It seems to be a light meeting this week with nothing that should be controversial. There certainly won’t be the fireworks that seem to go on at the McKellar Council meetings. I’ll have to see if I can get a seat there, it looks like an entertaining evening. For the most part things have really been quiet and business-like at Parry Sound Council meetings. There doesn’t seem to the undercurrent of disdain that was apparent at times during the last term of Council.
Correspondence
4.1 – Letter – Glen Murray, Minister, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) Re: Thank you letter for the Town’s delegation at Ontario Good Roads Association Conference regarding the remediation of the Brownfield sites at the former Imperial Oil properties and the Waterfront Development Concept Plan. This seems to be good news, the Town is starting to move on the development of the waterfront property. The Town has limited leverage but it needs to keep pushing, especially the Imperial Oil people. How about not buying gas at their stations? While Shell seems to be willing to remediate their site the Imperial Oil people, that’s Esso/Exxon, seem to believe they have an imperial right to do nothing. How about we raise their taxes 10-fold? That way they can really pay for the privilege of doing nothing.
Deputations
5.1 – Bernadette and Erick Phillis, residents of Seguin. Re: Lack of public transportation in Parry Sound. They’re back again. I hope they are able to tell us what Seguin is doing in this regard. I suspect that Seguin’s contribution is limited to their financial support for the transportation services provided by the Belvedere retirement facility. But let’s see what they have to say.
5.3 – Howard Wesley. Re: Booth Street Park. This concerns the rehabilitation and upgrade to the park and is on the agenda as Item 9.1.1.
Resolutions and Direction to Staff
9.1.1 – Booth St. Park Transformation. Resolution. That the proposed plan for the transformation of Booth St. Park as presented to Council at its May 5, 2015 meeting be approved. Also see Item 5.3 above. A number of community groups and the Town are pitching in with volunteer labour and financial support to the tune of about $26,000 to improve the park.
9.4.1 – Parry Sound Beerfest: Noise By-law relief. Resolution. No Ribfest this year, we have moved on to a Beerfest. It’s June 27th.
9.4.2 – Joint Promotion/Marketing Plan – Former Shell Property. That upon the recommendation of the Waterfront Advisory Committee, Council direct staff to work with the owner of the former Shell property to develop a joint marketing/promotion plan in an effort to attract development to the site. Direction. Good news, any step forward is a step forward. This is related to Item 4.1 above.
9.5.1 – EMS Operational Review. That as recommended by the EMS Advisory Committee the Evidence Based Review of System Planning & Deployment (Operational Review) by Performance Concepts be accepted by the Town of Parry Sound, as attached Schedule “A”. Resolution. This is a complex issue of EMS service allocation for the West Parry Sound District. I have not read the report and encourage others to do so. The summary suggests the recommendation is to implement an easy first step followed by consideration of subsequent actions in line with the consultant report after consultation with area municipalities.
By-laws
10.4.1 – FedNor Funding Agreement: Regional Marketing Plan. Being a By-law to authorize the execution of a funding agreement with Industry Canada/FedNor for the development of a Regional Marketing Plan. of 2015 Budget By-law.
10.4.2 – Festival of the Sound: Lease Agreement/Stockey Centre. Being a By-law to authorize the execution of a lease agreement with the Festival of the Sound for the Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts. The Festival has undergone some wrenching changes of late but I’m glad to see they are renewing their lease for an additional five years.
10.4.1 – By-law to Prohibit Smoking. Being a By-law to prohibit smoking in and within twenty (20) metres from any entrance or exit of a building owned or leased by the Town of Parry Sound and in or within 20 metres of any municipal outdoor public place as defined in Schedule A to this bylaw and to repeal Bylaw 2012-6087. This tidies up the Town’s smoking by-law and aligns it with recent Provincial updates. It does show consideration for both non-smokers and smokers. As a non-smoker who grew up in a smoking household I understand the need of some to smoke, but at the same time resent being subjected to second-hand smoke. This by-law seems to tread a reasonable course between the interests of all parties.
I won’t be there on Tuesday, I have meeting in Queen’s Park, but I will post up a summary based on the Town’s meeting minutes.
Keeping an Eye on Things. (Parry Sound in Glorious Colour)
