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Monthly Archives: July 2016

Council Agenda Preview – July 19, 2016

16 Saturday Jul 2016

Posted by Jo Bossart/ParrySounds.com in Parry Sound, Town Council

≈ Comments Off on Council Agenda Preview – July 19, 2016

Tags

Agenda, Growth, Infrastructure, parry sound, Rezoning, Seguin, Town Council

Another light agenda in terms of game changing decisions, but it’s important to keep on top of the issues as they arise. The more interesting items, in my opinion, are listed below with brief commentary as warranted. I will attend for the deputations portion of the meeting at the very least. It seems that the balance of the agenda offers little entertainment or insight into future Town plans. Summer is already slipping away, so it’s important to get out and enjoy the Parry Sound evenings, especially on the North Shore Rugged Trail.

2.1.1 – Council will hold a public meeting to consider a proposed Zoning By-law amendment under Section 34 of the Planning Act. The purpose of the proposed Zoning By-law amendment is to amend the Special Provision 35 (SP26.35) zone to permit a retail store in addition to the currently permitted Automobile Sales Establishment. All other uses of the C3 zone shall be permitted subject to an “h” symbol. The existing reduced setback of 0.9 metres will also be maintained and all other provisions of the C3 zone shall apply.

Correspondence

4.2 – James Chapman, Resident. Complaint regarding Adams Brothers commercial operation in the residential neighbourhoods of William Street and Isabella Street.

4.3 – James Chapman, Resident. Complaint regarding Adams Brothers commercial operation in the residential neighbourhoods of William Street and Isabella Street and in particular the flooding that took place as a result of the newly excavated hillside from Adams Brothers.

4.4 – Emily Corbett, Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve Intern. Request to install an accessible waterline to the Booth Street Community Garden.

4.5 – Wendall Fisher, Chair, 8-80’s Advisory Committee of Council. Request for Staff to revisit the speed limit reduction proposal previously suggested in the 8-80’s workshop report (November 2014).

4.8 – Wesley Beatty, Resident. Concerns about potentially extending Beatty Street to Parry Sound Drive. I have no idea how this will play out in the long or short term, but it seems a good idea to get on top of issues if you have an concern on how they might impact you.

Deputations

5.1 – Anne Haines, Account Manager, Muskoka and Parry Sound Districts, MPAC. Assessment update of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation for the period of 2017-2020.

5.2 – George Stivrins and Michael Reeves. Requesting Council’s consideration to have the Town annex their property (Lot 147 Concession A, formerly Township of Foley) to ensure that development potential Is realized. Déjà vu all over again, this time, with a twist; a suggestion that Parry Sound annex only a teeny-tiny portion of Seguin Township. Heck, why not annex all of Seguin Township? If it’s that simple to do a small annexation without Seguin’s encouragement, it probably shouldn’t be much more work to think much, much bigger. Wait, we had this discussion a few years ago. Is there any reason to think it will be different? Should Parry Sound be wasting time on requests from Seguin property owners that aren’t already blessed by Seguin’s Council?

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.1.1 – Support for Active Transportation Letter. Resolution. That Council endorse the Active Transportation letter of March 7, 2016, attached as Schedule “A”, regarding the new K – 12 Parry Sound School and that this endorsement be forwarded to the Near North District Board of Education.

9.2.1 – Approval of Consolidated Financial Statements for the year-ended December 31, 2015. Resolution. That Council for the Town of Parry Sound does hereby accept and approve the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2015, attached as Schedule “A”.

9.4.1 – Tender – Bobby Orr Community Centre (BOCC) Roof. Resolution. That Council accept the tender from J.G. Fitzgerald & Sons LTD in the amount of $265,480. (plus HST $34,512.40), for roofing of the Bobby Orr Community Centre per attached Schedules “A” and “B”, this being the lowest of three tenders received; and That the total cost of the repairs be debentured. If the roof needs to be fixed, let’s fix it. But let’s find ways to make better use of the facility. The roof will last the same length of time regardless of how much the facility is used. So let’s use it and get the maximal benefit from its considerable fixed costs.

9.6.1 – Speed Limit Reduction. Direction. That upon the recommendation of the 8-80 Advisory Committee, the Public Works Director prepare a report and recommendation on the feasibility of reducing speed limits throughout the Town.

See you Tuesday for at least the first portion of the meeting. Check out the full agenda package for details and all of the background materials.

Delivering the Goods While the Sun Shines

Redwood1890-20160710-_DSC0424

There is No Free Parking – Again

13 Wednesday Jul 2016

Posted by Jo Bossart/ParrySounds.com in Parry Sound, Reflections

≈ Comments Off on There is No Free Parking – Again

Tags

Opinion, Parking, parry sound

Well, it’s official, the Town of Parry Sound has implemented free parking on municipal streets and in the Town’s parking lots, and already we have a parking controversy.

Parking isn’t free by any measure, someone has to pay for it. In the case of the Town of Parry Sound the decision was made that the residents and businesses of Parry Sound would pick up the costs. These costs include maintenance of the lots and street parking spots, think snow plowing, line painting, litter pickup, and repaving. What is not clear is how these expenses will be covered in the long term. The expenses for the near term will be covered by the balance in Parking Reserve. It should last for a couple of years, but beyond that free parking will need to be covered through higher taxes or reduced services in other areas. I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that Council will look to reducing services. That may well be the best alternative, but we’ll see.

Today’s parking controversy concerns the plan to charge for parking at the new medical building. I understand that the charge may range from $2 to $5, depending on how long one is parked there.

It seems charging for parking, when associated with medical treatment is not considered fair by many people. Medical treatment is free. Why should there be an associated charge to receive medical treatment? Because someone has to pay, and parking really isn’t free.

I have no inside information but I expect that the negotiations for the new medical building involved the landlord accepting a lower rental rate from the medical practices in exchange for the right to charge a nominal parking fee that would cover the costs of building the parking area, and its ongoing maintenance. It certainly seems a reasonable approach for the medical practices if the alternative was higher rent.

Healthcare funds are limited and hopefully directed to areas that can provide the best outcomes for patients; more physicians, more nurses, more staff, better facilities, and better equipment. That seems reasonable. Should we provide free parking and reduce office hours. Would you like to wait another two days to see a physician in exchange for free parking?

As I draft this post I’m sitting in a waiting area at the St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. I assure you that parking in Toronto is not free. I can also assure you that all day parking isn’t priced at $5.00, it’s $26.00.

It’s interesting to realize that there now are only three location in Parry Sound that currently charge, or intend to charge, for parking. These are the West Parry Sound Health Centre, a flat $5.00 for up to all day parking, the Belvedere Heights retirement facility, a $2.00 flat rate, and in the near future the Medical Clinic, with parking fees ranging from $2.00 to $5.00 for a full day. I think these charges reflect the financial realities faced by all of our publicly funded healthcare services.

So what can be done? There are a few options for people visiting the new medical clinic:

  1. Get dropped off and then picked up. It’s simple and can save a couple of bucks. If you live close enough you could even walk to the appointment, weather permitting.
  2. Park at the Home Depot and walk down to the medical centre. It’s not that far and it provides for a little bit of exercise. Not all people can manage this type of walk, or are willing to make this type of effort, especially with winter weather. So it works for some, but not all. I guess you could also park at the Shoppers Drug Mart if you are a customer there. It’s even closer than the Home Depot lot but has more limited parking.
  3. Pay the $2, $3 or $5 and be done with it. Walk fewer steps and pay for the privilege.

But there is another possibility. Get the medical practices to pay for your parking, but only if they keep you waiting.

Here’s how it would work. If you have a regular appointment at 10:00 you probably should be seen no later than 10:10 if the operation is being properly run. Add in about 20 minutes to fill out paperwork, visit with the physician or nurse practitioner, and you should be out of there by 10:30, with a $2 or $3 parking charge.

But most often things run late, and the 10:00 or 2:00 appointment runs a half hour or more late. At this point you are spending more than an hour at the clinic for a 10-minute visit. It’s at this point that the medical clinic should pay for your parking. There is currently no consequence for their being late and keeping you waiting. The medical community effectively operates a monopoly, and if you don’t like the service, you really don’t any option. You need to suck it up.

So having the clinic pay for your parking, be it $3 or $5, may provide a little bit of motivation for the clinic to deliver service on time, every time. It’s not unlike the type of small perk that restaurants will provide their customers when expectations are not met, perhaps a free desert if the service is unreasonably slow.

The bottom line is that there is no free parking. Someone needs to pick up the charge. Asking the builder to subsidize the healthcare system is unreasonable in my opinion. They have taken the financial risk to build a first-class facility for the benefit of medical staff and patients. Perhaps the medical clinics should be asked to shoulder the cost and provide free parking, but since they are dealing with capitated type funding it might mean they would need to reduce services. This could lead to even longer times spent by patients in the waiting room, less time with the physician and nurse, or delaying an appointment by a day or more.

Why not just have patients chip in the $2 or $3 when they use the parking facility? It seems to not only be reasonable, it also seems to be fair. Those that use the resource pay for it.

Canadians are a little bit spoiled in terms of medical treatments and costs. The system is basically free, with of course some notable exceptions. By way of reference, while living the US, and no longer covered by a Fortune 500 Company type health plan, we needed to get private health coverage. We were both in our 50s, and in excellent health. The cost? $6,000 per year in annual premiums, with a $10,000 deductible. That meant we were responsible for all health costs, outside of an annual preventative care visit, at the insurance company negotiated rates, for the first $10,000 of costs. In a worst case situation, let’s say an appendectomy, our health costs would have been $16,000 that year, plus a percentage of the costs above the first $10,000. And the next year the deductible would be reset at another $10,000.

Yes, in Canada we pay for healthcare through our federal and provincial taxes. But the majority of people who are benefiting most from the healthcare system have been shielded from the true cost of the healthcare that they receive. That’s okay with me. I would rather be healthy and contribute to the treatment of others, than be the beneficiary of the system.

So pay the $2, or $3, or even $5 and make your coffee at home that day instead of stopping by your favourite coffee shop. Your contribution to parking helps ensure we all receive better healthcare service. Or park at Home Depot and get a little bit of exercise. Don’t blame the builder that has provided the Parry Sound area with a first-class medical facility. They have done their part. We need to do ours.

Parking is not free.

My Preferred Type of Fireworks

Redwood1890-20160701-DSC_7791

Council Agenda Preview – July 5, 2015

03 Sunday Jul 2016

Posted by Jo Bossart/ParrySounds.com in Parry Sound, Town Council

≈ Comments Off on Council Agenda Preview – July 5, 2015

Tags

Agenda, budget, By-Law, parry sound, Rezoning, Taxes, Town Council

This week’s agenda has few if any issues that are controversial and require significant analysis. I intend to attend the meeting to hear the presentation by Ms. Bray concerning regional housing. This is a very important issue that is too easily ignored by those who have no need for these types of services. For some life is not too difficult, for others it is much more challenging, often for reasons that are well outside of their direct control.

I am sorry to see Brenda Ryan and Alex Distler stepping down from the Waterfront Committee. These are arguably two of the most experienced individuals in Parry Sound with respect to urban design and planning. I realize that people’s lives are busy with seemingly little time to devote to community projects, but I suspect that their departures at the same time may reflect on the committee process. My limited experience with the committee process suggests that there is a need for rethinking how to best secure community involvement. I am reminded of the saying: beware of those requesting feedback, they are seeking validation.

There is a little bit of a change in formatting going forward to make it easier to skip through this agenda preview. The Item number and subject will use a bold font, while my ‘two bits’ will continue to be offered in italics.

Correspondence

4.1 – Allan Edward, resident. Re: Mr. Edward continues to have concerns regarding the development on the former William Beatty School site.

Deputations

5.1 – Janice Bray, Manager of Housing and Community Services. District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board Re: DSSAB’s 10 Year Housing and Homelessness Plan.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.2.1 – Establishment of a 2017 Budget Schedule. Resolution. That Council hereby approves the 2017 budget preparation schedule as set out per Schedule “A” attached.
The Finance Director is keeping Staff and Council on a schedule that effectively starts the budget process this summer. I heartily agree with the process and timetable. Some issues need to be raised early and often if they are to be properly evaluated and, as appropriate, included in the budget discussions. I believe this approach not only ensures better decisions, but it reduces the stress and errors associated with last minute discussions, decisions and surprises.

9.2.2 – Spokesperson: Trevor Pinn, Director of Finance and POA Court Services. Resolution. Whereas the Province of Ontario has delegated authority for the administration of the Provincial Offences Act Court for the District of Parry Sound to the Town of Parry Sound; and Whereas the Ministry of the Attorney General regulates how municipal partners may collect outstanding fines; and Whereas the Ministry of Municipal Affairs regulates how municipalities may utilize the property tax roll to collect outstanding fines and charges; and Whereas the collection of outstanding fines is considered encumbered by existing powers granted to the municipalities. Now therefore be it resolved that the Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound asks the Province of Ontario to:

  1. Consider enacting regulations to eliminate the “cherry picking” of outstanding fines so that the oldest outstanding fine is paid first and then subsequent fines are paid in order;
    2. That regulations regarding tax rolling of outstanding fines be amended to allow the tax rolling of fines onto property taxes regardless of the number of owners on the property;
    3. That a common memorandum of understanding be provided to all municipalities, or changes in the Municipal Act be made, so that inter-municipal agreements are not required in order to collect fines from other municipalities.
  2. That POA fines be treated as “priority lien”, similar to water and wastewater fees, to ensure that collectability is enforceable once added to the tax roll and that interest on outstanding fines may be collected.

And also be it resolved that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Premier of Ontario, Norm Miller MPP for Parry Sound-Muskoka, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, the Ministry of the Attorney General, the Municipal Court Managers Association, Ontario Municipal Tax and Revenue Association, Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities, Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, and all municipalities in the District of Parry Sound.

There is not much reason to fund a Provincial Offences Act court if you can’t collect the fines. And while most people do pay up, many don’t. It’s the same situation that cities face with respect to parking tickets. This Resolution requests the Province to enact legislation that would permit municipalities to place a lien against properties for outstanding POA fines and charges. It shouldn’t be people who obey the law, or pay their fines on time, who subsidize the court system for those who don’t.

9.4.1 – Waterfront Development Advisory Committee – Committee Members Resignation. Resolution. That Council accepts, with regret, the resignations from Alex Distler and Brenda Ryan from the Waterfront Development Advisory Committee; and That Council direct staff to advertise and solicit interest from the public for two new members for this Committee of Council.

9.4.3 – BOCC Ice Making Equipment – Quotation for repairs. Resolution. That Council accept the quote from Black & McDonald for repairs to the ice making equipment, in the amount of $18, 920.00 + HST, funds to be expensed from the BOCC equipment reserve; and further That the Equipment Replacement Reserve is to be replenished through taxes over a five (5) year period with an annual contribution of $4,000.

By-laws

10.3.1 – William Street Reconstruction Project Extension. Being a by-law to execute an Amending Agreement to the current funding agreement covered under by-law 2015-6509, a by-law to authorize the execution of a Contribution Agreement between Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Ontario, as represented by the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), under the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF), and The Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound for an extension of the William Street Reconstruction Project.

10.4.1 – Site Plan Approval Application – Parry Sound Mall Inc. – 70 Joseph Street. Being a By-law to grant Site Plan Approval and authorize the execution and registration of a development agreement with Parry Sound Mall Inc. – 70 Joseph Street.
This concerns the residential conversion at the Parry Sound Mall. A total of 44 residential units are planned in the space formerly occupied by the grocery store.

On Trail in Seguin (but not Parry Sound)

Redwood1890-20160618-_DSC7230

 

 

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