Monday October 23rd Regular town council meeting

Monday night’s meeting was another long one. There was an amended agenda that added a few items to be dealt with. Things move quickly in council meetings. Very quickly. I watch as closely as I can. But more importantly, the seven elected members of council should be paying 100% attention to what is going on. One member of council was so busy typing (again) through many parts of the meeting, that they voted on an item for which they had declared a conflict. (More on that later). The end of the meeting denigrated into some pretty unfair and inappropriate remarks from one member of council to another. (Again, more on that later.) But for the good news, the shoreline restoration and park extension were approved for Duffy’s! Woo hoo!!!! 

Here is the link to the revised agenda with the video, just in case you want to check for yourself. (And I encourage everyone to do so!) https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=bf587863-6de1-470d-84c0-b8d1b50574d4&Agenda=Merged&lang=English&Item=33&Tab=attachments

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

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 – Organizational and Employment Matters Related to Identifiable Individuals:

Section 239(2)(b) – personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees;

There was a planning meeting scheduled for 5:00. 

The regular meeting started at 6:00. It must’ve been a long night for council. 

There were only about 20 people in attendance in the gallery. 

DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST & GENERAL NATURE THEREOF

At the beginning of every meeting, the Mayor asks the members of council if they have any disclosures of pecuniary interest regarding any items on the agenda. (A member can also declare a conflict later in the meeting, should an item come forth that wasn’t on the agenda.)

Councillor Courtney declared a conflict with item #19.1 Drainage Board Meeting Minutes – October 3, 2023. He said something about the Lakewood pump and that he lives near there. 

Councillor Allaire declared a conflict for item #14.1 2023 Special Events Approval – Part Ten, for section 5 c), which is the following:  The fee waiver requests BE APPROVED as follows: c. Santa Run – November 18th, 2023 – $250 road closure fee – waiver requested. (Original approval for this event was on June 23rd, 2023). I don’t believe she stated why she had the conflict, or at least I didn’t catch it. 

It was mentioned that Councillor McArthur, Councillor Courtney and Mayor Prue were members of the Legion but that it did not constitute a conflict for item #17.1 The Poppy Campaign. 

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

Councillor Pouget asked a question regarding one of the sets of minutes for a previous meeting. Then all of the minutes presented were adopted by council. 

PRESENTATIONS

ERCA Presentation- Flooding Event August 23-24: James Bryant 

This presentation was on the revised agenda. Also, there was a motion made to bring forward the report that went with this presentation : #15.2 August 23 and 24, 2023 Rain Event

Mr Bryant presented to council regarding the significant rain event of August 23rd and 24th 2023. He explained about the various situations of overland flooding and sewer backups that occur in Essex County. He spoke about the intensity, duration and frequency as measures for the rain incidents. He noted that each area of Essex County was hit directly by this significant rainfall and the consequences were more or less severe depending on the area. He showed pictures of various bridges in the county that were flooded and impassable. 

The presentation was extremely dry. (Pun intended LOL)  I have sat through a lot of presentations in the almost nine years that I’ve been following council meetings. I stopped taking notes and was texting on my phone to keep myself entertained and stave off the boredom. 

I went back to taking notes as Mr Bryant explained ongoing work regarding flooding in the area. 

When he finished the presentation, Mayor Prue asked if there were any questions. Fortunately, there weren’t any LOL 

Then, Councillor Allaire made a motion to receive the presentation AND the report, which was seconded by Councillor Pouget. It carried. (Why is this important? Later in the meeting, members of council didn’t realize that they had also received the report of #15.2 noted above and the item had to be reopened…..things happen fast and it seems that not all members of council were following or paying attention….) 

Kings Navy Yard Park Extension Shoreline Pre-Commitment of Funding

This was the big item of the night. Would Duffy’s work finally be approved? The recommendation was to approve the shoreline reconstruction and make the park portion usable with grass and paths. (I wonder if once it’s ready they’ll extend Open Air all the way down the street? Just a thought). The previous council was offered a proposal by Amico, that while they were doing their own shoreline work for the ferry, they could continue along and do the work on the town-owned portion for a locked-in price of $2 Million dollars. The previous council turned it down. (That was July 25, 2022. I missed that meeting, but here is a blog about it written by Lori Wightman if you’re interested in the history of this decision https://amherstburg2.wordpress.com/2022/07/26/monday-july-25th-special-town-council-meeting/ .) So, now here we are, the work can now be done but it’s going to cost us an extra million! 

Councillor Allaire said she was curious how much the previous council had spent purchasing the Duffy’s property. (Of course the answer was not instantly available….) Councillor Allaire mentioned that she could have asked in advance. Mayor Prue said that the decision pre-dated everyone on council and administration. However, it was pointed out that Councillor Pouget was on the 2014-2018 council that purchased the property. She said that she forgot how much was paid for it. So, while someone from administration was toiling to find an answer for Councillor Allaire’s question, the debate opened and continued. 

Councillor Courtney said that he was going to support the recommendation because he felt he had to. He felt he would support it since there is an appetite for the park to be developed but he felt that this phase didn’t touch the surface. He felt that it was a lot of money for grass. 

Councillor McArthur noted that the $3 Million had been budgeted and inquired about the short window to do the shoreline work. Ms Baillargeon, Director of Parks said that approvals had been granted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for the in-water work that is necessary. The window to do the work runs from about August to March and the in-water work must be done before anything else can be done with the land. Ms Baillargeon explained that the shoreline work would be done but also the grass area, which includes drainage, services etc. The intention seems to be that it will be ready to be opened to the public once all final approvals are in. 

Administration then updated council that Duffy’s property was purchased for $1.675 Million in 2016. 

Councillor Crain asked if council moved forward when the park may be ready and if it would be ready for May 2024. Ms Baillargeon said May could be possible if final approvals are received then by the MECP. She explained that all of the work could be done now so that the minute final approvals are received, the park can be opened. 

There were some questions about the pricing for tenders. Councillor Allaire asked the Director of Engineering if it would be possible to do the tendering process for the shoreline work with the county to make it cheaper, as is done with the roads. (I thought this was a VERY interesting remark and question…..just a few short weeks ago, Councillor Allaire voted against working with the County for the waste program, yet now wanted to work with them and acknowledged that it makes the process cheaper…..There’s an interesting flip-flop if I’ve ever seen one. Complete 180…..hmmmm….) The Director of engineering said that since this is not road work, the county would not have any specialized interest in water work for the shoreline. 

Finally, Councillor Crain made the motion to adopt the recommendation. Councillor McArthur seconded it. (I won’t put the entire recommendation in here since it’s very long, but it’s in the agenda and the pre-meeting blog). 

Councillor McArthur thanked staff for their work on this project. He said he was looking forward to tearing down that fence and said he heard how important this property was to the taxpayers while he was out door-knocking during the campaign. 

Councillor Crain also mentioned that this was a top initiative for him and he wanted to see the fences taken down and the park opened up. 

Deputy Mayor Gibb said he had done a bit of research about the Navy Yard Park land and noted that it was in 1947 that land was first purchased in that area. He felt that this was a once in a generation opportunity to improve one of the best parks in Ontario. He felt that the project is well worth the $3 Million dollars and will serve us well for the next 100 years. 

Councillor Pouget said that when she was on the council that purchased the property that they had never expected the delays. She felt that it was a good plan now to extend the park. (And because I have a really good memory…..I was pretty sure that Councillor Pouget had voted against the purchase of Duffy’s in 2016, and she did. Here’s the blog about that meeting, September 12 2016 and it was a recorded vote https://amherstburg2.wordpress.com/2016/09/13/monday-september-12th-regular-town-council-meeting/  Interesting eh?) 

Mayor Prue passed the gavel (it went back and forth like a ping pong ball all night) and said that he wanted the shoreline work done before April and that he would support the recommendation. He noted that it won’t take much longer once the park is opened to add in the marina and the fishing wall but that it would take more money. 

The motion was put forth and it passed unanimously. 

Environmental Services – Electronic Work Order Module

It seems that currently the Environmental Services Division (water and wastewater) uses a paper work order system. It seems that the work orders are hand-written. It looks like it’s time to move to an electronic system.

The Clerk read the recommendations but had made a few changes. There were a few questions but then the motion was made and the item carried. 

Considerations regarding Environmental Advisory Committee (supplementary agenda)

This item was added onto the supplementary agenda so it was not included in the pre-meeting blog. 

Here is the  recommendation: 

It is recommended that: 

1. Council NOT APPROVE the recommendation from the Environmental Advisory Committee as presented, and; 

2. Council DIRECT Administration to ensure the current Official Plan update includes policies to allow for the introduction of various climate friendly development requirements to ensure the Town is creating the necessary means in which to require these types of investments in development.

When this item was addressed by council, there was a motion made to bring item #19.2 Environmental Advisory Meeting Minutes – August 16, 2023 forward as well. They would both be dealt with at the same time. 

Councillor Courtney spoke first. He said he is on the Environmental Advisory Committee and that the staff report explained it well about why the recommendation should not be approved. 

Councillor Pouget said that originally she was against administration’s recommendation but then she called the two councillors on the committee and now understands and will support the staff recommendation. Mayor Prue passed the gavel to share his thoughts about various types of EV chargers. 

Ultimately, the motion was made and the recommendation was passed not to approve the recommendation and to include policies in the Offical Plan. 

2023 Special Events Approval – Part Ten

So, remember at the beginning of the meeting when Councillor Allaire declared a conflict about item #14.1? This item….right here….. 2023 Special Events Approval – Part Ten, for section 5 c), which is the following:  The fee waiver requests BE APPROVED as follows: c. Santa Run – November 18th, 2023 – $250 road closure fee – waiver requested. (Original approval for this event was on June 23rd, 2023). 

Councillor Allaire didn’t seem to be following along and didn’t seem to realize that this item was on the floor. Mayor Prue didn’t mention pulling Section 5 C out for a separate vote in order to acknowledge her conflict. 

The Mayor asked if there were any questions on this agenda item. There were none. Then the motion as per the recommendation was made by the Deputy Mayor and seconded by Councillor Courtney. Mayor Prue asked if there was any discussion on the motion. Again, there was none. He asked for all those in favour and Councillor Allaire’s hand left her keyboard, went up in the air and voted for the motion. A motion for which she had declared a conflict at the beginning of the meeting. I don’t know what this means ultimately in terms of procedure or violation of rules. But I do believe that it seems that Councillor Allaire seems to have her focus misplaced during the meeting. (And for those that don’t believe it, watch the meeting. It happened.) 

All members of council should be 100% focused on the person that is speaking, the current discussion and the agenda item. Not their computer screen. But that’s my opinion, perhaps others are okay with members of council not paying attention and voting on items for which they’ve declared a conflict? I dunno. 

But the good news is that we’ve got some more great events coming our way! This was all approved : 

1 The following events BE APPROVED: 

1. Santa Claus Parade – November 25th 2023
2. River Lights Opening Night – November 18th 2023
3. River Lights Winter Festival – November 18th, 2023 – January 29th, 2024 
4. Remembrance Day Parade – November 11th 2023

2. An exemption from table number 3-1(2) of Noise By-law #2001- 43, as amended with respect to the operation of any electronic device or group of connected electronic devices incorporating one or more loudspeakers to allow for music BE GRANTED for the following events: 

a. Santa Claus Parade – November 25th 2023, 

b. 2023 River Lights Opening Night – November 18th 2023 

c. Remembrance Day Parade – November 11th 2023

3.The following events BE EXEMPT and PERMITTED for road closures to begin prior to 5pm: 

a. Santa Claus Parade – November 25th 2023

b. River Lights Opening Night – November 18th 2023

c..Remembrance Day Parade – November 11th 

4.The Special Events Resource Team BE DIRECTED to confirm that the requirements identified by the Committee are met prior to the event.

5. The fee waiver requests BE APPROVED as follows: 

a.Santa Claus Parade – November 25th, 2023 – $250 road closure fee/ $59 noise exemption – waiver requested 

b. Remembrance Day Parade – November 11th, 2023 – $250 road closure fee/ $59 noise exemption – waiver requested 

c. Santa Run – November 18th, 2023 – $250 road closure fee – waiver requested. (Original approval for this event was on June 23rd, 2023)

Amendments to the Technology Use Policy

This item passed with no discussion. I hope that members of council really, really read it. Very, very closely….

2023 Special Events Approval – Part Eleven (Supplementary agenda)

Two more events coming to Amherstburg! Here is the recommendation and it was approved: 

It is recommended that: 

1. The following events BE APPROVED: 

a. Winter Night Market – December 2nd, 2023 

b. Hot Air Balloon Rides – November 25th, 2023 

2. The Special Events Resource Team BE DIRECTED to confirm that the requirements identified by the Team are met prior to the event.

INFORMATION REPORTS

Windsor Police Service – Amherstburg Detachment Activities Report 

There were a few questions about tickets given but I won’t bore you with the discussion.  

August 23 and 24, 2023 Rain Event 

Remember how this information report, above, the rain event was received along with the ERCA presentation? Well, Councillor Pouget now had questions so a vote was taken to re-open the item for discussion. (Things move quickly and it seems that she missed it earlier in the meeting.) There were some questions asked and some discussion about promoting the town’s sewer backup program. 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Cheque Registry – September 2023 

Councillor Pouget asked a couple of questions about some items in relation to the new fire hall that will be built. Councillor McArthur noted that his name was on the cheque register twice. He said that he plays in a band and that they had played twice during the summer, once in the Navy Yard Park and once at the clock. He noted that the town couldn’t issue 5 separate cheques to each band member nor issue one to the band directly so he gave the town’s his name since he felt that would be more transparent than using a different band members name. 

Councillor Pouget asked about a report regarding parking in front of the clock at Kings Navy Yard Park. Ms Giofu said she hoped it would be ready for late November. 

CAO Critchley advised council that a report about the high school using the field house would no longer be necessary. It seems that administration had met with the high school and that the request to use the field house has been withdrawn. The school has found storage space in their own building. 

NEW BUSINESS

Councillor Allaire asked about a date for public consultation regarding Malden Park and Co-An Park. Ms Baillargeon said that they are actively compiling and looking at the survey results and are hoping for more public consultation in late fall or early winter. 

Councillor Allaire mentioned that the Open Air Survey on Talk the Burg is now complete and wondered if the report would be available before budget deliberations. Ms Baillargeon mentioned that they had received a large number of surveys and hoped that it would be before council on November 27th. (I’m sure that all of you that I see downtown loving Open Air took a few minutes to take the survey and share your love and appreciation for this fantastic event!) 

Councillor Allaire asked a question about the walk-in clinic that was supposed to open in Amherstburg. The Deputy CAO said that there were challenges recruiting physicians. Councillor Allaire made a motion for the Mayor or Deputy Mayor to bring this item forward at County Council to see what can be done to attract physicians. She included in the motion that a letter be sent to MPP Leardi about the issue too. (I think this is the third meeting in a row that Councillor Allaire has wanted something brought to County Council??? Coincidence? Perhaps. Perhaps not. And yet she voted against the County managing the waste system….) Mayor Prue mentioned that the physician recruitment program hasn’t existed for years. Deputy Mayor Gibb mentioned that County Council had just had a presentation made about this issue and that he could find the presentation and send it to council. Councillor Allaire felt that Amherstburg had approved a walk-in clinic and that we need the County’s support. The motion carried.

Deputy Mayor Gibb made a motion in regards to Belle Vue. (Councillor Pouget declared a conflict at that time). Deputy Mayor Gibb’s motion was to add more direction to the previous motion of council. Since direction had already been given to engage the public regarding public use of the space, this motion was to give further direction for administration to seek input from the public regarding ownership of the house, if there were an appetite to retain ownership or to divest ourselves of it. 

There was some discussion and confusion regarding the motion above about Belle Vue but ultimately it carried. It looks like part of the public consultation will now include asking about ownership of the house. 

Deputy Mayor Gibb made a motion to direct administration to work with the Heritage Committee and the Legion in order to mark the streets that are named after fallen soldiers with a poppy or other fitting tribute. This carried. 

NOTICE OF MOTION

Notice of Motion of October 10, 2023 – Complete Tree Report to Committees – Councillor Pouget

This is from the agenda: 

 To be deliberated October 23, 2023 

Council TO DIRECT Administration to provide the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and the Environmental Advisory Committee a complete report regarding the 2017 tree study of town property, the amount of trees that were removed in fair to good condition, the fact that they were trying to reduce the percentage of Norway Maples and most importantly that the Town of Amherstburg does not have a maintenance policy for the planting of new trees. 

Councillor Pouget then read a notice of motion that was not the motion as stated above. It was still about trees but it was a very different motion. I was following along on the agenda and noticed right away that it was a different motion. And for a moment I thought I was the only one that was catching this error. 

Deputy Mayor Gibb seconded the motion that Councillor Pouget read. 

Councillor Crain made a point of order that the motion that was read was a different motion than what was in the agenda. (Phew! I’m glad someone was following closely and caught this!) There was some back and forth between Mayor Prue and Councillor Pouget. She then decided to withdraw the motion she had read and then read the motion as submitted above. Councillor Allaire seconded it. 

Councillor Pouget talked about the Environmental Committee and the desire to expand our tree canopy. She felt that Amherstburg had the best tree bylaw but a previous administrator had convinced council to change it. She felt that we had lost many trees and talked about cutting down Norway Maple Trees. She mentioned that two what she felt were healthy trees were cut down at Belle Vue. She also felt that three healthy Norway Maple trees had been cut down on Brock Street but that a tree that was dead was left in place. She wanted the report to go to the two committees (Parks and Rec and the Environmental Advisory committee) and she also felt that there was no program in place for tree maintenance of new trees. 

Councillor Crain asked  if it were true that there was no maintenance policy in place for new trees. Ms Giofu, Director of Engineering noted that the town does have a tree bylaw and there is a maintenance program included in the bylaw. She said that significant money had been invested by council in the budget for maintenance of our trees along with planting new ones. She noted that it can sometimes take a year or two for a new tree to take and start to grow. She noted that most trees do take within a year or two. 

Councillor Crain agreed that there was a policy in place and that new trees are added into the tree inventory. He noted that when one tree is removed, two are planted to replace it and that they are included in the inventory. He felt that a new tree may be considered an “old” tree once it was planted and that it would be maintained over time. Ms Giofu noted that trees are inspected annually by the arborist and maintained as required. 

Councillor Crain said that he would not be supporting the motion as presented since the way it was worded made it appear that staff and the arborist are taking down fair to good condition trees. In his opinion, he did not feel it was fair and he did not feel that staff was doing such a thing. He wasn’t sure where the assumption was coming from. He felt that wording undermined the work of staff. 

Councillor Pouget felt that he was criticizing her and not her motion. She felt that staff are not watering trees that need watering. 

Councillor Allaire noted that the City of Windsor uses green bags to water their new trees and wondered if Amherstburg could do the same. Ms Giofu explained that there would be an extra cost for the green bags and that they had historically not been used in Amherstburg. There was more discussion about the green bags, it kind of went on and on….

Councillor McArthur asked if the town was removing trees that were in fair or good condition. Ms Giofu said that no, we are not. She noted that a tree may have been in fair or good condition in 2017 when the tree inventory was done but some of the trees have been downgraded since then to poor condition. (Makes sense….we are a good 6 years out, almost 7, since the list was compiled….I would think that’s enough time for the condition of a tree to change…?)

Councillor McArthur wondered what the problem was with the Norway Maple Trees. Mr Chaimberlain explained that that type of tree has a problem with their roots and the roots turn on each other. (I remember this discussion from two councils ago…..I sat there questioning my life decisions as I listened to it all again….LOL ) Anyway, long story short, the roots choke out the other roots on these types of trees and then a section of the tree will slowly begin to die. (Kind of how my spirits were feeling at that moment but I digress….) Mr Chaimberlain also noted that our town inventory of Norway Maple Trees is 33% and that we shouldn’t have more than 10% of any type of tree in case of disease. (I think this is a basic biodiversity concept but I’m not sure if members of council understand that….)  Councillor McArthur confirmed with administration that when one Norway Maple Tree is removed it is replaced with TWO different types of trees. Councillor Allaire asked if good Norway Maple Trees are removed and Mr Chaimberlain said that only the bad ones are removed and they are checked by the contracted arborist for a decision of their condition. 

Councillor Allaire then said that she understood the notice of motion but that it seemed that staff were doing a good job and that they were following the rules. She said that she was fine with the study going to the two committees but asked if Councillor Pouget would remove the rest of her motion. 

Mayor Prue noted that Councillor Allaire was the seconder and he asked Councillor Pouget if she was okay with the friendly amendment of just the studies going to the two committees. 

Councillor Pouget said she couldn’t go with that and then seemed to get quite angry. She felt that she resented Councillor Crain making a statement against her that she was trying to undermine the arborist or public works and then said “Don’t give me that face”. She then asked Mayor Prue to speak to what he witnessed at Belle Vue. Mayor Prue made a comment about not denigrating this and resorting to name-calling or argument and that her point was taken. Councillor Pouget felt that the Mayor shouldn’t have allowed it. 

(**Side note….from a procedural standpoint…..Mayor Prue did not allow Councillor Crain to defend himself from this statement. Also, since the friendly amendment was refused, Councillor Allaire ought to have removed her second to the motion since she said she couldn’t support it as written, I think? Oh, and I rewatched the video. I can’t see Councillor Crain’s face in its entirety but it looked like surprise or maybe shock to me….so I am unsure and somewhat concerned about the comments made to him and the level of anger…..Councillor Crain hadn’t spoken again since he explained why he wouldn’t support the motion….Members of council aren’t allowed to disagree with wording in a motion?…..) 

Councillor Courtney then spoke and asked about Belle Vue and 14 trees. Mr Chaimberlain explained that when you look at the overall inventory we have over 4,500 trees and around 1,500 Norway Maple Trees. He noted that trees are removed on an annual basis and that 45 were removed this year. He noted that it is a long drawn-out process for the maple trees. He noted that eventually 1,000 Norway Maple trees will need to be removed to get to the proper percentage but that that will take a very very long time. It seems that at Belle Vue, in an April report, 14 trees were identified to be removed since the arborist deemed them in poor condition. He did note that once the EOI had been released for Belle Vue, they ought to have just left the Belle Vue property as is. 

Deputy Mayor Gibb asked for a clarification about which reports were to go to the committees, if it were the 2017 tree study or the April 2023 report. Councillor Pouget wanted both to go to the committees and for them to investigate and take an excursion to look at the trees. 

Mayor Prue felt that this was a difficult situation. He went on about different species of trees and where they are planted. He actually went on and on and on….He felt that if the town could water the flowers every week why could they not water the new trees that were planted. He felt there were parts of the motion that he liked but other parts that he didn’t like. He felt that the committees could look at the bylaw and the report and make some recommendations. 

Councillor Crain said he could support the motion if it was simply for the two committees to look at the two reports. 

Councillor McArthur said that words matter and that he couldn’t support this motion as written. 

Then Councillor Pouget said that she would accept Mayor Prue’s friendly amendment since it covered it completely and the report would go to both committees. (I’m not really sure that Mayor Prue’s amendment – although he said it wasn’t his amendment – was any different than Councillor Allaire’s amendment – or what Councillor Crain said he could support…..The Mayor weighing into the debate all the time really complicates things…..I thought as per Robert’s Rules of order the chair is supposed to chair the meeting and remain neutral…..) 

Councillor Crain asked the Clerk to read back the amended motion. It had morphed into That the two committees (Parks and Rec and Environmental Advisory Committee) receive the information on the tree bylaw and provide feedback and ideas to council. It passed unanimously. 

The meeting adjourned at 8:37 PM. Wow! Just WOW!!!!!

So, there it is folks! Duffy’s is moving forward! That’s the GREAT news!!! 

I strongly encourage all of my readers to watch this meeting! Actually, I strongly encourage those that are quick to criticize me to watch it as well! It’s all there recorded forever. Are all members of council really doing their due diligence, meeting their professional obligations and following the meeting? I know I find it distracting when I’m sitting in the gallery and residents are talking. I have a harder time following the meeting. I think it’s becoming clearer that typing on a computer and following a meeting of which you are a part of are not conducive to each other. 

Ironically, it is the one year anniversary that this council was elected. Many promises were made a year ago and several have already fallen by the wayside. 

It looks like the next meeting isn’t until November 13th so that will hopefully give us all a little time to absorb what transpired during this meeting. It is sad that only one year in it has already spiraled into one member of council scolding and speaking harshly to another…..and one member of council more concerned with a computer screen than what is actually happening in the meeting. And voting on an item for which they had declared a conflict. Very troubling indeed. 

In preparation for Monday October 23rd Regular town council meeting

Well the agenda for the October 23rd meeting came out on Friday the 13th. I still haven’t recovered yet from the October 10th meeting! LOL It is awesome having the agenda 10 days ahead of time so that delegates can get their paperwork done in time, but for those of us that watch and follow ALL of the meetings, it’s a bit of council overload at the moment. I might pick away at this over the next few days…..

First, council will meet at 5:00 for a planning meeting. I don’t generally watch the planning meetings and I doubt that I will watch this one either. LOL

The regular meeting is set to begin at 6:00. The agenda is 358 pages. 

Here is the link to the entire agenda https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=bf587863-6de1-470d-84c0-b8d1b50574d4&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English

As well, here is the PDF version https://calendar.amherstburg.ca/council/Detail/2023-10-23-1800-Regular-Council-Meeting/e8b23edc-68a7-46ba-86d9-b09a01413150

I have found that I often include links to specific reports in the blog but when the agenda gets updated it changes the links…..so hopefully the two above links won’t be affected….

Here are the highlights : 

Kings Navy Yard Park Extension Shoreline Pre-Commitment of Funding

Well here is some good news/bad news! The good news is that it is before council to approve the funding to do the necessary shoreline work to get the Duffy’s project going! The bad news is that the price tag is just over $3 Million dollars. The previous council was offered a proposal by Amico, that while they were doing their own shoreline work for the ferry, they could continue along and do the work on the town-owned portion for a locked-in price of $2 Million dollars. The previous council turned it down. (That was July 25, 2022. I missed that meeting, but here is a blog about it written by Lori Wightman if you’re interested in the history of this decision https://amherstburg2.wordpress.com/2022/07/26/monday-july-25th-special-town-council-meeting/ .) So, now here we are, the work can now be done but it’s going to cost us an extra million! 

From reading the administrative report, it seems that there won’t be a reply in time about grant funding and this shoreline work can only be done during very specific periods of the year. From the report : “Administration is requesting approval for the necessary funding in order to move forward and tender work for Phase 1 of this project including shoreline restoration, site servicing 4 of 7 work, grading, drainage and basic landscaping. There is a limited window to execute any shoreline restoration in-water works. Based on DFO approvals that were recently obtained, the window for execution of this work is from late summer to mid March each year. After this window expires the Town will need to wait until the next opening which would be after August 2024 to execute any in-water work required for this project. Approval of the recommendations in this report will allow Administration to immediately finalize and send out tenders for phase 1 including shoreline restoration, site servicing work, grading, drainage and basic landscaping, with a goal of completing the in-water work prior to March 2024. It is critical to understand that this shoreline work must be completed in order to safely open the park.”

Here are the recommendations, take a good read, there are a lot of them! 

RECOMMENDATION: 

That: 

1. Council RESCIND recommendations 4, 9 and 10, from Council Resolution CR20230313-008 to ensure funding which is no longer applicable is removed; 

2. Council APPROVE capital funding for shoreline restoration work, site servicing, site work, grading, drainage and basic landscaping required for construction of phase 1 Kings Navy Yard Park Extension project located at 290, 296, and 306 Dalhousie Street to an upset limit of $3,060,000 inclusive of non-recoverable HST; 

3. Council APPROVES the 2024 capital budget funding, identified for Kings Navy Yard Park Extension (PAR-003-23) in the recommended 2024 5-year capital budget, from the following funding sources for immediate use on this project: 

a. $581,400 – Parks DC Reserve (0124) 

b. $1,368,600 – General Reserves (0400) 

c. $500,000 – Canada Community Benefit Fund (0410) 

d. $310,000 – Park Reserve (1010) 

e. $300,000 – Parkland Dedication Reserve (2005) 

4. Council DIRECT Administration to prepare tender packages and tender work for shoreline restoration, site servicing, site work, grading and basic landscaping require to complete Phase 1 Kings Navy Yard Park Extension; 

5. Should Administration not hear back from Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund grant application by the time the tender closes for this work that Council RESCIND the direction regarding the grant application that was approved to be applied for on March 13, 2023, forgoing any possible funding from this application; 

6. Should tenders fall within the approved funding in the amount of $3,060,000 for this project that the Chief Administrative Officer and Clerk BE AUTHORIZED to sign and execute all and any such agreements, tenders, declarations or approvals required to fully execute the scope of work for Phase 1 shoreline restoration, site servicing work, grading, drainage and basic landscaping, satisfactory in financial content to the Chief Financial Officer and in technical content to the Director of Parks, Facilities, Recreation and Culture and further; 

7. Authority BE DELEGATED to the Chief Administrative Officer to sign and execute any such agreements, as may be required for the necessary services to execute the scope of work for Phase 1 shoreline restoration, site servicing work, grading, drainage and basic landscaping for Kings Navy Yard Park Extension located at 290, 296 and 306 Dalhousie Street satisfactory in financial content to the Chief Financial Officer, and in technical content to the Director of Parks, Facilities, Recreation and Culture. 

Environmental Services – Electronic Work Order Module

It seems that currently the Environmental Services Division (water and wastewater) uses a paper work order system. It seems that the work orders are hand-written. It looks like it’s time to move to an electronic system (I was having flashbacks to the ‘90s just reading the report LOL). Anyway, here are the recommendations : 

It is recommended that: 

1. The design services for the creation of a work order module for the Environmental Services division BE AWARDED to ESRI Canada; 

2. An over-expenditure of $21,211.65 BE APPROVED from the Water Reserve Account for a total not to exceed $71,211.65 (including net HST); and, 

3. The Mayor and Clerk BE AUTHORIZED to execute an agreement with ESRI Canada for the Environmental Services Electronic Work Order Module

Roads Dump Truck Increase Cost

It looks like the price of the dump truck that was ordered has gone up. If council were to decide to re-tender the truck, there is risk of further price increases and further delay. Here is the recommendation : 

It is recommended that: 

1. An over-expenditure for the purchase of a dump truck from Carrier Truck Centers for the Roads Department not to exceed $71,833.92 BE APPROVED for a total cost not to exceed $296,833.92 including net HST and that the additional amount of $7,437.64 BE FUNDED from the Fleet Reserve. 

Water Dump Truck Increase Cost

And again, it looks like the price of the water dump truck that was ordered has gone up. Here is the recommendation : 

It is recommended that: 

1. An over-expenditure for the purchase of a dump truck from Carrier Truck Centers for the Water Department not to exceed $5,677.31 BE APPROVED for a total cost not to exceed $205,678 including net HST and that the additional amount of $7,312 BE FUNDED from the Water Reserve. 

2023 Special Events Approval – Part Ten

I love events and it looks like we’ve got a few more coming. Some of the events need exemptions for noise, street closures or fees. Here are the events with the exemptions requested : 

It is recommended that: 

1. The following events BE APPROVED: 

a.) Santa Claus Parade – November 25th, 2023 

b.) River Lights Opening Night – November 18th, 2023 

c.) River Lights Winter Festival – November 18th, 2023 – January 29th, 2024 

d.) Remembrance Day Parade – November 11th, 2023 

2. An exemption from table number 3-1(2) of Noise By-law #2001-43, as amended with respect to the operation of any electronic device or group of connected electronic devices incorporating one or more loudspeakers to allow for music BE GRANTED for the following events: 

a.) Santa Claus Parade – November 25th, 2023 

b.) River Lights Opening Night – November 18th, 2023 

c.) Remembrance Day Parade – November 11th, 2023

3. The following events BE EXEMPT and PERMITTED for road closures to begin prior to 5pm: a.) Santa Claus Parade – November 25th, 2023 

b.) River Lights Opening Night – November 18th, 2023 

c.) Remembrance Day Parade – November 11th, 2023  

4. The Special Events Resource Team BE DIRECTED to confirm that the requirements identified by the Committee are met prior to the event. 

5. The fee waiver requests BE APPROVED as follows: 

a.) Santa Claus Parade – November 25th, 2023 – $250 road closure fee/ $59 noise exemption – waiver requested 

b.) Remembrance Day Parade – November 11th, 2023 – $250 road closure fee/ $59 noise exemption – waiver requested 

Adoption of the 2024 Calendar of Council Meetings

It looks like the calendar of meetings for council is ready for 2024. I also noticed that not only are the meeting dates on the calendar but also included is when the agenda will be released for the next meeting….10 days ahead of time! Pretty organized. 

Anyway, looks like council will have to adopt the schedule of meetings and mark ‘em down to get organized for 2024. 

Amendments to the Grants to Community Groups and Organizations Policy

It looks like the Grants to Community Groups and Organizations Policy needs to be amended. 

Here is the recommendation : 

It is recommended that: 

1. The Community Grants Program Policy BE AMENDED as detailed in the report of October 3, 2023 report with an effective COMMENCEMENT date January 1, 2024. 

Amendments to the Technology Use Policy

And another policy that needs some amending. It seems that the technology use policy was first introduced in 2010 and amended in 2012. Since technology has changed a lot in the past ten plus years, it’s definitely time to update the policy. It is recommended to adopt the amended policy. I took a read through the policy and a few things stood out to me. These two portions of the bylaw really stood out! 

“6.4. Ownership 

6.4.1. The Town strives to protect the confidentiality of all network users. However, all files and electronic communications, including email, internet and web content systems, created on, generated by or transmitted through the Town’s computer and network services are deemed to be the property of the Town of Amherstburg. 

6.4.2. The Town retains control, custody and supervision of all computers, networks, internet services, e-mail services and communication hardware usage. The Town reserves the right, at any time, to inspect and/or monitor system files, logs and other activities including electronic communication stored on any server or individual computer. The Town will uphold an electronic monitoring policy in compliance with provincial regulations under the Employment Standards Act. 

6.4.3. Personal information that is stored on any Town device will not be considered private. 6.4.4. Upon cessation of employment for any reason, all personal information stored on the Town’s systems or devices will be forfeited and will not be returned to the user. 

6.5. Internet 

6.5.1. Internet access is provided for work related activities and shall be used only in connection with an employee’s or members of Council specific job duties. Permissible, acceptable, and appropriate Internet-related work activities include: 

6.5.1.1. Researching, accumulating, and disseminating any information related to the user’s assigned responsibilities. 

6.5.1.2. Collaborating and communicating with other users, community/business partners, and customers of the Town, according to the user’s assigned job duties and responsibilities. 

6.5.1.3. Users shall not engage in personal online commercial activities, including offering services or products for sale or soliciting services or products from online providers. 

6.5.2. Only approved software or applications may be used in conjunction with activities on web browsers or platforms. 6.5.3. Employees and members of Council are encouraged to exercise care in selecting websites to visit on the internet, including sites received in, or linked from e-mail.”

I also found this very interesting and a good reminder….

“6.6.2. 

Electronic communications may be considered public records under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Employees and members of Council should assume that any electronic communication may be deemed “public information” and treated the same as any other written communication.”

Here is the link for the whole policy for those that are interested https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=12659

I sure hope that members of council took a really good, close read of this….

INFORMATION REPORTS

Windsor Police Service – Amherstburg Detachment Activities Report 

I don’t usually delve into information reports but for this upcoming meeting I decided to take a good read through these reports. Maybe it’s because I have ten whole days to do so now? LOL 

This report has a month by month report of the number of calls responded to etc up until September 2023. The report shows the types of calls as well that the police responded to. 

August 23 and 24, 2023 Rain Event 

Council had requested a report about the August 23rd and 24th rain events. From the report : 

“The Town’s storm water and wastewater systems were both fully functional at all times before, during, and after the storm. However, due to power outages, which are outside of the Town’s control, some storm drainage systems in the south part of Town experienced interruptions which resulted in area flooding.”

The report also goes on to outline various upgrades and improvements that have happened through the reports in regards to the town drainage systems. 

Here is a link to the full report for those that are interested https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=12667

Update on the Outcome of the Ontario Land Tribunal Hearing- 490 Dalhousie Street 

It looks like the property owner of 490 Dalhousie Street disputed a decision made by the Committee of Adjustment. From the report : “An application was filed for a Minor Variance in February 2023. The minor variance application requested relief of 1.992 m in height above Canadian Geodetic Datum and 0.4 m in front yard depth at 490 Dalhousie Street. On April 6, 2023 the Committee of Adjustment (COA) approved the requested relief in height and denied the requested relief in front yard depth. The decision of the COA to deny the relief requested in front yard depth was appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) by the applicant.”

It seems that the town negotiated a settlement with the property owner at the Ontario Land Tribunal level. Ultimately, the Legal and planning consulting fees that were incurred during the processing of this appeal were $8,526.13. 

Update on the Outcome of the Ontario Land Tribunal Hearing- 6101 County Road 20 

And this Ontario Land Tribunal appeal has to do with the old St Theresa school property. The property had requested an amendment to be able to have students sleep at the facility (dormitory style) and council had denied it. From the report : “An application was filed for a Zoning By-law Amendment (ZBA) in October 2022. The ZBA application requested the property’s zoning change to a site-specific Institutional Zone to allow for a student residence in addition to all other uses permitted in the Institutional (I) Zone at 6101 County Road 20. On January 23, 2023 Council denied the proposed ZBA, this decision was appealed to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) by the applicant.”

Well, the OLT granted the amendment to the property owner and some other bylaw changes. From the report : “The amendment also includes zone requirements which permit student boarding area restricting it to the existing building to a maximum of 250 sq m in gross floor area. Discussions with third party planner and legal counsel advise that restriction of space is the only means in which to restrict the number of students. Further, based on fire code requirements the maximum 250 sq m space would allow for a maximum of 36 students.”

Council’s decision to deny the applicant their amendment cost us $12,667.30

2023 Annual Poppy Campaign – Funding Request

This is the recommendation from the report about the annual poppy campaign: 

That: 

1.The letter from the RC. Legion dated September 21, 2023 requesting contributions to the Poppy Fund through donations or purchase of a Remembrance Wreath BE RECEIVED, and; 

2. That the contribution towards Remembrance Wreaths for the 2023 Annual Poppy Campaign of the RCL Fort Malden Branch 157 BE AUTHORIZED in the amount of $150.00. 

Correspondence: Catherine Fife, Waterloo MPP re: Bill 21, Fixing LongTerm Care Amendment Act (Till Death Do Us Part), 2022 

This item is from the MPP in Waterloo. She is advocating for a change to the Residents Bill of Rights under the Long Term Care act to allow married couples to be able to continue to live together should they both need Long Term Care. Since COVID and my own personal experience (and my family’s experience), the legislation regarding Long Term Care needs a lot of work. And even more so, it needs enforcement, but that’s an issue for another day. I hope that council will support this correspondence. 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Cheque Registry – September 2023 

I took a look through the cheque registry. It looks like two residents took advantage of the backflow prevention program in June and July. They each got $2,260.00. Also, the department of the CAO paid out about $13,300 in legal fees. (I used to track legal fee expenditures of the 2014-2018 term of council, since they seemed to be quite high. I stopped keeping track of them for the 2018-2022 term of council since they seemed to have gone down…..but looks like they may be on the rise again…..so I may start to keep track again…..) Otherwise, it’s a cheque register so….nothing too exciting. Unless you think $300 to the Humane Society regarding some stray cats is exciting? 

Unfinished Business List – September 2023

Council can ask any questions regarding any unfinished business items. 

NEW BUSINESS

Council can request reports about pretty much anything during new business…..and then wonder why it takes so long to get reports back in a timely manner…..just keep piling them on I guess…..maybe some serious consideration should be given to each matter if it’s extremely important or somewhat less important or perhaps not really that important? I dunno….

NOTICE OF MOTION

Notice of Motion of October 10, 2023 – Complete Tree Report to Committees – Councillor Pouget

 To be deliberated October 23, 2023 

Council TO DIRECT Administration to provide the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and the Environmental Advisory Committee a complete report regarding the 2017 tree study of town property, the amount of trees that were removed in fair to good condition, the fact that they were trying to reduce the percentage of Norway Maples and most importantly that the Town of Amherstburg does not have a maintenance policy for the planting of new trees. 

And speaking of requesting reports…..the above motion will be debated on Monday night. We’ll see how long that debate lasts…..

And that’s about it. These are the highlights. Now I can get ready and rest up before what will likely be a long meeting on October 23rd! 

Have a great week Amherstburg! See you again next week, sometime after the 23rd with a recap!

Tuesday October 10th Regular town council meeting

Well Tuesday night’s meeting lasted just shy of three hours. The Belle Vue portion of the meeting lasted more than an hour and a half. There was a log or a piece of a tree trunk on the desk area in front of Councillor Pouget. I’m not really sure why it was there or what it was for. It never got mentioned yet sat there in plain sight. Maybe some fall decor? Maybe next week some orange and red leaves will be added? I dunno. Maybe for Christmas, a candle and some holly could be added and it could become a decorative ornament for council chambers? Maybe it’s time to change things up a bit there? LOL Who knows. 

Council met at 5:00 in-camera to discuss : 

SPECIAL IN-CAMERA 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 – Update on Activities related to Amherstburg Land Holdings Lands 

Section 239(2)(i) a trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information, supplied in confidence to the municipality or local board, which, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to prejudice significantly the competitive position or interfere significantly with the contractual or other negotiations of a person, group of persons, or organization;

Section 239(2)(j) a trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial or financial information that belongs to the municipality or local board and has monetary value or potential monetary value; or 

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. 

Item B: Update on Activities related to Belle Vue National Historic Site 

Section 239(2) (c) – a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board; and, 

Section 239(2) (i) – a trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information, supplied in confidence to the municipality or local board, which, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to prejudice significantly the competitive position or interfere significantly with the contractual or other negotiations of a person, group of persons, or organization; 

Item C – Organizational and Employment Matters Related to Identifiable Individuals: Section 239(2)(b) – personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees; 

Section 239(2)(f) – advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose. 

I decided to attend Tuesday night’s meeting in person. When I arrived around 5:45 council was still meeting in-camera. The doors for the meeting were opened just before 6:00. The gallery was full and there were a few people that stood in the lobby area during the meeting. However, after the Belle Vue debate, the place cleared right out and only a handful of us remained. 

Here is the link to the revised agenda that came out last Friday in case you want to read any of the reports or get other information. A couple of delegations were added. 

https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=66e75e18-623b-4362-8fcd-32487a059553&Agenda=Merged&lang=English

Councillor Pouget declared a conflict of interest in regards to any items related to Belle Vue. She said that the property is close to her home.  Mayor Prue said that he did not have a conflict regarding Belle Vue even though his wife is the president of the Conservancy. He said that the organization exists to collect money to turn over to the town for Belle Vue and that it is a charitable organization. 

RECOGNITIONS

459 Dalhousie – Heritage Plaque Presentation – Craig Ouellette

Mayor Prue spoke and described the house located at 459 Dalhousie Street. It received heritage status in 1978. Mayor Prue presented the plaque to the Ouellette’s, who were present with their young family. Mrs Ouellette spoke briefly after the presentation about how much they love the house and have enjoyed maintaining it and adding vintage items to the house. 

Belle Vue Preamble

A large portion of the meeting was taken up with discussion about the Belle Vue proposal. If you haven’t read the reports and this is something that interests you, I strongly suggest you use the link above to read all of the reports, then the discussion will make a lot of sense. In a nutshell, the prior council had instructed town staff to send out a request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) about the property. Only one made the final cut and met the criteria. Only one. With the way council behaved on Tuesday evening towards the proponent of the project, you would think that council was in the driver’s seat on this issue. ONE proposal! The town of Amherstburg bought the house and property in 2016. We have owned it for seven years now. What has been done? The roof was replaced. In seven years, the only major work that has been completed is the roof replacement. Let that sink in. The house still sits in disrepair and unusable. The proponent that was the only successful candidate for the EOI was proposing a 42 Million dollar investment of their money to restore the manor, add a boutique hotel, add a pavilion area, a pool and 52 semi-detached homes that would be historical-looking. After some of the outright disrespectful way that some members of council treated the proponent Tuesday night, we may be stuck with a huge house sitting in disrepair for many, many more years to come. Even though ultimately council approved the proposal to the next steps, I don’t have much hope….council seems to think they’re in a position to call the shots and “negotiate”…..when there is only ONE viable proposal, the only other option is that we get stuck continuing to own the home. And it will easily take around $15 Million to restore it completely to make it usable……think about that…..

DELEGATIONS 

Shirley Curson-Prue on behalf of the Belle Vue Conservancy re: item 14.2 Belle Vue Expression of interest – Results and Next Steps (supplementary agenda)

Ms Curson-Prue addressed council first. She explained that she is the president of the Belle Vue Conservancy and that they are a registered charity. She noted that the house was purchased in 2016 for $1.1 Million dollars and that the low price that was negotiated was that the house was to have public use and public access. She spoke about the naming rights that were involved for certain donations and that the roof was redone in 2018 with some federal grant money as well as donations. She felt that the house must remain in public hands for public use. She felt that the offer was for private use only, i.e. the hotel on the second floor. She felt that the Conservancy had been excluded from the Expression of Interest Process. Ms Curson-Prue hoped that the home would be restored for general use for the public.  

Councillor McArthur noted that most of the Conservancy’s concerns centered around ownership of the house. He wondered if the house were to remain public property (still town-owned) what her thoughts were on the rest of the plan. 

Ms Curson-Prue said that the board had not had an opportunity to discuss the proposal.  She felt that the heart and soul of the fundraising was to protect the house. 

Delegation : Mike Lavigne re: item 14.2 Belle Vue Expression of Interest – Results and Next Steps

Mr Lavigne addressed council next. He explained that he and his wife had lived next to the rear portion of the Belle Vue property for 26 years. He said he had felt skeptical in 2016 when the home was purchased but knew it would be a long-term project. He felt concern for this new project for the house since it would be creating a parking lot about 15 feet from his backyard. He referenced that the owner was cutting down trees. (Currently the town is the owner of the property so I wasn’t sure what is going on with that.) He felt that the project should be put on the back burner for now. He felt that instead of giving away the property, the town should lobby the federal government for funding. 

A man from the gallery tried to speak at this point. Mayor Prue had to interject and explain that people have to put their names in ahead of time to speak at a council meeting since the bylaw had changed. 

PRESENTATION

Belle Vue Expression of Interest Presentation

The only successful response to the EOI was a proposal by Amico and the Loop family. Ms Prince was there to present on behalf of Amico and Mr Troy Loop was with her to represent the Loop family from Kingsville. Ms Prince began and mentioned that Mr Loop had been involved with proposals for the Belle Vue property three times now and they were hopeful that this third try would be successful. She noted that they wanted to restore the manor with a particular focus on the exterior. The proposal has 6 hotel rooms inside the Manor but that another hotel would be built on-site with 24 rooms. She realized that amendments and zoning changes would be required for the property. Ms Prince explained that the two-story semi-detached homes would have a unique, heritage look and feel to them. There would not be any garages or driveways for the homes. There would be a parking area nearby, since older homes did not have garages or driveways. She also mentioned that the proposal would have an outdoor swimming pool, a restaurant and spa and the floor plans include public space on the main floor. She noted that they want a unique style residential community on the property. 

The proposed floor plans were shown. Ms Prince explained that the pictures were Mr Loop’s concept for a stylish convention room and restaurant. She noted that the basement of the manor would not be compliant to today’s building codes and that it would be used for storage. She spoke about the main floor being open for public use perhaps with galleries for artists and a spa. She noted that for the project to be financially viable, it would need the construction of the new hotel building as well as the houses. Ms Prince explained that the Amico Loop family proposal was submitted using option #3 of the EOI, in which the proponents would own, operate and maintain all of the property and the manor. She knew that the EOI had an emphasis on the renovation of the house and that their proposal would respect all of the work done so far, including naming rights. She said that the public space would include the gardens and heritage plantings would be used. She said that the outdoor event space would be available to the public. 

Ms Prince went on in detail about some properties that were restored involving both Amico and the Loop family. She noted Mr Loop’s qualifications. She explained that their engineering, Sarah Gray, was at a conference in Seattle and was unable to be there. Ms Gray specializes in the engineering components of heritage buildings with expertise in materials, removal, restoration, the whole gamut. 

Councillor Crain asked Ms Prince to elaborate about why the chose option #3, full ownership and not option #2 which would mean that the proponent would lease the manor from the town. He wondered if they would be interested in a lease option. Ms Prince said that the $5 Million price for the renovations would not be doable since they could not put that type of investment into an asset that they don’t own. She noted that if their costs of $10 Million or $15 Million for renovations for the manor were required, then the proposal wouldn’t work. She felt the only way to make the numbers work was to put a low number on the renovation and amortize it over a long period of time. She noted that the number for the renovation did not include labour or equipment. She said it would be a different number to renovate the house if they were to lease it. 

Councillor Crain asked why they had not put road access through the back of the property. Ms Prince didn’t think that they were able to go through that land to make a road connection to Sandwich Street but if they could access it they would take a look at it. Ms Giofu, Director of Engineering said that there is no access to the existing land, it would involve expropriation and would be very complicated. 

Councillor McArthur wondered what mechanisms would be put in place to ensure public access to the property. Ms Prince said that agreements between the owner and the municipality would be welcome and that details have not been ironed out yet, since this is the early phase. Mr Loop spoke about the charm of the proposal and how it fits with Amherstburg. He said he had been quietly pushing for no (big) hotel projects in Amherstburg, since this hotel project would be what the town needed first. More of a boutique style hotel, such as the Peddie’s had proposed lined up with his vision. He felt that a place like Belle Vue could not exist if it weren’t part of the community and he also noted that agreements could be put in place with the town in regards to public access. 

Deputy Mayor Gibb noted that there have been a lot of big splashy promises made to the residents that have been taking a lot of time, for example, the boat launch, the hotel, the waterfront project etc. He wondered what the assurances would be regarding the timeline since it was noted that the Manor would be completed in 2026 in the proposal. 

Ms Prince noted that it was a tough but fair question. She noted that when she comes to council she tries not to talk about all the things that go wrong. She said that the approvals for the Boblo Island development took 12 years but that they should have taken 3 years, which put them way behind schedule. (I couldn’t help but feel the frustration from her voice…..I have watched this council and the two previous councils tie things up endlessly with hoops of fire for developers, not just Amico, but all developers….I can still remember the developer for the greenhouse telling the old council “It’s like you don’t want us to develop in Amherstburg” or something along that lines…..but it’s true….our councils are not development-friendly or easy to deal with in my opinion….such a shame really….) Ms Prince said that they had made some changes in some of their contracts and would likely have wording for this one too….something along the lines of “IF we get site plan approval, then we will start this phase within so many weeks….” (Kind of a good idea, since council throws up roadblocks, creates criteria and then expects the same timeline for completion…..so make the timeline contingent on when approvals are received…. makes sense…) Ms Prince noted that Amico is not the only one responsible for timelines. (Hint hint council….you’re responsible too!!!) 

Deputy Mayor Gibb asked Ms Prince to clarify what she had meant by “private streets” when she was explaining the new housing portion of the proposal. Ms Prince said that they would not be asking for the town to take ownership of the streets since they would be planning the project based on a plan of condominium, so the streets could be narrower than regular streets. 

Councillor Courtney thanked the presenters for their vision. He said that when he saw the Amico name on the proposal he got nervous and got some calls about it. (Wow, just wow.) He spoke of the promised hotel and it has not come to be. He asked if the proponents would entertain leasing the businesses, since they would make money on the house sales. He brought up Boblo and access to the island. He felt that they weren’t open to the town owning the Belle Vue house and found that concerning. He wondered if they were a firm no on the possibility of leasing the house. 

Ms Prince said that she was not there to talk about Boblo. She said that the Belle Vue deal is a tough one and that they took a look at numbers. She explained that they have to be able to carry this development for 20 years in order to make money. She said that the project is a loss-leader for the Loops for 5 years. She mentioned that if Councillor Courtney had a specific proposal that would take a look at it but the payback would be at least 20 years on this project. 

Councillor Courtney then mentioned perhaps a 99 year lease. He said he would support moving forward if the proponents were flexible. (I wonder if he will offer the same flexibility that he was demanding? Just a thought…..And honestly, this exchange surprised me…..I seem to recall Councillor Courtney speaking about wanting to get rid of Belle Vue, i.e. sell it….so I was very surprised that suddenly he wanted to suddenly keep it and lease it out?…..)

Then Mayor Prue passed the gavel in order to give his input. He felt that the basement of the manor could be developed into a rum runners speakeasy and it would be magnificent. Ms Prince said the idea was intriguing but that the basement floor to the rafters was only 7 feet high. So, once fire protection were to be installed and a ceiling etc, it would not meet code. Mayor Prue then suggested digging down the basement another foot, or raising the house another foot…..I take my notes by hand, but he suggested changing the height of the basement. (I think my jaw hit the floor…..does he have any idea what a huge change that is and how much it would cost?) Anyway, Mr Loop told him the price would just go up by a lot if such a change were to be done. 

Mayor Prue went on reading from the proposal and didn’t understand why they were bent on option #3 and taking full ownership of the entire property. He felt that he wouldn’t be able to give up control of the house. 

Ms Prince reminded Mayor Prue that it was the town’s asset and the town’s choice. She also reminded him that the EOI had 3 options and they chose one of the options. (So if selling the house was such a deal breaker for council, why was it an option in the EOI? Just a thought….) Ms Prince said that they could consider a long term lease but that for something to work it has to be economically viable. 

Mayor Prue then went on and on if Amico had applied for CIP for tax relief on the property. He then started quoting prices of lots and houses on Boblo and what Amico asks as sale prices. (It seemed pretty rude in my opinion….they’re a developer, that’s how their businesses make money…..people don’t take the risk of going into business to simply break even do they?….it was almost like the Mayor thought that Amico should just fix up the house for free because they would “make money” selling lots and houses???) 

The “discussion” raged on and on and on….Councillor Courtney jumped back in with more commentary and questions. 

Finally, a motion was made for the staff recommendation as noted in the report. 

It is recommended that: 

1. The Loop Family Amico Belle Vue Expression of Interest proposal BE APPROVED to proceed to next steps in the evaluation process and; 

2. Administration BE DIRECTED to request the Belle Vue Conservancy pause any further efforts until such time as Council has made a final decision on the proposal and; 

3. Administration BE DIRECTED to facilitate discussions between the Belle Vue Conservancy (BVC) and proponent to ensure there is agreement and direction on the recognition of donors, handling of unspent donations and various antiques identified for potential use at Belle Vue Manor; and,

4. The execution of the confidentiality agreement BE APPROVED for the Expression of Interest to proceed to the next steps of the process.

Councillor McArthur said he would support the motion since the town had been sitting on this asset for years and that it would take $10 Million to $15 Million to restore the house. He noted that council had put out the EOI as a blank canvas and that at this point council had no choice but to continue to the next level. He noted that public access to the property was paramount and that he wasn’t committing to anything on Tuesday night except to look at the proposal more closely. He said he was still hopeful to see the historic mile from Fort Malden to Belle Vue and that by moving forward it introduced an element of negotiation. 

Councillor Crain felt that council should continue the conversation with the proponents. He felt that the town had come this far and that a number of processes had to take place. He felt that it sounded like leasing was not completely off the table. 

Deputy Mayor Gibb felt that the town had to look at this opportunity to breathe new life into the building. If the goal is to get the building restored, then council must move forward and that he was staying optimistic. 

Councillor Courtney said that he would support the motion. He felt that they should be creative with the changes in the neighbourhood and that he saw huge potential. He said he was not comfortable giving up the asset (the Belle Vue house) but he noted that nothing has happened in 7 years, just the new roof. He also mentioned seeing the video of the inside of the manor and the house is in a bad state. 

Mayor Prue felt filled with trepidation. He said he had listened to Ms Prince and he is hoping for either a lease or a 51%/49% ownership agreement. He wanted the town to continue to control the property. He said that unless the town keeps control of the building, he will vote no when the issue comes back to council since his priority is to keep the ownership of the house. 

It went to a vote. It wasn’t recorded but I watched it. Everybody voted in favour. Councillor Pouget had a conflict and did not vote. The Mayor did not exercise his right to vote. It went through 5-0. 

Perhaps just take a moment to sit back and think…..these are my thoughts…..the town has owned the house for 7 years and just the roof has been replaced. Is it realistic that the Conservancy can raise $10 Million to $15 Million even within the next 5 years? I doubt it. The house will continue to deteriorate. Does the town absolutely need to keep ownership of the house? Can legal agreements be put in place to protect the house and public access? Will the federal government give any significant money to the town for restoration of the house? If the ultimate goal is to save the house, I think this is our best and arguably only chance. I don’t see anybody else lined up presenting to council to take on this white elephant. But the way some members of council behaved, you’d have thought developers were banging down their doors to fix up the house, for free. I just don’t understand…..Can we afford for this house to continue to just sit and deteriorate indefinitely?

It was now 7:42 and council decided to take a 5 minute recess. Almost all of the members of the public left. 

When council resumed several items went through with little or no discussion. 

Update on Crossing Guard Program

About a month ago, council had discussed adding more crossing guards in Amherstburg. A couple members of council wanted to add a crossing guard at the corner of Fryer St and Pickering. Other members of council referred to a 2019 study and mentioned the possibility of another study to see if other corners may need crossing guards as well. Well, the report with an update is ready. 

There are a few recommendations that are before council. 

RECOMMENDATION: 

It is recommended that: 

1. Administration BE DIRECTED to engage the WPS Amherstburg Detachment to undertake proactive enforcement activities in school zones at the commencement of each school year; 

2. A public education campaign BE LAUNCHED for the community prior to the beginning of each school year; 

3. Any recommendations of the Traffic Master Plan BE CONSIDERED with regards to traffic calming measures in school zones when this study is completed; and, 

4. Funding for a revised School Crossing Guard feasibility study and use of a traffic engineer to BE CONSIDERED during the 2024 Budget deliberations.

Councillor Allaire asked what the public education campaign would look like. She wondered if it would be in the paper or on social media and how it would be handled. 

The Clerk replied that it hadn’t been designed yet but would include items with where to park, how and where to cross the streets and stuff like that specific for each school. 

Councillor Allaire wondered how administration would ensure the information was getting to the schools. The Clerk said it would be posted on social media and sent directly to the administration of each school. He mentioned the public board uses Edsby as a communication tool with the parents. Councillor Courtney mentioned that each school has a Parent Advisory Council and that information could be given to them as well. 

Councillor Pouget said that she was against the recommendations. She felt that they were referring back to a 2019 study before the construction of the new high school. She felt that the town didn’t need another study. Councillor Pouget felt that it shouldn’t be put off for another year and that a crossing guard should be added at a cost of $10,000 since they had received two letters and Councillor Allaire had done so much work. 

The Clerk explained that the data has to be aligned and that a new study, as recommended, would give another 5 years of data. It would allow them to look at all of the crossing locations in Amherstburg and he noted that the school boards supported studying the situation and getting more information. 

Councillor Allaire noted that she wanted the study done in good weather. She also wondered how they determined that grade 5 and under are considered pedestrians in need of a crossing guard. The Clerk said he was unsure and to ask about a contract as tendered could prejudice the process. Councillor Allaire said she was still upset and felt it was necessary to have a crossing guard at the Fryer St and Pickering intersection. She said she had contacted the police to monitor the area and that 2 tickets and 4 warnings had been issued to drivers. 

Councillor Allaire then made the motion for the 4 parts as noted above. Councillor McArthur made a friendly amendment about wording to have the Police Department watch the intersections not only at the beginning of the school year but periodically throughout the year. 

The motion carried. 

Councillor Allaire then made a separate motion to implement a crossing guard for the rest of this school year at the corner of Pickering St and Fryer St and to use $10,000 from the tax stabilization fund to do so. 

The Clerk spoke first and noted a few risks. He noted that if a crossing guard is added at one intersection that does not meet the threshold of pedestrians then it changes the expectations for parents. Should the study find that intersection doesn’t warrant a crossing guard but another intersection does, that could anger some parents. He also noted that bussing is provided based on intersections and accessibility and that it could change bus eligibility for students. 

Councillor Courtney said that council usually fields complaints about crossing guards at the beginning of the school year. He said that he hates studies but that council has to do its due diligence and it gives them data. He said that he does not support this motion right now. 

Deputy Mayor Gibb said that he echoed Councillor Courtney’s concerns. He said he had looked at the 2019 study and that the corner of Richmond St and Victoria St has significantly more children crossing there than at Fryer and Pickering. He felt that the optics of choosing one corner were not good. He also noted that the principal of St-Jean-Baptiste was concerned that the Simcoe and Fryer intersection was more dangerous. Deputy Mayor Gibb felt that decisions shouldn’t be made on emotions especially when optically other corners are busier than the Fryer/Pickering one. 

Councillor Crain felt that the motion was putting the cart before the horse. He felt that the intersection had already been assessed and that the police had measures in place. He felt that council should take a practical approach based on evidence and make a decision based on the study results. 

Councilor McArthur said that he would not be supporting the motion but that it had nothing to do with money. He noted that he is concerned for kids safety but that all decisions must be defensible. If a parent were to ask why a crossing guard wasn’t placed at another corner, the answer can’t be because council didn’t get an email about it. The answer has to be justifiable with data. He also noted the chronic absenteeism experienced by crossing guards and that it creates dangerous situations. He felt that politically it would be best to vote in favour of the motion but that that would not be fair to the other kids in Amherstburg and that it would put the municipality at risk. He noted that council had just approved and fast tracked the new study and that he had to take into consideration the safety of all of the kids in Amherstburg. 

The motion to add a crossing guard at the intersection of Fryer and Pickering went to a recorded vote : 

In support : Councillors Allaire and Pouget

Opposed : Councillors Courtney, Crain and McArthur, Deputy Mayor Gibb and Mayor Prue

Many more agenda items went through with little or no discussion. 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

The unfinished business list contained the cheque registry. Councillor Pouget asked several questions about items in the $1,000 range. Interesting, considering she was prepared to spend $10,000 of unbudgeted money to add a crossing guard….. Anyway, nobody asked for an item that jumped out at me at the very top of the cheque registry : ACCOUNTANT SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE – MISCELLANEOUS DEPOSITS 39,448.75 

NEW BUSINESS

Councillor Allaire made a motion for the 2025 capital budget for some pricing for basketball or volleyball courts. The motion carried. 

Councillor Pouget made a notice of motion for the next meeting about trees being cut down. 

Councillor Courtney complained about the cold showers at the Libro Centre. (A plumber has been called and repair should be happening soon.) 

Councillor Allaire asked for an update about the senior’s centre. Seems we are waiting for the flooring that was supposed to be in last week but it’s not here yet. 

Mayor Prue solicited a motion so that the corner of Howard and Alma could be added to a traffic study by County Council. Councillor Pouget made the motion and it carried. 

Finally, at 8:46 PM the meeting adjourned. What an evening!!!! 

I’ll be back in a few days with the pre-meeting blog for the October 23rd meeting. 

In the meantime, think long and hard about Belle Vue….Is it realistic to keep it in public hands and get the extremely costly work done in a timely manner? Or are we better to sell it and get it off of our plates? We have owned it for 7 years….. And in that time, we have only had the roof done…..at that rate, neither my children nor I will ever see that house completed. If this proposal doesn’t pan out, then what? 

In preparation for Tuesday October 10th Regular town council meeting

Well the agenda for the Tuesday October 10th meeting came out eleven days ahead of time on Friday September 29th. Very nice to be able to leisurely go through the agenda items. 

Here is a link to the full agenda : https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=66e75e18-623b-4362-8fcd-32487a059553&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English

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

SPECIAL IN-CAMERA 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 – Update on Activities related to Amherstburg Land Holdings Lands 

Section 239(2)(i) a trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information, supplied in confidence to the municipality or local board, which, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to prejudice significantly the competitive position or interfere significantly with the contractual or other negotiations of a person, group of persons, or organization; 

Section 239(2)(j) a trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial or financial information that belongs to the municipality or local board and has monetary value or potential monetary value; or 

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. 

Item B: Update on Activities related to Belle Vue National Historic Site 

Section 239(2) (c) – a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board; and, 

Section 239(2) (i) – a trade secret or scientific, technical, commercial, financial or labour relations information, supplied in confidence to the municipality or local board, which, if disclosed, could reasonably be expected to prejudice significantly the competitive position or interfere significantly with the contractual or other negotiations of a person, group of persons, or organization; 

Item C – Organizational and Employment Matters Related to Identifiable Individuals: Section 239(2)(b) – personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees; 

Section 239(2)(f) – advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose. 

The regular meeting is scheduled to start at 6:00 but with three items on the in-camera agenda, I have to wonder if it may go into overtime? 

MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

Regular Council Meeting Minutes – September 11, 2023

At the September 25th meeting, the minutes of the September 11th meeting were deferred. Councillor Pouget had found some errors and rather than have them fixed on the spot as is usually done, the minutes were deferred. So here they are again. Council will have had 11 days to look for any other errors. Should there happen to be any, perhaps they can be addressed ahead of time this time? That would be a little more empathetic and human perhaps rather than trying to shame people publicly for making mistakes? Just a thought I guess…..And I can’t help but notice the September 25th meeting minutes are not on the agenda this week….since staff have to have them ready in 2 to 3 days to have them available 10 days before the next meeting, perhaps that’s why there were errors? It’s a quick turnaround. So perhaps council can return to complaining that the minutes aren’t ready quickly enough? Seems to be a lose-lose for staff on this one. Either they get the minutes ready quickly and get shamed publicly for making mistakes or they take more time to get them ready so that there’s time to double and triple check them. 

RECOGNITIONS

459 Dalhousie – Heritage Plaque Presentation – Craig Ouellette

There isn’t a report attached to this item, but it looks like Mr Ouellette will receive a heritage plaque for his home at 459 Dalhousie Street. 

PRESENTATION

Belle Vue Expression of Interest Presentation

This item simply says “Presentation to Follow”

Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 10 B/D – Assumption of Underground Infrastructure, Base Asphalt and Curbs 

This seems to be a pretty routine development protocol for council to assume some of the infrastructure in Kingsbridge. Here’s the recommendation : 

It is recommended that: 1. The recommendations in the letter regarding Kingsbridge Development Phase 7C dated July 31st from the consulting engineer, Baird AE BE ACCEPTED; and, 2. The underground infrastructure, curbs and base asphalt for Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 7C BE ACCEPTED and BE ASSUMED; and, 3. The surface asphalt and sidewalks for Kingsbridge Subdivision Phase 7C BE PLACED on a 1-year maintenance period, commencing July 31, 2023.

Consent Agreement, 138 Tilford Lane, Coulson Design-Build Inc

It looks like the Committee of Adjustment approved a proposal to sever one lot into two at 138 Tilford Lane. It seems that all of the agreements are in place. Here is the recommendation : 

It is recommended that:

1. The execution of a Consent Agreement with Coulson Design-Build Inc. associated with Consent File numbers B/18/23 and B/19/23 BE APPROVED; and, 

2. By-law 2023-100 being a By-law to authorize the signing of a Consent Agreement be taken as having been read three times and finally passed and the Mayor and Clerk BE AUTHORIZED to sign same.

Municipal Street Naming Policy Update 2023

Here is the link to the report about the street naming policy https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=12461

For those of you that are regular readers you will know that I’m not a fan of naming streets (or parks or buildings or other items) after people. There is one name that remains (Fox) from the cenotaph that I think should be used. But in my opinion, once that name is used, I think the list should be abolished. I think that developers should be able to make themed names for new subdivisions. The names on the current list are predominantly white men’s names. I would think that as a society we would have learned by now that naming places, streets, buildings, whatever after people can be very problematic. We just need to look at the name of our own town. I find this whole idea of a list of people’s names to be antiquated and somewhat backwards. So anyway, I guess my rant is over. 

Administration is recommending some amendments which would give some flexibility for theme names for developments. As you know, I think the whole list (save for Fox) should be abolished, but that’s my opinion. 

Here’s the recommendation : 

It is recommended that:

1. The report regarding the update of the Municipal Street Naming Policy from Development Services, dated September 8 2023, BE RECEIVED; and, 

2. The amendment to the Municipal Street Naming Policy BE ADOPTED as presented. 

Belle Vue Expression of Interest – Results and Next Steps 

The agenda says “Report to follow to be published on October 2, 2023.” I am waiting to publish this blog until after I read this report. 

Well it is now officially October 2nd and I’m glad I waited to read the proposal! WOW! 

First, here are the recommendations : 

It is recommended that:

1. The Loop Family Amico Belle Vue Expression of Interest proposal BE APPROVED to proceed to next steps in the evaluation process and; 

2. Administration BE DIRECTED to request the Belle Vue Conservancy pause any further efforts until such time as Council has made a final decision on the proposal and; 

3. Administration BE DIRECTED to facilitate discussions between the Belle Vue Conservancy (BVC) and proponent to ensure there is agreement and direction on the recognition of donors, handling of unspent donations and various antiques identified for potential use at Belle Vue Manor; and, 

4. The execution of the confidentiality agreement BE APPROVED for the Expression of Interest to proceed to the next steps of the process.

I am having a hard time containing my excitement! This proposal is fantastic! It will see the house restored with a restaurant and six hotel rooms, a spa and other amenities. Also, there is a proposed outdoor event centre, a hotel and several semi-detached historic style homes. Gorgeous! Here is a section from the report that summarizes the proposal really well: 

“Loop Family Amico Proposal 

The proponents have approved the full public disclosure of their submission and as such is attached as Appendix B. Although the proposal reads as an Amico proposal, based on discussions with Amico they advised the proposal is in fact a Loop Family Amico proposal and requested it be identified as such. The following is a high-level summary of the Loop Family Amico proposal:  

• Restoration of exterior and interior of BV Manor for:  
• 6 hotel rooms;  
• Spa;  
• Restaurant;  
• Public Gallery / Event Space  
• New annex building for the hotel (24 rooms);  
• Pool house, outdoor pavilion and green space;  
• 52 semi-detached homes 

The following is a high-level summary of Administration’s observations and evaluation of the proposal as per the EOI criteria: 

– Includes the restoration of both the exterior and interior of the manor; 

– The restoration occurs early on in the timeline; – The other buildings proposed, annex hotel and semi-detached homes, are proposed to be consistent with the historic area and manor; 

– Provides for public access to the manor and grounds provided through public gallery, hotel lobby, restaurant, spa and event spa; 

– Proponent’s team consists of experts and experience in heritage, residential construction, hotel and restaurant operations and; 

– Will provide for job creation as well as residential homes. 

This proposal was also submitted under the option in which the proponents would own, operate and maintain all of the property and the manor. Such proposals required confirmation of completing a Heritage Impact Assessment and Cultural Heritage Conservation Plan. These reports will be essential should Council decide to enter into negotiations for this proposal. The Cultural Heritage Conservation Plan would not only need to be agreed to by the Town, it would form part of the agreement and be registered on title to ensure the Belle Vue manor is protected and preserved by the owner of the property.”

Here is the link to the 26-page proposal that was submitted by Amico : https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=12468

The last couple of pages have the drawings of the property and the floor plans for the house. 

The proposal still has several “next steps” to go through, but ultimately, it looks like if it passes the test, the house will transition from town ownership to private ownership. However, in the report, there are steps being taken to ensure the house remains protected. 

Here is the link to the report : https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=12466

Here are the next steps : https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=12469

Here is the link for the evaluation criteria that was used for the proposals that were received https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=12467

This is some good news for Amherstburg! Hopefully this project will proceed and with success! 

Update on Crossing Guard Program

About a month ago, council had discussed adding more crossing guards in Amherstburg. A couple members of council wanted to add a crossing guard at the corner of Fryer St and Pickering. Other members of council referred to a 2019 study and mentioned the possibility of another study to see if other corners may need crossing guards as well. Well, the report with an update is ready. 

There are a few recommendations that are before council. 

RECOMMENDATION: 

It is recommended that: 

1. Administration BE DIRECTED to engage the WPS Amherstburg Detachment to undertake proactive enforcement activities in school zones at the commencement of each school year; 

2. A public education campaign BE LAUNCHED for the community prior to the beginning of each school year; 

3. Any recommendations of the Traffic Master Plan BE CONSIDERED with regards to traffic calming measures in school zones when this study is completed; and, 

4. Funding for a revised School Crossing Guard feasibility study and use of a traffic engineer to BE CONSIDERED during the 2024 Budget deliberations.

Here is a link to the report for anybody that is interested https://pub-amherstburg.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=12457

It looks like this issue was meant to be studied again in 2025 but it is recommended for it to be studied in 2024. A problem that was found in the previous study was that there were frequent staffing issues and oftentimes corners would end up without a crossing guard and often at the last minute. This caused increased risk since there was a level of service expected and suddenly it was not there. I found this section of the report interesting : 

“The Town’s Crossing Guard Feasibility Study establishes a standard by which the Town can determine the need at any particular crossing location. While no action taken can fully eliminate risk, Claims Adjustors will routinely review the established practices and procedures that exist and how closely the Town has hewn to them in determining whether its actions were appropriate. Where deviations from an established practice or procedure are shown to have occurred, the determination of an assessment of liability is more likely to be shown. Therefore, the risks associated are more effectively mitigated by establishing, maintaining and consistently applying a given standard, such as those engineered warrants within the Crossing Guard Study. This showcases how the actions of the Town are prudent, repeatable and defensible, and the standard set is one which is able to be effectively maintained on a consistent basis to reduce exposure to risk.”

Personally, I like that the recommendations include a more big picture approach with some short-term solutions as well as a study. I think it’s important to see if other corners may also be in need of crossing guards rather than just focus on one corner. Anyway, I guess we’ll see what council has to say about this on Tuesday night. 

2023 Second Quarter (Q2) Variance as at June 30th, 2023

The second quarter variance report is ready for council. This report goes through each department with the surplus and deficits listed for each department. I found this portion of the risk analysis portion of the report very interesting : 

“In considering this particular report, it is important to note that not all revenues and expenditures occur evenly throughout the year. As a result, the forecast may be significantly different from the actual to date extrapolated for the balance of the year. Projections will be refined as the year progresses and updated variance reports are provided quarterly for Council. This report projects a lower surplus than in prior years and represents 0.7% of the total budget. Administration will continue to monitor this variance as there is little room for adjustment. In-year council decisions affecting reserves balances and continued inflation limit the Town’s ability to react to unexpected events funded by year-end surplus.”

The last sentence hit me hard. It seems that the last few meetings, council has been taking from reserves to fund “in-year” council decisions. For example, just last meeting $100,000 was taken from reserves for the fire department showers for station #3 in old Anderdon. During the crossing guard discussion, one member of council mentioned taking $10,000 from reserves to fund a crossing guard at one intersection. This is something that I’ve kept a close eye on during each term of council. It has been made clear in many financial reports that Amherstburg does not have enough money in reserves. Whenever council suddenly pulls money from reserves or even talks about it, it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It’s not that long ago that we faced a bleak financial picture in 2014 in Amherstburg. We can’t move backward. Council must plan properly and that means budget properly for any projects they want to see happen. 

The report is simply for information purposes but I hope that council is reading and comprehending this report. 

The Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command- 11th Annual Military Service Recognition Book 

There is a recommendation for the above noted item : “That a quarter page, black and white advertisement BE PURCHASED in the Military Service Recognition Book of the Royal Canadian Legion Ontario Command.”

NEW BUSINESS

During this portion of the meeting any member of council can bring forth an item for a report in the future. With the new procedural bylaw it has changed how this portion of the meeting plays out. It went much better at the last meeting than the one before. Fingers crossed! LOL 

And that’s it! Those are the highlights. Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving weekend! Get your rest, eat some turkey and get ready…..I think Tuesday night might be a long one!