Monday October 25th Regular town council meeting

Well, here I am writing up Monday night’s blog on Tuesday night again. The meeting wrapped up just after 8:30 and I probably could have written up the blog last night……probably…..BUT for two and a half hours my inner voice became my outer voice and was talking to my computer…..my inner voice was pretty darn frustrated. Anybody who watched last night will understand why. For those that didn’t, maybe after reading the recap, you’ll get a picture (albeit a condensed version) of the evening. I’ll try to keep my inner voice in check tonight. We’ll see as I relive last night’s meeting…..

First, council had met in-camera at 5:00 to discuss the following : 

SPECIAL IN-CAMERA COUNCIL MEETING

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

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

The regular meeting started shortly after 6:00. 

DELEGATIONS

Heritage White Paper – THRIVE Group

Mr Richard Peddie addressed council on behalf of the THRIVE group. Mr Peddie started out by explaining that he and his wife Colleen have been Amherstburg residents for 13 years. He clarified that eleven of the THRIVE board members are Amherstburg residents and seven board members own businesses in Amherstburg. He felt he had to correct some very intentional misinformation that was being spread around town. 

Mr Peddie explained that history and buildings shape our town. There are currently 118 properties of interest and 50 buildings that are designated as heritage buildings. He explained that heritage is an economic pillar as recognized by our Economic Development Committee. He felt that heritage is what makes the competitive difference in Amherstburg and that we are not treating our heritage with the respect that it deserves. It seems that Ontario’s Heritage Conservation District Legislation was passed in 1975. Amherstburg toyed with the idea several times throughout the years but passed on putting it into action. In the meantime,  there are now 134 Heritage Districts located in 55 towns or cities in Ontario. 

Mr Peddie went on to make three recommendations to council in regards to Heritage. First, the White Paper recommended that council approve a heritage conservation district. Second, that council invest funding in heritage as it is critically important. And finally, to support the new Heritage Planner with his ideas and recommendations. 

He used a quote in the presentation. “The truth about a town’s aspirations aren’t found in it’s vision. It’s found in its budget.” (There’s some food for thought……) Mr Peddie pointed out that there are funds in the current budget to create a heritage district and he wanted council to use those funds now to get it done. He requested improved directional signage and that plaques be installed at heritage sites and properties. He felt that people love plaques. (Guilty. I stop and read plaques all the time when I’m out walking…..btw, side note, there’s one in the Kings Navy Yard Park about the Great Sauk Trail…..for those who felt that that potential name for the new high school had nothing to do with Amherstburg…..plaques are informative and educational…..but I digress….sorry…..) Mr Peddie also mentioned that council gave $18,500 in grants to the Park House and to the Freedom Museum. He requested that council consider raising the amounts given to them since they are so important to Amherstburg. 

And then it was open for questions…..

Councillor Prue spoke first. He expressed that there wasn’t anything in the presentation that differed from the White Paper that had already been submitted. (I had the link in my pre-meeting blog if you’re interested in reading it.) He asked if Mr Peddie felt that the $25,000 that council had set aside for a study should just go directly to Mr Robertson, the Heritage Planner. Mr Peddie felt that Mr Robertson did not need to reinvent the wheel and that a lot of research had already been done about heritage districts. There was a little bit of back and forth if it would be better to hire a consultant or to use the money in-house. 

Deputy Mayor Meloche then spoke. He said he had spent some time with some staff members talking about heritage. He felt that nothing about heritage had come before council in the 7 years that he has beens serving. He felt that a heritage district would need a business plan. He also wondered if some of the errors of the past that were noted in the White Paper reflected the will of the people at the time. He wondered what was the will of the people now. He also wondered what was the will of council. He felt that shots had been taken about decisions made in the past. (inner voice here……people get elected to council to make the best decisions possible for the entire community……so it’s okay to make a bad decision if that’s what the people want???? Remember the Simpsons episode when the will of the people was to get a Monorail???? If you didn’t see the episode, check it out. LOL)

Councillor Simone pointed out that Mr Peddie had also delegated to the Heritage Committee and that they were very happy about the White Paper. They felt that no one had been listening to their requests. 

Councillor McArthur felt that he agreed with the importance of Economic Development and that our history is our future. He felt that we need more plaques and that we need to do an inventory of our plaques. He then asked a question about a motion from December 2018 about a report regarding a heritage district. He wondered when it would be coming since council needed the facts to then have a debate. 

Mr Robertson, the Heritage Planner, said that he was currently working on it. He had just joined the town on July 12th therefore has not had a lot of time in his new role. He felt that $25,000 was too little for a consultant and that he would be preparing the plan in-house. He said he will need some funds for research and that it would be a luxury to hand this off to a consultant. 

Mr Rousseau, the Treasurer, (I’m guessing this was his last meeting before he leaves for his new job in Lakeshore…..and yes, I am sad that we are losing another great member of the administrative team…..) said that the funds were transferred to the reserve and remain there. 

There was a bunch of back and forth from the Deputy Mayor wondering if a motion was required to proceed with this initiative in-house. And then a motion was made to proceed in-house, even while administration was trying to find the old motion to see if this was necessary. 

Mr Robertson felt that there was not specific wording in the December 2018 motion regarding a consultant. He said that to hire a consultant to create a Heritage Conservation District would be in the $70,000 to $80,000 plus range. 

Councillor Courtney wanted to know what the previous direction was. (Um, they said they were looking……even though a motion got thrown out there…..) He wanted to know how they were coming to this and felt that reallocating the $25,000 was wrong. 

Mr Robertson explained that he had come to the conclusion to do this plan in-house long before Mr Peddie’s presentation. He felt that it was work that he would love to do. Councillor Courtney felt it was past practice to get reports with recommendations. He said he wanted a report so that he could “peruse” it. He did not feel that a decision should be made after a delegation. (I’m not sure if that was an excuse to try to stall a decision in general, or because he didn’t like the subject matter of this particular delegation?…..I have seen so many countless motions made and decisions made based on somebody delegating to council……)

Mr Rousseau explained that the $25,000 was approved in the budget and that it would come back as part of the work plan. He said that the funds will remain intact. 

Councillor Courtney wanted a report so that council would know where employees’ hours were spent. He did not want to use the money based on a delegation’s recommendation. 

Councillor Renaud also expressed interest in wanting to see a report back from administration and what we envision. (Sorry. That’s up to council……to have a vision…..and hence, part of the problem with this term…..Does council want a Heritage District or not?)

Councillor Prue then spoke again. He was trying to remember what had transpired these past three years and from before this term when he was watching council. He felt that some people on council had wanted a Heritage Planner years ago. (Personally, I’ve been watching for seven solid years now and I don’t recall that ever being discussed in a meeting but who knows? Generally, previous council and this council didn’t want to hire anybody LOL) Councillor Prue pointed out that when the $25,000 was set aside, the town did not have a Heritage Planner. He felt that part of the Heritage Planner job was to plan heritage, make drawings etc. He felt that he expected Mr Robertson to do a “bang up” job and use some of the $25,000 to do so. He also felt that he did not want to micromanage Mr Robertson. (Interesting…..many other positions, council trips over themselves to micromanage, but not the Heritage Planner…..) Councillor Prue felt that he did not need any reports on this issue and that the town had hired an expert. He felt that we have experts, such as engineers, lawyers etc and that the town should use them. (I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone…..how many times have I watched the experts get questioned, sometimes disrespected…..now all of a sudden, a total 180, they’re so valuable and should be well used. Let’s just say that I hope that this new attitude remains…..but I’m not so sure…..it seems like “heritage” is the key word at play here…..) Councillor Prue expressed his desire to vote on this issue this budget year so that it gets done. 

Deputy Mayor Meloche felt that the town had hired a planner, therefore he should be used. He didn’t feel that money or THRIVE were a factor in the issue. Mayor DiCarlo said that the money allocated was being used on heritage, therefore, it was being used as intended. 

Councillor Courtney felt that the issue of a Heritage District should come forward in a report. He mentioned the unfinished business list and this would become one of many reports on the list. He felt that the report would be transparent. (Ah….the famous unfinished business list…..the town is down seven top directors…..a couple have been replaced and have been in their new roles for three minutes…..so that unfinished business list should be taken care of…..the disconnect from council on reports and staff is mind boggling…..) Councillor Courtney wondered if Heritage is an Economic Pillar, then how is it an economic spin off. 

Mr Peddie said he had done a lot of research on Heritage Districts and there are 134 of them done and finished in our province. He cited heritage tourism, pride in the community and that heritage districts drive the local economy. 

Mr Robertson mentioned that one key benefit is that heritage tourists spend more money while they’re visiting and that they stay longer. He also pointed out that the money stays in the local economy. He said that there are volumes of information to be had. The properties increase in value faster and also hold their value. 

Councillor Courtney replied that he can’t wait for the report. (fast forward, there will be no report….looks like he’s going to be waiting for a real long time…..)

Councillor McArthur then spoke. He felt that if you believe in tourism as an economic driver then this all makes sense. One would also then believe that heritage is an economic driver. He felt that tourism is crucial for the economy. (And this, right there, made perfect sense. I guess if you don’t believe that tourism is an economic driver, then you don’t believe that heritage is an economic driver either……)

Councillor Simone then spoke and found the original 2018 motion. She said that it was not specified that the $25,000 had to be used for a consultant, therefore if Mr Robertson wants to use it for a study, it would encompass the heritage district planning. She explained that no further direction from council would be required. 

Deputy Mayor Meloche then withdrew his motion. 

There was some more discussion but finally the delegation was received. 

(My inner voice was very perplexed during the entire exchange…..the previous council had a tendency to treat delegations well – or not so well – based on if they knew them or if they agreed with what they were delegating about…..I have started to see the same thing happening with some members of this council…..I’ve seen one particular councillor comment to a delegate that she “looked lovely”….I’ve seen one particular councillor comment on knowing delegates personally as well as their family or their family tree…..and tonight, this one particular councillor seemed quite abrupt and closed-minded towards this delegation…..just an observation…..can’t wait to get back in-person to really be able to see body language and not just hear words…..)

PRESENTATIONS

Community Safety and Well-Being Plan (CSWB) – Leonardo Gil, CSWB Project Manager, Social Policy and Planning Division, City of Windsor 

This item was on the supplementary agenda that came out on Monday. I didn’t have a chance to read the presentation in advance so it made it a bit harder to follow along. Basically, Mr Gill presented the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan to council because he was requesting council’s support to then go before County Council with the report. He explained that this is a planning document with a built-in will to collaborate. 

He presented the Goals and Initiatives Overview, which included sections called Good Governance and Data, Engaged and Safe Communities, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Supports as well as Financial Security and Economic Equity Profile. 

Here was the recommendation : 

It is recommended that:

1. The Council of the Town of Amherstburg AUTHORIZE Essex County Council to approve the Windsor-Essex Regional Community Safety and Well-Being Plan and any subsequent reports as required on behalf of the municipality. 

There were a few questions but ultimately council did approve the recommendation and the report will be presented to county council. 

REPORTS – CORPORATE SERVICES

Amendments to the Annual Vacation – Non Union Policy

This policy was just adopted on June 28 2021. Looks like it needs amending already……I found this in the report : 

“The significant change is as follows:  Remove payout of full annual vacation entitlement upon termination of employment, replaced with prorated payout of vacation entitlement upon termination of employment.”  And, in the Financial Matters section : “The Annual Vacation Policy – Non Union currently indicates that where in any year an employee ceases to be an employee of the Town prior to December 31, full vacation entitlement will be paid to the employee. The policy amendments remove full payout language but recommend pro-rating the vacation for an employee upon end of employment. Going forward the cost of any vacation payout will continue to be reflected in the Town’s financial reporting.”

I guess when a municipality loses 7 top managers in less than 2 months, it’s time to take a real close look at vacation payouts? 

There was one question. And then the motion was made as per the recommendation to amend the policy. And it carried. 

REPORTS – INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES

There were a bunch of reports all having to do with Kingsbridge. These are the items : 

Kingsbridge Subdivision – Knobb Hill Drive Phase 2 (Whelan Avenue to Welsh Avenue) – Assumption of Infrastructure 

Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 7A/9A – Acceptance and Assumption of Infrastructure – Placement of Infrastructure on Maintenance

Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 8A – Acceptance and Assumption of Infrastructure 

Placement of Underground Infrastructure, Curbs and Base Asphalt on Maintenance – Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 10B-D

Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 10C – Placement of Underground Infrastructure, Curbs and Base Asphalt on Maintenance 

Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 9B – Acceptance and Assumption of Underground Infrastructure, Curbs and Base Asphalt – Surface Asphalt on Maintenance

There was quite a bit of discussion about one or two of these items, but I won’t bore you with it. Seriously. I won’t. Ultimately, each one carried as recommended anyway. 

REPORTS – CAO’s OFFICE 

Again this week, there are a few policies that need some tweaking and amending. 

Policy Amendments 

It is recommended that: 

1.The following policies BE AMENDED as detailed in the report of October 18, 2021:

a. The Corporate Cheque Acceptance Policy;

b. The Corporate Cheque Issuance Policy; and, 

c. The Rural Mailbox Policy. 

It seems that these policies were adopted about 5 years ago, so they are in the rotation for review and updates. It appears that the amendments within these policies are minor in nature. 

Deputy Mayor Meloche started questioning the wording about cash and cheques and the interpretation of the two words……(again, I won’t bore you with this…..) Mr Rousseau felt that the wording is fine and that the policy is fine the way it is. Deputy Mayor Meloche felt that they had a difference of opinion. Nobody else on council seemed too concerned about the semantics and the motion carried to amend the three policies as recommended. 

THEN…..!!!!!! Deputy Mayor Meloche wanted to bring the items back for discussion. He went on and on and on about getting a packing slip whenever the town has to write a cheque to pay for something. The Treasurer explained (several times) that many different companies are dealt with and that not all of them provide packing slips. Deputy Mayor Meloche continued to drone on about packing slips etc etc etc……Mr Rousseau explained all of the checks and balances in place before a cheque is written (ha ha no pun intended)…..and still the Deputy Mayor went on……I think Mayor DiCarlo said “noted” at least twice (maybe three times?) trying to stop the spiral into minutia. After what seemed like a really really long time, it was over and the meeting moved on. 

The next few items moved along with little or no discussion. 

OTHER MINUTES

Amherstburg Environmental Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes – September 21, 2021

The Environmental Advisory committee had a meeting and has some recommendations for council. As per the report : 

• That:
  1. The Amherstburg Environmental Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of September 21, 2021 BE RECEIVED; 
  2. That Council ENDORSE the use of any type of renewal energies that can be incorporated into existing buildings and the incorporation of renewable energies into any new builds that the municipality shall undertake to construct;
  3. Administration BE DIRECTED to investigate what local and comparator municipalities are doing regarding providing environmental implications of their recommendations; and,
  4. The Adopt-a-Highway County Program BE ENDORSED by Council and seek enhancements in areas near waterways, such as, creeks, drainage and the lake.

There was some discussion about the wording in the recommendations (and I’m not sure any of it got changed….my head was starting to hurt….) and then the motion was made and it carried. 

Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes – October 7, 2021 

The Economic Development Advisory committee also met and has some interesting recommendations for council. Here they are : 

• That:
  1. The Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of October 7, 2021 BE RECEIVED;
  2. When developing a new structure for the Town of Amherstburg Administration BE DIRECTED that it include a position for a qualified Economic Development Officer;
  3. Funding to support the creation of an Economic Development Officer position BE INCLUDED in the budget deliberations for 2022; 
  4. The Economic Development Officer SERVE as the staff liaison to the Economic Development Advisory Committee;
  5. The 2022 Budget INCLUDE funding to create an actionable business plan for the Belle Vue building and property; and,
  6. Funding BE BUDGETED in the 2022 budget to provide safe public access (in phases if necessary) for the increased visibility of the Belle Vue.

 Councillor Courtney said he had received a call with concerns that taxpayer money was being spent on Belle Vue, but he felt he did not see it that way. He felt that they needed a business plan for Belle Vue with a way to figure it out in a way not to use taxpayer money. 

Councillor McArthur said that the issue has frustrated the committee. He pointed out that somebody is cutting the grass and repairing the vandalism, which is using taxpayer money. In the meantime, the public does not have access to or enjoyment of the property. He believed in the potential for Belle Vue to drive Economic Development and he wanted to allow the people to be able to enjoy it. He also felt that the Committee really wants to see an Economic Development Officer position and that they believe in it fervently. He was hopeful that the position would be included in the budget. 

Councillor Prue felt that the committee was frustrated and that the committee consists of three councillors and four high profile people. He felt that they believe in the importance of an Economic Development Officer. (And…..we used to have one…..last term of council when I was watching…..we had one…..the old council was looking to get rid of the position…..so he left…..and was never replaced…..and it’s taken this council three quarters of their term…..and still no Ec Dev Officer…..just sayin’ ) Councillor Prue felt that Belle Vue could be used for movie shoots or wedding photos. He felt it was sad that the town had taken the position of not funding the house. He felt it’s a jewel to make money and drive business. 

Deputy Mayor Meloche spoke again. He seemed to talk in circles and I found it difficult to follow. He spoke about financial consequences and that the previous council had made the decision to secure the property. He felt that slowly our finances are getting better. 

Councillor Courtney said that he was not opposed to the business plan and pointed out that council had inherited Belle Vue from the previous council. (Interesting that earlier in the meeting he did not seem overly interested in a heritage district yet now was interested in this heritage building?) Councillor Courtney felt that he would stand behind no taxpayer money being put into the building but felt that we need a plan to see what we can do.

Some of the wording in the recommendations were tweaked, but ultimately, the whole thing carried. 

(Now let’s take a walk down memory lane……Here’s a Windsor Star article from 2016 when the former council decided to purchase Belle Vue. Take a read : https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/amherstburg-reverses-course-agrees-to-buy-historic-belle-vue

Originally, former Councillor Joan Courtney had voted against the purchase of Belle Vue. She then brought the issue back for reconsideration and voted to purchase the property…..had she not changed her vote, the property would never have been purchased. As well, please note Mr Prue’s quote in the article about the purchase.

(“Prue’s message was clear.

“Not to be worried about where the money (for future redevelopment) was going to come from,” he said. “Their role was to purchase the property.”) I can still remember Councillor Joan Courtney (the night she changed her vote) telling the Belle Vue supporters that they would have to work hard to fundraise. In fact, there was a lot of talk about fundraising that night. Here’s my blog about that meeting if you’re interested : https://amherstburg2.wordpress.com/2016/09/27/monday-september-26th-regular-town-council-meeting/

And last night, not one single member of council asked about the Belle Vue Conservancy. What is going on? Where is the fundraising at? It seems strange how Belle Vue had so many active supporters and volunteers and yet they seem to have, for the most part, disappeared? Why? The Conservancy has their charitable tax number now, I believe. They were using the town’s number for a while. It seems odd that nobody even asked about the Conservancy through this whole discussion. We’re going to pay for a business plan, yet nobody questioned what’s going on with the fundraising initiatives? Memories in Amherstburg are short…..)

Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes – October 19, 2021

And some more interesting recommendations from the Economic Development Advisory Committee:

• That:
  1. The Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of October 19, 2021 BE RECEIVED; 
  2. Administration BE DIRECTED to reach out to Diageo and Wolfhead Distilleries within one month regarding what may be required to expand operations or facilitate the success of their business;
  3. A position BE CREATED for a Communications Officer for the Town of Amherstburg to enhance the promotion, marketing and support of Amherstburg’s local businesses as recommended in the Service Delivery Review; and,
  4. A Business Development Process BE CREATED and mapped for businesses interested in the Town of Amherstburg to be dealt with in a timely manner by Administration to ensure success in securing new business opportunities. 

The discussion around this went on and on…..Councillor Courtney wondered why only Wolfhead and Diageo were being approached and thanked for creating employment. He wondered why everybody wasn’t being thanked. Councillor Prue explained that the committee decided to start with the two distilleries and that Diageo is Amherstburg’s largest employer. Finally, at the end Councillor McArthur felt that in the time spent talking about all of this, they could have made the phone call and opened the lines of communications. (LOL! Thanks for my chuckle of the night…..but it’s true……)

This one too, there were a few words tweaked in the recommendations but it did carry. 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Councillor Prue expressed that he wanted to get some time lines on the reports that were still on the unfinished business list and to find out if or when they would happen. CAO Haddad explained that it is an exhaustive list. He said that senior management is looking at them and will bring a report back, in particular regarding the vintage motions. 

So, one would think that being so short staffed and all, that this would suffice….but no…..Councillor Prue then went on to specify a couple of items on the unfinished business list…..to which he got the same reply…..we’re working on it……(Unbelievable…..down seven senior management positions – only 2 very recently replaced so far……but asking when those reports would be coming….if that isn’t a massive disconnect I don’t know what is….)

NEW BUSINESS

A couple of items were brought forth, but honestly did not need to be dealt with at a public meeting. It’s almost like certain councillors want to purposely bring forward little questions or concerns publicly. And when I say “little” I mean in the sense that it affects one person or a very small group…..it’s not something that affects a large percentage of Amherstburg that would require public discussion…..

Anyway, for one item, Councillor Prue felt that an answer may be ready for the next meeting. Mayor DiCarlo pointed out that residents don’t have to wait for a meeting, they can contact town hall administration and have the issue dealt with right away. (I guess the same goes in reverse….if a resident contacts a councillor, the councillor could contact town administration right away and get the issue dealt with, rather than wait for the next meeting? Seems a lot more efficient to me!) 

And after a bunch of New Business items (which weren’t really new business at all), the meeting finished at 8:34 PM. And with that, I closed my computer, shook my head and decided that tomorrow is another day…..therefore the blog would wait for “tomorrow”……See you in two weeks Amherstburg!

In preparation for Monday October 25th Regular town council meeting

Well Monday night starts with a special meeting with an in-camera item at 5:00. Then the regular agenda is a light 231 pages…..so logic would say that this meeting should be said and done by 7:30 ish…..but…..well…..the odds never seem to lean that way. Here are the highlights and hang on and read it all…..there’s something pretty interesting in the agenda…..I usually don’t weigh in too much in the pre-meeting blogs but this one will be a little bit different, at least for a few items. 

The 5:00 special meeting consists of the following : 

SPECIAL IN-CAMERA COUNCIL MEETING

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

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

Then the regular meeting is scheduled for 6:00. Here are the highlights :

DELEGATIONS

Heritage White Paper – THRIVE Group

The lobby group THRIVE will be presenting it’s Heritage White Paper to council this week. Their report includes background, best practices and recommendations in regards to Amherstburg’s heritage. For my readers who are particularly interested in heritage in Amherstburg, here’s the link to read their White Paper in its entirety. (It’s only 7 pages, so not a lengthy read by any means.) 

https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=4594

I found this very interesting quote in the White Paper : “The truth about a city’s (town’s) aspirations isn’t found in its vision. It’s found in its budget”. Brent Toderian

There’s some food for thought. 🙂 

REPORTS – CORPORATE SERVICES

Amendments to the Annual Vacation – Non Union Policy

This policy was just adopted on June 28 2021. Looks like it needs amending already……I found this in the report : 

“The significant change is as follows:  Remove payout of full annual vacation entitlement upon termination of employment, replaced with prorated payout of vacation entitlement upon termination of employment.”  And, in the Financial Matters section : “The Annual Vacation Policy – Non Union currently indicates that where in any year an employee ceases to be an employee of the Town prior to December 31, full vacation entitlement will be paid to the employee. The policy amendments remove full payout language but recommend pro-rating the vacation for an employee upon end of employment. Going forward the cost of any vacation payout will continue to be reflected in the Town’s financial reporting.”

I guess when a municipality loses 7 top managers in less than 2 months, it’s time to take a real close look at vacation payouts? 

REPORTS – INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES

There are a bunch of reports all having to do with Kingsbridge. These are the items : 

Kingsbridge Subdivision – Knobb Hill Drive Phase 2 (Whelan Avenue to Welsh Avenue) – Assumption of Infrastructure 

Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 7A/9A – Acceptance and Assumption of Infrastructure – Placement of Infrastructure on Maintenance

Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 8A – Acceptance and Assumption of Infrastructure 

Placement of Underground Infrastructure, Curbs and Base Asphalt on Maintenance – Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 10B-D

Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 10C – Placement of Underground Infrastructure, Curbs and Base Asphalt on Maintenance 

Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 9B – Acceptance and Assumption of Underground Infrastructure, Curbs and Base Asphalt – Surface Asphalt on Maintenance

REPORTS – CAO’s OFFICE 

Again this week, there are a few policies that need some tweaking and amending. 

Policy Amendments 

It is recommended that: 

1.The following policies BE AMENDED as detailed in the report of October 18, 2021:

a. The Corporate Cheque Acceptance Policy;

b. The Corporate Cheque Issuance Policy; and, 

c. The Rural Mailbox Policy. 

It seems that these policies were adopted about 5 years ago, so they are in the rotation for review and updates. It appears that the amendments within these policies are minor in nature. 

CONSENT CORRESPONDENCE

The following items on the agenda for council as consent correspondence. Council can choose to simply receive the correspondence or they can discuss them and make motions. 

Support for Open Air – Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce

Good Roads Board of Directors Call for Nominations

AMO Policy Update – OMPF Allocations and LTC Development Call

Ontario Energy Board Notice to Customers of Enbridge Gas Inc

CORRESPONDENCE

Town of Tecumseh Resolution in Support of Reliable Broadband High Speed Internet Service

The Town of Tecumseh sent a letter to the province looking for support of reliable broadband high speed internet service. Here are the recommendations :

• That:
  1. The Town of Amherstburg SUPPORT the resolutions of the Town of Essex and the Tecumseh regarding Rural Broadband High Speed Internet Access and calling upon the Province of Ontario to deem broadband internet as an essential service and to provide support to all municipalities so that all residents of Ontario can have access to broadband as an integral part of their daily lives;
  2. A letter requesting support BE SENT to the Honorable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and all local municipalities;
  3. The Towns’ of Tecumseh and Essex resolutions BE CIRCULATED to the Rural Broadband Advisory Committee for information. 

OTHER MINUTES

Amherstburg Environmental Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes – September 21, 2021

The Environmental Advisory committee had a meeting and has some recommendations for council. As per the report : 

• That:
  1. The Amherstburg Environmental Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of September 21, 2021 BE RECEIVED; 
  2. That Council ENDORSE the use of any type of renewal energies that can be incorporated into existing buildings and the incorporation of renewable energies into any new builds that the municipality shall undertake to construct;
  3. Administration BE DIRECTED to investigate what local and comparator municipalities are doing regarding providing environmental implications of their recommendations; and,
  4. The Adopt-a-Highway County Program BE ENDORSED by Council and seek enhancements in areas near waterways, such as, creeks, drainage and the lake.

Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes – October 7, 2021 

OK, folks. Time to be like Santa. Check this list and check it twice. Is this list naughty or nice? 

The Economic Development Advisory committee also met and has some interesting recommendations for council. Here they are : 

• That:
  1. The Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of October 7, 2021 BE RECEIVED;
  2. When developing a new structure for the Town of Amherstburg Administration BE DIRECTED that it include a position for a qualified Economic Development Officer;
  3. Funding to support the creation of an Economic Development Officer position BE INCLUDED in the budget deliberations for 2022; 
  4. The Economic Development Officer SERVE as the staff liaison to the Economic Development Advisory Committee;
  5. The 2022 Budget INCLUDE funding to create an actionable business plan for the Belle Vue building and property; and,
  6. Funding BE BUDGETED in the 2022 budget to provide safe public access (in phases if necessary) for the increased visibility of the Belle Vue.

Soooooo…….what happened to the Belle Vue Conservancy? I thought the agreement was that the Conservancy was going to raise the funds for Belle Vue repairs and restoration? Yet here we are…..asking for money in next year’s budget……I checked the town’s website. Here are the members of the Economic Development Advisory Committee : 

• Councillor Don McArthur – Council Representative – Committee Chair
• Councillor Michael Prue – Council Representative, Committee Vice Chair
• Councillor Patricia Simone – Council Representative
• Alan Buterbaugh – Committee Member
• Carolyn Davies – Committee Member
• Jack Edwards – Committee Member
• Larry Amlin – Committee Member
•  – Staff Liaison      
• Kevin Fox – Recording Secretary  

I checked the meeting minutes and the vote was unanimous in support of all of the above recommendations. 

I believe that Councillor Prue was the President of the Belle Vue Conservancy before being elected to town council……and now the committee is looking for taxpayer dollars for Belle Vue when the Conservancy was supposed to be doing the fundraising??? What happened?????

Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes – October 19, 2021

And some more interesting recommendations from the Economic Development Advisory Committee:

• That:
  1. The Economic Development Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes of October 19, 2021 BE RECEIVED; 
  2. Administration BE DIRECTED to reach out to Diageo and Wolfhead Distilleries within one month regarding what may be required to expand operations or facilitate the success of their business;
  3. A position BE CREATED for a Communications Officer for the Town of Amherstburg to enhance the promotion, marketing and support of Amherstburg’s local businesses as recommended in the Service Delivery Review; and,
  4. A Business Development Process BE CREATED and mapped for businesses interested in the Town of Amherstburg to be dealt with in a timely manner by Administration to ensure success in securing new business opportunities. 

Once again, the request for a Communications Officer…..a request that has been brought forward by administration year after year after year (as long as I’ve been watching anyway……which is about 7 years now….) And year after year the request was shot down by council. It often came to a discussion about “wants versus needs”. Yet, here we are with a recommendation from a volunteer committee to create and hire a Communications Officer position. Funny that administration (and the former CAO) were often vilified for these requests and seemed to be met with some outright disdain from some members of the public for such a request. Will this committee be subject to the same treatment as administration for making the same recommendation? Pretty hard for some people to blame the former CAO for this now…..LOL! 

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always felt that Amherstburg needed a Communications Officer. Just pure irony now seeing the recommendation coming from a volunteer committee when administration has been heavily criticized for the same request for so many years. I believe the Communications Officer position was also recommended in the Service Delivery Review…..the same review that some members of council feel wasn’t “thorough” enough….the service review that was done and prepared by professionals…….yet a volunteer committee has the very same recommendation…..How will council react to this request? Interesting how the recommendations of professionals are ignored. 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

At this point of the meeting, members of council can inquire about any unfinished business. And they do. Week after week……as if there is a full gamut of staff in town hall…..maybe this week will be the week that members of council will just move on…….

NEW BUSINESS

Which random phone calls will make the cut this week to be discussed in new business? How about random emails? Maybe new staff that have been in their new role for all of 3 minutes will get asked questions by members of council? It’s sad really. If members of council have even a tiny bit of empathy, now is really not the time for minutia. But what do I know? 

BY-LAWS

By-law 2021-066 – Appoint Treasurer

Since the current Treasurer has resigned to go work in another municipality, council has to appoint a new one. This is from the report : 

“The term of office of Mark Spizzirri as Treasurer shall commence October 25, 2021 for a term concluding on February 22, 2021 and shall continue during this time at the pleasure of Council until his resignation, retirement or removal from office.”  I am guessing the February 22, “2021” is a typo and is supposed to be 2022? Is this yet another temporary appointment? 

By-law 2021-064 – Appoint Clerk and Deputy Clerks

At the last meeting, council had appointed Kevin Fox as Clerk. Now this bylaw is being changed and reads (in part) as follows:

“The term of office of Valerie Critchley as Clerk shall commence October 25, 2021 for a term concluding on February 22, 2021 and shall continue during this period at the pleasure of Council until her resignation, retirement, or removal from office.” Again, I’m guessing there’s a typo that 2021 should be 2022? I guess it’s not like they’re short staffed and overworked in town hall or anything right now, so I would guess typos would be pretty common…..

Further in the bylaw it reads : “Kevin Fox, Tammy Fowkes and Tony Haddad are hereby appointed Deputy Clerks of the Corporation of the Town of Amherstburg and shall continue at the pleasure of Council until resignation, retirement, or removal from office. 6. Robert Sassine is hereby appointed as Deputy Clerk of the Corporation of the Town of Amherstburg for the purpose of carrying out the daily job responsibilities of the Manager of Licensing and Enforcement.”

And that’s it, that’s all. Will this less than 231 page agenda wrap up by 7:30? It should but I doubt it. Stay tuned for this week’s episode of As Amherstburg Turns……

Tuesday October 12th Regular Town council meeting

Well tonight’s meeting was a relatively short meeting, however, it was also somewhat painful. I guess you just can’t have it all. 

When the roll was called at the beginning of the meeting, all members of council were present in council chambers, except Councillor Courtney. He was on a zoom call and only appeared on the screen when he spoke. 

Mayor DiCarlo introduced Kevin Fox who is the acting Clerk as well as Tony Haddad who is the interim CAO. (This is where I miss being there in-person…..new people, new voices that I don’t recognize yet so I was not always 100% sure who was speaking…..so bear with me…..)

DELEGATIONS

Open Air White Paper – THRIVE Group

There were several people named on the delegation form that were present to make the delegation to council. Ms Renee D’Amore spoke first. She explained that she was a life-long resident of Amherstburg and co-owner of The Downtown Espresso Cafe, which is her only source of employment. She hoped that council had read the white paper that THRIVE had submitted since she realized that they only had 5 minutes to delegate to council and they wanted to respect their allotted time. Ms D’Amore explained that she is a board member of THRIVE and that they use evidence-based data and follow the science for their recommendations. The group performed three quantitative studies with a low margin of error and looked to best practices in other areas regarding Open Air initiatives. Mr Kory Renaud spoke next. He explained the three surveys that were performed and that Play Amherstburg was born since people wanted something to do at Open Air for the kids. There was generally a very positive response. He said that the surveys were done both in-person and on-line. He pointed out that their survey results showed that 86% of respondents want Open Air to continue. He also pointed out that THRIVE’s white paper was published publicly in order to ensure transparency. 

Here is the link to their delegation form which includes the White Paper, in case you’d like to read it.

https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=4356

The three THRIVE recommendations presented to council were :

• That Open Air become a permanent summer feature to allow businesses to invest in necessities
• An investment of $20,500 from town council for additional programming
• Opening Richmond Street and Dalhousie Street for on-street vendors

The THRIVE group pointed out that council was bold and visionary 18 months ago. They felt that Open Air has not reached its full potential yet and can be even better. 

When they finished speaking, Mayor DiCarlo expressed he was happy that they acknowledged the 5 minute rule and had gone over by 14 seconds. 

Councillor Prue asked them if the $20,500 that they were requesting would be in the form of tax money. It was agreed that yes, it would come from tax money. Councillor McArthur asked administration if they could confirm that $50,000 was spent on Open Air this past year. They confirmed that yes, this was the amount that was spent. 

And just like that, there was a motion to receive the delegation and it was over. 

Open Air – Jen DeLuca

Ms DeLuca addressed council next regarding Open Air weekends. She felt that she does not want to kill Open Air but that she wants it to work for everyone. She felt that half of the downtown businesses do not support Open Air. She felt that the tactical urbanism applied more so to cities and pointed out that Amherstburg is not a city and that tactical urbanism does not apply to Amherstburg. She wondered about doing things and having programming in the parks that are already paid for. She felt that Open Air was intended as a temporary response to COVID and the pandemic. She felt that the data from the THRIVE surveys would be the same level of support if the programming were provided in the parks instead of on the streets. She felt that she was not being negative but that she wanted to build in the parks and not on the streets. She felt that the reality is that people want to access downtown in the way that they chose and not in how they are told to access it. She felt that most people use their cars to access downtown. She felt it is important to let the Sunday traffic flow through and suggested that streets like Ramsey Street could be activated with programming. She also requested that the streets not be closed on holiday Mondays. She felt that Open Air is not about White Papers but that rather council should talk to the business owners. She felt that there is a list of business owners that want Open Air reduced to one day only. She asked that council please listen to the stakeholders. 

Mayor DiCarlo interjected at this point and noted that Ms DeLuca had gone past her allotted 5 minute limit. Ms DeLuca said she needed a couple more minutes. The Mayor said that she had already passed the 7 minute mark, to which she replied she needed one more minute. Ms DeLuca requested that people be kind on social media even if they disagree. She had included a short slide show but acknowledged she did not have time to present it. She thanked everyone that has been willing to talk about Open Air. 

Deputy Mayor Meloche asked if Ms DeLuca could email the slides. Mayor DiCarlo and Ms DeLuca pointed out that everything had been submitted and it could be found in the agenda. For anyone wondering, here is the link, to see Ms DeLuca’s delegation forms and the slides that were referenced. https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=4357

Councillor McArthur then spoke. He felt that two things could be true. He acknowledged that people can be passionate and want Open Air to continue. He also acknowledged that there have been some growing pains. He mentioned he has some friends that live in LaSalle and didn’t want to come to the Waterfront for ice cream since they felt that they couldn’t find a parking spot. He felt that it’s important to advocate that parking is not a problem. Councillor McArthur also expressed his agreement with THRIVE in that Open Air is nowhere near it’s full potential. He noted that this second year included Corn Hole, Jenga, Checkers and various outdoor games. He noted that people were taking pictures and selfies and sharing them far and wide on various social media platforms. He noted the games in the streets and that those have planted the seeds for more activity. He felt that Amherstburg has not yet seen a return on investment for Open Air. He acknowledged that Ms DeLuca sent pictures of empty streets but that has taken and seen many pictures of full streets. Councillor McArthur asked Ms DeLuca what she meant about having Open Air on one day. He asked her for clarification of what that meant. 

Ms DeLuca felt that it should be decided by all of the business owners. 

Councillor McArthur pointed out that this year there was a compromise reached. The streets were open to vehicular traffic throughout the day on Saturday. Open Air programming was Friday night, Saturday night and all day Sunday. (Last year it ran from Friday night to Sunday night inclusive). 

Ms DeLuca felt that in her opinion a full day of Open Air on Saturday only would be okay. Councillor McArthur also mentioned the possibility of intensifying Open Air but decreasing the foot print, with a possible U-turn area in front of Caffeine and Co. Ms DeLuca felt that the fire department may have said that that wasn’t possible, due to safety issues.  Ms DeLuca felt that a select group wanted it one way.  Councillor McArthur said he could appreciate that Amherstburg was not Bogota but he wondered about the 901 people that responded to THRIVEs survey, mostly in full support of Open Air. Ms DeLuca questioned which survey he was referencing, since she felt that the website presented Open Air as the best thing since sliced bread. She felt that they shouldn’t be looking at that survey. She felt that it was not just her with this opinion but that she was trying to make a difference. She felt that everyone should be working together. 

Ms Baillargeon, Director of Community and Protective Services spoke and said that the town had also done surveys. A full report about Open Air and the town’s survey would be coming to council in November. Councillor McArthur pointed out that THRIVE may want to defend their survey. Councillor Prue felt that he could sense some give and some compromise but that he wanted to wait for the full report from staff before making a decision. Ms DeLuca felt that many businesses were not comfortable coming forward in a public setting. Deputy mayor Meloche felt that both delegations should be received and that council would need information about costs, what’s working and what’s not working. Ms Baillargeon said that information would be in the report in November. Deputy Mayor Meloche then made a motion to receive the delegation. Councillor McArthur hoped that the report would look at the possibility of a U-turn in front of Caffeine and Co. Ms DeLuca then stated that she had a question. She wondered why the THRIVE group continues to push ahead. Mayor DiCarlo had to cut her off and explained that that question could not be answered since it was not related to the motion on the floor. He then put the motion, the delegation was received and the meeting carried on. 

My thoughts

Anyone that knows me or that reads this blog knows that I am a huge fan of Open Air. I was there almost every single weekend all summer long. I happily spent my money at the businesses while safely enjoying time with friends and family. I enjoyed and participated in some of the activities and felt that Open Air created a beautiful sense of community. 

This year’s compromise was to allow vehicular traffic during the day on Saturday, since that is what many of the downtown businesses wanted and had requested. The hairdressers and retail shops are open on Saturday and want parking and access for their customers. There was give and take. Tonight’s suggestion to only have Open Air for Saturday only, directly defies what was negotiated for the businesses this summer. 

The idea of finding something that works for everyone is virtually impossible. I’ve been on this earth long enough to know that the more you try to please everyone, you please no one. 

In the spirit of fairness and transparency, it was interesting that one delegation was allowed to present several minutes past the allotted time and was given the floor for multiple questions. Just an observation. 

The time to debate this will be during the budget debates. I am looking forward to reading the full report that administration will be preparing. In the meantime, I will reread the White Paper prepared by THRIVE, to read the data. And if I’m looking for a personal opinion, I guess I’ll stick with my own positive experience this summer! I have tons of beautiful pictures (and memories) of happy faces, busy streets and a vibrant community. I firmly believe that the streets belong to all of us. 

November 11th Parade and Ceremony – Laurie Cavanaugh, Fort Malden Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion 

Ms Cavanaugh addressed council regarding the annual parade and ceremony to mark Remembrance Day in Amherstburg. She requested that council waive any and all fees (road closures, banner etc) for this event. There were a few questions but the motion passed. The parade was approved and all fees were waived. 

Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) – COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream Grant Transfer Payment Agreement

It looks like the town was successful in acquiring some grant funding for the parkette at the foot of Alma Street as well as for the trail network at the Libro Centre. Here are the recommendations :

It is recommended that:

 1. Authorization BE GIVEN to enter into a Transfer Payment Agreement with the Ministry of Infrastructure under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program – COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream (ICIP) for funding of up to $463,621 toward the Alma Street Parkette Shoreline Protections and the Park Trail Network at the Libro Centre which have a capital cost of $463,621 including net HST; 

2. A capital expenditure not to exceed $200,000 including net HST BE APPROVED as a first charge to the 2022 Budget for repairs to the Alma Street Parkette and Shoreline Protection project be funded from the ICIP;

3. A capital expenditure not to exceed $263,621 including net HST BE APPROVED as a first charge to the 2022 Budget for repairs to the Parks Trail Network at the Libro Centre project be funded from the ICIP;

and 4. By-law 2021-057 being a by-law to enter into an agreement with the Ministry of Infrastructure for funding BE TAKEN as having been read three times and finally passed and the Mayor and Clerk BE AUTHORIZED to sign same.

There was a lot of discussion about this item. A lot of discussion. I am going to try to just give the highlights. Basically, the provincial government is giving the town grant money for the Alma Street Parkette and for the Trail Network at the Libro Centre. Councillor McArthur pointed out that with this grant money that the town needs to commit to put forth some money in 2022. (From what I understand, any grant money received from upper government is not free and clear…..the municipality must also contribute funds into the project.) There was quite a bit of back and forth about how soon these projects would come to fruition. Councillor McArthur felt that if council let the grant money slip by that they would regret it. He felt that at the moment that there isn’t much for this council to hang their hats on and he was hopeful that council would support the motion. (I can’t disagree…..this council has spent more time talking in circles and spinning in indecision…..and it has caught up with them……) 

There was a ton of back and forth, but maybe one of the newspapers will cover it LOL. Ultimately, the recommendation above carried. (Boy, I just saved myself a lot of keystrokes.)

Deferred Development Charges-Block 21 Westcott Rd and Block 23 Livingstone Cres.

It looks like some development charges are looking to be deferred for two areas in Amherstburg. Here’s the recommendation :

It is recommended that:

1. The Mayor and Clerk BE AUTHORIZED to enter into Development Charges Agreements for Block 21 Westcott Crescent and Block 23 Livingstone Crescent, Amherstburg, as per the Development Charges Act, Section 26.1(2)(1); and,

2. Administration BE DIRECTED to bring back an amendment to the Delegation of Powers and Duties Policy to include delegated authority to the CAO for the execution of Development Charge Agreements. 

Councillor Prue made a point of order. He felt that the above items should be discussed in-camera for two reasons. One being potential litigation and two being discussion of identifiable individuals/staff. 

A motion was made to defer this item to the in-camera portion of the meeting already scheduled for the end of the meeting. 

INFORMATION REPORTS

Kings Navy Yard Park Extension- Status Update

This item is simply an information report. I seem to recall that council had set some money aside in last year’s budget to make the old Duffy’s property usable this year. That hasn’t happened yet. I can remember council asking about the status of the Environmental Assessment on this property. It looks like this report addresses their questions. 

Long story short, it looks like the project has gone over budget and that the Environmental Assessment is still not complete. Seems like it’s in red-tape limbo. 

There was a lot of discussion and back and forth about this item. Councillor Courtney pointed out that $300,000 had been set aside in last year’s budget to get the fencing down, secure the area and put in some grass and walkways on the former Duffy’s property to make it usable this year. He wondered if any of the money had been spent. Ms Baillargeon said that some money had been spent on consulting agencies since the town has to satisfy all Ministry requirements. She explained that it is still in phase 2 of the Environmental Assessment and that for the moment, the item can not move forward. 

Councillor Prue felt that there was no talk about the First Nations in the report. Ms Baillargeon said that consultation had been done with First Nations and that the town had reached out during the Environmental Assessment process. Councillor Prue wondered if the First Nations were making a claim to the waterway. Ms Baillargeon said that the town has satisfied requirements but that no claim had been made as of yet. Councillor Prue wondered if the First Nations were going to make a claim and wondered if the town should reach out to them. (This was really strange…..it was as if he wanted them to make a claim on the waterway????) Mr Haddad, the CAO, spoke and said that the onus would be on the proponent to make a claim but that he would not want to see the municipality reach out to see if the group was interested in making a claim to the waterway. He felt that council should be prepared to move forward with the project. 

There was a lot of back and forth about the timeline and when approvals and some improvements could be expected. Councillor McArthur felt that this report was important to see how things went sideways. He felt that this hold up was a kick in the teeth and was disheartening. He felt that the silver lining would be when the Mayor of the next term of council would be cutting the ribbon for the new hotel and that at that point the property would be ready with some improvements. Councillor McArthur asked who the Project Manager was for the Duffy’s property. It seems that the CAO was the project manager and that these issues should have been disclosed in early 2021. Ms Baillargeon said she was hopeful that costs could be ready for the end of the year but that she had to wait on Ministry approvals. Finally, council received the report. 

New Business

There were several items brought up during new business. One item Councillor Prue brought up was about an email council received this afternoon from the Treasurer regarding Boblo. He mentioned a letter of credit versus a surety bond…..(of course at this moment, my internet cut in and out) and when I got back into the meeting, there was mention of this getting discussed in-camera. Councillor McArthur asked about an update about the dog park. Ms Baillargeon said that with everything going on it hasn’t been a front burner item but that she’d work on an update. 

And then council went in-camera at 7:47 PM 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 reasons:

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

As well, the deferral of development charges was also moved to the in-camera meeting and possibly something about Boblo too? 

And with that, the meeting had wrapped up in just under two hours……and I am able to publish the blog on the same night as the meeting! So that’s a good thing! I hope this blog didn’t bore you too much. I had a hard time focusing after the Open Air debate. It’s hard to concentrate when the discussion goes in circles LOL! Oh well, see you in two weeks Amherstburg! It’s been a slice!

In preparation for Tuesday October 12th Regular town council meeting

Well Tuesday night’s meeting is a light 282 pages. So that should translate into a 4 hour meeting LOL! Since it’s a long weekend and I want to enjoy it…..here’s a quick preview of some of the agenda items : 

DELEGATIONS

Open Air White Paper – THRIVE Group

It looks like some members of the THRIVE group will be delegating to council regarding Open Air Weekends. They will be presenting their white paper to council on why they feel that Open Air weekends should be continued in Amherstburg. As well, there is data in the presentation showing support that council should also invest money into this program. The white paper is filled with best practices, data and recommendations. Since delegations are limited to 5 minutes, I am not sure that the THRIVE group will have the time to present their item white paper to council, in public. Hopefully, council members take the time to read through it in detail before Tuesday night. For those who are interested, here is the link so that you can read it in its entirety. 

https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=4315

Open Air – Jen DeLuca

Ms DeLuca will also be addressing council regarding Open Air weekends. It seems that she is looking for Open Air to only happen once per week. Her presentation is composed of photos with dates and times regarding crowd levels. I’m not sure that the slide show, with explanations will fit within the 5 minute time frame either, so here is the link to her presentation, for those who are interested. 

https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=4316

November 11th Parade and Ceremony – Laurie Cavanaugh, Fort Malden Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion 

It looks like Ms Cavanaugh will be addressing council regarding the annual parade and ceremony to mark Remembrance Day in Amherstburg. It looks like she is requesting that council waive any and all fees (road closures, banner etc) for this event. Their application and plan for the event are included in the delegation. This is an annual event that the Legion puts together to recognize and commemorate November 11th. 

Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) – COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream Grant Transfer Payment Agreement

It looks like the town was successful in acquiring some grant funding for the parkette at the foot of Alma Street as well as for the trail network at the Libro Centre. Here are the recommendations :

It is recommended that:

 1. Authorization BE GIVEN to enter into a Transfer Payment Agreement with the Ministry of Infrastructure under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program – COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream (ICIP) for funding of up to $463,621 toward the Alma Street Parkette Shoreline Protections and the Park Trail Network at the Libro Centre which have a capital cost of $463,621 including net HST; 

2. A capital expenditure not to exceed $200,000 including net HST BE APPROVED as a first charge to the 2022 Budget for repairs to the Alma Street Parkette and Shoreline Protection project be funded from the ICIP;

3. A capital expenditure not to exceed $263,621 including net HST BE APPROVED as a first charge to the 2022 Budget for repairs to the Parks Trail Network at the Libro Centre project be funded from the ICIP;

and 4. By-law 2021-057 being a by-law to enter into an agreement with the Ministry of Infrastructure for funding BE TAKEN as having been read three times and finally passed and the Mayor and Clerk BE AUTHORIZED to sign same.

OCWA Contract Renewal – Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems – Operations, Maintenance and Management Services

It looks like the contract with the Ontario Clean Water Agency for our water and wastewater treatment systems is about to expire. No surprise, but the cost has gone up. Here’s the recommendation : 

It is recommended that:

 1. The agreement with Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) to provide operation, maintenance and management services for Amherstburg Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems BE ACCEPTED; and,

2. The Mayor and Clerk BE AUTHORIZED to execute the agreement with Ontario Clean Water Agency for Amherstburg Water and Wastewater Treatment Services.

Drinking water standards are the one thing, that I’m aware of, for which members of council can be held personally liable. Usually anything related to water gets passed really quickly! 

65-67 Richmond Street Notice of Intent to Designate

It looks like the two properties noted above will be designated heritage properties. 

Deferred Development Charges-Block 21 Westcott Rd and Block 23 Livingstone Cres.

It looks like some development charges are looking to be deferred for two areas in Amherstburg. Here’s the recommendation :

It is recommended that:

1. The Mayor and Clerk BE AUTHORIZED to enter into Development Charges Agreements for Block 21 Westcott Crescent and Block 23 Livingstone Crescent, Amherstburg, as per the Development Charges Act, Section 26.1(2)(1); and,

2. Administration BE DIRECTED to bring back an amendment to the Delegation of Powers and Duties Policy to include delegated authority to the CAO for the execution of Development Charge Agreements. 

This council hasn’t always been too receptive to developers…..we shall see…..

Amendments to the Mandatory Face Covering during a Pandemic Policy

Looks like some fine tuning and amendments to the face covering policy. 

INFORMATION REPORTS

Kings Navy Yard Park Extension- Status Update

This item is simply an information report. I seem to recall that council had set some money aside in last year’s budget to make the old Duffy’s property usable this year. That hasn’t happened yet. I can remember council asking about the status of the Environmental Assessment on this property. It looks like this report addresses their questions. 

Long story short, it looks like the project has gone over budget and that the Environmental Assessment is still not complete. Seems like it’s in red-tape limbo. 

BY-LAWS

By-law 2021-059 – Appoint Clerk

As many of my readers are aware, the town clerk, Paula Parker, has resigned and will be working in Kingsville as their town clerk. Therefore, Amherstburg needs a new clerk. I believe that this is one of the few provincially mandated positions that a town must have. From what I can see in the by-law, Kevin Fox will be appointed as the new clerk. Tammy Fowkes will remain the Deputy Clerk. However, I also noticed this in the bylaw : “Robert Sassine is hereby appointed as Deputy Clerk of the Corporation of the Town of Amherstburg for the purpose of carrying out the daily job responsibilities of the Manager of Licensing and Enforcement.” It looks like there will be two deputy clerks but with different responsibilities I guess. 

By-law 2021-058 – Signing Authorities By-law

And the signing authorities bylaw is also being updated. 

And then, to finish the evening, council will go 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 reasons:

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

I am anticipating a very long, drawn-out meeting Tuesday night. If so, I’ll be back Wednesday night (heck, maybe Thursday night?) with a summary of the meeting. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy this beautiful long weekend and get my rest! I think I’m going to need it! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Special edition blog: Town hall turmoil

Well it seems that the saying that “history repeats itself” is rearing its ugly head in Amherstburg as of late. 

In 2013, three top administrators were dismissed from their duties. At that time, Lou Zarlenga, Director of Engineering and Infrastructure, Val Sequeira, Director of Corporate Services and Human Resources Manager Carol Bendo were dismissed. Here’s an article for a little refresher.

https://windsorstar.com/news/amherstburg-fires-three-top-administrators

No details ever came out about those dismissals. 

During this same time period, Amherstburg had a revolving door of CAO’s…..We went through 5 CAOs during a 4 year period, until John Miceli was hired in 2014. 

Then in 2015, the fire chief and two volunteer firefighters were dismissed from their duties. Here’s an article for a refresher on that one.

https://windsorstar.com/news/chief-two-firefighters-fired-in-amherstburg

No details ever came out about those dismissals either.

Following those dismissals, a retired Windsor Fire Chief (Al Reaume) came in to take the helm of the Amherstburg Fire Department. When he left a few years later, another retired Windsor Fire Chief (Bruce Montone) took over and is still the Chief at this time. Think about that for a minute, for 6 years now, Amherstburg has had a retired Fire Chief from Windsor at the helm. 

Amherstburg hired Mark Galvin as the Director of Planning and Legislative Services. (I really liked him and thought he did a terrific job.) I think he was around for two, maybe three years and then he went to greener pastures. 

Fast forward to August 2021…..the news hit that three top officials were no longer employed with the town. Much like the situations noted above, no details were released and nobody is talking. It was announced that CAO, John Miceli; Director of Planning and Developmental Services, Nicole Rubli; and Director of Corporate Services, Cheryl Horrobin were all done and gone. Here’s an article in case you’ve been hiding under a rock and didn’t see it LOL.

https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/ejected-amherstburg-managers-no-longer-employed-by-the-town

Then, the lawyer that had just been hired a few weeks prior to the dismissals (Susan Hirota), was appointed as interim CAO. One week later, she announced her resignation to go work for the Town of Kingsville. I have to guess that the morale of staff at town hall was low during these dark days. 

And now, October 1st……not even two months later…..three more top executives have resigned.

https://www.iheartradio.ca/am800/news/amherstburg-losing-two-key-members-of-administrative-team-1.16184171?fbclid=IwAR1OQRcGBz1tCwYN34K01OOkORZYsona8v4hsuf_2z_tNU4IMDeLLLoHO2g

Paula Parker, The Clerk, is going to work in Kingsville. Justin Rousseau, the Treasurer, is going to work in Lakeshore. The article states that Michelle Rose, the Director of Human Resources also recently resigned. They are/were all excellent employees for whom I have much respect. 

As the shock and turmoil from the above announcement was still raw, there was an announcement made that Tony Haddad has been appointed as interim CAO for the Town of Amherstburg. He is the retired CAO from the Town of Tecumseh. And the key word that troubles me is “interim”. Like the current Fire chief and the former Fire Chief, this top executive is also retired from another municipality.

Is your head spinning from all of this? It should be. How did we get here? Why does it seem that nothing in Amherstburg can be stable? Why so many changes in town administration? 

I’ve been watching council meetings, almost every single one of them (and in their entirety) since 2015. (Did you just wonder why the heck would she put herself through that? Because I did! Putting it in writing made it look pretty scary….. LOL) I have witnessed our town administration be disrespected by council on far too many occasions (past and present council). Their qualifications were questioned, their recommendations were questioned, their work ethic was questioned……Some people in the community felt that town hall had too much staff and they were overpaid. Some people in the community would take to the internet to criticize town staff. Council did little if anything to defend town staff. They would nickel and dime their salaries, their training budget and their staff appreciation/recognition parties at every single budget deliberation. In fact, council regularly disregarded staff time and roles on far too many occasions. Council (past and present) would cry about reports not received and then request more in the next breath. It was sad and frustrating all at once. This all happened quite regularly during council meetings!

Town administration worked short staffed during the COVID pandemic. Some were laid off, many were redeployed or their job descriptions changed drastically. They had additional work loaded onto their plates due to the pandemic. What did council do? Behaved as if nothing had changed. They continued to act as if reports should be ready in short order. I feel that they were sometimes disrespectful to staff during meetings. As pressures and workload increased on town staff, council’s expectations remained unchanged. What a recipe for disaster, in any workplace. 

So? What did town staff do? They left. They’re leaving. They’re moving to greener pastures. They’re likely going to work in municipalities that are going to pay them more money. (So I guess that means they weren’t overpaid here in Amherstburg afterall right?) I’m guessing they may have better working conditions as well in those municipalities. I saw members of the public yell at town staff during budget meetings and various public consultation meetings in Amherstburg. Does that go on in other municipalities? 

Is this the end of the revolving door of staff at town hall? I highly doubt it. There’s still a few qualified and competent staff left. The pressure they’re under now has probably quadrupled in short order. There is an interim (Important key word there) CAO taking over. 

Administration and the Mayor have been repeating for years that there are not enough qualified municipal employees to go around. Municipalities tend to “steal” employees from each other. Amherstburg took some from other municipalities over the past few years. For a short while, we probably had the best staff team in town hall that we had had in a long time. Now things are in turmoil in Amherstburg again and the other municipalities know quality employees when they see them. It’s a shame that council didn’t appreciate them more……now they’re gone…..how many more will follow? Some members of council wanted to micromanage staff, overstep their role and be involved in the day to day operations. Here’s your chance. Good luck. 

Poor Amherstburg. I think the new interim CAO is going to spend a lot of time working on hiring people to fill these key (and now empty) roles in town hall. And then council will have to get to work to find a new, permanent CAO. I have to guess that morale among staff at town hall is at an all-time low. The feeling in Amherstburg among the residents….? Depends who you ask I guess. The vocal minority seem almost gleeful that things in town hall are in turmoil. The rest of us, well, we recognize how sad and disheartening this is for Amherstburg and for us as a community. History has repeated itself. When will we learn?

I think that this all starts with town council. They set the tone. This is their responsibility. I feel that there are a couple of councillors who are blatantly disrespectful to town staff during meetings and the rest of council lets it happen. This fiasco is hardly a surprise. Just look at our history.