REPORT ON COUNCIL
September 18, 2004
Special Committee of the Whole 10:13 a.m. – 12:44 p.m.
All Members of Council present
Also Present: David Lambden, Surveying Consultant
W.D. Russell, Solicitor
Nick McDonald, Planner
LAND IDENTIFICATION, MAPPING, ZONING BY-LAW: For a report about this meeting see “Meeting on Municipal Lands Informative but Inconclusive” in Issue No. 24 of The Tiny Cottager, available on http://www.tinycottager.org in Issue Archives.
REPORT ON COUNCIL
September 27, 2004
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:01 a.m. – 6:12 p.m.
Regular Evening Meeting: 7:06 p.m. – 9:20 p.m.
All Members of Council present.
CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION: 4:33 p.m. – 6:12 p.m.
DECISIONS TO BE MADE ABOUT TINY TRAILS: The Tiny Trails Committee proposes to prepare a master plan for development of the 23 km Tiny Trail which runs along the abandoned CNR right of way paralleling County Road 6 in the south end of the Township before swinging east to Penetanguishene. They are recommending that the trail be raised from a Walking Trail (Level 1, which is simple, undeveloped, has little signage and no amenities) to a Rural Trail (Level 2, which has some basic amenities such as rest areas and portable washrooms, some maps and basic signage, but no lighting or picnic pavilions or paved surfaces). They see the following as priorities in bringing the trail to Level 2 by 2010:
i) Reconstruction of bridges to the standard needed by snowmobiles – $500,000-$700,000 (but see the estimates below)
ii) Public Safety infrastructure including markers, gates, culverts, trail surface improvements, railings – $132,400
iii) Amenities including donor/sponsorship recognition, benches & picnic tables, signs identifying natural & heritage features, water taps, bike racks and parking improvements – $27,500
Funds have already been secured from SuperBuild, OFSC and the Trans Canada Trail Foundation and from the public for some of these costs. The Committee would look for more grants and for help from the community and from local businesses.
OPTIONS FOR TINY TRAIL BRIDGES: Henk Blom, Manager of Public Works, reported that 10 bridges on the Tiny Trail are in sufficient disrepair that they cannot carry a snowmobile groomer. Three are a safety hazard. The unspent SuperBuild funding amounts to $659,239, of which $286,769 would be contributed by the Township of Tiny. The available options are:
i) Do nothing except remove existing structures (bridges, abutments and piles) – $75,000
ii) Install 2 m wide wood frame bridges and Creek Level Trail — $140,400, of which $72,600 would be borne by the Township
iii) 2 m wide pedestrian steel girder bridge/wood deck at creek level – $162,100, of which $85,430 would be borne by the Township
iv) 2.5 m wide pedestrian steel girder bridge/wood deck at creek level – $166,100, of which $87,170 would be borne by the Township
v) Trail level 2 m wide pre-manufactured pedestrian steel bridge/wood deck – $675,960, of which $294,042 would be borne by the Township
vi) Trail level 2.5 wide pre-manufactured pedestrian steel bridge/wood deck – $738,500, of which $321,247 would be borne by the Township
vii) Trail level 3.6m wide snowmobile steel bridge/wood deck – low estimate $580,000, of which $252,300 would be borne by the Township; high estimate $1.2 million, of which $827,530 would be borne by the Township
MEETING RE FUTURE OF TINY TRAIL: After hearing the two reports summarized above, Council decided to schedule a public meeting about the Tiny Trail. There is to be held at
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Saturday October 16
Wyebridge Community Centre
At this meeting the two reports will be presented and questionnaires will be distributed. If you have views about the future of the trail, attend, and make them known. If you cannot attend, fill out the questionnaire which is available on the Township website – http://www.township.tiny.on.ca and send it in.
MEDIATION: Council has received a brief statement from the Mediators saying that their report has been submitted to the Attorney General and that they thank all those who have given time and energy to the mediation process in Tiny Township. Council instructed staff to write to the Mediators and to the Attorney General and ask for a copy of the Mediators’ Report.
FEDERATION’S ORAL SUBMISSION CONCERNING SHORE ISSUES: Council spent more than an hour considering the various recommendations in the FoTTSA submission (for the full text see the Report on Council for September 13). They asked for background information about parking and Major Park Master Plans and for input from the Manager of Pubic Works and from the Municipal Law Enforcement Officer.
SALE OF MUNICIPAL PROPERTY IN GEORGIAN BAY ESTATES AREA: The property in question is on the inland side of Champlain Road. Much of it is wetland and has Environmental zoning. Area residents are concerned about hunting in the area. On a 3 – 2 vote Council decided to retain a 150 foot wide strip fronting on Champlain Road and sell the balance to the adjacent landowners, as long as all costs were carried by the purchaser. Mayor Klug, Deputy Mayor Paul Maurice, and Councillor Ray Millar felt that the zoning restrictions in place were sufficient to protect the wetland and that the 150 foot buffer zone was sufficient to allay concerns about hunting. Councillors Rob Panasiuk and Peggy Breckenridge voted again the sale, Panasiuk, because he felt that the Township should continue to control this environmentally sensitive land and Councillor Breckenridge because she wanted the decision to be delayed for a year.
GARBAGE: The three Councillors were deeply concerned that the points made in discussions about garbage earlier in the year had not been reflected in the County’s arrangements for garbage collection in 2005. (The County of Simcoe has decided that a limit of 2 bags will be collected from each household, each week, with the option of putting out a third bag, with a tag purchased at a cost of $2.) Ray Millar expressed his disappointment that the vote on the matter at County was unanimous, as that meant that both Mayor Klug and Deputy Mayor Paul Maurice had supported County’s decision.
Mayor Klug (who sits on the Corporate Services Committee that recommended the 2-bag limit) said that he HAD presented his Council’s desire that there be some accommodation for the Township’s seasonal residents, but that he got no support.
Councillor Rob Panasiuk pointed out that two municipalities got special treatment from the County – and they were municipalities that collect less than two bags a week from each household — and that it could be argued that Tiny should receive more flexible treatment on the same ground. Even without a bag limit, the residents of Tiny put out the second lowest volume of garbage per household in the County – roughly 1.8 bags per week.
A representative from the County of Simcoe Environmental Services Division is to be invited to a meeting of Council to hear Council’s views on the matter.
COMMITTEES OF COUNCIL: Applications are now invited for positions on Committees of Council. The positions, which may be filled by electors in the Township of Tiny, are to last for 2005 and 2006, and the committees in question are:
Committee of Adjustment (5 members)
Tiny Trails Committee (6 members)
Historical and Heritage Committee (5 members)
Penetanguishene Library Board (1 member)
Huronia Airport Commission (1 member)
Applications are available on the Township website in the Community Info section under Public Notices “New Township Committee Members” and are to be submitted by Friday, October 29, to Roger Robitaille, Acting CAO/Clerk, Township of Tiny, R.R. #1, 130 Balm Beach Road West, Perkinsfield, ON L0L 1J0 or faxed to 705-525-2372.
PERMISSION TO ESTABLISH A TAKE-OUT EATING ESTABLISHMENT REQUESTED: Prior to the Public Planning Meeting on the application for a rezoning from Seasonal Residential to Tourist Commercial Exception at 9 Quesnelle Drive, off Concession Road 13 West, the Township had received at least 16 letters in opposition to the application, three of them from presidents of beach associations in the immediate area. At the meeting, half a dozen neighbours spoke of their desire that their area remain quiet and residential. Council unanimously rejected the application for rezoning.
REQUESTS FOR COUNCIL TO STOP UP/CLOSE/SELL TWO UNOPENED ROAD ALLOWANCES: Encroaching landowners at two beach road allowances want to purchase the land they’ve expanded onto. In both cases, public input was invited before Council made its decision.
1) One of these is at Thunder Beach, between 288 West Shore Drive and 20 Blue Lane. It was vigorously opposed by a resident, who drew attention to the private road sign that the encroaching resident had erected on the Township’s property, to the market value of beach front property at Thunder Beach, to the various uses the road allowance might serve including access for back lot owners and egress for storm water.
2) The second is at Farlain Lake. A number of back lot owners spoke in opposition to sale of the road allowance. They were supported by the Farlain Lake Association (with more than 80 member households) and by many waterfront owners.
FIRE CHIEF JIM SAWKINS RESIGNS: Council accepted the resignation of Chief Sawkins, effective October 3. The chief had been on “sick leave” since August 11. He assumed the position of Fire Chief with the Township of Muskoka Lakes on September 20. For more details about the sequence of events associated with the Chief’s resignation, see the Report on Council in Issue No. 24 of The Tiny Cottager.
