For those of you who have been following my blog from the very beginning, you will know that I have always diligently and efficiently posted my post-meeting blog right after the meeting that very night. This week, this is not the case. Again. I think it’s been three times now that I’ve had to resort to writing up the blog the next day. I find it more efficient to write up the blog immediately following the meeting. But since these online, virtual meetings have started to become the norm, I find myself writing up my blogs often the day after the meeting. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m drained after talking to my computer screen hoping and wishing council could hear me during the meeting…..I’m not sure if council’s lack of efficiency is rubbing off on me……I’m not sure if it’s just plain COVID fatigue……but here I am Tuesday afternoon and writing up last night’s meeting blog. It was a heck of a meeting. There were some good points and some other not so good points……here we go. Hang on. I hope I can summarize the meeting adequately without arthritis setting into my fingers.
The meeting didn’t seem to start until about 6:10 and I had a few issues at the very beginning of the feed cutting in and out.
PRESENTATIONS
The Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators’ (CAMA) Long Service Recognition Award
I did miss this part of the meeting unfortunately, but here’s what I wrote up for the pre-meeting blog:
It looks like our CAO, John Miceli, is receiving an award for 30 years of service in a municipal management capacity. Congratulations Mr Miceli! Last month was an above average performance evaluation and this month it’s an award for 30 years of service!
DELEGATIONS
Chained No More, A Painting by Monte Scott – Donated by Frank DiPasquale
Mr DiPasquale delegated to council to make a presentation of a painting. He started by commending council, administration and the CAO for their hard work during the pandemic. He explained that he was now before council to address systemic racism and explained that our society continues to be plagued by hatred and racism. He spoke of the Black Lives Matter movement and that Mr Floyd should never have died as he did. He spoke of how Canada is a proud bilingual country and that we are proud of our multiculturalism but that systemic racism is hidden better here in Canada and that it must end. He was hopeful that council would pass a resolution to put the powerful portrait on the walls. He then introduced Mr Monte Scott, the artist and creator of the painting.
Mr Scott explained that he is an African Canadian local artist. He said he had put many nuances in his painting. He went on to describe the background that was created to depict the cultural struggle as a whole on a global level. He explained that racism exists globally and that there is a lot of work to be done. He felt that the donation expresses a message of cultural unity and he was hopeful that locals and visitors can view his art. He then unveiled the painting titled “Chained No More”. (I have seen a picture of it in the agenda and it is a very moving and thought-provoking piece of art. I look forward to seeing it in person some day soon.)
Mr Scott explained that the painting is of an African ballerina with chains hanging from her wrists to show her former struggle. Her feet are battered and worn to depict the cultural rift. After the chains were broken, the free ballerina depicts grace and beauty and allows us to familiarize ourselves with cultures other than our own. There is growth, foliage and butterflies to depict the struggle growing to prosperity. The overall idea of this work of art is to show the struggle that the black culture has endured and continues to endure. He wanted the main takeaway to be an opening to a conversation, encompassing a need to discuss and engage. Mr Scott felt that it is important to educate people and not only embrace differences but to talk about them. He also felt that we should be talking and that there is a lot of work do to. He again shared that he hopes that his painting will be shared with a lot of people and thanked council for the honour of presenting to them.
Mr DiPasquale then spoke and hoped that during New Business that council would make a resolution to contact other municipalities to stop systemic racism. Mr DiPasquale then thanked the CAO for leading our community through thick and thin.
Mayor DiCarlo thanked the delegates and wondered out loud about various places that the painting could be displayed. He felt that it deserves some time on display at the Freedom Museum as well and thanked them for the donation. He said that the painting means a lot to the town and that to stop systemic racism each of us has to be engaged.
Deputy Mayor Meloche also thanked them for the painting and wondered why the ballerina was painted as “going away”, therefore no face to be seen. Mr Scott explained that he didn’t want an individual face to be attached to the painting but rather to draw attention to the cause itself. We see her back heading all the way into the future.
Councillor Prue also remarked on the beauty of the painting. He made a motion that in the interim that the painting be placed in town hall since it’s likely we will return to in-person meetings for stage 3. He acknowledged it may be necessary to move it later and also wanted administration to investigate the costs to make copies of the painting.
The motion carried unanimously. Mr Scott asked what could be done regarding security of the painting to ensure it doesn’t fall victim to vandalism. Mayor DiCarlo seemed to agree that a casing could go around it and that the town will ensure it is protected and that the painting gets the respect that it deserves.
2020 First Quarter (Q1) Variance as at March 31, 2020
Council was provided this report with each departments variance in budget for the first quarter. There was just one recommendation in the report and it is for council to approve an over-expenditure not to exceed $2,500 for operation of Co-An Park for a total operating cost not to exceed $20,000.
Councillor Prue said he had some questions. He wondered if the amount of $2,500 to be paid for Co-Ann Park would be matched by Essex since it is a joint park. He seemed to feel that that information wasn’t included in the report. Mr Rousseau, the Treasurer explained that yes, Essex is matching the amount and that that information is included in the body of the report in the Parks Department Section. (Hmmmm……so I went and checked and sure enough here it is : “Also Administration has been made aware of a request from the Co-An Park Committee to match operating dollars for the year at $20,000 with the contribution made by the Town of Essex. This would require an over-expenditure of $2,500. A recommendation is included in this report for Council’s consideration should they opt to match that contribution in the spirit of the joint use agreement.” Needless to say, Councillor Prue seemed to want to quickly change the subject and asked two other questions, but at this point I was already sighing loudly at my computer screen……as someone who sits and reads the agenda to prepare my pre-meeting blog, it is very frustrating to hear questions asked by those that are paid to read it when the answer is in the agenda…….)
Councillor McArthur inquired about a surplus of $134,000 regarding recruitment challenges and wondered which positions that was for. Mr Rousseau explained it was for a purchasing position and a supervisor of accounting. He said that both positions would be filled soon. He explained that with the pandemic, it created parenting issues but that one position was filled three weeks ago and the other would be filled on September 1st.
Then the motion to approve the $2,500 expenditure for Co-Ann Park was carried and also the variance report was received.
Economic Development Advisory Committee Call for Applications
It seems that a member of the Economic Development Advisory Committee has moved away and therefore will need to be replaced. Council had received a short list of candidates and Deputy Mayor Meloche made a motion to appoint Allan Butterbaugh. The motion carried. Congratulations to the new member of the Ec Dev Committee!
Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee Composition
It looks like there seems to be some attendance issues with the Mayor’s youth Advisory Committee. One member has resigned and it seems that another member has missed all of the meetings so far. Since there were originally 13 members of this committee, it looks like administration is recommending simply to bring the number of members down to eleven. It seems that council waived the rules to create such a large committee in the first place, so this will get it back in line with the regular number of members.
Councillor Prue wondered about possibly reducing the number of members further or changing the times of the meetings to try to get it back on track. Mayor DiCarlo explained that our youth have a lot of commitments outside of school, such as sports, drama clubs etc. (pre-COVID) They have tried various times and it is still difficult, however there is a meeting scheduled this week and will try to work on this going forward. Mayor DiCarlo said it was often a conflict of schedules and that he’d report back if anything can be changed to help the composition of the committee.
There was a bit more discussion but ultimately this carried to reduce number of members from thirteen down to eleven.
Vacancies on Seniors Advisory and Parks and Recreation Advisory Committees
It looks like a member of the Seniors Advisory Committee resigned so council will be appointing a replacement. Again, council had received a list of potential candidates and Councillor Renaud made a motion to appoint Tony Pietrangelo to the Seniors Advisory Committee. This carried. Congratulations!
However, it’s not as clear why there is a vacancy on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. According to the report it says : “Members were appointed to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee on January 28, 2019. There is currently a vacancy on the committee.” So, if nobody resigned and nobody moved away why is there an opening on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee? Last night, nobody on council questioned this so I did my own research. I took a screen shot of the current members named on the town’s web site as being members of the Parks and Recreation Adivsory Committee. I’ll check it again in a few days when it’s been updated with the new member and see if all of the names are still there or if one name is suddenly removed. Then I will answer my own question. It seems that council picks and chooses which questions they ask for residents.
Anyway, Councillor Renaud made a motion for Sarah Voegli to be appointed to the Parks and Rec Committee and it carried. Congratulations!
Code of Conduct for the Chief Building Official and Inspectors
This seems to be a code of conduct that council will be adopting for the Chief Building Official and inspectors. After a bit of discussion, the Clerk explained to council that this code of conduct is a requirement and must be done to adhere to legislation. Then it carried.
Cheque Listing for the Month of March, April, May, June, July 2020
From my pre-meeting blog:
The town lists off all of the cheques written. I try to go through them to see if anything stands out. In the past, as I mentioned, I used to tally up the legal fees each month, but this document was 241 pages, so as much as I’m curious, well, I’m not that curious! At least not this time! LOL. Looks like many of the cheques issued were reimbursements due to cancellations from Covid restrictions. But, one thing caught my eye :
There was a cheque written to the City of Windsor, with the description of “Legal APSB Legal Fees” in the amount of $981.99.
So I sure wondered why the town had to write a cheque regarding the former Amherstburg Police Services Board for legal fees. So, I reached out to two members of Council on Thursday night inquiring what this bill was for. On Friday afternoon, I got an answer….. It seems that the expense is for legal cost related to former APS operations matter and is a pre-switch issue. So, how very interesting! We’re still paying legal costs in regards to the former APSB. Hmmmm…..
But look how efficient that was…..I asked my question and a member of council got me the answer long before Monday night. No big show on Monday night, firing off questions in front of an audience…….quick and efficient and done. I like that. That’s how business is done, in my humble opinion.
Anyway, Councillor Prue mentioned that this was a big document and it was difficult to read since the entries spanned many months and he was hoping that they’d be going back to monthly reports. (Tell me about it! It was 241 pages but I managed to read it all and find an item of interest…..) He did say that he understood that the pandemic caused staff shortages to be able to do this report monthly. It seems the intention is to go back to monthly reporting now that the constraints are gradually easing up.
CONSENT CORRESPONDENCE
Council had quite a few consent correspondence items before them Monday night. These are motions that other municipalities have put in place and they then notify other councils in Ontario. Council can chose to simply receive these items and/or send letters of support if they chose to. Here are the various items being put forth by other municipalities.
Support for Private Members Bill M-36 Emancipation Day – City of Owen
Sound
Providing Tax or Other Relief to Non-Profit and Service Clubs as a
result of COVID-19 – City of Oshawa
Providing Tax or Other Financial Relief to Non-Profit-Service Clubs as a
result of COVID-19 – City of Windsor
Request for More Detailed COVID-19 Information – Kingsville Resolution
Request for Raw Data on Positive COVID-19 Cases in Essex County –
Town of Essex
Support for Federal Assistance for People with Disabilities – COVID-19
Pandemic – County of Essex
Support OPP Diversity Training – Town of Gore Bay
There was some discussion in particular about getting raw data regarding positive COVID-19 cases. After some back and forth council ultimately decided to support them all and send letters of support.
CONSENT OTHER MINUTES – July 28 2020 Committee of Adjustment Minutes
At each regular council meeting, council adopts the minutes of Committee meetings. This is very normal practice and usually very uneventful. I usually don’t even mention it in the blog. However, tonight was a whole big production of I’m not sure what.
Councillor Prue wondered how long council had in terms of a deadline to appeal a decision made by the committee. The CAO said it is usually 30 days and since the meeting was July 28th, there was time to do so.
Councillor Prue then went on about a property at 849 Front Road South. (Bear in mind please that this was extremely difficult for me and I’m guessing the rest of council to follow since there was no report about this to read or any documentation provided…..) Councillor Prue went on to say he had gotten a copy of their documents with the site alterations and proceeded to read and read from said documents. He felt that lot lines were being adjusted and did not see any discussion. He then went on to say that there are nine archaeological sites in that area and then listed them. He went on to read some more from another document. He felt they had approved two building lots and put two others on hold and left a spot for a road…..that there is potential for human remains and there needs to be tests and an archaeologist present. He wondered if the town had done the right thing and which First Nations Band was consulted.
CAO Miceli replied that he was not advised of all of these questions ahead of time and therefore could not be prepared with answers. He said that the appeal window was in fact 20 days which meant that council had until August 17th to appeal and that he would need direction from council. Councillor Prue went on to say that he wasn’t sure if this should be appealed and again wondered about First Nations Groups being consulted and if this would be a Plan of Subdivision project. The CAO explained that the Committee of Adjustment and the Plan of Subdivision are two different things involving different levels of government.
Anyway, I’ve got two more pages of notes about this…..I’m not sure why I wasted my time……because ultimately it seems that Councillor Prue wasted everybody’s time with this. I’m not sure if theatrics were a requirement in the legislature but I just don’t understand their purpose in municipal governance. Why try to throw something out there with this “got ya” type of idea at administration? Perhaps if Councillor Prue had actually made a motion at the end of all of this there would have been a purpose, but he didn’t. I think that it would have still been very unfair to the rest of council and administration but at least it may have made some sense…..Frankly, this part of the meeting was pretty excruciating, quite unfair to council and administration and accomplished absolutely nothing. In my books, that means a waste of time and complete lack of efficiency. The purpose of a council meeting is to move the business of the town forward and efficiently too……that’s not what happened here, not even close.
Unfinished Business
There were a few questions regarding some of the unfinished business items on the agenda. There was one motion made by Deputy Mayor Meloche to direct administration to get costs for a paved shoulder on County Road 10 between Howard Avenue and Walker Road. This carried. (In my notes I noted that it was 7:28 during the unfinished business discussion……just for context for you…..because after Unfinished Business comes New Business which means that in theory, the meeting should be almost over…..)
New Business
The new business discussion filled the next two hours of the meeting. During this time I got a message from a friend that said : “You actually listen and attend all these council meetings???? Lol”. It seems that my friend had decided to tune in……and was pretty floored about the meeting…..
Councillor Courtney said he had a few items. First, he asked about McLeod Road and the engineering report. It seems that the road is high on the roads needs study but that it’s been postponed to the 2021 budget due to the high water levels in order to do a proper evaluation.
Councillor Courtney then made a motion that a speed bump be seasonally installed during golf season (April through October) in the area of Golfwood and Turner Crescent. There was some discussion about this, some back and forth but I’m trying to save myself some key strokes here so eventually it carried.
And now dear readers…..cue the music……the song and dance is about to begin…..picture a dance going in a continuous circle……a dance going in a very slow, continuous circle…..a dance that seems it may never end….a dance that nobody seems to be leading and nobody seems to want to take the lead and allow the dance to move on…….
Councillor Simone said she had some items for new business regarding stage 3. (You know stage 3 right? The next stage of re-opening during the pandemic…..the one Windsor – Essex County has been waiting to enjoy while the rest of the province has been enjoying it for weeks……well stage 3 is here tomorrow, Wednesday August 12th……I don’t know about you but I’m pretty excited for stage 3, just sayin’.) Councillor Simone wanted to discuss the reopening of town hall and the town amenities.
CAO Miceli said that they were awaiting direction from council and that the physical barriers are up and modifications are 80% complete. He felt that administration is prepared for town hall to open and that other areas are being looked at by Phil Roberts, Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture but that administration needs direction from council.
Councillor Simone felt that town hall should be open on Thursday. (I agree! We’ve known for weeks that this was coming!) Councillor Prue felt that he’d prefer that they are 100% ready and perhaps Monday would be better to allow administration to advertise what to expect. He felt he didn’t want to rush it and had no problem waiting. (Um, I think I started mumbling at my computer at this moment……not that they could hear me but……we’ve known for weeks that this would be coming! DO IT! OPEN!)
The CAO said he would appreciate the Monday opening date and asked that council add about making masks mandatory since the rules about masks only exist for commercial establishments not municipal buildings. Councillor Simone said she was okay with the Monday opening date and with masks.
Councillor McArthur said he supports masks in town hall but wanted to talk about the Libro Centre, the walking track, the parks and splash pad. The CAO said that administration needed to talk with the various user groups to review their plans and that homework needed to be done. The CAO felt that the town has opened in a responsible manner and that it’s their job to stop the spread of COVID. He explained that they will develop plans to open safely and that for now, there are summer students available to help but that will end soon. He felt that the town could reopen what they could but that resources may be limited.
Councillor McArthur suggested maybe two separate motions, with the first being about town hall. So that carried, town hall will reopen Monday.
Councillor McArthur then began a discussion about recreation facilities. He felt that we’re not resourced to police it all and that playgrounds can open in stage 3. He felt that the province has removed the onus from the municipalities and has put the onus on parents and individuals to make their own informed decisions. He cited that playgrounds in Toronto are wide open. He felt that the game is changing for the splash pad and that the town can’t police it. He felt that we should have vigorous signage and social media information so that people can make informed decisions. (I totally agree and was hoping that perhaps that there would be a motion made…..but no….. the dance continued…..)
CAO Miceli explained that they need the plan approved by the Medical Officer of Health and that the town has gone above the minimum requirements with a blended approach. Mr Roberts said that they’ve looked at other municipalities and some are using the “use at own risk” type mantra, however he felt that precautions needed to be taken so that we don’t spread the virus. He preferred the integrated approach, for example, open the splash pad, take down the fence but keep the staff to ensure social distancing.
(Personal thoughts here……I think administration was being far too conservative….Please note that generally I’m a pretty conservative, rule-following type of person…….I get it that their role is to err on the side of caution and mitigate problems…..but the province is saying these things can open, open them! Let people make their own decisions! If people don’t feel comfortable going to the park then they don’t have to. If they do, they can. At what point does policing every move that a person makes stop? We are FINALLY at stage 3……Finally! Embrace it! But it would take someone from council to start making motions and well, that just wasn’t happening and wasn’t about to happen for a long while..…)
Councillor Simone wondered about the time frame to open things back up and wondered if it would be reported at the September meeting. (Any sports fans out there? Do any of you yell at your TV during the game? Well I was yelling at my computer…..my mumbling had turned into regular voice and it was gradually getting louder…..September? A month from now? We knew stage 3 was coming why are we suddenly a bunch of deer in the head lights?) The CAO said that phase 3 allows things to open up and that council can take the path of least resistance and open all the parks with signage by Monday or can take a serious and deliberate approach, as has been done so far with council’s leadership to prevent the spread. Again, Councillor Simone questioned the time frame and if there would be a report in September. (I think I started to speak louder to my computer screen…..somebody please make a motion! Make a motion please! but no motion……the dance continued…..)
Mr Roberts spoke of having a couple of plans in place, but nothing specific was shared. Councillor Prue wondered with the opening of town hall if council could continue to use Zoom since it’s a tool that can assist for deputations, boards and committees. The Clerk explained that there is a limit of 50 people in town hall so they will need to continue with Zoom. They are looking into things. It seems that council chambers can hold 22 people with distancing and council and administration is 15 people……(Funny, I had been looking forward to going back to town hall in person for meetings – I think it’s important for council to see people sitting there and to see them leave when things drag on LOL but I’m starting to get used to talking to my computer, as if they can hear me LOL.)
Councillor Prue said that there is a planning meeting on August 24th and wondered if a special meeting could be held the same night to deal with this. (Why does council seem surprised that stage 3 is here? What did I miss? The rest of the province has been in stage 3 for weeks, except us…..and here we sit…..it seemed we were going to stay in stage 2 in Amherstburg, even if the province was allowing stage 3……so strange.…)
Councillor Courtney then spoke and said he agreed with Councillor McArthur. He felt that the province had set the standards and that phase 3 is wide open with kids going back to school soon. He felt that we know what to do to stay safe and that it’s impossible to clean and control playgrounds. He felt that the town should put up good signage and open them. (I agreed 100% Please make a motion!!!! But no motion.…) Councillor Courtney went on that the illegal gatherings are beyond council’s control and governance (Hmmm……just like the Ontario Building Code for bunk houses or labour laws for migrant workers right? Funny that council tried hard to overstep their governance two weeks ago, yet now were ready to stay in their lane but I digress…..) Councillor Courtney wondered about a time line for opening playgrounds.
There was a police officer that spoke (I didn’t catch the name) and said that they are routinely receiving calls with complaints about violations and they are responding and educating people.
Councillor Renaud wanted to have a discussion about the walking track and ice pads. He felt that lots of seniors use the walking track. (Ahem! I use it often and I’m not a senior LOL! But it’s okay, just open the track! Please!) Deputy Mayor Meloche felt that each municipality is different and that policing social distancing may be a challenge.
Councillor McArthur felt that they were spinning their wheels and that they know stage 3 was coming. He wanted a time line for the walking track due to recent heat alerts and concerns for the seniors. He asked what the plan is.
Mr Roberts talked about having a plan and segregating users with one way in and one way out. He said that washrooms would need to be addressed….would they be sanitized immediately or release that restriction. He also talked about sanitizing the track. There was much more back and forth……
Finally, Councillor McArthur made a motion for administration to move expeditiously to open the walking with the approval of the health unit. (THANK YOU! Finally a motion!). There was yet more discussion but my fingers are getting tired from typing…..I started this blog this afternoon, took a dinner break and here I am still typing…..)
Councillor Renaud then asked about the ice pads. He wondered if that had to come back to council to open them. (And the flood gates opened again and the never-ending dance sped back up…..or slowed back down? I guess it could be seen either way.) Mr Roberts said that they’re not planning on putting in ice until December 1st to be ready for January 1st. (WOW! What?????) He went on that there needs to be a strong safety program with sterilization and that only practices are allowed in stage 3. He said that some municipalities are not taking precautions that Amherstburg is taking. (Yup. The way it was looking I was about to see my neighbours in other municipalities soon LOL) Councillor Renaud said that 200 people had signed up for hockey and they had a meeting with the OMHA and felt that if requirements met they should be able to use the ice. Mr Roberts said that provincial bodies are still meeting and that the cost of running the facility is already at a loss and it’s difficult to commit to a time.
(Basically, it seemed to me that administration didn’t want to see things to open any time soon…….it was strange…..but on the other hand, nobody on council was making motions to move this process along.)
Finally, after much more debate, the motion to re-open the walking track passed. I believe it’s supposed to open this Monday. Yay!!!
Mayor DiCarlo told council that if they want things to open, perhaps put a list forward to see what can be opened quickly and what could be delayed.
Then the discussion turned to playgrounds. Councillor McArthur asked what the plan was for playgrounds. The CAO said that Mr Roberts was bringing that plan to the SMT tomorrow (which is now today, Tuesday). He wondered if the town should continue with the graduated approach. I believe he said the town has 10 playgrounds. He felt that a certain level of service needs to be provided and if council wants to open safely, resources would be a challenge. He said that the province said that they can open but also says to do so safely. He mentioned enforcement complaints and wondered if we should continue like phase 2 since this is uncharted territory. He cited other areas that opened then clawed back.
Councillor McArthur wondered what the expectation was. Were they expected to sanitize all the time? He cited Toronto opened all 800 playgrounds and are not sanitizing. He also mentioned how the splash pad had a limit of 9 but now the overall limit of people is 50 instead of 10.
I’m going to save you (and me) a lot of time here. After more lengthy debate, it seems that council will reopen all the parks with signage but that Toddy Jones Park will likely be open with enhanced cleaning protocols because staff are already on site monitoring the splash pad and washrooms. That’s how I understood it anyway. Then there was more discussion about the splash pad and I think the fencing will be coming down??? (I could go back and re-watch the video from last night’s meeting, but, well, I may need therapy if I put myself through that again, so I’m choosing to go with maybe and some question marks…..)
Councillor Simone then asked about the number of calls from businesses regarding business recovery initiatives. She made a motion for a report of what can be done to help local business to recover and to vet the report through the Economic Development Committee. Deputy Mayor Meloche mentioned that the report should also look at what other levels of government are already providing. The motion carried.
Councillor Prue then mentioned he had 3 items. The first was regarding a freighter that was unloading gravel at the base of Texas Road near the water intake. Ms Gioffu, director of Engineering said that was correct and had investigated. The freighter had the drawings, came in on angle and that there was no risk to the intake. She said this had been done more often in the past. She said that they were asked to inform the town when they they would return and it seems they’ll be back in two weeks. Councillor Prue made a motion for a report to see what can be done to eliminate this practice and that carried.
Then, Councillor Prue spoke of an email from Elyse Davis that was looking for an apology from the federal government regarding Canada’s role in the slave trade. This carried.
Councillor Prue then said that the Mayor had met with Gregory Moore and Councillors McArthur and Simone at the end of July. He said he was supposed to attend but the date had been set far in advance and he missed it on his calendar. He felt that the meeting was about a need to examine ourselves and our policies regarding hiring people of colour. He made a motion for a report to examine our policies regarding hiring people of colour and an outline of what we’ve done to be inclusive going forward. Nobody seconded the motion, so that was the end of that.
Councillor Courtney then said he had two things. The first was a resident question about Beaudoin Park and disc golf. There was some back and forth and it seems a report is forthcoming.
Councillor Courtney then asked about Co-An Park and why the tennis courts were barricaded and closed. There was A LOT of back and forth about this. A lot. I’m going to make this brief. Basically, Deputy Mayor Meloche said a league had used the courts without the boards knowledge. The board initiated a meeting so that the league could present a plan regarding safety but they spoke of growing the league. So the courts are closed as it stands. Councillor Courtney wondered if it was the purview for the board to close the park. (Yet he didn’t wonder two weeks ago if it was council’s purview to change the Building Code or working conditions?……..just another idiosyncrasy..…) It was explained that the board was well within their purview to shut down the tennis courts. The Clerk even read the bylaw that explains the boards powers. Yet there was more and more discussion about Co-An Park……more circle dancing…..
Then Councillor McArthur made a motion that a special page be added to the town’s website showing how much Amherstburg has in each reserve and also how much each surrounding municipality has in reserves. Deputy Mayor Meloche said that in defense of the finance department, they’ve been working short staffed, they’re having difficulty getting reports and are still filling positions…..Councillor McArthur felt the PDF was already prepared from the July meeting so they could just use that and put it on the web site.
Councillor McArthur then made a motion to put up a Welcome to Amherstburg sign, I believe in the area of Walker Road and the trails. That carried.
The regular meeting finished at 9:39 PM.
Then council went in-camera to discuss :
SPECIAL IN-CAMERA COUNCIL MEETING
That Council move into an In-Camera Meeting of Council directly following
Regular session pursuant to Section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as
amended for the following reason:
Item A – Section 239(2)(k) – A position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction be
applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the
municipality or local board; and,
Item B – Section 239(2)(k) – A position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction be
applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the
municipality or local board.
And if you’ve made it to the end of this blog congratulations! That is true perseverance and determination! And for those who didn’t, well, I can’t blame them LOL. If there ends up being a special meeting on August 24th, I’ll see you then. If not, see you in September and enjoy the rest of summer! At least I’ll have my plan B of the walking track back when we get those heat alert days! 🙂
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