This week, Tecumseh Town Council begins at 7pm.  The agenda is as follows:

Communications - For Information
1. Municipality of Mattice-Val Cote dated March 2, 2020 Re: 911 Misdials.  Mattice-Val Coté supports Tecumseh's resolution calling for efforts to reduce the volume of 911 misdials from cellular phones.

2. Watson and Associates Economists Ltd dated April 20, 2020.  Re: Updated Draft Regulation for Development Charges and the Community Benefits Charge.  Watson and Associates has been engaged by the Town to review and comment on changes to provincial Development Charges regulations.  This communication reports on Watson's recommendations to the Province of Ontario.

Communications - Action Required
1.  Municipality of Muskoka dated April 20, 2020 Re: Resolution to Support for Community Gardens, Garden Centres and Nurseries as essential services during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

2.  Town of Gravenhurst dated April 22, 2020 Re: Resolution to Support for Community Gardens, Garden Centres and Nurseries as essential services during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Administration recommends that Council give consideration to supporting the resolutions passed by Muskoka District Council and the Council for the Town of Gravenhurst requesting the Province of Ontario to add Community Gardens, Garden Centres and Nurseries, to their essential services list during the Declared Emergency due to COVID-19.

Reports include:

Financial Services
a. FS-2020-06 COVID-19 Financial Impact Update.  Administration provides an update as to the financial fallout of the COVID-19 emergency.  There are expected impacts to Town revenues as well as new expenditures ($30,000) and cost-containment opportunities.  It remains too early to understand the impact on revenues and expenses at this stage.

Parks & Recreation Services
a. PRS-2020-10 Amend 2020-2024 Arena and Pool (5) Year capital Works Plan Arena Rink B Brine Line Replacement.  Because of the unexpected discovery of a failure of the brine line for Rink B at Tecumseh Arena, it is recommended that the Rink B Brine Line Replacement capital project be added to the 2020-2024 PRS Arena and Pool (5) Five Year Capital Works Plan; and that the Rink B Brine Line Replacement Capital project as outlined in this report, in the
amount of $43,000 net of 100% refundable HST, be authorized and funded out of the Arena Lifecycle Reserve.

Planning & Building Services
a. PBS-2020-16 CIP Grant, 12137 Tecumseh Road.  Administration recommendeds that the Grant Application for the Tecumseh Road Main Street Community Improvement Plan (CIP) Financial Incentive Program, for the property located at 12133-12137 Tecumseh Road (The Job Shoppe) be deemed eligible and approved for the Parking Area Improvement Grant Program, for a total amount of $10,000 toward the parking lot improvements being proposed.

Public Works & Environmental Services
a. PWES-2020-21 Town of Tecumseh Roads Needs Study 2019.  Administration recommends that the Town of Tecumseh Road Needs Study 2019 as prepared by Dillon Consulting Limited be adopted, and that Administration be authorized to utilize the recommendations contained within the Road Needs Study 2019 when completing the annual Public Works & Environmental Services Capital Works Plan.

The total length of all roads under the jurisdiction of the Town is approximately 180 kilometers.  The average kilometer weighted PCI rating of the Town’s roads is currently 77.0. Based on the results of the evaluation, approximately 6.3% of the total road system would require rehabilitation/maintenance within a five-year timeframe (PCI below 60) and an additional 23.4% would require monitoring/maintenance (PCI between 60 and 70).
A five-year maintenance/rehabilitation program is proposed and is based on undertaking the following:

• Reconstruction works for pavements with a PCI rating less than 45;
• Rehabilitation works such as resurfacing for pavements with PCI ratings from 45 to 55;
• Maintenance such as crack sealing for pavements with a PCI rating from 55 to 70.

Proposed projects for 2020 include:

Beachgrove Drive, Brighton Road to End
Pentilly Road, Beachgrove Drive to cul‐de‐sac
St. Thomas Street Centennial Drive to Amberly Crescent
Papineau Court Lesperance Road to End
Odessa Drive County Road 42 to End
Shawnee Road Gouin Street to County Road 22
Wellwood Court Talthorpe Place to End
Talthorpe Place Estate Park to Estate Park
9th Concession Road County Road 8 to South Talbot Road
10th Concession Road County Road 8 to South Talbot Road
Shields Street St Alphonse Avenue to Lesperance Road

b. PWES-2020-22 LAS Sewer and Water Line Warranty Program Service Line Warranties of Canada Inc. Agreement Renewal Term.  Administration recommends that notice be provided to Service Line Warranties of Canada Inc. that the Town intends to allow the ‘Renewal Term’ within section 3(a) of the Agreement to commence, whereby the Agreement will automatically renew for one additional year starting September 29, 2020. 

c. PWES-2020-23 Larviciding for the 2020 West Nile Virus Program.  Administration is recommending that the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) be advised that estalto Environmental Health Services Inc. (Pestalto) will authorize the application of larvicides in water bodies in the Town of Tecumseh such as catch basins or ditches found to contain mosquito species known to transmit the West Nile Virus to support the planned expenditure for this year.

Two motions are being proposed by Members of Council:

1. Refuse Collection Amendment.  Councillor Tonial proposes that two additional waste bags be permitted throughout Tecumseh until the end of May.

2,  Procedural By-law Amendment - Electronic Meetings during a Declared Emergency.  Councillor Houston proposes that the Business Improvement Association be authorized to meet electronically during the COVID-19 emergency.

For questions on these or other municipal matters, please contact me at andrew@andrewdowie.ca or 226-773-1910.

On Thursday, April 16th at 11am, Tecumseh Town Council will be meeting to consider approval of the construction of a land berm on the lakefront behind 16 low lying properties in an effort to address the risk of overland flooding.  The agenda can be found here.

Administration is recommending acceptance of severeal amendments to the Town of Tecumseh Flood Response Plan, and that By-law No. 2020-35 being a by-law to adopt the revised Emergency Response Plan, inclusive of the appended Flood Response Plan, Version 2 (April 2020) be adopted, and that a $500,000 expenditure from the Infrastructure Reserve for the implementation of flood mitigation defenses on those identified private properties that pose a significant risk for further in-land flooding be authorized.

Administration is proposing emergency flood prevention measures. This will involve placing earthen berms and additional sandbags on low-lying private waterfront properties that act as conduits for inland flooding to residential neighbourhoods south of Riverside Drive. With these works, the Town is attempting to install
permanent or temporary flood barriers to an elevation exceeding the previous flood level of Lake St. Clair in order to protect against or mitigate the extent of flooding this year.

Additionally, Administration will be carrying out a pump repair at St. Marks pump station to ensure it remains functional during the spring flooding season.   Approval of this work was previously granted by Council on February 11, 2020, with a budget of $36,433 excluding HST.

For further information on these or other municipal matters, please contact me at 226-773-1910 or andrew@andrewdowie.ca