REPORT ON COUNCIL
February 24, 2003
Committee of the Whole
Evening Meeting
All members of Council present
CONFIDENTIAL / CLOSED SESSION:
PROPOSAL TO INVESTIGATE THE QUALITY OF BEACHES IN TINY: It has been a long time since Council's October 15 meeting with representatives of the Health Unit, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Severn Sound Environmental Association concerning factors that may have caused the alarming number of postings of public beaches in Tiny last summer. But finally the Severn Sound Environmental Association has presented a proposal to investigate the problem. The investigation would be focused on three beaches (possibly Woodland, Jackson Park, and Balm, which were mentioned in discussion, but not in the written Proposal). Keith Sherman presented the Proposal, and it would involve the participation of the Health Unit and Township staff.
Councillor Bob Buchkowsky questioned whether anything would be gained, apart from new statistics, by the proposed investigation. He pointed out that last year's high E. coli results had nothing to do with rainfall (one of the factors to be examined). He argued that the root causes of pollution are being dealt with in the septic re-inspection program and in new regulations concerning farm nutrients and the spreading of septage and sludge on fields.
The other four members of Council seemed to be more open to the approach suggested by Sherman. The Proposal is to be discussed again at Committee of the Whole, March 10.
Judith Grant, co-ordinator of the volunteer water program, suggested that a review of what is know about the pattern of currents in the Bay might be added to the proposal, as the October discussion had raised currents as a potential factor. Currents could bring pollution from the Nottawasaga River or they could move effluent from Tiny's own streams along the shore. For the full Proposal, click here.
: Henk Blom, Manager of Public Works, reported on progress made in the previous couple of weeks to bring Tiny's water systems into compliance with Ministry of the Environment requirements. There was no suggestion that there had been any problem with water quality.
MAURICE'S POINT AGAIN: The discussion about whether to permit a dwelling on this point in the 14th Concession Road was held in camera and the decision delayed again.
DEER WINTERING YARD STUDY: Michalski Nielson and Associates Ltd. have been hired to determine whether land in concession 2, 3, 4, and 5 currently designated for development should be redesignated as a deer wintering yard. Lands in the process of development
Severn Sound Environmental Association Proposal Investigation of the Quality of Beaches of the Township of Tiny.
The Municipality has requested the Severn Sound Environmental Association (SSEA) to investigate the factors affecting beach quality along the coast of the Township of Tiny in partnership with staff of the Township and the Simcoe County District Health Unit.
SSEA has reviewed the bacteriological quality concerns with the Township Council and staff, Health Unit staff and with the Area Beach Associations. The potential sources of bacteria that could influence the beaches include:
Each of these potential sources can be constant or fluctuate due to storm events or use.
In addition to direct or indirect sources of bacteria discharging to a beach, studies point to other factors that could influence the density of E. coli along beaches, including:
The most basic source of variability in bacterial quality results from sampling and analysis of the E. coli. Each beach presents a unique combination of the above mentioned factors because of the configuration of the beach, the soil and overburden conditions and land use in the immediate watershed draining to the beach are different. Some of the above sources and factors have been documented by previous work for the Tiny beaches. Some will have to be measured.
The questions that the investigation would seek to answer include:
What are the potential sources of bacterial contamination influencing the beaches?
How do the densities of E. coli vary at or between beaches and with time in relation to potential sources and other factors?
In order to answer these questions the study design would have the following approach.
The following tasks would be conducted:
Background Beach Quality (to be completed by end of May 2003)
Beach Quality monitoring during 2003 (to be completed during June, July and Aug 2003)
5. Health Unit staff would monitor the bacterial quality of selected public beaches.
Source monitoring during 2003 (to be completed during June, July and Aug 2003)
Under source monitoring, the parameters to be analysed by private laboratory include: E. coli, total phosphorus, ammonia, total Kjeldahl nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen. Field measurements of temperature and conductivity will also be taken.
Reporting and deliverables (draft report by December, 2003)
The funding required from the municipalities for the project is estimated at $25,000 to $35,000 (plus GST) over 2003.
Draft Prepared by: Keith Sherman, February 12, 2003
Severn Sound Environmental
Association Proposal
TOWNSHIP OF TINY BEACH
QUALITY STUDY
Task Cost In Kind
1. Background info $1,129 Tsp, HU
2. Existing Beach data analysis 461 HU
3. Existing Quality & flow 461 Twp
4. Working draft maps 814 HU, Twp
5. HU monitor beaches 455 HU
6. Beach Use surveys 1,130 Twp
7. Dry weather surveys 1,511 Twp
8. Wet weather surveys 2,624 SSEA, Twp
9. Stream surveys 1,619 SSEA
10. Reporting 3,786 SSEA
Analyses 16,861 15000 Contract
Equipment 2,500 SSEA
Project subtotal: 16,490
Admin 1,649
Analyses 16,861 15000 1860.56
Plus GST
12-Feb-2003