for full information.

Consent Agenda

There is nothing significant on the Consent Agenda.

Resolutions and Directions to Staff

9.1.1 – a refund of unused 2013 EMS budget levies to the municipal partners. [It’s about $49K and means EMS came in under budget.]

9.1.2 – a request to purchase eight track chairs for EMS, at a price of $21,490.57. [These are devices to which patients can be strapped and moved up and down stairs. It reduces the physical demands of moving incapacitated patients. And patients aren’t getting any smaller, so this can make the job safer for all involved.]

9.2.1 – an update on OPP police costing. [This item doesn’t seem to ask Council for any approval but simply summarizes the benefits to Parry Sound of the proposed OPP costing model. Apparently the policing costs to Parry Sound would be reduced by about $1.5 million under this new model which would help offset the upcoming reductions in provincial policing subsidies the Town receives. I’ll probably post a separate article on this in a week or so discussing the issues and the concerns expressed by our neighbouring municipalities.]

9.2.2 – Council approve the revised REDAC Terms of Reference. [It’s my sense that the revised terms loosen the ‘authority’ that REDAC has over the communities in terms of planning. Under the revised terms REDAC will facilitate the exchange of information related to regional development rather than try to align the direction of the various municipalities. I’m not sure if this is a rejection of REDAC or the concept of closer co-operation between the municipalities.]

9.3.1 – approval of a renewal of Parry Sound’s general insurance policy for another year ($249,507.12, tax included). [This is an increase of about 10.5% over 2013 and seems to be the lowest price available to the Town.]

9.4.1 – a request for $14,340 plus taxes for INCON Construction Ltd., to repair the Town Dock kiosk decking. [This seems to involve structural in addition to cosmetic repairs.]

9.4.2 – a pair of recommendations concerning the Town’s slogan and corporate image. [After some consultation with the community and relatively limited input Staff is suggesting that Council approve the revised logo below. Staff suggests it’s a ‘tweak’, and I would agree. In the absence of a full professional redesign process it works to tie together current logo elements with the stylized compass rose used on the road signs. With regard to a slogan it seems Staff is suggesting that ‘Sound of ….’ with varying suffixes be used to promote different features of the Town. Might I suggest ‘Nature’ as in the ‘Sound of Nature’ or perhaps ‘Water’, or ‘Vacation’ or ‘Trains’ (no, no, no – strike that last one!)?]

PS_Logo9.4.3 – a resolution to deny a deposit refund to the Algonquin Regiment Veteran’s Association, and a resolution to deny a request from the Algonquin Regiment Veteran’s Association to place a directional sign at the Stockey Centre directing people towards the Memorial. [I’ll be interested in seeing how this one is decided by Council, nickel, dimes and principles are on the agenda.]

9.6.1  – the C.A.O. investigate a Mayor for a Day Program for 2014.

By-Laws

10.1.2 – an update to the Town’s dog by-law as reviewed at an earlier session of Council as well as the application to the Chief Justice of Ontario Court of Justice for the revised fines. [I don’t see any issues here, it seems to follow the earlier discussions and approvals.]

10.2.1 – two by-laws; the first to execute a Merger Participation Agreement between Parry Sound Hydro Corporation (Holdco) and Lakeland Holding Ltd., and a second to execute a Shareholders’ Agreement between Parry Sound and Lakeland Holding. [This is the big item on the agenda, I wonder if it will be brought forward in the schedule.]

10.3.1 – approval of three-year multifunction copier/printer lease agreements with Near North Business Machines as previously approved by Council. [Just a matter of dotting i’s and crossing t’s.]

That’s it. See you Tuesday night.

I couldn’t resist slipping in this image. It’s from the Algonquin Rotary Fitness Trail, and taken this summer. Oh, the deception possible with photography software.

Old Meets New. Sort Of. (Parry Sound in B&W)

ParrySights-2013-10-13-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? The full agenda can be found at the town’s website (http://townofparrysound.com/pagesmith/14).