May 28, 2019 amherstburg2

Monday May 27th regular town council meeting

It was a VERY full house tonight! The council chambers were packed and it was standing room only both inside the chambers and outside in the lobby area.

**Mayor DiCarlo was absent tonight**

Council had a planning meeting scheduled for 5:00. I arrived around 5:40 and got one of the last seats in the council chambers. The regular meeting didn’t get started until about 6:10.

Pecuniary interest

Council is always asked at the beginning of the meeting if any members have a conflict of pecuniary interest. Councillor Prue said he wanted to be up front, in that he is a member of the Legion but not an executive officer, therefore he did not have a pecuniary interest. He simply wanted to disclose this publicly.

PRESENTATIONS

Great Lakes Water Levels – Current Conditions and Outlook – Tim Byrne, Essex Region Conservation Authority (supplementary agenda)

This item was on a supplementary agenda and was moved up in order to present before the delegations.

Just to give you a little preview, this presentation wasn’t received and over until 7:00. It seemed to last forever. I’m going to sum it up, very, very briefly, since I know everyone is far more interested in the rest of the meeting, than they are the ERCA presentation.

Mr Byrne explained that we are currently experiencing unprecedented water levels in the Great Lakes. We have been experiencing high lake levels over the last four and a half years. He showed several maps and graphs with numbers of various record highs and lows. He spoke of recent storm events that have had north easterly winds which have been problematic for flooding. He said that the areas at risk in Amherstburg are the Claremont Lane area, Willow Beach area and the Lake Erie Country Club area. Mr Byrne said that it’s extremely important for gawkers to stay away from flooded areas to allow first responders to do their jobs.

Councillor Courtney had some questions in regards to how best to prepare and wondered if there were anything the town could do. He suggested an ad in the news paper with the phone numbers and contact information. Mr Byrne said that the town has been doing fairly well with staff actions and the sand bags that were recently provided to residents. Fire Chief Montone outlined the emergency response plan citing the various plans in place for the flood plan.

Councillor Courtney felt that we are a spoon fed society. (I wouldn’t disagree with that…..) He said that he lives on the lake and was hoping that an article will be in the River Town Times about the ERCA presentation. He again mentioned an ad in the River Town Times, since people read the local paper. Mr Byrne spoke of the importance of ensuring that developments are properly planned. Councillor Courtney then said he had a last question (I heard the people groan – I wasn’t one of them – I kept real quiet after last week’s reminder of how to behave in a council meeting...I may, may have made a face, but that’s quiet I guess…..) Councillor Courtney questioned the future and how lake levels could affect us. Mr Byrne explained that they are scientists measuring outflows and that we are looking at unprecedented levels of water and lake cycles.

It was now 7:00.

DELEGATIONS
Request for Sign By-law Exemption for Ribfest – Steve Butcher, Rotary Ribfest

It appears that Mr Butcher will be seeking an exemption to the town’s sign bylaw to allow the Rib Fest to advertise their event 28 days prior, rather than 14 days prior to the event as is the current bylaw. Mr Butcher spoke of the many benefits of allowing them to advertise for an additional 14 days. He asked and he received. This was very quickly approved.

Request for Deferral of Noise By-law Exemption – Gary Wellman

Request for Noise By-law Exemption on Outdoor Patio – Laurie Fryer Cavanaugh, Branch President, Royal Canadian Legion Fort Malden Branch 157

Comments on Noise By-law Exemption – Dave Beneteau

Next up, was the issue that everybody was there for! (I know this because once the issue was over, everybody left…LOL) Just a small side note before I begin…..tonight the Deputy Mayor did not go over the rules of conduct prior to the council meeting……which means that sometimes, several times actually, people around me were talking and I couldn’t always catch what was being said by the delegates or council members……as well, some people said some fairly rude and mean things…..I heard them…..life lesson in here for everybody…..you don’t know who’s sitting near you when you’re talking in a room full of people and you should really watch what you say. And that’s all I’m going to say about that…..it’s quite unfortunate.

Mr Wellman was to speak first, however he did say it may be better to allow the Legion to speak first and he would speak afterwards.

Ms Cavanaugh then spoke. She is the President of the Legion, Branch 157. She said their mission is to serve the veterans, the military and their families. The Legion honours their past sacrifices and the present service and sacrifice of our current military. She said the outdoor patio was built in 2008 and at the time Duffy’s was across the street and many people would walk by an enjoy the music. She said that last year there was a complaint from Mr Wellman and they had a meeting. They agreed to keep the music at a 75 decibel level. However, she said they didn’t want to turn the speakers towards their building since it would create a bounce back noise and feedback. Ms Cavanaugh said that they were seeking an exemption to play amplified music on the patio every Friday and Saturday from 7 PM until 11 PM and Sundays from 3 PM to 7 PM. Then, there was a presentation of a variety of pictures of events held on their patio.

Mr Wellman then spoke. He acknowledged the presence of the members of the Legion and spoke of his support. He thanked them. He said there is a problem with the noise level coming from the patio. He felt that people hold the belief that since the patio is there, that it exempts them from the current noise bylaw. He pointed out that the current noise bylaw existed long before the patio. He said that excessive noise is a form of pollution and that scientific steps can be taken to minimize it. He felt that it’s okay for the Legion to entertain on the patio but not to entertain the entire downtown. He felt that the volume could be toned down. He said that last year he met with the CAO, Ms Cavanaugh and former Councillor Fryer. He gave Ms Cavanaugh credit and said that the noise level did decrease after their meeting. He said that some bands still create excessive noise, while others fall within an acceptable threshold. He said that after the original meeting, they had a follow up meeting and he commended the Legion for lowering the volume level.

Mr Wellman spoke of wanting to hire a sound engineer to find ways to mitigate the noise and that he is willing to pay for this service. He used the example of directing the speakers toward the patio. He said this was mentioned in their meeting but he never heard about it again, so he asked again, looking for a solution to the problem. He said that often the bands get louder as the evening goes on. He said that on Saturday night, the sound level was 89.9 decibels. He felt that there is a perceived unwillingness of the Legion to engage and that he’s never launched a formal complaint against then. He felt that the intent behind their request would allow them to bypass the bylaw for 6 months and eventually into perpetuity. He felt that to waive the bylaw annually is not appropriate. He welcomed Councillor Prue to become involved on behalf of the Legion to find solutions. Mr Wellman also said he was bothered by the “go back to Florida” comment that was yelled out at him. He said he wants to be a decent neighbour and just wants to address the problem.

Ms Cavanaugh then spoke and said that Mr Wellman had never come to them for a study, that they had come to them about purchasing some speakers. She said they also wanted to open up the parking lot and the fence to let his son bring a trailer through there. She said that with each band having different equipment, one speaker system, that was offered to purchase wouldn’t work.

Deputy Mayor Meloche asked if the Legion would be agreeable to a sound study. Ms Cavanaugh said that yes, that would be, as long as they didn’t have to pay for it.

Then Mr Beneteau spoke. He seemed quite upset with Ms Cavanaugh for misrepresenting an email that he had sent to her. He felt that the patio is a great asset but that he has an issue with the noise and excessive volume. He said that the potential solution from last year was working. He again noted that there had been no official complaint and felt it was a step backwards to seek an exemption. He felt that nobody will win if council has to make a decision. He asked that either the Legion withdraw their request or that council deny it. He felt that this had resulted in a confrontation.

Councillor McArthur asked what had changed since last year. Mr Beneteau said they had agreed on 84 decibels and that residents could call and let the Legion know when the sounds went up too much. In turn, they would turn down the music. However, this arrangement relied on the residents calling and sometimes the decibels far exceeded the 84 decibel threshold.

CAO Miceli advised that it would be up to council and that the current noise bylaw could use updating. He felt that the town should engage the noise level study and sound engineer since then the town would own the data and the report. He said there had been some adjustment for the amphitheater because of noise concerns.

Councillor Simone questioned the cost of the study and where the money would come from in the budget. The CAO said that the study would be $5,000 and that it could be funded through professional fees in the CAO’s budget.

Councillor Prue felt that the sound issues were problematic and in several areas in town.

Councillor Courtney felt that the bylaw should be more refined. He also cited the enforcement issue and that commercial and residential areas don’t mix. He asked if the Wellman’s had put any thought when buying their property into the downtown noise. He felt that it was the downtown core with a pre-existing atmosphere and that it should have been presented by the developer.

Councillor Renaud felt that the residents and the Legion need to work together and noted that Ms Cavanaugh had lowered the volume.

Finally, Councillor Prue made a motion, which included 4 parts (I take my notes by hand, so I did my best to get all of this….):

allow the exemption for the Royal Canadian Legion for 6 months (later clarified to allow one or more loud speakers May through October, Friday and Saturday until 11PM and Sunday until 8PM)
request that the town facilitate meetings between residents, the Legion and staff (he said he would participate if they wanted)
monitor the noise level over the next months with the sound engineer and have the study done
report back to council in October regarding the successes and the failures

This carried.

Overall, I think they managed to meet with a fairly good compromise.

It was now about 7:50 PM. Council took a 10 minute recess since about 90% of the people in attendance left.

Amherstburg Branding Strategy Tagline

Oh boy. Remember this? I do! It was just a few months ago…….during a fairly long meeting, council debated the new proposed logo for tourism and the tag line. Council ended up modifying the logo somewhat and choosing a new tag line : “Every Day History”. Well, a few weeks ago, Councillor McArthur asked for reconsideration, since upon reflection and feedback realized that the tag line he proposed and that was accepted, was, well, just not the great.

So, we are back to the original proposal. Administration is recommending “Born to Make History” to be our tag line. That was the tag line brought forth originally.

After some technical issues of having to officially withdraw the old tag line, Councillor Prue made a motion for “History Every Day”. Nobody seconded the motion.

Councillor McArthur expressed his disappointment with the report. He felt he had made the motion in good faith and wanted a short list of possible tag lines. He thought administration would go back to Cinnamon Toast for a short list of possibilities. He felt that if council had wanted “Born to Make History” then it would have happened a few months ago. He wondered if he was the only one who thought they’d get options. (I remember at the time hoping they’d give council 3 choices and they could pick one….)

Ms Rota, Director of Tourism addressed council. She explained that “born” is an adjective….that something or someone is born into something. She felt that our town is known for it’s historical happenings. She said that she stood behind this tag line 100% then and now. She asked council to not delay and pointed out that they will never please everyone.

Councillor McArthur asked about the short list. It seems the short list was not very good. Ms Rota pointed out that if they go back to the drawing board that it will cost time and money. Councillor Simone said she had seen the 6 others and they “lacked”. She read them (I couldn’t write them down fast enough, but they did really, really lack….). She wondered if the web site could be developed without a tag line. Ms Rota said that yes, it could be and that we could go without one. Councillor Simone felt we could add one later if something were to come through. Mr Roberts, Director of Parks and Recreation said he knew they were running a risk just representing this tag line. He said a lot of time and effort had done into this element and it was highly regarded.

Councillor McArthur said he was crest fallen when he read the report. He felt that administration hadn’t respected the spirit of the motion to come back with a couple of options.

Councillor Prue then made a motion to proceed without a tag line and not to spend any further money on a tag line.

Councillor Courtney wondered how they had incurred an addition $5,500 in expense on this issue. Ms Rota pointed out the extra work to modify the original design, the extra consultations and the back and forth with the design. Councillor Courtney felt that only one option was presented and that there should have been a few. (I recall a couple of different logos being presented but they recommended the one.) Councillor Courtney wondered if the additional costs were because their business is from out of town.

CAO Miceli explained the RFP process from 2018 for the logo, web site, rebranding initiative. He said that some local companies applied and that their price was higher than what was approved. The CAO pointed out the Cinnamon Toast changed the logo, at council’s request, which incurred additional costs and that they had met their deliverables. CAO Miceli said he had advised council at that meeting some months ago that there would be additional costs (I’m pretty sure I remember him saying that- I’ll go back and check my notes later to be sure – but usually if you start modifying and changing things, it costs money…..ever do a house renovation? )

Ultimately, the motion carried. We will not have a tag line and there will be no further action on it at this time. (Yup. I’m disappointed. But I’ll get over it. But I won’t forget it LOL) Councillor McArthur said he’s going to start hashtagging #You’llLoveItHere on his social media.

I was now getting very, very tired…….it was getting close to 9:00.

Zoning By-Law and Offical Plan Amendment for 305, 319 and 327 Dalhousie Street

There were 3 separate motions on this item and Councillor Prue wanted them split into three separate items.

The third item had to do with the boutique hotel to be developed on Dalhousie Street. Councillor Prue was seeking further reports and concerns about parking. He wanted a realistic plan for parking, with exactly how many rooms and how many staff would be working there. He felt that council needed further reports to do it right.

A lady (I did not catch her name) spoke on behalf of Amicone Contracting. She said that that Amicone Properties is not in the hotel business and that this is a new venture for them. They’re in the retirement home business but that there are similarities. They hired a consulting firm to guide them through this. The consulting firm works specifically on hotel development in Ontario and they feel that the parking is sufficient. She also said that the traffic consultant felt that the parking is sufficient. She said that they needed this final approval to begin negotiations. She said one operator is talking about 91 rooms while another is proposing 52 rooms. Either way, they can not begin negotiation until they have this bylaw for zoning passed. She mentioned that they’d be happy to hold a lot that they own on Ramsey Street for 5 years if it’s needed for additional parking.

She also pointed out that the Beer Store is not owned by Amicone Properties. (Shows about rumours in this town……I’ve heard that from so many people, but it’s clearly not true…..)

Councillor Courtney spoke of parking concerns again. He wondered how people will get to the amenities that we’re building and where they will park. Deputy Mayor Meloche pointed out that we’ve had many successful events and that the parking was dealt with.

Mr Galvin, Director of Planning and Legislative Services pointed out that towns don’t want people parking right in front of wherever they’re going. They want them parking all over and walking. He said traffic impact studies are done and analyzed based on math and it works. (Small side note…..We went to Quebec City last summer…..not a lot of parking there at all…..we parked our car and didn’t touch it for 5 days, we walked every where……then we went to Ottawa for 2 days…..the hotel offered off site parking…..we were told to request our car 15 minutes in advance if we needed it…..we let them park it and we walked everywhere for 2 days…….and it was one of our best vacations!)

Anyway, the motion finally carried to amend the zoning for the hotel. It was 9:00. I was tired and wiped out. I left. The meeting could still be going, I’m not sure. They had two more in-camera items to discuss :

SPECIAL IN-CAMERA COUNCIL MEETING
That Council move into an In-Camera Meeting of Council directly following this
regular meeting pursuant to Section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as
amended, for the following reason:
Item A – Section 239(2)(f) – Advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege,
including communications necessary for that purpose.

Item B-Section 239(2)(b)-Personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees.

Item C-Section 239(2)(d)-Labour relations or employee negotiations

And that’s it! Not sure what else happened after I left. I hope I didn’t miss any excitement.

See you in two weeks! 🙂

May 24, 2019 amherstburg2

In preparation for Monday May 27th Regular town council meeting

Monday night’s agenda is a light 170 pages. I was going to skim through the blog tonight and then read through it more carefully tomorrow or Saturday, but when I took a peek, I figured I could get ‘er done tonight. Here are the highlights as I see them :

DELEGATIONS
Request for Sign By-law Exemption for Ribfest – Steve Butcher, Rotary Ribfest

It appears that Mr Butcher will be seeking an exemption to the town’s sign bylaw to allow the Rib Fest to advertise their event 28 days prior, rather than 14 days prior to the event as is the current bylaw. For those of you with a good memory, or who followed the previous council, you may remember that the Rib Fest requested the same exemption two years ago and had to jump through hoops of fire to get their request granted. Hopefully, this time it will be quick and painless for everyone involved. Fourteen days to advertise an event is simply not enough time in my opinion. I am hoping that the Rib Fest will be a huge success as it has been in the past and that council will grant their request quickly and efficiently.

Request for Deferral of Noise By-law Exemption – Gary Wellman

It seems that Mr Wellman will be requesting a deferral to the following item on the agenda……the noise by-law exemption for the outdoor patio at the Legion.

Request for Noise By-law Exemption on Outdoor Patio – Laurie Fryer Cavanaugh, Branch President, Royal Canadian Legion Fort Malden Branch 157

Then the legion will delegate before council requesting an exemption to the noise bylaw for 3 nights per week for their outdoor patio.

Comments on Noise By-law Exemption – Dave Beneteau

Then, Mr Beneteau will speak in opposition to granting the exemption to the noise bylaw.

(Their arguments are all lined out in their delegation forms, but I’ll be listening to see how council receives both sides of this issue and what types of questions they’ll be asking…..I think this part of the meeting may be long……I can see both sides of the situation……)

Amherstburg Branding Strategy Tagline

So, we are back to the original proposal. Administration is recommending “Born to Make History” to be our tag line. That was the tag line brought forth originally. Councillor Prue has expressed his dislike of this tag line on several occasions.

From the report : “The tagline “BORN TO MAKE HISTORY”, previously recommended to Council, was designed to pay tribute to the genuine role history plays in peoples’ lives based on how it shaped and continues to inspire culture, business and lifecycles for Amherstburg.
The tagline verbally expresses the images in the new logo design adopted by Council.
There are many notable actions throughout the history of the Town that reflect the
relevance behind the tagline “BORN TO MAKE HISTORY”. In particular, some of the life
events that occurred in Amherstburg were in part why Canada was born. Listed are
some, but certainly not all, of the influential people and events that were BORN TO
MAKE HISTORY.”

I have many feelings about this issue, but I’ll try to focus on the most important ones. First, council members should not be weighing in with their personal feelings about the tag line. They were not elected to make decisions based on their personal feelings. They were elected to make decisions that are good for the community as a whole. Whether a member of council “likes” or “dislikes” the proposed tag line should not be an issue. The issue is, is the tag line a good, solid one that will help promote our town to tourists….is it catchy and interesting……? Second, I sincerely hope that council does not debate this so much that they over analyze the tag line into something it’s not. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar….right?

Is “Born to Make History” a good, solid, catchy tag line? I think it would serve Amherstburg well. I hope council can look at this is a big picture issue and not get caught in the minutia. We’ll sell.

Oh, and guess what? All this indecision and analyzing the logo and tag line has cost us an extra $5,500. Please council, don’t waste more time and money analyzing and redoing a tag line that is ready to go.

2019 Special Events Approval – Part III

As per some changes the previous council made, each group must come before council to have approval for their events. The following events are looking for approval :

Senior’s Expo – June 7-8, 2019
South Coast Adventure Race (S.C.A.R.) – June 15, 2019
Canada D’Eh Run – July 1, 2019
Amherstburg Uncommon – September 27- 29, 2019

Some events are seeking exemption from various bylaws, for example street closure or noise bylaws.

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

Overall, I am anticipating a long one Monday night. Here’s to hoping that I’m wrong. LOL

May 14, 2019 amherstburg2

Monday May 13th Regular town council meeting

***Councillor Courtney and Mayor DiCarlo were absent tonight***

Tonight’s meeting was refreshingly efficient if even a tad boring at times. It finished up around 8:10, which isn’t too bad since it didn’t get started until around 6:15.

When I arrived 5:45, the planning meeting was still going. (the one about the boutique hotel). I could hear Councillor Prue speaking through the speakers in the lobby and asking about alternate provisions for parking. There seemed to be some back and forth, but I do believe that finally, the motion was passed to allow this hotel development to proceed to the next step. (Thank goodness!!!!! Let’s get ‘er done!)

Deputy Mayor Meloche called the meeting to order. He talked about attending the Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce business excellence awards this past Thursday evening. He mentioned that Dr. Richard Peddie provided an enlightening speech to the crowd. (For those who didn’t get a chance, I posted a copy of the speech on Friday. Take a read, it’s well worth it.)

Then, Deputy Mayor Meloche addressed some fundamental rules about the town council meetings. He said that council must be able to operate without coercion and that decorum is required in council chambers by council, administration and the attendees. He said that interruptions, heckling and comments are disrespectful. He said that comments on issues belong to council and if a member of the gallery wishes to speak, they need to raise their hand. However, what they talk about should be about the issues, not an individual or their qualifications or where they reside. He asked that he not be put in a position to enforce the procedural bylaw, but that ultimately a person could be asked to leave.

The Clerk then outlined various parts of the rules of procedure. She explained that in the Mayor’s absence, the Deputy Mayor chairs the meeting and can expel anybody for improper conduct. She reminded us that delegations are allowed a maximum of 5 minutes and only a verbal motion will allow an extension. Presentations are allowed 10 minutes. She explained that members of council should not use insulting words or criticize decisions of council.

So, now that we all got a good reminder of how democracy really works, the meeting got underway.

Councillor Prue said that he spoke with the Integrity Commissioner regarding Belle Vue. He explained that his wife is the President of the Belle Vue Conservancy and that he is involved, however he does not have a conflict of interest regarding Belle Vue as per the Integrity Commissioner. (Kudos to Councillor Prue to being upfront about this and being clear about his position and getting a legal opinion from the Integrity Commissioner.)

2018 Year in Review, Plans for 2019, and 2019/2020 Official Visitors Guide – Gordon Orr, CEO, and Lynnette Bain, Vice President, TWEPI, and Anne Rota, Manager of Toursim, Town of Amherstburg

TWEPI presents annually to council. Mr Orr and Ms Bain addressed council. They explained that their commitment began 7 years ago to regularly attend council meetings. The said that tourism is a significant economic generator and showed a short 2 minute video. I noticed during the video there was mention of a Hotel Economy strengthening and improving a community. The many awards won were mention. The theme of “Where can we take you?” was prevalent with not only dining options but things to do and see and events that are available in any given community. Ms Bain explained that tourism is a job creator and economic generator. Part of their presentation focused on cycle friendly initiatives and fishing. TWEPI gave a shout out to Ms Anne Rota, Director of Tourism and CAO John Miceli for their collaboration and hard work. Amherstburg’s fall campaign will include the Uncommon Festival, the Festival of Hawks and the River Lights Festival.

DELEGATIONS

Support for Proposed Dalhousie Street Hotel – Gary Wellman

This delegation was withdrawn.

Belle Vue Conservancy Update and Next Steps – Shirley Curson-Prue,
President, Belle Vue Conservancy

Ms Curson-Prue delegated before council regarding the Belle Vue Conservancy update. Here is their recommendation :

Recommendation
It is recommended that Council receive this report and provide direction to
Administration to advertise or otherwise seek out the interest of major sponsors
or partners to build a Conference/Event Centre on the Belle Vue property behind
the Belle Vue House National Historic Site. In addition, a sponsor/partner is also
needed to conduct renovations inside the house to return the Belle Vue House to
its original glory.

Ms Curson-Prue went through the history of how Belle Vue was purchased and the various repairs made so far. She said the next projects will include windows and new program with naming rights. Also, a multitude of inside work projects are on the list of work to be done. (the centre hall, kitchen etc.)

Councillor Simone made the motion of the above recommendation. Councillor McArthur seconded it. CAO Miceli asked council to consider partnership for the entire site and that would be a third point to consider. Councillor Prue mentioned an agency (I didn’t catch the name) that wants to build the gardens and pay for them (heck yes!) and that’s where the CAO pointed out that adding that to the motion would allow him to speak with that agency. So, after some discussion, the motion was adopted with the amendment of exploring partnerships for the entire site.

Temporary Amendment to Designated Fishing Area Kings Navy Yard Park –
Kevin Sprague (supplementary agenda)

Mr Sprague addressed council and explained that the white bass/silver bass migration time is coming soon. He said they’re easily caught, there’s no quota and they’re edible. (Disclaimer, I know NOTHING about fishing, I’m doing my best here…..) He said that the anglers come and they’re residents and non-residents alike. He felt that there’s a large area for fishing, but only 53 feet in KNYP. Mr Sprague pointed out that fishing is prohibited in other areas. He said the area at the Navy Yard Park is very crowded and people either go outside the area or leave Amherstburg. It seems they also get ticketed. He asked for temporary use of the extra space until the end of June.

Then Deputy Mayor Meloche moved up Councillor McArthur’s notice of motion.

NOTICE OF MOTION
Expand Fishing Area at Kings Navy Yard Park for Silver Bass Run –
Councillor McArthur

I, Councillor McArthur, hereby provide Notice of Motion to Town of
Amherstburg Council:
That the Town expand the fishing area in King’s Navy Yard Park for the
duration of the Silver Bass Run, which generally occurs over a period of
several weeks in mid-to-late May depending on water temperature.
That the Town take the necessary steps to accommodate an anticipated
increase in traffic, including setting out additional garbage cans and
emptying them as required.
That the Town use its social media channels to inform the public of the
temporary expansion of the fishing area in King’s Navy Yard Park.

Councillor McArthur explained that he is not an angler but he was a reporter. He had seen the anglers elbow to elbow on Riverside Drive. At the time, he went to write an article and discovered people were there from Manhattan, Ottawa etc. Councillor McArthur spoke of the need of more fishing space and said he went to the Navy Yard Park and measured it out. He felt it could be extended along the river front up to about Murray Street (where the secondary entrance is to the Navy Yard). He felt it was worth it to give it a shot until the end of June.

Councillor Prue said that past councils had said no to this initiative in the past, citing issues with overflowing garbage, the washrooms being a disaster (people were using the washrooms to clean the fish!!!!! yikes!) and questioned if staff would be available to deal with these issues. Mr Roberts, Director of Parks and Recreations said that staff could be made available however, things are tight with a wet spring and the grass needs cutting etc. He also said that he knows from past experiences that abuses of the KNYP will not sit well with residents.

Mr Galvin, Director of Planning, Engineering and Legislative Services expressed agreement. He concurred that there had been a significant number of complaints in the past. He also cited that casting the fishing rods can be dangerous and difficult to control with a 53 foot area. He felt it would be more difficult with a larger area and that additional resources would be needed.

Councillor Prue pointed out that June 14th is the kids annual fishing day and mentioned only allowing the fishing until the 13th of June. Mr Roberts pointed out that the Parks Department doesn’t police the event and that they would probably close the washrooms during that time frame since they can’t risk people cleaning fish in the bathroom…..it creates some real problems with the plumbing. Ms Rubli, Manager of Licensing then spoke and told council that two people were “hooked” last year. She recommended sectioning off the area with fencing for the safety of the residents. The CAO pointed out that if the area were fenced, it would need a controlled entrance. He told council that the fencing would create an extra cost (renting, sectioning, increased garbage, increased staffing etc) and wondered about partnering with the AMA Sportsmen’s Club. He warned council that costs would be incurred that are not in the budget.

Councillor Prue asked to amend the motion to allow the extra fishing area on a trial basis up to June 13th, to allow the kids to fish on the 14th. Councillor Simone asked about using the fencing that had been purchased for the upcoming Rib Fest. (Good catch! No pun intended.) The CAO said that the purchase order was issued but he was unsure if it would be here for June 1st. Mr Roberts confirmed that the fencing would not be here in time for June 1st so a rental would be necessary. Councillor Renaud mentioned that it was important to have someone police it, that he’s seen the problems that can be created.

So after a respectful, healthy debate, council approved the motion to expand the fishing area from June 1st to June 13th in the Navy Yard Park. At this point, we’ll just have to see how it goes.

2018-2019 Service Delivery Grant

“On March 20, 2019 The Town of Amherstburg received notice from the Ministry of
Municipal Affairs that the Town would receive one-time funding of $620,201 in 2019.”

It looks like the money is now available.

In the report, the province stated : “While this investment is unconditional, it is intended to help modernize service delivery and reduce future costs through investments in projects such as: service delivery reviews, development of shared services agreements, and capital investments. Our government believes that municipalities are best positioned to understand the unique circumstances and determine where and how this money is
best spent.”

Administration is recommending that the grant money be used to offset some costs to the Windsor Police Contract changeover. From the report : “As noted in the correspondence regarding the Service Delivery Grant Funding (Grant), the funds are to be used toward modernizing service delivery and reducing future costs including shared service agreements.”

The Treasurer pointed out that the service guidelines from the province wanted to ensure that the funds were used for efficiencies in service delivery and that the Windsor Police Contract best fit that description.

Councillor Simone asked if the funds could be used towards a busing system for Amherstburg. The CAO explained that a study was budgeted for however the purpose of this grant is for current service efficiencies, not new initiatives. The town does not currently provide busing services, so that is not the intent of the grant.

Finally, it went to a recorded vote, to apply the grant money toward’s the Police Contract changeover costs.

In support : Councillor McArthur, Councillor Prue, Councillor Renaud, Deputy Mayor Meloche

Opposed: Councillor Simone

The rest of the items on the agenda flew threw with very little if any discussion. Until….

Unfinished Business

Councillor Prue pointed out that he had inquired about the Amherstburg Community Fund (ACF) at the last meeting. There is a report requested that has not been provided as of yet. Councillor Prue said he’s been unable to reach Mayor DiCarlo. He said that on Thursday night that the Chief Speaker at the Annual Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards announced he had been elected the President of the ACF as well as 5 others were elected to the Board. He wondered if Mr Richard Peddie was now the chair and how he and the others had been elected and by whom.

Deputy Mayor Meloche pointed out (again, like last week and several other meetings) that the ACF has always been a separate entity and is independent of the Town of Amherstburg. Councillor Prue wondered who was entitled to elect that board. Deputy Mayor Meloche said that the ACF is an entity of it’s own and they can do what they want. Councillor Prue said that up until last week, he believed that the Mayor, Mr Daly, the Treasurer and the previous Deputy Mayor were on the ACF Board. He wondered if they had resigned and if the town would be processing cheques for this group.

Mr Rousseau stated that he had resigned his position with the ACF. Councillor Prue asked to whom he should write regarding getting his requested report. The CAO said that he could write to Mr Richard Peddie, since he is now the President of the ACF and they are a separate Board.

Councillor Simone inquired about a post that had been on Facebook about staffing issues with the police department. The CAO said that it is not an issue. Staff Sergeant DeLuca (the officer in charge in Amherstburg) said that there had been a post about the minutes from a police association meeting being leaked to the media. He stated that information was incorrect. He said that staff levels continue to meet or exceed the terms of the contract. There have been no changes in staffing levels from the old Amherstburg Police to the change to Windsor Police – Amherstburg Detachment. He said that he can not discuss specific numbers (I am guessing that would compromise safety) but that they are meeting and exceeding staff levels. (Hmmmmm……seems like maybe some fake news to hit social media to create a frenzy……about nothing……)

The meeting wrapped up around 8:10 and that was about it. So, it looks our hotel is one step closer (yay!!! And to think some people said that was fake news…..hmmmm…..), yet here we are, planning for a new hotel! I am so happy about that! We’ll see how the fishing thing goes. I’ll keep an open mind, I don’t fish, so I doubt it will really affect me either way…..and I’ll sleep soundly knowing that our town is still being safely and adequately policed.

See you in two weeks! Hopefully, we’ll have many more, polite, democratic, efficient meetings coming our way!

May 11, 2019 amherstburg2

In preparation for Monday May 13th regular town council meeting

I’ve got another busy weekend ahead, so I’m going to skim through the highlights for Monday’s meeting. I foresee a loooong meeting Monday night.

First, council will meet in-camera at 4:00

SPECIAL IN-CAMERA COUNCIL MEETING
That Council move into an In-Camera Meeting of Council at 4:00 p.m. pursuant
to Section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, for the following reason:
Item A – Section 239(2)(c) – A proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of
land by the municipality or local board; and, Section 239(2)(k) – A position, plan,
procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiation carried on or to
be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality or local board.

Then, council has a Planning meeting at 5:00. I don’t usually attend planning meetings and I probably won’t attend this one. But they’ll be discussing :

Zoning By-Law Amendment for 209 Sandwich Street North

Official Plan No. 9 and Zoning By-law Amendment for 305, 319 and 327
Dalhousie Street

This item looks to be about the new hotel development area. I would hope that council will welcome this with open arms and do whatever is necessary to make this process as easy as possible for the developers. We NEED a hotel! This looks to be the very first steps to begin the process. I hope council makes this happen and as quickly as possible!

Here is the quote from the agenda…”The purpose of Official Plan Amendment No. 9 to the Official Plan is to change the designation of the subject lands from General Commercial to General Commercial Special Policy Area 18 to allow the development of a four-storey hotel on the subject land with access permitted from Dalhousie Street and Gore Street.”

Regular Meeting at 6:00

The agenda is only 256 with a supplementary agenda of 3 pages. It could be an efficient meeting, or not…..based on the length of the agenda, I’m hoping for efficient. I hope council did their homework ahead of time and got their information and questions answered in advance!

DELEGATIONS

Support for Proposed Dalhousie Street Hotel – Gary Wellman

Mr Wellman will be delegating before council in support of the proposed Dalhousie Street Hotel. I read his delegation submission and I agree wholeheartedly. Looking forward to hearing him speak on Monday night.

Belle Vue Conservancy Update and Next Steps – Shirley Curson-Prue,
President, Belle Vue Conservancy

Ms Curson-Prue will be delegating before council regarding the Belle Vue Conservancy update. Here is their recommendation :

I will be listening to hear council’s ideas about this.

Temporary Amendment to Designated Fishing Area Kings Navy Yard Park –
Kevin Sprague (supplementary agenda)

This is on a supplementary agenda and there is little information available. I will keep my ears open to hear what Mr Sprague has to say about the fishing area.

TWEPI presents annually to council. I always enjoy their presentations since it focuses on tourism and the “goings on” in our town. Looking forward to hearing their report about the past year and the year to come!

2018-2019 Service Delivery Grant

“On March 20, 2019 The Town of Amherstburg received notice from the Ministry of
Municipal Affairs that the Town would receive one-time funding of $620,201 in 2019.”

It looks like the money is now available.

I’d like to hope that council will see and appreciate the logic behind this recommendation, since the policing contract was all about shared services, however, I have a gut feeling this may turn into a grandstanding opportunity. We will wait and see I guess. I hope I’m wrong about the grandstanding.

Tandem Truck with Snowplow Wing and Salter-Sander – Award of
Tender

It appears that a tender was issue for this particular machine, the price is in and council needs to approve it.

2019 Annual Street Tree Report and Arborist Position

The trees just keep coming back for discussion. It appears that administration wants council to approve hiring an arborist on a contract basis. In 2017, there was a huge study done on every single tree that the municipality owns. It looks like there is still work to be done and an arborist’s services are required for the rest of 2019.

Amherstburg Soccer Club (ASC) – Sign Request

This looks like a small item to enter into an encroachment agreement for a sign with the Amherstburg Soccer Club at the Libro Centre.

Amending Development Agreement for 83 Sandwich Street South

This looks to be a housekeeping item regarding the Wendy’s development. Hope we don’t hear the word “deferral” LOL. (The pictures in the plan look great!)

Municipal Lease Policy

This looks to be a new leasing policy for people that wish to lease municipal property.

“By adopting this policy, Council is informing the business community that the Town is
receptive and interested in entering into new lease agreements that complement and
support current programs and services to benefit the overall community. ”

Concussions Policy and Code Adam Alert – Missing Child Policy

It seems that the concussion policy needs updating and is recommended to be amended. It appears that the Code Adam Alert – Missing Child Policy is a new policy that is recommended for adoption by council. Regarding the Concussion policy, it will provide concussion awareness training to town staff that are involved with recreation activities in town. The Code Adam Alert is to be used at public functions should a child go missing. It allows for an immediate notification system and search process to begin during an event with a large number of people in attendance.

I believe both of these policies are extremely important and would guess that council will endorse them.

Amherstburg Water Treatment Plant Submission of the 2018 Annual
Summary Report

This appears to be an annual report to council about the water treatment plant activities.

NOTICE OF MOTION
Expand Fishing Area at Kings Navy Yard Park for Silver Bass Run –
Councillor McArthur

And that will wrap it all up. I hope that council does their due diligence and gets their information and questions answered ahead of time. I believe council receives the agendas on Wednesday’s to allow them ample time to read, get information and ask questions well in advance of the meeting. What am I saying here? I’m saying that I hope council arrives prepared Monday night for an efficient and productive meeting. That’s what we pay them for, I think.

May 10, 2019May 10, 2019 amherstburg2

Richard Peddie speaks at Amherstburg’s Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards banquet

Last night, I had the honour of listening to Mr Richard Peddie address the crowd at the Annual Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet. Mr Peddie is the former President of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. He currently resides here in Amherstburg on Boblo Island. He addressed the crowd of about 200 people and I felt that his message was so important, I wanted more people to hear it. So, I asked him for a copy of his speech and he was gracious enough to comply. I hope you, my readers enjoy it as much as I did! Here it is:

FOR AN EVEN BETTER AMHERSTBURG

THANK YOU DAN FOR THAT KIND WELCOME

IT IS NICE TO BE BACK AT THE CHAMBER’S ANNUAL BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS

I ALWAYS ENJOY SALUTING ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE FOR THEIR EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE

TONIGHT IS OUR CHANCE TO RECOGNIZE THE VERY BEST

IN EVERYTHING FROM HOSPITALITY, SERVICE, NON PROFIT, ACCESSIBILITY, ENTREPRENEURIAL , PROFESSIONAL, EMPLOYER, LEGACY

ONE OF THE CATEGORIES THAT I AM WATCHING CLOSELY IS THE NEW BUSINESS CATEGORY WHERE THERE ARE THREE VERY DESERVING WINNERS

BUT NO MATTER WHO WINS

ALL OF THE NOMINATED CANDIDATES LIVE UP TO THE CHAMBER’S MISSION

WHICH IS TO.

“POSITIVELY IMPACT THE BUSINESS GROWTH AND PROSPERITY OF AMHERSTBURG’

AGAIN CONGRATS TO YOU ALL FOR BEING NOMINATED

(PAUSE)

WOW. I THINK YOU WOULD ALL AGREE THAT AMHERSTBURG HAS BEEN ON A BT OF A ROLL

NEW BUSINESSES, NEW HOTELS ON THE HORIZON, RISING PROPERTY VALUES

AND AN INCREASED FEELING OF OPTIMISM

AND THAT BUZZ IS NOT ONLY BEING FELT HERE IN OUR TOWN

ITS ALSO BEING RECOGNIZED BY THE MEDIA AND PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE THE TOWN

OF COURSE I AM TALKING ABOUT THE TRIFECTA OF AWARDS THE TOWN RECENTLY EARNED

BEST NEW FESTIVAL

HAVING ONE OF THE TOP 100 FESTIVALS

MUNICIPALITY OF THE YEAR. IS A REALLY BIG ONE

CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO HAD A HAND IN THESE THREE AWARDS

WITH A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO ANNE ROTA AND HER TOURISM AND CULTURE TEAM
(CLAP)

SO CLEARLY AMHERSTBURG IS GETTING TO BE A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND VISIT

BUT YOU KNOW?

I REALLY BELIEVE THE BEST IS YET TO COME

TOGETHER WE CAN HELP CREATE AN EVEN BETTER AMHERSTBURG

THE OPPORTUNITY IS DEFINITELY HERE FOR US

AND THE TIME HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER TO REALIZE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE SUCCESS IN THE TOWN

WHEN I RETIRED AFTER FOURTEEN VERY BUSY YEARS AT MAPLE LEAF SPORTS

I CHOSE TO GET FAR. FAR AWAY FROM PUCKS AND HOOPS

INSTEAD I CHOSE TO EMBARK ON A PERSONAL JOURNEY OF LEARNING AND GROWTH

I DECIDED TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT IT TOOK TO BE A GOOD COMMUNITY BUILDER

THE PAST DEAN OF THE ROTMAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT DR ROGER MARTIN

BELIEVES THAT COMMUNITY BUILDERS NEED TO BE LEADERS

“LEADERS THAT ADDS BRICKS TO THE CIVIL FOUNDATION”

IN HIS BOOK “FIXING THE GAME” MARTIN WRITES

THAT ALL ORGANIZATIONS AND ALL LEADERS HAVE THREE CHOICES WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR COMMUNITY

ONE. LEADERS CAN DO NOTHING

TWO. LEADERS CAN ACTUALLY CHOOSE TO TAKE BRICKS AWAY BY HOW THEY CONDUCT THEIR BUSINESS

AND BY LEADING WITH NEGATIVISM, AND RESISTING ANY CHANGE

THE BEST LEADERSHIP APPROACH

THEY CAN LAY BRICKS TO HELP INCREASE THE ROBUSTNESS OF THEIR COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

NOW ROGER’S BOOK, MY RESEARCH, MY READING, MY EXPANDED NETWORKING WITH COMMUNITY BUILDING EXPERTS

AND MY EXTENSIVE TRAVEL TO GREAT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE WORLD

CONVINCED ME THAT I COULD BE AND SHOULD BE THAT METAPHORIC BRICK LAYER

DURING THESE PAST COUPLE YEARS I HAVE LEARNED A LOT OF COMMUNITY BEST PRACTICES

AND MET A LOT OF KNOWLEDGEABLE, POSITIVE AND IMPRESSIVE PEOPLE

BUT UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE ALSO SEEN THE OPPOSITE OF THAT

THE NAYSAYERS, THE STATUS QUO, THE NIMBY’S

PEOPLE WHO RESIST ANY CHANGE USING THE RALLYING CALL

“NOT IN MY BACK YARD”

PEOPLE WHO WANT THINGS BUT AREN’T WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE

UNFORTUNATELY EVERY COMMUNITY HAS THEM

AND AMHERSTBURG IS NO DIFFERENT

PERSONALLY I HAVEN’T EVER SEEN A COMMUNITY WHERE THE LOUD STATUS QUO GROUP OF CITIZENS ISN’T A FACTOR

HOWEVER, THE REAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE UNDER PERFORMING COMMUNITIES

VERSUS THE GOOD. PROGRESSIVE GROWING, LEADING COMMUNITIES,

IS LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIP FROM THE COMMUNITY’S ELECTED OFFICIALS.

AND LEADERSHIP FROM THE NON ELECTED COMMUNITY LEADERS

WHO DON’T ALLOW THE BAD ACTORS TO BE A NEGATIVE FACTOR

NOW I AM NOT SUGGESTING PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE HEARD

WHAT I AM SUGGESTING IS DON’T GIVE MUCH CREDENCE TO A LOUD BUT SMALL GROUP

WHO YELL AND CRITICIZE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING NEW ON SOCIAL MEDIA

WHEN I RAN THE MAPLE LEAFS AND RAPTORS I WAS CONSTANTLY BEING BOMB BARDED BY THE INTERNET TROLLS

BUT WE HAD A SAYING

‘IF YOU LISTEN TO THE SMALL GROUP OF LOUD FANS TOO MUCH YOU WILL SOON BE SITTING WITH THEM”

SO I ASK ALL OF YOU NOT TO SIT WITH THEM

INSTEAD ASPIRE TO HAVE AN AMHERSTBURG COMMUNITY THAT IS POSITIVE,

THAT USES EMPIRICAL DATA, SCIENCE, AND INTERNATIONAL BEST PRACTICES FOR MAKING DECISIONS

ASPIRE TO BEING A COMMUNITY THAT IS PROGRESSIVE AND DREAMS ABOUT BEING EVEN BETTER.

BECAUSE STANDING STILL IS NEVER AN OPTION

WHEN I THINK ABOUT STANDING STILL I AM REMINDED OF WHAT A GREEK PHILOSOPHER SAID HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO

‘’THE RIVER I STEP IN IS NOT THE RIVER I STAND IN”.

THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MINUTE

“THE RIVER I STEP IN IS NOT THE RIVER I STAND IN”

YOU SEE JUST AS 88 MILLION GALLONS OF DETROIT RIVER WATER. FLOW PAST US EVERY MINUTE THE DETROIT RIVER IS ALWAYS CHANGING

JUST AS THINGS ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING IN AMHERSTBURG AND IN THE WORLD

NEW TECHNOLOGIES. NEW TASTES, NEW OPPORTUNITIES.

THE ENVIRONMENT FOR DAMN SURE

AND PEOPLE ARE CHANGING TOO

TO ME THE CHANGING RIVER QUOTE STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF ADJUSTING STRATEGIC PLANS AND STAYING UP WITH THE TIMES

ALSO IF ONE WANTS TO TO REALIZE COMMUNITY AMBITIONS IT IS IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY

IT IS A SIMPLE FACT THAT GREAT COMMUNITIES COST MONEY

THEY ARE NEVER FREE

IN TODAYS “ANTI TAX” WORLD TOO MANY POLITICIANS ARE ELECTED ON A PROMISE

TO ONLY INCREASE TAXES AT OR BELOW INFLATION

OR CLAIM THAT THEY DON’T NEED TAX INCREASES BECAUSE THEY WILL FIND CUTS AND THE FAMOUS “EFFICIENCIES”

WHILE ALL ORGANIZATIONS CAN FIND SOME EFFICIENCIES THEY WILL SELDOM COVER THE ABILITY TO HAVE LOW TAXES

LOW TAXES IS A FORMULA THAT IS ALWAYS DOOMED TO FAIL

INFLATION IN ONTARIO THROUGH JANUARY WAS A LITTLE OVER 2 PERCENT

THE RECENT PROPERTY TAX INCREASE APPROVED BY OUR COUNCIL WAS ONLY 1.87%

AND TO GET THERE COUNCIL CUT A FEW THINGS I THINK WOULD HAVE HELPED THE IMAGE OF OUR TOWN

A COMMUNITY THAT KEEPS PROPERTY TAXES REALLY LOW WILL NEVER HAVE THE NECESSARY FUNDS

TO BE INVESTED. IN ROADS, PARKS, AND THE MANY TOWN SERVICES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY LIVEABLE FOR ALL

LOW TAXES WILL ALSO NOT ALLOW US TO INVEST IN EXCITING NEW INITIATIVES THAT WILL MAKE THE COMMUNITY EVEN MORE LIVEABLE IN THE FUTURE

NOW I KNOW THAT A CHANGE IN THINKING ABOUT TAXES

OR NEW INITIATIVES IS SOMETIMES TOUGH TO DO

STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT AS HUMANS WE ACTUALLY HAVE A BIAS FOR THE STATUS QUO

WE TEND TO FEAR LOSS MORE THAN WE VALUE GAIN

BUT TO BE AN EVEN BETTER AMHERSTBURG

TO BE THE BEST SMALL TOWN IN ONTARIO. TO LIVE AND VISIT

WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR CONVERSATION

FROM BEING LARGELY ABOUT SHORT TERM SELF INTERESTS

TO FORWARD THINKING PUBLIC INTEREST

TO CHANGE FROM SMALL INTEREST PROJECTS

TO THE BIG PICTURE OPPORTUNITIES,

AND YES ADDRESSING THE BIG CHALLENGES FACING OUR COMMUNITY

A SNOW PLOW APPROACH TO NECESSARY INVESTMENTS IS NOT THE WAY TO ADDRESS BIG ISSUES

BECAUSE PUSHING THEM OUT UNTIL SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE

LIKE A PLOW PUSHES SNOW DOWN THE ROAD IN THE WINTER IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE WAY TO ADDRESS ISSUES

IT IS REACTIVE INSTEAD OF BEING PROACTIVE

AND BEING REACTIVE ALWAYS COSTS MORE MONEY

NOW I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT WHERE WE LIVE IS DEEPLY PERSONAL

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR STREETS, PARKS, OUR COMMUNITY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS IN OUR LIVES

BUT I BELIEVE THAT A PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP BY ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM WILL IMPROVE OUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

MAKE US ALL BETTER CITIZENS

(PAUSE)

LAST YEAR I WAS INVOLVED IN TORONTO’S MUNICIPAL ELECTION

I CHAMPIONED A MORE PROGRESSIVE AND BEST PRACTICES APPROACH TO INVESTING IN TORONTO

HOWEVER THE TORONTO ELECTION RESULTS WERE HUGELY DISAPPOINTING TO ME

TORONTO VOTERS WERE APATHETIC

ONLY 41% OF ILLEGIBLE VOTERS VOTED

AND THOSE WHO DID – OVERWHELMINGLY VOTED FOR STATUS QUO LEADERSHIP

SO I DECIDED TO PULL BACK AND SPEND MORE TIME WORKING ON MY BOBLO GARDEN

THEN ONE DAY OUR AMHERTSBURG MAYOR INVITED ME OUT FOR A COFFEE

AND ASKED ME TO TAKE THE LEAD ON RE STARTING THE AMHERSTBURG COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

NOW I HAD EXPERIENCE WITH FOUNDATIONS AS I WAS ON THE TORONTO FOUNDATION BOARD FOR THREE YEARS

SO I KNEW THAT GOOD COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS CONTRIBUTE LEADERSHIP AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO LOCAL INITIATIVES,

AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITIES

HOWEVER, TO BE PERFECTLY CLEAR THE FUNDS RAISED BY FOUNDATIONS DO NOT REPLACE TAXES

WHAT THEY CAN DO – IF YOU LKE ?

IS GIVE A COMMUNITY SOME TOPSPIN

THEY CAN ADD POSITIVE MOMENTUM TO OPPORTUNITIES

AND THEY CAN ADDRESS SOME COMMUNITY ISSUES

NOW FRANKLY I WAS RELUCTANT TO AGREE TO ALDO’S REQUEST

I WASN’T SURE ABOUT TAKING ON ANOTHER PUBLIC ROLE

SO I ASKED MY WIFE COLLEEN WHAT SHE THOUGHT?

AND COLLEEN SAID TO ME:

“WE LOVE LIVING IN AMHERSTBURG

WE HAVE ALREADY INVESTED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE COMMUNITY

YOU ENJOY BEING AN ACTIVE PHILANTHROPIST

AND RICHARD YOU DEFINITELY KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKES COMMUNITIES GREAT

SO WHY WOULDN’T YOU WANT TO ADD BRICKS TO AMHERSTBURG?”

YOU SEE

COLLEEN HAD READ ROGER MARTIN’S BOOK TOO

SO I ACCEPTED AND JUST THIS PAST MONDAY A NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS WAS ELECTED TO RUN THE “NEW AND IMPROVED” AMHERSTBURG COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

WITH ME AS THEIR UNPAID PRESIDENT

IN FACT WITH NO PAID EMPLOYEES JUST VOLUNTEERS

TO KEEP OUR EXPENSES LOW AND RETURN ALMOST EVERY DOLLAR WE RAISE RIGHT BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY

WITH A BOARD IS MADE UP OF VERY CREDIBLE COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT ARE READY TO ACTIVELY RAISE FUNDS

SOME OF OUR DIRECTORS ARE IN THE ROOM TONIGHT

JEN DESJARDINS – WHOSE FAMILY HAS CREATED THE VERY IMPRESSIVE GL HERITAGE BREWING COMPANY. I BELIEVE THEY WON AWARD AT LAST YEARS CHAMBER EVENT

LORI WIGHTMAN WHO WORKS AT A COMMUNITY JEWEL – OUR CARNEGIE LIBRARY

DAN GEMUS AND CHRIS GIBB WHO HAVE BEEN LEADERS OF THIS CHAMBER FOR YEARS

NOT WITH US TONIGHT ARE WOLFHEADS’ TOM MANHERZ AND DAVE BENETEAU

THE “NEW” COMMUNITY FOUNDATION BOARD IS NOW INDEPENDENT

NO LONGER DEPENDENT ON THE TOWN ADMINISTRATION

IT HAS ITS OWN BYLAWS, LEGAL REPRESENTATION INSURANCE. AUDITOR

AND WILL HAVE ITS OWN WEBSITE

OUR FOUNDATION VISION IS A SIMPLE ONE

ITS TO HELP MAKE AMHERSTBURG A GREAT PLACE TO VISIT AND AN EVEN BETTER PLACE TO LIVE

HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT?

BY MAKING OUR DECISIONS BASED ON OUR THREE CORE VALUES

HEALTHY

CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT THAT HELPS MAINTAIN OR IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH (BODY , MIND AND SPIRIT). OF ALL CITIZENS AND VISITORS

INSPIRING

ENCOURAGE CITIZENS AND VISITORS TO DO SOMETHING, LEARN MORE, CREATE MORE, BECOME MOTIVATED

INCLUSIVE

BROAD, EXTENSIVE, WELCOMING TO ALL. APPEAL TO THE WIDEST NUMBER OF CITIZENS AND VISITORS

THE BOARD HAS ALREADY IDENTIFIED FIVE INITIATIVES ON OUR SHORT LIST

THESE INITIATIVES COLLECTIVELY ADDRESS EDUCATION, PHYSICAL HEALTH, OUR TOWN HERITAGE. ACTIVE PLAY AND VERY TOPICAL SOCIAL ISSUES

WE PLAN TO NAIL DOWN WHICH INITIATIVES WE WILL SUPPORT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS

ONCE WE GET A COUPLE OF SUCCESSFUL INITIATIVES BEHIND US WE WILL INVITE PEOPLE TO SUBMIT INITIATIVES THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH ACF’S THREE VALUES

THE NEW AMHERSTBURG COMMUNITY FOUNDATION BOARD WILL NOT JUST BE A PASSIVE BOARD THAT SIMPLY MEETS EVERY QUARTER

IT WILL BE OUT KNOCKING ON BUSINESS DOORS

VISITING RESIDENTS IN THEIR HOMES

ASKING FOR THE ORDER

GETTING PEOPLE ENGAGED IN INVESTING IN AMHERSTBURG

ALSO ALL THE ACF DIRECTORS ARE PUTTING THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS

THEY ARE PREPARED TO WALK THE TALK

THE SEVEN DIRECTORS HAVE ALREADY PERSONALLY COMMITTED TO DONATING $140,000 OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS

WITH SIXTY THOUSAND OF THAT FUNDING COMING IN THIS YEAR ALONE

IN JUNE THE FOUNDATION WILL HAVE A PUBLIC EVENT TO KICK OFF OUR COMMUNITY FUND AT THE LIBRO CENTRE

AT THAT MEETING YOU WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO MEET YOUR NEIGHBOURS WHO MAKE UP THE BOARD

AND HEAR FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ACF IS HELPING RAISE FUNDS FOR

MORE DETAILS ABOUT OUR JUNE KICKOFF EVENT WILL BE OUT SHORTLY

NOW AN ABSOLUTE KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR FOUNDATION WILL BE YOUR GENEROSITY

ULTIMATELY NOTHING WILL BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOUR FINANCIAL PARTICIPATION

(PAUSE)

RIGHT NOW I AM REALLY PLEASED THAT WE HAVE SEVEN EXCELLENT COMMUNITY LEADERS ON OUR BOARD

BUT WE COULD USE 2-3 MORE

THERE ARE ALMOST TWO HUNDRED COMMUNITY LEADERS IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT

IF YOU ARE A LEADER INTERESTED IN HELPING MAKE AMHERSTBURG AN EVEN BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND VISIT

BY BEING ON THE ACTIVE FOUNDATION BOARD

OR IN HEARING ABOUT WHAT INITIATIVES WE ARE CHAMPIONING

GRAB ME BEFORE YOU LEAVE TONIGHT

OR GIVE ME OR THE DIRECTORS IN THIS ROOM YOUR BUSINESS CARD

AND WE CAN ARRANGE A DISCUSSION WITH ME OR ANOTHER DIRECTOR

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE MONEY TO THE FOUNDATION GIVE US YOUR NAME

OR THINK ABOUT IT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. AND REACH OUT TO US THEN

AND BE SURE TO COME TO OUR KICK OFF EVENT IN JUNE

NOW BEFORE I GET OFF THIS STAGE

LET ME READ TO YOU A LEADERSHIP QUOTE FROM JOHN QUINCY ADAMS THAT CLOSED OUR BOARD MEETING MONDAY NIGHT

A QUOTE THAT I THOUGHT WOULD CHALLENGE NOT ONLY THE LEADERS OF THE NEW AMHERSTBURG COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

BUT ALSO SHOULD CHALLENGE. THE MANY COMMUNITY LEADERS HERE TONIGHT

AND I QUOTE

“IF YOUR ACTIONS INSPIRE PEOPLE. TO DREAM MORE, LEARN MORE, DO MORE, AND BECOME MORE. YOU ARE A LEADER”

END QUOTE

YOU ARE THE TYPE OF LEADER AMHERSTBURG NEEDS

THE TYPE OF LEADER OUR FOUNDATION NEEDS

SO IN CLOSING – CONGRATS TO TONIGHT’S WINNERS

AND ALSO TO THE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO NOT WIN

YOU ARE ALL MAKING A REALLY POSITIVE DIFFERENCE

ALSO THANKS TO THE CHAMBER FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS ON COMMUNITY BUILDING WITH YOU

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY

I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU

WHEN YOU LEAVE TONIGHT

TO BE BRICK LAYERS FOR AN EVEN BETTER AMHERSTBURG

THANK YOU

May 7, 2019May 7, 2019 amherstburg2

Monday May 6th Special town council meeting

Well tonight’s special town council meeting sure was quite special after all. It started at 5:00, should have probably wrapped up by 6:00 at the latest, yet dragged on and on until 7:30. I almost left my seat cushion at home since I really thought the meeting wouldn’t last more than an hour. Luckily, I thought better and brought it.

***Mayor DiCarlo was absent tonight.***

Council had the special meeting to discuss one item and one item only…..the Duffy’s property.

Amherstburg Riverfront Festival Plaza and Marina Class Environmental Assessment – Dan Krutsch and Liz Michaud, Landmark Engineers Inc.

AND

Amherstburg Riverfront Festival Plaza and Marina (296 Dalhousie St.) – Class Environmental Assessment

Mr Krutsch from Landmark Engineers began the meeting with his presentation of the Environmental Assessment that was done on the former Duffy’s property. He explained there had been 2 open houses and that we were now at the final step to complete the process and file the document. He presented their findings and their recommendations and explained several times that council was in a position to undertake the project if they so desired, but were not committed to build at this time. (Please reread this last sentence…….read it again and again and again…..read it so many times that your head feels like it may explode…..now welcome to my world……he probably repeated this sentence dozens of times, since it seems that some on council did not understand that they were not deciding on the Duffy’s development tonight……)

Mr Krutsch showed a picture of the final concept plan. (I included one in my blog in preparation for tonight’s meeting, if you didn’t see it.) He explained that there had been a few small changes since the original concept. He said that it seemed to be the town’s intent to have an active park area and suggested various uses of the site…..music events, tall ship docking, festivals, fishing derbies, graduations, winter market, food festivals……the list goes on. He said a modest size performance area was included and space planned for a monument of some type. The transient marina included space for 24 berths with typical size docks, floating docks and hydro and water. There are 2 buildings proposed, one for office space, border agency services, an ice store etc and the second building for the transient boaters including showers etc.

Mr Krutsch mentioned that the shoreline would be mostly rocks with some steel walls, but minimal steel walls. He said the price for the entire project (IF AND WHEN council should want to proceed) would be between $7 Million and $8 Million. He explained that if the preferred solution were endorsed by council, then the Environmental Assessment could be filed with the Ministry and then the 30 day review process could begin. He explained AGAIN that tonight is just about finishing this process and that council is no way obligated to do the project…..

CAO Miceli then spoke and explained that the plan needed to be endorsed since the Environmental Assessment was a requirement of the Ministry of the Environment. He explained that the Duffy’s property was strategically purchased and that water front property acquisition is part of the town’s strategic plan. He said the proposed plan could be done over 8 phases. He explained again that the Kings Navy Yard Park is a passive park and this area was seeking to be an active park space. Mr Miceli spoke about this park area suiting all needs, for residents and tourism alike and would help increase public access to the waterfront. He reminded council that tonight was simply to commit to a plan and move it forward in order to close the Environmental Assessment. He stressed the importance that council “can’t do nothing” tonight. (On more than one occasion, I was seriously concerned that council was going to do just that and mess up the whole process……but I digress…..) He also said he wasn’t recommending doing the whole project all at once but rather in phases.

Deputy Mayor Meloche then opened up the floor to the residents if there were any questions for the Engineering firm.

Mr Sprague spoke first. He wanted specific number breakdowns. He seemed to feel that many don’t want an amphitheater and that many do want a boat ramp. (I strongly disagree, just putting that out there right now.) Mr Sprague questioned where the overflow parking for the amphitheater would be. Mr Krutsch concurred that the town would need a parking strategy. He also said that he is a boat owner and would use the ramp, however, this location does not make sense in his opinion for a boat ramp. The space could not accommodate the tow trailers and trucks. He felt that those vehicles are not the same types of vehicles that would be seeking parking at a public event. Mr Sprague continued on that 70% of residents wanted a boat ramp……(funny thing statistics are…..later in the meeting I managed to figure out it was 70% of 120 written responses received at the public open houses……hardly a true 70% that want a boat ramp…...) Finally, it seemed the discussion from one resident had no end in sight and Deputy Mayor Meloche reminded Mr Sprague he had 5 minutes. A motion was made to allow him exactly 5 minutes to finish.

Another gentleman spoke (I think Mr. Welman) and said he lives next door to the park. He thanked the previous council for their foresight to purchase this property and the Belle Vue property. He felt the concept of a parking lot at the Duffy’s property was unimaginative. He was very concerned about the lobbying for the boat ramp and felt it was a small group of boaters trying to get their way to the detriment of others. He recalled when the Duffy’s boat ramp existed and how trailers were parked all over the place all day. He said that the area can’t be developed to be all for all people but that it should be used by many. He urged council to support the proposal and felt it was a well thought-out plan.

Mrs Pouget (yes, former Councillor Pouget) then addressed council. She asked questions about the debt load (the Treasurer wasn’t there) and asked if council was aware of the $28 Million to $30 Million upgrade to the water treatment plant that is upcoming. (She was told that they’re aware.) She then asked about the Finance Committee and wanted to know if they had seen the plan. CAO Miceli explained that council makes the decisions and there was no decision regarding finances to be made tonight. Mrs Pouget asked council to defer any decision until the Audit And Finance Committee reviewed the proposal.

Mr Galvin, Director Planning and Legislative Services explained AGAIN that this is simply a process (Environmental Assessment) that needs to conclude. The process tonight did not bind council to anything, they can do anything they want. He said the EA (Environmental Assessment) has to be finished and that council would have up to 10 years to act on it. Again, he reiterated that no money was being committed tonight, that it would be a future decision of council to set the budget, etc should they later want to proceed. (I understood this, the people sitting around me understood this……some people in the gallery did not understand this nor did some members of council…..)

Mr Krutsch spoke again and explained the process. He expressed concern that it was being suggested that the consultants ignored residents about the boat ramp. He explained they received only 120 written comment sheets, 75 of which were in favour of a boat ramp and were hand delivered. He again explained that he’s even biased, since he’s a boater, but this property is the absolute worst for a ramp.

Carolyn Davies then spoke. She supports a boat ramp but not at this location. She felt that the design could be done in phases. She felt it was necessary to be forward-thinking and that the town can’t stay in the dark. She felt it was important to be visionary and reminded council that the core needs to support a hotel.

Mr May (I think?) that owns Happier Camper then spoke. He said he’s getting people in his store that are from Ohio, Chicago and Toronto. They go to the restaurants in town and the local Bed and Breakfasts. He supported the development and felt that the town needs to give people something to experience.

Steve Mitchell from Sprucewood Shores Winery then spoke. (I think I’ve heard him speak before and he makes a lot of sense in my opinion!) He spoke about people coming in from out of town as a congregation but that they’re heading to Kingsville, since there seems to be more there…..more wineries, restaurants and the big anchor…..a hotel….. He said he hopes everything is being done to get the hotels here in Amherstburg and here to stay. He explained that downtowns generate revenue, traffic and that they’re a place of commerce. He said that the future is ahead of us, we need to look at the full view, tourism, the strategic plan, and increasing commerce.

Roger Hudson then spoke. He wondered if council could do this development in 9.5 years and not have to do another Environmental Assessment. He asked some questions about the budget and the CAO explained that if the development is phased in, it will be done each year by council and that the budget is approved by council. The CAO reiterated that no financial commitment was required tonight and that when it comes time, there are options, for example, reserves, levies or issuing debt….(no need to assume that this will all get added to debt down the road, but again, we aren’t there yet, not even close…….simply had to approve the EA tonight. That’s it.) Mr Hudson also asked some questions about ice and ice flow, but the plan won’t have an averse effect on the ice.

Now it was council’s turn to talk……and talk……and talk…..

Councillor Renaud made the motion as presented and Councillor McArthur seconded it.

Councillor Prue said he had a ton of questions. (inside voice here……ugh!!!!) He questioned if the First Nations had been consulted in the process. Mr Krutsch explained that his firm had fulfilled all obligations and they were included and satisfied. He reiterated that there was no reason for council to hesitate to approve the EA and finish the EA process. He again reiterated that council was not obligated to build all, some or none of the amenities. He did explained however, if council were to add another amenity (example boat ramp), they would need another EA. He explained that tonight’s process just laid the groundwork to proceed after 30 days and to council to proceed at their own pace. Councillor Prue asked some questions about parking and the property line also.

Councillor Courtney wanted to know the cost of the EA. ($90,000 although I’m not sure why that mattered, it’s over, or almost over—if council EVER approves it!–and I was started to think they may not….) Councillor Courtney then wondered if council endorses the project if they could change it. Again, Mr Krutsch explained the EA defines the project and doesn’t finalize the design, it’s a comprehensive plan and vision.

Councillor Courtney felt that a traffic impact study should be done. Mr Krutsch explained that the site is not large enough for the real parking issues of a boat ramp. Mr Krutsch said that the site is not appropriate and that the roads were not designed for town vehicles, that the turning radius is very limited. Mr Krutsch also said that socially, the town wanted an active park and this is prime riverfront property and a prime location. (Oh yes it is!!!!! Say it again…..PRIME property, PRIME location, ACTIVE park…...) He went on to explain to Councillor Courtney that a lot of people didn’t write their comments and that the numbers are distorted. The comments he received were in favour of the plan but were not written down. He felt that a boat ramp encourages people to leave town, not to stay.

Councillor Courtney went on about the downtown businesses and the distances of walking the length of the downtown etc etc etc etc etc. It seemed to go in circles and wouldn’t end.

A 5 minute break was called.

After the break, Councillor Courtney questioned the time line and said that he doesn’t like pressure. Mr Krutsch again explained that the process is supposed to start and finish. He said the EA would have to be done again if it’s not finished (as in tonight council!!!!). He said in his 33 years of work and having done countless EA’s, he had never seen one not completed. He explained that this is the lawful way to complete this process. he AGAIN reminded Councillor Courtney that council was not committing to any spending tonight, they just need to give notice to complete the EA to close it and make it official.

Councillor McArthur noted that the amphitheater had been scaled down to a covered stage, more or less. Mr Krutsch explained that they changed the scale to suit the size of the property and the specifics of the amphitheater could be ironed out later at the development stage. Councillor McArthur asked about the acoustics and noise since the park would be near the condos. Mr Krutsch explained that the orientation of the stage had been done to mitigate sound away from the receptors.

Councillor Simone wondered if there may be another amphitheater at other developments, such as Belle Vue. The CAO explained that Belle Vue has a conceptual drawing with a stage performance for theater, but it’s still a concept. He said the $1 Million price tag for the amphitheater is a place holder, or upset limit and would be subject to council approval. He reminded council that the complete project was presented but council could take all, none or a few of the recommendations.

Councillor Renaud then spoke. He talked about when council had purchased the Duffy’s property that many were excited for the purchase and the opportunity. He said when he went door to door that many people cited the Navy Yard Park as our crown jewel and that people were clear they wanted council to go ahead with a plan for the Duffy’s property. He said that there are clear mechanisms in place to control traffic, with shuttles etc, since we’ve done that for many events. He stressed that the plan could be done in phases and that council can control the costs and can get feedback from the residents as the project moves forward. He reminded council that tonight was simply an EA approval and that minor changes can be made and there is time to get the plan in place. (Thank you Councillor Renaud! After having sat through countless meetings – with me LOL – he gets the process! Simply time to move the process forward, not time for details tonight! And that, council controls the budget!)

Councillor Prue then spoke and talked about trying to get donations towards the project. He inquired about a report from Mr Laframboise about how to fund raise. CAO Miceli explained that the Amherstburg Community Foundation is a separate entity and had not provided the report. Councillor Prue said he’d speak to the Mayor next time he sees him. Councillor Prue wondered if the development would affect Boblo Island and the ferry service, however, it seems neither will be affected.

Councillor McArthur then spoke. He said that he had seconded the motion and wanted to move it forward. He felt that there’s an opportunity to do the project with a phased-in approach and that council is in control of the budget. He said he campaigned on #GoAburg and to promote tourism and economic diversification. He spoke about the importance of the hotel. He also mentioned a blogger that was “relentless” and sent 2 questions per week to the candidates during the election. (hmmmmm……who could that be? LOL). He said that he had replied to the question about the Duffy’s development that didn’t want to pave paradise and put up a parking lot. He said while he was campaigning that everybody supports a hotel and he felt that this development would help anchor that. Councillor McArtur said they will also have to factor in how to attract people in the winter. He felt it would be a great book end to downtown, for River Lights, a transient marina and people coming in. He also seemed to support seeking donations.

Councillor Prue said that he was going to vote for this. (I seriously thought he wasn’t going to, up to this point…..). He said he campaigned on economic development. He feels that there should be a boat ramp somewhere, but not at this location. He mentioned possibly the old Boblo wharf as being a good location. He also mentioned the idea of a pedestrian mall and closing the streets downtown every so often to allow people to walk on the streets.

Councillor Simone said she’d be supporting this. She felt we should move forward and that this will add to Amherstburg.

Councillor Courtney said that he thought the concept is beautiful but seemed to feel it was the wrong location. He doesn’t think that the area can accommodate it. He said he will move forward and be fiscally responsible and that everybody could use it. He also mentioned the hotel although he felt other things (the pool and baseball diamonds I think) supersede the Duffy’s development. (I don’t agree with that necessarily but I’m too tired to get into it right now…..)

Deputy Mayor Meloche spoke and also mentioned the parking. He said that many people don’t want to walk one block and that the public lots sit half empty most of the time. (True story…..I use them often, since there’s always room there, but yes, I have to walk a little farther…..) He said that success breeds success and that investors are keen and watching. He reiterated that people want to see the property developed.

It went to a recorded vote :

The motion : To receive the presentation and that council endorse the completed Amherstburg Riverfront Festival Plaza and marina-Class Environmental Assessment as a planning document with recommendations supporting the preferred Solution identified by Landmark Engineers, AND that Administration be directed to issue the Notice of Study Completion for the Amherstburg Riverfront Festival Plaza and Marina-Class Environment Assessment as per the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Planning Process to commence the 30-day review period immediately following finalizing the Environment Assessment.

Support : Councillors Courtney, McArthur, Prue, Renaud, Simone and Deputy Mayor Meloche

After ALL of that…….a two and a half hour meeting, they unanimously supported the motion. Finally!

Just a side note, for those that are interested……for those on council who seem to think we can wait 9.5 years to do something with this plan…….please don’t be naive and think the price will be the same 9.5 years from now…….think about it. I can get an estimate tomorrow to build a new house, renovate my kitchen, get a car repair, you name it……there is NO WAY that the price will be the same next year, nor the year after that and certainly not in 9 years. The estimate of $7M to $8M for this project is in today’s dollars.

Council, get to work, get a plan in place and get this development going and done!

May 4, 2019 amherstburg2

In preparation for Monday May 6th Special council meeting

Well, Monday night will be a special council meeting with one item (a big one) up for discussion…..the development of the Duffy’s property. The agenda is only 26 pages, so a fairly easy read. But, this issue is a big one and I think Monday night could be a “do or die” type of meeting for council. Here’s a summary of the report.

Amherstburg Riverfront Festival Plaza and Marina Class Environmental Assessment – Dan Krutsch and Liz Michaud, Landmark Engineers Inc.

AND

Amherstburg Riverfront Festival Plaza and Marina (296 Dalhousie St.) – Class Environmental Assessment

So first up, it looks like the engineers with present their conceptual drawings and the feedback they received at the public consultation meetings. (Yes, I attended….)

Administration is recommending that council accept the report AND

Council ENDORSE the completed Amherstburg Riverfront Festival Plaza and Marina – Class Environmental Assessment as a planning document with recommendations supporting the Preferred Solution identified by Landmark Engineers; and,
Administration BE DIRECTED to ISSUE the Notice of Study Completion for the Amherstburg Riverfront Festival Plaza and Marina – Class Environmental Assessment as per the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Planning Process to commence the 30-day review period immediately following finalizing the Environmental Assessment.

Now, it will remain council’s decision whether to proceed with development of the property……or not…..or do something different? Council can do whatever they wish.

The previous council decided to invest in our town and purchase the former Duffy’s property. If I remember correctly, all of the members of the previous council, except one, supported the purchase of this key piece of property. Now, it will be up to the new council to decide what to do with it.

As some of you may recall, there was a group that wanted a boat ramp included on the old Duffy’s site. From the report :

“Public commentary was received via comment sheets and through e-mails. While the
public commentary received was generally positive, a large contingent of comments
requested that a boat ramp be included as part of the project. The Study Team
investigated this possibility and concluded that including a boat ramp at the site would
be problematic for the following reasons:

Overflow parking associated with the boat ramp would cause significant adverse
impacts to the downtown area; and
For a boat ramp to be designed into the site, the majority of the site itself would
be taken up for parking to accommodate tow vehicle/trailer combinations. “

Further in the report, the preferred development of the property is :

“Preferred Solution
The Preferred Solution incorporates the following elements:

A significant open plaza area;
A performance area/amphitheatre;
Shoreline improvements;
Angled on-road parking along Dalhousie Street;
Transient marina and supporting amenities; and
Marina breakwater/fishing pier.”

So basically, the preferred solution will offer everything that people want (marina, fishing, amphitheater etc) just no boat ramp.

“Should Council endorse the Preferred Solution a Notice of Completion will be sent to all
project stakeholders and a 30-day review period will commence.”

And if council doesn’t endorse the preferred solution….”Not endorsing the EA and allowing the process to come to completion could jeopardize the timing of the proposed development.”

The total cost for the development is estimated to be between $7 Million and $9 Million dollars. It is proposed to do the development in phases over a number of years in order to help reduce the financial impact and to gradually pay for this development.

Here is a picture of the proposed development :

Duffy's

My Opinion

I have been very excited about this possible development from the very beginning. I was glad that the previous council decided to purchase this property. I think they made a wise, forward-thinking decision. Now, what to do with the property sits in the hands of the new council……

Some will say “we don’t have the money!”. Some will oppose this development for other reasons perhaps. I think that’s a shame. There were some that opposed the development of the Kings Navy Yard Park some years ago. (yes, that’s true, just ask around….) And now, that park is quite literally, an award-winning crown jewel of our town. There were some that opposed the construction of the new arena (again, saying we couldn’t afford it). I can not imagine our community without our fantastic arena! Two ice pads, multiple meeting rooms, a walking track, an indoor soccer field, the list goes on and on…..such a great development for our town. Where would we be if those council’s had been short-sighted and done nothing?

And now here we are……what will council do with this key piece of property that the previous council wisely chose to purchase?

As for the boat ramp…….sorry, I’m not a fan of that idea…..I believe there are 3 private boat ramps available in town and I don’t feel that the town should compete with private businesses. I also don’t feel that it’s a wise use of tax dollars to pave such a key piece of property in order for trucks and trailers to park. The new development will include a transient marina, a fishing pier and even an amphitheater. I think it will make for a wonderful community gathering space that many people will be able to enjoy, the town’s folk and visitors alike.

In fact, tonight, I took a walk from home and purposely went by the Duffy’s property. (I was en route to Caffeine & Co, possibly my favourite place on earth LOL). I took a good look at the old Duffy’s property and how it sits right now……one thing I feel very strongly about is that council has to do something….. I fear that some members of council may be fearful to make a “wrong” decision and therefore won’t make one at all. The price of the development is not going to get cheaper if we wait. What is the cost of waiting?

I sincerely hope that our new council will look to the future and decide to move forward with this development. And, for the record, if my taxes have to increase a bit to help pay for this, I will not complain. Not for a second.

I’ll be back Monday night to let you know how the debate goes…..and definitely to let you know what council decides to do. See you then. 🙂

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Thoughts, opinions, concerns, kudos before and after Amherstburg Council meetings.

Month: May 2019

Monday May 27th regular town council meeting

In preparation for Monday May 27th Regular town council meeting

Monday May 13th Regular town council meeting

In preparation for Monday May 13th regular town council meeting

Richard Peddie speaks at Amherstburg’s Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards banquet

Monday May 6th Special town council meeting

In preparation for Monday May 6th Special council meeting

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