Summer is here and things are slowing down, but still moving along. Item 9.2.3 related to train air horn noise abatement is worth noting.
Closed Session Agenda
b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees. (Licensing Matter)
f) the receiving of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose. (Zoning Matter)
j) educating or training council members and no member shall discuss or deal with any matter in a way that materially advances the business of the Council. (Performance Management)
Correspondence
4.1 – Peggy Hawthorn, Parry Sound Seniors Club. Request to waive building application fee for the new roof for their building.
4.2 – Wendy Kaufman, Manager, Community Planning and Development, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Approval of Official Plan Amendment No. 1 – Oastler Park Shopping Plaza – enabling the use of the subject land for either one bank or one financial office.
It looks as though the Royal Bank move to the Oastler Park Plaza will happen. I have advised the involved parties that I am dropping my appeal of the rezoning and will not appeal the Official Plan Amendment. I will be offering my thoughts on the whole process in a blog post later this week.
4.4 – Wendall Fisher, Chair, Parry Sound Area Active Transportation. Thank you letter for recent completion of cycling lanes on William Street.
Deputations
5.1 – Greg Mason, Chair, Downtown Steering Committee. Update on activities.
5.2 – Bob Griffiths, Sail Parry Sound. Update on activities.
Resolutions and Direction to Staff
9.1.1 – POA Write-offs. Resolution. That Council for the Town of Parry Sound, hereby approves the write-offs for the Provincial Offences Act Court outlined in Schedule “A” attached.
This concerns 608 cases from 1995 to 1998 and amounts to about $161,000 in provincial offence fines (traffic and other).
9.2.1 – Monument Restoration – Hillcrest & Sylvan Acres Cemeteries. Resolution. That Council award the tender to Sanderson Monument Co. Ltd. in the amount of Fourteen thousand, two hundred and eighteen dollars and seventy-nine cents ($14,218.79) taxes (1,635.79) included, for the repair and restoration of monuments at Hillcrest Cemetery and Sylvan Acres Cemetery, this being the lowest tender of three (3) tenders received.
9.2.2 – Quotation – Waste Water Treatment Plant Clean-Out Services. That Council accept the quotation from Bartels Environmental Services Inc. in the approximate amount of $74,030, based on estimated volumes of material, taxes extra, for Waste Water Treatment Plant clean-out services, this quotation being the lowest of two quotations received.
9.2.3 – Train Whistle Cessation. Direction (For Direct Staff Follow-Up): That upon budget approval for 2018, Council direct staff to proceed with the “Procedure for eliminating whistling at public grade crossings” consistent with the requirements of Section 23.1 of the Railway Safety Act, Section 104 of the new Grade Crossings Regulations and Appendix D of the Grade Crossing Standards.
This is an interesting initiative and I encourage interested people to read the resolution and report in the agenda package available at the Town’s website. Here are links (link1, link2) to a couple of articles related to Kingston’s experience in trying to abate train whistling, actually air horn blasting. It’s an expensive process and likely will involve the installation of fencing along sections of the rail line, at the Town’s expense. But let’s see what the consulting engineer suggests if Council chooses to head in this direction.
9.3.1 – Sign Variance – 46 Bowes Street. Resolution. That the Chief Building Official is authorized and directed to issue a permit for the sign at 46 Bowes Street according to the conditions and variances on Schedule “A” attached.
9.3.3 – Façade Improvement – 2017 Terms of Reference. Resolution. That upon the recommendation of the Facade Improvement Review Committee, Council adopts the revised Façade Improvement Program Terms of Reference, attached as Schedule “A”; and That Resolution 2009-201 be rescinded.
By-laws
10.3.1 – Bobby Orr Community Centre: Snack Bar Lease Agreement. By-law 2017 – 6751. Being a By-law to authorize the execution of an agreement with Jim Cox, “Mister Chips”, for a three (3) year term to provide services at the Bobby Orr Community Centre snack bar.
10.3.2 – Parks By-Law Update & Consolidation. By-law 2017 – 6752. Being a By-law to regulate the use of Public Parks within the Town of Parry Sound and to repeal 98-4016, 2003-4640, 2006-4016 and 2006-4917.
10.3.3 – Rezoning Application – Z/17/05 – Dennis Drive – Penco Homes Limited – Lifting of “h” symbol. y-law 2017 – 6753. Being a By-law to amend By-law No. 2004-4653 (The Zoning By-law) as amended to remove a holding provision (“h” symbol”) from Lots 47-49, Plan M405 in the Town of Parry Sound. Direction (For Direct Staff Follow-up): That if the above by-law is defeated, the Director of Finance, the Director of Public Works and the Principal Planner explore the possibility of a fees and charges by-law to provide municipal water and sewer services to all the lots zoned R1(h) in plan M405.
Happy 4th of July to all of our American friends and neighbors. (In their honor I have used American spelling.)
There Be Dragons in the Big Sound, and They Look Friendly (June 2017)