Monday June 24th Regular town council meeting

I’m all fired up tonight. I’m disappointed and I’m angry. I got home and unloaded my frustrations on my husband. Now it’s your turn, if you’re reading LOL. Tonight’s meeting should have been interesting, but it wasn’t. Just some sweep, sweep, sweep and it was over.

**Mayor DiCarlo was absent tonight**

I arrived shortly before 6:00 and council was still in-camera discussing :

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
reasons:
Item A – Section 239(2)(d) – Labour relations or employee negotiations.
Item B – Section 239(2)(b) – Personal matters about an identifiable individual,
including municipal or local board employees.

The regular meeting got under way around 6:20.

DELEGATIONS

The Necessity for Wildlife Awareness – Greg Nemeth

Mr Nemeth addressed council again about his concern for wildlife. He provided various statistics about human population growth and various wildlife issues. His delegation surpassed the allowed 5 minute time span and the Deputy Mayor asked him to wrap up his delegation more than once. Mr Nemeth has delegated many times to council about this issue.

Big Creek Wildlife Awareness Signage

This item was moved up on the agenda since it was in relation to Mr Nemeth’s delegation. The signage had not been recommended in the report.

Councillor Prue made a motion to direct administration to develop an ecotourism and wildlife awareness strategy for future consideration for council. He also included that $2,440 be spent to put up signs about wildlife in specific areas and that staff provide statistics about wildlife deaths after the signs have been installed. (They had included statistics currently for the area, without signs.)

The motion carried. The signs for the wildlife will go up.

Development Agreement for N/S County Road 20

This looks to be another development in the old “Malden” area of town. According to the report  Jon and Kathy Parks are looking to develop 5 lots on vacant agricultural land. It seems the Committee of Adjustment has already approved severing the lots.

For some reason, this proposed development was not met with any resistance, like the other development has been. There were a few questions and then it passed. The 5 lots can proceed to be developed.

Development Agreement for WS Concession 2 North

And more development! This looks to be 3 lots in the old “Anderdon” area of town and to be done by Pacitti Construction.

For some reason, this development was not met with any resistance either. Not even a question. This development will also proceed.

Request for Absence from Council

Mayor DiCarlo released a brief statement last week that he has been absent from council meetings and public engagements due to health issues. This report to council seems to be addressing what council will need to do, moving forward, should his leave need to be extended. It looks like council needs to appoint an alternate to sit on County Council in the Mayor’s absence.

Councillor McArthur had requested that the motions be split, since he has a conflict of pecuniary interest. He said he was okay with the Mayor’s absence, but that he could not vote on his designate for County Council. He explained that he works for the County and is not allowed to run for Mayor or Deputy Mayor and therefore can not vote, nor represent the town on County Council.

The motion was made by Councillor Renaud and seconded by Councillor McArthur to extend the Mayor’s leave.

Counicllor Prue felt that a time limit should be put on the motion. So he asked to amend the motion to put a 3 month time limit on his leave of absence. Deputy Mayor Meloche pointed out that he has spoken with Mayor DiCarlo and that he is eager to get back to work but that he is okay with the amendment.

Councillor Courtney said he wants to see the mayor return. He noted that if it were a parental leave, there is a 5 month leave allowed without a resolution from council, so he wanted to extend this current sick leave to 20 weeks, like the parental leave. (I’m not sure if he had missed that Councillor Prue had added in the 3 month time limit stipulation.) He started talking about the 20 weeks starting from the first day of the mayor’s absence. Then it got confusing, since the motion had already been amended to extend 3 months from today’s date.

Councillor McArthur and Councillor Renaud (the mover and seconder) both said they were fine with 3 months from today and that that was clearer than starting to try to count backwards from his first absence. Councillor McArthur addressed a comment he had heard from the crowd about “who’s running the town?”. (Side note……this is what I’ve talked about before…..the commentary from the gallery……often negative, rude and insulting……it’s a shame.) Councillor McArthur said that all of the members of council have been out representing the town and the Deputy mayor has been doing a very good job. He felt that Mayor DiCarlo has earned a grace period and pointed out that he still answers emails and is active on Facebook and Twitter. He said he was happy to have his back. (I’m not quite so sure about a few others on council…...)

Finally, they voted and it carried…..the Mayor’s medical leave has been extended 3 months from today’s date. (The vultures can mark it on their calendar. You know who you are. And I now who you are.)

Then council had to vote on a designate to represent us on County Council. (Councillor McArthur sat out for this, due to his conflict.) After a bit of a discussion, council voted for Councillor Prue to be the delegate on County Council.

Breach of Confidentiality

It seems that there was a breach of confidentiality that was brought to the Clerk’s attention on June 6th. The Integrity Commissioner was consulted and it was felt that the breach should be investigated since a breach of confidentiality is a serious breach of public trust and a violation of the code of conduct. Council was being asked to request that the Integrity Commissioner investigate this breach.

And…………….will there be an investigation to protect the public trust? NO! As soon as this item came up on the agenda, Councillor Simone made a motion so fast that based on the report and the private and confidential memo that no further action be taken. This was quickly seconded by Councillor Prue. And bada-bing, bada-boom, the motion carried. I guess council only wants to keep administration accountable and not themselves? Wow just wow.

Unfinished Business Item – Amherstburg Community Foundation

And does everyone remember this one too? The previous council wanted this report and then the new council kept at it…..from the report :

“On November 13, 2018, the following motion was approved by Council:
“That the Amherstburg Community Foundation BE REQUESTED to provide
Council with the progress that has been made to date by the Crown Park
Corporation hired at a cost of $12,000 to oversee fundraising for Belle Vue; and,
That the Amherstburg Community Foundation provide to Council the information
pertaining to how the Crown Park Corporation was selected.”

Well, Council got the report they wanted in a private and confidential memo from administration. Councillor Prue pressed that the document is vital and should be released to the public. He felt that the Amherstburg Community Foundation is now run by new people with Mr Richard Peddie in charge of the foundation. He said that Mr Peddie had had no objection to the report being public. Councillor Courtney felt that the optics behind this foundation and the town were confusing.

The easiest way to explain this I guess is that the ACF has divorced itself from the town and the Belle Vue Conservancy. However, it seems that the Belle Vue Conservancy is not yet divorced from the town…….all this to say, that this report that the previous council and the current council had pushed so very hard for……well,they got it, but they want it to be public. Well, they voted and it will be public after all. That’s great right? Keep reading.

After this item, there was a supplementary agenda item :

September 10, 2018 Breach of Confidentiality – Administrative Investigation

Does everyone remember the big breach of confidentiality that happened prior to October’s election? The one where the Integrity Commissioner was called in to investigate council? The one where an independent investigator was hired to investigate administration – because the previous council insisted that administration had to be investigated also? The report that this new council, in particular Councillor Courtney pushed on and on about in December and January and February? Well, the report came out today! And what did current council do? Simply received it and moved on so fast, as if nothing had happened. What a disappointing way to handle this.

Here’s the low down from the report that will sum it all up for you real quick :

Back in September 2018, this whole situation played out. The Integrity Commissioner investigated council and council directed the Mayor to hire an independent investigator to investigate administration to find out the source of the leak.

Based on the conclusion above, one member of the previous council KNEW that administration had not leaked the information, yet voted for it and seconded the motion to boot. And how much did this unnecessary investigation cost the taxpayers, are you wondering?? Sit down….. $16,469.60. (It’s in the report.)

For the past ten months, people have viciously accused administration and the CAO of being “the leak”. Heck, some have even accused the Integrity Commission of having “falsely accused” former Councillor Jason Lavigne of being the leak. Councillor Courtney pressed for this report in the first few months of this current council’s term. And now they get the report and don’t say a single word about it????? Not one peep???? Not even a simple “Hey, taxpayers, administration is trustworthy and didn’t leak any information at all, just to set the record straight…..and by the way, maybe some residents out there owe an apology to the CAO and the Integrity Commissioner and some members of administration, since, hey they did NOT leak any private information yet you repeatedly accused them of doing so!!!”

I am disappointed and angered with the current council that they did absolutely NOTHING to point out to the public that administration NEVER leaked any information. Not a single word.

Why wasn’t this long-awaited report a big deal for council? Is it because it didn’t contain the information that they had wanted it to contain? They only want to hold administration accountable and not themselves? (Since they quickly brushed the current leak situation under the rug……?)

For those of you who followed and saw the vehemence on line towards administration about this issue here’s the link for the full report. (It’s not long and well worth the read- starts on page 3 to 14):

Click to access 2019%2006%2024%20-%20Supplementary%20Agenda%201%20%202.pdf

The meeting continued on for a bit longer…..council felt other matters important enough to discuss, but not the final resolution to a breach of confidentiality from 10 months ago. The meeting wrapped up around 7:30. I left the meeting angry and still am (in case you couldn’t tell LOL).

I had high hopes for this council for transparency, accountability and public trust. Yet, they quickly vote not to investigate themselves about a breach and then don’t exonerate our town administration when the previous council pushed so darn hard for an investigation. The current council pressed on about it too. Until now I guess.

For those of you who are reading this and who had so much to say about the CAO and administration being the leak, well, it’s apology time. It’s a shame that “your” councillors won’t point out to you that you were wrong. Who should be the first to line up in the apology line? (You know who you are. So do I.)

The CAO was blatantly accused on-line by a few people for months of being the leak. The report comes out that exonerates him and administration yet council says absolutely nothing. Not a single word. Councillor Prue was so concerned about transparency with the Amherstburg Community Foundation report……yet this? Nothing. Councillor Courtney pushed so many times to get this investigative report about administration, then when he gets it…..not a word. The current council held NO ONE accountable for this report, not even themselves.

On that note, next council meeting isn’t until July 15th so I have a few weeks off to let off steam I guess. I am so disappointed.

 

 

In preparation for Monday June 24th Regular town council meeting

Well, another very full and busy weekend ahead once again! I guess I should count myself lucky to have great friends and family to keep me busy all weekend! 🙂

The agenda is only 133 pages, but what an interesting 133 pages it is. Here are the highlights as I see them:

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

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
reasons:
Item A – Section 239(2)(d) – Labour relations or employee negotiations.
Item B – Section 239(2)(b) – Personal matters about an identifiable individual,
including municipal or local board employees.

The public portion of the meeting is set to start at 6:00.

Big Creek Wildlife Awareness Signage

Mr Nemeth has previously addressed council about the turtles and that they’re being run over by cars in the Big Creek area. He had requested that signs be erected to help protect turtle mortality.  Administration is looking to develop an ecotourism and wildlife awareness strategy for future  consideration for council.

It seems that the proposed signs aren’t feasible for several reasons. First, I took this from the agenda :

“The Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Introduction to the Ontario Traffic Manual – Book
1, section 5 – Principles, subsection 5.3 Excessive Use of Traffic Control Devices
simply states:
“Traffic control devices should be well chosen and should be located to assist
the road user. Improper or excessive use, particularly of regulatory and
warning signs, tends to cultivate disrespect for signs in general. As a
result, signs tend to lose their authority.”

Placement, cost, maintenance costs and driver complacency are also all reasons named that show that specific signage may not be the way to go on this issue.

Once again, from the report :

“Should Council opt to proceed with implementation of wildlife awareness signage,
Administration recommends it be included in the 2020 work plan and budget, to avoid
over-expenditure in 2019.
Instead, Administration recommends that Council consider development of a cohesive
ecotourism and wildlife awareness strategy for the Town with supportable outcomes
from the related investment.”

I’ll wait and see what council has to say Monday night.

Walnut Drive Watermain Replacement and Road Improvements (McCurdy to Hawthorn) – Tender Results 

Looks like some budgeted drain work needs approval for the McCurdy Street area. The price is in and this looks to be simply a formality.

Development Agreement for N/S County Road 20

This looks to be another development in the old “Malden” area of town. According to the report  Jon and Kathy Parks are looking to develop 5 lots on vacant agricultural land. It seems the Committee of Adjustment has already approved severing the lots. Will this proposed development be met with resistance from certain councillors, as did the other Malden area development? I’ll be listening really closely to this for sure….

Development Agreement for WS Concession 2 North

And more development! This looks to be 3 lots in the old “Anderdon” area of town and to be done by Pacitti Construction. Once again, will this particular proposed development be met with resistance from certain councillors? I’ll be listening closely to this one too…..

Request for Absence from Council

Mayor DiCarlo released a brief statement last week that he has been absent from council meetings and public engagements due to health issues. This report to council seems to be addressing what council will need to do, moving forward, should his leave need to be extended. It looks like council needs to appoint an alternate to sit on County Council in the Mayor’s absence.

Here’s the background on the situation, from the report :

“Council, at its January 14, 2019 Special In-Camera Council meeting, addressed Item E
– Personal Matters respecting the Mayor. At that meeting, the Mayor informed Council
of a medical condition that he thought may affect his attendance at Council meetings.
The Mayor asked for Council’s patience as he works through this personal matter with
his family and would keep Council updated on any changes.

Council, at its January 14, 2019 Regular Council meeting, indicated publicly that it was
supportive of the Mayors circumstance and supports the Mayor in accordance with the
requirements of the Municipal Act.”

It seems that council has also been provided a personal and confidential memo with this report. It seems that council needs to pass a resolution, should the Mayor’s absence need to exceed three months. However, I noticed in the report that the Municipal Act allows a 5 month absence for maternity or parental leave for a member of council, without a resolution from council authorizing their absence. An interesting quandary. No resolution required for maternity/paternity leave of 5 months, but a resolution required for an illness longer than 3 months……just an observation.

From the report once again :

“His Worship the Mayor was present for all of February, and the March 11 and April 8,
2019 meetings of Council, following which time he has been away from Council
meetings for medical reasons. The April 23, 2019 Council meeting marks the date that
the successive 3 months began.
Mayor DiCarlo has requested to be absent until such time as his attending physician
deems him fit to return.”

So, it appears that council will have to make a decision……extend the Mayor’s medical leave or throw is into a by-election?? oh my…….I would hope that council will extend the medical leave and that Mayor DiCarlo gets well soon!

Breach of Confidentiality

Oh my……..Here we go again! Does everybody remember the breach of confidentiality issue before the election? The one where some in-camera information seems to have been shared with someone that was not privy to such information? The one that cost us around $7,000 I believe? The one where the Integrity Commissioner found there was a breach of confidentiality and nothing was done about it? Well, looks like we’re back to the drawing board……more leaks….Hopefully, this time, things will be different.

From the report :
“On June 6, 2019, it was brought to the attention of the Clerk that there was a post on
social media indicating that information shared with Council in a Personal and
Confidential memo was divulged to another individual outside of the intended recipients. ”

The Clerk consulted with the Integrity Commissioner about this issue and it appears that advice will be given to council in a personal and confidential memo. (That is, assuming this memo stays confidential????)

This is a quote from the Integrity Commisioner in the public report (the one that I’m reading):

“…breaches of Confidentiality are serious. This breach, at a minimum, has the
potential to undermine or at least sour relations…Council will have to decide if
they wish to pursue this violation of the Code of Conduct.”

From the report : “The 2018-2022 Term of Council has made great strides with respect to accountability and transparency in the community. With that said, while Council is accountable to its constituents, it is also accountable legally and ethically to the organization, as outlined by the Integrity Commissioner at Council’s November 2018 Orientation. ”

The financial impact is that the Integrity Commissioner costs $300 per hour. Hopefully, this time, everyone will cooperate with the proposed investigation, in order to not run up the bill unnecessarily for the taxpayers. I hope that council authorizes an investigation to be done. Breaches of confidentiality are very serious and should be investigated, certainly at minimum to protect the public trust.

Wow. Just wow. Six months into the term and we’re faced with this already.

Unfinished Business Item – Amherstburg Community Foundation

And does everyone remember this one too? The previous council wanted this report and then the new council kept at it…..from the report :

“On November 13, 2018, the following motion was approved by Council:
“That the Amherstburg Community Foundation BE REQUESTED to provide
Council with the progress that has been made to date by the Crown Park
Corporation hired at a cost of $12,000 to oversee fundraising for Belle Vue; and,
That the Amherstburg Community Foundation provide to Council the information
pertaining to how the Crown Park Corporation was selected.”

“The Amherstburg Community Foundation (ACF) was incorporated on July 24, 2009.
Operating separate and apart from the Corporation of the Town of Amherstburg, the
ACF has a Board of Directors to govern the activities of the foundation as they work
toward executing the mandate noted within the articles of incorporation…”

“On June 3, 2019 ACF Board President Richard Peddie provided authorization to the
CAO to release the ACF’s fundraising report to Council. The report is provided to
Council and attached in a Private & Confidential memo. The report was commissioned
by the ACF Board in 2018 and paid for by ACF funds. The purpose of the report was to
provide recommendations to the Board on a fundraising methodology that may prove to
be successful for ACF going forward. Subsequent to the receipt of the report a new ACF
Board has been established and, based on discussions with Mr. Peddie, ACF chair he
has advised that the board will be undertaking a different approach to fundraising other
than what was recommended by the Crown Corporation in their report.”

So, there it is…..council will get their requested report in a Private and Confidential memo. (The real question here may be……will the information remain confidential??? hmmm…….)

In conclusion…….even though the agenda is only 133 pages……there are some hot button issues on the agenda Monday night. I’ll bring my seat cushion.

 

Statement from Mayor DiCarlo

For those of you who are not on social media, Mayor Aldo DiCarlo just released the following statement :

“In the interest of public trust, and in response to those who’ve sent their concerns, I am currently experiencing some health issues and am under a doctor’s care. I remain devoted to the Town of Amherstburg and hope to be back serving the people in a full capacity very soon. I continue to work behind the scenes where possible. Thank you to all who have expressed their concerns.”

Monday June 10th Regular town Council meeting

Tonight’s meeting lasted about 2 and a half hours…..it wasn’t too exciting, so I’m going to try to summarize it as quickly and painlessly as I can…..I’ll try anyway.

***Mayor DiCarlo was absent tonight***

When I arrived around 5:45, council was still in camera discussing :

SPECIAL IN-CAMERA COUNCIL MEETING
That Council move into an In-Camera Meeting of Council at 5:00 p.m. pursuant
to Section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, for the following
reasons:
Item A – Section 239(2)(b) – Personal matters about an identifiable individual,
including municipal or local board employees; and, Section 239(f) – Advice that
is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for
that purpose.
Item B – Section 239(2)(d) – Labour relations or employee negotiations.

The doors opened close to 6:00 and the gallery was packed with people. (I really love that!) The meeting didn’t get under way for a while though, maybe around 6:15.

Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest & General Nature Thereof

Councillor Courtney declared that the item regarding the amendment for 554 McLeod Avenue was close to his home but that he did not have a pecuniary interest in the development or non development of the site. He simply wanted to disclose that it was close to his home.

DELEGATIONS
Request for Kids Ride Pulled By Golf Cart in Toddy Jones Park – Frank Vitella and Debby Pajot, St. John the Baptist Church

Ms Pajot addressed council. She was asking permission for Mr Vitella to use a train ride pulled by a golf cart in the Toddy Jones Park this coming Sunday for the Parish Picnic. After her presentation and the vote, she declared that this is supposed to be a surprise. So, even though I seriously doubt that any children read this political blog, I won’t disclose the discussion or the vote. If you want to find out, you’ll have to go to the St. John the Baptist Parish Picnic, this Sunday June 16th to see if there’s a golf cart/train ride. 🙂

And now that I think about it, if any children are reading this political blog, good for you! This can be interesting stuff sometimes! (though not tonight LOL)

Street Name Change Marsh Drive to Landor Drive – Mary and David Vandermuren

Briefly, for those who don’t recall, earlier in the year, there was a delegation about Marsh Court and Marsh Drive. They are two streets, separated by another in the Kingsbridge South subdivision. The very close names have caused confusion on many occasions, for some things as simple as pizza delivery to more important issues like ambulance calls. Anyway, council had decided a few months ago to change the name of Marsh Drive to Landor Drive. Marsh Court would remain the same.

Mr Vandermuren addressed council. He was wondering if council could try the larger signs instead of changing the street names. He preferred a band-aid rather than stitches first for the situation. He felt that it would be an inconvenience to change their address. He wondered why the street with 11 houses was chosen for the name change instead of the side with 8 houses. He was also concerned with how long it would take for the new street name to be updated on GPS or Google Maps since most people use those services when they’re searching for an address.

Councillor Prue felt that the street name change was decided on because public safety is the main concern. Councillor Courtney said that council had decided that Marsh Court fit the definition of a court and was already worded properly so that’s why council had decided to rename the Marsh Drive road. Deputy Mayor Meloche pointed out that council didn’t want a band-aid solution and that’s why they had decided to fix the problem and rename the road.

Street Name Change Marsh Drive to Landor Drive –Michael Stacyszyn

Mr Sacyszyn spoke next. He also spoke in opposition to the name change. He seemed concerned how emergency vehicles would find the “new” street based on using a GPS. He preferred having big signs to shown the difference for the two street names.

Councillor Courtney asked about how quickly it would be updated in the dispatch system. Fire Chief Montone explained that it takes approximately 30 days to update it, that there is testing done and that dispatch would use the old address for a short period of time. Councillor Courtney acknowledged that the current council deliberates issues, debate issues and beat the dead horse……(can’t disagree there…..but it certainly seems to depend on the issue, I think….) He said he had voted against renaming the street and agrees with larger signs. He said he wasn’t opposed to readdressing the issue but would respect council’s decision. He asked the others on council to reconsider what they had put through. (Hmmmm……personal side note……seems to be trying to please both sides on this???)

Anyway, council waived the rules of order to allow others in the gallery to speak. Mr Harvey spoke. He was the one who had originally delegated before council some months ago. He spoke of two specific incidents where there were mix ups for ambulance calls. He felt that they were 2 life threatening incidents and that a 30 day potential misdirect was not an issue, since they had been dealing with this issue for many years.

By-law 2019-060 – Street Name Change – Marsh Drive to Landor Drive

So they brought forward this third reading for the new bylaw.

Councillor Prue felt it was a difficult issue since the last time it was discussed there were no objections. He felt it was an emotive issue, but a minor one and that the town will cover some of the expenses incurred by the residents with the address changes. He felt he should err on the side of health and safety.

Councillor McArthur thanked all of the speakers and said that he sympathizes with them and that he feels horrible. He said he had seconded the original motion since he felt that there was only one way and that was to bite the bullet and change the name. He expressed that he was sorry on behalf of the town and this situation should not have happened. He apologized for the inconvenience.

The vote passed. The street will be renamed. It was through 4 to 1 with only Councillor Courtney in opposition. (No recorded vote, but I watched.)

5th Concession North Reconstruction (Alma St. to Cty Rd 10) – Tender Results

There was quite a bit of discussion about this. The tender results came in….$2 Million was budgeted for the work, but all of the tenders exceeded that amount. The lowest was for almost $2.3 Million dollars and the highest was over $3 Million.

I’m going to wrap this up real short and sweet…..the prices are going up and up for road work because of all the construction projects for the Gordie Howe Bridge. This stretch of road was number 3 and number 4 on the priority list of the Roads Needs Study. The bridge construction is impacting the entire region regarding prices for this type of work.

Long story short, the 5th Concession North will be getting redone!

Zoning By-Law Amendment for 554 McLeod Ave

From my pre-meeting blog :

“It looks like there have been previous meetings about this property. It seems to be a proposed development area.

From the report :

“The effect of the Zoning By-law amendment will be to prepare for a future plan of
subdivision on the rezoned portion of the lands. The draft plan of subdivision will
proceed at such a time when the necessary studies and servicing plans have been
finalized and will be subject to public meetings at that time.
The applicants originally proposed to sever two lots through the consent process. The
applicants have withdrawn the applications for consent, as recommended by comments
from Administration and Council, and are proposing to re-zone the entire 8 acres as
holding Residential Type 1A Zone to prepare the property for the application of draft
plan of subdivision. The holding symbol will not be removed until the draft plan of
subdivision is finalized. The draft plan of subdivision will be brought forward to Council
for a public meeting in the future.”

It seems that all approvals from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. There’s a fairly lengthy report but it looks to me that all is in place and this area was slated for development eventually. It seems that eventually is now here. LOL”

The reality? Tonight, this was debated a long, long, long time…..and I’m not quite sure why……it seems the time for debate on this will be much later, but I digress. I almost never go to planning meetings and this reminded me of why…..If you are truly interested to hear every last detail on this debate, I strongly suggest you go to the town’s web site and listen to the audio of the meeting.

I’m going to summarize this as briefly and painlessly as I can. I believe that the area in question is already zoned low density residential. The developers were looking for council to put a holding zone on it so that they could move to the next phase of getting engineering studies etc. It seems that the entire 8 acres will be single detached dwellings. The developer was looking to finalize site servicing plans. Tonight was to be the first step of a multiple step public process. The developer pointed out that 29 hectares will separate the homes from Big Creek and that the homes to be built will be large ones. Also the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) have given clearance to the proposal as well as ERCA.

Councillor Courtney had a lot of questions. (If you’d like to hear them all, be go listen to the audio of the meeting.)

The lady speaking on behalf of the developer spoke many times. I took away from it all that there is a 33 hectare parcel of land. 3.1 hectares will be developed which would leave 29 hectares as is, undeveloped farmland. They are looking to plan a subdivision on the 3.1 hectares. It seems that the area to be developed shows as residential area in the town’s Official Plan, so this development would be consistent with our Official Plan.

The person speaking on behalf of the developer (sorry, I never caught her name) said that putting the holding system in place for the property would allow it to go forward for review. Only after all of the conditions and concerns have been met and every one has signed off, would a development be able to proceed. She felt that the H symbol would be an insurance policy for council since the developer can’t start and do the design work until all criteria has been satisfied and every one has signed off in satisfaction. (I’m just glancing through my notes and oh my…….sooooo many pages and pages mostly reiterating the same thing…...)

There was concern expressed by several residents of the area, mostly about flooding. Many were concerned that development would cause their properties to flood and pointed out there is standing water in that area currently.

Here was the motion before council :
By-law 2019-027 being a By-law to amend Zoning By-Law No. 1999-52, to zone an 8 acre parcel as holding Residential Type 1A (h-R1A) Zone to permit a low density residential development, be taken as having been read three times and finally passed and the Mayor and Clerk Be authorized to sign same.

After a very lengthy debate, (if you’re really curious, you can go find the audio LOL- and sit there for probably close to an hour…..) Councillor Prue made a motion to defer the item for one month. Councillor Courtney seconded it.

It went to a recorded vote :

Support (for the deferral): Councillors Courtney and Prue

Opposed (to the deferral): Councillor McArthur, Deputy Mayor Meloche, Councillors Renaud and Simone

So then, the original motion to approve the holding symbol for the proposed subdivision was put forth and it passed 3 to 2. So, onward it will go! And part of that will be public consultation.

It was getting to be late……well, not late…..only slightly after 8:00…..but when you’ve been sitting for 2 plus hours listening and writing, it seems like a lot longer and my attention level starts to wander…..Sometimes when I sit there too long I start to self-evaluate and I ask myself “why are you here?”…..sometimes I answer and sometimes I don’t…..but that’s probably a blog for another day.

Condominium Conversion Agreements for 421 Dalhousie Street and 130 Pickering Drive

I remember this issue coming before the previous council. These two apartment buildings were requesting to change to condominium buildings and the previous council approved the request. This seems to simply be a continuance of the previous council’s approval as the buildings are at the next step to the changeover.

I had drifted off a bit, then I noticed that former councillor Pouget was at the podium addressing council about the condominium conversion. She was telling them that she had voted against this item when she was on council.

Anyway, this item carried. The two buildings will move forward toward condominium conversions.

2018-2022 Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee Appointments

The new council had approved the creation of a Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee. However, there were many problems finding interested candidates. The good news is that there are now several names being presented for this committee.

The Clerk advised that there were 13 names being put forward that met the criteria. Council decided to appoint all 13 young adults to the committee as well as the Mayor or the Mayor’s designate. A big congratulations to the young adults who put their names forward for this initiative! That’s so fantastic! I saw two young girls in the audience, so I’m guessing they are 2 of the newest members of this new committee! Congratulations!

After that, there were some small items, nothing too earth shattering and the whole thing wrapped up close to 8:30 ish. It was a long evening, I’m not going to lie…..a long evening…..

Then, council went back in-camera to discuss the second item I think. (see above the beginning of the meeting–looks like they may had only discussed one item and had to finish up now…..)

Have a great week Amherstburg! See you next time!

 

 

In preparation for Monday June 10th Regular town council meeting

Well, I have a super busy weekend ahead, so I’m going to give a brief, very brief preview of the agenda for Monday night’s upcoming town council meeting. It just hit me that I’ve opened with this type of line a few times now (about busy weekends) and makes me thankful that I chose not to run for council. I don’t know how I would have balanced it all, had I been elected. Yikes! Luckily, the agenda is only 261 pages and I skim through it and only read parts of it word for word. So, here is a brief preview for Monday night’s meeting:

First, council will meet in-camera at 5:00 to discuss:

SPECIAL IN-CAMERA COUNCIL MEETING
That Council move into an In-Camera Meeting of Council at 5:00 p.m. pursuant
to Section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, for the following
reasons:
Item A – Section 239(2)(b) – Personal matters about an identifiable individual,
including municipal or local board employees; and, Section 239(f) – Advice that
is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for
that purpose.
Item B – Section 239(2)(d) – Labour relations or employee negotiations.

MAYOR’S OFFICE – WELCOME & ADDRESS

This caught my eye. I’ve noticed that Deputy Mayor Meloche has been explaining where he’s been going and what he’s been doing at the beginning of each meeting. There isn’t a report about this to read, so I’m not sure, but I’m guessing that’s what this is.

DELEGATIONS
Request for Kids Ride Pulled By Golf Cart in Toddy Jones Park – Frank Vitella and Debby Pajot, St. John the Baptist Church

It looks like Mr Vitella and Ms Pajot will be seeking for permission to use a golf cart in the Toddy Jones Park on June 16th. There’s not much information given, so I’ll be listening for the details.

Street Name Change Marsh Drive to Landor Drive – Mary and David Vandermuren

Briefly, for those who don’t recall, earlier in the year, there was a delegation about Marsh Court and Marsh Drive. They are two streets, separated by another in the Kingsbridge South subdivision. The very close names have caused confusion on many occasions, for some things as simple as pizza delivery to more important issues like ambulance calls. Anyway, council had decided a few months ago to change the name of Marsh Drive to Landor Drive. Marsh Court would remain the same.

It looks like Mr and Mrs Vandermuren are requesting council to reconsider the idea and go back to a proposition for simply larger signs for both streets. They seem to be opposed to the idea of changing their street name and will be addressing council.
Street Name Change Marsh Drive to Landor Drive – Michael Stacyszyn

Mr Stacyszyn also appears to be in opposition to the street being renamed and has some questions for council as well. I’ll be listening and taking notes, as usual.

Parks Canada 2019 Agreement – Canada Day

Each year, the town plans a big party for Canada Day. They are seeking to enter into an agreement (as per usual) with Parks Canada in order to be able to use the property at Fort Malden. This is pretty standard procedure. It looks to be another fun event and I’m looking forward to it! Should be a lot of fun!

5th Concession North Reconstruction (Alma St. to Cty Rd 10) – Tender Results

There’s good news and bad news. First, the good news is that the 5th Concession North is getting redone and fixed up!

The bad news is……$2 Million was budgeted for the work, but all of the tenders exceeded that amount. The lowest was for almost $2.3 Million dollars and the highest was over $3 Million……the reasons why?…..I took this from the report :

“The bids are all in excess of the estimated construction cost of $2 million. It should be
noted that the region has experienced an extremely busy construction season and this
is expected to continue as major projects, namely the Gordie Howe International (GHI)
Bridge, moves further into its construction phases. A recent review of tender results in
other local municipalities has revealed this trend.”

It seems that the 5th Concession is in rough shape and needs to be done. We’ll see what council has to say.

Zoning By-Law Amendment for 554 McLeod Ave

It looks like there have been previous meetings about this property. It seems to be a proposed development area.

From the report :

“The effect of the Zoning By-law amendment will be to prepare for a future plan of
subdivision on the rezoned portion of the lands. The draft plan of subdivision will
proceed at such a time when the necessary studies and servicing plans have been
finalized and will be subject to public meetings at that time.
The applicants originally proposed to sever two lots through the consent process. The
applicants have withdrawn the applications for consent, as recommended by comments
from Administration and Council, and are proposing to re-zone the entire 8 acres as
holding Residential Type 1A Zone to prepare the property for the application of draft
plan of subdivision. The holding symbol will not be removed until the draft plan of
subdivision is finalized. The draft plan of subdivision will be brought forward to Council
for a public meeting in the future.”

It seems that all approvals from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. There’s a fairly lengthy report but it looks to me that all is in place and this area was slated for development eventually. It seems that eventually is now here. LOL

Condominium Conversion Agreements for 421 Dalhousie Street and 130 Pickering Drive

I remember this issue coming before the previous council. These two apartment buildings were requesting to change to condominium buildings and the previous council approved the request. This seems to simply be a continuance of the previous council’s approval as the buildings are at the next step to the changeover.

2018-2022 Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee Appointments

The new council had approved the creation of a Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee. However, there were many problems finding interested candidates. The good news is……from the report :

“The April 8, 2019 Council meeting created some media attention with respect to the
unsuccessful attempts to attract youth for the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee and
Administration now has ample applicants for Council’s consideration.”

So, it looks like 8 names will be coming forward. It appears that 8 of our young residents will be named to serve on this committee. What a great initiative and I applaud all of our youth that put their names forward for this committee!

2019 Appointment of Proxy Holder for Essex Power Corporation’s Annual Shareholders’ Meeting

It looks like Mayor DiCarlo will be named as proxy holder for the Town of Amherstburg  for Essex Power Corporation’s Annual Shareholder’s meeting. As well, Bill Wark will be named as the alternate proxy.

And that about wraps it up. There are several information reports coming before council, but I’ll wait and see if council has anything to say about them.

And with that, have a great weekend Amherstburg! It’s supposed to be a beautiful one!