Tag Archives: Fire Department

Council Agenda Preview – May 2, 2017

29 Saturday Apr 2017

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It’s the Town of Parry Sound sign and tax levy special edition. For the most part there is little to note about the meeting that requires much public reflection. The Tax Rates for 2017 will be formally approved (10.5.1), I offer a few comments in that section of this post. The Downtown Business Association levy is also being approved (10.5.2). The Town is tidying up sign permits (9.2.1, 9.2.2, 9.2.3) and re-establishing a Façade Improvement Committee (9.2.4, 9.2.5).

I do note that there is not a closed meeting of Council this week, which is a bit of a surprise. Note that there are plans for a Strategic Plan review on May 30th(8.3). I suggest you be there to understand what Council is planning, and ask questions. It’s my sense that Council has a number of things they are working on that they are not sharing with the public. My request for information on the purpose of the purchase of two pieces of property by the Town were refused on the basis of confidentiality. It’s our money they are working with. Perhaps they are taking some cues from what has been going on south of the border. Why bother to be transparent when there is nothing the public can do beyond complain. Or can they?

Public Meeting

2.1.1 – Council will hold a public meeting to consider two proposed Zoning By-law amendments under Section 34 of the Planning Act.The purpose of the first proposed Zoning By-law amendment is with respect to a vacant lot known as 24 Addie Street, or Lot 12, north side of Addie Street, Plan 89 in the Town of Parry Sound. The applicant has requested relief from the Residential Second Density Zone to reduce the minimum lot area from 300 square metres to 253 square metres for each semi-detached unit, reduce the required rear yard setback from 10.5 metres to 5.5 metres, permit an additional 0.5 metre projection for the front staircase and increase the maximum lot coverage from 30% to 35.9%.

2.1.2 – The purpose of the second proposed Zoning By-law amendment is with respect to 11 Salt Dock Road, or as part of Lot 20, Concession A and part of the original road allowance between Concession A and 2, formerly Township of McDougall, now in the Town of Parry Sound, and Part of Parcel J, Registered Plan 137, more particularly described as part of Parts 1, 2 and 3, Plan 42R-19106 located on the north side of Salt Dock Road. The applicant has requested to amend the Special Provision 26.73 zone which would have the effect of permitting an additional eight units on the entirety of the property (previously permitted 84 units between three buildings, now requesting 92 units between three buildings). The existing height restriction of 16.5 metres and all other requirements of the R3 zone shall continue to apply as per the current Special Provision zone restrictions.

Deputations

5.1 – Brad Weiler. Canada 150 – Update

Consent Agenda

8.3 – Notice of Special Meeting of Council. That Council call a Special Council Meeting for May 30th at 6:00 p.m. to review and prioritize the Strategic Plan.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.2.1 – Council Approved Sign Application – Bowes Street – Homelife – Al Boucher. Resolution. That pursuant to section 3.(4) of the Sign By-law, the Chief Building Official is authorized to issue a permit for a sign on the Bowes Street road allowance in front of number 70 Bowes pursuant to the following conditions and variances:
a) Sign shall not be displayed between October 1 and March 30 of the following year,
b) The permit will be valid from 2017 through 2021,
c) The Town reserves the right to revoke a permit related to this resolution and remove the sign if it finds it necessary to use the lands appurtenant to the sign for municipal purposes,
d) Distances from property lines shall be to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official, and
e) All other regulations in the sign by-law continue to apply except for those revised by this resolution.

9.2.2 – Council Approved Sign Application – Hurd Richard`s Pine Drive. Resolution. That pursuant to section 3.(4) of the Sign By-law, the Chief Building Official is authorized to issue a permit for a sign on the Pine Drive road allowance in front of number 119 Bowes pursuant to the following conditions and variances:
a) The first permit will be valid until October of 2017,
b) The permit may be renewed for a six-month period in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 upon payment of the fee for a temporary read-o-graph sign,
c) The Town reserves the right to revoke a permit related to this resolution and remove the sign if it finds it necessary to use the lands appurtenant to the sign for municipal purposes,
d) The sign may be displayed May until October of a year where a valid permit has been issued,
e) Distances from property lines shall be to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official,
f) The permit holder shall trim the grass in the area occupied by the sign and 0.3m beyond it, no less frequently than every two weeks, and
g) All other regulations in the sign by-law continue to apply except for those revised by this resolution.

9.2.3 – Council Approved Sign Application – Remy Group – 64 Parry Sound Drive. Resolution. That pursuant to section 3.(4) of the Sign By-law, the Chief Building Official is authorized to issue a permit for a sign on the Parry Sound Drive road allowance in front of number 64 pursuant to the following conditions and variances:
a) The permit will be valid for five years,
b) The permit may be renewed according to the signs over road allowances section of the sign by-law provided the sign will not be altered,
c) The Town reserves the right to revoke a permit related to this resolution and remove the sign if it finds it necessary to use the lands appurtenant to the sign for municipal purposes,
d) A new resolution and permit will be required if the sign is altered,
e) Distances from property lines shall be to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official,
f) The applicant shall submit an accurate drawing of the sign, which will form part of this resolution, and
g) All other regulations in the sign by-law continue to apply except for those revised by this resolution.

9.2.4 – Façade Improvement Program Committee – Terms of Reference. Resolution. That Council adopt the Façade Improvement Program Committee – Terms of Reference per the attached Schedule “A”.

9.2.5 – Appointments to the Façade Improvement Committee. Resolution. That Council appoint Anne Bossart, Alex Distler and Kathy Dyer to the Façade Improvement Program Committee.

9.3.1 – EMS Power Cot purchase. Resolution. That upon the recommendation of the EMS Advisory Committee the Town of Parry Sound authorizes the expenditure of 56,748.00 +HST to Stryker EMS for the supply of three Power Stretchers.

By-laws

10.3.1 – Renewal of lease for the Seguin EMS base. By-law 2017 – 6734. Being a By-law to authorize the execution of an agreement with The Corporation of The Township of Seguin for the leasing of a portion of Foley Fire Stn. #2 located at 18 McKaig Road.

10.5.1 – Striking tax rates for fiscal year 2017. By-law 2017 – 6735. Being a bylaw to Strike the Tax Rates for Municipal Purposes for the Year 2017.
Here are the tax rates and tax levies for 2017 including the Education Rate. Be nice to our local businesses, especially Commercial, they are carrying a proportionately much heavier portion of the education costs. I’ll provide a quick comparison of Town of Parry Sound and The Township of Seguin 2017 Tax Rates in a separate post.

10.5.2 – Business Improvement (BIA) Levy By-law – Downtown Business Area. By-law 2017 – 6736. Being a By-law to Adopt the Estimates of the Board of Management of the Downtown Parry Sound Business Improvement Area and to Strike the Tax Rate Thereon for the Year 2017.
The levy for 2017 is the same as 2016, $67,000. Despite this the DBA assessment tax rate is going up by 4.9% to account for the drop in the 2016 MPAC Commercial Property reassessment. The net/net should be about the same for Downtown businesses in terms of their out of pocket cost to support the DBA.

10.5.3 – Refinancing Smelter Wharf Loan. By-law 2017 – 6737. Being a By-law to authorize the borrowing of funds between the Bank of Nova Scotia and the Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound for the Smelter Wharf Port.
The Town purchased the Smelter Wharf in 2007 from the Canadian Government with a loan from the CIBC. It’s time to refinance the loan and i/staff is recommending a five-year loan from the Scotia Bank for an amount of about $350,000 at a 2.67% interest rate.

I have business out of town this coming week and won’t be able to attend. But I should be able to catch up on the meeting with the newly introduced online streaming of Town of Parry Sound council meetings. We’ll see, literally and figuratively.

April in Parry Sound (When it’s not Overcast)

Council Agenda Preview – June 7, 2016

05 Sunday Jun 2016

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Woof! This week’s Parry Sound Council agenda is fuller than any I have seen in the past five years or so. You might want to arrive with your PJs under your clothes because it will be a 10:00 finish. There is so much to cover that I will only comment on the the ‘bigger picture’ issues that are of most interest to Parry Sound’s development.

It seems the Town now has an ‘official’ slush fund. It’s formally referred to as the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve. I personally have mixed feelings about it. On the positive side it allows Staff and Council to address opportunities and issues requiring unbudgeted funding immediately. No more of this, “it isn’t in the budget”, and defer the issue to next year’s budget discussion. On the flip side it means that Staff may get a little more ‘casual’ in anticipating the likely costs and investments for the upcoming year. Or they may find it easier to get funding at a time where there are funds in the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve, and there is less competition for approval as there is at budget time when everyone is looking to cut things out. On balance I support the strategy, but it needs to be closely watched to avoid sloppiness in planning and budgeting.

Rather than introduce the many items on the agenda in this introduction I offer comments (italicized) as part of the text below

Correspondence:

4.1 – Dave Thompson, Chair, Near North District School Board. Re: Beatty Street Improvements.
This relates to Item 9.2.2, and the Near North District School Board’s request for the Town of Parry Sound to fund about $200K in street improvements.

4.2 – Bill Park, Secretary, Parry Sound Snowmobile District/OFSC D10. Re: Both PSSD and Park to Park Trail Association are asking for a similar rental agreement for the 70 Church Street space as the Parry Sound Area Chamber of Commerce had.

4.3 – Anne Bossart, Event Chair, Garden Days at Tower Hill. Re: Invitation to Council to attend their Garden Days on Tower Hill Event on Saturday June 18th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Deputations:

5.1 – Geoff West, former resident. Re: Vision for Parry Sound and suggestions for Affordable Housing.
This probably relates to the William Beatty School repurposing.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.1.1 – 2015 Transfer from Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve – Per Surplus / Deficit Policy. Resolution. That Council hereby approves, per the Operating Surplus and Deficit Policy, a transfer from the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve in the amount of $117,407.86, which represents the deficit in the Town’s General Surplus at the end of December 31, 2015 per Public Sector Accounting Board accounting standards.
The Town runs two sets of books. Neither of which I really understand. This is claimed to be a requirement to meet certain provincial reporting regulations, I believe it’s in support of the accountant employment program. (That last part was a joke!)

9.2.1 – Feasibility Study for Parry Sound Road Extension to Oastler Park Drive. Resolution. That Council direct staff to retain the services of an engineer to conduct a Feasibility Study for the Parry Sound Road and Oastler Park Drive extension project to identify potential opportunities and/or constraints, and to determine the scope of the entire project including estimated costs with respect to the proposed road construction and further; That Council approve using the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve to fund the Feasibility Study.
This was discussed at the open special meeting of council a couple of weeks ago. You were there to listen and provide input weren’t you? Of course you weren’t, there were only six people in the audience. No complaining about stuff being done behind your back.

9.2.2 – Parking and traffic mitigation proposal – Parry Sound Public School. Resolution. That Council direct staff to advise the Near North District School Board that the Town did not budget for Beatty Street improvements, estimated at a cost of $178,226, taxes extra, therefore the Board’s request for Council’s consideration to pay for the construction of improvements on Beatty Street, including widening the road at the student drop zone and creating a turn-around, be denied.
This was mentioned earlier in the Letter section (Item 4.1). The Town is not happy about the prospect of the expense, or encouraging more traffic around the new school. Let them walk. We all walked didn’t we? Actually I didn’t I had the pleasure of spending three hours a day being bused to and from high school. I would have preferred the option of walking or bicycling to school.

9.3.1 – ATV By-law. Resolution. In accordance with the Provision of Notice Policy, the Class 3 Notice Requirements be reduced for the proposed By-law from 21 days to 18 days.
By-law. Being a By-law to permit and regulate the operation of “Off Road Vehicles” on Town of Parry Sound Municipal Highways.
Direction (For Direct Staff Follow-Up): That this be considered as a one-year pilot and a report be brought back to Council November 2016, and March of 2017.

This is a two-parter. Council approves the reduction of the advice period to 18 days and then the by-law will be considered, and possibly passed. I know I’m nit-picking, but I am surprised that the by-law requires ATV riders to indicate a right turn by sticking out their right arm. While we all know that a right turn is usually indicated by using the left arm with a bend at the elbow, my issue has to do with safety. Most ATVs have the brake and accelerator on the right side handlebar. Does taking your right hand off the handlebar promote safety? It’s a head scratcher to understand how this specific requirement was explicitly defined in the by-law. The 20 kph speed limit also seems strange, it’s slower than the speed permitted e-bikes, and will only back up traffic. How about 30 kph? Ten klicks certainly doesn’t impact safety on the roads, it almost seems punative.

9.3.3 – Municipal Assistance Program Allocations for 2016. Resolution. That Council approve the 2016 Municipal Assistance Program allocations per Schedule “A”, as attached.

9.3.4 – Request for Proposal: Waubuno Beach Washrooms Renovation. Resolution. That Council accept the proposal from Incon Construction Ltd. for the Waubuno Beach Washroom Renovation project in the amount of $38, 314 plus H.S.T., this proposal being the lowest proposal of two (2) received, and; That Council finance the $13, 314 budget shortfall from the Parks Reserve.

9.4.1 – Report A – Traffic Bylaw amendments – Free Parking. Resolution.
That Council approves the removal of the parking meter posts in the downtown with the exception of the post required to support sign channels and fundraising opportunities.
1. That the estimated cost of $18,670.00 for: meter post removal, education campaign, signage and labour for erecting signage outlined in the MLEO’s June 7,2016 Report and Recommendation be finance from the Parking Reserves.
2. That the By-law Enforcement Department create an inventory of parking meter parts and supplies and proceed to dispose of the surplus inventory by “Intent to dispose of surplus inventory proposal”

Direction (For Direct Staff Follow-Up): Council directs staff to amend the Traffic By-law as follows:
1. To allow for the continuation of free parking -2 hours on-street and 4 hours in the municipal lot and to make it an offence if an individual re-parks their vehicle within a designated zone or street.
2 To create designated free long term parking: 7 parking spaces on Mary Street, 8 parking spaces on north Miller, 30 spaces on south Gibson Street.
3. To permit unlimited, free parking on Sundays in the municipal lots and on municipal streets.
4. The bylaw to come into effect on October 1, 2016.

Further, Council directs staff to commence disposing of the meter mechanism by:
i) Relocating two pay and display meters to the Public Works department to be used at their discretion – McFarlane and Champagne Street Boat Launch.
ii) Contacting and negotiate an offer with the West Parry Sound Health Centre for the sale of surplus parking meter mechanism inventory.

This is the free parking issue finally being formally approved. If not passed, Council will need to extend the interim period. It seems that the only place in Parry Sound where there will be paid parking is at the hospital. I guess the hospital is not trying to encourage business. (Kidding again, the hospital has their own budget issues and parking squatters to deal with.)

9.4.1 – Report B – Free Parking Financial and Enforcement Implications. Resolution. That in regard to By-law Enforcement, Council approves the implementation of the Departmental Model, Option A – Reduction of Hours, for January 1, 2017. And direct staff to commence the implementation process of Option A, by but not limited to:
1. Notify the public that commencing January 1, 2017 the By-law Enforcement Department hours of operation will change to Monday to Friday 8:30 to 4:30pm, only. There will no longer be weekend service or extended hours during the peak season.
2. Notify Carling Township that the Town will not be renewing their agreement to provide Bylaw Enforcement Services after December 31, 2016.
3. To research and negotiate private contractors to complete emergency after hours calls commencing January 1, 2017.

Direction (For Direct Staff Follow-up). That Council rescind the following Direction from November 17, 2015: “That Council direct staff to commence the process to hire a contract Parking Attendant on a one-year contract to complete enforcement of the time limit regulation. This process would include a job description and a review of said job description by the Hay Group with this position being implemented in January of 2016.”

More parking stuff. I’m glad to see that we won’t be hiring a person to police free parking. Rather Town Staff will do the enforcement on weekdays. To find the internal resources it appears that the Town will forgo the freelancing of by-law services to Carling Township.

9.4.2 – Fire Department Reorganization. Resolution. That the Council of the Town of Parry Sound approves the Fire Department Organization Chart attached as Schedule “A”.
With the resignation of the Platoon Chief a reorganization is proposed to create the position of Chief Training Officer.

9.5.1 – May, 2016 Key Performance Objectives Update. Resolution. That the May, 2016 Key Performance Objectives Update Report, attached as Schedule “A”, be approved.
I haven’t taken the time to review this yet. It probably deserves its very own post. Let’s see.

9.6.1 – Parry Sound High School. Resolution. Whereas it is Council of the Town of Parry Sound’s position that the existing site of the Parry Sound High School should be the preferred site for the proposed new JK – Grade 12 school, and Whereas Council recognizes that the existing high school site may not be selected as the site for the new school, and Whereas Council recognizes there is an ARC Committee in place to advise the Board in the site selection process, Now, therefore be it resolved that a letter under the Mayor’s signature be sent to the Near North Board of Education advising of Council’s preferred site location and that if the existing high school property is not selected as the site for the new school, the Board provide the Town with firm and absolute assurance that the existing building will not sit vacant for a period greater than two years from the date of opening of the new school.
We won’t get fooled again. Reading this resolution closely it basically is saying the Town of Parry Sound would prefer that any new school be built at the site of the existing high school, but if it isn’t, don’t leave the old building vacant for years. I believe this is in response to the experience with St. Joseph’s Hospital. It’s been almost two decades that it has stood empty and decaying.

9.6.2 – Parry Sound Road Business Park Official Plan Amendment. Direction. That the Principal Planner be directed to initiate the Official Plan Amendment process for the re-designation of Town-owned lands on Parry Sound Road for the development of a Town-owned business park. See 9.2.1 above for background. The Town ranked the development of the Parry Sound Road area as the top internal development opportunity. I think this has much more potential than the earlier agreement to develop it as a residential area. Check the full agenda package to see a map of the area being considered – (page 349.)

By-laws

10.1.1 – 2016 Tax Rates. Being a Bylaw to Strike the Tax Rates for Municipal Purposes for the Year 2016 and repeal By-law 2016-6624.

10.2.1 – Fowler Construction Company Limited Contract – William Street. Being a bylaw to authorize the execution of a Contract Agreement between Fowler Construction Company Limited and the Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound for the reconstruction of William Street.

10.3.1 – License of Occupation for Parking and Anticipated Transfer Agreement. Being a By-law to authorize the execution of a license of occupation agreement and eventual transfer between 82 Gibson Street (Parry Sound Affordable Housing Development Corporation) and Frances Street Road Allowance, Plan 22 (Town of Parry Sound).

10.3.2 – Rezoning Application – Z/16/2 – 82 Gibson Street – Parry Sound Affordable Housing Development Corporation. Being a By-law to amend By-law 2004-4653, the Zoning By-law, as amended, for 82 Gibson Street (Parry Sound Affordable Housing Development Corporation).
This is the William Beatty School redevelopment. It looks as though Council is prepared to allow the necessary changes in zoning. For those in opposition I suggest that you offer an alternative use of the facility, not just opposition to the current proposal. I suspect that Council would much prefer options to select from.

I wonder how much debate and discussion there will be regarding the various items of the agenda. Perhaps some of the issues have been pretty much debated to death, i.e., free parking, that the resolutions may be no more than formalities. We’ll see. I’ll be there with my jammies on, just in case.

Constructive Destruction Along the Seguin River (Parry Sound in B&W)

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Council Agenda Preview – February 16, 2016

13 Saturday Feb 2016

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A day late, and a dollar short seems to be one of the more obvious themes of this week’s council package. Two letters to Council offer support for fluoridation of the water, authored by former mayor of Parry Sound and a former professor of medicine. And continuing with the too late theme the Parry Sound and Area Chamber of Commerce is requesting financial support for the Chamber in the Town of Parry Sound 2016 Budget. Better luck in the future; the Fluoridation issue and the 2016 Budget were both decided last month. Also interesting is a letter from two town residents wondering why the fluoride isn’t already out of the water. Folks – please pay attention to the proceedings of Council. The Town doesn’t try to make it difficult, but you still need to be paying attention.

The Library is also at the short end of the budget, by about $5,000, because their budget was not received prior to the Town’s 2016 Budget discussion and decision. Parry Sound moved very quickly with their budget this year which seems to have caught many by surprise. The Library has been advised to provide their budget to the Town no later than November 1st going forward.

 

Correspondence

4.1 – Dr. James Little, M.A., M.D., F.R.C.P.(C), F.A.H.A., Professor Emeritus. Re: Letter supporting fluoride in the Town’s drinking water. Is in agreement with the Dr. Chirico’s advice to continue fluoridation of the Town’s drinking water.

4.2 – Wendall Fisher, Chair, Parry Sound Area Active Transportation. Re: Letter regarding William Street reconstruction. Requesting that there be additional strategies regarding the proposed bike lanes as they will not be physically separate from 50 kph traffic going by. Would also like their group to be part of the consultation process for street infrastructure renewal projects.

4.3 – Hans A. Rothmueller and Dorothea G. Simonyi. Re: Letter supporting the removal of fluoride from the Town’s drinking water. Want to know why Council has not taken any action.

4.5 – Richard Adams. Re: Letter supporting fluoride in the Town’s drinking water. Concerns with the removal of it.

Deputations

5.1 – Gail Burrows, President, Parry Sound Area Chamber of Commerce. Re: Update on Chamber activities and annual contribution request.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.1.1 – 2015 Water System Summary Report. Resolution. Whereas the Town of Parry Sound owns and operates the Parry Sound Drinking Water System (M.O.E. Designation Number 2200000585) which has been categorized as a “Large Residential” Drinking Water System, and Whereas Ontario Regulation 170-03 (as amended) under the Safe Drinking Water Act requires, according to “Schedule 22 Summary Reports for Municipalities” that all large Municipal Residential Drinking water systems have a report prepared no later than March 31st of each year addressing the items detailed in the Regulation and is given to the members of Council in the case of a drinking water system owned by a municipality; Therefore, be it resolved that Council of the Town of Parry Sound hereby acknowledges receipt of the report titled: “Town of Parry Sound Tony Agnello Water Treatment Plan, Large Municipal Residential Drinking Water System Summary Report 2015”, as prepared by Kyle Hall, Manager of Water Systems.

9.2.3 – 114 Bowes Street – Sign Variance Application. Resolution. That the Chief Building Official is authorized to issue a permit for a second standard sign at 114 Bowes St., according to Schedule “A” attached; and That the permit shall expire Dec. 31, 2020. Nothing to see here, just keep moving ;-)

9.2.4 – 71 Bowes Street – Sign Variance Application – to two Bay Street. Resolution. That the Chief Building Official is authorized to issue a permit for a large facia sign at 71 Bowes St., according to Schedule “A” attached; and That the permit shall expire upon the earlier of the sign being removed or Dec. 31, 2025.

9.2.5 – Trails Master Plan Steering Committee – Terms of Reference. Resolution. That Council approve the Trails Master Plan Steering Committee Terms of Reference, per Schedule “A” attached. Unfortunately, Schedule “A” wasn’t attached. I’ll ask for a copy.

9.2.7 – Consent Application – B/3/2016 (PS) (Friendship Centre – 13 Bowes Street). Resolution. That Consent Application No. B3/2016(PS) – Parry Sound Friendship Centre, be supported, subject to a condition of consent which requires a 51(26) agreement for the benefiting and severed lot which requires site plan control.

9.3.1 – EMS Paramedic Response Unit Purchase and Modification. Resolution. That Council of the Town of Parry Sound accept the lowest quoted price for the purchase of a 4-wheel drive pickup for EMS from Armstrong Chrysler Dodge Ram Inc. in the amount of $31,944 +HST; and Further, the Council of the Town of Parry Sound authorize the expenditure of $23,445 +HST to Rowlands Emergency Equipment for the conversion of the vehicle to a Ministry of Health compliant response vehicle; and Further that the Town of Parry Sound procurement by-law be waived for these two purchases.

9.4.1 – Removal of Fluoride from Drinking Water. Direction. That staff be directed to make the draft by-law entitled, “Removal of Fluoride from the Town of Parry Sound’s drinking water”, available for public comment for the 21-day notice period then be brought back to Council for deliberation on March 15, 2016. No need for the anti-fluoride crowd to get their knickers in a twist. This starts the ordained process for eliminating the addition of fluoride to the Town’s water supply.

9.5.3 – 2016 Parry Sound Public Library Budget. Resolution. Whereas S.24(1) of the Libraries Act requires that the Parry Sound Public Library provide its annual budget to the Council of the Town of Parry Sound; And Whereas S.24 (2) of the Act provides Council the ability to approve, reject or amend the budget; Now Therefore be it resolved that the 2016 budget for the Parry Sound Public Library, attached as Schedule “A”, is hereby amended to reduce the income from the Town of Parry Sound to $161,800, as per the Town’s 2016 budget; And Further that Staff request that the 2017 Parry Sound Public Library budget be provided to the Town no later than November 1, 2016 and that all future library budgets be provided to the Town by no later than November 1st, each year prior to that budget year.

By-laws

10.5.1 – Tax Exemption for the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #117. Being a By-Law to provide to exempt certain property from general purposes taxation, pursuant to Section 6.1 of the Assessment Act, R.S.O 1990. (Royal Canadian Legion).

10.5.2 – Debenture Issue for 2015 Capital Works. A By-law of the Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound to authorize the borrowing upon serial debentures in the principal amount of $1,600,000.00 towards the cost of the Hillcrest Storm Sewer, College Drive Realignment and Forest St. Reconstruction. No surprise, but this is a major capital project that will be paid off over an expected 15-year period at an interest rate of 2.86%.

10.5.3 – 2016 Budget. Being a By-law to Adopt the Operating and Capital Budget Estimates for the Year 2016. This is the formal adoption of the 2016 Budget. The 2016 tax rates will be set in a separate by-law that is expected in April. The by-law covering the Downtown Business Association levy will be brought forward in May or June. FYI the full council agenda presents the full budget in more detail than was presented in the budget deliberation materials.

There is more going on, but these are the issues that caught my attention. I’ll be at the meeting on Tuesday. Imagine putting on a performance and there is no one in the audience. It’s a particular shame because all Parry Sound residents and businesses pay for this show. People do catch it on TV, but that’s like watching the Maple Leafs on TV instead of driving to the Big Smoke, paying $100 for a ticket, $20 for parking, a traffic jam after the game, and watching them lose in person. No wait, that may not have been the best of analogies, although there is more winning than losing at council meetings. But you have a season’s ticket to the Parry Sound Council show even if you never thought of it that way. The good news? Parking is free. The bad news? You can’t have a beer while you watch the show. Maybe it is better on TV. But they really could use the encouragement of an audience, unless it the anti-fluoride audience. They really didn’t much like that audience from what I could tell reading body language.

On the Waterfront – 1 (Parry Sound in B&W)

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TOPS 2016 Budget Bites – Part 4

23 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by in Budget/Financial, Parry Sound, Reflections, Town Council

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The Emergency and Protective Services Department includes Fire, By-Law and Parking Services. In total this department accounts for almost $1.2 million in expenses that add a little less than $1.1 million to the 2016 Levy.

(Reminder: the final budget meeting is this Tuesday, the 26th, starting at 5:30 PM.)

Fire Department

The Fire Department costs are reasonably straightforward in terms of expenses. Although this service relies heavily on equipment, trucks, fire station and gear, the largest part of the expenses, about two-thirds is related to personnel. Volunteer firefighters are compensated for their time and efforts to the tune of about $250,000 annually. By way of perspective, the annual Fire Department costs are about the same as snow removal or parks management.

FD 2016 Fire

 

By-Law Enforcement

In a similar manner, the greatest expense related to By-Law Enforcement is personnel costs. Services provided to other municipalities, largely parking enforcement (Hmm, are they planning on free parking? I hope not!), reduces total costs by about $32,500.

Fire 2016 By-Law

 

Parking Services

I have reviewed at length in other posts the issues revolving around Parking and Free Parking. In terms of dollars, while Parking amounted to a net $12,000 positive to the levy as recently as 2014, in 2016 it is forecast to be a $137,000 expense. The $35,5000 in revenue is probably related to special parking permits that would permit the holders to park for longer periods than permitted by Free Parking.

Fire 2016 Parking

Council Agenda Preview – October 6, 2015

05 Monday Oct 2015

Posted by in Parry Sound, Town Council

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The fluoride issue is back at Council this meeting in the form of additional deputations. The anti-fluoride is back again for another kick at the can. And Dr. Chirico is back to reinforce his earlier message in support of fluoridation. I see that the out-of-towners, notably Seguin and McKellar, are providing their input on what Parry Sound should do with respect to fluoridation. I guess that means I can feel free to provide guidance to their councils regarding their policing debates and eventual decisions. Good neighbours should, I guess, be allowed to tell others what they should do. Do as I say not as I do.

Letters

4.1, 4.2, 4.8 – Various letter regarding fluoridation of Parry Sound drinking water.

4.5 – Chief Warren Tabobondung, Wasauksing First Nation. Re: Support for the West Parry Sound Recreation Center Advisory Committee. Will appoint a member once other First Nations are invited to join.

Deputations

5.1 – Dr. Jim Chirico, H.BSc., M.D., F.R.C.P. (C), MPH, Medical Officer of Health. Re: Fluoridation in Parry Sound’s Drinking Water System

5.2 – Andrea McIntyre, Parry Sounders for Progressive Water Management. Re: Fluoridation in Parry Sound’s Drinking Water System.

5.4 – Rob Mens, CAO/Clerk. Re: Draft Strategic Plan.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.1.1 – World’s Largest Hockey Stick proposal. Direction. That Council direct staff to respond to Doug Graham that his request to erect the World’s Largest Hockey Stick at the Charles W. Stockey Centre and the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame cannot be accommodated.

9.2.1 – Railway Emergency Exercise – Out of Province. Resolution. That Council authorizes Dave Thompson and Peter Brown to attend a Railway Emergency Exercise in Calgary, Alberta, further to By-law No: 2002-4549 which requires prior Council approval for attendance at seminars, conferences, and conventions outside of the Province of Ontario. It not a question of if there will be a future major derailment. It’s a question of where and when. Let’s be prepared in case we are the unfortunate losers in ‘train bomb bingo’.

9.2.2 – EMS Service Provider Contract. Direction. That upon the recommendation of the EMS Advisory Committee, Council directs staff to award ApexPro Consulting Inc. the contract for the creation of an RFP process including the development and release of an RFP and the review of submissions with Staff to determine a recommendation for future Land Ambulance service provision in the District of Parry Sound.

9.2.3 – EMS Ambulance Replacements for 2016. Resolution. That upon the recommendation of the EMS Advisory Committee, Council for the Town of Parry Sound approves the pre-budget submission for the replacement of two ambulances to be delivered in early 2016 and further that the supplier of record, Crestline, be awarded the contract for the supply of these two ambulances in the amount of $115,107.84 +HST each. The ambulances shall be funded from the EMS reserve fund in 2016.

9.3.1 – 2015-2018 Strategic Plan Update. Direction. That the Strategic Planning Ad-hoc Committee advance the draft Strategic Plan based on the outline presented at the October 6th Council meeting. I note that the Priorities include: “We will partner with area municipalities and area groups with the goal of the creation of an Aquatic/Recreation Center being established for the benefit of area residents”. I suspect this should be an issue decided by the residents, not by Council. They were not elected with this mandate and it seems to be the pet project of a few individuals and organizations, some of whom may bear none of the financial consequences, yet enjoy the benefits.

9.3.2 – RFP Award for IT Services. Resolution. That the Council for the Corporation of the Town of Parry Sound approves the award of Part 1 of RFP IT2015-01 for infrastructure hardware, software and implementation in the amount $118,296.25 plus tax. And Further that this purchase be funded from the IT Replacement Reserve ($32,000), existing capital IT budget ($11,000) and the Emergency Capital Asset Replacement Reserve ($77,400). Direction. That Staff are directed to negotiate a contract, as stipulated in Part 2/ 3 of RFP IT2015-01 for the provision of technical support and strategic advice with Eleven Consulting.

9.5.1 – Tender – Digester Roof – Wastewater Plant. Resolution. That upon the recommendation of mitchellarchitects, Council award the tender for repairs to the Wastewater Plant Digester Roof to Designed Roofing in the amount of $36,800, HST extra, this tender being the lowest tender of three (3) tenders received, the cost to be funded from the Wastewater Stabilization Reserve.

By-laws

10.5.1 – Incon Construction Agreement – Parry Sound Public Library. Being a by-law to authorize the execution of a Stipulated Price Contract Agreement between the Town of Parry Sound and Incon Construction Ltd. for building renovations to the Parry Sound Public Library. It’s nice to see the investment in the library. A few dollars can go a long way in enhancing the lives of so many.

I will be attending the council meeting this week to get a sense of where we are with the fluoridation arguments and the Town’s strategic plan. There is much more than what is listed here. Check out the agenda summary at the Town’s website, or click the menu item above (TOPS Agenda Packages) for a copy of the full agenda. See you there.

Night Work! (Parry Sound in B&W)

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Council Agenda Preview – October 7, 2014

05 Sunday Oct 2014

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This week’s agenda includes a couple of issues that have been ‘brewing’ for some time and are reaching the council agenda once again. I don’t imagine that there will be a decision on one of the issues (9.1.3, Public Transit System), but the discussion and report will set the stage for a decision by the newly elected Council as any decision has budget implications.

The issue of fluoride in the water system will be discussed. This was one of the issues that the candidates at the All-Candidates meeting seemed to agree needed review. I hope that the review will not only “review information regarding the hazards of putting fluoride in our drinking water”, but also review the benefits. We are all very ready to return to a more ‘natural’ way of life but let’s be sure we understand the consequences. The Town would be better off without fluoride in the water from a cost and logistics perspective, but let’s get the facts and then make a decision. This is an issue that will certainly be handed off to the new Council.

Here are the more interesting agenda items in my opinion.

4.4 – Correspondence. Resignation from Waterfront Committee. The issue of committees continues to challenge Council and Staff. Committees too often are unable to get the most qualified participants, and when they do they join they don’t last very long. The first step to solving a problem is to admit there is a problem.

5.1 – Deputation. Cascade generation station. I imagine the deputation concerns the proposed architectural design for the new power station.

5.2 – Deputation. All Ontario Native Fastball Tournament – Kinsmen Park. There is a bit of disagreement concerning the service provided by the Town under contract for this recent tournament. It’s also on the agenda as 9.1.2. The supporting documents are worth reading. Perhaps this deputation will provide some clarification from the ‘user’ point of view.

8.4 – Resolution. Provincial Land Tax Reform. This concerns a reform of the provincial land tax process that may result in higher taxes for properties in unincorporated municipalities. This may have something to do with a more equitable cost sharing of certain provincial subsidized services such as Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

9.1.1 – Resolution. James Street and Mary Street Intersection. A recommendation that James and Mary Streets be converted to a 4-way stop.

9.1.3 – Resolution. Public Transit System. This is a big issue and includes a substantial report and recommendation. I urge you to download the Council package and read this section so you can better understand the issues and options to make your own decisions.

9.2.1 – Resolution. Request for Proposals (RFP): Trails Master Plan. This is a recommendation that council accept a trails master plan development proposal from PlanbyDesign for about $23,000.

9.2.2, 9.2.3, 9.2.4 – Resolutions. A series of Stockey Centre facility upgrades amounting to about $56,000.

9.6.2 – Direction. Fluoride in Municipal Drinking Water Systems. As noted above.

9.6.3 – Discussion. Feral Cats. I’m not quite sure what is intended with this discussion  The Council package includes materials from earlier meetings of Council on this matter.

That’s pretty much it. I’ll see you Tuesday night night and I’ll ‘take attendance’. If all the candidates seem similarly qualified perhaps the best way to decide on who to vote for comes down to ‘who shows up’.

The Smoke House and Practice Makes Perfect. (Parry Sound in Black & White)

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Council Agenda Preview – July 15, 2014

14 Monday Jul 2014

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Oh boy, we have an interesting agenda this week. After dealing with the many issues that face them this week Council will have earned a couple extra weeks off.

Where to start? There is a request (Item 2.1.1) to convert a single unit house into a duplex with the neighbourhood vociferously objecting (4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.10, 4.11). Drainage is on the agenda (9.3.1) with more letters from the parties involved (4.7, 4.8, 4.12) and an interesting revelation regarding lot services. Parking is on the agenda again (9.1.3), this time related to cash in lieu of parking spots to permit the retrofitting of a downtown building to provide three new apartments.

There is quite a bit of money being spent, in total about $380,000, for an ice resurfacer at the Bobby Orr Community Centre (9.5.2), monument restoration at Hillcrest Cemetery (9.5.1), and the big one, replacement of the retaining wall at the fire hall (9.2.1)

There is also the suggestion that the condo/marina development on Emily Street is dead (10.1.2) based on the developer’s comments to the Town.

There is more, but this should be more than enough to get your attention. I suspect there will be a number of presentation/deputations related to these items that should make for an interesting session.

In a little more detail:

2.1 – Public Meeting. Rezoning 2 Avenue Road. The owners of 2 Avenue Road are requesting rezoning of their property to allow for the conversion of their single family home into a duplex. There seems to be considerable controversy concerning the impact this will have on the local neighbourhood. The letters in the agenda package opposing the rezoning offer considerable perspective on the matter and there surely will be presentations by some of the area residents.

9.1.3 – Resolution. This concerns a request for the Town to forgo, or reduce the amount of, the normal cash in lieu of parking spots for a three unit apartment conversion at 34 Seguin Street. The Town is proposing the developer pay the usual fee.

9.2.1 – Resolution. A recommendation that the Town awards the tender to Fowler Construction for the replacement of the fire hall retaining wall. The cost is $242,785. I’m still disappointed that the Town is required to make the replacement. What is the cause of the failure of the original wall – design, installation or maintenance?

9.3.1 – Resolution. Lot Drainage Isabella / Marion Streets. The Town is punting on this one and telling the parties that any problems are a civil matter and the Town won’t intervene. Nonetheless the Town is considering certain culvert upgrades in the area the cost of which the Town proposes will be shared by the Town and the owner of the property at 47 Marion Street. Expect at least one unscheduled deputation in addition to the letters included in the Council package.

9.5.1 – Resolution. The awarding of a tender to Sanderson Monument to repair and restore monuments at Hillcrest Cemetery. The cost is $38,000 and represents the first of a multi-year investment.

9.5.2 – Resolution. Ice resurfacer, Bobby Orr Community Centre. The cost is about $80,000 with the existing machine to provide service at the Kinsmen arena.

10.1.2 – By-law. Repeal of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with DDMJ Construction. The original MOU concerned a major condominium development on Emily Street that would have required use of Town parking and waterlot areas. DDMJ Construction have stated that they intend to sell the property. Not a surprise, the market for condominiums is soft and there is a real challenge in servicing the property.

As always here is more than what has been covered in this post. Head over to the Town’s website and take a look at the agenda in full (it’s a three parter), which includes the briefing documents. See you Tuesday night. I expect I’ll be there through the end to see how things are decided.

Drunk 1, Drunk 2 – Woo-Hoo! (Parry Sound in Black & White)

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‘Clic on the Pic’ for a more detailed view.

Council Meeting Notes – March 18, 2014

20 Thursday Mar 2014

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The right bet was the push to 9:30, actually 9:33. I was a bit surprised that the meeting went on for as long as it did, Council moved through sections I thought would take time and got bogged down with other matters. Council reached agreement on a couple of issues and surprisingly left a couple open, most notably the 2014 budget (9.4.1).

Councillors Reports and Questions of Staff

There really wan’t anything worth noting in the questions of Staff or the Councillors reports.

Closed Agenda Items

The security of property of the municipality or local board (Confidentiality of Closed Agenda Items). [The net/net of this was that there will be ‘training’ offered to (required of?) Town appointed members of committees and boards, see 9.3.2. below.]

Personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees (Employment Agreement – Manager of Operations). [An offer of employment was extended for this position to Greg Darby.]

Correspondence

4.1 – North East Community Care Access Centre, an invitiation for Mayor & Council to attend the March 25, 2014 Heroes in the Home, Caregiver Recognition Award. [Forwarded to Staff for follow up.]

Deputations

5.1 – Donald Sanderson, CEO, West Parry Sound Health Centre and Lakeland Long Term Care and Jim Hanna, Public Relations/Communications with an update on the state of health care in our community. [Well this was interesting as a look into what the regional carpetbaggers are thinking and possibly plotting with regards to the Parry Sound Hydro merger proceeds. See my recent post, The Alley-Oop, for details.]

5.2 – Chris Litschko, CEO, Lakeland Holding Ltd. Re: Cascade Generation Station Update. [A nice presentation on the upgrade to the generating plant on Cascade Street. We will be getting a new, smaller facility that will be capable of generating more power. Target date for operation is 2016. They are looking for volunteers to participate on a committee to help design the look of the new facility to fit in with the community. A cynic might suggest cheap vinyl siding and as few windows as possible based on the more recent builds in town. A community open house is scheduled for April 5th from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. And the merger seems on track with final provincial approval expected in a few weeks.]

5.3 – Dean Adams, Adams Bros. regarding contracted our services. [This deputation was not made.]

Consent Agenda

8.1 – World Autism Awareness Day, declaring April 2, 2014 as World Autism Awareness Day. CARRIED.

8.2 – World Lupus Day, declaring May 10, 2014 as World Lupus Day. CARRIED

8.3 – Muskoka/Parry Sound Sexual Assault Services, approving a Tag Day for the Muskoka/Parry Sound Sexual Assault Services on June 7, 2014. CARRIED

Resolutions and Direction To Staff

9.1.1 – 295 MacPherson Squadron – 70th Anniversary. Resolution. The Town declare the 70th Anniversary Annual Inspection an event of municipal significance, and provide free use of the Bobby Orr Community Centre for the purpose of the Ceremony/Inspection. CARRIED.

9.1.2 – Parry Sound Festival of Beer, Noise By-law relief. Resolution. Council provide relief from By-Law 2009-5301, being the by-law to regulate noise in the municipality on Saturday May 17, 2014 from 1pm – 11pm at Waubuno Beach & Park. CARRIED. [Another ‘fest’, another by-law relief approval.]

9.1.3 – Request for Proposal, Highest and Best Use of Property – 71 Parry Sound Road. Resolution. Council authorize staff to proceed with obtaining an appraisal for the property; and advertising a Request for Proposals for the development of the Town owned property at 71 Parry Sound Road. CARRIED. [It looks as though we may get some additional development in Town. The Mayor ticked off the many development projects going on in Town. All-in-all Parry Sound continues to grow in terms of in-fill.]

9.2.1 – Fire Department Aerial Purchase. Resolution. Council waive the Purchasing Policy and award the contract for the supply of a E-One Aerial Device in the amount of $1,022,180.00 +HST, and a further allocation of up to $10,000.00 to be utilized for vehicle improvements/changes during the pre-delivery inspection. CARRIED. [There was limited debate, but it seems enough work has been done over the past three years to make us comfortable with both the need for this new piece of equipment and the specified unit.]

9.3.1 – Annual Report of the Integrity Commissioner. Resolution. The 2013 Annual Report of the Integrity Commissioner, attached as Schedule “A”, be received by Council. CARRIED. [See 9.3.2 below for comments.]

9.3.2 – Boards & Committees. Resolution. That the Integrity Commissioner be requested to present a governance and procedural information and education session for Council, staff, and Town board and committee members. CARRIED. [This item was agreed with some discussion. It my be that there has been some nastiness going on at the board and committee level and Council wants to shut down any public leaks.]

9.4.1 – 2014 Operating and Capital Budgets. Resolution. Council approves in principle a budget with a levy of $8,642,079.00, reflective of a 1.0% increase in the 2013 tax rate, as attached in Appendix A and Appendix B, and that staff be directed to bring a by-law forward for formal adoption of the Budget once all external levies have been submitted. WITHDRAWN. [This item took much more discussion that I had expected. There were two issues discussed. Unhappiness on the part of Council that Staff had not cut expenses to meet a 1% levy increase target, but rather had relied on new MPAC data that indicated assessments had risen sufficiently to obviate the need for further cuts. And a brand new suggestion that the Town not increase the tax rate, or even reduce it, rather than approve the 1% increase. Neither issue was resolved at the meeting and Council agreed to meet March 24th at 6:00 PM to continue the discussion. The discussion of when to have the meeting was actually quite entertaining (you had to be there), with Council members protesting suggested dates and times until a compromise was reached. My two cents on this. Council, don’t get too high on your horses about a budget meeting interfering with other board or committee meetings. I have attended enough of these meetings to know that you are quite comfortable arriving late, leaving early or not showing up. It’s about priorities. The budget is important and you are paid to show up for meetings unlike most board and committee members. Get over it and show up.]

9.5.1  – 2013 Water Treatment Plant Summary Resolution. Council acknowledges receipt of the report entitled: “Town of Parry Sound Tony Agnello Water Treatment Plant, Large Municipal Residential Drinking Water System Summary Report of 2013″,
as prepared by Kyle Hall, Manager of Water Systems. CARRIED. [Our water meets and exceeds standards.]

By-Laws

10.1.1 – Property Disposal – Town Owned Waterlot. Bylaw. To authorize the transfer of Town owned lands to Parry Sound PowerGen Corporation. CARRIED. [Part of the merger agreement follow on activities.]

10.1.2 – Artists Round the Sound & the Rutke Group. By-law. The execution of an agreement between Artists Round the Sound (ARTS), the Rutke Group, and the Town for the use of wall space at the Town Office for the purpose of a year-round art gallery. CARRIED.

10.1.3 – Big Sound Marina/Town Dock – Operating Agreement. By-law. To enter into an operating agreement with Massasauga Management Co. Inc. for the operation of Big Sound Marina and the Town Dock conditional on approval from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans/Small Craft Harbours. CARRIED. [I think one councillor expressed it best when he suggested that the Town’s hands were tied, they had to do this deal as there was no practical alternative. A classic example of “If you want a deal real bad, I have real bad deal for you.” Doing a little bit of research I find that the parties behind the Massasauga Management Co. Inc. previously had an agreement with the Town regarding ‘Pier 99’ that ended up in litigation. Here’s a link to the little bit of information concerning the litigation that I was able to find online. I think the Town lost that one. This will be fun to watch.]

10.5.1 – Energy Use Assessment Services. By-law. The execution of an Energy Use Assessment Services Agreement between Parry Sound Power Corporation and the Town. CARRIED.

Yippee! A New Fire Truck. Rides for Council! (Parry Sound in Black & White)

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These notes review only those portions of the council meeting that I see as having greater importance or general community interest. See my agenda preview posts for additional comments.

The official minutes from council meetings are available at the Town of Parry Sound website, no later than the Friday following the meeting. The full council proceeding are available on video through Cogeco. Schedule details are available from the town office (705-746-2101).

Council Agenda Preview – February 4, 2014

03 Monday Feb 2014

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It looks like a rather light meeting agenda in terms of the number of listed items. I don’t expect that it will last beyond 8:30 or so.

Closed Session

In the closed session of Council the only obvious interesting topic concerns the pending acquisition or disposition of land regarding Parry Sound Power/Lakeland Holdings.

Deputations

5.1 – Wayne Simpson of Wayne Simpson & Associates. Deputation. Regarding a consent application for Parry Sound Dock Limited. [No information is provided in the council package regarding this deputation.]

Consent Agenda

8.1 – Resolution on Joint and Several Liability Insurance – Randy Pettapiece, M.P.P. Perth-Wellington. Resolution. That Council support this resolution in the Ontario Legislature to limit the Town’s liability risks with letters to Mr. Pettapiece and numerous Ontario associations.

Resolutions and Direction To Staff

9.3.1 – Stop The Great Lakes Nuclear Dump. Resolution. Parrry Sound sends letters urging the Governments of Canada and Ontario to reject (and seek alternatives to) Ontario Power Generation’s proposal to bury radioactive nuclear waste in the Great Lakes Basin. [Seems a reasonable course of action by the Town. I’m not sure what the alternatives are. The USA is dealing with similar issues regarding the safe storage of expired nuclear power plant fuel. In their case they are proposing to bury it in Nevada, but are meeting considerable opposition.]

9.4.1 – Trails Master Plan. Direction. That Council direct staff to explore partnership opportunities for a Trails Master Plan and, as appropriate, specifications for a Request for Proposal be developed and advertised. [Both Seguin and McDougall townships have dropped out of a project to develop a trails master plan for reasons that I don’t understand. The Town is proposing to partner with other local non-municipal trail groups. The R&R notes that trails are an increasingly important driver of local economic growth.]  

9.4.2 – Big Sound Marina Operations. Direction. Council direct staff to prepare an operational plan that would see Big Sound Marina operated in-house through the Department of Development and Leisure Services with facility and grounds to be maintained by the Department of Public Works; and Council direct staff to include the provision for both seasonal and transient services in the operational plan; and the report be brought forward to the February 18, 2014 Council meeting. [My sense is that the Town, out of necessity, intends to go into competition with its taxpayers by operating a marina with seasonal dockage. (Disclosure, my extended family operates a marina in Parry Sound.) It seems no private businesses expressed interest in operating the facility even though they had been offered the opportunity to service both seasonal and transient boaters. I’ll also be interested in seeing how the Town blends union and non-union staff at the Big Sound Marina (dock staff and maintenance staff). I suspect they will need to depend heavily on summer students. The R&R indicates that they do not intend to ‘undercut’ the local marinas in terms of seasonal dockage, but adding in another supplier (the Town) will surely reduce income for others unless there is an influx of new seasonal boaters. It’s actually a rather complex issue with the net/net that it seems the Town wants to limit its losses on operating the Big Sound Marina by taking seasonal dockage income from local businesses. There is no simple solution but I hope they ‘consult’ with the in-town marinas.]

9.4.3 – Film Location Guidebook. Direction. Council adopts the Parry Sound Film Location Guidebook per Schedule ‘A’ attached. [A how-to work with the Town manual for companies wishing to do on location filming in Parry Sound.]

9.4.4 – Sign By-law Variance (10 Bay Street). Resolution. Staff are directed to issue a permit for a Sign at 10 Bay Street according to the application submitted. [This relates to the new Boston Pizza. It’s a little confusing. It seems the sign does not comply with local by-laws but Staff is recommending it be permitted.]

9.6.1 – Market Square Park Proposal. Direction. Council direct staff to co-ordinate consultation meeting(s) with representatives from the Legion, Summer Market, Art in the Park, Downtown Business Association (DBA) and Town staff regarding the proposed changes to Market Square Park and Council direct staff to provide the DBA with a letter advising them that any changes to Town-owned property require prior approval from Council. [A follow up to last meeting’s deputation regarding a grant application by the DBA to support ‘enhancements’ to Market Square Park. The list of parties to be co-ordinated all have activities that take place in the park.]

By-Laws

10.2.1 – Land Ambulance Services Grant (LASG) Transfer Payment Framework. By-law. To authorize the execution of an agreement between Town of Parry Sound and the Province regarding transfer payments to support the land ambulance services that are overseen by Parry Sound.

10.2.2 – Fire Dispatch Agreement. By-law. To authorize the execution of an agreement between Parry Sound and West Parry Sound Health Centre regarding fire dispatch services. [I hadn’t realized that the health centre provides this service to the Town. The price is quite reasonable at about $7K per year, and certainly fits with the existing health centre’s emergency activities.]

10.4.1 – Stockey Centre Rental Rates. By-law Amendment. To amend by-law 2010-5408 regarding fees and service charges for the Town and to repeal By-law 2012 – 6110. [A bit of fiddling with rates to find the best blend of pricing to encourage more use of the Stockey Centre.]

On the Trail Again (North Shore Rugged Trail) (Parry Sound in Black & White)

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I won’t be at this meeting but hope that the people interested in serving on Council will start attending. It’s important to understand what you are signing up for. It’s not as simple as it might seem.

Note: Not all agenda items are covered here. I typically skip items that have little material impact on the town. These items include simple requests for Tag Days (permission to canvas), Awareness Weeks/Months, road closures for civic events, and the like. Want to see everything that is on the agenda along with the supporting documents? The full package can be found at the town’s website (http://townofparrysound.com/pagesmith/14).

Council Agenda Preview – December 17, 2013

15 Sunday Dec 2013

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(Note: there is a correction to Item 10.1.1 – there is only one multifunction machine, not three as originally posted. I apologize for the error.)

This is a rather full meeting agenda that will take an hour and a half or the better part of three hours depending on how talkative the Councillors are. There are two interesting presentations that will probably exceed the generally allotted limit of ten minutes. Add on a dozen or so resolutions and by-laws, councillor reports, questions of Staff, and you have the potential for a longer session. I’m betting on shorter rather than longer given the weather and the season.

In the closed session of Council an issue of boundary adjustments with McDougall is continued. Is this perhaps related to the Hall project on Louisa Street? It would be simpler if the developer only had to work with a single municipality.

Correspondence

4.1 – the Parry Sound Downtown Business Association regarding concerns about a lack of designated pedestrian crossings, traffic lights or stop signs along James Street from Seguin Street to Rosetta Street to assist people crossing the street. [This is on the agenda for discussion as 9.5.1.]

4.2 – Lev Nikiforov with a request to meet with Council regarding the construction project on 81 River Street. [This is also the subject of a deputation, item 5.3. I’ll provide more detail there.]

4.3 – a petition with 50 signatures requesting the transit bus operate on December 24 and December 31, 2013. [It seems the bus is not scheduled for the 24th and 31st. A number of residents feel these are days when the bus should run, the eves of Christmas and New Year. I agree, it’s the time of the year when things are busy and generosity is appreciated. But where is the public transit study and discussion that Council has promised? I thought we were to have a discussion and decision on the future of the public transit system several months ago. How are we doing with compliance to the new regulations?]

Deputations

5.1 – Marianne King-Wilson, Waterfront Advisory Committee with a presentation on Branding. [This follows up a discussion at the last meeting of Council regarding logos and ‘slogans’ for the Town.]

5.2 – a presentation by Tulloch Engineering regarding the Town’s Asset Management Plan. [This is a big deal from what I can tell and a requirement the Town has to receive future provincial funding for infrastructure projects. No plan, no money, or at least no money until you have a plan, and it appears we may have one soon.]

5.3 – a deputation by Lev Nikiforov regarding the construction project on 81 River Street. [This is the project that was started without the necessary Town approvals and was forced to stop. Recently the necessary approvals were granted but the builder is asking for some relief with regard to the fees to be paid. From what I can tell he is asking to make a partial payment that will allow him to complete only the structural portion of the project. A cash flow issue I imagine.]

Consent Agenda

8.1 – Parry Sound Hydro Corporation board appointments for Roger Alexander, Gord Rempel, Bill Lawrence and Al Downing through June 30th, 2014. [While it’s not a secret, it’s not widely appreciated that the merger between Parry Sound Hydro and Lakeland Holding will not take place on January 1st, 2014 as mentioned in presentations. The merger can only take place once provincial approval is received. This may take months, so Parry Sound Hydro needs to operate, and that requires a board of directors whose terms were set to expire the end of December.]

8.2 – a revision to the schedule of council meetings to include an additional special meeting of Council to discuss the 2014 budget. [This will be the penultimate public discussion of what is in, and out, of the 2014 budget. I will remind you that these public budget meetings generally only cover new and exceptional items for the upcoming year. The much larger part of the budget is generally just carried over from the previous year and adjusted for inflation. That’s why taxes always go up, expenses are added not subtracted, if we are lucky only as much as inflation.]

Resolutions and Directions to Staff

9.2.1 – a resolution to approve the 2014 Land Ambulance budget in the amount of $8,138,658, which is an increase of 2% over the 2013 budget. [This is largely a rubber stamp approval as the business of the land ambulance service is supervised by the EMS Advisory Committee.]

9.3.1 – a resolution to install a “Former Village of Carrington” sign on Parry Sound Rd. at a cost of $450 plus HST. [This is a nice nod in recognition of the Town’s history. A small thing but part of developing a sense of community.]

9.4.1 – a direction for Town Staff to provide notice of changed rental rates at the Stockey Centre effective 2014 (I think). [The new ‘slimmed down’ rates are targeted to daytime uses of the Stockey Centre and are intended to reflect the reduced facility needs of local non-profit groups. It seems reasonable in my opinion. It’s a public building, let’s make it easier for the public to use it. A too often empty facility soon becomes considered a ‘white elephant‘.]

9.5.1 – a direction for Town Staff to investigate the cost of an analysis of pedestrian traffic on James St. [See also item 4.1. There is some concern that it is difficult for pedestrians to cross the busy shopping area of James Street. There are no lights or stop signs, and with cars parked along the street it can be hard for drivers and pedestrians to see each other. Rather than do a study to determine ‘traffic’ it seems like something that should just be done. Any impact on lost parking spots will not be major if it is more convenient to park in the municipal lot and safely cross the street. Parking on James Street when it’s busy is a challenge for even those who consider themselves parallel parking experts. Sometimes studies are just a waste of time and money and seem a way to delay or avoid the obvious.]

9.5.2 – a resolution to increase the per tag price of household waste disposal from $3 to $5, effective February 1st 2014. [You lost the chance to stock up on permanent postage stamps, but you have until February 1st to stock up on garbage tags in case this resolution is passed. The Town doesn’t, and won’t, make money on this even with the proposed increase.]

9.5.3 – a resolution to reimburse sellers $0.25 per Garbage Tag sold on behalf of the Town effective January 1st 2014. [Hmm! Why not buy up a few hundred at $3.00 and then sell them at $5.00? That’s arbitrage in action, and a few hundred dollars in profit.]

By-Laws

10.1.1 – a by-law to enter into a three-year leasing agreement with De Lage Landen Financial Services Canada for one copier to be used at the Stockey Centre. [This is separate from the copier agreement approved at the last meeting of Council that was for the town office.]

10.2.1 – a by-law to renew the Rose Point Area Fire Protection Agreement, with the Township of Seguin to have Parry Sound provide fire protection for the Rose Point area and a couple of other properties proximate to Parry Sound. [It’s much faster for the Parry Sound Fire Department to repond to emergencies in the Rose Point area. In exchange Seguin provides Land Ambulance space in their fire station. It’s a win-win and a small demonstration of the benefits of municipal co-operation.]

10.4.1 – a by-law to grant Site Plan Approval and authorize the execution and registration of a Development Agreement with the Near North District School Board. [This continues the process of constructing a new K to 6 school off of Beatty Street. It seems all of the necessary documentation and adjustments have been received to allow Council to grant the requested approvals.]

Warmer Days (Parry Sound in Black & White)

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Note: Not all agenda items are covered here. I typically skip items that have little material impact on the town. These items include simple requests for Tag Days (permission to canvas), Awareness Weeks/Months, road closures for civic events, and the like. Want to see everything that is on the agenda along with the supporting documents? The full package can be found at the town’s website (http://townofparrysound.com/pagesmith/14).