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Greater Gravenhurst Residents Association

 

Report of Gravenhurst Council Meeting   September  20, 2011

 

Councillor King was absent.  Councillor Donohue arrived part way through the meeting 

The press was not in attendance 

There was one deputation. Tom Steadman gave a status report on the Economic Development committee.  He provided a handout that outlined the mandate of the committee, the organization of the committee, the committee work products and the timelines until Aug. 12 2012.  Tom stated the committee intends to work on shaping the economic destiny of the Town, guiding the current economic programs and outlining how to bridge the gap between here and there. Tom will be bringing an action report from the committee to Council in November.  Tom reminded council that the committee is an advisory group, but they are composed of a number of very experienced business people working for FREE to assist the town in working on the top priority of their strategic plan. 

There were no reports from the Community Services Committee and the Economic Development Committee (Tom Steadman’s deputation provided the Economic update.) 

The Public Works committee presented a proposal to continue with the development of an Urban Forest Management Plan and to continue with the annual tree planting.  The suggestion to allocate the funds for the 2012 budget and to have it administrated by the Parks and Trails Technician was deferred after council discussion.  The result was to have Kyla Bruce, Geoff Carleton and GEAC (Gravenhurst Environmental Advisory Committee) prepare a course of action that includes short and long-term goals. This report will be brought back to Council by December so that the recommendations will inform the budget process. Communities in Bloom will act in an advisory capacity. There was mention made of the Home Hardware tree planting on Sept. 23 and volunteers were requested to help.  The Lions club will celebrate their 65th anniversary with a tree planting in the spring.  Councillor Jorgenson asked for an update on the situation with the collapse on Reay Rd. Geoff Carleton indicated the pipe would be installed by Friday. 

The Development Services Committee had 2 items. The first item was the refusal of the zoning application for Jeffrey, James. It was moved to new business. Council then approved the requested amendment.  Councillor Lorenz and Councillor Bratty voted to have the refusal go to the OMB. The second item was the minutes of the Municipal Heritage Committee of Aug. 9.  

The Corporate Services Committee had 8 items.  The first item on reduction of rental fees for the extended Farmer’s Market at the Opera House was withdrawn.  The next report was the Accessibility Application for the Carnegie Arts Centre.  This application would commit matching funds of $254,000 in the 2012 budget. Approved.  The lease agreement with the Seniors Centre was a source of much discussion. In the past the Town has given the centre $20,000 to assist with upkeep and maintenance of this town owned building.  The new lease would not require the $20,000 as it would require the town to take over the full maintenance of the building. Concerns expressed centred on how much over the $20,000 costs were likely to be. There seemed to be some expectation that Tim Irwin could predict the future and determine how many plows or how much shovelling would be required.  No one seemed to know what the cost of maintaining the flowerbed would be.  The result was a suggestion to withdraw the resolution until more information on costs could be determined.  The Mayor, and Councillors Colhoun, Cairns and Jorgenson were supportive of the lease being signed now. The quotation to support the exterior painting of the Opera House was approved at a cost of $32,660.00.  The quote was below the capital budget allocation by $110.00. Councillor Lorenz was concerned about guarantees on the painting. The tender to make the train station washrooms accessible was approved at $58,330.00.  This bid was $11,145.75 under budget and therefore provides a reserve for any contingencies. Councillor Cairns was concerned that Ontario Northland be made aware of dates and wanted to be sure that there would be one washroom operational at all times. Council voted to support the Seniors Grant application for funding for accessibility and to provide matching funds from the 2012 budget for $11,500.00. The request for a quotation for the building automation and controls for the Opera House, the Muskoka Boat and Heritage Centre, Fire Station #2 and#3 came in under budget.  Councillors Bratty and Jorgenson requested the Seniors Centre be added.  Approved.  The final item was the presentation of the 2010 audited financial statements. Ken Watson introduced the auditor and outlined the accounting principles on which the statements were prepared. The Mayor, Councillor Bratty and Councillor Jorgenson were the only people who asked questions. Ken relied heavily on Janice Lepage to provide the information requested from our elected officials and the auditor also had support from member of his staff.  The report is on the Town website as part of the agenda for the Sept. 20 meeting. 

I apologize for not being able to be clearer on the financial status of the Town.  The auditor said we are in good shape.     There was no clear information on the costs for the move to Pineridge Gate and where we stand in terms of grants and capital expenditures for the Centennial Centre. 

The only other business addressed in the council portion of the meeting was the appointment of Dave Weldon to the town negotiating team. He replaces Cindy Maher.

Greater Gravenhurst Residents Association

Town of Gravenhurst Committee of the Whole and Council

September 6 2011

The following notes are compiled from attendance at the above meeting. They are not minutes, but rather an account of the items .

All counsellors were present with the exception of Councillor King.

Staff present were Geoff Carlton, Amy Taylor Deb Broderick and Jim Wouters. The CAO is always in attendance and Shirley Plaunt assumed the clerk’s role in Candace Thwaites absence.

This meeting began with the Mayor and councillors reporting on their activity in the past month. The mayor’s report was an update on various activities within the corporation. They are beginning to recruit for a CAO. That position should be filled by Dec. 2011. The senior planner interviews are complete. There will be 2 final interviews for the RED application. The BIA has hired an activity coordinator. The Haight donation to the town will be formally acknowledged when the family is in Gravenhurst. The money is sitting in a bank account now awaiting a direction for where best to hold it to maximize the return. No decisions on expenditure have been made at this point. The mayor’s Advisory committee members are George Rice, Juris Svistunenko and Joanne Twist. Family Focus has moved into the new Centennial Centre, the Fall Leisure and Recreation booklet is ready to go out. The YMCA should be up and running by mid-September

Councillor Bratty reported on the first meeting of the economic development committee and the wind up of Lake Association meetings, Councillor Cairns - no report. Councillor Colhoun indicated he has been busy with District meetings . Councillor Donoghue reported that he missed the Heritage Committee meeting due to family obligations., Councillor Jorgenson reported on The GEAC meeting. They are working on dark sky lighting bylaws and are recommending that when the chairs of council committees report to Council they should do the report with a staff member. Councillor Lorenz reported that community policing would have another article in the Banner. The BIA has co-chairs Judy Terry and Colleen Knapp. Councillor Watson reported on the Ontario Municipal conference he attended with Dave Weldon. He mentioned the respect and connections he saw Mr. Weldon had with his former colleagues and politicians from across the province. (These reports are very helpful as they give a good overview of what the groups our politicians liaise with are planning and doing)

There were 3 deputations

The first was from Gord Durnan representing the Muskoka Community Foundation. His deputation was asking council to invest the money from the Terence Haight Endowment in a segregated account within the Muskoka community Foundation. He spoke about the history of community Foundations and the strength of investing as part of a larger group. He indicated the investment is done now through the Toronto Community Foundation investment team whose advisory includes people like the retired head of investment for the Ontario teachers pension plan. Gord also gave an overview of the returns on funds over a period of years. He was presenting information for council to consider and advised them to take their time in making a decision as to how to use this windfall (as you know there have been a number of suggestions made to the mayor and other council members on how this money could be used)

The second deputation came from Tom Steadman the Chair of the Economic Development advisory committee. Tom outlined the objectives of the committee in putting an action plan into place to deal with the performance expectations of the committee. He would be reporting back to Council on Sept. 20.

The 3rd deputation was a request from GHS for a fee waiver for their Alhoa Day on the afternoon of Sept. 23.

New Business involves reports from the various committees of council. The Community services Committee (Heidi Lorenz ). The first report came from Deborah Broderick recommending that as in previous practice One Kids Place have the use of the new community room at no charge. The report indicated how this would be accounted for as a journal entry. Councillors Bratty and Watson moved an amendment to remove the method of recording from the motion to provide the community room at no charge and all councillors approved the use of the room on Wednesday for this group. There was discussion about having the community room available for no charge for authorized users. (Who are the authorized users? Who prepares the criteria? )

The second report was the minutes of the decision committee on the Centennial Centre expansion and the aquatic facility. Councillor Cairns reported that there had been a surprise birthday party for her mother in the new auditorium so approximately 100 people had a preview of the new building and they were very impressed with the facility (Is the facility now available for rent?)

The Public Works Committee(Councillor Cairns) had 5 items.. Two items concerned the naming of new roads- Pasture Lane, Big Bay Point Road and Amanda Lane. The next item was a request to change a civic address for 1100 Corporation. The request was turned down as there was documentation to indicate 95 Caroline St. is the correct civic address given the entrance to the new building is off Caroline St. The issue that took the most time was a bylaw request from Jim Wouters requesting no parking on both sides of James St. between North Muldrew Lake Road and Fernwood Drive. The request came from Mark Hutton who lives on James St. The discussion was broad ranging. Councillor Watson raised issues about parking in his neighbourhood; Councillor Lorenz raised the issue of the danger of jogging on that strip with the speed of the cars and Councillor Jorgenson noticed the pictures in the report were pictures of Mr. Hutton’s cars and that there is little shoulder left on the side with the houses. The ball diamond usage and parking and the market parking were all discussed. A suggestion was made to move the no parking signs to the other side of the road. In the end council defeated the proposed bylaw by a close margin. The last item was the approval for the purchase of a new snowplow.

The Development Services committee (Councillor Colhoun) had 2 items. The items here involved repealing a bylaw for a subdivision that has not come forward in 8 years and the approval of a condominium development subject to the developer providing documentation of the site plan agreements.

The Economic development Committee (Councillor Bratty) had two items. The first was a report from Amy Taylor that outlined statistics for event participation. The model used suggested we had approximately 50,000 visitors who spent about $4.2 million dollars in the community. Some councillors questioned the validity of the data, but expressed appreciation for starting to establish base line data for future reports. The second item was a request to sign the agreement with OMAFRA. The agreement is for one year, but should provide the statistical background to apply for funding the following year. OMAFRA is providing training for the person selected to fulfill the new role.

Corporate Services Committee(Jeff Watson)had one item. Debra Draper and Sharon Morton were appointed to the Accessibility Advisory committee

The council portion of the meeting dealt with matters before the OMB .The mayor and Joe Donoghue both disclosed Pecuniary interest - the Mayor in the matter of the Red Lantern Marina and Councillor Donoghue with respect to Shamrock Marina and Trailer Park. The Town had reached agreements with both parties and that memorandum was being sent to OMB for approval. The Town had also reached a memorandum of agreement with respect to the Ditchburn boathouses allowing redevelopment to a height of 3.9 metres with no living accommodation in the boat house. Matters of sanitary services will be referred to the District of Muskoka. This memorandum also went to the OMB.

The only other issue was the approval of the fee waiver for the high school. Councillor Lorenz indicated she still needs an explanation of how fees are determined.(we all look forward to the report of the committee examining our fee structure.)

 

Please remember the council minutes and the minutes of the planning committee and committee of adjustment are on the Town website.

We are pleased a member of our board (Joanne Twist) is on the Mayor’s advisory committee. They meet monthly. Please let Joanne know if you have issues that should come to the advisory. She can be reached at mjoannetwist@gmail.com

 

Greater Gravenhurst Residents Association

                   Council meeting Notes August 16th, 2011

 

This was a very brief council meeting.  Jeff Watson chaired the meeting in the Mayor’s absence.  Councillor Donoghue is on vacation.  

There were 3 deputations.  The first concerned changing the address of the new office building being built on Muskoka Rd south to a Muskoka Road address as opposed to the current Caroline St. Address.  This was deferred to the District Office of Public works. The second was an information item on the Terry Fox Run slated Sept. 18 and asking for town support. There was also a request to have the rededication of the Terry Fox room to be a significant event.  The third was a presentation from Peter Archer and Associates with the design options for accessibility for the Carnegie Arts Centre. Council will have a final report come back on September 20.   

The new business for council included extending the lease for Nagaya beach.  The posted rules will include no fireworks and the Town Logo will be on the signage.  The tender for the new skate park was approximately 13,000 over budget.  The extra money will be coming from a contingency fund   Council approved signing the contract with New Line Skateparks Inc. The minutes of the Decision Committee for the Centennial centre Expansion and the new Aquatic Facility were received with no questions from council. 

Other business concerned the repairs required for the barge at Gull Lake estimated to be $132, 404.  Staff recommended this amount be put in the 2012 budget with the design and awarding of the project to occur in Dec. 2011. This item generated discussion from councillors ranging from asking whether the barge is meeting our needs at the present time to what the MNR restrictions are on building.  The council asked Debbie Broderick to meet with Fred Schultz and some volunteers from the community to decide how we best use the barge. A report should come in September or October before the tender is let for the repair work. All agreed the Sunday night concerts were a long established tradition. All agreed the Sunday night concerts were a long established tradition. 

The quotation for masonry and brick work at the opera house came in below budget and the contract will be awarded to the single bidder.  The company will also provide information on what is required for the re-pointing of the steeple. 

The minutes of the Heritage Committee were received. 

The Committee members for the Economic Development Advisory Committee are Brian Guerriero, Connie Micallef, Dan King, Ellen Frood, Greg King, John cooper, Judy Terry, Juris Svistunenko, Scott Mclaren, Tom Steadman and Councillors Bratty and King.  There are also two ex-officio members one from the Camber of Commerce Robbie Irvine and the other from Muskoka Futures- Jamie Smith

These meetings like Advisory Committees to council are open to the public. 

After Committee of the Whole adjourned the Council convened to approve the Council and Committee of the Whole minutes of the Aug 2 meetings. 

  Council also approved the sale of 150 Bay St. to Dr. Barbara Ann Chidiac a veterinarian in private practice.

Acting CAO Dave Weldon was appointed the Acting Deputy Clerk for the Town.  

Notes:  The full minutes of committees and Council can be found on the Town Website.

 

Greater Gravenhurst Residents Association

                   Council meeting Notes July 19, 2011

Severn Bridge Community Hall

 

 

This session of council was very short with few items on the agenda. The meeting began with Mayor Donaldson introducing the council and the acting CAO. Mr Weldon then introduced the staff managers in attendance. Councillor Cairns was absent as she is judging Canada Blooms.

 

Councillor Jeff Watson presented a picture of the Miss Canada IV that had been donated to the town by the Genovese Family. In recognition of the history Miss Canada IV has with the Town. Mayor Donaldson received the portrait.

There were two deputations. Former District Chair Gord Adams was requesting a deferral of fees for the proposed sale of property he owns around the Community Hall. Mr Adams outlined the scale of the property and the lawyer and planning fees that will be provided pro bono. He indicated he is unable to donate the severed land, as he no longer has a source of income. He indicated that the cost to the Women’s Institute would be in the range of 0-$25,000 and he was currently negotiating with his lawyer to see if there would be possible tax receipts for his wife. The Women’s institute would like to see a full septic system installed. The issue was not resolved, but will come to Planning council

Mr. Jim Davis representing the Gull Lake Association presented some possible alternatives for the Hewitt Street dock. He asked for a deferral of any decision on the bylaw be deferred until the end of August until more input is provided by the lake association after their annual meeting. Council agreed to this request.

Community Services Committee presented a tender adjustment for the landscape project at the Centennial centre. The project had accepted Fowler constructions lowest bid but it too was over the proposed budget and Deb Broderick was requesting a revised plan to go back to Fowler to have them resubmit within the funds allocated to landscape the property. Councillors submitted a number of suggestions to scale back costs and the request were to be considered in consort with the landscaping advisor. The motion to ask Fowler to resubmit was carried. There was also a program update indicating that Mr. Smith of the Severn Bridge Rowing Club would be offering rowing on Gull Lake. There would also be yoga and yoga dance offered in the fall.

Public Works Committee provided an update on the Cowbell Lane box culvert and the quotations for two new trucks -one for the building department and one for general maintenance. Mayor Donaldson queried the building department need for a truck and not a smart car or something small. Geoff Carleton explained the truck would be used in other departments like the parks and therefore gave more versatility of use. Carried

Development Services Committee had a request for a fee waiver due to a clerical error and another request to declare land surplus to purchase a road allowance. Carried

There were no other items of business and the meeting was adjourned. The Women’s Institute provided refreshments for the council , staff and observers.

 

Greater Gravenhurst Residents Association

                   Council meeting Notes July 5, 2011

 

All councillors were present. The Mayor is on holiday and Jeff Watson (Deputy Mayor chaired the meeting)

Sandy Cairns declared a pecuniary interest in an item that was discussed in closed session.

The meeting began with an update of the activities of the Mayor and councillors.

 

Highlights of these reports:

Mayor Donaldson - participation in the downtown tree planting with volunteers from

the community.(note the majority of the volunteers were from the

GGRA but we were not identified in the Banner submitted photo.

Kudos to all of you who helped plant)

- Covenco will have their efficiency report ready by the end of

August

The OMB hearing on the proposed planning By-law is Sept 7

The rink has been turned over to the Town and is in use

The Strategic plan will be posted on the town website for public comment

There were 6 ribbon cuttings WB2 Designs, Sandals to Stilletos, Well Fed, The Blue Willow at Gadsby’s a new law firm , and a weight loss clinic.

Barge is open. Linconnaires concert was held on the Barge

 

Jeff Watson - condolences to families who suffered loss in the tragedies over the Canada

Day weekend

Bethune House Celebrations had 90 Chinese diplomats in attendance for their Canada Day celebrations

Promotion of Boat Show and the return of Miss Canada IV

Lola Bratty - The Muskoka Watershed Council included a presentation at Dorset one of

the leading freshwater testing facilities

Pine lake and sunset Bay lake association meetings

 

Sandy Cairns - District Community services reported the unemployment rate is down

will be away until Aug. 11 as a Judge for Community in Blooms in New Brunswick

promoted Lego display at Muskoka Boat and Heritage centre

 

Bob Colhoun – introduced Scott Lucas as the newly hired manager for Development

Services

the new communications tower at Morrison Lake is a go

9& 13 sideroad have been coated

 

Joe Donoghue – Thanked Hank Smith for the work of the Heritage committee and a very

successful Open Doors. He indicated the committee has 10 priorities for

the coming years.

Kashe Lake association meetings

 

Rosemary King - Muskoka Vision presented through children’s eyes very interesting

presented paddle signed by Ingersoll Council to the Town as a recognition of Miss Canada IV being returned to Muskoka.

 

Heidi Lorenz - Congratulated the BIA members who fixed up the parkette

library staff is having more computer training

Community Policing considering a column in the Banner

 

Randy Jorgenson – Congratulations to the 61 volunteers who received their 5 year pin (many of those volunteers are members of the GGRA)

Kashe Lake Association meeting

 

There were three deputations:

Rebecca Wilson reported on the Lake System health Monitoring program. More information is posted on the Muskoka District web site or at muskokawaterweb.ca

There will be a speaker on Lake Health at the seniors centre on July 21 .

 

Two deputations concerned the proposed barge by law for Glen Echo Landing. Randy Wicks and Arnie Coulson spoke for a group of barge operators who were opposed to the increase in insurance premiums to 5million dollars from 2 million and the $200 fee for each barge, boat or vessel used by the company. Leslie Baines presented for Foley Steel Docks with the same concerns.

 

New business consisted of reports from the various committees of council

Community Services Committee (Rosemary King)

There were updates on the fundraising of the Off Leash Dog Park and the minutes from the Centennial Centre Expansion.

Approval was given to replace the roof on the arena. This item was contained in the budget. Councillor Colhoun wanted to be assured that the price quoted would be the price we pay.

 

The proposed by law to control barges at Glen Echo drive produced the most discussion. Jim Wouters provided a very extensive submission and rationale for the bylaw. Every councillor had questions and the Chair asked them to limit their questions to two. The councillors wanted information on infractions to the current by-law, facts on required insurance, why this landing only, how it will be enforced, would enforcement of the current bylaw meet our needs. In the end, council defeated the By-law. Councillor Bratty was the only councillor in favour of the bylaw.

 

Public Works Committee (Sandy Cairns)

The council approved the naming of a new road as Red Oak Dr.

Development services committee ( Bob Colhoun)

The request for a zoning fee waiver request was denied. Councillor Cairns voted against the denial

Economic Development Committee ( Lola Bratty)

Amy Taylor reported that the Town did not receive The OMAFRA Grant, but we have been encouraged to reapply for a smaller 1-year proposal. The department would like to advertise the position at no further cost to the Town to ensure the foundation is in place to apply for further grants. We will not be penalized if we scale back the proposal but rather be in a better position as any future grants would require we have the consolidated research in place on what we have, what we need and what is feasible. All councillors were supportive of the need for downtown revitalization. On the called vote Councillor Lorenz was the only councillor opposed to beginning the hiring and recruitment process for the facilitator as she would like to see the grant in our hands before committing any more than the funds in this budget

 

Corporate Services Committee ( Jeff Watson)

The main issues here were the awarding of contracts for cleaning municipal offices, architect services for barrier free washrooms at the Train Station and a request for a proposal to replace the Municipal Office Roof. In all cases the Council accepted the recommendation from staff for the lowest bid. Concerns were raised about the need to bundle the cleaning of all municipal buildings to see if there is an even lower price available. Concern was also raised about the state of the Municipal office roof. Tim Irwin explained there had only been a one-year guarantee on the roof and assured council the new roofing contract would be done under the supervision of the consulting firm the Town now uses to ensure all work is done to appropriate standards.

The integrated accessibility Standards were presented for information.

Committee of the Whole was adjourned and Council reconvened to address the items from the closed Session.

The two items addressed were bill No.106 which outlines the schedule of fees for the use of town items such as bleachers and sound systems.

The other item was the request to make the position of Facilities and maintenance Manager a full time position and not the contract position it has been. Councillor Lorenz was the only councillor opposed to this recommendation and indicated she felt there should be no hiring until the Covenco report is complete.

 

Greater Gravenhurst Residents Association

                   Council meeting Notes June 21/2011

            

There were 3 deputations:

The National Bank presented the Town with a 1000 donation from its Altimira foundation. The money is to be used for children and youth in order to them become productive citizens. Councillors King and Lorenz accepted the cheque on behalf of the Town. Judy Vandeveer a member of the Youth recreation staff indicated the cheque would be used for future programming.

Jeff Mole a Community Power consultant with the co-operative Trillium energy Alliance Inc presented on behalf of Muskoka Community Energy. He provided information on the Strategic policy Review process that the MNR is undergoing in regards to renewable energy development on Crown Land. He mentioned there is the potential of a solar energy farm being developed south of Gravenhurst. He was asking for support from the town as a loan guarantor, and letters of support for the project. Council asked for a staff report to come back with full financial details of the project and information on the economic benefit to the Town.

Scott Cavanaugh was seeking an exemption from the noise bylaw for a full day concert on Labour Day weekend preceding the all-night movie extravaganza and the Drive In. Council asked many questions about the event regarding, parking, audience and performers. The result was Candace Thwaites was instructed to put the process in place for Mr. Cavanaugh so that he could have an answer in two weeks

 

 New Business

Community Services committee (Rosemary King)

There were two items presented for information. There was a report on the participation the Winter/ Spring Program and Activities run by the Recreation department. The report also included the receipt of a Community Action grant of $5,150 that will be used for the Eat Smart project. There will be formal recognition of the program from the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

The second item was a request to authorize the printing of the Recreation Activity Guide (Fall and Winter 2011-12, Spring and Summer 2012). The department was recommending the acceptance of the proposal from Muskoka Magazine. Councillor Bratty reminded Judy that the residents in the south, namely the distribution through the Washago post office was important. Councillor Colhoun provided direction on how that distribution takes place. Mayor Donaldson wondered if we could consider a 2-year cycle of renewal to make the process more efficient.

The motion to renew with Muskoka Magazine was carried.

Public Works Committee ( Sandi Cairns)

There was only one item presented for information – The minutes of the Wharf board meeting Apri1 12, 2011. Councillor Bratty asked for clarification on insurance for small events. Amy Taylor reported "pool" insurance was no longer available from the Town’s insurer. She is looking into a discounted rate for small events. Councillor Bratty suggested that this might be an item municipalities could collaborate on to get a better rate

( a member of the GGRA board attends wharf board meetings and those notes are posted on our website)

 

3. Development Services Committee (Bob Colhoun)

Item 1 required council to declare an original shore road allowance closure surplus in order that the applicant for the closure could purchase the land. The motion to declare the land surplus was passed.

Item 2 was for information. The minutes of the Environmental Advisory Committee meetings of March11 and March 18 were presented.

Economic Development Committee (Lola Bratty)

There was one item presented by Amy Taylor. The contracts with Cogeco and A channel are up for renewal. The previous contract provided internet capability at the wharf for A channel and has cost the Town $250,000 over the 5 years of the contract. The new charge for such a service would $3550 per month. Ms Taylor had pursued other technological support and has determined costs would be approximately the same. Two options were presented to council. Provide space at the Wharf for A Channel at no cost with no technological services, in return for its commitment to run a News Bureau here. Terminate the contract with Cogeco. Option 2 was to enter a new agreement with A channel at the Wharf. Terminate with Cogeco and continue to look for more cost effective technological services. There was some discussion from council. Councillor Watson asked about a cost sharing agreement for technological service. Councillors Donoghue and Lorenz wanted no extra costs for the Town.

The resolution to pursue Option 1 was carried by council. Councillor Watson was the only Nay vote.

 

Corporate Services Committee (Jeff Watson)

There were two items presented. The recommendation of Brad Rundle that Fine Films use the computerized ticketing system at the Opera house created the most discussion. Councillors wanted to know why this was necessary. Mr. Rundle suggested it was a means to collect data on the patrons of the Opera House to allow them to plan programming. The service fee for the system I$ 4.75. Councillor Jorgenson stated that was an exorbitant fee. Councillor Lorenz commented that the current system has patrons going into stores to purchase tickets and means more traffic in stores. Councillor Colhoun wanted to know why a 79% increase in ticket price is necessary. Councillor Cairns and councillor Bratty presented a resolution to allow Fine Films of using their own system of ticketing through merchants in the community and a commitment to share 50% of their net revenue with The Opera House. It was carried. Councillor Donoghue recommended that it was time to examine the current computerized ticketing program to ensure we are getting the best value for our money.

The Minutes of the Library board of May 11 were presented. Councillor King was concerned there was no RFP for the cleaning contract. Councillor Lorenz indicated that had been the recommendation of the former Library CEO. Councillor Jorgenson asked whether one contract should be negotiated for all municipal buildings. . Mr. Weldon indicated that is being looked into. Candace Thwaites indicated that such a contract becomes so large it eliminates some local companies so the present method is to have each manager negotiate their own contract but that could be looked at.

 

The meeting adjourned before 5:00 pm.

All councillors were present for the meeting.

Mayor Donaldson announced the next Strategic planning session would be at the Muskoka Boat and Heritage centre on June 24 at 8:30 am

The committee looking at the new doctor’s office and a walk-in clinic will be meeting June 23 at 7:00pm at the home of Heather Harris. New members are welcome. Please call Heather at 705-687-8183 if you will be attending.

 

Greater Gravenhurst Residents Association

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  Council meeting Notes, Tuesday JUNE 7th, 2011

 

These notes are compiled without prejudice and are not to be considered formal minutes, but rather observations of the Committee of the Whole and Council meeting

District Councilor declared pecuniary Interest with regards Veridian

There were four Deputations

·          MANDY DART  - FINE FILMS requesting a fee waiver  - Bob Colhoun asked how many people attended.  Mandy replied that approximately 60 people on average that attended the film night.

·         Rob McPhee, Muskoka Community Network re: Status of the Broadband Infrastructure – apparently a place on the north end of Morrison Lake has been identified as  a good spot for the Tower.

·         Rob Abbott, Habitat for Humanity Muskoka was requesting that the town consider a re: Rebate of the Building Permit Fee.

·         Jamie Smith  requested that July 9th, 2011 be Named Miss Canada

New Business

·         Community  Services Committee (District Chair Rosemary King)

o        Fred Schulz did a presentation of Music on the Barge Program for 2011.

o        Lease Amending Agreement – Centennial Centre – Ms Stacey Gallant will take over the Lease from Debbie Gallant. The Lease with Debbie Gallant was interrupted due to the construction and there was an agreement that the occupancy would be reinstated from September 1, 2011 to April 30, 2012. Debbie Gallant requested that the lease be assigned to Stacey Gallant as Debbie is unable to fully assume the operations. – Discussion regarding the rent ensued.  This was passed.

o        Minutes of the Gravenhurst Centennial Centre Expansion & New Aquatic Facility from April 29, 2011 and May 16th, 2011.   – The Plans for the Skate part are in and the Tender will be released next week. 

·         Public Works Committee (Chair Sandy Cairns)

o        A memorandum from the Manager of the Public Works and Operations, Geoff Carleton  was presented regarding Awarded Quotations  It was for information only which contained  quotes from a number of companies and a Designated Hired Equipment Service list was presented.

o        A memorandum  re the Installation of a Flag Pole at the Muskoka Wharf  in the vicinity of the Heritage Centre . This Flag Pole installation would coincide with the 5th year anniversary of the Heritage centre.  The cost of the installation of the Pole would be split between the Town and the Historical Society - $1600. For the Town and $$2200.00 for the Historical Society.   This was passed

·         Development Services Committee ( District Councilor Bob Colhoun)

o        Clean Yards By-Law has been deferred.

o        Construction of Communication Town – Representatives of Core Broadband have been discussing locations for the future tower construction with the Staff at the Town.  The location that seemed to be favored  was on an unopened road allowance at the north end of Morrison Lake.  Discussion of this ensued  and due  the location it was noted that the Lawyers would need to investigate the implications and impact on the area.   The Council agreed in principle to the construction of the Tower. This was passed

·         Economic Development Committee (Councilor Lola Bratty)

o        Request for “Community Festival“ Designation for Pirate Fest.  This was Passed

o        It was requested that the Economic Development Strategy Committee be amended to become an Economic Development Advisory Committee for the Town of Gravenhurst. There was considerable  discussion on the role of the committee and  areas that they would be targeting for development .  It seemed that the 7 areas identified were perhaps too many and that people sitting on the sub committees would expect that their contribution and recommendations would be acted upon and the reality of such is not the case.  However, the decision was passed.

·         Corporate Services Committee (Councilor Jeff Watson)

o        The request from Fine Films  to continue to use their own ticketing system for their upcoming  season.  This item was removed so Brad Rundle can come back with a resolution.

o        Appointment of Members  to Gravenhurst Accessibility Advisory Committee  was passed.

o        Lease of Lands from Veridian Connections Inc.  An agreement has been negotiated with Veridian connections Inc.  to allow its lands to be used by the Municipality.  The land is used  for access and a parking lot by the Town. It was resolved to execute the agreement dated June 7, 2011 between Veridian Connections Inc. and the Town of Gravenhurst for the Lease of lands adjacent to 3 – 5 Pineridge a Gate.

o        Organization Values and Best Practices Review – the Committee members selected Covenco Ltd as the firm  that can best meet the needs of the Town.  The Fee from Covenco was $65000 although not the lowest bidder Committee members had concluded that Covenco Ltd. Can best meet the municipality’s needs.  It is expected that this review will be completed within three months.   Passed

o        Quarterly Financial Report was distributed .

o        Minutes of the Public Library Board from April 13, 2011 was presented.

·         Other Business

o        Resolution to name July 9th as Miss Canada Day was passed

Meeting Adjourned around 7:99 pm. 

 

 

 Council meeting Notes, Tuesday May 17th, 2011

 

 

These notes are compiled without prejudice and are not to be considered formal minutes, but rather observations of the Committee of the Whole and Council meeting 

 

Councillor King left the meeting at 4:20 and returned at approximately 6:00. 

There were 4 deputations:

1.        Natalie Bubela the new CEO of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare gave a general update.  More information can be obtained at www.mahc.ca

2.        Matt Gilchrist and Terry Stephenson, Gravenhurst Lions’ Club requested a fee waiver for use of the Lion’s pavilion for their yard sale

3.        Doug Wallis, president of the Gull and Silver Lakes Resident’s Association requested a deferral on the bylaw decisions for the Hewitt Street dock. He is proposing a working committee to work with the town to solve the concerns of the town.

4.        Jodi Holder from the chamber of commerce presented a proposal to increase the customer service capability of the town staff and a model for a courtesy parking notice.

 

New Business

         Community Services Committee (Councillor Lorenz chaired in Councillor Kings absence)

              1.Deborah Broderick presented the operations agreement that is proposed between the YMCA and the town for the operation of The Centennial Centre expansion and the aquatic facility. There were two members of the YMCA there to answer questions.  They hope to have a general manager in place very shortly and to begin their membership drive in September.  There will be a citizens advisory committee established with representation being drawn from YMCA members.   The mayor is very supportive of this partnership and expressed the hope there would be local people hired to positions.  There were concerns expressed about how realistic the financial projections are and the YMCA suggested these figures were probably worst case scenarios(the contract was approved)

              2.The cleaning contract for the Carnegie Arts Centre and the Youth center was recommended to be continued on a month to month basis.(approved)

               3.Deborah Broderick presented a new brochure to clarify the process for tree and park bench dedications and the new prices. Councillor Bratty requested the brochure be vetted by a knowledgeable fundraiser in the community to ensure we are promoting this program as best we can. 

               4. The minutes of the Decision Committee meeting for the Centennial Centre were presented.  They will be contained in the official town minutes and posted on the website. 

 

        Public Works Committee (Councillor Sandy Cairns)

1.        Geoff Carleton informed council that the proposed wakeboard park is looking at two areas.  One is Town owned the other is private property.  He will continue to keep council informed on the progress of this project.

2.        The Lions Club has asked to put Canadian Flags along Muskoka road North and South and having the flags fly for 7 days this year (approved but encouraging promotion to continue to the south end.)

3.        The minutes of the wharf board were presented.    

 

       Development Sevices Committee (Councillor Bob Colhoun)

             1.  Shannon Godfrey was appointed as Property standards Officer to carry out sewage system re-inspections. 

 

       Economic Development Committee (Councillor Lola Bratty)

1.        There was much discussion about the proposed customer service program with councilor comments ranging from “we have the best” to one can never have enough customer service training”.  Council approved a plan to implement a customer service program in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce that would come at no additional cost to the town. Further to this there was an agreement to have Jodi Holder and Jim Wouters work on a proposed parking courtesy notice that would be tracked and enable follow up with repeat offenders.

2.        Amy Taylor provided an update on the work of the Transportation committee.  It was agreed to refer this project to the RED project.  The committee will continue to meet to ensure it is ready to work with the coordinator of the revitalization program. 

 

        Corporate Services Committee (Councillor  Jeff Watson)

1.        There was a very comprehensive report on the role of MNR and fire protection in partnership with municipalities as background for signing a new agreement between the Town and MNR. There was concern expressed that the Fire Chief was not at the meeting and did not make a clear recommendation on the agreement.  Council did pass the new agreement and we will continue to have MNR back up for fires in Muskoka.

2.        The Town has accepted a proposal recommended by staff to hire Peter Archer and Associates to prepare the architectural drawings to make the Carnegie Arts Centre accessible.  The cost will come from the Accessibility reserve fund. 

3.        Brad Rundle provided an overview of the Summer Season for the Opera House

4.        The Gravenhurst Opera House has a new website. The website was financed by the Beam program administered by Muskoka Community Networks and Mr. John Cooper a community member and patron of the Opera House. Council and those in attendance expressed appreciation to Mr.Cooper in words and a round of applause

5.        Rebecca Webb (tax collector) presented the final tax levy for the municipality based on the budget passed by council, the district levy and the education tax rates. A copy of the by-law will be available through the municipality. 

 

Response to Deputations: 

·          Hewitt St. Dock.  Councillor Bratty moved and Councillor Cairns seconded that any further plans for the Hewitt street dock be deferred until the working committee suggested by Mr. Wallis meet and bring a recommendation to the Town.   Carried.

·          Fee waiver for Lion’s pavilion. This request generated a great deal of discussion. Councillor Colhoun is against fee waivers but understands this request from the Lions who have never asked before. Councillor Watson addressed the need for fiscal responsibility and the fact the Town is a corporation.  Councillor Bratty needs a framework to make decisions on waivers based on actual costs for the facility. Councillor Donoghue suggested a fifty- fifty split.  The final decision was to waive the rental for the Lions.  Another outcome was the urgent need for the recommendations of the committee charged with bringing forward a report on fee structure.  

 

          Closed Session 

 

         The resolutions from the closed session concerned matters arising from the OMB. These resolutions will be detailed in the Council minutes that will be approved on June 7. 

 

 

 

 Special Council meeting Notes, May 12th, 2011

                     

 

In attendance: Facilitator Judy Coward(OMAFRA)  Councillors: Donoghue, Watson, Colhoun, King, Jorgenson and Bratty  Town Staff: Carleton, Watson, Thwaites, Taylor, Broderick, Rundle and Irwin 

 

The purpose of this special council meeting was to continue the development of a strategic plan for council to take them through their 4 years in office.  The methodology that Judy Coward is using with the Town is a well-respected business priority planning process. 

This appeared to be the 6th meeting and the agenda today was to look at the 15 critical issues the group had identified and to prioritize those concerns.  There were councillors and staff providing input but the facilitator made it clear that it was up to council to finalize the strategic plan. 

The initial list was debated and reviewed and changes were made to reflect the most current thinking of the group.  The attendees were than asked to do a nominal group voting technique that would identify the current “Top Five Priorities” for the town. It should come as no surprise to any resident that targeted economic development was the top priority of the group. The other 3 issues that emerged were: need for a community vision; need for a communication strategy; financial pressures.   The discussion around 5 priorities involved making the 5th priority a subset of targeted economic development and as a result the group was comfortable with 4 priorities for the current council to accomplish by the end of their term. 

The next step was to simplify the large list by taking the top 4 priorities and establishing subsets of their identified concerns under the 4 top priorities headings. This process seemed very straightforward for the council and they came to a quick consensus on where the identified concerns belonged. 

The next task was to take one of the sub sets of targeted economic development 

and develop an action plan to accomplish that priority.  Judy Coward was very directive with the group and insisted council and staff follow the very detailed worksheet she provided..  What exactly were they going to do to achieve that priority; how were they going to do it; who specifically is responsible, when would each step be accomplished and what resources were they going to need and how they would evaluate that they had achieved their objective. 

I am reluctant to delineate the specifics of the sub set plan at this stage for two reasons. One it is in a very draft format and it is a work in progress.  I also am concerned that some one may interpret what I heard today, as the exact steps that council will be following for the specific subset they used to illustrate what an Action plan looks like.

We do not need more rumour and innuendo! 

The more important message is that council and staff have been given a very clear process to follow that enables them to carefully consider the implications of their decision making and to ensure the proper resources and timelines are there. It identifies responsibility for the plan and measures of how they are doing to reach that objective. It is a process that will inform citizens and provide the context for council decisions over the next 4 years.  

The notes from the meeting are kept without prejudice and as such are a factual account of what took place at the meeting. 

What I took away form the meeting was a confidence in the ability of Judy Coward to work with the town and move them into an era of strategic planning that is specific, transparent, measurable and accountable. The process they have embarked on requires this type of facilitation.   

I continue to feel that it is important to see the workings of council and staff in these formats.  I know we all do not have the luxury to attend meetings, but I feel that watching how people vote, what they say and what they do not say, how they treat each other is all important information for taxpayers. I encourage all of you to attend meetings and become as informed as you can be about your chosen representatives.

 

Greater Gravenhurst Residents Association

 

 Council meeting Notes, May 7th, 2011

                       

  

 

The format of this meeting at Grace & Speed was much the same as other years....a presentation by the Mayor, a presentation by Habitat for Humanity, (asking for volunteers/donations/help in general for their new houses they're beginning in Gravenhurst) and then we broke into public format, where we could go to the different staff or Councillors who were standing by, and ask questions and chat.  Then we came back and were able to ask more questions of the Mayor.

 

Mayor Paisley Donaldson's opening speech addressed many questions that the public are seeking answers for regarding the Town and the Aquatic Centre expansion..

ie.                              should be completed on time.

                                  Steps are being taken to protect the financial impact.

                                  There are ongoing investigations by Government agencies and an “in house”

                                  investigation as well.

                                  Taxes not being reduced, budget approved.

                                  OMAFRA is holding payments for now

                                  Each grant that we apply for is decided individually, so that the worry about

                                  the integrity of the Town affecting future grants isn't necessarily a worry.

                                  Still looking at having a “Grand Opening” in the fall for the Centre.

 

Some other mentions:

The “Best Practices and Operations Review” is being done...3 companies' R.F.P's (request for proposals), are being reviewed a.s.a.p.,

 

The Strategic Plan for the Town is under way...Judy Coward, an Economic Development Consultant with the Ontario Ministry, is helping with that.  It will be a whole new look.

 

M.T.O. Re Hwy 11.... It could be 10 years before work starts.  The Town has a committee working to provide feedback to us and will meet with businesses to do that. Properties that have been purchased by the MTO are beginning to be demolished.

 

We have applied to the OMAFRA  (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Farming & Rural Affairs) for grants towards a program that will be to revitalize the Town.  It will be about 8 weeks before we hear.

 

The Chamber of Commerce will be relocating.  We will be informed.

 

May 26 will be the presentation of the new Zoning Bylaw.

 

Corporate Services -  Budget is passed as is.

 

Some Town owned buildings are being looked at to bring up to Accessibility standards.ie. Carnegie Building and Community Policing Building.  The old Dr.'s Office is being sold.

 

The street refurbishing, light standards, etc. is progressing as it should.  The block with the fire is reopening as soon as the “hoarding” can be moved back to allow for 2 way traffic...within days.

 

 2 new businesses are coming to Town. A shoe store  and a  Deli Sandwich store.

 

The Mayors Walk is being replaced by the “Act of Kindness” program.

 

The Farmers' Market opens on May 18th.

 

The Town of Gravenhurst has 65 full time employees, 35 part time, 43 Fire Fighters, and 30 summer

students. Organizational charts were there for us to take.

 

Winter Carnival Committee is working on Winter Carnival to come back next year.

 

Some questions asked after the break:

 

Is there an ongoing investigation re the fire, considering it is a District Road, with Fowlers involved, etc.  Answer is that the Town is NOT doing an investigation.  The Ontario Fire Marshall's office does investigations, and they have NOT been called in.. Seems to be in hands of insurance companies.

 

Can we put lights in at the south end of Town (by Tim's)?  Paisley made a note of that.

 

It was requested that the “Green Box” program, (compost) be expanded.

 

What is the Town doing to help the White Pines Parkette?  Answer was that Town is paying half the taxes (splitting with the BIA), plus picking up garbage, plus partnering with a Landscape Company for maintenance. The Town is providing wood chips.

 

Have we received any money  from the Government to date re the Aquatic Centre?  Answer by Ken Watson was “yes”.  Question...how do we pay bills if the investigations continues for a long time?  Answer...New CAO said that although our payments are on “hold” for now, they have NOT said that payments would be withheld until investigation is completed.  Subsequent question:  Is the Town “on the hook” for all the bills?  Answer...yes, and always has been...the Provence pays AFTER the Town puts in the request and it takes awhile.   We have to finance in the interim.

 

What safeguards are the municipality doing to STOP alleged misuse of funds?  Answer:  We have brought in specialists, and heightened the degree of scrutiny and security to protect our interests.

 

Is anything being done about the large empty buildings in the downtown area?  Answer is no, we have had no interested buyers.

 

It was asked if there were any other questions but no other questions (that I remember or that I wrote down), were asked.  The meeting was adjourned about 11:00 am.

 

These notes are not meant to be “minutes”, but a short summary, just to give you an idea, in case you couldn't be there in person.  The meeting was

 very organized.  Evelyn

 

 

 

                           THE GREATER GRAVENHURST RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATION

  Committee of the Whole:

 

Deputations:  Ross Ashforth, member of the GGRA again questioned Council on the debenture interest for the loans on the Centennial Centre and the Town Hall.  His presentation suggested that a different means of paying the interest on the debentures could result in an almost 4% reduction in the proposed tax increase.  Councillor Bratty thanked Ross for his presentation and asked Treasurer Watson to substantiate what Ross was presenting.  After VERY specific questions from Councillor Bratty, Treasurer Watson was able to substantiate the claim, but reminded council Ross's ideas were not his recommendation.

 

New Business:  Community Services has directed staff to apply for the GIVER Program to update the Kinsmen playground park in Gravenhurst, the Home Depot Canada Foundation Community Grant to assist with funds for the off-leash park, and the Spark Advocacy program to increase access to healthy food in the Eat Smart program proposed for the Centennial Centre.

 

Deb Broderick brought forward a report renewing the leasing agreement with the White Pines property.  The BIA will split the tax costs with the town, a private landscaper will maintain the property, and the town will collect garbage.  There was a discussion on the owner's long-term intentions for the property.  Councillor Lorenz expressed a concern that we are setting a precedent for paying other property owners' taxes if their property in the business district has no building.

 

The Hewitt St. Docks and Launch:  After much discussion,  council agreed to move the waste containers closer to Hwy6 11, and to use the existing by-law for prohibited parking to allow for a launch area.  The area will be signed for these purposes.  Safety issues for emergency vehicle access and buses could then be addressed.

 

The minutes of the March 3 Gravenhurst Centennial Expansion Committee were presented.

 

The minutes of the March 8 Muskoka Wharf meeting were presented.

 

The Economic Development Committee:  The Economic Development Strategy was approved.  More details are available on the website, and the costs are in the budget.  The funding application was approved and has been sent to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Rural Economic Development Fund.  This was praised by Councillor Bratty and Mayor Donaldson as a good example of community teamwork, with the emphasis on the Town, the BIA, the Chamber of Commerce, and the citizens coming together to share ideas.  Councillors praised  Amy Taylor, the Acting Economic Development Officer, for her leadership and skill in preparing the report.  There is an 8-week approval.

 

Corporate Services Committee:   Gravenhurst Public Library 2010 annual report was presented. It was noted that the library has now got e-books and they are doing well 

 

New Procedural Bylaw: # 2011.  The report was handed out and has a few changes to make it more “public friendly”. 

1.      Chairs now vote on all matters

2.      Committee of the Whole OPEN sessions now provide for persons in attendance to make general comments or ask questions of Council on matters of interest.

3.      Persons who have not met the deadline and wish to make a presentation with respect to an item on the current agenda can be granted permission up to noon on the day of the meeting.

4.      A Presiding Officer shall vote.

Public notices will also be made by email when possible, in addition to newspapers and other media.

 

Additions to the Town of Gravenhurst Website: All you want to know about Animal Care and Control is now on the website with new wildlife information and bylaw controls. 

Required Disclosure re Budget Impacts, Resulting from Ontario Reg. 284/09. Municipalities must adopt full accrual accounting.  A budget as such was presented and approved. 

Service Area Budget for BIA and Street Lighting:  was presented and approved 

Resolution put forward that the Town of Gravenhurst support the Regional Municipality of Halton's resolution to the Ont. Government to put a portion of HST charged on gas and diesel sales towards transportation infrastructure. Approved. 

Minutes of the Gravenhurst Public Library Board Meeting dated Feb. 9, 2011 were presented. 

Council Portion of meeting:  Council had previously met in closed session: 

Disclosures of Pecuniary Interest::  Rosemary King re two real estate related issues.

                                                         Sandy Cairns: re Litigation affecting the Municipality or

                                                         local board.

No Deputations: 

Council minutes from April 5, 2011, and Committee of the Whole minutes from March 31, and April 5, 2011, were presented. 

Bylaws and Agreements:  Bill No 045, to provide for Maintaining Land in a clean and clear condition:  Randy and Lola asked for deferral re the “buffer strip”,  that was defeated, but

the bill was also defeated.

Bill No. 064, to govern the proceedings of Council and it's committees, was carried.

 

New Business:

1.      Resolution to send the application to the Rural Economic Development Fund re downtown revitalization was approved.

2.      2011 Operational and Capital Budget: Some discussion: Heidi moved that $4000 dollars be put back into the Library budget since they had a significant salary reduction in lieu of a staff departure – Heidi's motion was defeated and they did NOT get the $4000 put back into the budget.  Lola asked for a deferral of the budget based on Ross's deputation that showed how Council could save taxpayers 3.1%.  Lola's request was defeated, and the budget was passed as is, even though it means we pay 3.1% more than necessary on our tax levy for this year!  

3.      Request for Proposal for Real Estate services re the former's doctors office on Muskoka Road, south, was approved.

Arising from Closed Session:: Items discussed:

1.      Litigation or Potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals affecting the municipality or local board.

2.      Personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees.

3.      A proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board.

No resolutions arising out of this closed session.  Council entered BACK into a closed session at the end of the Council meeting.

 

Motion to Adjourn carried.                                            

 

 

Greater Gravenhurst Residents Association

 

Council meeting Notes, February 15, 2011

 

Adoption of Agenda - Addition - under Community Services – Centennial Centre Signage

                                                        Under Economic Development – Resolution forthcoming

Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest – None

Deputations –

 1. Jim Lynch re:  Communities in Bloom

Mr. Lynch presented pictures of the Communities-In-Bloom projects through a power point presentation of the last 12 years Started in 1998, he highlighted the criteria required to enter the Communities in Bloom competitions. Mr. Lynch explained the projects that the Communities in Bloom volunteers, sponsors and organizations had completed. Civic pride working with the community,   There are around 150 to 200 volunteers and 22 gardens that are maintained by Community in Blooms committee – Town supplies the materials.   

2. Hank Smith re: Municipal Heritage Committee Year End Report

Mr. Smith presented his Year End Report through a power point presentation. – Highlights –promoting heritage value and heritage buildings. The Committee has created an evaluation tool for buildings, creating an inventory of heritage buildings.  The Committee is working with the BIA, and working with the Southwood Church group.

3. Paul Kelly re: Environmental Advisory Committee Year End Report      

Mr. Kelly presented his Year End Report through a PowerPoint presentation. In existence for 2 years. Introduced goals and objectives.  Mr. Kelly introduced Danny Epstein, Michael Foster, Councilor Bratty and Councilor Jorgensen as members of the Advisory Committee in attendance and recognized the other members.

4. Jordan Elliott re: Boat Race in Gull Lake Park  

Mr. Elliott provided a brief history of the boat races and demonstrated the types of boats through a PowerPoint presentation. This event involves young adults and appeals to a wide range of ages. The boats are  from 9 to 12 feet and 10 to 45 hp these boats are similar to sea fleets.  It’s a Family orientated event , respects the environment and can raise support for charities. This has been a successful event in other small communities.  The dates would be June 25 and 26 , 2011..  

 A brief discussion ensued, Jeff Watson said that this event  would have his vote as he was an enthusiast, questions with regard to whether it was a gated or free event, noise levels, whether a noise exemption would be required, if the Heritage Committee could become involved, the anticipated attendance at the event, what was required from the municipality, the number of boats entered in the two day race, how far the participants would travel to participate in the event, confirmation of the date, whether the Sunday race would conflict with Music on Barge and requested that the associations on the lake be notified of the event.  It was stated that the noise level would be under 89 decibel level.  Overall the event was received favorably   Further consultation with staff will be taking place.

  NEW BUSINESS

Community Services Committee:

1. Former White Pine Property Lease         The main issue with this item appears that the owners have not been consulted recently as to what their intent on the property was.  Clarification on the amount of taxes the Town assumed, if there were active volunteers still involved in the property, if there had been any discussions with the volunteers, whether the Business Improvement Area was involved and if so what their involvement was and the cost of maintaining the property. Because there were a number of unanswered questions a motion was made by Councilor Bratty and seconded by Councilor Watson to defer the resolution in order to request staff to meet with the volunteers and speak with the owner about their intent of the property.                                                

2. Minutes of the Gravenhurst Centennial Centre Expansion & New Aquatic Facility Project – Decision Committee – January 6th, 2011               

3. Gravenhurst Centennial Centre Expansion & New Aquatic Facility Project Signage

A lengthy discussion with regard to the placement of the logo in conjunction with the words on the building, whether the sign would be double sided, placement of the sign, size of signs and whether two signs were required.  The Committee was advised that the Decision Group had decided to angle the sign toward Bethune Drive and therefore a two sided sign was not required.

Public Works Committee

1...Active Transportation Strategy

A brief discussion ensued with regard to a request to add bike lanes and safe pedestrian access to the Gateway Homes subdivision and Muskoka Road 169 to the Active Transportation Plan and how municipal roads could be improved with bike lanes/trails as well. C. Bratty stated that there was no safe pedestrian traffic  what was going to be done -  B. Colhoun indicated that there  no money for an asphalt  paths at this time.  C. Cairns asked public works   to report on what could be done for non district roads.  Geoff Carleton, Public Works, stated an option.                                 

                Minutes of the Muskoka Wharf Board – November 9th 2010                           Received.

Development Services Committee 

1. Municipal Heritage Committee – Year End Report received.

2.Gravenhurst Environmental Advisory Committee – Year End Report and 2011 Work Plan            

Clarification was requested with regard to the Vegetation Preservation By-law, whether re-growth along the waterfront was included and the progress of the Green Development Guidelines. Moved by Councilor Lorenz: Seconded by Councilor Jorgensen                                                                             

3. Bob Clarke re: Snowcrest Riders

Mr. Clarke provided a brief history of his involvement with the community and provided an update on the activities of the Snowcrest Riders. He spent considerable time outlining how the Club benefited the local economy and local charities.  Mr. Clarke advised that the Snowcrest Riders required a shop to maintain their equipment and further advised that most clubs had a clubhouse to offer washroom facilities and a place to gather and promote the community. He stated that other areas had such a building.   He explained the municipal property and the proposed location of the facility- Con 4 part lot 16 and 17, on the north side of Industrial Drive, parallel with Bethune Dr. and requested that municipal land be provided for the above on a lease basis and that the survey costs, building fees and taxes be waived.  He asked that a member of Town Council also become a representative at their meetings.

A brief discussion ensued with regard to the location of the property, whether there would be issues with the railway due to the proximity of the property to the railway tracks, declaration of surplus land and clarification on the vision of Snowcrest Riders. It appears that most of the councilors recognize that the snowmobilers do positively impact the local economy. C. Cairns recommend that the land is donated to the Snowmobile Club. Mr. Clark wants a leased land not to be owners of the land.

Mr. C. indicated that town staff that would be involved meet with Mr. Clark to further discuss the issue .Action – is for  Request for a staff report on impact and  financial perspective. 

Economic Development Committee. 

                1. Transportation Study                                                

A  discussion with regard to the cost, whether all costs would be through the Town of Gravenhurst as there was no funding available from FEDNOR, identification of the options and implications, review of the Towns of Huntsville and Bracebridge studies, who the trolley in Bracebridge was operated by and whether funding for the study was included in the budget presently.  A request was made to have a range of operation costs and options come back to Committee for review and consideration. Moved by Councilor Watson; Seconded by Councilor Lorenz

Corporate Services Committee

1. Minutes of the Gravenhurst Public Library Board – December 8th, 2011

OTHER BUSINESS   --Nil.

 

                ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 6:04 p.m.

 

Greater Gravenhurst Residents Association

Committee of the Whole Meeting Notes

Tuesday Feb. 1 2011

These minutes are the observations of a GGRA board member who volunteers to observe council meetings and are compiled without prejudice.

 

There were 4 deputations:

  1. Michael Lawley representing Tourism in Muskoka.  Mr. Lawley’s tag line was “ 57% of the GDP in Muskoka is tourism.  What are you doing for Tourism today?”

He outlined the geography of Regional Tourism Ontario 12, which includes Muskoka, Parry Sound, and some of the Algonquin area.  He out lined plans for the future that include on-line reservations and mapping.

Councillor Colhoun asked about membership in the organization.  Councillor Watson asked about the feasibility of a destination tax for the area.  Coucillor Bratty asked how information on websites could be shared.

  1. Scott Davidson re:  Bethune House expansion.  Scott showed an overview of the new visitors center.  They are going from 800 sq. feet to 3000 sq. feet.  The current visitors center will be gone in April.  He has offered the center to Habitat for Humanity to move to another site and become a home for a family in need.  Scott advised the center has currently 12,00 visitors per year. 30% from mainland China and 60% from the Toronto area.  The projected figures suggest the number of visitors will increase. The marketing will focus on the national and international significance of the Dr. Bethune.

Councillor Bratty asked about plans to further integrate the center with the Main St. including the stamping of the sidewalk with images of Bethune and the entrance coming from Brown Street.  Mayor Donaldson asked about the opening date (spring 2012)

  1. Brandon McGregor re: Business Improvement Area.  Request to waive fee for the annual meeting of the BIA on Feb. 17 at the Opera House.
  2. Marg Mclaughlin re: Winter Carnival.  Marg outlined a number of events that are planned for the weekend.  Events are for families, young children and adults.  They include: the Radar run, Running Shoes, arm wrestling, demolotion derby, pancake breakfast, bed race, a dance at the legion and Breakfast Television.  Marg encouraged council to talk up the Carnival, encourage sponsorship and participate in the bed race.  Marg asked for town support with piling snow for the snow carving at Gull Lake and the Wharf.  There was also a request to sell food at Gull Lake and Severn Bridge and the need for garbage cans to be available.  Coucillor Donoghue requested barriers for the demolition derby and Clerk Thwaites inquired about the food vendors applying for business licenses. Councillors Bratty, Watson, Colhoun and the Mayor expressed enthusiasm for the bed race and assured Marg they would be there.
  3. Carey Anne Oke Cooke re: the inconsistency in the building fee increase for farms and for commercial and industrial building.  Mayor Donaldson indicated that Councillor Jorgenson is currently reviewing the fee structure for the Town and a report  may take 1 or 2 months.

Council moved to Committee Reports.

 

1.      Community Services – Rosemary King

·        The proposal from John Kerr to carve partially felled trees in the Town was referred to the Parks operations budget for consideration in the 2011 draft budget. (Moved by Donoghue, seconded by Lorenz) Councillors concern about actual costs required more information from staff. The concern about treatment applied to the trees to ensure their longevity was answered by Mr. Kerr

·        The proposal from One Kids Place for a fee waiver for Carnegie Place was supported, but it led to a number of discussion points. Questions were raised by councillors about actual costs for using the Carnegie center, fees charged to other groups that rent the center, and who else are subsidized. Other concerns were the need to find out why rental fees are not in the budget for One Kids Place and what is the role of the province in supporting these programs more fully. Councillors agreed that fee waiver is another aspect of the review Councillor Jorgenson is undertaking. 

 

2.      Public Works – Sandy Cairns 

·        Council did not support the winter maintenance of Bens Lake Road East.  The staff report from Mr Carleton was detailed in the status of the road and the costs for the Town. The residents of the road are not prepared to assume the cost.

·        The Wharf Board appointments are Pat Loughead, Larry Wright, Jack Farquhar, Wayne Simpson, Blair McMurchy and Rick Hurst.  They are appointed to a 4-year term.  (Moved by Donoghue, seconded by Bratty)

·        Council approved the erection of Share the Road signage on Barkway Road. (Moved by Watson, seconded by Lorenz.)  The District pays for all costs. Councillors requested more information on the Active Transportation network and a map of the loops as they apply to Gravenhurst.

·        Council approved the renaming of that portion of Second street that runs from Brock to Church St. to Centennial Drive.  This street includes the entrance to the new recreational facility.(Moved by Lorenz, seconded by Watson)

3.      Economic Development – Lola  Bratty

·        The draft of the Economic Development Strategic plan was presented for information.  There will be a downtown revitalization brainstorming session on Feb. 9 at 6:00pm at the Opera House.  March/April will be an opportunity to consult with seasonal residents.

·        The minutes of the BIA Board of Directors Meeting of Oct. 28 were presented for information. 

 

4.      Corporate Services Committee – Jeff Watson

·        Council approved the Municipal Office close between Christmas 2011 and January 2,2012.  Staff will be required to take 3 days of their vacation entitlement to implement the closure. The public works staff will not shutdown as staff is on call, it is mainly the administrative staff that is impacted. (moved by Donoghue, seconded by Bratty). 

Other Business:

1.      Council discussed the BIA fee waiver for the annual meeting. Questions were raised as to why and how often.  The Mayor is supportive of supporting the BIA for their annual meeting.  Councillor King raised the concern of fees being raised for events and fees being raised for administration.  The motion to waive fees was moved by Donaldson and seconded by Bratty. 

 

Council  reports:     Mayor Donaldson suggested that this part of the meeting should

                         be presented when there are more members of the public in attendance. 

 
bulletMayor Donaldson reported on her consultation with the former CAO of Pickering regarding effectiveness surveys.  She mentioned her walk about with mayor Doughty of Huntsville in the downtown core.  Joan Crawford of OMAFRA has also been consulted about revitalization and will chair the meeting on Feb. 9
bulletCouncillor Bratty stated the economic development committee has had one meeting and will be looking for further input as the process moves forward. The Muskoka Watershed council is on track and is in the process of developing a strategic plan.
bulletCouncillor Cairns indicated there was no report from Communities in Bloom or the transit committee.  She was unable to attend the Hisso meeting.
bulletCouncillor Colhoun indicated that the Committee of adjustment  has had its first meeting.  He has two remaining members on the committee Garnet Schenk,and Sandy Allen. The  new member is Joe?????
bulletCouncillor Donoghue reported on the on going appointment of new members to the Accessibility Advisory committee.  Thet Heritage committee has not yet met.
bulletCouncillor King reported that the District Committees are just being formed and have not formally met.
bulletCouncillor Lorenz reported being at the library board meeting and was impressed with the electronic capability the library has.  She attended the installation of the signboard at the High School.  She talked to Inspector Medved about the role of Community Policing.  The inspector indicated he would like to see the committee involved in more community service and not just information.
bulletCouncillor Watson reported he had attended the Habitat for Humanity fund raiser in Huntsville.  The Community Policing Group has moved to the old Town Hall.  The Pool is on schedule even with the inclement weather.  He was unable to attend the last construction meeting.

 

Council then  moved into Closed Session.

 

Greater Gravenhurst Residents Association

 

Notes of the Special Gravenhurst council meeting Jan 10, 2011 

These minutes are compiled without prejudice and are a reflection of the discussion that took place at the council meeting. 

The meeting was held to deal with three items.

      1.Centennial centre temporary bleacher heating

      2. Reduction in Established Ice Fees

      3. Stimulus Deadline extension. 

Mayor Donaldson also requested a new item.   

There were three reports.

  1. The initial report was a recommendation from staff that temporary heating for the arena was not feasible within the existing project budget.  The cost of temporary heating ranged from $50,000 to $11, 847.

This report was requested in order to deal with the fact that the Muskoka Shield games have experienced a much lower attendance than they have in past seasons even though the team is tied for first place in their league.  There have been numerous complaints about the inability to keep warm at the games.  The Shield has 5 games remaining in their regular season and the remainder of the games will be playoffs.  

The consensus of council was to reject any funding increase to provide supplementary heating in the Arena. (moved by Donoghue, seconded by Colhoun) 

Gord Carey was in attendance at the meeting and concurred with this decision given the number of games remaining in the schedule. 

  1. This report directed the staff to reduce the ice fees of the user groups by 3% from November 2010 to March 2011.

Coucillor Colhoun was the first to speak to the recommendation.  He thanked staff for their hard work and acknowledged that given the very substandard conditions that exist, it would probably have been wiser for the previous council to close the facility for the year, than to try and operate as is. He stated that the Muskoka shield has been hardest hit as they depend on the gate for operating costs.  His recommendation was to reduce fees by 25% to recognize the hardships the Muskoka Sheild has endured. Councillor Cairns supported this motion. 

There was a long discussion after the proposal that ranged from discussing wether the Sheild is a for profit organization, comparative fees with other teams in the league, philosophy of membership on the Sheild and what does Town support for the Sheild look like.

Councillor Bratty raised the issue that the taxpayer has already spent 150,000 to keep the arena open.

Councillor Watson said the Shield was most seriously affected and inquired about the possibility of revenue sharing next year to make up for the rebate this year.  Treasurer Watson indicated this is not possible as a formal agreement.

Councillor King offered no support and declared GMHA had been banned from using the arena by the provincial hockey association

Councillors Lorenz and Donoghue felt the reduction should go to all user groups.

Questions were raised as to whether the team would fold next year.  Mr. Carey stated that was not his intention.

Statements were made to indicate the Sheild has had a reduced rate since its inception and it currently has the lowest ice fees in the league.

Councillor Watson requested a recorded vote.

Moved by councillor Lorenz and seconded by Councillor Donoghue that the staff be directed to reduce the the ice fees of all user groups from 3% to 25%. 

This meant that the proposed refund for user groups moved from $ 2,425.00 to $20,200.00 

The recorded vote had Councillors King, Bratty and Donoghue opposed.  All others including the Mayor were in favour of the motion. 

  1. The last motion concerned the extension of the stimulus-funding deadline to October 31.  Debbie Broderick provided the wording for the motion that the government required council to consider.  Janice Lepage will be working on the package to ensure deadlines are met so that the government will share all expenditures until Oct. 31.

Councillor Bratty moved and Councillor Colhoun seconded that the staff be directed to complete the Stimulus Deadline Extension Application.

The complete package is available in the CAO’s office and Debbie Broderick’s office. 

The Mayor advised council that Tony Clement had announced a 50-bed addition to Beaver Creek that morning. The package was $10 million.  Construction would start in 2012 with completion in 2014.  There was no announcement on additional staffing. 

 

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