M I N U T E S
Regular Council Meeting
August 7, 2002 - 7:30
p.m.
Council met in the
Meeting Room of the Municipal Building on the above date. Present were
Reeve Rod Wood and Councillors Annette Fischer, Pat Garside, David Leask
and Jim See. Lyn Garside, Road Superintendent, and Joe Books, Fire
Chief, attended as well.
Moved by Dave Leask 2002-91
Seconded by Annette Fischer
Resolved that we do accept the Agenda,
as presented.
Moved by Annette Fischer 2002-92
Seconded by Pat Garside
Resolved that we do approve the Minutes
of the meetings of June 19, 2002, and July 10, 2002, as presented.
Fire Chief Books asked if council
members had any questions or concerns regarding the Emergency Plan he
had distributed to them at last month’s meeting. With no questions
noted, Reeve Wood thanked Joe for his efforts and recommended the Plan
be adopted.
Moved by Annette Fischer 2002-93
Seconded by Jim See
Resolved that we do adopt the Peace
Time Emergency Plan for the Township of Hilton, as prepared by Fire
Chief, Joe Books.
In recognition of numerous phone calls
received recently while a Restricted Fire Zone (RFZ) was in effect,
Chief Books suggested some changes be instituted during such periods. A
RFZ means that any open fires, including campfires, are illegal. The
fine for failure to comply is up to $1,000, three months in jail, and
financial responsibility for any costs incurred in fighting a forest
fire caused by the illegal act. Currently, the only exception is in
organized campgrounds and parks, where the campground operator may allow
campfires and charcoal BBQs but only during certain hours and under very
strict controls. Chief Books recommended campgrounds within our
municipality be subject to the same restrictions as apply to general
residents. Fire bans are only a temporary measure reserved for extreme
situations and applying the same conditions to everyone will result in
considerably less confusion and threat to our forests. Chief Books also
suggested the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) be requested to
designate St. Joseph Island under its own zone in consideration of the
different forest structure and mainly private land ownership. Such a
change could result in reduced restrictions for our area during fire ban
periods in northern regions. Council suggested Chief Books review the
matter with the MNR and neighbouring municipalities in the hope we can
have some changes in place for next summer.
Correspondence was received from the
Ministry of Public Safety and Security requesting our municipality
appoint a Community Emergency Management Coordinator. Such a position is
required under the new Emergency Management Act. This person will be
responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of the
municipality’s emergency management program.
Moved by Pat Garside 2002-94
Seconded by Jim See
Resolved that we do appoint Joe Books,
as the Community Emergency Management Coordinator for the Township of
Hilton.
Council was advised that the fire
trucks and gear would be moved into the Village of Hilton Beach the
morning of August 9, 2002, the proposed moving day for St. John’s
Anglican Church. This action was recommended due to the closing of
Hilton Road for an undetermined amount of time. Chief Books arranged for
fire protection backup with Jocelyn Fire Department. The Clerk advised
that when signing off to the Ministry of Transportation, she had
requested appropriate detour signs be erected to inform residents of the
street closing. The church moving organizers were informed of their need
to meet that requirement.
Chief Books advised the Ministry of
Transportation require a resolution from Council to erect two new street
signs along Highway 548. Council agreed the signs would aid emergency
personnel who may not be familiar with the area.
Moved by David Leask 2002-95
Seconded by Jim See
Resolved that we do request the
Ministry of Transportation to erect the following new street signs along
Highway 548:
Old Orchard Road
Garside Road West
Lyn Garside, Road Superintendent,
advised Council there hasn’t been much time available for finding a
replacement grader given the busy construction schedule. He is hoping to
have more time to devote to it in the next couple weeks.
The surface treating has been completed
along the 20th Side Road; Base Line; M & N Road and Canoe
Point Road and everyone is happy with the results. Canoe Point Road has
been widened to allow for a safer walking trail along the side.
A copy of a letter sent to the Ministry
of Transportation from an area resident was received. The letter
addressed two issues. There was serious concern over the loose gravel
resulting from the highway repairs coupled with the excessive truck
speeds of the contractors completing the work. Both factors had
contributed to broken windshields in two vehicles for this
resident in a two day period. The Clerk confirmed she had received
similar complaints from numerous tax payers. The Road Superintendent
explained that the surface treatment required a five day period to
properly ‘set’ before any excess gravel should be brushed away;
however, he agreed the speed of the trucks was excessive and a huge
contributing factor to the damage caused as well as potential human
injuries. Council empathized and felt the best solution was for those
residents dissatisfied with the results and the contractors’
performance, to contact the MTO and voice their concerns.
Council was advised of an area business’s
disappointment with a recent calcium application the Township had
provided at its request. Calcium is a considerable expenditure for the
municipality ($11,000) and therefore, as much planning as possible goes
into when the best time will be for application. Applying the chemical
to a properly graded road and not disturbing that surface for an
extended period will prolong the benefits. Similarly, applying the
calcium when heavy rainfall is not expected will also enhance the
results. The Road Super advised that several businesses have been
requesting the application on an annual basis but it has now resulted in
the Township running short on its required application. Council
confirmed any application that had been requested was to be billed at
whatever the cost was to the Township and applications in future years
would be limited to Township roads.
The Road Superintendent informed
Council of the significant damage along Ellwood Boulevard and Hilton
Road, as a result of the storm on August 1, 2002. While trees were down
on several roads, definitely, these two areas were the hardest hit. The
size and volume of trees blocking Ellwood Boulevard required use of the
excavator the following day. The damage along Hilton Road involved a
number of downed power lines as well as trees crossing the road and was
left for Great Lakes Power (GLP) to clear. Reeve Wood noted it took 28
hours to restore power to Hilton Road and requested a letter be sent
stating the road should be considered more of a priority in future.
The Clerk reported to council on the
recent OMB Continuation of Hearing regarding a gravel pit operation on
the M & N Road. The hearing was held to determine whether conditions
set at the original hearing in 1998 had been met. Tim Ruthenberg,
Aggregate Specialist with the Ministry of Natural Resources attended the
meeting. He advised the Chairperson, Mr. N.M. Katary, that while some
issues regarding the site plan remained outstanding, he was confident
they could be resolved in the near future. Mr. Katary set a date of
September 6, 2002 for Mr. Ruthenberg to advise the OMB of whether or not
those issues had been dealt with successfully.
The Clerk advised Council she had
received a request from the owner of Lot 29, Plan M-261, Haight Road,
asking the municipality to arrange for the removal of large trees
inadvertently cut down on the municipal road allowance bordering his
property. Council agreed it was the responsibility of the contractor who
had cut the trees to remove them and asked the Clerk to contact the
individual so the cleanup could be carried out as soon as possible.
Reeve Wood suggested the Township’s
dog control by-law be revised to alleviate any confusion over the
municipality’s intent regarding the matter. The by-law only addresses
dogs within the public park areas. Under no circumstances are dogs
allowed in the same area as swimmers. Dogs must be kept on a leash at
all times within the park. It was suggested that signs be erected to
designate certain areas as areas where pets would be allowed. A revised
by-law will be presented at next month’s meeting.
An advertisement for the position of
Building Inspector/By-Law Enforcement Officer was presented to Council
for their information. The ad is in response to our current building
inspector’s notice of retirement, effective later this year. The Clerk
suggested each of the participating municipalities in the joint service
include the ad in their Minutes for this month as well as advertising in
local newspapers.
Moved by Annette Fischer 2002-96
Seconded by Jim See
Resolved that we do accept the 2001
Financial Statements for the Township of Hilton, as prepared by BDO
Dunwoody.
A correspondence course prepared by the
Ontario Association of Committees of Adjustment and Consent Authorities
(OACA) and offered through the AMCTO office was presented to Council.
The course is designed to provide an overview of the land use planning
process in Ontario as well as the evolving provincial – local
relationship in planning. Emphasis will be given to the official plan
and zoning by-law. Considerations when reviewing minor variances, legal
non-conforming uses and consents will also be addressed. The Clerk
requested Council’s financial support for enrolling in the course.
Moved by David Leask 2002-97
Seconded by Jim See
Resolved that we do authorize Valerie
Obarymskyj, Clerk Treasurer, to enroll in the Ontario Association of
Committees of Adjustment and Consent Authorities’ "Primer on
Planning" correspondence course.
Moved by Jim See 2002-98
Seconded by David Leask
Resolved that we do authorize the Road
Superintendent’s one week of unused vacation from last year be paid
out in cash.
An invitation was received from the
Ministry of Natural Resources for municipal representatives to attend a
meeting for discussing matters of common interest or concern.
Councillors Leask and Garside and Reeve Wood expressed an interest in
attending. A tentative date of Thursday, October 24th, 2002
has been scheduled.
Notice was received from the Algoma and
Area Regional Trails Council that their group has received the necessary
funding and is ready to begin the study for trail development in the
Algoma area.
Moved by David Leask 2002-99
Seconded by Annette Fischer
Resolved that we do approve the payment
of Township bills for the month of July, 2002 in the amount of
$53,148.15 as per Voucher No. 07-02. The bills were made up of the
following: Algoma District Social Services - $17,328.47; Administration
- $3,392.50; Algoma District Homes for Aged - $995.46; Assessment -
$3,418.91; Building - $694.23; Fire - $849.77; Miscellaneous -
$6,590.34; Police - $5,556.00; Recreation - $1,709.13; Recycling -
$618.00; Roads - $11,995.34.
Moved by Pat Garside 2002-100
Seconded by David Leask
Resolved that we do adjourn, Council to
meet again on September 11, 2002, or at the call of the Reeve.
_______________________________
Rodney I. Wood, Reeve
__________________________________
Valerie Obarymskyj, Clerk
Treasurer
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