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April 27, 2010 AgendaORDERS OF THE DAY FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010 10:00 Ao fV1 PAGE ORDER 1st Meeting Called to Order 2nd Adoption of Minutes April 13, 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" 1 -23 6th Reports of Council, Outside Boards and Staff 7th Council Correspondence see attached 1) Items for Consideration 24 -30 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 31 -33 13th Consideration of By -Laws 14th ADJOURNMENT NOTICE: May 11,2010 May 25. 2010 LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED 9:00 a.m. County Council Meeting 9:00 a.m. County Council Meeting Staff Reports (ATTACHED) REPORTS OF COUNCIL AND STAFF April 27, 2010 2 Branch Supervisor (acting as CAP Manager) CAP Program Impact on Youth Interns and the Residents of Elgin County 5 Director of Community and Cultural Services Creative Communities Prosperity Fund Successful Application 8 Director of Community and Cultural Services Branding of Library Van 11 Director of Engineering Services County Road Inventory Low Class Bituminous Roads 17 Director of Engineering Services Dexter Line EA Public Meeting General Manager of Economic Development Tourism Signage Policy (to be included on Friday Fax) 1 INTRODUCTION: DISCUSSION: REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Mary Lou McMillan Branch Supervisor (acting as CAP Manager) DATE: April 6, 2010 SUBJECT: CAP Program Impact on Youth Interns and the residents of Elgin County The Community Access Program, otherwise known as CAP, is a Government of Canada Initiative, administered by Industry Canada that aims to provide Canadians with affordable public access to the Internet and the skills they need to use it effectively. Elgin County Library is proud to have participated in the CAP Program since 1994. Annual grants for this program approximate $65,000.00. Elgin County Library had eight CAP Youth Interns working in all 10 library branches, from September 2009 until the end of March 2010. This report is to inform Council on the positive impact that this work experience has had on the CAP Youth Interns. Further to their success is the impact on residents of Elgin County as a result of the CAP Program. The work term just completed had 6 first time and 2 returning CAP Youth Interns. Each Youth Intern was required to complete a monthly checklist which gave them specific tasks to complete using different skills. The checklists were developed by the CAP Coordinator in conjunction with the CAP Manager. The March checklist required the CAP Youth Interns to send the CAP Manager a summary of their CAP experience. Here are some comments (in their own words): I have had the ability to not only improve patrons' computer skills, but also my own. I have improved in my ability to work with all different types of people. The Community Access program is a great program that teaches the youth that work in the program so much. I personally learned how to over come challenges that I faced along the way. Before the program, I had terrible time management skills. 1 just did work when it was convenient and went 'bops" when I forgot to do something. I now am planning out things to do for a week, days in advance. Sometimes things don't always go the way I planned and I just have to deal with it. Overall, I think that this job has provided me with lots of opportunities to grow as an individual and I've had a lot of fun doing it. Thank you for the opportunity! Another trouble I had, was talking on the phone where now I am comfortable with using the phone at work and at home. I have now become more of a positive and organized person thanks to the CAP program. I think that this whole term was really for me a good time to learn not only about computers, but about myself. Working as a CAP worker has improved my people skills exponentially. I never used to be able to talk to strangers, I would be too nervous even to say hi. Now I find myself striking up conversations with complete strangers, and loving it. 1 gained many skills here as a CAP worker that I hope will serve me well in the future. Some of the skills that I learned are talking to people, spreading information to people to start word of mouth advertising, organization, and time management. At the end of 7 months of this work, I find myself much more capable of teaching others, talking to those of all ages, and even creating lesson plans, just to name a few. Nearly all of my job related skills have been drastically improved by this fantastic job. Working at the library has helped me improve many skills such as talking to new people, as I found out that word of mouth is the best way to get the word around. I have been able to do so much, while learning new skills that I will continue to use throughout my life. And I have been able to enjoy every minute of it. The Elgin County CAP Coordinator position was developed in 2008 and has been a vital factor in supporting the CAP Youth Interns. This position required visits to each of the CAP sites near the beginning and the end of the contract. This gave each of the Youth Interns one on one support. The CAP Coordinator oversaw the development of the Elgin CAP website, the monthly CAP newsletter, a monthly county wide cyber camp, the completion of required reports, and the sharing of information by all Youth Interns. This year there was a midterm CAP Workshop for the Youth Interns. The CAP Coordinator planned a successful workshop with a keynote speaker on Internet Safety. CAP Youth Interns were very impressed by the knowledge gained and developed Internet Safety sessions for children, teens, and adults in the CAP sites where they worked. In addition to the positive impact the program had on youth workers, there are numerous stories of the positive impact it had on the residents of Elgin County. One story in particular is worth mentioning. About two weeks before the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, a man came into the library and wanted to know how to set up an e-mail account, and then needed help to scan a few documents. The CAP Youth Intern assisted this gentleman and was told that he was a bus driver and he wanted all this done so that he could gain employment as a bus driver in Vancouver during the Winter Olympics. After the initial e -mail was sent applying for the position, he came back to the library every day to check his e- mail. He finally received an e -mail confirming that he got the job. What a great opportunity that was made possible by CAP! During 2008 -2009 and 2009 -2010, the library's administration of the CAP program was audited by Industry Canada to ensure value for investment. In both cases, representatives were impressed with the library's ability to produce qualitative and quantitative statistics regarding public use of the program and how funds are allocated. The funding for the CAP Program is currently under review by the Federal Government. The elimination or reduction of this program would have a significant impact on the residents of Elgin County. Staff recommend that the Warden issue a letter of support advocating for long -term and sustainable funding for this program. CONCLUSION: The CAP Youth Interns have expressed their gratitude for the chance to work for the County of Elgin. Skills improved were: people skills, time management, planning, adaptability, computer skills, telephone skills, and organizational skills. The program also had a meaningful impact on the residents of Elgin County, particularly seniors and those who would otherwise not have access to technology. RECOMMENDATION: THAT the Warden on behalf of County Council issue a letter to the Federal Minister of Industry in support of the Community Access Program encouraging long -term and sustainable support for the program; AND THAT the Warden write a letter encouraging MP Joe Preston and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to also write the Minister in support of the program. All of which is Respectfully Submitted Ap Nla Lou cMilfan B ,anch Supervi Brian Masschaele Director of Community and Cultural Services Submission Mark G. McDona Chief Administrative Officer El zip c"Ltn FROM: Brian Masschaele Director of Community and Cultural Services DATE: April 12, 2010 SUBJECT: Creative Communities Prosperity Fund Successful Application INTRODUCTION: This report informs Council that the Department of Community and Cultural Services has been successful in its application to the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture for funding from the Creative Communities Prosperity Fund to extend the cultural asset map project. DISCUSSION: In October 2009, Council endorsed the following recommendation: "Elgin County Council wholeheartedly endorses an application to the Ministry of Culture's Creative Community Prosperity Fund to support the development of a cultural asset map for the County of Elgin as part of the County's pro- active approach to municipal cultural planning." Staff are pleased to report that this application has now been approved in the amount of $23,722 with no additional funds required from the County. This funding will enable staff to carry out interactive components of the mapping project such as photographs and linkages to on -line resources, as well as improvements to a similar map produced by the Arts Cookery Bank in West Lorne. A press release from MPP Steve Peters regarding this funding is attached to this report. CONCLUSION: REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL Staff will update Council on the progress made to date on this project in the coming weeks. RECOMMENDATION: THAT the Warden and /or CAO be authorized to enter into a contribution agreement with Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture under the Creative Communities Prosperity Fund for the purposes of extending the Elgin County Cultural Asset Map project. All of which is Respectfully Submitted Brian Masschaele Director of Community and Cultural Services Mark G M Chief Administrative Officer Brian Masschaele From: To: Cc: Subject: Press release Attachments: Craig. Craig Bradford, Communications Assistant Office of Steve Peters, MPP Elgin- Middlesex- London (519) 631 -0666, ext. 21 (519) 631 -9478 (fax) For Immediate Release April 13, 2010 Peters_Steve MPP -CO speters.mpp.co @liberal.ola.org] Brian Masschaele Sent: Wed 14/04/2010 2:07 PM Page 1 of 2 Brian... As per our conversations just a minute ago, here is the press release that I sent out yesterday. Let me know if you need anything else and bye for now... Grants help Elgin -St. Thomas benefit more from culture Ontario government using cultural assets for economic development ST. THOMAS The provincial government is helping two local organizations tap into the creativity within their cultural communities to generate new opportunities for economic growth and job creation. The County of Elgin has received $23,722 from the Creative Communities Prosperity Fund which helps municipalities and First Nations develop culture as a key part of their economic development strategies. The fund also supports not for profit organizations. This investment supports the province's Open Ontario Plan. The plan will build a new foundation for economic growth and jobs in Ontario. In other cultural funding news, the Elgin Military Museum has received $800 from the Museums and Technology Fund. This program invests in technology projects that help develop the arts and heritage sector at the provincial and regional levels. Improved technology strengthens museums and the important role they play in education, community development, heritage conservation and cultural tourism. "Capitalizing on our cultural assets makes a sizeable contribution to local prosperity," Elgin- Middlesex- London MPP Steve Peters said. "These projects will help strengthen the community and while helping our region improve its economic advantage." LEARN MORE Find out about the Creative Communities Prosperity Fund Find out about the Museums and Technoloav Fund Learn more about Municipal Cultural Planning Learn more about Ontario heritaae -30- https: mail.elgin county.on.ca/ exchange brian. masschaele /Inbox/Press %20release.EML 14/04/2010 Elgin ou:1-t FA\ 0.ISS1i L'L 1 %fvfv REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Brian Masschaele Director of Community and Cultural Services DATE: April 15, 2010 SUBJECT: Branding of Library Van INTRODUCTION: DISCUSSION: CONCLUSION: This report seeks Council's authorization for a one -time exemption from the Visual Identity Standards for use of the County's logo so that branding of the library's delivery van can proceed at the lowest possible cost. Staff wish to modify the exterior of the Elgin County Library's delivery van to incorporate County branding while also achieving a stronger affiliation with the library. This vehicle has a relatively high profile given that it travels throughout the County on a daily basis and is therefore an excellent source of publicity. The re- branded van will also serve as a focal point to the entrance to the Community Tent at the International Plowing Match. The County is very proud of the Visual Identity Standards that go along with usage of the logo. Indeed these standards have won the County a major award. Nevertheless, some flexibility is required from time to time for practical reasons. The shade of green that the van is currently painted in is slightly different than the shade recommended in the Visual Identity Standards. As a result, staff feel it prudent to seek Council's authorization for a one -time exemption from the Visual Identity Standards so that this project can proceed without the need to re -paint the van entirely in order to save costs. Staff are satisfied that the proposed usage of the logo on the van's current background is within the spirit of the policy and will not impact the integrity of the County's award winning branding initiative. A design concept is attached for Council's information. Assuming re- painting of the entire van is not required, it is estimated that this project will cost in the vicinity of $3000, with funds already allocated in the County's reserve for the International Plowing Match. RECOMMENDATION: THAT an exemption be granted to the Department of Community and Cultural Services to proceed with use of the County logo for promotional purposes on the Library Services delivery van. ofvwhich is p esp_ctfully Submitted Arian Masschaele Director of Community and Cultural Services Mark G. 1O Dpna#d Chief Administrative Officer INTRODUCTION DISCUSSION REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Clayton Watters, Director of Engineering Services DATE: April 9, 2010 SUBJECT: County Road Inventory Low Class Bituminous Roads A recommendation of the Hipson Inquest was to review the County low class bituminous roads and provide a geotechnical assessment due to the fact that there were no records of pavement condition, age of road or construction details. The reporting was to determine the present condition and composition of roadway pavement, to identify potential stability issues with cut and fill sections and geotechnical engineering recommendations for repair and /or reconstruction where such works are deemed necessary. A consulting company has provided the County engineering staff (county solicitor also has copies) with reports that deal with those issues and this report will outline the consultant's recommendations to invest capital and /or to monitor specific localized areas. Prior to 1990 the County of Elgin had approximately 110 kilometers of gravel roads. Those road structures were a layer of 50 to 75 mm of gravel overlaying a sandy to clay base depending on the geographical area. During the 1990's the County transformed those roads by applying various thickness of Granular A and apply a double surface treatment. This created an improved level of service, while reducing operational costs. Engineering records for those roads were limited to the number of tonnes of gravel per road section. When County roads are reconstructed, engineering drawings are completed and the County knows with great certainty what pavement structure exists. Presently, the County of Elgin has approximately 110 kilometres of low class bituminous roadways. These roads have not been reconstructed and therefore very little information exists about them. A geotechnical consultant reviewed the low class bituminous county roads and provided the following recommendations: 1 Road 1 Concerns Recommendations Capital Expenditure Road Concerns Recommendations Capital Expenditure Road Concerns Recommendations Capital Expenditure 1 Road 1 Concerns Recommendations Capital Expenditure 1 Road 1 Concerns Recommendations Capital Expenditure 1 Road Concerns Recommendations Capital Expenditure 1 Dunborough Road 1 Drainage improvements from Crinan Line to Stalker Line Short Term: Monitor situation Long Term: Municipal drain required along with roadside ditching $100,000 McDougall Line Nil Nil Nil Stalker Line Road stability concern near Colley Road Short term: Monitor situation Long Term: Additional structural side support Short Term: Nil Long Term: $25,000 1 Duff Line 1 Narrow road structure Largie Bridge Short Term: Monitor Long Term: Replace structure and improve roadway Short Term: Nil Long Term: $750,000 1 Duff Line 1 Embankment stability concern near Iona Road Short Term: Monitor situation Long Term: Additional structural side support Short term: Nil Long Term: $1,000,000 1 Third Line 1 Poor road structure from Iona Station easterly 2 kilometres Short Term: Monitor Long Term: Pulverize, apply granular A and double surface treatment with a cape seal in the 2010 capital program. Short Term: Nil Long Term: $100,000 1 Road 1 Concerns Recommendations Capital Expenditures 1 Road 1 Concerns Recommendations Capital Expenditures 1 Road 1 Concerns Recommendations Capital Expenditures 1 Road 1 Concerns Recommendations Capital Expenditures 1 Road 1 Concerns Recommendations Capital Expenditures Road 1 Concerns Recommendations Capital Expenditures 1 Magdala Road 1 Poor drainage from Second Line north. Short Term: Monitor Long Term: Municipal drainage and maintenance ditching Short Term: Nil Long Term: $100,000 1 Magdala Road 1 Unstable slope north of Second Line. Short Term: Monitor Long Term: Additional structural side support and additional drainage system Short Term: Monitor Long Term: $25,000 1 Sparta Line 1 Poor drainage east of Meeks Bridge Short Term: Monitor Long Term: Municipal drainage and maintenance ditching Short Term: Nil Long Term: $50,000 1 Sparta Line 1 Poor drainage Southwold Central Elgin boundary Short Term: Monitor Long Term: Municipal drainage and maintenance ditching Short Term: Nil Long Term: $100,000 1 Sparta Line 1 Steep embankment east of Bostwick Road Short Term: Monitor Long Term: replace structure, additional structural side support Short Term: Monitor Long Term: $1,000,000 1 Caesar Drive 1 Road instability Short Term: Monitor Long Term: Additional structural side support Short Term: Nil Long Term: $100,000 1 Road Concerns Recommendation 1 Capital Expenditures Road 1 Issue Recommendation Capital Expenditures 1 Road Issue Recommendation Capital Expenditures Road 1 Issue Recommendation Capital Expenditure Road 1 Issue Recommendation Capital Expenditure Road Issue Recommendation 1 Capital Expenditure 1 Avon Drive Drainage improvements east of Belmont and road instability east Belmont and Belmont East Bridge Road is maintained by Thames Centre and therefore notify Thames Centre 1 Nil for the County of Elgin Glen Erie Line Road instability concerns at seven areas Short Term: Monitor Long Term: Additional structure side support Short Term: Nil Long Term: $950,000 Richmond Road Drainage concerns 500 meters north of Cooks Bridge northerly 500 meters Short Term: Maintenance ditching Long Term: Pervious drainage catchments system Short Term: Nil Long Term: $50,000 Richmond Road Slope stability concerns north of Phillmore Bridge Short Term: monitor Long Term: Additional structure side support Short Term: Nil Long Term: $1,000,000 Ferguson Line 1 Road side stability concern east of Bucks Bridge Short Term: monitor Long Term: additional structure side support Short Term: Nil Long Term: $50,000 Pigram Road Nil Nil Nil 1 Road 1 Issue Recommendation Capital Expenditure 1 Road 1 Issue Recommendation Capital Expenditure 1 Elgin County Road 55 1 Drainage concerns between Glen Erie Line and Tunnel Line Short Term: Monitor Long Term: Additional structure side support Short Term: Nil Long Term: $75,000 1 Elgin County Road 55 1 Unstable embankments Short Term: Monitor Long Term: Additional structure side support Short Term: Nil Long Term: $100,000 In the short term all the above locations will be monitored and the long term solutions require $5,575,000 to complete permanent solutions. It should also be stated that on the approximately 590km of remaining county roads additional work is also required for lateral support in some areas. These locations include: Iona Road at Iona Bridge (require road relocation and new bridge, estimated cost of $5,000,000); Furnival Road at Johnson Line (require additional drainage and structural side support, estimated cost of $100,000); Dexter Line near Port Bruce (road relocation, estimated cost of $5,000,000) to name a few locations that require capital expenditures. Also, as stated in the AECOM Road Needs Study (2008) the County of Elgin's present budget is inadequate to maintain the existing network. The recommended budget of $14,820,000 (2008 dollars) is required annually and that amount does not include these new recommendations to maintain the County road system. The present shortfall is more than $10 million dollars annually and therefore, the road needs deficit if further increased with these new recommendations. The consultant has also concluded that for all low class bituminous roads inventoried, "the pavement structure is considered capable of carrying current traffic loading, however, due to areas of relativity thin pavement structure and or topsoil, spring load restrictions should be maintained and enforced At this time there will be no changes to the posting of the low class bituminous roads and for the months of March and April each year these roads will remain posted to half loading. CONCLUSION A study was recommended for all low class bituminous roads in Elgin County as per the Hipson Inquest. A geotechnical consulting firm completed that assessment and provided recommendations for improving the road stability. County engineering staff reviewed the areas that required improvements such as: structural support for roadside slopes and road side ditching. The short term recommendations are to monitor the areas and the long term recommendations require $5.6 million of improvements. It should be noted that there is a yearly capital shortfall of more than $10 million to adequately maintain the County of Elgin road network. Staff will continue to prioritize projects to maintain the safety of our road network. RECOMMENDATION That this report, County Road Inventory Low Class Bituminous Roads, be received and filed, and; That the consultant's identified works be added to the County's infrastructure capital needs list. p y Approved Respectfully Submitted A rove for Submission C LA_ Clayton D. Watters Director of Engineering Services Mark G. McDo Chief Administrative Officer FROM: Clayton Watters, Director of Engineering Services DATE: February 9, 2010 SUBJECT: Dexter Line EA Public Meeting INTRODUCTION The County of Elgin is in Phase 2 of a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) planning process to address lakeshore 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 informs County Council of a public meeting date that is scheduled to satisfy some of the public consultation process for the EA. DISCUSSION /CONCLUSION REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL Dexter Hall, 45372 Dexter Line Wednesday, May 12, 2010 7:OOpm to 9:OOpm County staff and its consultants have scheduled a public meeting for lake bank erosion encroaching towards Dexter Line at: The meeting will be publicly advertised. Directly affected landowners and agencies will be also notified by letter. The meeting will begin with a brief presentation, updating attendees on the work done to date and will be followed with a question and answer period. A copy of the notice mailing is attached to this report for Council's information. RECOMMENDATION For Council's information. Respectfully Submitted Clayton D. Watters Director of Engineering Services Approve u mis Mark G. McDonald Chief Administrative Officer PROJECT INFORMATION Elgin County Road 24 (Dexter Line) Relocation Project Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (Phase 2) 1. CLASS EA PLANNING PROCESS APRIL 2010 County of Elgin The Elgin County Road 24 (Dexter Line) Relocation Project is being planned under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA), with the County of Elgin as Proponent. Spriet Associates are project consultants. A flow chart showing the Class EA planning process is provided in Figure 1. The public consultation program for the project includes three public meetings: March 19, 2008 (Phase 1 preliminary meeting) May 12, 2010 (Phase 2 public meeting) Fall 2010 (Phase 3 meeting date to be arranged) Since the 2008 preliminary public meeting, additional project studies have been undertaken, cost estimates prepared, and inquiries made regarding the availability of Provincial and Federal government funding. 2. PROBLEM STATEMENT The public response from the March 2008 public consultation favoured shoreline protection as the preferred alternative, with County Road 24 preferably to be retained in the existing location. The estimated costs for the Lake Erie shoreline protection alternative range from $32,000,000 to $51,000,000., depending on the type of shoreline protection utilized. The alternative of relocating the County road and constructing a shoreline groyne was estimated at 9,000,000., with relocation of the Port Burwell Secondary Watermain estimated to cost about another $1,000,000. The combined costs of relocating County Road 24 and constructing shoreline protection exceeds the financial capabilities of Elgin County for a capital works project. It was determined that any type of shoreline protection would only be feasible with Provincial and /or Federal financial support. However both Provincial and Federal representatives have advised that no financial assistance is currently available. A related issue for funding and project approvals is that the section of Lake Erie shoreline that is subject to erosion and being considered for shoreline protection is privately owned. At the same time, further engineering studies have been undertaken, with two key findings: Further shoreline erosion has occurred, especially in the area near the Municipality of Central Elgin Township of Malahide boundary. Shoreline erosion is near to the point where the adjacent section of County Road 24 will have to be closed. The situation is being monitored on a regular basis. In contrast, the rate of shoreline erosion immediately west of Port Bruce is at a significantly slower rate than previously estimated, likely as a result of the nearby Port Bruce pier structure. A new shoreline erosion projection indicates that County Road 24 can be relocated without the requirement for construction of a shoreline groyne. SPRIET ASSOCIATES 2010.04.14 2031821HA02.wpd 1 Given the limited financial resources available and additional technical information, County of Elgin Council approved the following Problem Statement for the project in February 2010: The section of County Road 24 (Dexter Line) west of Port Bruce that is located near the Lake Erie shoreline (primarily Lots 1, 2 and 3, Concession 1, Township of Malahide. And Lots 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28, Concession 1, Municipality of Central Elgin) is subject to the hazards of shoreline erosion. A long term, cost effective solution is required that meet County of Elgin requirements and is consistent with the provisions of the Provincial Statement, 2005. The preferred solution should also be one that provides an access road to the Port Bruce community from the west, which does not cross Catfish Creek (which is subject to potential flooding). Preliminary studies indicate that the preferred solution will require the relocation of a portion of County Road 24 and or shoreline protection. Road relocation will need to include provisions for local property access to the new road, relocation of the Port Burwell Secondary Watermain (by others) and address the closure and disposition of the existing road section. Where shoreline protection is proposed consideration is required to minimize any possible adverse environmental impacts. A permanent access route will be needed to construct and maintain all erosion protection structures, possibly requiring property or easement acquisition. The Municipal Class EA is limited to decisions for the County Road. While the ongoing erosion problems along the Lake Erie shoreline are very significant, the shoreline area is privately owned. The County of Elgin has no jurisdiction or authorization to address shoreline erosion, other than as needed to protect the County Road. In addition, the County of Elgin is not responsible for the relocation of existing utility services, such as the municipal watermain and electrical services, that are within the County road allowance but not owned by the County of Elgin. However, the existing Port Burwell Secondary Watermain is critical infrastructure that serves many communities across eastern Elgin County and therefore should be considered while evaluating any solution. 3. PROJECT ALTERNATIVES The following alternatives are being considered as part of the Class EA: 1A Relocate County Road 24 and construct one shoreline groyne for road protection. 1B Relocate County Road 24 and construct a breakwall for road protection. 2 Retain existing County Road 24 alignment and construct full shoreline protection. 3A Relocate County Road 24 to an existing municipal road. 3B Relocate a portion of County Road 24 to a new road alignment. 4 Close County Road 24 west of Port Bruce to County Road 36. 5 Do nothing. The preferred alternative is currently Alternative 3B Relocate a portion of County Road 24 to a new road alignment. The next step in the Class EA planning process is to evaluate the proposed new road corridor (shown on the Location Map). Local property owners will be contacted in the near future to obtain permission for property access for study purposes. The results of this corridor study will be presented at the Phase 3 public meeting, which is planned for fall 2010. SPRIET ASSOCIATES 2010.04.14 2031821HA02.wpd 2 w con 4 4 Czi 1'1 W. to 4 4 U J W a. Q 0 C3 w F- Q LL A S rc 0 U 0 en caw O w Z V Ce 4 co P- co co LU L� o p 0)m 0)U? KO wish 4*. 2 ct Elgin County Road 24 (Dexter Line) Relocation Project County of Elgin Class Environmental Assessment PUBLIC COMMENT INVITED PHASE 2 MEETING NOTICE A section of Elgin County Road 24 (Dexter Line) located in the Municipality of Central Elgin and the Township of Malahide, between Martyn Line and County Road 73 in Port Bruce, will require relocation as a result of shoreline erosion. A preliminary public meeting was held on March 19, 2008 to review the problem and outline potential alternative solutions. Since then, a more detailed analysis of the problem has been completed, including preliminary cost estimates for project alternatives. Recent measurements indicate that additional shoreline erosion has occurred near the Township of Malahide and Municipality of Central Elgin boundary that is a concern for the near -term stability of County Road 24 and the Port Burwell Secondary Watermain. The County has also contacted both the Provincial and Federal governments to determine if funding is available for shoreline protection. The estimated costs for the Lake Erie shoreline protection alternative range from $32,000,000 to $51,000,000., depending on the type of shoreline protection utilized. The alternative of relocating the County road and constructing a shoreline groyne is estimated at 9,000,000. Watermain relocation is estimated to cost about another $1,000,000. These alternatives are only feasible with substantial funding. However, the County has recently been informed that no funding is currently available for the project. Based on funding constraints, the preferred alternative is to relocate a section of County Road 24 west of Port Bruce without shoreline protection. This alternative is now considered feasible following further engineering analysis. The proposed project is being planned as a Schedule C project under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) planning process. Public and regulatory agency input is being requested. A PUBLIC MEETING will be held on WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 2010, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm., at DEXTER HALL, 44805 DEXTER LINE, Central Elgin. All local residents and any other persons with an interest in this project are invited to attend the Public Meeting. WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS are invited, and should be directed to John R. Spriet, P. Eng., at Spriet Associates. Submissions should be received by FRIDAY, MAY 28, 2010, to be considered in the current phase of this project. For more information on this project, or to inspect a copy of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment document, contact Spriet Associates. John R. Spriet, P. Eng., Project Engineer SPRIET ASSOCIATES LONDON LIMITED 155 York Street, London, Ontario N6A 1A8 PHONE: 519 672 -4100 FAX: 519- 433 -9351 E -MAIL: mail @spriet.on.ca This NOTICE issued April 14, 2010, by the County of Elgin, proponent for the proposed project. Clayton Watters, P. Eng., Director of Engineering Services COUNTY OF ELGIN 450 Sunset Drive, St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 5V1 PHONE: 519- 631 -1460, ext. 4 FAX: 519- 631 -4297 E -MAIL: cwatters @elgin county.on.ca LOCATION MAP Elgin County Road 24 (Dexter Line) Relocation Project County of Elgin Class Environmental Assessment SPRIET ASSOCIATES 2010.04.14 ROBERTS LINE DEXTER LINE 46411 5 ,sivi R DIN MARTY -N. L1NE PROPOSED ROAD RELOCATION STUDY AREA (DASHED LINE) BASE MAP: COUNTY OF ELGIN, 2004 47640 rf• LINE m co JOHN WISE 48520 LINE LINE._ Iz MUNICIPALITY, d L Q OF 47697 CENTRAL, y, 0 DU, BOYNE 'ELGIN,/ LL1 t� 0 CAN —I 2 46360 SPARTA LINE 1 w SPARTA LINE 0 I �d X I -0 0 LAKE ERIE Fr CALTON LINE,- TOWNSHIP VIENNA OF 49227 MA. LAHIDE u.r PROJECT -STUDY AREA BOUNDARY (APPROX.) 'JAMESTOWN LINE COPENHAGEN PORT BRUCE YVILLE 49350 0 METRES 1000 RESPONSE FORM PUBLIC MEETING May 12, 2010 ELGIN COUNTY ROAD 24 (DEXTER LINE) RELOCATION PROJECT Municipal Class Environmental Assessment PUBLIC INPUT AND COMMENTS ARE INVITED for incorporation into the planning and design of this project. Please contact the undersigned at Spriet Associates if you require additional information. Comments will be received for this part of the project until FRIDAY, MAY 28, 2010. Name: Address: Phone: Date: Comments: Mr. John R. Spriet, P. Eng., Project Engineer SPRIET ASSOCIATES LONDON LIMITED 155 York Street, London, Ontario N6A 1A8 Phone: 519- 672 -4100 Fax: 519- 433 -9351 E -mail: mail @spriet.on.ca PLEASE PRINT Your comments will be included in the Class EA documentation. Postal Code: County of Elgin C®RRESP®IVDENCE -April 27, 20'10 Items for Information (Consent Agenda) - (ATTACHED) Gabriel Miller, Director of Advocacy, Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) thanking Council for supporting FCM's survey with letter to Minister Jim Flaherty. 2. Jim Pine, Secretary-Treasurer, Association of Municipalities of Ontario with Request for Nominations for the 2010 - 2012 AMO Board of Directors. 3. Mayor Dan Mathieson and Stratford City Council with an invitation to Civic Night at the Stratford Festival Theatre on Wednesday, June 16t", 2010 for the 8:00 p.m. production of "Kiss Me, Kate" with reception to follow. FCM Federation canadienne des municipalites 24, rue Clarence Ottawa (Ont.) KIN 5P3 Canada www.ftm.ca S 6 <A0 F c wt. 60 0'614 iryi V4 e Federation canadienne des municipalites Gabriel Miller Directeur; Promotions des intergts Tel. 613-907-6316 Telec. 613-241-7440 Courriel gmiller@fcm.ca 5, ,A,(7( keep t‘y1 e5 (.1i4 C je 11` (5 cck ce 6e y o 4 ke 1°‘)/ 6 6 5 6gbe- A M Association of Municipalities of Ontario April 16, 2010 To: Head and Members of Council From: Jim Pine, Secretary- Treasurer, AMO Kathy Zammit, Chief Returning Officer, AMO REQUEST FOR NOMINATIONS 2010 2012 AMO Board of Directors Please be advised that in accordance with the Association's governing by -law, the Secretary- Treasurer is requesting nominations to the 2010 2012 AMO Board of Directors. At last year's conference, an amendment to the by -law passed that changed the term of Board members from one year to two years, to take effect in 2010. Attached please find: A summary of the offices for each caucus for which elections will be held at the 2010 Annual Meeting; An estimate of the annual time commitment required to serve on the AMO Board of Directors and for those who will then serve on the AMO Executive Committee; and Nomination Form The names of all qualified individuals who are duly nominated will appear on the ballot for election to the Board. Please forward a completed Nomination Form to the Association via fax at (416) 971- 6191 or mail to the attention of Pat Vanini, Executive Director. Qualified Nominees must obtain a Council resolution of support which must also specify the Caucus for which the individual is nominated. Please note that the AMO Bylaw No. 1 stipulates that a member municipality can only have one representative on the Board unless another representative is on the board as an appointed official. See "Summary of Officers A completed Nomination Form and supporting material must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. Friday, June 18, 2010. Nominations will not be accepted beyond that date. All candidates will be contacted to confirm receipt of their nominations and at that time will receive further information on the election process. If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact Pat Vanini, Executive Director at (416) 971 -9856, ext. 316, e-mail pvaninie_amo.on.ca or Lorna Ruder, Executive Assistant, ext. 341, or IruderZamo.on.ca. At 10 Association of Municipalities of Ontario The following is an estimate of time individuals can normally expect to devote for service on the AMO Board of Directors and Executive Committee (i.e. Chair of each Caucus). Executive Meetings 10 days Memorandum of Understanding Meetings 10 days (Executive Committee only) Board Meetings: Executive Meetings: ANNUAL TIME COMMITMENT AMO Board of Directors and Executive Committee Board Meetings 7 days AMO Conference 3 days Other Commitments up to 6 days depending on interest (task forces, other meetings) Board meetings are normally held on the fourth Friday in September, November, January, March and June and on the Saturday and sometimes the Sunday prior to the AMO Annual Conference in August. The June meeting is normally held in the President's home municipality. In addition to the six Board meetings, Board members may also serve on AMO Task Forces. Executive meetings are held on the Thursday before a scheduled Board meeting and on the fourth Friday of the month when there is no Board meeting. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) meetings are specifically scheduled and are generally monthly. A110 Association of Municipalities of Ontario SUMMARY OF OFFICES AMO Board of Directors 2010 2012 Elections will be held for the 2010 2012 AMO Board of Directors consistent with the AMO By -law No. 1: President. 1 elected Official. Secretary- Treasurer. 1 municipal employee. 6 County Caucus Directors. To be Elected: Three elected officials and one municipal employee to be elected by caucus constituency at the conference. Appointed: Chairs of the Eastern and Western Ontario Wardens Caucuses. 7 Large Urban Caucus Directors. To be Elected: Five elected officials and one municipal employee to be elected by caucus constituency at the conference. Appointed: Chair of the Large Urban Mayors' Caucus of Ontario. 6 Northern Caucus Directors. To be Elected: Four elected officials to be elected by caucus constituency at the conference: two from the Northeast and two from the Northwest. Appointed: Chairs of the Federation of Northeastern Ontario Municipalities and the Northern Ontario Municipal Association. 7 Regional and Single Tier Caucus Directors. To be Elected: Six elected officials to be elected by caucus constituency at the conference. Appointed: Chair of the Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario's Single Tier Cities and Regions. 6 Rural Caucus Directors. To be Elected: Four elected officials and one municipal employee to be elected by caucus constituency at the conference. Appointed: Chair of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association. 6 Small Urban Caucus Directors. To be Elected: Four elected officials and one municipal employee to be elected by caucus constituency at the conference. Appointed: Chair of Ontario Small Urban Municipalities. Each of the above caucus members shall serve a one -year term. Excerpt from AMO Bylaw No. 1, Section 3.1 (a): No Member Municipality may be represented on the Board by more than one elected director (either an elected official or a municipal employee) except in the case where the director is an appointed official as set out in Section 3.1 (a). In the event that more than one elected official, or more than one municipal employee from the same Member Municipality....stands for election to a caucus, the official who wins the most number of votes at the annual meeting of members shall be deemed to have been elected to the board and the other official(s) or employee(s) from the same Member Municipality shall be deemed not to have been elected to the board. Association of Municipalities of Ontario It is the responsibility of the person nominated to file a complete and accurate Nomination Form. Nominations will be accepted no later than 4:00 PM Friday, June 18, 2010 Resolution of support from nominee's municipality must be attached, and must specify the Caucus. Nominee's Name as it is to appear on the ballot Nominee's Municipality Is Municipality currently a paid member of AMO? Yes No Secretary Treasurer Nominee's Municipal Title Nominee's Preferred Contact Information Address Town /City Postal Code Bus /Cell Phone Fax E NOMINATION FORM 2010 2012 AMO Board of Directors Send completed forms to: Pat Vanini, Executive Director Association of Municipalities of Ontario, 200 University Avenue, Suite 801, Toronto, ON M5H 3C6 FAX to: 416- 971 -6191 President Nominated for the Office of Director County Caucus Director Large Urban Caucus Director Northern Caucus Director Regional Single Tier Caucus Director Rural Caucus Director Small Urban Caucus Res Phone Email Council Resolution confirming Caucus and Council support for the nomination is ATTACHED. CONSENT OF NOMINEE AND STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATION Dated: Signature: Date Nomination Form Received at AMO offices: CERTIFICATE OF CHIEF RETURNING OFFICER Dated: Signature: Signature of Nominee Chief Returning Officer Check One Only n n n the Nominee mentioned in this Nomination Form do hereby consent to such nomination and declare that I am qualified to be elected and to hold the office for which I am nominated. I, the Chief Returning Officer, appointed by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, to officiate over these elections, do hereby certify that I have examined the Nomination form of the aforementioned Nominee filed with me and am satisfied that such Nominee is qualified to be nominated to the office indicated above. �,nsuin��r City of Stratford Ko hi Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 "Kiss Me, Kate" Festival Theatre 55 Queen Street, Stratford Performance: 8:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing you on June 16th! tnn1 tYatfof'd Dramatically Different! Mayor Dan Mathieson and Stratford City Council in co- operation with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival are pleased to invite all municipal staff, officials and their families to join us for Please join us for a Reception following the performance in the Paul D. Fleck Marquee Stratford Shakespeare Festival is providing a generous ticket discount and is offering A and B seating with tickets starting at under $40.00. If you would like to attend Civic Night, please reserve your tickets directly with the Festival by contacting the Box Office at 1- 800 567 -1600. Please advise the representative that you are calling to purchase tickets under the "City of Stratford's Civic Night Your ticket request will be processed and mailed directly to you or held at the Box Office to be picked up within 30 days of the performance. Additional information on the production and cast is available through the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's website at www.stratfordfestival.ca. For more information on accommodations, restaurants and shopping, please visit our website at www.citv.stratford.on.ca. If you should have any questions or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Pat Shantz at 519 -271 -0250, ext. 236. Dan Mathieson, Mayor COUNTY OF ELGIN By -Law No. 10 -14 "BEING A BY -LAW TO ESTABLISH A PAY SCHEDULE FOR EMPLOYEES COVERED BY THE JOB EVALUATION SCALE WHEREAS pursuant to Section 5(3) of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c.25, a municipal power, including a municipality's capacity, rights, powers and privileges under Section 8, shall be exercised by by -law unless the municipality is specifically authorized to do otherwise; and WHEREAS pursuant to Section 8 of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c.25, a municipality has the capacity, rights, powers and privileges of a natural person for the purpose of exercising its authority under this or any other Act; and WHEREAS pursuant to Section 9(1) of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c.25, broad authority is conferred on municipalities to enable them to govern their affairs as they consider appropriate; and WHEREAS By -Law No. 09 -27, as amended, presently establishes pay schedules for positions not covered by agreements or otherwise; and WHEREAS it is necessary to establish or to make changes to the remuneration to be paid to the persons holding these positions. NOW THEREFORE the Municipal Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin enacts as follows: 1. That the attached Schedule "A" and Schedule "B" be and the same are hereby adopted. 2. That By -Law No. 09 -27 be and the same is hereby repealed. 3. That this By -Law become effective on the first pay of 2010. READ A FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD TIME AND FINALLY PASSED THIS 27 DAY OF APRIL 2010. Mark G. McDonald, Chief Administrative Officer. Bonnie Vowel, Warden. 1. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES Chief Administrative Officer Manager of Administrative Services Ambulance and Emergency Management Coordinator Administrative Services Coordinator Tree/Weed Inspector /By -Law Enforcement Officer Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant 2. COMMUNITY CULTURAL SERVICES Director of Community Cultural Services Manager of Cultural Services Manager of Archives Branch Supervisor Curator of Elgin County Museum Library Coordinator Assistant Archivist Manager of Elgin County Museum Administrative Assistant Archivist Assistant Museum Assistant 3. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOURISM General Manager of Economic Development Marketing Communications Coordinator Economic Development Coordinator Tourism Development Coordinator Administrative Assistant 4. ENGINEERING SERVICES Director of Engineering Services Deputy Director of Engineering Services Manager of Corporate Facilities Building Sciences Technologist Engineering Technologist /Emergency Management Coordinator Land Division Secretary- Treasurer Administrative Assistant 5. FINANCIAL SERVICES Director of Financial Services Manager of Information Technologies Court Services Coordinator Financial Analyst Purchasing Coordinator Network Analyst Provincial Offences Administrative Clerk Provincial Offences Collections Officer Accounts Clerk 6. HUMAN RESOURCES Director of Human Resources Manager of Human Resources Human Resources Coordinator Payroll and Benefits Coordinator Human Resources Assistant Administrative Assistant Administrative Assistant 7. LONG -TERM CARE HOMES Director of Homes Seniors Services Manager of Resident Care Manager of Support Services Manager of Program and Therapy Services Administrative Assistant Ward Clerk SCHEDULE "A" By -Law No. 10 -14 POSITIONS Level 18 Level 10 Level 10 Level 6 Level 5 Level 3 Level 2 Level 14 Level 10 Level 6 Level 6 Level 6 Level 6 Level 5 Level 5 Level 3 Level 3 Level 2 Level 12 Level 6 Level 6 Level 6 Level 3 Level 14 Level 12 Level 9 Level 6 Level 7 Level 5 Level 3 Level 15 Level 12 Level 7 Level 7 Level 7 Level 6 Level 5 Level 5 Level 3 Level 14 Level 10 Level 8 Level 7 Level 5 Level 3 Level 2 Level 14 Level 12 Level 8 Level 8 Level 3 Level 3 Estimated Salary Annual Level Salary at Base Rate 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 136,245.20 124,997.60 114,678.20 105,214.20 96,514.60 88, 561.20 81,244.80 74,529.00 68,377.40 63,317.80 58,622.20 54,272.40 50,268.40 46, 974.20 43,898.40 41, 022.80 38,347.40 35,835.80 (Base) Step 1 Step 2 74.86 68.68 63.01 57.81 53.03 48.66 44.64 40.95 37.57 34.79 32.21 29.82 27.62 25.81 24.12 22.54 21.07 19.69 SCHEDULE "B" By -Law No. 10 -14 Year 2010 Non -Union Salary Grid January 1, 2010 77.86 71.43 65.53 60.12 55.16 50.60 46.42 42.59 39.07 36.18 33.50 31.02 28.72 26.84 25.09 23.44 21.91 20.48 Estimated (Job Rate) Annual Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Salary at Job Rate 80.97 84.21 87.58 159, 395.60 74.29 77.26 I 80.35 146,237.00 68.15 70.88 I 73.71 134,152.20 62.52 65.03 1 67.63 123,086.60 57.36 59.66 62.04 112,912.80 52.63 54.73 56.92 103,594.40 48.28 50.21 52.22 95,040.40 44.29 46.07 47.91 87,196.20 40.64 42.26 43.95 79,989.00 37.63 39.13 40.70 74,074.00 34.84 36.23 37.68 68,577.60 32.26 33.55 34.89 63,499.80 29.87 31.06 32.31 58,804.20 27.92 29.03 30.19 54,945.80 26.09 27.13 28.22 51,360.40 24.38 25.36 26.37 47,993.40 22.79 23.70 24.65 44,863.00 21.30 22.15 23.03 41,914.60 Special Purpose Levels Step 6 Step 7 91.08 83.56 76.66 70.33 64.52 59.20 54.31 49.82 45.71 42.32 39.19 36.29 33.60 31.40 29.35 27.43 25.63 23.96 94.72 86.90 79.73 73.14 67.11 61.56 56.48 51.82 47.54 44.02 40.76 37.74 34.94 32.66 30.52 28.52 26.66 24.91 Staff Reports: (ATTACHED) CLOSED MEETING AGENDA April 27, 2010 1) Tree Commissioner Municipal Act, Section 240.2 (e) litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals, affecting the municipality or local board Tree Clearing 2) Director of Engineering Services Municipal Act, Section 240.2 (a) the security of the property of the municipality or local board Marianne Barrie Lease. 3) Director Human Resources Municipal Act, Section 240.2 (d) labour relations or Employee negotiations 2010 Negotiations Mandate. fax cover DATE: 4/23/2010 Send to: Warden Vowel, Councillor Marks Councillor Wilson Attention: Office Location: Fax Number: Call Group #s From: Mark G. McDonald, Chief Administrative Officer mmcdonald @elgin- county.on.ca Office Location: Administrative Services Phone Number: Ext. 161 Number of Pages, Including Cover: Li LJ REPLY ASAP Cl PLEASE COMMENT U PLEASE REVIEW LJ FOR YOUR INFORMATION COMMENTS: NOTICE: The County Council meeting scheduled for May 11 2010 has been cancelled. Reports of Staff and Council: 1. General Manager of Economic Development Tourism Signage Policy. (attached) Correspondence Items for Consideration: 1. Dave Martin requesting safety signage on Avon Drive in Belmont. (attached) Closed Meeting Item Additional Items for Council Agenda of April 27, 2010 1. Municipal Act, Section 240.2 (a) the security of the property of the municipality or local board 99 Edward Street (Restricted Circulation: Members of Board of Health Excluded). THE INFORMATION IN THIS FACSIMILE IS FOR THE NAMED RECIPIENT ONLY. IT MAY CONTAIN INFORMATION THAT IS PRIVILEGED, CONFIDENTIAL AND EXEMPT FROM DISCLOSURE UNDER APPLICABLE LAW. IF THE READER OF THIS MESSAGE IS NOT THE INTENDED RECIPIENT, OR RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERING THE MESSAGE TO THE INTENDED RECIPIENT, ANY DISSEMINATION, DISTRIBUTION OR COPYING OF THIS COMMUNICATION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED THIS COMMUNICATION IN ERROR, OR THERE ARE ANY PROBLEMS IN TRANSMISSION, PLEASE NOTIFY US BY TELEPHONE County of Elgin 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 5V1 Canada Phone: 519 631 -1460 Fax: 519 633 -7661 www.elgin- county.on.ca Progressive by Nature FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: INTRODUCTION: DISCUSSION: April 13, 2010 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL Kathryn Russell, Tourism Development Coordinator Alan Smith, General Manager, Economic Development Peter Dutchak, Deputy Director, Engineering Services Jim Bundschuh, Director, Financial Services Tourism Signage Policy On March 9, 2010 County Council approved staff's recommended process to develop a County Tourism Signage Policy and to report back with a revised policy for ratification. The recommended County Tourism Signage Policy takes into consideration the more prominent public concerns raised at the public meetings about the original Draft Tourism Signage Policy, as outlined in more detail in the following report. The recommended County Tourism Signage Policy is contained in Addendum "A" for County Council's consideration. Two public meetings were held on March 24, 2010 at the New Sarum Diner in Central Elgin and on March 25, 2010 at the Keystone Complex in Shedden. Approximately 20 people attended each public meeting, which included a presentation outlining the key elements of the Draft Tourism Signage Policy, followed by a question and answer session with public input. Some of the more prevalent concerns raised at the public meetings were related to the following: Option of including a Type 2 urban trailblazer sign, Contract and fee schedule, Signage eligibility criteria, Maximum signage distance to business, Timeline for removal and installation of signage. After considering the above public concerns staff has made the following changes and additions to the original Elgin County Draft Tourism Signage Policy. The public raised the concern that smaller trailblazer signs should be added as an optional sign type to accommodate directional turning points in residential and built up areas. As a result, the option of a second classification of tourism directional sign, for urban areas has been added to the Tourism Signage Policy. The smaller 90 cm x 70 cm signs will be installed on county urban roads with posted speed limits less than or equal to 60 kilometres per hour, on a first come first serve basis and in locations determined at the discretion of the County's Engineering department. The contract and fee schedule in the original draft policy has been replaced by a User Fee program for Type 1 rural and Type 2 urban trailblazer signage. Under a user fee program signage remains the property of the County. Therefore, through payment of the user fee, the tourism operator /applicant is not acquiring an interest in the sign asset. This process is in keeping with Municipal powers as set forth in the Municipal Act however the County's Schedule of Fees and Charges would need to be updated. Terms and conditions of the user fee agreement/application form will be developed with the assistance of the County's lawyer. Conditions to be considered, but not limited to, are: The annual fee is due by May 31st of each year in order maintain the presence of the sign, The County reserves the right to cancel the program at the time of renewal, Any changes to signage for any given location after approval of application will result in the user paying any and all actual costs associated with the change in addition to paying the annual user fee, If an application is rejected the cheque will be returned to the applicant. The annual user fee for both rural (type 1) and urban trailblazer (type 2) signage will be set at $200 per sign, with a $50 discount to members of Elgin /St. Thomas Tourism. The lower annual user fee addresses the concern raised in the public meetings, and the variety of correspondence the department has received (see Addendum B) that the five -year estimated signage cost was too high for tourism operators to pay in one lump sum, especially when taking multiple signs into consideration and the unexpected impact on current budgets. Addendum "C" provides an overview of a ten year financial plan for tourism signage. In the first year of the signage program, projected revenue is based on an estimated 200 signs (175 rural, 25 trailblazer) being erected with approximately 95% of those applicants taking advantage of the member discount. As the program grows in popularity, demand for signage is expected to increase over the 10 year time period. Costs in 2010 include manufacturing each sign, labour fees to dismantle and erect each sign location, salary costs and overhead costs. In subsequent years, costs of replacing damaged signs and removal of non compliant users, and interest charges will be factored into the net income (loss) of the program. By the year 2019, the signage program is expected to reach a near breakeven. In order to initiate the tourism signage program, it is recommended that a tourism signage reserve be created with the forecasted net expenditures in year one, $85,459.00, being allocated from the new reserve to the economic development budget. An issue of considerable debate during the public meetings was the eligibility criteria for obtaining the new county signage. Namely, membership in Elgin Tourism as a potential pre- requisite for obtaining signage. As noted above, those operators that are members of Elgin Tourism will receive a $50.00 discount which would reduce the cost of a sign to a market rate of $150.00 plus applicable taxes. Those organizations that decide not to take advantage of this discount opportunity will incur an additional $50.00 per sign for a total cost per sign of $200.00 plus applicable taxes. Those that are not members of Elgin /St. Thomas Tourism receive benefits from the County's tourism program and marketing efforts of the Economic Development department. Therefore, those non- members should pay an additional sum in order to receive the benefits of the County's substantial investment in the economic development program. The ten year plan assumes 95% of organizations participating in the signage program will receive the $50.00 discount. Although this membership figure is lower at present, it will be advantageous to those organizations which have multiple signs to invest in the $100.00 tourism annual membership thus resulting in the increase to 95 By investing in tourism membership they will receive additional advertising and promotional benefits which are enjoyed by participating tourism operators. Thus, Elgin County and St. Thomas Tourism membership will be encouraged, but not mandatory to be eligible for an Elgin County Tourism sign. Two types of organizations are eligible to apply for County tourism directional signage (1) for profit and (2) non profit organizations. Both types of organizations will be charged the $200 user fee with the opportunity to take advantage of the $50.00 discount. However, with respect to non profit organizations which currently have signage, the former STETA signs, TODS signage, and Bayham's tourism directional signage, staff is recommending that these signs be replaced at the County's expense. This would entail these organizations receiving a grant totalling $150.00 per sign. Based on STETA documentation, it is estimated that approximately 150 signs would be replaced resulting in an annual grant disbursement totalling $22,500. However, there will be non profit organizations that currently do not have signage or organizations that have current signage but may want more signs over and above their existing ones. In those cases, these non profit organizations will be directed to make a grant request to County Council. Staff have a detailed inventory of the number of Bayham and TODS signage, however, a detailed inventory of the former STETA signage will be undertaken as staff are currently working with files from an organization that is no longer in operation. Thus accuracy has not yet been confirmed though the STETA figures seem reasonable. Therefore, in order to compensate for any substantial discrepancies in the STETA records, a 15% contingency rate is incorporated. Thus staff is recommending that the total grant amount available to be disbursed for signage purposes have an upset limit of 172 signs or $25,880.00. It should be stressed that only non profit organizations located in the County of Elgin would be eligible to receive /apply for a tourism signage grant; and, these grants are not to be considered part of the tourism budget. Those organizations located in St. Thomas, both for profit and not for profit that meet the Elgin County Tourism signage program eligibility criteria can apply for signage on County roads. However, like for profit organizations, not for profit organizations located within the City of St. Thomas will have to pay for all requested tourism signage, unless the City offers a program similar to the County. In the spirit of partnership and to enhance visitor attraction to St. Thomas, staff is recommending that the City be granted permission to display its logo (see appendix B of the signage policy) on strategic signage locations on County property. For example, obvious ingress and egress to the City on such roadways as Highbury Ave, Sunset Drive, and Wellington Road. Although the County would be adding the City's logo to a County roadway sign does not significantly alter the price of the sign. However, if the City should change its logo, the City would be responsible for, at its cost, changing the signage header. By limiting signage which contains the City's logo to strategic locations reduces the magnitude of potential costs to the City at a later date if the City decides to update their brand (which is understood to be under active consideration). County Council should note that a meeting with City staff did take place recently on this matter and they indicated that this will be brought forward to St. Thomas City Council for review. The maximum signage distance allowed to tourism business from the sign location has been updated to 30 km to address the public concern that 15 km was not sufficient. To ensure a smooth transition from the removal of the TODS, Bayham and former STETA signs, every effort will be made as soon as a signage application is received to replace and install new Elgin County tourism signage. This will address the public's concern of not having a sign in place during the peak tourism season. CONCLUSION: The recommended Tourism Signage Policy takes into consideration the more prominent public concerns raised at the public meetings. As stated previously, the implementation of a signage policy in the County will address issues including; establishing criteria to define eligible tourism destinations and operations, create a process for obtaining and implementing tourism directional signage, update and provide a consistent design and image with current Elgin County logo /branding and improve way finding for tourists. Therefore enhancing the profile of tourism in Elgin County, and increasing visits to the County's many tourism services and facilities. Staff plans on having the tourism signage policy ready to be initiated by May 2010, with the replacement of the former STETA, TODS and Bayham signs by the end of August 2010. Following the ratification of the Tourism Signage Policy by County Council and tendering process, a mailing of a tourism signage application will be sent to former STETA and TODS signage holders, tourism members, and municipalities. Applications will also be available online and from the Economic Development Office. RECOMMENDATION: THAT the County Tourism Signage Policy as described in the April 13th report be ratified by County Council, and; THAT the County's Schedule of Fees and Charges By -Law be updated to include the tourism signage user fee as described in the April 13 report; and, THAT staff have the County lawyer assist with the preparation of the tourism directional signage application form and user fee terms and conditions /agreement as described in the April 13 report; and, THAT County Council create a Tourism Signage Reserve and approve net expenditures of $85, 459.00 to be allocated from this new reserve account to the 2010 economic development budget; and, THAT County Council increase the annual grant disbursement with an upset limit of $25,800.00 to accommodate Elgin County non profit organizations who currently have former St. Thomas Elgin Tourist Association signage, Tourism Ontario Directional Signage, and Municipality of Bayham directional signage, with new County of Elgin tourism directional signage; and, THAT County Council consider tourism directional signage grant request on an on -going basis as described in the April 13 report; and, THAT in the spirit of partnership, Elgin County Council grants the City of St. Thomas permission to display its logo on strategic locations on County property in areas of obvious ingress and egress to the City (e.g. Highbury Ave, Sunset Drive, and Wellington Road) in the form, number, and location approved by the General Manager of Economic Development; and, THAT the there is an understanding that should the City of St. Thomas logo change, it will be the responsibility of the City, and at its cost, to change the header if it so desires to update the image of the selected signs in the form, number, and location approved by the General Manager of Economic Development; and, THAT in order to meet production deadlines the City of St. Thomas be respectively requested to inform its interest in the proposal by no later than May 12t", 2010. All of which is Respectfully Submitted Approved f~r~Sab~r~~ssit~a~ ,, ,.. .s ~ ° ~~ l- / ~~ ~,o'. Alan Smith ` Mark G. cD~~al~ ~-~ General Manager, Economic Development Chief Administrative Officer Economic Development Deputy Director, Engineering Services ~m Bundschuh, Director, Financial Services 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.2 OBJECTIVES County of Elgin Tourism Signage Policy 1.1 PURPOSE OF ELGIN TOURISM SIGNAGE POLICY To define the eligibility, use, design and authority for tourism oriented directional signage on Elgin County road right -of -ways. 1) Elevate Elgin County's tourist destination image; 2) Inform Elgin County's road users of tourism operations and attractions; 3) Provide roadway directions to Elgin County tourism operations; 4) Increase the frequency and quantity of tourism visits by; i) Providing consistent tourism signage information to road users; ii) Improving the management and delivery of tourism signage to customers; iii) Protecting the safety of road users; iv) Minimizing additional road maintenance costs; v) Recovering program operating costs. 2.0 REGULATIONS 2.1 GENERAL PROVISIONS 2.1.1. Applicability Addendum "A" The Regulations define the requirements allowing eligible businesses and attractions to obtain tourism signage on County road right -of -ways in approved site locations. Tourism signage shall be located only where sufficient space for signs occurs along a route that will lead motoring tourists to their destination in a reasonably direct manner. 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 5V1 Canada Phone: 519 631 -1460 Fax: 519 633 -7661 www. e l gi n -co u nty. o n. ca 2.2 PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION County of Elgin Department of Economic Development and Department of Engineering shall jointly administer and implement the Elgin tourism signage program in the following areas: Department of Economic Development i) Approval or denial of tourism signage applications; ii) Approval of signage symbol and content; iii) Collection of fees and payment terms for tourism signage; iv) Receipt and refund of payment for tourism signage; Department of Engineering v) Approval of signage locations; vi) Supply of tourism oriented directional signage; vii) Erection and removal of tourism signage along County road rights -of way; viii) Replacement of signage; and ix) Removal of signage not consistent with this policy. 2.3 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA The following requirements must be met to be eligible to obtain tourism signage on Elgin County road rights -of -way: i) Only tourist -based businesses and facilities listed in Appendix "A" will be permitted to erect tourism signage on County roads. ii) The tourist -based operation and /or facility must be accessible by a road open to the general public. iii) A seasonal tourist operation must be open during a specific season with set days and hours of operation; no indeterminate tourist operation is eligible for tourism signage. iv) The tourist -based operation must have a reception structure such as a controlled gate, staff reception and orientation point or permanent interpretation panels or displays and have adequate off road parking. v) The operation must comply with all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws and regulations. vi) The tourism signage must not detract or interfere with other traffic control devices. vii) The signage must not interfere with visibility at intersections or entrances. County fif 1:70o 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 5V1 Canada Phone: 519 631 -1460 Fax: 519 633 -7661 www.elgin- county.on.ca 2.4 SIGNAGE CRITERIA 2.4.1 Type of Signage Elgin County tourism operators will have the opportunity to acquire (2) classifications of tourism directional signage: Type 1) Type 2) 2.4.2 Design Elgin County tourism directional signage will project a consistent design and image that will be easily identifiable by County road users. a) Elgin County tourism directional signage will contain the following design elements: b) The content of the sign legend shall be limited to the identification of the business by its operating name, the mileage to the business and a directional arrow. c) All sign legends are subject to the approval of the Department of Economic Development. d) Standard General Service Symbols and white Recreational Cultural Interest Symbols as displayed in the MUTCD (Manual of Universal Traffic Control Devices), as revised, may be used to indicate a general class of business. When symbols are Eu ey must be contained entirely within the border of the legend. If a symbol d t ltl the class of business, no symbol will be included on the sign. N5R 5V1 Canada No business logos or trademarks may be used in the tourism P 519- 631 -1416o signage le end. Fax:hone: 519- 633 -7661 g www.eigin- county.on.ca e) Size: Location: Size: Location: 240 cm x 60 cm Along county rural roads with posted speed limits greater than 60 kilometres per hour, within 1.0 metre of property line and not in front of an existing residential land use. The County determines the exact locations. 90 cm x 70 cm Along county urban roads with posted speed limits less than or equal to 60 kilometres per hour, at edge of shoulder rounding in urban areas and in boulevard in urban areas. The County determines the exact locations. A white reflective header with a full colour engineering grade reflective logo and tagline identifying Elgin County at the top of the sign (applies to first sign only) with the exemption beina the inclusion of the Citv of St. Thomas Joao on sianaae placed on strategic locations on County roads as determined by the General Manager of Economic Development; The principle body of the sign will be a blue background with engineering grade white reflective legend and border; The sign legend will be a maximum of two lines using Highways font, with one symbol as an option; 2.5 SIGN AND SITE SELECTION CRITERIA a) The location of other official traffic control devices shall take precedence over the location of tourism directional signage. b) The maximum distance allowed to the tourism business from the sign location is 30 km. c) A maximum of three Type 1 tourism signs shall be placed on one post location, with the Elgin County logo, branding sign at the top of the first sign. d) For the direction of traffic when approaching an intersection where more than one tourism directional sign is located, the order of the tourism sign shall be: First, businesses signed for the left direction; Second, businesses signed for the right direction; e) Where the total number of tourism signs to both the left and right are less than the maximum allowed for a double post location, the signs will be accommodated in one location. When tourism signs are located in one location, the order of the signs shall be: Top, businesses signed for the left direction, Bottom, businesses signed for the right direction. f) Position, height and lateral clearance of tourism signage shall be in accordance with the Ontario Traffic Manual and County Signing Standards. Appendix "B" provides illustrative diagrams as follows: Diagram I. Illustrates typical tourism signage layout. Diagram II. Illustrates location of tourism signage. g) The Department of Engineering shall give notice of their intention, then will remove permitted tourism signs in the event of the following: The location of tourism signage is needed to be utilized for roadway purposes or activities including construction, reconstruction or maintenance; The tourism operator is no longer in operation; The tourism operator declines payment thus renewal of signage; The location of a tourism sign endangers the health, safety or welfare of the public. h) When a tourism sign is removed and cannot be re- erected at an approved substitute location, the tourism operator shall be entitled to an appropriate pro -rata rebate of that part of paid annual fees applicable to the remainder of the term. i) All installation, removal and maintenance of tourism signage will be performed by the Department of Engineering or an approved contractor. At no time shall the tourism operator enter upon County road right -of ways for such purpose or perform any such activities within the roadway right -of -way. j) The granting of tourism directional signage does not convey any rights, title or interest to the County road rights -of -ways. 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 5V1 Canada Phone: 519 631 -1460 Fax: 519 633 -7661 www.elgin- county.on.ca 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 5V1 Canada Phone: 519 631 -1460 Fax: 519 633 -7661 www.elgin- county.on.ca 2.6 APPLICATION PROCESS 1. Every tourist operator must apply to the Elgin County Department of Economic Development for tourism directional signage to be located on County road right -of- way. No approval of application or sign installation will occur unless all requirements and criteria for eligibility have been satisfied. 2. Application packages can be obtained from the Department of Economic Development or the Elgin County web site, www.elaincountv.ca. 3. The effective date of applications delivered by mail or facsimile shall be the date and time of receipt by the County Department of Economic Development office rather than the date of mailing or the stated date on the application. Applications will be considered in order of date and time received. 4. The Department of Economic Development will act promptly in the denial or approval of any tourism sign application. The Department of Economic Development shall deny applications which do not comply with this policy. 5. The Department of Engineering will review the proposed sign location. If the sign location is not approved they will contact the tourism operator with an alternate sign location. 6. The applicant shall provide to the Department of Economic Development a complete application form. 7. The Department of Economic Development may reject any application which is incomplete. 8. The approved applicants shall have the right to request a change to their tourism sign, at their expense, provided that the changes conform to the regulations. Any changes to signage for any given location after approval of application will result in the user paying any and all actual costs associated with the change in addition to paying the annual user fee. 9. The Department of Engineering office will not accept any signs to be located along local municipal roads, only County roads. 10. If a tourism operator qualifies for tourism directional signage but is observed by County staff that there are existing operational problems created by the business, the applicant will be responsible to correct, at their expense, such problems as a condition of the sign(s) approval. These observed operational problems shall be items such as, but not limited to, the following: 1. Access improvement throat width 2. Radius 3. Relocation of access 4. Reduction in the number of access points 5. Provision of parking prohibitions on an adjacent roadway(s) 11. Upon approval of the tourism signage application, the sign will be installed within 4 -8 weeks. The sign remains property of the County of Elgin. 2.7 EXEMPTION Non profit Organizations Upon a satisfactory demonstration of submitting proof of being a non profit tourism operation, as listed in Appendix "A" and certification showing registration as a non profit entity, and /or provide satisfactory evidence with their application, which, in the determination of the Economic Development Department, will be eligible for the grant, the Elgin County non- profit organization can apply to County Council for a tourism grant of $150.00 per sign. Non profit tourism operations also have the option at any time to enter into the tourism signage user fee schedule at the expense of the applicant. 2.8 USER FEE SCHEDULE The Fee Schedule is attached as Appendix "C The Department of Economic Development will only accept payment for tourism directional signage fees in the form of cheques, money orders or certified funds. Payment per sign must accompany the submitted application. The Department of Economic Development shall not accept any payment in the form of cash and shall not be responsible for the transmittal of cash payments. 2.9 ANNUAL RENEWAL The annual User Fee is due by May 31s of each year in order to maintain the presence of signage. Notification of required payment for renewal of Elgin tourism directional signage will be mailed by the County of Elgin up to 60 days prior to the expiry date of the permit /agreement. The tourism operator shall submit full payment according to the fee schedule. If full payment is not received by the due date of May 31st, the tourism signage will be removed. 2.10 EXPIRY In order to maintain the presence of the sign, tourism operators must have paid the annual user fee by May 31S However, the County reserves the right to cancel the program at the time of renewal. of gi 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 5V1 Canada Phone: 519 631 -1460 Fax: 519 633 -7661 www.elgin- county.on.ca Appendix "A" Tourism Operations Eligible for Directional Signage Antique Dealers Banquet Halls Boat Launches Boat Rentals and Charters (canoes, kayaks, sailboats, rowboats, motorboats) Campgrounds Casinos Conference Centres Craft Centres Cultural Centres Destination accommodations, resorts, and inns Equestrian Facilities Farm -based Tourist Attractions Farmers Market's Fishing Golf Courses (Open to the Public) Hotels Bed Breakfasts Interpretive Centres Live Theatres Major Tourist Attractions Major Sport Facilities Marinas Motor Speedways Raceways Restaurants or Foodservice Establishments Shopping Store Locations Skiing Sports Fields Swimming Pools Transit Terminals Wineries Zoos 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 5V1 Canada Phone: 519 631 -1460 Fax: 519 633 -7661 www.eigi n- county.on.ca Appendix "A" continued Elgin County Non Profit Tourism Operations Eligible for Directional Signage Non commercial (non profit /community owned) operated tourism attractions that provide visitors with an experience in Heritage or Historical, Recreational, Entertainment, Natural, Cultural, Education activities. A categorized listing of qualifying non profit operation types are included below. Archives Arena and Community Centres Churches Conservation Areas Hiking Trails Historic Sites; Historic Heritage Buildings Federal Parks Libraries Murals Museums Parks Public Arts Organizations /Galleries Points of Interest; Plaques Provincial Parks Public Beaches Picnic Areas Scenic Lookouts /Natural Attractions Tourism Information Centres Tourism Related Associations Municipal Airports Note: Tourism operators located within the City of St Thomas can apply to have signage on Elgin County roads if they meet the stated criteria in this policy ouuuty of 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 5V1 Canada Phone: 519 631 -1460 Fax: 519 633 -7661 www.elgin county.on.ca APPENDIX "B" COUNTY OF ELGIN TOURISM SIGNAGE 17- 45cm 10cm (min) 90an Elgin TYPE 1 SIGNAGE- RURAL (>60KM/HR) 240cm Progressive by Nature TYPE 2 SIGNAGE- URBAN(<60KM/HR) HH Progressive by Naitire 105cm 15cm (min) NOTES: TYPE 1 1. SIGNS TO BE INSTALLED WITHIN 1.0 METER OF PROPERTY LINE. 2. SIGNS TO BE INSTALLED ON RURAL ROADS W1T-1 >60KM/HR SPEED LIMITS. 70cm TYPE 2 1. SIGNS TO BE INSTALLED ON URBAN ROADS WITH <60KM/HR SPEED UMITS. 2. SIGNS TO BE INSTALLED AT EDGE OF SHOULDER ROUNDING IN URBAN AREAS AND IN BOULEVARD IN URBAN AREAS. 3. TYPE 2 SIGNS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS ALL SIGN L' TIONS TO RE APPROVED Appendix "C" User Fee Schedule for Directional Signage Type 1) Size: 240 cm x 60 cm Annual user fee $200.00 plus applicable taxes, per sign. If the tourism operator is a member of Elgin /St. Thomas Tourism, a $50.00 discount will be applied to the above cost resulting in a cost per sign of $150.00 plus applicable taxes. A non profit organization that is successful in obtaining a tourism signage grant of $150.00 but is not a member of Elgin /St. Thomas Tourism would still have to pay an annual user fee of $50.00 per sign, unless tourism membership is obtained. Note: Tourism membership cost $100.00 per year Type 2) Size: 90 cm x 70 cm Annual user fee $200.00 plus applicable taxes, per sign. If the tourism operator is a member of Elgin /St. Thomas Tourism, a $50.00 discount will be applied to the above cost resulting in a cost per sign of $150.00 plus applicable taxes. A non profit organization that is successful in obtaining a tourism signage grant of $150.00 but is not a member of Elgin /St. Thomas Tourism would still have to pay an annual user fee of $50.00 per sign, unless membership is obtained. Note: Tourism membership cost $100.00 per year Note: The sign costs are staff estimates and are subject to change based on actual costs. 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 5V1 Canada Phone: 519 631 -1460 Fax: 519 633 -7661 www.elgin- county.on.ca April 7, 2010 Kathryn Russell Tourism Development Coordinator County of Elgin Economic Development 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, ON N5R 5V1 Dear Ms. Russell, Re: Draft Tourism Sinnaee PoIicv t Ky 1 Adrinistra or Municipality of Bayiiam P.O. Box 160, 9344 Plank Road, Straffordville, Ontario NOJ 1Y0 Tel: (519) 866 -5521 Fax: (519) 866 -3884 email: bayham@bayham.on.ca Thank you for the notice of Public Information Meetings held March 24th and 25th, 2010 regarding the draft County of Elgin Tourism Signage policy. Unfortunately, Bayham staff were unable to attend these meetings due to prior commitments. The draft policy was circulated to Bayham Council for information and input at its meeting April 1, 2010. Bayham Council did express some concerns regarding maximum distance requirements, as this may preclude certain sites advertising on key corridors, and precluding municipal logos on signs for locally owned tourism sites, as local municipalities also have certain branding and promotional goals In particular though, there were concerns with requiring removal of the existing destination signs in Bayham. As a result of discussions, the following resolution was adopted: "THAT Staff Memorandum regarding proposed County Tourism Signage Policy be received; THAT Bayham Staff petition Elgin County to `Grandfather' existing signage; AND THAT said signage be brought to County standard when these signs are replaced locally." Bayham Council suggests that in order to gain the most return on investment in current signs, that the current signs be "grandfathered", and become compliant with County policy at such time as they require replacement. We thank you for your consideration. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. April 7, 2010 The Tyrconnell Heritage Society is the 2007 recipient of the Ontario Historical Society Dorothy Duncan Award. Council of the Corporation of the Municipality of Central Elgin Elgin County Administration Building 450 Sunset Drive, St. Thomas, ON N5R Wi Re: Elgin County Draft Tourism Signage Policy APR 0 8 2010, Tyrconnell Heritage Society COUNTY OF ELGIN Backus-Page House ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES PO Box 26, 29424 Lakeview Line Wallacetown, Ontario NOL 2M0 I am writing on behalf of the Tyrconnell Heritage Society, which operates the historic Backus-Page House in the heart of the Talbot Settlement. The Tyrconnell Heritage Society was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1994. Since that date the organization has supported its mandate through the restoration of the Backus-Page House to its current role as -a mid 19 oentury interpretive site. The onsite programming of the Society seeks to address the social and cultural needs of the community and provide leadership in the preservation of heritage resources. As well as interpreting the history of the Thlbot'Suttlemeitt, the Baulcus-Page House also serves as a cultural centre forthe Municipality of Dutton/Dunwich, an area of Elgin County that has been historically under-serviced with cultural and heritage amenities As a small community museum organization and a longtime member of the St. Thomas Elgin Tourist Association, the Tyrconnell Heritage Society acts to realize the centrality of culture and heritage to the life of its citizens as a positive resource for social and economic growth. The activities of this nonprofit organization enhance the area's infrastructure and growth by operating as an er..omink generator for other enimunity businesses and institutions. Nonprofit organizations find support through -the -commitment of volunteer hours as well as financial and in-kind donations. The Tyrconnell Heritage Society yearly budget is a well-considered course of action designed to create a positive communal impact. Budget parameters are determined for the wining year well in advance with um& d towards allowable expenses fitting within available fiduciary limits. The introduction of the new Tourism Signage Policy, as outlined in the draft presentation at the Shedden Keystone Complex Tsurliic Information Meeting of1VIarch 25, 2010,11as given rise to concern within our organization and the community in general. The introduction of a policy of this nature, at such a late jun.cture, with yearly budget allowances already in place, is a significant development. For many small non-profit and local businesses, this new policy could have serious, even catastrophic, consequences. RECEIVED The lack of lead-time for those who might have been able to make budget adjustments to participate is negligible. The timetable for program implementation is questionable with the commencement of the removal of current signage to take place in June and July, inarguably peak visitoT -season. The stated intent of the policy is to have 'all new signage in place by the September date of the International Plowing Match. The Tyrconnell Heritage Society respectfully notes that while this is a significant event in the year's agenda it is a travelling one-time event. Local institutions and small businesses are here to stay and deserve due consideration. The proposed policy would accommodate the status fnonprofit organizations with one sign at no cost but this would in no way meet the needs of our organization in the same way as the signage program formerly enacted by St. Thomas Elgin Tourist Association. With limited funding -for eperations and staffing, the costs involved in taking part in this policy are simply beyond the means of the Tyrconnell Heritage Society. This additional expense could impede the ability of the Society to continue in its mandate there by impeding the development of core activities that encourage cultural vitality and economic development. The Society wishes to caution the Council to consider the serious ramifications for all organizations that would suffer the consequences should this policy come to pass. The Tyrconnell Heritage Society thanks the council for its attention to this matter. Patrick Mooney President Tyrconnell Heritage Society 519-762-3072 cc: Pnurity Wardenand. Mayor Bonnie Vowel and Clerk Treasurer Administrator Ken Loveland le You forwarded this message on 4/19/2010 12:22 PM. Alan Smith Page 1 of 1 Quai du Vin Estate Winery Alan Smith From: To: Cc: Subject: An ema of support for the Tourism Association Attachments: Hi Alan, It was brought to my attention that there are individuals (or organizations) that feel being a part of the Tourism Association should not be a prerequisite to usi the new tourism slgnage that is being developed for Elgin County (as an aside: I've seen niock-ups and they look great). This email is drafted as a show of support for the Tourism Association! I firmly believe that in order to effectively brand a region such as Elgin C you need a strong association of progressive businesses and individuals to work as a united front and present the consumer with both quality and consistency in the products, services and messages we create! While admit th that granting any business i to purchase o ts on the new tourism signage without membership in the Association would present a consistent and quality final message to the consumer; being allowed to do so without the oversight of a progressively-driven organization such as the Tourism Association would ultimately prove deleterious to the brand: Elgin County. The Tourism Association and the partnerships it fosters are a key driver to the sustainability of the tourism industry here. By allowing individuals to circumvent the current (and may I say successful) system in favour of their own anti-Machiavellian ideals; they threaten the long-term sustainability of the Tourism Association; by creative a membership disincentive, and in doing do undermine all of the positive efforts made to date in building a strong tourism industry. Please sustain the current mandate that the tourism signage, in development, requires membership in the Tourism Association!! I would be happy to voice this opinion in any additional in any other form to help sustain the current infrastructure. Thank you for your time and consideration, Cheers and keep up the great workl Jamie Quai ThIs message has been scanned by LamopameMail security service, provided by Protek Systems. Sent: Mon 4/19/2010 1:01 PM https://mail.elgin-county.on.ca/exchange/asmith/Inbox/marketing%20plan/signage/tourism... 4/20/2010 lid You forwarded this message on 4/21/2010 2:19 PM. Alan Smith From: Suzanne Steed Lavender Blue [info @lavenderblue.ca] To: Alan Smith Cc: Subject: county signage Attachments: Hi Alan As a member of the association, I am really pleased with the direction the Tourist Association has been taking. I am emailing you to express my support for Tourism Association members having the privilege to have a sign on county roads. Otherwise, would be unfair and undermines the purpose having a strong, credible Tourist Association that strives to promote tourism for all tourism and ancillary businesses. Thank you for your consideration of the matter. Suzanne Steed Lavender Blue (519) 494 5525 info @lavenderblue.ca www.lavenderblue.ca This message has been scanned by LastSpam eMail security service, provided by Protek Systems. Sent: Wed 4/21/2010 3:33 PM Page 1 of 1 https: /mail. elgin- county. on.ca/ exchange asmith /Inbox/marketing %20plan/signage /tourism... 4/23/2010 Kate Burns From: To: Cc: Subject: Kate Burns Alan Smith; Mark McDonald Kathryn Russell Questions from Muscats Attachments: Sent: Fri 4/9/2010 9:12 AM Good morning, I met with Pat Muscat yesterday and I am pleased to say that they signed up and paid for a 2010 Tourism membership. As a result of our meeting he had a number of questions in regards to signage, I advised that I would attempt to get the answers for him. Please see below; 1) Do not agree with forcing people to become a member of Tourism if they want a sign. Is there legal ground to do this? What other areas implement this? Devalues Tourism Services membership if forcing people to become members If membership required makes County signs $1000 more than TODS over the 10 year period 2) Consistency across County of signs At meetings it was said this was being done for consistency of signage across the County What is being done about illegal signs up across the County? Particular concern in regards to sign at the 4- corners of Sparta has caused a number of near miss accidents Need to enforce rules /bylaws of the signage. If business sees that the rules /bylaws are being strictly enforced then more business is like to sign up for County signage. 3) Cost of the program How is TODS able to charge same amount for signs and be a for profit business? What are the true costs of this program? Sending application directly to engineering appears to be where the most costs are incurred. Is County able to contract out to a company (other than TODS) to keep costs down? 4) What will happen after the IPM? What steps are being taken to make sure that money is not lost in this program. Some businesses may commit to a sign and the 10 year payment program but go out of business in the first year What if they commit to a sign and that do not pay after one year? If I can relay some response to Pat and Mary that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Kate Burns Marketing and Communications Coordinator County of Elgin 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario, N5R 5V1 www.elain countv.on.ca Phone: (519) 631 -1460 Ext. 137 Fax: (519) 631 -4549 kburns anelain- countv.on.ca Page 1 of 1 https /mail. elgin- county.on.ca/exchange/info/Sent%20Items/Questions%20from%20Musc... 4/23/2010 N CA M 0 N N 0 O M N O d" O o r o co ti co r CO er CO 0 V d W d° 0 co N cO 0 0 0 O d' I- tO; r N N 00 co 0 0 r r r co LO N CO N O 10 N N 0 0 CO CO r 0) r N r d DO' r O 00 0 00 vt d r LC) d' L0 r L C) M 10 N C N; LC) r L() O d' r r s 10 0 0 0 0 2 N- 0 0 N h 00 O: O M N 0 0 c0 00 0 r CO 00 N 00 0) 0 O) 00 r d r N d° M O r M 00 N' 0 M N r LO r Ln O d' N r N- 0') O N t- co O CO CA O O r N- I` co 0 0) r co O) 00 O O O CO O CA N 0 O) d' CO N ti CA 0 d' d' r 0 CO 0 0 1. 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Tourism Sianaae Responses (Sparta Country Candles)* 1) Should being a Member of Elgin County Tourism be an eligibility criteria requirement for Elgin County Tourism Signage? Elgin County staff raised this point at the public meetings to get the public's input into the addition of this criteria to the Draft Tourism Signage Policy. The initial justification for tying the Elgin County Tourism Membership to purchasing a tourism sign was to encourage exclusive promotional privileges for only Elgin County tourism member operations on Elgin County roads. Based on the public's feedback, staff is considering the recommendation to not include the criteria of having to be an Elgin County Tourism Member to acquire an Elgin County Tourism sign. 2) What is being done about illegal signs up across the County? The lower tier municipalities are to remove any signs not approved by the County Engineering Department. Any signs on County Road allowance without approval can be removed, but it is up to the local municipality to take them down. In looking at the sign at the 4- corners of Sparta we think it is likely on private property. 3) What are the costs of the Elgin County Tourism Signage Program? After receiving feedback at the public meetings about the proposed costing structure of the Elgin County Tourism Signage Program, the contract and fee schedule in the policy have been updated with the recommendation to council that a lower annual fee schedule be implemented to address public concern that the 5 -year estimated signage cost was too high for tourism operators to pay in one lump sum, especially when taking multiple signs into consideration and the unexpected impact on current budgets. The goal of the Elgin County Tourism Signage Program is to recover the operating costs. The estimated cost per sign includes manufacturing each sign, labour fees to erect, maintain and /or dismantle each sign location, sign maintenance and /or replacement over the signage contract term, and a bad debt allowance /loan fee. 4) Is the County able to contract out to a company (other than TODS) to keep costs down? The Signage Program will be jointly administered by the County's Economic Development Office and the Engineering Office. No administrative costs are charged by either department for administering the Tourism Signage Program. In order to keep costs down, a tendering process for the tourism sign development, installation and removal of signs will take place to ensure the County is receiving the best price for these services. 5) What steps are being taken to make sure that money is not lost in this program? In order to ensure that Elgin County tourism operator's remains committed to the 10 year payment program they will be required to enter into a contract with the county. The contract will require the operator to commit to paying the yearly signage fee. If they do not adhere to this contract, their sign will be removed from county roads. In anticipation of the reality that some businesses may commit to the 10 year payment program, but go out of business in the first year the county has included a bad debt allowance into their cost projections. *Note: The content of some of the April 4 responses may not reflect the current recommended signage policy (April 271h) safety signage for Avon Drive Page 1 of 1 safety signage for Avon Drive Dave Martin [damartin @xplornet.com] Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 12:12 PM To: Clayton Watters Attachments: Road Signs for Avon Drive.doc (23 KB) Avon signatures.jpg (174 KB) Hi Clayton I spoke with you on Monday April 19, 2010, about putting up safety signage on Avon Drive at the cluster of 9 homes just east of Hwy 73. You advised me to send a short letter outlining our concerns and recommendations. I also spoke with John Wilson about this matter and he advised me to send a formal letter to council and to include the signatures of the residents of this cluster of houses. He said that I should get this in as soon as possible so that it can make it to the next County Council meeting on April 27. So rather than mail it which will take a couple of days I am emailing the files to you and ask that you make sure it gets to whomever to get on the Council agenda. I have attached two files. The first is the letter outlining our concerns and recommendations. The second is a scanned file with the signatures of the residents. Thanks for your help. Dave Martin 519- 269 -3262 This message has been verified by LastSpam (httn: /www.lastsnam.com) eMail security service, provided by Protek Systems www.nroteksystems.com https: /mail. elgin. ca/owa/ ?ae= Item &t IPM. Note &id= RgAAAAAbR1 zT8LgQRr %2bOuO... 4/23/2010 April 20, 2010 Elgin County Council Clayton Wafters, County Engineer Re: request for speed and hidden driveway signs on Avon Drive west of Hwy 73 I, Dave Martin, have written this letter on behalf of the residents of Avon Drive who live at 911 addresses 2613, 2617, 2623, 2641, 2649, 2653, 2663, 2677 and 2683. I have spoken to all of the residents and they agree with what is written in this letter. Their names and signatures attesting to their agreement are on the attached sheet. We have been concerned for years about the safety of pulling into and out of our driveways. There are two reasons for this: 1) the excessive speed of some vehicles traveling east and west along Avon Drive and 2) poor visibility along this stretch due to a hill that is located about half way along the row of nine houses. The combination of excessive speeds and poor visibility has led to many "close calls" when pulling out of or pulling into our driveways. The immediate motivation for this request comes from a serious accident that occurred on Sunday April 18, 2010, when an eastbound vehicle broadsided Mr. Paul Gerassime as he pulled into his driveway at 2653 Avon Drive. The two passengers in the car were seriously injured. One had to be transported by air ambulance to Victoria Hospital in London. When talking to the OPP at the scene of the accident and also on the day afterwards, Mr. Gerassime was told that excessive speed had played a role in this accident. The amount of traffic on Avon Drive appears to be increasing over the years as the road has been improved. Whereas transport trucks were rarely encountered formerly, they are now frequent, even on weekends. It is likely that the road is being used by transports to bypass the weigh scales on Hwy 401. We also believe that Avon Drive is being used as a regular route by motorists to get to and from Hwy 19 and points south of there such as Tilsonburg, Simcoe and so forth. While most drivers [likely the locals] travel at a reasonable speed, other drivers [likely traveling farther] pass through at excessive speeds creating a dangerous situation for us, especially given the presence of the hill which hides quickly approaching vehicles. Vehicles traveling east on Avon Drive cannot see the 3 or 4 easternmost driveways until they get quite close to the crest of the hill. By the time these vehicles reach our row of nine houses from Highway 73 [Elgin Road Imperial Road] they have generally reached top speed. Residents of the 3 or 4 easternmost houses have a difficult time in seeing these oncoming vehicles when coming out of or turning into their driveways. Such was the case with the April 18 collision. Likewise, vehicles traveling west on Avon Drive cannot see any of the 5 or 6 westernmost driveways until they reach the crest of the hill. Although the bumpy bridge crossing tends to slow traffic slightly, vehicles quickly accelerate again to climb the hill Residents at the west end of the line of houses cannot see these westbound vehicles at the moment that they are hidden below the crest of the hill. The serious accident on April 18 has been the last straw and we are asking that you approve our request at the April Elgin County Council Meeting. To summarize, we are asking that you reduce the speed limit along this stretch of Avon Drive and put up "Hidden Driveway" signs as well. We urge you to do this as quickly as possible before any more accidents occur. Thank you in advance. Names and signatures are on the attached page. Dave Martin 2613 Avon Drive RR 1 Belmont, ON NOL 1BO 519- 269 -3262 damartin@xplornet.com 4 'lq64 a 5 -of -8-,;61` 2663 A vo,,,) Lb ntgF 0161 "rrA, aft 4 elk A' CO,C, 1) &U, AV e, rutiv i t:'La6133 4 r hackt, je ,11-41 \ID-4M 0rVi ,effite_ re.4. 1.144 dyL d'Azda4,01 gYi Wc:ts