PARTIAL REPORT ON COUNCIL: IIApril 11, 2005Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:01 a.m. – 4:06 p.m.Regular Evening Meeting: 7:00 p.m. – 8:53 p.m.All Members of Council present.
CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 2:43 p.m. – 4:01 p.m.
WINDFALL: The Township has been awarded $50,000 under the Provincial Fire Services Grant program. One of the first duties of Tiny’s new Fire Chief, Randy Smith, was to consider how this money, which is supposed to augment fire services in some way, should be spent. He recommended that $37,000 go into First Aid/First Responder and CPR Training, and that the balance be applied to various kinds of equipment.
ONTARIO MUNICIPAL PARTNERSHIP FUND’S GRANTS TO RURAL COMMUNITIES: This is a second windfall for the Township. It is granted to communities that are 100% rural. It begins this year with a grant of $721,295. Next year there will be a grant of roughly $800,000, in 2007 of $900,000 and in 2008 of $1,300,000. Council decided to use this year’s money to establish a contingency fund of $50,000 and to put the balance into the Capital Expenditure Reserve.
UPGRADE OF WASHROOMS AT BALM BEACH: Council approved the installation of new flush toilets, a handicapped toilet, sinks and countertop at a cost of $5,081.16.
DISCUSSION ARISING FROM THE WITHDRAWAL OF FUNDING FOR MEDIATION BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL: Councillor Ray Millar observed that the Township should focus its time and resources on properties it owns and should make no attempt to continue with Mediation. Deputy Mayor Paul Maurice agreed, but felt that, as a great deal of energy had been invested in Mediation, a meeting of all stakeholders should be called to wind up the process. Councillor Panasiuk was of the view that Mediation was a process of the Attorney General and that the responsibility for wrapping it up lay with him and the Mediators. Like Councillor Millar he felt that Council’s role should be to utilize Township-owned property to the fullest extent possible within the Township’s means. Councillor Peggy Breckenridge distributed an article about beach access wrangles in California, observed that Tiny’s problems in that regard are not unique, and that Council’s focus should be on properties the Township owns. Mayor Klug was in favour of convening one more meeting of stakeholders. In the end Council decided against a meeting, and asked Staff to draft a response to the Attorney General and to draft a press release.
REPORT RE CAWAJA BEACH ASSOCIATION REQUESTS: Ruth Coursey, CAO/Clerk, presented responses to various questions raised by the Cawaja Beach Association concerning parking, ownership, and signage. Council decided that the matters required discussion and asked Staff invite to Beach Association to a future Committee of the Whole.
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: On the recommendation of a Report from John Theriault, Treasurer, Council decided to invest $1,675.08 in a one-year trial of an Employee Assistance Program. This would provide counselling, on an emergency basis, for the Township’s 47 employees for stress arising from particular incidents on the job or at home. (The Fire Marshall has funds that can be drawn on by the Township’s volunteer fire fighters when they need counselling.)
BOATING RESTRICTION PROGRESS: The Township’s request that the 10-kph speed limit for small watercraft be extended from the current 30 metres to 200 metres off shore for the entire length of Tiny’s shoreline was made in 2001, rejected in 2002, and resubmitted in 2003. At the beginning of March 2005, Henk Blom, Tiny’s Manager of Public Works, wrote to Transport Canada to enquire about the status of the request. He was told: “the application is proceeding through the process. All the applications from 2002 and 2003 have been delayed due to a number of reasons, such as the transfer of the Office of Boating Safety from the Canadian Coast Guard to Transport Canada in December 2003 and the recent election and change of Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers.” The wheels of progress turn VERY slowly in Ottawa.
