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14 - December 9 & 11, 2014 MinutesCOUNTY COUNCIL MINUTES Tuesday, December 9, 2014 The Elgin County Council met this day at the Administration Building, 450 Sunset Drive, St. Thomas at 7:00 p.m., with all members present. The Chief Administrative Officer called the meeting to order and welcomed all in attendance to the Annual Warden's Election and Inaugural Council Meeting. The following members having previously filed Certificates as to Election took their seats at the Council Table: Bernie Wiehle Mayor Municipality of West Elgin Cameron McWilliam Mayor Municipality of Dutton/Dunwich Grant Jones Mayor Township of Southwold David Marr Mayor Municipality of Central Elgin Sally Martyn Deputy Mayor Municipality of Central Elgin Greg Currie Mayor Town of Aylmer Dave Mennill Mayor Township of Malahide Mike Wolfe Deputy Mayor Township of Malahide Paul Ens Mayor Municipality of Bayham In accordance with the Municipal Act, 2001, the Chief Administrative Officer administered the Declaration of Office to the County Councillors. The Declarations were then signed by the Councillors, and returned to the Chief Administrative Officer. ELECTION OF WARDEN The Chief Administrative Officer asked that members of Council wishing to run for the Office of Warden to please stand. Councillor Ens offered his candidacy for the position of Elgin County Warden for 2015. BALLOTING PROCEDURES The Chief Administrative Officer explained that since the position for Warden remains uncontested, the normal election procedures would be dispensed with, as prescribed by by- law, and that a resolution appointing Councillor Ens to the position of Warden would be in order. Moved by Councillor Mennill Seconded by Councillor Wiehle THAT Paul Ens be appointed as Warden for Elgin County Council for the Year 2015. - Carried Unanimously. RESULTS The Chief Administrative Officer announced that the Warden of Elgin County for 2015 is Paul Ens, Mayor of the Municipality of Bayham. Warden Ens took the Declaration of Office, administered by the Chief Administrative Officer. The Warden left the room, was gowned and re-entered the Council Chambers, where he was officially presented with the Chain of Office, the Lord Elgin Watch and the Gavel of Office, by Past Warden David Marr. Warden Ens delivered his Inaugural Address to Council, thanked his family and friends for their support, and outlined the items of interest and importance for consideration in 2015. COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS Warden Ens presented his recommendations for appointments to Boards, Committees and Associations for 2015. County Council Moved by Councillor Jones Seconded by Councillor Wolfe 2 December 9 & 11, 2014 THAT the appointments to Outside Boards and Committees for 2015 be confirmed as follows: Dispute Resolution — 3 appointees Elgin County Museum — 1 appointee Elgin Economic Development Advisory Group (EEDAG) —2 appointees Elgin St. Thomas Public Health — 3 appointees Green Lane Community Trust Fund - 1 appointee Health Recruitment Partnership — 1 appointee Joint Elgin/Central Elgin Accessibility Advisory Committee — 1 appointee Rural Initiatives — 3 appointees Social/Entertainment —2 appointees Southwest Economic Alliance (SWEA) — 1 appointee St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Ad Hoc Committee — 2 appointees St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital — 1 appointee St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre — 1 appointee Waste Management/Liaison Water Advisory Committee — 1 appointee OTHER BUSINESS Warden Ens Councillor Marr Councillor Wiehle Councillor Martyn Councillor Jones Councillor Mc William Councillor Marr Councillor Mennill Councillor Wiehle Councillor Mennill Councillor Mc William Councillor Martyn Warden Ens Councillor Mc William Councillor Wolfe Councillor Currie Councillor Jones Warden Ens Councillor Jones Councillor Mennill Councillor Martyn Councillor Currie Committee of the Whole Council Councillor Wolfe - Carried Unanimously. Warden Ens invited all those in attendance to the Warden's Reception, following recess, to be held in the County Administration Building lower level. Moved by Councillor Mc William Seconded by Councillor Marr THAT we do now recess at 7:15 p.m. until Thursday, December 11, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. - Carried. County Council 3 COUNTY COUNCIL MINUTES Thursday, December 11, 2014 December 9 & 11, 2014 The Elgin County Council resumed the meeting at the Administration Building at 9:00 a.m. with all members present. Warden Ens in the Chair. ADOPTION OF MINUTES Moved by Councillor Mennill Seconded by Councillor Mc William THAT the minutes from the meeting held on November 25, 2014 be adopted. - Carried. DISCLOSURE OF PECUNIARY INTEREST AND THE GENERAL NATURE THEREOF — None. DELEGATIONS SCOR EDC Presentation to Elgin 2014 The Vice Chair and General Manager of SCOR EDC presented a Power Point outlining the organization's strategies, initiatives and business plan for 2014 — 2018. Moved by Councillor Jones Seconded by Councillor Marr THAT the Power Point titled "SCOR EDC Presentation to Elgin 2014" from the Vice Chair and General Manager of the South Central Ontario Region Economic Development Corporation be received and filed. - Carried. Code of Conduct Review Mr. Maddox spoke about his role as closed meeting investigator and integrity commissioner for Elgin County. He also spoke about municipal codes of conduct and briefly touched on the implications of Bill 8, Public Sector and the MPP Accountability and Transparency Act, 2014. Moved by Councillor Martyn Seconded by Councillor Currie THAT the presentation titled "Code of Conduct Review" from the Municipal Closed Meeting Investigator and Integrity Commissioner be received and filed. - Carried. Introduction of Steve Pancino, EMS Operations Manager for Elgin St. Thomas The Director of Engineering Services introduced Steve Pancino the new EMS Operations Manager for Medavie in Elgin - St. Thomas. Steve Pancino stated that he looks forward to providing quality service in Elgin County to patients and EMS staff. Moved by Councillor Jones Seconded by Councillor Wolfe THAT we do now move into Committee of The Whole Council. - Carried. County Council REPORTS 4 December 9 & 11, 2014 Regional Economic Development Organizations: Review and Analysis — General Manager of Economic Development The general manager presented a report outlining and comparing six regional organizations that are involved in economic development and how they complement the Elgin County Economic Development department's activities. Moved by Councillor Marr Seconded by Councillor Currie THAT County Council refer to the information contained in the November 28, 2014, report when considering entering into or maintaining memberships in regional organizations involved in economic development. - Carried. Quarterly Information Report — Contract Awards July 1, 2014 to September 30, 2014 — Purchasing Coordinator The coordinator presented the report outlining all contract awards exceeding $15,000 between July 1, 2014 and September 30, 2014. Moved by Councillor Mennill Seconded by Councillor Jones THAT the report titled "Quarterly Information Report - Contract Awards, July 1, 2014 to September 30, 2014" from the Purchasing Coordinator dated November 20, 2014 be received and filed. - Carried. General Insurance and Risk Management Services Program for 2015 — Purchasing Coordinator The coordinator presented the report recommending that Frank Cowan Company be awarded the contract to provide General Insurance and Risk Management Services to the County of Elgin in 2015. Moved by Councillor Mennill Seconded by Councillor Martyn THAT Frank Cowan Company be selected to provide General Insurance and Risk Management Services at the proposed annual premium cost of $355,119 plus taxes commencing December 15, 2014 until December 15, 2015; and, THAT Volunteers' Accident Death and Dismemberment Coverage be added for an additional cost of $750; and, THAT the Warden and Chief Administrative Officer be authorized to sign the contract. - Carried. Council recessed at 10:09 a.m. and reconvened at 10:14 a.m. Server Room Overheating — Manager of Information Technology The manager presented the report reviewing an incident on November 24, 2014 that caused the server room to over-heat and subsequently shut down servers. The report contained recommendations that will mitigate future cooling failures. Moved by Councillor Marr Seconded by Councillor Jones THAT a second Liebert HVAC unit be installed in the County of Elgin administration building server room and be funded out of 2014 capital surplus; and, County Council 5 December 9 & 11, 2014 THAT a detailed review of the Elgin Manor server room be completed and that funding for any required server room upgrades be funded out of 2014 capital surplus. - Carried. Council Remuneration — One-Third Tax Free Allowance — Director of Financial Services The director presented the report explaining that according to The Municipal Act, Council must review its current practice regarding the one-third tax-free allowance on remuneration paid to Councillors. The report recommended that Council continue the practice. Moved by Councillor Mennill Seconded by Councillor Currie THAT the Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin, in accordance with Section 283(5) and (7) of the Municipal Act, shall continue to apply a one-third tax free allowance on remuneration paid to its Warden and Councillors deemed to be for expenses incidental to the discharge of duties as a member of the Council or its local boards. - Carried. October Budget Performance — Director of Financial Services The director presented the report outlining the budget comparison for the County of Elgin for October 2014 with a year-to-date (YTD) favourable performance of $1.1 million. Moved by Councillor Wiehle Seconded by Councillor Martyn THAT the report titled "October Budget Performance" from the Director of Financial Services dated November 27, 2014 be received and filed. - Carried. Borrowing By-Law — Director of Financial Services The director presented the report recommending that Council pass the annual by-law to allow the Warden and Treasurer to borrow up to $15 million for cash flow and emergency purposes. Moved by Councillor Currie Seconded by Councillor Mc William THAT up to $15 million of borrowing in 2015 be authorized through the necessary by-law. - Carried. Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) — Director of Financial Services The director presented the report recommending that Council accept $343,763 annually from 2015 — 2017 from the OCIF. Moved by Councillor Wiehle Seconded by Councillor Marr THAT the Chief Administrative Officer be authorized to enter into an OCIF - Formula Contribution Agreement with Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. - Carried. Proposed Edison Drive Access Road — Environmental Assessment — Deputy Director of Engineering Services The deputy director presented the report updating Council on the progress of the proposed Edison Drive access road Environmental Assessment (EA). County Council Moved by Councillor Wiehle Seconded by Councillor Currie 6 December 9 & 11, 2014 THAT the Municipality of Bayham be requested to approve a "Class EA Notice of Commencement" as prepared by the County's consultant to formally initiate the Class EA planning process; and, THAT the Municipality of Bayham be requested to adopt the EA Problem Statement stated in this report as the proponents of the project; and, THAT in concurrence with Bayham Council, staff be authorized and directed to proceed with the revised project scope to determine the preferred access road to connect to Edison Drive, north of Big Otter Creek, and on behalf of the Municipality of Bayham; and, THAT Spriet Associates be authorized to increase their project budget by $26,000 plus H.S.T. to expand the project area and complete the necessary studies; and, THAT staff report to County Council with a project budget update once the preferred access route has been determined. - Carried. Newcomer and Youth Community Indicators Tool Analysis Director of Community and Cultural Services The director presented the report informing Council of the Newcomer and Youth Community Indicators (NYCI) Tool and he explained how it can be used to assess how successful communities are in attracting immigrants and retaining youth relative to other communities. The report also explained the importance of the National Household Survey and the former Mandatory Long-Form Census in collecting this type of data. Moved by Councillor Martyn Seconded by Councillor Mennill THAT the report "Newcomer and Youth Community Indicators Tool Analysis" from the Director of Community and Cultural Services dated December 1, 2014 be circulated to local municipalities in the County of Elgin; and, THAT the Warden, on behalf of Council, appeal to the Federal Minister of Industry to reinstate the mandatory long-form census as part of the federal census in light of its strategic importance to federal, provincial and municipal planning efforts. - Carried. Council's Mission Statement, Corporate Goals and Strategic Vision — Chief Administrative Officer The Chief Administrative Officer presented the report providing Council with several options for renewing and revising Council's Mission Statement, Corporate Goals and Strategic Vision for the upcoming term. Moved by Councillor Mennill Seconded by Councillor Marr THAT County Council complete a new set of goals and a strategic vision using in-house resources much like that which was done in 2010 - that is, a set of probing questions will be sent to Council to be answered confidentially and then collated into a comprehensive reference document to be finally determined by Council as a whole; and, THAT the survey be initiated in late April providing Council with an opportunity to participate in a full budget cycle prior to completing the survey. - Carried. Final Approval for a Plan of Subdivision (John & Mary Harms) — Manager of Planning The manager presented the report advising Council that final approval was given for a plan of subdivision in the Township of Malahide on November 20, 2014. County Council Moved by Councillor Wolfe Seconded by Councillor Jones 7 December 9 & 11, 2014 THAT the report titled "Final Approval for a Plan of Subdivision (John & Mary Harms)" from the Manager of Planning dated December 2, 2014 be received and filed. - Carried. Schedule of Council Meetings for 2015 — Marketing and Communications Coordinator The coordinator presented the proposed schedule of Council meetings for 2015. Moved by Councillor Wiehle Seconded by Councillor Mennill THAT the report titled "Schedule of Council Meetings for 2015" from the Marketing and Communications Coordinator dated December 5, 2014 be adopted. - Carried. CORRESPONDENCE Item for Consideration — (Attached) 1. Betsy McClure, Program Coordinator, Elgin Clean Water Program, requesting that Council recommit to the program by appointing a representative from County Council to the Review Committee. The following recommendation was adopted in regard to Correspondence Item #1: Moved by Councillor Marlyn Seconded by Councillor Wolfe THAT the request to appoint a Council representative to the Elgin Clean Water Program be deferred until more information about the committee is gathered. - Carried. Items for Information (Consent Agenda) 1. Elgin County 4-H Newsletter for October 2014. 2. Hon. Candice Bergen, Minister of State (Social Development), with response to County of Elgin's resolution re: the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Fixing Canada's Housing Crunch campaign. 3. Nancie Irving, Clerk, Town of Aylmer, with a resolution re: Appointees to the County Land Division Committee. 4. SWIFT Newsletter titled, "New Canada Building Fund Update and Thank You to Outgoing Wardens". 5. AMO Communications re: Ministry of Education Proposing New Process for School Closures (also attached PowerPoint titled "Pupil Accommodation Review Guideline (PARG) Consultations). 6. Melanie Knapp, Corporate Administrative Clerk, City of St. Thomas re: 2015 Appointments — Dispute Resolution Committee. The following recommendation was adopted in regard to correspondence Item #5: County Council Moved by Councillor Mc William Seconded by Councillor Marr 8 December 9 & 11, 2014 THAT the Corporation of the County of Elgin send a letter to the Ontario Ministry of Education and AMO expressing grave concerns with the revised Pupil Accommodation Review Guidelines (PARG); and, THAT the County of Elgin request more time to consider the proposal changes; and, THAT a meeting be requested with local school board representatives through the Memorandum of Understanding as soon as possible. - Carried Moved by Councillor Mennill Seconded by Councillor Martyn THAT Correspondence Items #1 —4 and 6 be received and filed. - Carried. OTHER BUSINESS Statements/Inquiries by Members Councillor Jones informed Council that a meeting would take place December 11, 2014 in London regarding the Highway 4 By-Pass. It is important that Elgin County have a presence at this meeting to voice the concerns of the residents of Southwold Township and the Municipality of Central Elgin. Councillor Wiehle inquired about the future of the Police Services Board in light of changes from the provincial government regarding the billing model. The Chief Administrative Officer, who is also secretary to the Police Services Board, will arrange a meeting with members of 6 municipalities that serve on the Police Services Board. Notice of Motion — None. Matters of Urgency — None. Closed Meeting Items — None. ACCESSIBILTY TRAINING The Accessibility Coordinator conducted training on legislation relating to accessibility including the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), the Integrated Accessibility Standard and the Accessible Customer Service Standard. She also outlined the County's accessibility accomplishments over the past several years. Elgin County will be offering accessibility training and Code of Conduct training for the councils of its partner municipalities at the County of Elgin Administrative Building on February 4, 2015. Moved by Councillor Marr Seconded by Councillor Jones THAT the presentation titled "Accessibility Overview" from the Accessibility Coordinator be received and filed. - Carried. Motion to Adopt Recommendations of the Committee of the Whole Moved by Councillor Wolfe Seconded by Councillor Mennill THAT we do now adopt recommendations of the Committee Of The Whole. - Carried. County Council BY-LAWS Moved by Councillor Mc William Seconded by Councillor Wiehle 9 December 9 & 11, 2014 THAT By-Law No. 14-28 "Being a By-Law to Authorize the Warden and the Treasurer to Borrow Up to the Sum of Fifteen Million Dollars" be read a first, second and third time and finally passed. - Carried. Moved by Councillor Martyn Seconded by Councillor Marr THAT By-Law No. 14-29 "Being a By-Law to Confirm Proceedings of the Municipal Council of the Corporation of the County of Elgin at the December 9th & 1 ltn, 2014 Meeting" be read a first, second and third time and finally passed. - Carried. ADJOURNMENT Moved by Councillor Currie Seconded by Councillor Wolfe THAT we do now adjourn at 11:33 a.m. and meet again on January 13, 2015 at the County Administration Building Council Chambers at 2:00 p.m. - Carried. LONG SERVICE AWARDS Following adjournment, council recognized the following recipients with Long Service Awards, as presented by Warden Ens and Councillor Marr during a luncheon celebration: BOBIER VILLA Dianne Mc Fadden ELGIN MANOR TERRACE LODGE PROVINCIAL OFFENCES ENGINEERING SERVICES Nicole Bogart Sandra Saxton Susan Boe-Vusich Lacey Smith Linda Irvine Cathie Currie Rhonda Duffy Casondra Gullage Laura Lang Petra Richardson Joe Bettencourt Leesa Shanley Peter Dutchak 40 years 10 years 10 years 15 years 15 years 30 years 35 years 10 years 10 years 15 years 20 years 10 years 10 years 20 years a Paul Ens, Chief Administrative Officer. Warden.