Council Reports June 2024
Regular Council Meeting Wednesday June 5th 2024
The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors Brunelle, Helowka and Walma in attendance. (At 6:15 pm Councillor Walma left the meeting to attend a fire call, retuning at 6:45pm)
Announcements:
Bonita Desroches Retirement
Council recognized the exceptional work and efforts put forth by the retiring Director of Recreation over the past 25 years and wished her the best of luck in her future endeavours.
New Staff
The following new staff were introduced.
Thomas Bialas, Recreation Services Coordinator
Jason Jones, Deputy Fire Chief
Eric Ladouceur, Fleet Operations Supervisor
Great Lakes City Conference – Montreal May 2024
Councillor Helowka reported briefly on the Great Lakes City Conference he attended in Montreal.
Fire Instructor Conference – Indianapolis April 2024
Councillor Walma, Councillor Helowka and the Fire Chief attended the conference. FDIC International offers thousands of Fire & Rescue professionals from around the world, quality world-class instructors, classrooms, workshops, and the most innovative products and services available to the industry.
Police Services Board Conference Collingwood May 2024
Mayor Evans reported briefly on the conference he attended.
Open Deputations:
Diane Leblovic
Ms. Leblovic praised the efforts of staff and volunteers in recognizing seniors’ contributions in Tiny. She also recognized the efforts of the Seniors Advisory Committee and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, specifically Bonita Desroches, Tim Leitch, Steve Harvey Sue Walton, Laura Russell and their respective teams. She also recognized the contributions to the community by Bonita Desroches on her retirement.
Scheduled Deputations:
Josephine Vacaro-Chang
Ms. Vacaro-Chang expanded on her desire to work with the Township to put on an Art in the Park Event taking place in Perkinsfield Park on either September 21 or 22 in conjunction with 2024 Culture Days.
The proposed event would promote arts in the community and feature exhibitors from within a 50 km. radius of Tiny. Community involvement through participation is also proposed through a large mosaic, stepping stones for gardens, tiles, etc.
Council was in basic support of the concept but would like staff to provide further detail on the costs and in-kind requirements involved.
Municipal Administrative Building Committee Meeting Minutes
Councillor Brunelle questioned how the reports referred to in the minutes would be submitted to the public. He also inquired about project completion dates (the plan is to start construction in 2025 and be ready for occupancy in 2027) and when the Project Roadmap timelines on the website would be updated.
Remote Hybrid Work Policy
Councillor Brunelle requested an update on this policy from CAO Lamb. Lamb reported he and the HR Manager are working on this and indicated there are some issues with this approach and will be reporting back to council.
Ad Hoc Citizens Committee on Council Remuneration
Council approved the following individuals be appointed to the newly formed committee:
• Jackie Chavarie
• Ray Millar
• Dan O’Rourke
Committee of the Whole Meeting Wednesday June 5th 2024
The Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Councillors Brunelle, Walma and Helowka were in attendance. Councillor Brunelle in the Chair.
Announcements:
New Town Hall Public Information Centres
Director Tim Leitch announced that three sessions will be held as follows:
July 16th 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Virtual – Educational
July 23rd 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Virtual – Educational
July 31st 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Council Chambers – Hybrid
Staff are looking forward to public input into the public spaces in the new Town Hall
Consent Items
Simcoe County Updates
Councillor Walma requested an update on the status of the green bin program. County Council had considered a change such that the black garbage bins would not be picked up if there was not a green bin beside it with the intention of increasing green bin use. Deputy Mayor Miskimins noted that this change was not supported by County Council.
Matters for Consideration:
Discussion/ Deputation by Loreta Santelli – Zoning By-law Amendment for Roadside Stands:
Council considered the scheduled deputation of May 15, 2024, from Loreta Santelli regarding a request to amend the Zoning By-law to allow for roadside stands.
Although Council did not oppose the concept, it was noted that more consideration must be given to the matter in the form of a staff report prior to any decision.
Discussion/ Deputation by Don Chapman – 2024 Terry Fox Run
Council considered the scheduled deputation of May 15, 2024, from Don Chapman regarding the 2024 Terry Fox Run. Council reiterated their support of the event. The event will be held on Saturday, September 15, 2024, with a starting point at Perkinsfield Park.
Docu-Share Upgrade – The Township’s Record Management Software Program
Council considered a staff report regarding an upgrade to the existing records management program, Docu-Share. It was noted that the program has not been upgraded since 2017 and for security purposes, it was determined that this should be done soon. The cost estimate is $11,200 which is to be taken from the Operating Reserve.
County of Simcoe Managed Services
The County of Simcoe strategic plan included developing IT security and shared services model for member municipalities. Tiny’s Director of Corporate Services and the IT Coordinator met with the County to discuss their IT shared service model.
Following these discussions, a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was provided. Staff worked with the County’s IT staff to align the County’s MOU to incorporate what is currently provided in Tiny’s current third-party Managed IT services agreement, obtain the County’s preferred vendor Microsoft licensing pricing, and incorporate the township’s servers and equipment under the umbrella of the County’s secure data center.
It is estimated that there will be an approximate annual savings of $80,000, which will include IT managed services, co-locating of physical servers, hosting virtual servers and aligning Tiny’s Microsoft agreement.
Council approved the recommendation to migrate IT to the Simcoe County IT managed services.
Heritage Advisory Committee – Heritage Plaque for 4 Potato Court
The homestead has been demolished. There is a location close-by where the plaque could be located. Council supported funding the plaque from the Heritage Advisory reserve as recommended.
Dean Masse – Request for Noise By-law Exemption
Mr. Masse of 1006 Tiny Beaches Road South, is applying to Council for an exemption of the noise by-law on Saturday, August 24, 2024 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. A band will be playing two sets and neighbours will be invited guests of the party.
Council approved the exemption.
New Business
Pay Parking at Trew Avenue Bluewater Beach
It was questioned as to why pay parking was removed here. Staff to report back with the reasoning at a future meeting.
Regular Council Meeting Wednesday June 26th 2024
The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors Brunelle, Helowka in attendance. Councillor Walma by video until 7:00 pm. After which he had to report for work.
Open Deputations:
Karen Zulynik – New Administrative Building
Ms. Zulynik noted from the consultant’s report that:
– $49 Million was the number arrived at from the report
– there was no mention anywhere of the public opposition to the administrative building.
– there was no explanation as to why a larger venue could not be secured for the public to voice their concerns with the proposed administrative building.
She mentioned her campaign to “Stop the Build/ keep Tiny affordable” was taking off with over 1000 signs.
She noted that her petition contained more names than votes for Deputy Mayor and three councillors.
She questions Council’s assertion that the silent majority do not oppose the building
She was concerned that cancelling the July Council meetings means having to wait until August to get the minutes of the June meeting.
Jesse Garland – Bluewater Dunes Parking
Ms. Garland explained that the pay parking at Bluewater Beach was removed due mainly for safety and security.
Paul Bell – Administrative Building
Mr. Bell stated that Council funding should be centred on environmental protection not expended on unnecessary administrative buildings.
Dave Wulff – Blackline Report
Mr. Wulff has not seen any reference to the Blackline Report which made several recommendations including the fact 15050 sq. ft. was sufficient to meet staff needs or employing flexible working arrangements. And that use of a hybrid work structure should be undertaken. He voiced concern that an expensive report was put on the shelf because it did not meet the aims of the CAO.
Lorrie Drury – Public Information Centres (PIC’s)
Concern that the scheduled PIC’s do not provide for meaningful input. Ratepayers are opposed to construction of this building and request public engagement. She requested a larger venue for public input.
David Jones
Indicated his concern that the quality of life is being jeopardized by the apathy of Council towards the public. He questioned whether the CAO is running the show and not the Council.
Councillor Brunelle thanked all for their courage to make the deputations and supported their requests.
Scheduled Deputations to Council:
Doctor Borys Kowalsky Ph.D.- Request for Referendum on New Administration Building
Mr. Kowalsky suggested a Township referendum be held on whether or not to proceed with the administrative centre building project.
He pointed out that costs of the project threaten to be substantially greater than those estimated by Council’s chosen consultants which would result in tax increases substantially higher than those projected by Council. Council is proceeding as though entirely oblivious to how much economic conditions have deteriorated since the idea of a new administrative centre was first brought up over a decade ago.
He noted that Council has not adequately explored ways of still further diminishing the need and pressure to build a new administrative building, such as remote/hybrid work policies and downsizing the municipal civil service. Also the new building issue was not explicitly raised and fully aired during the previous Tiny Township Council election campaign.
He urged Council to open the issue for wide open debate in an accessible, real public forum where voters can clearly hear their case for the new building side by side with the case against it, ask questions and get answers, all for the purpose of making up their own minds. To let the people decide!
Frank Dunnigan, Bluewater Community Action Group – Request for Paid Parking at Bluewater Beach Park and Fifth Concession
Mr. Dunnigan explained why the pay parking was removed from Trew Avenue citing low revenue, inadequate space, dune protection violations, danger for traffic and emergency vehicles on Trew Ave, visitor complaints regarding limited space, inadequate facilities.
Items for Consideration
Proposed Motion – Cancellation of July 17, 2024 Council and
Committee of the Whole Meetings (Councillor Helowka)
Councillor Helowka put forth a motion recommending cancelling the July meetings so that they could have a summer break. Councillor Brunelle opposed citing the large number of issues facing the Township and pointing out that this reduces the opportunities for seasonal residents to have a voice.
2024 Township of Tiny Asset Management Plan
The 2024 Township of Tiny Asset Management Plan (AMP) has been developed as an update to the 2022 Asset Management Plan.
This 2024 AMP analyzed the Township’s assets and classified them within different asset categories to provide clarity. All information analyzed and updated in this report are current as of November 2023.
The 2022 Asset Management Plan exceeded requirements and the ‘state of infrastructure for all assets’ was included in the 2022 AMP. The added information in this report concerns the current level of service for all non-core assets.
There have been some vast improvements in data confidence since the 2022 AMP was finalized. In addition, on-site inventory validations for the water network pumphouse components, the development of the fleet management strategy, migration of fire equipment data from other data sources, and general clean-up of the asset portfolio supported the improvement in data confidence.
This Asset Management Plan is intended to be a guide to assist with addressing the current infrastructure deficit.
The Financial Strategy in this report provides scenarios with potential tax rate increases to close the existing funding gap. Staff recommend implementing a 2.39% annual municipal tax rate increase allocated to investment in infrastructure for the next 20 years to achieve full funding of capital replacements per this revised Asset Management Plan. As the AMP is an ever-evolving plan, this target should be updated on an annual basis to ensure that the Township is keeping the taxation target in line with changes.
The Water department is in the process of completing a Water Master Plan and Water Financial Strategy. Staff suggest that these two reports be read in conjunction with the Asset Management Plan when considering the water user rates, although within the report it is suggested that the water rates be adjusted annually for the next 10 years by 2.07% in order to target closing the water infrastructure gap in that time.
The Financial Strategy also identifies options for debt financing to help address the infrastructure investment deficit sooner than later.
Lastly, the financial strategy identifies the total replacement cost of all assets with a risk rating of very high. These assets should be considered priority when allocating limited available funding.
Of the $49.6 million in infrastructure backlog, $23.4 million is associated with the road network, and $18 million is associated with the other non-core category (Shoreline protections, fencing, and signage). The other non-core asset category also includes buildings. Building condition assessments have been completed, however the results were not available at the time of this report, and therefore data confidence in this category remains low. Staff recommend this be further refined before addressing and adding into the financial strategy, the overall backlog.
The full report is available here.
Township of Tiny Asset Management Policy
The Corporate Asset Management Policy was created in 2019 to outline the Township’s commitment to managing assets and providing services to stakeholders in a fiscally responsible manner that supports a healthy, safe and vibrant Township.
The update to this policy reflects the 4 guiding principals as established by Council in the 2022-2026 Strategic Plan which are:
- Sustainable Long Term Fiscal Management
- Infrastructure Revitalization
- Environment and Public Land Management
- Organizational and Corporate Development
Council approved the updates.
Proposed Township of Tiny Administrative Centre Committee – Ad Hoc Committee
At its meeting of May 27, 2024, the Township of Tiny Administrative Centre Committee (TTAC) recommended the formation of an Ad Hoc Committee comprised of seven (7) residents (with experience in the following areas: Accessibility, Heritage and Culture, Parks and Recreation, Youth, Bilingual, Indigenous background), the appropriate staff member(s) and a Council representative to provide recommendations on various features and enhancements of the new administrative centre, as well as possible fundraising initiatives.
The recommendations shall be vetted by the TTAC for final approval by Council. The committee would be in place for the duration of the administrative centre construction.
It is proposed that the Ad Hoc Committee will commence after the upcoming Public Information Centres (PICs).
The proposed terms of reference are as follows:
1. To review the public space(s) component of the new administrative centre in anticipation of making recommendations for same.
2. To vet public feedback on the building features received from the PICs with consideration of the potential cost and overall benefit.
3. To make recommendations on building features and enhancements for the public space(s), i.e. murals, artwork displays.
4. To make recommendations on fundraising initiatives or contests, i.e. room naming opportunities, buy a “brick” opportunity.
5. To make recommendations on accessible features for the public space(s).
6. To report back to the TTAC on its findings and recommendations.
7. To meet on an as needed basis, at the call of the appointed Chair.
Once the terms and composition of the Ad Hoc Committee are approved, staff will proceed with advertising the member vacancies, with a subsequent, confidential report to Council to consider the applications received for formal appointment.
Council approved this recommendation with only Councillor Brunelle in opposition.
Committee of the Whole Meeting Wednesday June 26th 2024
The Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Councillors Brunelle, and Helowka were in attendance. Councillor Helowka in the Chair. Councillor Walma absent.
Discussion/ Deputation of June 5, 2024, by Josephine Vacaro-Chang – Art in the Park Event
Mayor Evans, although in support of the proposal, feels it is too late in the year to move forward and recommended it be considered by the Recreation Department for 2025. The councillors present agreed.
Tiny Township Administrative Centre
Unity Design Studio (formerly Lett Architects) has submitted a design report for work they have completed as part of Phase 1. This report includes the background, methodology, information, and analysis the architect used to develop their schematic design. The report also includes renderings of the schematic design, outline specifications, the functional program, and a Class D Estimate for the project performed by Marshall & Murray Inc., a cost consultant.
The main intent of this report is to seek approval for the Township to start the Phase 2 activities which will include design and budget planning for the balance of the project (2025/6/7).
Under the scope of work specified for Phase 2 it was anticipated that the building would have some focus on energy efficiency upgrades over and above what is required in the Ontario Building Code, but no sustainability metrics or targets had been set.
Based on Council’s direction, the Township is now planning a net-zero energy and carbon facility and is planning on including a large amount of public space. Pursuing this type of environmentally focused facility will make the Township eligible for grants and borrowing options that would otherwise not be available. Based on this directive, additional sub-consultants are needed to be carried by the Architect to do things like additional energy modelling, specialized HVAC designs (geothermal), design of a photovoltaic system, etc. and additional time is required by all consultants.
Unlike the Phase 1 works, the fee structure for Phase 2 is not based on a lump sum, but a percentage of the construction cost of the facility. Unity had originally proposed a fee of 5.63%.
They have provided a revised fee of 6.63% for the Council approved increased scope of work as noted above. They have also included a provision that their fee would increase or decrease if the construction cost decreases or increases.
The recommended fee from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada for a project of this size is 11.32% – 11.53%. Therefore, staff’s opinion is that the proposed revised fee from Unity is still extremely competitive.
The next step to the project, after kicking off Phase 2 with the architect/consultants, is to solicit via Request for Proposal (RFP) to hire a Construction Manager at Risk (CM). The CM takes the place of a traditional general contractor in the construction process and hires all the subcontractors to perform the work. The CM is paid directly for their time by the owner (Tiny). The main goal of the CM is to advise the Township and architect on the constructability of the project and keep it on time and within budget while looking for cost saving opportunities through design, materials and supplier performance.
Councillor Brunelle requested a recorded vote on the proposed motion. Council approved moving forward with awarding the contract to Unity for the Phase 2 detailed design and construction as presented. The motion was approved 3-1 with Councillor Brunelle abstaining.
Full report available here.
Motions by Councillor Walma
Based on a previous notice of motion it was recommended that staff enter into discussions with the County of Simcoe regarding Tiny getting delegated authority to enforce their roadside/household refuse bylaw. S. Harvey explained that they already have this authority. As such the motion was not seconded and thereby lost.
Based on a previous notice of motion it was recommended that staff report back on recruitment retention initiatives including enrolling volunteer firefighters into the OMERS pension plan. Mayor Evans recommended that the motion be amended to add that this be discussed during 2025 budget discussions. Council concurred unanimously.
Consent Items
Tay Request for Review of SSEA Funding Agreement
Mayor Evans outlined his views on the value of the SSEA and supported the rights of the other seven (7) municipalities to view their opinions on their needs from SSEA. He believes Tiny should express support for SSEA services and noted that if a review is to be conducted that it is a comprehensive review of the entire partnership agreement and conducted by an independent third party.
Letter to Town of Midland Re: Septage
Mayor Evans pointed out that the response from Midland requesting a one-year extension for receiving Tiny septage was not positive and that other alternatives were being considered.
Discussion ensued regarding the formation of a Tiny septage committee with involvement from the County. Director Leitch indicated that they are currently working with neighbouring communities to come up with short-, medium- and long-term solutions.
New Business
A request for an exemption to the noise bylaw for a private party being held by Trish Campbell at Woodland Beach (2211 TBRS) between 3:00 and 7:00 pm on August 10th, 2024 was approved by Council.
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