Tuesday May 24th Regular Town Council Meeting

Well, on a scale of one to ten, I would give tonight’s meeting a 9.5. It was a real show stopper. First, there were approximately 50 people in attendance. There was yelling from the gallery at one point, with the gavel being pounded, there were several recorded votes, motions made, motions withdrawn, motions amended, motions being batted around like a cat with a toy. There was even an impromptu in-camera meeting thrown in during the middle of the regular meeting. Good times. Here we go.

DELEGATIONS 5.1 Request to Waive Event Fees for Amherstburg Rotary Rib Fest – Carl Gibb

Mr. Gibb was unable to attend, therefore three people from the Rotary Club spoke on his behalf. I didn’t catch all of the names, sorry. They asked that council waive the fees for the Rib Fest event. They kindly pointed out the Rotary Club is a not-for-profit organization that donates money back into the town of Amherstburg. Councillor Pouget asked a few questions about what costs are incurred by the town (if any) or if there are any in-kind services provided. There was some back and forth about the deposit fee and if it was included in the amount they were asking to have waived (just over $1300.00). The CAO had to remind council a few times that the fees are per council’s scheduled fees and that organizations can only ask for relief from council. Anyway, when it was said and done, fees were waived. (Just a personal observation, but man, why have fees if they just get waived all the time? Either that, or change the criteria for fees I guess. )

Belle Vue Property at 525 Dalhousie Street – Robert Honor, Belle Vue Cultural Foundation

Mr. Honor made a presentation to council. He outlined the history of Belle Vue and why it is a historically significant building and property. The presentation was very interesting and included pictures in a powerpoint presentation. At the end, he asked for council’s support to secure the property.

At this point, the Mayor said that council would need to go in-camera to discuss item A, already scheduled for later this evening. “ITEM A – Potential Property Acquisition – Section 239(2)(c) – A proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board.” So, just like that, they called an in-camera meeting around 6:35 or so. We all had to go and wait outside in the lobby. (At least we didn’t get kicked out to wait outside in the parking lot…LOL) The in-camera meeting lasted darn near an hour. Most people from the gallery stuck around.

When we went back into chambers, Deputy Mayor DiPasquale was chairing the meeting. (hmmmm…..something’s up). The Mayor spoke of Belle Vue’s deep historical roots and that now is the time, with a new government and grants available, to act. He also said that the town’s official plan recommends acquiring waterfront property when available. Mayor DiCarlo was acting as a voting member of council and presented a motion. ( I did the best I could to get the motion written down properly, but if I made a mistake, I apologize and don’t sue me.) The motion was : That the CAO be authorized to negotiate the acquisition of the properties for municipal purpose upon completion of a business plan and negotiations. Councillor Fryer seconded the motion. There were a few small questions and then it went to a recorded vote. (I love those. ) Well, it passed unanimously! (On a side note, I can’t help but notice the motion did not specify which properties…..and I’ve been going to enough meetings now to know that sometimes it’s the things that aren’t said that are more important than the things that are…..hmmmm……) After this vote, there was clapping and then approximately half of the gallery left. So there you have it folks, the Town is looking to buy the Belle Vue…and maybe more…property.

Proposed Zoning By-law Amendment regarding Boarding Kennels By-law

• Americo Fernandes
• Ernest Bezaire
• Tom Diemer

OK, this was heated, very heated. Just to bring you up to speed, a resident wants to build a kennel out on the Fourth Concession. Mr. Fernandes, who wants to build the kennel,  asked if the opponents to the kennel could speak first. They did. Mr Louis Jahn spoke on behalf of Mr Bezaire. He read a letter from a lawyer criticizing the setback and the by-law amendment. The current by-law has a stipulation of a 2000 ft setback from a neighbour’s home for kennels, the Fernandes’ are asking for a 100 ft setback. The opponents want a 1000 ft setback. Mr. Fernandes then spoke. A neighbour that was in the gallery started yelling at him and getting angry. The Mayor had to pound the gavel, more than once. Mr. Fernandes had a video of a drone flying above the properties and explained which properties belonged to which people and where they were looking to put the dog kennel. There was some back and forth between Councillor Lavigne and Rebecca (town admin) about if procedure was followed. Rebecca stated that there are 2 processes colliding and they need to be pulled apart. Deputy Mayor DiPasquale put forth a motion that the house-keeping by-law be deferred for 2 months to allow public input and that the Fernandes’ apply for a zoning by-law amendment. Basically, the house-keeping by-law is one issue and the Fernandes’ kennel is another issue. A recorded vote was called (drum roll please)

Support: Councillor Courtney, Deputy Mayor DiPasquale, Councillors Meloche and Pouget

Opposed: Councillors Fryer and Lavigne, Mayor DiCarlo

(I don’t think I have ever seen that voting combination before…..just sayin’)

Now, the vote was over, but nothing was over. There was more back and forth. Councillor Fryer had questions, so did Councillor Pouget. The Mayor kept trying to move on. They kept trying to move back. Finally, because of procedure, the Mayor was able to move on with the agenda.

Most of the rest of the gallery emptied out. There were 8 of us left. It appeared the dog kennel issue had almost as many people there as did the Belle Vue issue.

Another delegation

Councillor Pouget was questioning why a delegation had been refused. After much lengthy debate, the delegation (Miss Boussey) was allowed to speak. Actually, Mr John McLaughlin spoke on her behalf. I did not have any background on this situation. From what I could gather Miss Boussey is experiencing difficulties with a turkey farm next door to her home. Seems there are noise by-law infractions, dust problems, etc. It also seems there is an ongoing investigation about all of this. Councillor Pouget mentioned wanting a report to council next meeting but Councillor Meloche pointed out there’s already an on-going investigation and they may not have resolve for some time. He said it’s unfortunate, but must follow due diligence. So, that was it. Done.

Health and Safety Concerns- Cash Handling

Basically, town employees have been going to the bank with large cash deposits on a regular basis. Certain safety steps were implemented (ex. buddy system), however, it is still a risky practice leaving employees at risk of robbery and/or violence.  Administration is offering two solutions. The first is to go to a cashless system. There is a time-line in place for the changeover to ensure the public would be aware. Advertising and workshops will be offered to help residents find options other than cash to pay their taxes. The second option is an armoured car service, at a cost of $14 000/year.

OK, things got a little crazy here, so hang on and try to follow along.

Councillor Meloche said he doesn’t like restricting the residents in how to pay and doesn’t want to make it difficult. He makes a motion to receive and authorize the armoured car service at a cost of $14,000. Councillor Courtney seconds the motion. Councillor Pouget wants to know why employees don’t want to handle cash and that if other municipalities do it, why not us? Mr Rousseau explains that it’s a health and safety issue that has arisen and must be dealt with. Councillor Pouget wants to know if handling cash is in the job description. Mr Rousseau says yes, but if it’s safe to do so, is 2 different questions. CAO Miceli discussed the importance of dealing with this and that the employees don’t feel safe walking money to the bank. He also points out that the $14000 cost is small in a $35 million budget. Councillor Pouget raised her hand again and the Mayor said one more to her (as in one more question). She replied she’ll ask as many as she needs. This opened the flood gates to more back and forth, forth and back about cash, no cash, armoured car, no armoured car, safety, danger…..Councillor Courtney then withdraws her second to the motion.

Councillor Pouget then makes a motion to receive the report and administration to come back with another option to solve the problem. There was no seconder.

Councillor Fryer then makes a motion to receive the report and not accept cash any more, but asks what the time lines would be. The CAO points out that the time lines are on page 3 of the report and goes over the time lines. (Funny, I knew the time lines and I had simply glanced through the agenda on a Saturday night.) However, again, no seconder.

Then Councillor Fryer makes a motion to simply receive the report and Councillor Pouget seconds.

The Mayor asks what do we do in the short term? The CAO repeats that they are at a crossroad and must take action. Councillor Fryer wants to deal with it in the 2017 budget. The CAO says in the meantime, there would be no answer on how to deposit cash. Mayor DiCarlo talks about how if an employee has said they’re uncomfortable bringing a large sum of cash to the bank, council will become responsible, due to inaction. Councillor Pouget returns to questioning how other municipalities handle this. Councillor Meloche wants to bring back his motion for the armoured car, but he can’t because there’s another motion on the floor.

Then, it happened. Thankfully. Councillor Lavigne spoke up. (I was starting to get worried, that the game of ring around the rosy may never end but Councillor Lavigne brought it to a close with logic and reason.) He asked council if they really wanted the Ministry of Labour coming back in and forcing council to deal with this. He said council may not like it (that the employees don’t want to bring cash to the bank), but that council has to deal with it. Councillor Fryer’s motion to simply receive the report goes to a vote, but it is defeated by Councillors Meloche, Lavigne, Deputy Mayor DiPasquale and Mayor DiCarlo.

Lo and behold we go right back to square one and Councillor Meloche makes the motion for the armoured car service. It goes to a vote….everybody votes for it, except Councillor Pouget.

This part of the meeting was like a crazy roller coaster ride at Cedar Point. I’m still trying to figure out how Councillors Courtney and Fryer changed their minds back to voting for the armoured car service, but I digress….I don’t think I can figure this one out.

At this point, it was shortly after 9PM and quite frankly, I had had enough. I left. The meeting was still going. It may still be going now, I don’t know. During the crazy cash debate, members of the public started to drop like flies. There were 8 at the beginning. When I left, there were only two. I wonder if they survived to the end?

As for councillor of the week…..I have a 2-way tie. I nominate Mayor DiCarlo for the initiative about the waterfront properties (Belle Vue?), although I’m not sure, quite yet, if I 100% agree with it, I am anxious to see the plan once it plays out. I also nominate Councillor Lavigne for saving me from the endless discussion about the cash or no cash issue. I think there’s something to be said for people that can just make a decision when one needs to be made and move on.

I would like to make a motion: popcorn for meetings that last more than 2 hours and seat cushions, that would be nice…..seat cushions…..

Oh, and my pen ran out of ink halfway through the meeting. Luckily I had a spare.

In preparation for Tuesday May 24th Regular Town council meeting

Well, here we are. A long weekend and I’m writing my blog on a Saturday night. Yep, it’s sad. Yep, it’s crazy. Yep, it must be done. I have a busy two days ahead for this beautiful long weekend so I figured I’d get the blog up and ready a little earlier than usual. So, here we go!

I skimmed through the 469 page agenda (and yes, I did truly skim it over, it is Saturday night after all). Here’s what stood out and grabbed my attention.

DELEGATIONS 5.1 Request to Waive Event Fees for Amherstburg Rotary Rib Fest – Carl Gibb

There are several delegations scheduled for Tuesday night. First up, is Mr. Carl Gibb who it appears will be asking council to waive the fees for the Rotary Club during their Rib Fest fund raiser event in early July. Seems simple and straightforward. Will see what happens. Many fees have been getting waived as of late, so I would have to assume the trend will continue.

Belle Vue Property at 525 Dalhousie Street – Robert Honor, Belle Vue Cultural Foundation

Here’s a hot topic! This one should ensure that I will have lots of company in the gallery Tuesday night. LOL. Most regular meetings attract only around a dozen or so on-lookers, but I have a feeling the discussion surrounding the Belle Vue property will bring in more members of the public. Well, at least I hope so….

Council had asked administration for a full report about the Belle Vue property. It appears Mr Honor will be there to speak about the importance of the property and will be asking council “to support proposals that move the property into responsible ownership and public benefit”. There will also be a powerpoint presentation.

The following are my thoughts on this topic. (I may change my mind after Tuesday’s presentation. I don’t know. I will listen and am open to new ideas and information about this property.)

The romantic, nostalgic part of me hates to see the house falling into a situation of “demolition by neglect”. I love old properties, history and value the importance of our past. I would love to see the property restored and made into a useful asset once again. The problems start there…..who will pay for this to happen?

First, to ask council for money, is asking for Amherstburg tax payers money. I’m sure there’s no one in town who has forgotten the HMS Detroit fiasco. The town donated a significant amount of money (around $750,000 if I remember correctly) and the ship never came to be. Our money, quite literally, sailed down the Detroit River, never to be seen again. It was a sad and angry time in Amherstburg. There had been much hope and promise for this venture and it never came to be. As for Belle Vue, there is an asking price of 1.95 Million Dollars! Wow!!!!!! Should we really reward the current owner with such a high price for a building they have done absolutely nothing to for years? They’ve left it to sit and rot and they expect top dollar? Bear in mind, $1.95 Million is only the initial purchase price…..how many more millions will be required to bring this building to any useful purpose? Will it even be possible for this building to recuperate any significant amount of the expense given to it?

If council is looking to drop some significant coin, why not look at the Duffy’s property as a possibility? It has an asking price of 3 Million. We could demolish the restaurant, extend the Kings Navy Yard Park, develop the marina and refurbish and develop the hotel. The marina and the hotel would generate revenue.

Also, I can’t help but notice, some people (and I won’t name names), that are currently advocating for the town to purchase Belle Vue are the same people that did not want the town to build the new arena. Why? Because we didn’t have the money to build it, was their reason. Why? Because the arena wouldn’t make any money, was their reason. Well, in turn now, does the town have money to buy Belle Vue? Will Belle Vue ever generate any money?

On another note, the real estate agent, Mr. Kasurak, would earn a significant commission from selling a property at such a high price. Would he be willing to waive this commission, should the town choose to buy the property, in order to save the tax payers money?

If I won the lottery, I would jump at the chance to restore this beautiful home as I am sure many others would too. I think the only way to solve the situation is for the advocates to get organized and create a not-for-profit organization to save the property. I would gladly make a donation. But to ask for tax payers money on this one is going to be dicey. I know many who would have no problem contributing personally, but they do not want their tax money involved.

So, all this to say…..good luck council! This is what you were elected for….to make the big, hard decisions. The micromanaging of employee qualifications, cell phone bills, numerous budget meetings, hand-picking committee members (I could go on and on, but I won’t), generated hours and hours of discussion. How many hours of discussion and unbiased thought will go into what to do with Belle Vue?

Proposed Zoning By-law Amendment regarding Boarding Kennels By-law

• Americo Fernandes
• Ernest Bezaire
• Tom Diemer

Mr. Fernandes will be appearing before council and from what I can see, has letters of support for the pending Board Kennel that he is looking to develop. It appears he wishes to have a 100 foot setback. Mr. Bezaire and Mr. Diemer both have separate delegations to speak against the Boarding Kennel. Mr. Bezaire wants a 1000 foot setback. Will listen and follow and see what happens.

Accounts Payable

The bills are in and it’s time to pay up. Way to go Amherstburg!!!!! A big fat ZERO in legal fees this week! This seems to be happening a little more often now.

Borrowing By-laws

Don’t completely understand this, but looks like they have to move some money around and use a bridge loan in regards to some drain work.

Health and Safety Concerns- Cash Handling

Basically, town employees have been going to the bank with large cash deposits on a regular basis. Certain safety steps were implemented (ex. buddy system), however, it is still a risky practice leaving employees at risk of robbery and/or violence. Most of the concerns seem to address the cash that comes in during tax time.  Administration is offering two solutions. The first is to go to a cashless system. The bulk of transactions at this time are paid via Debit, Cheque or Preauthorized tax payment plans. At tax due date times and at the recreation complex the volume of cash can still be significant.There is a time-line in place for the changeover to ensure the public would be aware. Advertising and workshops will be offered to help residents find options other than cash to pay their taxes. The second option is an armoured car service, at a cost of $14 000/year. Enough said.

Proposed Housekeeping Zoning By-law Amendment – Provisions Regarding Boarding Kennels By-law 2016-33

Here is the point in time where council will have to make a decision in regards to the Boarding Kennel. (see earlier delegations). We will have to wait and see how this plays out.

Monthly reports from the Fire Department and the Police Department

Council had mandated the departments to provide monthly activity reports. The reports are in, with number of calls etc.

Gordon House Report

This really stood out to me. In December council had directed administration to :

“Investigate current market value of the Gordon House and any lease agreement possibilities with non-profit user groups in Amherstburg and to approach ERCA to see if the land can be encompassed in the possible sale of the Gordon House”

The Gordon House is an old, significantly historic building that the town purchased back in the 1980s. It turns out that ERCA owns a portion of the land where the Gordon House is located. It also appears that selling the house and / or property will be at best extremely difficult, and at worst, virtually impossible. However, what really struck me in all of this, is that council is considering the possibility of selling the Gordon House. I can only assume it’s because it doesn’t make any money and is a source of expense, fairly significant expense. “Based on the information available the total capital investment by the Town for the Gordon House is $1,858,431, and a net cost of $1,320,939.” (from the report and these amounts do not consider maintenance costs)  So……..why would council consider buying Belle Vue?

At the end of the meeting, council is scheduled to go in-camera to discuss the following:  ITEM A – Potential Property Acquisition – Section 239(2)(c) – A proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board. ITEM B – Contract Negotiation – Section 239(2)(d) – Labour relations or employee negotiations.

Tuesday night looks to be an interesting evening. I may have to get there early to get a seat!

Monday May 16th Special Town council meeting

Well, tonight the stars were aligned and something just short of a miracle happened…..the meeting was done (finished, kaput) in 6 minutes!

Here are the details:

Important note: Absent from tonight’s meeting were Councillors Fryer, Pouget and Lavigne.

Fortunately, there were 4 members of council present to create a quorum (Mayor DiCarlo, Deputy Mayor DiPasquale, Councillor Meloche and Councillor Courtney). The meeting was called to order at 6:01 PM (yes, I was watching the time closely….there was only myself and one other member of the public present….we had half-joked about making bets about how long the meeting would last…although the final outcome was far better than either of us had anticipated.)

Council was there to review six policies :

• Relationship with External Auditors Policy
• Company Credit Card Policy
• Unfinished Business Items Policy
• Returned Items Policy
• Local Improvement and Drains Policy
• Travel and Business Expense Policy

Councillor Meloche had one question about the Travel and Business Expense Policy. Councillor Courtney had two questions, one each for the Unfinished Business Items Policy and the also the Travel and Business expense policy. She also complimented administration for leaving no stone unturned and doing a great job, most especially on the credit card policy.

At 6:06 PM, Councillor Meloche made the motion to approve the policies and Councillor Courtney seconded it. (My heart was racing….could it really be? Was I witnessing a council that was prepared, concise, effective and productive ?) Yes, yes I was. They all voted in favour and just like that, meeting adjourned at 6:07 PM!

I just want to note that three of our councillors were absent….you can draw whatever conclusions you wish to that note. However, present in the gallery with me (the only other member of the public, other than me lol) was Mr. Marc Renaud who ran for councillor in the last election. I know I’ll keep that in mind when it’s time to vote again in just over two years.

As for councillor of the week, it is most definitely a four-way tie. Congratulations Mayor DiCarlo, Deputy Mayor DiPasquale, Councillor Meloche and Councillor Courtney. You guys rock!

In preparation for Monday May 16th Special council meeting

Well, today’s blog will be short and sweet, much like I hope tomorrow night’s meeting will be. 🙂

Monday night is a special council meeting to review 6 policies. Council will be reviewing the following policies:

• Relationship with External Auditors Policy
• Company Credit Card Policy
• Unfinished Business Items Policy
• Returned Items Policy
• Local Improvement and Drains Policy
• Travel and Business Expense Policy

From what I can see the policies look very clear and precise. Unless Councillor Courtney finds some typos or errors (she’s the bomb for finding those), I can’t foresee many questions or much discussion as all the areas of the policies seem to be well-covered and well-explained.

As for the Unfinished Business Items Policy, it appears that administration has revised the procedures for council to bring forth concerns, so that they can be dealt with in a timely manner.  The policy states that to bring an item forward as unfinished business, the councillor must provide :

• Council supported motion, brought first to Council as a Notice of Motion
• Council supported motion of direction to administration
• Council supported motion/resolution

I can only guess that this is to “clean up” the process of addressing unfinished business that comes forward. I have noticed in the past, that the unfinished business discussion can be somewhat disorganized, haphazard and “all over the place”, which can lead to confusion for all involved.

I don’t have many thoughts or ideas to offer on the other policies. All looks in order, clear cut and dry.

Hoping for the same tomorrow night, in order, clear cut, but I’ll replace “dry” with quick. 🙂 As always, I will listen, follow along and see what happens.

Monday May 9th Regular Town Council Meeting

Well, tonight ended up being pretty interesting after all. The gavel was pounded on a few occasions, voices were somewhat raised and things got heated a few times. I’m not sure how funny and entertaining I can make this blog, as the topics were heavy, but I’ll see what I can do.

When I first arrived for the meeting I was struck by the Amherstburg fire-fighter presence at the meeting. I’m not sure how many fire-fighters we have but I would have to guess they were almost all there. They were wearing their Amherstburg Fire & Rescue t-shirts and sure presented a united front. Many were sitting in the gallery and gave up their seats as more members of the public (some older people)arrived for the meeting. The overflow was out in the lobby.

Important side note: Councillor Courtney was absent.

2016/2017 Visitor Guide – Gordon Orr, CEO, and Lynnette Bain, Vice President, Tourism Programs and Development – Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island

Mr. Orr and Ms Bain made a presentation to council in regards to tourism in the Windsor Essex area. Amherstburg was the third of eight planned visits to all of the local councils. They pointed out that tourism is a significant economic development generator and generates billions in economic spin-off. They presented a power-point presentation of their organization’s vision and mission. At the end, there were no questions or comments from council. (I know, that doesn’t happen very often…)

DELEGATIONS Pavilion Rental Fee Waiver at Toddy Jones Park – Dr. Allan Halowski, President, Horticultural Society

Dr. Halowski spoke of the income generated and donated by the Garden Tours to the Communities in Bloom event. He requested waiving of the rental fee for the pavilion in the Toddy Jones Park. Councillor Pouget made a motion to receive the delegation, waive the fee for the rental during the Garden Tour weekend in June and also to refund the $250 application fee. (Wow. Someone came before council and got even more than they were asking for. This must be a first… lol) Councillor Pouget spoke somewhat at length (my opinion just to be clear) about what a big supporter she is of the Horticultural Society. I zoned out (I’m really not much of a green thumb). 

DELEGATIONS  Questions regarding Ontario Fire Marshal’s Report – Keith Lauzon and Dave Wharram

Before I begin, I would like to kindly point out that I am not a fire-fighter. Nobody in my immediate family is a fire-fighter. My only knowledge about fire-fighting is get out and call 911. This being said, I did my best to follow the questions and answers, which got to be technical at times and heated (yes, pun intended, sorry). The gavel got banged several times if that helps to give a bit of perspective. I was doing my best to keep up with my note-taking and honestly, my hand was seriously hurting by the end.

Mr. Lauzon spoke first and said they were there not to instil fear in the residents and to make it clear that the Chief requested the Ontario Fire Marshal (OFM) report, not he and Mr. Wharram. He proceeded to speak and asked the 4 questions they had brought forward: :

1. Specifically, what is the “gap” that the OFM identified in regards to the required training and education for captains?
2. What are the minimum qualifications for a fire captain in the Province of Ontario in the eyes of the OFM and the Ontario Fire College?
3. If there is a recognized requirement of the OFM and the Ontario Fire College to be a Company Officer or captain, how many of the 12 Amherstburg Fire and Rescue captains, along with the current fire chief, deputy chief and fire prevention officer, meet that required standard?
4. When did the town of Amherstburg’s administration first become aware that the captains in the Amherstburg Fire and Rescue service may not have the required training and education?

Assistant Deputy Chief Tome addressed the first question. He said the questions had been sent to the Ontario Fire Marshall (OFM) and he had their replies in hand and ready to address these questions. I will not get into the technical answers to these questions, as again, my knowledge is limited at best. At one point, someone stated the answers are available on the Town’s website, should anyone want to read them. Some debate ensued between Mr Lauzon and the Fire Chief about the perceived “gaps” in training that Mr Lauzon was questioning. The Mayor pounded the gavel and advised this was not a debate. The Mayor advised the two delegates that they are free to contact the OFM directly with any questions, like the Town did. Again, more back and forth ensued about how fire-fighters are trained. Again, the Mayor cut in and pointed out that Mr Lauzon was sharing his opinion but that the Chief had spoken directly with the OFM. (In my opinion, I’m putting more faith in the Chief’s replies considering he has 40+ years of experience.)Now, Councillor Pouget jumped in. She was concerned that there are no standards and job descriptions for the fire-fighters. The Fire Chief replied that they are currently in the process of reviewing this and training to best practices. Councillor Pouget, once again, was concerned about liability in regards to training and documentation. The Fire Chief, again, stated that all is well-documented and there is a new one-year training program that some of the fire-fighters are taking. Mr. Galvin, Director of legislative services, spoke up and pointed out that most of the concerns from the OFM report were in regards to documentation, not training. He further pointed out that it is not uncommon in audits of any department to have problems in the documentation areas. (At this point, I know I can sleep easy tonight, knowing we have a competent and qualified fire department.)

The debate raged on…..my hand was getting increasingly tired. Assistant Deputy Chief Tome pointed out that the fire-fighters are well trained and made a point of mentioning to Councillor Pouget that the training costs money. He said when he arrived in Amherstburg, the training budget had been $5000 and was slashed to ZERO!!!!! (Who was responsible for that??? council decides on the budget, right? We all remember the cut, cut, cut during budget time this term.) Councillor Fryer jumped in and seemed to be trying to defend the years of experience many of our fire-fighters have. Then, there was some back and forth between Deputy Chief Tomes and Mr. Wharram in regards to unfounded comments that Mr Wharram made on social media, under pictures of Amherstburg fire-fighters. The Mayor pounded the gavel again to control the back and forth. Deputy Chief Tome, quite clearly, told Mr. Wharram that it is time to move on. Councillor Fryer reiterated the sentiment of moving forward. He felt the dirty laundry had been aired, comments made, criticism received but that we should move forward. Unfortunately, I don’t think the two former fire-fighters were ready to do so. The debate continued…. The Mayor asked for a motion to receive, yet Councillor Pouget said she wasn’t finished with the delegation. She had more comments to make. So the delegation was received. Then Councillor Pouget said she wanted to make a statement. She feels that no one can move on until we know what the problem is and only then can we move on. She thanked the two delegates and said if not for these 2 individuals, the town would not have known about the problems. One person clapped and the rest? I heard an audible groan from the gallery. Then, we finally did move on with the agenda, at least.

Proposed Housekeeping Zoning By-law Amendment – Boarding Kennels By-law 2016-33

 It looks like the town had put out an advertisement about some rezoning. A resident wants to develop a high-end dog kennel out on one of the concession roads. The neighbours were there and they weren’t happy. They wanted some time to get a presentation together. Guess who made the motion for the deferral? And, deferred for two weeks.

Council Question # – 20160307-101

OK, I think I understand this now. It seems that the town was looking into a policy about charging home-owners to reimburse the fire department for attending fire calls. If the home owner has insurance, the insurance company would pay, but if not, the home-owner would be on the hook. Councillor Pouget did not support this. She said the home owners already pay taxes for services, which includes the fire department. (Man, I was starting to get tired hearing about the fire department.) The Fire Chief concurred with this reasoning as did the other members of council. So, council will not be implementing this policy.

Recovery of Emergency Response Fees for Motor Vehicle Accidents

Here we were, once again, discussing the fire department. Man, the Fire Chief sure was in the hot seat tonight (too punny? sorry). Apparently, this is a different animal than the policy above. In this case, the Fire Chief said that almost every municipality bills the insurance company a cost-recovery fee for car accidents that involve non-residents. The province pays out for emergency services on highways and the insurance companies pay out for their clients if they’re involved in an accident outside of their own town of residence. Everyone thought this was a good idea, so it was a go.

Audit and Finance Advisory Committee (AFAC) – Council Vacancy

There is an opening on the Audit and Finance Advisory Committee since Deputy Mayor DiPasquale needed to step down. Councillor Fryer nominated himself. (Yep, serious) Nobody else seemed to want to do it, so badda bing badda boom, congrats Councillor Fryer, you’re in.

The meeting continued on, not much more excitement and honestly, my hand was killing me. It all wrapped up around 7:30 when council went in-camera.

As for councillor of the week, this week, the award goes to Fire Chief Reaume. (I know he’s not a councillor, but, hey, it’s my award and I’ll hand it out as I see fit…lol). In my opinion, he handled what some wanted to become a volatile situation, with grace, decorum and professionalism. Runner up award goes to Mayor DiCarlo, for staying on the gavel and keeping every one in line, even when tempers flared a bit and feelings were frazzled.

In preparation for Monday May 9th Regular Town Council Meeting

Well, we had another week off last week. That was nice. I thought the policy meeting was going to be last Monday but it appears it will be next Monday May 16th. Meanwhile, tomorrow night’s meeting is a Regular town council meeting, as scheduled every two weeks. Here’s a preview of the 177 page agenda.

2016/2017 Visitor Guide – Gordon Orr, CEO, and Lynnette Bain, Vice President, Tourism Programs and Development – Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island

It looks like council will be receiving a presentation from Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI) regarding a marketing and destination development. I’m looking forward to hearing the presentation. Looks like they’re going to touch on the Strategic Plan, brochures, promotion etc. of Amherstburg and I really believe we have a beautiful community here to promote!

DELEGATIONS Pavilion Rental Fee Waiver at Toddy Jones Park – Dr. Allan Halowski, President, Horticultural Society

Dr Halowski will be asking for a small fee to be waived ($92.16 per day) for the use of the pavilion in Toddy Jones Park. Dr Halowski reports in his delegation request that the Horticultural Society has already paid other fees, are a non-profit organization and they donate money to the town. I would guess that this fee will be waived without much ado, but you never know. I wonder if council will realize that Dr Halowski is also a Director of the Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce? Will some of them think this fee waiver could be part of their “take over the world” plot? …..LOL

DELEGATIONS  Questions regarding Ontario Fire Marshal’s Report – Keith Lauzon and Dave Wharram

It appears that Mr. Lauzon and Mr. Wharram have 4 questions regarding the recent Ontario Fire Marshal (OFM) report and they are seeking council’s answers to the following questions:

1. Specifically, what is the “gap” that the OFM identified in regards to the required training and education for captains?
2. What are the minimum qualifications for a fire captain in the Province of Ontario in the eyes of the OFM and the Ontario Fire College?
3. If there is a recognized requirement of the OFM and the Ontario Fire College to be a Company Officer or captain, how many of the 12 Amherstburg Fire and Rescue captains, along with the current fire chief, deputy chief and fire prevention officer, meet that required standard?
4. When did the town of Amherstburg’s administration first become aware that the captains in the Amherstburg Fire and Rescue service may not have the required training and education?

Phew. Some pretty heavy questions. I like that the questions are presented ahead of time in the delegation as I would hope this will give council advance time in order to be able to answer these questions. It’s funny, I remember Councillor Pouget saying she had 30 questions after the initial OFM report. I wonder if these 4 questions are part of her original 30 questions? I think the discussion will be heated. (haha, pun intended) Will do my best to follow along.

Accounts payable

The bills are in and it’s time to pay. Every two weeks, council reviews them and approves them. This time, we will be paying out just over $10,000.00 in legal fees. I guess this makes up for the times that we don’t have to pay out any at all….?

2016 Special Events Approval

The current council passed a motion early in their term that every single event that was to happen on town property had to come forward and ask for permission and approval. So far, I think over 30 events have come before council this year. Most events are rubber stamped through. This one stands out though and here’s why. The police department will be asking for permission to host their  Annual Police Bike Rodeo. So far, nothing out of the ordinary. However, when does the event take place? Oh, that would be in 6 days….on May 14, 2016.  What if council says no? (I doubt that would happen.)  However, last year, Councillor Lavigne really gave it to the Chamber of Commerce for advertising their Mardi Gras event before Council had approved it. Will he give the same grilling to the Amherstburg Police for advertising their event before approval? Or will he realize that perhaps his position last year was a little too hasty and event organisers need some empathy?

Proposed Housekeeping Zoning By-law Amendment – Boarding Kennels By-law 2016-33

I will be listening to this one closely as it is an issue that I’m not familiar with. It appears administration is making a recommendation about the setback requirements if a person wants to open a dog boarding kennel. There is a lengthy, detailed report included with the minutes of the meeting. I will pay attention and see what’s what.

Student Hiring Policy Amendment

It looks like the town is looking to slightly increase the student wages for summer jobs. It appears that the number of students applying for summer employment with the town has been steadily declining. It is believed this steady decline is because we do not pay a high enough student wage. There is also an issue with finding students who meet the qualifications and hiring criteria. Looks like there is federal funding available but the town does not know yet if they will be receiving the funding or not. In the meantime, summer is just around the corner…..

Council Question # – 20160307-101

Council, at its meeting of March 7, 2016, passed the following motion, moved by Councillor Meloche, seconded by Deputy Mayor DiPasquale (CQ # 20160307-101): “That Council DIRECT administration to investigate the feasibility of recouping costs for firefighting services for structure fires in the Town of Amherstburg and report back to Council.” I read through the report and there is a lot of insurance and legal mumbo-jumbo…..so, I’m not sure I want to weigh in with my thoughts on this one. (Wouldn’t want to get sued… lol) Instead, I will comment and chuckle about the fact that this question is numbered as 101. I didn’t know they numbered the questions. Early March, they were already up to 101……wonder where we’ll be up to by the end of the year?

Audit and Finance Advisory Committee (AFAC) – Council Vacancy

It looks like Deputy Mayor DiPasquale is resigning his position from this committee. It seems he has scheduling difficulties between his various roles and responsibilities on other committees. Council is looking to fill the void with another member of council. Councillor Meloche maintains his membership of this committee. At the last meeting, two councillors were appointed to another, new committee, the police advisory committee. Is it just me, or is it possible the town just has too many committees? If at least 2 councillors have to be part of each of these committees, I can see where this is going to get cumbersome and difficult.

Changes and Impact of Bill 8 – Accountability and Transparency Act (Amendments to MFIPPA and the Ombudsman Act)

I will definitely keep my ears wide open here. This has to do with changes in regards to FOI (Freedom of Information) requests,  the hiring of an Integrity Commissioner and other issues relating to accountability and transparency.

Here is the commentary from the Risk Analysis : “The amendments to MFIPPA provide for greater accountability of the public sector to its community. It calls for greater care in the maintenance of records and information assets. It also allows for individuals to be held accountable and personally liable for offences related to the wilful concealment, alteration or destruction of corporate records. Charges can be brought against individuals up to 2 years after the offence has been discovered.”

Wow. Very interesting. Very, very interesting. I wonder if leaking confidential in-camera information would fall into such violations?

Recovery of Emergency Response Fees for Motor Vehicle Accidents

Looks like the town wants to get paid by auto insurance companies when our emergency services respond to accidents for non-residents. Seems they’re deciding where to place the money they are going to start taking in.

Parks Canada Agreement – 2016 Canada Day

Planning of the schedule for our annual Canada Day celebration is in the works and should be finalized. Always a terrific, fun event in Amherstburg to celebrate Canada Day at Fort Malden!

REPORTS – ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC WORKS Placement of Underground Infrastructure, Base Asphalt and Curbs on Maintenance – Golfview Phase 4C/4D

This looks like they’re doing some curb and road work in Golfview subdivision. Nothing too exciting here from what I can see. This was added as a supplementary agenda item.

NOTICE OF MOTION Councillor Pouget – Plaque in Honour of Eugene and Elizabeth Whelan (As introduced at the April 25, 2016 Council Meeting) That the Town fund and erect a plaque in the honour of the late Senator Eugene Whelan and his wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Whelan for their role in entertaining the former Soviet Ambassador Aleksander Yakovlev and Mikhail Gorbachev while visiting our historic Town, marking the location of the “Walk that Changed the World” for consideration and voting at the May 9th, 2016, Regular Council Meeting.

This looks pretty cool. Amherstburg was lucky to have had Senator Whelan serve our community for many, many years. He hosted Aleksander Yakovlev and Mikhail Goberchev at his home several years ago. It looks like Councillor Pouget is looking to have this significant historical event recognized and honoured.

At the end of the meeting, council will be moving in-camera to discuss:

ITEM A – Volunteer Firefighters – Town Employees – Section 239(2)(d) – Labour relations or employee negotiations.

When council goes in-camera, the meeting is closed to the public, therefore the public must leave council chambers. At this point, I usually quickly pack-up and get out. I usually rush home to write up my blog of the night’s events. I wonder what tomorrow night will hold?