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March 23, 2010 AgendaElgin .2.: Pv= ORDERS OF THE DAY FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2010 9:00 A.M. PAGE# NOTICE: April 13, 2010 April 30, 2010 ORDER 1st Meeting Called to Order 2nd Adoption of Minutes March 9, 2010 3rd Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest and the General Nature Thereof 4th Presenting Petitions, Presentations and Delegations 5th Motion to Move Into "Committee Of The Whole Council" 6th Reports of Council, Outside Boards and Staff 7th Council Correspondence see attached 1) Items for Consideration 2) Items for Information (Consent Agenda) 8th OTHER BUSINESS 1) Statements /Inquiries by Members 2) Notice of Motion 3) Matters of Urgency 9th Closed Meeting Items see separate Agenda 10th Recess 11th Motion to Rise and Report 12th Motion to Adopt Recommendations from the, Committee Of The Whole 13th Consideration of By -Laws 14th ADJOURNMENT LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED 9:00 A.M. County Council Meeting 2010 Composite Budget Discussion and By -Law Early Bird Registrations for AMO Annual Conference are due by April 30, 2010 Council Reports (ATTACHED) Page REPORTS OF COUNCIL AND STAFF March 23, 2010 Warden Bonnie Vowel; Councillors Marks and Wilson Dexter Line Proposed Solution Staff Reports (ATTACHED) Court Services Supervisor POA Staffing Director of Financial Services Budget Comparison 2009 Full Year Administrative Services Coordinator Red Fridays Canada Chief Administrative Officer County Planning Housekeeping Matters Engineering Technologist/Emergency Measurer Coordinator 911 Service Contract Deputy Director of Engineering Services Speed Zone Amendments Library Coordinator 2009 Library Usage and Statistics Manager of Archives Archives Use of Online Social Networking Services Director of Community and Cultural Services, Tourism Coordinator War of 1812 Documentary Support Director of Community and Cultural Services Library Exhibition policy IPM and Events Coordinator "Evolution of the Harvest" Event Review Marketing and Communications Coordinator Savour Elgin Culinary Trail Progress Report ElgInCounty P10;,112 53 in k tt;NrC FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION DISCUSSION REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL Bonnie Vowel, Warden John Wilson, Councillor Tom Marks, Councillor March 12, 2010 Dexter Line Proposed Solution The County of Elgin is in Phase 2 of a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) planning process to address Iakeshore erosion occurring west of Port Bruce that threatens County Road #24 (Dexter Line) and the Port Burwell Secondary Watermain that resides on the County road allowance. This report discusses a proposed solution moving forward. In May 2006, County Council adopted a problem statement to commence the EA process and to establish the parameters and scope for the assessment and consultation process. Early in 2010 the problem statement was amended to include further reference to the existing Port Burwell Secondary Watermain, owned by others but located on the County road and therefore impacted by any solution. The list of alternative solutions was also amended to include an option of only relocating Dexter Line and not completing any shoreline protection to simplify the EA. During the EA process, the Dexter Line Erosion Committee has met several times to discuss project alternatives and funding strategies. The Committee has written both the M.P. and M.P.P. to make them aware of the existing conditions and the inevitable consequences should nothing be done. Meetings with the M.P. and M.P.P. have also been held with the committee to show them first hand the magnitude of the problem. Our M.P. and M.P.P. have forwarded these concerns to their peers and cabinet ministers in search of funding programs and to seek assistance from affected agencies. Most recently, the Honourable John Baird, federal Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, through our local M.P., has responded to our pleas for funding assistance. In his response, Minister Baird stated that any proposed shoreline protection doe not fall within an eligible funding category for any available funding program. Additionally, recent correspondence from the Honourable Donna Cansfield (then) provincial Minister of Natural Resources suggests that an application to approve any "in water" work may be onerous and may be met with some resistance. Time is of the essence for any solution. Although the lake bank erosion regression is unpredictable, it does recede an average of 1.8m annually. Geotechnical studies have suggested that when the top of bank is within 35m of the edge of road, the road may be considered unsafe and would necessitate a frequent monitoring schedule to assess conditions. One section of Dexter Line is very close to this offset distance to the lake bank's top of slope and therefore is being monitored regularly by the County's consultant. When conditions change, the road will be closed. This may occur at any time and is inevitable within the next few years. Therefore, to move forward with a solution at this time and to be ready for any funding programs that may be released in the near future, the option to relocate Dexter Line away from the receding lake bank appears to be the best option. Preliminary erosion modelling to determine future regression has concluded that Dexter Line could be safe from lake bank erosion for at least 50 years by relocating it away from the lake bank without erosion mitigation along Lake Erie. This is the solution our predecessors employed more than 40 years ago. This solution has significantly less cost and approvals are dictated by County Council and the EA process only. Implementation timelines are also reduced by eliminating "in- water" work in the project scope. An EA could be initiated in the future to pursue shoreline protection separately. The estimated cost to relocate Dexter Line for 3.5km is approximately $3.5 million, and includes erosion protection work required at Catfish Creek. The next steps in the EA process will be to hold a public meeting (April or May 2010) to share information collected to date and inform the public of the preferred solution at this time. Responses will then be collected and reasonable concerns will be mitigated. A new road alignment will then be designed and encroachment agreements will be entered into with affected landowners to complete a Natural Heritage study on the new corridor lands. The project will be classified as a Schedule `C' in the EA and therefore necessitate a second public meeting once the final road alignment is determined and all environmental impacts are mitigated. Property will then have to be acquired and access constructed to all existing properties from the new road. CONCLUSION The Dexter Line Erosion Committee has met with and written to the local M.P. and M.P.P. to discuss the erosion along Dexter Line. Correspondence from the Minister of Infrastructure stated that funding was not available for shoreline protection works. To move forward towards a solution to protect Dexter Line, action must be taken immediately, otherwise the road may be closed before a solution can be implemented. The Committee therefore supports a public discussion of staff's proposed solution to relocate Dexter Line only, without erosion protection. Staffs proposal will be further elaborate during the EA process when public meetings are held and responses are solicited from affected landowners, agencies and the public. RECOMMENDATION That staff's proposed solution, the relocation of Dexter Line without shoreline protection, be approved for consideration during the EA process where public input and consultation will be measured against the various options under consideration. Respectfully Submitted Approved for :bmission Bonnie Vowel Warden, Elgin County John Wilson Councillor, Elgin County Tom Marks Councillor, Elgin County Mark G. c Chief Administrative Officer REPORT TO COUNCIL P10 n.s3ir -•tit tayfur� FROM: Leesa Shanley Court Services Supervisor DATE: March 9, 2010 SUBJECT: POA Staffing INTRODUCTION: To bring in a freelance Court Monitor for full day and multiple day trials as and when needed and to hire a Summer Student to deal with an increased workload and summer shortages. DISCUSSION: In 2004 the POA went through a restructure in staff that took the number of staff down from three staff and one supervisor to two staff and one supervisor all with extensive court experience, that staffing arrangement remains the same in 2010. The number of charges filed with the POA has gone from 7,969 charges in 2005 to 10,678 in 2009. At the end of February 2010 charges laid are already 200 charges above of those laid by the end of February 2009. An additional increase in volume is anticipated for 2010 as a result of new offences being added to the Provincial Offences Act, and increased fines on numerous existing charges, all of these factors contribute to an increasing workload within the POA. In May there is one full day trial scheduled and one multiple day trial that consists of eight court days, three of which fall on regular court sittings and will require two courts to run. In June there are three trials that are each scheduled for two days each. These court dates are over and above the five regularly scheduled court days each month and have court running on twenty -three of the fourty -two days in the two month period. July has a two day trial scheduled in addition to the six regularly scheduled court days, and there is an additional ten day trial to be scheduled sometime this summer or early fall. Each court sitting results in the reduction of staff in the office by one and in some situations by two, thereby leaving an increased workload for the remaining staff, and quite often results in having only one person in the office. There were more occurrences that require one or more staff to be pulled from the office thereby causing a continuous state of covering shortages, which allows for backlogs to occur thereby putting the reliability of Court Services in jeopardy, most specifically through the months of May, June, July and August. Staff has been completed a comparison with other court locations and one with a comparable volume of 9,128 charges, to Elgin's 10,678 charges, is operating with three staff and one supervisor. Another court with a higher volume of 13,814 charges is operating with four staff and one supervisor while another with 7,461 has two staff and one supervisor. Staff has done an assessment of requirements needed to assist with the shortages and increased workload. Consideration was given to hiring an additional full -time staff, however, it was determined that additional time should be given to monitor charge volumes and verify that they continue to increase and to ensure no unnecessary hiring is done. It was then determined that two interim measures could be put into action to provide relief to the office, while allowing for time to monitor charge volume. The first interim measure is to bring in a freelance Court Monitor for the full day and multiple day trials and for the court sittings that occur on the fourth Friday of each month which requires two staff in the courtroom, at an estimated yearly cost of $7,000. The second interim measure is to hire a summer student for a 16 week period over May, June, July and August at an estimated cost of $6,500. CONCLUSION: The increase in charges being laid has lead to an increase in trial requests, court sittings, payment processing, and overall workload within the POA. It is imperative to the maintenance and integrity of Court Services to increase staff through interim measures so that backlogs do not occur and court sittings do not place a negative impact on the office workload. The total estimated cost of to implement interim measures is $13,500.00. RECOMMENDATION: It is the recommendation of staff that a freelance Court Monitor be brought in as and when required to provide court services for full day and multiple day trials and for each court that is held on the fourth Friday of the month. And further it is the recommendation of staff that we hire a summer student for a 16 week period over May, June July and August 2010 to assist with the increased workload and off set staff shortages. All of which is Respectfully Submitted Approved for Submission Leesa Shanley Mar of Chief Administrative Officer Court Services Supervisor m Bundschuh Director of Financial Services FROM: Jim Bundschuh Director of Financial Services DATE: March 12 2010 SUBJECT: Budget Comparison —2009 Full Year INTRODUCTION: REPORT TO COUNCIL Attached is the full year budget comparison for 2009 for the County showing $1,773,000 favourable performance. DISCUSSION /CONCLUSION: Highlights of the budget performance are as follows: Line 1 Taxes: Favourable performance of $270,000 resulting from Supplemental Taxes net of Tax Write -Offs being better than expected. Line 3 Social Services: $190,000 favourable performance resulting from 2008 reconciliation of favourable performance of $314,000 partially offset by 2009 FY negative performance of $124,000 (note: 2009 negative performance was significantly better than expected resulting in a $193,000 credit being issued). Line 18 Homes: Total performance of $1,008,000. Elgin Manor positive performance of $229,000 is predominately due improved revenue of $211,000 with the balance being in improved recoveries. Terrace Lodge favourable performance of $548,000. $130,000 was resulting from the release of a 2008 accrual for recoveries. A further $120,000 resulted from lower than expected facility costs due to energy efficiency improvements. Nursing supply costs were $100,000 better than budget. Revenue was better than budget by $95,000 with the remaining performance be spread throughout the departments. Bobier Villa performance of $231,000 is due to improved revenue. Line 25 Economic Development, Tourism Planning: Performance of $104,000 favourable due $77,000 in Planning resulting from the delayed start -up with the balance being in Economic Development and Tourism. RECOMMENDATION: THAT the report titled Budget Comparison —2009 Full Year and dated March 12 2010 be received and filed. Respectfully Submitted Jim Bundschuh Mark G. Director of Financial Services Approved for Chief Administrative Officer co o c ca co a. CL1 0r) al 0 ICI 0 co ci La —I NIMivILol(01 -I WI MI of Tl .(4 rlrlrl;, ©I°'IRINININININI NI M O O O O 14) N r CO O O 1— O r r-. N O OO r r MOO �r vN r co o c ca co a. CL1 0r) al 0 ICI 0 co ci La —I NIMivILol(01 -I WI MI of Tl .(4 rlrlrl;, ©I°'IRINININININI NI M O O O O 14) N r CO O O 1— Elgin unt Pfogf ssfr i(Wore FROM: Susan McConnell Administrative Services Coordinator DATE: March 11, 2010 SUBJECT: Red Fridays Canada INTRODUCTION: REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL The County of Elgin received a letter from Joseph A. Garrie, Vice Chair of Red Fridays Canada, requesting Council declare Fridays as Red Fridays to show support for the Canadian Armed Forces, and encourage staff to wear red on Fridays. The Red Fridays Canada group is made up of veterans and serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their families. Red Fridays Canada is approaching every municipality in the country, asking for declarations to support this initiative DISCUSSION /CONCLUSION: Since Elgin County Council has a non proclamation /declaration policy, the request was discussed by the county's senior management team in order to prepare a recommendation for Council's consideration. Red Fridays Canada acknowledges the important work and sacrifices being made by Canadian soldiers, raises public awareness and demonstrates support. It is recommended that this important awareness campaign be voluntarily supported by members of Council, county staff and home residents. RECOMMENDATION: THAT Elgin County Council members, county staff and residents of homes, be encouraged to support Red Fridays Canada on a volunteer basis by wearing red on Fridays; and, THAT Mr. Garrie be thanked for his request and forwarded a copy of this resolution. All of which is Respectfully Submitted Approved for Submission Susan McConnell Mar Administrative Services Coordinator Chief Admini Elgin(Iiu to w Px� iLS3f tr raiwra DATE: March 15, 2010 INTRODUCTION: DISCUSSION: CONCLUSION: REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Mark G. McDonald Chief Administrative Officer SUBJECT: County Planning Housekeeping Matters Through successive reports and budget presentations, Council has agreed to establish a County Planning function and begin the process of developing an Official Plan. To that end, Council approved the hiring of Mr. Stephen Evans as Manager of Planning effective on January 4 2010. Council also approved "in principle" the "basic" land use planning function, including a draft budget. Council chose to adopt the recommendation to establish the function in principle while awaiting the responses from local municipal partners. Municipal support was achieved in July 2008. This report seeks to confirm the previously established parameters for the establishment of a County Planning office through a formal resolution. As part of the previously considered submissions, council authorized a planning budget that envisioned a fully operational department eventually consisting of a full -time planner, a planning assistant and a part -time secretary. In addition, $300,000 was recommended as an estimate for the development of an Official Plan, which would be allocated to a reserve account. At this stage in its development, the planning office requires a part -time administrative assistant (see job description attached) this position would also assist the Administrative Services department and eventually the Human Resources Department once it has been relocated to the south end of the building. It is expected that evening meetings with the public and other stakeholders will require the presence of a minute -taker as well as administrative support for the Manager of Planning as the research for the Official Plan takes shape. The amount of $20,000 has been included in the 2010 proposed budget for this purpose. The purpose of this report is to formalize the discussions and previous decisions of council through a formal resolution involving the hiring of an administrative assistant and the adoption of an implementation program for the development of an Official Plan. RECOMMENDATION: THAT staff be authorized and directed to hire a part -time administrative assistant as described in the report entitled "County Planning Housekeeping Matters" dated March 15 2010: and, THAT staff be authorized and directed to outsource the development of an Official Plan document with the funds for said Plan (estimated at $300,000) to be allocated to the MilIrate Stabilization Reserve. All of which is Respectfully Submitted Chief Administrative Officer Title: Administrative Assistant Status: Part -time Department: Administrative Services Reports To: Administrative Services Co- ordinator SUMMARY OF POSITION: Assists the Full -time Administrative Assistant and the Manager of Planning with the clerical support functions for the Administrative Services Department. Types agendas, correspondence and other routine and confidential material and attends meetings as required with Manager of Planning. Maintains office filing systems, and performs a variety of other office functions. WORK PERFORMED: 1. Carries out a variety of routine and confidential clerical support functions to assist the Chief Administrative Officer, the Administrative Services Co- ordinator and the Manager of Planning. 2. Prepares distributes confidential and routine correspondence, agendas, minutes, reports, statistics, forms, documents and related material. Operates computer programs in all activities. Photocopies material as required. 3. Maintains general files for office and maintains files of correspondence, minutes and reports arising from meetings, adds and deletes files, enters and removes material as received and updates file index. 4. Once a year purges Administrative Services files, listing files and labelling boxes for storage. 5. Performs receptionist duties for office, greets visitors, answers telephone, (acts as central answering position for the Administration Building phone system), gives out information and refers enquiries to other staff where appropriate. 6. Performs a variety of other office functions such as "key operator" for photocopier, postage machine, and sends fax messages. 7. Updates invitation lists for annual Warden's Banquet, prepares and mails out invitations, updates quotation form for Warden's meal quotes, records cash received and maintains numbers from responses for preparation of meals by caterer phoning, if necessary, the no responses. Prepares other annual mailouts. 8. Maintains inventory of promotional accessories and receives money from sales. 9. Maintains By -Law database. 10. Keeps Record of Agreements, as well as, Numbering and Filing Agreements in vault. 11. Updates various lists and calendars for the Corporation. 12. Responsible for mail duties for Administration and courier to and from Homes. 13. Prepares Annual Proceedings Index from County Council Minutes for publishing, numbers pages, gathers corresponding reports, policies, by -laws etc., photocopying all pages for review by the Co- ordinator of Administrative Services prior to printing. Distributes Annual Proceedings once printed. 14. Carries out other duties as assigned. QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Grade 12 with a major in Commercial Program an asset and /or relevant education, experience and training. 2. Experience with MS Office, particularly MS Word. 3. Excellent keyboarding skills 50 wpm. 4. 1 year experience in a clerical support role. 5. Flexible working hours including evenings are required. Prepared By: Mark McDonald Date: March 15 2010 Approved By: Robert Bryce Date: March 18 2010 Employer Signature: Date: Effective Date: JD Code: March 24 2010 AS -009 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Meredith Goodwin Engineering Technologist Emergency Measures Co- ordinator DATE: March 16, 2010 SUBJECT: 911 Service Contract INTRODUCTION: The current 911 Central Emergency Reporting Bureau (CERB) Services Contract with the OPP expires on December 13, 2010. A decision to extend the current contract must be made before June 2010, otherwise solicitation for a new service provider must begin soon. This report shall discuss Council's options moving forward. DISCUSSION: The existing 911 CERB services contract with the OPP expires on December 13, 2010. County Council selected the OPP through an RFP process in 2001 and the contract has been extended every 3 years since that time. The OPP have stated that if the County were to once again extend the 911 contract, that the existing per capita rate of $0.561 would remain unchanged. Therefore, with approximately 49,000 residents, Elgin County's total contract value would be $27,489 per year (paid by each municipality proportionally per capita). The City of St.Thomas would also be part of the contract at the same rate per capita. Approximately 50% of all Ontario municipalities are serviced by the OPP's 911 CERB. Since 2001, new companies have entered the market place to provide 911 services. The 911 Steering Committee (with representation from all municipalities in Elgin County and the City of St.Thomas) has met to discuss options for Council's consideration. All committee members were satisfied with the current service contract with the OPP. Some committee members favoured an extension to the existing contract since the service has had a tested history, implementation costs are not fully known, the future of the service is trusted and cost savings were not worth the justification to change. Some concerns about selecting a new service provider were discussed by the Committee and are as follows: Should not only be looking to secure lowest price. The service provided is most important since human life is being considered. That a new service provider must have a proven service record. Must ensure the most superior back up system is used. The qualifications of communication centre dispatchers is important. New agreements will have to made with Bell, Rogers, Execulink and Amtelecom. All the costs to switch to another service provider are unknown and may not be worth the cost of changing service providers. Although these concerns are valid, the majority of the committee members felt it was prudent and more transparent to solicit vendors to provide the 911 service through an RFP process. The Request for RFP document would have to be very thorough and address all concerns to provide County Council and member municipalities a level of comfort to make the best decision. The RFP would evaluate submissions through a point rating system and not be solely judged upon the cost of the service provided. Vendors would be asked to make presentations to the 911 Steering Committee and their submissions must account for all transitional costs, if any. CONCLUSION: The existing 911 Central Emergency Reporting Bureau (CERB) Services Contract with the OPP expires on December 13, 2010. The 911 Steering Committee have met to discuss options moving forward, and through a majority vote, have recommended to County Council that the most prudent and transparent way to proceed is to solicit a new service contract through an RFP process. RECOMMENDATION: THAT County staff and the 911 Steering Committee develop and advertise an RFP to solicit a 911 Emergency Services contract and report back to Council with recommendations once quotations are received. THAT this report be forwarded to the City of St.Thomas Council for their approval. All of which is Respectfully Submitted, Meredith Goodwin Engineering Technologist Emergency, Management Coordinator Vi(i Clayton Wafters Director of Engineering Services Mark G. McDonald Chief Administrative Officer ¢;+Ong ::Y ?'U.• i l.Li..'. FROM: Peter Dutchak Deputy Director of Engineering Services DATE: March 4, 2010 SUBJECT: Speed Zone Amendments INTRODUCTION: Amendments to three (3) reduced speed zones on County Roads in the Township of Malahide and the Municipality of Bayham are required. This report shall discuss and make recommendations regarding those changes. DISCUSSION: REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL The County of Elgin uses the Highway Traffic Act's definition of a "built up" area to define reduced speed zone areas. This practice provides a consistent approach to establish reduce speed zone areas. A request has been received from the Township of Malahide (attached) to revise 2 speed zone areas on County roads within their municipality and the County concurs with their recommendations. Imperial Road Copenhagen Additional residential lots have been developed on Imperial Road (County Road #73) through the hamlet of Copenhagen over the past few years. This has extended the "built up" area both north and south of the former reduced speed zone and as such, the zone should be extended to reflect these changes. Calton Line Mount Salem The existing reduced speed zone on Calton Line (County Road #45) from Springfield Road east 959m is currently reduced to 60km /h. The three other roads that enter Mount Salem have a reduced speed limit posting of 50km /h. Therefore, to remain consistent with the other roads in the hamlet, this reduced speed zone section could also be reduced to 50km /h. Calton Line Calton Calton Line (County Road #45) between Richmond Road and Plank Road was rehabilitated in 2009 with equal investment from the Federal Government, Provincial Government and the County of Elgin through the Building Canada Fund. A section of Calton Line between Richmond Road and Dennis Road is comprised of a series of horizontal and vertical curves that could not be cost effectively modified to accommodate an 80km /h speed limit. Therefore, this section of road must receive a reduced speed limit of 60km /h. The existing reduced speed zone on Calton Line through the hamlet of Calton is therefore recommended to be changed from 50km /h to 60km /h and extended east for an additional 2,150m. CONCLUSION: Three existing speed zones on Elgin County roads should be modified to reflect new developed areas, to remain consistent and to ensure geometric design standards are followed. RECOMMENDATION: THAT the existing speed zone by -law be amended to include the following changes: 1. County Road #45 (Calton Line) From the east property line of Springfield Road to 959 metres east, in the Township of Malahide be posted at 50km /h (changed from 60km /h). 2. County Road #73 (Imperial Road) From 530 (changed from 326) metres south of the south property line of Nova Scotia Line to 517 (changed from 317) metres north of the south property line of Nova Scotia Line, in the Township of Malahide. 3. County Road #45 (Calton Line) From 177 metres west of the west property line of Richmond Road to 2450 (changed from 300) metres east of the west property line of Richmond Road, in the Municipality of Bayham be posted at 60km /h (changed from 50km /h). All of which is Respectfully Submitted, Approved for Peter Dutchak Mark G. Mc Deputy Director of Engineering Services Clayton Watters Director of Engineering Services sion, Chief Administrative Officer 87 John Street South, Aylmer, Ontario N5H 2C3 Telephone: 519- 773 -5344 Fax: 519- 773 -5334 www. town s h i p. m a l e h i d e. on c a RANDALL R. MILLARD C.A.O. /Clerk January 27, 2010 County of Elgin Engineering Services 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, ON N5R 5V1 Regarding: Speed Zones Dear Mr. Dutchak: Council at its regular meeting on January 21, 2010 received a report from staff (attached) discussing reduced speed zones in several locations. As discussed in the report, Elgin County has jurisdiction in several areas where there are concerns. As such, Council of the Township of Malahide is requesting the County examine the speed zones in Mount Salem and Copenhagen. The areas of specific concern include: Copenhagen: extension of the 601un/h speed zone on Imperial Road northerly to Jamestown line and southerly to house number 4813. o Mount Salem: reduction of the 60 km/h speed zone on County Rd 45 to 50 km/h and extension of the zone easterly to include the new residential lots. Council feels that Mount Salem would be better served having a consistent 50 km/h speed zone. If you have any questions or would like additional information please do not hesitate to contact me. Respectfully, obert Jo on, CET, CMM II Director of Physical Services Township of Malahide A proud tradition, a bright future. RECEIVED JAN 2 8 2010 SUSAN E. WILSON Treasurer treasurer @townshi p.malah i de.on.ca Elgin INTRODUCTION: REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Sandi Loponen Library Coordinator, Community and Cultural Services DATE: March 11, 2010 SUBJECT: 2009 Library Usage and Statistics Report This report provides Council with metrics that illustrate usage trends at the 10 library branches in Elgin County. Figures include general circulation of materials, use of the library's online catalogue, public computers, interlibrary loan services, reference services, request services and membership numbers. Where possible, figures comparing activity to the previous year is provided. DISCUSSION: The following highlights in library usage can be derived from the attached report: Aylmer continues to serve as the library's busiest branch, accounting for 31 of the library system's total of 275,301 circulation transactions. System -wide circulation increased by 3A% over 2008. The number of visits to the library's online catalogue has increased 25% over the past year, reflecting both a greater awareness of the library's online services and an increase in catalogue visits by the library's regular users. 31,353 sessions of public computer use were logged in 2009. The library continues to register more than 2,000 new members each year with an active cardholder population of 13,057, up 1.1% from 2008. Programs and tours accommodated 16,748 participants in 2009. ®The number of hold requests placed on library materials increased by 13.2% in 2009 to 34,754. CONCLUSION: The attached report informs Council of statistics that summarize use of Elgin County Library collections and services in 2009. When comparing activity from 2008 to 2009, it is clear that usage has increased in several key areas including total circulation, online catalogue use and holds requests. This increase is generally expected in public libraries in times of economic downturn when more residents turn to free access to resources including the internet, books, movies and music as they choose to borrow instead of buy materials for leisure and research. In recent years, public libraries have witnessed a general trend in increased demand for self service options such as downloadable collections and greater flexibility with online library account management. Elgin County Library added access to a shared downloadable audiobook collection in August 2009 that is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Culture. Staff will continue to monitor demand for self -serve options and seek low -cost opportunities to provide additional services in this area. RECOMMENDATION: THAT this report be received and filed as information. All of which is Respectfully Submitted Approved for Submission Sandi Lop5nen Library Coordin nan Masschaele Director of Community and Cultural Services Chief Administrative Officer C 2 N C N E C C C N 0 u) E O 7 ar C 0 C 1' ®n cr. EIDEIOD cs to m `n O 00 N. Cr) CO CO O N CO O Cr) C `f) CO O O v CA 60 CO 03 00 N CO O 0) 1` V' CO CO N CO N O r A C0 C E C A J ®1 8 00 O O C 'p A m CI) „3 O C m m ®CL o cnC It 9 10 r CA O N (3) 03 0) CO CO I P CO 1.0 03 0 03 1 C 0 O -N- _O1-00 el *4 ruiaooui OcocYiOi U) c 00 N r CO N v r r N 0 C$ B. 'a c d i O w C 3` O 0- E O U) D c C F 0 QOe m d OwOCCDCn o co a) CO N CO W M Ci 0 In r 0 g O N CD CO W N 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 d c c 0 N CT CO VS c0 CO 0 d t co CO CO C) C 'i CC) 0 2 0 a 0_ H a�� 0 0 0 CD CSI N 0 0) r- CD J d d CA t' CO ti eV 2 w s cmOC CO I- 0 0 0 a 0 CU 06 0 0) o 0) 0 c CV 00 w N CO 0) CO CO ti CO C C c0 U U ca A Et d° O CO O O N CD ti r N CO 'm+ L L. O 2 L E a) U co Zi CD 0 Q N LC) N r (9 CO W r N N I` r r U C (S C c 0 d o E LL c,) a z o- r CO LO N (fl r r INTRODUCTION: DISCUSSION: REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Stephen Francom Manager of Archives DATE: March 8, 2010 SUBJECT: Archives use of online social networking services The Elgin County Archives has established membership and published content on the online social networking services Flickr.com and Twitter.com, and has uploaded several thousand digital images from its collections to Knowledge Ontario's Our Ontario online digital records database. In November 2009, Elgin County Council authorized county staff to use online social networking media to promote County events, programs and services. In late January and early February 2010, the Elgin County Archives established membership and published content on Flickr.com and Twitter.com in an effort to distribute selections from its photograph collections and information about its resources, activities, programs and services to a wider and more diverse audience, and to take advantage of the interactive features of these services to encourage users to develop a greater awareness and appreciation of, and involvement in the resources, programs and services provided by the Elgin County Archives. A corollary benefit of this project derives from the Archives' use of the new County logo as its identifying icon on its Flickr and Twitter sites, further expanding the reach of the new County brand. Use of online social networking media is becoming increasingly widespread and conventional, so much so that public service institutions and organizations not taking advantage of such services risk isolating themselves from contact with a significant and steadily increasing segment of their potential client base. Library and Archives Canada has had a Flickr presence since 2008, and the National Archives of the United States is making extensive use of both Flickr and Twitter as part of its outreach strategy. The February 2010 issue of Library and Archives Canada's Governance and Recordkeeping Around the World newsletter reports that the Australian government is actively encouraging its civil servants to blog, tweet and update Facebook. "Instead of seeing social networking tools as time wasting diversions, a government- commissioned draft report on new media says public agencies should engage `more energetically' with Web 2.0 applications." Flickr.com not only enables membership holders to publish photographs online for an international audience and to organize and present this material in unique and effective ways, but also allows users of the service to interact with published content by appending comments and subject- identifiers or "tags and to distribute content to a still wider network of users by downloading and sharing images with friends and colleagues, by linking to content from their own websites and blogs, and by including images (with attribution) in published articles and books. To date the Archives has published approximately five hundred images and accompanying metadata from its photograph collections on its Flickr site at www.flickr.com /photos /elgincountyarchives. Statistics automatically generated by the service indicate that Archives images have been viewed more than 3,000 times and receive an average of 150 views per day. Several images have attracted appreciative expressions of interest in the form of comments and tagging as "favourites Twitter.com allows membership holders to publish brief "breaking news" alerts to a theoretically unlimited audience of Internet users and particularly to a network of self selected "followers" who choose to subscribe to and automatically receive the publisher's information messages or "tweets in essence a no -cost form of direct marketing. Since establishing its membership at http /twitter.com /elqinarchives in early February, the Archives has published several "tweets" and has attracted a network of "followers" that includes such nationally significant institutions as the Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Archives de Montreal, and the Nova Scotia Archives, Halifax. This network will inevitably expand as the Archives publishes additional messages and Internet search engines capture and reference the Archives' Twitter presence in their search algorithms. The Elgin County Archives has been recognized in a report cited in the February 2010 issue of Library and Archives Canada's Governance and Recordkeeping Around the World newsletter as one of six Canadian archives whose use of Twitter.com provides a model for archival institutions to follow. In late February the Archives completed a long- standing project to upload more than 20,000 digital images from its collections to Knowledge Ontario's Our Ontario online digital records database at http: /www.ourontario.ca Images published include selections from key Archives' collections, such as the Scott Studio fonds, Alma College fonds, Anderson Department Store fonds and the Robert Moore Postcard collection. Our Ontario is a collaborative project providing libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, galleries, and others across Ontario with an effective portal for enabling public access to their digital collections. Partnering with Knowledge Ontario in this way provides the Archives with a popular and high profile alternative means of facilitating access to its core collection content, greatly expanding and enhancing the public reach of its own online databases. The successful completion of this project was featured at the recent Ontario Library Association conference in Toronto. In addition to its partners at Knowledge Ontario, the Archives wishes to thank the County's Information Technology department and in particular network analyst Jeremy Sharkey for providing extensive and invaluable assistance with this project. In the coming weeks, the Archives will be expanding its use of online social networking media by establishing a presence on Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia and other online content distribution channels, as part of its effort to play a leading role in embracing the power of Web 2.0 technologies. CONCLUSION: The Elgin County Archives has established membership and published content on the online social networking services Flickr.com and Twitter.com and has uploaded several thousand digital images from its collections to Knowledge Ontario's Our Ontario online digital records database for the purpose of promoting its resources, activities, programs and services to a wider and more diverse patron base. RECOMMENDATION: THAT this report be received and filed as information. All of which is Respectfully Submitted Approved for Submission Stephen rancom Mar Chief Administrative Officer a•er of Arc Brian Masschaele Director of Community and Cultural Services Elgin €1 1, Pt0:011S41Fd ty i'd34r�ffl INTRODUCTION: DISCUSSION: REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Brian Masschaele, Director of Community and Cultural Services Katherine Russell, Tourism Coordinator DATE: March 8, 2010 SUBJECT: War of 1812 documentary support The Living History Multimedia Association, the organization behind the highly successful Ontario Visual Heritage Project, has approached the Department of Community and Cultural Services and Tourism Services for financial and in -kind support for the production of a documentary on the War of 1812. This report outlines the nature of the request and recommends that the project be supported. In 2005, the Living History Multimedia Association produced a highly successful documentary on the history of Elgin County as part of the Ontario Visual Heritage Project. Council provided both financial and in -kind support for this project. With the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 quickly approaching, the organization is again seeking the County's support to produce a documentary regarding the region's extensive contributions to the war effort under a preliminary title of "Rural Raids and Divided Loyalties Southwestern Ontario in the War of 1812 The documentary would focus on the impact the war had on local communities, including local battles and raids. Much of the filming will take place in 2011 and 2012 with the film being formally launched early in 2013. As was the case in 2005, complimentary copies will be distributed to all local schools, libraries and cultural attractions. It is furthermore expected that the documentary will air on TV Ontario. The organization is seeking a $5000 contribution from the County over two years to participate in this project. For this amount, the County would receive the following benefits: The County's historic sites and museums with any relation to the War of 1812 will be part of a mobile companion tourism application and web site driving tour; A screening /premiere launch event will be held in the community; The Curator of the Elgin County Museum will sit on the project steering committee (will meet 4 times); The appropriate Elgin logo will be in the credits of the documentary, on the accompanying web site and on the partners page of the mobile companion application; Raw footage or segments from the series would be free for local use. To date, the following municipalities have all agreed to provide financial support to this project of $5000: Norfolk, London, Brant, Brantford, Chatham -Kent and Windsor- Essex. A similar request has also been sent to the City of St. Thomas. The organization has furthermore received initial approval from the Sand Plains Community Development Fund to pursue further financial support for this project. CONCLUSION: Celebrations to mark the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 will attract significant national and international interest, including major tourism activity. The County's participation in a documentary about the region's contribution to the war is an effective means to acknowledge and celebrate Elgin County's involvement in this seminal event in Canadian history. RECOMMENDATION: THAT $2500 in each of 2010 and 2011 be allocated from the operating budgets of the Department of Community and Cultural Services and Economic Development (Tourism Services) to support the production of a documentary on the County's contribution to the War of 1812; AND THAT the Director of Community and Cultural Services be authorized to issue a letter of support for this project to the Living History Multimedia Association. All of which is Respectfully Submitted Tian Masschaele Director of Community and Cultural Services Katherine Russell Tourism Coordinator Approved for Mark G. c I on d Chief Administrative Officer Elgm L P1 O,jIl S510 P /t!Vrre REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Brian Masschaele Director of Community and Cultural Services DATE: March 4, 2010 SUBJECT: Library Exhibition Policy INTRODUCTION: This report establishes an agreement for exhibitions taking place in Elgin County Library branches. DISCUSSION: The Elgin County Library frequently works with community organizations and groups such as artists' guilds to display exhibits about communal projects, art work and local history. The Department of Community and Cultural Services fully supports and encourages these partnerships as a reflection of the library's role as both a centre of information and a cultural space. Nevertheless, it is necessary to establish an agreement to guide the library's approach to permitting such exhibitions given that the material is generally not owned by the County of Elgin (bringing up loss and liability issues) and in order to be fair to all parties. Attached for Council's endorsement is a recommended agreement. Among its provisions is a preference to work with community groups and public institutions (as opposed to individuals) and a clear statement that the library is not responsible for any loss or damage of exhibited works. CONCLUSION: Exhibits of art work, local history and community projects add significant value to the library as a community and cultural space and as such, should be encouraged. A formal agreement will assist the library in making appropriate decisions about conditions to consider prior to proceeding with an exhibit. RECOMMENDATION: THAT the "Exhibition Agreement" for the Elgin County Library attached to this report be hereby approved. All of which is Res•ectfully Submitted Brian Masschaele Director of Community and Cultural Services Chief Administrative Officer Agreement between (the exhibitor) and branch of the Elgin County Library (the library). Exhibitor name and address: Type of exhibit: Space required: Exhibit Dates: From to Terms and Conditions: EXHIBITION AGREEMENT 1. The Elgin County Library reserves the right to authorize and approve all requests for exhibitions. Preference will be given to community organizations and public institutions. 2. The exhibitor is the rightful owner of the material or has the expressed permission of members /participants for its display, including intellectual property rights. The library is not responsible for any violations in this regard, including violations of copyright. 3. Reproductions of exhibited material can only be made through the expressed permission of the exhibitor. 4. The library is not responsible for any damage, theft or loss that may occur to the material while on display in the library. 5. All costs associated with installation, display and de- installation are at the expense of the exhibitor. 6. The library reserves the right to terminate the exhibit at any time. IN witness whereof, this agreement has been established on (date) Signed on behalf of the exhibitor: Signed on behalf of the library: Name and Title: Name and Title: County of E gio Community and Cultural Services 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, On N5R 5V1 Phone: 519- 631 -1460 www.elgin county.on.ca FROM: Lindsey Morritt, IPM and Events Coordinator DATE: March 10 2010 SUBJECT: "Evolution of the Harvest" Event Review INTRODUCTION: Last year the County's Economic Development Department completed an Agriculture and Agri -food sector profile which outlined a number of recommendations to enhance the development of agr- business within Elgin County. One such recommendation was to include a significant component of agri- business be included in the first event of the Energy and Environment Conference series. Consequently, this resulted in the presentation of "Evolution of the Harvest" to discuss: trends in the new agri- business environment and the growth of the `green' economy; and how Elgin County farmers can take advantage of opportunities within this growing sector. By holding this conference, the Economic Development Department set to achieve the following goals: REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL Discuss leading edge technologies and breakthroughs in the energy sector. Create relationships and networking opportunities. Appeal to potential new investors and industry leaders. Showcase the uniqueness and advantages of running a business in Elgin County. To define and position Elgin's Agribusiness sector. To showcase Elgin as an emerging leader in the alternative energy field. DISCUSSION: On Wednesday March 3 at the New Sarum Diner, Elgin County's Economic Development Department hosted the first conference in an annual series titled Evolution of the Harvest. Presenters ranged from innovative farmers to energy researchers from neighboring counties as well as representatives from the local and provincial governments. Fifty people were expected to attend the conference. These expectations were met and exceeded with 70 people in attendance. The audience was engaged and interested with each speaker fielding questions for approximately 15 minutes at the end of their presentations. Representatives from the local media were present with Rodgers TV doing live interviews with the keynote presenter, Dr. John Kelly and Alan Smith, General Manger of Economic Development. Conference evaluation forms were received and completed by attendees, all of which had positive feedback and requested another conference of this kind in the near future. CONCLUSION: The Evolution of the Harvest conference is an example of how Economic Development is engaging Elgin's local agriculture community with the current trends and applications for alternative agriculture and sustainable farming. The event was well received by the general public and had a wide range of professionals attend the event such as growers, producers, business owners, and the general public interested in the presented topics. The Economic Development Department will continue to present potential business opportunities to the agricultural community in order to provide them with information that they require to enhance their business operations and consequently grow the local economy. RECOMMENDATION: That this report be received and filed as information. All of which is Respectfully ubmitted Approved for Submission Lindsey Mdrritt Mark G. McDonald Chief Administrative Officer IPM and Events Coordinator Alan Smit General Manager, Economic Development l r: FROM: Kate Burns, Marketing and Communications Coordinator DATE: March 11 2010 SUBJECT: Savour Elgin Culinary Trail Progress Report INTRODUCTION: REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL Elgin County's Tourism Development and Marketing Plan identified three primary lure attractions for building on our strengths; Elgin County Culinary Trail, Ports of Elgin, and Railway Capital of Canada. Economic Development has been actively developing the Elgin County Culinary Trail, now known as Savour Elgin. The office moved quickly to begin developing this program in order to take advantage of the new industry surrounding culinary tourism and its numerous opportunities. Savour Elgin will have far reaching positive effects in Elgin from agriculture, to tourism and business development. DISCUSSION: Culinary Tourism is defined as the pursuit of unique and memorable culinary experiences of all kinds, often while travelling, but one can also be a culinary tourist at home. Since its true birth in 2003, culinary tourism has grown exponentially every year, this can be seen by turning on the television and seeing all of the food shows on travel networks and travel shows on food networks. Unless people stop eating and drinking, culinary tourism will never cease to be popular. Eating and drinking are the only activities that ALL visitors have in common. Because eating and drinking involve all five human senses, food creates emotions powerful enough to compel someone to travel. Therefore, food and drink are the perfect attractions. Funding Economic Development was successful in securing funding for the development of Savour Elgin through the Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) in partnership with Elgin Business Resource Centre and the Local Food Strategy. Savour Elgin received $75, 000 to; supplement wages for the Culinary Trail Coordinator, design a micro- website, develop a business plan, create a logo, design and produce member signage and the development of the Savour Elgin tour book. OCTA Membership and Guidance Late in 2009, Economic Development joined the membership of the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance. OCTA has as its mission to; i) Help build and sustain regional identities and agricultural resources and food supplies. ii) Present opportunities to develop new quality tourism products and experiences. iii) Become a way in which we share our story and tell it with pride. Staff from Economic Development met with OCTA's Executive Director also the founder of Prince Edward County's Taste Trail in October of 2009. The group analyzed Elgin's viability as a culinary tourist region, performed a SWOT analysis, the EA provided their guidance for next steps in developing a Culinary Trail. Working Group After returning from the meeting with OCTA, Economic Development staff organized a working group. The group was formed with volunteers from each industry within culinary tourism including; restaurant owner, wine master, agricultural producer, retail operator, educational representative, agri- tourism operator, and community liaison. The group has met monthly since October 2009 providing input and guidance into the development of the business plan, logo /branding, membership criteria and best practices for the program as a whole. The volunteers within this group have committed valuable time and knowledge into this project and their dedication is greatly appreciated. Business Plan (See Appendix A) In order to produce a quality program staff and the working group collaborated on a business plan for Savour Elgin. The plan details what Savour Elgin is, implementation strategy, goals, target audience, marketing tactics, partnerships and criteria for success and implementation schedule. The business plan will be used as a tool to entice business to join the membership of Savour Elgin by providing a clear plan to follow for the next 12 months. Logo /Branding (See Appendix B) In collaboration with YFactor, the working group and staff worked through options for logos and branding. The final result will serve as the visual identity of the program and present a recognizable brand to consumers that will help them identify high quality culinary experiences in Elgin County. Criteria /Survey In order to find out who potential members of the trail may be, staff and the working group developed a self- assessment survey. The survey was based on the criteria that members must meet in order to qualify for the trail. Criteria are based on existing trails (i.e. Savour Ottawa) and include; minimum amounts of locally purchased food, tangible experiences, posted hours of service, open a minimum of seven months of longer etc. The self- assessment survey was sent to over one hundred (100) culinary businesses in Elgin. Thirty (30) surveys were returned with twenty two (22) businesses qualifying for membership on the trail. Membership The twenty two qualifying businesses from the self- assessment survey have been invited to a membership meeting on Monday, March 29 at 5:30 pm in the basement lunchroom of the County Administration Building. Attendees will have the opportunity to review the Savour Elgin business plan, discuss membership ideas, sample delicious local foods, and sign up to become a Savour Elgin member. Marketing YFactor has been engaged to design the guide and map for the Savour Elgin Trail. This guide will begin development after the recruitment of members is complete. The guide will feature photos, descriptions and recipes from each participating member. The Savour Elgin micro website is well under development and will be able to be accessed by savourelgin.com, savourelgin.ca or savourelgin.org Next Steps Economic Development has applied for funding for Savour Elgin under CAF Intake II. Phase II of the project will include; printing of the guide, launch event, web upgrades, advertising and online marketing. CONCLUSION: Culinary tourism is a growing tourism sector. Food and drink contribute greatly to tourists overall experience, and it's common that travellers experiences with food and drink are what make a destination unique and memorable. Savour Elgin is positioning Elgin to take advantage of the growing culinary tourist trend and in turn follow through on our tourism goals of increasing the amount of tourist that come to Elgin, the amount of time they spend here and the amount of money spent in Elgin. Thus, resulting in greater economic impact to Elgin County's economy. Savour Elgin will serve as an economic generator for the tourist industry as well as raise the profile of local farms and local food. RECOMMENDATION: THAT County Council endorse the Savour Elgin Business Plan as described in the March 11 2010 report; and THAT components of the Savour Elgin Business Plan that have financial and /or resource implications for the County of Elgin be considered through County Council's budgetary process. All of which is Respectfully Submitted ate Burns Marketing and Communications Coordinator Alan Smith General Manager, Economic Development Mark G. McDonald Chief Administrative Officer Appendix A Business Plan Ce/ Table of Contents Introduction to Culinary Tourism 3 History 3 Culinary Tourism Today 4 Is It A Fad? 4 A Half Dozen Reasons Why Culinary Tourism Should Matter To You 4 Local Trends 5 Savour Elgin Program 8 What is Savour Elgin? 8 Implementation Strategy 9 Goals 9 Target Audience 10 Marketing Tactics 11 Competition and Differentiation 13 Partnerships 14 Criteria for Success 15 Membership 16 Member Benefits 16 Other Benefits 17 Membership Criteria 18 Governance 19 Schedule 20 Budget 23 Conclusion 25 Appendix A: Savour Elgin Membership Criteria 26 Appendix B: Savour Elgin Membership Application Form 28 Appendix C: Savour Elgin Self- Assessment Survey 29 2 Introduction to Culinary Tourism History you igin 4 cS t Considered to be the world's leading authority on culinary tourism, the International Culinary Tourism Association (ICTA) provides a comprehensive introduction to culinary tourism on its website at www.culinarytourism.org. The following excerpt has been transcribed from this website and edited for brevity: Culinary Tourism is a relatively new industry. In fact, culinary tourism as an industry did not coming into being until the year 2001, when International Culinary Tourism Association (ICTA) President Erik Wolf distributed his culinary tourism white paper. Then in 2003, under the guidance of a group of industry advisors, Erik Wolf founded the International Culinary Tourism Association. The ICTA has grown every year. In 2006, the ICTA created a separate International Culinary Tourism Institute, which oversees the educational and training components of the ICTA's programs. Then in early 2007,the ICTA began delivering culinary tourism development solutions to meet the rising industry demand for guidance and leadership in culinary tourism product development and marketing. Defining Culinary Tourism In its broadest sense, Culinary Tourism is defined as the pursuit of unique and memorable culinary experiences of all kinds, often while traveling, but one can also be a culinary tourist at home. The phrase "unique and memorable" is key to understanding culinary tourism. Many times people hear "culinary tourism" and they think it means restaurants that have earned 5 stars or better, or high -end wineries. That is not the case, as culinary tourism is not exclusively what is pretentious or exclusive. Culinary Tourism includes a local pastry shop, an interesting bar on a nameless street that only locals know about, the pretzel vendor on the streets of New York City, or a gelato vendor on a historic street in Italy. Higher -end experiences fall into a subset of culinary tourism called "Gourmet Tourism In fact, wine tourism, beer tourism and spa cuisine are also subsets of culinary tourism. Culinary Tourism includes culinary experiences of all kinds. It encompasses cooking schools, cookbook and kitchen gadget stores, culinary tours and tour leaders, culinary media and guidebooks, caterers, wineries, breweries, distilleries, food growers and manufacturers, culinary attractions and more. Authenticity is also of critical importance to culinary tourists. While we say that one pursues these experiences while traveling, local residents can be culinary tourists in their own town. How often do we get set in our ways, 3 avour Elgin Is It A Fad? frequenting our same favourite restaurants or rarely leaving our neighbourhoods? Making the effort to trek across town to try an interesting new place is indeed culinary tourism. Culinary Tourism Today Since its true birth as an industry in 2003, culinary tourism has grown exponentially every year, as measured by a number of indicators. First the number of consumers interested in the subject matter has grown which is documented by the increase in culinary travel shows on television. One sees food shows on travel channels and travel shows on food channels. There continues to be a strong cross -over of these industries. In recent years, the ICTA has seen an enormous surge in the number of destinations exploring culinary tourism. This can mean organizing a seminar or workshop for their members, culinary tourism product development, or culinary tourism promotion that includes culinary tourism as an important part of their strategic marketing plans. Unless people stop eating and drinking, culinary tourism will never cease to be popular. Eating and drinking are the only activities that all visitors have in common. Because eating and drinking involve all 5 human senses, food creates emotions powerful enough to compel someone to travel. Sales professionals know that people buy based on their emotions. Therefore, food and drink are the perfect attractions! A Half Dozen Reasons Why Culinary Tourism Should Matter To You In 2007, the ICTA, in partnership with the Travel Industry Association of America and Gourmet Magazine, commissioned the first culinary tourism research ever done in the United States. While ICTA acknowledges that the research focused on Americans, the findings were comparable to culinary tourism research that has been performed in other countries, notably Canada, Australia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. As it turns out, culinary travelers are similar in demographic and psychographic profiles in almost every country for which studies exist. The following are the top six reasons why culinary tourism should be of importance to you and your business or destination: 1. 100% of people eat out while traveling 2. Culinary travelers span all ethnic groups 3. Culinary travelers span all age groups 4 Local Trends 4. Culinary travelers span both genders 5. Culinary travelers are well educated 6. Culinary travelers have disposable income Culinary travelers are explorers. Therefore it is also no surprise that culinary travelers have the financial wherewithal to explore new culinary offerings while traveling. Serious culinary tourists spend up to 50% of their travel budgets on food related activities (compared to 20 -30% for non culinary travelers). Culinary travelers also spend more on other travel activities as well making them the ideal type of tourist to attract to your business or destination! 5 Source: www.culinarytourism.org ICTA, 2010 Culinary Tourism State of the Industry Report and Readiness Index. Culinary tourism is a growing tourism sector. Food and drink contribute greatly to tourists' overall experience, and it's common that travellers' experiences with food and drink are what make a destination unique and memorable. Tapping into this growing trend by developing a strong culinary tourism program will benefit Elgin County and its culinary businesses for a number of reasons: Travellers are choosing destinations based on culinary criteria in increasing numbers, especially in Ontario. Locations such as Prince Edward County, Stratford, and Ottawa have been successful in drawing tourists to their regions with culinary tourism programs. Culinary tourists spend more than regular tourists. A survey of Niagara -on- the -Lake tourists found that the economic contribution of vo Elgin culinary tourists was greater than the contribution of generic tourists, and that culinary tourists had average annual incomes of $125,000. The average culinary tourist may spend double that of a generic tourist. Culinary tourism helps shape a region's self identity. The social nature of culinary tourism promotes the creation of new connections and the strengthening of old ones. Greater pride in one's community is a common benefit of a strong culinary tourism program. Culinary tourism is about celebrating what is unique to a locale. Anybody is a potential culinary tourist. All tourists eat out when travelling; culinary attractions have the potential to reach the largest possible customer base. In addition, culinary tourists span all demographics, including gender, age, and ethnic background. Culinary tourism is a growing industry. According to a survey conducted by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, 74% of all adult Canadian travellers (15.4 million people) participated in at least one wine and cuisine activity while travelling in 2004 and 2005. For 16% of those travellers, the wine and culinary experience was the main reason for taking at least one trip. 37% (7.7 million) of Canadian travellers exhibit either moderate or high interest in wine and culinary- associated activities while on a trip in 2004 -2005. The situation is similar in the US. "The top motivating factor among U.S. travellers is local cuisine at 44 according to the 2001 U.S. Tourism Impact Study. A study of the successful 'Taste Trail' in Prince Edward County revealed many benefits for business that joined the Trail: 75% of businesses saw value from participating in the Trail in terms of additional revenue, supporting the local community, and developing sustainable food systems; Almost two thirds of business thought that being a member of the Taste Trail generated additional customers to their establishments; Businesses saw Trail patrons as making up 10 -50% of their client base, with a third of operators indicating Trail patrons made up half of their clientele. Other culinary tourism organizations in Ontario have seen similar successes with their programs. The Niagara Culinary Trail started out with 8 members, and now has over 100. Savour Ottawa started with 70 members, and now has over 120. 6 avou 1 The Culinary Tourism in Ontario Strategy and Action Plan 2005 -2015 outlines many culinary projects either completed or underway in Ontario, including: The Wine Council of Ontario: adding highway signs pointing out wineries and wine routes, wine and culinary adventure guides for tourists, quality assurance programs for wineries across Ontario Savour Ontario: a member -based group of country inns, wineries, cooking schools and local producers came together to market themselves under the banner Savour Ontario, In Niagara: the establishment of the Niagara Wine and Food Classic and the development of the Niagara Culinary Alliance In Toronto: Food Festivals and Events were initiated including Summerlicious and Winterlicious In Prince Edward County: the concept, development and the successful creation of the Taste Trail, and the completion of a culinary tourism strategy for the region In Muskoka: a new Culinary Association was established including work on a regional inventory and regional strategy 7 Savour Elgin Program What is Savour Elgin? Savour Elgin is a program with a goal to promote and enhance culinary tourism and business development in Elgin County, which will encompass a comprehensive array of activities. The primary activity of this program will be the establishment of a culinary trail, which will be a route through Elgin County that visits some of the best restaurants, farms, wineries, and other culinary attractions that focus on food and drink that's local and unique to Elgin County. Other activities will include: participation in and partnership with culinary and agricultural events; facilitation of connections between food producers, distributors, and suppliers; development of a website to support the trail and its members; and promotion of the trail and culinary tourism to residents and visitors through various marketing channels. The Savour Elgin program will include the publishing of a map of the culinary trail, a website, sponsored events, and other promotional materials. Members will be able to connect with other members to strengthen relationships and build new ones. Member destinations will be organized into a cohesive, attractive culinary trail and marketed under a single banner in order to attract more culinary tourists to their businesses and to Elgin County. This will result in a more robust local food supply system, increased business for Elgin culinary destinations, and a stronger sense of community in the County. An Elgin County culinary trail was identified as a 'primary lure attraction' in the Elgin /St. Thomas Tourism Development Strategy and Marketing Plan as part of the marketing approach of "promoting what we have" in Elgin County. The Savour Elgin program was created to plan, launch, and operate the trail and other culinary tourism activities. Elgin County has over 60 restaurants, over 40 agri- tourism businesses, and even more specialty food drink businesses. Recruiting and organizing a culinary trail based on selected participating businesses improves Elgin County's visibility and 8 Goals ti• ^vy Wr J. desirability as a culinary tourism destination, both to residents of the County and to visitors, thereby generating more business for culinary trail members. Implementation Strategy The most important component of any culinary tourism program is the membership. One of the Economic Development staff's most critical responsibilities in the near term will be to locate, contact, and invite eligible establishments to participate in the culinary trail. Experts at the Ontario Culinary Tourism Summit discussion on Mapping a Culinary Destination agree that the best way to draw culinary tourists is through compelling stories and packages. Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance Executive Director Rebecca LeHeup Bucknell is among the many experts who recommend that the first step in any culinary tourism plan should be to focus on residents, as they must be convinced that the County is a viable culinary destination before visitors will consider it. It is recommended that Elgin County follow the advice of experts and develop a culinary trail that includes persuasive stories and tour packages, while first focussing on promoting the culinary trail to residents of Elgin County. Before the culinary trail can be a success, there needs to be a strong local food supply system in place. The Savour Elgin organization will partner with existing efforts such as "Buy Local, Buy Fresh" to build and enhance local food supply connections. The goals of the Savour Elgin program support the attainment of the goals from the Tourism Marketing Plan: 1. Increase the amount of people that visit culinary attractions, 2. Increase the length of time that visitors stay, and 3. Increase the amount of money that visitors spend. Savour Elgin additionally has three culinary tourism specific goals: 1. Strengthen the local food supply chain, including suppliers, providers, and users, 2. Build awareness of culinary tourism in Elgin County, and 3. Evoke a sense of pride within and have a positive impact on the community. 9 avou Ctt Ct ct Target Audience As indicated by the Culinary Tourism in Ontario Strategy and Action Plan 2005- 2015, the range of culinary tourism experience is broad, which produces significant differences among the profiles of culinary tourists. However, there is some general information available on the characteristics of culinary tourists. The Travel Activities and Motivations Survey (TAMS) breaks down culinary tourists into three categories: Food tourists; Wine tourists; and Food and wine tourists. The TAMS approach was able to determine some characteristics for each of the three categories of tourists: Food tourists More likely to be female More likely to be taken as a family and stay with family Take fewer trips, but engage in more activities on the trip Rely on word -of -mouth and past experiences Wine tourists Generally equally male and female More likely to have higher levels of education and income Take more trips, but engage in fewer activities Rely on word -of- mouth, the Internet, and travel agents Food and wine tourists More likely to be male Most likely to have high levels of education and income Most likely to stay in hotels rather than with family Take more trips and engage in more activities Rely on many sources of information, including travel agents, travel information offices, and print media Likely to book trips and packages online 10 avou Elgin Although tourists are likely to be older than the population average, culinary tourists come from a wide range of age categories, according to the International Culinary Tourism Association: Marketing Tactics Loca I of US Culinary Travelers by Gender, Age Highly educated High income Likely to rely on word -of -mouth Likely to use the internet for research 11 The Savour Elgin marketing strategies and tactics will cover a wide variety of target audiences, reflecting the wide variety of demographics covered by culinary tourists. When promoting the Savour Elgin program, focus will be given to those demographics: Savour Elgin plans to implement a targeted marketing program consisting of a series of related activities, to draw tourists and Elgin County residents into participating in the culinary trail and other activities. According to Statistics Canada, 37% of all trips in Ontario are to visit friends and family, and about 90% of all person- visits to Ontario were by Ontarians. To target this large segment of outings, the culinary trail plans to advertise in Elgin County businesses, restaurants, and at festivals and other cultural events. The goal is to inform residents about Savour Elgin so that they will inform and recommend it to their friends and relatives who come to visit. Efforts will also be made to partner with accommodations close to the trail for cross promotional opportunities. To further target County residents, menus and other information will be sent to local media and periodicals, such as the London Free Press, St. Thomas Times Journal, Aylmer Express, Relish Elgin, and Elgin County Market, with the goal of solidifying Elgin County as a culinary destination in the eyes of residents. Efforts i1 El e to e<. j will also be made to reach out to farmers' markets, agriculture- focussed festivals, and other local food events to help associate the culinary trail with 'food in Elgin County.' A web -based "Press Room" will be created to coordinate all marketing and promotional efforts relating to press releases, including handling media inquiries and sending information to major media. Stories It's well known that people are not affected or swayed by facts as much as they are by stories, which provide something they can relate to. For this reason, and because food is an inherently storied topic, culinary trail marketing efforts will be focussed on stories and experiences of the trail rather than simply the destination itself. To develop and discover the stories that local food production has to tell, farmers, processors, and chefs will be interviewed and profiled. Their stories will be told and enhanced using beautiful photography and vivid video footage, and conveyed in a variety of media including the web, posters, and information packages. trail. In -Place Travel In order to attract culinary tourists to Elgin County, the Economic Development department will look at marketing the Savour Elgin program to a captive travel audience in VIA destinations Magazine, specifically on the Toronto London and Toronto Windsor routes. Another approach the culinary trail will take to target tourists is to invite media from major population centres such as Toronto, London, and Hamilton to come to Elgin County to tour some businesses on the culinary It's important that destinations on the culinary trail market their affiliation with the trail. The majority of visitors to culinary establishments will likely be unaware that the establishment is part of a broader trail. Consistent and recognizable signage is a good first step towards directed one -time visitors to visit other trail businesses. Savour Elgin members will also be provided with maps and other information to provide to visitors. In Prince Edward County, 77% of those who used the Taste Trail guide obtained it from a local business, rather than from tourism offices or through other means. 12 Online Culinary tourists are very likely —more so than generic tourists —to research and plan their trips online. The Savour Elgin website will be used as a hub for promotion and story telling. The web's multimedia and interactive capabilities make it the perfect medium to convey powerful and compelling stories to draw tourists to culinary trail businesses. To help ensure that the Savour Elgin's message gets out online, social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter will be used. Integrating Google Maps into the Savour Elgin website will make it easy for visitors to see where the trail is, get the best driving route to Elgin County, and locate other businesses and attractions that may be of interest near the trail. Savour Elgin will implement a search engine optimization (SEO) plan, linking strategy, and an online advertising program in order to drive traffic and ensure that the site appears high in search engine results for relevant keywords. The Savour Elgin website will also feature an itinerary planner where tourists can organize their culinary trail experiences, a directory, advanced destination search capability, photo galleries, and a 'Press Room." Holistic Experience According to the Canadian Tourism Commission's Culinary Tourism Product Development Guide, the quality of a tourism experience depends in large part on the customer's impression of the entire experience. For this reason, it's important to provide tourists with a high quality experience from end to end. This may involve training courses for employees of enterprises that aren't used to hosting consumers directly. Economic Development will partner with the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council to provide this training if necessary. Motorcycle tours Motorcycle tours are a possible target audience of Savour Elgin. As was recommended in the Elgin /St. Thomas Tourism Development Strategy and Marketing Plan, Elgin County currently reaches out to motorcycle tour groups by publishing a guide to touring the County by motorcycle and attending the Toronto Motorcycle Show. Savour Elgin will look at partnering with these efforts to also promote the culinary trail. Competition and Differentiation Savour Elgin will set itself apart from other culinary regions in Ontario in a number of ways. The establishment of a permanent 'trail' is already a distinguishing mark between Elgin and other culinary regions. Representatives from the Economic Development department have spoken with other culinary tourism organizations and experts to gather information on best 13 ar El practises and strategies for developing, promoting, and operating a culinary tourism organization in Ontario. Out of these discussions and interviews have come several concrete and actionable strategies and tactics for Savour Elgin to implement. These tactics are presented throughout this document. Partnerships To be successful, Savour Elgin will need to partner with organizations that can be of assistance in the areas of operations, marketing, and promotion. The following culinary tourism organizations can be very helpful with their network of knowledge and research, and are listed with their membership fees: International Culinary Tourism Association ($295 USD) o ICTA Ontario Area Committee Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance (already a member) International Association of Culinary Professionals ($270 USD; http://www.iacp.conn/displaycommon.cfm?an=12) The following travel writing associations would help Savour Elgin make the connections necessary to promote the region to those outside of Elgin: Travel Media Association of Canada ($350) International Food, Wine Travel Writers Association ($285 USD) Society of American Travel Writers ($100 USD) These tourism associations can provide insight on the governance and operations of a tourism organization: Tourism Industry Association of Canada ($595; depends on annual budget, see http: www. tiac aitc. ca /english /membership_fees.asp) Cultural Heritage Tourism Alliance In addition, Economic Development staff will stay updated on the 2010 Culinary Tourism Thought Leadership World Summit in September in Halifax, NS, although it's unlikely that representatives will attend because of a conflict with the International Plowing Match. The summit will provide information on the state of culinary tourism as well as best practises for developing culinary tourism regions. 14 Criteria Savour Elgin? 1. Leadership Yes; leadership is being taken by the County of Elgin staff 2. Market -ready or near market- ready culinary products In progress; Savour Elgin plans to have market -ready members by a launch date of September 2010 3. An integrated strategy Yes; the Savour Elgin plan integrates with the broader tourism strategy and plan 4. Partnership and community -based collaboration Yes; Savour Elgin has sought input from committees and various organizations 5. Financial support and performance measures Yes; this business plan presents a financial plan and future measurement tools 6. Good access to key origin markets Yes; Elgin County has good access via 400 series highways to the markets of London, Toronto, and Hamilton. 7. Sufficient market intelligence Yes; this business plan outlines much of the intelligence gathered about potential culinary tourists 8. Resources distinctive to region Yes; Elgin County has unique agricultural resources 9. Multiple culinary tourism experiences Yes; Elgin County is home to a diverse array of agri- businesses, including restaurants, farms, wineries, and specialty food and drink businesses 10. An effective destination marketing organization Yes; Savour Elgin is working with the Elgin County tourism office to promote the culinary trail Elgin Criteria for Success The Culinary Tourism in Ontario Strategy and Action Plan 2005 -2015 have compiled a list of criteria that appear to be necessary for a region to have success developing itself as a culinary tourism destination: 15 ry u" Membership Member Benefits By becoming a member of the Savour Elgin program, an establishment will benefit from being a part of a cohesive, attractive tourism experience in Elgin County. There are many reasons to join Savour Elgin: Reach a wider audience. The combined resources and knowledge of Savour Elgin will enable it to market its members to towns and regions across Southern Ontario, as well as affording its members greater visibility inside Elgin County. Reach the right audience. Savour Elgin will be able to focus its marketing efforts on attracting high- spending culinary tourists, which are difficult to market to as an individual business. Promote yourself with others. Membership in Savour Elgin will lend itself to cross promotional opportunities among members. Restaurants and wineries, for example, will be able to market themselves together more effectively simply by being a part of the culinary trail experience. Connect with members. Savour Elgin will provide opportunities for connecting and networking with producers, restaurants, chefs, and processors. Associate with quality. The Savour Elgin logo and signage will comprise a recognizable brand that will help consumers identify high quality culinary experiences in Elgin County. Promote yourself online. Membership in Savour Elgin will mean that your business will be listed in the online membership directory, where consumers can easily browse businesses and plan trips to Elgin County. Put yourself on the map. The Savour Elgin map and other marketing materials will be distributed to all members, as well as to tourism and information offices, making your business more accessible to thousands of potential customers. There will also be advertising opportunities on Savour Elgin marketing materials. Grow your business. The goal of Savour Elgin is to help its members grow their businesses. Join Savour Elgin today to take advantage of this opportunity to grow your business! To become a member, fill out the form on page 28, Appendix B: Savour Elgin Membership Application Form. 16 Other Benefits To ensure the continued quality of the program, Savour Elgin will conduct yearly surveys of its members to determine what's working well and what could be improved. This feedback will help build and maintain a high level of quality, while providing members an opportunity to contribute to the betterment of the organization and program. Continuous feedback has been rated by successful culinary tourism organizations such as Savour Ottawa as a very valuable tool in their operations. Supply Chain Culinary tourism is tied strongly to local food and the experience and appreciation of the cuisine an area has to offer. To enable and enhance local food supply connections, Savour Elgin will partner with current and future meet greet events that are working to connect restaurants with food producers. These food supply systems serve as the backbone of any successful culinary tourism organization, and Savour Elgin will work to help its members develop and strengthen these connections. The existing "Buy Local, Buy Fresh" program in Elgin is a perfect partnership opportunity for Savour Elgin, as the two programs are working together to achieve similar goals in terms of local food. A stronger local food supply system has benefits that reach beyond the culinary trail. It can help local grocers, farmers' markets, farmers, and residents with the supply, delivery, and production of locally grown food. There are also other, less obvious beneficiaries of a strong supply system, such as: U -pick businesses Meat producers Food shows and festivals Restaurant districts or areas Local food media Chefs Cooking /food schools or classes Environment and Health Locally produced food is usually more healthful and environmentally friendly. This is because foods don't have to be frozen and transported long distances, which reduces the loss of nutrients associated with freezing and avoids the use of fuels 17 needed for transportation. The 100 -mile diet promoted by Elgin's "Buy Local, Buy Fresh" program is a prime example of a local food movement. The trip from the field to the table is also usually shorter and more direct when the source of the food is close by, avoiding the addition of preservatives and processing needed to give foods a long shelf life. Being part of Savour Elgin means being a part of the local food and sustainability movements, which are both growing in size and momentum. Consumers and tourists are more often taking into account the environmental and health aspects of the production of their food. Taking part in the Savour Elgin program can help businesses show that they support these causes and boost their image in the eyes of potential customers. Membership Criteria To become a member of Savour Elgin, business must meet requirements on local products, operational months, web presence, liability insurance, and more. For complete criteria a business must meet, see Appendix A: Savour Elgin Membership Criteria. 18 Criteria have been set in accordance with best practises established by other culinary tourism organizations in Ontario, such as the Niagara Culinary Trail. The criteria are in place to ensure a consistent, high quality experience for tourists exploring businesses along the culinary trail. The inclusion of local food on restaurant menus is important because it helps to establish a culinary identity for Elgin County, and contributes to the experience of dining in the County. It enhances the sense of culinary enjoyment when tourists can read on their menu that the ingredients in their entree were grown just a short distance away in Elgin County, at a farm they can go and visit, and were delivered to the restaurant earlier in the week. The success of the culinary trail depends greatly on the quality of destinations on the trail. For this reason, each destination will be asked to assess themselves on a yearly basis on a number of criteria important to a tourism business. The Canadian Tourism Commission has developed a self assessment tool to assist with this process which includes criteria such as telephone manner, languages spoken, signage, and parking. See Appendix C: Savour Elgin Self- Assessment Survey for the full rubric. Governance Strong leadership is critical for a culinary region to achieve success. As indicated in the Culinary Tourism in Ontario Strategy and Action Plan 2005 -2015, where there is no leadership, there are fewer regional success stories. It's also important that the many different stakeholders be engaged in the process of running a culinary tourism organization. The Savour Elgin program will be managed by Economic Development staff with support from an advisory committee comprised of stakeholders from among its membership, including representation from farmers, restaurants, and wineries. The advisory committee will report to the members of the Savour Elgin program and CEEDTAC. The day -to -day operations of the program will be carried out by full -time staff from Elgin County. Savour Elgin Advisory Committee 19 Item January 2010 April 2010 May 2010 August 2010 September 2010 December 2010 Business Plan Finalize business plan Refer to and revise business plan as necessary for 2011 Membership Recruitment Finalize membership criteria Develop application form Actively seek out members for recruitment Identify possible membership expansion areas for 2011 Marketing: Local Create Press Room Research local media Research local businesses, restaurants, transit, festivals, other events Finalize recruitment Send press releases to media Develop and prepare advertising for local businesses and events Send press releases and menus to media Launch ads Marketing: Stories Identify farmers, processors, chefs for interviews Conduct interviews Obtain photographs and video Develop stories incorporating interviews, photos, videos for different media Schedule Savour Elgin plans a launch in the summer of 2010. By that time, the culinary trail will have a full slate of members and its marketing tools in place, including a website, map, guide, and signage. The chart below indicates an approximate timeline for implementing the marketing tactics and strategies outlined in this document. 2010 20 Item January 2010 April 2010 May 2010 August 2010 September 2010 December 2010 Marketing: Travel Research advertising opportunities for VIA destinations Magazine and other travel media Develop and place ads Invite major city media to tour culinary trail Marketing: In -Place Develop signage Implement signage Develop and distribute maps and brochures to trail members Marketing: Online Develop website structure and content Launch website Develop and implement SEO and advertising plans Incorporate stories into website Ongoing SEO and advertising Ongoing SEO and advertising Marketing: Holistic Develop criteria for a holistic experience Develop system for assessing holistic experience Collect feedback from trail members Marketing: Motorcycle Research and review motorcycle tourism outreach efforts Attend Toronto Motorcycle Show? 21 Item January 2011 April 2011 May 2011 August 2011 September 2011 December 2011 Business Plan Refer to and revise business plan as necessary for 2011 Refer to and revise business plan as necessary for 2012 Membership Recruitment Review membership criteria Develop revised application form Actively seek out members for recruitment Identify possible membership expansion areas for 2012 Marketing: Local Ongoing advertising Review ads Ongoing advertising Ongoing advertising Marketing: Stories Review stories, develop new stories if necessary Marketing: Travel Review ads Invite major city media to tour culinary trail Marketing: In -Place Update and distribute maps and brochures to trail members Deliver signage to new trail members Marketing: Online Ongoing SEO and advertising Ongoing SEO and advertising Ongoing SEO and advertising Marketing: Holistic Review feedback, develop plan Implement plan, research HR training if necessary Collect feedback from trail members Marketing: Motorcycle Attend Toronto Motorcycle Show? 2011 22 Budget o E I Revenues Expenses The financial goal of the Savour Elgin program is to be self- sustaining in 3 years' time. This is an attainable goal, as other culinary tourism organizations such as Prince Edward County's have become self- sufficient in 3 years. The primary source of revenue for Savour Elgin will be membership fees. Additional revenue may be raised from selling advertising space on Savour Elgin marketing materials, such as the map. Marketing will be the major expense of Savour Elgin. Other expenses include staff time for administration, organization materials, and recruitment expenses such as flyers etc. $10,000 $5,000 $0 $5,000 -$10,000 -$15,000 Culinary Trail Net 2009/10 2011 2012 Year 2013 2014 23 vc r El Year 2009/10 2011 2012 2013 2014 Revenue /Funding Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) $75,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 Membership fees $12,000 $16,000 $20,000 $24,000 $28,000 Other $1,000 $1,500 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 Total $88,000 $17,500 $22,000 $26,000 $30,000 Expenses Operations Staff $35,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 Workshops $5,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 Misc. Operations $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 Total Operations $41,000 $13,000 $13,000 $13,000 $13,000 Marketing Business Plan /Branding $10,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 Advertising $10,000 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 Signage $15,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 Website $10,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 Marketing materials (map, guide, etc) $10,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 Misc. Marketing $5,000 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 Total Marketing $60,000 $9,000 $9,000 $9,000 $9,000 Total Expenses $101,000 $22,000 $22,000 $22,000 $22,000 Net $13,000 $4,500 $0 $4,000 $8,000 *budget subject to change 24 aVOIAT' Conclusion Culinary tourism is a growing sector, and Elgin County has the resources and business to take advantage of it. There are a number of excellent restaurants, farms, and wineries that could benefit greatly from inclusion in the culinary trail in terms of increased business and strengthened connections with local food supply systems and the community. Members in the Savour Elgin program will benefit by being able to reach a wider, higher- spending audience, accessing new promotional opportunities, and connecting with other members and a robust local food supply system. Take the next step and complete an application form on the next page. 25 REQUIREMENTS TO BE MARKET -READY SAVOUR ELGIN MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA ALL SAVOUR ELGIN PARTICIPANTS Operational at least 7 months of the year or longer SERVICE Services including hours of operation, public access, Posted and consistent hours of operation Local products must be featured on web and /or in store and /or in menu Web Presence one of the following; website, blog, web page, social network Facilities must be market ready [see below for requirements] Liability Insurance RESTAURANTS Restaurants must feature locally grown food and change seasonally by dish and /or menu 25% of restaurant purchases have to be from local food producers /growers, local consisting of 100 miles of any border of Elgin County. Purchase records and invoices will be required upon membership to demonstrate the 25 *100 miles East Toronto, Niagara Falls, North Kincardine; West Sarnia, Windsor PRODUCERS /MARKETS Offer a tangible and authentic experience [see below for requirements] ADDITIONAL NOTES An annual membership fee of $500 will be charged to be included on the culinary trail Checks and balances will be ongoing to monitor the adherence to the criteria at every establishment such as; annual surveys, producing lists of suppliers, and random annual facility checks. Membership in Savour Elgin may also allow for membership in Savour Ontario. INFRASTRUCTURE Ensuring parking, public washrooms, signage, and health and safety requirements are at a level that supports the competitiveness of the destination. QUALITY STANDARDS Anticipating customer needs with the right product mix, delivering a high quality customer experience with service excellence, and providing interpretation and information about the experience or destination. access for travelers with disabilities, visitor information centres and, of course, the quality of service provided by front -line personnel. REQUIREMENTS FOR A TANGIBLE EXPERIENCE TANGIBLE EXPERIENCE EXPLAINED: The Culinary destination must offer a real and knowledgeable base for visitors, where food /drink is the primary experience being sought, including the preparation, consumption, and even viewing. EXAMPLES OF TANGIBLE EXPERIENCES Visiting farmers' fairs or markets Visiting pick- your -own farms /participating in harvesting Shopping for gourmet foods in retail stores or farms Dining in restaurants with regional or local cooking Going to wineries for day visits and tasting Staying at a gourmet restaurant with accommodation on the premises Public Telephone SAVOUR ELGIN MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION APPLICANT CONTACT INFORMATION Proper Business Name Mailing Address City Main Contact Person Title ELIGIBILITY Describe your business: O Restaurant O Producer /Grower O Retail Is your business located in Elgin County? O Yes, my business is located in Elgin County. Please check the municipality where your business is located: Province Contact Tel INFORMATION FOR THE PUBLIC ON WWW.SAVOURELGIN.CA Location Address Public Email 0 Caterer 0 Farmgate O Bayham O Malahide O Town of Aylmer O Dutton /Dunwich O West Elgin CRITERIA See attached Savour Elgin Membership Criteria Postal Code Contact Email Public Website 0 Conference Centre 0 Agritourism O Central Elgin 0 Southwold SAVOUR ELGIN SELF ASSESSMENT SURVEY CONTACT INFO Business Name Mailing Address Contact SURVEY Circle the answer that best describes the current situation at your business. 1. How many of the months of the year are you open to the public? a. 7 months or more b. 4 6 months c. Less than 3 months a. Yes b. Sometimes c. No 4. Do you have a web presence? Contact Tel 2. Do you have posted and consistent hours of operation? a. Yes b. Sometimes or by appointment c. No City Contact Email 3. Do you feature local products in your business? (on the web /in store/ on your menu) a. Yes. I have a website for my business b. Yes, I have a blog /webpage /some presence online c. No. My business is not online at all. 5. Do you have strong infrastructure in place? (sufficient parking, washrooms, signage, health and safety requirements met) a. Yes. I have all of the above. b. I have 3 or more of the above requirements c. I have less than 3 of the above requirements. 6. Have you set quality standards for your business? (anticipate customer needs, deliver a high quality customer experience with service excellence and provide information about the experience or destination) a. Yes. My business follows quality standards. b. My business does not have specific standards but strives to meet customer needs. c. No my business does not have quality standards in place. 7. Do you offer access for customers with disabilities? a. Yes. We are fully accessible b. Portions of the business are accessible c. No we are not accessible 8. Does your business have liability insurance? a. Yes b. N/A c. No 9. For Restaurants Only— What percentage of your purchases in a year are from local food producers /growers? (local being 100 miles of from any Elgin County border) a. Greater than 25 b. 15 -24% c. Less than 15 10. For Producers /Markets Only Do you offer a tangible experience? (real and knowledgeable base where food /drink is the primary experience being sought, including the preparation, consumption or viewing) a. Yes, visitors are actively engaged at our business b. We offer some tangible experiences for visitors c. There are little to no tangible experiences for customers at our business SCORING Total A Responses Total B Responses Total C Responses Mostly A's You are ready to be on the Savour Elgin Trail. Mostly B's You are close to being ready to be on the Savour Elgin Trail. With a few minor upgrades you will qualify. Please contact us for more information. Mostly C's With a little assistance from our department you could qualify to be on the Savour Elgin Trail within the next year. Please call us for more information. CONTACT Mail: Elgin County Economic Development 450 Sunset Dr. St. Thomas, ON N5R 5V1 Fax: 519-631-4549 Email: kburns @elgin county.on.ca Phone: 519 631 -1460 x 137 Appendix B Visual Identity Standards gmq, C:2) 0: E,i, c., co FT z 0 0 (33 P 0 Q 334 .4 3 Fp 0 CO 0 0 00 QQ-) Q)) ei .Q) (1) (i) (CC 00 (.0 co Q.) :73 6 o .2,-:::•: ,v 5D tr, j3 50 ti 0 sc 3 3 o lb 0 G5: tf, C 3 0 0 03 0 0 (0 0L 0) (0 C0 0 1)3 Cc 0 0 ',f, Q p.:,. 4,3 tz-- 0 :40 0) Pz 0o ce,. 03 10-, 0., 0 60. —1 0 -ci c: 9 9) CO 9. 0 0 0 0 0 N. Co 1.0 vc.1 e e e e 000 0 000 0 V.1 e e e 1...„ C 0 6 6 6 f 6 cn 0. co 10 10 c to 6 6 6 6 6 (N 0) 0) C`NI 03 0 's:t 0 )=-1 6 6 6 6 6 co 0) Lo co co N., to 00 ',A VA 0 CN 0 11 CNN Ne SCNNN CNS 4NNS,N N' CNN. INNN CINN CS roA xl EA' *.x x x 1 ''''''':-t.' x; x x F.F. tu- t': 17P 0 r, Co 0 .4.40 4 33smaNNNN NNENN. 4.4.4. y I y .1 1, NNNNNNNV'PNNNNNN >ct: csts ct A 0 1; :P'Ofe;;:rFrFrJgn.,i,:r.,zv,:erkfiwA:fai,%fn:,,zt L_ t CORRESPONDENCE March 23, 2010 Items for Consideration (ATTACHED) 1. Barbara L. Wilson, CMO, County of Huron, requesting Council's consideration of Huron's resolution supporting the lobbying efforts of the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition (OASC) for immediate adjustments to the Agri Stability program. Corporation of the COUNTY OF HURON COUNTY CLERK, Barbara L. Wilson, CMO 1 Court House Square, Goderich, Ontario N7A 1M2 bwilsonChhuroncounty.ca To all Municipalities in Ontario: February 16 2010. I appreciate your assistance and co- operation in this matter. Sincerely, Barbara L. Wilson, CMO, County Clerk, County of Huron. 519 524 -8394 Fax 519- 857 -2044 I am requesting your Council's attention to this Motion that was passed by the Council of the Corporation of the County of Huron at their January 6 2010 County Council meeting. Moved by: Councillor D. Shewfelt and Seconded by: Councillor J. Seili: THAT: The Huron County Council support the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition (OASC) consisting of the Ontario Pork Producers, Ontario Cattlemen's Association, Ontario Veal Producers, Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Grower's Association, the Grain Farmers of Ontario, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the Huron County Federation of Agriculture by requesting a meeting with Huron -Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell at the ROMA /OGRA conference to support the OASC lobbying for immediate adjustments to the Agri Stability program; AND FURTHER THAT: This Motion be presented to the Southwest Economic Alliance (SWEA); for their support as agri- business is a vital economic industry in South Western Ontario; AND FURTHER THAT: This Motion be forwarded to all municipalities in Ontario; Huron -Bruce MP Ben Lobb and Huron -Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell. CORRESPONDENCE March 23, 2010 Items for Information (Consent Agenda) (ATTACHED) 1. Heather Chapman, Chair, Kettle Creek Conservation Authority (KCCA), announcing that, effective immediately, Elizabeth VanHooren has been appointed General Manager /Secretary Treasurer of the KCCA. 44015 Ferguson Line St. Thomas, ON N5P 3T3 Tel: 519 -631 -1270 Fax: 519- 631 -5026 Member Municipalities: Central Elgin City of London City of St. Thomas Middlesex Centre Thames Centre Malahide Township Southwold Township Member of Conservation ONTARIO March 8, 2010 Mr. Mark McDonald Member Elgin County Council County of Elgin 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas ON N5R 5V1 Dear Mr. McDonald: It is my pleasure to announce that effective immediately Elizabeth VanHooren has been appointed General Manager /Secretary Treasurer of Kettle Creek Conservation Authority. Ms. VanHooren was originally hired in 2002 as the Public Relations Supervisor, was promoted to the position of Director of Operations in 2005 and has been serving as the Acting General Manager /Secretary Treasurer since October 2009. Joe Gordon, KCCA's Planning and Regulations Supervisor since 2005, has also been promoted to the position of Director of Operations. He will continue his duties as Planning and Regulations Supervisor but has been assigned assistant managerial duties as well. Both appointments are effective immediately. Ms. VanHooren and Mr. Gordon are eager to settle into their new roles and look forward to continuing the strong working relationship KCCA has with you and your organization. Sincerely, i;(4 Heather Chapman Chair, Kettle Creek Conservation Authority A 5 O Councillor Reports: Staff Reports: (ATTACHED) CLOSED MEETING AGENDA March 23, 2010 1) Councillor Habkirk Municipal Act, Section 240.2 (c) a proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land by the municipality or local board property matter (verbal). 1) Director of Engineering Services Municipal Act, Section 240.2 (b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees Brad Bedford Lease. 2) Director of Engineering Services Municipal Act, Section 240.2 (b) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees Tony Brooks Lease. Part 1 Definitions 1.1 Part 2 General Provisions COUNTY OF ELGIN By -Law No. 10 -07 "BEING A BY -LAW TO PROVIDE FOR THE GRANTING OF PERMITS TO MOVE OVERSIZE OR OVERWEIGHT LOADS ON COUNTY ROADS AND TO REPEAL BY -LAW NO. 00 -13" WHEREAS pursuant to Section 110, Part VII, of the Highway Traffic Act, being Chapter H.8, R.S.O. 1990, as amended, provides that a municipal corporation may grant a permit for the moving of heavy vehicles, loads, objects or structures in excess of the dimensional limits set out in Section 109 or the weight limits set out in Part VIII, on roads they have jurisdiction over; and WHEREAS the Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin deems it expedient to control and regulate the movement of heavy vehicles, loads and objects or structures on County Roads and to provide for the issuing of permits related thereto. NOW THEREFORE the Municipal Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin enacts as follows: In this By -Law: a) "Corporation" shall mean the Corporation of the County of Elgin. b) "Council" means the Council for the Corporation of the County of Elgin. c) "County Road" means all roads included in the County of Elgin road system as defined in the Corporation of the County of Elgin By -Law entitled "Adopting a Plan of County Road Improvement and Establishing a County Road System" and any amendments thereto. d) "Director of Engineering Services" shall mean the person appointed by Council to such position and his or her authorized representatives or delegates. e) "Person" shall include a corporation. 2.1 No person shall move upon wheels, rollers, or otherwise over or upon a County Road, heavy vehicles, loads, objects, or structures in excess of the gross weight, length, width, and height limits prescribed by the Highway Traffic Act (Ontario), without a permit to do so as issued by the Director of Engineering Services. 2.2 A permit to move heavy vehicles, loads, objects, or structures upon a County Road shall be in the form attached as Schedule "A" hereto and shall be effective only when signed and dated by the Director of Engineering Services. 2.3 Prior to issuance of a permit to move heavy vehicles, loads, objects, or structures upon a County Road, an Applicant for such permit shall file with the Corporation such material as is required by the Director of Engineering Services, including the following: a) Permit Form as attached as Schedule "A" hereto, Sections 1 and 2 to be completed by the Applicant and the Applicant to have signed and dated such Permit Form; b) Proof of paid up property damage and public liability insurance of not less than FIVE MILLION DOLLARS coverage for the time period during which the permit is to be effective, the Corporation of the County of Elgin to be named as an additional insured for purposes of such public liability insurance; c) Written acknowledgment from Engineering Services for the County of Elgin, Ontario Provincial Police and /or any other police force having policing responsibilities over any County Road or a portion thereof to be involved in the proposed move, and any fire department having fire service responsibility in any area through which any County Road or a portion thereof to be involved in the proposed move passes that the scheduled dates, duration, and route of the proposed move will not create unnecessary traffic hazard or delays; -2— d) Written acknowledgment from all utilities and railway companies whose facilities are or are potentially affected by the proposed move that any wires, cable, or poles existing on, over, or adjacent to the County Road or Roads to be used in the proposed move will not hinder such move or that satisfactory arrangements have been made for the removal or raising of such facilities to avoid any such hindrance; e) A performance bond or other security, in an amount acceptable to the Director of Engineering Services and in a form acceptable to the Treasurer of the Corporation, equal to the potential estimated costs of repair and remediation of the County Road or Roads and related facilities at risk as a result of the proposed move; and f) A non refundable administrative fee, payable to the Treasurer of the County of Elgin, in an amount set forth in Schedule "B" hereto. 2.4 If satisfied with the materials filed by the Applicant, the Director of Engineering Services may issue a permit in the form attached as Schedule "A" hereto by signing and dating same, provided always that the said Director of Engineering Services maintains and exercises full and unfettered discretion in determining if a permit is to be issued, the acceptability of materials filed by the Applicant, and the attachment of any and all appropriate conditions to the said permit as issued. 2.5 Without limiting or revising the terms of permits set forth in Schedule "A" hereto or otherwise restricting the discretion of the Director of Engineering Services, the permit to be issued by the Director of Engineering Services shall specify, among other things, the following: 2.5.1 the dates and times to which the permit apply and authorize use of County Road or Roads; 2.5.2 the County Road or Roads authorized for use under the permit and the route to be followed upon such County Road or Roads; 2.5.3 the amount of refundable security deposit required and to be paid by the Applicant; 2.5.4 the type of escort required during use of County Road or Roads pursuant to the said permit; and 2.5.6 any other special condition applicable to the permit and in addition to those set forth in the permit form as attached in Schedule "A" hereto. 2.6 Notwithstanding the issuance of a permit in keeping with this By -Law, the owner, operator, or mover of any heavy vehicle, load, object, or structure shall be subject to and comply with the directions of the Director of Engineering Services or his authorized representatives and delegates and the officer in charge of any police or fire escort associated with the vehicle, load, object, or structure being moved. 2.7 Any permit issued by the Director of Engineering Services shall be nullified and voided by or upon any one or combination of the following incidents: 2.7.1 failure on the part of the Applicant, including any servant, agent, or employee, to comply with any term of such permit; 2.7.2 failure to comply with the directions of the Director of Engineering Services or his representatives or delegates or the officer in charge of any police or fire escort to the vehicle, load, object, or structure being moved; 2.7.3 the discovery or disclosure of any omission or misrepresentation, whether by inadvertence, or otherwise, which is material to the application process or the permit issued in respect thereof; and 2.7.4 at the direction of the Director of Engineering Services or his representatives or delegates. 2.8 The owner, driver, operator, or mover of any heavy vehicle, load, object, or structure being moved on a County Road pursuant to a permit issued hereunder is nevertheless responsibility for all damages of all kinds and nature that may be caused by reason of the driving, operating, or moving of such vehicle, load, object, or structure and, further thereto, the said owner, driver, operator, or mover agrees to hold harmless and indemnify the Corporation, including its servants, agents, employees, from and against all loss, costs, and damages suffered by it and from all actions or claims which may be Part 3 Enforcement Part 4 Repeal and Enactment Mark G. McDonald, Chief Administrative Officer. 3 brought or made against the Corporation by reason of the movement of any heavy vehicle, load, object, or structure upon a County Road. 3.1 Any person who contravenes any provision of this By -Law is, upon conviction, guilty of an offence and is liable to any penalty as provided in the Provincial Offences Act. 3.2 The Court in which a conviction has been entered and any Court of competent jurisdiction thereafter may make an Order prohibiting the continuation or repetition of the offence by the person convicted, and such Order shall be in addition to any other penalty imposed on the person so convicted. 4.1 By -Law 00 -13 for the Corporation of the County of Elgin is hereby repealed. 4.2 This By -Law comes into full force and effect on March 23, 2010. READ A FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD TIME AND FINALLY PASSED THIS 23 DAY OF MARCH 2010. Bonnie Vowel, Warden. Schedule 'A' By -Law No. 10 -07 ElginCo l Progressive by Nature —4— Permit No. The Corporation of the County of Elgin 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ont. N5R 5V1 Phone (519) 631 -1460 Ext. #4 Fax (519) 631 -4297 ANNUAL OVERSIZE MOVING PERMIT SECTION 1 GENERAL INFORMATION APPLICANT CONTACT PERSON APPLICANTS MAILING ADDRESS POSTAL CODE APPLICANTS TELEPHONE FAX SECTION 2 DESCRIPTION OF VEHICLE *(Note: Maximum 10 Vehicles Per Permit) YEAR MAKE 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Please Note: An Invoice will not be issued Make Cheque payable to the County of Elgin. ANNUAL PERMIT FEE: $500.00 `[Valid Calendar Year "January to December I have read, understand and agree to the conditions set forth on this application and assume all cost incurred by the County of Elgin, liability for all damages which may be incurred and to indemnify and hold harmless the County of Elgin from any actions, claims, suits or demands made against the County by any person arising out of the issuance of this permit. (REFER TO CONDITIONS ON REVERSE) SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT POSITION DATE SIGNED SECTION 3 SPECIAL CONDITIONS AND APPROVAL [OFFICE USE ONLY] REFUNDABLE SECURITY DEPOSIT (if applicable) PROOF OF LIABILITY INSURANCE: YES_ NO AMOUNT OF COVERAGE: SPECIAL CONDITIONS 2010 ANNUAL PERMIT Restricted to: —u Maximum Width (3.99m) Maximum Length (36.74m) Maximum Height (4.15m) Overall Maximum Weight (63,500 kqs) +As Per Ontario Highway Traffic Act Director of Engineering Services Designate Date Signed CONDITIONS ANNUAL PERMIT 1. This permit is issued pursuant to Section 110 of the Highway Traffic Act (Ontario) and is subject to the conditions set forth below. The permit holder must comply with all requirements of the Highway Traffic Act (Ontario) and this Permit shall not and does not grant permission to disobey any such requirement or provision of such Act or anv Regulation enacted in relation thereto. 2. No portion of any County road shall be closed at any time to accommodate the move for which a Permit is issued. The transporter must at all times cause the least degree of interference with vehicular and pedestrian traffic on any County road during the course of such permitted move. 3. The Applicant and /or the transporter shall at all times be responsible for and shall arrange for repair of any and all damage caused to any County road through the course of any move for which a Permit is granted. 4. Before submitting any Application for an Annual Moving Permit, the Applicant shall arrange for and thereafter maintain and produce evidence of paid up property damage and public liability insurance of not less than $5,000,000.00 coverage for the period during which the Permit is to be effective, in respect of which policy of insurance the Corporation of the County of Elgin is to be named as an additional insured. 5. This Permit is not valid: a) On roads other than County roads under the jurisdiction of the Corporation of the County of Elgin and as defined and identified pursuant to the Elgin County Road Consolidating By -Law, as amended; b) At any time when, due to insufficient light or unfavourable atmospheric conditions, persons and vehicles on such County road are not clearly visible at a distance of 150 metres; c) Between one half hour before sunset and one half hour after sunrise; and d) On any Saturday, Sunday, or statutory holiday. 6. This Permit is valid: a) Between one half hour after sunrise and one half hour before sunset; and b) On each Monday through Friday of the calendar year save and except for any statutory holiday falling on those days. 7. This Permit must be produced on demand of a police officer or an officer appointed for carrying out the provisions of the Highway Traffic Act (Ontario). 8. This Permit is issued on the condition the Permit holder accepts responsibility for any and all damage that may be caused to overhead wires, structures, roads, infrastructure, signs or railway right -of -ways. The Permit holder must obtain the necessary approvals from all encroachments and /or any provincial or municipal Permits required for the proposed routes. 9. This Permit may be terminated at the discretion of the Director of Engineering Services or an authorized designate for the breach of any condition of this Permit. 10. Applications for annual permits for oversize vehicles must also specify geographic areas of County within which oversize vehicle moves are to occur. 11. ANNUAL PERMIT CONDITIONS: All conditions set forth above will apply to all moves permitted pursuant to an Annual Permit. Annual Permits will only be issued upon confirmation that the information submitted in Sections 1 and 2 to this Permit Application will apply to all moves to be completed. *If Loads exceed Annual Permit requirements (indicated below) an Oversize /Overweight Permit as per Highway Traffic Act (Ontario) must be submitted for such move and Application shall be considered by the Director of Engineering Services or an authorized designate as a separate Application. ANNUAL PERMIT RESTRICTED TO: Maximum Width (3.99m) Maximum Length (36.75m) Maximum Height (4.15m) Overall Maximum Weight (63,500kgs) -5- Schedule `A' By -Law No. 10 -07 Elgi_nCo? .y Progressive by Nature 6 Permit No. The Corporation of the County of Elgin 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ont. N5R 5V1 Phone (519) 631 -1460 Ext. #4 Fax (519) 631 -4297 OVERSIZE OVERWEIGHT MOVE PERMIT SECTION 1 GENERAL INFORMATION APPLICANT CONTACT PERSON APPLICANTS MAILING ADDRESS POSTAL CODE APPLICANTS TELEPHONE FAX TRANSPORTING COMPANY CONTACT PERSON TRANSPORTING COMPANY'S ADDRESS TRANSPORTER'S TELEPHONE FAX SECTION 2 DESCRIPTION OF LOAD/ VEHICLE/ ROUTE *(Please indicate all dimensions in metric) DESCRIPTION OF LOAD DESCRIPTION OF VEHICLE NO. OF AXLES NO. OF WHEELS PER AXLE TOTAL WIDTH AT TIRES (metres) TOTAL WEIGHT (tonnes) OVERALL HEIGHT (metres) OVERALL WIDTH (metres) OVERALL LENGTH (metres) PRESENT LOCATION DESTINATION EXACT ROUTE TO BE FOLLOWED MOVING DATE PROPOSED TIME OF MOVE NOTE: A MAP SHOWING THE EXACT ROUTE THE ABOVE DESCRIBED LOAD MUST ACCOMPANY THIS APPLICATION. D Please Note: Invoice will not be issued Make Cheque payable to the County of Elgin PERMIT FEE: $200.00 *[If application submitted more than 5 business days' prior to intended date of move.] PERMIT FEE $400.00 *[If application submitted less than 5 business days' notice prior to intended date of move.] I have read, understand and agree to the conditions set forth on this application and assume all cost incurred by the County of Elgin, liability for all damages which may be incurred and to indemnify and hold harmless the County of Elgin from any actions, claims, suits or demands made against the County by any person arising out of the issuance of this permit. (REFER TO CONDITIONS ON REVERSE) SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT DATE SIGNED POSITION SECTION 3 SPECIAL CONDITIONS AND APPROVAL [OFFICE USE ONLY] REFUNDABLE SECURITY DEPOSIT (if applicable) PROOF OF LIABILITY INSURANCE: YES NO AMOUNT OF COVERAGE: TYPE OF ESCORT REQUIRED (see conditions on reverse) SPECIAL CONDITIONS Director of Engineering Services Designate Date Signed CONDITIONS 1. This permit is issued pursuant to Section 110 of the Highway Traffic Act (Ontario) and is subject to the conditions set forth below. The permit holder must comply with all requirements of the Highway Traffic Act (Ontario) and this Permit shall not and does not grant permission to disobey any such requirement or provision of such Act or any Regulation enacted in relation thereto. 2. Overweight Vehicles /Load: Where required by the Director of Engineering Services or an authorized designate for the County of Elgin and prior to commencement of any move authorized by a Permit issued therefore, the Applicant, at his, her, or its full expense, shall arrange for and produce an assessment or, if directed, multiple assessments of the structural integrity of any and all County Roads incorporated within the intended route of the permitted move and as to the capacity of such road or roads, or any portion thereof, to withstand and support the size and weight of the load /vehicle to be moved, provided that such assessment or assessments shall at all times be completed by a qualified engineer acceptable to and approved by the Director of Engineering Services prior to commencement of any such assessment or assessments. *Applications for any overweight vehicles must include accurate axle spacing diagrams and calculations. 3. No portion of any County road shall be closed at any time to accommodate the move for which a Permit is issued. The transporter must at all times cause the least degree of interference with vehicular and pedestrian traffic on any County road during the course of such permitted move. 4. A refundable security deposit as against damage repair costs may be required by the County of Elgin in respect of any permitted move. The Applicant agrees to pay /submit such deposit in the form and of the amount specified by the Director of Engineering Services or an authorized designate. The Applicant and /or the transporter shall at all times be responsible for and shall arrange for repair of any and at damage caused to any County road through the course of any move for which a Permit is granted. 5. Before submitting any Application for an Oversize /Overweight Moving Permit, the Applicant shall arrange for and thereafter maintain and produce evidence of paid up property damage and public liability insurance of not less than $5,000,000.00 coverage for the period during which the Permit is to be effective, in respect of which policy of insurance the Corporation of the County of Elgin is to be named as an additional insured. 6. This Permit is not valid: 7 a) On roads other than County roads under the jurisdiction of the Corporation of the County of Elgin and as defined and identified pursuant to the Elgin County Road Consolidating By -Law, as amended; b) At any time when due to insufficient light or unfavourable atmospheric conditions, persons and vehicles on such County road are not clearly visible at a distance of 150 metres; c) Between one half hour before sunset and one half hour after sunrise; and d) On any Saturday, Sunday, or statutory holiday. 7. This Permit is valid: a) Between one half hour after sunrise and one half hour before sunset; and b) On each Monday through Friday of the calendar year save and except for any statutory holiday falling on those days. 8. Overweight Permits are not valid and will not be issued during the months of March and April or at any other date where "half load" season is in force. 9. This Permit must be produced on demand of a police officer or an officer appointed for carrying out the provisions of the Highway Traffic Act (Ontario). 10. This Permit is issued on the condition the Permit holder accepts responsibility for any and all damage that may be caused to overhead wires, structures, roads, infrastructure, signs or railway right -of -ways. The Permit holder must obtain the necessary approvals from all encroachments and /or any provincial or municipal Permits required for the proposed routes. 11. The load /vehicle for which an Overweight/Oversize Moving Permit is issued shall be configured in compliance with the following rules: a) Where Permit required due to excess height articles not to be loaded one on top of the other. b) Where Permit required due to excess width articles not to be loaded side by side or crosswise. c) Where Permit required due to excess length articles not to be loaded one behind the other and, in the event of any overhang over the rear of the support vehicle and trailer, such overhang shall not exceed 4.65 metres from the centre of the rear most axle. d) Where Permit required due to excess weight only one article permitted when crossing bridges, vehicles over 45,400 kg gross weight must be operated at lowest practicable speed bridge postings and load restrictions pursuant to Part 8 of the Highway Traffic Act (Ontario) shall apply. 12. Vehicles and loads in excess of the width and /or length prescribed under Section 109 of the Highway Traffic Act (Ontario) shall be marked with four or more flags, one as near as practicable to each corner of the vehicle or load. The flags shall be bright red or orange in colour and shall be not less than 40 cm X 40 cm square. Where a vehicle or load is wider at any point or points on either side than at the corner, it shall, where practicable, be so marked with such a flag at the widest point on each side. 8 13. Vehicles and loads in excess of the length prescribed under Section 109 of the Highway Traffic Act (Ontario) shall, in addition to the flags required under Condition 11, display on the rear, in a clearly visible position, a sign bearing the words "LONG LOAD" in black letters at least 200 mm wide with lines forming the letters at least 30 mm wide on a yellow background. The sign to be removed or covered when not in use. 14. Private and /or police escort shall accompany any overweight/oversize load and /or vehicle where such load and /or vehicle exceeds the dimensions set forth below: a) b) LoadNehicle Width 2.61 m to 3.99 m 4.0 m to 4.99 m 5.0 m and greater LoadNehicle Length 23.01 m to 36.75 m 36.76 m to 45.74 m 45.75 and greater Escort Requirement No escort required Private escort required Police escort required Escort Requirement No escort required Private escort required Police escort required Where escort vehicles are required, the following rules apply: a) The escort vehicle or vehicles shall be operated by a person not less than 18 years of age licensed to operate a motor vehicle in the Province of Ontario. b) The escort vehicle or vehicles shall not have more than 2 axles and a wheelbase length of not less than 2.65 metres and shall be equipped with an amber flashing roof light visible from the front and rear for a distance of at least 150 metres and shall precede on a two lane roadway or follow on a four lane roadway at a distance of 60 to 150 metres and shall bear a sign clearly visible for a distance of at least 150 metres, "CAUTION OVERSIZE LOAD FOLLOWS" or "CAUTION OVERSIZE LOAD AHEAD" as the case may be in black letters at least 200 mm high with lines forming the letters at least 30 mm wide on a yellow background. The sign to be removed or covered when not in use. c) When escorting a load /vehicle in excess of 4.00 metres in width, the escort vehicle or vehicles and towing vehicles shall be equipped with a working two -way radio communication device permitting inter communication between vehicles. d) All escort vehicle or vehicles shall be equipped with a fire extinguisher in effective working order and at least six 45 cm (18 traffic cones. e) All units involved in the permitted move, including load vehicle and escort vehicles, will be operated with headlights activated when traveling on a County road. 15. This Permit may be terminated at the discretion of the Director of Engineering Services or an authorized designate for the breach of any condition of this Permit.