Thank you so very much. All right, good afternoon, and I'm sorry. Good morning, still. And welcome everybody,
apologies for a technical difficulty. There's put us 20 minutes behind, but we've got four, I'm sure.
We'll now move on to item number one, which is the call to order in 1.1, our land acknowledgement. I'll look to Councillor
Dileo, good morning Councillor. Good morning and through you, Mr. Mayor, good morning everyone.
The town of Osaga Beach acknowledges it is located upon the traditional territory of the Anashinab, people of the three fires confederacy.
We also acknowledge that the people of the YN.Nation also inhabited these lands. We acknowledge that these nations were sovereign nations existing before the arrival of settlers.
We respect the spiritual interconnection among these nations to the land and to the water.
We also acknowledge that waterways near us have a long history, predating European arrival.
Since time and memorial, waterways with a lifeblood of indigenous people by trade and hunting routes.
We are dedicated to inclusivity of First Nations, Inuit and made its people in our future stewardship of the land and the fresh and the longest fresh freshwater beach in the world.
In the spirit of reconciliation, we welcome the opportunity of learning to be sustainable caretakers of the land and waterways for all future generations. Thank you.
Councillor, thank you very much. Moving on to item number two, proclamation.
So 2.150, Simco Pride Weeks, July 29th, to August 11th, 2024.
That the Council Proclamation, July 29th, August 11th, 2024.
It's 40, Simco Pride Weeks. Moving on to second round this please.
We, by Councillor Tim Second, by Councillor White, all in favor. Motion carries unanimously.
Moving on to 2.2. We have the fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
But the Council Proclamation, September 9th, 2024, as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder awareness day.
Questions or comments? Move on to second, please. Councilor White, to Deputy Mayor, Snell, all in favor?
That carries unanimously. Moving on to item number three, and disclose your vocabulary interest.
I have none before me at this time. If at some point throughout our meeting, you feel you have a pecuniary interest, please let us know at that time.
Item number four is the adoption of the agenda, and I look to our clerk, Madam Clerk.
Thank you, Your Worship. I've been advice that the Mayor will be bringing a notice of motion.
With Council's indulgence, we would like to pass a motion, waving the procedural bylaw to allow that notice of motion to be considered today.
Accordingly, the motions before Council are that the contents of the agenda for August 22nd, 2024,
be approved as amended, and that Council waves section 5.05d and 6.11 of the town's procedure bylaw to hear a notice of motion from Mayor Brian Smith,
and to consider the motion on today's agenda under the government relation item.
Thank you, Madam Clerk. You've heard the question, members of Councilor.
As for point one, as amended, any questions or comments? Seeing none, move on to seconder, please.
Moving on to item number five, approval of the minutes, that the minutes of the regular council meeting held July 11, 2024.
Hereby adopted a circulated. Questions are comments on this.
Seeing none, member, move on to seconder, please. Councilor Timms and Councilor Ego are in favor.
That carries unanimously.
Item number five point two is the special council meeting.
July 29, the minutes of the special council meeting held July 29, 2024, are hereby adopted as circulated. Questions or comments?
Seeing none, move on to seconder, please.
Move on to seconder by council or Timms, all in favor.
That motion carries unanimously.
Moving on to item number six, statute of Tory public meetings.
We do have a public meeting today, which will now, which pertains to 6.1.16.1.
Three, the public meeting under the Planning Act, the Official Plan and Amendment of OP 00624, and zoning by-law amendment,
Z-01024. This is respect to 445th Street South.
This public meeting, regarding proposed application, the Official Plan and Amendment and Temporary Zoning by-law,
amendments submitted for the Property Municipality address to 445th Street South.
The application being considered are the proposed Official Plan and Memments and Temporary Zoning by-law,
Amendment, File number, OP 00624, and Z-01024.
This public meeting is an opportunity for members of the public to learn more about the proposed
Development for Council. This public meeting is not to engage in debate regarding the merits of the application.
Nor is it intended to be a question and answer session.
It is simply to make council aware of the public comments and to ask clarifying questions.
No decisions are being made at this public meeting today.
Please be advised that if you must make a request in writing, if you wish to receive a notice of any decision of council,
regarding this application.
If those that have spoken would like an opportunity for the consultant to reach out to them,
and answer any questions or provide clarification, a consent or release personal information must be completed,
both forms are available over here to my right.
Your left, the Deputy Clerk's Table for Completion, and a member of staff will be available to assist you.
Now move on to the presentation and to start Joe Vines, one of our senior planners,
on this application will now make a brief presentation, and we'll provide further details with respect to the proposed Official Plan
and Memments and Temporary Zoning by-law, Amendment, Good Morning, Joel.
The floor is yours.
Good Morning, Mayor Smith.
The members of council and a public who are here both in person and online.
The purpose of today's public meeting is for applicant presented by premon homes with Saga 2 Inc.
Sorry, proposed Official Plan Amendment, Townfile Numbers, OP00624, and Temporary Zoning by-law, Amendment, Townfile Numbers, Z002024.
The associated files for this application include draft plan of subdivision, Townfile number PS00424, Official Plan Amendment, Townfile OP00524,
and Zoning by-law, Amendment, Townfile Numbers, Z00824.
Quick overview of today's public meeting, I'll go over the purpose of the public meeting, the planning application process,
I'll briefly introduce the applications, and also present the subject lands and proposed development.
The purpose of the public meeting is required under the Planning Act for Official Plan Amendments and Temporary Zoning by-law, Amendment applications.
Related applications, again, include a draft plan of subdivision, Official Plan Amendment, and Zoning by-law, Amendment.
Town staff are introducing the applicant's proposals to council and the general public, and the purpose of the public meeting is to provide an opportunity to the public
for sharing any written comments and making oral submissions to council.
Presently, in the application process, we have received the application, we have deemed the application complete,
a notice of complete application and public meeting has been circulated.
We're currently on the public meeting, and following the public meeting, there will be continued staff and agency review with an eventual staff recommendation to council,
leading to a council decision and eventually an appeal period.
A quick proposal review and saves statistics, the municipal address for this, these applications are 445th Street South,
with a lot area of 298,000 square meters or 29.8 hectares.
It's a corner lot with lot frontage on Morgan Road and 45th Street South, 582 meters along 45th Street, and 713 along Morgan Road.
The request to the Official Plan Amendment and Temporary Zoning by-law, Amendment applications,
are to facilitate a temporary sales center for the proposed residential development.
The proposed sales center will be one story.
We'll have a building footprint of 240.8 square meters, covering approximately 0.84% of the total landholdings, and 9.5% of the sales center area.
There's going to be 14 parking spaces provided with two accessible parking spaces, and access to the site is through one entrance off of Morgan Road.
Existing Official Plan designation, the town of Osaga Beach Official Plan designations for the property are both rural and natural hazards,
permitted uses in the rural designation include, but are not limited to agricultural uses, including uses that are incillary to agricultural production,
and which serve the needs of the local rural population.
Other permitted uses in the rural category include forestry, institutional uses, and limited country recreational facilities, et cetera.
Permitted uses in the natural hazards include, but are not limited to passive and active recreation, including golf courses, play fields, forest, and wildlife management, flood and erosion control, and conservation projects.
The town of Osaga Beach Official Plan designations surrounding the property include residential, natural hazards, and open space.
And it's also noted that the clear view of Official Plan designations to the south surrounding the subject property include rural and agricultural.
The proposed official plan amendment would re-designate the subject lands from rural to rural exception as appropriate, and this would be to facilitate the construction of a temporary sales center.
You can see here the inset, which is where approximates to the entire landholdings the sales center would be located.
The existing zoning for the subject lands is both rural and environmental protection.
Permitted uses in the rural zone include, but are not limited to agricultural or agricultural cannabis, cultivation site, or forestry use, but does not include intensive agricultural use.
Agricultural produce sales outlet, bed and breakfast, conservation use, and accessory uses.
Permitted uses in the environmental protection zone are included but are not limited to conservation uses and public park uses.
Surrounding zones include the residential type one zone and residential type three zone, as well as open space, open space floodplain with the urban provision, environmental protection, and again in the clear view zoning by law, agricultural.
The proposed temporary zoning by law amendment requested with temporarily resowing the lands from rural to a rural exception.
Specifically this proposal intends to permit a sales center as a temporary use for a time period of three years within the defined area.
The associated files include a draft plan of subdivision and official plan amendment and zoning by law amendment, and the image in front of you is essentially the draft plan of subdivision proposal.
Concluding remarks this public meeting is required by the Planning Act.
Town staff are presenting the applicant's proposal.
A detailed review of the applications is ongoing but not yet complete, and staff will forward received comments to council.
staff will also provide a recommendation report to council at a later date.
When I say thank you it's always a privilege to be able to present and request additional information for this application can be sent to the email provided.
And the webpage on the bottom there also includes all supporting materials pertaining to the proposed applications.
Thank you.
Great thanks very much Joel and we will now look to Brandy Clement who I believe is joining us virtually today.
On behalf of the applicant to make a brief presentation we should provide further details with respect to the proposed official plan amendment and temporary zoning by law amendment.
Good morning Brandy welcome.
Thank you.
So I need a lot for our presentation here.
We are going back to our thank you and again my name is Brandy Clement.
We can just consult in here.
I'm here on behalf of our client to discuss the additional amendment and the temporary legal applications that have been submitted.
The ladies are as mentioned that 40453 and it is to facilitate a sale set to use.
So next slide please.
The other all hands themselves are located at 40453 site which is also coming with us.
And morning road as mentioned previously applications have been submitted on your wall.
And for the official planning.
So now I'm going to adopt this application.
And a kind of meeting has been how recent we forward these applications.
These public rules themselves which are identified on the slide in red are located at the south west corner of the landscape.
The post for public.
The site is.
And the public with these are a 525 AbuDahara 24 years.
This is out is bridge streets with education packages and other ways.
What I would call trail.
And the sun mode uses to be west and south include residential uses.
These are also located.
We can touch the coveted community and immediately to the used are the subject lands.
For the little bit further north it is.
is we have some more kinds of subdivision that are being developed.
On the next slide, please.
So this is the study of the slow center on these subject lands.
The building's thought points are approximately 2,541 square meters.
Second layer, as I mentioned, is 2,500 square meters.
The building of rock coverage is 0.8% of the total of the buildings and 0.5% of the buildings.
We all set our site plan area. We're proposing for two public spaces to review the accessible access.
Only for morning roll for the sales center, there is an accessibility there that will be getting up to the front entrance.
The ones that are approximately are already as well as stored in height. There will be a sign located identifying the location of the sales center.
And there are many things that are proposed among both front issues. The next slide please.
So this slide, the other six-foot demonstration purposes, the front and then some internal views of the sales center.
It will look similar to this. There will be signage along the front facade that will identify the need of the development as well as the developer.
There will be landscaping proposed around the perimeter building to soften the facade.
Colise, obviously somewhere will be compatible with the housing that will eventually be built on the lanes of the picture.
And on large window features that will frame the fronts of the building. The next slide please.
So the signage as mode of three applications to the town. The first thing that you have to explain in the moment.
And this will commit the sales center as a use within the existing world designation.
I took a use by application was also submitted which will document the sales center to use some of the names for three years.
And then with these applications we've submitted a sign plane control application currently.
Thank you. If you could go to the next slide please.
So the proposal for the name of the name, the name of the current, the designated world and as mentioned by Joel.
We are proposing with our application to designate the names as world exception to the file for the sales center as a use within the world designation.
Next slide please.
Currently in the area of the subject names which is identified by the hatching on the slide.
These lands are a small world. The application for the temporary use file a lot will create the use of the sales center.
And we are identified that it would be a world exception.
The next slide please.
So including the proposed applications can form to the local policy that we face for a world plan and are consistent with the local policies of the potential policy statement.
The application can form to the town's official plan as well as meet the attend of the town.
This is a temporary nature is an easy, removed structure. It's not a permanent base.
The proposed use is compatible with the surrounding uses and will have minimal impact on surrounding uses.
The sales center itself is not requiring water resources.
They made it for a motion facility that would be proposed and as well as a temporary high of the sales as proposed.
The sales center is not using any area that will impact any natural heritage features or cultural heritage features.
And in my official plan, you can use legal policies as appropriate for the sales center.
Thank you so much for being happy to answer any questions that Councillor or the public we have.
Thank you very much for any of your presentation.
And we'll now look to our clerk. So I got the clerk now and we have any members of the public registered in advance.
With respect to these virtual public meeting.
For comment.
No, your worship we have none.
All right. Thank you very much. I'll then look to the audience here today.
Is there anyone in the audience who would like to come forward to speak either in favor or opposed to this development.
Please come forward to stage your name and address for the record now.
I'll ask a second time if there's anyone who wishes to speak for opposed to this to come forward and give your name and address for the record.
And a third time.
See nobody.
We'll now move on to council.
Any questions?
Comments from council. Council.
Right.
Thank you.
Your worship.
My question just is just on life cycle.
What happens to the structure at the end of the three years.
Let me see some of these still up around town.
I just want to see is that I can be converted into housing or is that the plan or is this to be demolished for other purposes?
You can answer.
Ready?
Yes. Thank you.
These structure itself.
So we're working three years and these structure remain as long as the last house is sold.
These structures are used for, you know, our client can have other properties.
So here we've been moved at the time that they fill the last house on the property and it's no longer needed.
To function.
And in that area, we're actually proposing within the area where we are citing the set center.
There are homes proposed.
And if it will not be a structure that can be very entirely sort of house.
Thank you, Brandy. Thank you, Councillor.
Wait a minute.
Any other questions or comments?
Councillor Tims.
Thank you.
Your worship and through you to Brandy.
I think I'm correct in looking at the site plan that the.
Social unit office is going to be right on the corner of county road seven and Morgan.
I'm just wondering if access has been set back far enough on Morgan road not to cause any slow down on county road seven.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Brandy.
Thank you.
We have something.
The structure is all back.
All the day is certainly something that we could have our traffic engineers look at again.
We're providing almost double the number of parking spaces that we need to provide.
So that there is no chance that people will be even parking on Morgan road.
So we're going to take a look at the hearing along Morgan road.
But as I mentioned, it's certainly something that we can take back to our transportation engineers and have a look at.
Thank you.
Anyone else have questions or comments for Brandy today?
Seeing.
Are we able to pull up the site plan for the building again?
It shows the entrance off of Morgan.
I think you can go back one.
There we are.
So let's show the investment grass off of Morgan.
How far back is that?
Do we know?
From the corner.
Any other questions or comments?
Seeing no other questions or comments from Council.
Thank you.
Seeing that there are no further comments or questions regarding these application.
I now declare this public meeting to be here by closed.
Thank you.
Great day.
Now moving on in the agenda item number 7 presentation.
7.1.
We have chair Steve Harlow from the economic development and tool advisory committee here with the annual report.
Good morning Steve and welcome.
If there is yours.
Thank you.
We'll show the members of Council to.
Great pleasure to be here.
I tend to speak very quickly after 30 years of a public servant.
So like you may or Smith, I'll get to this presentation much faster than normal.
Like I get the slider here right next slide.
So about our committee.
We are an advisory committee.
I think that's most important to understand.
We're not operational.
We are an advisory committee.
And they do reflect back on when we first met with the mayor.
He told us three things.
He said, give us your best advice.
Be bold.
And recognize we may not always be able to take advice.
And that's fostered our thinking.
Throughout the entire process of the last year.
And hopefully you'll see that in the report and the work that we've done.
Our experience of the eight members.
We've got experienced real T economic development.
Tourism operators, hospitality operators.
And that's for myself.
I was in a system deputy ministry with the problems of Ontario for the last 10 years before I retired.
And sport recreation portfolio and have over 30 years of hope he has experienced.
So I'm happy to bring that to the table as now a permit resident.
And collectively we have about 300 years of lived experience.
As a tourism or a resident of a second week.
So you've got a lot of assets that you're responsible.
Being summary just a quick administrative snapshot.
All the same.
We spend a lot of hours investing our time in effort and giving you our best advice.
This does not include the time we also spent as community members going to things like the beachfront redevelopment workshops.
Or facilitating management sessions with the tourism destination management plan.
The council recently approved and is guiding our efforts in the future.
So you're one.
Terms of assets one of the first things we did was look at terms of reference that was existing before we.
The key of established in May 2023 took a look at it and also recognize what were the objectives that the.
Administration had said to be achieved from a tourism and economic development perspective.
We reflect on those we made some recommendations in terms of how they should be expanded and clarified and given.
Kind of more impactful.
Context and as a result you support those recommendations and we have a new formal committee that also achieves.
Recognize the economic development importance of the community and we continue to expand and enter into discussions and ideas about how to strengthen and bolster that.
One of the first things that we did will take a look at the original tourism destination management plan that was established and approved in 2018.
Obviously things like COVID and complete shift in global tourism economic activity shifted what was.
Then thought to be the right plan to leave a refresh you support the idea to do refresh you allowed us to retain brain trust to do expanded refresh.
Over the course of several months we spent hours and hours of time and engage with the community in terms of refreshing that plan.
You approved that plan earlier this year and we know how a guide document I would argue to take us well into the future.
We would also suggest that that should be an evergreen plan one that the staff and the town could continue to update and refresh as things change because they will change we know that for a fact.
The provincial park. Well, it seems to be a current issue these days.
But we also looked long and hard and again from my experience in the public service I went through all the legislation going back years.
So we would suggest that a new governance model is critical to the management of the legacy of the provincial park.
The ones that we look at that are the most successful in an Ontario context are the Niagara Park Commission and the State Lawrence Park Commission.
The reason why those are successful is because they are under responsibility of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
They are also ones that are separate and distinct from the Ontario Parks Act and are actually exempt from the Ontario Parks Act.
So they have their own administration, they have their own manager processes and they can entertain a whole bunch of different things that Ontario Parks just can't by virtue of their legislation restrictions.
We also think we provide a five point plan.
I'm sure you've all received and seen and it allows us some of the things that you've articulated we've seen such as need for infrastructure improvement.
We also think that if it is Ontario Parks or whatever the government entity is, you need to put the visitor first and it needs to balance environmental economic and tourism interest in an achievable way.
So we spent time talking about them about their value but what works, what doesn't work.
I recognize that there is a need to think about those events and festivals that are relevant and to locals but also ones that will attract tourism.
And we think that one of the things we should be looking at is separate stand loan strategy and no staff are currently working on that which is great and we're going to provide input into that going forward.
We also see their value and try to come up with a signature destination, a signature tourism event that will save you to be known for across Ontario and across Canada.
We provide some assistance and help to the Christmas market subcommittee and it was the first year this year and I think we should continue to work in an efforts to make it even better and better every year as we go forward.
50th anniversary? Well, I think you guys have had a lot of success so far with 50th anniversary. It continues to be successful.
One of the things that we focused on was the need for a visual identifier that's being accepted.
We also had a thought there's still time to do it if you want about having a time capsule built and instituted perhaps the new library rec center at some significant point in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary.
We can open it 50 years from now when none of us will be here.
Well maybe a couple of us will.
Looking forward, obviously we're going to support the implementation of the TDMP.
Obviously, you know, one of the things we are aware of is the mat.
It counts like steps of the mat, the municipal accommodation tax.
We would like to provide some ideas and advice on how the proceeds could be used in a productive way that we supported by the community.
We also recognized that the beachfront redevelopment is going to shift in the implementation of the TDMP as that progresses and we're happy to provide advice going forward.
And again, we think it needs to be continually refreshed.
Festival event strategy. Again, so it was a resource as you've removed forward trails, promotion and enhancement.
We think there are lots of opportunities with trail development.
Sailing is one off the bat, how we become more safe with friendly community, river trails.
I have a personal idea that wouldn't be great if the most successful, if the longest freshwater beach in the world was also the most accessible freshwater beach in the world.
An accessible, what about a accessible boardwalk that runs the entire 14 kilometers of the beach wouldn't that be something to marvel at?
Small business strengthening.
Look at business gap analysis. How can we address the business gaps that exist in great opportunities for local businesses?
And also start to reach out to Indigenous community connections. How do we engage our Indigenous community in a way that's respectful?
And reflecting upon the advice that Council gave in July, going forward.
And we also have the potential to work with our colleagues down the road in Midland and Penetang.
That has a lot of Indigenous with the statement on here on. And Discovery Harbor, who engage the Indigenous community all the time and their celebrations and activities.
Information. We really think that there's a need to get a better understanding of what your information needs are to help develop the best promotion campaigns of the marketing campaigns, attract the best people.
You know, who, what, and why are people coming here? We think there's opportunity for film and live music and would like to provide advice on that.
And other matters that are requested, and this is probably the most important thing of all. You know, we are your advisory committee.
What is it that you would like our advice on that would be more impactful and helpful to you as you move forward to your deliberations?
We'll prioritize the most important areas, obviously, recognize that there's a long list, and we're not going to get through it all this year.
But we will take a look at the term most of the most impactful, the most important, and move forward. But really is, you know, what is it that we can do to help you support and achieve your agenda and your objectives. And that's all.
Wow.
The news, you know, 30 years status, thanks very much Steve.
That's probably the most intense yet quickest presentations we've ever had, if they're all like that.
We'd have to do half the work we have to do.
Thanks very much. Steve, appreciate that and appreciate the work that you and the committee and the experience that you and the committee have.
So again, thank you. And I mean that I'll be half of all the citizens of Osaga Beach.
Members of Council, questions or comments? Councillor Tims.
Thank you. We're shipping through you. I just really wanted to edify you of this morning's Steve, because we're so blessed to have you.
I'm lucky to be on that committee, and I'm really proud of the work that we've done. You did touch a little quickly on your bio.
I'm just going to add to it that you became a full-time resident in 2019.
But you've been a auditor and part-time resident since your grandfather purchased property in 1927.
So you really understand what's going to be.
The fact that you retired from a 30 year career with the province on Ontario with the last 10 years being deputy minister with the minister of tourism culture
and sport is such a benefit to our advisory committee and we thank you for that.
When Steve was in his capacity as assistant deputy minister of sports and recreation for Ontario, he successfully led bills,
bids to secure properties like the 2015 pan and parapan amgames, the North American Indigenous Games and the 2017 Invictus Games.
He has an extensive career in tourism marketing, having worked on multimedia award winning campaigns during his career.
And we are so fortunate that Councillor Faye Ego knew him from the community and asked him to please put in an application to join the committee.
So thank you for that, Councillor Ego. Thank you, Steve, for your wonderful work.
I want to recognize that Peggy Harris is here supporting the annual report and she is also on our EdTech committee and the Library Board.
She's a former town council with Gray Highland. So again, another really qualified and well-connected member bringing lots of good information to everything that she volunteers with the town.
So thank you, Steve, I'm pleased to be on that committee. I hope people do get a chance to really read the full report and see the work that the committee has done in the last year.
We're going about to expand and another member, at least to the committee with a strong background in economic development.
Because we've expanded from just tourism to tourism and economic development because we're married in this town.
So thank you, your worship for letting me do that to quick my bragging rights. Thank you.
No problem at all, Councillor. Thank you for elaborating on the committee and the great work to do in the qualified folks that we have on this committee.
Councillor Bongey and then Councillor Delia. I don't have much to add, but Steve, we had a deputation at the aim of conference to the Ministry of Tourism culture and your name came up.
And they were very complimentary as to how beneficial it would be that you are under committee, so just wanted to let you know that you're well thought of.
Thank you, Councillor Delia. Thank you through you, Mr. Mayor. I'm going to go in a different direction. I'm going to ask you a question.
So you said you wanted to expand the boardwalk that would be your dream to 14 kilometers. Would that be on on the parks the park section or municipal section?
So again, we're in early concept ideas. So if you take a look at elevated boardwalks, such as the in-way marsh or done in its fill or done in the new market area that go through areas of sensitive habitat.
So I would suggest that a feasibility study could be conducted that would actually take an elevated boardwalk across top of the dunes who would not harm any dunes would not harm the plover populations.
It could be environmentally sensitive and you could actually have a wheelchair or person who has mobility issues.
Be able to walk, cycle, take a wheelchair along the entire 14 kilometers.
Maybe you have a suspension bridge over the pedestrian bridge over the river. Wouldn't that be a fun activity?
Again, big boardwalk ideas may have, they need not be possible. But I do think it is a request and not done on reasonable request of the Ontario parks who have invested $41 million in the Ontario Park system over the last couple years.
And I don't believe our park received anything. So wouldn't that be a wonderful thing to have them have a legacy.
Put it in their hands, look what you can do on teraparks. And accessibility is a huge issue.
H-friendly. Can you imagine being able to have some infrastructure built into it so you can just stop photographs, camera and what a wonderful site that would be.
And what a wonderful thing for us to say is this is the most accessible freshwater beach in the world.
Absolutely. Anything yet? That sounds wonderful.
I'll vote for that one. Thank you. I think what's important to note on that point is that when the lands in forest, which then became the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry,
started the provincial park here in Wessaga Beach, they did have a elevated boardwalk that went from the mouth, the Nautibusaga River, which is Beach Area 1, the parking lot there into the main beach area.
It then stopped, of course, along Beach Drive. And then at Beach Area 2 it started again and went as far as Beach Area 5 in some areas I believe.
So they understood back then how important and how great that was. The problem is, like everything else, once it was built, it was never maintained in the sand, filled in underneath it and it rotted away.
And so now that's why you see small sections that are still not in great shape. So again, it's kind of called it back to the future, where we know what's worked in the past, we know what can work, we believe in the future and it's an excellent idea.
Right, I think we have now Councillor Ego.
Thank you. That was a great question. Councillor Delayel to put out the public and we all get to see how important that we are to have this enthusiasm talent background knowledge working for this town.
I mean it just shows quickly how these just roll off of you and that you know, and to work with tourism and culture, all of that is so important.
So you mentioned time capsule that won't go on about this, but I hope we all stick with our little brains here today and and I think about that. So thanks again.
Thank you Councillor. Yeah, pretty much no.
Thank you. Worship through you.
Thank you very much Steve for your presentation and to your amazing committee for all the great work that you're doing.
To echo Councillor Ego's point, I really like the idea of a time capsule. I think that's a great way to be able to engage our students.
And really all ages and demographics of our community to contribute to. So I hope that staff to take that opportunity or that your committee continues to flesh that out.
The other thing I think we have an opportunity for with 50 years of celebrating is 50 years of reflecting on memories, right?
We've got so many great memories just as your family as a testament as well, you know, for generations who have lived here.
And I think it would be really nice to be able to have a place online, a page where people could submit those memories.
And then they could be somehow captured whether it's in a book or a digital read or whatnot to just really celebrate the uniqueness of a saga beach and the rich fun history that we have.
And also helps to promote really positive narrative in the public right now as well, which I think every community could always use.
Thank you.
Deputy Mayor Stellen, any other questions or comments or members of council.
Seeing none against you, thank you very much for your presentation and all you do with your committee and thank you.
Councillor Tims for leading that committee as well on council side.
We do have a motion that presentation by chair Steve Harlow, economic development and tourism advisory committee,
pertaining to the annual report we received for information. Could I have a move in a second for this please.
Councillor Tims and Deputy Mayor Stellen favor on motion carries unanimously.
Moving on now to seven point one point one.
The EdTech annual report and I believe we have Ted Chrysler.
Sorry, my mistake seven point one point one the EdTech and report recommendation.
Which I've just done. Thank you.
Seven point two.
Madam Clerk.
Sorry.
Your worship.
Pardon me.
You were you were right to start reading that motion.
So staff did provide a report to accompany that presentation.
So we're just looking for a motion to receive for information.
Thank you very much. Madam Clerk, my apologies council.
So we're recommended motion not to be part titled economic development and tourism advisory committee and report to council meeting.
I'll just 20 second twenty twenty four be received for information.
Move on a second for this please. Council Tims and Councillor White.
All in favor?
That motion carries unanimously.
I don't know number seven point two.
We now have chair Ted Chrysler and vice chair Kathleen Caswell.
In the climate action advisory committee and your report presentation.
There we are we finally got there took me a while but we're here.
Ted Kathleen welcome.
I'm getting worried.
I was thinking we're just going to have to present another report there for a moment.
What is yours? Thank you.
Thank you in good morning Mayor Smith for deputy mayor's snow.
Thank you.
Sorry to interrupt you.
I'm just going to ask you to push the microwave it or back up slightly.
There we go.
You did.
Thank you.
So I'm used to making my voice carry in the war room.
Good morning Mayor Smith.
Deputy Mayor Snell counsellors town staff and attendees.
I'm Ted Chrysler and I am the chair of the climate action advisory committee.
We're one of the newest advisory committees for Resolgebic.
We started late in 2023 and we're very pleased to be here today.
And here with vice chair Kathleen Caswell and the other members of our committee.
Our Tom Kutou who happens to be in Australia at the moment and maybe live streaming.
I'm not sure.
Andrew Boyce and of course counsellor Joe Belange and we want to make a special shout out for for Joe to say thank you for all the work that he's done.
For the past several years in fact in this area and we really appreciate his participation in the committee.
And as well our staff liaison is Candice Bonderjuck who's here today and she is fantastic.
We love her she's great. She does an amazing job and we just wanted to give her a good shout out to.
Thank you.
Hi.
I'm going to turn it over now to oh there's one thing if you could hold your questions to the end.
We're going to try to get through the presentation and it's probably would be better to do the whole thing and then have questions at the end if you don't mind.
I'm going to hand it over to Vice Chair Kathleen Caswell and she'll do the first part of the presentation.
Welcome Kathleen.
Thank you.
I don't know how to work.
There we go.
That was easy.
Okay.
So as you can see our current objectives are to assist the town with developing a climate action plan and assisting with the implementation of the plan.
Okay. So what is a corporate climate action plan? Well, it is it the whole goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the plan will offer recommendations and identify policies and mechanisms.
So what climate action is a process that involves both a corporate plan and a community plan.
But at this point we are just going to focus on the corporate plan.
The corporate climate action plan builds on current policies and programs identifying enhancements and new approaches for the town to reduce carbon impact in their operations over the short mid and long term.
We did quite a bit of research and analysis over the last few months. We've been around for about eight months now by visiting other municipalities.
So we've researched many municipalities and we are well behind the curve on creating a climate action plan.
Calling would and Simco County have completed theirs and they use a process called partners for climate protection or PCP for short.
It's recommended by the province and used by the majority of Canadian municipalities.
So we have received an in-person presentation from the county and from an expert on PCP process.
One of the benefits of action. Well, it demonstrates leadership within the communities.
Excuse me.
It helps promote what I can beach as a international reputation and it creates a climate lens within the corporation.
So climate action leadership has a positive impact on our team and community allowing us to adapt to and mitigate changing weather impacts and extreme weather events for climate resiliency.
While at the same time enhancing our reputation.
By creating a climate lens culture, there is considerable opportunity to deliver positive economic impacts within the commercial and tourism sectors and also opportunities for grants and funding.
And what other benefits? Well, saving taxpayers dollars, extending infrastructure life, reducing costs.
With worsening storm events such as flooding, town infrastructure is deteriorating at an accelerated pace.
Our recent years over the recent years.
The cost of construction has been increasing exponentially. This is proven action for reducing
the liability for taxpayers, insurance company rates in the future will be influenced by the mitigation
of climate hazards, by the government and the community. What about forecasted savings? So this chart
came directly from the County of Simcos Climate Action Plan. As you can see, the county is planning
on making a $40 million investment over the next 10 years between 2025 and 35. With a forecast
of savings of $130 million by 2050. Obviously, the scale for the town of Wessaga Beach would
require a much smaller investment. But the percentage return would be comparable. The AU at the bottom
of that screen stands for business as usual. So they believe that if they continue as they are
right now, it would cost them $700 million. And if they do follow the lowest cost scenario, which is the
LCS code there, they would be around $567 million spent on up until 2050. And so that leaves
them with $130 million savings. And doing nothing is cost prohibitive. Now, the current situation
is quite good. There's a lot of things on the in the works and a lot of things completed. We're
very pleased to see the energy demand management plan completed. And there's also a green
fleet initiative underway. And some of it has also been completed. Like we have some EV vehicles
and quite a few charging stations. So we're on our way with projects as listed and have many additional
opportunities for new projects. We believe we are near halfway through in completing all requirements
for baseline measurements in order to start to work on the corporate climate action plan. The energy
demand management plan measured energy demand on the majority of town owned buildings at a cost and the
plan cost the town $39,000 to complete that plan. The remaining measurements to be completed are for
fleet, street lights, solid waste, waste and wastewater. And perhaps optional and we could include
commuting and business travel as the as the county did. And in regards to the green flaminging
issue, which is underway, the confident that Deloitte, the consulting, the consulting
completing the work will provide us with a baseline measurement and a green fleet strategy by the
end of the year. The estimated cost to the municipality is 43,000 versus the $120,000 in the 2024 budget,
a savings of $77,000 due to the grant from the Federation of Canadian municipalities. And now I'm going to
bring Ted's back here now.
All right. As you can see, there is actually sort of a feedback loop for membership in PCP. We start with
milestone 1, which is creating an inventory. Then we have milestone 2, setting a target.
milestone 3 developing a plan after you have the target. And then of course, milestone 4,
implementing that plan. 5 is monitoring the impact and you keep going through this loop because things
change over time. After the presentation from partners for climate protection, we're confident that we are
ready to seek membership. It requires a council commitment to move through the PCP5 milestone process
and designate a point person, preferably the CAO or CFO. There's no cost to membership and no
set timeline to adhere to. Simple County has already joined and just completed their climate action
plan this year and will now work through implementation of the plan over the next 10 years.
The benefits of PCP membership are free expert advice and greater potential in receiving government
grants and funding including FCM funding only available to PCP members. We believe we're more than
halfway through the first milestone of determining the corporate energy demand inventory, which is ongoing.
We will soon need to establish the second milestone of a carbon reduction target. The provincial
target adopted by most municipalities is 40% by 2030 and net zero by 2050.
Milestone 3 is the creation of a climate action plan which identifies key actions and projects
in Milestone 4 is implementation and as I mentioned Milestone 5 is monitoring. We would at some
point fall the same process in the development and execution of a community climate action plan.
We're providing council and key staff with the Simco County presentation which provides greater detail.
Some recommended next steps. What we're asking, suggesting to council, is that council
produce a resolution regarding PCP that they designate a team member as a PCP contact
applied for a $10,000 embridge grant which is always great to get money.
Complete the required inventory measures, establish the carbon emission reduction targets,
identify potential projects and allocate $39,000 in the 2025 budget.
In summary, the committee clearly understands the many challenges and priorities that council and
the town team are tasked with and the financial balancing act that's required.
And we understand that the PCP process could take some years to complete.
We acknowledge that environmental stewardship is a council priority.
The green initiative pillar is in the council priorities including the six initiatives
77, 79, 81, 82, 83, 84. We must make progress through reasonable and appropriate allocation
of resources both in dollars and human resource hours. We endeavor to be very responsible to both
the wasogabeech tax payer and town team and are asked to be considered for the 2025 budget.
We look forward to supporting council in all initiatives relating to the environment and emissions reduction.
We did come up with to be helpful, a motion for council consideration,
with a variety of you can see it whereas, but the two main things to take away from this
is that we're asking you to resolve the council approves membership in PCP which again is free
and that council includes $39,000 in the 2025 budget for the completion of the
emission inventory report for the commencement of a climate action plan to ensure the progression
of council's green initiative priorities in 2025. We've identified some potential impact
for projects. The solar panels for the tea pound high school and also potentially solar on
wreckplex, repurposing or sale of the old stars arena, town hall and old library, efficiency plan,
energy storage units for corporate facilities and wasogabee distribution and enhanced
green development standards. We clearly understand that there may be financial considerations
or even financial barriers for some of these projects. There are also countless smaller initiatives
that can be completed with little effort and resources. The items listed would be big winds
that may qualify for 70 to 80 percent of government funding. If we were successful in these levels of
support, the energy savings versus municipal investment would generate very positive returns.
Becoming a partner for climate protection and committing to the PCP process can greatly improve
our opportunity to secure government grants. The climate action advisory committee will support
council and our town team and researching any and all opportunities presented to us and we very much
look forward to working with the town through the remaining term of council.
And if you have questions, we're happy to try to answer them now and thank you very much for your time
and attention. We appreciate it. All right, well thank you very much Ted and Kathy and the rest
of your team for the work you do. We truly appreciate it. This is new for usogabeech as you know
but I think it's a fresh and bold step forward to ensure that we're doing our part and there's no doubt
that there's a lot of things happening and a lot of conversation happening within your committee. I
can say that because Councillor Bologna sits with that committee. But at the end of the day, thank you
so much. Questions or comments from members of council? Deputy Mayor Snow. Thank you, Your Worship.
Thank you very much, Ted and Kathy, for not only your presentation, but your obvious passion
for this subject matter and doing the great work that you're doing and also congratulations on the
grant of $43,000. That's a great savings for our taxpayers. The image grant that you mentioned. Can you
provide some more information around what's the parameters with qualifying for that, please?
Yes, sure. The $43,000, of course, was the fleet, wasn't by the fleet initiative.
And Bill just prepared to give me the $10,000, which is 50% amounts to 50% of the spend and so the spend
we need to be 20 and it's about and they're pretty open ended. You really say anything that will contribute
to the creation of a climate action team. So we had this idea that we've already spent the
39,000 on the energy management and conservation plan. And so we talked to Embridge about that and they
said, sure, money spent in the past could be applied to this program. So if long as we give them
invoices for $20,000, which would be easy for us, because we spent 39,000, then they would give us
$10,000, which we've already figured out where to spend it by the way. Oh boy, I might not surprise by that.
It sounds like a pretty easy ask if to me go ahead and definitely miss no. Thank you, Richard, for the follow-up.
The other question I had was in regards to the request of the $39,000 for the $20,000,000, $25 budget.
And then that sort of was specific around the emissions report. You mentioned several opportunities for
solar. Would that possibly be included in that information gathering or is your committee
resourcing options for that and hoping to come forward to council with some recommendations or
pricing or programs that we could do for that solar? So if we could kind of wrap our heads around that,
option opportunity? Whatever you go. I don't know.
Goal is to physically have a climate action plan by the end of like soon. So the 39,000 is really just to get
to that point where we have a climate action plan. Fortunately, there's been so lots of work done,
that's going to get incorporated easily into the plan, like the energy management for all the buildings.
But they're still the far-round of work to create a plan. So that's, and that is doing the
emission studies on everything else besides the buildings, like the fleet. And as was mentioned,
there's other, there's waste water and water plants that have to be, so you have to end up with this
big inventory and we feel that's going to cost us about 39,000. And we got that number because we spent 39,000 on the
energy management one that's completed just for the buildings. And we thought that we would want to spend a
similar amount to finish off that climate action plan. And physically has something to say, hey,
we've done it. It's done. Here's our plan. The idea of solar is great. And we would love to spend
to put some of our effort towards studying and analyzing how we could use solar. But the 39,000 would
be just to drive us to the point where we got a really great plan for the next five to ten years.
So that's the thinking. And just to add to that, yes, the committee would be doing further investigative work
on the solar opportunities. I think that was part of your question as well. And we're happy to do some of
that like work and help the town out. And I know that that would be a great thing if we could see that happen.
Anything further than that, you might say? No. Other questions, comments? Councillor Belonging?
If there's other Councillors that want to go ahead of me, I would prefer that. But I want to do some
clarification here because I think we're been a little confusing. The $39,000 ask is to complete the
baseline inventory so we understand our starting point of what we're using in emissions every
year so that when we develop a plan that we would be able to get credit for the reduction we're doing.
So the $39,000 is in no way contributing to building the plan. It is creating the baseline measurement
and there's a fiesta made a $39,000 cost to do that. The actual plans can range anywhere from
50 to $120,000 in consulting. Some of it is already being...
We've done with the fleet. We're not quite sure what that amount would be. We do know that the county joined PCP in 2018 and they're implementing their plan this spring in 2024.
So that's six years that it took them to complete a environmental plan to get to the point of implementation.
We don't know if it would take that long. Obviously we're not quite as complex as the county, but there would be additional costs in additional time to complete a plan.
Some of the things are dynamic though, too. Like I mean, we obviously, you want that baseline measurement, so if we initiate a project that results in reduction of emissions that we get credit for that emission reduction.
So you can be implementing portions of the plan before you've actually created a complete plan.
But the idea as the county did is over the next few years, the committee would work towards building a comprehensive complete plan for the municipality.
That would include, as they said, some low hanging fruits, some initiatives that are very low cost, low resource intensive, but also look at some big projects that could really make a difference.
And then if anyone else wants to comment they'll come back at the end.
Can I just build on what Councillor Belange has said, yeah, we need to finish the inventory first. And that's what the funding will help us do, which is a necessary step towards the climate action plan. So if we were confusing you, sorry.
But the good news on the plan is we're not the first people doing this. So we intend to piggyback and save a bit of time. It will not take six years.
We've got to move faster than that. We're in a climate emergency. So we intend to look to, you know, calling wood, simple county, other areas that already have a plan.
And they're probably great plans and why wouldn't we as much as possible, borrow, right, and move this along faster. So that would be our goal and to help the town achieve that.
Thank you very much. Other questions or comments, Councillor Chains?
Thank you. And through you and I'm not sure who will answer this, it sounds like a large body of work that is required.
Is this something that you see the advisory committee taking on or would this be a subcommittee or a task force of sorts to complete a project of that magnitude?
I don't know who's going to answer that.
Are you referring to the climate action plan? Yes. Yeah.
The committee is not got the skills to write the plan. However, we've read a lot of the plans. I think what we would intend to do is provide a fair amount of direction.
Maybe create a Frankenstein's monster of a plan that then the consulting to work with because that will also save the town money.
If we're using less resources for the consultant. So we're always trying to think of ways to ensure that the taxpayers and citizens are getting the best result for the lowest cost.
But we're not qualified to write the plan. We certainly provide as much direction as we could.
I'll can read that if you can. Madam Clerk.
Thank you, worship. There are emotions for council consideration that are within the presentation. However, at this time, staff do feel that there would be merit and referring these requests back.
We are starting our budget preparations for 2025.
We would like to evaluate the partnership with FCM, ICLEI, and understand what's going to be involved in creating that plan. The human resources involved.
So if we could ask for referral after discussion, that'd be wonderful.
All right. Thank you very much. And I appreciate that. Madam Clerk.
Because we are going into budget planning at this point, this is the best time, of course, to make sure that we can get the best out of what we have.
So anything further than council teams, you're good. All right. Anyone else?
Councilor Valange.
See, this is what I told you, right?
I did say it would come back.
So to the clerk, it was certainly our intention to refer this back to staff, the reason that we did this presentation to ensure that we were consideration in the 2025 budget for our ask.
And but as far as, as Councillor Timms recognized some of the individuals, I just want to make a no one that, of course,
Ted and Kathleen are also the two members of our committee that are a member of the Wisega Beach climate action team, who I can tell you have put in thousands of hours over the last four years.
Researching, a lot of things related to the environment, what can be done. And in fact, working a great deal on the education and not, not formally knowing, but in the community action plan, like everything from rain barrels to attachments for our laundry to keep PCPs out of our work.
And so it's just that they have an entire, I can't, can't remember the exact number now because once we formed the committee, I was no longer participating in the meetings, but I can tell you it's it's just great to have so many residents giving of their own time and efforts to move our community forward and to be
very environmentally responsible and I appreciate that and thank you on behalf of the committee. And again, I would put forth the motion to refer this report back to staff for consideration for the budget and the other ask of joining PCP.
Thank you, Councillor, and thank you, Ted Kathleen and your team once again appreciate the presentation.
Madam Kirk, did you want to read the motion as respect to a referral?
Thank you, Bishop. The motion to receive the presentation isn't within the council table right now, so we will add to the current recommended motion.
Firstly, that the presentation from chair Ted Chrysler and vice chair Kathleen Caswell, the climate action committee pertain to the annual report.
We received her information and that the council requested resolutions outlined in the climate action advisory committee presentation be referred back to staff for more information.
Thank you, Madam Kirk, members of council, you've heard the question in the other questions or comments.
Hello, move in the second. Please, Councillor Belange and Councillor White all in favor. That motion carries unanimously.
All right, moving on to item eight delegations. We do have a delegation today from Ms. Donna Jedb, the Simco County Federation of Agriculture, delegation with respect to item number 10.4 and this is backyard chickens Donna, great to see you.
And I see Mr. Richie has joined you here as well. They've got good to see you.
There we go. Yes. I am accompanied by our president, Mr. Dave Richie and I was all entalled for this job.
Being a chicken farmer myself and I am very cautious of things that are going on in different municipalities.
You received the letter data January 8. I'm just to talk for this job.
You were doing fine, it sounded great.
Now you're going to push the button again.
No problem.
Technology. You received the letter data back in January 8.
And I was just looking at it again in 2021 according to the census.
There was 930,000 chickens and 71,000 turkeys, grown in simple county.
And the production and majority of it was in preview and spring water township, which surrounds was said to be.
If there is an avian flu outbreak and we have seen it and we actually have a featherboard command center now that looks after all the infections that are going on in our province.
And CFI comes in and they may have to if the barn itself has the avian flu, they may come in and instruct for destruction of the flock.
We have in the past had a broiler breeder flock had to be destroyed.
Broiler breeder is the farmers that supply us with the fertilized eggs to the hatcheries that supply us with our chicken to grow.
And because of that when they were destroyed we were short now.
And then we had to look outside of our province to fill our quarters and keep producing our chicken.
Ontario is largest chicken producing province in the country.
And we account for 34.7% of the Canadian chicken produced in 2022.
Ontario chicken industry is an important contributor to the economic health and growth of the province.
And over 260 million chickens grown every year by more than 1300 family run chicken farms.
And it must add that the quota holders 50% of those families 50% are women.
Processed at 19 primary and 21 custom processing operations.
And we support 28,500 full-time equivalent jobs and we generate 5.2 billion dollars in the province's wide GDP.
Well production is the production of chicken is a key economic driver.
Especially in parts of the rural Ontario economic impact of the industry goes well beyond the county where the chicken farms are located.
Chicken production is one way to add value to the corn and soybeans grown in our province.
The it's very complex chicken production and processing just like the provincial economy is a complex is a complex on interacting sectors.
And by having a quarantine place put in place it puts the stop the stops movement of the chicken.
So myself as a chicken farmer if I was in your quarantine zone and I was ready to ship my chicken I would not be able to.
So I would have to now hang on to the chickens put further stress on the birds stress on me because now I can't ship my birds to receive my money and I still have bills to pay as well.
So it puts extra stress on the farmers and all farmers are audited every year on the health and welfare of the chickens and also the biosecurity protocols.
We are under a very strict biosecurity rules with all the chicken farmers in Ontario.
So that's the close notes version of my presentation and I'd be happy to answer.
I hope to answer any questions.
Thank you much.
Done.
I did read the report and it's entirely was very informative as was your presentation.
I'll look to members of council for questions.
I just have one.
Can you just or request can you elaborate a little bit Donna on the spread of disease?
Because I understand that's the biggest concern with respect to backyard chickens and it's important I think for council to have a better understanding of that.
Yes.
The whole flu is the highlighted one and it unfortunately now has mutated itself.
Three people in the United States have died.
It has now jumped to humans.
The avian flu and three people have passed away in the United States with the avian flu.
The avian flu is very highly contagious and it's always migratory birds that bring in the disease.
It started out in the western province of BC.
That's where we were first noticing avian flu and it's just slowly spread into all the provinces.
So it's migratory birds that bring it.
So we have to be very cautious to bring it fall.
Make sure we're following our protocols.
I think it was three years ago in the UK.
People that were pasturing their chickens outside were told that they had to put them indoors in a building for six months.
Those birds were not allowed to be outside at all.
The ones that were normally being ranged out in the open.
They had to be put inside because the avian flu was so bad in the UK.
And I believe it was about six years ago there was a quarantine down in Woodstock.
And truck drivers that were having birds to be processed into Toronto had to view off the floor one and go south and go around the quarantine zone.
They were not allowed to be.
They were not allowed to drive through that quarantine area.
So that's how highly contagious it could be.
So is it airborne or it can be airborne?
Yes.
It's true that he sees of droppings of the birds.
That would be a one.
She won.
She will see.
So yeah, and it's usually pigeons, ducks, the can, the geese.
They are all the migratory birds.
All right.
Councillor, you go ahead.
Thank you.
Through you worship.
That just raises a question on the free range birds.
But they are accredited farms for raising the chickens.
Is that right?
Like they're not all in house or normally with free range.
They are out for a certain time.
And then they're brought in to their coops or whatever.
We have.
I mean.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for that great person.
I just wanted to clarify on what Councillor Ego said and what you said. Free range are birds that are outside and then yes, they do come outside.
The ones that you keep in the barn, so that people know when they go to the supermarket, they're called free run. So when they see free run, that means they're in a barn.
When they, but they're loose, they're not caged up and when they see free range, they are outdoors. I just wanted to clarify that's correct. Thank you.
All right, thank you, Councillor. Any other questions or comments? All right, Donna. Thank you very much for your presentation. Good to see you. Good to see you, Dave.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Well, and thank you.
We do have a motion here that the delegation from Donna Jeeb Synco County Federation of Agriculture, pertaining to item number 10.4, backyard chickens be received for information. Any other questions or comments?
So you're going to move on a second. If for this please, Councillor Delay on Councillor Ego, all in favor. That motion carries unanimously.
Moving on to item number nine, government relations. I'll turn to our CAO and your meeting for an update to Andrew.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and I'm going to let Sandra, Director of Communications and Government Affairs, kick us off and I'll likely add some comments when she's done.
Good morning, Sandra. Good morning, Your Worship. Just a quick update and a recap from our time at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference, which we were attended in Ottawa from Monday to Wednesday this week.
So just confirming that we counsel and of course your worship and senior staff attended seven meetings met with six ministers and of course Doug Ford, the Honorable Premier of Ontario, who kicked off our delegations at Amon.
We have in preparation for Amon, launched a new website that contains all of our asks, so anyone that's interested to understand all of the things that we were discussing can go to www.wasogabitch.com forward slash advocacy and that contains all of the information about what was discussed in our delegations.
Of course, the way we organized our presentations, we're according to all of the strategic large strategic projects that the town is undertaking, including the West, was the secondary plan, the downtown redevelopment master plan, the tourism destination management plan.
And of course, the town's called to invest more in the world's longest freshwater beach in Nancy Island.
So one of the largest themes was our interests, of course, in terms of unlocking greater value from the beach and from Nancy Island and all in all we had a very receptive audience.
And there is a lot of great feedback that was provided to us that we'll be following up on this week.
I'll pass it over to Anna just to get into any more details.
Okay, thank you.
Just building on one of the overriding themes.
And I listened intently to Mr. Harlow's comments as well.
And he, he has the inside knowledge, the inside scope having worked for the Ministry of Tourism.
We've had approximately a 50 year relationship with the province, an important partner for the town of Osogabitch.
The province owns a corner of the land area of our community.
I think it's fair to say that a lot of the assets that were initially created here are in a state of disrepair.
That includes Nancy Island, that includes all of the beach areas, the pecking tables, the shade structures, the boardwalks.
Apparently there's an amphitheater somewhere out there that was built 50 years ago.
I've yet to attend a concert at the Sanphitheater, up in here for 53 years.
I'm not sure if it's actually buried and sand.
But apparently there is something out there that used to be an amphitheater.
So one of the things we emphasized that are meeting with the premier and the multiple ministries was,
where are the world's longest for a swan beach?
That's right, my voice is fading in and out and I thought I had fixed this over the last couple weeks.
We're the world's longest freshwater beach and was such an important partner in the province that controls some of these key assets.
It's time that Osogabitch had some proper investment.
Mr. Harlow mentioned that the province is investing approximately $50 million to create a new urban park in other areas of the province.
We're the first urban park and we're not getting capital investment.
The assets are in a state of disrepair.
So that needs to change.
And with the utmost respect to the district environment, conservation and parks,
it may be time to shift some of these assets to different ministries.
Again, Mr. Harlow mentioned that the Ministry of Tourism oversees some parks commissions.
We all can see with our own eyes what Niagara Falls looks like.
It's amazing. It's beautiful. It's world class.
World's longest freshwater beach should be at the same level of commitment and have the same level of investment.
So a lot of our conversations were focused on how do we do a reset here?
We've had a 50 year experiment.
Let's set this stage for the next 50 years to ensure that this community becomes truly world-class.
And I think that's a bit of a segue into the resolution that the mayor may be putting on the floor.
Thank you very much, Sandra.
Thank you Andrew for that information and the update and the information to the public with respect to.
I think is in a very successful email for the town of Osaga Beach through our delegations.
It's great to speak with with Premier Ford.
We were very fortunate to have 30 minutes with the Premier.
We thought it would be about 10 but he was clearly intent and interested and understood and has committed to coming up to Osaga Beach.
His boots on the ground and doing a tour with us and seeing what it is that we're speaking of.
So we appreciate that very, very much certainly believes in getting it done.
And we absolutely look forward to that.
Speaking with the minister with respect to tourism as well.
I think he was very clear that he understood and could see that we needed to unlock so many other great things.
Here in Osaga Beach and was going to be our dance partner.
I think that was his words and work with us to move forward and work with the other ministries in order to do some great things.
Bring Osaga Beach back to what it once was and what it should be in that world-class destination.
The amphitheater you speak it was actually in Beach area too.
It's kind of hidden back in there.
It sits down in a little gully and there's a hill all around it.
It's a great spot.
I do remember a couple of minor events happening there.
Many, many years ago back in the early seven, early mid 70s.
But I'm going to take a walk there now to make sure that it actually is still there.
It was a stage in building with a change area and whatnot there.
And it was hidden quite well back then.
It may be understand now for all we know but certainly worth a walk to have a look for that.
So questions or comments from members of Council.
Would you expect to send us comments and Andrews?
Will look to Councilor Belongie?
I think one of the real takeaways I had other than what has been mentioned is that our win-win approach.
And that it wasn't just us asking the province for investment.
All of our plans are so strategic in the province achieving their objectives both in job creation and in new housing bills.
And I think that was very well communicated in the packages.
And if our residents go and read the information that our director of communication prepared.
It was very professional and well done and met are fact in most of our presentations.
It was noted how professional our presentations were.
So thank you and again I think it's hard for us to walk away without being somewhat successful given how important it is to the province.
So what we're doing.
So thank you.
Thank you.
Now look to Councilor Tims.
Thank you.
I just want to make a comment through you.
I think it was very exciting that at least two of the ministers had vacationed in Musaga Beach over the summer and we're very complimentary.
But actually new for themselves what our situation is here.
And many, many people that I spoke to in passing at the conference also told me they had been to Musaga Beach.
So you know our tourism is building and that's pretty exciting.
So thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you and through your worship.
Yes it was very interesting fantastic reception we received but I guess I'm going to any residents watching this or spread the word out there is what I would like to say.
In particular it's a lengthy report but we all talk about transportation in this town and traffic issues.
The town invested largely in that western study and it has been put together really succinctly.
I think it are report and that is available for the western study plan.
And so for people understand that how we are so working so diligently here to pull this town together not to have it divided but to have transportation for all.
And I think that it is a lengthy read but it's a great read so I want to thank the town for doing that.
Thank you.
I echo a lot of the comments that my colleagues have made.
Just in regards to how proud to be there and and how well received by the ministers.
With the information there was there was empathy there was understanding there was lived experience that was recent.
So they knew for themselves what we were going up against and I just really want to commend Andrew for your presentation style.
You do so well in unpackaging a story.
You're able to.
And when you're speaking about the saga beach you speak so truly from your heart.
And I think you did such a great job in relying the important messages.
And thank you as well to Sandra the packages were phenomenal.
They looked fantastic and I agree each one of them went, wow, these are slick.
These are nice.
This looks good.
So that's an important and getting our message out there is what does the package look like and we looked phenomenal these last few days.
Thank you.
Thank you, Deputy Mayor Snell, and again, I reiterate all of those comments and thank you
staff for a great, great job.
Interesting.
We also met, of course, with the infrastructure, Ontario, which was very well received and
also transportation.
We did speak length with them with respect to the West Secondary Plan and most importantly,
each would road and the issues of flooding and traffic and so on with respect to that.
And they were very receptive, they understood it, they've asked us to send them some
information, which we are already starting to package and put together.
So all in all, great conference enjoyable in many ways, and thanks to Council for every member
of Council attending as well.
But staff most importantly, as always, for the great work that you do for the citizens of
Osaga Beach.
The following report, I have been, sorry, I better go back up and do this motion that the
delegation government relations has no motion, so I'm going to turn now to our clerk with respect
to a motion that I have and then I'll turn the chair over to Deputy Mayor Snell while I present
that motion.
Madam Clerk.
Thank you, Your Worship.
You actually just clarified that very well.
If you would like to turn the floor over to the Deputy Mayor and you could provide your
motion.
All right.
Here by turn the chair over to you, Madam Deputy Mayor, if I may read my motion.
Thank you very much, please proceed.
Thank you.
This is a notice of motion to a day to day August 22nd, 2024, with respect to the Osaga Beach
Provincial Park, whereas the Park Management Plan of the Plan for Osaga Beach Provincial Park,
that was established on June, in June, 1978, focused on supporting recreation, tourism,
and economic growth within the town of Osaga Beach, and whereas Provincial land holdings
in Osaga Beach are largely under the control of the Ministry of Environment, Conservation
and Parks, the MECP.
And whereas the MECP has unilaterally shifted, the mandate of the Osaga Beach Provincial Park
to focus on environmental sustainability while largely ignoring the other two pillars of
sustainability, the social and economic pillars that resulted in the loss of focus
on supporting recreational tourism and economic growth.
And whereas the shift in the MECP focus has contributed to a significant loss in tourists.
And whereas the MECP infrastructure, parking lots, washrooms, shade structures, picnic
tables, playgrounds, etc.
And Nancy Island Historic Site have fallen into a state, a district pair, with portions
of Nancy Island currently closed.
To the public, because of the state of disrepair. And where, as despite the plan, acknowledging that
was saga of each provincial park is unique, as a result of it being the first urban provincial
park in Ontario, located entirely within the boundary of the town of was saga beach, and
the town has been subject to harmful broad brush policies, regulations, and management practices
that are being applied across the province that are oftentimes out of touch with the unique
needs and context of was saga beach. And whereas the commitment outlined in the 1978 plan,
to revisit the plan every five years to ensure that the vision of the municipality and
the operating practices of the province remain in sync, has not occurred. And whereas the province
also on significant land holdings outside of beach areas, and environmentally sensitive
lands that were once developed with homes and businesses. And that have now sat derelict for almost
fifty years contributing very little to nothing to the town's assessment base. And whereas
the MACP unilaterally created the was saga beach provincial park boundary, in the mid 1990s that
brought provincially owned, municipal owned, and privately owned lands inside the park boundary.
And despite property acquisitions being incomplete, the MACP is a starting ownership over these lands
without providing fair compensation. Therefore, we have resolved that the town of was saga beach
requests that a task force be immediately struck, with representatives from the town of was saga beach,
the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks, MACP, and the Ministry of Tourism,
Culture, and Gaming, the MTCG, and the Ministry of Infrastructure, Infrastructure, Ontario, to review
all provincial land holdings within was saga beach and determined which land should be transferred
out of the MACP portfolio and put into either the MTCG or I.O. or the town's portfolio
sorry, by Q1 of 2025, at minimum, the town request that Nancy Island being beach areas
one and two, a portion of beach area four, and all of the remaining non-beach area and non-environment
of the sensitive parcels of land, be transferred out of the MACP portfolio. And further that, the
province work with the town of was saga beach to create an update master plan, and funding
strategy to reinvent was saga beach provincial park, and invest in new infrastructure that
will assist the town in becoming a world-class community and tourist destination worthy of being
located along the world's longest freshwater beach. And further that, the province, infrastructure
Ontario, and the MTCG, and the town collaborate to unlock the value. In understand, it's
a story in underutilized and derelict provincial lands, and pursue highest-invest uses for
these lands in line with the town and province of provincial objectives. And further that, all non-provincial
own lands currently located within was saga beach, provincial park boundary, be removed, and that the
park boundary be adjusted in other locations to facilitate new development at the main beachfront.
Further that, a copy of this resolution be sent to the Honourable Doug Ford, premier of Ontario,
the Honourable Andrea Kanjyn, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, the Honourable
Stephen Chow, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, and the Honourable Kinggaard Serma, Minister
of Infrastructure, MPP, Brian Sonderson, and the County of Simp Go.
That's on by myself. That is my motion.
Thank you.
Thank you, Your Worship. You've heard that very detailed motion. Are there any comments or questions
from Council?
Seeing none, I just have one quick comment. I could not agree any more with your further
more with your motion, especially given the efforts and focus of not only this Council, but
the staff in regards to beautification in our community. So if we were successful in achieving
your ask, how beautiful would that be for our residents to have both sides of our community
very focused on beautification?
Okay, so seeing that thing out, obviously it's moved by Mayor Smith. Can I get a second
there? Councillor Bologna, all those in favour? And that carries unanimously. I'll pass the floor
back to you, please.
Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Mayor, and thank you, Council, for that support and staff
for helping prepare that motion. Madam Clerk?
Thank you, Your Worship. And before we go over to staff reports, I just wanted to advise that
I've been told that Edm 10.4, dealing with back-air check-ins, is no longer pulled. It'll
be just for comment, so that will be considered under consent staff reports.
All right, thank you. I think it's also important before we move along from here. It's important
to note that MPP Brian Saunderson, the MPP for Sympka Gray, was at Emma was well and did join
us on many of our delegations and was in support of what it is. We're sorry to be just trying
to do and has been helping us to get these delegations set up and to help us as we go through
this process to recreate what we're so good each once was. And we thank him very much for
his efforts. Okay, moving on now to item number 10 staff reports. The following reports have been
pulled and moved to matters for consideration to be voted on separately. 10.2, 10.3, 10.5, 10.6, 10.13, and 10.14.
And before we move along, I'm going to look to Deputy Fire Chief Dan Bell, joining us here today,
who will comment on 10.5 and 10.6, Mr. Deputy Chief, welcome. Thank you, Mr. Mayer,
through you. I'm pleased to present the reports for Joe, sorry, June and July from the Fire
Department. June is always a busy month for the Fire Department, highlighted by a couple of
items. We had our second meeting in the open house, which was open to the public and was
wonderfully attended. A lot of people attend. It was amazing. We had a couple of water
training sessions. We had both the way first nation, which visited us as well as the Canadian
Coast Guard to add a number of training sessions with them, where they were recibulated the
emergency zip in the bay and worked together and did that. Book ended by a visit on June 25th by
Mr. General Cutsner, came visited with the mayor and we were able to grab half an hour
with him. He was very distracted by the shiny red trucks, and he was very happy about how clean
and everything was. We had a good little visit as quick as it was. July was another busy month
for us. We ran 217 incidents, and at this point in August we were about 110 incidents higher than
we had been previously. Again, we see that upwards trend of incidents that we get called to.
We hosted the staff, but over here at Station 1, and just a couple of notes that we have an open
recruitment for volunteer firefighters that has been open to the public and spread widely on our social
media platforms and in print media. That is open until September 20th. Just to wrap it up, just remind
everyone in council chambers or who is listening online that the end of summer rapidly approaching
and drivers should be aware of school bosses and young children excited about returning to school in around
the roadways. For those with all of our students going away to college university, please make sure that
you will that they are protected in their province or residences with working small glimes and
carbon dioxide learns. That is all I have. Thank you, Worship. Thank you very much, Deputy Chief.
Any questions or comments for the deputy? Right. Seeing none, Deputy just 110 calls said,
you know, were most of those medical, were they, did you have any breakdown on that?
I do start in June. We ran, sorry, that's July's. In June, we ran 1292 incidents,
139 of those are medical calls and in July we ran 217 calls and 141 of those are medical. So we still
do have a high medical response that we that we do respond to. We do see speaking with provincial
parks, we do see with more people on the beach, we do see more medical calls along the beach. And
not all, not all, you know, water related. Some people get overheated quickly as around the
beach and in the area. So our medical calls are again, are increasing as well as our coal volume itself.
All right. Well, you and the team do a great job and we're appreciative of having you there. So thank
you, Deputy Chief. All right. I understand the deputy mayor, you want to comment on an item 10.1.
Yes. Thank you. Your worship. I just wanted to comment on a few points of the Capitol
works update. Thank you for such a great detailed report. Obviously, there's a lot of work underway
in the community. Wanted to reference 72 river rodis, the new park that's there, the community park.
I drove past it yesterday and probably went 334 o'clock. There's probably at least a dozen people
actively playing. So that park is getting great use in spite of its unique location. So I think
that was spot on and I'm really happy to see that you're considering no parking signs to keep the
beach goers from using those spaces. Also two just to point to our residents if you didn't have the
chance to read the report, you know, just in this council's term alone for new parks have been invested
in this community. And I think that's fantastic for balance, recreation and keeping our residents active.
And if you would be able to confirm whether or not Kevin, the River Road West
urbanization obviously, great job. They're doing a phenomenal job. Are we still ahead of schedule as
as was shared previously in public? Thank you through you, Mr. Mayor. Deputy Mayor Sonalias, the
GOP contractor has worked out quite well today. They have advanced their construction schedule to a point
where our goal collectively is to have base course asphalt on this year and hopefully both sides
of sidewalk before the onset of winter. So right now you'll see them feverously working in front of
the school. They want to have the sidewalks in that area prepared in advance of the opening of the school.
So they've got several crews in front of Birchview dunes right now trying to get the curb down in the
asphalt pavement. So we don't disrupt the flow of the school buses and the kids in the next week or so.
But yes, they do have a very progressive schedule that we're hopeful we can, we don't find too many surprises
moving forward, not going on wood. There's still underground utilities and some other
things that that do create some delays. But overall they've progressed quite well and the contract is gone
has gone well as well. Thank you for just a quick comment. Super happy to hear that that those
sidewalks have the goal of being laid in time for school opening and that they're being mindful to
to make that area as safe as possible. So thank you very much. That's a great update and report.
No doubt what a great thing to see that the kids going to school at Birchview dunes along River Road West
are going to have some safe travel in order to get there and that that is so important. It's been
it's been very concerning over the last many years by many councils with respect to the safety of
kids along that corridor or so. Other questions or comments on the reports from the consent of
Jenna Councillor Tim? Yes, you were ship and I apologize when back up chickens was pulled. I didn't
add my name to pulling it and I wonder if that item could also be pulled for separate discussion.
Yes, we can do that. Thank you Councillor Councillor White. Yes, I apologize for the confusion on that.
I had pulled that item and then reduced that to a comment so I'll reserve that comment now for that item being
pulled. You speak in about chickens. Thank you Councillor. Any other comments on items on the
consent agenda? All right, see none of the, do you have a motion at the consent agenda?
List items under staff reports and all recommendations contained their envy adopted excluding
agenda items pulled from the motion and moved to matters for consideration to be voted on separately.
Could I move it a second or for this please? Well, I count for a white second by Deputy Mayor
Snell, all in favor. Carriage unanimously. We'll be on to item number 11 correspondence, 11.1.
The following correspondence I've been pulled and moved to matters for consideration to be voted on separately.
One, 11.14. And then we do have a recommendation that the consent lists items under correspondence
be received for information excluding agenda items pulled from the motion and moved to matters
of consideration and voted on separately. A move on a second for this please.
Move by Councillor Delayo, a second by Councillor Timbs, all in favor. That motion carries unanimously.
And now moving on to minutes of board meetings. We do have a 12.1 and a motion at the consent list
items under minutes of board meetings and committees be received for information. Any questions or
comments here? Move on a second for this please. Move by Councillor White, second by Councillor Ego, all in favor.
That motion carries unanimously. And moving on to item number 13 matters for consideration.
We have several items pulled. I will start with the first item. Safe routes for school children and this is
pulled by Councillor Bologna, a Councillor Bologna. Yes, thank you through your worship.
If Councillor recalls, when we received the deputation related to this group was pretty passionate
about safe routes to school as I am I and reading the report which they have been waiting
considerable period of time for. There was a quick hit.
Senator, there of extending the safety zones. And I had a conversation with our General Manager of Public Works, and he had indicated in the report.
And to me that that would be something that they're willing to do. There were some other things that we felt weren't required.
But I wanted to motion that Council vote on extending the safety zones today, so that hopefully we could, if not, getting it done before winter, could have that done by springtime.
Thank you, Councillor. Any comments? Madam Deputy Clerk?
Thank you, Your Worship. If Council is agreeable to that, we don't have a mover and seconder on the table.
Councillor, I'm not sorry, Belongie. He could put a motion forward that the report titled Safe Roots to schools for children to the council meeting of August 22, 2024.
And that the Director of Public Works be directed to bring back a Bala increasing the community safety zones around all the mentoring schools to 250 minors.
Give it that Councillor.
Move by Councillor Belongie, seconded by Deputy Mayor Snell, all in favor.
Chair, a recorded vote. Yes.
Well, that was like a switch out here on the church. I looked down and it looked back and it looks easy back.
All right, we'll be a recorded vote, then Madam Deputy Clerk.
No problem, and you know what I'm going to do, because I don't have my recorded vote sheet in front of me. Oh, there we go. Never mind.
Councillor Belongie and favor.
And favor.
Councillor Delay on favor.
And favor.
Councillor Eagle and favor against in favor.
Okay, Councillor. Sorry, Deputy Mayor Snell and favor against.
In favor.
Okay, Councillor Tims and favor against.
In favor.
Okay, Councillor White and favor against.
In favor.
And mayorsmith and favor.
Okay, awesome. It's carries unanimously.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
All right, switch again.
So I know who's in the chair. Good. All right.
Moving on to the next item, then.
Was sagas stars arena six month booking update.
This was pulled by Councillor Ego.
Councillor Ego. Correct.
Councillor Ego.
Thank you. Thank you.
Your worship.
Yes, Chris. Thanks for this report.
I have one blazing question that I always have.
And I have it from a resident or some residents as well.
The main one is the traffic studies on facilities say that in the first six months,
168,000 plus.
So does that figure include all our grand opening events, our concerts,
all of that?
Are those figures in there?
Yes, they do.
Those happened in maybe the second week.
And those numbers averaged the entire six months of February to July.
So kind of excuse it.
Like we can't think that's going to be it.
I'm going to read one of the letters I've received.
So maybe this will help us moving forward.
Let me just pull this one up.
Okay. And I think we've mentioned this before.
When all traffic into and out of the building is captured,
regardless of how many times anyone enters or exits the building,
then what's the true picture of the facility traffic?
Especially when there never seems to be hundreds of cars.
I have not said these words.
Especially when there never seems to be hundreds of cars in the parking lot to substantiate
802 guests per day.
I think I'll jump in here.
Listen, we can spend thousands and thousands or tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in a very specific
accounting system that recognizes people's faces and whatever,
but I don't know that that's cost productive for the municipality.
With respect to the opening ceremonies,
if we look at the two concerts, for example,
I think each of those concerts correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Deputy CEO,
is about $2,800, $2,200 per concert,
so that's $4,400 with respect or $4,400.
People with respect to two concerts of it think you used a number of 168,000.
So when you look at it, that number, it's considerably small.
It does skew it. There's no doubt I'm not arguing that,
but you know what we also know is that there was so many sports and entertainment
corporation is going to be hosting concerts regularly at this complex,
and so we'll be seeing those numbers regularly.
It's not like it's going to be at one time only.
Council has moved forward to create concerts and other events happening
in their outside of what recreation normally does.
And so does it skew the numbers? I guess if we weren't looking at hosting other events
there, yes, but I think the fact that we are,
I think those opening numbers are very important.
When we'll be looking at this in another year, year over year.
Listen, I can tell you, I've been in that building many times.
I drive by many times and often I see the parking lot,
and I think, oh boy, it's not very full,
but hockey happens on weekends, hockey and figure skating happen in the evenings.
They happen at different times of the day when we're not driving by it.
So I think if we were to sit there for a 24-hour period,
we would see that the building is well used.
And we are seeing through the report that the building is well used,
and it's actually having a negative effect on our reclacks in some ways,
because we're seeing that numbers on some of those rental rooms are down,
because people are wanting to use the newer facilities I can assume.
But at the end of the day,
I think the fact that, you know,
what we're doing are best with the counting system and maybe Chris,
director of course, you can elaborate on that counting system and how it works a bit,
but how much do we want to spend on counting people come to and from.
Can you elaborate on that system and director of course in how it works?
Certainly Mayor Smith. So there are cameras in the two lobbies.
We have a third one in the entry area to the library.
And it's very simple technology.
It counts a body moving in and only moving in.
So it knows how to only count each person once.
It won't count them going up the other door, et cetera.
Beyond that, I guess the council may be of interest,
and I could certainly circulate in a simple file the daily counts.
So we can see those couple blips that happened in the early days when we had concerts.
And I would agree that if we hit 3,000 visits on the days with these big concerts,
the average comes out over some six months to be understandably.
You know, 900 day is not absurd.
The second piece I would say that maybe of interest as we get into some very busy days
at the Twin Pad library and invite all of the community to go and see how the arena is going this weekend.
We're having our largest yet family oriented tournament at 36 team tournament.
We have had one other 36 team.
So that's pretty much maxing out all of our ice, their shorter games.
And we know that when youth are playing in the tournament,
they often come with at least a mother or a sibling, et cetera.
So we're expecting that our 350 odd parking spots should be very close to maxed out over this Friday's Saturday Sunday.
And then next week we are also hosting the Cottage Cup, which is a elite tier 2 juniors.
So this is the best hockey players who aren't pro in Ontario,
ideally getting picked up by NCAA schools.
There are eight Ontario top level hockey teams hosted by the calling would blues playing in our arena Tuesday Wednesday Thursday next week.
So hopefully spectator numbers are up with that.
And last but not least on Tuesday evening we hosted almost sold out Stainer Syskins Junior C game.
So those were a couple highlights in the last week and the week to come.
And I think as fall unfolds we'll start to see more of these maxed out days in our building.
Hopefully it's not 2,000 every day but certainly staff are preparing for some very busy days.
Great. Thank you Chris any intruder, Councillor Eagle.
Thank you Mr. Marin. And thank you Chris.
I'm glad we opened the conversation.
I think we loved the facility.
I mean it's it is well used and it's exciting.
It's exciting to hear now what's happening immediately.
And yeah.
And now to the people's questions out there.
So thanks.
It's good.
All right. Anyone else on this?
Another Councillor Timbs.
Thank you your worship and through you.
Chris, can you tell me if all the little bugs have been worked out with the upstairs walking track?
And is it still as busy as it was in the beginning?
Obviously taking into consideration some or might have made a difference somewhat.
I would say that commentary on the idea of our spectators disrupting the regular walkers has slowed.
We in fact with this busy weekend coming up.
We wanted to trial an idea that said walkers would use the outside.
And see if the spectators do in any way take over the track on a weekend event where we're certain
to have lots of extras moving around in the building.
Council may be aware that there were a lot of comments that came out of discussions when we talked about
non-resident usage numbers.
And as far as the recreation perspective, I'm yet to report back to council.
We haven't come up with an exact logistical plan on how we can restrict and use this RFID technology
to grant passes to regular users and then sell them to sort of minimize this extra kids running around all the time on busy evenings or
turn them a weekend.
So to answer your question, there has been very little noise as far as complaints as it goes to spectators or extras
sort of disrupting track users at this time.
But I suppose it'll get to the weekends in the winter and we'll know for sure.
And ideally be closer to implementing a plan if need be.
Okay.
Thank you, Councillor.
That's an excellent question.
I think we'll start to see the walking track use more.
Is the months get colder?
And I think what's important to note as the director said, we do keep track of this because at the end of the day it's a walking track.
It's not a spectator track and it's not, it's not a games room, right?
It's there for people who want to walk.
Councillor Belongese next and then Councillor Delayol.
Yeah.
Thank you through your worship.
Again, I personally drive by, when I'm not in Ottawa, I drive by the arena daily.
I sort of have a one day coffee routine where I go all the way to 45th street and back and see what's going on in town.
Related beautification by how well our arena is and library are being used.
But I want to make it very clear to our residences that we are acutely aware of the investment we have made in this new facility.
And in the increased operational costs to this facility and on an ongoing basis, it is on our minds and in our discussions of how to maximize that to the benefit of our community both in utilization but also in driving revenue.
And I think there's great many in this, the mayor pointed out we have created the events corporation.
And although that hasn't kicked in full now, I think we're going to see that we are going to become very well known for being having the state of the art facility in South Georgian Bay and beyond.
And that many, many people will, this will become their preference as a spot to come and see an event.
Certainly very enjoyable area to visit versus traditionally going to Toronto to see theater and some of the events that we will attract.
So I just want a resonance to know that I think you'll see over time and certainly as we build up our beach run to the new hotel that this event will play a very strategic role and will drive a lot more additional revenue.
So thank you.
Thank you.
Through you.
To Chris, you kind of hit where you said you're going to put up a sign saying that walkers will have to use the outside of the truck.
Is that correct?
Yes, we've had a staff discussion about what would happen on a busy weekend.
This is our first good one since this stuff has evolved.
May I elaborate on that because the outside is for joggers.
So the outside is normally used for joggers and the inside ones are used for walkers.
People that walk because it's three, right?
So I know when I'm jogging and I stay on the outside.
So if there's people walking then I'll just have to detour around the more.
My quick answer is there are three lanes.
So if the inner lane was used for spectators the second lane could be used for walkers and then pass on the outside.
So there are even occasions where a fast walker may.
As a slow walker, but obviously the trial is intended to understand, I think Mayor Smith made a great point in that, eh, it's summer time, and we may not have as much traffic there over this coming weekend, but also to understand, certainly, if there is a concern with interacting between the two.
All right. Any other questions, comments on this matter?
Thank you Councillor Belonging for making the point that we are acutely aware.
I think, in our fairness to our residents, however, they are also acutely aware of the high increases over the last two budgets that they have seen in order to pay for the arena and the operations and the library operations.
Hopefully, we're as far as we need to go with that, and that paid will subside, but I do understand the concerns from residents that there.
You've seen a huge increase in their taxes to a fund and pay for, and now that they are doing that, they want to see a return on their investment.
And to that point, then, as Councillor Belonging, I said, please be aware that the council and staff here are doing everything we can to make that building,
as busy as we possibly can, and to generate revenue from events and so on to help to pay for that to alleviate the burden on taxpayers.
So, it's a great point.
All right, we do have a motion not to report title.
New, well, sorry, new stars arena, six month bookings update to the council meeting of August 22, 2024,
be received for information.
Can I move on a seconder for this please?
Moved by Councillor Ego, seconded by Councillor Tims, Madam Clerk.
Thank you.
We're ship on the recorded vote, Councillor Belonging.
In favour?
Councillor Delayo.
In favour?
Councillor Ego?
In favour?
Yes.
Councillor Tims?
In favour?
Councillor White?
In favour?
carries an answer.
All right.
I think we're going to move on to this next item and get through the next item.
And then we're going to take a 20 minute break for a quick lunch and a bio break and then we'll get back and get to it.
The next item, of course, on the agenda is backyard chickens.
And this was pulled by Councillor White Councillor Delayo and now Councillor Tims.
So, I look to Councillor White on this matter.
Thank you very much, Your Worship, and offer a quick apology to our clerk for a lot of flip-flopping on the flapping of the chickens.
Originally, I had pulled this because I thought it would be a really great opportunity to make a case for backyard chickens.
Looking at the results, not only of the survey done this time, but also the survey done last time.
And certainly leaves a lot of room for that.
However, after having a great conversation with Rachel and by-law about this, it's come to my mind that, you know,
staff are already at capacity executing an aggressive priority list by this council.
And this would be a significant undertaking.
And I do believe that the community would still need an education to communicate best practices,
except around this type of activity in the municipality.
And I say that only because we have already seen some pretty undesirable conditions.
So, for me, it's not that I'm looking to say, no, I'm just saying,
for this municipality and for my vote, where this would go on, this is just not yet.
So, I'll leave my comment at that as well as others here.
Thank you, Councillor White. Next is Councillor Tims.
That's sorry, Councillor Delayo, my apologies.
Thank you, through you, Mr. Mayor.
I'd like to read an article, if I may, that I found, it's a very heartbreaking article, actually,
that I found a municipal world, and it's regarding a pilot project in Orangeville regarding back your chickens.
A rescue with over 300 abandoned chickens, fears Orangeville,
and owners won't think through the work involved.
While there has been some success in back your chickens, programs,
there's also a lot of collateral damage when it comes to unwanted chickens.
The concept of keeping back your chickens is often heavily romanticized,
but a woman who has rescued hundreds of them fears participants in a new Orangeville pilot program
will underestimate the commitment involved.
Most people have no idea what they're getting into, said lower MacArthur,
operator of silver, willow, farm, and rescue in Mansfield.
Chickens are cute when they're young, fluffy, and laying a egg for you every few days,
but the novelty wears off. They're not easy to take care of.
The rescue was currently home to 1,300 chickens abandoned from programs in the province wide.
The winter is the worst because the birds are freezing MacArthur said,
they need a warm place to live, and people don't want them anymore.
People don't realize to get eggs year round, lights are necessary,
and chickens require a lot of water, and warm to survive the winter require insulation and heating.
The cost exceeds the value. You spend a lot on hydro, heating, housing, and food.
It's very expensive. You're never going to get ahead by having three chickens, said MacArthur.
They are, they also only lay eggs for a couple of years.
At that point, MacArthur said many people choose to abandon them,
and let's not forget the wild animals they attract.
People have reported hearing the house and screaming at night,
where chicken coops reside. They attract foxes, raccoons, and other wild animals.
So I'm reading this because I want the public to be aware,
and I also want the public to be aware. I am totally against the backyard chickens.
I believe we live in an urban town, not a year rule.
Let's leave the farming of chickens to the professionals' where-plunks.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Neill, on to Councillor Tims.
Thank you, Your Worship, and through you.
When I read the report and saw that 68% of the respondents who were in favor,
and most of them for household consumption,
I wondered if we had looked deeply enough into the topic.
And I think that the concerns that Councillor DeLio is pointing out,
as well as what is in the report and the survey regarding rodents,
odor, and noise. I wonder if these items could not be mitigated
and dealt with through a strict approval and permit process,
along with items like appropriate sized property and education.
So that it's not just a matter of people can just have a chicken coop and put in their chickens,
but can the town not take a stronger control over that understanding that there will be cost incurred?
Hearing a lot from the food insecurity community,
that it's a good opportunity to save some money.
I'm hearing from Councillor DeLio, that from her report that she has read,
that may not be the case, but I'm wondering if we have looked into the situation deeply enough.
So perhaps through you, Your Worship if Rachel could speak to some of those concerns
that I have just put forward.
Absolutely, Rachel.
Thank you, and through you, Mr. Chair.
I think the report clearly reflects the things that the by-law Department did look into for these things.
I also did reach out to quite a few municipalities that have done pilot projects
or just have backyard chickens in general.
And obviously, you know, some have very strict provisions, some have no provisions.
Most comments were that obviously enforcement challenges come with that,
but it's certainly something that can be looked into if that's what is decided.
Councillor Tims?
From my perspective, I would like more information.
All right, thank you, Councillor Blassey.
Yes, through the mayor.
With the best of intentions and with the limited resources that we have to enforce so many things in our community.
And I think we all see where that is a difficult challenge.
One bad actor, one bad actor, could create a disaster for the chicken industry.
And these are also backyard chickens.
Our by-law enforcement doesn't.
It's very difficult.
It's not, it's not a drive-by to see if somebody is is correctly handling chickens.
And that, like to me, the risk far outweighs any benefit.
And again, to the report that just happened, if you're doing it right, you're likely not even saving money for your household.
So, as far as I'm concerned, just the risk is too great for any benefit.
Thank you, Councillor.
Any other questions or comments?
Just before I go back to Councillor Delayo, okay, Deputy Mayor Snell?
Yeah, my only comment that I wanted to thank you through your worship is listening to the conversation that's going on right now.
And thank you, Councillor Delayo, for bringing forward the points that were mentioned in that article.
This isn't something that I can support either.
I don't think we have capacity to take it on.
I don't think financially we can afford to implement and support and train.
Although great, great ideas, the fee would far outweigh the benefit financially for our residents.
So at this point, I could not even support staff spending any more time on this, frankly.
All right, back to Councillor Delayo.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor, through you.
It's just a simple little comment.
Where do we stop?
If we allow chickens for food insecurity, what if somebody approaches council and says, well, I have a little goat that I can only have goat milk.
And it should be my right to keep it in the back yard.
So where do we stop?
How do you say no to one and yes to the other?
You've got to put a limit.
And I think zero is the best limit.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Delayo.
And what the heck, we must have everyone so consider you go.
Just a quick comment.
Thank you.
I read the report in depth that I appreciate the work that staff has done on this.
You've got the numbers, the percentages.
It looked like a very fair report to be an inclusive and it spoke loudly.
And I would certainly be supporting your report.
All right.
Any other comments or questions?
I agree.
And the one thing I can say for certain is that not just this council but past councils have spent the same amount of time or more time on this as we have.
And I think we've always come to the same conclusion.
I absolutely sympathize with people today and you know food insecurities and the cost of food.
And yes this is an easy fix certainly this time of year.
But I would agree that as winter comes along.
You've got to think about the chickens as well.
And the humanity or the humanity which we may or we obviously do see.
And to Councillor Ego's point.
Where does it, where does it, or to Councillor Delayos point.
So where does it stop?
Next is a go next is a cow.
Whatever else it may be.
And I think we open a door that is very difficult for us to control.
And what we know is that when we do have bad actors, whatever that a bylaw is that we tend to get a ton of calls from neighbors.
And we do the best we can to fix it but it's not easy.
And you know we do live in a urban surrounding and not a rural surrounding.
And I don't want to make light of people trying to provide the best way they can for their families.
But I'm struggling with this one as much as I like the idea quite frankly.
I struggle with it because how do we police it?
How do we make sure that the animals are being treated humanely and how do we ensure that we don't have a situation where a disease comes into play.
And now we affect the ability for chicken and eggs for thousands and thousands of families.
And if we look at the food insecurity standpoint.
When that happens, what we know is that the price even goes higher.
Because of the shortage.
So I struggle to support this as well.
Appreciate all the comments by members of council and I'll read the resolution.
Let me part titled.
Pardon me.
Backyard chickens to the council meeting of August 22nd, 2024, we received.
And that the existing zoning and animal control bylaws prohibiting backyard chickens on unruly lots of be maintained.
I'll look to move right a seconder for this please.
Councillor Delayo.
Pardon me and Councillor Ego.
And I'll look to the clerk for a recorded vote.
Thank you.
Councillor Belange.
In favor.
Councillor Delayo.
In favor.
Councillor Ego.
In favor.
Deputy Mayor's now.
In favor.
Councillor Timbs.
Opposed.
Councillor White.
In favor.
Mayor Smith.
Your favor.
Motion carries.
Thank you very much Madam Clerk.
And we'll now take a 20 minute recess.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, and good afternoon. Welcome back, everybody. We'll call this meeting.
We'll call this meeting back to order. We're now moving on to the next part of our agenda, which is the time
of education, strategy, municipal law enforcement activities. And this report was pulled by Councillor Bologna, Councillor Bologna.
Yes, thank you. Through your worship. The only point I'd like to make very strongly is that a lot of what I'm hearing from social media and from a few residents that have contacted me and had some concerns of us.
Targeting businesses or targeting certain residents or whatever with either our sign by law or our amps by law, which is administrative mandatory penalty, is couldn't be farther from the truth.
I've talked to a lot of residents as well that when I tell them that these are strategies in the beautification of Wiseg Beach.
They said, it's about time. Like I mean, the reality is we have unbelievable natural assets here, but frankly there's been many situations are town that are not aesthetically pleasing.
And it has to change. We're going to be investing a lot of money as well a lot of private enterprise, invest a lot of money into this town.
And we need every resident and every business to participate in the beautification of our town. It can only benefit all of us as we drive through town, as we attract more tourism.
And as we reduce our property taxes because we increase our commercial tax base. So there's a payback for your effort.
So trim the grass around every post. And don't let your lawns, granted I know there's pollination yards, that type of thing, but some of them look very beautiful and some of them look quite uncapped.
So all we would ask our residents to work as hard as your council and as hard as our staff to try to beautify our community and make it a better place as the mayor.
How we says to live, play, work, and do they miss anything there? And learn.
Okay. Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor. Any other questions or comments?
Thank you. I actually just wanted to make a comment in reading the report and seeing that our department by law department has had over 4,000 investigations in roughly a year and 80% of them have been managed.
I would like to compliment the department on that. I did have a quick conversation with Rachel about the 20% that are still ongoing and she informed me that some are being closed and being worked on and I just.
I feel that it's really worthwhile for our public to realize that's a lot of work for over 4,000 by law complaints that you've been working on.
So I don't know if you have a comment through your worship in regards to that. Thank you.
Has it the fact that you need sleep?
Yeah, no kidding. Thank you. It's a year your worship. I did want to just clarify that that was my fault for misunderstanding earlier.
But it's actually the 80% is what we have proactively enforced so far, not what has been closed or opened.
But we kind of did a year and from you know, June of this or last year to June of this year.
Just in regards to the bylaws that are beautification. So I know this topic is beautification, but that doesn't even go to show all the work that bylaws doing with other bylaws.
And the actual, you know, calls for service that we get every year for like noise fireworks, all that that fun stuff that keep us fueled for the day. Thank you.
I don't know if that's what fuels you.
Call the power to you Mr. CAO.
Thank you Mr. Mayor. I just wanted to compliment Rachel and her team as well.
I think council is aware that previous years prior to this council, it was really a complaint space to approach to bylaw enforcement.
We've heard loud and clear that this council, this community wants us to be more proactive.
That's exactly what Rachel and her team are doing.
I know it's not always received well, but again, we are not targeting.
We are treating everyone the same when we drive along the street.
We don't care who owns a business.
That's not what we're looking at. We're looking at is your sign illegal.
It's this right is your grass too long.
So I know it may feel too some like you're targeting, but that is absolutely untrue.
I also wanted to share a minor success story and the volume is a success to Rachel and her team.
But I think you all know shopping carts have been a pet peeve of mine.
Since council adopted or passed the shopping cart bylaw, we were averaging season 25 shopping carts a week.
We got to a point where we had 125 shopping carts.
But I understand now that the owners getting the message and they've now ramped up their own patrols to go and collect their own carts.
So sometimes it takes being a little proactive for the message to sink in.
I think that's a success story.
Hopefully that keeps on because they were getting a little bit out of control.
Excellent point Andrew. Other questions your comments.
Council your weight.
Thank you for your work.
Great work by the by the by the by the by the by the by the by the by the by the pardon on the town beautification.
And I can't think of town beautification without thinking of Timothy Dalton and hot fuzz but anyways.
There's been a lot of debate about it.
chat around the sign bylaw. And I think before any business owner goes and starts pulling stuff off the
side of their building, they need to come in and talk to staff and find out, you know, what it
should be there, what should not be there. And the difference between a simple decoration and the sign
so that we have some clarity on that. There's some confusion out there and I would hate for someone
to make a mistake or leave up signs that shouldn't be there either way. But get some advice from
town staff before we go doing anything drastic. There is character to be kept. There are things
about this town that are unique and our businesses and all that provide that for our beautiful towns.
So, by all means, if you're out there and you're kind of concerned as to what's going on,
reach out to staff, find out what's permitted and what's not and don't make a mistake.
If I could just... On that point, that's an excellent point, Councillor White.
The bylaws, black and white. This is allowed. This is not. There is gray when it comes to signs.
And I agree with you, there are some businesses in town that have really cool stuff. It adds to the
character of the community. So, if you're in that gray area, you can always apply for a variance.
And then the way that would work is you would submit the variance, fill out the application.
Staff will evaluate and say, you know what? There is design merit to what you've got here.
There may not be. So, there is a bit of gray there to allow for creativity and uniqueness. So,
I hope that businesses have to understand that. And if they feel that they've got a cool sign that they
really want to keep, go through that process and we'll see if we can work with them.
All right. Thank you, Councillor White. Thank you. Andrew, did you want to respond?
Yeah, thank you, Your Worship. Yeah, I think it's, it's in, it is such a part of a town's
identity, how the businesses and the buildings are presented, especially to the roadside. And
as much as we don't want, you know, clutter and unnecessary noise from that particular vantage point,
we also don't want to sterilize or the buildings either and make sure that there's a little
lack of feeling at all. You know, we are a cool beach town with a cool vibe, you know,
as a retro feel to some of the aspects of our town. And not so retro feel with some of the newer
projects that are being done. And I want to make sure that we don't, we don't wipe away everything away
and turn it into something it should not be. So, please, reach out to staffing and let's get it right.
All right. Councillor Tim's, do I? Yes. Thank you, Your Worship. And since our last conversation
on the sign by law, I have really been looking at the town with a different set of sunglasses,
if you like. And I, I, I look at our beach front area where there is some use of signage that may
not fit that by law. And I, I feel like we still need to be tweaking and looking at what best serves
us. As we move into beach front development, there will be some negative aspects of a big dig there.
And signage will probably become even more important directionally to get people to understand how they get to
rent a safe way. So, I just, you know, that's just been sitting on my mind as I've been driving around
looking at some of the signs that really don't fit our by-line anymore, that maybe we still have to have that
conversation with staff and try to understand better if you're a business owner as Councillor White says. Thank you.
Thank you. Any other comments? Deputy Mayor now. Thank you. Your Worship through you just a quick one.
Moving forward, proactively, when a person comes and completes a business application,
do you share with them the sign by-law and the beautification by-laws that relates to their property
and it being kept? Thank you and through you, Mr. Terry. Yes, we certainly do. We also are trying to
work with other departments as well to let them know about our process that way. You know if someone
is maybe going through a building permit or through planning to have a business there, those things
are also given to them at that time, especially with those new developments coming in. We see developer
signs go up. We want to make sure they're approved before putting those signs up. So, I think it kind of
branches on a few different things and just getting all the departments on the same page to be able to
present that. So, our businesses are informed right away and they know the process and I think it's also
a huge part on the by-law side of things that when we do see a business and new business and we're going
there for the business license inspection. If we go, I don't think we've got to permit for that. We'll just
inform and educate them to go through the process and continue to work with them.
Thank you for the follow-up. It's slightly unrelated, but I think there's opportunity
in particular speaking about businesses to work with, act-of, and Caitlin Steam to create a really
comprehensive package that gives any new business owner a big warm wasabi beach welcome, not only with
rules and bylaws, but also with networking opportunities, ways in which that we support through
aspect or other opportunities. So, just something to maybe needle on and consider speaking with her about.
Thank you. Yeah, just to actually comment on that, we have kind of been in the work with
active to kind of come forward with a package when businesses are applying, not saying that's concrete
or anything at the moment, but there's definitely been conversation to work towards that goal.
All right. Good discussion. I think what's important is some direction obviously to all the
departments that, you know, we're handing out information whether it be through planning,
through building, through bylaws, through active, through treasury department. And this information is
important to get out there to be clear to everybody, even new residents coming that are buying a home.
The Dan to stand the bylaws and the rules around living in wasabi beach, just like you have in any
other community. With respect to our beautification, I can tell you that whether I'm driving down
Main Street or whether I'm driving throughout town, this last two weeks I can tell you I am seeing
a massive improvement. Especially along the corridor we've been focusing on to start and that's Main Street.
It's night and day to me. There's still some issues. Absolutely, there always be some,
but I commend staff for the great job that they're doing and getting that cleaned up. And if we can
get the rest of our community to look at two thirds or three quarters as good as Main Street
starting to look, I think this will be a success story. To those folks who who think that, you know,
we're targeting them on their grass or on their signs or whatever, get over yourself. I'm sorry.
The town is very busy. Council is very busy staff are very busy focused on many, many great things.
We don't have time, desire or the care to be focusing on any one individual or any one business
with respect to the condition. I mean, either meet the standards or you don't. And it's kind of a
fair process to everybody and it's not easy. It's not easy for staff. I mean, listen if the
bylops are coming to your door. It's usually not, it's not coming to tell you one the lottery.
And so, and of course, we all know and in society today what you can face when you get to that door
could be very pleasant or it could be not so pleasant. So, great job, keep up the good work and we'll
we'll get this community looking even better than it already does. So, it's a sense of pride. And I think
as we move along, I can tell you that in the public and speaking to people, they're noticing it. And
it is a sense of pride in our community and I'm glad we're going in that direction. All right. So,
we do have a motion that the report title town beautification strategy municipal law enforcement activities
to the council meeting of August 22nd 2024, BBC for information. Moving to seconder, please.
This is moved by Councillor Delayo, seconded by Councillor Wight. Record vote, Madam Clerk.
Thank you, Your Worship. Councillor Polanche. In favor. Delayo, in favor. Councillor, you go. In favor.
Deputy Mayor's now. In favor. Councillor Timbs. In favor. Councillor Wight. In favor.
And Mayor Smith. In favor.
Thank you, Madam Clerk. And moving on to the zoning by a bylaw amendment file. Z072-Zero Saga River
with Hones Inc. pulled by Councillor Polanche. Councillor. Thank you, Your Worship.
I think Councillor Remembers, during the public meeting, there was quite a bit of
opposition to the first application. I'm a command staff. I know there's been a lot of back and forth
and back and forth, and this we've visioned before us is improved. It's very difficult to please
everyone. I have been contacted by some residents of the building and drove there on the back of
a lot of one. Took a couple of pictures, but I know we haven't done detailed site plan yet, and
some of the things that it would ask to be looked at as we go to that detail is three things
were mentioned. One is the occupants of the adjoining of Jason Building have been looking
out at trees for a long time. In fact, they have a line of trees on their property that would block
out of a lot of the view of the new building. But as we go to the south of the property towards where
the parking lot will be, there's at least there's not trees depicted in the site plan. So I know that
the people on the south end of that building, they would prefer to continue to look out and see
four-legged, so if it's possible that some trees could be added to the south of that that would be
great. The other thing was, is they increased the setback between the two buildings on the building
portion, but when you get to the parking lot they extend the parking lot rate to or close to the property
and the ask if possible was to keep the same setback so that the parking lot is in alignment
with the building and doesn't extend. Through that also gives us the drainage and that green edge,
that little bit of a break it would extend from river road all the way to the full
expanse of the property. And then the third concern and I'm pretty sure of this
that maybe a general manager public works good.
I understand the drainage ditch is in need of maintenance. Currently, obviously, with new construction, that would be looked at, but on an ongoing basis, they're just concerned about that drainage ditch between the two buildings becoming a bit of a collect-all.
So those are the three things that I think would go a long way in increasing the pleasure of the adjacent residents, and if they could be taken into consideration, it would be greatly appreciated.
Anyone from staff want to respond to that?
Trevor?
Through your workshop, I'll let Matt Ellis, the senior planner, who has a carriage of the files speak for the first two, and Mr. Walon can speak to the third.
Welcome, Matt.
Thank you, Mayor Smith, Councillor Belange, and as well as Trevor. I'll just clarify at the time of the third submission, and we've run the fifth submission now.
Planning staff asked the applicants to upgrade the metal fence proposal at that time to a solid board fence to shield the headlights from vehicles from shining into the apartment building on the adjacent property.
Building on the adjacent property to the east.
That would more effectively shield the headlights than obviously the fence that was proposed at that time as well as trees.
But Councillor Belange's point will certainly look into trees in addition to this all-the-board fence along that society's through the property line.
Of course, we can't guarantee that there will be planted, but we'll definitely look into it, and we'll look into the other matters as well.
And all the further to Kevin regarding maintenance of the drainage channel to the east of the building.
Thank you, Matt.
Mr. General Manager?
Through you, Mr. Mayor.
The current drainage channel that will, I guess, be in between the two facilities is kind of the natural outlet for the wetland to the south, and actually the overland flow route for the stormwater management pond for the adjacent.
We'll saw you meet the village development, so we will need an incumbent access to that channel to maintain it.
So although trees may look appropriate on the plan, we still need to get equipment up and down alongside that channel.
That's a comment that needs to be taken into consideration, and I don't know off the top of my head if our access is entirely via this property along the western limits of the channel, or if there is some easement permissions along the tree top side.
So, but definitely, do we know what in terms of the garbage and collection, but it is a low-grade flat essentially drainage outlet that does have standing water just given the characteristics of the area.
And there is certainly growth in there, but something will need to make sure that we have access to so we can maintain one necessary.
Thank you, Kevin. Andrew.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Through you, Mayor, to Councillor Belange. The other comment I was chatting with Matt about the request to move the parking aisle over in line with the building.
I think that could potentially be problematic.
It looks to me based on the plan there are minimum dimensions for dry vials and parking stalls, and it looks like they've got that minimum met.
So, in order to accomplish that, you'd probably wipe out 10 to 12 parking spaces.
So, I think, I need to check and see where they are in the meeting, their parking requirements. I just asked them, are they just meeting or are there access spaces?
So, we'll have to look into see the implications of that, because it's not just as simple as sliding it over to be in line.
Just in a follow up, I'm just asking for consideration on behalf of some residents. Thank you.
All right, any other questions or comments? Councillor Ego?
Thank you. Through you, Your Worship. Sorry. I may be late to the party on this, but I certainly was reading it through, and I'm pleased that it went from town homes to an apartment building.
I think that is brilliant here at what we need versus what was on there.
You looked at me, Matt, like, that wasn't the plan. It was originally town homes to be in there, or your original plan back, wasn't not?
Through the Councillor Ego, back in 2013, the development that was approved at that time was 22 town homes, and for whatever reason that didn't happen, and the property was sold to the current owner.
Thank you. Okay. So, I guess I went that far back on reading.
And maybe this is updated as well. So, when I was reading it, some of these words came to me where I'm evaluated wetland within the front portion.
So, I don't know if this is up to date, I think it is, because this was your report here, and negative impacts can be avoided with the implementation of appropriate mitigation measures.
So, that's really caught my eye. Have those been addressed? Are they being addressed? Are you concerned about significant wetland? Where are we on that? I have no idea.
I think you can also go with those, those are just through the environmental impact statement. The EIS that was, or the environmental impact study that was submitted, and that study makes a number of recommendations, and those recommendations will be implemented through the site client agreement that will be required as part of site client control.
Yes, an environmental study by the corporation, you know, that the developer hires. Is that, I don't even know if they were, these were your words, I thought.
Well, I think the developer hired them, or whoever hired them, or are using professionals here in the environmental study would have, I think what Matt saying is the environmental study touched on that, and any concerns have been mitigated or avoided at this point.
Is that right, Matt? Through your workshop, yes, the EIS was also peer reviewed by the NVCA, prior to build 23 come into effect when they were permitted to comment on natural heritage matters.
So I think another, I'm sorry, Councillor, I just want to make something clear for the public here, correct me from wrong staff, but any time we have environmental studies or any studies for that matter, they are peer reviewed, correct if it's not the town who's doing them?
Correct, yes, they are peer reviewed.
So there is a second, always a second engineering firm, or a second corporation that specializes in whatever that study or report required is, that reviews it to make sure that it isn't a bias report.
I think that's correct, because I was good at that, this point is the town has a peer review, so that's all covered and so when I see significant wetland, it is being addressed, it hasn't been addressed and it's clear in this report.
Got it? Okay, thank you.
All right, thanks Councillor. Any other questions or comments?
All right, we do have a motion that the Zoni Bala amendment.
Zoni Bala amendment number seven, zero seven, two, zero, Osaga, Riverwood's Holmes Inc.
To the council meeting of August 22nd, 2024 be received, and at the Council Act, the Zoni Bala amendment seven, zero seven, dash two, zero.
For Osaga, Riverwood's Holmes Inc. has recommended in this report.
Move her in a seconder.
Move by Councillor Delayo, second by Councillor White, Madam Clerk.
Your worship, Councillor Balaunche.
In favor. Councillor Delayo.
In favor, Councillor Ego, favor, Deputy Mayor's now.
In favor, Councillor Tims, in favor, Councillor White.
In favor, Mayor Smith.
In favor.
Thank you very much, Madam Clerk.
Moving on to the next item, short term accommodation, project recommendation report.
And this was put together by Carly and Carly.
To know this is how dedicated our staff are, folks.
Carly is now off on Matt Leave has been for about a week.
And here she is back to make sure that she looks after us with this report.
So welcome back, Carly.
Thank you, let's hope I make it through this.
I believe you, we hope you make it through this too.
If you don't.
But he does have a direct line to the people who can help.
All right, great.
Carly, floor is yours.
Thank you so much.
Your worship.
I just wanted to take a moment.
Just to provide a quick overview of report, which I acknowledge,
was maybe not the shortest report that I've put before you so far.
I'm interested in sure that there's some clarity on a lot of the issues and,
you know, the things that are under consideration in this report because they are really important.
That we understand distinctions between short term accommodations and the other types of accommodations that we're talking about when we start looking at this licensing framework.
So I just created a quick presentation that kind of goes over this.
So short term accommodations have seen the significant rise in popularity across many, many municipalities,
including obviously the town of Osaga Beach.
These accommodations often facilitated through online platforms, which you're probably familiar with, so Airbnb, the RBO.
They have for temporary lodging to tourists and visitors.
And while they can boost local tourism provide homeowners with additional income,
they also bring a range of challenges that can impact community well-being and quality of life for our residents.
So in 2023 council identified STAs as part of its term of council priorities and establishing its complete communities.
And requested that a review of our current licensing strategies be examined.
The mandate for this project at the time and at my first report was set as to establish and conduct the comprehensive review of these accommodation regulations and our licensing strategies.
And to assess these existing regulations and proposed recommendations not only to enhance our licensing framework,
but more importantly to address issues related to safety, compliance and mitigating community impacts,
which we know from our public engagement is something that obviously our residents are extremely concerned with.
I think that it's probably really important that we clarify the fact that when we talk about short term accommodations,
we aren't just discussing and I'm going to use air quotes here, Airbnb's.
In fact, Airbnb is not a type of accommodation.
It's simply a rental platform that is used to assist short term accommodation owners and renting out their properties.
So the best analogy that I can give in and one that I'd give in in public engagement sessions is when we talk about Airbnb it's much in the same way that we talk about cleanx.
You may ask your friend for a cleanx, but we are asking for a really as a tissue.
Airbnb is a brand and it's not a type of accommodation.
So on Airbnb, in fact, you can find accommodation listings from multiple types of short term accommodations.
So traditional bed and breakfast, trailers, even tents, in addition to what most people think of as Airbnb's.
And if I can make the assumption, my guess is when most people talk about Airbnb's, what they're really talking about,
a residential dwelling units that are being rented out in their entirety to the traveling public.
So to be clear, the town of Osaga Beach does not currently permit the rental of a residential dwelling unit and it's entirety to the traveling public.
And this report does not make the recommendation that we permit that in the future.
Airbnb's if we had referred to them as such, currently are not permitted anywhere in town regardless of the zoning.
However, when we do look at the ways in which the town does regulate short term accommodations,
we need to understand that there are essentially four main types, and they're listed for you on your screens.
Unfortunately, the titles of these different types that come from the zoning by-law and the business licensing by-law and their definitions are at times quite confusing.
And I know that staff are looking at ensuring that these definitions if you're more to colloquial uses of these types of words, so that in the future it'll be a little bit more.
Better to be understood by the public and by business owners looking to establish these types of businesses.
So right now we have tourist establishments short term accommodations, bed and breakfast hotels and hotels.
These all fall under the umbrella of short term accommodation.
So the most important distinction to note between these types of accommodations are the bed and breakfasts, which are permitted in residential zones.
Function of the type of short term accommodation, but the difference here between what we're going to be talking about is Airbnb's.
And bed and breakfast is that in a bed and breakfast, this is the primary residence of the person who owns the property.
They reside in that residence and they are present when guests are present.
We also have short term accommodations and tourist establishments and these involve properties that are rented out to the traveling public, where the owner does not reside.
And they are typically not present when it's being rented out.
So included in this category are things like cottage courts, but also things like lodging houses.
We have trailer parks anywhere where a unit is being rented to the traveling public that doesn't have a primary residential use.
So these are typically businesses that are found in the commercial zones.
So commercial chairs and the commercial accommodation zones.
And finally there are more traditional hotels and motels, which are covered under short term accommodations.
And I think you're all pretty well versed in what those are like, but of the essential difference between these and a lot of the other types of accommodations is that they may or may not involve kitchen facilities and they're usually serviced by a communal entrance.
So the town currently regulates short term accommodations through a mixture of zoning and licensing.
So zoning is a key regulatory tool that is used by municipalities to manage the location and operation of shelter.
Chairman accommodations. By designing specific areas or zones, where they're permitted, we can control the impact that these businesses have on residential neighborhoods, ensuring that they align with community standards and land use objectives.
So the map that you have before you, on it's something that's on the Engage Recycle website, it's also something that was in the report, outlines the areas where we currently permit short-term accommodations, and by that I mean all of those four different types.
The only thing that's not included on here would be where we permit bed and breakfast, because those are permitted in residential zones, and it just didn't make sense to color the entire town, one particular, one particular color for that zone.
So just assume that they're permitted everywhere.
So in addition to zoning, licensing works in tandem to further regulate short-term accommodations by setting specific operational standards that property owners must meet to legally offer their properties for rental.
So through the licensing process, municipalities can enforce compliance with zoning, ensuring that STAs operate only in permitted areas, and adhere to safety, health, and community impact requirements.
Licensing also allows for regular inspections and renewals, providing a mechanism to address ongoing concerns and to maintain oversight of these businesses.
So right now currently in the 10th of August, I can reach in order to obtain a license for a short-term accommodation.
Business owners have to provide the following short-listed application requirements.
So they have to show proof that they own the property, articles of incorporation, a minimal insurance requirement fees.
They have to undergo in the zoning and building compliance checks, and undergo in fire and property standards and inspections.
So while we have been licensing businesses up until now, I will say that what we require is pretty light when we consider what our neighboring communities require to obtain a license.
So despite having an existing licensing system, town staff have acknowledged the difficulties associated with ensuring that the regulatory framework that licenses these types of businesses keeps pace with the evolving landscape of short-term accommodations.
Data that was presented back to you in July shows that the town has a large number of 595 units as of March of 2024.
A large number of businesses that expands you over a thousand in the summer that are operating outside of our bylaws.
And when we look at where these places are currently operating, the majority of these are operating in zones where we would not permit them to operate.
So it's not as simple as saying that we have a thousand businesses operating, but if we were to license them all, we would achieve a huge share of revenue.
The fact is that 90% of these, we wouldn't license, so they require enforcement.
So as the data clearly shows from a simple compliance standpoint, there's obviously the large proportion of businesses that operate outside of our current bylaws.
This puts a strain on only on our enforcement staff, but also strains between the town and force with staff businesses and our residents.
Because they're the ones who are living in the neighborhoods, they're the ones who are having to deal with denoise, the parking, the property standards complaints.
In fact, I don't know if you recall if in the last report, but the town of Osaka Beach faces a unique problem in comparison to our neighbors.
We have over three times the amount of complaints about short-term accommodations, and they receive in calling would connoting tiny, where they're looking at 50 complaints a year, part of being, they're looking at 50 complaints a year, and then the instituted a new licensing framework, whereas we're looking at 300 plus in a year.
And these are the only complaints that we receive from the public, these aren't our officers going out proactively to look for violations.
These two issues of non-compliance, when compared with what I'm going to call a party reputation, so the town has obviously gained a reputation as a party destination for younger groups.
These two things, paired together, has reaching impacts not only on the quality of life of our residents, but also on local businesses and tourism.
And it's something that we saw in our public engagement session with our stakeholders, our business community, that they do have a concern about this over a reliance on weakened party tourism.
And how that's going to limit our economic growth potential in the future.
So the goal of this project really has been to create a regulatory framework that's able to strike that balance between supporting local economy, driving tourism, preserving the character and livability of residential neighborhoods.
And to do this, I felt that this solution really needed to achieve the following.
It had to create a framework that is transparent with a clear set of expectations for businesses.
It needed to reduce the impact of short-term accommodations on the residential character of neighborhoods.
And this would be reductions in some of the main concerns that residents have around noise, parking, garbage, occupancy.
And I needed to thank you.
Creating more resilient tourism community that works towards the larger goal of rebuilding what we're looking at as the wasabi beach family fund brand.
So as outlined in the report, the recommendations, which are listed here, some of which have already actually been adopted, including number one,
the recommendations that were put forth are forefold.
The fresh being the use of enhanced enforcement tools.
And that is really represented by the introduction of amps penalties, STA compliance software, which Council adopted.
And a new proactive enforcement strategies to STAs that will be able to be achieved through that compliance software.
The second would be the introduction of a demerit point system.
So this is a transparent accountability system that really works to deter bad actors and encourages all operators to maintain high standards.
And the idea is that ultimately this will lead to a more reputable and reliable accommodation sector.
Third, the recommendation for a new bylaw that is separated from the business licensing bylaw.
And that this bylaw work to regulate ST operations.
And that provides more clearly defined standards for operators but also for guests.
And it promotes more responsible management practices.
And finally, that we develop a tourism partnership program.
The purpose of this program being to incentivize property owners to invest in their businesses to provide superior guest experiences.
And to elevate the accommodations on offer.
And really this is all to encourage our tourists who come to visit here.
Not just to stay in play but to invest in the community that they visit.
So I just want to thank you for your consideration of these recommendations.
Just open the floor to any questions that anybody might have.
Thank you very much, Carly, for the excellent presentation in the long but excellent report.
It's very informative.
The numbers here are staggering.
In my opinion, it's it's an idea that it was this they were the numbers were that high and that we had that many units currently in town.
So what opened the floor? This was actually pulled by Councillor Belonci, we'll start with you Councillor.
Thank you.
Through the mayor of many of my questions were answered through your presentation.
So thank you because when we talked about the property owner residing in the president,
they cleared that out between the two types.
So the only question I have and it'll probably be towards director planning is that when we do the new official plan,
are we are we changing some of the zoning on some of these locations like I have been contacted by residents where it's very confusing to me,
where one building is in a tourist accommodation zone,
and one building that is very close to that building is not allowed and has been contacted by Vila.
And when you look at the two locations, it makes no sense that there's a difference in the zoning.
So I'm not sure where we're going with the official plan, but clearly in the areas of Beach 1, 2 and 3 if you're north of Mosley,
it would seem that that would be kind of ideal tourist accommodation area, and yet it seems to be hit and miss.
So again, I don't know if we're looking at that, but certainly as we do the official plan,
that there's certain areas of our town where it seems it would be much more desirable to have a tourist come and visit a location in that area,
close to the water as opposed to, in a subdivision and blueberry trail or whatever.
So thank you.
Can you answer that, Trevor?
Through your worship, my read of the staff report in Carla, Carla can correct me if I'm wrong,
is that there was no conclusion as to where the uses were supposed to be allowed or not.
In fact, my recollection was that it was a split half of the people pulled or whatever it was,
it should be all in in commercial zones or designations.
The other half said, well, maybe we can allow it somewhere else.
So to answer your question, the official plan has a section for STAs.
And if you look at the first draft, it's on the website, it's got a big blank in it,
because I don't think US Council or the public has given us direction as to what or where you do or do not want those.
So that's something that when we do the public meeting on October the 20th and going forward to the end of this year with the new official plan,
decisions will have to be made as to where you do and do not want them.
In terms of the zoning by law, obviously the zoning by law, the new zoning by law will mirror whatever it come.
You come up with with the official plan.
There will be obviously, I wasn't here in 2003 when the current zoning by law was done,
but there certainly it would seem there's, for example, cottage courts or the ones that come up a lot.
Some of the cottage courts are rates fact-dab in the middle of a residential area and they have a commercial zone.
Well, that was probably because back in 2003 we wanted to recognize them as legal and not make them legal and not conforming.
Going forward if the desire is no, we want those cottage courts to be redeveloped into something else.
We can develop policies in the official plan to encourage that and or we can take the zoning and make them legal and not conforming or give them something else.
None of those decisions have been rendered yet, but those are the decisions that you're going to have to be making in the next four to five months.
No, well just in follow up to that.
I would tell you that when you look at the strategic plan that's just presented to us,
the opinion of residents related to have tourist accommodation in their area is skewed to a very unregulated kind of thing.
Like if we have to merit points and they know that if we had a bad actor that they could potentially lose their license,
we're putting a lot of things in place to make sure those operators are higher quality and that the renters that I think party houses are particularly the problem.
And we have quite a number where we have, even they don't reside in Wasega Beach, the owners of the houses.
They're not on site and they end up renting to maybe to the maximum number of bad state by young people and then they invite another 30 people.
So by the end of the weekend, you get this terrible situation, but certainly on a demerit point system where you could potentially lose your license,
I would think that kind of behavior will be curved a lot and that would hopefully we need to project into the future as we make our decisions as counsel.
Thank you for the attention, Trevor.
Are you good?
I was just going to say I agree with the counselor there's perhaps not my decision to make obviously, but there's something to be said about having a robust licensing system in place and operational first and more of a restrictive OP and zoning second.
See how the beta testing on your licensing by law operates first, work out those bugs and then decide if you want as a counsel or as a community.
Now that we know that our licensing system is operational and it's functioning.
Now we can decide if we want to open it up to other areas.
The other way you can do it is have a robust system in place be a little bit more conservative and your planning documents do a beta test for season or whatever it is.
Then come back we can always amend the official plan in the zoning later.
But if you're not comfortable today, get the system in place, see how it works and then we can come back if that's what counsel chooses to do.
Excellent, excellent recommendation makes total sense.
I think you worship if I may I'm just also to address some of the counselors comments there there's actually a portion of the of the report that does speak to permitted uses.
And what we should be looking at that going forward and Trevor is correct in his recollection that members of the public including those who attended the stakeholder engagement sessions.
We're rather split in where they felt that accommodation should be.
I'm a majority of them saying that they should be in commercial zones.
Quite a few of them saying perhaps the waterfront.
But what we heard resoundingly was that they would feel comfortable if this use was expanded but only if we figured out a way to better regulate the ones that we currently have.
And that was that was the biggest concern was can we create a system that actually can regulate what we permit before we open up permissions.
The report itself also suggests that when we look at the map the zoning map that we saw earlier about where they're permitted that many of them are located among major traffic corridors.
And that as the planning department looks at the OPE as they're looking at the zoning by law amendments that they perhaps give us to give some consideration to the actual.
Recommendations that were provided by the public through our engagement process and they look at maybe I'm considering some mixed use zoning for some of these properties along these quarters that would permit.
Future.
Development for residential. For some of these properties and what that might do in the hope would be that in the future.
Some of these properties, which people, which many residents have complained seem derelict or seem out of character for this surrounding areas,
that those might be developed into housing that is much needed down the line.
So while the report doesn't provide a specific recommendation for that, it does ask that the planning department take the findings of this report into consideration.
And you're absolutely right, Trevor, in saying that, you know, we're what we're looking to do right now is to ensure that the system we have in place works before we try to expand its use.
But I will say that I've been working on a little project for the past nine months, but when it's wrapped up in September in the next two weeks, there will be a new report going to you in October with a proposed pilot project about what that may look like.
So stay tuned.
I'm hoping it's small.
I was brilliant, that was brilliant.
All right, next is Councillor Delayo.
Thank you, three-year Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Carly, for that report.
I believe Councillor Belonji touched on what I wanted to say, but I'm good.
I want you to clarify so that I understand it in the public understands it.
So a homeowner, if he has a cottage, that homeowner is not allowed to have Airbnb, correct?
So that homeowner, if their property is a residently zoned cottage, is not permitted to rent it out to the traveling public without them being present on that property.
If they were present on the property at the time that they're renting out a room, that's a bed and breakfast.
They would be permitted to rent out their cottage as a bed and breakfast.
And that is what we think about where you're usually typically provided a meal in a communal facility and you rent out a room.
But otherwise, what we consider to be Airbnb's and quotes, that is not permitted.
Okay, because there are quite a few that have cottages.
They do come up for the weekends or a week here, a week there, and then for a week's time, where a week and they will rent it out.
So that will be illegal.
And they won't be here. It's like they'll rent it out and correct.
So as it currently stands as our licensing currently sends in as our zoning currently sends, that would not be permitted.
Which is why it's imperative that we address many of those through our enhanced enforcement tools.
So hence, the need for that compliance software that's going to be implemented before this licensing system rolls out, so that we do have the teeth necessary to enforce what we're proposing.
I think important to note, Councillor, that that has never been legal, and it's never been allowed.
This isn't new.
It's just happened, but this would be a certain way for us to enforce it.
Okay, the next one on the list is Councillor White.
Thank you.
Where should I have three questions?
Any two of them would go towards Carly and the other one would be split between the deputy fire chief and the clerk.
The first one is, how does this, how do you see this approach to short-term accommodations specifically the Airbnb component of it?
In leveling the playing field with current tourism operators.
Currently tourism operators have to pay insurance and taxes and all these different elements that might not be.
I thought, currently there are B&Bs. I'm just wondering how you feel that levels that playing field a little bit to make competition a little bit more fair.
The second question is, based on what you're saying, do you see short-term accommodation, like Airbnb operators specifically, being companies that report income?
Therefore paying taxes and other things.
And then the last question, as I said, split between the clerk and the deputy fire chief, is, if we end up licensing all these extra units, do we have the ability to now inspect over 700 operations annually?
Thank you.
Thank you, Councillor Wade. I'll take the first part and then, Carly, you can, through a semester.
We currently do not have the capacity to inspect 700 units annually for as part of it.
As part of, I went through this with timing township as, as we license, the short-term rental places.
I will tell you there. We hired inspectors specifically to inspect the short-term accommodations.
They have, they employ granicates, which I believe is part of the plan here, who told them that there was a thousand units in tiny township that were operating as Airbnb's or whatever.
When council capped the number that they would license at 300, and then anything, they would license them all, but the capital 300, no new ones.
They ran through the licensing process two or three times and I think only 150 were licensed.
And I don't know where that number stands at. That was a couple of years ago.
We would not have the ability with our current staffing levels to be able to inspect additional units beyond one, one or two hundred.
It would be something that we would certainly be looking for for more staff in our inspection to be able to do that.
So you were a ship. I will say it right now. We currently license one and inspect 170 short-term accommodations.
And I would just point out that the report is certainly not recommending that we license those one thousand units.
In terms of leveling the playing field, I think that realistically the playing field will be leveled because these businesses, these Airbnb that are posing this kind of competition, is not going to be permitted.
As it currently stands. So realistically, all of the measures that we've put in place through compliance software through amps, et cetera, and through this new licensing system,
that our ability to enforce that to use demeripoints to use amps. That's what's going to level the playing field, because we're going to be able to shut these businesses down that are operating outside of our by-law.
And we're going to be able to do it faster than we were able to do it previously.
In addition to that, I would just say that you asked the question about whether or not Airbnb would be the type of businesses that would report income.
I think it's telling that in the survey, the percentage of people that reported that they currently already operate Airbnb's out of their properties.
And refused to report their income on an anonymous survey tells us that, however, should we do should we decide to license, you know, typical Airbnb's in the future.
Granicus also does, and I believe my colleague was looking at some of their software.
Granicus does offer a matte tax component that would allow us to be able to look at that and to ensure that should we do open this up.
We could collect those fees regardless of whether or not they wanted to report it because it would monitor their activity online.
Thank you.
Thank you, your worship and thank you for your responses.
I guess in the follow-up piece that's going to come, I would say, hopefully we could see what that would look like for expanded services.
I don't know how many we're going to license or whatever, but if there is going to be an additional staff or whatever,
to do inspections and make sure everybody's safe and come feed and make sure that those expenses would be put in so that we can compare it against any revenue that this may generate.
Thank you.
Carving.
Do you want to respond to that?
Sorry, just as a last point, your worship.
The report that will be coming forward in October won't have any further budgetary implications.
And any program that we propose that may expand some of these uses would be something that we could do with existing staff complement with an existing budget.
And you know, isn't something that we'd be coming forward with an ask.
Thank you.
And I would assume we could also look at that time with respect to the fees we charge for these inspections as well.
Correct as a constant doing business.
Absolutely.
And the report does clarify the fact that our fees are quite minimal when compared to our neighbors.
So for example, somebody who's renting out a cottage in a commercial zone that is permitted to do so would be paying $226 for the year in tiny township.
They'd be paying $1,700.
So we are quite below that market value and staff did recommend that next year we look after we've implemented this new licensing fee.
One year from then we re-look at those fees right now we're able to cost for cover.
The administration of this program and because we're not really expanding use I don't see that there's any reason why this cost should grow.
So the idea was in the first year of this program since we are asking for businesses to provide us a lot more documentation to put a lot more effort and investment in their businesses.
It wouldn't be fair at the same time to then substantially increase fees.
So let's see if we can get the program up and running.
Let's see if we can get the buy-in for our chairs and partnership program from the community before we re-examine those fees.
But yes, in 2026 we would be looking at that.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Carly.
We love you going to count for Tim's.
Thank you.
One of the advantages disadvantage of going after a few people have talked.
My notes are growing and growing and growing.
I do always love pilot projects because it does give us a bit of an out.
But I am concerned of why do we think of ourselves as keeping the fees so minimal.
I mean, that's such a huge difference.
If I was opening a hotel, I know I have a considerable financial investment to make into my business or any other business.
Commercial bricks and mortar type of business, it's expected.
I also looked at those generic points and I ask, are they heavy enough or will someone just decide,
take a risk is just a class of doing business?
How often will I get caught?
If I get caught, 150 bucks, I didn't get caught the last three times.
So that kind of worries me a little bit.
I'm glad you mentioned Matt because I think that's what's going to help level the playing field.
As Councillor White mentioned.
And I also wonder too if there's an opportunity to have some sort of deposit program.
Like they do with their clients, damaged deposits.
To make sure that these operators are complying with the community partnership plan.
Because there's quite a lot to answer.
And a quick story.
Just about a week and a half ago someone told me I believe in the twin Creek development.
Someone has bought a house in there.
Put a lot of money into it.
Huge backyard.
Incredible swimming pool.
They rarely come up themselves.
But it's rented out constantly and because it's so nice, people really leave the property to go to the beach.
But it's just one big party house all weekend long.
And you know, much to the secret of the neighbor.
So I feel that this part of this study was really to try to get rid of that situation.
When Councillor White or Councillor Bologna, I think was talking about what areas lend themselves more to allowing these kinds of rentals.
I think the river is also an area that there's a lot of Airbnb type businesses that's happening now.
And there's justification for that.
It's not entirely just the beach.
A lot of comments there.
Thank you for hearing me out.
Through your worship.
So I enjoy some of these comments because it gives this a chance to kind of dig into some of the particulars.
And just to touch on the last one first about the demerit points kind of how I arrived at their valuation.
And what we would do about that particular situation.
I think that having this program in place will help us in dealing with those types of party houses,
specifically operating without a license.
Right now though it would have a demerit point attached to it for those who had been licensed.
And let's say we're suspended and then tried to operate.
It is attached to an amps penalty.
So right now that property should we have received once this bylaws pass.
Should we have received that complaint?
Our officers would be able to go out.
They'd be able to use the granica software.
They'd be able to prove that this house was operating as such.
And they'd be able to lay a $2,000 a day charge.
So I would guess that there might be a handful of properties here that might be able to account for $2,000 a day as per their business costs.
But I would say that $2,000 a day without being too onerous.
And too punitive is probably going to be enough of a deterrent that if somebody was just received it twice over a weekend.
That that would have them reconsidering their business.
How we arrived at the fees at the cost of each of those demerit points.
Was really looking at our ability not just to hand up one ticket or one demerit point and one amps penalty.
But rather our ability to stack those.
So the likelihood of us coming to a property and saying that there's a noise violation.
Here's your $400 penalty chances are there's going to be a couple of other violations that are happening at the same time.
And we're not only going to be targeting the property owners, but we're going to be targeting the guests as well.
So part of this by a lot that we're proposing will have an undesignated section that's not under amps that will allow us to still go after visitors through our POA system.
So we're holding visitors to account in addition to our business owners.
So we're recognizing that both of them have a responsibility to play when they come in to stay at our town to ensuring that you know what they're doing and what their behavior is doing.
That it respects the kind of community that we're wanting to build.
And the actual specifics of the demerit points were based off of our overall licensing fee. So, for a year, we charge $226, then is a fair that, for us to say, that you need to pay a $2,000 fine when you disobey your parking management plan, or is it more likely that we would double the fee that you pay yearly to operate?
And obviously, these are fees that will have to be re-examined as we re-examined our overall licensing fees.
I will say that in 2019 when we did conduct a review of those business licensing fees, we were on par and actually about higher than the rest of the community.
And we picked those fees specifically because we were an already established program that had already been licensing.
So, we were able to cost or cover under those fees. And I would warn that, you know, probably we're not able to cost or cover to the same extent right now.
However, most places like 20 township, calling would all of the other places that are currently coming out with their business licensing bylaws, they are now having to hire staff in order to do it, so they're increasing their fees.
We're not having to hire staff to continue regulating this.
And in fact, we've invested in the software, we've invested in the programs that allow us to do it more efficiently, so we don't have the same types of overhead administrative costs.
So that's why the recommendation was that I think that we can leave it on par for now, but we should look at it in the future.
Thank you.
All right.
Supplemental accounts are going ahead.
Thank you.
I just want to say I'm really impressed with the report, what a tremendous body of work.
And thank you very much to you, Carly, and the folks that worked with you on providing such a great piece.
All right. Thank you, Councillor. Next is Deputy Mayor.
Thank you.
Such a great report.
And so I've got a few comments and suggestions and questions.
So first of all, regarding the demands and the amps program, would you consider increasing both number eight
around back occupancy as we see this is a constant violation in our community and obviously relates significantly
to safety as well as number 10, which is the habitable room.
Again, I think as financial pressures continue to layer up, you know, people might be renting out their sheds or doing things like that.
So I think that would be a good one to increase as well.
The recommendation number seven of the report, the tourism partner program, I absolutely love this idea.
I think this community has been long waiting for this type of connection between marketing, collateral events, messaging,
getting directly into the hands of our visitors.
I think it's fantastic. It's nice that you put it voluntarily because obviously they have to be willing to put the work out.
Maybe consider that you would also then add a badge or you had something special that any of those that are compliant and active in that program
could then put on their platforms saying that they're like a super host kind of badge type thing through the community.
That one got insert.
So we're going to just subdivision. So as we know, there are over a thousand in the summertime illegal Airbnb places.
So if someone was operating one of those in a subdivision, let's say,
and they occupy the upstairs, but it's a fully furnished suite in the basement that they rent out short term.
Is that going to be still be permitted or would they be encouraged to be a B&B first question?
Through your worship. So to address that question, then they would have to apply for a better breakfast license.
And obviously that would go through zoning compliance checks. So it really depend on what that basement area looked like.
It couldn't have separate kitchen facilities, for example.
And we do face a lot of that right now.
One of our one of the biggest issues I think that we face in regulating short term accommodations is that bed and breakfast license.
Because people are using that as a cover for operating what we're going to be calling the full on Airbnb is where the owners not present.
So that would not be permitted if they're not operating it as a standard bed and breakfast.
But the beauty of it is that our compliance offer will help us understand how they're operating that and that will help us with the enforcement.
Thank you.
Let's get to know thank you supplementary.
So when I was expecting this report to come forward, I assume that there would be some recommendations on how to embrace some of the thousand that are out there.
You know, because some people operate some really unique experiences and and I have some reservations and pulling all that inventory off of availability for our clientele because most, you know, family fun traveling folks they do want a unique environment like that versus some of the inventory.
We currently offer in our community.
So are you considering to maybe have some level where people are able to submit a proposal, show enhanced pictures, video.
So that we're looking for the beautiful golden nuggets that are currently being offered and kind of hand selecting some of those to still be able to offer.
Through your worship, so that's, you know, you've kind of encapsulated precisely what some of our engagement sessions have come out with and and you know what's going to be coming forward to you and October because.
One of the biggest things that I've learned from this project and having spoken with the business community with the residents is that we do have a large number of businesses that are operating as.
Legal Airbnb's currently and when I, you know, when those people have come forward to me and we've had discussions about their businesses.
I've gone and I've looked them up in our by-law system and there's no complaints about their properties.
So there's people who are doing it and they're doing it well.
And they're servicing a need as you've identified, you know, in our church population as a parent with a small child.
I would probably more like be more likely to gravitate towards a cottage versus a hotel for a week if I wanted to stay for a week would be quite costly.
So I think there is a way for us to do this well if we have the correct licensing in place.
So just as a, you heads up for what would be coming in October and something that I've talked about with the business community would be looking at a program that would allow some of these businesses to operate.
They would have to, they would have to achieve the tourism partnership plan.
Bad, if you will, that's standard.
And they would have to abide by all the same rules as every other type of accommodation.
And it would be a very small number so that we knew that we could regulate them effectively and that it wouldn't cost us any more in administrative costs to to overlook these.
And it would be a private project that would be done in conjunction with economic development staff.
A way of looking at figuring out, you know, we know that there, that a lot of these short term accommodations cost problems, but what about the ones that don't what are the operational.
Ethos of these businesses that actually works with our community.
So that would be coming forward and it is in recognition of some of these businesses that are doing really well and that are bringing value to our community.
Thank you.
Your ship, I warned you.
I had a few.
That makes me really happy to hear.
And I think if that is the case and the recommendation coming forward, I think their fees could be significantly higher to consider Tim's point.
You know, somewhere more in line with tiny and whatnot because they're making such significant revenue off of that property.
And also might need a little bit more extra minding.
Just final question.
How do you see rolling this out? Are you going to do a mail or tell the operators? Are you thinking to pull them in for a meeting?
Are you thinking to have some support services for those that maybe aren't tech savvy to upload documents on to computers or whatever to submit their their compliance.
Through your worship.
So really what we're looking at is obviously bringing forward the the by law, which is actually already written.
It's just being vetted right now through legal counsel.
You know, assuming that that council has no wishes to change in either recommendations.
So that would also involve a robust campaign of again engagement sessions in person sessions like what we had been doing up into this point with the business community.
So we do for those relations.
We do have the ability to contact all of them to let them know about these changes and starting that campaign once the by law is passed.
So hopefully before we get into the you know the dark days of winter.
Because we need to give them the opportunity to figure out their operations and to give them enough notice before the new year begins.
So that would be a mixture of you know having by law and licensing there that would be economic development because we would have our tourism partnership program that needs to get off the ground.
So there's a lot of work to do in the meantime.
But it would involve you know, an engage with saga page of better.
I think that we need a better page on the the town website for licensing and a portal there.
We do require right now that people submit their business license application to do the city view portal.
And and our currently our business licensing officer does assist people with that.
Should they require and these are you know for the people that are currently licensed.
And chances are these are the people that are going to be licensed again next year.
So it should be fairly routine to them.
But we will have to have you know robust information sessions because what we're asking from them next year is far different than what we've ever asked them for.
So we're asking them to you know tell us to present us with a business case that shows that they're proactively thinking about how their business impacts the community.
So I think communication will be key to that.
Thank you.
Deputy.
We're going back to Councillor Tinnon's.
I'm sorry.
Councillor Delio.
Thank you.
Through you.
Mayor.
I have to bring this back up because I'm not sitting well with this.
So when I asked the question about cottagers.
They're there.
But yet they rented out for a week or two.
Mr. Mayor, you indicated that.
It's illegal for them to do that today.
So correct.
So speaking to a few residents that have had the same offenders on their street.
Doing this.
I kind of wish Rachel was here now with Baila.
According to them, Baila's been called out several times.
What was done? Why are they still in existence? If it's illegal, what?
So how would this program be any different?
If they're running it illegally now, Baila's been out there.
Nothing has been done because they're still doing it.
So what would be the difference now with this program?
Before I go to Carly, I think it's important to point out.
I highly doubt that nothing has been done.
I think the system in which we have in place today in the Baila,
on the way we are able to issue summonses and so on and so forth is very
owner-sum and cumbersome and not effective.
So probably something has been done.
The new system under the amps program is immediate.
It's a dollar value and I would argue,
Councillor, if you want to teach somebody or someone to get someone to comply,
you take money out of their pocket.
They'll comply just about every single time.
Which is why the amps program has been brought in and it's so important.
But I'll turn it over to Carly now to speak to it as well.
Thank you.
Through your worship, I feel like you're pretty well.
Sir, that question precisely how I would have,
I will say that back in 2019 I was the business licensing officer for the town.
So I do know precisely what it is that these complaints
taking what's involved in them from our enforcement standpoint.
And I will say that the mayor is correct that it's unlikely that nothing would have been done
if we had received a complaint.
But that the burden of evidence required from our enforcement staff
to be able to prosecute these types of infections is really high.
And that is why getting software like grannicus in conjunction with all of these things,
because it's not just a new by-law that's going to solve this problem.
It's, you know, those four things together that are really going to help us affect change
that that's going to cut that time and half for our officers.
It's going to make it much easier for us to be able to prove that these activities are taking place.
In addition to that, the mayor is correct that obviously, you know,
we're not going to have to worry about going through the POA system.
It's something that we're going to be able to tackle right away from the property owner level.
And so all of these things combined together what's going to make this program different.
It's not one specific thing.
Thank you.
All right.
Now moving on to Councillor Belonci and then I'm going to go to you Councillor.
You go for the last point.
Thank you, Mayor.
Yeah.
As the discussion went on, I had a few things.
But one thing I will tell you is that, you know, people are very creative.
Like this, this enforcement will not be easy.
If we have a thousand people, they have become accustomed to a level of revenue.
In fact, some homes have been purchased in, we say,
specifically, to rent out.
So they're only option when we close them down is to sell that home.
So they're going to get creative about building the rules and breaking the rules.
And but to the mayor's point, like, I know of cottagers too,
where they don't do a lot of renting and they have friends and family that specifically,
they do have a very high standard of who they're willing to rent their cottagers home too.
And that's going to happen.
And other than if we don't get a complaint, it'll continue to happen.
And that will be an illegal non-conforming cottage, I guess.
But we'll never know about those.
And it's probably not a problem for our community.
But I do believe that this is going to be an enforcement challenge,
because they're going to find a way to continue to drive revenue.
I have a couple other questions.
One being is with the demerit point, we know right now,
we have some very good operations where there's animosity nonetheless with neighbors.
And we're going to get complaints whether they're warranted or not.
So I know with...
With some of our clients, like with noise or certain things, there has to be multiple complaints from more than one neighbor before we would take it seriously, if we suspect that there's a personality conflict or animosity, so that's one thing we have to look at.
When we talk about of the 1,000 units of selecting some that have had no complaints and letting them continue to operate in residential zones, that scares me a little because you're setting president and how do you make that totally fair and transparent or, you know, old G.C. had dinner with a mayor five years ago.
That's fair enough because they're license, you know, like.
So, no, no, no, we have to be careful with that.
But I think another good opportunity might be, and I don't know, what's possible, but no note, a lot of these illegal operations are involved in tax evasion as well.
Not just not just the tax that they're not getting a license, but actually with the CRA.
And I'm wondering if we should look into the possibility and offer the threat that if you are illegal.
And if we have proof that you have been with our software that you've been renting and everything else, that will also be reported to the CRA.
Because that would be a significant deterrent.
So, thank you.
Thank you, Councillor. And I'm going to go to Councillor Ego.
You, so you wish it, so the term I'm just right here is cottage.
And yet I think maybe some people in this town refer it, I'm not sure, like, to residents that they purchased in a subdivision.
But they use it, maybe, for a cottage. So, do you define cottage as a seasonal and then a residents of something they can rent out a risk or even differentages on that?
Through your worship.
Are we talking about cottages as the term that we use colloquial here?
Are we talking about cottages as the term that we would finally, let's say, in the zoning by law?
Because one of these, I'm handing over to church.
Through to your worship. For the purposes of your zoning by law in a typical plans of subdivision, like in our one zone, it's dwelling unit.
We don't refer to it as cottages or dwelling units. There are cottage courts and there's other definitions that are specific to the tourist establishment.
The type of use is, but in terms of residential housing, it's always referred to as a dwelling unit.
You welcome.
But I think for clarity, there are a lot of people that own for residential homes in subdivisions and condominiums, and it's their cottage, since they're second home.
So we refer to it as cottage.
But under the zoning act, as Trevor says, that we don't differentiate either one of those.
All right, I'm going to break my own rule here.
Only because I'm getting the evil eye, and I'm going to give Councillor Layout the last shot here.
Thank you. Through you, Mr. Mayor. Councillor Belange, he hit on something.
So it's just for my own curiosity.
Somebody has cottage.
And they live in it, but they're going away.
And he said, they give it to family members or friends for a week or a weekend.
And then they pay for it.
What if those family members or those friends don't pay for it?
So you can have people going in.
They're saying, just let's say, you're my friend and you're not paying for it.
Is that that's still apply?
When there's no fee transactions.
So you worship. So it would be that kind of commercial exchange at commercial activity that would define that short-term accommodation.
You know, your friends to come say at your cottage for a weekend while you happen to not be there.
That's not something that we would enforce or something that would be against our bylaws.
However, I'm sure there's numerous people in our enforcement history that have tried to take that tack.
So bylaw will show up to the property.
They'll say, are you renting this property? The person says, nope.
I am the friend of someone who owns this property.
But the difference is going to be in the future.
And it touches on something that Councillor Bilaje said as well.
Is that these types of things.
If there is a commercial aspect to it, if they are renting it through an online platform,
and Granicus will look up to over 80 different types of platforms, we will see that.
So it is something that unlike before, we would have no idea and have no way to prove that we could prove now.
So if there is some kind of commercial activity involved, we will see it.
And chances are, if you have a family member coming to state your cottage, and you know that you're going to be coming up the next weekend,
you're not going to rent it out to your party cousin, because you're going to be worried that when you come up the next time your neighbors are going to dislike you.
So chances are it's more responsible kind of use of your property.
But absolutely that commercial, that transaction is really important to how we're defining these properties.
Thank you.
So as soon as always bad actors, right?
And as always people are going to try and stretch it out as much as they can.
I just have a few items here, Carly.
So I think first of all, it's important to note that business licensing fees, I think we need to look at that.
And what we're charging in with respect to accommodation here, that the business licensing fees that we're applying to.
legitimate businesses, cottage courts, hotels, motels, so on and so forth, that we look at those more favorable because these are folks who are paying business tax.
They are paying a higher level of municipal tax.
They have a lot of overhead and responsibility.
So I think we need to differentiate those fees from the fees of someone who is just buying a cottage or owns a home and wants to put it into some kind of rental program.
Of their owner, whatever, for an Airbnb.
And so therefore, with respect to tiny fees versus our fees, I think absolutely we can say if you want to be an Airbnb, the fee is this much higher.
I also think that in all fairness to the local businesses who have been here for many years, or anyone who has invested the cost to buy a cottage corridor, hotel, motel, or build a hotel, all year in future for that matter.
That we really do look at limiting the amount of Airbnb's we are going to allow within the municipality.
You know, we have a lot of good folks who run good accommodation programs and properties here in town.
They've been in a long time.
And they're suffering. They're suffering today and they've been suffering for years because of this Airbnb, illegal Airbnb, and rental.
And it's completely unfair. And if we want to attract more business to reduce the amount of residential municipal tax, then we need to be on top of this.
And so I think we need to come up with a number that is reasonable.
And what is that? So if we look at what we have for accommodation in town currently, that is a legal entity.
And the amount of Airbnb's that are out there, maybe that's how we come to what a number should be in his fair.
And we can increase that number more difficult to decrease it.
So I would rather start low on the Airbnb and then see that increase over time.
You know, we're going to have a new hotel, top brand hotel built on our beachfront, with three incinerary hotels of rental units.
We're going somewhere around 400 plus hotel type units available.
Plus all of the other hotel motel cottage courts that are here currently should they decide to stay in that business.
And not go to. And when I say that, I don't mean that we're at a business, but they may decide as we move along and look at housing options.
They may decide to get out of the short-term rental and into a long-term.
So it's important that we get that number right and it be low in the beginning, I think.
The cost for inspections, I think the same. I think the cost to inspect a legitimate business that has been here or, you know, has the overhead that a real business has versus an Airbnb.
I think those inspection costs should be considerably more because, you know, we should be recouping all of that cost in my opinion.
Just because you have an Airbnb does not mean you're a business.
And I think it's important that we keep that in mind.
The other thing is that I absolutely believe they have to have a business license if they want to be an Airbnb.
And that they absolutely have to be involved in the MATT tax program.
And we need to be able to track that. The MATT tax program, I think, when all of a sudden done,
is really going to help in taking the pressure off the residential property owners here for the cost of events,
concerts, so on and so forth along with all the other things that we're doing to help with that.
So it's important that we're collecting this MATT tax wherever we possibly can.
And I think these units have to absolutely be involved in that.
I think the fines need to be large and you indicated currently $2,000 a day.
I absolutely support that.
So anyway, you're going to get in compliance.
Some of these places, I know of a couple in town or I shouldn't say I know I have heard of a couple in town.
That has been somewhat substantiated in upwards of $1,200 to $1,500 a night.
So the fine being hired, that is fine with me.
I mean, you're going to really rethink your business plan if you're losing money.
And I also think where we allow Airbnb's within the municipality are, is very important.
Four-time residents or four-time cottage owners, whatever you like, should not have to endure the disruption of a party house,
or even a woman that's rented out to two or three families with seven or eight or ten kids running around,
or screaming and yelling just because it's in an Airbnb.
Our residents, like any resident, has a right to quite enjoyment of their property.
And so I think we really need to be careful as to where we allow these.
There was some conversation amongst myself and some staff earlier on about what,
and how we go about determining where we're going to allow Airbnb's and what areas of town.
Or if you want an Airbnb, for example, and you're on a residential area, then you have to go and get something signed by a high percentage of your neighbors,
75 or 80 percent that says they're okay with it.
Before we'll even consider it, these types of things, because we do not want to, I know I've faced it firsthand,
where you've got to get up and go to work the next morning.
There's Billy and Sally next door with all their buddies, and they're having a great time and fireworks are going off at 10 o'clock at night,
with no care or concern for people who live there.
Or not wanting to be up all night.
So I think that's very important as well.
The last thing I want to touch on is the amount of time and effort,
Carly and other staff that you've put into this.
This is probably one of, in all of my time, on council.
I had never seen such a comprehensive report.
It's an amazing report.
It's very, very comprehensive.
It almost spells out and answers any question that we asked here, and I understand we asked questions,
because we want the public to hear, but it was very comprehensive, very detailed.
And I thank you for that, and perhaps when you come back from your nine-month project,
that we should have, everyone should maybe, we should just have Carly and everyone just sends all their ideas and what,
and she does the report.
At times just kidding.
We have a ton of stuff.
We do great reports, but this is the most comprehensive I've ever seen.
I want to thank you for that, because this is very important.
This is important not only to us on council.
It's important to the people who live here 365, but it's also important to our business community,
who, as I say, have invested big dollars to be in business, and they're paying a price now.
They're losing revenue.
Substantially, losing revenue and have been for years because of these illegal rentals.
So I'm looking forward to these changes.
It was in my comments.
We do have a motion that the report titled Short-term Accommodation Project Recommendations Report to Council,
meeting of August 22nd, 2024.
BBC even that the Council direct staff to bring back at a later date, a new short-term accommodation
licensing by law, that encompasses the staff recommendations in this report.
Could I have a mover and a seconder for this, please?
Move by Councillor Belange.
Seconded by Councillor sorry, Deputy Mayor, now Madam Clerk.
Thank you, Bishop.
Councillor Belange.
In favor.
Councillor Delale.
In favor.
Councillor Ego.
In favor.
Deputy Mayor, now.
In favor.
Councillor Tins.
In favor.
Councillor Wait.
In favor.
Mayor.
In favor.
Thank you very much, Madam Clerk.
Moving on to the next item.
Here's the 23, 24, 80, our chamber's annual integrity commissioners reports.
And I will turn before I pass the silver for it to Councillor Wait.
Did you wish to speak to this, Madam Clerk?
There's nothing particular more to really highlight within the report.
This is a requirement within our contract that we have with ADR chambers.
I'm Ben Dorey, who is appointed as our integrity commissioner.
So I was happy to see the report.
I was thrilled to see that all the complaints received by the IC, none of them were founded.
And I think that's.
This is a testament to this council. And then, administration working together to ensure that the policies and procedures and legislation that were governed, our municipality is followed in it here too.
Thank you, Madam Clerk, go away to an alternative to a councilor waiting to pull this item. Councilor Wayne?
Thank you, Your Worship, and to be clear, I did have a conversation with the I.C. is to, if I could, what I could or could not share of my experience, and to give me some very strict guidelines.
This comment even vetted by our clerk to make sure it stays on the good side.
I have received an I.C. complaint.
While I agree that the role of the I.C. is vital to an honest government, I feel in our case here, the taxpayer is being abused.
My complaint was directed towards two parts of the Code of Conduct. On the first point, it was ruled ordinary activity.
And on the second one, the comment was that the applicant was unaware of the purpose of the rule.
Baseless claims like this one, waste money and cause distraction.
I'd rather see the $10,000 that its municipality has spent dealing with these complaints.
Go to people in need rather than this type of frivolous activity. Thank you very much.
Thank you, Councillor White, any other questions or comments on this?
All right, I will comment as well on the side of the report.
There's been about just over $19,000 and $20,23 spent on the integrity commissioner for various reasons.
Some of that is for council to get direction for training for so on and so forth.
Roughly 10,000 little higher than 10,000 of that was spent on the integrity commissioner doing investigations.
Five investigations in total, so the average, I guess, would be 2,000 except.
One investigation was incomplete and the individual and complained did not or would not reply or respond to the integrity commissioner.
They simply dismissed it.
A second one was dismissed before investigation.
Before the integrity commissioner found an investigation was required and three of those were the remaining three were investigated.
And so the bulk of the money was spent on the remaining three, which is about $333,333 per investigation.
Three investigations that were all found by the integrity commissioner that the member of council being investigated.
Had done nothing wrong.
I would argue that the three complaints were all entered by the same person or persons.
And I would argue that the integrity commissioner is clear and I want to say I have the utmost respect for the integrity commissioner and the job they do.
But where I struggle is if an investigation is launched because of a complaint and the member of council is found guilty, the integrity commissioner then comes before council in public or consent a letter.
But it is an in public notice that the member of council has been found guilty and a sanction is recommended for council then to consider.
If a complaint is issued or is entered and the integrity commissioner finds that the member of council has not done anything wrong, then it is to be kept confidential.
And I struggle with that.
I think in any other system in this country, if you are accused of something you have every right and every ability to confront your accuser to defend yourself to make it public if you show wish.
And we have some folks who are making these complaints who in my opinion are just bitter.
So our greats, the last election, I have been there, get over it.
Give it your best the next time.
But they are wasting, staff time, council members time, and taxpayers money on frivolous and fixation complaints.
And this is just for 2023.
I know that this also occurred in 2022.
Now I may be stepping over the line here and I may have a complaint come up against me to the integrity commissioner because of how I'm speaking to this, but so be it.
Right is right and wrong is wrong.
I strongly believe that if a member of this council or any council is accused of something.
They should have the right, I get the confidentiality during the investigation.
But once the findings of the integrity commissioner has been made, it is so wrong in my opinion that if your guilty, that becomes public and you're not guilty, it has to be confidential.
You should be able to say I was accused of this by so and so, and I was found to be innocent.
So we don't make the rules, I get it.
But I can tell you that I would struggle to not point that out.
And the reason I am so direct on this is because I believe that these complaints are coming from the same people and that what point?
Can the integrity commissioner decide that we've dealt with enough frivolous and dexatious or non-founded complaints by someone that I'm just not going to deal with them should they come through from these people anymore?
So I too commend council and staff for facing these challenges and the findings being as they are because I believe with every ounce of my being.
The staff here are second to none and that this council is following all the policies and procedures that are put in place by the municipal block by our procedural by law and by our code of conduct.
And I'll leave it at that council.
Thank you.
Through the worship.
Although I'm somewhat of an expert on this, I have no comment.
Thank you, Councillor.
All right.
We do have a motion then that the report title 2023-2024.
80 are chambers ink and your integrity commission report.
To the council meeting of August 22nd 2024, we received for information.
Can I remove it in a second for this please?
No, by council.
Ten a second about deputy mayor's now.
Madam Clerk.
Thank you.
We're sure Councillor Blanchay.
In favor.
Councillor Delayo.
In favor.
Councillor Ego.
David.
Deputy mayor's now.
In favor.
Councillor Timbs.
In favor.
Councillor White.
In favor.
And Mayor Smith.
In favor.
Care unanimously.
Thank you very much moving on now to the next title.
July 31st, 2024 City of Toronto Support Family Physicians.
And I'll turn this over to our clerk to speak to this.
And then this was pulled by Councillor Delayo.
Madam Clerk.
No.
Going to wait to Councillor Delayo.
Councillor Delayo.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Through you.
I feel we should support this motion arising from the city of Toronto to support family physicians.
Regardless.
Okay.
Properly compensate family physicians with appropriate fee increases.
And reduce the administrative burden that the province places on family doctors.
So they have more time to see their patients.
Therefore, I would like to put a motion forward for a letter of support to be sent.
All right.
Thank you.
Any questions or comments?
Councillor White.
Just a comment that we might be offline.
Sorry.
Through your worship.
I'm having computer problems.
I'm sure.
What was that Madam Deputy Clerk?
Okay.
We're back online.
Yeah.
All right.
We've had a glitch.
We went offline.
But now we're back online.
All right.
Thank you.
All right.
Other questions or comments to members of Council?
Seeing none.
Madam Clerk.
Thank you.
Sorry.
Through your worship.
Sorry.
I've lost internet connection.
If you can just give me one moment please.
Thank you.
We'll just hold on for a second.
Well, we don't know that.
We'll check.
Yeah.
Are you trusting me?
Yeah.
You're welcome.
Sorry.
We're offline still yet.
What?
We're back online.
I think.
Sorry, your worship, please give me a minute.
Thank you.
Okay.
So Councilor Wait.
Can.
On your.
Okay.
It looks like we may be alive again.
Okay.
So I just would like to do a test if there's.
I guess if staff listening if they can just indicate whether or not you can hear me.
We're down to the last few minutes of the meeting anyway.
I think what we're going to do is carry on.
Because we could very well be alive.
We just don't know at this point.
And if we should find out that it wasn't live then we will make sure that we amend.
The minutes and explain why that it's a technical difficulty.
I think some people are seeing alive and some people aren't.
So we think we are so we're going to carry on.
Where are we? Okay.
So we just gone to the clerk to call the vote.
And this is on 2324 integrity commission's report.
Yes.
Thank you.
And I think just to ensure that everything was recorded.
We're going to ask that counselor Delayo just repeat which he had stated.
And regards this correspondence.
And then I do believe that the CAO and WCAO have some new news that has come out of the
Amol conference, which obviously is post when the city of Toronto passed this motion.
Okay.
So then we're going to come to Delayo to read your.
Your peace one more time please. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I feel we should support this motion arising from the city of Toronto to support family physicians regarding properly compensated family physicians with appropriate fee increases and reduced the administrative burden that the province places on family doctors, so they have more time to see their patients. Therefore, I would like to set a motion forward for a letter of support to be sent. Thank you.
All right. Thank you, Councillor. Now look to the Deputy CEO or CEO for the comments.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor and through Mr. Mayor to Councillor Delale. Not all of the council have the opportunity to join the joint delegation that we attended with some of the others.
We had an opportunity to meet with health ministers, so we joins. And we had a good dialogue about family doctors, compensation, et cetera.
And what we learned was that actually doctors and Ontario are the best paid doctors in Canada right now.
And the other thing that the province is currently doing is they are trying to reduce the administrative burden and take pressure off of family doctors and all doctors period.
By doing things such as allowing pharmacists to treat things like pink eyes or throats and all that kind of stuff that would clog up doctors and emergency rooms.
All the further the Deputy as well. But my sense is that I think this is being heard loud and clear already at the provincial level and they are already taking action on it. I would encourage council to simply receive this for information.
I don't know if the same thing you wanted.
Thank you, Andrew. I don't have much more to add, but the conversation with the Minister for such that this, in my opinion, was being addressed and was engaged.
I know that this came to us quite a while ago, so the ministers had a considerable amount of time between the city of Toronto, chatting about this and our deputation.
So I think it's well under hand to think every comments were pretty clear that the best paid in Canada.
The look at other ways to relieve the burden free up time and encourage greater roster sizes.
The ministers fully engaged in trying to make sure that health care and patient care is second and not in Canada.
I would suggest a well under way to making changes at the city of Toronto would I think applaud at this point in time.
All right. Thank you. And then I was going to speak to this as well on the same lines we did with the CEO, Mayor Form of Us, of Southern Georgian Bay, which includes for information.
Usaga Beach, Clearview, Collingwood, Meeford, Blue Mountains and Gray Highlands.
The Mayor's and CEOs, we meet on a corgany basis and we did some joint delegations going being to the Minister of Health about a gaining support for Collingwood Hospital.
So on and so forth, but the Minister was very clear on this and she talked about roster sizes, some from 800, 900 up to 1500 and some are even higher.
She did mention as as staff was said about Ontario being the highest paid for doctors in the country. And so I would agree that this has probably been heard by the Minister.
They were her and her staff there were, well, versed in on top of this and we're looking to do many different things as staff have indicated.
So I wouldn't, I would agree if we received it for information.
We can always bring it back for support later if we wanted. I would guess, but I would concur with staff on that.
But I understand exactly the council are not having that information that we've just given you where you're coming from as well. So yeah, go ahead.
Her speech there, did she put it in writing? Did she give it to the city of Toronto?
Did she respond to their letter indicating that these changes are coming forward? Is it in writing?
She didn't give it to us in writing. I don't know what she's done outside of that, but I would take a letter word.
At this point I have no reason not to.
All right, any of the questions or comments?
Seeing none, all right, Madam Clerk, where do we go with this?
So as of right now, there's no seconder on the motion to send a letter of support. Now that we are updated with information that just happened in the last couple days.
We can just receive for information at this time.
And I am to assume that we will get more correspondence as the months go by here with regards to supporting, you know, family physicians and the honorable Jones and what she's doing to assist.
But an offer against the Councilor Delio. She has put this forward. Is there anyone who would want to second that for?
At this point.
The comment, okay, go ahead, Councilor Belonging.
Yes, I, again, this is new information, but if you were just in front of the minister as the municipality was taken beach.
And then we sent a letter, it would be as if you weren't paying attention.
You know, like you've, I, you know, I want Councilor Delio to be comfortable if she is willing to accept a per information.
But I, I do believe if we send a letter after three of our members of our team were sitting with the minister.
It would, it would look kind of silly.
Okay, so I'll, I'll go back to, do we have anyone here who will second this to give them the floor for Councilor Delio at this point?
No, I withdraw.
You withdraw? Okay, thank you, Councilor Delio. So we see for information.
All right, so then the,
We, we have the, well, Madam Kirk, why don't you tell us what we've got here?
Has I don't see anything on my paper?
Except for a turn to Nicole for the motion. So if you go ahead.
Thank you, Your Worship. At this time, simply we'll put forth that council receive the correspondence from the city of Toronto regarding supporting family physicians for information.
I can get a move on seconder, and we are within the item on the agenda that requires a recorded vote.
All right, thank you, Madam Kirk, and then by Councilor Delio, seconded by Deputy Mayor Snow.
All in favor of, sorry, Madam Kirk, recorded vote.
Councillor Bologna.
Councillor Delio.
In favor. Councillor Ego. In favor.
Deputy Mayor Snow. In favor.
Thank you, Madam Kirk. Now moving on to item number 14, recommendations arising from boards and committees.
We have no reports on that today.
And item number 15, Council requested staff reports as listed as attached any questions or comments on the staff reports.
All right, seeing none moving on to item number 16 notices of motion.
And our motions, we have none other than the one put forth earlier today.
And then item number 17 is closed session, which we have no closed session for today for this meeting.
Moving on to 18 bylaws, it is recommended that the bylaws, 2020-466-666-6768 and 69 be received.
It has been deemed to have read a first second and third time past and numbered.
Questions or comments?
Seeing none moving a second or for this, please.
By Councilor White, seconded by Councilor Ego, all in favor.
That motion carries unanimously, and this meeting is adjourned.