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

This Tuesday sees the start of a new term of Council with two new Councillors. The agenda is quite light with committee appointments, some business, and a little bit of pageantry. Listed below are the items on the agenda that seem to warrant at least a little bit more consideration by the public. If you have any questions or concerns you should address them with a member of Staff or Council prior to the meeting. Or attend the meeting and make a deputation. It is difficult to get things reversed once Council has approved them. Difficult but not impossible.

To make things a little bit easier I will start linking the council agenda package directly from this blog. In the past I have provided a link to the appropriate page on the Town’s website, but the link on that page was not always obvious. This is an interim action pending the launch of the new Town website that I trust will be much easier to navigate.

2.1.1 – A public meeting to consider a proposed zoning by-law amendment to permit the storage and sale of finished dock products and accessory goods. This is the business across from Sobeys on Oastler Park Drive (Old Highway 69). I thought they were already conducting this business on this site. Just now getting around to the paperwork? I note there has been some progress on the multi-unit residential building on River Street close to the dam. I guess they got their paperwork worked out.

4.3 – Letter. Request that the fluoridation of the Town’s water supply be terminated. The Town has noted that this review is currently underway. Between snow storms perhaps?

4.4 – Letter. Request to further pedestrian safety by asking the Town to look into installing a sidewalk through the James Street parking lot to Gibson Street. This is a request from the Downtown Business Association.

9.3.1 – Resolution. EMS Ambulance Replacements for 2015. The request is for a total of three new EMS vehicles for an aggregate cost of about $400,000. This cost is shared with the Province and Parry Sound District municipalities.

9.4.1 – Resolution. Appointments to Boards/Committees/Commissions – Council and Staff. The box has been shaken up a little in terms of Council participation on the various committees. Apparently Councillors get to select their committee appointments on the basis of their votes. The individual with the highest number of votes gets to select first with the individual with least number of votes selecting last. Now all they have to do is get the public to participate on the committees. I do note that a number of past committees were not listed and presumably have been terminated. No more Civic Pride Committee?

10.4.1 – By-Law. To appoint a Deputy Mayor for the Town of Parry Sound for the 2015-2018 term of Council and to repeal By-Law 2011-5545. This process is a little bit silly in my opinion. The Councillors each take their turn with a 7 or 8 month term. It starts with the Councillor who received the least number of votes (Doug McCann) and ends with the Councillor who received the greatest number of votes (Bonnie Keith). So the rookies get the privilege of possibly running Council should the Mayor be absent at a point where they have attended very few meetings. I’d be a little more supportive of the process had the rookies attended a few more Council meetings before assuming office. I saw Councillor McCann at a handful of Council meetings but that’s it. That really doesn’t matter, there won’t be any issues with the Clerk and Deputy Clerk in attendance, but it does raise the question of how the reverse vote order was decided. Were there ‘political’ considerations, perhaps to ensure that the Councillors with the greater number of votes were most likely to look ‘regal’ as acting Deputy Mayor prior to the next election? I’m wasting words on this but the process does seem a bit strange.

I won’t be attending this week’s meeting. There is not much on the agenda and I’m not partial to bagpipes. How about an alpenhorn welcome for future Councils?

Presenting Your New Council (Parry Sound, A Touch of Colour)

‘Clic on the Pic’ for a better view. Can you tell who is who? Birds of a feather?