REPORT ON COUNCIL
November 28 and December 12, 2016
Committee of the Whole Meeting November 28: 9 a.m. – 6:12 p.m.
Regular Meeting November 28: 6 p.m. – 6:59 p.m.; December 12: 9 a.m. – ??? p.m.
Mayor George Cornell, Deputy Mayor Steffen Walma, Councillors Cindy Hastings, Richard Hinton and Gibb Wishart all present for the November 28 Committee of the Whole. Deputy Mayor Walma absent for the November 28 Regular Meeting.
MAJOR BEACH PARKS:
For each of the five major beach parks – Bluewater, Jackson, Lafontaine, Woodland, and Balm, Counci considered:
No Smoking policy,
Wayfinding Signage,
Delineation,
Hours of Operation, and
BBQ Policy/Area.
In addition Council discussed –
for Bluewater, permit/paid parking, encroachments, and education signage re dune preservation/native grasses;
for Jackson, permit/paid parking, sand restoration at southeast side, boat launch rules, and public swimming area;
for Lafontaine, permit/paid parking; for Woodland, permit/paid parking;
and for Balm, no barbecuing and placement of a volleyball court. Staff is to review paid/permit parking at all five parks and report back.
GROWTH MANAGEMENT STRATEGY:
In November, Kris Menzies and Dan Currie of MHBC Planning summarized for Council the Provincial and County planning policies that impact Tiny Township’s growth management. While there are probably sufficient lands zoned to accommodate forecasted seasonal population grown and more than enough employment lands for forecasted employment growth, there are not enough lands in designated settlement areas to accommodate forecasted permanent population growth. They recommended that the Township initiate the process to determine the appropriate location for a settlement boundary expansion.
On December 12, Kris Menzies returned to educate and inform Council about the Official Plan process. Council learned that the population growth numbers proposed by the Province and the County were “forecasted” numbers rather than “maximum” or “capped” numbers and that there were no “forecasted” numbers for the township’s seasonal population. If the forecasted numbers prove to be inaccurate, adjustments can be made. Council directed staff to work with MHBC to complete a Municipal Comprehensive Review with input from the County and/or the Province, and also to proceed with the comprehensive Official Plan Review and Update.
GEORGIAN BAY SNOWRIDERS AGREEMENT:
Council authorized the usual agreement with the Snowriders and the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (groups that keep the Tiny Trail groomed) for the winter season.
GUESTHOUSE SHELTER LOAN:
Midland, Penetanguishene, Tay, and Tiny jointly authorized a $100,000 loan to the Guesthouse in Midland (each municipality contributed $25,000.)
PHRAGMITES CONTROL RESEARCH:
On November 14 Professor Lynn Short reported on the effectiveness of various degrees of the spading method of control for invasive Phragmites at Wymbolwood Beach this past summer, and requested in kind support from the municipality to allow the project to be undertaken again next year on the same site. (For a thorough description of the work undertaken this past summer, see the fall 2016 Tiny Cottager.) On November 28, Council agreed to supply the requested support. Short is liaising with the Severn Sound Environmental Association with regard to a site in Midland and will be in discussion with SSEA in coming months.
EURASIAN WATERMILFOIL (EWM) IN FARLAIN LAKE:
In a deputation on November 14, Peter Andrews updated Council on the current state of invasive EWM in Farlain Lake, which was first discovered in late August 2012. The Farlain Lake Association undertook hand harvesting in July 2014 and again in 2015. It trained volunteers, monitored and mapped known outbreaks and set up an information kiosk. Discouragingly, the infestation recurred and expanded. In 2016, the Association investigated a new harvesting method called DASH (Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting). Instead of a SCUBA diver transfering uprooted vegetation to a surface crew, the diver feeds the plants into a suction hose and onto a platform. The vegetation is then separated from the water, and the water is filtered and returned it to the lake. This method is faster and ensures that minimal or no fragments are returned to the lake.
The Association is fundraising to purchase a DASH system. Council recommended that the Association partner with the SSEA in applying for grants. As Council’s representative on the SSEA, Deputy Mayor Walma said he would raise EWM and phragmites at a meeting on January 15. The Township will link its website to information about EWM on the Farlain website. Council also agreed to supply in-kind support for the Association’s fundraising event on July 2, 2017.
2017 COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE:
As usual, Regular Committee of the Whole Meetings and Regular Meetings of Council are to take place on the second and last Monday of each month with the first meetings of each month being consolidated (the Regular Meeting following on the heels of the Regular Committee of the Whole Meeting). If a statutory holiday falls on the Monday of a meeting, the meeting is generally moved to the Tuesday of that week. In a few cases conferences and prior commitments affect the schedule. The detailed schedule is available on tiny.ca.
MCMAHAN WOODS:
As Tim Leitch, Manager of Public Works, found both under- and above- ground works to be satisfactorily constructed, Council accepted the Certificate of Substantial Completion and Acceptance. Two-year maintenance periods commenced as of October 21, 2016 and November 21, 2016. It also approved the reduction in securities from $434,637.40 to $54,298.75
WIND TURBINES:
Council decided that the Township would maintain its position as an unwilling host for Industrial Wind Turbines, and directed staff to investigate all legitimate measures to address applications for their installation.
VOTE BY MAIL:
The 2018 municipal election will again use Vote by Mail.
ATV USE:
Based on its discussion of Tim Leitch’s Public Works Report PWR-049-16, Council decided that Option #3 should be implemented, allowing ATVs to use specific areas such as County Forests and access routes for their trail use based on the final implementation of the outlined conditions. Leitch’s Report is available under Public Works in the Committee of the Whole Agenda for November 28, 2016.
