MUNICIPALITY OF ARRAN-ELDERSLIE

Council Meeting

MINUTES

Meeting No. 7-2023
-
Council Chambers
1925 Bruce Road 10, Chesley, ON
Council Present:
  • Mayor Steve Hammell
  • Deputy Mayor Jennifer Shaw
  • Councillor Ryan Nickason
  • Councillor Darryl Hampton
  • Councillor Brian Dudgeon
  • Councillor Moiken Penner
  • Councillor Peter Steinacker
Staff Present:
  • Sylvia Kirkwood - CAO
  • Christine Fraser-McDonald - Clerk
  • Julie Hamilton - Deputy Clerk
  • Scott McLeod - Public Works Manager
  • Tracey Neifer - Treasurer
  • Carly Steinhoff - Recreation Manager
  • Pat Johnston - Chief Building Official - Present Electronically
  • Steve Tiernan - Fire Chief

Mayor Hammell called the meeting to order at 9:00 am. A quorum was present. 

  • The winner of the Community Guide Cover Photo Contest was Joleen Comrie. All other participant’s photos will be included the guide.
  • The Rally to Save the Chesley Hospital is on April 1st at 2:00 p.m. at the Chesley Community Centre. There is a petition at the back of the Council Chambers that is available for everyone to sign.
  • Don’t forget to sign up for the “Food Cycler”. This is an in-home food waste diversion solution. It converts food waste into garden mulch. There are only 40 left!
  • And a note about the branding for Chesley and Tara. 448 people voted for their favourite logo. The brands are now completed and the results will be released to the public later today.
  • I would like to welcome Rebecca Zettler back from her maternity leave.

Council passed the following resolution: 

  • 98-07-2023
    Moved by:Councillor Dudgeon
    Seconded by:Councillor Nickason

    Be It Resolved that the agenda for the Council Meeting of Monday, March 27, 2023 be received and adopted, as distributed by the Clerk.

    Carried

Councillor Steinacker discussed his Notice of Motion with Council.

He feels it encourages more people to run for election and councillors will be more engage with the municipality as a whole and not just their own ward.  Candidates will have to do more campaigning and it will encourage them to make themselves more known to the voters.  It will move the Municipality ahead and everyone should have a chance to vote for the people who are running for election.

Deputy Mayor Shaw feels that it makes sense to review this after 24 years from amalgamation.  Council makes a decision for the whole municipality and voters should be able to vote for everyone that is running.  The sooner this is undertaken, the better as it takes time to go through this process.  It warrants staff coming back with a report for Council.

Subsequent to further discussion, Council passed the following resolution:

  • 99-07-2023
    Moved by:Councillor Steinacker
    Seconded by:Deputy Mayor Shaw

    Be it resolved that the Municipal Act, 2001, s 222 (1) states that “without limiting sections 9, 10 and 11, those sections authorize a municipality to divide or redivide the municipality into wards or to dissolve the existing wards. 

    That the Municipality of Arran-Elderslie currently utilizes the ward system for the election of municipal officials; and

    That the current ward system establishes representation of one elected official from each of the five (5) wards, a Mayor and Deputy Mayor who are elected at large; and

    An eligible elector in Arran-Elderslie is entitled to vote for the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and the Councillor in the ward in which the voter resides; and

    An at-large election would allow an eligible voter to vote for whomever they choose of the eligible candidates for the five Councillor seats as well as the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

    Now therefore, Council directs staff to fully review the reasons for dissolving the wards and to bring back a report at a future Council meeting in 2023.

    Carried

Subsequent to further discussion, Council passed the following resolution:

  • 100-07-2023
    Moved by:Deputy Mayor Shaw
    Seconded by:Councillor Hampton

    Be It Resolved that the Council of the Municipality of Arran-Elderslie adopt the minutes of the Regular Council Session held March 13, 2023.

    Carried

Maxwell Johnston from the Paisley Blues Festival noted that they are going back to their original festival format inside at the Paisley Arena.  This way it could not be cancelled due to the rain. There will also be an arts fair.

Paisley Blues Festival will be spending over $50,000 on Artists Performance fees alone in 2023. Admission to the festival is "by donation", with donations and other proceeds going to the Paisley Splash Pad Committee. Paisley Blues Festival feels that high quality live music should be accessible to everyone, regardless of financial situations. As other festivals continue to get more and more expensive, we keep bucking that trend, offering a truly "inclusive" event for the region. Our "high quality" offering of Artists in 2023 include 3 Juno award winners, 2 Juno award nominees, 1 International Blues Challenge winner, 1 International Blues Challenge finalist, 1 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, 3 Maple Blues award winners, plus other Artists.  

Last week, Paisley Blues Festival was once again named one of the Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario. Other Bruce County Festivals also on this prestigious list include Port Elgin Pumpkinfest, Kincardine's Lighthouse Blues Festival, and Lucknow's Music in the Fields. 

They have funding from federal and provincial agencies.

Admission is by donation and all proceeds will go to the Paisley Splashpad via the Municipality.

Bruce Pieroway, Katie Schuknecht and Eric Weatherall made a presentation to Council on behalf of the Chesley Lawn Bowling Club.

They noted that they are seeking approval from Council so that Facilities Manager Carly Steinhoff can apply for a Trillium grant for the other half of the Club House. The Club has completed a design and the construction drawings for this renovation. They have also received quotes from contractors for this project. The Club is now prepared to move forward.  It needs to be completed within the next five years.

The Club cannot apply for a grant as it is a Municipally owned building.  They would apply for a grant this year and complete the reconstruction next year.

Council directed staff to bring back a report for a future Council meeting.

Tim Lanthier, CAO of the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority made a presentation to Council to discuss the changing relationship between the Conservation Authority and Council.

Mr. Lanthier discussed the Mandatory vs. Non-Mandatory Programs with Council.

Category 1: Mandatory Programs and Services
• These are programs that must be provided and for which levy can be apportioned.
• Category 2: Municipal Programs and Services
• These are programs carried out on behalf of a municipality. Costs are determined within service
agreement.
• Category 3: Other Programs and Services
• These are programs that the Authority deems to be advisable to further the purposes of the Act.
• General Operating Expenses
• Corporate and other operating expenses essential to the organization.

Through recent changes to the CAA, the Province has defined Mandatory
programs as programs and services related to:
• Natural Hazards – Planning, Permitting, Flood Forecasting, Flood and Erosion Control
• Management of CA-Owned Lands – passive and related amenities
• Drinking Water Source Protection

Other Items Prescribed:

  • Core Watershed-Based Resource Management Strategy
  • Water Quality and Quantity Monitoring

New Budget Process:
• One regulation incorporates the previous two.
• Weighted collection of levy from all member municipalities for Category 1 programs and general operating expenses/capital costs. Same as existing.
• Municipal Services agreements to define fee for service for Category 2 programs.
• Agreements for Category 3 programs if apportionment required.
• Board approves for circulation, 30-day circulation period, final Board approval.

The Transition Plan defines the timeline for getting agreements in place.
• GSCA’s Transition Plan was circulated on December 22, 2021.
• Inventory of Programs and Services defines the work that GSCA does,
the cost to provide this work, and Categorization into Category 1, 2, 3 or General Operating Expense.
• GSCA’s Inventory of Programs and Services was circulated on January 28, 2022.
• MOU’s or Agreements will be required between GSCA and each member municipality by December 31, 2023. 

As we move forward through this transition, the following actions are necessary:
• Council should ask/provide any questions regarding the inventory ASAP.
• Over the next 2 - 3 months we will be meeting with municipal staff to iron out the agreements.
• Would like to have all agreements signed by ~August 31, 2023, at the latest.
• Create first draft budget under new regulations: ~September 2023
• Implement approved budget under new regulations: January 1, 2024

At this time, to ensure we meet these tight deadlines, we request the following:
• That Council direct Staff to work with GSCA to draft necessary agreement(s).
• That Council direct Staff to bring such agreements back to Council for authorization in June or July 2023.

Council directed staff to work with GSCA to draft necessary agreement(s) and o bring such agreements back to Council for authorization in June or July 2023.

Kayla Martin and Antonius Peters made a presentation to Council regarding their proposed project.

EH!tel is Connecting Saugeen First Nation’s network with a new high capacity Fibre Line, and enabling
“Fibre to the Premise” for those along Highway 21. • EH!tel wishes to construct Fibre to the Premise to a dozen homes along Sideroad 15 North Arran in the village of Elsinore. 

Staff will work with the company regarding their project.

Council directed staff to bring back a report to the next available Council meeting regarding different options for this area.

Subsequent to further discussion, Council passed the following resolution:

  • 101-07-2023
    Moved by:Councillor Dudgeon
    Seconded by:Councillor Nickason

    Be It Resolved that the Council of the Municipality of Arran-Elderslie receives, notes, and files correspondence on the Council Agenda for information purposes.

    Carried

CAO Sylvia Kirkwood noted that the branding for Chesley and Tara has been completed.  There was almost 450 votes.  The next steps are to complete the Community Tool Kits.  The plan is to have this brought back to Council and they are encouraging business owners to apply to Spruce the Bruce  for funding.

Works Manager Scott McLeod discussed his report with Council.

Subsequent to further discussion, Council passed the following resolution:

  • 102-07-2023
    Moved by:Deputy Mayor Shaw
    Seconded by:Councillor Dudgeon

    Be It Resolved that Council hereby,

    1. Award the contract for the Sidewalk Rehabilitation Project to Signature Contractors Windsor Inc. in the amount of $1,244,904.05 inclusive of HST;
    2. That the award of the Sidewalk Rehabilitation Project be given pre-budget approval for the 2023 portion of funds of $410,695; and
    3. That the remaining project be funded through the capital budget account 22-TRANS-0005-ROADS-Sidewalks.
    Carried

13.3

 

Treasurer Tracey Neifer discussed her report with Council.

Subsequent to further discussion, Council passed the following resolution:

  • 103-07-2023
    Moved by:Councillor Hampton
    Seconded by:Councillor Nickason

    Be It Resolved that Council hereby,

    1. Approve the Council Remuneration and Expenses for 2022 for posting on the municipal website.
    Carried

None.

Deputy Mayor Jennifer Shaw noted that she would be bringing back a Notice of Motion regarding support for Bill 5 to the next Council meeting.

Bill 5 is a private members bill that would require the Code of Conduct to comply with Workplace Violence and Harassment policy.

Shaw:

Deputy Mayor Shaw attended the Grey Sauble Conservation Authority meeting, there will be an Earth Day film festival at the Roxy in Owen Sound, and there will be an event geared to Agri-Tourism at Ackroyd's Honey in Tara. She attended a SMART meeting and the Politicians Day at Keady. She will be attending the discussion regarding the amalgamated chamber.

Hampton:

Councillor Hampton noted the Hospital Rally will be on April 1st at 2:00 p.m. at the Chesley Community Centre. 

Dudgeon:

Councillor Dudgeon was absent.

Steinacker:

Councillor Steinacker has received phone calls and emails regarding the proposed cannabis production facility in Tara. He attended the Safe Community meeting in Hanover.  He will be attending the amalgamated chamber meeting in Chesley.

Penner:

Councillor Penner had nothing to report.

Nickason:

Councillor Nickason had nothing to report except for phone calls and email regarding the proposed cannabis production facility in Tara.

Hammell:

Mayor Hammell was a guest to tour the Chesley Hospital with MPP Rick Byers, attended a meeting with the CAO of South Bruce to discuss the potential siting of a deep depository for used fuel bundles. He attended the regional steering committee for the Clean Energy Frontier. He also wished Councillor Steinacker a happy birthday.

Subsequent to further discussion, Council passed the following resolution:

  • 104-07-2023
    Moved by:Deputy Mayor Shaw
    Seconded by:Councillor Nickason

    Be it Resolved that Council hereby waives the fees for the rental of the Chesley Community Centre on May 9, 2023 for the Ontario Provincial Police to host a community meeting regarding a "Human Trafficking Community Information Session".  The fee for this rental would be $272.97 plus HST as well as $4.00 per hour, plus HST for insurance.

    Carried

17.

 

Subsequent to further discussion, Council passed the following resolution:

  • 105-07-2023
    Moved by:Councillor Hampton
    Seconded by:Councillor Nickason

    Be It Resolved that By-law No. 20-2023 be introduced and read a first, second and third time, signed by the Mayor and Clerk, sealed with the Seal of the Corporation, and engrossed in the By-law Book.

     By-law 20-2023 being a By-law to adopt the Budget (estimates of revenues and expenditures) for the tax purposes for the year 2023.

Subsequent to further discussion, Council passed the following resolution:

  • 106-07-2023
    Moved by:Deputy Mayor Shaw
    Seconded by:Councillor Nickason

    Be It Resolved that By-law No. 21-2023 be introduced and read a first, second and third time, signed by the Mayor and Clerk, sealed with the Seal of the Corporation, and engrossed in the By-law Book.

    By-law 21-2023 being a By-law to assess and levy the rates required for the lawful purposes of the Municipality of Arran-Elderslie for 2023.

    Carried

Subsequent to further discussion, Council passed the following resolution:

  • 107-07-2023
    Moved by:Deputy Mayor Shaw
    Seconded by:Councillor Hampton

    Be It Resolved that By-law No. 24-2023 be introduced and read a first, second and third time, signed by the Mayor and Clerk, sealed with the Seal of the Corporation, and engrossed in the By-law Book.

     

    By-law 24-2023 being a By-law to confirm the proceedings of the Regular Council meeting of the Municipality of Arran-Elderslie held Monday, March 27, 2023.

    Carried

Subsequent to further discussion, Council passed the following resolution:

  • 108-07-2023
    Moved by:Councillor Nickason
    Seconded by:Councillor Steinacker

    Be It Resolved that the meeting be adjourned to the call of the Mayor at 12:05 p.m.

    Carried

April 11, 2023

April 24, 2023

May 8, 2023

May 23, 2023