What Happened at Council – October 17

There was a regular Council Meeting, Tuesday, October 17, 2017, with all members present excepting Councillor Liddle. After a presentation to Mark McRae who retired after 30 years in the Water & Sewer Department, Council turned to regular business. The following meetings will be held in the next month:

• Library Board Meeting – Monday, October 16, 2017, at 6:30 p.m., Wawa Public Library
• Heritage Committee Meeting – Wednesday, October 18, 2017, at 3:15 p.m., 3 Maple Street
• Corporate Planning / Policy Manual Committee Meeting – Tuesday, October 24, 2017, at 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers
• Community Development Committee Meeting – Monday, October 30, 2017, at 6:30 p.m., MMCC Meeting Room
• Regional Mayors Group Meeting – Monday, November 6, 2017, at 11:00 a.m., 3 Maple Street
• Regular Council Meeting – Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers
• Police Services Board Meeting – Wednesday, November 22, 2017, at 2:00 p.m., Council Chambers

With the approval of the Consent Agenda, Council approved the minutes of the Regular Council Meeting, Tuesday, September 12, 2017, and received a number of other committee minutes:

• Community Development Committee Meeting – February 27, 2017
• Community Development Committee Meeting – February 27, 2017
• Algoma District Services Administration Board Meetings – March 23, 2017, April 27, 2017, May 25, 2017, June 22, 2017 and July 27, 2017
• Police Services Board Meeting – April 12, 2017
• Heritage Committee Meetings – May 24, 2017, and September 7, 2017
• Wawa Energy Plan Implementation Committee Meetings – June 6, 2017, and July 31, 2017
• Library Board Meeting – June 19, 2017
• Algoma Public Health Board Meeting – June 28, 2017

 

Council also received the Superior East OPP Report – January to August 2017. Council approved several requests. The Wawa Figure Skating Club requested ‘Wawa Goose Pins’ for their Skate Ontario Futures Figure Skating Competition to be held Saturday, November 4th; request for the Wawa Transit Bus for the Legion on Remembrance Day. Council also approved two proclamations: CUPE 17th Annual Child Care Worker & Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day, October 25, 2017; and CRPS/RSD Color the World Orange Day (November 6, 2017).

Council also received a Thank You Card of Appreciation from a Greyhound passenger who found himself waiting in Wawa one night. The MMCC was kept open and staff made them welcome. This gentleman passed back through our community recently and Mayor Rody said “I thought it was pretty special that he would take the time to come by and mention that.”

Staff reports regarding Animal Control Officer (a one year contract to be signed shortly); Connecting Link (recommending application for 2018/19 Connecting Link Program; approving the contract for resurfacing Government Road and Pinewood Drive.

The Record of Council Attendance at Meetings was received and accepted. Councillor Weitzel had requested the report, and was dismayed by the results.

2016

2017

Editor’s Note: The report didn’t have the last two Council meetings, they were added to bring the figures up to the date of writing.

 

Councillor Weitzel began the discussion on the report by asking after reciting attendance figures for one councilor, “they’re still getting paid, we have an empty seat. You have no representation, and I cannot believe that the public is not up in arms. It’s obvious this seat is constantly empty. So my question is now, ‘Are you upset Bill? Are you upset Yvan? I mean, we are sitting here with somebody who is not doing anything. We’re representing our community because we care about our community; this is a wasted seat.” She asked CAO Wray, what were Council’s options. His response was; a) do nothing; b) review this as it relates to a code of conduct; c) wait as see if the three month period of time that is stipulated, in which the seat comes vacant. He clarified, “The Municipal Act says three months of meetings, not which meeting it is.”

Councillor Weitzel questioned the room, “What I can’t understand is why people who voted or the public are not more vocal about it. It’s your vote. It’s your seat. Why don’t you reclaim the seat? We can’t do everything. We need the public opinion here. I don’t know. I would not be happy sitting over there (gallery) right now with a vacant seat, that you voted for.”

Mayor Rody explained, “The courts are very reluctant to remove people from office. In the couple of articles I’ve read, they come to the conclusion that the next election is when the public makes their decision of whether they approve or disapprove of your performance. Other than the Act, which clearly stipulates the length of time that they can be away without losing their seat, we just need to carry on and do the best we can with those of us who are here. I can understand your frustration, the expectation is certainly that when we put an ‘X’ on the ballot beside someone’s name that they will perform for us.”

A discussion about remuneration per meeting instead of monthly ensued, with Council deciding to review this after staff compiles some information about how other municipalities compensate their Councils.

There were no comments or discussion from Councillor Chiasson or Councillor Besner on this matter.

Council wrote off the taxes and vested two properties (Roll # 57-76-000-005-08200-0000, Roll # 5-776-000-002-21405-0000). Council also approved travel to the 2018 Conferences: i.e. Good Roads, FONOM. Funding for a CDC Project that will assist the Royal Canadian Legion – Branch 429 with accessibility renovations was approved. Council gave their support to AMO’s Electric Truck Pilot Project.

The following by-laws were read and passed:

• By-Law No. 3065-17 – to confirm the proceedings of Council at its meeting held on the 17th day of October 2017.
• By-Law No. 3066-17 – to authorize the sale of Municipal Land located at 191 Mission Road, Roll No. 57-76-000-005-08200-0000, in the Municipality of Wawa to 2594862 Ontario Inc.
• By-Law No. 3067-17 – to authorize the sale of Municipal Land located at 651 Highway 17 North, Roll No. 57-76-000-007-18005-0000, in the Municipality of Wawa to 2594862 Ontario Inc.
• By-Law No. 3068-17 – to delegate authority to provide marriage solemnization services to Mr. Daniel McCoy.
• By-Law No. 3069-17 – to enter into an agreement with Industry Canada / FedNor, under the Northern Ontario Development Program to provide contribution towards the Boreal Forest Eco-Walk and Waterfront Rejuvenation (Project # 851-810713).
• By-Law No. 3070-17 – to authorize the sale of Municipal Land located at 5A Street, Roll No. 57-76-000-002-21400-0000, in the Municipality of Wawa, to Mr. James Brown.
• By-Law No. 3071-17 – to establish for The Corporation of the Municipality of Wawa a Board of Management for the Wawa Business Improvement Area.
• By-Law No. 3072-17 – to provide for the appointment of a Municipal Law Enforcement Officer for The Corporation of the Municipality of Wawa for the purposes of enforcing the Municipal by-laws.
• By-Law No. 3073-17 – to enter into an agreement with the Ministry of Transportation to accommodate group education and/or driver interview sessions.
• By-Law No. 3074-17 – to authorize The Corporation of the Municipality of Wawa to enter into an agreement with Daniel Collis to provide animal control services within the Municipality of Wawa.
• By-Law No. 3075-17 – to adopt an Emergency Management Program and Emergency Response Plan and to meet other Requirements under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
• By-Law No. 3076-17 – to repeal Municipality of Wawa By-Law No. 2793-14 and to appoint a Community Emergency Management Coordinator for the Municipality of Wawa, pursuant to the Standards established by Regulation under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, R.S.O., Ch. E 9, as amended.
• By-Law No. 3077-17 – to authorize the sale of Municipal Land located at 300 Highway 17 South, part of Roll No. 57-76-000-007-15503-0000, in the Municipality of Wawa to 1655303 Ontario Inc. (operating as High Falls Motel and Cabins).

Council then moved into an ‘In-Camera Session’ to discuss the following items:

• Personal Issue (1 Item): Sewer Issues – personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees (Municipal Act, c.25, s.239 (2) (b))
• Legal Issue (2 Items): FOI Requests – a request under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, if the council, board, commission or other body is the head of an institution for the purposes of that Act (Municipal Act, c.25, s.239 (3) (a))
• Legal Issue (1 Item): Insurance Claim – litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board (Municipal Act, c.25, s.239 (2) (e))
• Legal Issue (1 Item): Disclosure of Closed Meeting Information – advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary for that purpose (Municipal Act, c.25, s.239 (2) (f))