For the actual wording of the motions indicated, click the links where indicated.

REPORT ON COUNCIL
August 27, 2001
Council of the Whole began at 10:19 am and ended after the Confidential/Closed Session late in the afternoon. The regular evening meeting of Council was very short.

WOODLAND BEACH SPEAKS OUT: Rhonda Campbell, Chair of Access Committee of the Woodland Beach Property Owners' Association, had a number of important points to make to Council. Her association has met with the Mediator and with Council. She came to say that "use of the beach should be conditional on beach management, maintenance and the status of beach quality." She specifically addressed lack of bylaw enforcement, failure to maintain beach paths, the presence of litter, concerns about water quality, sign clutter on the one hand and absence of regulatory or community outreach signs on the other, and the community's right to make input into parking decisions. For the full text of her deputation and of the WBPOA Mission Statement and Beach Access and Use Statement, click HERE.

GARBAGE COLLECTION: The County of Simcoe will assume responsibility for garbage collection in January 2002. Tiny has asked for the same level of service as is currently in place.

SMALL WATER CRAFT COMMITTEE: The committee's recommendation that the 10 kph boating speed restriction be extended from 30 to 200 metres from Tiny's shoreline has Council's support. An application is to have been submitted by the end of August in the hope that the relevant authorities will act quickly enough to have it in place next year. The committee presented a budget of $6,500 for signage, pamphlets, volunteer marine patrols, etc.

PARKING ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS: No action is to be taken until consideration has been given to issues raised by busy weekends. Gordon Salisbury said that he is in favour of charging a fee for parking permits and for the use of the boat ramp. He also said that he is in favour of increasing the amount of parking.

STOTT PARK'S SEPTIC SYSTEM: During question period, concerns were raised about the high E. coli count on August 20 in the culvert that drains Stott Park into the Bay. Material from the septic system at the Park had been running over the ground. (Informed of the situation, the Township got the tank pumped out quickly. But this is not the first time this year that a pump out has been required: the tile bed appears to be blocked.)

QUESTION TIME: Council is now allowing only one question per person. It must be a question, not an opinion. It must be short, and it must be related to that day's agenda. Question time is now limited to 15 minutes. Only those quick to raise their hands get a chance to be heard.






Woodland Beach Property Owners Association
Beach Access and Use Statement
Deputation to Tiny Council (August 27, 2001)

Good Evening Members of Council: My name is Rhonda Campbell, I am the Chair of the Woodland Beach Access Committee and Vice President of the Woodland Beach Property Owners' Association.

Thank you for this opportunity to address specific details of the Woodland Beach Community Beach Access and Use Statement. Hopefully this meeting will be productive and bring us one step closer to a resolution.

Background Information
The Woodland Beach Association began in the late 40's. I have recently learned that the Woodland Beach Community Church and the Ratepayers' Association Boards of Directors were the same members, and those associations began in 1926. Historically through the years, the association has worked together on many community interests. The main issue has been the beach area. The Association members historically and traditionally have acted in the capacity of beach management and care advocates as well as ambassadors and maintenance workers for our community beach. The Association is a community building group and includes all members with its communication and information gathering processes. Likewise with the beach use and survey questionnaires. Woodland Beach has 750 properties and is fast becoming the highest density community in Tiny; this deputation represents the community of Woodland Beach.
Regarding the community's response to access and use, contrary to a recent local newspaper article “inland residents and waterfront owners being at loggerheads” is certainly not the case. The Woodland Beach Community believes, as always, that the beach is for the community. Both inland and waterfront property owners of Woodland Beach have historically participated in community beach cleanups and attended meetings advocating for beach care and management. The Woodland Beach community certainly recognizes that Tiny residents have been traditionally using the beach, and should continue to do so, as have day trippers traditionally had access to the beach, though in a more limited capacity, and they should continue to do so.
The fundamental premise that the community would like to bring forward is that use of the beach should be conditional on beach management, maintenance and the status of the beach quality. For more than 70 years the Woodland Beach community has taken responsibility for daily cleaning and maintenance of the beach. The community is disappointed in the council -- both present and over the past decades -- regarding their part in beach management and maintenance. Responsible beach care has been sporadic at best.
In the questionnaire or study completed by the Woodland Beach Community, many issues repeatedly were brought forward. These issues were addressed at a general community meeting, and the community has asked me to represent them as taxpayers in bringing up, in detail, issues which are important to them and which the council should be accountable for.

Maintenance of Beach Paths: Poison ivy, excess sand on beach paths, sand piling up against cottages, and overgrown brush are constant concerns for our community. Strollers can’t make it through without being carried. Some neighbouring properties do the work themselves. Others do not have the resources. Council has been aware of the community's dissatisfaction with the maintenance of the beach paths. However, there has been no follow up.

By Law Enforcement: Very rare that a By law officer is seen in Woodland Beach. Parking infractions, dogs on leashes, poop and scoop by laws, all are consistently being broken with no enforcement or follow up. We want to see a presence. Even if only on long weekends, or to start this labour day weekend. Any step toward making a change, and addressing our concerns.

Policing: With all the interviews and questionnaires I have yet to hear that anyone has got a speeding ticket in Woodland Beach. We suggest bigger speed limit signs, more of them, and increased fines in community safety zones, or better yet actual radar patrol along Tiny Beaches Road which is like a speedway rather than a family beach road.

Litter, Litter, Litter: Members of the Woodland Beach Community literally pick up litter on a daily basis. They discard dead seagulls and dispose of other hazards continually washed to shore. We pay the taxes and we maintain the beaches. It is important that the Council recognize and acknowledge the responsible care the beach community has demonstrated over the past many decades.

Water Quality The WBPOA recognizes the misunderstanding of sign postings and miscommunications that took place with the volunteer program. However, there is the fact that remains. Our water quality is testing poorly. High E. coli counts, both in the recreational swimming water and in the drinking water in the area. Many neighbours in our community have been receiving E. coli counts in their well water. Not to mention the large areas of stagnant ponds that exist in many areas at Woodland Beach. Although commonsense should prevail, not everyone quickly recognizes that the still water is high in E. coli. Especially if the water does not look polluted. I am the water sampling volunteer at my area of the beach. I received the training from the health department and as a diligent volunteer, I follow the instructions to the letter. We received the same training that the summer students at the health department receive and they are the ones who do the sampling for the health department through the summer. They are taken seriously, and so should my results be. I have watched my stream go from a count of 30 to 310 to 410 to more than 600, more than 600, more than 600. The Municipality continues to turn a blind eye, because it is not the Ministry testing -- a Ministry that has received cutback after cutback. This Council should be our advocates, requesting more testing or doing it themselves. I expressed my concern to a member of Council. However, I received no follow up call or interest whatsoever. This is not acceptable. We have people and children getting ear infections, stomach cramps and diarrhea. Water quality is of serious concern and should be to this Council. On long weekends the counts are in the 200's; albeit the Ministry does not sample until 4 days later, that does not excuse the matter that we are swimming in contaminated water.

Sign By Law and Signage : There are well over 100 signs cluttered throughout Woodland Beach advertising businesses anywhere from Midland to Collingwood. The signs are plastered on trees, posts and fences. This looks terrible. However, one would be hard pressed to find regulatory signs, identification or community outreach signs. Our community suggests we work to develop a community sign board, that the beach paths be identified, and the by laws and beach policies become posted.

Parking: The most important matter is the one of Parking. The WBPOA certainly recognizes that parking is the key to access and use. At an informal meeting with this Council, it was agreed that our Association would be notified before any confirmed decisions were made regarding Woodland Beach. We have learned that this is not the case. Our community is concerned that the Municipality's views are that they are solely responsible for this type of decision making. Our community does not agree. We care for the beach. We should have equal say in the decision making process regarding the beach.

In summary, it is important to say that we appreciate the efforts that the current council members have put forward regarding beach access. However it is our community's intent that council recognize that beach maintenance and management is of paramount concern. Beach management and maintenance should not be conditional on whether we sign your beach statement. The Woodland Beach Community has demonstrated more interest, both monetary and personal, than the Municipality has over the past 7 or 8 decades, and our members are clearly frustrated with the lack of service received. However it is even more frustrating when the Municipality wants to control and govern land that they are not even showing responsible care of, without the consent of the community. It is our community in conjunction with Council who should be deciding what changes or policies should be made.

We are not looking for an immediate response today. We would like the council to consider some of our suggestions and criticisms and we would like to invite Council to a membership general meeting on Saturday, September 1, 2001 at 10:30 a.m. And we can review some of the issues in hopes of receiving commitment from the Council to implement some of our suggestions and to move closer to a collective agreement on the Beach access and Management issues.

[When delivered to Council this deputation differed slightly from the written version above, as spontaneous comment and personal anecdotes were added.]

Rhonda Campbell
Vice President WBPOA
Chair Access Committee




Woodland Beach Property Owners’ Association
Mission Statement
The Woodland Beach Property Owners’ Association is dedicated to ensuring all property owners and visitors a safe, clean, positive and cooperative environment with free and clear access to Georgian Bay.
(Adopted July 7, 2001)


Woodland Beach Property Owners’ Association
Beach Access and Use Statement
(Adopted August 4, 2001)
The Woodland Beach Property Owners’ Association and community agree, with a large majority, that inland and Tiny Township residents should have both access and use of the beachfront property in Woodland Beach. Regarding access and use by day trippers, there is a much more limited number that agree that all day trippers should have access and use of Woodland Beach. This results in the understanding and agreement that Day trippers are welcome to Woodland Beach in a controlled and limited capacity.
Disrespect and misuse of the beach was the major concern of the Woodland Beach Community. The common message is that use should be conditional on respect and abiding by rules and laws. The main concern the Woodland Beach community has, is that the Municipality has not been taking responsible care of the beach, beach paths and/or regulations, leaving it up to the community; therefore the community is reluctant to relinquish care. Poop and scoop bylaws, speeding, littering, poison ivy, unpassable beach paths, sand clean up, water quality, parking infractions, break ins and unregulated advertising signs scattered throughout the community were the main examples brought forward as concerns in the community.
Parking regulations were recognized as the key to control access and use. The majority report that the number of parking spaces should remain the same and that respect and maintenance of the beach should determine parking allowances and access.
The Woodland Beach Community is willing to continue to work on a collective agreement regarding maintenance and access, and is looking forward to the cooperation and participation from the municipality on this very important matter.

Rhonda Campbell
Woodland Beach Property Owners’ Association
Access Committee Chairperson,
Vice-President