Tuesday May 25th Regular town council meeting

Well, the third time is not a charm this time…..Tuesday night’s meeting didn’t wrap up until about 9:27…..so here I am writing up the blog a day later…..

***Councillor Courtney was absent tonight***

First, council met in-camera at 4:30.

SPECIAL IN-CAMERA COUNCIL MEETING

That Council move into an In-Camera Meeting of Council at 4:30 p.m. pursuant to Section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended for the following reason:

Item A – Section 239(2)(d) – Labour relations or employee negotiations; and, Section 239(2)(f) – Advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.

The regular meeting was set to start at 6:00 but it didn’t get under way until 6:15 ish. 

PRESENTATIONS

Canard Estates Subdivision Phase 2 – Richard Spencer, President, RC Spencer Associates Inc., and Steven Valente, President, 1473511Ontario Ltd. 

It looks like a new subdivision is being planned for the McGregor area. Some initial plans were presented to council. There was quite a bit of information presented that addressed wildlife and the plans to preserve it while still proceeding with some new homes. There was also information presented regarding storm water and storm drainage. I believe they said that the area would provide 135 new residences. It seems that the developer did some public consultation and that the majority were in favour of the proposed development. The developers also pointed out that the plan provides for and aligns with the Parks Master Plan. They presented pictures about animal habitat and the retention pond area among many other items. The presenter said that they were requesting a favourable decision from council regarding the draft plan as presented. 

There was then a lot of back and forth between Councillor Prue and Mr Gerardo, Manager of Planning Services. I’m not going to summarize it all for you. Frankly, the discussion and back and forth reminded me why I don’t attend planning meetings……Long story short, this was simply a very initial presentation for council but the subdivision will still have to go through all of the process before it can proceed. Most members of council had questions and it seems that a full report will be back for them for the next meeting. After much back and forth about the trails and the park, council finally received the report. 

2020 Year End (Q4) Budget to Actual Summaries and Transfers

The report gives precise numbers by department for both overages and surplus funds. This is from the discussion section of the report :

Here are the recommendations:

1. The Transfers to Reserves/Reserve Funds made by the Treasurer as outlined in Appendix A to the 2020 Year End (Q4) Budget to Actual Summaries and Transfers Report BE AFFIRMED;

2. That 2021 over-expenditures and reserve transfers BE APPROVED as follows:

a. $15,000 in Facilities budget centre for replacement of fence at the municipal office to be funded by a transfer from Reserve Fund General;

b. $45,000 in Libro budget centre for premier baseball diamond improvements to be funded by a transfer from the Libro Reserve;

c. $75,000 in Parks budget centre for baseball diamond fencing to be added at Malden Park to be funded by a transfer from the Parks Reserve; and

d. $34,653 in the IT budget centre for completion of the CityView Portal Software project to be funded by a transfer from the IT Reserve;

3. That the Treasurer BE AUTHORIZED to transfer the taxation supported surplus of as follows: a. $835,000 to Tax Stabilization Reserve; 

b. $500,000 to the Fleet Reserve; and

c. $427,654 to the Reserve Fund General; and

4. That the Treasurer BE AUTHORIZED to transfer $1,342,230 from the Wastewater Reserve to fund the unfinanced portion of the Edgewater Forcemain Phase 2.

Deputy Mayor Meloche started talking about a sidewalk/trail in the McGregor area. It seems that it’s been on hold for a while. He felt that some surplus money should be taken from Section 3 (above) and used to create a sidewalk or trail to the park in McGregor. He made a motion to take $200,000 from item 3a and use it for a trail/pathway/sidewalk in McGregor. 

(I had immediate flashbacks to when the previous council decided to take $100,000 of our surplus tax money to give it to ERCA for the Greenway trails….I didn’t support that – I even wrote a special edition blog about it – and I didn’t support this idea either.). 

Councillor Prue then spoke and said he would not support the amendment. He felt that we have a budget process and that the money shouldn’t be considered a windfall. (I agree 100%.) He even acknowledged, sort of, that we don’t have enough money in reserves. He felt that if the money were necessary for the project, it should be included in the budget. He felt that staff was right that the surplus money go into reserves. 

Councillor McArthur then spoke. He felt that Councillor Prue made some good points but wasn’t sure if there was a higher priority than the safety of children. He cited various motions that were made and no money was ever allocated for a sidewalk on Middle Side Road in the McGregor area. He felt that the time for talk was over and he wanted to take this opportunity to get the project done and that he would support the motion. 

Councillor Renaud expressed his sympathy for the situation but felt that council should respect the budget process. (I wonder if he remembered the night of the great $100,000 giveaway from last term? I do! ) 

Councillor Simone also expressed her agreement with Councillor Prue. She felt that the budget process should be respected. She also hoped that in November some concrete numbers would be provided for the project. (Now, the question is……will the rest of council support this at budget time or will it be cut, cut, cut…..then so little ever gets done?...)

It went to a vote, not a recorded one, but I watched. 

In favour : Deputy Mayor Meloche, Councillor McArthur

Opposed : Councillors Prue, Simone and Renaud

So the motion to add the sidewalk and take the funds from the surplus money failed. 

Then a motion was made for the recommendations (as noted above) and that passed. 

Canadian Healthy Communities Initiative Fund Round 2 initiative

It seems that there is some more federal grant money available to municipalities for small-scale infrastructure projects based on certain criteria. 

Administration is offering three options for council to consider:

Administration BE DIRECTED to apply for funding for ONE of the following projects under the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative Grant Round 2: 

a. Project 1: Pedestrian Crossover at Simcoe Street and Victoria, OR

b. Project 2: Warren Mickle Park, OR

c. Project 3: Baseball Development at the Libro.

Councillor Prue asked administration which project would most likely be approved for the grant money. Heidi Baillargeon, Director of Community and Protective Services took the question. (I believe she replaced Phil Roberts when he retired.) She felt that all three were great projects. She felt that both the pedestrian crossover or Mickle Park would be good possibilities for the grant approval. She felt that Mickle Park has been subject to floods which negatively affects its accessibility. Ms Baillargeon felt that accessibility issues ranked high in the grant application process. 

There was a lot of back and forth. Ultimately it seems that the crosswalk has already been budgeted for, so council decided to support the grant application for Warren Mickle Park. Fingers crossed! 

Libro Centre Ice Facilities Advertising Agreements – COVID-19 Impacts and Fee Waiver

As I’m sure most of my readers are aware, the Libro Centre has been closed due to the pandemic for most of 2021. Due to the closure, it seems that advertisers are paying for or are obligated to pay for advertising in the Libro centre, which can not be provided in the same manner due or for the same benefit in the advertising agreements. It appears that the Libro will remain closed until at least August as it will be continuing to operate as a mass vaccination site. Therefore, it seems that administration is recommending that any fees due for advertising at the libro Centre ice rinks be waived for the period of January 2021 through August 2021. 

Here is the recommendation : 

It is recommended that:

1. Fees under Libro Centre ice facilities advertising agreements BE WAIVED for the period of January through August 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency on Libro facility ice operations;

2. The Treasurer BE AUTHORIZED to issue refunds of advertising fees collected in relation to recommendation 1; and,

3. The CAO BE AUTHORIZED to approve further waivers of fees and related refunds during the period of September through December 2021 if Libro Centre ice facility operations continue to be closed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.

There was a bunch of discussion about getting another report…..but ultimately, nothing changed and council passed the recommendation. 

Zoning By-law Amendment – 849 Front Rd South

This item seems to simply be a by-law amendment based on previous planning meetings for the above noted property. Councillor Prue wondered why the report wasn’t public and was only available to council. It was explained that the reason at this time is that there are figures in the report relating to future potential development. It hasn’t been brought forward as there are other developers also in the area. Then the motion was passed. 

Development Agreement and Suitability of Development of Four Lots on Front Road South 

It seems that this item is related to the above noted by-law amendment. There was a small question and then this item passed as well. 

Zoning By-law Amendment for W/S of Crystal Bay Drive

This item lasted from exactly 8:09 PM until it passed at 8:39 PM. That’s thirty minutes that were eaten up in court-like drama for well, nothing really other than drama perhaps?

This is from the report :  “The Zoning amendment on the subject lands located to the west of Crystal Bay Drive would change the zoning for the subject lands from the “Recreation (RE) Zone” to “Resort Residential/Resort Commercial (RR/RC) Zone” to allow for Resort Residential/Resort Commercial uses on the subject properties. The proposed Amendment to the Zoning Bylaw is in conformity with the policies in the Official Plan, which permit residential/commercial uses on the island. The lands are designated Special Policy Area 6, Recreational Development in the Town’s Official Plan. The total area subject to the rezoning is 2 acres ±. The applicant proposes to develop the lots on the West side to four single unit dwellings, with frontage on Crystal Bay Drive. An application for Consent will be required.”

The Clerk read a letter into the record that was signed by 75 individuals that are residents of Boblo Island. From what I understood from the letter, they live in close proximity to the property and it was always their understanding that homes would be built there. They were opposed to the property being used as recreational. (I have to point out that it was noted in the report and during the meeting that the property is privately owned.) The authors of the letter support the zoning amendment. They also stated that they realize that there is a need for development on the island. 

After the letter and signatures were read into the record, the courtroom antics began. 

Councillor Prue had question after question after question for Mr Gerardo, Manager of Planning Services. He had questions about the meeting of the Committee of Adjustment, he had questions about who discussed what with whom, he expressed that those in opposition want the site to remain recreational. (Well, I guess that’s a statement, not a question……I wonder if those opposed considered purchasing the property themselves to allow everyone to use it as recreational?) Then Councillor Prue had a multitude of questions about parklands…..he wondered if there were any talks for park land to be available on Boblo Island….It was pointed out that the Parks Master Plan does not make any reference to parks on Boblo. He felt that by losing this land, there should be recreational land available in the new area that is to be developed. The CAO pointed out that the developer has a full trail system in the new area as well as a natural habitat area. 

Councillor Prue went on about how there would be 400 families on Boblo next year and there would be no park land available for them. (Not sure why they can’t use the trails and natural areas noted above?) He then made a motion for staff to negotiate with the developer to have park land dedication on Boblo Island. And NOBODY seconded the motion……just crickets. So I guess we can all draw our own conclusions on all of this long drawn out drama…..30 minutes worth. 

Then Deputy Mayor Meloche made the motion as recommended (to amend the zoning). He felt that 75 people supported the recommendation and that it makes sense for the property to be residential for those who live near the property. Councillor Renaud seconded the motion. Councillor Prue then felt that it appeared that council was going to side with the residents. He felt that they should look at who signed the letter, to look at who they are. He felt that at least 6 were employees of Mr Amicone.  Councillor Prue then threw in a last ditch question about endangered species, got an answer and then asked for a recorded vote. 

I’m sure that anybody reading this can guess the results of the vote, but here they are, just in case. 

In Favour : Councillor McArthur, Deputy Mayor Meloche, Councillor Renaud, Councillor Simone, Mayor DiCarlo.

Opposed : Councillor Prue

2022 Election – Ballot Question and 3 Ward Options

(So, meanwhile, in a neighbouring municipality, their council was voting to move forward a waterfront project and build an entertainment venue. But not here in Amherstburg! Our council was dragging up old, regressive issues and wasting the night away. Sigh…..)

Last year, council had requested a report about a ward system for Amherstburg. In June, they received the report. The report had proposed a 5 ward system. Council then decided that they wanted options and wanted to see a 3 ward system. (You know…..like in the past…..Amherstburg/Anderdon/Malden…..ugh I guess a 5 ward system wasn’t divisive enough, so they wanted to divide it up the old way??) As well, at that June 2020 meeting, council voted to put the question about wards on the ballot in the 2022 election. (You know, referendum style…..oh my…..what a Pandora’s Box…..will Amherstburg be lining up for referendum questions because council doesn’t have the strength to actually make the decisions? Do they need to revert to American style politics here in Amherstburg? “Let the people decide because we’re too weak to do our job?” type thinking? The only thing worse than a bad decision is indecision. Nothing says “indecision” like a referendum.)

So here were the recommendations from the report : 

Here are the recommendations : 

1. The ballot question for the 2022 Election, BE SUPPORTED as written, “Are you in favour of a Ward Election System?” as clear, concise, neutral and as may be answered with an affirmative or negative (with a Yes or No) as required by the Municipal Elections Act;

2. The Clerk BE DIRECTED to bring forward options for both a three (3) and five (5) ward election system, to at least one public consultation session as required by the Municipal Elections Act; and,

 3. The Clerk BE DIRECTED to bring back a by-law to add “Are you in favour of a Ward Election System?” to the 2022 election ballot once all Act requirements are met.

Deputy Mayor Meloche asked how many councillors would be elected per ward in a 3 ward system. It was explained that two councillors would be elected per ward and then council would choose the Deputy Mayor among themselves after the election. With the five ward system, there would be one councillor per ward and the Deputy Mayor would be elected at large, as is done now. The Mayor’s position would continue to be an at-large election regardless of wards. 

Deputy Mayor Meloche said that he supports the idea of the wards. He said it was discussed with the previous council and was shelved in 2015. (I think there was very good reason it was shelved, but I digress….) 

Deputy Mayor Meloche then made the motion, as per the recommendations and Councillor Simone seconded it. 

Councillor Prue said that he would support it as well. He felt that there was an error in the report. As it stands, a resident could reach out to the Mayor and their ward councillor if they have any concerns. Councillor Prue felt that other councillors could help residents that don’t live in their ward. (HA! The current members of council are elected at-large and most of them do not even reply to their emails now! What possible motivation would they have to reply to an email and help a resident in another ward? Sorry but I just don’t see that happening.) Since wards are divided and created based on population numbers, he felt they would not be reviewed every 4 years but reviewed every 10 years when there is a census done. Councillor Prue felt that the public should have the right to determine how they are governed. (I digress…..the public did decide that a long time ago…..we have a representative democracy….it’s a system that has worked well for us and continues to do so…..)

Councillor Renaud felt that wards create silos. He felt that the top 5 are elected and are there to represent everyone. He also felt he did not have an issue sending the issue to the public. He felt that wards aren’t a good direction since our system works as it is. He also mentioned how having wards could affect the election, since some wards may have very high voter turnout and other wards may have poor voter turnout. 

Councillor McArthur felt that he favours the status quo. He felt that the ward system benefits the politicians and favours incumbent and family names. He felt that without wards the candidates can knock on all of the doors. He said he was not in favour of choosing the Deputy Mayor among themselves. He did feel that ward systems aren’t horrible but that in the balance of things, our current system is better. He repeated a quote that he used at last year’s meeting. I think it’s a good one so I went and found it. 

This comes from the amalgamation committee from 1997. “Cooperation, not confrontation, is necessary to build a new municipality. A better local government will result when every member of council is compelled to examine every issue with regard to how all ratepayers will be affected by his/her decision.”

Councillor McArthur felt that decisions should be based on the good for the community as a whole. He felt that had Amherstburg had a ward system, he would have never met so many people from all over Amherstburg. He said he would never argue against putting the issue to the public and hoped that by adding the question to the ballot, we may finally get more than 50% of the voters to the polls. (For the referendum to be binding, at least 50% of the voters have to actually vote.) He felt that it may increase voter turnout. 

Councillor Simone pointed out that the issue of the question to be added to the ballot had already been passed by council. She thanked staff for the report. 

Councillor Renaud was hopeful to get people involved and for improved voter turnout. He said he was not opposed to giving the people a say but did not believe that wards are better than the current system. 

And with that, the motion carried. The question will be on the ballot in 2022. There will be public education about the 3 ward and 5 ward systems that are proposed. I remain confident that the people will not be overly eager for a ward system. I guess we’ll find out in October 2022, when we have the real referendum, I mean election. 

New Business

There was a grocery list of items brought up during new business. 

Councillor McArthur asked about the eastern property of the former St. Bernard’s school. The CAO explained that the property is sold and that the purchaser is waiting for approval for a Long Term Care facility. The proceeds of the sale (around $900,000) will go back into the Parks Reserve Fund, where the funds were borrowed for improvements to the building.

Councillor McArthur asked about the Splash Pad and why it was opening on June 1st which is a Tuesday. Ms Baillargeon explained that it usually opens June 15th. She explained that the town is currently short staffed but if they can, they will get it opened ASAP. It seems the splash pad needs to be inspected before it can open for the season. She promised that it will be posted to social media and on the town’s website once it does open. 

Councillor McArthur then asked about the skate park. He wondered when the park would open and where the temporary location would be. Ms Baillargeon explained that it will be going to 320 Richmond Street and that they are currently getting quotes for some work that needs to be done to the area. There are also some repairs being done to the existing equipment at this time as well. 

Councillor McArthur then asked about the Parks Committee Meeting. It seems that somebody had inquired if the school board would be willing to move the property line at the end of the track. Ms Baillargeon said it is being looked at. But the really great news in this is that there are FOUR concepts prepared for Centennial Park and FOUR concepts prepared for Jack Purdie Park…..and they should hopefully be coming forward by the end of June! (I am very much looking forward to seeing the concepts and the possibilities for both of those parks! And for the record, neither park is sold. I repeat, neither park is sold.) 

Councillor Prue had a question about Boblo. (Shocking, I know.) Deputy Mayor Meloche talked about the number of people fishing at the Navy Yard Park. Councillor McArthur said something about Angstrom Court. By this point, it was getting late, my butt was sore from sitting for well over three hours and I was zoning out. 

The meeting wrapped up at 9:27 PM. 

So there you’ve got it folks. Three and a half hours and I’m not really sure what was accomplished. Now, I’m off to enjoy what’s left of this evening! The next meeting isn’t until June 14th, so it looks like I have three whole weeks off! I’ll be back then! In the meantime, stay safe everyone! 

In preparation for Tuesday May 25th Regular town council meeting

This week’s meeting falls on a Tuesday since Monday is a holiday. So, that means….it’s a long weekend!! And the bonus? It’s beautiful outside!!! So, that means that I am going to skim through the agenda and try to write up a very brief preview so that I can get out there and enjoy the weekend!

The agenda is only 292 pages so, not too bad. Here are the highlights as I see ‘em: 

Council will start their day on Tuesday with an in-camera meeting at 4:30. 

SPECIAL IN-CAMERA COUNCIL MEETING

That Council move into an In-Camera Meeting of Council at 4:30 p.m. pursuant to Section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended for the following reason:

Item A – Section 239(2)(d) – Labour relations or employee negotiations; and, Section 239(2)(f) – Advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose.

Then, the regular meeting is set to start at 6:00. 

PRESENTATIONS

Canard Estates Subdivision Phase 2 – Richard Spencer, President, RC Spencer Associates Inc., and Steven Valente, President, 1473511Ontario Ltd. 

It looks like a new subdivision is being planned for the McGregor area. From what I can see, the presentation going before council addresses wildlife and the plans to preserve it while still proceeding with some new homes. I’m interested to see what kind of reception the developers receive from council. 

2020 Year End (Q4) Budget to Actual Summaries and Transfers

The report gives precise numbers by department for both overages and surplus funds. This is from the discussion section of the report :

“It is important to note that the 2020 Results are not reflective of regular Town operations given the pervasive impacts of the pandemic (COVID-19) emergency in 2020. Due to the pandemic emergency the Town reduced service levels, including staff layoffs and program reductions, implemented alternate service delivery measures and forwent training and professional development for staff. The Town also incurred expenses for emergency response such as enhanced cleaning and various health and safety measures, the costs of which were mitigated to some extent by Ontario grant funding through the Ontario Safe Restart program. Across the corporation the investment in staff training and development had to be curtailed due to resources shortages, heavy workload and operational restrictions, all related to the pandemic emergency. The pandemic emergency has continued into 2021 and financial impacts are being monitored and will be reported to Council in due course.”

Here are the recommendations:

1. The Transfers to Reserves/Reserve Funds made by the Treasurer as outlined in Appendix A to the 2020 Year End (Q4) Budget to Actual Summaries and Transfers Report BE AFFIRMED;

2. That 2021 over-expenditures and reserve transfers BE APPROVED as follows:

a. $15,000 in Facilities budget centre for replacement of fence at the municipal office to be funded by a transfer from Reserve Fund General;

b. $45,000 in Libro budget centre for premier baseball diamond improvements to be funded by a transfer from the Libro Reserve;

c. $75,000 in Parks budget centre for baseball diamond fencing to be added at Malden Park to be funded by a transfer from the Parks Reserve; and

d. $34,653 in the IT budget centre for completion of the CityView Portal Software project to be funded by a transfer from the IT Reserve;

3. That the Treasurer BE AUTHORIZED to transfer the taxation supported surplus of as follows: a. $835,000 to Tax Stabilization Reserve; 

b. $500,000 to the Fleet Reserve; and

c. $427,654 to the Reserve Fund General; and

4. That the Treasurer BE AUTHORIZED to transfer $1,342,230 from the Wastewater Reserve to fund the unfinanced portion of the Edgewater Forcemain Phase 2.

Canadian Healthy Communities Initiative Fund Round 2 initiative

It seems that there is some more federal grant money available to municipalities for small-scale infrastructure projects based on certain criteria. 

Administration is offering three options for council to consider:

Administration BE DIRECTED to apply for funding for ONE of the following projects under the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative Grant Round 2: 

a. Project 1: Pedestrian Crossover at Simcoe Street and Victoria, OR

b. Project 2: Warren Mickle Park, OR

c. Project 3: Baseball Development at the Libro.

Looks like council will have a tough decision to make on this one. Each project seems worthy of an application. Here’s the link to the report for those who are interested in the reasoning behind each proposed project :

https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=3012

Libro Centre Ice Facilities Advertising Agreements – COVID-19 Impacts and Fee Waiver

As I’m sure most of my readers are aware, the Libro Centre has been closed due to the pandemic for most of 2021. Due to the closure, it seems that advertisers are paying for or are obligated to pay for advertising in the Libro centre, which can not be provided in the same manner due or for the same benefit in the advertising agreements. It appears that the Libro will remain closed until at least August as it will be continuing to operate as a mass vaccination site. Therefore, it seems that administration is recommending that any fees due for advertising at the libro Centre ice rinks be waived for the period of January 2021 through August 2021. 

Here is the recommendation : 

It is recommended that:

1. Fees under Libro Centre ice facilities advertising agreements BE WAIVED for the period of January through August 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency on Libro facility ice operations;

2. The Treasurer BE AUTHORIZED to issue refunds of advertising fees collected in relation to recommendation 1; and,

3. The CAO BE AUTHORIZED to approve further waivers of fees and related refunds during the period of September through December 2021 if Libro Centre ice facility operations continue to be closed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency.

Zoning By-law Amendment – 849 Front Rd South

This item seems to simply be a by-law amendment based on previous planning meetings for the above noted property. 

Development Agreement and Suitability of Development of Four Lots on Front Road South 

It seems that this item is related to the above noted by-law amendment. 

Zoning By-law Amendment for W/S of Crystal Bay Drive

Since this item has to do with Boblo Island, I anticipate long drawn out discussion. It seems that at least one member of council ties up a lot of time on anything to do with Boblo. This stems from the last planning meeting on May 10th that went past 6:00….I listened to the end of it and it made me remember why I don’t watch planning meetings. Members of council say that they want economic development…..and then when it comes to actually approving economic development……well things tend to go south quickly unfortunately. It seems that some talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. 

Anyway, here is the link to the report for those that are interested :

https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=3033

All appears in order to be able to proceed since it all seems to line up with the Official Plan. Here’s the part from the risk analysis, that says it all : “The recommendation in this report presents little to no risk to the Town. The proposed change is in conformity with the Town’s Official Plan. Should Council not approve the proposed application for ZBA, the developer will not be able to further pursue residential development on these lots. As a result, the proponent may appeal to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.”

2022 Election – Ballot Question and 3 Ward Options

In June 2020, council received a report that they requested about creating a ward system for Amherstburg. The report contained a proposed ward system that included 5 wards. For some reason, council voted to have administration prepare a report for a 3 ward system. Well Tuesday night the report with the 3 wards comes before council. I guess council decided it was time to return to Amherstburg, Anderson and Malden? (Ugh! So frustrating! Just create more division I guess…..?) Well, there are two proposed options for the 3 ward system. With this system, each ward would elect 2 councillors.  Further, the Deputy Mayor position, should a 3 ward system be adopted, would no longer be an elected at large position. Therefore, the Deputy Mayor who sits on County Council with the Mayor…..well things would become quite different. From what I can see, either council would have to choose a deputy Mayor from within the 6 councillors elected or they would have to share the responsibility annually between four of the councillors. 

But, before any of this can happen, a year ago council decided to put the question about wards on the ballot, referendum style. In general, I’m not a fan of referendums, people are elected to our representative democracy to make the decisions, the easy ones and the hard ones. However, this time, I’m very confident that council will get a very clear NO when it comes to wards for Amherstburg’s future. 

All of this comes at a cost though. Now public education and consultation will be necessary so that people are able to vote on the issue. So, time, energy and resources will get used up during the next year over an issue that it seems every council has talked about and few people are actually interested in. 

Here are the recommendations : 

1. The ballot question for the 2022 Election, BE SUPPORTED as written, “Are you in favour of a Ward Election System?” as clear, concise, neutral and as may be answered with an affirmative or negative (with a Yes or No) as required by the Municipal Elections Act;

2. The Clerk BE DIRECTED to bring forward options for both a three (3) and five (5) ward election system, to at least one public consultation session as required by the Municipal Elections Act; and,

 3. The Clerk BE DIRECTED to bring back a by-law to add “Are you in favour of a Ward Election System?” to the 2022 election ballot once all Act requirements are met.

I went back to the blog I wrote in June 2020 about this issue. If you’re interested in my thoughts on this issue, click the link. If you’re not. Don’t.

https://amherstburg2.wordpress.com/2020/06/24/monday-june-22nd-regular-town-council-meeting/

INFORMATION REPORTS

Cheque Listing for the Month of April 2021

I always take a look through the cheque listing to see if anything of interest pops up. One thing did, seems we paid the Integrity Commission $8,339.40 : 

ELMAN BRUCE P APRIL 12, 2021FIRST QUARTER STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT 1 JAN – 2021 TO 31 MARCH 2021 520 12-Apr-2021 12-Apr-2021 10-5-1001022-0327 PROFESSONAL FEES – CLERKS 8,339.40

Other than that, nothing else jumped out at me. Unless I missed it LOL. It’s really nice out this afternoon and I want to get on with my day. 🙂 

CONSENT CORRESPONDENCE

There is a pretty long list of consent correspondence for council to receive. 

BY-LAWS

There are also these three bylaws at the end of the meeting to be passed, along with the usual confirmatory bylaw. 

By-law 2021-036 – Appoint Provincial Offences Officer

By-law 2021-037 – Appoint Property Standard Officers

By-law 2021-038 – Appoint Lottery Licensing Officers

And that’s it, that’s all! Here’s the summary. If you’d like more detail, please take a good read through the agenda. Council meets on Tuesday night due to Monday night’s holiday. The last two meetings (I think?) finished in a reasonable amount of time and I was able to blog it out the very same night. Will the third time be a charm? We’ll see. Either way, I’ll be back Tuesday night or Wednesday night with the summary. See you then! 

Monday May 10th Regular town council meeting

Well, tonight was a rare and pleasant surprise! The meeting wrapped up in just under an hour! 

I logged in just before 6:00…..the planning meeting was still going on and didn’t wrap up until about 6:10. I listened to one councillor grill the representative from Boblo Island about their development. It was pretty disheartening and it made me remember why I don’t attend (or now watch) planning meetings. If we want economic development and we want to grow our tax base, we should be welcoming development with open arms. It boggles my mind that people want to spend big bucks in our community and then council rakes them over the coals. I just don’t get it. 

Anyway, here’s the summary of the regular meeting!

2021 Fleet Vehicle Purchase

It looks like the town needs to replace 4 vehicles (various ages and vehicles, a 2004 Chevrolet 2500 crew cab, a 2009 Chevrolet 4X4 2500 crew cab, a 2006 Ford Ranger extended cab and a 2008 Ford Ranger extended cab). The request for quotes went out to local dealerships and the prices are in. Two of the vehicles came in a little bit more than the budgeted amount. It appears that Joe Meloche Ford withdrew their quotes for 3 of the 4 vehicles due to the computer chip shortage. (This computer chip shortage is due to the current pandemic.) From the report : 

“The computer chip shortage could lend to problems in the procurement of vehicles and other equipment in the foreseeable future and as a result the acquisition of replacement vehicles may be delayed resulting in potential increased operational costs. Administration will advise Council of the issues regarding fleet replacement as they evolve during quarterly variance reports.”

Here is the recommendation :

It is recommended that: 

1. An over-expenditure for the purchase of a ¾ ton standard cab pick up truck not to exceed $9,900 BE APPROVED for a total cost not to exceed $44,370 including net HST and that the over-expenditure BE FUNDED from the Fleet Reserve; and, 

2. An over-expenditure for the purchase of a ¾ ton crew cab pick up truck not to exceed $6,000 BE APPROVED for a total cost not to exceed $45,252 including net HST and that the over-expenditure BE FUNDED from the Fleet Reserve.

Councillor Courtney wondered about the small price difference between the regular cab and the crew cab model. He felt that the crew cab would have better resale and was only slightly more money. Mr Chamberlain, Manager of Public Works, said that the standard cab was easier to navigate in parking lots during the winter weather and that is why that particular model was selected. (Just a personal guess but I bet the town drives the trucks to the very bitter end, so resale value would be pretty much irrelevant…..but who knows?) Councillor Courtney also wondered why the old vehicles went to auction. He was curious if they should be traded in to the local dealership and wondered why the town wouldn’t trade the vehicle in, to then save some tax on the trade-in value. Mr Chamberlain felt that they had never inquired about trade-in value but he pointed out that the trucks were all very well used and quite beat up by the time they are finally to be replaced. Deputy Mayor Meloche felt that the trucks were so beat up that the dealer would probably pay the town $10 to keep the trucks LOL. Deputy Mayor Meloche did wonder however what went wrong with budgeting for the trucks, since the amounts came in higher than expected. Mr Chamberlain explained that the price of steel has gone up and that the lack of computer chips has also caused inflated prices. 

Councillor Prue wondered about an outstanding item regarding steps being taken to make the town’s fleet “green”. He said that there was supposed to be a report coming this quarter. Mr Chamberlain said that they’re working on the report but that these new vehicles would be greener than the vehicles that are currently being used. He said the report would be forthcoming. Councillor Prue felt that other municipalities and governments were going green and he hoped that Amherstburg would as well. 

Councillor Courtney said he had noticed that the dealerships have a lack of inventory on their lots and felt that was impacting the prices of the new vehicles. He wondered if the town should hold off for another year on replacing the vehicles. He wondered if they could just be maintained and just hope that they don’t break down. He inquired if the vehicles were on their last legs. 

Mr Chamberlain said that one of the vehicles was being taken off the road since the box was being held on by two bolts. He said the others are in poor condition and need replacement. 

And finally, the motion was made and the four new vehicles were approved for purchase. 

Zoning By-law Amendment for 4401 Concession 4 S

This appears to be a lot that is to be severed on the 4th Concession South. It seems that there was no public comment on the matter. It seems that the Committee of Adjustment has already given their consent on this item. 

This item passed with no discussion. 

Zoning By-law Amendment for 5569 Concession 5 N

This item also appears to have gone through the planning process and with no public comment. As well, the Committee of Adjustment has also consented to this item as well.

This item passed with no discussion. 

In fact the rest of the items all passed with very little or no discussion at all. 

Until….

Unfinished Business

Councillor Prue said that he only had two items from the unfinished business list for tonight. The first was a report about the infrastructure on the north end of Boblo. He felt he was told that the report would be at tonight’s meeting but it wasn’t. He wondered when it would be coming before council. The CAO said that they were in the process of finalizing arrangements with Amico and that the intention had always been to upgrade the infrastructure of the north end of the island when the south end was developed. There was some back and forth but it seems that items are still being negotiated. 

Then Councillor Prue wondered about a report that had been requested about being an agent of change. It had to do with a speaker from the City of Hamilton who had presented for the Amherstburg Community Foundation about ways to rejuvenate a downtown core. Councillor Prue wondered if anything could be done. He felt the report had been requested 14 months ago and felt that it couldn’t be more than making a few phone calls. (Do some basic math…..14 months ago we were on the cusp of a global pandemic that literally shut down the world…..fast forward…..nothing has changed…..we’re still shut down! So is Hamilton! I think Amherstburg and Hamilton probably have bigger concerns at the moment but who knows…..) Ms Rubli (I do not know her new title? She is now a Director…..) said that they had reached out but she was unsure if the town of Hamilton had replied. She was going to look into it for the next meeting. 

Councillor Prue then said he was assured that the report about wards VS at-large elections would be coming forward at the next meeting. (I’m bracing myself for that one already. I have a whole lot to say about that big waste of time! This dance song has been played by almost every council since amalgamation…..but I digress. I will save my energy for the next meeting.)

Councillor Renaud requested an update about the Second Concession Bridge. It seems that there were some issues with the footings but it’s almost all ironed out now. 

New Business

Deputy Mayor Meloche wanted it noted that the police have been doing a great job catching speeders in McGregor on Walker Road. 

Councillor Courtney made a motion for council to reach out to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit about education and enforcement for mask wearing. It seems that he’s received emails about the mask exemption. He felt that the province has set a mandate to allow for mask exemptions and that the businesses needed to accommodate those particular individuals. He wanted information sent to local businesses about the legal exemptions. Mayor DiCarlo spoke and felt that there were competing interests at play. He felt that the businesses were under no obligation to allow maskless individuals in since employers have a legal obligation to protect their staff. However, he felt the businesses needed to offer some type of accommodation. (I guess curbside pick up or such?) He did say however he was not opposed to deferring to the WECHU. Councillor Courtney wondered which law superseded? He felt it was a human rights issue. Mayor DiCarlo pointed out that the businesses are private businesses but that council could reach out to the WECHU. So finally, the motion carried. 

Councillor McArthur said he had been approached by someone regarding painted crosswalks. He did some investigating and discovered that Amherstburg does not have a policy in place for painted crosswalks. He told the person that they could delegate about it since that seems how council deals with certain items, however that would only offer a one-off solution. He made a motion for administration to create and develop a crosswalk art policy, similar to Windsor’s. He felt that it would create beauty and art in our community. He felt it was necessary to have a consistent policy with framework and safety concerns addressed. 

Councillor Courtney wondered if any studies had been done. He felt that motorists may look at the sidewalk art and that could create collision situations. 

Councillor McArthur reiterated that he wanted a policy created. He felt that administration would do the math, do the research and get all of the facts for a fulsome policy. He did not want ad hoc situations evolving. 

Councillor Courtney then asked about getting a report instead. Councillor McArthur replied that council gets too many reports as it is and that he wanted a clear and consistent policy developed. (Agreed 100%. Council asks for reports constantly…..and then when council disagrees with the content, they just argue or shelve the report anyway……remember our phenomenal Libro Master Plan? The one that council didn’t approve and shoved into a drawer somewhere?…..that one?……why bother getting more reports? More time wasted….) 

CAO Miceli explained that administration would do it’s due diligence by looking at policies in  other municipalities, examining best practices, investigating the standards and then would arrive with a policy that would be very safe. 

Deputy Mayor Meloche wondered about the financial aspect of developing such a policy. Mayor DiCarlo pointed out that some municipalities get donations for art and that the policy would be good to get the process started. 

Councillor Simone inquired about a report or policy regarding murals or public art. She wondered if it included sidewalks. The Clerk replied that the public art policy was in draft form but that this item could be a separate policy. 

And then it carried. A policy for painted crosswalks will be coming forward eventually. 

Then, Councillor Prue started talking about a phone call he received from a resident that was angry but supportive…..then the meeting cut out. I tried to get back into the meeting from both my phone and my computer, but no luck. I’m not sure if it was a technical issue on my end or the town’s end. However, about 4 minutes later it showed the meeting was over. So, what this person’s issue was, I just don’t know. 

It does make me curious what the criteria is for an item to be brought forth at a meeting by members of council. Seems like random emails or phone calls get mentioned and sometimes even get actioned. Maybe that call or that email has to come in at a specific time, like 11:11 or 12:34? Maybe it has to be the 7th lucky email of the day? I don’t know. But if anybody does, I’m curious! 🙂 

Oh well! Two meetings in a row and I was able to wrote the blog the very same night! Dare I dream that it could happen again in two weeks? Hmmmmmm……

Have a great week Amherstburg! Stay safe! 

In preparation for Monday May 10th Regular town council meeting

Well Monday night’s agenda is a very slim 160 pages.There doesn’t seem to be anything of excitement on there…..looks like this meeting should wrap up by 7:00. But will it? Will I be able to blog the very same night of the meeting like last time? I have a feeling of hope about this…..fingers crossed!

Here are the highlights for the regular meeting.

Council meets first at 5:00 for a planning meeting. And how quickly my hopes have been dashed. I see that the planning meeting is about a zoning by-law amendment on Crystal Bay Drive. Guess where Crystal Bay Drive is? Yup. Boblo Island! So……considering one particular councillor talks about Boblo at almost every single meeting and often talks at length about Boblo….well.…..my hopes are dashed that the 5:00 planning meeting will even be finished in time for the 6:00 regular meeting…..so that means that if the planning meeting goes into overtime (odds are looking that way), then the regular meeting will go on much later into the evening. Well, that was short lived. LOL Not really LOL but, well….

2021 Fleet Vehicle Purchase

It looks like the town needs to replace 4 vehicles (various ages and vehicles, a 2004 Chevrolet 2500 crew cab, a 2009 Chevrolet 4X4 2500 crew cab, a 2006 Ford Ranger extended cab and a 2008 Ford Ranger extended cab). The request for quotes went out to local dealerships and the prices are in. Two of the vehicles came in a little bit more than the budgeted amount. It appears that Joe Meloche Ford withdrew their quotes for 3 of the 4 vehicles due to the computer chip shortage. (This computer chip shortage is due to the current pandemic.) From the report : 

“The computer chip shortage could lend to problems in the procurement of vehicles and other equipment in the foreseeable future and as a result the acquisition of replacement vehicles may be delayed resulting in potential increased operational costs. Administration will advise Council of the issues regarding fleet replacement as they evolve during quarterly variance reports.”

Here is the recommendation :

It is recommended that: 

1. An over-expenditure for the purchase of a ¾ ton standard cab pick up truck not to exceed $9,900 BE APPROVED for a total cost not to exceed $44,370 including net HST and that the over-expenditure BE FUNDED from the Fleet Reserve; and, 

2. An over-expenditure for the purchase of a ¾ ton crew cab pick up truck not to exceed $6,000 BE APPROVED for a total cost not to exceed $45,252 including net HST and that the over-expenditure BE FUNDED from the Fleet Reserve.

Zoning By-law Amendment for 4401 Concession 4 S

This appears to be a lot that is to be severed on the 4th Concession South. It seems that there was no public comment on the matter. It seems that the Committee of Adjustment has already given their consent on this item. 

Zoning By-law Amendment for 5569 Concession 5 N

This item also appears to have gone through the planning process and with no public comment. As well, the Committee of Adjustment has also consented to this item as well.

INFORMATION REPORTS 

Amherstburg Accessibility Advisory Committee Achievements and Objectives in 2020

This report is an information report for council. The Accessibility Advisory Committee is a mandated committee that the town must have in place. Even with the current pandemic situation, the committee was still able to achieve certain goals and create objectives. This is from the conclusion of the report : 

“While 2020 was a tumultuous and unprecedented year, the Amherstburg Accessibility Advisory Committee continued to meet as often as possible and remained focused on ensuring that legislative responsibilities were met. In 2021, the AAAC will support creation of a new multi-year Accessibility Plan, as informed by the determinations of the Facility Assessment Needs Study, for Council’s consideration.”

Drainage Board Meeting Minutes – April 6, 2021

It seems that the Drainage Board met and the following recommendations were made for council:

It is recommended that: 

1. The Drainage Board Meeting Minutes of April 6, 2021 BE RECEIVED; 
2. The appeal from Joe Grondin relating to the assessment of Culvert #8 BE DENIED and the assessment as presented by R. Dobbin Engineering Inc. BE ACCEPTED, as recommended by the Drainage Board;
3. The request from 1583953 Ontario Inc. per Section 78 of the Drainage Act BE ACCEPTED, as recommended by the Drainage Board;
4. The appointment of the firm of R. Dobbin Engineering Inc. to complete the necessary report for the repair and improvement to the Morgan Drain and South Branch BE APPROVED, as recommended by the Drainage Board; 
5. The report from the Drainage Superintendent and Engineering Coordinator dated March 22, 2021 regarding Various Drainage Apportionments BE RECEIVED, as recommended by the Drainage Board; and, 
6. The following drainage apportionments BE APPROVED as listed:

• Consent B/30/19 – Drainage Apportionments for the Jeths Drain – 128 Texas Rd.
• Consent B/8-9/20 – Drainage Apportionments for the Dufour Drain and Sucker Creek Drain – 8121 Middle Sideroad
• Consent B/25/20 – Drainage Apportionments for the Mitchell Drain – 7273 County Road 50 

And, at the end of the meeting, council will meet in-camera to discuss:

SPECIAL IN-CAMERA COUNCIL MEETING 

That Council move into an In-Camera Meeting of Council directly following Regular session pursuant to Section 239 of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended for the following reason:

Item A – Section 239(2)(k) – A position, plan, procedure, criteria or instruction to be applied to any negotiations carried on or to be carried on by or on behalf of the municipality or local board. 

And that’s it, that’s all folks! As long as there’s no pontificating or electioneering, this meeting should easily be able to wrap up in an hour! We shall see! I hope to be back Monday night with the summary for you! 

Have a great weekend Amherstburg! Happy Mother’s Day and stay safe!