The URL can be used to link to this page

September 14, 2004 Agenda ORDERS OF THE DAY FOR TUESDA Yo SEPTEMBER 14. 2004 - 9:00 A.M. PAGE # ORDER 1 st Meeting Called to Order 2nd Adoption of Minutes - meeting of July 13, 2004 3rd Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest and the General Nature Thereof 4th Presenting Petitions, Presentations and Delegations DELEGATIONS: 9:15 A.M. - Tom Pearce and Nancy Evans, Community Care Access Centre, to update Council on the admission process for the Homes for Seniors Motion to Move Into "Committee Of The Whole Council" Reports of Council, Outside Boards and Staff Council Correspondence - see attached 1) Items for Consideration 2) Items for Information (Consent Agenda) OTHER BUSINESS 1) Statements/Inquiries by Members 2) Notice of Motion 3) Matters of Urgency 9th In-Camera Items (see separate agenda) 10th Recess 11 th Motion to Rise and Report 12th Motion to Adopt Recommendations from the Committee Of The Whole 176 13th Consideration of By-Laws 14th ADJOURNMENT 5th 2-67 6th 7th 68-96 97-175 8th I LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED I --------- --------- ---- -- -- -- ---------- --------- --- ------- -- - - - - - - - ------ - - -------- ------ ---- ---.., EDWARD STREET AMBULANCE BASE SOD TURNING ¡ CEREMONY ! Tuesday, September 14th, 2004 at 4:00 P.M. : --- -. -- - --. - -. --- ----------- - -------~------------------- ------- - - ------ - - - -- - - --- - - ______ ____._ J REPORTS OF COUNCIL AND STAFF September 14. 2004 Councillors Reports - (ATTACHED) 3 Councillor Mcintyre - Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit Annual Report Staff Reports - (ATTACHED) 7 Construction Technician and Purchasing Co-Ordinator - Plank Road Culvert Extension at Jackson Line 9 Director of Engineering Services - Sign Posts 11 Director of Engineering Services - New Sarum Bridge Replacement 14 Director of Engineering Services - Dexter Line - Slope Stability and Shoreline Protection 16 Director of Engineering Services - King George Lift Bridge - Port Stanley 19 Acting Human Resources Co-Ordinator - Policy Manual 31 Director of Human Resources - Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Reserve 34 Chief Administrative Officer - Elgin Group O.P.P. Contract Renewal 36 Ambulance and Emergency Management Co-Ordinator - Update Report _ Dutton Ambulance Base 43 Director of Financial Services - Performance Measures - Year Ended December 31, 2003 45 Director of Financial Services - Budget Comparison, July 31, 2004 49 Director of Library Services - Aylmer Library Replacement Sign (Talbot & John Street) 51 Director of Library Services - Library Grant - Community Fund of Elgin-St. Thomas 52 Director of Library Services - Ontario's Promise Update 54 Library Co-ordinator and Director of Library Services - Community Access Program Grant 56 Director of Library Services - ElginConnects Portal Project - Partnership Agreement Director of Engineering Services - Road Network Study - Update Director of Human Resources - Human Resources Policy 10.60 (Convention) Warden and Council - Meal Per Diem 2 Annual Report Of Elgin 51. Thomas Health Unit To County of Elgin September 2004 INTRODUCTION The Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit is pleased to provide the following report related to its activities in 2004. The Health Unit is a team of professionals who are dedicated to building a healthy community by promoting and supporting the health of the people who live, work, and play in Elgin County through the delivery of effective public health programs and services. Listed below are just a few highlights of the many programs and services we offer in Elgin County. The highlights are divided into two main program areas: health promotion and health protection. We are proud of our achievements this year and appreciate the opportunity to share these highlights. Thank you to the County of Elgin for their continued support! HEALTH PROMOTION HIGHLIGHTS In promoting the health of Elgin County residents, the goal of the Health Promotion programs and services is to increase the length and quality of life by reducing sickness and death associated with chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease, injuries and substance abuse and by promoting the health of children, youth and families. ~ Over the past 7 months, health promotion staff: · Responded to about 11,000 telephone, drop-in and e-mail requests for advice and information · Made 906 home visits to families with babies and young children · Gave 104 presentations to groups in Elgin, reaching about 3500 people on a variety of topics · Communicated to the public through about 60 media ads, articles and interviews · Treated 163 children with urgent dental needs under the Children in Need of Dental Treatment Program That's on top of many other educational, partnership and advocacy activities! ~ Steady as You Go is a falls prevention program for community dwelling, mobile seniors. Six seniors were trained to become facilitators for falls prevention presentations for other seniors. Two facilitators from the day program at Terrace Lodge organized a presentation on falls prevention in June for Senior's Month. ~ "The First Step" is a walking program intended for people who are not currently physically active. The program helps participants become more active by using a pedometer as a motivation and feedback tool. We piloted the program with 22 adults in the Aylmer area. The groups were participants and staff of Elgin Association for Community Living day programs. We loaned people pedometers for the program and most had an increase in the number of steps taken each day. 2 ~ At present, there are 25 schools operating breakfast or snack programs in Elgin County and St.Thomas. Eleven schools received Breakfast for Learning (BFL) funding in April, totaling $26,934.00 which is down significantly from last year's funding of $55,950.00 for the same eleven schools. As well, only 12 of the 14 remaining schools are eligible to apply to BFL for this round of funding due to BFL policy changes such as no new school applications, no appliance funding, and no schools that have previously missed a funding period. These changes have made it difficult for schools and mean that our local sponsorship and fund raising efforts must continue and in fact, expand. ~ The following schools within Elgin County held JK orientation sessions for students entering Junior Kindergarten in the fall of 2004: Aldborough Public School, St. Mary's Catholic School, Dunwich-Dutton Public School, Southwold Public School, McGregor Public School, and Straffordville Public School. The Elgin St. Thomas Health Unit provided information on topics such as parenting, physical activity, immunizations, dental health, growth & development, healthy eating, booster and car seat safety. Approximately 250 families (combined) took part in these orientation days. ~ Volunteers generously gave 1728 hours for 2003. This is up 33% over 2002. The increase is due to volunteers helping with administrative tasks, SARS screening and flu clinics. Volunteers also delivered more information (physicians packages, posters, resource packages) in the community to save on postage and staff time. ~ For the second year, this health unit participated in a "2 for 2" provincial dental campaign. The message we promoted to students in Grade 2 is that brushing their teeth for two minutes two times each day is an extremely healthy habit to develop. This year we partnered with Dental Hygiene students from Fanshawe College. Their involvement in this campaign allowed us to expand this program to reach more students than we did last year. ~ Let's Grow is an age-based newsletter, offered to parents with children from age zero to six. Twelve issues provide parents with information about child growth and development, speech and language, play and stimulation, parenting, health, safety and community resources. Let's Grow has been a part of Elgin County since May 2000. In Elgin, approximately 2000 families are on the Let's Grow mailing list, and approximately 4250 issues are mailed out to families each year. ~ A wide variety of initiatives, made possible through Early Child Development funding, have been offered by the Health Unit, for example: · Development of postpartum depression resources, · Hosting a workshop on postpartum depression, · Child injury prevention "Safe Adventures Start at Home" campaign and "Times Have Changed" children's used product safety campaign, · Enhanced distribution of resource for pregnant women "Your Pregnancy and Baby Care Guide", and · Nurse Practitioner Prenatal and Postnatal services for Low German women and children soon to be in operation 3 HEALTH PROTECTION HIGHLIGHTS ~ The goal of Health Protection programs is to reduce or eliminate infectious diseases. Infectious diseases represent constant new challenges to public health's role as new organisms emerge as causes of disease. Surveillance, case finding, contact tracing, immunization, infection control and risk assessment are all important components in controlling infectious diseases. ~ Specific programs are directed at controlling the potential for infectious disease in food and water. In addition, programs are directed at specific disease control requirements for tuberculosis, rabies, vaccine preventable diseases, and sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS. Infection Control defines requirements for assuring that effective infection control techniques are in place in institutions, day cares and personal service settings. ~ Sexual health programs are directed at decreasing the rate of teenage pregnancy, increasing access to contraception for those who have need, and increasing the awareness and knowledge about personal responsibility and life skills required to deal with sexual relationships. ~ In the past year, the Health Protection staff has been challenged by a number of high profile and intense situations that posed a threat to the health of the people of St. Thomas and Elgin County. These situations include: · Responding to the impact of a newer strain of Influenza A virus in the winter of 2003 when public response to influenza immunization clinics in St.Thomas and Elgin County increased 80% over the previous year (5000 doses in 2002; 9000 doses in 2003); · Implementing new Post SARS respiratory infection control guidelines with heightened awareness of respiratory illness where a causative organism has not been identified; · Active surveillance for evidence of West Nile virus activity in mosquito larvae, adult mosquitoes, crows and humans that would potentially trigger a need for larviciding or adulticiding; · Contingency planning for the control of West Nile virus; · Responding to an increase in adverse water reports as a result of evolving provincial water regulations affecting private well owners and operators of municipal and small water systems; · Investigating 30 outbreaks of infectious disease affecting hundreds of staff and residents of long term care facilities, hospitals and child care settings in 2003, and 13 outbreaks to date in 2004; · Communicating to health care providers the crucial role they play in the prevention of infectious diseases; · Ensuring food premise operators as defined under the Food Premise Regulations are in compliance with accepted public health practices for food handling; 4 · Investigating an average of 360 animal bite cases, some being high profile in regards to public attention, each year and issuing rabies post exposure treatment to an average of 29 people each year; · Addressing the recommendations directed towards Boards of Health from three important commissions: The Campbell and Walker Reports that address issues related to the SARS crisis in 2003, and the Haines Report which addresses issues related to meat safety in Ontario; · Launching three new publicly funded vaccines for children in Ontario: varicella (chickenpox), meningococcal meningitis, and pneumococcal vaccines; and, · Monitoring the threat of Avian Influenza outbreaks in Asia to the people of Canada. Public health response in these situations is multifaceted and can include such activities as: · Liaising extensively with physicians, nurse practitioners, and health and social service providers · Participating in frequent teleconferences with the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre · Apprising the media of situations and activities · Operationalizing multitudes of ministry directives and guidelines, a process we locally refer to as Elginizing resources and guidelines · Communicating updates to community partners on a regular basis · Assisting other health care providers in the interpretation and implementation of protocols · Producing and disseminating educational resources and maintaining information on our web site · Providing advise to thousands of concerned individual who contact the Health Unit for information and guidance ~ While it has been an incredible year of challenges and learning, we were grateful for the excellent working relationship we have with community partners such as the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital, long term care facilities, physician practice settings, emergency service workers, municipal authorities, educators, and other ministry officials. 5 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Meredith Goodwin, Construction Technican Sonia Beavers, Purchasing Co-Ordinator DATE: July 28/ 2004 SUBJECT: Plank Road Culvert Extension at Jackson Line Introduction As part of the approved Capital Budget, Request for Quotation was issued per the County's Purchasing Policy and sealed bids were received until Tuesday, July 27/ 2004 for the labour, equipment and material required to install a culvert pipe extension on Plank Road (County Road #19). Discussion/Conclusion Four companies were invited to submit a bid as per the County's purchasing policy. All four companies submitted a quotation for this contract as follows: Company Tender Bid (including taxes) Strieb Truckinq Limited $ 15/185.35 Vanderburq Contracting $ 16/620.95 Theo Vandenberk Construction Limited $ 21,715.65 Reymer Construction Limited $ 29/318.00 Streib Trucking Limited submitted the lowest quotation at the total price of $ 15/185.35 (including taxes). The total price includes labour, equipment and material required to install a culvert pipe extension using methods described in the quotation and using common construction practices. In addition, three written quotations were obtained for the purchase of the culvert pipe extension. The total price of the culvert pipe extension is $ 4/407.20 (including taxes and delivery). The estimated Capital allocation for the entire project was $ 20/000.00/ therefore, the purchase of the culvert pipe extension and the labour, equipment and material required to install the culvert pipe extension is within budget estimates. Recommendation THAT Streib Trucking Limited be selected for the installation of the culvert extension on Plank Road (County Road #19) at their submitted price of $ 15/185.35 inclusive of all taxes. RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED 1iÞ~ APPROVED FOR SUBMISSION (j)vJ~ -liw~ Meredith Goodwin, Construction Technician Clayton Watters, Director, Engine' Services ~ffN c~ (?~^" S nla Beavers, Purchasing Co-Ordinator Mark . Chief Administrative Officer REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Meredith Goodwin, Construction Technican Sonia Beavers, Purchasing Co-Ordinator DATE: July 28/ 2004 SUBJECT: Sign Posts Introduction As part of our 2004 Capital Budget for road improvements, solicitation of quotes for pressure treated posts required for sign installations were done. Discussion The successful bidder for the supply and delivery of pressure treated posts for sign installation was Dutton Building Products at a cost of $9/711.00 (including taxes). A summary of the companies solicited and the quotations received are listed below. Company Quotation Amount Dutton Buildin Products EI in Co-Operative Service Co's Buildall Geerlink's Home Hardware $9/711.00 $9,933.00 $10/136.00 $10,143.00 Conclusion The lowest bidder for each quotation should be approved to supply the material or service stated in the Pressure Treated Post Quotation and the Pavement Marking Quotation. Recommendation THAT Dutton Building Products supplies and delivers pressure treated posts at the quoted price of $9/711.00 (including taxes). RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED APPROVED FOR SUBMISSION {J))/J V'1bM Meredith Good / Construction Technician Clayton Watters, Director, Enginee· Services ~ o£ (X~JJ.(.A..A . Sonia Beavers, Purchasing Co-Ordinator Mark G. Chief Administrative Officer REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Clayton Watters, Director of Engineering Services DATE: August 13/ 2004 SUBJECT: New Sarum Bridge Replacement Introduction As part of the proposed 2005 Capital Budget, $750/000 has been allocated for the replacement of the New Sarum Bridge. Due to a changing construction environment, staff would like to advertise and award the contract in the fall of 2004 with bridge construction in the spring or summer of 2005. Contractors are now securing work this calendar year for projects next year. Discussion Staff has two options for this and similar projects. Option one would be to pre-approve the project in 2004 for the 2005 construction season. Option two would be to complete the process as has been past practices. This would mean that the budget would be approved in the spring of 2005 with a likelihood that the construction would be completed in 2006 once engineering was completed and approvals obtained. With option one staff believes that competitive pricing for this project could be obtained if the project was advertised in the fall of 2004 for construction in 2005. This would mean that County Council would be pre-approving a project in 2004 for a 2005 budget year or before the overall budget has been reviewed. A project start date in the late spring or summer of 2005 will likely comply with DFO requirements and provide work for contractors in next year's calendar. It is anticipated that this would yield lower construction prices. If Council selects option two/ the availability of contractors is reduced which increases the project costs. Until recent years a municipality could obtain government approvals, design, tender and construct a bridge in the same year. Today, approvals, design and tendering are required in the first year, with construction completed the following year. The number of bridge contracts has increased in recent years and with the same number of contractors it is essential to secure early pricing. This also benefits the contractor in having control over the scheduling of projects. Municipality's practice of year to year approval of capital budgets will have to change to reflect the changing environment of construction. The County's purchasing policy does allow such a practice. Conclusion Municipalities have to find innovative ways to reduce costs for construction projects. Therefore option one, tendering for a project in one year while constructing in the next year would help both the contractor in scheduling projects and the municipality in reducing the costs for the project. Recommendation THAT the County of Elgin approve a budget of $750/000 to form part of the 2005 Capital Budget for the replacement of the New Sarum Bridge, Option One. Respectfully Submitted, Approved for Submission, mw ~-hv~ Clayton Watters, Director, Engineering Services Mark . Chief Administrative Officer 2005 Engineering Services Budget Summary OPERATIONS 5300~170 5400~ 170 5500-170 5510-170 5610-170 5630-170 5640-170 5880-170 5930-170 6310-170 6090-170 6320-170 4370-170 Wages Benefits Trave! Professional Development Memberships Office Supplies Photo Copy Equipment VehicleJMaintenanceJF uel Miscellaneous Railway Protection Maintenance/Lower Tier Other Revenues Structural Inspections CAPITAL PROJECTS TOTAL QDerations Road 42 - Glen Erie Line Reconstruction Road 7 Resurfacing (all ~ to finish reconstruction) 1/2 to CK Road 52 Resurtacing (Rd 30 to Rd 74) 5.6km Road 45 Resurfacing (73 to 40) 4.1km Road 2 Resurfacing (76 to Ridge Street) 02km Road 40 Resurfacing (Springfield to Glencolin Line) 4km King George Lift Brige Electrical Components Replacements & Eng New Sarum Bridge Replacemnt Road 48 Surface Treatment (Yarmouth Centre Road to 25) 6.5 km Road 9 Surface Treatment (8 to 14) 9km Road 37 Surface Treatment (73 to Avon - 5km) Road 55 Surface Treatment (Tunnel Road to 42) 3,,5km Road 45 Culvert Replacements and Drainage Works (Rd 43 to Rd 19) Road Crack Sealing Road Sign Replacements Guide Rail Land Purchase Municipal Drains Miscellaneous Capital Projects Bridge Replacement Reserve Allocation TOTAL CaDi/a! Proiects TOTAL PROPOSED BUDGET Budget Allocation (assuming 2,,5% increase over previous year) Difference MuniciDalitv Bayham $ West Elgin $ Centra! Elgin $ Malahide $ West Elgin $ Ma!ahide $ Centra! Elgin $ Centra! Elgin $ Central Elgin $ DuttonlDunwich $ Malahide $ Bayham $ Bayham $ Various $ Various $ Various $ Various $ Various $ Various $ N/A $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 231,000 57,000 15,000 6,000 2,000 3,000 2,000 5,000 3,500 35,000 75,000 2,281,000 (60,000) 25,000 $ 2,680,500 750,000 POST + drainage 200.000 R1 420,000 R1 300,000 R1 30,000 MR1 350,000 R1 400.000 750,000 115,000 Modified Slurry Seal 160.000 Modified Slurry Sea! 90,000 Modified Slurry Seal 25,000 50% w!Norfofk 235,000 100,000 40,000 40,000 78,000 100,000 50,000 200,000 (=$200K) 4,433,000 7,113,500 7,113,866 366 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Clayton Watters, Director of Engineering Services DATE: August 18/ 2004 SUBJECT: Dexter Line - Slope Stability and Shoreline Protection INTRODUCTION The continuing lake bank erosion on Dexter Line west of Port Bruce obligates County Council to explore possible solutions for its replacement. One of the first phases of the project is to gather basic information, which includes topographical survey and soil investigations. The topographical survey was completed in fall 2003 and in the spring of 2004 the soil report was completed. This report will summerize the findings and set a schedule for action towards a solution. The top of bank is now within 40 to 120 meters of the roadway. On Road 42 (Lakeshore Line) Council has given direction to close the roadway if the top of bank is within 25 meters of the road. At the June 8/ 2004 County Council meeting council discussed the Dexter Line lake bank erosion. The discussion centred around the critical situation at the top of the Port Bruce hill, short and long term mitigation measures for erosion control, difficulties in relocating the roadway and the disruption of the community, apportioning funds for the next several years and lastly possibility financial assistance from the other levels of governments. The issue was concluded from that Council meeting with the following recommendation "That staff contact the previously utilized firms involved in lakeshore erosion prevention to provide an estimate of the cost for a study to mitigate lakeshore line erosion along Dexter line (1/4 mile section)... " DISCUSSION: Staff has been in contact with both the engineering firms who provided information on Lakeshore Line. Shoreplan Engineering Limited will provide a shoreline review, and development of protection concepts for a shoreline west of Port Bruce. The purpose of the concept design would be to access the feasibility of various types of shore protection structures along the high bluff area and to provide a better understanding of the construction costs and feasibility. The project would be completed within 8 weeks after acceptance by the County of Elgin. The cost for this segment is $6,400 plus G.s.T. Terraprobe Consulting Geotechnical & Environmental Engineering will provide geotechnical engineering assessment of slope stability and erosion along the Lake Erie shoreline west of Port Bruce. They will evaluate the slope conditions, the slope stability and erosion processes, and to recommend suitable slope stabilization and erosion protection works. The project will be completed within 8 weeks after acceptance by the County of Elgin. The cost for this segment is $3/900 plus G.S.T. This study will assist in the process for the Environmental Assessment for a new road. Staff is interested in determining how additional feet of lakeshore will be lost to the lake in the area just west of Port Bruce. If this area has regressed near its maximum then a new road could join at the west limits of Port Bruce. If this area regresses further then the option to relocate to the south limit of Catfish Creek is not an option. The 2004 capital budget has made allowances for these types of engineering services. CONCLUSION: Dexter Line is at risk from lakeshore erosion within eight years. The two studies will assist in answering questions regarding projects that can be completed so that a road continues from Port Stanley to Port Bruce. RECOMMENDATION: That Terraprobe Consulting Geotechnical & Environmental Engineering proceed with the geotechnical engineering assessment and recommendations for slope stability west of Port Bruce at their cost of $3/900 plus G. S. T. That Shoreplan Engineering Limited proceed with the shoreline review and development protection concepts west of Port Bruce at their cost of $6/400 plus G. S. T. Respectfully Submitted QJw~ ~ :¡f"bm) Mark G. McDonald Chief Administrative Officer ---..",. Clayton D. Watters Director of Engineering Services REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Clayton Watters, Manager of Engineering Services DATE: August 5/ 2004 SUBJECT: King George Lift Bridge - Port Stanley INTRODUCTION Engineering staff in each bUdget year produces for County Council a 5-year capital budget for road and buildings. In the 2004 presentation, $400/000 was allocated for the 2005 fiscal year to make repairs to the Port Stanley Bridge. This report is seeking County Council's approval to pre-approve the capital allocation prior to the 2005 budget approval. At the April 27/ 2004 County Council a discussion ensued regarding the reduction of the capital project on Union Road and redistribution of the funds. The following was approved, "That the remaining funds, $115/000/ be allocated for the following projects: Engineering for electrical power and control system by Byrne Engineering Incorporated, project costs $40/000/ ..," DISCUSSION: The bridge is used for recreational and commercial operations throughout the spring, summer and fall. Leaving only the winter months to complete any projects that require the bridge to remain out of operation. Therefore this project will have to be completed in the winter of 2005. The project consists of electrical power and controls, DC span motor and drive replacement with AC motor and variable frequency drive, drive system mechanical, lockbar upgrades. The engineering will be completed this summer with a tender call for early October. CONCLUSION: Our policy allows that up to 40 % of the previous budget can be expended before the budget is approved. Since this project has not been approved, staff is requesting approval to solicit construction services to commence in the fall of 2004 with a 2005 winter completion. RECOMMENDATION: That County Council approve an allocation of $360/000, in the 2005 Capital Budget, to the King George Bridge in Port Stanley for electrical and mechanical refurbishing Respectfully Submitted Approved for Submission CDJJt- ~ M1di." ) Clayton D. Watters Manager of Engineering Services Chief Administrative Officer 2005 Engineering Services Budget Summary OPERA nONS 5300-170 5400-170 5500-170 5510-170 5610-170 5630-170 5640-170 5880-170 5930-170 6310-170 6090-170 6320-170 4370-170 Wages Benefits Travel Professional Development Memberships Office Supplies Photo Copy Equipment Veh icle/Maintenance/Fue! Miscellaneous Railway Protection Maintenance/Lower Tier Other Revenues Structural Inspections CAPITAL PROJECTS TOTAL Onerations Road 42 - Glen Erie Line Reconstruction Road 7 Resurfacing (all - to finish reconstruction) 1/2 to CK Road 52 Resurfacing (Rd 30 to Rd 74)5,,6km Road 45 Resurfacing (73 to 40) 4.1 km Road 2 Resurfacing (76 to Ridge Street) O,,2km Road 40 Resurfacing (Springfield to Glencolin line) 4km King George lift Brige Electrical Components Replacements & Eng New Sarum Bridge Replacemnt Road 48 Surface Treatment (Yarmouth Centre Road to 25) 6,,5 km Road 9 Surface Treatment (8 to 14) 9km Road 37 Surface Treatment (73 to Avon ~ 5km) Road 55 Surface Treatment (Tunnel Road to 42) 3.5km Road 45 Culvert Replacements and Drainage Works (Rd 43 to Rd 19) Road Crack Sealing Road Sign Replacements Guide Rail Land Purchase Municipal Drains MisceHaneous Capita! Projects Bridge Replacement Reserve AHocation TOTAL Caoital Proiects TOTAL PROPOSED BUDGET BudgetAJJocation (assuming 2.5% increase over previous year) Difference MuniciDaUtv Bayham $ West Elgin $ Central Elgin $ MaJahide $ West Elgin $ Malahide $ Central Elgin $ Central Elgin $ Central Elgin $ Dutton/Dunwich $ Malahide $ Bayham $ Bayham $ Various $ Various $ VarÎous $ Various $ Various $ Various $ NIA $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 231,000 57,000 15,000 6,000 2,000 3,000 2,000 5,000 3,500 35,000 75,000 2,281,000 (60,000) 25,000 $ 2,680,500 750,000 POST + drainage 200,000 R1 420,000 R1 300,000 R1 30,000 MR1 350.000 R1 400,000 750,000 115.000 Modified Slurry Sea! 160,000 Modified Slurry Seal 90,000 Modified Slurry Seal 25.000 50% w/Norfolk 235,000 100,000 40,000 40,000 78,000 100,000 50,000 200,000 (=$200K) 4,433,000 7,113,500 7,113,866 366 -k ,\ f2-fovL, ~¡fhR.t?.fij) iù ~TUR.L ÆÆi£77'-"fr. REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Joanna Vernon, Acting Human Resources Co-ordinator DATE: August 24, 2004 SUBJECT: Policy Manual INTRODUCTION: We are requesting that a reference note be put in the Human Resources Policy Manual that will refer to The Contagious Outbreak Policy in the Elgin County and Senior Services Policy Manual. Policy numbers 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3. DISCUSSION: , There is already a policy in place in the Elgin County and Senior Services Policy Manual. This policy does not need to be re-written. A reference note in the Human Resources Policy Manual will be sufficient. CONCLUSION: We propose that a reference note be put in place in the Human Resources Policy Manual in Section 8 Health and Safety and be labelled Policy Number 8.330. RECOMMENDATION: THAT policy 8.330 be approved as amended. ApproV¡::J 4l:1 Chief Administrative Officer ~~l ""--j ann~ Vernon Human Resources Co-ordinator - I Heatlier Rosevear - Please maKe reference to the Elgin County Homes and Senior Services þ~ numbers 5.doc Page 11 County of Elgin Section: 8 Human Resources Policy Manual Subject Contagious Outbreak Policy Number: 8.330 Code - A Date Approved: Pending Page 1 of 1 24/04 Date Last Revision: Aug. Please make reference to the Elgin County Homes and Senior Services Policy numbers 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3. ELGIN COUNTY HOMES AND SENIORS SERVICES POLICY AND PROCEDURE REFERENCE NUMBER: 5.1 DEPARTMENT: Infection Control APPROVAL DATE: SUB.fECT: Outbreak Contingency Plan CURRENT REVISION DATE: April 2004 REVISION DATE: REVISION DATE: REVISION DATE: Page 1 of 1 PURPOSE: To initiate and maintain a plan to discontinue the transmission of pathogens during an outbreak PROCEDURE: 1. The Registered Staff maintain a line list of residents with infections. These residents are isolated as detennined by the Manager of Resident Care and/or Registered staff and/or Medical Director. 2. In the event that 4 residents develop symptoms within 24 hrs the Manager of Resident Care will be notified immediately. The Manager of Resident Care will contact the General Manger of LTC and Medical Director. 3. One of these individuals will be directed to contact the Public Health Inspector at the Elgin St. Thomas Health Unit. The Public Health Inspector will determine if we have an outbreak and if so, will notifY all other health facilities. They will develop a case definition. 4. The Manager of Resident Care (or delegate) will ensure that all departments are aware of outbreak. The Manager of Resident Care or General Manager of LTC will notify the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care Compliance Advisor, Southwest Region, Health Care Programs (675-7631) that we officially have an outbreak. 5. On a daily basis the Public Health Inspector and Manager of Resident Care (or delegate) wiII discuss the management of the outbreak. 6. It is the responsibility of the Public Health Inspector to declare the outbreak over. ELGIN COUNTY HOMES AND SENIORS SERVICES POLICY AND PROCEDURE REFERENCE NUMBER: 5.2 DEPARTMENT: Infection Control APPROVAL DATE: SUBJECT: Resident Surveillance During Outbreak CURRENT REVISION DATE: April 2004 REVISION DATE: REVISION DATE: REVISION DATE: Page 1 of 1 RESIDENT SURVEILLANCE DURING OUTBREAK POLICY: This record will be initiated by the Manager of Resident CareIRegistered Staff All residents are to be listed as symptoms occur as per specific line list - (Gastoenteric or Repiratory). This ensures a current status at all times. Staff symptoms are to be kept on a separate line list. PROCEDURE: 1. This record (line list) will be initiated by the Manager of Resident CarelRN Supervisor when: a) Repiratory Outbreak: . 2 or more respiratory symptoms eg: fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, runny nose, hoarseness, headache, sore muscles, increased shortness of breath, pneumonia OR unexplained fever ore abno=al temperatures (::; 35.5 °C or ~ 37.5°C) for 72 hours. b) Gastoenteric Outbreak: . 2 or more episodes of diarrhea and/or vomiting within 24 hrs. 2. The infection Control person will post a list of signs and symptoms/case definition to observe for on the bulletin boards. ELGIN COUNTY HOMES AND SENIORS SERVICES POLICY AND PROCEDURE REFERENCE NUMBER: 5.3 DEP ARTJ\1ENT: Infection Control APPROVAL DATE: SUBJECT: Influenza A Contingency Plan CURRENT REVISION DATE: April 2004 REVISION DATE: REVISION DATE: REVISION DATE: Page 1 of8 a) OUTBREAK DETECTION Al'I'D MANAGEMENT: Even a relatively small outbreak in an institution is disruptive. Early recognition of situations signaling potential outbreaks and swift action are essential for effective management. Timely specimen collection, communication and the implementation of appropriate control measures will make the difference in the impact of the outbreak and ultimately benefit both the residents and the staff. The institution/facility is responsible fore ensuring that the following steps are carried out. Assistance from the public health unit and role/responsibility clarification must be discussed at the initial Outbreak Management Team (OMT) Meeting. b) DEFINITION of ENTERIC OUTBREAK: Influenza · One laboratory confinned case of influenza OR · Two cases of acute respiratory tract illness occurring within 48 hours in a geographical are (i.e. unit, floor) OR · More than one unit having a case of acute respiratory illness within 48 hrs Other Respiratory · Two cases of acute respiratory tract illness occurring within 48 hours in a geographic area (i.e. unit, floor) OR · More than one unit having a case of acute respiratory illness within 48 hours c) DUTIES OF CHARGE NURSE: 1. Begin a line listing by collecting data about residents who are ill with case definition outbreak symptoms. Rationale- the line listing provides for rapid assessment of the extent and nature of the suspected outbreak. It may be expanded to include other relevant data beyond what is recommended here as the investigation proceeds. 2. A separate line listing will be kept for each unit affected by the outbreak, as symptoms occur. As well, a separate line listing should be completed for staffwith symptoms suggestive of a respiratory illness. (Staff Surveillance) 3. Included on the line listing will be documentation of the following info=ation for all residents who meet with the case definition developed: · Name of resident · Age · Location of facility such as unit, room ELGIN COUNTY HOMES AND SENIORS SERVICES POLICY A1iÐ PROCEDURE REFERENCE plUMBER: 5.3 SUBJECT: Influenza A Contingency Plan Page20f8 · Date of onset · Symptoms and signs · Treatment given such as antibiotics or antiviral medications · Diagnostic tests such as x-rays · Samples taken including date and results ifknow (i.e. nasopharyngeal swab) · Immunization history for influenza and pneumococcal vaccine · Hospitalized/deceased date Line listing will be made available to Manager of Resident Care as necessary. The updated line list will be provided to Public Health Unit daily. 4. Whenever a respiratory outbreak is suspected Nurse in charge must notify MANAGER OF RESIDENT CARE as soon as possible. d) DUTIES OF MANAGER OF RESIDENT CARE: Step 1- Notijÿ the local Medical Officer of Health or Designate at your Health Unit of the Suspected or Confirmed Outbreak · The population at risk in the facility should be identified. This could include the total number of residents and the number of all staff, including casual workers and non-patient care staff, employed at the facility. If the outbreak is restricted to a unit, the number of staff at risk should be identified by the OMT. · Monitor the progress of the outbreak. · Provide the Medical Officer of Health or designate with an updated line listing. · Report the initial control measures that have been instituted to all facility staff. · Request an Investigation Number to assign to the investigation and to record on all laboratory submission fo=s. This is an 8 or 9 digit number assigned by the health unit. · Health units are responsible for notifying the Public Health Laboratory of the investigation and providing the laboratory with the particulars of the suspected outbreak. The laboratory notification sheet (see appendix 1) is to be completed and faxed to the laboratory by the health unit. It is suggested that the health unit follows up the fax with a telephone call, especially prior to the weekend. · Discuss with the health unit how specimens will be collected, stored and submitted to the laboratory. Confinn the number of laboratory specimens to be taken during the initial outbreak investigation. Clarify which residents should be tested and establish which residents should not be tested. For Example: nasopharyngeal swabs for respiratory ELGIN COUNTY HOMES AND SENIORS SERVICES POLICY AND PROCEDURE REFERENCE NUMBER: 5.3 SUBJECT: InfluenzaA Contingency Plan Page 3 of8 outbreaks should only be taken rrom residents with acute symptoms (onset within the preceding 24 or 48 hours) and preferably rrom a resident with the most classical clinical presentation of the illness suspected. All specimens must include the patient's name, the facility's name and the Investigation Number. The Public Health Laboratory will not process incompletely labeled specimens. + Review and establish a preliminary case definition for the suspected outbreak. Included should be clinical signs and symptoms, time rrame for duration of illness, location in the facility. + Example of a case definition: A resident on any unit of the facility with any two of the following symptoms of any duration: cough, fever, headache, chills, lethargy and muscle ache. Step 4 -Declare An Outbreak + Any further progression of the "potential outbreak" situation (additional cases or laboratory confinnations) will be considered an outbreak. + An outbreak can be declared at any time by the Medical Officer of Health or Manager of Resident Care for the LTC facility. + Arrange for an Outbreak Management Team (OMT) meeting with designated individuals rrom the facility and the health unit. Step 5 -NotifY Appropriate Individuals Associated with the Facility of the Outbreak and the Initial Outbreak Management Team Meeting In addition to notifying the Local Medical Officer of Health or designate about the outbreak (see step 3), notification may include some or all of the following individuc.l s as appropriate for the facility: + Medical Consultant or Medical Director + Manager of Resident Care + General Manager of LTC + Chair of the Infection Control Committee + Manager of Resident Care/Nurse (MANAGER OF RESIDENT CARE) + Provider offacility's laboratory services + Employee Health Nurse + Manager of Home Services + Patient representatives + Pharmacist ELGIN COUNTY HOMES AND SENIORS SERVICES POLICY AND PROCEDURE REFERENCE NUMBER: 5.3 SUBJECT: InjluenzaA Contingency Plan Page 4 of8 Step 6 -Hold an Initial Outbreak Management Team (OMJ) Meeting The OMT directs and oversees the management of all aspects of an outbreak. It should include representatives who have decision making authority within the facility as well as a representative rrom the health unit. The following roles and responsibilities should be assigned to members of the Team: Chairperson The Chairperson is responsible for co-ordinating the outbreak control meetings, setting the agenda and delegating tasks. The Medical Officer of Health or designate will consult with the appropriate facility representatives regarding the selection of the Chairperson. Outbreak Co-ordinator This role is often given to the Manager of Resident Care/Nurse. The co-ordinator ensures that all decisions of the Outbreak Management Team are carried out, and co-ordIDator all activities required to investigate and contain the outbreak. Secretary Sets meeting times, location and notifies committee members of any changes. Records and distributes minutes of meetings. Media Spokespersons (Health Unit and Facility) The individuals assigned this responsibility are the only representatives of the OMT who should give infonnation to members of the news media, The media spokespersou can be a representative rrom the facility or the health unit or alternatively, a spokesperson rrom each organization can be selected, The Outbreak Management Team Meeting should discuss the following: 1. The line listing infonnation is reviewed to confirm that an outbreak exists and ensure that all members of the Team have a co=on understanding of the situation. 2. Develop a working case definition for the outbreak. A case definition is the criteria that will be used throughout the outbreak to consider a resident or staff member as outbreak associated case. The case definition developed for residents may be different rrom that developed for staff, Residents who meet this case definition will be considered a case regardless of the results oflaboratory testing unless another diagnosis is confinned. 3. Review the control measures necessary to prevent the outbreak rrom spreadIDg. See Section 4.0 for Respiratory Outbreak Control Measures. Confinn that the Manager of Resident Care/Nurse or designate of the facility is responsible for ensuring that agreed upon control measures are in place and enforced. Control measures may differ for different organisms and may need to be modified on an ongoing basis. ELGIN COUNTY HOMES AND SEl\'IORS SERVICES POLICY AND PROCEDURE REFERENCE NUMBER: 5.3 SUBJECT: InfluenzaA Contingency Plan Page 5 of8 4. Appropriate signs and their placement should be discussed. 5. For influenza outbreaks, discuss the use of anti-viral medications for treatment of cases and/or prophylaxis of well residents and unimmunized staff. 6. For influenza outbreaks, discuss the implementation of a staff exclusion policy. 7. Determine if additional influenza immunization clinics are required for unimmunized staff, and if so, how they will be organized. 8. Confinn the arrangements for the collection and submission of specimens for laboratory analysis. 9. Identify any additional persons/institutions that require notification of the outbreak: · Residents' physicians · Other health care providers, e.g. physiotherapists · Acute care hospitals for infonnation on transfers (Manager of Resident Care, admitting, emergency), · Families of ill or all residents in the facility, · Compliance Officer of the Ministry of Health and Long-Tenn Care · CCAC/other LTCF's There should be consideration of notifying the following: · Physicians in the community · Adjacent health units · Confiml that the Medical Officer of Health might release as much infonnation (including the name of the facility) as is necessary to the media or others in order to decrease the risk of disease transmission to the community and to other facilities within the health unit's jurisdiction. 10. Prepare a media release if considered appropriate. 11. Prepare internal communications for resident, farpily a!1d staff groups. Determine if in- service sessions are required for staff members and who will conduct them. 12. Discuss who will be responsible for the ongoing monitoring of the outbreak in both residents and staff members (see Step 8). 13. 'Confinn that the Public Health Laboratory will phone or fax results directly to the facility and to the health unit. Review the process for discussing laboratory results and control measures with health unit staff and the facility's Manager of Resident Care. ELGIN COUNTY HOMES AND SENIORS SERVICES POLICY AND PROCEDURE REFERENCE NUMBER: 5.3 SUBJECT: InfllænzaA Contingency Plan Page 6 of8 14. Confirm how and when daily communications will take place between the facility and the health unit. Ensure that contact telephone numbers are available for both the health unit and facility at all times. 15. Decide how rrequently the OMT will meet and set next meeting. Step 7 -Communicate the Results of Laboratory Tests The laboratory will notiJy the health unit and the facility by phone and/or fax of the results of the specimen testing, both positive and negative. The health unit staff will veriJy that the facility contact person has received the results. Direction will be provided at that time regarding any additional con1rol, 1reatment or prophylaxis measures to be implemented. Public Health Laboratories will send a hard copy of all results (negative and positive) to both the facility and the health unit. Step 8 -Monitor the Outbreak on an Ongoing Basis Monitoring of the outbreak must include ongoing surveillance to identiJy new cases and update the status of ill residents and staff. The Manager of Resident Care of the facility will update the line listing with new information and communicate tbis to the health unit contact person as previously arranged. The review of the updated information should examine the issues of ongoing 1ransmission, and the effectiveness of con1rol measures and prophylaxis. Changes in the outbreak control measures may be indicated rrom the review of the data. Some con1rol measures may be lifted as the outbreak comes under con1rol or alternatively other measures may be added if the outbreak is not being con1rolled successfully" Additional laboratory testing may be indicated as well. If new cases continue to be identified, prophylaxis failure or a new organism causing infections must be considered. There may be the need for ongoing meetings of the OMT, that will make decisions related to the above issues. Elements of ongoing surveillance should include all of the following in the updating ofline listing: Resident SUnJeillance + Addition of new cases with all appropriate information (see Step 1, Resident Line Listing Infomlation) + Identification of residents who have recovered + Updating of status of ill residents including notation of issues such as worsening symptoms, clinical and/or x-ray diagnosis of pneumonia + Adverse reaction to any prescribed antiviral prophylactic medication, or discontinuation of antiviral prophylactic medication + Transfers to acute care hospitals + Deaths ELGIN COUNTY HOMES AND SENIORS SERVICES POLICY AND PROCEDURE REFERENCE NUMBER: 5.3 SUBJECT: Influenza A Contingency Plan Page 7 of8 Staff Surveillance · Addition of new staff cases including all appropriate information (see Step I, Staff Line Listing Information) · Identification of staff who have recovered and confirmation with the health unit of return to work date Step 9 -Declare that the Outbreak is Over The length of time ITom the onset of symptoms of the last case until the outbreak is declared over can vary and is dependent on whether the last case was a resident or staff. Prior to declaring an outbreak over, the facility must not have experienced any new cases of infection {resident or staff) which meet the case definition for the period of time as defined by the OMT. As a general nile, viral respiratory outbreaks can be declared over if no new cases have occurred in 8 days from the onset of symptoms of the last resident case. The rationale for this definition is, if the outbreak were continuing, given active surveillance, new cases would have been identified within 8 days since 8 days is the outer limit of the period of communicability of influenza (5 days) plus one incubation period (3 days). Note that if symptoms in the last resident case resolve sooner than 5 days, or if the last case is a staff member who should stay at home during the period of communicability, the time until the outbreak is declared over can be shortened accordingly. Since large LTCF's tend to have some sporadic influenza or respiratory infection cases in non-outbreak: situations, the Outbreak Management Team may need to attempt to differentiate between these sporadic cases and outbreak-associated cases in identifying the last outbreak related resident case. Based on practicality, the "8 days from the onset of symptoms of the last case" rule in closing outbreaks could also be applied to ·outbreaks caused by other respiratory pathogens. The OMT may make decisions about ongoing surveillance needs after declaring the outbreak over. Included are the following: · Maintenance of general infection control measures as outlined in Step 2. · Monitoring the status of ill residents, updating the line listing and communicating with the health unit representative · Notation of any deaths that occurred, including whether they had been a case, and informing the health unit representative Once the outbreak has been declared over, all individuals notified of the outbreak at the beginning of the investigation are to be notified that the outbreak is over. Refer to Steps 5 and 6 for a listing of mdividuals to be notified of the end of the outbreak. . ELGIN COUNTY HOMES AND SENIORS SERVICES POLICY AND PROCEDURE REFERENCE ¡"lUMBER: 5.3 SUBJECT: InfluenzaA Contingency Plan Page 8 of8 Step i 0 - Complete the Outbreak investigation File The outbreak file should be reviewed to ensure that it contains the following: copies of laboratory and other results; copies of all minutes and other communications; any other documentation specific to the investigation and management of the outbreak. Completion of the Institutional Influenza Outbreak Report is to be done jointly by the facility and the health unit. For a confinned influenza outbreak the health unit will submit the completed report to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care within one month after the outbreak has been declared over. Copies of all documents related to the outbreak are to be kept on file by the Infection Control Staff at the facility. Step 11- Review the Outbreak Arrange a meeting with the Health Unit staff to review the course and management of the outbreak. The purpose of this meeting is to review what was handled well and what could be improved for future outbreaks. REPORT TO MANAGEMENT TEAM FROM: Linda B. Veger, Director of Financial Services Joanna Vernon, Human Resources Co-Ordinator DATE: August 24, 2004 SUBJECT: Workplace Safety & Insurance Board Reserve INTRODUCTION: In order to save on premium dollars, the County switched from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2, WSIB, effective January 1, 1998. This has been, and still is, effective (please refer to the attached exhibit from the Heath report of 2001). However, the frequency and length of absence per incident has fluctuated significantly over the last three years. DISCUSSION: The County's average monthly WSIB costs have increased from approximately $12,000/month in 2002, to $26,900/month in 2003 and $38,600/month in 2004. This large increase has significantly reduced the WSIB reserve to the point where it will be overspent for 2004. There are several claims that are having a significant effect on the WSIB reserve that were not anticipated at budget time. The County is also faced with a number of market re-entry plans (re-training). The following chart demonstrates the frequency and length of claims for 2001 through 2003: 2001 2002 2003 Total Claims Processed 37 28 53 Total Lost Time Claims 19 12 25 Average # of Lost Time Days 47.95 21.85 52.91 Per Claim An actuarial firm was commissioned to review future budget requirements and indicated the County should set aside at least $150,000 per year increasing to take inflation into consideration. Due to budget constraints, only $100,000 is currently being set aside each year. This has not been a problem until 2004. CONCLUSION: Should the above monthly average trend continue, the WSIB reserve will be overspent approximately $150,000 by year end. The 2005 budget will be close to $470,000 to simply cover claims if they continue at the current rate. Staff suggest that the over expenditure be charged to the Special Circumstances Reserve which has a current balance of approximately $442,000. RECOMMENDATION: THAT the total over expenditure at December 31, 2004 in the WSIB Reserve be charged to the Special Circumstances Reserve; and, THAT staff advise Council as soon as possible of the amount of the over expenditure. Respectfully Submitted ~~~ Director of Financial Services A~£ù:m'~ Mark G. ,8 d Chief Administrative Officer Joanna Vernon Human Resources Co-Ordinator I I HISTORICAL DATA The record suggests that the County became a Schedule I employer effective January I, 1958. We have obtained ITom the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, and ITom the County, the following ÌDfonuation in respect of the Homes' cash flow history in Schedule I: I Years Premiums Claims Paid Loss Ratio pre-1993 $ 595 604 $ 521 699 87.59% 1993 112 874 162 688 144.13% 1994 129 646 64819 50.00% 1995 175144 253 658 144.83% 1996 180 202 13 907 7.72% 1997 247 062 94153 38.11% 1998 240419 100938 41.98% 1999 237013 93 271 39.35% 2000 205 986 109192 53.01% Totals $2 123 950 $1414325 66.59% I i I .~ I EXPERIENCE RATING The Homes for the Aged entered the New Experimental Experience Rating Plan (NEER) on January I, 1992. The following table, a "what-if' analysis, a) demonstrates the NEER refunds and penalties that have accrued to the Homes, and b) compares the results with the projected financial impact of the accidents that occurred during each of those years if the Homes had been Schedule 2 employers. Schedule 2 is the ultimate in experience rating. Note that individual NEER costs change over time. I I I Schedule 1 II I Schedule 2 I I Premium I NEER I Net/Gross IB Past SIEF Future Admin AD&D Total Awards Costs (@14.51%) Insurance $ 104209 $ ·21735 $ 125 944 1992 $ 112253 11102 $ 62 322 $ 26 942 $ (250 000) $ (37381) 112874 (1970) 11 0 904 1993 24222 2420 3866 30 508 129 646 26 228 155874 1994 65 536 49 895 33 287 21579 (250 000) (79 703) 175144 (9335) 165809 1995 24 553 14983 4501 6390 50 427 180202 (19830) 160372 1996 3176 1083 618 4877 247062 (24 689) 222373 1997 18482 7000 3697 29179 240 419 56754 297 173 1998 81591 30184 78 835 37150 2 (250 000) (22 240) 237013 23 584 260 597 1999 27489 8150 67 423 19582 122 644 205 986 (24 689) 181297 2000 7710 21080 9080 37870 $ 1 632 555 $ 47 788 $ 1680343 Total $ 365 012 $114314 $ 277 951 $128 904 $ (750 000) $ 136 181 Net Cost, Schedule I with NEER Total Cost, Schedule 2 Difference ("hindsight savings") $1,680,343 136.181 $1.544.162 $ 794.162 or 91.9% 47.3% Even without insurance or The Corporation of the County of Elgin: Homes for the Aged Workers' Compensation Transfer from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2 February. 2001, Page 2 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Mark G. McDonald, Chief Administrative Officer DATE: August 17, 2004 SUBJECT: ELGIN GROUP O.P.P. CONTRACT RENEWAL Introduction: The five-year contract for OPP services with the six participating Municipalities expires on the first day of July 2005. The original contract was "negotiated" by the County and ultimately approved by the Municipalities. In essence, the County acted as agent on behalf of the participants, for ease of administration and for co-ordination. The purpose of this report is to determine if the County should once again take the lead in the negotiations. Discussion: As Council is aware, the six lower-tier participating Municipalities pay for OPP services through local taxation. The County collects these funds and distributes them to the OPP on behalf of the group. The County also organizes and administers the Elgin Group Police Services Board on behalf of the participants. Is this arrangement satisfactory to the Municipalities? Does Council wish to continue with this method of co-ordination? There are other options. One of the participating Municipalities could assume the co- ordinating role on behalf of the others and could administer the Police Services Board. Should this question be posed to the lower-tier members? The task of negotiating a new contract may also be delegated to the existing Elgin Group Police Services Board that would, in turn, recommend a contract to the municipalities. This would bypass the need to involve the County. Municipalities can opt out of the contract and operate without a Police Services Board, if they so choose. However, those that choose to remain in a group contract must approve the contract by unanimous agreement. Furthermore, perhaps a tender or RFP for police services is desired, prior to the renewal of the OPP contract. Are there other police departments willing to bid on a group contract? 2 The Countv's Involvement: Should the County continue to co-ordinate on behalf of the participants, the following process is suggested: 1) The Municipalities should approve the County's role as co-ordinator/negotiator of the contract on their behalf by resolution - it being understood that the final contract must be adopted by the local Council, as the County has no jurisdiction. 2) Local Councils shall determine if an RFP for policing services is to be issued, or alternatively, if negotiations for renewal of the existing contract are preferred. 3) The County Chief Administrative Officer shall seek input from the Councils and their Administrators, on any changes required to the existing contract before negotiations commence. 4) The County Chief Administrative Officer shall report through County Council on the form of the final contract, before recommending a contract to the participating Municipalities. 5) The group contract must be approved unanimously by the co-signers. Conclusion: Staff are seeking direction from Council on the County's role, if any, in the co-ordination of a new or renewed contract for policing and if the County should continue to administer the Police Services Board, if it continues to be required. The O.P.P. do require notice of who will be conducting the negotiations, as soon as that has been determined. Recommendation: For Council's direction. ALL of which is respectfully submitted, Mark G. McDonald, Chief Administrative Officer. REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Larysa Andrusiak, Ambulance and Emergency Management Coordinator DATE: September 3,2004 SUBJECT: Update Report - Dutton Ambulance Base INTRODUCTION: At the March 9, 2004 Council Meeting, a report entitled "Ambulance Response Time Framework" was presented. This report dealt with the staffing hours within our county ambulance service. Council requested that a report be brought back allowing time for further study for reassessment of the Dutton Ambulance Base staffing hours. This is the purpose of this report. DISCUSSION: 1. An update of our current status of operations of the Elgin - St. Thomas EMS is as follows: Aylmer Station: 1 vehicle - staffed 24hours, 7days per week St. Thomas Station: 2 vehicles - staffed 24 hours, 7days per week (second vehicle 24hr coverage began May 16, 2004) 1 vehicle - staffed 8 hours, (9 a.m. - 5p.m.), 5 weekdays except holidays Rodney Station: 1 vehicle - staffed 24hours, 7days per week Dutton Station: 1 vehicle - staffed 12hours on site, 7days per week staffed on call 12 hours, 7days per week 2. An update of call volume is provided: 2002 call volume 2003 call volume 200416 mos) Avlmer Station 1,077 1,297 629 St. Thomas Station 6,193 6,246 3,068 Dutton Station 686 667 471 Rodnev Station 908 1,045 542 TOTAL 8,864 9,255 4,71016 mos) 2 3. On Call Staffing On call is when staff are expected to remain on site at the ambulance base or within close range, are paid $2.50 per hour, and if called to respond to a call, are paid for 3 hours at one and a half times their salary rate. Many of our neighboring counties have virtually eliminated on call staffing. Paramedics can easily obtain full time and part time work at the applicable hourly rate of pay. There is no incentive to accept work on an on-call basis. Recently, Lambton County was hiring to eliminate on call in their Watford, Petrolia and Brigden ambulance stations, four new graduate paramedics just hired by Elgin-St. Thomas EMS, slated to work in Dutton, left without providing a two week notice to work in Lambton County for higher wages and no call back. We continue to experience difficulty in hiring and retaining qualified paramedics to work in Dutton. One paramedic who had lived and worked in Dutton had asked to be re-Iocated to another location due to the call back requirements in Dutton. He is now working in Rodney. Another paramedic working in Dutton has recently requested to be re-Iocated as well, indicating that the on call commitment is too onerous. Despite the above circumstances, it must be emphasized that the Dutton Base is fully staffed, response time requirements are being met or exceeded and excellent patient care is being provided by staff. Our ambulance call statistics are indicating that the Dutton station is being called out by the London Central Ambulance Communication Centre (CACC) to perform an increasing number of stand by coverage (Code 8 calls). This is evident in the 6 month call volume numbers presented in the above table. We anticipate this general trend to continue and number of calls to continue increasing. One effect of this trend is that when Dutton is called out on a call between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., the on call time period, the crew is paid for three hours at time and a half, as explained above. In 2004, for the 6 month period January to June, Dutton has responded to 144 callbacks during the on call time period, at a cost of $31 ,420. The cost figures are presented for your review. 4. Costs The projected annual costs of eliminating 12 hours of on call coverage in Dutton are as follows: Additional Savings Hours Wage Train- Insurance Manage- Standby Call Back Total Costs ing ment Cost increase Dutton 4,380 $359,554 2,284 1,016 24,396 (21,900) (62,840) $290,334 (12,176) 3 Please note, the County ambulance service contract stipulates a 90 day notice period to the operator where the hiring of new staff is required. This would indicate that little or no new expenditures would be required in 2004. 5. Service Quality This county has been very responsive to the demands placed upon it since becoming accountable for ambulance service in the county. Service areas have been combined and the operations and management of the ambulance service have been consolidated under one organizational structure. This allows for more efficient county wide fleet management; increased purchasing volume for the county as a whole, more efficient delivery for example of oxygen and linen across all 4 bases, working toward greater consistency across the bases regarding equipment and supplies and equal training opportunities for staff. One management structure has increased a greater sense of cooperation and cohesion among staff and is fostering a countywide service mentality. Duty Managers - The quality of the service has increased most dramatically by the advent of Duty Managers available on a 24/7 basis. This has reduced the incidence of downstaffing to nil to date, as Duty Managers are immediately available to step into a shift in cases where one paramedic becomes unavailable due to a variety of reasons until a replacement appears. The Duty Manager is also most importantly available as a resource and source of direction to paramedics. This is particularly important as we have a significant number of new graduates working who benefit greatly from being able to call on the Duty Manager on a 24/7 basis. The Duty Manager position has proven invaluable in large Motor Vehicle Collisions (MVC's) on the 401 and other locations in directing EMS response, providing help and support, liaising with other emergency responders on scene and recently at the Dutton Fire, the Duty Manager was able to serve as a resource as part of the Emergency Operations Center during that event. Duty Managers are each concentrating on developing expertise in various areas of operations such as fleet and equipment management, ordering supplies/ equipment, staffing shifts and quality assurance. They also make a point to do rounds of all the bases each shift and so are available to bring any necessary supplies and deal with any base, service or paramedic issues that may arise. AVUGPS - The addition of AVLlGPS (Automatic Vehicle LocationlGeo Positioning Satellite) technology in our ambulances has provided the London Central Communications Centre (CACC) with the ability to view our ambulance locations in real time and to dispatch our vehicles more quickly. It has also provided management with increased fleet and service management capabilities. 4 ERV- With the purchase and conversion of our Ford Excursion Emergency Response Vehicle, one ambulance previously used by the Duty Managers will become freed up to join our fleet. This will provide greater rotation of the vehicles and provide us with an additional vehicle as repairs and maintenance are undertaken within our fleet. This is very welcome as our need for vehicles has been strained. Indeed, it is the view of our operator and staff that as we follow our vehicle replacement plan in conjunction with the Ministry, to retain the vehicle to be replaced for use in the service as a spare rather than selling it as was previously the practice. Bases - Council has toured the county ambulance bases. All bases, with the exception of the hospital base, have been repainted and improvements carried out, from retiling bathrooms, new kitchen counters, new window, new flooring and furniture. All are functional and staff have certainly been pleased and appreciative of the improvements. The county is now in the midst of the building process of the new bases in St. Thomas to house our St. Thomas crews. This will represent a significant improvement of ambulance facilities in the county. Ambulance staff and management are eagerly awaiting the completion of this process and have been most patient with the temporary trailer accommodations. Operational Performance - In terms of operational performance, for the period January to March 2004, the county stations of Aylmer, Rodney and Dutton have had very good chute time compliance ( the time interval between crew notification by dispatch and crew going mobile for code 3,4 and 8 calls a maximum time of 2 minutes 90% of the time) for responding to code 4 calls ranging from 95.1 % to 96.9%, and code 3 and 8 calls ranging from 89.5% to 92.5%. St Thomas station met chute time compliance to code 4 calls ranging from 93% to 96.2%. There is work to be done in improving chute time compliance for code 3 and eight calls in St. Thomas, which ranged from 80.7% to 88.5%. It is thought that these lower percentages could be attributed to code 8 calls which are dispatched prior to the previous call being cleared or crew are instructed by dispatch to finish meal breaks before setting out, however the time listed and clock started is the time notified by dispatch. Staff has requested that the operator break out separately times for code 3 and code 8 calls. With regard to response time standards set by the Ministry, the county as a whole is to meet the standard of an average of 14 minutes 90% of the time. For the first quarter the county average was 15.2 minutes. The slower time frame is attributable to winter weather. For the second quarter the average was 13.39 minutes. The Ministry considers this very good. It must be noted that the specific response time for the Rodney base has averaged 13 minutes 90 percent of the time, in the first quarter. The response time for the Dutton Base over the same time period was 18 minutes 90 percent of the time. The operator indicates that this five minute differential is attributable to the call back in Dutton. 5 Labor Relations CAW represents the staff of St. Thomas and Aylmer. The contract with CAW expires in March of 2005. SEIU has asked to represent Rodney and Dutton staff. Currently our operator is awaiting a date to be set for a run off vote which will determine which one union will represent all paramedic staff county-wide. The implications for Dutton which must be noted is that the current CAW contract does not mandate working on call. There is no wording in the contract that the operator can compel paramedics to work on call. Therefore if the paramedics vote CAW as their representing union, staff would have to volunteer to work on call in Dutton. As an update, on August 30th a run off vote was held at all stations. The results were 22- 17 in favor of CAW. In summary, the county can be proud of its role in the improvement and in increasing the quality of ambulance service provided to the residents and visitors of Elgin County. 6. Ministry of Health A Business Case was prepared requesting an increase in grant funding of 50% for 12 hour on site staffing of the Dutton Ambulance Base. It was faxed June 4, 2004 to the MOH Southwestern Field office, with a hard copy following in the mail. To date no official reply has been received. At a June meeting of the Association of Municipal Emergency Medical Services of Ontario (AMEMSO), in discussion regarding Business Cases submitted to the Ministry, no attending municipality has received a favorable reply to their business cases to date. CONCLUSION: Council had requested that staff report back with an update regarding the status of the Dutton Ambulance Base operations as relating to the on call issue. Dutton remains as the only station within the county with on-call. Council has made great strides in reducing on call in the county. Aylmer and Rodney have gone to 24 hour coverage and recently, a second ambulance in St. Thomas has gone to 24 hour coverage. Staff and management have seen an increase in call volume in Dutton. In the first six months of this year, 70% of 2003 call volume for Dutton has been reached. It is anticipated that this general trend will continue and the number of calls will continue to increase. The five minute response time differential between the Rodney Base and the Dutton Base noted in the first quarterly report provided by the operator is attributed to on call in Dutton. From a labor relations perspective, the CAW has won the run off vote to represent paramedics in Elgin County. It is noted that there is no wording in the current contract to compel staff to work on call. 6 The projected annual costs of upstaffing the Dutton base 12 hours to achieve 24 on site coverage are $290,334. A Business Case requesting an increase in grant funding for 50% of the cost of upstaffing the Dutton Base was sent to the Ministry of Health. No official response has been issued to date. Council has been responsive to the responsibilities placed upon it in becoming accountable for the provision of ambulance services in the county. The quality of ambulance service provided in the County of Elgin has improved significantly. Combining service areas and consolidating operations and management under one organizational structure has allowed for the advantage of economies of scale. The advent of Duty Managers, A VLlGPS, the Emergency Response Vehicle, the improvement to ambulance bases and the building of the St. Thomas Bases are some examples of service improvements. Operational compliance standards have in general been met or exceeded. Those that have not been met have been identified to staff and are being closely monitored for improvement and affecting factors. In summary, improvements have been made to the delivery of ambulance service in the county and council can be proud of its role in making that happen. A decision is requested by council today in regard to the Dutton ambulance base on call issue. Some points to ponder - Does council wish to leave the Dutton base coverage at status quo and if so, for how long? Does Council wish to approve the upstaff of the Dutton Base to 24 hour coverage effective as soon as possible, or in the new fiscal year? RECOMMENDATION: Option1 : Leave the Dutton base coverage at status quo - 12 hours on site coverage and 12 hours on call. Review the situation in early 2005. Option2: Approve the upstaff of the Dutton Base to 24 hour coverage effective as soon as staff can be mobilized. (Note: this has not been accounted for in the 2004 budget.) Option3: Approve the upstaff of the Dutton Base to 24 hour coverage effective January 2005, the new fiscal year. Option4: Approve the inclusion of $290,334 for the upstaff of the Dutton Base to 24 hour coverage in the draft 2005 budget for consideration by Council during budget deliberations. ALL of which is respectfully submitted, Respectfully Submitted ~ n . {23 ~DC- u'Y\vkcéQÆ4/L Larysa ndrusiak Ambulance and Emergency Management Coordinator 7 Approved for Submission Mark G. McDona Chief Administrative Officer , ~~ ¿'j)'" 1L7Sl~'" ~'k"" "~,,'-'- ," '.- -- REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Linda B. Veger, Director of Financial Services DATE: August 27, 2004 SUBJECT: Performance Measures - Year Ended December 31, 2003 INTRODUCTlON/DISCUSSION: This is the fourth year that the County is required to report Performance Measures (MPMP) to the Province. Following is a comparison of 2001, 2002, and 2003. 2001 2002 2003 Adequacy of % of paved lane 79.5% 82% 66% Roads kilometres rated adequate An adequate road is a road where surface distress is minimal and no maintenance or rehabilitation action is required. The Engineering Department has modified its interpretation of an adequate road thereby decreasing the percentage in 2003. 2001 2002 2003 Maintenance Per paved lane $1,629.21 $1,544.10 $1,883.09 Costs kilo metre Paved roads are defined as roads with asphalt surface, concrete surface, composite pavement, portland cement or surface treatment. Maintenance includes frost heave/base/utility cut repair, cold mix patching, hot mix patching, shoulder maintenance, surface maintenance, surface sweeping, and surface flushing. Surface maintenance activities include crack sealing, spray patching, and slurry seal. Unpaved roads are defined as roads with gravel, stone or other loose travelling surface. Maintenance includes dust suppression, loose top grading, loose top gravelling, spot base repair and washout repair. The County of Elgin contracts with its seven member municipalities to provide roads maintenance based on a set per kilometre dollar amount. General Government 2001 2002 2003 8.04% 3.91 % 4.1 % I and corporate management. General government administration includes departments primarily involved in general administration, financial management, and human resources. In 2001, the measure changed slightly to include members of Council, general government support, corporate overhead and other expenditures. In the second year of new format FIR, numbers were refined which had an effect on the comparisons. In 2002, the measure changed again to include governance and corporate management costs. The Province continues to refine the definitions. RECOMMENDATION: THAT the 2003 Municipal Performance Measures as outlined in the August 27, 2004 report titled Performance Measures - Year Ended December 31, 2003 be included with the newspaper reporting of the 2003 Audited Financial Statements. Respectfully Submitted ~J~+ Linda B. Veger Director of Financial Services REPORT TO MANAGEMENT FROM: Linda B. Veger, Director of Financial Services DATE: August 24, 2004 SUBJECT: Budget Comparison, July 31, 2004 Introduction: Attached is the budget comparison to July 31, 2004. Discussion: Warden & Council - positive variance $21,829. July payroll recorded in August ($13,613). Corporate Expenditures - negative variance ($75,781). As reported previously, insurance is paid at the beginning of the year. Also, legal and professional fees are higher than anticipated. Engineering - positive variance $457,501. Maintenance payments to Municipalities start up again in September. Also, revenues to come in later in the year. Homes - overall positive variance of $350,280. At the mid-point of the year, it appears that the Homes will be able to stay within their allotted budgets to year end. Several areas are being closely reviewed by staff. Bobier Villa is having difficulty meeting its raw foods budget due to the size of the facility and its distance for deliveries. Maintenance agreement costs in other departments are more than anticipated and utility costs are escalating. Pioneer Museum - negative variance ($6,117). Utilities have been higher than expected at budget time. Library - positive variance $144,174. Total Provincial Grant received earlier in the year. Collection expenditures to come later in the year. All other departments are reasonable. Conclusion: The budget comparison to July 31shows an overall positive variance for the operating departments. Recommendation: THAT the report titled Budget Comparison, July 31, 2004 and dated August 24, 2004 be received and filed. Respectfully Submitted ~~ß~ Linda B. Veger Director of Financial Services M . McDonald Chief Administrative Officer COUNTY OF ELGIN Departmental Budget Comparisons For The 7 Periods Ending July 31,2004 Total YTD YTD Variance %OF Budget BUdget Actual () Budget Warden & Council Wages 163,372 95,300 81,696 13,604 Benefits 10,619 6,194 3,304 2,891 Operations 65,675 38,310 32,976 5,334 Total 239,666 139,805 117,916 21,829 49.23% Administrative Services Wages 240,953 140,556 132,360 8,196 Benefils 62,298 36,341 29,515 6,826 Operations 13,600 7,933 6,965 969 Total 316,851 184,830 168,839 15,991 53.29% Financial Services Wages 270,627 157,866 147,854 10,011 Benefits 70,363 41,045 36,522 4,523 Operations 17,083 9,965 12,725 (2,760) Total 358,073 208,876 191,102 11,714 55.05% Human Resources Wages 303,500 177,042 167,487 9,554 Benefits 77,550 45,238 40,167 5,070 Operations 19,550 11,404 9,510 1,895 Total 400,600 233,683 217,164 16,519 54.21% Administration Building Wages 107,711 62,831 59,319 3,513 Benefits 28,005 16,336 14,634 1,703 Operations 76,454 44,598 23,286 21,312 Total 212,110 123,766 91,238 26,528 45.83% Corporate Expenditures Insurance 197,000 114,917 186,246 (71,329) Telephone 34,573 20,168 16,278 3,890 Legal & Professional 60,000 35,000 47,969 (12,969) Retiree Benefits 43,000 25,083 23,388 1,696 Other Expenditures 69,815 40,725 37,793 2,933 Total 404,388 235,893 311,674 (15,781) 77.07% Engineering Wages 231,000 134,750 125,907 8,843 Benefits 57,000 33,250 29,824 3,426 Operations 86,500 50,458 62,475 (12,017) Maintenance 2,223,958 1,297,309 840,061 457,248 Total 2,598,458 1,515,767 1,058,266 457,501 40.13% Agriculture Operations 31,876 18,594 3,103 15,491 Total 31,876 18,594 3,103 15,491 9.73% Elgin Manor Revenues (3,957,937) (2,308,797) (2,294,656) (14,141) Wages 3,715,539 2,167,398 2,050,664 116,734 Benefits 1,035,748 604,186 541,268 62,918 Operations 747,185 435,858 474,900 (39,042) Total 1,540,535 898,645 772,176 126,469 50.12% Terrace Lodge Revenues (4,297,458) (2,506,851) (2,488,644) (18,207) Wages 3,867,818 2,256,227 2,173,080 83,147 Benefits 1,076,851 628,163 544,538 83,625 Operations 817,006 476,587 513,133 (36,546) Total 1,464,217 854,126 742,108 112.018 50.68% Bobier Villa Revenues (2,425,111) (1,414,648) (1,443,264) 28,616 Wages 2,540,585 1,482,008 1,444,494 37,514 Benefits 708,220 413,128 337,423 75,705 Operations 510,435 297,754 327,795 (30,042) Total 1,334,129 778,242 666,449 111,793 49.95% Pioneer Museum Wages 72,546 42,319 40,666 1,653 Benefits 17,952 10,472 9,598 874 Operations 34,975 20,402 29,046 (8,644) Total 125,4(3 13,193 (9,309 (6,117) ö3.21% Library Wages 995,000 580,417 549,066 31,351 Benefits 245,000 142,917 129,699 13,218 Collections 234,750 136,937 107,922 29,015 Operations 102,093 59,554 91,036) 70,590 Total 1,576,843 919,825 (5,651 144,1(4 49.19% Archives Wages 99,852 58,247 55,610 2,637 Benefits 25,047 14,611 12,668 1,943 Operations 46,350 27,038 12,080 14,958 Total 171,249 99,89b 80,358 19,538 46.92% Land Division Wages 53,415 31,159 26,556 4,603 Benefits 9,945 5,801 5,045 756 Operations (63,3606 (36,9606 ¡54,237¡ 17,277 Total 22,635 22,635 0.00% Emergency Measures Wages 5,000 2,917 2,500 417 Benefits 1,300 758 650 108 Opßrations 9,800 5,717 2,974 2,743 Total 16,100 9,392 6,124 3,268 38.03% Information Technologies Wages 173,300 101,092 90,792 10,299 Benefits 36,393 21,229 21,487 (258) Operations 341,556 199,241 176,832 22,409 Total 551,249 321,562 289,111 32,451 b2.45% Provincial Offences Grant 0 0 (18,342) 18,342 Fines Revenues (700,000) (408,333) (361,147) (47,186) Shared Revenues - Municipal 350,727 204,591 179,644 24,947 Wages 136,088 79,385 76,900 2,485 Benefits 35,383 20,640 17,270 3,371 Operations 146,050 85,196 55,275 29,921 Total (31,752) (18,522) (50,401) 31,8(9 1b8.73% Ambulance Services Province of Ontario (1,635,907) (954,279) (951.886) (2,393) City of SI. Thomas (1,253,970) (731,483) (741,997) 10,515 Intermunicipal Transfers 0 0 0 0 Contractor Payments 4,596,185 2,681,108 2,684,296 (3,188) Wages 60,000 35,000 34,558 442 Benefits 15,600 9,100 8,437 663 Operations 44,500 25,958 10,219 15,739 Total 1,826,408 1,065,405 1,043,62 ( 21,178 57.14% Collections Fines Revenues (300,000) (175,000) (260,751) 85,751 Wages 45,401 26,484 25,371 1,113 Benefits 11,804 6,886 6,121 765 Operations 7,300 4,258 1,936 2,322 Total (235,495) (137,372) (227,323) 89,951 96.53% ·'" -~.. It . . ~ ~o' REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Cathy Bishop, Director of Library Services DATE: July 22, 2004 SUBJECT: Aylmer Library Replacement Sign (Talbot & John Street) INTRODUCTION: The Supervisor at the Aylmer Library has received a letter from the Mayor of Aylmer requesting that the Elgin County Library contribute $200 through the Town of Aylmer towards the creation and erection of a replacement directional sign on the northeast side of the Stedman's Building on the corner of Talbot and John Street in downtown Aylmer. DISCUSSION: The proposed sign will have current information and will use a more modern signing technique and include a photo of the Old Town Hall and both labeling of and direction to the Old Town Hall Library. The cost of design, production, and installation is estimated at $2,500 tax included all of which the Town hopes to raise from the parties advertised. The Town of Aylmer is requesting that the Elgin County Library contribute $200 towards the creation and erection of a replacement directional sign. Directional signage is considered to be the responsibility of the Municipality. However, staff would like to suggest that we make an exception to this as we see this as an opportunity to partner with various businesses in the community. CONCLUSION: The Town of Aylmer would like the Elgin County Library to consider contributing $200 towards the creation and erection of a replacement sign on the northeast side of the Stedman's Building on the corner of Talbot and John Street in downtown Aylmer. The Elgin County Library would ask that County Council approve contributing $200 from the library budget towards the creation and erection of the sign. RECOMMENDATION: THAT, the Elgin County Library be permitted to contribute $200 from the library budget for the creation and erection of a directional replacement sign. Respectfully Submitted ca~i)¿¡~lf Director of Library Services - Page 2 - Approved for Submission M~1d )--- Chief Administrative Officer REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Cathy Bishop Director of Library Services DATE: August27,2004 SUBJECT: Library Grant - Community Fund of Elgin-St. Thomas INTRODUCTION: The Community Fund of Elgin-St. Thomas accepts grant applications each year focusing on arts and culture, recreation, social services, the environment and education within the County of Elgin. Successful grant applications may receive between $200.00 to $1,000.00. DISCUSSION: On April 28, 2004 the Elgin County Library applied for the Community Fund grant in the amount of $700.00 to purchase a digital camera for the eleven branch libraries in the Elgin County Library System to share. On June 8, 2004, the Library received notification from the Community Fund of Elgin-St. Thomas that the Elgin County Library had received a Community Fund Grant in the amount of $300.00 to purchase a digital camera for the library system. A representative from the Community Fund of Elgin-St. Thomas presented a cheque in the amount of $300.00 to the Director of Library Services on August 24, 2004. CONCLUSION: The Elgin County Library has received a Community Fund Grant in the amount of $300.00 to purchase a digital camera for the library system Staff will be purchasing a digital camera. RECOMMENDATION: For information purposes. Respectfully Submitted c,~ Director of Library Services Approved for Submission G. McDonald Chief A mi' . e Officer REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Cathy Bishop, Director of Library Services DATE: July 22, 2004 SUBJECT: Ontario's Promise Update INTRODUCTION: Mr. David Vickers, representative from Ontario's Promise, attended Council on October 21, 2003 to make a presentation. Mr. Vickers highlighted that persons, businesses, and corporations are pulling together for the Five Promises to Ontario's Youth. Mr. Vickers congratulated County Council on their efforts toward your involvement in the community and presented the red "Ontario's Promise" wagon to Warden Wilson. County Council has entrusted the Elgin County Library to meet the challenge. Staff has developed a project called the "little reAd wagon". The purpose of the project is to provide parents and caregivers of children ages 3 to 6 in Elgin County with parenting resources and information. Plans were underway with the following processes in place. · Partner with non-profit agencies and businesses · Produce a book bag with an originally designed logo for parents and children from ages three to six · Provide a picture book to be included in every book bag · Design a poster to display throughout Elgin County · Host an open house a the County of Elgin Administration Building on November 10 to coincide with "Canadian Children's Book Week" · Host an author visit and reading by Canadian children's picture book author Loris Lesynski · Develop a colorful interactive website with parent/child resources DISCUSSION: In November 2000, Premier Mike Harris launched Ontario's Promise - an innovative and effective non-partisan partnership that will help give all Ontario's children and youth the opportunity to grow and develop into happy, healthy and successful adults. The library has just recently been informed that with the change in government, changes in the program are inevitable. It is understood that the concept of partnerships and the concept of the program in general will Page 2 Ontario's Promise Update not change but the red wagon logo will. The Ontario's Promise website is also under construction and cannot be accessed. Unfortunately, the library program was entirely developed around the red wagon logo. Given this recent information, staff feel that it is in the County's best interest to discontinue the "little reAd wagon" project developed by the library for Ontario's Promise. CONCLUSION: County Council entrusted the Elgin County Library to meet the challenge of Ontario's Promise. The library staff developed a program based on the "red wagon" logo of Ontario's Promise that has since been discarded with the change in government. Staff feel that it is in the County's best interest to discontinue the "little reAd wagon" project developed by the library for Ontario's Promise. RECOMMENDATION: THAT the Elgin County Library on behalf of the County of Elgin discontinues all plans for the "little reAd wagon" project. Respectfully Submitted ç~~ Cathy Bi op Director of Library Services Ap:co'~:m"~ ~~~ Chief Administrative Officer - REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Dianne Palmer, Library Coordinator Cathy Bishop, Director of Library Services DATE: 30 August 2004 SUBJECT: Community Access Program Grant INTRODUCTION In August 2004, the Library submitted an application to the Community Access Program - Youth Employment Initiative for funding to hire workers for our branch CAP site locations. We have recently received word that we have been approved for $39,480.00 from Industry Canada to enable us to hire a worker for each location. We have been fortunate in that we have been awarded funds through the grant application process from Industry Canada since 1996. DISCUSSION According to the terms of the grant, 10 CAP workers are to be hired for a period of 420 hours each between September 2004 and March 2005. In order to fill the requirements of the grant, the workers hired must fit into one of the following categories: be attending school or have completed at least one course at a post- secondary level. Each centre is reimbursed for the $8.00 per hour to be paid to the worker plus 17.5% to cover any benefits. With County Council's approval, the Library, in conjunction with the Human Resources Department plans to proceed with hiring Cap workers for our 10 CAP sites. These workers will be promoting the CAP site and thus the Library in the Community as well as offering training to public of all ages in internet and computer programs and offering assistance to those using our resume software. CONCLUSION At this time, we are seeking Council's approval to proceed with spending the funds as outlined in the terms of the grant. RECOMMENDATION THAT County Council approves the Library's acceptance of the grant and distribution of the funds according to the terms of the grant, and THAT the Human Resources Department begins the recruitment of ten Community Access Program workers for the Library. Rrt~Sf~ Dianne Palmer Library Coordinator C~~ Director of Library Services Mar nald Chief Administrative Officer 2 6'" . . . . REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Cathy Bishop Director of Library Services DATE: August 23, 2004 SUBJECT: Elginconnects Portal Project - Partnership Agreement INTRODUCTION: At the July 9, 2002, County Council meeting, Council approved the funding for the Elginconnects project in the amount of $100,000 for each of the years 2003 and 2004 as part of "matching funds" in Elginconnects "Connect Ontario" grant application. It should be noted that the City of St. Thomas adopted a similar motion around that time for funding totaling $130,000. The County and the City are lead partners in the project along with the Elgin Community Futures Development Corporation, Donna Lunn as the Project Manager. Given the changes that occurred within the government structure and various ministries, funding for the Elginconnects project was not totally secured in 2003 as was planned, therefore the County's funding commitment is for the years 2004 and 2005. The Elgin Community Futures Development Corporation is asking that the Warden and CAO to sign a partnership agreement for the implementation of the Elgin/St. Thomas Community Portal outlining both parties responsibilities for the two year period. The City of St. Thomas has been asked to sign a similar partnership agreement. The partnership agreement is attached for your review however staff has summarized essential points. DISCUSSION: Funding provided by the County for the Elginconnects project is earmarked for the "Community Portal". Below is a summary of essential points within the Elgin/St. Thomas Community Portal agreement. · Term - November 1, 2003 to November 5, 20051 "Not for Profit" business model · Termination - Any Party may only terminate this agreement with the expressed consent of the other · Indemnification -Both Parties agree at all times to indemnify and hold harmless the other Party... · Dispute Resolution - attempt to settle in 14 days or refer the matter to arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Act, 1991, as amended Page 2 ECFDC/Elginconnects Services & Commitments " Community Portal (value attributed to the core element is $1,228,288) · Electronic Transactions (3) " On-Line Payment Processing for selected services " Community Calendar of Events · On-Line Business Directories · On-Line Community Directories " Parks & Recreation Program Registrations & Facility Management (value for the various software components, one year of maintenance & implementation/training services for the application is $95,722) · Implementation support for on-line Agricultural applications for crop related loans and liens · Implementation support emergency preparedness database and application " Provision of team of full time staff for 2 years to support partner participation, provincial reporting, project development and implementation " Facilitation support for the development of an appropriate governance model for the on-going sustainability of this project · Legal responsibility for management of all contractual and reporting obligations (overall value $827,667) County Commitments " January 2004 - $100,000 (committed in 2002 & paid to ECFDC) " January 2005 - $100,000 (committed in 2002) " County Council & staff rep. for steering Committee (completed) " Integration of all current County website content into the Community Portal application " Staff input to identify municipal on-line transactions to be implemented (completed) " Participation in Community Portal training and on-line transactions Signing the Partnership Agreement is confirming what Council has previously agreed to for the two-year commitment of the funds to the Elginconnects project. The Steering Committee recognizes that a governance model and the level of financial commitment required from the County and other lead partners to sustain the Portal after the initial two year period must be approved and in place prior to November, 2005. Page 3 CONCLUSION: Signing the Partnership Agreement is confirming what Council has previously agreed to for the two-year commitment of the funds to the Elginconnects project. Staff are recommending that the Warden and CAO sign the Elgin/St. Thomas Community Portal Agreement with the Elgin Community Futures Development Corporation. RECOMMENDATION: THAT, the Warden and CAO sign the Elgin/St. Thomas Community Portal Agreement with the Elgin Community Futures Development Corporation confirming County Council's two-year financial commitment of $1 00,000 for the years 2004 and 2005. Respectfully Submitted Approved for Submission .-6 C----ì MarkG.~;~ Chief Administrative Officer. I THIS AGREEMENT, made in duplicate, for the implementation of the Elgin! St. Thomas Community Portal BETWEEN: AND: Elgin Community Futures Development Corporation (referred to as "ECFDC") The Corporation ofthe County of Elgin (a funding partner referred to as the "Partner") WHERAS: A. The ECFDC has accepted the responsibility of serving as the lead partner in the Elginconnects project (Appendix A); B. The ECFDC is intended to foster the provision of effective information sharing and access in the County of Elgin; and C. The Partner wishes to participate in the formation and operation of this initiative In consideration oftheir respective agreements set out below, the parties covenant and agree as follows: 1.0 DEFINITIONS 1.1 Defined Terms. When used in the Agreement, the following words or expressions have the following meanings: "Project" means the Elgin connects Portal Project as defined in Appendix A; "Commencement Date" means November I, 2003; "Agreement" means this agreement, including all appendices; "Intellectual Property Right" means any intellectual or industrial property right including without limitation, any copyright, patent, trademark or trade secret and in the Policy in Appendix B; "Confidential Information" means all information or material of either party that is of a proprietary or confidential nature, regardless whether it is identified as proprietary or confidential or not, including but not limited to information and material of every kind and description which is communicated to or comes into the possession or control of either party, but Confidential Information shall not include information that: is or becomes generally available to the public without fault or breach on the part of either party; can be demonstrated to have been rightfully obtained ITom a third party who had the right to transfer or disclose it ITee of any obligation of confidence; can be demonstrated to have been rightfully known to or in the possession of the party at the time of disclosure free of any obligation of confidence; or is independently developed by either party. "Services" mean the services to be provided by the ECFDC or the Partner pursuant to the Agreement; "Term" means the period of time between the Commencement Date and the Expiry Date. 1.2 Address for Official Contacts for the ECFDC, and Name ofECFDC Representative: 300 South Edgeware Road St. Thomas, Ontario, NOL lEO Attention: Donna Lunn, Project Manager Facsimile No.: 519-633-5070 Telephone No: 519-633-7597 ext 27 Backup ECFDC Representative: Helen LeFrank Telephone No: 519-633-7597 ext 34 Facsimile No. 519-633-5070 1.3. Address for Official Contacts for the Partner and Name of Partner Representative: County of Elgin 450 Sunset Dr St. Thomas, Ontario, N5R 5Vl Partner Representative: County Councillor Graham Warwick Facsimile No: 519-695-2974 Telephone No: 519-695-5790 Backup Partner Representative: Cathy Bishop, Director of Library Services Telephone No: 519-631-1460 ext 148 Facsimile: 519-633-9209 2.0 CONTEXT 2.1 Intent. The parties intend to foster, develop and provide community information services within the County of Elgin, all Lower Tier Municipalities and the City of St. Thomas as described in Appendix A As necessary, this Agreement shaIl be interpreted and construed in a manner consistent with the plan set forth in Appendix A 2.2 ECFDC and Partner. For greater certainty, it is noted that ECFDC is to deliver the services defined in this Agreement and discharge the service responsibilities specified in Appendix A In turn, the Partner accepts the obligations set forth in this Agreement and the general responsibilities cited in Appendix A for participating partners in the plan. FinaIly, it is agreed that the ECFDC business model is construed as a "not for profit" initiative and service. 3.0 PARTNER CONTRIBUTION 3.1 Investment. The Partner shaIl contribute the following amounts to ECFDC in support of the development of information services for the service area. . As of January 2004 - $100,000 . As of January 2005 - $100,000 In addition, Partner shaIl make available authorized staff to work with ECFDC during the Deployment Phase of the project. This assistance will not be charged to ECFDc. 3.2 Invoicing. At each of the payment points cited in Clause 3.1, ECFDC shall submit a descriptive invoice to Partner and Partner shall pay said invoice as noted above within 30 days. 4.0 PARTNER RESPONSffiILITIES 4.1 Governance. Partner will name two senior representatives - one representing County Council and the other County Staff, to the Elginconnects Steering Committee (the "Committee"). The Parties agree that the Committee wiIl: 1. Function under the Chairmanship of the ECFDC representative who wiII be responsible for leadership of the Committee and accountable for its effectiveness 2. Consist of two representatives ITom each of the County of Elgin and the City of St. Thomas; one ITom ECFDC and two additional members at large representing the community. 3 Address all matters on an advisory basis regarding the direction and supervision of the Elginconnects business. 4. Include an option to enlarge its membership upon the unanimous concurrence of all existing participants. 5. Provide input into creation of new governance model from project model 4.2 Stewardship. the Partner recognizes and accepts that its representatives on the Committee will have a nominal stewardship responsibility and will act in the best interests of the Elginconnects project 4.3. Project Implementation. The Partner acknowledges that to effectively participate in the implementation and operation of the new applications, there will be a need for Municipal staff to provide further input, identify municipal content and to partake in the various training sessions that will be provided to partners. At this time, the Partner, along with every participating municipality, confirms their commitments to the following aspects of the project: .. Integration of current web site content into the Community Portal application .. Participation in Community Portal training .. Staff input to identify common priority municipal on-line transactions to be implemented .. Participation in On-line Transaction training 4.4 Consensus. Notwithstanding the formal authority of the ECFDC, both parties recognize the importance and desirability of proceeding on a consensual basis. 4.5 Stability. The Partner recognizes the importance of stability in the Committee membership and wiII strive to minimize any changes in its appointments 5.0 SERVICES 5.1 ECFDC Services. ECFDC commits to the realization of the community portal, as described in the Business Plan and that all municipal level portals, including that of the Partner, will be accorded fair and equitable treatment in the design and operation of the community portal. Community Portal Implementation of a community web portal that will provide a single window for internet users to view and access community-wide information and on-line services Functionality for integrated lower and upper tier municipal partners includes: · Remote content management to allow user-fi:iendly posting and updating of County of Elgin and local municipality's content · Logical navigation to web pages of each community/municipality and their various sector organizations · Common navigation to empower visitors to the site with a consistent user experience · On-line payment processing for selected services delivered through the portal · Independent site within the portal fi:amework · Individual branding for each municipal site within the portal · Additional portal tools such as, search, personalization · Ease of content management and publishing requires less technical staff and provides greater efficiency · Less reliance on technical staff makes the portal content more sustainable Through aggregation of requirements, the software application and related tools available to partner municipalities is more robust, powerful, technically sound and user fi:iendly than would be possible if acquired individually. The value attributed to this core element of the project is $1,228,288.00 Community Calendar of Events Creation of a community-wide calendar of events to help communicate key dates, meetings, etc to your ratepayers and to use in event planning. Calendar will be template driven for easy data entry and searchable by event types, dates, and regions with potential to be linked to location mapping. Event postings can include multi-sector, region-wide entries and organizations. Each municipality will have access to remotely enter and update their meetings and events.. The community calendar will become the best place to go for up to date and comprehensive listings of community meetings and activities, and bring visitors to the site and the area. On-Line Business Directories Leverage existing directories and lists oflocal businesses to web-enable a comprehensive on-line database that can be searched by category or name. Either way, each organization remains responsible for and in control of its own records and information. These directories can be further enhanced with the potential to be linked to location mapping. The businesses in each municipality will be listed in these directories, providing a valuable on-line resource for your citizens. Research has shown that providing on-line searching of business listings results in no negative impact on revenues derived through the sale of hard copy versions of business directories On-Line Community Directories A comprehensive directory of community organizations and services is being developed that will be web-enabled through the community portal. Visitors to the site can use the directory to locate a particular service or type of organization with logical searching of categories, locations and organization names. This tool will benefit Internet users as well as assist municipal staff in responding to the many varied requests for information received over the phone or at the counter. Parks and Recreation Program Registrations and Facility Management Implementing Class Software for each municipality where parks and recreation programs can be searched for, registered for, and paid for either at the recreation facility or on-line. Through this project, each municipality has access to software licensing, hardware requirements, on-line access and training to participate in the Class system. Again, due to the aggregating of municipal requirements, this application will be implemented end-to-end, including all services, on-line access and payment processing for all partner municipalities Without leveraging this aggregated demand, the cost to proceed individually would far exceed the cost within this project. The value for the various software components, one year of maintenance and implementation/training services for this application is $95,722.00. Electronic Transactions Through municipal input, processes will also be identified that lend themselves to the submission of payments on-line. This project will fund the development and implementation of3 (three) electronic transactions in addition to Class. Other Project Elements and Support Services ECFDC further commits to the following responsibilities for the duration of this project: I Implementation support for on-line agricultural applications for crop related loans and liens. 2. Implementation support for emergency preparedness database and application. 3. Provision of a team of full time staff for 2 years to support partner participation, provincial reporting, project development and implementation in the following areas: a. Project Management and Financial Reporting b Network and Database Support c. Information Architecture, Application Development and Integration d Training and Knowledge Transfer e. Project Marketing and Partner Promotion 4. Facilitation support for the development of an appropriate governance model for the on-going sustainability of this project. 5. Legal responsibility for management of all contractual and reporting obligations with the Province, with the project partners and with the technical suppliers to the project. The overall value to these additional elements totals $827,667.00 5.2 Sustainability. Through the work of the Committee and with information ITom the Business Plan, ECFDC will determine the amounts to be applied for on-going Services in accordance with the methodology described in the Business Plan. 6.0 TERM 6.1 Commencement and Dnration. This agreement will run ITom November 2003 to November 2005 which covers the duration of the Connect Ontario: Partnering for Smart Communities contract with Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and Elgin Community Futures Development Corporation. 6.2 Assignment. Neither Party may assign or sell its interests in this Agreement without the express permission of the other Party. However, the interests and obligations of the Partner will transfer to any successor organization. 6.3 Termination. Any Party may only terminate this Agreement with the expressed consent of the other. 7.0 GUARANTEES 7.1 General. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as creating an agent or sub- contractor or employee relationship between the Parties. 7.2 Confidential Information. Both Parties will maintain the confidentiality and security of all Confidential Information within its custody and will not disclose, destroy, exploit or use the Confidential Information belonging to the other Party without first obtaining written consent. 7.3 Data Access. ECFDC will not use its access to the information flows through the community portal, including that of the Partner's, to capture, monitor or retain any data elements except as may be required for effective service level management, such matters to be detailed in the Service Level Agreement 8.0 INDEMNIFICATION 8.1 General. Both Parties agree at all times to indemnify and hold harmless the other Party, its directors, officers, employees, agents and subcontractors, from and against any and all liability, claims, demands, losses, costs, damages, expenses, actions, causes of action, suits, or other proceedings by whomsoever made, sustained, brought or prosecuted in any manner based upon, occasioned by or attributable to anything done or omitted to be done by the Party, its Subcontractors or their respective directors, officers, employees, agents or subcontractors in connection with the Services, Contribution by the Partner or associated matters under the Agreement. 8.2 Insurance. Each Party is responsible for determining its own insurance needs and provisioning same 8.3 Intellectual Property. Policy as stated in Appendix B. 9.0 RATIFICATION 9.1 Process. This Agreement shall be considered an offer from the ECFDC. Its ratification shall require three distinct steps 1. Notification by the ECFDC that all funding approvals have been provided. 2. Confirmation ofECFDC approval of the Agreement. 3. Agreement execution by the Partner 10.0 GENERAL 10.1 Dispute Resolution. If any dispute arises between ECFDC and the Partner as to their respective rights and obligations under this Agreement, the parties will use the following dispute resolution procedures to resolve such disputes: 1. The Parties Representatives shall attempt to settle the dispute within fourteen (14) days of the dispute arising; and 2. If the Parties are unable to resolve the dispute, either may refer the matter to arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Act, 1991, as amended, and the rules of procedure of the Alternative Disputes Institute of Ontario. Arbitration shall be mandatory for dispute resolution where other means have not resolved the issue. The decision of the Arbitrator shall be final and not subject to appeal on points oflaw or fact or both. , 10.2 Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of Ontario. 10.3 Agreement Binding. The Agreement shall enure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties and their successors, executors, administrators and their permitted assigns. 10.4 Entire Agreement. The Agreement embodies the entire agreement between the parties with regard to the provision of the Services and Partner Contribution and supersedes any prior understanding or agreement, collateral, oral or otherwise, existing between the parties at the date of execution of the Agreement. IN WITNESS WHEREOF the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written. Elgin Community Futures Development Corporation Per: Name: Title: I have the authority to bind the ECFDC Witness: The Corporation of the County of Elgin Per: Name: Title: I have the authority to bind the Partner Name: Title: I have the authority to bind the Partner Witness: Witness: REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL CLAYTON WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES DEPARTMENT JULY 15, 2002 ROAD NETWORK STUDY-UPDATE FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Introduction At the May 14, 2002 County Council meeting the following recommendation was made: "THA T the report entitled "Road Network Study" dated January 31, 2002 from the Manager of Engineering Services be approved as amended by the report of April 25, 2002 for distribution to local municipalities in Elgin County for their consideration." Discussion/Conclusion The lower-tier municipalities were contacted and their comments are as follows: Municipality Comment Aylmer ~ Yes to transfers, provided that John Street be recognized as a "Connecting Link". Bayham ~ Not in favour of reports until there is a full evaluation of long-term capital needs for each road is completed and required works is agreed upon. Central Elgin ~ No objections to either report. Dutton/Dunwich ~ Strongly objects to transfer of County Roads to Lower-Tiers. ~ No objections to the transfer of lower tier roads to the County. Malahide ~ In the first report the municipality accepts the transfer of County Road 49 with Putnam Road but does not accept the transfer of the other County Roads to lower tier municipality. ~ Supports the second report. Southwold ~ Supports both reports with the following inclusions; crack sealing on Road #48, help with a maintenance agreement with Middlesex Centre, that road network studies be completed on re9ular intervals and also the County of Elgin reconsider Road #11 as a Truck Route. West Elgin ~ No comments or objections to the road network studies. Also attached to this summary report are the two Road Network Reports (January 31 and April 25, 2002) and the letters from the municipalities from which the responses are summarized above. Recommendation For your information. RESPECTFULL Y SUBMITTED CDW~m APPROVED FOR SU ION CLAYTON D. WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES MARK LD CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER Page 10f 1 J:IEngineeringlROADSICouncil Reports\2002lRoad Network Study. doc REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: CLAYTON WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES DATE: JANUARY 2,2002 SUBJECT: ROAD NETWORK STUDY Introduction At the November 13, 2001 County Council meeting the following resolution was passed, "That a County Transportation Network Study be completed as soon as possible, but no later than March 1, 2002". This was in a response from the Township of Malahide's request to assume the extension of County Road #47 (Putnam Road) in exchange for County Road #49 (Whittaker Road). Discussion Elgin County has assumed and transferred roads between both the province and lower tiers for more than 50 years. In the late 50's exchanges were made with the province. Graham Road was exchanged for Furnival Road and Currie Road. County Road 10 (part of Aberdeen Line) and County Road 12 (part of Mapleton Line) were transferred to each respective municipality. In the mid 80's a large number of lower tier roads were assumed by the county including all or parts of 5, 18,27, 28, 46, 48 and 52 to name a few. Since these roads became part of the county system, funding was increased from the province for both operational costs and capital costs. For the above noted transfers there was no indication through correspondence that any 'one time' payment was received from the lower tiers for the assumption of their roads. In the late 90's, transfers from the province to the County for Highways 3, 4, 73, 74 and 76 occurred. There was no negotiation with the province on the transfers or the financial compensation for the operational and capital requirements. The province compensated the county with three years of operational costs. The capital portion of the compensation was 50% of actual needs. A brief background into how our current county road system was established allows us to see that more planning is required. A decision should be made at the present time on the philosophy of an upper tier road network in Elgin County. The road network should support business, economic development, and growth in the county as well as meet the transportation needs of existing communities. To provide an increased level of service where it is required, county roads are to function as arterial or major collector roads and to provide for the efficient movement of traffic. ...2 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: CLAYTON WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES Page 2 DATE: JANUARY 2,2002 SUBJECT: ROAD NETWORK STUDY With the above philosophy on the requirements for an upper tier network in mind, the engineering staff included a total of four criteria. Even though previous studies included several additional criteria, further discussion revealed that they all revolved around the traffic volume and therefore were felt to be redundant. Road Classification as well as the inclusion of the Urban County Road, Traffic Volumes and Network Continuity criterion adds rationale and completeness to the network philosophy. These concepts are defined below. Based on the Transportation and Traffic Engineering Handbook, there are two types of main roads in a rural area: arterial and collector. The primary consideration for classifying a road as arterial, is the total traffic pattern within the municipality as a whole. Arterial roads are major roadways within a transportation network and typically carry large volumes of traffic at higher speeds and are intended to link communities and serve commercial traffic. In the County of Elgin, any road with access to Highway 401 will require a higher level of service and thus must also be classified as an arterial road. County collector roads carry smaller volumes of traffic however, they provide integration within a transportation network by linking arterial roads and supporting municipal traffic patterns. A collector road also provides direct traffic service for small towns and villages as well as serving farm traffic in rural areas. The Urban County Road criteria stipulates that there be only one north/south road and only one east west road with the exception for designated truck routes. This ensures that county funds are being concentrated on the total traffic patterns into and out of the community, usually the main crossroads. Traffic Volumes of greater than 750 Average Annual Daily Traffic (A.A.D.T.) require a better structural quality of road to prevent damage and premature deterioration. Usually roads with high traffic volumes are also classified by either the arterial or collector category, but the inclusion of this category also allows for future considerations. The Network Continuity criteria provides a basis for future planning and expansion within the county where no other category fits the need, while still keeping in mind the original philosophy of planning behind road network. Even though no road currently meets this category, it, like the above traffic volume criteria allow for future considerations. ... 3 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: CLAYTON WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES Page 3 DATE: JANUARY 2,2002 SUBJECT: ROAD NETWORK STUDY Item Description Road All arterial roads Classifications All collector roads Urban County Only one north/south road Road Only one east west road Exception for desionated truck routes. Traffic Volumes Volumes should be areater than 750 A.A.DT Network Continuity This will connect the network where requirements are not satisfied with the above criteria. Using the above criteria, a list (Appendix A) and a map of the roads that will be transferred between the upper and lower tiers is included for County Council's information. Conclusion The transfer and assumption of county roads has been occurring for many decades. It is necessary to update the county road network as' community and transportation needs change. Lessons learned during recent provincial downloading will be used to ensure that the process is completed in the most fair, and reasonable and consistent manner. Recommendation That Engineering staff be directed to conduct an Elgin County Network Study using the following criteria: · Arterial roads · Collector roads · A maximum of only one north / south road in an urban area, with the exception of a truck route · A maximum of only one east / west road in an urban area, with the exception of a truck route · Traffic volumes should be above 750 Average Annual traffic Volumes, · Continuity of network And also, That a detailed list of roads based on this criteria, the conditions for compensation and timing of the transfers be brought back to County Council at the next scheduled meeting. RESPECTFULL Y SUBMITTED APPROVED FOR SUBMISSION MARK MCDONALD CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER CLAYTON D. WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES Appendix A J Road # Location Length (Kms) Municipality Road 5 Road 2 to Thames River 5.24 West Elgin excluding from north limits Road 9 West and south limits of Road 9 East Road 103 South of County Road 3 1.99 West Elgin Road 5 Road 2 to Thames River 5.24 DuttonlDunwich excluding from north limits Road 9 West and south limits of Road 9 East Road 8 South of Road 16 3.34 Dutton/Dunwich Road 15 All 1.17 Dutton/Dunwich Road 11 All 1.98 Southwold Road 17 All 1.37 Southwold Road 20 North of Road 18 2.95 Southwold Road 27 Road 20 to Townline 2.01 Southwold Road 48 Southminister Borne to 2.81 Southwold Road 25 Road 119 All 5.82 Southwold -c- Road 23 Road 24 to Colborne Street 1.59 Central Elain Road 27 Townline to Road 4 1.55 Central Elgin Road 48 Road 25 to Road 74 10.90 Central EIQin Road 51 All 1.49 Central EIQin Road 32 All 5.79 Malahide Road 43 All 5.36 Malahide Road 48 Road 74 to Road 73 7.42 Malahide Road 49 All 2.77 Malahide Road 73 South of Road 24 1.96 Malahide Road 39 All 1.44 Bavham Road 41 All 0.66 Bavham Road 43 All 5.36 Bavham Road 50 All 0.59 Bavham Road 55 All 14.60 Bavham Road Transfers to the Lower Tier Street Name Location Length (Kms) Municipality Graham Road All 1.90 West Lome (West Elain) Belmont Road All 1.59 Belmont (Central Elain) John Street All 2.69 Aylmer Robinson Street Victoria Street south to 0.84 Port Burwell (Bayham) WellinQton Street Putnam Road Lyons Line to Ron McNeil 2.77 Malahide Line Road Transfers to the County of Elgin REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: CLAYTON WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES DATE: JANUARY 2,2002 SUBJECT: ROAD NETWORK STUDY Introduction At the November 13, 2001 County Council meeting the following resolution was passed, "That a County Transportation Network Study be completed as soon as possible, but no later than March 1, 2002". This was in a response from the Township of Malahide request to assume the extension of County Road #47 (Putnam Road) in exchange for County Road #49 (Whittaker Road). Discussion Elgin County has assumed and transferred roads for more than 50 years. In the late 50's exchanges were made with the province. Graham Road was exchanged for Furnival Road and Currie Road. County Road 10 (part of Aberdeen Line) and County Road 12 (part of Mapleton Line) was transferred to each respective municipality. In the mid SO's a large transfer occurred between the lower tiers and the County. These roads include all or parts of 5, 1S, 27, 2S, 46, 55, 43, 52 and 30 to name a few. Since these roads were now part of the county system funding was increased from the province not only for operational costs but also for capital costs. For the above noted transfers there was no indication through correspondence that any money was transferred to the lower tier or province or vis versa. In the late 90's, there have been recent transfers from the province to the County for Highways 3, 4, 73, 74 and 76. There was no negotiation with the province on the transfers or the financial compensation for the operational and capital requirements. The province compensated the county with three years of operational costs. The capital portion of the compensation was 50%. Now we are aware of the transfers that have occurred in the county, a decision should be made on what should encompass an upper tier system in Elgin County. The road system should support business, economic development, and growth in the county as well as meet the transportation needs of existing communities. County roads are to function as arterial or major collector roads and to provide for the efficient movement of traffic. Arterial roads will typically carry large volumes of traffic to link communities, and serve commercial traffic. Traffic movement is to be the primary consideration on the County arterial roads. County collector roads typically will be major collectors, which collect traffic from local road and minor collectors and feed to arterial and provide traffic service for small towns and villages. County collectors will typically carry less traffic than arterial, will serve farming traffic in rural area, and have a land swerve function of equal importance to the traffic service function. ...2 Page 2 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: CLAYTON WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES DATE: JANUARY 2, 2002 SUBJECT: ROAD NETWORK STUDY With the above philosophy on the requirements for an upper tier system engineering staff used only three criteria for the new system. · Traffic Volumes; Volumes are to be above 1000 A.A.D.T. · Cell density; For rural areas this will include a maximum of 10 kilometers and a minimum cell density of 2.0 kilometers in rural areas. For urban areas · Continuity of system; this will connect the system where requirements are not satisfied with the above two criteria. Previous studies included several additional criteria but these all revolved around the traffic volume. The traffic volumes will all increase with; urban center connector, kings Highway! Upper tier connector, heavy industry service, barrier service, resort, urban arterial, road surface, traffic volumes and right-of-way. With any transfers there should be a transition so that the municipality can increase the tax levy over several years without a significant burden on anyone year. Staff is proposing that the roads bein9 transferred should have 3 years operational monies included in the transfer. The payment per kilometer has already been discussed recently and is adjusted yearly with inflation. This would allow a smooth transition into the local municipality's budgets. Monies required for capital expenditures on the roads to be transferred should also be included as part of the process. As council is aware the Ministry of Transportation only transferred 50% of the capital needs. Our recommendation is to complete the capital projects that are identified in the five-year capital budget. If a road required work and was included in the five-year capital budget the county would complete the project just as if it was a county road. Another question to answer is the timing of the transfer. A suggestion would be to complete the transfer on July 1, 2002 and complete all financial requirements over the next three years for operational budgets and five years for capital budgets. Therefore the road would be under the ownership of the municipality but the county would complete all financial responsibilities throughout our agreement. Appendix A shows the roads that will be incorporated into the county system. Appendix B lists the roads that will not be part of the County Road system. ." 3 Page 3 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: CLAYTON WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES DATE JANUARY 2, 2002 SUBJECT: ROAD NETWORK STUDY Conclusion The transfer and assumption of county roads has been occurring for many decades. It is necessary to update the county road system as community and transportation needs change. Lessons learned during recent provincial downloading will be used to ensure that the process is completed in the most fair, and reasonable and consistent manner. Recommendation That for any transfer of road(s) three years of operational costs shall be allocated to that municipalitylcounty, and also That any capital improvements be completed if approved in the municipalitylcounty five year capital budget, and also That the roads in Appendix A be transferred to the municipalities of Elgin on July 1, 2002, and also That the roads included in Appendix B be transferred to the County of Elgin on July 1, 2002. RESPECTFULL Y SUBMITTED APPROVED FOR SUBMISSION MARK MCDONALD CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER CLAYTON D. WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: CLAYTON WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES DATE: JANUARY 31,2002 SUBJECT: ROAD NETWORK STUDY Introduction At the November 13,2001 County Council meeting the following resolution was passed, "That a County Transportation Network Study be completed as soon as possible, but no later than March 1, 2002". And at the January 22, 2002 County Council meeting the following resolution was passed, "That Engineering staff be directed to conduct an Elgin County Network Study using the following criteria: · Arterial roads · Collector roads · A maximum of only one north I south road in an urban area, with the exception of a truck route · A maximum of only one east I west road in an urban area, with the exception of a truck route · Traffic volumes should be above 750 Average Annual traffic Volumes, · Continuity of network And also, That a detailed list of roads based on this criteria, the conditions for compensation and timing of the transfers be brought back to County Council at the next scheduled meeting." Discussion In the most recent recommendation from council, the two transfer issues were identified requiring further discussion were compensation and timing. Previous experiences with road transfers from the province have given staff some 9uidance on appropriate and fair compensation and timing. Compensation should include costs for the maintenance and capital requirements of each road. Timing will determine a suitable transfer date to ensure all capital issues can be addressed. The Ministry of Transportation included three years of maintenance compensation, in a lump sum payment, for the transfer of several roads to the county. We also feel that three years is sufficient notice to make adjustments for capital and maintenance costs and suggest that timing for these transfers. The Ministry of Transportation in the recent highway transfer compensated the counties less than 50% of the actual capital needs. While this is the most recent information on transfers it is simply not fair. It would not be appropriate for the County to transfer roads in their present condition or not compensate for the roads' five-year needs and expect the municipalities to bare that financial burden. ..2 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: CLAYTON WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES DATE: JANUARY 31, 2002 SUBJECT: ROAD NETWORK STUDY Page 2 Engineering staff updates the five-year capital program every year. This information gives staff guidance as to our needs and required direction to ensure plans are made for the capital projects. Our compensation proposal for any road transfer includes completion of any need identified on the five-year capital plan. For example, Road 15, Miller Road, in Dutton is included in the five-year plan, so this project will be completed before the road is transferred to the municipality. This report also proposes that all roads to be assumed by the county would see identified needs completed by the existing owner prior to transfer. For all the sections of roads that are to be transferred their identified needs are outlined in Appendix A. Timing of the transfer is another critical issue that needs to be addressed, with several dates that can be considered. Any early date would pose a problem for the capital improvements. If the transfer would occur on January 1, 2005 the county and municipalities would have three years to change their financial plan and budget so as to not pose a burden in one or two years. Considerin9 the above issues, it would be most fair to transfer the infrastructure in three years from January 1, 2002. This plan would allow for sufficient notice in budgeting for operational costs and would also give the transferor three years to complete any capital projects. Appendix A shows the roads that will be transferred between the municipalities, financial costs for the capital and operational program. Additional maps are available for your information of the roads to be transferred. This summary table indicates that the county roads proposed for transfer will require $2,565,000 for the capital projects while in the long term show a reduction of $250,280 for the associated yearly operational costs. In addition, the roads identified for assumption by the county will require $1,532,000 for the capital projects and see a reduction of $29,867 for the municipalities for the associated yearly maintenance costs. The County will see a yearly budget reduction for operations by over $200,000. In preparing this report two additional questions require further explanation. The first question is why is the County Road Network being modified? Some of the roads currently owned by the County should not be classified as County Roads. We have assumed several local roads over the years that do not benefit the county system. We have made large expenditures on these local roads, when funds should have instead been allocated to the arterial and collector roads. The second question is who will benefit if these roads are transferred? A County Road is funded by all of the municipalities collectively. If a County Road serves as a local road it is still funded by the County, therefore, it would be most fair for these local use roads to be owned by the municipality in which they reside. This will however place an additional financial burden on the municipalities assuming more roads. These roads would not need to be funded to the same standards as they do today being County Roads thereby reducing the overall cost of funding these local use roads. The County of Elgin would benefit by reducing over $200,000 from operations and expending those funds in our capital program. However, lower-tier municipalities would take on additional costs. Is the swap worth the effort? Will this proposal improve the road system? Will the travelling public benefit? Council should consider these questions carefully before making a decision. ... 3 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: CLAYTON WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES DATE: JANUARY 31,2002 SUBJECT: ROAD NETWORK STUDY Page 3 Conclusion The transfer and assumption of county roads has been occurring for many decades. It is necessary to update the county road system as community and transportation needs change. Lessons learned during recent provincial downloading will be used to ensure that the process is completed in the most fair, and reasonable and consistent manner. This report recommends that the road transfer take place on January 1, 2005, which will give three years notice and allow staff time to complete the projects that are on the five-year capital pro9ram as presented in the 2002 capital budget. The County of Elgin will see a decrease in the operational budget of over $220,000 but as identified in previous reports to council, these monies could be allocated to the capital budget. Recommendation That ttlß County of Elgin adopt in principle the Road Network Study Report dated January 31, 2002; and also, That the reports on the Road Network Study dated January 2, and 31, 2002 be referred to the councils of the lower tiers for comments, and also That the comments be communicated to county engineering staff by March 1 for a final recommendation to County Council on March 26, 2002. RESPECTFULL Y SUBMITTED APPROVED FOR SUBMISSION CLAYTON D. WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES MARK MCDONALD CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER Road # Location Length Municipality Capital Operational (Kms) Program Costs Road 5 Road 2 to Thames River 5.24 West Elgin $75,000 $14,248 excluding from north limits (SST) Road 9 West and south limits of Road 9 East Road 103 South of County Road 3 1.99 West EIQin Nil $5,717 Sub-Total 7.23 West Elgin $75,000 $19,965 Road 5 Road 2 to Thames River 5.24 Dutton/Dunwich $75,000 $14,248 excluding from north limits (SST) Road 9 West and south limits of Road 9 East Road 8 South of Road 16 3.34 Dutton/Dunwich $185,000 $9,596 (R1) Road 15 All 1.17 Dutton/Dunwich $1,200,000 $3,542 (Rec) Sub-Total 9.75 Dutton/Dunwich $1,385,000 $27,386 Road 11 All 1.98 Southwold Nil $5,689 Road 17 All 1.37 Southwold $10,000 $3,936 (SST) Road 20 North of Road 18 2.95 Southwold $45,000 $8,021 (SST) Road 27 Road 20 to Townline 2.01 Southwold $20,000 $5,465 (SST) Road 48 Southminister Borne to Road 2.81 Southwold Nil $8,073 25 Road 119 All 5.82 Southwold Nil $16,721 Sub-Total 16.94 Southwold $75,000 $47,905 Road 23 Road 24 to Colborne Street 1.59 Central Elqin Nil $4,813 Road 27 Townline to Road 4 1.55 Central Elqin Nil $4,692 Road 48 Road 25 to Road 74 10.90 Central Elgin $85,000 $31,316 (SST) Road 51 All 1.49 Central Elgin $125,000 $4,281 (DST/Dr 0.8 km) Sub-Total 1553 Central Elgin $210,000 $45,102 Appendix A Road Transfers to the Lower Tier ... 2 Page 2 Street Location Length Municipality Capital Operational Name (Kms) Program Costs Road 32 All 5.79 Malahide $400,000 $17,526 (R10 Road 43 All 5.36 Malahide . $55,000 $14,574 (SST) Road 48 Road 74 to Road 73 7.42 Malahide $115,000 $21,318 (SST) Road 49 All 2.77 Malahide $50,000 $7,958 (R1) Road 73 South of Road 24 1.96 Malahide Nil . $5,631 Sub-Total 23.30 Malahide $620,000 $67,007 Road 39 All 1.44 Bayham $10,000 $4,137 (HM Patch) Road 41 All 0.66 Bavham Nil $1,896 Road 43 All 5.36 Bayham $80,000 $15,399 (SST) Road 50 All 0.59 Bayham Nil $1,786 Road 55 . All 14.60 Bayham $110,000 $19,697 (SST) Sub-Total 22.65 Bayham $200,000 19,697 Total 95.43 $2,565,000 $250,280 Appendix A Road Transfers to the Lower Tier Road Transfers to the County of Elgin Street Location Length Municipality Capital Operational Name (Kms) Program Costs Graham All 1.90 West Lome $25,000 $5,571 Road (West Elqin) (HM Patch) Belmont All 1.59 Belmont $650,000 $5,058 Road (Central Elqin) (MiII/R2/Dr) John All 2.69 Aylmer $55,000 $8,557 Street (curb/Dr) Putnam Lyons Line to Ron McNeil 2.77 Malahide $800,000 $7,958 Road Line (R2/ shoulders) Robinson Victoria Street south to 0.84 Port Burwell $2,000 $2,543 Street Wellington Street (Bayham) (HM Ipatch) Total 9.79 $1,532,000 $29,867 REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL CLAYTON WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES MARK G. MCDONALD, CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER APRIL 25, 2002 ROAD NETWORK STUDY- ANOTHER APPROACH FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Introduction: As Council is aware, the original road network study report envisioned transferring roads according to County road standards. That is, before a local road was transferred to the County, certain capital works were contemplated to raise that road to County standards. Likewise, all County roads scheduled for transfer to the lower-tier would be brought up to County standards before they were turned over. Staff have received and reviewed numerous comments on the original report and are proposing a change in the standards required before the transfer is conducted. Except for this suggested change, the original report remains unaltered. Discussion: As indicated above, staff are now proposing that all roads slated for transfer be done according to lower-tier road standards. In hindsight, asking local municipalities to raise their roads to County standards before the transfer, as in the original study, puts an unfair financial onus on our lower-tier partners. The County should be responsible for any roads it wishes to operate at its own standards. Likewise, when transferring roads to the lower-tier there is no need to spend scarce capital dollars bringing roads up to County standards when they are not required. The revised Charts on the attached pages demonstrates the financial implications of this proposal. Council will note that, as compared to the original study, this suggestion saves the County approximately $898,000.00 in projected costs and saves local municipalities approximately $1.4M in anticipated road improvements. Conclusion: This newly proposed method of transferring roads between municipalities is a fairer and more reasonable approach to the road network study. It puts the onus of responsibility where it belongs; local municipalities build roads according to traffic patterns experienced locally and the County builds roads according to its particular needs. This new approach has the added benefit of treating all municipalities as equals with no exceptions. Recommendation: That the Road Network Study report dated January 31st, 2002 be approved as amended above for distribution to local municipalities in Elgin County for their consideration. RESPECTFULL Y SUBMITTED APPROVED FOR SUBMISSION CLAYTON D. WATTERS, MANAGER ENGINEERING SERVICES MARK MCDONALD CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER Chart A: Proposed Lower Tier Roads. Cost of capital improvements using County standards compared to lower tier standards: Municipality County Standards Lower Tier Standards Capital Program Capital Program West Elqin $75,000 Nil Dutton Dunwich $1,385,000 Nil Southwold $75,000 Nil Central Elqin $210,000 Nil Malahide $620,000 $400,000 Bayham $200,000 $110,000 Aylmer Nil Nil Total $2,565,000 $510,000 Difference in completing improvements to County Roads to County Standards as compared to Lower Tier Standards $2,055,000 Chart B: Proposed County of Elgin roads. Cost of capital improvements using lower tier standards compared to lower tier standards: Municipality County Standards Lower Tier Standards Capital Program Capital Program West Elgin (Graham $25,000 Nil Road) Central Elgin (Belmont $650,000 Nil Road) Aylmer(John Street) $55,000 Nil Malahide (Putnam Road) $425,000* $120,000 Bayham (Robinson $2,000 Nil Street) Total $1,157,000 $120,000 *Note: This figure was originally $800,000 and subsequent investigation has found that only $425,000 is required to bring this road up to the County standards. Difference in completing improvements to Lower Tier Roads to County Standards as compared to Lower Tier Standards $1,037,000 Notes: The net impact to the County of Elqin will be as follows: Capital projects cost for roads transferred to lower tiers Capital projects cost for roads to transferred to the County: Total Costs to the County of Elgin for capital projects: Total costs to the County of Elgin under original proposal: Net Savings to the County of Elgin: The net impact to the municipalities will be as follows: Capital projects cost for roads transferred to the County Capital projects cost for roads transfer to the municipalities: Total Costs to municipalities for capital projects: Total costs to municipalities under original proposal: Net Savings to municipalities: $ 510,000 $1,157,000 $1,667,000 $2,565,000 $ 898,000 $ 120,000 $ 0 $ 120,000 $1,532,000 $1,412,000 In Chart B the costs to improve Putnam Road to Lower Tier Standards is $120,000 (which includes: Double High Float $65,000 and granular 'A' $55,000). It should be noted that the double high float is not required because upon transfer, the County will apply Hot Mix Asphalt to the surface at some point. Operational costs for roads transferred to the County will be paid to the Municipalities as per the existing maintenance formulas. Appendix A Road Transfers to the Lower Tier Municipalities Capital Program to Lower Tier Standards Road # Location Length Municipality Capital (Kms) Program Road 5 Road 2 to Thames River 5.24 West Elgin Nil excluding from north limits Road 9 West and south limits of Road 9 East Road 103 South of County Road 3 1.99 West Elgin Nil Sub-Total 7.23 West Elgin Nil Road 5 Road 2 to Thames River 5.24 Dutton/Dunwich Nil excluding from north limits Road 9 West and south limits of Road 9 East Road 8 South of Road 16 3.34 Dutton/Dunwich Nil Road 15 All 1.17 Dutton/Dunwich Nil Sub-Total 9.75 Dutton/Dunwich Nil Road 11 All 1.98 Southwold Nil Road 17 All 1.37 Southwold Nil Road 20 North of Road 18 2.95 Southwold Nil Road 27 Road 20 to Townline 2.01 Southwold Nil Road 48 Southminister Borne to Road 2.81 Southwold Nil 25 Road 119 All 5.82 Southwold Nil Sub-Total 16.94 Southwold Nil Nil Road 23 Road 24 to Colborne Street 1.59 Central Elgin Nil Road 27 Townline to Road 4 1.55 Central Elgin Nil Road 48 Road 25 to Road 74 10.90 Central Elgin Nil Road 51 All 1.49 Central EJgin Nil Sub-Total 15.53 Central Elgin Nil ...2 Appendix A Road Transfers to the Lower Tier Municipalities Capital Program to Lower Tier Standards Street Location Length Municipality Capital Name (Kms) Program Road 32 All 5.79 Malahide $400,000 (R1) Road 43 All 5.36 Malahide Nil Road 48 Road 74 to Road 73 7.42 Malahide Nil Road 49 All 2.77 Malahide Nil Road 73 South of Road 24 1.96 Malahide Nil Sub-Total 23.30 Malahide $400,000 Road 39 All 1.44 Bavham Nil Road 41 All 0.66 Bayham Nil Road 43 All 5.36 Bayham Nil Road 50 All 0.59 Bavham Nil Road 55 All 14.60 Bayham $110,000 (SST) Sub-Total 22.65 Bayham $110,000 "" Total 95.43 $510,000 Road Transfers to the County of Elgin Capital Program to Lower Tier Standards Street Location Length Municipality Capital Name (Kms) Program Graham All 1.90 West Lome $0 Road (West Elgin) Belmont All 1.59 Belmont $0 Road (Central Elgin) John All 2.69 Aylmer $0 Street Putnam Lyons Line to Ron McNeil 2.77 Malahide $120,000 Road Line (A / DST) Robinson Victoria Street south to 0.84 Port Burwell $0 Street Wellington Street (Bayham) Total 9.79 $120,000 Page 2 ,,, .., .. . . . o' REPORT TO COUNTY COUNCIL FROM: Harley J. Underhill, Director of Human Resources DATE: 09 September 2004 SUBJECT: Human Resources Policy 10.60 (Conventions) Warden and Council - Meal Per Diem INTRODUCTION In September of 1995 the Convention Policy was revised by County Council and the daily meal allowance of $50.00 was set for the actual number of days that the convention had sessions and which where attended by the claimant. The Warden and Council meal per diem is also set at $50.00. DISCUSSION: Staff felt that as the rate for meals was set back in 1995 that is was time for a review of the daily allowance considering the inflation factor as well the cost of meals once we get to the large urban areas. We did a survey of a number of surrounding Municipalities and found that one municipality provided less than us, four had the same rate as us and eight had an amount greater than us or the opportunity to claim greater than our amount. CONCLUSION: With the information that was obtained from surrounding municipalities and given that our rate for daily meals was set in 1995 it would appear to be appropriate to adjust the daily meal allowance for the Warden, Council and staff to $75.00. The approximate 2005 . increase would be $1,350.00. RECOMMENDATION: THAT the meal allowance referred to in Human Resources Policy 10.60 and per diem for the Warden and Council be adjusted to $75.00 and that the change be effective January 1, 2005. Respectfully Submitted Approved for Submission Mark G. Chief Administrative Officer CORRESPONDENCE - SEPTEMBER 14. 2004 Items for Consideration 1. Michel Morrissette, AMCT, Clerk Administrator, Town of Iroquois Falls, requesting support for Municipal access to gas tax revenues. (ATTACHED) 2. W. Henry Sander, Director of Corporate Services, Township of Severn, requesting Provincial funding for municipalities in order to meet the additional expenses to implement the Emergency Management Act. (ATTACHED) 3. Pat Kemp, CAO/Clerk, Township of Galway-Cavendish & Harvey, with a resolution requesting the Province enact legislation to protect full-time firefighters who also act as emergency volunteer workers from union pressure to resign volunteer duties. (ATTACHED) 4. 1) Diane Gagner, Mayor, Municipality of Chatham-Kent; 2) Linda Burljing, Clerk, Town of Kingsville; 3) Mary Ellen Greb, Deputy Clerk-Treasurer, Township of South - West Oxford; 4) Rosaline Graham, Clerk, Municipality of Kincardine; 5) Kriss Snell, Clerk, Town of North Perth; 6 Mavis Monteith, Drainage Clerk, Township of St. Clair; 7) Dianne Wilson, Deputy Clerk, Municipality of Central Elgin; with a resolution petitioning the Province to re-instate the Municipal Drainage grant program. (ATTACHED) 5. Denise Labelle-Gelinas, City Clerk, City of Cornwall, with a resolution requesting the Province and the AMO provide special funding for staffing and also provide reasonable standards and guidelines to municipalities, to aid in the advancement of the Ontario with Disabilities Act. (ATTACHED) 6. Bob Hammersley, St. Thomas Chamber of Commerce, with a request from Stuart Harrison of the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, to County Council, to consider a donation to the Peterborough Flood Relief Fund. (ATTACHED) 7. Ruby Silcox, Sec.-Treasurer, Elgin Federation of Agriculture, with nominê:tion forms for the Elgin County Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2005. (ATTACHED) .... 8. Kriss Snell, Clerk, Town of Perth, with a resolution petitioning AMO to appeal to the provincial and federal levels of government for financial support to the red meat producers and to continue to negotiate for the export of Canadian red meat. (ATTACHED) 9. Township of North Frontenance, requesting support of their resolution concurring with the views expressed in the article appearing in the July 8, 2004 Frontenance News entitled "Is There A Future For Rural Ontario?" (ATTACHED) 10. R. Millard, C.A.O.lClerk, Township of Malahide, with a proposed Annexation between the Township of Malahide and Town of Aylmer. (ATTACHED) Town of Iroquois Falls Town Hall- 253 Main Street - P. O. Box 230 IROQUOIS FALLS, Ontario POK 1GO TELEPHONE (705) 232·5700 FAX (705) 232·4241 TO: ALL ONTARIO MUNICIPALITIES RE: GAS TAX July 5, 2004 Council adopted the following Resolution (No. 2004-123) at its meeting held May 31 st, 2004. MOVED BY: SECONDED BY: WHEREAS WHEREAS WHEREAS WHEREAS WHEREAS Bettv Dupuis Garv Crotteau the McGuinty Government introduced its first Budget on Tuesday, May 18,2004, and; in this budget, the government will dedicate 1.0 cent per litre of provincial gas tax for public transit beginning October 2004 and increasing to 2.0 cents per litre in October 2006, and this new money will only be available to those municipalities that operate a public transit system, and; for decades, Ontario municipalities have been requesting the upper levels of Government to provide them with alternate sources of revenue to help them cope with deteriorating inrrastructure and newly downloaded services, and; access to gas tax revenue, ITom both levels of government, would go a long way in providing local governments with the revenue it so desperately needs to start moving forward rather than backwards. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Iroquois Falls hereby petitions the McGuinty Government to make the gas tax available to all Ontario municipalities and that funds be dispersed on a system such as equalized assessment to ensure fair distribution, and; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be circulated to NEOMA, FONOM, AMO and all Ontario municipalities for support. x CARRIED DEFEATED Ken Graham MAYOR (CHAIRMAN) The Council of the Corporation of the Town of Iroquois Falls is requesting support for the above resolution ITom all municipalities in Ontario. Yours truly, Michel Morrissette, AMCT Clerk Administrator TOWNSHIP OF SEVERN THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF SEVERN P.O. Box 159, OriIlia, Ontario, L3V 6J3 July 14, 2004 All Ontario Municipalities RE: Endorsement of Resolution Request for Provincial Funding Emergency Management Act Council at a meeting held July 8,2004, enacted the following resolution. Your support of this resolution is appreciated. Please send any resolution of support to the Premier of Ontario, your local M.P.P. and the Township of Severn. « WHEREAS the Emergency Management Act has enacted the mandatory implementation of Emergency Management Programs for municipalities; AND WHEREAS the essential programs will incur additional expenses for municipalities in order to meet the requirements of the Act; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Corporation of the Township of Severn hereby requests that the Fire Chief Don Warden, Sector Representative, petition the Provincial government on behalf of the municipalities of the Province of Ontario for funding with respect to this mandatory program; AND FURTHER THAT the Municipalities of Ontario be requested to support the recommendations submitted by the Provincial Advisory Committee to Emergency Management Ontario and the Provincial Government for funding of municipal emergency planning; AND FURTHER THAT this resolution of Council be circulated to all municipalities in the Province through the Association of Municipalities of Ontario for their consideration and endorsement. CARRÆD " The Township of Severn appreciates your support of this resolution. Yours truly, 'W. Jienrg Sanáer W. Henry Sander Director of Corporate Services jmph Municipal Office -1024 Hurlwood Laue Telephone (705)-325-2315 Fax (705)-327-5818 Box 820, 701 COMty Road #36, R.R. #3, Bobcaygeon, Ontario, KOM lAO TeL(705) 738-3800 Fax (705) 738-3801 July 23,2004 The Honourable Dalton McGuinty Premier of Ontario Legislative Building Queen's Park Toronto, Ontario M7A IAI Dear Mr. Premier: RE: TWO HATTER ISSUE This is to advise that the Council of the Township of Galway-Cavendish and Harvey at their meeting on July 20'h, 2004 passed the attached resolution regarding the two hatter issue. Mr. Premier it is very critical to our volunteer services that you put an end to this nonsense. These volunteers are a great asset to our communities. Some of them were trained by our volunteer services before they took on their full time careers. What right does any union have in dictating what its members do on their free time? Will they be dictating that volunteers cannot serve as Lions Club members etc., I think not. The implications to small municipalities are devastating. Please Mr. Premier we ask that you review the impact on small communities and support Rural Ontario Municipalities and their fight to give full time fire fighters the choice to volunteer in their communities as volunteer firefighters, paramedics or auxiliary police officers. Our communities need these dedicated men and women. I trust you will support us in our efforts. Pat Kemp, A.M.C.T., C.M.O., C.M.C. CAO/Clerk Attach. p.c. Association of Municipalities of Ontario Municipalities within Ontario under 70,000 population Ontario Fire Marshall Office Ontario Fire Chiefs Association Laurie Scott, MPP Jeff Leal, MPP Resolution R2004-404 passed by the Council of the Township of Galway-Cayendish and Harvey on July 20th. 2004 Whereas our Community relies on Volunteer Fire fighters to provide a valuable cost effective service in protecting our community; And Whereas we have developed a mutually beneficial high level of cooperation in the municipal fire service where we train Volunteer Fire Fighters some of whom end up working for other communities as full time firefighters but wish to continue to help their home communities, and similarly Career Fire Fighters from other municipalities who chose to become Volunteer Firefighters in their off duty time so that they can apply their skills, knowledge and leadership to help protect their home communities; And Whereas Two Hatters are now being forced against their will by the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association to resign their volunteer duties as volunteer fire fighters, emergency response providers or police auxiliary members or they will be charged by their Union and face losing their full time position; And Whereas we feel that this action by the Union is not only a violation of the individuals rights but the resulting loss of Two Hatters will have a negative impact on the safety of our community and others across the province and will lead to a reduction in the quality of protection service and an increase in the costs at the local level, And Whereas other provinces across Canada and in the United States have legislation in place to prevent this kind of union pressure but there is a gap in the Ontario labour legislation that leaves Fire Fighters rights unprotected; Now Therefore Be It Resolved that the Premier be implored to take immediate action to do what is right for the citizens of this province, to do what is best for community safety and to protect the rights of individuals by enacting legislation to protect emergency volunteer workers before more damage is done. And Further that our local MPP be invited to attend Council to explain what he Ishe is doing to defend our Volunteer Emergency workers and to help protect our community; And Further that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to all municipalities throughout Ontario. Carried Diane Gagner, MEA, CFP, CHRP MUNICIPALITY OF CHATHAM-KENT OFFICE OF THE MAYOR August 5, 2004 Honourable Steve Peters Minister of Agriculture and Food 11 th Floor 77 Grenville Street Toronto ON M5S 1 B3 _ _ ",'ft' . \lC " '.J~' ,~,;\',"~ . '(}¡,»iJi~~:,~~~;~~~ ~. ''''_'''''''''''''''''c,,~lC- i)ûi,rf/~1ii~)1i .f,l..,;--~~"~,-,.,-",._.,._, Dear Minister Peters: Re: Chanqes to the Municipal Outlet Drainac¡e Grant Proc¡ram The Council of the Corporation of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent at its August 3, 2004 meeting discussed the Provincial Government's announcement to eliminate grants paid to agriculturally assessed properties under the Drainage Act. Council subsequently adopted the following resolution and requests your prompt attention to this important motion: "THAT as of July 28,2004 the Provincial Government has eliminated agricultural grants previously available under section 85 of the Drainage Act. This decision was made without consultation or prior warning and will be detrimental to this critical drainage infrastructure and to a program that has been in existence for over 100 years, AND WHEREAS the Drainage Act has been an efficient and effective legislation helping to promote community involvement and publiclprivate partnerships on all municipal drainage projects, The grant program has played an integral part in helping farmers sustain or enhance productivity and control operational overhead. AND WHEREAS there are areas in Ontario, particularly in the southwestern region of the Province that are at or below lake level. Chatham-Kent possesses an extensive system of pumped drainage schemes and dykes, creating an infrastructure to which on-going maintenance is critical. The protection provided by these schemes transforms otherwise marginal farmland into some of the most productive land in Ontario. continued.../2 315 King Street West, P.O. Box 640, Chatham, Ontario N7M 5K8 Telephone: (519) 436-3219 . Fax No.: (519) 436-3236 . Email: dianeg@city,chatham-kent.on,ca Honourable Steve Peters, Minister of Agriculture and Food Changes to the Municipal Outlet Drainage Grant Program Page 2 AND WHEREAS fuel prices have escalated to all time highs while commodity prices remain unacceptably low, Ontario farmers face a difficult economic situation. Fertilizer, machinery, chemical and seed prices continue to drive up the price of production. The grant program has been a dependable constant for many years. In these difficult and challenging times for the agricultural community, it is imperative that the grant program be re-instated. AND WHEREAS the elimination of the grant program will have lasting negative effects on the critical infrastructure necessary to provide outlet to both the rural and urban communities of Ontario. AND WHEREAS announced enhancements to the Tile Drainage Loan Program in no way compensate for the elimination of the grants previously paid to individual agricultUïal owners. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Corporation of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent petition the Government of the Province of Ontario to re- instate the Municipal Outlet Drainage grant program. AND FURTHER THAT THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CHATHAM-KENT CIRCULATE THIS RESOLUTION TO ALL MEMBERS OF PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT IN ONTARIO, ALL MUNICIPALITIES IN ONTARIO, THE ASSOCIATION OF MUNICIPALITIES OF ONTARIO, AND THE RURAL ONTARIO MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION, THE CANADIAN FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE AND THE ONTARIO FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF AND THE NEEO FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE GRANT PROGRAMS UNOER THE MUNICIPAL OUTLET DRAINAGE PROGRAM." We look forward to your positive response to this important issue within our community and our province. ~'í\SJ~ Di e ag er SA, CFP, CHRP Mayor, Munic' ality of Chatham-Kent Attachments c: The Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of the Province of Ontario Local Members of Parliament All Members of Provincial Parliament in Ontario All Municipalities in the Province of Ontario Rural Ontario Municipal Association Association of Municipalities of Ontario Canadian Federation of Agriculture Ontario Federation of Agriculture Christian Farmers Association THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF KINGSVILLE ,",j;M r J ~~~~7 %~.~;<J'" 2021 Division Road N KINGSV1LLE, ON N9Y 2Y9 Phone: (519) 733-2305 Fax: (519) 733-8108 August 12, 2004 The Honourable Steve Peters Minister of Agriculture & Food Fublic Archives Building 77 Grenville St., 11th Floor Toronto, Ontario M5S 1B3 Dear Honourable Sir: Re: Municipal Outlet Drainage Program The Council of the Corporation of the Town of Kingsville, at its August 9,2004 meeting, discussed the elimination of grants towards assessments on lands used for agriculture under the Drainage Act. As a result of these discussions, Council adopted the following resolution for your immediate action and support: WHEREAS, the Provincial Govemment announced on July 27,2004 the elimination of agricultural grants previously available by way of the Municipal Outlet Drainage Program, effective July 28, 2004; AND WHEREAS, the Municipal Outlet Drainage Program has played an integral role in assisting the farming community in ensuring efficient and effective drainage throughout the Province of Ontario; AND WHEREAS, the elimination of the Municipal Outlet Drainage Program will adversely affect the agricultural industry, in light of the difficult and challenging times facing the agricultural community; AND WHEREAS, the construction, improvement, maintenance and repair of municipal drains may be delayed or ended, due to lack of financial assistance, and which may ultimately result in flooding and poor productivity. ....2/ The Hon. Steve Peters Minister of Agriculture and Food Page 2 August 12, 2004 RE: Municipal Outlet Drainage Program NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF KINGSVILLE requests the Provincial Government, in consultation with The Minister of Agriculture and Food, to reconsider this decision and reinstate the Municipal Outlet Drainage Program; AND FURTHER THAT this resolution be circulated to The Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of the Province of Ontario, Local Members of Provincial Parliament, Mr. Charles Lalonde, Director, Ministry of Agriculture and Food, All Municipalities in the Province of Ontario, Rural Ontario Municipal Association and Association of Municipalities of Ontario stressing the importance of and need for the continuation of Grant Programs offered by the Municipal Outlet Drainage Program. Your serious consideration of this most important issue within the County of Essex and the Province of Ontario is appreciated and we look forward to a favourable response on behalf of the farming community. Sincerely, Linda Burling, Clerk I11b c: The Hon. Dalton McGuinty, Premier of the Province of Ontario c: The Hon. Pat Hoy, MPP - Chatham-Kent-Essex c: The Hon. Bruce Crozier, MPp-Essex c: The Hon. Dwight Duncan-MPP-Windsor-St. Clair c: Mr. Charles Lalonde, Director-Ministry of Agriculture and Food (3'" Floor, 1 Stone Road West, Guelph, ON N1G 4Y2) c: ROMA (Rural Ontario Municipal Association) c: AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario) TOWNSIDP OF SOUTH - WEST OXFORD R. R. # 1, Mount Elgin, On. NOJ 1NO 312915 Dereham Line Phone: (519) 877-2702; (519) 485-0477; Fax: (519) 485-2932 To: All Ontario Municipalities Re: Resolutionfor Council considera.tion From: Mary Ellen Greb, Deputy Clerk-Treasurer Thefollowing resolution was duly moved and carried by the Township of South-West Oxford at the August 3, 2004 meeting. Council wishes that this resolution be circulated to all Ontario municipalities for support. Should Council wish to support the resolution please send a copy of this support to your local MPP as well as Premier Dalton McGuinty and Steve Peters Minister of Agriculture and Food. WHEREAS municipalities and land owners of rural Ontario have demonstrated confidence in the Municipal Outlet Drainage Program (Drainage Act) by making use of the program for constructing, improving, maintaining and repairing Municipal Drains that improve the quality of land and waterways within the Province of Ontario; AND WHEREAS the Municipal Outlet Drainage Program allows all parties to take a proactive approach to Drainage in the province of Ontario and reduce liability exposure caused by flooding on private lands and roads; AND WHEREAS the Municipal Outlet Drainage Program has encouraged Ontario fanners to become expert managers of not only the food producing land but also the resources that surround that fann1and; AND WHEREAS the drainage of agricultural land is an èssential part of our $25 billion food economy; AND WHEREAS the Municipal Outlet Drainage (MOD) and the Tile Loan programs must co-exist, as tile drainage ofland can only take place where there is an adequate municipal drain outlet to carry the water away; AND WHEREAS the agricultural drainage systems in Ontario have contributed significantly to providing habitat for fish where that habitat previously did not exist and have also provided societal benefits by enhancing fisheries, wildlife, recreation and water quality; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Premier Dalton McGuinty and the Members of Provincial Parliament be called upon to reverse the decision to phase out the grants under the Municipal Outlet Drainage (MOD) program and to reinstate the program effective immediately; AND FURTHER that this resolution be circulated to Premier Dalton McGuinty, Steve Peters Minister of Agriculture and Food and all Ontario Municipalities for their consideration. "CARRIED" C09 - Communications August 8, 2004 Association of Municipalities of Ontario 393 University Ave., Suite 1701 Toronto, ON M5G 1 E6 Please be advised that the Council for the Municipality of Kincardine adopted the following resolution at its meetin9 of August 4, 2004: Resolution #2004 - 474 Moved by: Glenn R. Sutton Seconded by: A.R. (Sandy) Donald WHEREAS the Ministry of Agriculture and Food for the Province of Ontario has determined that it is phasing out grants under the Municipal Outlet Drainage (MOD) program; AND WHEREAS the MOD program is a key public service; AND WHEREAS insufficient notice was given to all stakeholders by the Province of Ontario in regard to phasing out this key public service; AND WHEREAS the phasing out of the MOD program will result in undue hardship on rural municipalities and the farming community within the Province of Ontario; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Municipality of Kincardine strongly urges the Provincial Government to reconsider its position to phase out the Municipal Outlet Drainage Program; AND FURTHER THAT this resolution be forwarded to the office of the Premier, the Minister of Agriculture and Food. the County of Bruce, MPP Carol Mitchell, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and all rural municipalities in Ontario for support. Carried. Please distribute this resolution to your members. Sincerely, Rosaline Graham, Clerk Municipality of Kincardine 1475 Concession 5 Kincardine, ON N2Z 2X6 Fax: (519) 396-8288 e-mail: r9raham@kincardine.net Town of North Perth 330 Wallace Avenue North Listowel, Ontario N4W 1 L3 (519) 291-2950 Fax (519) 291-1804 August 10", 2004 Municipalities of Ontario Dear Council: Re: Municipal Outlet Drainage Program The Council of the Town of North Perth at their regular Council meeting on Monday, August 9", 2004 adopted the following resolution: WHEREAS without consultation or any advance warning the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) announced its intention "to phase out grants under the Municipal Outlet Drainage program (MOD);" AND WHEREAS municipal drains are a critical part of the rural inrrastructure; AND WHEREAS municipalities have been able to use the MOD program funding to respond to farmer's requests for a new drain, improvements or maintenance to an existing drain; AND WHEREAS the entire costs of municipal drain projects will now be absorbed by the farmers, many of whom are already experiencing [mancial hardship rrom circumstances beyond their control; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the Town of North Perth hereby request the Minister of Agriculture and Food. Hon. Steve Peters to reinstate the Municipal Outlet Drainage program; AND FURTHER THAT a copy of this resolution be forwarded for action to John Wilkinson, M.P.P. Perth-Middlesex; and for information to Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Perth County Federation of Agriculture; National Farmers Union, Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario and for endorsement to the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA), Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), and all municipalities in Ontario. The Town of North Perth Council respectfully request support for this resolution rrom all Ontario municipalities. Yours truly, Kriss Snell, Clerk Town of North Perth Chief Administrative Officer Administration/Cler\<S Dept. Finance & Treasury Dèpl; Water Dept. Engineering Dept. Public works Dept. Fire Dept. . AdminiStration (519) 867-2021 (519) 867-2021 (519) 867"2024 (519) 867-2128 (519) 867-2125 (519) 867-2993 (519) 867-21 10 Township of St. Clair August IS,2004 Honourable Steve Peters Minister of Agriculture and Food 11th Floor 77 Grenville Street Toronto, Ontario M5S IB3 AUG 20 .~ Re: Discontinuance of Municipal Outlet Drainage Program Dear Minister Peters: The Council of the Corporation of the Township of St. Clair discussed the discontinuance of the Municipal Outlet Drainage Grant Program at its August 16, 2004 meeting. The Council of the Corporation of the Township of St. Clair has adopted the following resolution and requests your prompt attention to this important motion: WHEREAS the Province of Ontario has maintained a long tradition of cooperation with the Rural Municipalities by recognizing the unique challenges of developing and sustaining the Public Drainage System in Rural Ontario through the Municipal Outlet Drainage Grant Funding Grant Program, and WHEREAS the Provincial Government has removed this long standing recognition of the uniqueness of the rural community without consultation with the affected Municipalities or Fann organizations; THEREFORE be it resolved that the Municipality of St. Clair request the Province of Ontario to re-instate in its entirety the Municipal Outlet Drainage Program and that no changes to the existing program be proposed until the consultation process is completed; AND FURTHER THAT the Corporation of the Township of St. Clair circulate this resolution to all rural municipalities and the fann organizations in Ontario and the Office of the Premier, Minister of Agriculture and County of Lambton. SI; Clair Civic centre, 1155 Emily Street, Mooretown, Ontario NON IMO - 2 - The Council of the Corporation of the Township of St. Clair anticipates your support to this important matter. Yours truly, /J ~ 1}...{(cG~&~ /1 . ..( l· ~.- /7 (J;--uCC'L.. "b_- Mavis Monteith, Drainage Clerk Township ofSt. Clair c: Rural municipalities in Ontario Fann Organizations in Ontario Office of the Premier Minister of Agriculture County of Lambton Local Members of Parliament The Corporation of the :Jvfunicipafity of Centràtirgin 450 Sunset Drive, 1 st Floor, St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 5V1 Ph.519·631·4860 Fax519'631'4036 August 10th, 2004 Steve Peters, M.P.P. Elgin-Middlesex-London 542 Talbot Street St. Thomas, ON N5P 1C4 Dear Mr. Peters: Re: Grants under Municipal Outlet Drainage (MOD) programme Please be advised that Council discussed correspondence respecting the above noted matter at their meeting dated Monday, August 9th, 2004 and the following resolution was passed: THAT: The Council of the Corporation of the Municipality of Central Elgin express its concern with the decision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food to eliminate grants under the Municipal Outlet Drainage (MOD) programme with no consultation with agricultural stakeholders as to the timing of the decision or its impact on the farm community. CARRIED. Please be advised that a copy of this resolution has been forwarded to the County of Elgin for consideration by the lower tier municipalities. If you have any questions or concerns respecting this information, please do not hesitate to contact me at the municipal office. Yours truly, ~~ Dianne Wilson Deputy Clerk c.c. Lower Tier Municipalities, County of Elgin Ontario . Canada www.dty.comwall.on.ca OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK Bureau de la Secrétaire Municipale P.O. Box I C.P. 877 360 rue Pitt Street Cornwall, Ontario K6H 5T9 Phone (613) 932·6252 Fax (613) 932-8145 ~ Cornwall Denise Labelle-Gélirias City Clerk I Secrétaire municipale (613)93G-2787,exl2537 E-Mail daelinas@citv.comwaILon.ca Manon Poirier Administrative Assistant! Assistante administrative (613) 930-2787 ext 2316 E~Maìl mcoirier@citv.comwall.on.ca July 14, 2004 To all Ontario Municipalites: . ,- . RE: ONTARIANS WITH DlSABILlT,ês AC'TSpêCIAL FUNDING .,', 0,.<, -,,:'-: ._'...-....' --"-'," ,-: '-. ':-, ,.c-' ..-,- -'" ,- ,- '.,', ~ ,.' - . This is to advise you that the Coupcil ofThe'ÇorporätiÒitofthe cityQ!C9rnwall, at its regular meeting of Monday, July12, 2004, endorsecfa FesohJtioi1 reganjing special funding for the Ontarians with Disabilities Act. The said Resolution is enÓ\osecj f Qr your refe[f¡!nçè., . ., , . -, '-'-"'- --. . . .. .- - As you are aware, tlie Ol)iariansy¡ith Disabilities Acfwåsintroduced in 2001 and all municipalities were required to prepare, on an annual 'basis, an ~cêessibilityPlan which adcjresses, ,identifies and, where possible, removes all barrif¡!rs tQp$ople with dli¡abilities. The Act alsolegisiates municipalities to appoint Committees which may including 'municipal staff as;'~source personnel tQ help with the Plan process. Council respectfully submits that tl¡e legislation doeSn?t include any stand¡¡rd or guideline to be followed yet enforces municipalities to conduct wh¡¡tevè~ work is required toadd~ess all barriers within its municipal Assets. ,..... '. . . <,-. ,,-. Due to the diverse disabilities of ourcomrnitt¡¡eME!mbers, it has beënrèçognized,c:iue to the amount of work involved, that there is a neeçHorthè municip¡ility toidentify a municipal coordinator who's specific task is to help and coordinate the Committee's requirements unde~the'legis1ation. There presently is no provision of any funding to municipalities inor¡jerto accoll1. pli$h i{$ t~sk: ... -" '.. - .- .'., :-:-"-.-' .-" -.'.:,.' . The Co~poration of the City of Comwall hé~éby requests all municip¡¡lities in joining in lobbying the Province of Ontario and the Association of' Municipalities of Ontario to provide for Special Funding that will help municipalities to employ the staff needed tocoordinate the Committee'$ requirements under the legislation and to set, as soon as possible, reasonable standards and guidelines for the advancement of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act and that these standards and guidelines be consistent throughout the Province. Thank you for your attention to this matter and we look forward to hearing from you. Respectfully, THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF CORNWALL fJJ~~~~~Q--¿ DENISE LABELLE-GELlNAS, C.M.O. CITY CLERK DLG/mp Enclosurea h Pr . Q Z· fL" ..... rowt - ospenty"'" ua l.ty 0 _ lIe ""'!"'" Progrès -- Prospérité ..... Qualité de vie RESOLUTION The Council of The Corporation of the City of Cornwall Resolution number: Moved by Councillor: Seconded by Councillor: NB -1 July 12, 2004 Leslie O'Shaughnessy Huguette Burroughs Ontarians with Disabilities Act Special Funding WHEREAS the Ontarians with Disabilities Act was introduced in 2001 and all municipalities were required to prepare. on an annual basis Accessibility Plan which Plan addresses, identifies and where possible remove all barriers to people with disabilities; and WHEREAS the Act also legislates municipalities to appoint Committees which may including municipal staff as resource personnel to help with the Plan process; and WHEREAS the legislation does not include any standard or guideline to be followed yet enforces municipalities to conduct whatever work is required to address all barriers within its municipal Assets; and WHEREAS due to the diverse disabilities of Committee Members, it has been recognized due to the amount of work involved, that there is a need for the municipality to identify a municipal coordinator who's specific task is to help and coordinate our requirements under the legislation; and where there presently is no provision of any funding to municipalities in order to accomplish its task. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT The Corporation of the City of Cornwall lobby the Province of Ontario (Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration) and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario to provide for Special Funding that will help municipalities to employ the staff needed to coordinate our requirement under the legislation and to set, as soon as possible, reasonable standards and guidelines for the advancement of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT these standards and guidelines be consistent throughout the Province; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT a copy of this special resolution be sent to our Local M.P. MPP and all municipalities throughout Ontario for their assistance in petitioning our Provincial Government in obtaining funding and that they set consistent standards and guidelines across Ontario. Certified to be a true copy of a Resolution passed by City Council at a regular meeting held on the 12th day of July, 2004. Dated at the City of Cornwall, County of Stormont, this 12th day of July, 2004. L~ LlNAS, CITY CLERK From: To: Date: Subject: "Bob Hammersley" <bob@stthomaschamber.on.ca> <human_resources@elgin-county.on.ca> 8/16/04 11 :48AM City of Peterborough Dear Harley; In times of crisis, the Chamber of Commerce network can be a strong communication link throughout the business communities. The following information was submitted to me by Stuart Harrison at the Chamber office in Peterborough. In the sprit of community co-operation and concern I invite your consideration of Stuart's message below. Bob Hammersley President & CEO St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce As you may have seen or heard in recent news reports a flood devastated the Peterborough Ontario area on July 15. Mother Nature was extremely unforgiving, dumping approximately 7- 9 inches of rain in about 6 hours. As a result there are an alarming number of homeowners and businesses that are facing dramatic losses. Approximately 2,700 homeowners, and 260 businesses find they are not covered by their insurance policies, typically because their damage has been caused by a flood, not sewage back-up. Fortunately the majority of businesses/homeowners are covered, but we as a Chamber would like to help those who are not. We feel that the flood was a great equalizer. The Insurance Companies are certainly keeping up their end of the bargain, but we feel those businesses/homeowners who find themselves without coverage ought to have some help. The Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce has approved a $25,000 donation to the Peterborough Flood Relief Fund. We are encouraging our 850 Member-businesses to contribute as well and we are asking you to consider a donation on behalf of your company. There are three reasons: 1. The Province of Ontario will match your donation on a two-to-one basis (see below). 2. Your donation will be tax-deductible. 3. When coupled with donations from other like-minded businesses across the Country, along with the matching funds, your donation will have a significant impact, helping fellow businesses and homeowners. Please make your cheque payable to: Peterborough Flood Relief Fund Donations should be forwarded to the Relief Fund via: RoseMary Read City Administrator's Office City of Peterborough, 500 George Street North Peterborough, ON K9H 3R9 Donations may also be made through any local Red Cross Branch, but please indicate that your donation is to go to the Peterborough Flood Relief Fund. The Province will match this money on a two-for-one basis under the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program (ODRAP). The ODRAP fund is used to compensate all businesses and homeowners who are not covered by their insurance. The ODRAP fund can cover eligible losses up to 90%, as long as the fund is large enough, thus the need to raise as much money as possible, as soon as possible. Other flood-related information, is available on the City of Peterborough website at <http://www.city.peterborough.on.ca <http://www.city.peterborough.on.caJ> > We appreciate your help. Sincerely, Stuart Harrison General Manager Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce 175 George Street N, Peterborough ON K9J 3G6 Ph: 705748-9771 ext 202, Fax 705 743-2331 Email: stuart@peterboroughinfo.com ELGIN FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE Farmers Workingfor Farmers President Donna Lunn (519)644-0316 (519)644-2625 (fax) Email: dJunn@Sympatico.ca or ECFDC Office (519)633-7597, ext27 (519)633-5070 (fax) Secretary-Treasurer c/o Ruby Silcox, R #3, Shedden, Ont, NOL ZEO (519)769-2362 Fax: (519)769-2161 EmaiI: n:iIcox@execulink.com ill Elgin Agriculture Centre Tues & Thurs, 11 am to 3 pm PhonelFax: (519)633-0114 August 3"', 2004 To Rural Organizations (including Women's Institutes) in Elgin County Re: Elgin Agricultural Hall of Fame A wards for 2004 Once again it is time to ask your organization to be involved in choosing three local Elgin County people to be inducted into the Elgin County Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2005, recognizing them for outstanding contributions to the Agricultural Community of Elgin County. We are enclosing a nomination fonn to be completed by your organization, giving a name of a candidate you would recommend to receive this award this year. Please complete the fonn and return it to Ruby Silcox by November I ". Be sure to put the name of your organization and contact person on the fonn. If you have submitted a name previously and that person has not as yet been selected, that nomination can stand again, provided we are advised of this. We have kept your fonn in our files. Be sure to call Ruby Silcox at the above number. These awards will be given at the Elgin Federation Banquet & Dance which will be held February 5'\ 2005 at St. Anne's Centre, St. Thomas. Your comments on the application fonns would be appreciated. Any questions, please call Ruby at 633- 0114. Sincerely, ~ ~.. I· .. Ruby Silcox, Sec.-Treasurer Elgin Federation of Agriculture :rgs Farmers Workingfor Farmers Town of North Perth 330 Wallace Avenue North Listowel, Ontario N4W 1 L3 (519) 291-2950 Fax (519) 291-1804 August 10th, 2004 Municipalities of Ontario Dear Council: Re: Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (ESE) The Council of the Town of North Perth at their regular Council meeting on Monday, August 9'" 2004 adopted the following resolution: WHEREAS the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (ESE) Crisis in Canada is still ongoing for the frontline producers in the red meat industry; AND WHEREAS there is no indication that the United States' border will be open to Canadian red meat in the foreseeable future; AND WHEREAS the red meat producers have experienced devastating financial losses to the point where the production of red meat in Canada is in jeopardy; AND WHEREAS rural communities across Canada are suffering the synergistic effects of the red meat industry's destruction; NOW THEREFORE the Council of the Town of North Perth petition the Association of the Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) to appeal to both provincial and federal levels of government to: 1. Provide financial support directly to the red meat producers who are experiencing unbearable fmanciallosses in order to sustain the red meat industry in Canada. 2. Continue to negotiate with the United States and other countries for the export of Canadian red meat. AND FURTHER THAT this resolution be circulated to the Federal and Provincial Ministers of Agriculture, local MP and MPP, County of Perth, other Perth County municipalities, OF A, CFFO, NFU, ROMA and OSUM. The Town of North Perth Council respectfully request support for this resolution ITom all Ontario municipalities. Yours truly, Kriss Snell, Clerk Town of North Perth WHEREAS an article has appeared in the July 8, 2004 edition ofthe Frontenac News entitled "Is There a Future for Rural Ontario"; AND WHEREAS the said article is attached to and forming part of this resolution; AND WHEREAS a report prepared for the provincial government entitled "Investing in People: Creating a Human Capital Society for Ontario" fosters a philosophy that the province should pull back nom supporting rural Ontario in such statements as "Ontario will have to face difficult trade-oift in a number of areas, including support economically unsustainable rural and remote communities and spiraling health care costs which threaten to crowd out many other areas of needed government expenditure. "; AND WHEREAS Council for the Township of North Frontenac concurs with the views expressed in this article and consequently has grave concerns about the future of Rural Ontario NOW BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that Council for the Township of North Frontenac publicly notes its concurrence with the views expressed in the above-noted newspaper article and requests that rural municipalities throughout the Province of Ontario support this resolution by contacting the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and their elected Member of Provincial Parliament regarding this issue. Carried Is there a future for rural communities in Ontario? A report prepared for the provincial government has lead to speculation about whether the province will cease to pro- vide supports for what the report defines as small, rural, and remote communities. Investing in People: Creating a Human Capital Society for Ontario was prepared by a panel on the role of gov- ernment established under the Conservative government under Mike Harris in 2002, but the report was actually pre- sented to the Liberal government under Dalton McGuinty. While the report's main focuses are governance, health- care, education, and urban renewal, a short, one-page sec- tion called Small, Rural and Remote Communities, has made some in rural Ontario nervous about where govern- ment policy may be headed. This fear has been exacerbated by Lawrence Solomon, a columnist with the National Post newspaper, and a propo' nent of what he calls the urban renaissance, who has putr lished three columns in support of the idea of a provincial pull back from supporting rural Ontario. In concluding one of the columns, entitled Rural Phase Out, he lauded the report for saying the following: "Ontario will have to face difficult trade-oils in a number of areas, including support for economically unsustainable rural and remote communities and spiralling health care costs which threaten to crowd out many other areas of needed govern· ment expenditure." In its recommendations, the report says the government should ensure that core services are offered for "those choosing to live in at-risk communities", but it should "phase out rural economic development programs, such as the provision of subsidies and tax incentives to businesses." The report also recommends that the province playa role in "providing young people and workers with regional labour market information," and "should consider providing appro- priate transitional arrangements, such as those aimed at retraining for those willing to pursue opportunities beyond their home communities." The discussion of rural communities in the Investing in People report is based upon a background report called Small, Rural, and Remote Communities: The Anatomy of Risk by Enid Slack, Larry Bourne and Meric Gertler. Enid Slack is a consultant in Toronto, and Bourne and Gert- ler are faculty members at the University of Toronto. The report devotes much of its 39 pages to Northern On- tario, but it does say that many communities in Southern and Eastern Ontario face many of the same challenges as communities in the North. When contacted, Larry Bourne described rural remote as communities that are located more than 100 kms away from metropolitan centers. Although the report listed only Ottawa as a metropolitan center in eastern Ontario, Bourne said on the phone that Kingston would qualify. "The message of the report is that smaller and more spe- cialized communities are at greater risk from economic downturns. Lack of diversity can be a handicap. This is par· ticularly true of remote communities, which are roughly an hour's commute from a large labour market." Bourne says the reality of population decreases in rural Ontario must be acknowledged and planned for. He is con- cerned about attempts to foster population growth because they are unrealistic. "To me a realistic report would be to state the challenge, and respond to it." He is also less than enthusiastic about the potential for rural broadband internet access to lead to economic or popula- tion growth in rural Canada "The reality is that technology has led to more concentration of people rather than less. Broadband internet access, in itself, will not make an undesirable place to live desirable," Bourne said, He said, however, that broadband access will have an im- pact on the delivery of services to remote areas, and will have an economic impact in making desirable locations, with waterfront locations, more desirable. Northern Ontario and Eastern Ontario The report on small rural and remote communities and the articles by the Urban Rennaissance advocate Lawrence Solomon both focused their attention on Northern Ontario, where there has been funding provided by both the provin- cial and federal governments for economic development in past years. By contrast, eastern Ontario rates barely a mention, and in the past has not received any dedicated funding. Ironically, just last month the Federal Government has decided to al- locate $10 million dollars for infrastructure funding in east- ern Ontario under what is called the FedNor program which is devoted to federal funding for northern Ontario.. By the definition of rural remote as those communities lo- cated one hour or more from a major metropolitain center, the rural portion of eastern Ontario is basically in the Land O'Lakes region and to the north to Algonquin Park and west to the Bancroft area. It could be argued that this region is an example of the im- pact of such a policy as is envisioned by the report. It has meant the elimination of villages, an aging population, and a perpetually weak economy. The positive aspects of the report on small rural and remote communities Hes in the recognition that smaller rural mu- nicipalities can not pay for the cost of delivering downloaded services because they have no industrial or commercial base and an overtaxed residential sector. For that reason the report calls on the province to return to its traditional role of providing funding for social services, and for roads and bridges. While it would be a mistake to overstate the impact of stud- ies commissioned by provincial governments and the mus- ings of rogue columnist (Solomon also wrote about how rural Canadians are overweight and depressed, as opposed to active urbanites running from meeting to meeting), it is important to monitor the thinking of the political and eco- nomic classes. As is so often the case, the thinking about what is needed in rural Ontario and rural Canada is being done by people who live and work in urban settings. 89/14/2004 09:59 7735334 MALAHIDE PAGE 01 September 13,2004. TO: Town of Aylmer AND TO: County of Elgin RE: Restructuring-AylmerlMalahide. (()~ ¡Jfí dar );/JrJ¿J'Pf//,/ïØ./j é'(}/,Ji/" C"D/Y) Enclosed please find the following documentation revised as of September 13,2004: 1. Proposed Resolution (revised) 2. Draft Restructuring Proposal; Please contact our office if you have any questions or concems. Thanks, R. Millard, Township ofMalahide. 09/14/2004 09:59 7735334 MALAHIDE PAGE 02 REVISED RESOLUTION· SEPTEMBER 13,2004 17. THAT WHEREAS Section 173 of the Municipal Act authorizes a municipality or local board in a locality to make a restructuring proposal to .restructure municipalities; AND WHEREAS if there are any matters included in the attached proposal that the Minister does not have the authority to implement, the Minister is authorized to implement the remainder ofthis proposal; AND WHEREAS it is the expectation of the municipalities involved in this restructuring proposal that after the restructuring exercise the municipalities and local boards will implement on their own any matters that the Minister cannot include in a restructuring order; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Corporation of the Township of Malahide supports the attached restructuring proposal dated September 2, 2004 in its entirely. 09/14/2004 09:59 7735334 MALAHIDE PAGE 03 Revised - Section 13, 2004 Draft Restructuring Proposal under Section 173 Municipal Act, 2001 Corporation ofthe Town of Aylmer and Corporation of the Township of Malahide. September 2, 2004. J.. In tbis Proposal, "Annexed areas" means the areas comprised of the lands described in the Schedule to this proposal; "County" means the Corporation of the County of Elgin; "Town" means the Corporation of the Town of Aylmer; and, "Township" means the Corporation of the Township of Malahide. 2. (1) On January 1, 2005 (or as soon as possible) the lands described in Schedule "A" to this proposal are to be annexed to the Town. (2) All real property of the Township, including highway, street fixtures, waterlines, sewer easement and restrictive covenants running with the real property, located in the annexed areas, vests in the Town on January 1,2005. (3) Subject to Subsection (2), all assets and liabilities of the Township that are located in the annexed areas or relate to the annexed areas described in Schedule "B" remain the assets and liabilities of the Township save and except where there is joint ownership. 3. All real property taxes, rates and charges levied, assessed or imposed under any general or special Act in the annexed areas or on persons in respect of the annexed areas which remain due and unpaid at the end of December 31, 2004, shall be deemed on January 1, 2005, to be real property taxes, rates and charges due and owing to the Town and the Town has the same power to collect and enforce payment of those taxes, rates and charges as the Township would have had if the annexed areas had remained part of the Township. 09/14/2004 09:59 7735334 MALAHIDE PAGE 04 4. (1) Prior to March 1, 2005 the clerk of the Township shall, in respect of the annexed areas, prepare and furnish the clerk of the Town with a special collector's roll showing all arrears of real property taxes, rates and charges that were levi.ed assessed or imposed ÌD. the annexed areas or on persons in respect of the annexed areas up to and including December 31, 2004. (2) Within 30 days from the day that the special collector's roll is furnished under sub-section (1) or by April I, 2005, whichever is earliest, the Town shall pay to the Township an amount equal to the amount of the arrears of real property taxes, rates and charges mentioned ÌD subsection (1). 5. For the purpose of the assessment rolls to be prepared for the Town and the Township for the purpose oftaxatiolJ in 2005 the annexed areas shall be deemed to be part of the Town. 6. (1) On January 1,2005, the by-laws of the Town extend to the annexed areas in Schedule "A" and the by-laws of the Township cease to apply to such areas except, (a) by-laws of the Township (i) that were passed under section 34 or 41 of the Planning Act or a predecessor of those sections; (ii) that were passed under the Highway Tt'affic Act or the Municipal Act that regulate the use of the highways by vehicles and pedestrians and that regulate the encroachment or projection of buildings or any portion thereof upon or over highways, which shall remain in force and effect until repealed by the Council of the Town. (b) by-laws of the Township passed under section 45,58 or 61 of the Drainage Act or a predecessor of those section; (c) by-laws of the Township conferring rights, privileges, franchises, immunities or exemptions that could not have been lawfully repealed by the council of the Township. (d) by-laws of the Township passed under section 10 fo the Weed Control Act or a predecessor of that section; and (e) by-laws of the Township passed under the Development Charges Act which shall remain in force until repealed by the Council of the Town or expire. (2) The Official Plan of the Township as it applies to the annexed areas, and as approved under the Planning Act or a predecessor of that Act, becomes an official plan of the Town and shall remain in force until amended or repealed. 09(14/2004 09:59 7735334 MALAHIDE PAGE 05 (3) If the Township has commenced procedures to enact a by-law under any Act or to adopt an official plan or an amendment thereto under the Planning Act and that by-law, official plan or amendment applies to the annexed areas and is not in force on January 1,2005, the council ofthc Town may continue tþe procedures to enact the by-law or adopt the official plan or amendment to the extent that applies to the annexed areas. e9~14!2004 09:59 7735334 MALAHIDE PAGE 05 Schedule" A" Being those lands in the Township of Malahide to be annexed to the Town of Aylmer more particularly described as: All and Singular tbat certain parcel or tract of land and premises situate, lying and being in the Township ofMalahide, in the Coooty of Elgin, and Province of Ontario, being composed of Part of Lot 80, North Talbot Road, and more particularly described as follows: Parts 1.;2.,3 and 4, of Plan lIR-7891; PartS 1,2 and 3 of Plan 1IR-1306; and, Part 1 of Plan 1IR-963. And all of Talbot Line road allowance commencing at the south east comer of Lot 80 NortÞ Talbot Road and running adjacent to Lot 80, westerly for a distance of 365.181 meters. THAT reference Plan 11 R-7891 be attached to and fonn part of this Schedule. ~9!14!2004 09:59 _ -. í 7735334 MALAHIDE rHo,;;¡~ ur SCHEDULE "B" Being those lands ovmedjointly by the Corporation of the Township ofMalahide a.nd Town of Aylmer wd more particularly described as Parts 1,2 and 3, of Plan 11R-7891; THAT reference Plan l1R -7891 be attaChed to and form part of this Schedule. 09/02/2004 12:18 7735334 MALAHIDE PAGE 02 ~,-. ,. DRAFT NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING For Town, Township and County of Elgin Proposed Annexation between Township of Malahide and Town of Aylmer. Date: September 16, 2004. Time: 8:00 p.m. Place: Malahide Township Office. PROPOSAL: To Transfer by amalgamation all those lands in Part Lot 80, North Talbot Road, between Highway #3 and the centre line of the Catfish Creek from the existing west Town line westerly to the west limit of the East Elgin Community Complex including 365 meters of adjacent Highway #3 in the Township ofMalahide to the Town of Aylmer. These lands consist offour (4) lots, Mr. Hutchinson's proposed sub-division and the East Elgin Community Complex lands along with the adjacent Highway #3 for a distance of approximate 365 meters. Note: The East Elgin Community Complex remains a joint ownership between the Town and Township. The joint agreement for governance is not affected by this amalgamation. Anyone requiring more information may do so by attending at the office of the Clerk, 87 John Street, South, Aylmer, Ontario, or phone: (5 I 9) 773-5344. R. Millard, C.A.O./Clerk Township ofMalahide. 09/02/2004 12:18 7735334 MALAHIDE PAGE 03 .._~~q DR AF T ---:::::: THAT WHEREAS Section 25.2 oftbe Municipal Act authorizes a municipality or local board in a locality to make a restructuring proposal to restructure municipalities; AND WHEREAS ü there are any matters included in the attached proposal that the Minister does not have the authority to implement, the Minister is authorized to implement the remainder of this proposal; AND WHEREAS it is the expectation of the municipalities involved in tb.is restructuring proposal that after the restructuring exercise the municipalities and local boards will implement on their own any matters that tbe Minister cannot include in a restructuring order; NOW THEREFORl liE IT RESOLVED THAT the Corporation of the TOWIlship of Malahide supports the attached restructuring proposal dated September 2, 2004 in its entirely. , , 09/02/2004 12:18 7735334 MALAHIDE PAGE 04 DRAFl Draft Restructuring Proposal under the Municipal Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.M.. 45 Corporation of the Town of Aylmer and Corporation ofthe Township of Malahide. September 2, 2004. 1. In this Proposal, ., . ,., '" "Annexed areas" means· the areas comprised of the lands described in the Schedule to this proposal; "County" means the Corporation of the County ofElgìn; "TaWIl" means the Corporation of the Town of Aylmer; and, "Township" means the Corporation of the Township of Malahide. 2. (I) On January 1, 2005 (or as SOon as possible) the landsidescribed in Schedule "A" to this proposal are to be annexed to the Town. ." (2) All real property of the Township, including highway, street fixtures, waterlines, sewer easement and restrictive covenants running with the real property, located in the annexed areas, vests in the Town On January I, 2005. (3) Subject to Subsection (2), all assets and liabilities of the Township that are located in the annexed areas or relate to the annexed areas described in Schedule "B" remain thè aSsets and liabilities of the Township save and except where there is joint ownership. 3..... ::;...Arl 3. On and after January I, 2005, the annexed area forms part of Poll ~ of the Town of Aylmer for election purposes. 4. All real property taxes, rates and charges levied, assessed or imposed under any general or special Act in the annexed areas or on persons in respect of the annexed areas which remain due and unpaid at the end of December 31, 2004, shall be deemed on January 1, 2005, to be real property taxes, rates and charges due and owing to the Town and the Town has the same power to collect and enforce payment of those taxes, rates and charges as the Township would have had if the annexed areas had remained part of the Township. 09/02/2004 12:18 7735334 MALAHIDE PAGE 05 5. (1) Prior to March 1,2005 the clerk of the Township shall, in respect of the annexed areas, prepare and furnish the clerk of the Town with a special collector's roll showing all arrears of real property taxes, rates and charges that were levied assessed or imposed in the annexed areas or on persons in respect of the annexed areas up to and including December 31, 2004. (2) Within 30 days from the day that the special collector's roll is furnished under sub-section (1) or by April 1,2005, whichever is earliest, the Town shall pay to the Township an amount equal to the amount of the arrears of real property taxes, rates and charges mentioned in subsection (I). 6. For the purpose ofth~ assessment rolls to be prepared for the Town and·the Township for the purpose of taxatioI). h1"2005 the annexed areas shall be deemed to be part of the Town. 7. (I) On January 1,2005, the by-laws of the Town extend to the annexed areas in Schedule "A" and the by-laws of the Township cease to apply to such areas except, (a) by-laws of the Township (i) that were passed under section 34 or41 of the Plan;'ing Actor a predecessor of those sections; (ii) that were passed under the Highway Traffic Act or the Municipal Act that regulate the use of the highways by vehicles and pedestrians and that regulate the encroachment or projection of buildings or any portion thereof upon or over highways, . . "-,,. which shall remain in force and effect until repealed by the Council of the Town. (b) by-laws of the Township passed under section 45, 58 or 61 of the Drainage Act or a predecessor of those section; . (c) by-laws ·ofthe Township confeaing rights, privileges, franchises, immunities or exemptions that could not have been lawfully repealed by the council of the Township. (d) by-laws of the Township passed under section 10 fo the Weed Control Act or a predecessor of that section; and (e) by-laws of the TOWnship passed under the Development Charges Act which shall remain in force until repealed by the Council of the Town or expire. Ð9/Ð2/2ÐÐ4 12:18 7735334 MALAHIDE PAGE Ð6 (2) The Official Plan of the Township as it applies to the annexed areas, and as approved under the Planning Act or a predecessor of that Act, becomes an official plan of the Town and shall remain in force until amended or repealed. (3) If the Township has COmmenced procedures to enact a by-law under any Act or to adopt an official plan or an amendment thereto under the Planning Act and that bY-law, official plan or amendment applies to the annexed areas and is not in force on January 1,2005, the council of the Town may continue the procedures to enact the by-law or adopt the official plan or amendment to the extent that applies to the annexed areas. ~ ~ ., " ,~ 09/02/2004 12:18 7735334 MALAHIDE PAGE 07 DRAF1 Schedule "A" Being those lands in the Township ofMalahide to be annexed to the Town of Ayhner more particularly described as: All and Singular that certain parcel or tract of land and premises situate, lying and being in the Township of Malahide, in the County of Elgin, and Province of Ontario, being composed ofPart of Lot 3D, North Talbot Road, and more Particularly described as follows:· . Parts 1,2,3 and 4, of-:¡>la,¡¡ IIR-7891; Pans 1,2 and 3 ofPlaidlR-1306; and, Part 1 of Plan IIR-963. And all of Talbot Line road allowance cOIIIn¡encing at the south east corner of Lot 80 North Talbot Road and running adjacent to Lot 30, westerly for a distance of 365 .131 meters. THAT reference Plan I lR-789 I be attached to and fonn part of this Schedule. . . ~J ,,~ ~ 09/02/2004 12:18 7735334 MALAHIDE PAGE 08 SCHEDULE "B" Being those lands owned jOintly by the Corporation of the TOVv'Ilship ofMalahide and Town of Aylmer and more particularly described as Parts 1,2 and 3, of Plan 11R-7891; THAT reference Plan 11R-7891 be attached to and form part of this Schedule. , . f ; ; L' CORRESPONDENCE - SEPTEMBER 14. 2004 Items for Information - (Consent Aaenda) 1. Honourable George Smitherman, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care thanking Council for their support to the Ontario health care system. (ATTACHED) 2. Dr. Sheela V. Basrur, Chief Medical Officer of Health and Assistant Deputy Minister of Health and Long-Term Care responding to resolution re: Public Health Governance Restructuring. (ATTACHED) 3. Randy Millard, CAOIClerk, Township of Malahide Norma Bryant, Clerk, Municipality of West Elgin Lynda Millard, Clerk, Municipality of Bayham Phyllis Ketchabaw, Clerk, Town of Aylmer Ken Loveland, Clerk, Treasurer Administrator with a resolution of support re: Public Health Governance Restructuring. (ATTACHED) 4. The Senate Report-Summer2004 (AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING IN ADMINISRATIVE SERVICES) 5. Catherine Axford, Executive Assistant to the Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander, Chairman Ontario Heritage Foundation inviting Council to participate in the Heritage Community Recognition Program 2004. (ATTACHED) 6. Richard F. Stephenson, Chair Assessment Review Board with their 2000-2002 and the 2002-2003 Annual Reports. (AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING IN ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES) 7. Honourable John Gerretsen, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, with their Air Quality and Climate Change Handbooks. (AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING IN ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES) 8. Federation of Canadian Municipalities Members' Advisory re: Cabinet Update. (ATTACHED) 9. Carllsenburg, President and Chief Administrative Officer, Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, responding to municipal concerns regarding Ontario's current value assessment system and service. (ATTACHED) 10. Carrie Shea, Secretary, Elgin 4H Association, thanking Council for their support of the 4H program. (ATTACHED) 11. Larry Clay, Director, Municipal Performance and Accountability Branch, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, with copy of correspondence concerning County Council's support of the City of Kawartha Lakes' resolution regarding the Municipal Performance Measurement Program. (ATTACHED) 12. Peter Hume, Chair, Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, announcing the appointment of Mr. Carllsenburg as President and Chief Administrative Officer for the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation effective August 1, 2004. (ATTACHED) 13. Honourable Dr. Marie Bountrogianni, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, with a copy of the "Strengthening the Ontario Disability Act, 2001", Consultation Summary. (ATTACHED) 14. Hon. George Smitherman, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, announcing $8,920 in new base funding for the County for community support services and supportive housing programs for 2004/05. (ATTACHED) 15. Hon. David Caplan, Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal, announcing the release of the "Building a Better Tomorrow: An Infrastructure Planning, Financing, and Procurement Framework for Ontario Public Sector". (ATTACHED) 16. Judith Andrew, Vice President, Ontario, Canadian Federation of Independent Business, providing a copy of "The Real Deal on Municipalities", redefining local government revenues and responsibilities. (ATTACHED) 17. Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), advising of MPAC's commitment to municipalities and taxpayers to provide high quality, professional service. (ATTACHED) 18. Ken Verrell, Chairperson, Seniors' Picnic in the Park, thanking Council for support of the annual Seniors' Picnic. (ATTACHED) 19. Ontario News Release Communique, McGuinty Government Promotes Fairness and Choice for Employees 65 and Over. (ATTACHED) 20. Paul J.C. O'Neal, Chief Archaeologist, Mayer Heritage Consultants Inc., with an update on the archaeological assessment to confirm the location of the cemetery on the site of the former Elgin County House of Industry. (ATTACHED) 21. Association of Municipalities of Ontario, regarding the 2004 Counties, Regions and Single Tier Municipalities, and District Social Service Administration Boards Conference, accommodation information and Conference Registration Form, information on Special Events and the Companions Program and Registration Form. (ATTACHED) 22. Hon. Dwight Duncan, Minister of Energy, acknowledging Councils resolution regarding the construction of electrical lines to support the potential development of wind turbine generated power. (ATTACHED) 23. Hon. Steve Peters, M.P.P., Elgin-Middlesex-London, with copy of correspondence to the Minister of Environment concerning the negative impact requirements under the Drinking Water System Regulation 170 will have on small rural municipalities. (ATTACHED) 24. Hon. David Caplan, Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal, responding to infrastructure issues contained in the County's report entitled "Provincial Issues in Elgin County". (ATTACHED) 25. Cynthia St. John, Chief Administrative Officer, Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit, announcing the $36,132.84 County portion of the Health Unit's reserve fund surplus. (ATTACHED) 26. 51. Thomas-Elgin Second Stage Housing, invitation to 10th Anniversary Celebration. 27. Notice of Save Our Rural Schools meeting to be held on September 20,2004 at 6:30 P.M. at the Dutton Community Center. Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Ministère de la Santé et des Soins de longue durée 1iÆ "'....." Ontario Office of the Minister Bureau du ministre 10· Floor, Hepburn Block 80 Grosvenor Street Toronto ON M7A 2C4 Tel 416-327-4300 Fax 416-326-1571 www.health.gov.on.ca 10e étage, édifice Hepbum 80, rue Grosvenor Toronto ON M7A 2C4 Tél 416-327-4300 Téléc 416-326-1571 www.health.gov.on.ca JiJL 0 B 20M Mr. John Wilson Warden Corp. of the County of Elgin 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas ON N5R 5Vl Dear Mr. Wilson: I would like to thank you for your continuing effort and co-operation in working with my Ministry to support Ontario's health care system. The McGuinty government is embarking upon a major transformation of the Ontario health care system. Our plan involves all health care providers in Ontario working together as partners to make our system more accessible, accountable and sustainable for future generations. The plan for transforming the system is anchored on a clear vision: healthier Ontarians in a healthier Ontario. A fundamental part of this transformation will involve putting resources and care in the community to relieve pressure on hospitals and improve health outcomes. Our plan also involves a major emphasis on healthy living and illness prevention to keep people well in the first place. A strong community sector is essential to delivering effective preventative health care. To achieve our transformation plan, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has developed key priorities that we will be measured against, including · reduced wait times for important procedures; · improved access to family physicians and other members of the primary health care team through the creation of 150 Family Health Teams; · enhanced long-term care and home care; · accessible community-based mental health; · a revitalized public health system; · a comprehensive child vaccination program; · reduced rates of tobacco use and childhood obesity; and · a health care system that lives within Ontario's means. .../2 1671-01 (03104) 7530-4658 -2- Mr. Wilson Our government believes in a health care system that provides the highest quality of care, when people need care, as close to home as possible. Our decisions about transforming health care in Ontario are guided by the health needs of Ontarians and the best use of precious health care dollars. And in keeping with our goal of an accountable health care system, we will ensure that all providers have access to information regarding this year's allocation across the entire system. I am pleased to confirm the government's commitment of $417M to community support services and supportive housing programs for the fiscal year 2004/05. This represents an increase of 4.1% over last year. Your share in this includes $8/920 in new base funding. This new funding will help stabilize the community support service and supportive housing sectors. In addition, new community support services funding will serve up to 8/000 new clients in 2004/05. It will increase the capacity of the sector to support seniors, frail elderly and persons with physical disabilities in the community. It will assist them to remain living independently with increased quality of life, for themselves and for their families and caregivers. In the coming weeks, you will receive further correspondence from the Ministry outlining the details of this new funding, and accountability requirements concerning your allocation. Thank you for your continued commitment to the provision of high quality health care services for the people of Ontario. Yours truly, ~11= Jl:ler c: Hon. Steve Peters, MPP/ Elgin-Middlesex-London Mr. Mark McDonald, General Manager, Long-Term Care (A), Corp. of the County of Elgin Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Ministère de la Santé et des Solns de longue durée ® Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health and Assistant Deputy Minister Médecin hygiéniste en chef et Sous.ministre adjoint Public Health Division 11th Floor, Hepburn Block Queen's Park Toronto ON M7A 1R3 Division de la santé publique Ëdifice Hepburn, 11 étage Queen's Park Toronto (ON) M7A 1R3 Téléphone: (416) 212-3831 Télécopieur. (416) 325-8412 Telephone: (416)212-3831 Facsimile: (416) 325-8412 JUL . A JUL - 6 200' ,.."-"~ .~. - -,("~,-.",,··-t~.~·.ii".'.,· "'.' ~ " . ,""'f'~ .~.,,- t: ,,""''''''':i! . '"'k~ ~." ~ y; ~w #t:~:};\ß~~æJm~'1~~~~~;~B- Mrs. Sandra Heffren Deputy Clerk County of Elgin 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas ON N5R 5V1 Dear Mrs. Heffren: Thank you for your letter of June 10, 2004 to the Honourable George Smitherman, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, concerning the Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin's resolution that was passed on June 8, 2004. Thank you for sharing your concerns and for providing us with the position paper on the "Structure of Public Health" prepared by the Board of Health of the Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit. The Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit provided the position paper to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHL TC) on April 21,2004. As you are aware, the Final Report of the Ontario Expert Panel on SARS and Infectious Disease Control, For the Public's Health (the Walker Report), was released on April 21, 2004. The final report focussed on how an Ontario Health Protection and Promotion Agency might fit into a comprehensive national public health framework. The Final Report contained 103 recommendations targeted at all sectors of Ontario's health care system involved in planning, funding and delivering public health programs and services in Ontario. On June 22, 2004, the MOHL TC announced a three-year action plan - Operation Health Protection - for the revitalization of Ontario's public health system. The Plan gives the province's public health system a new mandate, new leadership, accountability, and multi-year funding. As announced, the MOHL TC will be conducting a thorough review of Ontario's public health system, both at the Ministry and field level. I assure you that consultation with the field will be critical to our plans for the renewal of public health in the province. .../2 P04-00350 4225-64 (04103) -2- Mrs. Heffren Should you require any further information or clarification, Mr. Brent Feeney, Project Manager, Governance and Accountability Unit, would be pleased to assist you. Mr. Feeney can be reached at (416) 327-7463. Yours truly, Dr. Sheela V. Basrur Chief Medical Officer of Health and Assistant Deputy Minister c: Ms. Ruth Hawkins, Executive Director, Public Health Division Mr. Geoff Kettel, (A) Senior Manager, Public Health Division Board of Health, Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit Mr. Andrew Papadopoulos, Executive Director, Association of Local Public Health Agencies Mr. Peter Wiebe, President, Ontario Public Health Association Mr. Paul Huras, Executive Director, Thames Valley District Health Council Honourable Steve Peters, MPP, Elgin-Middlesex-London Mr. Paul Collins, President and Chief Executive Officer, St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital Elgin Constituent Municipalities PQ4-00350 '" Township of MALAHIDE 87 John Street South, Aylmer, Ontario N5H 2C3 Telephone: (519) 773-5344 Fax: (519) 773-5334 Emai!: malahide@township.malahide.on.ca www.township.malahide.on.ca July 12, 2004. Honourable George Smitherman, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, 80 Grosvenor Street, 11 th Floor, Hepburn Block, Toronto, Ontario M7 A 2C4 JUt 1S Dear Sirs: RE: Amalgamation of Health Units. Malahide Township Council met on July 8, 2004, and passed the following Resolution: THAT the Township of Malahide endorse the County of Elgin's resolution dated June 8, 2004, with regard to the amalgamation of health units and the Elgin St. Thomas Health Unit Position Paper. We enclose a copy of that Resolution for your convenience. We look forward to hearing from you with respect to this matter. Yours very truly, TO\VNSHIP OF MALAHIDE R. MILLARD, C.A.O./CLERK Copy - County of Elgin V Steve Peters, MPP H:\diana's files\Randy 2004\min of health - cty resoluionjuly 8.doc RANDALL R. MILLARD CAO./Chk Email: clerk(fÙrownship.malahidc.on.ca SUSAN E. WILSON TreasuTer Email: treasurer@township.malahide.on.ca Wlp;~ ¿attunicipalif~ nf ~£sf '!Elgin July 12, 2004 JUL 2004 County of Elgin 450 Sunset Drive 8t. Thomas, ON N5R 5V1 Attn: Sandra Heffren Dear Madame: RE: ELGIN ST. THOMAS HEALTH UNIT Please be advised that the Council of the Municipality of West Elgin, in support of your request, passed a resolution at its meeting held on July 8, 2004. A copy of the said resolution is attached for your information. Please circulate this letter, as you feel necessary. Yours truly, N~t,:£~ Clerk Encl. 22413 Hoskins Line, Box 490, Rodney, Ontario NOL 2COTel: (p19) 785-0560 Fax: (519) 785-0644 MUNICIPALITY OF WEST ELGIN Moved b Seconded by 1¡1~'~6-(T/J/ RESOLUTION # Date: July 8, 2004 RESOLVED that Council of the Municipality of West Elgin is in support of a resolution put forth by the County of Elgin that does not support amalgamations of health units and further supports the innovative approach outlined in the Elgin St. Thomas Health Unit Position Paper on the Structure and Governance of Public Health. DISPOSITION: ~ ;} Municipality of Bayham R· -C' '''''''''\ f&;¡;;;,. ,""'. _.f#i=-~"" p¡; _ r., ~'" I\¡¡¡¡~"d'*' <'U"" ,. - - h ~--!f!!J~'i~ \t§'f ~L1T 0» ~., 7>o>-tunity Is ...o~ P.O. Box 160,9344 Plank Road, Straffordville, Ontario NO] 1 YO Tel: (519) 866-5521 . Fax: (519) 866-3884 email: bayham@bayham.on.ca JUt 26 roD4 r..-", ~¡;¡",., ""',w "'-žI!\)¡ ~~~~f· Uf'~~ ~~~~~W1~~ij~~~~~r~~;~(Q: f''Q,<h-'0~J,,,7,'f:i'~nf:u ~~,,~.. cE.~!"~ ~-\i'tt,¡,~",,1~" July 21,2004 Sandra Hefrren, Deputy Clerk County ofElgin 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, ON N5R 5Vl Dear Sandra Re: Public Health Governance Restructuring Please be advised that the Council of the Municipality of Bayham considered your correspondence to the Honourable George Smithennan at the regular meeting held July 15th and passed the following resolution. "THAT the County of Elgin correspondence dated .June 10, 2004 be received; AND THAT the Council ofthe Municipality of Bayham fully supports the resolution passed by the County of Elgin on .June 8, 2004 regarding restrncturing of governance and deliverance of public health in Ontario." Please feel free to copy and forward this correspondence as relevant. I trust the concerns raised with the proposal will be given serious consideration. ~~~ Mrs. Lynda Millard Clerk File:A16 C2004-068 $",L,Cll<Vtt.Æ d: J/ai.wte Se=omd £.a:IúIj¡J; !í'tPtt $WUlldf. .Atwúne. .Mu.oeum Jul.27.2004 1:30PM TOWN OF AYLMER N0.6860 p. 1 TOWN OF AYLMER 46 Talbot Street, West, Ayinler, Ontario N5H 1J7 Office: (519) 773·3164 Fax: (519) 765-1446 Admin~tTatíon: Wendell Graves - Admtn/.stratur . Phyllis Ketchabaw - Clerk July 27,2004. Honourable George Smitherman, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, 80 Grosvenor Street, 111h Floor, Hepburn Block, TORONTO, ON M7A2C4 Honourable Sir: The Council of the Corporation of the Town of Aylmer, at its July 12th, Regular Council Meeting, passed the following resolution: "That Aylmer Town Council endorse the resolution of the County of Elgin regarding the amalgamations of Health Units, and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, the Chief Medical OffIcer of Health, Thames Valley District Health Council, Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit, MPP Steven Peters, County of Elgin." A copy of Elgin County's resolution is attached for ease of reference. Please give the Town of Aylmer's resolution your serious consideration. Yours truly, j~»; X,-:J.k CI~i Phyllis ~¡habaw c.c. Dr. Sheela Basrur, Chief Medical Officer of Health and Assistant Deputy Minister Paul Huras, Thames Valley District Health Council Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit MPP Steven Peters Council of the County of Elgin MAYOR Bonnie Vowel 259 Mary Street Dutton, NoL:wo :M.unicipafity of CDutton/CDunwich BOX329 199 Main Street, DUTION, OntarÏo NoL1Jo Teleph~ne: (519) 762-2204- F~ ~o. (519) 762-2278 Clerk Treasurer Administrator Ken Loveland DEPUTIMAYOR Cameron McWflliam 28740 Celtic Line RR# 1 Dutton, NoLtJo COUNCIli.ORS Elizabeth Kílrnaker 1 Lions Road, Box 214 Dutton, NoL 130 John Yokom 32543 Pioneer Line, RR # 1 ]ona Station, NoL tPo Donald H. Page 7949 Coyne Road RR # 2 Wallacetown, NoL 2Mo JtÙy 9, 2004 ,- JUL 28 ~œ~ County of Elgin 4So Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario NSR 5Vl To Whom It May Concern: Please be advised that the Council of the Municipality of DuttonjDunwich has recently passed the following resolution: Date: July 7, 2004 MOVED by Y okom and SECONDED by Page THAT the Council of the Municipality of DuttonjDunwich supports the Resolution adopted by the County of Elgin outlining their opposition to the Amalgamations of Health Units CARRIED Yours truly, -~~ --..:=> Ken Loveland Clerk Treasurer Administrator KL:ht ONTARIO HERITAGE FOUNDATION FONDATI0N DU PATRIMOINE ONTARIEN Anot-for-profit.agency of the Government of Ontario UnorganismeàbtJtoonluOdrif relevant du gouvemement de I'Omario 'R'\"'·0kCt:'--A.~. ' ~'f _'. . (-~§ø :~~.~.-- ~~~- July 30, 2004 fAUG S ~ .%ó'9&~ì}f~~ ¡;¡~ ~"' "'. ..-''í¡¡\!,\L-,c',.< :~~à{~~1?{~jt~~~~!i;t~ Administrator/Clerk County of Elgin 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, ON N5R 5Vl Dear Friend of Heritage: I am pleased to invite your community to participate in the Ontario Heritage Foundation's 2004 Heritage Community Recognition Program. Enclosed you will find a copy of the 2004 Guidelines and Nomination Form brochure. Please forward the brochure to the appropriate department or person (i.e., Heritage Coordinator, CAO, Community Planner, Planning and Heritage Department). The Chair, Mayor, Reeve, Warden, Chief or President of your community council must endorse the nomination(s). A letter dated July 12, 2004 and a copy of the Guidelines and Nomination Form brochure has already been mailed to your community's ChairlMayorl ReevelWardenlChieflPresident. Municipalities, First Nations councils and Métis community councils may submit up to five nominations _ a maximum of one in each category. Individuals and small project groups may be considered for nomination in the area of built, cultural or natural heritage preservation, or heritage garden conservation. This year we have added a new category - Lifetime Heritage Achievement _ that will help communities recognize individuals who have made significant heritage contributions over a period of 20 years or more. A special certificate will be provided for these recipients. I encourage your council to participate in this program to recognize the significant work being done to preserve and promote heritage in your community. ¿~ Æ/',/ Catherine Axford ~I'Z r Executive Assistant to The Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander, Chairman 10 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, Ontario M5C 1)3 Telephone: (416) 325-5000 Facsimile: (416) 325-5071 10, rue Adelaide est, Toronto (Ontario) M5C 1)3 Téléphone: (416) 325-5000 Télécopieur: (416) 325-5071 Website: www.heritagefdn.on.ca , I ð ., --' ., ~ " $: ~ !' T , 0 ~ . v~ U ~ ~j .¡¡ ~ II 0 8 . ~v t; I ~ '" .;;- § ð' --' . .~ - , .~ '- U¿j ~ .¡¡ 5, '- " S1 8~ Z ] '- 0 4 ,,- OJ ~ ¡¡ ~! 6 8 Q ~ ~ ! ~ I '- ë; .¡¡ ;~ '- --' ~ ~ --' ~ ~ ~ § ~ OJ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ E ~ f-o ~ >-; Q I 1 I i I I I I I I I j ~ I I I , ffi ~ I g ~ '" ~ . i I ~ '<ì 1~d I ~ OJ I I I " I I , g l: I , I ~ i ~~ :i I I ~ É l< I I .õ § e 1 o :g I ~ I I . 1 ~ f-o-] I , --' 0 I l, I I I J ~ ~ ~ 5 ~q] I I I I B 0 M e I I ~ ~ 'is 1 ~ I " " ~ lH I I i I I ~ -" . I I I I § g =Q ~.g I I I I "".::'! ~ '" 62- ~ .... '" I -g.~ .., ""f'ê I I I I ~! --' !5 .:; -¡;;6'i :::E ~ g I I I I I I ~_-E ~ o , ~ -;;.£ I I I o~ "' " I ~§ " ~ ~~ ! ~§ I I I I I C:hõ ~ ") " " n. I I :Q"'" it~ I I I d ~ ¡ ~g.. I I I I , ~:S U ~~ I I I I I I I ~ " U I~ I I I ! " :J 'is o " I I I I I I I zo ~ " " :r: !5 §" I I , I I o~ gO i ¡~j~ "' . 2 ~{ I I I I I I I 8~ 0 -5 '" --' I I I I I I I I ~~ ~ H " ~ ¡¡ I I '- "I:: I .~ I U § I I ~. , I I I "" 11 I I , '0 -" H I ~o ~ I I I I I I {j~ !5 !ì- 0 I I I I I Æe OJ 50 Z :! I I I i I ~~ .~ ~ , I OJ M ~ I ; U 3 I I , I ~ ¡¡ ~ i I I I I I I I ê1J -g [ ~ I I I I I I -;~ Æ 0 <:-!i I i I I I I ; ¡¡ ~ ~ð I I I I 5.D W --' "' ::> 0" I I I gg 'ë ~ · ë; U z·jj ~ , I I I I §~ ~ 6 OJ · I I I I Z ~ M ,,0 S g I I I ~.g ~ ë; ! 0 .5 '" '- :r: · o t; ~l I I I I I 1 I I I ~ê 0 ~ ~ ~ Q I " :; ~ I I I I I I .. I I I I I -¡¡;.g @ I'; ~ OJ '6 I I I I I I I "" ¡:: 0 ðo ì5 Q:;;! I I I i i I I I ~:;;;O <: f-o '" ~ , 'F , ~ B ,"~- " = o 'p a. ~ ~ " -J:: ::: j1 § ~ -c::I,,~ ~ c: ~ 1 ã g 5~0~ ig 13 At:! ~ § ~ 8 ~':g ~ 5 ,~ ~ ~1 ~ ~ 0 u ~ ~ § "Q ,§g i b ~ ~ ' -" ÿ Š . ::; ~ ~ -<:: ~~ o Ii"Ù U '¡:: bI) 0 ~ .§ J! '§'~ E ~ ~ ~ ~~i!ô J!~ t>Ù p., ~ § -........ ¡:: S ... u ~ .:!! 0 'i::¡ -B ~:..2 ...c--:' ~ <U ..., .... ~ --g 0 ~ :J'5 ã <u ¡, ~ p..,§:....c::""d u ~] 3 = S ~ 8 ~ d 0 :i:! o' '" ""d <'iI Ü U -- .~ ~ 8 l:! ~ 5 .š ã B ¡:; ~ .~i ~ ~ .. d -:: ~ t::.~ 1),1) ~ :..a. r--. ~..5 0 8 j ]:~ ª ~ f { ~ -l e¡2 ...."8~~~§:'ð "'1:;1 ¡:: B 0 (.l.,.~..g <; 'g t:i r~ %.] -B ~ ~ :~ ~ ,.DE 8 '-' -c.- ì;! f-t..... -g... .... .., ~ ß¡'" 0 0.>.::I:.a c: Œ .i.-;:': ~ ~·å ~ .:~?~ : t ~O ;.~~ :r: :J<S¡¡ '", ~dï tljf)¡ ~~ " u 5 "' 0 !'1] """ ~ Ii äŠ " . a ~ <2 ~ ..g~ t~ ~ f! a.§ o u - . -f¡¡.{; '~~ 10. .., ~ i~ ~.;; .¡j § - " .".¡j " " ~ 0 ~ 0 ii ~ ~ 0 ~..2% t5 ~~ if _~-S x~~ ~!.! t! 1),1) % t:;~ ~.~ .~ ~ ~;.È¡ """,.8 «! 1: E,,~ ~::r:~ j -B "" 0 Iii " . .e--§-- .~ 8 " "" o E ~ ~ '8 -" a. ~'" " a ~~ """ o . "'~~.i:I '?;" c:: ::I'S ~H! ~ g- go-Ë © § ~.9 E a 0 ¡:: ~ E .... 9 ~ ð·~ ~ i"; ..,.;: b IT! ~ § E " 'E § a. ~Xo~ !f 1'3"§ ""'.. c:-..,...s::: ~ ã ~ s ~ ~~ '"g ë o;¿ 0 i-d 0 U .~ ë "g ;¿¡~ 0...0 ~ §"~"5 f;!&Z§ g & E ~ ~ g µ:~ C' 0,) ",q:: ~~:r: ~-~ ~.9 § "¡;; ~ Š 8 ~ ~ 8â ã ~ 1: .~ ~ ~f-<1:::~ _o.~_. _ ~,.'"...~_.~.", N.·_. .~¡:it;;:<,""'·r Ro ~ ~ 1 š -u § o ð ~ æ't;~ 1[ Cd.. ""''''<i! ~ ~ .g š ~'O :g ..§~ E~!:E .... .S: § g.È ~ 2.- j& ..sª"~ i:J .:>-.1:...... is):¡ g ~ ~.!-- ~ § 'g ,..,~ ...§:;; o...c 0.. .... ~..... i; R. '::'.§ 'Õ 'd '§ 8 <i! "13 ,g 't; ~ ~ fl ~ ~ § ~ '" "> '" ~ --g ~ .€O 15 ~~q-6~] u'g <t§u'<1ISouS-u :.ES-6~ç:o;:l-U~ç: uS......;.¡js<§1;: ð8°<ü~E"'¿;:IC: u~"'§~~g~]ç: J~"g¡¡-d.g.g »"" S l a.. p.ð' u~""ç: UOa" ;:-00 rg.. <i!u ~ 'Õ 'P~ 0 5 tL..a ß ~ "g, "-"'¡;~"" g.., 0 M O'~"'P i=-u E <'I' å g g ~ ~ § 2 .~ ~ï.J ~,o ::! J:.O Ug -u.g 0.. ~....¡;lgo-ug "t!:.au ~...cz't; g,.DEð ã3!~ 1'U~.~ -.-"~. ~ .~.§ 9 ,1;:!'g g ü 51 -d E .~ "'P t.Lo ,,§ u...9 u ~ ç: : krã ~ ê ã ,~ ~ .g '~ '" -c § E 0 .g -6 ;3,5,5 Õ1;:O<'luo..t:SuE -.g~"",'t; ~ ð E~ 8""2 ti 5 ç:.B c ìj g "Q ;3 u 6 '':3',9 ;:! t: M U 'Ii! S --5 d ;;;: ~ ~ ~ § ~ 8.5 t1 ~ ~ Z~~~"""'Š~E5'!:u ~ E ·Ug'; g ~.g 8 E 15 ~ "'" 'u -c <ü ;1 -u ~ 0... 0 ¡¡~ E 0 g c:: ,,!:: 1;:. g. ¡:: _ou iIIOg....;.ë"'E 4 'g â.ð ~ i f¥J-8 ~ ~.a:: ~ "~ :~ « V) g. ~ d] J! § ~ C 0 ;:¡ ° t! ';;o-Œ--5 :t Z E 5l>-B:..E I:: ~ ,; ,S :¡¡ .¡¡" ¡j 00 §. -B .¡; '~ ~ Ii '" it 8 ~ Ê 8 a o 'p .~ g 15'" t: ,~ í:': ~ raE ~ a:: þ:~ :¡; . ~':.! g "{;k '!: <ì--ð ;¡, g ~ 0 w¡.¡.. .", "-' ;,r "" 5 x:r: < 0 ¡¡:§ " " xo :Ë ~ ~ 1 :i§ <;! :§o ~;::g ç: .~. go; -t>{) "û __ .:!! 8 :..::: -p .., ~ ,::: ç: g Uou i ~ u ~ g .::;¡ ¡::: ~ _ u 0 "" Ü "" 'B c ~ 8 ~ ~ .3 ~~ ~ t "-' <ü:: ~'iJ~ E E ...0::: E...c t õ .tj ... u ~.g § ã ç:-6 ~; ,§ ~ ~ .~ ~ .... -u - "E '--" ¡ 0 t: ~ ..§ s 3 t: ç-§. ~; l~ ~ ~]j ti "t: ,p °a "ã~ .Q f¡ co 6.... -- p U ç: ~..c: t:;: ",.0'.0 ~ P 0...-6 E owo 2 .5 § ~ & 1 '8 ~ ~ ~ G- "" d O;:! ci ...c 0... :r:;:¡ o...@¡ ;:ã ~ .g ~ ~ <i! 8 1;'.0 ~ .... ,µ _ "'P ~ ,9-< <'I a u 11 1;: 5 ·a os. @-< ,s¡;...... E i:: ;:u EOù ç: «I §o...>::u o ~ ¡;-BgJjJj ~11ð 5 ~~ ~~ so...., .;..8-9(; S .t: O;:! <.E E ~...c P.. u o:.s ^" ~-" g~~ ~.¡;~« 1!:::B...c "....0 utie;§1;'.o o <'I a::·00..8 æ f} ç: E ... ç.'P ß i B "E ii -a --d I:: ,,0 ..8 ~ u..E .:: 0.'. «I -c..... 1:! ~ ~ gu &1 .g ·f X ? oò:: 'S: 0 ~ <i! ¡:¡ ~ 5 t: '" t: "-' >" 0 0 t: :-g ..c:'¡:; '" ",..,9...... ow g ~ :; ~ tt 1:: § .; E 1..1 ~.~ <i! .tj .... U::l 5 ~ u..... 0 <':-- <'I ·c S § 8 =- 01)..... <\I"" ""' Õ U Õ "Ú ~:..ä ..::1.....) ~_~ .pu~] ~ g ~ ~ ~.~ ~ 0 ~~.š >,; = 2 ~ ~ --š :;ï; ~ ~ ã ~ tj.s ;z 15..5 ç: ~ r.> ~ 0 :; 't; "13 ~ '"B it: _...... 3a~ a%o~¡;¡o...13s..~ ©.~O ....... "'::~ ...c:..Eô 5 _ .... 0... 0> ..:: '1:i 0 !:1 U ~ a ~ E ~ § 0 ;:!8'~ t: ~ i JS ¡;-2 g :,,10ç:: :::::.<;! C(}....~o t::oo.., ê, ........s .'{j ,§ ~ r~ -6 t ~.~ i ..c "'"0 ç:«I'" '_«I¡:ga '3:!~¡:;-' .... ..... S 9 "-' Jl 8 u 1;! I ~.ê...... ~ E ~5.G-'Ii!Wocio...§«I80...ë§..g.......... ~ 1 f'@ ~ ~:l] '! . ¿'§ i l ;!:~S~'g8E ¡gg ~";::ß<.2 ~~ 8 c3 15 ~ E "Ú ç: <\I a:: ã ·gf,,§ :{! --ð.!: g '¡:J § O-U ~ 0 ç: § 1~~~æ tJ¢: E.£ ~..;~ - 's:::¡ uq 8 S § ::¡ o...:-g c3 3 s.... . cr' a:: tJ '"B ~ "Úu<.¡:;...... ã -5 .g v A -< U .... U '" .~ t:: H::DV E « ç: ,- ¡:: <l: t B'~ .È' B ~ o....@" §'Õ]~~ " § "!I ".¡; ~ o·u 1! 0 ~, u go> - .~, "-' »t:: ~ g -5 ð ~,g ~~..š't;.£ P..~ ,., :>-. u ~" <.+.. .......... j¡! '" w ~ ~ ~ 'D š.. ~\.j a'- E ¡7.: 5 ;:¡ 1:3.a:..š ~ '" 0 5 : " a.," a-1i : -s ~ ·@""o Ë ~1>--š~ß Q 1";: ",.~ 5 .8 ~ U ._"'P '" .è- !:t §.=: B ~'~g I;;;' ,Q . '" P.. %. u t1 ¡:: ,,1::1 a W "-' .§ "g -š a ~ -6 .@""~ ~ 8 ~~ J:;-. <\I a u <\I "'~'O 1'< «I...c-6 ~~ 0 u is):¡ a:: SI-; ç: -6 § -u .8 ;¡: ~ 15 U g ~ = ;:- '-<='...... ";:I ~,o50S" £i ,,8 0... E i 5 .\';¡; --ð 1:: J;j ç: ~ '?: § Ë ~,g ~ {: ~ u 5 --ð «I "i" <\I'~ -a §-u '4'..c: -u c 0 ç: %;!-- <'I 1;:u.. 1;: "" ,S 1 a ~ o ~ "' t co N ~ r3 g ¡¡-" ~j ,_ ti..c ~: ..!!I <a ;5 8·~ ;: -u '§ iJ; t!.... :!:E .¡; :i1 g:: ç~ u u ;¡;-"B ~ 0 ~ ~--§.. ;,::; S ;¡." ~ ~ ¡¿.~ o.o~ "'··.1 ^ ~'" ....... ;: ç¡- ~ 0...,9 '4: t: ~ . 0 § ~'.o . ~ "Ë 0 ~ e ç: ,,~ 0 .... ~.; § - " Ii ~~, ~-5 -« 6'1:: ; 0 0 'c· u a . 'a ~ "' o " " :;õ '§ ~ "" j ~ þ u '" ~ o š§ ~ 0 ! l ! 8.. 8 .~ P g-.~ ~Ñ .; .g E ~ æ .~ c.g ~ § 8H~ ~~""013..r " _"'§ .H tÊ t:: - 0 ..... P.. ~u::: § § ,n Ji u 0 ¡¡¡ Cd U -g u:c tIlI1 1;: ~ o·§ "'¡ ~HP ¡:¡:';:Co~8 G g t~ ~ 0 '0 'ª "~ ®fi' ~:::¡: ",,'0 ~~ .§~ , . " ~ ~;:!:..!<: ~'?~ >.Ò \0 13 ~ ~~l" í!J~w~ '" h å 3 § '3 - .!if 8 ~ g ]G .£ - ~ -u.3~ -6,~ ã-: g >.';:- .'" ~ .0 .~ ~"'5~ ~z ~~ ~ Ë !L ~ ~ ="" rgg.8 "¡¡¡J: éfb ...cU-C ~ti ubi) Æt!2::J .....0 r.§ r'~ ~ ~.š ~ i ~ cŠ ~] "j ~ ~ 11" ~~¡j g u I~ ~~ ~ Þ,: ~ ~ ~ .~ ~ ~ ~ <'I ~ ~:~ ] '" .9-< t § :g ~ ~ ~ 't;.~ G ~ ~ j!;I....;! ----<:: .;: au ...... _ .... _ P..;> ~ s§~ ~ ~ ~l oj~~·~ 5ž-.<::.. '5 ~ 1) '-!::. 0 .g ß. -a ~ ~ _ '-/-,. ...c <'I.......... 0 U ..... «I 0 ~;:! ..... ._>,'~ ............t: ç: 0 ",~-5 ~E~8'" ::J 0 0 ti 0 '" ç: 0.. '" ;: ';j t: D .i: .,¡:, cr' ç: "~ ~ <i! g & 1: «I ~...... -u ;;: ><> «I g j B ~ >-:.;:; ð ~ coo ~ '.0 ©-6 ~ao: k~.duU o...cç: ~ ¡o..", ij"-'au,¡:¡ ~ot:v ~~'Bo~ç: }, .3 '" ....;.ë,~ 1) --': 0 .... '"' :::I 0 ~ .fiu ~ <'I ¡;- -6 «I ...c tJ ·3 ~ ] ~ § ~ .,J- ~~J~ BGB¡;-~S: °u20...tit ;¡5' «I ¡;ä u.{j 1) .... 0 '.0 ~ .-- u ¡:<! '" ~" ~ ~ « It ~ --;:..2 ¡;''g ~ «I -5 ~ ã ~..... 0u~t:ç: 51 ~~~G,8 ;~,,54~ ¡¡;j G;8 .9 ~~g...9c~u<\l éI§o..g&O ".., ~ B D ~ ~ ~ ~ ;: 15 g ~ a::!: :..E "¡:; .1:: t...... ~§~ ~ §~o"'~~ ""..5t~1! ~ 0 ¡:; __ ;:¡ 1;3'~ 0--< 0.0 0.0 ç: 0... C t: '.5 -u ~-¡¡! EÆ ~~c3g~ g:a~~]·~ ~ç:2B§ '" ~o.. ,.. ~<i! ~ ¡:::; ¡; 0.05 ~ «I ~ ~ B ¡; õ 8 -0 ~ <'I """ .~.~ !:j . ..a 0.0, u 0 o...·c t>{) 0> 0.0 ti '-<=' C ¡;,. ¡; 0.. -c d S! ..... 5 -a Èi ..... U .... 0 «I ..... .5 f'! 'iã '"' y. M:..E ç: U "-' ;:ã'0 ç: 1: <':--~ ~ I .-::: ¡:;¡ -a -S!.- g <\I «IC3uoou<\I3-o¡; .....0l-<ugc5u ~ i;.~ ~ 6oj'"' "g ~:r: ~ ~ ~ g § ~ x ~ 11 ~ ~ ~ 9.. 0.0.... «I ç: U 000--< C '" -< U Õ'" o.o;:! ¡¡; i; 0.0 ~.5';:C~...9 ",>::'~e...9~~o...;>t.Lo~·~o-ou"a ¡... ~ ... . . . E . . . .. E!... . f.r;:::~ ~ ~ .;¡;:<.EcQ u Z "'~ ¡n.. Assessment Review Board 250 Yonge Street, 30th FIr. Toronto, ON M5B 2L7 Tel (416) 314-6900 Fax (416) 326-3579 www.arb.aov.on.ca Commission de révision de I'évaluation foncière Directrice générale 30e étage 250, rue Yonge Toronto, ON M5B 2L7 Tél (416) 314-6900 Téléc (416) 326-3579 www.arb.oQv.on.ca July 23, 2004 JUL S3 To All ARB Stakeholders: ':7' ""' @j"~ $..gi"~~~ __ -,.."""...),s.., iE'iþ¡~~.i5~:;:t~ ";'Þ"1\tt&\~~'1i>&:s'IÏ~U~~~ '*clrti'\ì\¥ßk;G-.)J, ~'~.J':M~.rrg!!fJ~~ .¡},,~' '. '0 \I,. ''''''0.-,,, Please find enclosed the 2000-2002 and the 2002-2003 Annual Reports of the Assessment Review Board that have now been released into the public milieu. The ARB is not mandated by statute to release an annual report. However, the Board took the initiative to prepare a 1999-2000 Annual Report that was released early in 2002. In order to restore the timeliness of the Board's reporting, last year the decision was made to combine fiscal years 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 into one report, which was produced in June 2003. Due to timing issues related to the change in government, there was a delay in releasing this report into the public milieu. Since the 2002-2003 Annual Report has just been produced, we are releasing both reports simultaneously. Both reports are now posted on the Board's website and electronic copies can be downloaded. Additional copies may be obtained by calling the ARB at (416) 314- 6900 or toll free at 1-800-263-3237. Sincerely, ~ Richard F. Stephenson' Chair Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Ministre des Affaires municipales et du Logement Minister Responsible for Seniors Ministre délégué aux Affaires des personnes âgées I£l ~~~ Ontario 777 Bay Street Toronto ON M5G 2E5 Tel. (416) 585-7000 Fax (416) 585·6470 www.mah·90v.on.ca 777, rue Bay Toronto ON M5G 2E5 Tél. (416) 585-7000 Télec. (416) 585-6470 www.rnah.gov.on.ca July 23, 2004 To: Municipal Clerk JUl2(;\ Attention: Heads and Members of Council Subject: Air Quality and Climate Change Handbooks Ontario's municipalities are increasingly being confronted with the challenges caused by poor air quality and unpredictable climate change. These challenges present a growing risk to the long- term health of our people and the continuing viability of our communities' economies. The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has produced two companion handbooks on air quality and climate change. These handbooks provide information for local government officials, decision makers and other individuals on strategies and best practices to reduce greenhouse gases and other air pollutants. Building Strong Communities: Municipal Strategies for Cleaner Air makes the connection between urban growth patterns and local air quality. This handbook describes the kinds of creative, global policy approaches and tools municipalities are using to reduce the negative impact of development on air quality. Building Strong Communities: Ontario Case Studies for Cleaner Air documents some of the innovative programs Ontario municipalities have put in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and airborne pollutants. Enclosed are hard copies and a cómpact disk of the handbooks for your reference. The handbooks will soon be posted on the Ministry's Web site www.mah.2:ov.on.ca. I encourage you to make your council and department heads aware of these new resources. Together, we can support strong, clean, liveable communities that benefit the Ontarians of today and future generations. 1322(06/gs} Federation of C d' M "all' An~ f~n UtUCtp bes FédéralÎon canadienne des muniåpa1ités July 21, 2004 MEMBERS' ADVISORY Please Distribute to All Members of Council Cabinet Update Briefings by federal govemment officials on yesterday's Cabinet appointments have provided additional information of interest to the municipal sector. · John Godfrey, as Minister of State for Infrastructure and Communities, becomes responsible for Infrastructure Canada and Canada Lands Corporation, with both moving to Mr. Godfrey from Environment Canada. · The Cities Secretariat moves from the Privy Council Office to Mr. Godfrey's portfolio, which is part of the Privy Council portfolio reporting to the Prime Minister. This maintains Mr. Godfrey's direct reporting relationship with the Prime Minister and indicates the Prime Minister's continued commitment to the New Deal. · The Prime Minister has asked Mr. Godfrey to work closely with other key federal Ministers (Dion, Goodale, Robillard) as appropriate to achieve the New Deal. · André Juneau, Deputy Head of Infrastructure Canada, becomes the lead federal official for the new group. Ms. Yasmine Laroche, who heads the Cities Secretariat, will now report to Mr. Juneau. We will provide additional updates to members as the structure and operations of this new entity become clearer. For more information: Robert Ross, 613-241-5221, ext. 399 In Case of Transmission Difficulties, please Call 416-863-2101 or 1-866-309-3811 please Deliver To: Elgin, The County of The County of Elgin ~paè' MUNr;::¡¡PAL PROPERTY AS5f.:SSM:;::r-~T CDR?GRATION August 4, 2004 Dear Municipal Clerks and Municipal Treasurers: I am writing in response to the resolutions and letters we have received from municipalities regarding Ontario's current value assessment system and the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation's (MPAC) service. Weare listening to your concerns and reviewing your suggestions for change. The attached update summarizes our commitments to you and Ontario taxpayers on a number of issues, such as supplementary assessments, severances and consolidations, staffing and municipal enumeration. We believe these initiatives address your concerns and offer real solutions for improving MP AC's products and services delivery. Over the coming months, we will continue working with the Provincial Government, municipal staff and other stakeholders to achieve our common goal of improving the stability, fairness and flexibility of Ontario's property assessment and taxation system. I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to attend MPAC's 2004 Annual Meeting on Monday, October 4,2004. In discussion with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, this year's meeting will be held at the Counties, Refons and Sing/e- Tier Municipalities Conference in Wellington County on October 3rd through 6 . The meeting provides municipalities with an opportunity to meet directly with MP AC's Board of Directors and senior management. Additional details about the meeting will be communicated to you as they become available. In the meantime, I encourage you and your municipal staff to contact your local Municipal Relations Representative or Arthur Anderson, Director, Municipal Relations at 877-635-6722 extension 6993 to discuss this information or any other concerns and ideas you may have. August 4, 2004 Page 2 of2 A copy ofthis update has also been sent to all Heads of Council. Thank you for taking the time to review the update. I trust you will find it beneficial and infolTIlative. Yours truly, "Original Signed By " Carl Isenburg President and Chief Administrative Officer Attachment .....~~~-. . Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Over the past several months, municipal councils have raised concerns about a number of issues, including the impact of annual assessment updates on taxpayers, the quality ofthe Municipal Property Assessment COIporation's (MP AC) assessment and enumeration data, assessed value accuracy, building permit inspections, property severances and apportionments, staffing levels, and the cost-effectiveness ofMPAC's products and services. The property assessment and taxation changes announced as part of the 2004 Provincial Budget and Bill 83 represent a significant step forward for municipalities, taxpayers and MP AC. In particular, the January I valuation date will allow our staff to review all of the in-year sales to ensure that assessed values reflect the current market. More time for establishing preliminary values and finetuning values at the local level will enable MP AC to maintain consistent and accurate assessments with each province-wide update. The January I valuation date will allow MP AC to expand the Property Assessment Notice mailing window, resulting in better service, more time for taxpayers to review their assessment and, ultimately, fewer assessment-related enquiries at municipal offices. In addition, we will be able to deliver Market Change Profiles earlier, providing municipalities more time to conduct impact analysis, make tax policy decisions and establish tax rates. By working together, the Provincial Government, municipalities, stakeholders and MP AC can implement the right solutions, making Ontario's assessment system less complex and more compatible with property taxation. Public Relations While the concept of current value assessment is easy to understand - property owners can easily relate to an assessed value that reflects a recent valuation date - the methodology used to determine assessments can be confusing. MP AC understands this. To improve taxpayers' understanding of the assessment process, we continue to expand our education and information programs. MP AC staff are available throughout the year to attend municipal council and taxpayer association meetings or to sponsor local assessment information sessions. In addition, we will provide municipalities with more information about changes in assessment methodology to ensure you receive advance knowledge ofthe changes and their potential tax impacts. MP AC will continue to explore new initiatives, similar to AboutMy Property TM and the Guide to Property Assessment in Ontario, to help make the assessment process more transparent and easier for taxpayers to understand. July 2004 Page I Municipal Property Assessment Corporation --. Products and Services Delivery MP AC's fee to municipalities is based on a legislated fonnula, contained in the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Act. This fonnula was designed to strike a balance between the number of properties and the value of assessment in each municipality. As we move forward, MP AC will continue to explore alternative options for generating revenue to help offset the costs charged to municipalities. MP AC provides municipalities with an ever-increasing range of products and services, including: · property valuation and analysis; · data collection and on-site inspections; · finetuning of values to ensure equity within the local market; · Property Assessment Notice preparation and mailing; · province-wide taxpayer support through a toll free enquiry line and 36 offices (34 field offices, Customer Contact Centre/Central Processing Facility and Head Office); · local taxpayer forums and public infonnation sessions; · free assessment reviews through the Request for Reconsideration process; · preparation and delivery of municipal assessment rolls; · assessment appeal defence; · dedicated point of contact for municipalities; · election management services; · school support maintenance; · parcel mapping; · omitted and supplementary assessments; · quality review and control mechanisms; and · value-added products, such as the Market Change Profile and Municipal ConnectTM. We recognize that each municipality has unique requirements. MP AC is interested in meeting your individual needs and we encourage you to work with our Municipal Relations staff to discuss your requirements. While property valuation and analysis are integral components ofthe current value assessment system, they comprise only a small portion of the overall assessment process. Each of MPAC's products and services are supported by year-round data collection efforts from a variety of sources: sales transactions from Land Registry Offices, building pennits, Requests for Reconsideration (RfR) reviews, assessment appeal reviews and on-site property inspections. July 2004 Page 2 ^, Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Regardless of the tools and methodology used to calculate assessed values, up-to-date property data is key to determining accurate assessments. MPAC's property database contains over two billion pieces of data, making it one ofthe most detailed databases in the world. To maintain confidence in our data integrity, we have enhanced our ongoing property inspection program and set a target to inspect over 300,000 additional properties across the province this summer. This is in addition to the properties that will be inspected as part of our routine inspection program for 2004. Supplementary Assessments As mentioned above, we have stepped up our property inspection program to ensure that a greater number of building permit investigations are completed earlier in the year. A province-wide assessment update will not be completed in 2004 as a result of the changes announced in the Provincial Budget. However, approximately one million Property Assessment Notices will be mailed this year. These Notices will reflect 2004 in-year changes resulting from our ongoing inspection program, RfR and assessment appeal reviews, Tenant Information Program, and discussions with property owners and municipal staff. Severances and Consolidations MP AC has entered into an agreement with Teranet Enterprises Inc. and the Provincial Government to digitally map the province. The project is more than 85% complete and we anticipate that it will be finished, on schedule, by the end of 2004. As part ofthis agreement, MP AC is required to follow a contractual schedule throughout the digital mapping build period. This has resulted in service delays for municipalities and inconveniences for taxpayers. We regret this situation and assure you that the service delays will be resolved once the build is complete. In the meantime, our Land Parcel Unit staff are monitoring and reviewing their business procedures to further improve severance and consolidation turnaround times. Property Transfers MP AC's Central Processing Facility (CPF) is currently keying sales transactions received in late- May and early June 2004_ During 2003, staff at the CPF processed 447,000 property transfers and 179,000 have been processed in 2004. Our production has improved dramatically during the past year, however, we continue to experience problems with incomplete or inaccurate data on registered land title documents, particularly when a potential severance or consolidation is involved. Quite often, title searches are required to resolve issues, resulting in delays and additional expenses. July 2004 Page 3 m;pãè. ...., ~~-, . Municipal Property Assessment Corporation To resolve these issues, MP AC is working closely with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services (MCBS) and Teranet to obtain land title infonnation in an electronic fonnat. Teranet administers the Land Registration system, POLARIS, which is an electronic database used by MCBS. This initiative, together with the improvements already in place, will significantly improve the timeliness and accuracy of ownership changes. Ontario Property Assessment System Database Since 2000, MP AC has been working on ways to improve its assessment computer system and migrate off the Ontario Government's mainframe network. In 2002, we embarked on a major infonnation technology initiative - the Integrated Property System (IPS) project. Currently in development, IPS will replace MP AC's Ontario Property Assessment System (OASYS) which was originally developed in the earlyl980s. IPS will bring data collection, valuation and product generation together, better enabling us to meet our legislative requirements. To ensure the project is on track, MPAC's Board of Directors asked for a third party review of the project. At the completion ofthe review, the Board received a report which confinned that the IPS design and application development footing is solid. The Report indicates IPS is a sound investment that will deliver the required functionality and efficiencies envisaged in the initial proj ect scope. The report also included a number of recommendations to ensure the successful roll out of IPS, all of which have been endorsed by the Board of Directors. Weare confident that these recommendations, together with the progress we have made to date, will place MP AC in a stronger position to successfully deliver the project. The shift from OASYS to IPS is a major undertaking and our priority is to do it right, with no disruption in service to our customers. Over the coming months, we will provide you with more detailed infonnation to ensure a smooth transition. Municipal Enumeration Prior to 1990, MP AC had regular access to births and deaths infonnation directly from Municipal Clerks. Due to an interpretation of the provincial privacy legislation, this infonnation is no longer available to MP AC. As a result, the quality ofthe municipal voters' lists and the Ontario Population Report have been impacted. July 2004 Page 4 Municipal Property Assessment Corporation MP AC has been actively pursuing access to the vital statistics data and suggesting that the Preliminary List of Electors delivery date be moved closer to election day. Municipalities have been supportive of these recommendations, and we anticipate discussions with the Province and municipal stakeholders will lead to a favourable business solution. Staffing MP AC has more than 1,400 pennanent staff located in 36 offices across Ontario. Throughout the year, additional staff are hired on a temporary basis to meet workload demands and serve customers during Property Assessment Notice mail outs. Our local office staff continue to playa key role in providing professional and personal service to property owners who visit the office or are redirected by our Customer Contact Centre. They are also available to assist property owners, either by visiting their property or by attending taxpayer infonnation sessions and municipal meetings. MP AC's organizational structure is dynamic, allowing flexibility to meet the evolving needs of municipalities and taxpayers across the province. We believe our staff offer a wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise. More importantly, they are committed to offering the highest standards of accountability, quality assessment products and exceptional customer servIce. Closing Comments MP AC has made a number of commitments to municipalities and taxpayers in the past. We have worked hard to meet your expectations and will continue working to meet and exceed them in the future. July 2004 Page 5 Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Municipal Performance and Accountability Branch 777 Bay Street, 13th Floor Toronto ON M5G 2E5 Phone: (416) 585-7264 Fax: (416) 585-6161 Ministère des Affaires municipales et du logement Direction de la performance et de la responsabilisation des municipalités 777, rue Bay, 13' étage Toronto ON M5G 2E5 Téléphone: (416) 585-7264 Télécopieur: (416) 585-6161 ® Ontario August 5, 2004 flt;'"i, f;l~\Ç".'·;J )~~!1J~\\' Mrs. Sandra J. Heffren Deputy Clerk County ofElgin 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas ON N5R 5Vl Dear Mrs. Heffren: Re: Municipal Performance Measurement Prol!:ram (MPMP) Thank you for forwarding a copy of your Council's resolution regarding the 2002 Municipal Measurement Performance Program (MPMP) Resolution from the City of Kawartha Lakes. You may be interested to know that Minister John Gerretsen recently responded to Mayor Barbara Kelly's letter and her Council's resolution concerning the MPMP. A copy of the letter to Mayor Kelly has been enclosed for your information. Sincerely, Director, Municipal Performance and Accountability Branch Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Encl. c: Hon. Steve Peters, M.P.P., Elgin-Middlesex-London 1322(06195) ~ Wr:tisterofMunl¿ìpal.Attafrs and:Housing' . ' MinistêrJ1iísóìi$1ble:fi)r'5enlòf$;' 'n.". '_' ''''.,. _^:' i" úJl.., .. _""- ,-, -- __,',' .~>,....' __'_",',_ 771" . t~~~'"' . . ... ,,,..,..:z:s Tê1i~16f5aHóœ ~~~~ ~~~~~:~~~;rn~~1! Min~j,fè~i~íÍX:Mt;i~i:í~,í>ë,~o~it~~g~es 'm:;iI'U\\~.. ..... TòiÞnIQ cu' MSG.2E5 T~'41Ø}~~. . T~E!»,,~.~70 ~mà!LQóir~~~ . ..-.'.. "<r7<' I'. , .-,::;:!,-r:~~-:-,:'::_' ,\' , '-F -~ , '::" "Ii': _ ,. ~-, ",-, .. ':-.' .. .. ~..,,' 0rnaìIè.: Ïùne24 2004 .;-.,-,'..".',--:,c -,~,.:.__'::":",,::,, Her-Worsmp ~¥~ï~'KeiJy Cft¥ o,fKawartlíaLakes P;o:Bax·900O: i6;FtåiicliS~ef Tñ.A.4.. OJ..'rK9V <;R8 ~~..r·:,.:",:x;:,."',__:,'--~;.ã_: DearMa~orke1!Y- =;h;;~:=~;;~~=~~f~~~Of¢fuiliéÛts:~vìs ~~~l~ slÍggestionsyoumay providewhiêiiwOuìdmake1:!léMPMJi!mo.fèefíéêìlv'·· ~~*~~£ T4e~pmct:i~,are ~vai!äb1e forrèférenœj1nd can be fóµÍlthtt: www;municriaígj:restpracliœs:ca; In: your iet1l;r;you stress "!J¡àt tÍ1e.MÞMP does nota110w for,meamngñil.ånalýsisGf;performå:àœ n;èä~lÌerij:e:!1treí;uItí;beti.Yeen mùiñ~fiti~. OUr.MiIÜ~'~as \Vo~d:(M~1ì'wiÍh:n1~cipal stakeholders inthis ille&^1iIÌd we réœntfy released a:SÍllÍUIii!ry RipOftúf.MPM:è dáta ~ltš w1\iëh,.we belævtl. ]11oviJ;les the:@.rt'Of'Còn1t:1;1Uai'¥9¡matioo. wîìi~ ~ aUo:w}'aircompariSons to Èè made..· Àcopyofü1"e Snmnì~Repòrt inaý b~âò:wnlb¡¡d~dffoin :b'iiiMiDiftÏYwe'Qsili:at.'· wWW_'1Ìah,gov.bn:ca. AltérpatÌvely;yojÍ m¡¡,yo!>ta'q¡ ;u:opròfthe]:epI)rt fwmour &stem Municipal SërVités offiœ:ill KiúFdriby lé1eplIorlj¡¡g.1,"80~2/iì~38: . l~t tliat .this' jIifdì:rnát1(¡n is .heIpful 1iIÌd thank YÒJ/i onçeitg¡.ln: ft¡rsharlng~otl1:'CQncerns:wlth tlie'provfncWgovemmenL . . rietsen , ler ~.¿;1 ~paè. __"'~~~- e ~i:¡¡jfW;-\1j fr~ -__'%t.:¿"¡;{{~!ò;J ~-4I ~,.w . MUNICIPAL PROPERTY ASSESSMENT CORPO.RATIDN .ôl! G ¿1 To: HEADS OF COUNCIL - ALL ONTARIO MUNICIPALITIES Co',,,, .:>IY;I rt!f,·",,·c,¡·;'!;'~t'!! >~fJtß¡¡'~_0~ Vœ~~;~h f&¥1f:~~~TPl~iJNt ~DiWt~%'~ ,""ó..H,,5tL.. July 28, 2004 On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Carl Isenburg as President and Chief Administrative Officer for the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MP AC), effective August 1, 2004. Mr. Isenburg has a long history with assessment in Ontario, having begun his career with the Ministry of Revenue, Property Assessment in 1973 as an assessor in the Brantford Assessment Office. Carl held a number of progressively more senior positions with the Ministry of Finance before assuming the role of Vice-President, Operations with the then newly created Ontario Property Assessment Corporation (OPAC) in 1999. More recently Carl held the position of Vice-President, Customer Relations. Since April 1, 2004 he has been MP AC's Interim President and Chief Administrative Officer. With a strong technical expertise in assessment, together with a significant commitment to customer relations and communications, Carl will bring superior leadership to the Corporation. His commitment to excellence is well known to both municipal and provincial government leaders and his appointment provides the Corporation with an opportunity to continue to foster a strong and important relationship with our municipal and provincial partners. Together with the Board, Carl will be focussing on improved communications with MP AC's customers and stakeholders. He will also continue to seek improvements in our core business areas while building on the Corporation's business development initiatives. Carl is a graduate of Loyalist College in Real Estate and Assessment Administration. He is a member of both the Institute of Municipal Assessors (IMA) and the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO). Carl can be reached at MP AC's Pickering Head Office (1305 Pickering Parkway, Pickering ON LlV 3P2), by telephone at (905) 837-6150 or by email at isenbuca@mpac.ca. ~.{.). ~.... PeterHume, Chair Municipal Property Assessment Corporation' Office of the Chair. cj 0 City of Ottawa 110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario K1 P 1 J1 T: 613..580.2488 F: 613..580.2528 E: peter..hume@ottawa.ca www.mpac"ca Form No. L5050M .... Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Ministère des Affaires civiques et de !'Immigration lij - Minister 6th Floor 400 University Avenue Toronto ON M7A 2R9 Ministre 6' étage 400, avenue University Toronto ON M7A 2R9 Tel.: (416) 325-6200 Fax: (416) 325-6195 Tél.: (416) 325-6200 Téléc.: (416) 325-6195 AUG 6 2004 July 2004 Dear Friend: Thank you for your recent contribution to our consultation on strengthening the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 CODA). The government remains committed to introducing measures this fall to make the ODA stronger and more effective. The input we received from the consultations was invaluable, and has been a useful guide as we work towards our goal of improving accessibility in this province. More than 3,400 people participated either at one of the seven regional meetings, or at one of the 14 roundtables, or through the live webcast for students with disabilities. Attached for your information is a brief summary of general themes discussed at these consultations. In the meantime, the government continues to work with community and private-sector partners to make Ontario more accessible. Through the ministry's Community AccessAbility grant program, the government is investing $200,000 to help fund 42 projects that will improve accessibility in communities across the province. For example, the Social Planning Council of Ottawa is developing a resource that will help communities across Ontario identify the range of barriers that people with disabilities face in transportation. housing, employment and training. Through the EnAbling Change program, more than $500,000 over three years will be invested in three exciting projects that will be delivered with partners that have the expertise to be catalysts for change. For example, in partnership with the Design Exchange, we are developing a universal design professional development series to educate professional architects, interior designers and planners about accessibility. Recently, the government also announced the first increase in a decade to the Ontarians with Disabilities Support Program, as well as a $10 million investment to help up to 1,000 more people with disabilities pay for home and vehicle modifications to help them enjoy community life more fully. .../2 -2- In terms of organizations affected by the current ODA.as you probably know, hundreds of year-one (2003/04) accessibility plans have been completed and posted on the organizations' websites, or made available to the public in other ways. We have heard some wonderful success stories, and you can find many of them on our website at www:gov.on.calcitizenship/accessibilitv. '.' .' ;" IÞ The Ontario government is leading by example withyear-twò (2004-05) accessibility plàns being developed by all government ministries. To help other affected public-sector organizations, the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario is developing new materials such as a train-the-trainer educational tool on the ODA, and a handbook for municipal accessibility advisory committees. These will be posted on the website later in the summer. Thank you again for sharing your ideas and thoughts on how we can strengthen the ODA. I look forward to continuing our work together as we strive t6 make Ontario a leader in accessibility. . . Sincerely, Dr. Marie Bountrogianni Minister Enc!. ® Ontario Strengthening the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 Consultation Summary .. January - March, 2004 Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Accessibility Directorate of Ontario - Introduction On January 8, 2004, Dr. Marie Bountrogianni, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, hosted the first of a series of consultations and public meetings to get input on how the government could make the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 more effective. The minister and her pariiamentary assistant, Dr. Kuldip Kular, concluded their three-month public consultation on March 31, 2004. The consultations reached more than 3,400 Ontarians, with hundreds of people attending and making presentations at seven regional public meetings, 246 invited participants attending 14 stakeholder roundtable meetings, and a special live webcast for students with disabilities that recorded approximately 2,000 viewer hits. The following is a brief summary of what was heard for your reference. A review of these general themes and others is underway. The McGuinty government is committed to introducing measures this fall to strengthen the ODA. 1 Introduction On January 8, 2004, Dr. Marie Bountrogianni, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, hosted the first of a series of consultations and public meetings to get input on how the government could make the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001. more effective. The minister and her parliamentary assistant; Dr. Ku!dipKular, concludèd their three-month public consultation on March 31, 2004. The consultations reached more than 3,400 Ontarians, with hundreds of people attending and making presentations at seven regional public meetings, 246 invited participants attending 14 stakeholder roundtable meetings, and a special live webcast for students with disabilities that recorded approxirnately 2,000 viewer hits. The following is a brief summary of what was heard for your reference. A review of these general themes and others is underway. The McGuinty government is committed to introducing measures this fall to strengthen the ODA. 1 A need for co-ordinated programs and services Some participants said they think that the government can do a better job co-ordinating services such as access and funding supports for programs like the Ontario Disabilities Support Program, the Ontario Student Assistant Program, and the Assistive Devices Program. We also heard about the need for more accessible and affordable housing; for more accessible parallel transit and flexibility with municipal boundaries; and improved services and funding to support families with children with developmental disabilities and autism. As well, there were discussions around the need for better access and funding supports for both elementary and post- secondary education and about the need for better transition from secondary to post-secondary. Accessibility planning Some participants suggested bringing together expertise from both obligated and private sectors in a parallel planning process that would recognize diversity of needs/ requirements in different sectors and industries; encourage innovation; share best practices; avoid duplication of effort; and facilitate the development of standards. it was suggested that standardization would help focus efforts on outcomes and achievable, flexible goals in planning standards. For example, employment accommodation would have different issues and priorities depending on the workplace. As well, standardization would ensure consistency in barrier analysis, consultation with disability organizations, and barrier removal methods; and it would require all plans to have barrier inventories, steps for barrier removal, and timelines. Many felt that Ontario could be a centre for excellence in research on accessibility planning, similar to the example Ontario sets in website accessibility. 2 c Accountability Some participants indicated that a mechanism for compliance is needed, while others said that mandatory compliance may not be the way to proceed, suggesting that the government should look at incentives versus penalties. Some said there should be a focus on building passion for change rather than a litigious approach, since penalties often lead to creative avoidance and adversarial situations. Many participants suggested stakeholder involvement in developing standards, audit practices, compliance and enforcement mechanisms, incentives and ways to showcase successes. Employment accommodation Limited employment opportunities and underemployment were cited as a major barrier to people with disabilities. We heard about the need to increase awareness and understanding of accommodating employees with disabilities in both the public and private sectors. Private sector involvement We heard of the need to involve the private sector in the ODA, and that the government should strive for increased accessibility across all sectors. There were differing opinions on mandatory application of accessibility standards on private- sector organizations - for example, mandatory versus best practices and partnerships. There was openness from the disability community for flexible and reasonable measures and recognition that an approach is needed that will not result in negative economic impact on the private sector. 3 Accountability Some participants indicated that a mechanism for compliance is needed, while others said that mandatory compliance may not be the way to proceed, suggesting that the government should look at incentives versus penalties. Some said there should be a focus on building passion for change rather than a litigious approach, since penalties often lead to creative avoidance and adversarial situations. Many participants suggested stakeholder involvement in developing standards, audit practices, compliance and enforcement mechanisms, incentives and ways to showcase successes. Employment accommodation Limited employment opportunities and underemployment were cited as a major barrier to people with disabilities. We heard about the need to increase awareness and understanding of accommodating employees with disabilities in both the public and private sectors. _Private' sector irivo!ve-Ji\e-R-t We heard of the need to involve the private sector in the ODA, and that the government should strive for increased accessibility across all sectors. There were differing opinions on mandatory application of accessibility standards on private- sector organizations - for example, mandatory versus best practices and partnerships. There was openness from the disability community for flexible and reasonable measures and recognition that an approach is needed that will not result in negative economic impact on the private sector. 3 Many participants suggested that requirements should be phased in over time through collaboration and partnership among government, disability organizations and private-sector organizations. Participants also recognized that larger and smaller business have different resources and different types of businesses face varying pressures. Public awareness and education The need for more effective public awareness and education, particularly sensitivity training to change attitudes toward people with disabilities, was a common concern. The importance of having an understanding of the full range of disabilities and barriers and solutions was stressed. We heard how there needs to be more education concerning "invisible" disabilities (i.e. schizophrenia, depression, etc.) Sharing of best practices We heard that organizations are interested in learning from each other and networking about innovative ways to address/promote accessibility issues and initiatives. It was suggested that there are cost-savings to be realized by maximizing shared resources. Transportation Access to affordable, reliable public transit was raised by many participants as an issue for people who need accessible transportation to fully participate in the life of the province. Many participants, who suggested that it was an issue of process rather than legislation, identified barriers to transportation as a critical issue; since transportation is funded and provided at many levels, collaboration would help in leveraging resources. 4 Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Ministère de la Santé et des Soins de longue durée ~ ""...,. Ontario Office of the Minister Bureau du rninistre 10th Floor, Hepburn Block 80 Grosvenor Street Toronto ON M7 A 2C4 Tel 416-327-4300 Fax 416-326-1571 www.health.gov.on.ca 1Qe étage, édifice Hepburn 80, rue Grosvenor Toronto ON M7A 2C4 Tèl 416-327-4300 Tèlèc 416-326-1571 www.health.gov.on.ca I'U-I' r. K ')í\~U"1 ..¡J LV" Lv 't Mr. John Wilson Warden Corp. of the County of Elgin 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas ON N5R 5Vl MM J\Jl 20" ow,,'·, Dear Mr. Wilson: I would like to thank you for your continuing effort and co-operation in working with my Ministry to support Ontario's health care system. The McGuinty government is embarking upon a major transformation of the Ontario héalth care system. Our plan involves all health care providers in Ontario working together as partners to make our system more accessible, accountable and sustainable for future generations_ The plan for transforming the system is anchored on a clear vision: healthier Ontarians in a healthier Ontario. A fundamental part of this transformation will involve putting resources and care in the community to relieve pressure on hospitals and improve health outcomes. Our plan also involves a major emphasis on healthy living and illness prevention to keep people well in the first place. A strong community sector is essential to delivering effective preventative health care. To achieve our transformation plan, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Cªre has developed key priorities that we will be measured against, including · reduced wait times for important procedures; · improved access to family physicians and other members of the primary health care team through the creation of 150 Family Health Teams; . enhanced long-term care and home care; · accessible community-based mental health; · a revitalized public health system; · a comprehensive child vaccination program; · reduced rates of tobacco use and childhood obesity; and . a health care system that lives within Ontario's means. W~~~ Q. ../2 753O-4658~ .. : 1671-01 (03104) -2- Mr. Wilson Our government believes in a health care system that provides the highest quality of care, when people need care, as close to home as possible. Our decisions about transforming health care in Ontario are guided by the health needs of Ontarians and the best use of precious health care dollars. And in keeping with our goal of an accountable health care system, we will ensure that all providers have access to information regarding this year's allocation across the entire system. I am pleased to confirm the government's commitment of $417M to community support services and supportive housing programs for the fiscal year 2004/05. This represents an increase of 4.1% over last year. Your share in this includes $8,920 in new base funding. This new funding will help stabilize the community support service and supportive housing sectors. In addition, new community support services funding will serve up to 8,000 new clients in 2004/05. It will increase the capacity of the sector to support seniors, frail elderly and persons with physical disabilities in the community. It will assist them to remain living independently with increased quality of life, for themselves and for their families and caregivers. In the coming weeks, you will receive further correspondence from the Ministry outlining the details of this new funding, and accountability requirements concerning your allocation. Thank you for your continued commitment to the provision of high quality health care services for the people of Ontario.- Yours truly, ~ ,/-r~ Gri . g Smitherman er c: Hon. Steve Peters, MPP, Elgin-Middlesex-London Mr. Mark McDonald, General Manager, Long-Term Care (A), Corp. of the County of Elgin Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal Office of the Minister 6th Floor, Mowat Brock 900 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario M7A 112 Tel.: 416325-0424 Fax: 416325-3013 www.pir.gov.on.ca Mailing Address: 6th Floor, Frost Building South 7 Queen's Park Crescent Toronto, Ontario M7A 1Y7 July 27, 2004 Ministère du Renouvellement de I'infrastructure publique Bureau du ministre Édifice Mowat, 6e étage 900, rue Bay Toronto (Ontario) M7A 112 Tél. : 416325-0424 Téléc. : 416 325-3013 www.pir.gov.on.ca Adresse postale : Édifice Frost Sud, sa étage 7 Queen's Park Crescent Toronto (Ontario) M7A 1Y7 lij - Ontario ~ ~ 2O/J4 œuÎ!i1¡VUW:~. i~i1~~mWi&~~:~~f'~limff.{~~~í~ Mr. Mark McDonald Administrator/Clerk County of Elgin 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 5V1 Dear Mr. McDonald: Thank you for participating in the recent stakeholder discussions hosted by my Parliamentary Assistant Lou Rinaldi on future investment strategies to renew Ontario's infrastructure. I would also like to thank my colleague Maria Van Bommel, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, for her time and attendance at those discussions. We heard from you that our process for making decisions about infrastructure investments and our process for managihg the delivery of those projects need to be seriously improved. This government is committed to rebuilding this province's infrastructure and improving the deiivery of public services fOí present and future generations. Today, I am pleased to release the Building a Better Tomorrow: An Infrastructure Planning, Financing, and Procurement Framework for Ontario's Public Sector, which addresses both of those issues. The executive summary and the framework can be found at www.pir.qov.on.ca. -2- The purpose of the framework is to ensure that infrastructure investments in which the province has a material interest are planned, financed, and undertaken in a systematic, principled, and prudent manner. Under the framework, all infrastructure renewal will be based on five guiding principles: · the public interest is paramount; value for money must be demonstrable; appropriate public control 1 ownership must be preserved; accountability must be maintained; and the process must be fair, transparent and efficient. · · · · Major pr0jeGts will undergo arigorous initial analysis and cbntinuing oversight to ensure that the projects are consistent with the government's priorities and are delivered in the most cost-effective way, consistent with the public interest. The framework will provide a comprehensive process of short and long-term infrastructure planning, proper building and facilities management, and post project evaluation. To support the implementation of the framework and to promote and encourage best practice and innovation in infrastructure renewal, financing, and asset management, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal will create a new Centre of Excellence. Should you have any problems accessing the documents from the internet, hard copies are available bye-mail at infrastructure.framework@pir.Qov.on.ca or by calling 1-800-239-4224. Yours sincerely, David Caplan Minister c. Lou Rinaldi, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal Geoff Hare, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal Maria Van Brommel, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing ~ cÅNÄbIANFEOERAT1ÓN OF INDEPENDENT. BUSINESS 4141yòngeSt.,· Šuite 401 , NorthYo:rk; ON M2P.2Ä6 .... TelephOnE:¡;.41?-2Z!-8022 Fax:A16c222-4337~ ::·~:cf!6.<:~.; August 13, 2004 100/000 members strong ...and growing Mr. David M. Rock Warden, County of Elgin 450 Sunset Dr St. Thomas, ON N5R 5V1 ,ðUG :.;; C'."""¡;j ~œt'" Dear Warden Rock: I write on behalf of 42,000 small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) across Ontario, including a considerable number in your community, who are members of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). My purpose is to share with you our recent study, The Real Deal on Municipalities, based on a survey of our independent business members, on redefining local government revenues and responsibilities. In recent months, there has been much discussion about the need to change both the funding of municipal governments and the nature of their relationship with other orders of government. Much of the focus has been on Ontario's iargest cities, although the majority of the province's 445 municipalities are small. Regretfully, there has been little discussion around what any new arrangement might mean to taxpayers and the small business owners that drive local economies- certainly an oversight given the disproportionate tax paid by the business sector. Earlier research conducted by CFIB shows that Canada's property tax load is the second highest in the OECD world, and Ontario's business sector is by far the most iii-treated under our system (http://www.cfib.calmunicipaliPropertv Tax/default e.asp). High property tax rates on the province's small business sector depress the ability of entrepreneurial businesses to grow and create jobs locally. The lack of consideration accorded to small businesses in their dealings with local governments is evidenced in our recent survey of over 3800 small business owners across Ontario, in which half rated their local government's overall awareness of the small business sector as 'poor'. This is something CFIB would like to see improved for not only the benefit of the small business sector, but also for the overall economic health of every Ontario community. It is for this reason CFIB stepped up our action around the call for a "New Deal" for municipalities, and met earlier this year with the Hon. John Godfrey, the Prime Minister's point person on cities, to outline the principles we believe any "New Deal" should incorporate (enclosed). We have some ideas on workable strategies around 'Point 4' (on reforming property tax) of the Principles, which we would be pleased to discuss with you. Please feel free to contact our office with any questions you may have. Also, we would be grateful if you would kindly share our material with your Council colleagues and staff. Yours sincerely, ~ C2.~ Judith Andrew Vice President, Ontario /Encl. .... .. ........ ...... -,-' OFFICES: VANCOUVER· EDMONTON' CALGARY· REGINA' WINNIPEG· OTTAWA· MONTREAL' MONCTON" HALIFAX· ST. JOHN'S "' .... .......,. .....;..... ........... .. .-. ......'.- -. -.- .......... .. .",. -.'<-..- ," -. .-:....... ,.,...., ....:. ... .. .,' ,. -".- ,'-.- -. .. ..... .,- -..- " '.' ,.... .... -... ",' .....'..'.. ......'.. ,.,....'.... .' >"" ...., CFIB , , '-~:'<~ifRi3~~q~,Jllfi< -;~~~~' :" . _ _ _ y c ~ ~ The Real Deal on Municipalities Survey of SMEs on redefining local government revenues and responsibilities Ted Mallett. Vice President Research & Chief Economist May 2004 Introduction A significant, and sometimes turbulent, inter- governmental policy debate has arisen in the past number of years through a highly public campaign by local governments to acquire more responsibilities. Under the New Deal slogan, municipal government leaders have brought the issue to the forefront of public debate. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) characterizes the situation with the following statements: "FCM's "Bridging the Gap" campaign is mobilizing municipal governments to push for a new deal for municipalities · At the heart of the issue is the chronic under-funding of Canada's municipalities. which receive just eight cents out of every tax dollar colleCted. · Aggravated by cuts to transfer payments and lack of municipal taxing power, this under-funding is so severe that many municipal governments have been forced to cut services to their residents. · The results - homelessness, decaying infrastructure, aging transit systems, urban gridlock, water problems - all trace back to a single root cause: more responsibilities and fewer resources." Source: Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Bridging the Gap, 2004 There are numerous policy questions embodied in the FCM's statements. No one can argue against the need for any level of government to have sufficient scope to fulfill its given role in society. Moreover, no one wants society to decay as a result of bad policy making or bad policy allocation. Public debate, therefore, should legitimately take place on the issue of local government powers and responsibilities, The above statements from FCM, however, also contain a number of assumptions that need to be examined and tested. For example, are municipal governments truly under funded-and if so, is it because of the constraints placed on them by federal or provincial governments? Also, have there really been cuts to transfer payments-or does it only look that way because of the trading of responsibilities in the background between levels of government? ill addition, would additional taxation and regulatory powers in the hands oflocal governments really lead to improved socio-economic performance in Canada-and what accountability mechanisms must be put in place to ensure that improvements take place, resources do not get wasted or powers do not get abused? Finally, what would be the implication of any New Deal on smaller municipalities-would they be able to handle any new responsibilities given to them, and, would large cities be gaining resources that have traditionally been going to rural development? The volume of the municipal governments' demands has certainly been turned up at the political level. Unfortunately most of the discussion is being directed horizontally between local governments and their provincial and federal counterparts. With some exceptions, relatively little discussion has taken place vertically between governments and voters/taxpayers. Any attempts at collecting public A "NEW DEAL" FOR MUNICIP ALITlES: Key Principles from Canada's SME Sector The small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector is Canada's engine of growth. It now contributes roughly half of Canada's GDP. The SME sector employs six out of ten Canadians in communities right across Canada. Credited with the majority of new jobs in recent years, the SME sector also provides economic resiliency by maintaining jobs levels in tough times. In a 2003 CFIB member survey involving 47,900 responses, 45 per cent of business owners nationally indicated that the cost of local government was an important source of concern. This concern stems largely from the over-reliance by municipalities on highly distorted business property taxes. The Prime Minister's call for a "New Deal" for cities is of critical importance to SME owners since local government policies have a ~ignificant impact on their ability to grow their businesses and create jobs. From the standpoint of small businesses, some basic principles ought to underpin the "New Deal" for all municipalities large and small, so that it is a "Fair Deal" for ALL concerned: 1. The overall tax burden of Canadians is already high, and a New Deal must not make it worse. Greater access to funds by municipalities ought to be done by redistribution of existing revenue, e.g. gas tax revenue, not by adding on to the existing heavy tax burden of Canadians. As Prime Minister Paul Martin said in his remarks to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities "It is a principle that tax burden should be going in one direction-one direction only-and that is down." 2. No New Taxing Powers to Local Governments. A New Deal must not give additional taxing powers to local governments, such as, sales tax, gas tax, income tax and special mandatory levies such as on hotels. Apart from adding to the tax burden, such additional taxes would impose a heavy administrative burden on SMEs and create multitudes of cross-border economic distortions among adjoining municipalities. 3. Accountability and Transparency Must Be Paramount in the "New Deal". While the annual budgets of Canada's largest cities dwarf the size of annual budget for some provinces, municipal governments lack the transparency and accountability regime found to be necessary and appropriate at the provincial and federal levels. Full transparency in taxing and spending is needed so that taxpayers understand where their money is going. ANew Deal ought to require: 26/02/2004 a. Larger municipalities to have an independent local auditor general to review value-for-money on local expenditures and make the reports public; b. Budget info=ation needs to be standardized, simplified, and made easily and openly available to allow taxpayers to have, prior to the start of a budget year, an accurate picture of spending patterns and comparisons over time; and c. Additional funding provided to municipalities by the federal and provincial governments must result in a corresponding increased investment in 'real' infrastmcture proj ects that are important to economic development. 4. A New Deal Must Involve a Reform of the Property Tax System. Canadian property taxes are the second highest amongst industrialized countries (next to the U.K.) and constitute a very regressive fo= of taxation that undermines economic growth and job creation. The property tax system needs be refo=ed based on the following principles: a. The property tax system must be based on a unifo=, up-to-date assessment system; properties of equal value must attract the same taxes both within a property class and across classes; b. The distribution ofthe load of property tax by class needs to be rebalanced so that each class contributes revenue in proportion to its share of assessed value; c. A target and timetable to reach the lower and fairer tax burden must be carefully implemented to ensure that no property taxpayer or class of taxpayers is ill-treated along the way. d. Use municipal property tax revenues-which are highly predictable and reliable- to [mance services to property (e.g. waste disposal, roads, water/sewer); and e. Government fees must not exceed the value of services rendered. 5. FuII cooperation and participation of the provinces (with the federal government and municipal governments) is essential to a "New Deal". Individual and business taxpayers wish to see their governments at aII levels working cooperatively to sort out fiscal arrangements. They object to any level of government thinking of itself as a stakeholder in this process; governments' role is to serve all taxpayers' best interests. 26/0212004 2 The Real Deal on Municipalities Powers & Responsibilities As mentioned earlier, local government leaders have repeatedly stated that they are under funded, often to a severe extent. The survey probed at this statement and found only minor support for local governments' position. When asked if they thought local governments could do their job effectively with their current level of revenues, 55.6 per cent of respondents say yes, while 29.0 per cent say no (see Figure 2). Figure 2: Sufficiency of Current Locaf Revenues (% response) Q: "Do you believe your local gov't can provide effective public services with the same amount of money it currently receives from taxes and gOY'! transfer payments?" Yes 55.6% Don't know 15.4% Although not by an overwhelming margin, business owners seem to be saying to local governments that not enough work has been done yet on controlling the cost and direction of local spending. For example, according to the latest Census, local government wages and benefits, which make up the largest share of local government spending are conservatively estimated to average about 14 per - cent more than in matching occupations in the private sector.1 Therefore, if local government wants greater public support in achieving more revenues, then it must demonstrate progress on controlling the cost side of the ledger. Indeed, many local leaders know this fact, and have been clear in their desire to not increase the overall tax burden in the economy. J Canadian Federation of Independent Business~ Wage Watch: A comparison of public-sector and private-sector wages, October 2003 Canadian Federation of Independent Business May 2004 Despite this state of mind, it is also clear rrom their public statements that local governments, nonetheless, want more revenues, which would entail the other two levels of government having to do their jobs with less. One way around the issue, therefore would be for federal and provincial governments to collect tax revenues on behalf of local governments and then pass the money on to municipalities to be spent. Unfortunately, letting one level collect while another level spends breaks an important principle of political accountability-that the level government that spends the money should be the one that asks the taxpayer to supply it. CFIB members seem to agree with this principle by a strong margin-71.6 per cent in favour to 17.8 per cent opposed (see Figure 3). No doubt there is also a strong reluctance, in evidence on the part of senior levels of government, to take the political heat for collecting taxes, while another level gains the political benefits of spending the money. Transfers, however, also move in the opposite direction. In some provinces, local governments collect education property taxes on behalf of the provincial government, which muddies the accountability path on education polièy. Figure 3: Who Collects, Who Spends (% response) Q: "Should the level of government responsible for delivering a public service a/so be responsb/e for collecting the revenue to pay for it 7- Yes, it is the best way to ensure political accountability No, it is best to allow for the transfer of tax revenues from one Jevel of government to another Don't know I In a democratic society, pnblic elections are the check and balance on the size and nature of government. If the voters are only given the benefits of their association with local government-with only a partial exposure to the costs, then voting decisions become skewed and connection between government and the public weakens. Indeed, the 3 The Real Deal on Municipalities public connection with local government is already weak, as evidenced by low voter turnouts and poor recall of the identities of local representatives, in general compared to federal and provincial systems. Any New Deal arrangement, must therefore aim to strengthen democratic accountability principles, not to weaken them further. When posed the question directly on what the local (and provincial) governments should do first in any New Deal process, fully 57.4 per cent of respondents state that administrative efficiencies must be pursued (see Figure 4). The removal of local government responsibilities, so that they have greater fiscal latitiude to fulfill their remaining duties was next on the list at 14.1 per cent, while only 13.2 per cent of respondents say local governments should have the authority to administer more forms of taxation. Figure 4: Overail Approach to Municipal Policy (% response) Q: "Many local government leaders say they lack the powers to fully meet their public responsibilities. What would be the best course of action in your local municipality 7" Remove some responsibilities from local gOy't & put them under prov" control Allow local gOy'ts to administer and collect more types of tax revenues Don't change local gov't responsibiJities & revenue powers, but require them to seek administrative efficiencies Other I Don't know The survey also took another look at the same issue using a slightly different question-focusing on what changes the province should make with respect to local government policy. This time the responses diverged. The largest group of respondents (34.4 per cent) favours their provinces transferring more revenues to their local governments, while 23.7 per cent support the removal of some local responsibilities (see Figure 5). Again, as above, only about one respondent in eight (12.4 per cent) thinks local governments should be transferred more revenue-raising powers. Canadian Federation of Independent Business May 2004 Figure 5: Provincial Policy Options on Municipalities ("/'response) Q: "What changes should the province make with regard to local government revenue or spending responsibilities ?.. Province should remove some spending responsibilities from your local gov't Province should transfer additional taxation powers to you local gov't - Province should transfer cash to your local government No need to make any changes - Other I Don't know There appears to be a slight contradiction in businesses' views on transfers shown in Figure 5, compared to those in Figure 3-not very surprising given the complexity of the issue, and the fact that the survey actively sought out possible contradictions. Despite a sizable plurality of opinion among business owners to ensure that the government that spends the money is the one that collects the taxes in principle, there is still modest support for provincial governments to transfer cash to their local governments in practice. It is not likely, however, that businesses are suggesting transfers with no strings attached-and when one looks at how respondents answer the question on conditional versus unconditional transfers, the contradiction disappears. Almost three-quarters of respondents report that they think any transfer funding given to local governments by their respective provincial or federal governments should have clear conditions on how the money should be spent (see Figure 6). 4 The Real Deal on Municipalities Figure 6: Conditional vs. Unconditional Transfers (% response) Q: "If the province or federal government gave more money to your local government, should there be conditions set on how it is spent 7" Yes, additional money from other gov'is must be used for clearly defined purposes No, local gov'ts should be allowed to decide how to spend it on their own Don't know 13.2 The remammg 25.5 per cent of business owners believe their local governments should receive transfers without major conditions attached. Overall, therefore there is ouly minority support for the position put forward by the FCM that local governments are best placed to decide how to allocate public spending in their communities-at least with respect to transfer funding. There should be no great surprise to the above findings, business owners apparently understand that unconditional transfers can more easily lead to duplication among the three levels of government. There are enough examples now of local governments delving into areas of public policy that are better left to wider and more efficient provincial management. When asked directly about overlaps versus specialization of public services, the answers are clear. A strong 82.9 per cent of respondents believe that local government powers must be strictly defmed and separated trom federal or provincial responsibilities (see Figure 7). Only 10.5 per cent of business owners asked think local powers should generally overlap those of the senior levels of government. Canadian Federation of Independent Business May 2004 Figure 7: Specialization of Powers (% response) Q: "'In general, how should responsibilities be divided between local. provincia! and fecleral governments 7'; Local powers should overlap I with fed/prey responsibilities so that important segments of society are well covered Local powers should be strictly defined and separate from fed/prov responsibilities so that there is little duplication or waste Don't know I The same degree of sentiment exists when business owners were asked to respond to the question of whether local governments should generally have the powers available to the constitutionally recognized federal or provincial governments (commonly referred to as senior status), or continue to be subject to provincial regulatory policy Gunior status). Again, the balance of opinion is strongly on the side of retaining local governments' junior status under their respective provincial governments (see Figure 8). Figure 8: Constititional Authority (% response) Q: "Should your local government continue to be governed closely by provincial policy, or should it be allowed to have senior status equivalent to that of a province?" Continue with junior status Be allowed to have senior status Don't know 5 The Real Deal on Municipalities Roughly 20.7 per cent of respondents believe local governments should have senior status, and presumably with it the ability to set independent taxation and regulatory policy. Allocation of Property Tax Burden Among the long-standing concerns that business owners have had with local governments, one of the largest has been about property tax policy. Property tax is the dominant fonn of tax revenue reserved for municipalities. What has evolved during the past number of decades in many jurisdictions has been a gradual shifting of tax burden from the residential sector to the business sector while services were not improving and sometimes degrading. These shifts have been extremely uneven from municipality to municipality, but for the most part the major cities have the largest differences between residential and non-residential rates. It is typically the case that a business is charged about double the tax rate compared to a similarly valued residential property. However, it is not unusual for businesses in major cities to be charged thIee-, four- or even five-times the residential tax rates (see Table 1). Table 1: Business Tax Ratios in Major Centres Municipality Business tax ratio* Vancouver 5.1 Edmonton 34 Calgary 5..3 Toronto 4..8 Montreal 2.7 Halifax 3.8 * 2002/3 Commercial tax rate as a multiple of residential tax rate in each municipaffty, Includes occupancy and education taxes These shifts seem to signal that some local governments do not wish to be accountable for economic development in their regions, but simply see businesses as cash cows. There is no easy answer to how to properly allocate the burden of property taxes among business and residential ratepayers, but clearly no principle at all has been applied to this point. Tax allocation principles, however, are sorely needed. Tax allocation is certainly not a problem unique to municipalities. Among other forms of taxation, such as income tax or sales taxes, federal and provincial governments go to great lengths to aim for general balance between personal and corporate tax burdens. For example, relative personal and corporate income Canadian Federation of Independent Business May 2004 tax rates are set with the general aim of ensuring that one does not gain a significant advantage of choosing to earn income thIough wages, or through investments. In tax policy, the aim is to ensure taxation does not distort the economy and lead to undesirable outcomes. The basic principles are well known: Core Tax Policy Principles: Neutrality: ensuring that tax rates and regulations do not alter the economic behaviour of people or businesses. Horizontal equity: ensuring that people of the same circumstances are assessed the same level of taxation" Vertical equity: ensuring that people with greater financial abHity are assessed greater levels of taxation. Accountability: ensuring that the people paying the tax have the ability to affect the political decisionmaking. Single taxation: ensuring that tax policy does not lead to multiple taxation on the same units of production. No fonn of taxation perfectly adheres to the above principles, but it is generally acknowledged that property tax policy is the farthest from the ideal. There are differing perspectives among tax planners and taxpayers on how a property tax system should best be structured-and it is a valid policy exercise to consider each one. CFJB' s survey considered the thIee basic structural choices. The strongest support (60.4 per cent) was evident in business owners belief that local property taxes payable should be in proportion to the local services used in the community (see Figure 9). Very few independent studies have been made in this area, and where they exist, they point to huge gaps. For example in Vancouver and Toronto, businesses are estimated to pay $2 in property tax for every $1 in city services received? 2 The Canadian Institute of Public and Private Real Estate Companies, Toronto Office Buildings: Analysis of Municipal Revenues and Costs, Remson Consulting, October 2003 City of Van co liver Property Tax Task Force, Consumption of Tax-Supported City Services, Standing 6 The Real Deal on Municipalities Figure 9.- Allocation of Property Tax Burden (% response) Q: "How should property taxes be shared among residential and business property classes?" Businesses should subsidize residential taxes and services 1>< Taxes should be roughly proportional to the level of local services used by each class of property All properties of equivalent value should be taxed at roughly the same rate Don't know I Other 14.4 This opinion strongly aligns with the principle of accountability-in that if a group of property owners use a certain percentage of the municipal services, then they should be responsible for roughly the same proportion in taxes. Conversely, about one business in three (32.6 per cent) believe that tax rates must be more or less equivalent among all property classes in the community-an opinion most closely aligned with the horizontal and vertical equity principles. This argument basically says that market values determine society's level of worth towards any particular property, and that each Dollar of value in one property is worth just the same as each Dollar in value on another. Either of the two approaches to property tax policy, if widely adopted would lead to a dramatic improvement to fairness and economic robustness. Only a small minority of respondents (2.6 per cent) favours the notion of having business properties subsidize the property taxes of residential properties-which is the basic present situation in most municipalities. Respondents clearly seem to realize that cross-subsidization of property tax levels leads to bad public policy decisions The reason why the property tax system is so imbalanced is that local governments have been unable to shake off some incorrect notions of Committee on City Services and Budgets, KPMG Management Consultants, April 1995 Canadian Federation of Independent Business May 2004 property tax. It is important to address these argnments directly: 1. Property tax increases are not inherently more affordable among businesses than among residents. While businesses can affect profitability by changing product prices, most businesses do not have much control over price levels because they have to set them according to market conditions-often competing against products produced in lower taxed jurisdictions. 2. The ability of most businesses to deduct property taxes against income for income tax purposes does not give them an inherent advantage over residents. Property market values adjust to take into account any perceived advantages of one type of property over another. Furthermore, even at face value, with a combined federal-provincial small business corporate tax rate of rougWy 20% means that a property tax ratio of anything above 1.2 cannot be justified with this argument. 3. Residents ultimately end up paying the tax one way or another, but direct taxation is far preferable to indirect taxation. Residents pay for high business taxation indirectly in the form of reduced wages, fewer job opportunities and higher prices (or any combination of the above). These costs are hidden and, therefore, difficult to apply as a counter-balancing measure on accountability- which for most residents is at the ballot box. 4. Property taxes are highly flexible and reactive to local economic conditions. Local government leaders often state that the tax base is structurally limited because it does not grow with inflation. In reality, the means to pay property taxes come ITom income-which is the component of economic growth (GDP). In addition, local governments are not really limited by the absolute size of their property tax bases. In fact, they have virtually unrestrained ability to apply any tax rate they wish to achieve their revenue targets. Indeed Canadian cities rely more on property taxes than in virtually any other country in the OECD. Despite the above points, however, there are limitations of the property tax system compared to other forms of tax. Property taxes are highly visible, requiring property owners to write a large cheque to their municipalities on a regular basis. For most 7 The Real Deal on Municipalities people, income taxes are deducted ITom pay cheques at source, so they become almost invisible. Sales taxes, on the other hand, are visible, but levied in small increments. The structural limitations of property taxes, therefore, are mostly political-not economic-which goes a long way to explaining why there is far greater pressure to offload residential taxes onto the business sector. Moreover, these limitations are not necessarily bad. Movement towards stealthier fonns of tax, either by giving municipal governments more direct taxation responsibilities or by doing so indirectly through increases to unconditional transfer payments, would almost certainly lead to larger, less efficient or more duplicative government. Intergovernmental Responsibilities It has been mentioned in above sections of this report that business owners favour a clear delineation of local versus provincial responsibilities. Survey respondents were asked to give more detail on which major forms of spending should be assigned or shared. Results show a clear hierarchy of preference. On the revenue side, there is overwhelming opinion to keep the personal and corporate income tax systems in the exclusive purview of the federal and provincial governments. Eighty-two per cent of respondents want to keep personal income taxes at the senior level, while only 15 per cent think municipalities should have a share with their own personal income tax system (see Figure 10). Opinion on the corporate income tax system is almost as strong-81 per cent and 16 per cent respectively. There is somewhat greater support for sharing sàles tax regimes (28 per cent of responses), but the balancing 63 per cent still think sales taxes must remain exclusively federal and provincial. Business owners know better than any group the difficulties caused by multiple jurisdictions. The income tax and sales tax systems are made considerably more complex to administer for taxpayers because of border issues among the federal and 13 provincial/territorial governments. The complexities introduced by even a modest involvement of municipal governments would cause complexities and distortions to increase exponentially. Canadian Federation of Independent Business May 2004 Figure 10: Opinions on Sharing of Revenues (% decided response) Personal income tax [" 15 Corporate income tax 1_':'::" 16 Property tax Retail sales tax I" 28 User charges ". 3':::::·:::::·:::. , ..ï.....· o 20 40 60 100 80 I_ Local only":' Shared . Prey or Fed only I At the other end of the spectrum, the majority of business respondents (73 per cent) would like to see local governments retain main exclusivity on property taxes. Opinions on user charges are more mixed. User charges are a valid method of collecting service-based revenues, but under certain conditions. Figure 11: Opinions on Sharing of Responsibilities (% decided response) Fire protection Public transit Water utilities Parks, recreation Sewage, waste mgmt. Police services I!ii!!!iMS_I, Tourism development A' Economic development EIIO::::""" Roads, infrastructure m-::::'..·· Social housing 1I'iiR:~'" Education Ð,::,::= 52 Social assistance D: 41 Health rn 43 o 20 33 m ··Ûa "uD 42 '~:':"::'::::::~D 49 ~:':::::D ..........5.'..·...._ ···62·--·····m ..- 69 '"""'::':'.':::::::::EII 55 .J; 40 60 80 100 1111 Localonly :-'] Shared . Prov or Fed only I Business owners also have a clear set of views on the sharing of government service delivery. Among the major areas of spending, a significant proportion of respondents support the notion of shared service delivery between local and provincial or federal governments-most notably in the areas of transit, water and waste management, police services, roads, 8 The Real Deal on Municipalities economic development and social housing (see Figure 11). Health, social assistance and education spending are seen as areas best suited to exclusivity at the senior level(s) of government, while fire protection and parks and recreation are best left to local governments. Conclusions and Recommendations In deconstructing the New Deal debate into its base principles, the survey findings demonstrate clear and consistent perspectives :trom which to fonn policy recommendations. Their perspectives are important because small and mid-sized companies generate close to half of all GDP in Canada as a whole, and considerably more than that in most small and mid- sized communities. And, far beyond this static role, SMEs also represent the dynamic and entrepreneurial segment of the economy-which generates renewal and growth. The following recommendations emerge from the findings: 1. Local govennnents should not be personified as disadvantaged or being given insufficient respect. Governments are simply agents of public policy, and that each level is not more, or less responsive to voters than other levels. 2. The best funding allocation solution among all three levels of government does not require an increase in overall levels of taxation. The current tax talee at the federal, provincial and local levels should be seen as a taxpayer-imposed ceiling. 3. Provincial governments must retain constitutional oversight powers over local govemments. Local governments, therefore, should remain junior to provincial policy. Otherwise, local government policies would become contradictory, duplicative and more expensive. 4. In as many policy areas as possible, the level of government with a spending responsibility should be the level that asks the voter-taxpayer for the money to [mance it. In addition, any overlaps in responsibilities must be identified and eliminated. Canadian Federation of Independent Business May 2004 5. Any financial transfers between levels of government must be based on clearly defined practices and principles. They should only apply where a senior level of government is compensating a junior level for the costs of delivering provincially- mandated programs and policies. Unconditional transfers must be eliminated. 6. To ease local governments' pressures on an over- burdened business property tax system, provincial governments should remove significant local spending responsibilities (i.e. upload"), particularly in social services, which need more coordinated policy design. 7. Local savings :trom uploading must first be applied to overtaxed property classes. A way to start would be to apply a municipality's residential tax rate to a defined threshold of business property assessment. This threshold would be based on average residential market price in each municipality and be required to grow gradually over time until all tax rates are aligned. Property tax must not be allowed to be a used as a means of cross" subsidization oflocal government services. 8. Local governments must not have access to the administration of sales tax or income tax systems. If a province wants to. allocate a specific portion of own revenues to transfer, then as above, it should be for strictly defined purposes and on a fixed fonnula that does not favour one local government over another. A New Deal for local government is long overdue. However, the terms and conditions of any deal must be set by the electorate. If followed, these recommendations :trom the SME community would strengthen the democratic underpinnings of Canada's three major levels of government, provide clarity as to their relative roles and responsibilities and give the economy a more efficient fonn of governance. The result would be stronger local economies, more engaged local electorates and better government. 9 The Real Deal on Municipalities May 2004 Appendix I Figure A 1: Local General Government Revenues, 2002 ($ Billions) Salesofgoods,serv. 10.7 General purpose tr.Insfers 1.3 Figure A2: Local General Government Expenditures, 2002 ($ Billions) Police, fire protection 7.9 Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM, table 385-0004. Canadian Federation of Independent Business 10 The Real Deal on Municipalities Appendix II A "New Deal" for Municipalities: Key Principles CFIB , April 2004 D-IN0536-0404 The smalI- and medium-sized enterprise (8MB) sector is Canada's engine of growth, It now contributes roughly half of Canada's GDP, as opposed to about one-quarter some 25 years ago" The SME sector employs six out of ten Canadians in communities right across Canada. Credited with having created about 70 per cent of all new jobs in recent years, the SME sector also provides economic resiliency by maintaining jobs in tough times" In a recent member survey involving 10,500 responses, 45 per cent of business owners nationally indicated that the cost of local government was an important source of concern. This concern stems largely ftom the over-reliance by municipalities on a highly regressive property tax system, along with a disproportionate share of the property tax burden being shouldered by businesses. The Prime Minister's call for a "New Deal" for cities is of critical importance to SME owners since local government policies have a significant impact on their ability to grow their businesses and create jobs. From the standpoint of small businesses, some basic principles ought to underpin the "New Deal" for all municipalities large and small, so that it is a "Fair Deal" for ALL concerned: 1. The overall tax burden of Canadians is already high, and a New Deal must not make it worse. Greater access to funds by municipalities ought to be done by redistribution of existing revenue, e.g. gas tax revenue, not by adding on to the existing heavy tax burden of Canadians. As Prime Minister Paul Martin said in his remarks to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities "It is a principle that tax burden should be going in one direction--one direction only-and that is down," 2. No New Taxing Powers to Local Governments. A New Deal must not give additional taxing powers to local governments, such as, sales tax, gas tax, income tax and special mandatory levies such as on hotels. Apart from adding to the tax burden, such additional taxes would impose a heavy administrative burden on small..:and medium-sized businesses. 3. Accountability and Transparency Must Be Paramount in the "New Deal". While the annual budgets of Canada's largest cities dwarf the size of annual budget for some provinces, municipal governments lack the transparency and accountability regime found to be necessary and appropriate at the provincial and federal levels. Full transparency in taxing and spending is needed so that taxpayers understand where their money is going. A New Deal ought to require: a. Larger municipalities to have an independent local auditor general to review value-for-money on local expenditures and make the reports public; b. Budget information needs to be standardized, simplified, and made easily and openly available to allow taxpayers Canadian Federation of Independent Business May 2004 to have, prior to the start of a budget year, an accurate picture of spending patterns and comparisons over time; and c, Additional funding provided to municipalities by the federal and provincial governments must result in a corresponding increased investment in 'real' infrastructure projects that are important to economÎc development. 4. A New Deal Must Involve a Reform of the Property Tax System. Canadian property taxes are the second highest amongst industrialized countries (next to the U.K.) and constitute a very regressive fonn of taxation that undermines economic growth and job creation, The property tax system needs be reformed based on the following principles: a, The property tax system must be based on a uniform, up- to-date assessment system; properties of equal value must attract the same taxes both within a property class and across classes; b.. The distribution of the load of property tax by cIass needs to be rebalanced so that each class contributes revenue in proportion to its share of assessed value; c Use municipal property tax revenues-which are highly predictable and reliable-to finance services to property (e.g. waste disposal, roads, water/sewer); d. Government fees must not exceed the value of services rendered; and e. A target and timetable to reach the lower and fairer tax burden must be carefully implemented to ensure that no property taxpayer or class of taxpayers is ill-treated along the way, 5. Full cooperation and participation of the provinces (with the federal government and municipal governments) is essential to a "New Deal". Individual and business taxpayers wish to see their governments at all levels working cooperatively to sort out fiscal arrangements. They object to any level of government thinking of itself as a stakeholder in this process; governments' role is to serve all taxpayers' best interests. Estimated Property Tax Revenues as a Percentage of GDP (2001) United Kinç¡dom Canada United States Japan New Zealand France Australia Denmark Sweden Iceland Poland Netherlands Italy Spain Korea 3.31 2.81 2,48 2.08 1.76 1.75 1,28 1,09 1.07 1,06 0,94 0..85 0,77 0.69 0,64 Source: GECD Revenue Statistics: 1965-2001 (2002) Table 38: "Recurrent taxes on immovable propertl Table 41: "Gross domestic product at market prices" 11 ~paè' Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Over the past several months, municipal councils have raised concerns about a number of issues, including the impact of annual assessment updates on taxpayers, the quality of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation's (MPAC) assessment and enumeration data, assessed value accuracy, building permit inspections, property severances and apportionments, staffing levels, and the cost-effectiveness ofMP AC's products and services. The property assessment and taxation changes announced as part of the 2004 Provincial Budget and Bill 83 represent a significant step forward for municipalities, taxpayers and MP AC. In particular, the January I valuation date will allow our staff to review all of the in-year sales to ensure that assessed values reflect the current market. More time for establishing preliminary values and finetuning values at the local level will enable MP AC to maintain consistent and accurate assessments with each province-wide update. The January 1 valuation date will allow MP AC to expand the Property Assessment Notice mailing window, resulting in better service, more time for taxpayers to review their assessment and, ultimately, fewer assessment-related enquiries at municipal offices. In addition, we will be able to deliver Market Change Profiles earlier, providing municipalities more time to conduct impact analysis, make tax policy decisions and establish tax rates. By working together, the Provincial Government, municipalities, stakeholders and MP AC can implement the right solutions, making Ontario's assessment system less complex and more compatible with property taxation. Public Relations While the concept of current value assessment is easy to understand - property owners can easily relate to an assessed value that reflects a recent valuation date - the methodology used to determine assessments can be confusing. MP AC understands this. To improve taxpayers' understanding of the assessment process, we continue to expand our education and infonnation programs. MP AC staff are available throughout the year to attend municipal council and taxpayer association meetings or to sponsor local assessment infonnation sessions. In addition, we will provide municipalities with more infonnation about changes in assessment methodology to ensure you receive advance knowledge of the changes and their potential tax impacts. MP AC will continue to explore new initiatives, similar to AboutMyPropertyTM and the Guide to Property Assessment in Ontario, to help make the assessment process more transparent and easier for taxpayers to understand. July 2004 Page 1 'f INDE.PE'NOE}'::T a·U~~;r..E;:;~ A "NEW DEAL" FOR MUNICIPALITIES: Key Principles from Canada's SME Sector The small~ and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector is Canada's engine of growth. It now contributes roughly half of Canada's GDP. The SME sector employs six out of ten Canadians in communities right across Canada. Credited with the majority of new jobs in recent years, the SME sector also provides economic resiliency by maintaining jobs levels in tough times. In a 2003 CFIB member survey involving 47,900 responses, 45 per cent of business owners nationally indicated that the cost of local government was an important source of concern. This concern stems largely from the over-reliance by municipalities on highly distorted business property taxes. The Prime Minister's call for a "New Deal" for cities is of critical importance to SME owners since local government policies have a significant impact on their ability to grow their businesses and create jobs. From the standpoint of small businesses, some basic principles ought to underpin the "New Deal" for all municipalities large and small, so that it is a "Fair Deal" for ALL concerned: 1. The overall tax burden of Canadians is already high, and aNew Deal must not make it worse. Greater access to funds by municipalities ought to be done by redistribution of existing revenue, e.g. gas tax revenue, not by adding on to the existing heavy tax burden of Canadians. As Prime Minister Paul Martin said in his remarks to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities "It is a principle that tax burden should be going in one direction-one direction only-and that is down." 2. No New Taxing Powers to Local Governments. A New Deal must not give additional taxing powers to local governments, such as, sales ta,'(, gas tax, income tax and special mandatory levies such as on hotels. Apart from adding to the tax burden, such additional taxes would impose a heavy administrative burden on SMEs and create multitudes of cross-border economic distortions among adj oining municipalities. 3. Accountability and Transparency Must Be Paramount in the "New Deal". While the annual budgets of Canada's largest cities dwarf the size of annual budget for some provinces, municipal governments lack the transparency and accountability regime found to be necessary and appropriate at the provincial and federal levels. Full transparency in taxing and spending is needed so that taxpayers understand where their money is going. A New Deal ought to require: 26/0212004 ~paè' Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Products and Services Delivery MP AC's fee to municipalities is based on a legislated formula, contained in tlJ.e Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Act. This formula was designed to strike a balance between tlJ.e number of properties and tlJ.e value of assessment in each municipality. As we move forward, MP AC will continue to explore alternative options for generating revenue to help offset tlJ.e costs charged to municipalities. MP AC provides municipalities witlJ. an ever-increasing range of products and services, including: · property valuation and analysis; · data collection and on-site inspections; · finetuning of values to ensure equity within tlJ.e local market; · Property Assessment Notice preparation and mailing; · province-wide taxpayer support through a toll fÌ"ee enquiry line and 36 offices (34 field offices, Customer Contact Centre/Central Processing Facility and Head Office); · local taxpayer forums and public information sessions; · fÌ"ee assessment reviews through tlJ.e Request for Reconsideration process; · preparation and delivery of municipal assessment rolls; · assessment appeal defence; · dedicated point of contact for municipalities; · election management services; · school support maintenance; · parcel mapping; · omitted and supplementary assessments; · quality review and control mechanisms; and · value-added products, such as tlJ.e Market Change Profile and Municipal ConnectTM. We recognize tlJ.at each municipality has unique requirements. MP AC is interested in meeting your individual needs and we encourage you to work witlJ. our Municipal Relations staff to discuss your requirements. While property valuation and analysis are integral components of the current value assessment system, they comprise only a small portion of the overall assessment process. Each ofMPAC's products and services are supported by year-round data collection efforts fÌ"om a variety of sources: sales transactions fÌ"om Land Registry Offices, building permits, Requests for Reconsideration (RfR) reviews, assessment appeal reviews and on-site property inspections. July 2004 Page 2 ~paè' Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Regardless of the tools and methodology used to calculate assessed values, up-to-date property data is key to determining accurate assessments. MP AC's property database contains over two billion pieces of data, making it one of the most detailed databases in the world. To maintain confidence in our data integrity, we have enhanced our ongoing property inspection program and set a target to inspect over 300,000 additional properties across the province this summer. This is in addition to the properties that will be inspected as part of our routine inspection program for 2004. Supplementary Assessments As mentioned above, we have stepped up our property inspection program to ensure that a greater number of building permit investigations are completed earlier in the year. A province-wide assessment update will not be completed in 2004 as a result of the changes announced in the Provincial Budget. However, approximately one million Property Assessment Notices will be mailed this year. These Notices will reflect 2004 in-year changes resulting from our ongoing inspection program, RfR and assessment appeal reviews, Tenant Information Program, and discussions with property owners and municipal staff. Severances and Consolidations MP AC has entered into an agreement with Teranet Enterprises Inc. and the Provincial Government to digitally map the province. The project is more than 85% complete and we anticipate that it will be finished, on schedule, by the end of2004. As part of this agreement, MP AC is required to follow a contractual schedule throughout the digital mapping build period. This has resulted in service delays for municipalities and inconveniences for taxpayers. We regret this situation and assure you that the service delays will be resolved once the build is complete. In the meantime, our Land Parcel Unit staff are monitoring and reviewing their business procedures to further improve severance and consolidation turnaround times. Property Transfers MP AC's Central Processing Facility (CPF) is currently keying sales transactions received in late-May and early June 2004. During 2003, staff at the CPF processed 447,000 property transfers and 179,000 have been processed in 2004. Our production has improved dramatically during the past year, however, we continue to experience problems with incomplete or inaccurate data on registered land title documents, particularly when a potential severance or consolidation is involved. Quite often, title searches are required to resolve issues, resulting in delays and additional expenses. July 2004 Page 3 ~paè" Municipal Property Assessment Corporation To resolve these issues, MP AC is working closely with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services (MCBS) and Teranet to obtain land title information in an electronic format. Teranet administers the Land Registration system, POLARIS, which is an electronic database used by MCBS. This initiative, together with the improvements already in place, will significantly improve the timeliness and accuracy of ownership changes. Ontario Property Assessment System Database Since 2000, MP AC has been working on ways to improve its assessment computer system and migrate off the Ontario Government's mainframe network. In 2002, we embarked on a major information technology initiative - the Integrated Property System (IPS) project. Currently in development, IPS will replace MP AC's Ontario Property Assessment System (OASYS) which was originally developed in the earlyl980s. IPS will bring data collection, valuation and product generation together, better enabling us to meet our legislative requirements. To ensure the project is on track, MPAC's Board of Directors asked for a third party review of the project. At the completion of the review, the Board received a report which confirmed that the IPS design and application development footing is solid. The Report indicates IPS is a sound investment that will deliver the required functionality and efficiencies envisaged in the initial project scope. The report also included a number of recommendations to ensure the successful roll out of IPS, all of which have been endorsed by the Board of Directors. We are confident that these recommendations, together with the progress we have made to date, will place MP AC in a stronger position to successfully deliver the project. The shift ITom OASYS to IPS is a major undertaking and our priority is to do it right, with no disruption in service to our customers. Over the coming months, we will provide you with more detailed information to ensure a smooth transition. Municipal Enumeration Prior to 1990, MP AC had regular access to births and deaths information directly ITom Municipal Clerks. Due to an interpretation of the provincial privacy legislation, this information is no longer available to MP AC. As a result, the quality of the municipal voters' lists and the Ontario Population Report have been impacted. July 2004 Page 4 ~paè' Municipal Property Assessment Corporation MP AC has been actively pursuing access to the vital statistics data and suggesting that the Preliminary List of Electors delivery date be moved closer to election day. Municipalities have been supportive of these recommendations, and we anticipate discussions with the Province and municipal stakeholders will lead to a favourable business solution. Stafîmg MPAC has more than 1,400 permanent staff located in 36 offices across Ontario. Throughout the year, additional staff are hired on a temporary basis to meet workload demands and serve customers during Property Assessment Notice mail outs. Our local office staff continue to playa key role in providing professional and personal service to property owners who visit the office or are redirected by our Customer Contact Centre. They are also available to assist property owners, either by visiting their property or by attending taxpayer information sessions and municipal meetings. MP ACs organizational structure is dynamic, allowing flexibility to meet the evolving needs of municipalities and taxpayers across the province. We believe our staff offer a wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise. More importantly, they are committed to offering the highest standards of accountability, quality assessment products and exceptional customer service. Closing Comments MP AC has made a number of commitments to municipalities and taxpayers in the past. We have worked hard to meet your expectations and will continue working to meet and exceed them in the future. July 2004 Page 5 Seniors' Picnic In the Park - 2004 July 29, 2004 < .' ,.-c' ~... IiiIE" . -", "'R": ,~:<Ji''' "E,' . "'.If¡ '·''';'f~.;;, " C Ji.~" "',? 'L' ,> _ "'.. _.' ._,."~'-' ~1 ~,'." .. .,?' .. "";Ie".", -.."........... '," .:..';¡"- Warden David Rock County of Elgin, Administration Building 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, ON N5R 5Vl AUG ¿1 -~*Y1f ûf' a6tN t~tG~11~~Sr~l~rf~!.rr ß¡'Ën%ltfj~~~ Dear Warden Rock: I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for the generous financial contribution that the County of Elgin provided to the Seniors' Picnic in the Park this year. We had an excellent turnout of participates and all enjoyed the day. The Planning Committee has met and has decided that we would be very pleased to offer the event again next year, as so many people expressed their appreciation to us. Thank you again for your ongoing support of this special event. Yours very truly, :::::7 Chairperson Seniors Picnic in the Park In Case of Transmission Difficulties, please Call 416-863-2101 or 1-866-309-3811 please Deliver To: The County of Elgin News Release Communiqué ® Ontario Ministry of labour Ministère du Travail 04-92 For Immediate Release August 18, 2004 MCGUINTY GOVERNMENT PROMOTES FAIRNESS AND CHOICE FOR EMPLOYEES 65 AND OVER Consultations To Be Held in September On Ending Mandatory Retirement TORONTO - The McGuinty Government will be holding public consultations on how to end mandatory retirement to give Ontario workers the right to choose when to retire, Labour Minister Chris Bentley announced today. "Ontarians are healthier and living longer so it is unfair to insist that they stop working simply because they reach age 65," said Bentley. "Ending mandatory retirement would protect workers by allowing them to decide when to retire based on their own lifestyles, circumstances and priorities. However, we want to achieve this goal without undemtining existing retirement rights -- including entitlements to benefit and pension plans -- and also address any issues raised by business, labour or others." The Ministry of Labour has released a consultation paper designed to promote discussion and gather public input on the issue of mandatory retirement. Among other things, the paper asks Ontarians to consider: · Would ending mandatory retirement reduce skills shortages in areas such as nursing, teaching or skilled trades? · Would ending mandatory retirement affect pensions and other benefits? · What impact would ending mandatory retirement have on recent entrants to the workforce, or those who take time away from it? The Ontario Human Rights Code does not protect people aged 65 and over for the purposes of employment. As a result, employees can be forced to retire at age 65. "Following our public consultations, the government intends to introduce legislation to end mandatory retirement," said Bentley. Public consultations led by Kevin Flynn, the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Labour, will be held across the province as follows: Toronto, September 8; Hamilton, September 10; Kingston, September 15; Thunder Bay, September 21; Sudbury, September 22; Ottawa, September 23; London, September 28; Windsor, September 29; and a second session in Toronto, September 30. -30- Contacts: Peter Fitzpatrick Minister's Office 416-326-7710 Belinda Sutton Ministry of Labour 416-326-7405 Disponible enfrançais www.gov.on.ca/labí Backgrounder Document d'information ® Ontario Ministry of Labour Ministère du Travail 04-92 August 18, 2004 ENDING MANDATORY RETIREMENT IN ONTARIO The McGuinty Government is committed to ending mandatory retirement and giving Ontario workers the right to choose when they want to retire. However, the government wants to achieve this objective without undermining early retirement rights or existing entitlements to benefit and pension plans. Mandatory Retirement in Ontario The Ontario Human Rights Code ("Code") prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of "age." For the purpose of employment, the Code defines "age" as being 18 years and older, but less than 65. As a result, workplace policies, procedures and collective agreements can force workers aged 65 or older to retire. Our Society Like many other countries, Canada has an ageing population. People are living longer, staying healthier and remaining independent past age 65. Many want to continue to be active and productive in their individual pursuits, including paid employment and community involvement. According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians aged 65 and over is expected to double from nearly four million in 2000 to almost eight million by 2028. As well, specific groups, such as recent immigrants and women, may be disadvantaged by the current mandatory retirement policies. . Immigrants often enter the Ontario workforce later in their careers. As a result, they may have to work longer to ensure their financial security later in life. . Many women temporarily withdraw ITom the workforce for family or other reasons. As a result, they may lack adequate funds to retire and would like to continue in paid employment past age 65. Ending mandatory retirement would allow workers to choose when they want to retire based on their own lifestyles, circumstances and priorities and protect the rights of those who continue to work past age 65. Other Canadian Jurisdictions There are increasing national and international trends that support workers continuing to work beyond the traditional retirement age of 65. Ontario is not the first province in Canada to move in this direction. A number of provinces and territories including Manitoba, Quebec, Alberta, Yukon and Prince Edward Island do not allow mandatory retirement, except in limited circumstances. 1 Bona Fide Occupational Requirements A bona fide occupational requirement ("BFOR") is an employment requirement or qualification that is necessary for safe, efficient and reliable perronnance of essentialjob duties. Due to the nature of some jobs, an employee may be required to stop working before age 65. In such cases, the employer must show that: · a job requirement or qualification is a BFOR; · the employee does not meet the job requirement or qualification; and · the employee could not be accommodated without causing undue hardship to the employer. Ontario Human Rights Commission In June 2001, the Ontario Human Rights Commission ("OHRC") released the paper, Time for Action: Advancing Human Rightsfor Older Ontarians. In it, the OHRC asserted that mandatory retirement policies undennine the dignity and sense of self-worth of older workers. The OHRC called for a change of the definition of age in the Code to end mandatory retirement. This change would mean that a person's age could not be used to detennine when they have to leave the workforce. Mandatory Retirement Consultations The McGuinty Government supports the Ontario Human Rights Commission's recommendation to end mandatory retirement. The government is moving to make retirement a matter of personal choice for each individual. On August 18, 2004, the government released a consultation paper on mandatory retirement in Ontario. Public consultations and special meetings with experts will be held across the province in September. Among other things, the paper asks Ontarians to consider: · Would ending mandatory retirement reduce skills shortages in areas such as nursing, teaching and skilled trades? · Would ending mandatory retirement affect pensions and other benefits? · What impact would ending mandatory retirement have on recent entrants to the workforce, or those who take time away from it? Anyone interested in making a presentation at the consultation sessions may contact the Ministry of Labour toll-free at 1-866-400-8355. Participants who require special accommodations should infonn the ministry of their needs when they register. Written submissions may be submitted on or before September 30, 2004 by: Fax: Mail: 416-314-5855; Attention: Mandatory Retirement Project Mandatory Retirement Project Discussion Paper, 400 University Avenue, 12th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M7 A 1 T7 mandatoryretirement@mo1.gov.on.ca Email: 2 The consultation paper is available on the Ministry of LaboUf website at www_gov.on.callab/. - 30- Contact: Peter Fitzpatrick Minister's Office 416-326-7710 Belinda Sutton Ministry of Labour 416-326-7405 Disponible enfrançais www.gov.on.callab/ 3 Backgrounder Document d'information ® Ontario Ministry of labour Ministère du Travail 04-92 August 18,2004 MANDATORY RETIREMENT FACT SHEET · In June 2001, the Ontario Human Rights Commission released the paper, Timefor Action: Advancing Human Rights for Older Ontarians, recommending the elimination of mandatory retirement. · In 2003, the McGuinty Government committed to ending mandatory retirement in Ontario. · In August 2004, the government released a public consultation paper on ending mandatory age-based retirement in Ontario. · Public consultations will be held across the province in Toronto, Hamilton, Kingston, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Ottawa, London and Windsor in September. During this time, the government will also conduct consultations with stakeholders and experts. Ageing Population · In Ontario, the number of seniors is expected to increase from the current estimate of 1.5 million to 3.2 million by 2028. · Seniors will account for approximately 21 per cent of Canada's population by 2028, compared with about 13 per cent in 2000. Seniors in the Workforce · In 2001,6.7% of Ontarians aged 65 and older continued to work. Of this group, 33.8% were female and 38% were immigrants. Mandatory Retirement across Canada · A number of provinces and territories including Manitoba, Quebec, Alberta, Yukon and Prince Edward Island do not allow mandatory retirement, except in limited circumstances. -30- Contacts: Peter Fitzpatrick Minister's Office 416-326-7710 Belinda Sutton Ministry of Labour 416-326-7405 Disponible enfrançais www.gov.on.caflab! Mayer lIeritage Consultants Inc. Heritage Assessments and Archaeological Mitigative Excavations 1615 North Routledge Park, Unit 5 London, Ontario N6H 5L6 519-472-8100 (Bus.) 519-472-1661 (Fax.) 800-465-9990 (foll Free) mayerheritage@bellnet.ca(E-mail) www.lIIChaeologicalconsultants.com (Web Page) August 26, 2004 Attention: Brian Masschaelel Elgin County Archives 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, ON N5R 5VI RE: Archaeological Assessment (Stage 3), Former Elgin County House of Industry Cemetery, 39262 Fingal Line, Fingal, Elgin County, Ontario. Our File #: 04-052 Dear Brian, This letter describes briefly the work performed for the County in an attempt to establish positively the location of the this cemetery. Working with maps in excess of 100 years old, it was our joint opinion, as well as that ofMr. Ward Houghton, surveyor, that the cemetery must have been located along the west side of the property, which has not changed in all of these years. Therefore, a series of six trenches, three metres wide and varying in length between twenty-five and fifty metres in length, were excavated to subsoil in the attempt to identify grave shafts by variation in soil coloration. That fact that this did not yield positive results only means that the cemetery was not located where we had originally assumed. This, however, does not mean that the cemetery is necessarily located somewhere else on the County property. A large portion of the original farm has since been severed and sold, including a long stretch of that west property line that we were searching. It is very reasonable to assume that the cemetery may be located on this piece of land. Given the information that was at our disposal, I feel that a very reasonable attempt was made to find the cemetery, and other than excavating the whole property, I see no further course of action that is justified unless more information is forthcoming. If there are any further questions, or if further work is desired, please feel free to contact me at any time Association of Municipalities of Ontario Presents "Proud of our Past Confident in our Future" Counties, Regions & Single Tier Municipalities, and District Social Service Administration Boards Annual Conference Hosted by the County of Wellington DATE: October 3 to 6, 2004 LOCATION: The Waterloo Inn and Conference Centre, Waterloo, Ontario INCLUDES: · Monday - Keynote Speaker - Neil Aitchison · Monday Lunch Speaker - The Honourable John Gerretsen · Banquet Entertainment - Bruce Guthro · Golf Tournament, Special Events · Welcome Reception · Educational Sessions on Current Issues · Valuable Networking Opportunities ACCOMMODATIONS: The Conference Hotel is SOLD OUT! Alternate hotels are: COMFORT INN @ 519-747-9400 - Waterloo, ON Or BEST WESTERN/S1. JACOB'S INN @ 1-800-972-5371 - Waterloo, ON Or DESTINATION INN - Waterloo @ 1-866-222-9175 or 519-884-0100 TO REGISTER: For the conference, the golf tournament or other pre conference activities visit AMO's website www.amo.on.ca to obtain registration forms. CONFERENCE INQUIRIES: Contact Brenda Harvey at 416-971-9856 or Toll Free 1-877-426-6527 Email: bharvey@amo.on.ca or FAX 416-971-9372 W U >Z 0::0 WI- Cf.)C) ..JZ <CJ -...I Uw gs: I-LL uO i'2>- 1-1- Cf.)Z -:J 00 -gU I'IIW cñ~ !!:!>- !::In ~o ::: a..w~.S! -1-... c UCf.) t;;., 0 zO :::U :J J: r<:::: "0 ::¡¡ . "" c o::W I'll wU C _z..... C I- W - wo:: ~ 0 ...I W ,,- ..2 C)LL--;:::U Z Z ::: 1Q ëi)8~s: "OCf.)'::::,Q) C .... ..c I'll 0 ~ I- Cf.) 0:: ::: Z <I: ~ . og~"</, C>z:: 0 Wo 0 0::_ N -I- Cf.)<I: !!:!o:: 1-1- ZCf.) :J- O~ U::¡¡ "</,0 0<1: o N o o ...z q>0 ON "'!:;;: O· Ur-- ~~ffid>.g ....;mwT'""2 X,_LOm w.r::Õ@)$ ~CPÜZT'"" co~oðZ~ Q)VC-¡n .."'!' .. CI- N Cl)t;;~OO::J'.. W.lL.OOcp æ<D o=lLO -~E.æ:æ:a a::Js....o~oC? o <.»OT""" ~.:;¡§~~@) Z:LOt.:""" m Z QCJ¡>"t::'ijÆz ~-~~<5 ~ C;; l:tr,,;'"'f;-'ö>o.c m ,1-r::¡:ãi20 !2 CX"tlE '" 0 ~-;ct-~---,@j:'o: E <c 'W::.:ø-O Q) ., 'O:::;x<:::;o:Q:!±:: . i':--^,J->Òi;r::",~:_.: « ûS -- CD-!J):CI) '_ --~.2jz!:;z ,,'"' ",000:: '::I: OF W "' u_~ 0 t; ;,~~'iij8Õ~ -''''-!1tE¡:æ. CI) ;> {2è&J:Q"W:':¡æ' (/J I- ':-'.;i,/:"-'>:,::..-: 'w U) 0~·····_"._."_..:Q: s.... W ._. ---- (J. ë m '" ~ ,00 '" o - M 0:: W In o I- U o :§o "'..... :>- ::¡; '" "",,:'!:::: 0:> ",,,, o - .- '" ~ ~ U '" 0> g¡~ ~- '(!! ö ~ I- .- W'" ...I::) 111<'> ~'" ><'> ~ 00" 0.. '" - " '" 0 (¡¡o ¡,; oê;..~Cü :!:::():;t:1ô::J 'gE'Et:Q) s....Cl:lRI_..c ozoøo u; ð :ß - - -" :¡~ ·ü c "E :.: "0; :;¡;:;¡; T""NM '" W - :>. "'- .....c. <,>c. "'~ , - ~'§ "'I- J,rn -(9 ....rn 's::J "...1 ",0.. ><0 J!~ ",0 .cr-- <I> >-- '" 0 E'" J!J!! "'c C1).Q Ero >-.þ "'''' ~'c o ïš 0::" ~'" Oc I-~ C" w~ 0::0 ON >-¡-: -~ "'~ 0", ..c _E "'''' "'- E¡¡)- >-rn "'", "'- .....e '" '" c..c e~ ",0 >-'" .cO "g' Q)+::õ "ë ï::: "';: c.c E"- 0" u2 u'" "'''' ",:> ",cr "'~ C'" :>.c "<n .,,, g¡E "'''' uc 00 Io.:¡::¡ "'''' .,= .c¡'J I-C 0'" zO ;;;>= ;:0 "'::::¡ "'0 .2 a.. 100 .þz .~ :J ",11. .,w 0::0:: .. ê£ ó~:Q â..~ " c. ~ o~.9 __ø (/)t'I:I"ë5 ..~ ~ ~-", ð3 :ß:~ >-'" .."'" .... œ·- "'~.. "O~ .. >-::: ~E~ c.o" 0- .. ().~ ê ëO= 8 w'5 () "o~ ~~:;; 0= () --" rn G:._ '~cb':Ë æ .0 c.".. ......9 > -- '" .= œ.s:: :SE::I 2-E g, ~:æ~ ..,,- øOE .s::~~ ~ ~§ "'.." ~"5 ::I ~~g" ø"", ..0" .c"'" 0"''' ø '" > ãiEE ,.,,,,,, aI.9'O Eãí~ '" E'§ o J2 rn õ.5.g¡ ....ø ~= () "'_ ø c.00 '(3 () e- ï: E ::I ~oc. Ern= -'" "" ~ ~"o =UJo- 0,,- ø-â ii.íf!:..« ~ õ >- .._.c 1:......'0 ._ rn () ()1:rn ..t:(),E -E" .$ ::I'~ 0,,"0 EO", 00 ¡:: . ....oœ() ~ï:-g ~ -erno 'Oõ::l13 *.9.!"¿.~ ()Wjg'O ::1'00'0 gæ~æ ~¡::8() 0.9 (1) ~ "õ.c¡:: œ (1) >- 0 E- œ·- ,g£E"g .5 § E8 ..ê~J2..t: -œ(1)O (l)E.s::::I (1)...._(1) ~~§.9 g=::I ¡ß =ë ~ g,~ -g~~~ œ (1)'0 ¡:: ¡ß~.g¡g ~ ~'5 ~ ui.g¡ ~o õ$¡::'E Æ(1)o- õ£~ãi o....E¡:: O(1)....g ~-g.2w «::::>.5 c.. Association of Municipalities of Ontario Presents Counties, Regions & Single Tier Municipalities, and District Social Service Administration Boards Annual Conference Hosted by the County of Wellington Optional- SPECIAL EVENT- Sunday, October 3,2004 Ariss Valley Golf & Country Club GREEN FEES (Includes GST) D 18 Holes 40.00 D 9 Holes 23.00 D Cart Rental 15.00 D Club Rental 10.00 TOTAL TEE OFF TIME 11:00 AM GOLFERS NAMES- 1. Located in the scenic rolling landscape of the Anss Valley, the course offers 27 holes of some of the finest golf in the Guelph, KitchenerjWaterloo area. The three courses (The Pines, Willows and Lakes) challenge both beginners and skilled golfers alike. You'll encounter wooded landscapes, large ponds as well as the Valleýs creek winding through several holes. The course, which is meticulously maintained by a dedicated greens staff, includes a full island green, creatively positioned bunkers filled with Ohio white sand and a wonderful mix of par 3 s 4 sand 5 s. After your game, relax in the friendly Ariss Valley restaurant and enjoy a drink or a bite from a varied menu. DIRECTIONS: 1-888-824-1552 From Waterloo, take Highway 7 East to County Road #86. The turn onto Road #86 can be identified by a string of car dealerships. Turn left at the last one. There is a Sunoco station on the opposite corner. The golf course is about 2.S miles north of Highway 7 on the west side of Road #86. ister as a sin Ie, air, or foursome. 3. D Cheque Payable to: Association of Munici alities of Ontario Credit Cards Accepted - Check One VISA D MasterCard D AMEX D Card #: Expiry: m 1 y 2. 4. REGISTRATION Name Email: Title Municipality Address City{rown Signature: Cardholders Name: (Please Print) Phone: Fax: INQUIRIES: Contact Brenda Harvey at 416-971-9856 or Toll Free 1-877-426-6527 Email: bharvey@amo.on.ca or FAX 416-971-9372 '*' OMEX ~·MìD;ICrI'AÍ. ¡:"'~:u."ct~ Association of Municipalities of Ontario Presents Counties, Regions & Single Tier Municipalities, and District Social Service Administration Boards Annual Conference Optional- SPECIAL EVENT- Monday, October 4,2004 Grand River Raceway ^' A Grand Place to Play The cost of this fun evening out is $35.00 (Plus GST) per person and includes a complimentary $10 "Winners Club Ticket"to be used in the slots. Name Title Municipality Address CityjTown Phone: Fax: Email: Canada's newest racing & gaming destination is nestled in the vibrant, picturesque village of Elora. Grand River Raceway offers dynamic gaming entertainment in a charming, rural setting unlike any other. The facility features 200 slots, seasonal live harness racing, year-round simulcast racing, and fine casual dining. Delegates and Companions are invited for an exciting night out at the races. Beginning at 6:00 PM, a delicious buffet will be available for offertng a variety of food items that everyone is sure to enjoy. Dinner Buffet is 6:00 PM Post time is 7:30 PM Transportation provided. o Cheque Payable to: Association of Munici alities of Ontario Credit Cards Accepted - Check One VISA 0 MasterCard 0 AMEX 0 Card #: Ex ¡Date: Signature: Cardholders Name: (Please Print) m Hosted by the County of Wellington INQUIRIES: Contact Brenda Harvey at 416-971-9856 or Toll Free 1-877-426-6527 Email: bharvey@amo.on.ca or FAX 416-971-9372 Association of Municipalities of Ontario Presents Counties, Regions & Single Tier Municipalities, and District Social Service Administration Boards Annual Conference Hosted by the County of Wellington Optional- SPECIAL EVENT- Tuesday, October 5,2004 Two Afternoon Study Tours -1:30 to 5:00 PM Your Choice - No Charge Transportation Provided TOUR ONE 0 ~ TOUR TWO 0 Watershed Planning: This tour is being put on by the Friends of Mill Creek aided by Mayor Whitcombe of Puslinch Township and will focus on watershed planning issues. It includes a tour of Abertoyle Springs water bottling plant and an aggregate operation, which mines below the water table to show stream rehabilitation work. Industrial Development: This tour is put on by representatives of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and will include a tour of an auto parts plant in Arthur Village. The Auto plant tour is the main theme with an opportunity to talk to plant and Ministry representatives about the factors that encourage industrial development in a community. Please mark your choice above in the check box - choose one only. Fill in our re istration details below. Name Title Municipality Address CityfTown Phone: Fax: Email: SIGN UP EARLY - THERE IS LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE INQUIRIES: Contact Brenda Harvey at 416-971-9856 or Toll Free 1-877-426-6527 Email: bharvey@amo.on.ca or FAX 416-971-9372 Association of Municipalities of Ontario Presents Counties, Regions & Single Tier Municipalities, and District Social Service Administration Boards Annual Conference Hosted by the County of Wellington Companions Program - October 4 & 5, 2004 Monday. October 4 Limit 40 People Tour One - Fall Farm Tour (Full Day) Starts at Strom's Farm (www.strom.ca) a wagon ride tour of a family farm specializing in sweet corn, pumpkins, and famous for its Wellington County Maze - a map of Wellington County, featuring its cities, towns, rivers, and lakes. Everyone is treated to an apple caramel wedge and a glass of apple cider. Next stop - Award winning Cox Creek Cellars Estate Winery, Wellington County's only commercial winery (www.coxcreekcellars.on.ca) specializing in unique grape and fruit wines. A tour and wine tastings followed by a gourmet lunch. Last stop is Mapleton's Organic Dairy and Ice Cream Plant (www.mapletonorganic.ca) for a tour and more dessert. Tour Two - Shop 'Til You Drop in St. Jacob's Bus transportation will be available throughout the day to take you to and from your hotel to the charming, historic village of SI. Jacob's featuring over 100 specialty shops, the Mennonite Visitor Centre, and the SI. Jacob's Outlet Mall where 35 stores offer brand name savings (www.stjacobs.com). Lunch is not included. No limit on number of people. REGISTRATION Monda Tour One D OR Tour Two D Companion's Name Delegate's Name Municipality Address City{T own Phone: Tuesday, October 5 Limit 40 People Tour One - Cultural Treasures Tour - Full Day Starts at Wellington County Museum and Archives (www.wcm.on.ca) a national historic site, for a personal behind the scenes tour of the oldest remaining House of Industry (Poor House) in Canada which boasts several award winning exhibits including "Far From Home (World War I) and the Virtual History Book featuring Women's Institutes' Tweedsmuir Histories from Wellington County. Set in a lovely, pastoral setting with a variety of gardens to enjoy. Lunch will be provided at the museum. Following lunch at the museum, the tour moves on to the Drayton Festival Theatre for a matinee performance of "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" (www.draytonentertainment.com). Tour Two - Shop 'Til You Drop in St. Jacob's Bus transportation will be available throughout the day to take you to and from your hotel to the charming, historic village of SI. Jacob's featuring over 100 specialty shops, the Mennonite Visitor Centre, and the SI. Jacob's Outlet Mall where 35 stores offer brand name savings (www.stjacobs.com). Lunch is not included. No limit on number of people. Tuesda Tour One D OR Tour Two D Fax: INQUIRIES: Contact Brenda Harvey at 416-971-9856 or Toll Free 1-877-426-6527 Email: bharvey@amo.on.ca or FAX 416-971-9372 Minister of Energy Hearst Block, 4th Floor 900 Bay Street Toronto ON M7A 2E1 Tel.: 416-327-6715 Fax:416-327-6754 Ministre de l'Énergie Édifice Hearst, 4e étage 900, rue Bay Toronto ON M7A 2E1 TéL: 416-327-6715 Téléc.:416-327-6754 T.U·..·"'.· 0" 1=\ l,j- tS>v Nj - Ontario AU6 1 9 ZOO~ Mrs. Sandra J. Heffren Deputy County Clerk County of Elgin 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas, Ontario N5R 5V1 Dear Mrs. Heffren: Thank you for your letter enclosing the resolution recently passed by the County of Elgin regarding the potential development of wind turbines in your area in response to our recent request for proposals (RFP) for renewable generation. This RFP is an important part of our plan to replace coal-fired generation with cleaner sources of energy and ensure a reliable, sustainable and djverse supply of competitively priced power for the people of Ontario. I am very pleased with the response we have received to this RFP. In fact, 90 proponents have expressed an interest in participating in this process - identifying approximately 4,400 megawatts of potential renewable energy capacity. This RFP will be the first of many opportunities to bring new renewable generation into Ontario's supply mix. With respect to the use of Hydro One Networks' facilities, it is my understanding that AIM Powergen Corporation has met with staff from Hydro One Networks to discuss various options for the construction of electrical lines to support their proposal. I am confident that their efforts will lead to a solution that can be developed at reasonable cost, particularly given your Council's support for the project. I appreciate you bringing the Council's views to my attention, and please accept my best wishes. Sincerely, ~. Dwight Duncan Minister I&l ~v~ ....... Ontario Steve Peters, M.P.P. Elgin - Middlesex - London ~á;Y'1:i,.- _Þt·.. p¡'O\:r )ßG) August 24, 2004 Honourable Leona Dombrowsky Minister of the Environment 12th Floor, 135 St. Clair Avenue West Toronto, ON M4V IPS Dear Minister: Please fmd enclosed a resolution from the Township ofMalahide that endorses a resolution from the Municipality of Hastings Highlands (also enclosed) regarding the potential negative repercussions small, rural municipalities might encounter in meeting the requirements under Drinking Water System Regulation 170. Minister, I would appreciate your reviewing the resolutions and responding directly to the Township ofMalahide and the Municipality of Hastings Highlands. As always, thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Sincerely, ~~ Steve Peters, M.P.P. Elgin-Middlesex-London Cc: Township ofMalahide Municipality of Hastings Highlands County of Elgin 542 Talbot Street, St. Thomas., ON N5P I C4 T - (519) 631-0666 Toll free - 1-800-265-7638 F - (519) 631~9478 TTY - (519) 631-9904 E - speters.mpp.co@liberaLola.org wvvw.stevepeters.com Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal Office of the Minister 6th Floor, Mowat Block 900 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario M7A 1 L2 Tel.: 416 325-0424 Fax: 416 325-3013 www.pir..gov.on.ca Mailing Address: 6th Floor, Frost Building South 7 Queen's Park Crescent Toronto, Ontario M7A 1Y7 Ministère du Renouvellement de I'infrastructure publique ~ ~ Ontario Bureau du ministre Édifice Mowat, Be étage 900, rue Bay Toronto (Ontario) M7 A 1 L2 Tél. : 416325-0424 Téléc" : 416 325-3013 www.pir.gov.on"ca Adresse postale : Édifice Frost Sud, 6e étage 7 Queen's Park Crescent Toronto (Ontario) M7A 1Y7 £tUG AUG 1 6 2004 Mr. Mark McDonald Chief Administrative Officer County of Elgin 450 Sunset Drive St. Thomas ON N5R 5V1 Dear Mr. McDonald: My colleague, the Honourable Steve Peters, MPP Elgin-Middlesex-London, has forwarded to me a copy of the December 9, 2003 Elgin Council report entitled Provincial Issues in Elgin County and has requested that my office respond directly to you regarding the infrastructure issues you have raised. I share your concerns regarding the state of infrastructure in Ontario's municipalities and the level of government support required to sustain and expand municipal infrastructure. The McGuinty government is committed to building stronger communities through real, positive change. To protect the public interest in infrastructure, the McGuinty government created the new Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal, which gives Ontario a lead ministry to tackle its infrastructure challenges. The first challenge is to develop a 10-year infrastructure plan that will establish our priorities for the 21st century. The Elgin County report cites deteriorating road and bridge conditions and community facility upgrades requiring financial assistance from the Province. We have listened to municipal requests for immediate priority funding and on May 6, 2004, the Governments of Canada and Ontario signed a "Letter of Intent" in support of the Canada-Ontario Mwnicipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) initiative. The two senior governments will work together to invest in capital projects that will help build strong, sustainable communities in Ontario. Unlike past federal-provincial infrastructure initiatives, this arrangement includes a key role and partner status for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) to assist in delivering the program. Under COMRIF, Ontario's small towns and rural municipalities with populations of less than 250,000 will be eligible to submit capital project proposals. The senior governments will be contributing $298 million each with a reciprocal amount expected from the municipal sector for total program funds of almost $900 million over the next five years. .../2 - 2- As a result of the COMRIF initiative and our desire to help improve the quality of life in our communities and helping them grow and prosper, we will continue to work with our federal and municipal partners to equip rural municipalities with better financial tools so they can manage and plan their own futures. I understand that Mr. Peters has also copied my colleagues, the Honourable Greg Sorbara, Minister of Finance and the Honourable Harindar Takhar, Minister of Transportation, who will respond according to their respective areas of responsibility. Yours sincerely, David Caplan Minister c. The Honourable John Gerretsen Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing The Honourable Steve Peters Elgin-Midd lesex-London The Honourable Greg Sorbara Minister of Finance The Honourable Harinder Takhar Minister of Transportation elgin st. tho mas health unit Telephone: (~1 9) 631-9900 Toll Free Telephone' 1-800-922-0096 Fax: (519) 633-0468 www.elginhealth.on.ca 99 Edward Street SI. Thomas, Ontario N5P 1 V8 Thursday, September 2, 2004 S"v G t¡ 2J Mr. Mark McDonald Chief Administrative Officer County of Elgin 450 Sunset Drive Ii / St Thomas, ON A/I;tvv- N5R 5V1 / f¡ De"~ RE: SURPLUS DOLLARS The Board of Health at its June 2004 Board meeting established a reserve fund for the Health Unit using unspent surplus dollars, The reserve fund is capped at 10%, which still leaves a surplus amount remaining, Of the funds remaining at December 31,2003, $36,132,84 is money belonging to the County of Elgin, At its September 1, 2004 Board of Health meeting, the Board of Health approved returning $36,132,84 to the County of Elgin, A cheque is enclosed, If you have any questions, please contact me at 631-9900, ext, 202. Kindest regards, Cynthia St John Chief Administrative officer c. Mary Ens, Accounting Supervisor, Elgin St Thomas Health Unit COUNTY OF ELGIN By-Law No. 04-22 "A BY-LAW TO AMEND BY-LAW NO. 98-34 BEING A BY-LAW TO PROVIDE A PROPERTY TAX REBATE PROGRAM FOR ELIGIBLE CHARITIES" WHEREAS Section 361 of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c.25, provides that the Council of each municipality, other than a lower-tier municipality, shall have a tax rebate program for eligible chanties for the purposes of giving them relief from taxes or amounts paid on account of taxes on eligibie property they occupy; and WHEREAS the Council has now adopted a motion including Legions under Section 361 of the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c.25; and WHEREAS the Council did previously pass By-Law No. 98-34 which provides for a tax rebate program for eligible charities. NOW THEREFORE the Municipal Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin enacts as follows: 1. THAT Subsection 1 (b) of By-Law No. 98-34 be and is hereby amended by adding after the last word "and Branches of the Royal Canadian Legion". 2. THAT notwithstanding Subsection 3(a) and 3(b) of By-Law No. 98-34, Royal Canadian Legions shall be entitied to a rebate of 100% of the taxes levied with respect to property occupied by the Royal Canadian Legions and used for their purposes regardless of property class. 3. THAT branches of the Royal Canadian Legion become eligible for tax rebates under this By-Law effective January 1, 2005. READ a first and second time this 14th day of September, 2004. READ a third time and finally passed this 14th day of September 2004. David M. Rock, Warden. Mark G. McDonaid, Chief Administrative Officer. '" '" 0 0 0 0 C'1 C'1 0 ~ "" c C'1 ;:3 è C'1 .... C'1 Q) 0 .... ..0. Ö Q) S ..0. "' ;:j Q) ~ (r,¡ S +' ..0. .,..; p.. ..¡...;, ~ Q) s Ul Q) Ö +' Ul ~ p.. ;:j ç: Q) ...... :;., ~ ;:::> Ul 0 0 (.) +' ..0. ...a 'N >; bJ) "' <H ç: cd ct:) ~ ~ cd 0 .... s ct:) "0 S ...... C'1 "' ...... po...,;, ~ "' +' Q) 0 C'1 ~ Q) 'ß,i:!: ..<: , ~ ç: p.. E-< t-- Ü "0 0 .... CQ to <D Q) 0 ª <D +' ~ i:!: t-- C'1 Ul ~ ...s:: CJ) ;:s .-< to ..¡...;, ~ (r,¡ ~ ¡,¡ P-< 0 ,...., .... Þ; ~ +' Q) cd S '-' Ul .... 0 ~ E-< >--=i ,en (D n en o rt ~~ en~ rt 0 ~ ~ (D UJ ::ern o ,........ (JQ ¡::: ....... ~. ::; ::; (JQ õ< ¡::: ~ r-t (D "0 Q) ¡;: bJ) ..s ç: ...... .... ~~ "' Q) ç::;S .S ,........ +' cd '-' ,... ;:j Q) "0 ç: o Q) .tn~ ç:...... >-< cd "0 ;:j ç: ç: cd ç: Q)<Ii S't g .~ ........0. ~È "' "0 ,... cd ¡;: <Ii Q) '-' .... > .... Q) Ul .... Q) ~ :;.,cd .... Q) cd p.. SUl St: ;:j Q) Ul ;:j :;.,Ö Q)~ > ç: .... 0 ;:j.... Ul"'ct ....+' cd ç: Q) Q) :;.,"' Q) o ,... .-<P-< ç: o .... +' p.. Q) '-' Q) ~ Q) "' Q) Q) ..<: (.) "0 ç: cd Q) ç: ~ cV ""d ~ () ....... ~ ....... rt (D p..... rt o '--'. o ....... ::; ~ S p.. to '" t-- S p.. o o ct:) S p.. o o t-- S p.. o CQ t-- ~~ AUJ ~S O~ 07;50p p.t Plan To Attend Save Our Rural Schools "Rural School Strøtety Session" .'fOPIÇ; Small and Rural School PUDding FonnuJa WHE~d Dutton Community Center I Erie St. Dutton WHE& Sept 20/04 6:30-9:30pm GUEST SrEAKEn.: Annie Kidder (Spokeswoman for "People For Education") A/so invited: RcpresentWves 1Ì'om the Ministly of Education ~ $2 Donation (for on-going work by "People For Edtu:ation") I Currl. Str..t (County Rd3J To W,II..çnown _ ~ - '" M..¡n St. I: - C.nt.r St. N "D, a: .. OUilfn St. ~. t: .. 0 " ;¡ ..J õ~ 0 1; u ... -- 'i' . ,tI () :: , .& >. Ij ....I 0 .. ., .. ... :! '" C~lnlllun~y I , f' . . 1:1 C .nt.r £~ Ed. St. ~ h For INFO Cal1; Robbie McNaughton Linda Stevenson - I ~ (519) 287-5777 . (519) 631-0934 .J'¿1'1/r!o<f 1;;> -¡;;/ S íð /IØ¡f K-: fl..éll$~ ¡.j¡f //1/G C'7I.<.Ncn..s ATT€NT/GliJ ~7;;-9"a<S' / -:z- .--"