by Connie Tabbert
Editor
COBDEN — Reeve Terry Millar doesn’t like the idea of making people sit through a council meeting while waiting for a bylaw to be passed.
Prior to the March 25 council meeting, a public meeting was held regarding a rezoning. While council did not oppose the rezoning, no decision could officially be made until the passing of the bylaw, which was going to come up for discussion later in the council meeting.
A woman sat through almost two hours of the March 25 council meeting waiting for the bylaw to be discussed. When it finally came to that portion of the agenda, it took all of no more than five minutes to pass the bylaw.
Near the end of the council meeting, Reeve Millar said there has to be a better way of handling a situation like that.
He said there has to be a way to change it, so people aren’t sitting at a meeting, they don’t want to be, if they don’t have to.
CAO FitzSimons said the procedural bylaw could be changed to put bylaws at the start of the meeting instead of later on.
However, Coun. Jackson suggested if it’s a bylaw the person is waiting to see if it’s passed or not, it can be motioned at the start of the council meeting that the bylaw be moved up on the agenda.
Mayor Johnson agreed that was the way to go.
Department Reports
Reports from various departments were presented for discussion by council at the March 25 council meeting.
Public Works: It was a busy February for the public works department, as the trucks were busy sanding, salting and snow plowing 22 days, compared to 11 days last year. Clean-up of trees along Fletcher Road was completed. There was a water main break on Jason Street. Several calls were received regarding freezing pipes. Steamer was used to thaw the pipes and residents were asked to run a trickle of water.
Councillor Chris Olmstead noted there is quite the hole in the tarp at the Westmeath sand dome. Is there money in the budget for it to be repaired, he questioned.
Chief building official Doug Schultz, who spoke in the absence of public works manager Bill Misener, said it’s in the budget to replace the tarp. However, the engineer wants to check the beams to ensure they are not too rusty, he said.
“If they’re rusted, we might need a different roof,” he said.
Treasurer Marsha Hawthorne noted there is $250,000 in the roads reserves budget, which is not allocated for any specific project. Mr. Misener has budgeted $100,000 for the salt shed.
Building Department: The 2012 and 2013 building files are being completed. An accessibility and maintenance report has been prepared on township buildings. Two building permits were issued in March. Mr. Schultz noted he is working on projects that involve new businesses moving to the township. He has also been working with BEI to get the paperwork in place to start developing the former grain mill property.
Environmental Services: There will be opportunity for residents who want to bring their recyclables to the landfill site to do so. ES manager Steve Hodson reported that Beaumen Waste Systems purchased two large 40 cubic yard, top loading roll-off containers and stairs for the Ross Landfill Site. This will provide the residents with a means of disposing of recyclable blue box materials and flattened cardboard at the site. As well, current collection contracts for curb side waste and recycling will expire at month’s end. Beaumen Waste Systems are preparing to carry out both five year contracts as awarded.
The annual operational reports for the township’s landfill sites are now being prepared. The department is working on an updated financial plan to submit to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change. The financial plan must be completed in order to acquire renewal on drinking water licences for the three drinking water systems.
The application to dredge the Westmeath Boat Launch channel is still before the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Fire Department: Fire Chief Wayne Heubner said there have been two house fires in the last two months, unfortunately one of them fatal. Causes of both are still being investigated, he advised.
The new Westmeath fire truck was used at the Beachburg Road fire and it worked well, he said, noting the porta-tanks were never empty.
He advised the deadline for installed Carbon monoxide detectors in homes is April 15.
“The grace period is over,” he said. Laughing, he added, “My first visits will be to all of council members.”
He noted residences can have a combined smoke and CO detector, which he encourages.
He will advertise the deadline as well as have an insert in the next municipal news letter.
Councillor Cathy Regier, who is chair of the fire committee, commended the chief and his staff for the recent fires they have attended.
“It’s been a tough month,” she said. “You are all doing a fantastic job and we’re behind you all the way.
“The many dedicated hours of training is paying off.”
Motions passed
Two motions from earlier committee meetings were passed by council.
Councillor Charlene Jackson requested a recorded vote on the motion that the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund funding be applied to the construction on Cast in Place project on Hwy. 17. The motion passed 4-3 with Mayor Hal Johnson and councillors Jackson and Dave Mackay voting against.
The second motion was unanimously passed. It was to advertise for two positions for the summer swim program at a rate of $15 for the instructor and 411.50 for the instructor assistant.
It was also discovered by most of council that CAO FitzSimons was looking for the swim program to be held elsewhere than at the Cobden beach. One location was the pool at Bona Vista Campground, just west of Cobden.
Coun. Jackson questioned when the discussion took place that the swim program be relocated.
CAO FitzSimons said seeking another location is exploratory only. Considering the E.coli data from 2013 and 2014, she is concerned about the swim program being held this year at the beach.
She noted deputy-treasurer Eric Rice knows the owners of Bona Vista Campground, so agreed to see if they would partner wit the township. However, there has been no agreement discussed, eh added.
Mayor Hal Johnson suggested moving it to Davidson Lake, one of the Little Lakes near Beachburg.
However, CAO FitzSimons is concerned with a significant drop-off that may be not suitable for young people.
Mayor Johnson suggested buoys be placed around the swimming area.
CAO FitzSimons said she also looked into a program called Bird Be Gone, but it’s expensive.
These options will be brought to the next recreation committee, she said.
Coun. Jackson said it would have been nice to know that options were being explored.
CAO FitzSimons said, “All I’m trying to do is explore all options to be able to bring them to the committee so you can discus them. I’m not making a commitment to anyone, I’m just seeing if there’s interest in other options.”
She added, “I’m not going to be able to work very effectively if I have to come to council for permission to make exploratory phone calls to provide you with information so you can make informed decisions.”
Mayor Johnson said CAO FitzSimons was correct in what she did.
“What you did Christine is actually correct,” he said. “We just didn’t know it was going as far as it has, and we thank you for that.”
Councillor McLaughlin’s concerns addressed
Coun. McLaughlin said following council discussion years ago, it was agreed to say a non-denominational prayer.
“That was a decision by council,” he said. “It was not a decision made by one person.”
He was referring to Mayor Johnson, who has opted to say the Lord’s Prayer in council prior to the start of a meeting.
It was also the former mayor who changed the wording at the start of the prayer session to allow people to make a choice whether to stand or not, Coun. McLaughlin said.
He questioned what former municipalities of the current Whitewater said the Lord’s Prayer.
Coun. Jackson said Ross Township said the Lord’sPrayer and currently Laurentian Valley does.
Mayor Johnson, who stepped down from the mayor’s chair so he could comment, said he is strongly committed to the democratic way and agreed that one person does not change the democracy for all.
Through a motion, council agreed that various prayers can be said on a rotational basis at the start of council meetings.
Coun. McLaughlin was also concerned with receiving the council package on Friday instead of Monday prior to council meetings.
“Why was it changed to Fridays,” he questioned. “The procedural bylaw said it must be delivered 48 hours before a council meeting.”
Mayor Johnson corrected Coun.McLaughlin, noting the procedural bylaw says a minimum of 48 hours.
Coun. Jackson said it’s easier for her to receive it on Friday, which gives her the weekend to review the package. Since she is busy Tuesday evenings the same week as council, she would only have one night to review the documentation, which isn’t long enough.
She also felt other council members may require more than two nights to review the documentation.
Coun.McLaughlin said as long as council is in agreement with the change, it’s OK with him.
It was also briefly discussed about council receiving the council packages via a program through the internet. However, it was agreed that discussion should be held when there’s more time to discuss it, since it was close to 10 p.m.
Another concern of Coun. McLaughlin was how a recorded vote is taken. He noted in a previous recorded vote, the mayor requested to be last, which he didn’t think was appropriate, according to the procedural bylaw.
The procedural bylaw says it goes counter-clockwise from the mover.
The question then arose, is it the mover of the motion or the mover of the recorded vote, which no one was sure of.
However, it was noted the procedural bylaw hasn’t been followed, because the recorded vote has always been clock wise.
“I’m bad,” CAO FitzSimons said. “I did it clock wise.”
However, she reiterated again, it’s council’s procedural bylaw, it can be changed with a motion from council.
Mayor Johnson said he doesn’t vote, although he has the right to, unless there’s a tie. And, if he’s requested to vote, it will always be nay, he said.
He suggested that he will vote last all the time, as should the chair of committee meetings.
Introduction
Mayor Johnson introduced Bernie Tracy to council. He is the council representative on the Ottawa River Energy Solutions (ORES), which is affiliated with Ottawa River Power Corporation (ORPC), which Mayor Johnson sits on as council rep.
The two each receive $4,500 a year from the respective boards to sit, so its at no cost to the township.
Mayor Johnson said previously the former mayor sat on both, so he collected both honourariums, but it was just a bit less.
Councillor Daryl McLaughlin, who questioned the honoruariums, said he was happy with the explanation.
Nomination
Council deliberated for a few minutes as to which senior citizen in the township it would put forward to receive senior of the year award fro the Minister Responsible for Seniors Affairs.
After a short discussion, it was agreed to nominate former council member Don Rathwell.
CAO: Chief Administrative Officer: Christine FitzSimons noted there was a roof leak at the town hall, with water dripping into office. The insurance company was informed and Helferty’s was brought in. It was discovered that the roof drain into the storm sewer was frozen at the connection in the catch basin outside the municipal office it was steamed open and the roof drained.
CAO FitzSimons attended an essentials of municipal finance workshop earlier this month. She provided notes regarding the download of services and regulations versus provincial subsidies.
