Here is your recap of the Middlesex Centre Council meeting that occurred on August 15, 2018.
For the preview, click here. For the full agenda, click here.
We started with a Closed Session surrounding the recently completed Employee Engagement Survey, which was brief.
Brad Bunke of GM BluePlan Engineering provided a detailed report on the Watson municipal drain, with upgrades and maintenance to be completed. There was no dissent from affected property owners at this time, so we approved the drainage works and appointed a Court of Revision to hear any issues in September. I later found out that Councillor McMillan won’t be able to attend that next meeting, so I will be replacing her on the Court of Revision.
Kim Earls provided a report on the South Central Ontario Region (SCOR) Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and the impact they have been having. I have been skeptical of the need for this organization in the past, even after attending their annual general meeting, but I was happy to see some progress with initiatives like the FoodHub graduating out of SCOR and now being a self-sustaining organization.
The July Building Report showed a very healthy amount of activity, and we also reviewed 2018 municipal elections accessibility plan. If you have any accessibility needs, I highly recommend you read the report! We also had two successful inspections of the Melrose and Birr water treatment systems.
Onto a more contentious issue, HLH’s bylaw zoning amendment request, to allow them to erect an additional building at the southwest corner of Ilderton Rd and Hyde Park Rd, was approved.
I take no pleasure in this. There is a decent amount of opposition to this move, which was expected after the amount of opposition over the Tim Hortons being erected on the site. New business opportunities in our communities are important, but not at the cost of someone’s life. I have serious concerns over that intersection’s ability to handle the current amount of traffic, and the increasing amount of traffic that will come once the Clear Skies development at the northeast corner is completed. We’re going to have to continue to pressure the County to act in a responsible manner as it relates to these roads, as they are County roads. I think several other Councillors also hemmed and hawed over their vote, but at the end of the day there was no justifiable legal basis to deny the application. Voting with your conscience feels good, but decisions also have to be defendable from a planning and legal basis.
Committee of Adjustment and Public Meetings went smoothly! No significant issues, and no dissenters during public meetings. All applications were approved.
We had a brief discussion regarding the upcoming AMO conference and who was going. I wasn’t able to attend this year, but am looking forward to attending one or two conferences in 2019!
And that’s that. The meeting came to an end shortly after that.
If you enjoy these Council meeting previews and recaps, please support my campaign to stay on as Councillor of Ward 4 for another four years! You can take a lawn sign, donate to the campaign, help me canvass the neighbourhood, or all three!