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

There are a number of items on the agenda that are worth noting:

Closed Session Items
b) personal matter about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees, (Director of Public Works Selection and Employment Agreement).
It looks as though the Town may be close to hiring a new Director of Public Works.
c) a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land for municipal or local board purposes, (Wellness Centre & Pool Cost Sharing Negotiations);
It’s not clear if the plans are to dispose of the property already purchased for the Pool, or to acquire a separate piece of property adjacent to the current YMCA complex. It looks as though if built the pool will be situated on either of the two locations. This item tends to suggest the Pool project is either ‘hotting up’ or the Town is cutting its losses.

Besides an accessible parking issue for The Gardens (10.2.1) the only other notable item on the agenda is the Strategic Plan presentation (10.5.1). I am not optimistic. It has been said that a camel is a horse designed by a committee. I think the input process and the comments received represent an important step in the process of developing a strategic plan. In the end any good plan needs to distill input and then proceed with vision that embraces reality. A strategic plan is not a shopping list of reasonable and unreasonable objectives. Focus, focus, focus. I am a little discouraged by the fact that the cover photo of the presentation includes a ‘historical’ photo. Not a good omen. Not at all a good omen.

Closed Session

b) personal matter about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees, (Director of Public Works Selection and Employment Agreement);
c) a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land for municipal or local board purposes, (Wellness Centre & Pool Cost Sharing Negotiations);
d) labour relations or employee negotiations, (Director of Public Works Selection and Employment Agreement);
n) a position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality or local board, (Wellness Centre & Pool Cost Sharing Negotiations).

Correspondence
4.1 – Linda Taylor, Program Director, West Parry Sound Community Support Services. 2020 Funding Request
4.2 – Nadine Hammond, Curator/Manager, West Parry Sound District Museum. Update and 2020 Funding Request

 Deputations
5.1 – Bill Mardimae, Gardens Retirement Developments Inc. Gardens Retirement proposed development.
5.2 – Keith Smith. Handicapped parking spaces at The Gardens proposed new building.
5.3 – Chris Pettinger, Dan DiNicolo. Founders Circle.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff
9.1.1 – Low Pressure Forcemain Parry Sound Drive.
Resolution. That the report updating Council on the low pressure forcemain on Parry Sound Drive and concerns raised by Bayside Family Church be received for information purposes.

9.3.1 – BOCC: Emergency Floor Scrubber Replacement.
Resolution. That Council authorize the emergency purchase of a new mechanical floor scrubber for the Bobby Orr Community Centre at a cost not to exceed $10,000 including HST; and
That the mechanical floor scrubber be funded with the reallocation of unspent capital funds as follows: $5,000 from the BOCC LED Light conversion project and $5,000 from the BOCC Olympia Laser Level.

9.4.1 – General Insurance Renewal and Cyber Insurance.
Resolution. That Council hereby approves the renewal of the Corporation’s general insurance policy with BFL Canada at the premium of $350,914 plus tax for the one-year period ending December 15, 2020.

By-laws
10.2.1 – Rezoning Application – Z/19/14 – College Drive (M2 Developments Inc.).

By-Law 2019 – 6999. Being a By-law to amend By-law No. 2004-4653 (The Zoning By-law), as amended, for Z/19/14 – 12 College Drive (M2 Developments Inc./Gardens of Parry Sound).

10.4.1 – 2020 Interim Tax Levy.
By-law 2019 – 7001. Being a By-Law to provide for an interim tax levy, for the payment of taxes, and for penalty and interest at 1 1/4 percent per month for the 2020 taxation year.

10.5.1 – Strategic Plan Public Consultation Feedback; Council Input/Workshop Presenter/Facilitator: Andrea Montgomery, Redbrick Communications Agenda for Strategic Plan – Council Input/Workshop attached.
Direction (proposed for adoption following Council’s workshop). That upon receipt of feedback from the public consultation process and with the input provided by Council at its December 17th meeting, that Redbrick Communications be directed to produce the Strategic Plan 2020-2022 for the January 21st, 2020 Council Meeting for approval.