Tag Archives: Strategic Plan

Council Agenda Preview – June 6, 2017

04 Sunday Jun 2017

Posted by in Parry Sound, Town Council

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This week’s meeting of Council is light on ‘meaty’ issues, but sets the path for some  important future initiatives. I have listed a few of the more interesting items in the sections below, with comments as appropriate.

But first, a few comments on this past week’s Special Meeting of Council to Review Strategic Priorities. From my perspective, it seemed much like a made for show production. The meeting lasted about 35 minutes and was for the most part very formalized. This followed a 60 minute closed session where I imagine all of the relevant discussion was held and general agreements were reached. The ‘Dotmocracy’ process was conducted with little surprise, and even less prioritization. A suggestion to the organizers, if there are five topics for review, provide the users with only three green stickers. That will help folks to make some decisions in terms of what really is a priority. It has been noted that the enemy of the best is the good. Obviously, none of the projects, which included last year’s priorities and this year’s new ones, were likely to be outright rejected, especially if there was previous discussion in Closed Session. So which of the 5 strategic priorities were both important and urgent? I couldn’t tell from the voting or the discussion. One of the best ways to find yourself in debt is to decide that a new car, a new snow machine, braces for the nine-year old, and a nice winter vacation are all 6 Green priority items. Sometimes you need to decide what is really, really the most important, and most urgent.

Here are the Dotmocracy results from Tuesday night:
Great North Road Infrastructure – 6 Green
Parry Sound Road Extension – 6 Green
Closed Item A – 6 Green
Innovation Park – 4 Green, 2 Yellow
Tourism – 3 Green, 3 Yellow

So what is Closed Item A? It seems to be something new, and an initiative that requires Town infrastructure investment. I have an idea of what it might be, but I may be totally wrong. What do others think it might be? Here are some clues:

  1. It ranked among the top of strategic priorities. So it is ‘important’, at least for now.
  2. It’s something new, or at least something that has once again become a priority.
  3. It’s unlikely to be the casino project. That would largely be addressed with the Great North and Parry Sound Road priorities.
  4. The Town recently spent about $1 million on the boathouse properties on the waterfront.
  5. The Town also spent about a quarter million dollars on property across Oastler Park Drive from the Canadian Tire.
  6. The Town last year entered into a memorandum of understanding regarding access and future servicing with the folks at Beatty Big Sound Property. This relates to the property north of the Smelter Wharf.

If you have any ideas you can provide a comment to this blog post or, if you prefer privacy, send me an email at parrysounds@gmail.com. I will share your thoughts but keep your name confidential. Let’s use the “wisdom of the crowd” to see if we can figure this one out.

If you want to skip forward to the more interesting agenda items here is what I suggest: 8.1, 9.2.1, 9.2.2, 9.6.1 and 9.6.2.

Closed Session

b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees (Licensing Appeal, Appointment)
c) a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board; (Request to Transfer Lease)
d) labour relations or employee negotiations. (Performance Review, Director of Emergency and Protective Services)

Correspondence

4.1 – Debbie White, Co-founder World Oceans Day. Raising awareness of World Oceans Day June 8, 2017 asking Parry Sound to recognize and support the need to protect our water, waterways and oceans for the life they give us and offering ways to educate the public on ways to protect our waters.

4.2a&b – Cheryl Gallant, MP Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke. Removal of the tax-exempt portion of remuneration paid to local officials and the Municipality of East Ferris’ resolution. East Ferris Resolution in support of Ms. Gallant.
See 8.1 below for comments.

4.3a&b – Marlene Bisson. Questions about the Service Line warranty program, water and wastewater and tax concerns with responses from J. Boggs & T. Pinn

4.4 – Parry Sound Friendship Centre. Invitation to Mayor & Council to attend their 50th Anniversary celebration June 17th.

Deputations

5.1 – Vanessa Backman, Parry Sound Tourism. Providing an update on Parry Sound Tourism for 2017

5.2 – Margaret Walton. Regarding Habitat for Humanity.

Consent Agenda

8.1 – Removal of the tax-exempt portion of remuneration paid to local officials. Resolution. That Council for the Town of Parry Sound supports the letter from Cheryl Gallant, Member of Parliament for Renfrew, Nipissing, Pembroke and the resolution from East Ferris, attached as Schedules “A” and “B” which are against the removal of the tax- exempt portion of remuneration paid to local officials as stipulated in the 2017 Federal Budget; And further that copies of this resolution be forwarded to Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne, Local MP Tony Clement, Local MPP Norm Miller and the West Parry Sound Area municipalities.
This tax-exempt issue concerns the current situation that about 1/3 of the remuneration received by members of Council is not subject to tax. This is intended to compensate these individuals for their out-of-pocket expenses related to discharging their duties as a Councillor or Mayor. Since most councillors serve in addition to their regular jobs, the tax on this 1/3 of their council remuneration would be rather significant. I believe that members of Council currently are reimbursed for any significant travel expenses, and in some cases receive honoraria for serving on certain boards, so it may be time for this little perk to disappear. If they want to avoid the additional tax burden they should just tuck this amount into their RRSP.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.2.1 – Revised Organization Chart for Development and Leisure Services Resolution. That Council approve the revised Organization Chart for the Department of Development and Leisure Services, per Schedule “A” attached; and That Resolution No: 2013-207 be rescinded.
The actual change here is a matter of tidying up the organogram for Development and Leisure Services. But the organogram is interesting, especially the large number of staff, full and part-time associated with the Stockey Centre. That certainly helps explain why the Town wants to keep it non-union. Click on the image below to see the ‘big picture’.

9.2.2 – 2017 Municipal Assistance Program. Resolution. That Council approve the 2017 Municipal Assistance Program allocations per Schedule “A” attached.
The numbers will be decided in closed session and announced in open session.

9.4.1 – Booth Street Park Water. Resolution. That a water service be installed to the Booth St. Community Park to be funded from the Parks Reserve.

9.6.1 – Train Whistle Cessation. Direction. That the Director of Public Works be directed to bring forward a report and recommendation for the July 4, 2017 Council meeting regarding train whistle cessation.
This is an interesting new initiative. Can they perhaps also look into having the railways better service their ‘greasers’ to reduce the amount of squealing as the trains round corners? We have a few curves in Parry Sound if you haven’t noticed.

9.6.2 – Potential Hotel Tax. Direction. That the Director of Finance be directed to bring forward to the September 5, 2017 Council meeting, pending release of regulations, a report and recommendation regarding a potential hotel tax.
Another interesting initiative. The Town almost totally depends on property taxation for revenue. If more tourists come to Parry Sound and spend more money it doesn’t translate into more revenue for the Town. That may explain why the Town has invested little in the Downtown with the exception of free parking. The bulk of new revenue will come from new construction like the Breakers project at the Smelter Wharf. Adding a hotel or hospitality tax would deliver a new and additional source of revenue. Better to get it in place now before any additional investment is made in capacity. Eventually a restaurant tax?

By-laws

10.2.1 – Bobby Orr Community Centre: Pro Shop Lease Agreement. By-law 2017-6743. Being a by-law to authorize the Mayor and Deputy Clerk/CAO to execute an agreement with 4 Sports Inc., for the purpose of Pro-Shop operation at the Bobby Orr Community Centre for a one (1) year period.

10.3.1 – On Call Municipal Law Enforcement Officer. By-law 2017-6744. Being a By-law to authorize the Mayor and Deputy Clerk/CAO to execute a service contract with Cameron Marshall for the provision of On Call Municipal Law Enforcement Services.

10.3.2 – Appointment Bylaw – Chris Everitt, Earl Smallwood, Tom Evans, Cameron Marshall, Municipal Law Enforcement Officers. By-law 2017-6745. Being a bylaw to appoint Chris Everitt, Earl Smallwood, Tom Evans, Cameron Marshall as Municipal Law Enforcement Officers.

10.5.1 – Business Improvement (BIA) Levy by-law – Downtown business area. By-law 2017-6736. Being a bylaw 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.

Columbine on the North Shore Rugged Trail (May 2017)

 

 

 

Council Agenda Preview – May 16, 2017 (Revised)

14 Sunday May 2017

Posted by in Parry Sound, Town Council

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2017-05-15 9:00 PM: The original post has been edited to correct and expand certain points based on additional information received in the past 24-hours related to the purchase of property at 3 Bay Street. The original text remains with a strikethrough. The new text is underlined.

This week’s council meeting has a few items that caught my attention. There is correspondence (4.1) as well as deputations (5.1 & 5.2) directed to the activities of the Parry Sound Downtown Business Association. This is consistent with Council’s recent request for an update on the DBA’s plans and actions.

I have made a few comments on the south end Park to Park Trail agenda item (9.1.2). In a related matter, there was a short mention in the Staff R&R that the extension of Parry Sound Road to Oastler Park Drive feasibility study was “put on temporary hold”. The issue of deprioritizing the Parry Sound Road extension was discussed at the last meeting of Council, but no background was provided for the delay beyond that it was a closed session topic. This road extension would be a necessary improvement to support a casino in Parry Sound, so one would wonder if the casino is on the back burner. Some information may be revealed at the Town’s Review and Prioritization of the Town’s Strategic Plan on May 30 starting at 6:00 (Town Office).

I also offer some comments on the Town’s Park Management and Maintenance Plan that might be worth a look if you are interested in the Stockey Centre (9.2.3).

The Town continues to buy up property along the harbour waterfront, in this case the property between the OPP/Service Ontario building and Big Sound Marina (9.5.1). This is the same property as was originally labeld as the Darlington Boathouse. The price being paid is $862,000 which is consistent with the value as assessed by MPAC. An interesting clause in the resolution states that the funds for the purchase, which are taken from the Legacy Fund, will be repaid to the fund should the property be resold. Taken together with the recent purchase of the Darlington boathouse property, and the With the Feds divesting Big Sound Marina, it appears that there may be some near term commercial development planned for this section of the waterfront. When I asked the Town for additional information on the purchase of the Darlington property my request was shot down with the statement that the documents are confidential and would not be provided to me. Something’s going on and it’s a secret. Shhhh! The Town has released to the Public and posted to Town’s website today a copy of the announcement of the Darlington Boathouse purchase that was released to media outlets last month, but not to the Public. Here’s a link to the press release at the Town’s website.

Correspondence

4.1 – Dan DiNicolo, Business Owner. Suggestions regarding the operation of the Downtown Business Association

4.4 – Phillis M. Drury, resident. Questions about naming an island on Georgian Bay.

Deputations

5.1 – Daryl McMurray, President, Susan Hyrcyna, Executive Administrator, Parry Sound Downtown Business Association. Update on DBA’s activities regarding the Downtown Sustainability Report

5.2 – Dan DiNicolo, Business Owner. Suggestions regarding the operation of the Downtown Business Association

5.3 – Bill Parks, President of the South Seguin Snow Mobile Club and Vice-President of the Board for the Park to Park Trail Association. Park to Park Trail south end blockage.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.1.1 – CN Station Sale. Resolution. That Council accepts the offer from Umair Ahmed Sharif for the purchase of the C.N. Station and property located at 1 Station Road, Parry Sound, in the amount of $100,500.00, this purchase offer being the highest offer of three offers received through Royal Lepage; and Further, that Council directs staff to retain the services of a solicitor to prepare the final Agreement of Purchase and Sale; and Further, that the net proceeds from the sale be placed in the Capital Asset Legacy Reserve fund.
We knew this was in the works. Lets hope the property gets the attention and investment that it deserves. It’s worth noting that the property had an MPAC assessed value of $277,000, and that number was the basis of the Chamber of Commerce’s rental agreement. It seems someone was paying too much.

9.1.2 – Park to Park Trail South End Blockage. Resolution. That in response to concerns from the Park to Park Trail Association and OFSCA regarding potential encroachment (allegedly created by Rona in Parry Sound) of municipal property known as the Parry Sound Colonization Road, and specifically the road allowance on or next to Lot 147, Concession A, West Parry Sound District, staff undertake to have a survey completed of where the most southerly points of the RONA property meet the Town’s road allowance; and Further, that staff take appropriate action to ensure free and clear occupancy of the property.
A note to Staff – black and white map of 09.1.2-ATT#1 sure is confusing. What is labeled as Highway 69 is now Bowes Street.  Are you sure that the original trail, the old colonization road, shouldn’t actually follow the dotted lines to what is now Oastler Park Drive, rather than head in from Bowes Street through what is now Rona?

9.2.3 – Parks Management and Maintenance Plan. Resolution. That Council approve the Parks Management and Maintenance Plan, per Schedule “A” attached.
This is a very comprehensive plan of action that is to be commended. There is one very obvious oversight – the Stockey Centre is not included on any of the plans. And it shows when you visit the Stockey Centre. The inside of the concert hall is first class while the grounds look like a former oil tanker field. The reason for why Waubuno Beach looks so much better is that the Stockey Centre is a non-union facility, and as a result Town Staff will not work on the property. That means the Town is required to hire a private contractor to maintain the property. And because the Stockey Centre operates at a loss there is little interest in paying for anything more than the bare minimum. As the current leader of the free world would Tweet: “Sad”.

9.4.1 – Service Line Warranty of Canada Program – Privacy Statement. Resolution. That Council for the Town of Parry Sound approve the Water & Sewer Account Privacy Statement and Notice of Collection, attached as Schedule “A”.
The cost is $73/year sewer, $64/year water, indoor plumbing $73/year. You can apparently choose one or more of the services. You may also want to check with local plumbers, or your insurance company, to see if they are able to offer similar warranty coverage. It’s better to buy local, but it may not be an option.

9.5.1 – Funding Land Purchases – Capital Asset Legacy Reserve Fund. Resolution. That Council hereby approves the use of $862,000 from the Capital Asset Legacy Reserve Fund for the purchase of properties located at 3 Bay Street; and Further, that any proceeds recognized on the disposal of said property up to $862,000 shall first be used to replenish the Capital Asset Legacy Reserve Fund.
This is the property between the OPP Station and the Big Sound Marina. It’s currently being used by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. This is the Darlington Boathouse property that was previously approved for purchase by Council and is also referred to as 3 Bay Street.

9.5.2 – Provincial Offences Act (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.
The amount in question is about $220,000 and it is from the 1991-1995 era. See, it pays to ignore those fines. Going forward the Town may be able to apply a little more pressure on those who refuse to pay their Provincial Offense Act fines by denying these folks the ability to renew their vehicle license plate registration.

By-laws

10.2.1 – Request for Deeming by-law – 22 Victoria Avenue and Lot 12 of Plan 123. By-law 2017 – 6739. Being a by-law to deem certain lots in the Town of Parry Sound not to be part of a registered Plan of Subdivision (MacDonald – 22 Victoria Avenue).

10.2.2 – Rezoning Application – Z/17/3 – 24 Addie Street (Habitat for Humanity). Consent Application – B/5/2017 (Habitat for Humanity). By-law 2017 – 6740. Being a by-law to amend by-law 2004-4653 (The Zoning by-law), as amendment, for 24 Addie Street (Habitat for Humanity).
Resolution. That Consent Application No. B/5/2017(PS) – Habitat for Humanity, be supported subject to conditions of consent which require:

  1. The payment of $2,677.00 for cash-in-lieu of parkland dedication.
  2. That the applicant enter into a site plan agreement with the Town of Parry Sound which requires wooden privacy fence and the driveway construction as per Attachment #3. The Mayor and Clerk will be authorized to execute the agreement. That the property be successfully rezoned to ensure compliance with the Zoning bylaw; and
  3. That the applicant be advised that each proposed lot requires individual water and sewer connections.

10.5.1 – Striking tax rates for fiscal year 2017. By-law 2017 – 6742. Being a bylaw to Strike the Tax Rates for Municipal Purposes for the Year 2017.

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.

I was out of town for the last meeting of Council and watched it later on YouTube. That was great and I offer my thanks to Staff and Council for making the meeting proceedings available online. I do have a couple of suggestions:

  1. Increase the volume of the audio on the feed. It’s too low.
  2. Councillor Borneman needs to speak a little closer to the microphone. The same goes for Ms. Middaugh. The other councillors came through loud and clear.

No need to improve the video, it isn’t great, but it’s more than adequate. What is important is the audio, and it needs some fine tuning.

I’m going to catch this week’s meeting in person. The deputations should be interesting.

Our Parry Sound

 

 

 

 

 

 

Council Agenda Preview – May 2, 2017

29 Saturday Apr 2017

Posted by in Parry Sound, Town Council

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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)

Parry Sound EDO – Just in Time

15 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Parry Sound, Reflections, Town Council, Urban Development

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I received a call today from a town resident who wanted to discuss the new Economic Development Officer (EDO) and my thoughts on whether the Town needed this position. Picking up my copy of the North Star a bit later and reading the editorial I understood where the question came from. The editorial suggested that the EDO position really wasn’t something the Town should invest in. I wish they would have thought about it a bit more. My sense is that the position is absolutely necessary.

The EDO position has much the same responsibilities that I held in Business Development working with multi-billion dollar corporations making investments globally. We were expected to identify opportunities, assess their contribution to the bottom line and, as approved by management, get the deals done.

The thing you quickly realize doing this type of job is that your responsibility is not only to identify and get the best deals done, your job is also to identify the opportunities that don’t make sense, and make the business case to walk away from them. Management often has their pet projects that they want to see done, sometimes because they ‘have a feeling’, and sometimes because they figure it will enhance their career prospects if successful. And if it’s not, well they can just move on before the you know what hits the fan. The job of the EDO or Business Development Officer is to understand the risks and make sure management doesn’t enter into a deal with an inflated sense of opportunity.

Looking back over my career I’m as proud of the deals that I turned down as those that I completed. In many cases, it took courage to stand up to senior management and make the argument that the idea wasn’t in the best interests of the company. It’s not easy, but it’s very necessary.

Right now, the Town is looking at multiple business investment opportunities being suggested by Council (aka Senior Management). Someone with real world experience needs to look at these opportunities, develop the business case, calculate the net present values (NPV) of the opportunities, and provide an opinion. The Town of Parry Sound doesn’t have that experience on staff. Hiring a consultant to do this type of job would be much, much more expensive, and they wouldn’t have any ’skin in the game’. If a consultant makes a mistake they just walk on to the next job and blame failure on poor ‘execution’ by the client. The individual being hired for the EDO position in Parry Sound seems as though they will have some ownership.

Doing a little bit of Sunshine List research reveals that Mr. Harris, the new EDO, earned a little more than $260,000 plus $16,000 in benefits in 2013. Someone thought he was pretty good.

I will take the North Star to task for a little bit of sloppy research. They stated that the current Town of Parry Sound debt is $1.5 million, and that figure will rise to $4.2 million in 2021. Oh, I wish! That’s just the carrying cost for the Town’s debt, basically the annual ‘mortgage payment’. According to 2017 budget documents the Town expects to carry about $24 million in debt by the end of 2017, which will drop to $20 million by 2021 if no additional capital investments are made. If one adds in the projects being discussed, the Town’s debt may rise to over $40 million in five years.

We currently have one member of Council who seems to be ready to go ‘all in’ with Town capital projects in hopes of stimulating more business and tax revenue. My worry is this individual doesn’t really have the experience to judge these opportunities and seems to not have a long term interest in Parry Sound, and probably won’t be here five years from now. It will be left to others to clean up any mess that may be left behind. But that’s being pessimistic, these suggestions may very well prove to be the type of investments that the Town needs to make and will pay off ‘hugely’.

That is exactly why we need an Economic Development Officer on staff. We need the expertise on staff to assess the many proposals that will come from Council and businesses, and make their best recommendation. Hopefully Mr. Harris will focus on the interests of the Town’s residents and businesses, not the egos of elected officials. Sometimes the best deal you ever made is the deal you didn’t make.

I’d rather be paying a little bit more and having the full attention of an EDO rather than trying to get a share of a regional EDO with too many constituencies to please.

Welcome aboard Mr. Harris. We very much need your contribution.

Parry Sound’s Business Stimulus Plan – v2016

01 Wednesday Mar 2017

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The recently issued Town of Parry Sound 2017 Key Objectives document presented and approved at a recent council meeting contained a couple of items that I thought were notable. In particular I noted the objective of having the Town gain control over the approval of Official Plan Amendments. At present the Town needs to get approval from the Province for these changes. As I have written earlier (Item 9.3.1) I don’t think this is a good idea. If Council can choose to make changes to the Official Plan against the stated opinions of the town’s residents and businesses we are likely to see some unpleasant surprises. At a recent Council meeting it was mentioned that this objective was previously approved by Council as part of the Official Business Plan. I have since tracked down a copy of that document.

The document is part of Resolution 2016-77 that was approved as part of the 2016-04-19 meeting of Parry Sound council (Item 9.6.1). Links to this open agenda document can be found hosted here on Parry Sounds.com. It’s worth taking a look at what the Business Stimulus Team has planned for Parry Sound. It explains a number of the initiatives listed in the 2017 Key Objectives document and the 2017 Budget. The original agenda package version includes the attachments not found in the approved by-law that was sent to me.

I have highlighted areas of interest, to me at least, in an annotated version of the approved by-law. Take the time to at least look over one of the documents and see if there is anything you are supportive of, or are concerned about. In either case, contact a member of Council and let them know what you think. Without input from the public they will do what they think is in the best interests of the community.

Council Agenda Preview – February 21, 2017

19 Sunday Feb 2017

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It’s a rather light agenda this week, no letters and only a single deputation. I suggest you take a look at the full agenda package to see if there is anything you feel is important that I might have missed. There are a couple of interesting items:

  1. Item 9.3.1 summarizes the 2017 goals for Parry Sound Staff. This is what is getting done this year. There may be some surprises. Because it’s a published document, but mostly buried, there is no question that the Town has announced its intentions. I have offered a couple of quick observations in my comments to 9.3.1.
  2. A development of 14 townhouses on Ansley Street is up for formal approval, Items 10.1.1 and 10.1.2. This was the subject of considerable neighbourhood comment a couple of years ago, and now seems ready to break ground with the necessary approvals this week.

Closed Session

c) a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land for municipal or local board purposes. (Local Business Relocation, Relocation of the Ontario Provincial Police Detachment).
It looks as though the relocation of the OPP is moving forward. I suspect that they are moving to the 229 interchange on Hwy 400.

d) labour relations or employee negotiations. (Performance Review)

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.1.1 – Consent Application – B/2/2017 (PS) (Gingrich, Kingshott and Crookshank-Hurd). Resolution. That Consent Application No. B/2/2017(PS) – (Gingrich, Kingshott and Crookshank-Hurd) – 82, 88, 94 and 98 Louisa Street, be supported.

9.3.1 – Staff Goal Plans. Resolution. That the 2017 Staff Key Strategic ‘Stretch’ Goal Summary and the Goal Plan Summary be approved as attached Schedule “A”.
There are a couple of interesting objectives. The first is the installation of live streaming of council meetings. This will make it much easier for folks to follow what’s going on at Council. The production qualities won’t be up to Cogeco, but it will be so much more accessible, and should cover budget meetings that are currently not being covered. The second item is more concerning, and involves the Town’s hope that they can forego Provincial approval of Official Plan Amendments. The recent decision by a bare majority of Council to approve an Official Plan amendment to permit the relocation of the RBC is currently undergoing Provincial review. If the Town can wrest control of Official Plan amendments from the Province it would mean the Town, at their whim, at odds with the Official Plan and even interests of the majority of residents, could make significant changes to Town policy. Thank goodness for the Ontario Municipal Board. Official Plan amendments, in my opinion, should be restricted to those occasions when the Official Plan receives a comprehensive, community involved, overhaul, or with the approval of the Province. Otherwise, we effectively have no Official Plan. It might mean that a simple majority of council could vote in favour of a rezoning of property to permit a casino, or convert a residential area to a mixed residential and industrial. I thing Staff and Council are reaching too far. Let’s not compromise our current set of checks and balances.

9.5.1 – Request For Proposal (RFP) – Public Washroom. Resolution. That Council accept the Public Washroom Design/Build proposal from Incon Construction Ltd. in the amount of $203,383.00, plus $26,439.79 for a total of $229,822.79, this being the only proposal received.

9.5.2 – Speed limit reduction in school and community safety zones. Direction. That Council direct staff to prepare a 21 day notice advising the public that an amendment to the Traffic bylaw to reduce the speed limit to 40 kph from 50 kph in School and Community Safety Zones, with an effective date of August 1, 2017, will be considered by Council on April 4, 2017; and Comments regarding this proposed by-law amendment should be directed to the Director of Public Works and received no later than 4:30 p.m. March 28, 2017.

9.5.3 – 2016 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 2016”, as prepared by Kyle Hall, Manager of Water Systems.

9.5.4 – Quotation – Western Star 7-ton truck and equipment. Resolution. That Council approve single sourcing and accept the quotation from B&I Western Star for one Western Star 4700, complete with Larochelle equipment in the amount of $179,344.00 including $13,000 for the trade-in of a 2002 Sterling L7501 and a 2006 Sterling L7501, taxes extra.

By-laws

10.1.1 – Site Plan Application – 11 Ansley Street Inc. By-law 2017 – 6712. Being a By-law to grant Site Plan Approval and authorize the execution and registration of a development agreement with 11 Ansley Street Inc.

10.1.2 – Rezoning Application – Z/17/01 – 11 Ansley Street – Lifting of “h” symbol. By-law 2017 – 6713. 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 11 Ansley Street

10.1.3 – Consent Agreement – B/3/2016 (PS) (Friendship Centre – 13 & 21 Bowes Street). By-law 2017 – 6714. Being a By-law to authorize a Consent Agreement for the Parry Sound Friendship Centre – 13 Bowes Street and 21 Bowes Street.
This concerns parking and water drainage.

 The Way it Was – View from Tower Hill

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Commentary – Parry Sound KPO, August Update

06 Tuesday Sep 2016

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The Town of Parry Sound has issued its regular report of progress being made towards Key Performance Objectives (KPO). This flows from the Town’s Strategic Plan. I took some time to review the document and identify items that were interesting or unexpected. The following list follows the order set in the report. Here is a link to the report itself as extracted from the Parry Sound Council Agenda package, with sections highlighted that caught my attention.

Topic / Item Comment
Aquatic / Recreation Centre 1% complete. The delay now is related to the Near North School Board decision on a new site for the K-12 school.
Trail Networks / Links 25% complete. A $10K budget, it is in the process of reforming.
Waterfront 40% complete. This concerns the relocation of the OPP & MNR and development of the waterfront. Next step appears to be reforming the Waterfront Committee which recently lost two key members.
Tourism 50% complete. Organizing the ‘cats’ to provide a regional coordinated tourism offering.
Tourism 100% complete. This concerns the Visitior information Centre at the Stockey Centre. Although it’s marked as complete, my feedback has been that it really isn’t doing a very good job. Anything is better than nothing, but I’m sure the operation will be reviewed and revised after the season is complete.
Industry 100% complete. This refers to a business stimulus plan that was approved by Council in June. Hmmm! I guess the plan is one thing while implementation and results are another.
Housing / Affordable Living 10% complete. The identification and support for local partners to provide these services. A key issue is a zoning bylaw update that requires consultant support.
Support & Pursue Area Cooperation 12% complete. This empowers Staff to dentify and implement opportunities for cooperation with area municipalities. It notes that McDougall has withdrawn from the Trail Link.
Area Identity / Brand 80% complete. This directed to establishing a coordinated brand and marketing of the area (5 area municipalities). The plan has been prepared and is being reviewed at tonight’s meeting of Council. I’ll offer my comments on the plan later this week.
Beautification 75% complete. It seems the major initiative is to get volunteers involved in improving the look of Parry Sound rather than through the use of staff. Does Huntsville and Bracebridge similarly depend solely on volunteers?
Infrastructure William Street, Emily Street – planned and/or ongoing.
Infrastructure (New) Aditional Emily Street development based on possible developer partnership.

Beatty Street extension is listed as a potential project.

Fitness Trail Link Extension – awaits a response from FedNor to support $100K of the funding.

Cascade Generation Project – will require ~$300K to address water main issues.

Great North Road Extension – design and pre-engineering underway.

Champaigne Street – potential project based on possible developer interest.
Communications and Volunteer Development 50% complete. An attempt to revitalize local volunteers, particularly for beautification programs. A volunteer recognition program has been drafted and is being reviewed. Sigh!
Communications 0% complete. Live streaming of council meetings. Interesting and may be included in 2017 budget.
Service Delivery Excellence (Bylaw Organization) 35% complete. This refers to a reorganization of the Bylaw department because of staff reductions.
Service Delivery Excellence (Stockey Centre) 10% complete. It seems the general manager will be retiring and this refers to the succession plan.
Service Delivery Excellence (Outdoor Burning) A new bylaw has been drafted and is being reviewed internally.

Volunteer Wind Power at Work on the Big Sound

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Council Agenda Preview – November 3, 2015

01 Sunday Nov 2015

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Tuesday’s meeting is remarkably light in terms of agenda items and critical decisions. There are a couple of things that are worth mentioning.

We are developing an engaged citizenry. A number of initiatives that have been brought before Council in terms of letters and deputations will be reviewed and, as appropriate, acted upon. The issue of the one bag garbage limit, 4.2, will be on Council’s agenda in the New Year. Council will also consider a road repair, 4.4, as part of the 2016 budget deliberations. And the big one, 5.1 the water fluoridation issue, has met the requirements to trigger consideration of a referendum process. But it’s not as simple as it might seem, there needs to be the involvement of McDougall as they are supplied by Town water. I suggest you look at the full agenda package to understand the requirements and the current circumstances surrounding this issue. While I am not in agreement with the suggestion to discontinue water fluoridation, I do support and encourage residents of Parry Sound to provide input to Town Staff and Council.

Also a new feature of the council agenda – “Response by Town Staff”. In some cases the agenda will make note of the Staff response to a letter. That’s the case this week with items 4.2 and 4.3, which outline Staff’s plans to address the issues raised.

Letters

4.1 – Doug Graham, Resident, Re: Follow-up Letter after meeting with staff regarding location of proposed giant hockey stick.

4.2 – Leslie Panipak, resident Re: Concerns regarding the 1 bag limit for apartments is not being universally applied. Would like a review of the by-law governing the bag limit. Response by Town Staff – A review of the by-law will take place in the new year.

4.4 – Wendall Fisher, Chair, Parry Sound Area Active Transportation Re: Safety concern for cyclists on Parry Sound Drive between the Mall and the municipal boundary at Smith Cres. Response by Town Staff – Some remedial repair was done. Hoping to budget for a complete asphalt restoration in 2016, budget permitting.

Deputations

5.1 – Andrea McIntyre, Parry Sounders for Progressive Water Management Re: Film entitled, “Our Daily Dose”, by Jeremy Seifert.

Resolutions and Direction to Staff

9.3.1 – 40 Km / Hr Speed Limit – Town Streets. Direction. That upon recommendation of the 8-80 Advisory Committee Council direct staff to prepare a Report & Recommendation on the feasibility and implications of reducing speed limits to 40 kph on Town streets. I like the idea but I wonder about enforcement. Riding a bike along Bowes Street can be a scary adventure when cars are heading into town. It takes a conscious decision by drivers to apply the brakes when rolling downhill to stay under 50 kph; 40 kph will take real attention. Does the Town get a split of the proceeds from speeding tickets? It might make up for some of the lost parking revenues. 

9.3.2 – 2015 – 18 Strategic Plan. Resolution. That upon the recommendation of the Strategic Plan Ad-hoc Advisory Committee, the 2015 – 2018 Strategic Plan be adopted, attached as Schedule “A”.

9.3.3 – Referendum (Plebiscite) – Discontinuance of Fluoridation of Town’s Drinking Water. Resolution. That Council for the Town of Parry Sound acknowledge receipt of the Report and Recommendation (R&R) regarding a possible petition by 10% or more of Parry Sound’s and McDougall’s electorate to remove fluoride from the drinking water system, attached as Schedule “A”; and that a copy of this R&R be provided to the Council of the Municipality of McDougall for their information. Take a look at the full agenda package for more information on this issue. There is more than can be easily summarized in this post.

By-laws

10.4.3 – Lease agreement with MPAC for office space at 52 Seguin St. Being a By-law to authorize the execution of an agreement with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) for the leasing of office space at the Town of Parry Sound Municipal Office.

That’s about all there is of note. I won’t be at the meeting on Tuesday evening because of other commitments.

Showing It’s Age and in Need of Support (Parry Sound in Colour)

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Council Agenda Preview – October 6, 2015

05 Monday Oct 2015

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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 Meeting Notes – July 7, 2015

08 Wednesday Jul 2015

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Well I learned a new rule last night. It takes five affirmative votes to overturn a previous decision of council. In this case it concerned Item 9.6.1, the issuance of a sign. The item was back up for review and three Councillors chose not to review the item again. Their arguments largely rested on the fact that a decision was made previously and there was no additional information provided to suggest there was an error or oversight. It seemed that the councillors who voted again reviewing the item again did not want to set a precedent of having the same issue reviewed again and again until whomever received the approval they were hopping for. I did a short deputation on the matter suggesting that if Council in fact chose to permit the sign that it be for a one or two-year period while Council and Staff developed sign standards as part of the strategic plan. But it didn’t get that far.

The Councillors reports and questions of Staff revealed little of major significance. The kids program at the library is being well received and there are problems with finding space for all of the participants. CN continues to drag its feet over approvals for the Forest Street reconstruction.

Correspondence

4.4 – Concerns regarding noisy road construction trucks going up and down Wakefield to access Brunatti’s property. The subject also of a deputation (Item 5.1).

4.5 – Mark Campbell, President of Parry Sound Glass Limited. Concerns with the proposed Consent Application No. B11/2015(PS) – PS Mall as a residential development will detrimentally affect his business. Noted and passed on to Staff and Council.

4.7, 4.8, 4.12 – Concerns about fluoridation of the Town’s Drinking Water. Noted and the subject of short remarks by Councillor Borneman who indicated that this decision, like many, was not always easy and suggested that people take a look at the presentation on this matter by Dr. James Chirico, District Medical Officer, hosted at the Town’s website.  

4.11 – Dave Garagon, Parry Sound Insurance Brokers Ltd. Concern regarding lack of notification for power outages and surges on Friday June 26, 2015. Noted and passed on to Lakeland Power.

4.13 – Concerns regarding the potential removal of the gazebo from the Town Dock. Noted and passed on to Staff and Council for a response.

Deputations

5.1 – Concerns regarding noisy road construction trucks going up and down Wakefield to access Brunatti’s property. A well presented review of the situation and the local concerns. The argument was made that Fowler, as a renter and not the owner of the property, was not permitted according to zoning by-laws to conduct commercial activities in that area. Rather than enter the property from Wakefield Street Fowler should access the property from River Street. Council listened and will doubtless respond.

5.2 – D. Graham, regarding a proposal to erect the largest hockey stick in the world at the Charles W. Stockey Centre to bring Parry Sound economic and tourism benefits. This deputation proposed erecting a 218 foot hockey stick fabricated from aluminum. Cost would be about $125,000 borne by donations and corporate sponsors. It would rise from the ground at a 45 degree angle.

5.3 – J. Bossart (me), regarding Item 9.6.1. I suggested that any decision to amend the decision regarding the issuance of signs should limit the temporary period to one, or at most two years, rather than the proposed five years to permit Staff and Council to develop and implement a sign policy for the Town.  

5.4 – E. McIntyre, regarding the anchors at Belvedere Heights. The case was made that the anchors are the property of the Town and have historic significance and should be better displayed on Town property. The point was raised that Belvedere Heights has been very difficult and demanding with regards to their relocation. Council provided support for the issue and agreed that Belvedere Heights was being difficult. It was suggested Mr. McIntyre address the Belvedere Heights Board with his concerns/proposal and that the Council members on the Board address the issue as well.

Resolutions and Direction To Staff

9.1.1 – Argyle EMS Service Delivery. Resolution. That upon the recommendation of the EMS Advisory Committee Parry Sound District EMS move to a service delivery model in Argyle that would utilize WPSHC Emergency Medical Care Assistant (EMCA) medics for eight hours a day, 7 days a week with call back for the other 16 hours of the day (2 medics on shift at all times) starting September 8, 2015. CARRIED.

9.1.3 – Seasonal Up staff in Seguin. Resolution. That upon the recommendation of the EMS Advisory Committee the Town of Parry Sound approve the up staff of an evening/night car in Seguin to consist of 8 hrs an evening/night 7 days a week until October 13. CARRIED.

9.1.4 – C12 – Smart Co Board. Resolution. CARRIED.

9.2.1 – Strategic Plan – Next Steps. Resolution. CARRIED. Councillors Horne and Marshall were assigned as Council representatives on the Strategic Plan committee.

9.3.1 – Council Remuneration Review. Direction. This item was split into two separate directions. 1. That Staff be directed to bring back a revision to the Council Compensation By-law to increase the salary of the Mayor to $31,036 effective January 1, 2016. CARRIED. 2. That Staff be directed to bring back a revision to the Council Compensation By-law to modify the per diem for members of council to include a half-day per diem of $65 and a full day rate of $130. DEFEATED.

9.4.1 – Tender – Waste Transfer Site Expansion. Resolution. That Council accept the tender from W.S. Morgan Construction Ltd. in the amount of $103,500.00, taxes extra, for the Waste Transfer Site Expansion including the relocation of the overhead door and supply and installation of new steel siding and trims, this tender being the lowest tender of four (4) tenders received. CARRIED.

9.4.2 – Tender – McFarlane Street Garage Re-roofing. Resolution. That Council accepts the tender from Incon Construction Ltd. for the McFarlane Street Garage Re-roofing in the amount of $69,932.00, HST extra, this tender being the lowest tender of three (3) tenders received. CARRIED.

9.6.1 – Motion to Amend Previous Decision – Resolution 2015-113 – June 16, 2015. That Resolution 2015-113, defeated at the Parry Sound Council Meeting held June 16, 2015, be brought forward for amendment. DEFEATED.

By-laws

10.5.1 – Site Plan Approval Application – Sound Holdings Inc. – 60 Bowes Street. Being a By-law to grant Site Plan Approval and authorize the execution and registration of a development agreement with Sound Holdings Inc. – 60 Bowes Street. CARRIED.

10.5.2 – Site Plan Approval Application – Trestle Brewing Company – 9 Great North Road. Being a By-law to grant Site Plan Approval and authorize the execution and registration of a development agreement with 1929330 Ontario Inc. – 9 Great North Road. CARRIED.

10.5.3 – Treetops Community Forest. Being a By-law to provide for the establishment of a Reserve Fund to be known as the Treetops Community Forest Reserve Fund. CARRIED. There was a request from one councillor that some limited accommodation be made for disabled people to at least be able to wait at the start of the trail while others went ahead. It was noted that the plan as presented will be subject to revision and that this suggestion will be considered.

There was more and you should tune in to the local press for additional information and the official minutes for all decisions.

Red Rockets in Flight, July 1st Delight. (Parry Sound in Colour)

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