Monday November 23rd Regular town council meeting

Well, I’m writing up this blog on Tuesday evening, since the meeting didn’t wrap up until about 9:15. I watched again from the comfort of my own home, with one of my cats curled up on my lap for most of the evening. But even the meeting went on too long for the cat to lay in one spot, so she left around 8:00……Last night’s meeting was on Zoom, so council members were at home for the meeting. Here are the highlights and I will sincerely try to be brief…..

PRESENTATIONS
Community Mediation Windsor-Essex – Joyce Zuk, Executive Director, Family Services Windsor-Essex, and Elizabeth Strutt-MacLeod, Coordinator/ Professor, St Clair College

Ms Zuk presented a new program that is being offered to the residents of Essex County. The program started in 2019 but due to COVID, the group had not yet had a chance to reach all municipalities with their presentation. The new service is a volunteer remediation service to resolve conflicts or problems. Ms Zuk was very aware that sometimes councils have to deal with conflicts between neighbours and that the town is often at a loss to help. (Tell me about it…..the last council had several public neighbour disputes…..they still stand out in my mind a couple of years later!) She felt that their service would be one more tool to help people to solve problems. Their goal is to focus on consensus. The organization is made up of trained volunteer mediators that are highly skilled to resolve conflicts.

Deputy Mayor Meloche felt that nothing is “free” and wondered how the organisation was being funded. Ms Zuk explained that it is a partnership between 3 organizations and that St. Clair College had covered the costs for the training. As well, Family Services and the Bilingual Legal Clinic had combined their resources in order to be able to provide the service for free. Ms Zuk said that if the service really takes off, they may look for a site in Amherstburg for in-person mediation, such as the Libro.

The members of council were all very receptive to this new service. The service will be advertised on the town’s web site, with contact information and ultimately council received the presentation.

Town of Amherstburg – Water Masterplan Update

Mr Hewitt presented this report to council. This part of the meeting went on and on and on……it was not very interesting really……as long as I turn on the tap and I get clean water, I’m happy. That’s about the extent of my interest in this subject matter.

This is part of the discussion from the report and I think it summarizes the main ideas. “The Consultant completed the update of the Master Plan as part of a Schedule B Municipal Environmental Assessment (EA). This process includes identifying potential problems and opportunities to address these issues. This includes alternative solutions to future servicing needs as well as current critical and capacity constraints. The EA process has a requirement for public consultation, including reaching directly to major stakeholders (i.e. developers, federal and provincial agencies) as well as Indigenous Communities. Typically, the Town would hold a Public Information Centre as part of the public consultation but due to COVID restrictions consultation was held on-line through the Talk the Burg website and advertised through the River Town Times and Essex Free Press.”

Council had many, many questions about the report. Seems part of the report talked about water service to Boblo……so I’ll let my readers make an inference here……

The discussion dragged on…..at one point I noted it was 7:05 PM in my notes. I decided to pet my cat who was laying peacefully on my lap. She was far more interesting than the meeting. If anyone is really interested in listening to the nitty gritty about the water master plan update, this part of the meeting wrapped up just before 7:30, so I suggest you take a listen to the live stream recording.

Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 8A – Acceptance and Assumption of Infrastructure – Placement of Infrastructure on Maintenance

This item carried with no discussion or questions. Here are the recommendations :

The recommendations in the letter regarding Kingsbridge Development Phase 8A dated October 21, 2020 from the consulting engineer, Baird AE BE ACCEPTED;

The base asphalt and curbs along Lavers Crescent from Brown Street northerly, Mullen Crescent, Patten Crescent and Davis Street BE ACCEPTED and ASSUMED as outlined in the report; and,

The surface asphalt and sidewalks BE PLACED on a 1 year maintenance period, commencing October 9, 2020.

Adoption of the Tree Canopy and Natural Vegetation Protection and
Enhancement Policy

This appears to be a new policy that has written to comply with new legislation. As well, it also lines up with a council motion to declare a climate emergency. It also seems that the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee has endorsed this new policy.

From the discussion report of the agenda : “The Town of Amherstburg drafted a Tree Canopy and Natural Vegetation Protection and Enhancement Policy to not only meet the legislated requirements of the Municipal Act, but also to reinforce the commitment of the municipality to the preservation and rehabilitation of the natural heritage features in the area.
By approving this policy Council will be indicating its support and willingness to commit to environmentally sustainable practices, protections and enhancements on municipal lands to act as a catalyst for change. By establishing this commitment and promoting a standard of excellence, the Town can be instrumental in promoting change in attitudes and actions.”

There were a few questions but this item passed relatively quickly.

Information Reports

Monthly Fire Activity Report – October 2020

Councillor Courtney wondered about a sentence in the report about Amherstburg providing assistance to Kingsville. It says :”The Fire Chief and Deputy Chief have been providing assistance to the Town of Kingsville following a request to the CAO.” The CAO said he had received a call about providing assistance to Kingsville and that the assistance ended about a week ago. He said that the town had recovered our costs and that it was considered mutual aid. Councillor Courtney said he was questioning it from a taxpayer standpoint and wondered if there would be more information. The CAO said it was a short-lived situation, the town had recovered our costs and the assistance was offered in good faith. He also said he had apprised the mayor and all had been completed. Councillor Courtney didn’t seem overly satisfied with the response but he did let the issue go.

Amending AGCO Process to Consider Radial Separation from Other Cannabis Locations – City of Hamilton Resolution

The City of Hamilton had sent a letter to the province since they had received a large number of retail cannabis applications for review. Councillor Courtney made a motion to send a letter of support, but nobody seconded it. If I recall, I believe Councillor Courtney was the only councillor that wanted to opt out during the whole opt-in/opt-out process. Anyway, this went nowhere fast.

Unfinished Business

Councillor Prue suggested removing a few items from the unfinished business list…..he felt that since the money had been removed from the budget for a parking study for downtown that the item should be removed from unfinished business. As well, he wanted to remove a motion about climate change since many items had been adopted and also an item about speed on Meloche…..those 3 items were removed. However, Councillor Prue inquired about removing a motion about letting organizations such as Miracle League use the town’s tax number, since Belle Vue now had its own charitable tax number. The Mayor pointed out that other agencies still use the town’s number. So that item stayed. Councillor Prue also inquired about the status of a report about the North End of Boblo and he was told that the Planner has the report in rough draft, so it should be available soon.

New Business

Santa Claus Drive-by parade

Councillor McArthur pointed out that the drive-by parade drew a huge crowd in Kingsville this past weekend. He wondered if Amherstburg was hatching a plan to keep traffic moving should there be a very large turn-out of cars to see the parade. Mr Roberts, Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture advised that administration was literally currently working on a plan. The administrative team had met on Monday and would be meeting the Parade Corp on Tuesday to provide the revised plan. He stressed the importance of a high level of communication needed. As well, Mr Roberts said that they need to consider the patrons for hockey since there are 3 games scheduled and that will present some challenges.

Mayor DiCarlo said that once the plan is finalized, it will be publicized ASAP so that everyone is aware.

Motion Service Delivery Review

Councillor Courtney then made a motion that council direct the CAO to prepare a report to outline the implementation of the Service Delivery Review. He felt that he would like to see a Corporate Strategic Plan but he wanted a report outlining what we want to do and how and how to best provide services. The CAO said that the Community Based Strategic Plan was developed with 4 pillars by the last council. Administration has been using those pillars for budget purposes and planning as well. The 5-year plan will end in 2021. The Mayor asked what type of report Councillor Courtney was looking for…..he reread his motion and it seems that he’s looking to direct the CAO to outline the necessary steps for a Corporate Strategic Plan. The motion carried.

Budget question

Councillor Courtney said that the emails are continuing to come in about the budget. He was thankful that the rate dropped from 7.95% to 4.89%. (For anybody who’s been following, the town did not get 1.7 Million in OCIF (Ontario Community Infrstructure Fund) money from the province this year.) He wondered IF the funding were to suddenly come in what would happen. Mr Rousseau, the Treasurer said that there has not been any announcement or indication that this program will continue. He said that administration can’t create a budget based on uncertainty. He said that if for some reason the funding suddenly came in from the provincial government, he’ll report to council to let them decide if they want to use it towards projects or that it would be prudent to put the funds into reserves. (Side note, if you weren’t aware, Amherstburg still does not have adequate funds in reserves compared to our neighbouring municipalities.)

Libro Centre and the Service Delivery Review

Councillor Simone made a motion requesting administration to prepare a report about the Libro Centre user fees with a comparison with other municipalities. Deputy mayor Meloche seemed to want to set up a task force or committee to look into the revenue short fall. The CAO said that it was pointed out in the Service Delivery review that our rates are significantly lower than other municipalities. Councillor Courtney wondered if being able to book time at the Libro Centre on line instead of making phone calls may be feasible. The CAO also pointed out that with the current pandemic, the town has to make sure that the Libro is operating safely…..he cautioned council that what the town is doing now may have to continue after the pandemic and nobody knows what could be required.

Deputy Mayor Meloche felt that during bad times, you should plan for good times. ultimately Councillor Simone’s motion carried.

Mask Bylaw Amendment

The CAO explained that on Friday, Premier Ford moved the Windsor/Essex area from yellow to orange status. This past weekend, that had been large crowds at River Lights and that was a concern. Orange status requires more restrictions and close contact has been shown to be a high risk activity to spread the virus. Administration was recommending to amend the current face mask bylaw to include mask wearing while visiting River Lights. CAO Miceli felt that the town wants people to visit, but it must be done safely. On the weekend the bylaw officers were noticing the people were not respecting physical distancing and that more than 1,000 people had visited River Lights.

Mr Roberts then shared some issues that were backed up with data. He noted there had been a lack of distancing and a lot of social interaction. He also pointed out some bottleneck areas around the downtown. Staff had taken a point count during the event and the light tunnel, as well as Toddy Jones Park and the Kings Navy Yard Park at Rankin Street were all bottleneck areas. He cited some numbers and the numbers of warnings.

Ms Rubli, Manager of Licensing said that this upcoming weekend was also calling for favourable weather. She was suggesting that council amend the bylaw to make masks required in outdoor spaces and to have the CAO put in the order, which is in line with the Medical Officer of Health. The order would expire in 60 days. She also pointed out that the order can be rescinded if things improve. Masks outdoors would only be required at the River Lights. There would be enforcement and warnings and if someone doesn’t comply they would be asked to leave. The order would be in effect only in the Kings Navy Yard Park and the Toddy Jones Park from 5PM until 11PM.

Mayor DiCarlo explained that under the state of emergency that the Mayor has authority to impose the order. He said that he’s received positive feedback about River Lights. Many other towns have cancelled their light displays and more people are coming to Amherstburg, which is good, but they are congregating. He pointed out that if people don’t comply, the event could have to be cancelled. He felt it was important to maintain some joy but that it had to be done safely.

Councillor Courtney wondered what the difference was between Open Air weekends and now that it’s cold out, why is it a problem? He felt that River Lights and Open Air weekends were the same in essence and yet KNYP is more sprawling than Dalhousie Street. He wondered about the colour change.

The CAO pointed out that the provincial colours are a good indicator to take steps to prevent the spread. He felt that we are currently on the path to red (gulp…..unfortunately, so do I.…) and he wants to keep the experience available.

Mr Roberts pointed out that Open Air weekends involved 3 major streets and parks and that the distancing was highly programmed. He used an example that at some points there were 35 to 65 people IN the light tunnel at once…..and while it was not continuously happening, it was happening. He also pointed out that with the streets opened back up, people are using one sidewalk and are closer together.

Councillor Courtney wondered about enforcement. He felt that people are already frustrated and confrontational. Mr Roberts pointed out that it’s winter time and that a scarf could be used to mitigate the risk and cover the mouth and nose. He admitted that council had a tough decision to make but if people can’t or won’t comply that council can take down the lights.

Councillor Courtney felt that people could be encouraged to use a mask. He felt that if an order were placed that may cross the line and making people more frustrated. He felt that council was over stepping and admitted that he was not liking this.

Councillor Prue then spoke and said that the situation is very difficult. He was not happy that council didn’t get the new bylaw earlier in the afternoon. He did feel though that the situation had to be taken seriously. He noted that areas where tough action was taken by politicians were appreciated rather than those who took a wait and see approach. (I definitely agree with this…..) He did feel however, that this is a political decision and he felt that the Mayor should impose the order and should read the riot act and the CAO and staff carry it out. He felt that council should pass this and just do it. He mentioned that this item may get as many complaints as the budget but……he cited some good advice he got way back when…..always do what you think is right, don’t do what you think is popular…….(yes I just bolded that. I could not agree more!)

Ms Rubli pointed out that this item was just an amendment to the already existing face covering bylaw. It was simply adding that a face covering would be required at Kings Navy Yard Park and in Toddy Jones Park from 5PM until 11PM. Therefore, it wouldn’t affect the walkers, for example, that are in the park during the day when it is not busy.

Mayor DiCarlo expressed his appreciation for the comments and said that he could place the order as Mayor. He had looked at other municipalities and the CAO had been implementing orders. He cited however that if there are 50 people in the light tunnel and the complaints go up the chain, the whole thing could get shut down.

Councillor McArthur spoke of the popularity of the light tunnel and how well Councillor Prue had articulated the concerns. He felt that he didn’t necessarily want to support the amendment but felt he had to. Cases are surging and the colour change just happened to get us into orange level.

Councillor McArthur said he noticed how busy it was downtown on the weekend. He said he had two reactions…..one was joyful to see the festive spirit and how packed and busy it was…..then panic at the crowds of people and what that means during a pandemic. (I knew exactly what he meant! I was downtown both Friday and Saturday night and felt the same way! It was great to see it so busy and the happy faces…..yet we all know that crowds and close contact are breeding grounds for the virus…..) Councillor McArthur said that the last thing anybody would want would be for the lights to get turned off. He felt that the masks outdoors needed to be added to the bylaw and that the hammer is needed and now the town will have it if required. 

Deputy Mayor Meloche also said he supports the bylaw. He wanted to keep the lights on as well as keep the people of Amherstburg healthy and safe. 

Councillor Renaud wondered about the age groups. Ms Rubli pointed out that the bylaw mandates masks for children ages 3 plus. Councillor Renaud acknowledged that while it’s an inconvenience, it’s the right thing to do. 

Councillor Simone agreed as well and wondered how quickly this could be advertised on social media. (Seems it will go out immediately. Speaking of social media, I just saw a person who ran for council last term denounce this bylaw and that he will not wear a mask outside at the park…..that’s concerning…..)

Councillor Courtney then spoke again. He said he had listened and had changed his mind and would support the amendment to the bylaw. 

CAO Miceli said that the challenge has been to act quickly and early to prevent any problems. The end goal is for River Lights to continue. He said that administration has faced extreme challenges at the Libro Centre. It seems that some hockey parents won’t wear masks and continue to taunt staff. He said that some will defy the order and it will be a challenge. Should that happen, the next step would be that the individual would be trespassed and that the province is asking the municipalities to take this action for those who are non-compliant. As well, the CAO explained that the town got notice of the colour change on Friday and had to take action on Monday. He credited Ms Rubli who worked very hard to get the bylaw changed and she had it finalized just after 5:00, while council was in the planning meeting. 

There was discussion about how much the fines are…..seems that the Ontario fines are $750 but the municipal fines are $300. As well, the bylaw allows the officer to require a person to leave the place. 

Councillor Prue said he did not mean to cause offense about his statement about receiving the bylaw in advance and that he understands the constant last minute changes that have been happening. 

Mayor DiCarlo said he didn’t want to go down this road but that with the different stages action was necessary. He said it’s a tough decision but it is the best interest of the community. 

And with that, the motion was made to amend the mask bylaw to require masks be worn in Toddy Jones Park and in Kings Navy Yard Park from 5:00 until 11:00 daily. This carried unanimously. (I have to give council credit on this one…..this was a tough one…..but I think they did the right thing…..and I wonder if that individual complaining about this on Facebook tonight will flout the new bylaw? Someone that wanted to be a town councillor will purposely flout this bylaw? Very concerning indeed.)

And with that, the meeting was over! No in-camera meeting either! It all wrapped up at about 9:15……And I just realized that there is only one council meeting in December, so I am about to enjoy three weeks off! Stay safe Amherstburg! Wear your masks, keep your distance and wash your hands!

Budget 2020 and in preparation for Monday November 23rd Regular Town council meeting

Well, I was unable to watch Wednesday and Thursday’s deliberations……considering that council deliberated for over 8 hours on Wednesday and I think another 6 hours or so on Thursday……that’s a lot of budget debate to cover. From what I have read in the media, it looks like the proposed budget increase is sitting at 4.89%. Originally, the increase proposed was 7.55% and council did manage to bring it down almost 3 points so that’s not too shabby. The increase came in around right around where I thought it would.

I know that 4.89% seems like a high increase but I think there are two important points to keep in mind. First, last year, council whittled a proposed increase of 4.89%, down to a slim .56%. The rate of inflation last year was 1.9%. It is simply not sustainable to have such a low tax increase…..I think that that low tax increase last year haunted this council all year and it really came back to bite them with a vengeance leading up to this year’s budget……

Then, to add even more pressure, the province will not be transferring the annual OCIF funding that the town has included in it’s budget for many years. This funding would have amounted to $1.7 Million, an amount that had an impact of 7% on our budget……The Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund ( OCIF ) provides funding to municipalities to develop and renew their infrastructure……..Basically, the province would have given $1.7 Million of taxpayer money to the town to use for infrastructure, but they didn’t……..that money has to come from somewhere…….so once you step back and look at the big picture, the 7.55% rate should not have been a surprise. Low increases close to 0% are not sustainable and are not fiscally viable for our town. Slow and steady wins the race. Had council taken a more reasonable increase of 2% or so last year, I think this year’s rate would have been in the 2% or 3% range as well……but what’s done is done…..time to move forward.

I feel that council worked hard debating the budget over 3 days……there are some expenditures in there that I agree with and some that I don’t. There were also some cuts made. Some of those cuts I agree with and some of them, I don’t. But a budget has to be looked at in it’s entirety and I truly think that council did a commendable job working through a budget that will keep our town on solid financial footing for the next year and hopefully for years to come. Personally, I am relieved that council did not starve the future of our town with a too low tax increase.

So as a reward for all of their hard work this past week, Monday night’s meeting has a light 193 page agenda. There is also a planning meeting scheduled for 5:00 on Monday. Here are the highlights for the regular meeting.

PRESENTATIONS
Community Mediation Windsor-Essex – Joyce Zuk, Executive Director, Family Services Windsor-Essex, and Elizabeth Strutt-MacLeod, Coordinator/ Professor, St Clair College

This looks to be a presentation to council about a service that helps people resolve conflicts or disagreements. It seems there are volunteer community mediators that will help people resolve difficult situations.

Town of Amherstburg – Water Masterplan Update

Here is the recommendation from the report :

The Town of Amherstburg Water Master Plan Update & Environmental
Assessment dated June 30, 2020 BE APPROVED.

This is a very lengthy report, but this part from the discussion, summarizes the main ideas. “The Consultant completed the update of the Master Plan as part of a Schedule B Municipal Environmental Assessment (EA). This process includes identifying potential problems and opportunities to address these issues. This includes alternative solutions to future servicing needs as well as current critical and capacity constraints. The EA process has a requirement for public consultation, including reaching directly to major stakeholders (i.e. developers, federal and provincial agencies) as well as Indigenous Communities. Typically, the Town would hold a Public Information Centre as part of the public consultation but due to COVID restrictions consultation was held on-line through the Talk the Burg website and advertised through the River Town Times and Essex Free Press.”

Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 8A – Acceptance and Assumption of Infrastructure – Placement of Infrastructure on Maintenance

And this also seems to be a straightforward report about the Kingsbridge development. Here’s the recommendation :

It is recommended that:

1. The recommendations in the letter regarding Kingsbridge Development Phase 8A dated October 21, 2020 from the consulting engineer, Baird AE BE ACCEPTED;
2. The base asphalt and curbs along Lavers Crescent from Brown Street northerly, Mullen Crescent, Patten Crescent and Davis Street BE ACCEPTED and ASSUMED as outlined in the report; and,
3. The surface asphalt and sidewalks BE PLACED on a 1 year maintenance period, commencing October 9, 2020.

Adoption of the Tree Canopy and Natural Vegetation Protection and
Enhancement Policy

This appears to be a new policy that has written to comply with new legislation. As well, it also lines up with a council motion to declare a climate emergency. It also seems that the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee has endorsed this new policy.

From the discussion report of the agenda : “The Town of Amherstburg drafted a Tree Canopy and Natural Vegetation Protection and Enhancement Policy to not only meet the legislated requirements of the Municipal Act, but also to reinforce the commitment of the municipality to the preservation and rehabilitation of the natural heritage features in the area.
By approving this policy Council will be indicating its support and willingness to commit to environmentally sustainable practices, protections and enhancements on municipal lands to act as a catalyst for change. By establishing this commitment and promoting a standard of excellence, the Town can be instrumental in promoting change in attitudes and actions.”

I would think that council will be very receptive to this new policy.

Surprisingly, there is no in-camera meeting scheduled.

And, well, that’s about it folks. There are a few information reports for council to receive. So, unless there’s some major issue that gets brought up during new business, I am anticipating a short (and sweet? LOL) meeting Monday night. Maybe I’ll actually be able to write up the blog on Monday night? Otherwise, I’ll be back Tuesday. Either way, I’ll be back!

Have a great weekend Amherstburg!

Budget meeting #1 Tuesday November 17th 2020

Well, I watched last night’s budget meeting on line. Council had their first budget deliberation meeting virtually, from home. It was a very interesting evening full of entertainment, highs, lows and even some quite distasteful suggestions……Here we go!

First up, were the following presentations :

PRESENTATIONS – COMMUNITY GRANT REQUESTS
1. Amherstburg Community Services – Kathy DiBartolomeo
2. Amherstburg Food and Fellowship Mission – Tim McAllister
3. Amherstburg Freedom Museum – Mary-Katherine Whelan
4. Amherstburg Historic Sites Association – Stephanie Pouget-Papak
5. Fort Malden Golden Age Centre – Dorothy Thrasher
6. Snap for Cats – Tim Stocker
7. Christ Anglican Church – Cheryl Yako
8. StopGap Foundation – Debbie Croft

Each year, the town offers a certain of amount for grants for local service organizations. Someone from each group listed above presented their story and the amount of grant money that they were seeking. Item #6 (Snap for Cats) was not present and did not present. Item #7 (Christ Anglican Church) had technical difficulties and sent an email asking that their application be accepted as presented and item #8 (StopGap Foundation) withdrew their request.

Later in the meeting, each of the organizations received the amount of grant money that they had requested.

PRESENTATIONS
Proposed Full Time Heritage Planner – Simon Chamely, Chair, Heritage
Committee

Mr Chamely delegated to council about the proposed full time Heritage Planner positions. He felt he needed to help council to understand why this position was important. He felt that nothing had been done to protect and preserve our heritage buildings. He felt that this position would help prevent buildings from going into landfills. He felt that this new position could help with Economic Development, the creation and maintenance of heritage districts, prepare recommendations and reports for council, be a staff liaison with the public and have the potential to rewrite poorly worded existing bylaws. He said he wanted council to consider this position.

Councillor Prue said that the consultants that performed the Service Delivery Review had recommended 7 positions over the next 3 to 5 years. He wondered how important this position was to be done in the first year. Mr Chameley said that the position was extremely important. Councillor Courtney wondered how much money had been paid for consultants in regards to heritage issues. Councillor Courtney also spoke of needs versus wants and wondered what would be the issues if this position weren’t filled this year. He wondered if it would be okay to wait for another year. Mr Chamely asked how council would move forward with Urban Design Guidelines and other heritage initiatives. He wondered if the already exhausted planner would be able to do it. Councillor Courtney said he wasn’t sure if this position was critical. He also wondered what would be the financial benefit to the position. Mr Chameley mentioned that the Heritage Planner could develop eco-tourism and get the ball rolling. He also felt the position could help with promoting and educating.

2021 Proposed Budget, Review and Recommendations – Gordon Moore,
Committee Member, Audit & Finance Advisory Committee

Mr Moore then addressed council and explained that he was speaking on behalf of the 5 member committee. He felt that the committee was surprised by the proposed 7.55% increase. (Hmmmm……it didn’t surprise me in the least because I’ve been watching and paying attention……it concerned me somewhat that the committee was surprised by this number…..) Mr Moore went on that he felt that the budget was somewhat of a wish list and the taxpayers had fallen on hard times.

(I took my notes by hand and while I could go back and listen to the audio, well, so can anybody else I guess if this section of the meeting seriously interests you LOL) Mr Moore then went through a lengthy list of recommendations for council…..among what I could catch, the Audit and Finance Committee was not recommending hiring for the Communications Advisor position and instead redeploy staff from tourism. As well, they did not recommend the Town Solicitor position and it could be brought forward later. There was another position of Supervisor of Licensing (I think?) that was also not recommended. He also recommended that council look at salary increases for all staff. He also identified 9 expense items that could be cut……among them…..Council and committees take a one time reduction of $10,0000….. remove the non union compensation review….. the funds for the website redesign should be deferred to a later date…. the tennis courts at Villanova shouldn’t be repaired under a joint agreement since the residents have access to other courts…. the Open Air Streets expenditure of $50,000 should be staffed by students and at least partially funded by a BIA (a BIA doesn’t exist at the moment)…..and the expense of the parking study should be cut since he felt the area being studied was more extensive than necessary……Also, the pavement repair for Fire station #3 shouldn’t be done since the station is supposed to close……he also wanted the timelines amended for the 2022 budget to allow input from residents and the Audit and Finance Committee.

So, after listening to Mr Moore, on behalf of the Audit and Finance Committee rip apart the budget…..and having flashbacks from years gone by……this committee was a contentious one even with the last council…..so contentious that the old council voted to disband it……then this new council created one yet again…….and the broken record played all over again this year……Committee of volunteers rip apart the budget and council gives tons of weight to a VOLUNTEER committees recommendations, while they disregard recommendations from their own staff…….hired and paid to do a job, yet when the volunteers weigh in and council listens……..

Then, and this is the part that REALLY got me! Mr Moore then listed off all of their old recommendations from last year that they made to council. He felt that the committee had never received answers to those items. So, I will kindly draw everyone’s attention to this report that council received on October 26 2020.

https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=1863

If you clicked the link you will read each of their recommendations with the ensuing response from administration. Council received the report on October 26th. Why did the council representatives on this committee not relay this information to the volunteer committee? Why is the volunteer committee not following what is happening at council meetings? Why could I, a local resident who follows along, tell my computer screen last night “Hey Mr Moore and volunteer committee! The recommendations were all answered and addressed. In fact, some were implemented, for example, Councillor Prue did chair the public consultation meeting as per the recommendation that the meeting be chaired by a member of council….” But worse, why didn’t a council representative of council that sits on the Audit and Finance Committee (Councillor Prue or Councillor Simone) pointed out that in fact, all of the recommendations had been addressed? Why was I sitting in my family room dumb founded that I was aware of this information yet the committee was not? And, that right there, shattered any bit of confidence I had in this committee.

Deputy Mayor Meloche felt that there was one recommendation that stood out glaringly. The Audit and Finance had felt that a recommendation from administration that insurance premiums could increase 15% (and should be budgeted for accordingly) was “speculation” and that it should be reduced to 5%. Deputy Mayor Meloche said that the industry average is in fact 15% and not speculative at all, yet quite factual.

After a bit more back and forth the presentation from Mr Moore on behalf of the Audit and Finance Committee was received. (And some members of council would spend the rest of the evening using it and only it as they debated the issues.…..what do any other reports matter when you’ve got a volunteer committee? What do opinions of staff with extensive education or years of municipal experience matter when you’ve got a volunteer committee? I was having serious flashbacks to 2016 and 2017 LOL Oh, I think it’s also important to note that Amherstburg has 3 CA’s on staff at town hall…..Three 3 CAs that are paid to work for the town…..Three CA’s that are qualified to give advice too…..Cheryl Horrobin, Justin Rousseau and Katie Rowe…..)

2021 Budget Additions

On the agenda, there was one other item before the debate began:
It is recommended that:

1. The following BE ADDED to the recommended 2021 Budget:
   A. Pre-commitment under the 2021 Capital Budget – Public Works Budget Centre – Purchase of a Single Axle Dump Truck with Winter Plow Package (Issue Paper EPW-CAP23) in the amount of $256,435 to be funded by a transfer from Reserve Fund – General; and,
   B. An allowance of $81,000 Public Works Budget Centre –
   Professional Fees expense (EPW-13) for completion of an
   update to the Roads Needs Study to be funded by a
   transfer from Reserve – Plans and Studies

This carried and was added into the budget for debate.

The Budget

So, the appetizer was over, it was time for the main course. Time for budget deliberations to begin…..

CAO Budget centre

Deputy Mayor Meloche asked about the loss of OCIF funding. For those who aren’t aware, it is called Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund ( OCIF ) and it is provided each year by the provincial government to municipalities to develop and renew their infrastructure. Well, this year, the province won’t be giving us that money. Deputy mayor Meloche wondered had we received the OCIF funding of $1.7 Million, would the rate for the budget have been? Mr Rousseau, explained that that funding had an impact of 7% on our budget……so hold on to your hats…..if the province had given us our OCIF funding, the proposed tax increase for 2021 would have been only .55% or so. This lack of revenue from the province has had a HUGE impact on our municipality and the budget. Let that sink in…..

Councillor McArthur then asked the CAO about the Service Delivery Review. He wondered why all of the recommended positions were included in this budget. He asked the CAO to rank them in importance. (Side note, I know I have included the link to the Service Delivery Review before (now referred to as SDR) but I’m doing it again in case you haven’t had a chance to read it. https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=1966 In my opinion, the budget can’t be discussed or analyzed if you haven’t read this document. They go hand in hand…..)

CAO Miceli then spoke and said that a lot of misinformation had been going around about these positions. He cited an important sentence in the document (page 26) ” *It is recommended that the new positions be implemented over a three to five-year timeframe based on advice from staff to Council on order of priority based on the Town’s business needs.” (Please note it said advice from staff not volunteers, just a side note on my part. Volunteers play a vital role for many projects in our community, but I do not understand why they outrank staff with experience and credentials in some councillors books. Also, if anyone is going to copy and paste what I wrote and pick it apart, please copy and paste both sentences, they go together.) The CAO went on to explain the chart that was included in the SDR and he felt that all of the positions were valid for the town. He noted that paramount in the SDR were the Financial Manager Position and the Legal Counsel positions. CAO Miceli said that council should seriously consider those 2 positions. He felt that both positions would offer savings contingent on hiring and that only would they save the town money, they would also improve our levels of service.

Councillor Prue then spoke. He seemed to disagree with the CAO’s recommendations. The meeting took somewhat of a confrontation tone. Councillor Prue felt that he had listened intently at the presentation of the SDR. He said that Councillor McArthur had asked the question about ranking the importance of the positions at that meeting and that they had listed 4 positions. Councillor Prue said that he had written them all down. He said that nowhere on the list was the lawyer’s position.

CAO Miceli said that the Clerk was pulling the audio from the meeting since the legal position was included in the list. (Oh boy! This was getting juicy! It took a few minutes due to some technical glitches……I was texting with a few friends at this point, waiting to see who would be proven correct by the audio…..)

And then the audio began…..I heard Councillor McArthur ask them to prioritize the positions and then a man’s voice, one of the presenters began speaking……first recommendation was the Finance Position to deal with asset management and reserves…..second recommendation, there was a strong case about bylaws and the South Shore shared initiative and INTERNAL LEGAL…..third recommendation was Customer Service…..”

And mic drop time! There it was! Second recommendation, internal legal…..

Councillor Prue then expressed he felt it was an oblique reference to legal and bylaw and that he didn’t see it as a lawyer at all. (Um, don’t lawyers deal with legal matters? Maybe it’s just me…..)

CAO Miceli explained that legal reviews of bylaws were necessary. He said that the #2 recommendation of the SCR was the lawyer’s position and he stated this his #1 and #2 priorities were same as the SDR and the consultants. Deputy Mayor Meloche concurred that while, yes the presenter spoke of bylaws, he went on to say “legal” and that he interpreted that as being a lawyer. He reiterated that he also felt that the #2 recommendation was legal services. Councillor McArthur then spoke and said that it was his interpretation as well that the lawyer positions was the #2 recommendation.

There was lengthy discussion about when Mr Mark Galvin used to be on staff. (He was the Director of Planning, Development and Legislative Services and yes, he was a lawyer). The discussion seemed to center around what responsibilities the lawyer would have.

Councillor Courtney then said that he had asked during the SDR presentation if they had analyzed the theory of the overworked and understaffed situation. He felt that tourism had dropped and that the town should hit the pause button because of the pandemic. He also felt that “service” was not clearly defined ,nor the expectation. He said he had written “no” for each of the positions. He felt that the SDR was not in depth and that there were generic claims made. (um, yikes…..a councillor has already decided no on items before the debate? Then why the long meetings with lengthy debates? Is it all just for show? What’s the point if minds are made up? How can one debate with an open mind if the mind is made up before the meeting? hmmmm….that’s worrisome to me...)

Councillor Courtney then made a motion to strike the position of Town Solicitor from the budget. Councillor Prue seconded the motion.

Councillor Prue felt he had gone through the budget line by line and that he hadn’t seen the savings or figures to justify the position. He felt it wasn’t even clear what the person would do. The CAO then pointed to page 15 of the SDR it showed an immediate savings of $169,000 for this position. (And yes, I just went and checked the document, it’s there in black and white.) The CAO said that it is administration’s professional recommendation to hire legal counsel. He felt that administration’s recommendations were in in alignment with the SDR. He acknowledged that the Audit and Finance Committee does not support the position, but he noted that they are not subject experts in this matter. He pointed out that council had paid professionals making recommendations to them……(but, why listen to the paid professionals when there’s a volunteer committee? Asking for a friend.…)

Deputy Mayor Meloche said that he would not support the motion. He feels strongly that the town needs the Finance Manager Position as well as the Legal position. He noted while he was on the previous council he saw legal costs go up, then Mr Galvin was hired and legal costs went down. He also noted that Councillor Prue was referring to the “auditors” when he spoke and that was sending the wrong message. He clarified that the committee are not the town’s auditors.

Councillor Prue felt that they work in the audit field but acknowledged that they are a committee.

Councillor McArthur noted that many of our peer comparators have legal counsel on staff. He also wondered if staff had access to do a quick check-in with a lawyer on a day to day basis. (Without paying exorbitant costs.) The CAO said that if staff call legal counsel, we will get billed. He explained that when Mr Galvin was working for the town, staff could call him and often did. He would look at things through a legal lens and now that legal lens has been lost. The CAO said he can respect the accounts position but that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Councilor McArthur also said he wouldn’t be supporting the motion to strike the legal counsel position from the budget. He cited that administration is saying that we need this position. He pointed out that the consultants analyzed municipalities and also said we need this position. He pointed out that these are all people doing this work for a living and they’re saying we need this position. He felt that the position will increase operation efficiencies. And then it went to a recorded vote (I love those!) Motion to strike the legal counsel position :

Support : Councillors Courtney, Prue and Simone

Opposed : Councillor McArthur, Deputy Mayor Meloche, Councillor Renaud and Mayor DiCarlo

Then, Deputy Mayor Meloche made a motion that the legal position be approved and it was seconded by Councillor McArthur. Another recorded vote was called, but I’m sure you can guess LOL

Support : Councillor McArthur, Deputy Mayor Meloche, Councillor Renaud, Mayor Dicarlo

Opposed : Councillors Courtney, Prue and Simone

So, one step forward for Amherstburg! We’re going to finally have an in-house lawyer again!

Councillor Simone then wanted to discuss the Communications Advisor position. She wondered if it were possible for the person that is currently fulfilling this role to stay in this position and then bring back the position to next year’s budget.

Mayor DiCarlo advised that last term, council was advised not to be involved in employees jobs, since that violates labour relations. He explained that it is not council’s role or the role of an advisory committee to speak to employees jobs or their day to day responsibillities. The CAO explained that the person was redeployed due to the pandemic but that it has not been easy. Councillor Simone noted that the person is doing a great job and that there is an uptick in social media. She wondered if this could at least continue during the pandemic.

The CAO explained that the communications could continue during the pandemic but that when the pandemic is over, the person’s position is in tourism. He then spoke about labour law and how it works. He said that from a labour perspective if it’s a permanent change, it would be overseen by labour law. Therefore, should the person remain in a Communications capcity, their position would have to be eliminated . At that point the person could accept the new position or accept severance. He said that a decision would be required once the pandemic is over since it would trigger a decision in regards to the law.

Councillor McArthur also noted the excellent job that the person is doing. He felt it had been a huge improvement in communications during the pandemic.

Councillor Prue then made a motion to strike the Communications Advisor position from the budget. He felt that there is a capable person fulfilling the role and the pandemic will likely last a while. He felt that council could deal with this item next year when the person returns to the Tourism Department. Councillor Courtney seconded the motion to strike the position. (No surprise LOL He had his mind made up before the meeting remember? )

Each member of council spoke of the importance of the Communications position but ultimately decided that since the pandemic likely won’t be over for a while, so we will continue on as is until next year’s budget. Councillor McArthur said he would support striking the position due to the circumstances but that he would advocate strongly next year (as he did last year) for the position since most municipalities have one. He said he hopes that everyone remembers what they said tonight when the position is back in next year’s budget. (Well, if they don’t remember, you can always pull the audio right? 😉 )

And then council voted. The Communications Advisor Position was stricken. Then the CAO’s budget was approved in principle with the amendments.

Clerk’s Services Budget

Councillor Prue felt that the 15% anticipated increase in insurance costs seems rather high. He said he just got a quote for his car insurance of less than half of what he was paying last year. (The CAO asked for the company’s number and I’d like it too! LOL) Councillor Prue felt that not everything is going up in price. CAO Miceli said that he must caution council regarding the 5% that the committee felt should be sufficient to budget for increase. He cited 3 potential claims that could wipe out the reserves as they exist. He felt that 15% was in the best interest of the town and his job is to protect the town. He advised council that administration would be going to market next year for new prices.

Councillor Prue wondered if the town could shop now or if we had to wait. The Clerk explained that it could be shopped now but that municipal insurance is a niche market and the process for an RFP is onerous. She said that it is currently a hard market and that insurers may not provide the town with a quote. They are also imposing stricter rules on new policies. She said the reassessment had been discussed with the broker and that they are expecting a 15% increase in price.

The debate raged on, but ultimately the Clerk’s budget was accepted in principle without any amendments.

It was now approximately 9:00 and council took a 10 minute break.

Council and Committees Budget

There was to be a small increase for receptioins but the Mayor felt that due to the pandemic, that would probably not be necessary. So a motion was made and that was struck from the budget.

Council training

Councillor Prue noted an increase of $5,000 for council to get training this year. He also noted that last year’s budget was $5,000 and not a dime had been spent. (Um, no surprise there.…..) Councillor Prue made a motion to cut the extra $5,0000 for training from the budget. The CAO said that the recommendation aligned with the SDR and past reviews to offer council an opportunity for training. (Why would they need training? They have volunteer committees that can give them advice right? And Google? They had Google too! Ugh. So frustrating. There is little experience on this council and some training would be useful most likely.….) But anyway, they voted and the extra money will not be added for training.

There was also a motion to reduce each committee’s budget by $500 for this year only, due to COVID. The committees are unable to meet at the moment. That carried.

Wages

Councillor Prue said that it was suggested that wages are a problem and wondered if council could talk about freezing them. He explained that he was in the legislature during the Rae Days. He felt that it would be a gesture that council understands people’s pain, CERB, hard times etc. He said he’s received a number of emails that were universally condemning the tax increase. (I have some relatives that remember the Rae Days too…..and let’s just say that they have NOTHING nice to say about them LOL)

Councillor Prue then went on to suggest that council and staff in non union positions (or maybe just the sunshine listers) freeze their wages for one year. Mayor DiCarlo asked for clarification about the motion. He asked if the motion was just for council to freeze their wages. Councillor Prue said he knows that wages can’t be frozen for unionized or signed contract positions, but where there is no contract, perhaps they could be frozen, or maybe just council. 

Mayor DiCarlo felt that they should stick with just council for now. 

They voted, and it passed. Council’s wages will be frozen for one year. 

The Council and Committees budget was accepted in principle with the modification. 

Human Resources Budget Centre

Councillor Prue then referred to the Professional Fees for $46,500 for Non-Union Compensation Review and for  HR Strategy – Succession, Recruitment, and Retention. He felt that the committee had said to remove this item, so, therefore…..I guess it must happen?? The CAO said that the HR Non-Union Compensation Review is part of a policy and was last done in 2017. The review is to be done in 2021 to prepare for the 2022 impact. Councillor Prue felt it could be put into the next budget. The CAO said that it would likely not be done in time for 2022 and could then involve retroactive pay. He also explained that the SDR shows that the pay scale in Amherstburg for non-union employees is low. 

Councillor Prue noted that unanimous decision to freeze council wages and wondered how a similar motion for staff wages may be received. The CAO explained that they would have to look at individual contracts and that we need competitiveness in the industry. He also said that Amherstburg has a history of playing catch up in regards to these things. He agreed that sure, council may save money this year but may shock the residents next year. 

Councillor Prue felt that freezing employee wages would show an acknowledgement of people’s suffering due to COVID. He then made a motion to remove the $46,500 from the budget for the compensation review and the Succession planning. He also added that staff would show good will and empathy and take the wage freeze. 

And then crickets…..nobody seconded the motion. (On behalf of all things kind and human, thank you to the other 5 for not seconding this! Councillor Prue wants staff to take a wage freeze? Wow) 

Deputy Mayor Meloche then spoke. He explained that he was there at the beginning, in 2014,when staff were asked to hold the line as we dug ourselves out of near financial ruin. He felt that employees should be fairly paid. 

Councillor Courtney wondered who was doing the review for $46,000 and wondered if the town could just do it itself? He pointed out that Amherstburg had 20 people on the sunshine list. The CAO explained the review would be done by an independent third party, using the RFP process. They take comparable municipalities and positions and do a comparison. 

Councillor Courtney felt that all were employed during the pandemic in town hall and that they would be thankful and that maybe they’d be okay to hold the line. The CAO felt that it would just be deferring the increase and see high retroactive pay in 2022. Ms Horrobin, Director Corporate Services, said that holding the line on just one line of pay creates compression among the pay grids. As well, she noted the psychological impact of coming into work and delivering above and beyond in exceptional circumstances, to then have pay frozen could be problematic. 

Councillor Courtney then said he was thankful for his own job and pay (he noted he made the sunshine list) but that he gets the cost of doing business. (I’m not quite sure what he meant here…..would he be willing to take a pay freeze at his regular job? ) Mayor DiCarlo again spoke about labour law and pay equity and felt that a pay freeze to only one group of employees would be difficult to implement. 

Councillor Prue felt that he was simply for a 2% raise to be held off for one year. He felt that unionized employees earn less than senior management. He wondered if staff would accept foregoing 2% wage adjustment for one year to show empathy and acknowledge the people that are hurting. (I was absolutely disgusted with this entire section of the meeting…..to ask a small section of staff to take a pay freeze? To not get their 2% rate of inflation increase? How do we not know that staff are hurting too during this pandemic? Just because they kept working, who knows what happened to their spouses job or their own personal circumstances? This whole line of discussion was extremely distasteful to me. It’s one thing for members of council to to take a pay freeze for a year….their positions are part time and are not their primary source of income…..They all have pensions or jobs that pay their main income…..but these town employees, that’s another issues, this is their livelihood…..I’m still shaking my head 24 hours later.…)

Mayor DiCarlo said that he didn’t see how they could staff to answer that question, if they would be willing to accept a wage freeze for one year. (If I were the betting type, I’d think they’d have some pretty choice words for Councillor Prue, for him to want to ask this of them…..) Councillor Prue insisted he was asking only for the non contract employees. Mayor DiCarlo said he didn’t know if even asking could put the town in a “precarious position”. (Um, ya think? Oh my!!!)

Councillor Courtney then changed the subject and asked about an item for $34,000 for recruitment expenses. He wondered if that was to find a replacement for Mr Roberts (retiring in the spring) or Mr Galvin, who left about a year ago. The CAO explained it was council direction to engage a headhunting firm regarding a replacement for Mr Galvin. He said now that the position had been changed within the SDR (from what it was when Mr Galvin was here), he felt confident that a headhunter wouldn’t be necessary to fill the new legal position. 

That item was then stricken from the budget. 

There was also a motion made to strike the position of Staff – Temporary Human Resources Coordinator(1Yr). That carried.

Then a motion was made to approve the Human Resources Budget Center in principle. That carried.

Since it was shortly after 10:00, the meeting was adjourned for the evening. Deliberations were scheduled to continue today (Wednesday) from 9 – 5:30 and Thursday if necessary from 1:00 – 7:00 .

I am not sure if I will write up a blog about the rest of the budget debates, since, well, that will be extremely time consuming……but I have to say Tuesday night’s debate was one heck of a show!

Monday November 9th Regular Town council meeting

Well, yesterday was a very busy day for council.

First, they started with a special meeting at 2:00 for one item.

PRESENTATIONS
Service Delivery Review, Final Report & Presentation – Chris Loreto, Principal, Tony Haddad, Senior Advisor, and Lauren Wyman, Manager, StrategyCorp

I didn’t watch the livestream for this meeting. However, in a nutshell, the province paid for a Service Delivery Review to help municipalities find efficiencies and ways to remain viable. Initially, this was presented to council a few months ago and the study is fascinating, at least to me. It is a 156 page report/study loaded with information about where Amherstburg is now and ways for Amherstburg to improve and move forward. It seems that this document will become the new guiding document for council, to update the older Deloitte Report that had recommendations for the previous council.

For anyone who has been reading the budget and wonders about anything at all related to the budget, the Service Delivery Review is a must read. I don’t think the budget can be read without also reading the Service Delivery Review. Here’s the link for those who haven’t read it yet :

https://calendar.amherstburg.ca/council/Detail/2020-11-09-1400-Special-Council-Meeting-Public-Participation-via-L2/8c10452a-a042-4780-a83d-ac6a0110125d

Scroll down to page 3 to see the presentation to council.

Then, there was another special meeting scheduled at 5:00.

This meeting also had one item :

PRESENTATION
Windsor Essex Regional Community Safety and Well-Being Plan – Leonardo Gil, Project Manager, Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, City of Windsor, Frank Providenti, DC of Operational Support, and Pamela Mizuno, Chief of Police, Windsor Police Service

When I went on line close to 6:00, no meeting was in session yet. Shortly after 6:00, this special presentation started, that was supposed to start at 5:00……seems everything was running late. I am guessing that the Service Delivery Review went overtime.

I decided to take a breather and get a few things done around the house.

Finally, at 6:44 PM, the Regular Meeting that was supposed to start at 6:00 was called to order.

DELEGATIONS
Request to Relieve Tax Interest & Penalties Charged During Dispute with MPAC – Dennis & Kimberly Horn

Mr Horn addressed council. It seems that he received an MPAC assessment in 2013, that he then disputed. He was incorrectly billed for two years but the town corrected the error. However, the following years were not corrected. He contacted MPAC who told him to talk to the Clerk. The Clerk adivsed him that they had submitted the wrong amounts. The Horns then took the town to small claims courts. It was found that MPAC didn’t follow the documents. When they were in court, Mr Horn was advised to file an appeal. He waited and eventually MPAC decided not to hear the case. It seems that the costs amount to about $5,500, however it would cost Mr Horn more in legal fees to dispute it. Mr Horn was asking council for leniency in the matter in order to be able to put this behind them.

Councillor Prue asked a question of Mr Horn. The Treasurer advised that Mr Horn had exhausted all remedies and he had no avenues left. And with that, council made a motion to receive the delegate and that was that. The Mayor then explained to Mr Horn that since the delegation had simply been received, there would be no change or action taken.

Easement Documentation and By-law 2020-059 – Nicole Keogh and
Mary Canton, Amherst Point Association

By-law 2020-059 – By-law to Stop up, Close and Convery Portions of the
Road Allowance known as Scott Drive

Ms Caton addressed council about the above proposed bylaw. She was there on behalf of the Amherst Point Residents Association. She told council she was looking for help to protect the history of the Amherst Point area. In 2023, the area will be 100 years old. There are 60 homes in the area often with second, third and fourth generation owners. The property owners look after the area and the easements, by cutting grass, planting flowers and beach clean ups. Ms Caton said that the mention of the sale of the 10′ easement at the foot of Scott Drive was of great concern since it is an integral part of their community. She explained that two doctors drew up documents almost 100 years ago to protect the area. She wondered if the town’s new bylaw could be amended to secure the easement and protect their history.

Councillor Prue asked about a specific section and mentioned that portions of the property already had garages on it. Ms Caton felt that the written documents gave rights to the property in perpetuity and that no one could assume ownership of the easements. Councillor Prue wondered about the garages since they seemed to encroach on town land. Ms Caton then spoke of right of way areas and parking areas (I wasn’t really sure what the difference was……one downfall of watching the meeting on line).

Deputy Mayor Meloche wondered if these properties have illegal buildings. The CAO explained that the town would have to research title of the properties and was trying to clean up titles in the area. Deputy Mayor Meloche wondered if it were a handshake agreement at the time and the CAO explained that there is a lot of this issue (buildings encroaching on town land) and that the town is liable for the land.

Councillor Courtney then said that he lives just down the road and he knows about pecuniary interest…….(and then he went on to discuss the issue……I was and still am utterly confused by this…..two weeks ago he declared a conflict about owning a rental property across the street from the new high school, yet this week he’s discussing the sale of land in an area that he lives just down the road……I just don’t get it.) Councillor Courtney felt like the area has history and that it sounds like the town is opening a can of worms. He said he understood about trying to clear up liability.

CAO Miceli pointed out that they were not denying access to the properties, but wondered how they should handle the risk. He also explained that owners were coming forward realizing they had encroached on town property. He pointed out that the residents would still have access to the beach and that the cleanest way to deal with this, while still maintaining access, was to just sell the property.

Councillor Courtney then wondered about the cost of an encroachment agreement versus selling the property. He felt that he likes the area, that it’s a special area with old names that are common in Amherstburg. He felt that the encorachment should be cleaned up that something should be done to go further. Again, the CAO said that residents were coming to them, wanting to clear up property titles. He said something had to be done to protect the town.

There was much more back and forth about access to the beach.

Finally, Councillor Prue pointed out that this issue affects many other properties. He felt he was reluctant to deal with the issue tonight, since all of the bits of properties should be dealt with in the same way (either an encroachment agreement or sale of the land.)

The CAO pointed out that analyzing the 3 areas in that part of Amherstburg would be a significant undertaking since according to the maps, there are significant things built on town property. He did agree though that all of the properties should be dealt with the same way. The CAO also pointed out that the town does not have resources or a budget to deal with all of these lands.

Deputy mayor Meloche wondered if the Amherst Point Association was a legal corporation or just a group of people. Ms Canton was unsure. The Deputy Mayor said that if they are a legal corporation they could buy the land in the name of the corporation.

Finally, there was a motion to get legal advice and some costing to deal with land title searches in the area. And it carried.

2020 Third Quarter Variance as at September 30, 2020

The third quarter variance reports are in. These are comprehensive reports showing surplus or deficits for each department. Here are the recommendations:

1. That a transfer from the Streetlights Reserve not to exceed $3,031 BE
   APPROVED to fund the unbudgeted purchase of a new streetlight under the Public Works budget centre, capital expense;

2. That a transfer from the Fleet and Equipment Reserve not to exceed $131,143 BE APPROVED to fund the unbudgeted purchase of a Tandem Truck Chassis (Unit 206) with snow plow, under the Public Works budget centre, capital expense;
3. That an unbudgeted expenditure in relation to updating the Town’s Water Master Plan, estimated at $40,000 BE AFFIRMED to be funded by water user rates under the Water budget centre, professional fees expense;
4. That the unbudgeted purchase of a replacement Generator for the Wastewater Plant in the amount of $81,450 BE AFFIRMED to be funded by wastewater user rates under the Wastewater budget centre, capital expense;
5. That an over-expenditure of $9,588 for the purchase of Auto Extrication
   Equipment BE AFFIRMED to be funded from current taxation under the Fire budget centre, capital expense;
6. That a Reserve Fund – Ranta Memorial Park BE ESTABLISHED for the
   purpose of funding improvements to Ranta Memorial Park and that the funds bequeathed to the Town for that purpose BE TRANSFERRED to that Reserve Fund; and
7. That a Reserve – Co-An Park Capital BE ESTABLISHED for the purpose of
   funding Town contributions to Co-An Park capital improvements and that current funds not to exceed $4,946 BE TRANSFERRED to that Reserve.

There were a few questions from members of council. Councillor Courtney wondered why the waste collection budget was up. Administration felt it was due to the pandemic and the higher amount of tonnage to get rid of as people were cleaning and organizing during the lockdown.

Deputy Mayor Meloche then talked about the emphasis that is now on recycling, therefore less garbage, he wondered if it may be time to go to a every other week schedule for garbage collection. Mayor DiCarlo said that many municipalities have made this change but warned there will be pushback from residents. (This item would be brought forward later under New Business.)

It seems that there is currently a $1.4 Million surplus and councillor Prue wondered if that money would go into reserves. Mr Rousseau, the Treasurer explained that it will depend what council decides to do and if, after year end, there is still a surplus. It’s forecasted, but not guaranteed. Councillor McArthur pointed out that council has to assume there won’t be a variance at year end and have to make a budget anyway. (Good for you Councillor McArthur!) Councillor Prue seemed to hint that this money could be put into reserves and it could affect how to handle the upcoming budget…..

Ultimately, all of the recommendations carried regarind the 3rd Quarter Variance.

Safe Re-Opening of Spectator Seating at the Libro Centre

This item said report to follow so I was unable to read it ahead of time. However, I was able, easily enough to follow along. At the last meeting, council had made a motion for administration to look into safely re-opening some spectator seating at the Libro Centre.

Councillor Courtney spoke and said he knew there would be a price tag. He said he had read the report and that it would required 56 hours per week, as well as opening the washrooms upstairs. He wondered if the cleaning protocols were gong above and beyond. He cited a cost of $17,000 and wondered what Amherstburg was doing, if we are going above and beyond in cleaning protocols.

Mr Roberts, Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture explained that the town is following provincial legislation and the WECHU protocols. He explained that all seats would have to be sanitized, not just the ones that were used, due to potential contamination (in front of and beside the seat used).

Councillor Courtney felt he understood accessibility and having the elevator in use. He then wondered if the town could put up a sign for people to use the main floor washroom instead of the one upstairs? Mr Roberts felt it would be inconveniencing somebody with a disability, to make them go downstairs and that the town has to give access. Councillor Courtney spoke of accessiblity laws and felt that the elevator would be available. He said he was trying to mitigate the $17,000 cost. He then went on that people hand sanitize, fill out forms and wear masks in the arena, therefore the risks have been mitigated. He felt that the cleaning seemed far fetched and wondered how frequently cleaning was really necessary. He wondered if it could be expanded to every two hours.

There was a lot of back and forth between Councillor Courtney and Mr Roberts about cleaning protocols.

Councillor McArthur said that they have gotten a lot of complaints about the Libro and how some things are inconsistent from one municipality to the next. He explained when they opened the splash pad, there were 3 staff, a tent to sign in etc yet other municipalities just put up a sign. He wondered if the town was taking reasonable precautions or going over and above the requirements. Mr Roberts explained that administration is taking every reasonable precuation. He also pointed out that the WECHU closed the Essex splash pad twice.

Deputy mayor Meloche commended administration for their work. He noted that the statistics show we’re doing the best in the area in regards to COVID. He pointed out that we have an aging community and that nobody is very happy to be restricted. However, he pointed out that it could be one of our parents at risk. He wondered why for $17,000 would council want to risk an infection. He said he was willing to open the arena for the kids but didn’t want to put the grandparents at risk. He pointed out that he has to worry about 20,0000 people.

Councillor Prue then spoke and said he supported Mr Roberts. He pointed out that Ontario had over 1,300 cases today…..the numbers are growing and it hasn’t hit us yet in this area, but that it will. He pointed out that things are closed in Toronto. He felt he didn’t want to spend $17,000 for 7 weeks and felt it would be bad for grandparents. He felt that council should wait. He mentioned that if council spends it, he wants everything sterilized, so that things won’t be like Toronto.

Councillor Courtney then said that if people feel vulnerable they can simply stay home. He was trying to find a happy medium and felt that the seating could be reopened for $5,000. He felt that increased case counts are coming but that residents want the seating opened. He felt people should use the arena at their own risk.

Mayor DiCarlo clarified that if council opens the seating they can not say “use at own risk” type of thinking. He said that the town can be sued and has liability since the town owns the Libro. He explained he had reached out to the Premier’s office and that they made it clear to follow the local Health Unit regulations and that they won’t accept responsibility. He reiterated that the town does have liability since it is the town’s facility, whether a user trips or catches COVID.

Councillor McArthur felt that the stands should be opened. He said that he gets emails and is embarrassed how other areas are opening up but not us. He felt that if we have to pay $17,000 then it was okay to do it.

Councillor Prue then made a motion to receive the report. There was some discussion about the repercussion about simply receiving, since it could make the issue dead in the water. . Ultimately, the report was received in a 3-2 voted (In favour: Councillors Prue, Simone and Deputy Mayro meoche, and opposed Councillors Courtney and McArthur. -Conflict for Councillor Renaud, so he did not vote).

Then Councillor McArthur made a motion to open the stands, consult with other muncipalities for efficiencies and to have an upset limit of $17,000. Councillor Courtney seconded the motion.

And this motion failed…..3-2…..Opposed, Councillors Pure, Simone and Deputy Mayor Meloche and in favour : Councillors McArthur and Courtney.

There were many more items on the agenda but they all carried with either little or no discussion (or boring discussion LOL). So I’m going to save some key strokes. If you’re interested in those items, you can either read my pre-meeting blog to see what they were or you can watch the video of last night’s meeting.

New Business

Garbage Pick up

Deputy Mayor Meloche brought forward a motion to look into changing garbage pick up to every two weeks. Mayor DiCarlo sits on the Solid Waste Authority and said that Amherstburg has been mandated to participate in a new kitchen waste program. It seems that we are 4 of 7 municipalities in the area that will be doing so. The process is still in the works but it would definitely reduce garbage in favour of organic waste. Council seemed pleased with this and the motion carried.

Walking Track

Councillor McArthur asked a question about the walking track. Since the town is now renting out the turf, no walkers are allowed on the track. It seems council has been getting emails. Councillor McArthur wondered if there were any alternatives.

Mr Roberts explained that because staff were there from day one, they could escort a walker to the dry rink if it’s not being used by the pickle ball users. He is looking towards this solution since the track is more used now with bad weather starting. So for the time being, this appears to be the solution.

The Budget

Councillor Courtney then spoke. He said that he had been going back and forth all week about this issue. Council received the budget last week. He felt that there have been a lot of emotions and reactions that have been hard to stomach about the budget. He felt that staff should know that all actions get reactions. Councillor Courtney said he was ready to make a motion to send the budget back but realized that it’s up to council to decide. He said that some of the words in the emails or on the phone that were used were “selfish, ignorant, greedy, scary, uncompassionate” to describe the budget. Councillor Courtney said that we know we’re in debt. He feels that 7.5%….that there has to be a different way. He felt that it’s not clear what the expectation of services that residents want. He explained that he calls staff sometimes at 6:00 and they’re still in the office working, he acknowledged that staff is working very hard and a lot of hours. Councillor Courtney felt a deeper organization review is necessary.

Councillor Courtney said that some of the comments made was that no efforts were made for concessions. He felt it may be merited with operational costs ballooning. He wondered if there were a way to consult council without eroding the image of Amherstburg. He wondered if people wanted a higher or lower level of services in Amherstburg. He felt he wants to revamp the budget process…..instead of receiving the budget and council slashing it, he felt that council has to work together to create the budget…..that council and the town needs to show compassion for people. He felt that optically it looked bad and that he tries to shield council and staff.

Councillor Courtney felt that council will be able to get the rate down but there has to be a way to show the picture to the people. He wanted to let the residents know that he’s thinking of them and he’s hoping that everybody will be happy in the end.

(I am going to share my thoughts with you here on this speech…..so if you don’t want to read them, please skip ahead to the end. Just a disclaimer. Don’t say you weren’t warned LOL.

First, if Councillor Courtney is hoping everybody is happy in the end, he hasn’t learned yet that when you try to make everybody happy, you make nobody happy. And in politics, that’s probably even more true.

Second, during his speech Councillor Courtney gave the impression that council wasn’t part of the budget process. Council has spent almost an entire year making motions and often putting in the motions to bring items forward at budget time. One needs to just look at the quarterly variance reports and the number of unbudgeted items that have come forward. Some of the items in the budget were council requests.

Also, the provincial government will likely not be providing $1.7 Million in Ontario Community Infrastructure funding ( OCIF ) this year. I believe administration has been talking about this for a few months now.

But ultimately, Councillor Courtney seemed surprised by a 7.55% proposed increase. To me, that surprise, shows a lack of awareness about council’s role in this entire process during this past year. There was a proposed 4.55% tax increase last year. Council whittled the rate down to a meager .56%, when the inflation rate sat at 1.9%. While council may have made the people happy, this decision showed a lack of planning and foresight on council’s part. While part of council’s role is to represent the residents, they are also on council to represent the Corporation of the Town of Amherstburg. Fancy words to say that they have to represent Amherstburg’s interests as a whole as well. Before the budget came out, I had predicted at least a 6% proposed increase. The 7.55% proposed increase this year should not have been a surprise, least of all to council or Councillor Courtney. I’ve been watching council closely. I saw the low increase last year. I watched the over expenditures. If council cares about the future of the town of Amherstburg, they will approach this budget with a broader view.

I know that hearing 7.55% was probably a shock to many people. But it should not have been a shock to council or anybody that’s been following council this year. To be clear, I do not want a 7.55% increase. But I also know that a 0% increase will simply be delaying the inevitable. Pay me a little now or pay me a lot later type of thing…..This year we’re going to have to pay for last year it looks like…..

I am sure that council will be able to get the tax rate down to a more reasonable rate. But ultimately it will be up to council. Do they want to starve the future of Amherstburg and bring the rate way down? Or do they want Amherstburg to grow and prosper and move forward into a solid future? )

And with that, Council made a motion to go In-Camera :

SPECIAL IN-CAMERA COUNCIL MEETING
That Council move into an In-Camera Meeting of Council directly following
pursuant to Section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended for the
following reason:
Item A – Section 239(2)(e) – Litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board.

However, usually this is uneventful. This time, Councillor Prue asked if the meeting was in regards to something he would have to declare a conflict about. The Clerk replied that it was in regards to a delegation that was refused. Councillor Prue then asked if it were in regards to his wife and the response was yes. Councillor Prue then asked if he should delcare the conflict now or in the in-camera session…….The whole exchange seemed odd to me….it was like Councillor Prue wanted the public to know the in-camera meeting was about his wife?

And with that, it was 9:48 PM and council went in-camera, I packed up my stuff and headed upstairs to see my family.

I am still working on reading through the budget. Next week council will debate the budget on Tuesday November 17th, Wednesday November 18th and on Thursday November 19th if necessary. I plan on blogging out some budget coverage for my readers. With the new live streaming format, that will allow me to watch parts that I normally have to miss. I’ll probably write up two separate blogs, but we’ll see how the deliberations go. Either way, I’ll be back some time next week with some budget coverage. In the meantime, peruse the budget and read the Service Delivery Review if you’ve got some time. Or, yet again, don’t, and go enjoy the nice weather while it lasts LOL. Either way, have a great week Amherstburg!

In preparation for Monday November 9th Regular Town council meeting

Well, it looks like Monday is going to be a loooooong day for council. First, there is a special meeting at 2:00. Then another special meeting at 5:00. All of this followed by the regular meeting at 6:00.

Here’s a brief preview of each…..

The Special Meeting at 2:00

PRESENTATIONS
Service Delivery Review, Final Report & Presentation – Chris Loreto, Principal, Tony Haddad, Senior Advisor, and Lauren Wyman, Manager, StrategyCorp

There is just one item on the agenda for this special meeting. In a nutshell, the province paid for a Service Delivery Review to help municipalities find efficiencies and ways to remain viable. Initially, this was presented to council a few months ago and the study is fascinating, at least to me. It is a 156 page report/study loaded with information about where Amherstburg is now and ways for Amherstburg to improve and move forward. It seems that this document will become the new guiding document for council, to update the older Deloitte Report that had recommendations for the previous council.

These were the items that were studied:

• Long-Term Strategy and Service Improvements Business Cases
• Organizational Review
• Strategic Management
• Long-Term Growth Planning
• Shared Service Initiative
• Operational Improvements Business Cases
• Customer Service
• Recreation Services
• Contracted Services

Here are the 5 major findings :

• Amherstburg has been focused on financial rebuilding and recovery since 2014, and while the Town has seen improved financial health and sustainability, the past crisis casts a long shadow on financial sustainability, service delivery, and staff morale.
• The Town needs a plan to grow its population to sustain affordability for taxpayers (by spreading costs across a larger tax base) and to utilize overbuilt infrastructure.
• While reducing overall debt burden, the Town will need to build its reserves to address its infrastructure backlog and to guard it against future economic shocks.
• Like many Ontario municipalities, Amherstburg faces resource constraints (both financial and staff-related) while striving to meet the expectations of its residents to provide high-quality services via modern facilities and infrastructure.
• The relationship between Council and Town Administration requires strengthening through increased focus on strategic oversight, improved communication, and trust building.

Among the numerous issues and challenges in the report…..the Town is not sufficiently resourced to meet legislated and Council mandates…..staff are working overtime resulting in burn-out and vacation carry over….Around 12% of Amherstburg’s full-time and part-time staff will be at retirement age within 5-10 years….the recent departure of in-house legal counsel is expected to result in increased spending on external legal costs….the Town is experiencing communications fragmentation and inconsistency
in its communications….Financial Services is lacking the bench depth to meet current service levels, and to support the Asset Management and Long-term Financial Plans…..The Town’s heritage assets are underpromoted and require preservation…..

The list of issues goes on and on and on……If this report isn’t a wake up call, I just don’t know what is.

The 2021 budget proposal has been posted and I’ve been following the comments and debate. I’ve started to read through the budget, but that’s going to take me a while LOL (300+ pages). In the Service Delivery Report it states :

• Amherstburg has a lower proportion of full-time staff compared to its peer comparators by approximately 15% and is lower than average on salaries, wages, and benefits as a percentage of operating expenses by approximately 3% (which has been declining over the past several years.)
• Should Council approve the five recommended additions, this would bring Amherstburg up to the average staffing levels of its peers.

If anyone is looking for solid information about the current state of affairs of Amherstburg, I strongly suggest you find the time to read through this study. It’s about 150 pages or so, so get comfortable and get ready to read but it is fascinating. Here’s the link :

https://calendar.amherstburg.ca/council/Detail/2020-11-09-1400-Special-Council-Meeting-Public-Participation-via-L2/8c10452a-a042-4780-a83d-ac6a0110125d

The special meeting at 5:00

This is another special presentation for council :

PRESENTATION
Windsor Essex Regional Community Safety and Well-Being Plan – Leonardo Gil, Project Manager, Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, City of Windsor, Frank Providenti, DC of Operational Support, and Pamela Mizuno, Chief of Police, Windsor Police Service

This initiative appears to be a legislated requirement for municipalities set forth by the provincial government. It seems that the province has legislated all municipalities to prepare and adopt a Community Safety and Well-Being Plan. Included in the presentation is a long list of requirements to be met.

Monday’s presentation appears to be the first of many steps in this process. There will be on-line and print public surveys, virtual town halls and virtual focus groups with CAOs and elected officials……all of these items will be happening during the next 6 months or so.

Regular Meeting at 6:00

The regular meeting has an agenda of 361 pages. I’ll do my best to give a small preview for some of the items, then I am off to enjoy my weekend (and maybe continue to read through the budget?)

DELEGATIONS
Request to Relieve Tax Interest & Penalties Charged During Dispute with MPAC – Dennis & Kimberly Horn

I read through this delegation form. It seems that the delegates received an MPAC assessment in 2013, that they then disputed. It seems they were successful and it was revised. However, 2013 was incorrectly billed and the town corrected the error. It seems however, after that they continued to be incorrectly billed. It looks like the delegates took the Town to small claims court but it was found in court to be MPAC’s error, not the town’s. Unfortunately, it seems that MPAC decided not to hear their claim. Since this issue has dragged on, it seems that there is about $5,500 in fees and the delegates are asking council for leniency in the matter in order to be able to put this behind them.

2020 Third Quarter Variance as at September 30, 2020

The third quarter variance reports are in. These are comprehensive reports showing surplus or deficits for each department. Here are the recommendations:

1. That a transfer from the Streetlights Reserve not to exceed $3,031 BE
   APPROVED to fund the unbudgeted purchase of a new streetlight under the Public Works budget centre, capital expense;

2. That a transfer from the Fleet and Equipment Reserve not to exceed $131,143 BE APPROVED to fund the unbudgeted purchase of a Tandem Truck Chassis (Unit 206) with snow plow, under the Public Works budget centre, capital expense;
3. That an unbudgeted expenditure in relation to updating the Town’s Water Master Plan, estimated at $40,000 BE AFFIRMED to be funded by water user rates under the Water budget centre, professional fees expense;
4. That the unbudgeted purchase of a replacement Generator for the Wastewater Plant in the amount of $81,450 BE AFFIRMED to be funded by wastewater user rates under the Wastewater budget centre, capital expense;
5. That an over-expenditure of $9,588 for the purchase of Auto Extrication
   Equipment BE AFFIRMED to be funded from current taxation under the Fire budget centre, capital expense;
6. That a Reserve Fund – Ranta Memorial Park BE ESTABLISHED for the
   purpose of funding improvements to Ranta Memorial Park and that the funds bequeathed to the Town for that purpose BE TRANSFERRED to that Reserve Fund; and
7. That a Reserve – Co-An Park Capital BE ESTABLISHED for the purpose of
   funding Town contributions to Co-An Park capital improvements and that current funds not to exceed $4,946 BE TRANSFERRED to that Reserve.

I can’t help by notice the amount of unbudgeted expenses.

Safe Re-Opening of Spectator Seating at the Libro Centre

This item says report to follow. At the last meeting, council had made a motion for administration to look into safely re-opening some spectator seating at the Libro Centre.

Road Dedication of Reserves in Kingsbridge Subdivision as Public Highway

This looks to be a regular item for the ongoing development in Kingsbridge Subdivision.

Suitability for Development on Private Septic System on two Severed Lots on Front Rd N

It appears that administration is recommending a private septic system on two severed lots on Front Road North.

2021 Calendar of Council Meetings

This is a regular item that comes before council annually. The calendar of meetings is set and ready for council’s approval.

Adoption of the Mandatory Face Covering During a Pandemic Policy

This appears to be a new bylaw regarding face coverings during the pandemic in municipal buildings.

Adoption of the Municipal Digital Signage Policy

This seems to be a new policy for council to adopt regarding the municipal digital signage. It seems that it will become a source of revenue for the town.

Council Revisions to the Code of Conduct – Council, Committees and
Local Boards

At the last council meeting, council had reviewed the Code of Conduct for Council, committees and Local Boards. There was a lot of discussion with some sections being removed, some new sections added and some words were modified. It appears thtat the changes are in this new document for council’s approval. I found this addition interesting:

“Members are welcome to speak to traditional media outlets and to use social media to engage and communicate with residents. Members are free to speak their conscience and for constituents. Members shall accurately communicate the decisions of Town Council, even if they disagree with the majority decision of Council, and by so doing affirm the respect for and integrity in the decision making process of Council.”

Hmmmm……will members of council finally be seen on social media correcting misinformation?

Municipal Succession Planning

And another new policy for council to adopt…..looks like administration has been very busy! This is an interesting new policy for Amherstburg…..part of the problem leading up to our financial mess of 2014 was attributed to the revolving door of CAO’s and staff during the years preceding 2014. I’ll be interested to see what council thinks of this new policy.

Fort Malden Drive – Public Highway Dedication

This item says report to follow.

INFORMATION REPORTS

There are several information reports for council to receive.

Government Meeting and Event Space
This item says report to follow

2020 Long Service Award Recognition

This report recognizes the following staff members :

Eric Chamberlain 10 years
Nicole Humber 10 years
Shelley Matlock 10 years

Congratulations!

Building Activity Report for Months of July, August & September 2020

This is a report for council regarding building activity.

Cheque listing for the month of October 2020

I like to go through the cheque listings to see if anything stands out. I went through it pretty quickly but nothing stood out to me tonight.

Playground Equipment Removal

This is a report about the playground equipment at our local parks. From the discussion portion of the report :

“As a general summary, Playchek Services Inc. is recommending that consideration should be given to the complete removal and/or replacement in a timely manner of play units within five (5) parks. Also noted in the general summary, that removal of any playstructure, regardless of condition, should be considered as a last resort. All options for reconditioning, repairs, upgrade, and maintenance must be included within this decision.”

It looks like this is something that doesn’t need to be dealt with immediately, but it is something to keep on council’s radar.

Municipal Staffing Update – Service Delivery Review – Outstanding
Council Questions

Administration is providing a requested report regarding staff levels in town hall. This is directly related to the Service Delivery Review that is to be presented at 2:00 to council on Monday, prior to this regular meeting. From the report :

Subsequent to the Council direction, the Province of Ontario issued the Municipal Modernization Program (MMP) funding opportunity. The MMP provided funding for municipalities to undertake service delivery reviews. An expression of interest was submitted by the Town and the Town was successful in obtaining an upset limit of $200,000 in funding. Strategy Corp was the successful proponent for and is assisting the Town with the Service Delivery Review.
This report will provide Council firstly with an update on Municipal staffing
recommendations for the 2021 Budget, vis-a-vis as recommended in the Service Delivery Review report, secondly an update regarding the Deloitte report and finally it will address the Council direction noted above. This report provides Council with a history of positions that have been requested, approved or denied in either a Full-time, Part-time or
Temporary capacity since 2016. As Council is aware, the annual budget recommended to Council for staffing is reflective of the staffing needs of the organization, as determined by Administration, to support the work plan approved by Council in order to meet service level requirements and to move the Town forward in line with Council’s strategic priorities.
This report provides Council a reconciliation of positions added to the organization from 2016 to date.

Basically, long story short, the positions in this year’s budget are all recommendations from the Service Delivery Review to keep Amherstburg on par with our neighbouring municipalities. Basically, will council decide to move us forward and allow us to keep up with neighbouring municipalities or will they hold us back from progress? I guess we won’t get an answer about that until budget deliberations. But I’m willing to bet that this council isn’t too interested in progress. Maybe they’ll prove me wrong. But I doubt it.

And, as seems to be the usual, council will meet behind closed doors to discuss the following:

SPECIAL IN-CAMERA COUNCIL MEETING
That Council move into an In-Camera Meeting of Council directly following
pursuant to Section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended for the
following reason:
Item A – Section 239(2)(e) – Litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board.

Monday is looking to be a long one…..I’m guessing I’ll be back Tuesday night with the post-meeting blog. See you then! In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy my weekend and maybe try to read a bit more the upcoming budget. Tomorrow (Saturday) is the open mic session regarding the 2021 budget.

Have a great weekend Amherstburg!

Monday November 2nd Special town council meeting

Well, tonight was the 2021 budget presentation. There is good news and there is bad news……I’m a bad news first kind of person……so the bad news is that the proposed (but not unexpected) tax increase is 7.55%……..the good news is that the meeting was over at 6:30 PM! LOL

Here’s a summary/brief overview of tonight’s presentation.

I missed the first 2 or 3 minutes of the meeting and when I finally connected, Mr Justin Rousseau, the Treasurer was speaking.

The title of this year’s budget is Service Levels and Sustainability in Uncertain Times. The title, though somewhat odd, is also pretty fitting…..for a year that has been for the most part, very odd and topsy turvy.

Mr Rousseau listed off any challenges that were faced during this year’s budget preparation process…..the ongoing pandemic emergency…..last year’s tax increase of 0.56% did not keep pace with the inflation rate for 2020, which is 1.9%……the resource deficiency in providing staffing and other resources (such as technology) to meet current service requirements under legislation and Council direction…..another challenge is the Town’s funding shortfall for Asset Management purposes….and the list went on and on.

The budget contains some elements that were included in the Service Delivery Review. I included the link in my pre-meeting blog to that document, for anyone that wants to know what that document means to our municipality. It’s a very interesting read in my opinion. Mr Rousseau also mentioned the funding shortfall in the Capital Asset Plan as well as the rate of inflation on construction projects.

Mr Rousseau then outlined the time frame for the 2021 budget. The open mic session is scheduled for Saturday November 7th at the Libro Centre. (Here’s to hoping that respectful dialogue and questions will prevail this year……..last year was a very unfortunate display of less than respectful behaviour). Council has two weeks to ask their questions of senior management and then the budget debates are scheduled for November 17th, 18th and the 19th if required.

Here’s the meat and potatoes of the report :

“The recommended Budget has a Levy Demand over the prior year of $2,448,841 to fund the service levels and financial sustainability of the plan presented to Council.

The recommended Budget requires a tax rate increase of 7.55% to fund this service level.

The projected 7.55% increase would result in an additional $185 in taxes for the average home valued at $250,000 in the Town of Amherstburg, or $0.51 per day.

It is important to note that in 2020 a tax reduction was passed of 1.70% or 42 dollars for the same home.

The recommended water user rate increase for 2021 is 2.5%, and the recommended wastewater user rate increase for 2021 is 2.5%.“

That about sums it all up. Mr Rousseau also explained the uncertainty regarding any transfers from senior levels of government due to their own financial constraints.

I took the following graph from the budget document as it feels it shows an understandable breakdown of where our tax money goes.

I also found this comparison graph with the other surrounding munipalities very interesting.

Amherstburg has one of the highest amounts of infrastructure to enjoy, compared to our neighbours…..but the flip side of that it costs a lot of money to maintain infrastructure. Mr Rousseau pointed out that we have a high burden per capita to replace infrastructure.

Mr Rousseau also stressed the importance to build reserves and to be able to fund ourselves, rather than rely on upper levels of government for money……especially, since, well……there probably won’t be any money coming down the pipe so to speak this year……

Mr Rousseau acknowledged that the decisions that council must make will be difficult but that those decisions will shape the future of the town.

I said it in my pre-meeting blog and I’ll say it again……

Will council make their decisions based only on 2021? Or will they think about 2022 and 2025 and 2030? Will council have the vision necessary to do the right thing when it’s not the easy thing?

By constantly trying to keep taxes as low as possible in the present, council is starving the Amherstburg of the future. That’s how I see it anyway.

And with that Council table the budget presentation at 6:30 PM……and then went off to go an in-camera meeting 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)(b) – Personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees.

And that’s a wrap folks! The budget is now posted for everyone’s reading pleasure…..a slim 316 pages…..I’ll spend some time (emphasis on some) taking a look through it, but not tonight! Have a great week Amherstburg!

Oh and by the way……I won a bet with my husband……before the meeting I asked him to make a bet on what he thought the proposed tax increase would be and the one who was closest without going over would be the winner……he guessed 8%……I guessed 7.4%…..so I win! What did I win? Nothing really, it was just for fun and entertainment…..this is probably some kind of sign that I have been following council(s) way too long now…….LOL