REPORT ON COUNCIL:
October 28, 2013
Committee of the Whole Meeting: 9:00 am – 11:27am
Regular Meeting: 7:00pm-7:35pm
Mayor Millar, Deputy Mayor Lawrence, Councilors Warren, Wishart, Claire
Closed Meeting Investigator Appointment
The Committee considered a draft resolution regarding the proposed appointment of JGM Consulting to provide closed meeting investigation services.
Staff brought forward the draft resolution to the Regular Meeting to advise the County of Simcoe to include the Township of Tiny in the current contract between JGM Consulting and other member municipalities for the remainder of 2013 and that Tiny be included in the contract with member municipalities for the provision of closed meeting investigation services with JGM Consulting for a two-year term (January 1, 2014 December 31, 2015).
In 2008 the Municipal Act was amended to include provisions for increased openness and transparency. Section 239.1 allows any person to request an investigation into whether a municipality or local board has complied with Section 239 of the Act or a procedure by-law under Subsection 238(2) with respect to closing a meeting to the public.
Investigations are to be undertaken by an investigator or the Ombudsman under a joint arrangement with member municipalities. The County would pay the cost of the annual retainer for the participating municipalities and each member would cover the costs of closed meeting investigators for their municipality. In 2010 and 2011 fifteen municipalities participated. Eleven municipalities are interested in signing on for 2014.
The County’s portion of the annual retainer is $1,000 plus $300. / municipality. The annual cost to the County has been $4,600 plus taxes.
Tiny will now be paying JGM Consulting a $300 annual retainer, $100 per hour for time spent on queries, and an extra charge for mileage, meals and accommodations. JGM Consulting doesn’t provide French language services, something required by Canton de Tiny. The Ombudsman, an independent officer of the Ontario legislature, does provide French language investigations and does not bill municipalities for any of the above mentioned costs.
The motion to dismiss the Ombudsman and hire JGM Consulting, a unilingual (English) service provider, was moved by Councilor Claire, who insisted that the recent Ombudsman’s investigation, be conducted in French.
County Council/Update
Mayor Millar reiterated his concerns over the County’s proposed change to the Committee of the Whole (COW) structure that is currently being tested on a pilot project basis at the County. Previously the Mayor and Deputy Mayor would sit on one of three Committees: Corporate Services, Performance Management or Human Resource Services.
The COW format requires all members of Council to be thoroughly familiar with the work of all committees. The Standing Committee structure on the other hand allows Councilors to dig deeper into the issues affecting their respective committees while having an overview of the remaining committees. “While I may have the time to read the reports of all committees, I simply do not have the time necessary to think critically about the issues.” “I am less inclined to challenge a report’s recommendation when I haven’t had the opportunity to think about the matter. As a result, recommendations are often accepted with little debate. I’m not certain we are well served by that process.”
“We need to look at the County’s governance structure overall. It’s not enough that we simply tinker with governance. The County is a $500,000,000 a year corporation and to expect political oversight on an ad hoc basis, is not reasonable.”
Small, Rural and Northern Municipal Infrastructure Fund
Expression of Interest
In its 2013 budget the Ontario government is making available a new $100 million municipal infrastructure fund to help small, rural and northern municipalities address roads, bridges and other infrastructure needs. Eligible municipalities can apply for $71 million in funding. The deadline for submitting an Expression of Interest is November 1, 2013. Funding has been given to 109 projects. The Township completed an Expression of Interest with the assistance of R J Burnside on the replacement of water mains within the Georgian Sands Water System at a cost of $1.5 million. Tiny would provide 50% and grant funding would supply the rest.
The Committee considered Public Works Report from Henk Blom regarding follow-up information for the Infrastructure Fund.
Staff brought forward a draft resolution at the Regular Meeting to authorize staff to declare that there is an Expression of Interest; that the Township will have an Asset Management Plan in place by December 31, 2013 and will be publicly available by March 31, 2014 and that the project will be complete by December 31, 2015.
Pre-budget Approval/Comprehensive Parking Strategy
The Committee considered a draft resolution regarding pre-budget approval for a Comprehensive Parking Strategy as discussed at the October 23, 2013 Council Budget Meeting.
Staff brought forward the draft resolution at the Regular to retain the services of R. J. Burnside & Associates Ltd. to develop a detailed “scope of work” for a Comprehensive Parking Strategy for all Township roads. In addition, that a communication and public consultation/engagement strategy be developed in conjunction with the Comprehensive Parking Strategy (Funding included in 2014 Budget -$15,000). Burnside was chosen because it has a long relationship with the Township and sensitivity to residents’ issues. Burnside would not have a steep learning curve as would be the case with other consulting firms.
Emergency Services Activity Report/Period Ending September 30, 2013
The Committee considered Emergency Services Report from Tony Mintoff, Fire Chief. Chief Mintoff mentioned that the dust created by trade people is the major cause of false alarms. He suggested that when the permits are issued it would be a good idea to make the trades aware of problems with dust and false alarms. Residents are charged a response fee when there are more than 2 false alarms. Calls are often to seasonal residents where the owners are difficult to contact. He has ordered door hangers which will be placed on the doors of visited residents.
Accessibility Advisory Committee/Accessibility Audit/Huronia Airport
As the Council representative on the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC), Mayor Millar informed the members of Council that the AAC has conducted several surveys at municipally owned properties to assess accessibility requirements. He reported that the survey done at the Huronia Airport indicated some minor deficiencies at the ramp entrance, washrooms and general issues such as reflective strip on steps, automatic openers for door leading to the airstrip and the designated accessible parking which has been completed.
Accessibility Advisory Committee/Investigation of Mobi-Mats
As the Council representative on the Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC), Mayor Millar reported that the AAC has been looking at acquiring Mobi-Mats to enable persons with mobility problems to access the shoreline. He noted that the AAC is preparing a proposal in an effort to be ready should a funding opportunity arise to help offset the cost of the Mobil-Mats. The public washroom area at Balm Beach would be one site option
Proclamation Restorative Justice Week
Council proclaimed November 17-24 as Restorative Justice Week. Restorative Justice is a non-adversarial, non-retributive approach to justice that emphasizes healing in victims, accountability of offenders and involvement of citizens in creating healthier, safer communities. The intent is to develop better understanding and empathy for each other’s positions. The emphasis is on communication and understanding, not punishment. The investigating Police Officer decides whether the accused goes to Restorative Justice Panel. At the panel the accused explains why they acted that way and the victim provides an impact statement. All parties must agree to this approach.
