September 8th Meeting

This week at Tecumseh Town Council, business begins with a Public Meeting at 5pm. The agenda can be found here.

The meeting will consider feedback from the community with respect to changing permitted uses under the “Agricultural Zone (A)” to exclude livestock intensive agricultural uses and greenhouses. In addition, it will continue to prohibit mushroom farms. Currently, greenhouses are allowed and one is currently under construction at 2085 Highway 3 which is proposed to house a Cannabis crop.

The purpose of the meeting is to hear public comment on a proposed Housekeeping Zoning By-law Amendment to the Sandwich South Zoning By-law 85-18 pursuant to the provisions of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990.

Currently, there are three separate settlement areas in the Town’s Official Plan pertaining to lands within the former Sandwich South area, that collectively, identify areas where long-term urban uses are to be established. Within each of these three settlement areas, future development lands are either within a Hamlet Development Designation (requiring further study and Official Plan amendments to determine and identify the ultimate preferred urban land uses) or a specific urban land use designation (such as the Maidstone Hamlet Residential designation).

The proposed housekeeping amendment would have the effect of changing the zoning on these lands to a site-specific “Agricultural Zone (A)” that would permit all of the uses in the “Agricultural Zone (A)” with the exception of livestock intensive agricultural uses and greenhouses. In addition, it will continue to prohibit mushroom farms.

Delegations speaking to this issue will be:

1. Judy Robson, Resident

2. Peter Angermann, Resident

3. Mary and Joe Ondic, Residents

4. Perry Burford, Resident

5. Susanne Rau, Resident

6. Celeste O'Neil, Resident

7. Josette Eugeni, Resident

Communications were received from

1. Town of Tecumseh re: Notice of Public Meeting

2. Tricia Mactier dated September 2, 2020

3. Felina Salas dated September 2, 2020

4. Carrie Deehan dated September 2, 2020

5. Perry Burford dated September 3, 2020

6. Jo-Ann Burford dated September 3, 2020

7. Larry and Susanne Rau dated September 2, 2020

8. Carl White dated September 2, 2020

9. John and Mara Conrad dated September 2, 2020

10. Mary Jobin dated September 2, 2020

11. Marlene Dupuis dated September 2, 2020

12. Andrew Sykes dated September 2, 2020

Regular business begins at 7pm. The agenda can be found here.

Delegations include J oe Barile, General Manager, Essex Powelines Corporation who will be speaking to a Reliability Report for our community. Some key findings:

When compared to 2018, Essex Powerlines undertook less planned outages in 2019 and 2020. 2020 Construction in Progress has 32 transformer replacements ongoing.
In 2020, Essex Powerlines experienced an increase in Loss of Supply (3) events. These types of outages by their nature (feeder lock out) usually result in the largest number of customer outage hours.
In 2019 and 2020, Essex Powerlines also saw an increase in defective equipment related outages when compared to 2018.
In 2019 and 2020 the Town of Tecumseh did experience some adverse weather and lightning related outages which were not experienced in 2018.

J. Communications - For Information

1. Town of Mono dated July 28, 2020 Re: Investment in Rural Broadband Infrastructure. Mono is requesting federal consideration for rural broadband internet funding.

2. Town of Essex dated August 14, 2020 Re: Request for more detailed information regarding the spread of COVID-19 in Essex County. Essex advises that it requires of the Health Unit more granular information that allows the public to note positive cases by neighborhood not just at the Municipal level. To receive this more detailed information on a timelier and even daily basis if possible will better equip the public and their municipalities to evaluate health risks, identify potential hot zones and plan and use precious taxpayer/municipal resources more efficiently.

3. Town of Essex dated August 13, 2020 Re: Formal Apology from Canadian Government to African Canadians for Slavery. Essex is requesting a formal apology from the Canadian Government to African Canadians for slavery.

4. Township of Huron-Kinloss dated August 28, 2020 Re: Support for Cultural, Service and Sporting Clubs. Huron-Kinloss supports Oshawa in their request that the Federal, Provincial, and Regional Government help local municipalities assist their local social cultural, service clubs, and children/youth minor sporting organizations with clear and definitive relief funding programs directed to help sustain the aforementioned groups through these trying times inflected on them by the effects of COVID-19.

5. Township of Huron-Kinloss dated August 28, 2020 Re: Emancipation Day in Canada. Huron-Kinloss is in support of designating August 1 of every year as Emancipation Day in Canada.

6. Town of Fort Erie dated August 25, 2020 Re: Private Members Bill M-36 to Declare August 1 as "Emancipation Day" in Canada. Fort Erie is in support of designating August 1 of every year as Emancipation Day in Canada.

7. Township of Huron-Kinloss dated August 17, 2020 Re: Farm Tax Credit Review. Huron-Kinloss supports the Council of the Township of Mapleton in their request that: The Province of Ontario undertake a review of the Farm Property Tax Class Rate Program.

8. City of St. Catharines dated August 17, 2020 Re: Support to the City of Toronto in their Legal Challenge of the Amendments made under Bill 184, Section 83. St. Catharines supports the City of Toronto's legal challenge to Bill 184, section 83, respecting tenant eviction due to rent arrears.
9. Town of Gore Bay dated August 18, 2020 Re: Support for COVID-19 Funding. The Town of Gore Bay is in support of The Corporation of the City of Oshawa requesting support of their motion to request the Federal, Provincial and Regional Government to help municipalities assist their local social cultural, service clubs and children/youth minor sporting organizations with clear and definitive relief funding programs.

10. City of Port Colborne dated August 18, 2020 Re: Funding and Inspections for Long Term Care Homes due to COVID-19 Pandemic. Port Colborne supports the resolution from the Township of South Glengarry regarding funding and regular inspections for Long Term Care facilities.

11. City of Port Colborne dated August 18, 2020 Re: Endorsement of Bill 164, Protecting Vulnerable Persons in Supportive Living Accommodation Act, 2019. Port Colborne supports Private Member’s Bill 164: Protecting Vulnerable Persons in Supportive Living Accommodation Act, 2019.

12. Town of Amherstburg dated August 26, 2020 Re: Support for Increased Provincial Funding. Amherstburg supports the Greater Essex County District School Board – Chairperson of the Board’s recommendation regarding Support for Increased Provincial Funding to allow the Board to offer the health and safety standards at an enhanced level.

13. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs dated August 31, 2020 Re: Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act. Minister Ernie Hardeman has announced a partial proclamation of the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020 that will come into effect on Wednesday September 2, 2020 at 12:01AM. Included are sections 6(1), 7, 14(1)[3] and 15(1) of the Act, making it an offence to stop, hinder, obstruct or otherwise interfere with a motor vehicle transporting farm animals.

Communications - Action Required

1. CN Rail, dated August 20, 2020 That the week of September 21 - 27, 2020, be proclaimed as “Rail Safety Week” in the Town of Tecumseh.

Reports include:

1. Chief Administrative Officer

a. CAO-2020-07 Postal Code Initiative Tecumseh. The CAO advises that work is proceeding to recognize 3 distinct primary postal codes: Tecumseh, Maidstone and Oldcastle. Some properties in the south part of the municipality will need to be issued new postal codes accordingly.

2. Corporate Services & Clerk

a. CS-2020-24 Advisory and Statutory Committees Call for 2021 Applications. Due to several resignations, Administration is recommending that the positions on the Committee of Adjustment, Property Standards Committee and Tecumseh Accessibility Advisory Committee be advertised and for Town Council to consider seeking nominations for all committees.

b. CS-2020-26 Essex Power Corporation Board of Directors Call for 2020 Applications. The term of the current appointee has come to an end and Administration recommends that Town Council advertise for a new appointee.

c. CS-2020-28 Health and Safety Policy No. 7 Annual Review. Administration recommends approving the existing policy for another year without changes.

d. CS-2020-29 Violence and Harassment in the Workplace Policy No. 68 - Annual Review. Administration recommends a minor format change to the definition of “workplace harassment by adding a colon to the end of the sentence in 1.5 and bullets to the three sections below, and adding a clarity note to the end of the first bullet taken as a direct quote from the Ontario Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

3. Financial Services

a. FS-2020-12 Taxes Receivable - June 2020. Administration reports that the mid-year Tax Receivable Arrears are less than for this time last year, with the value / number of properties in arrears being for 2019 $1,371,099 and 220 versus $1,218,795 and 239 for 2020, respectively.