Council Preview: Nov 27, 2019

Welcome to another Middlesex Centre council meeting preview! The meeting is tonight, so I apologize now for the late notice on this preview. Life has been hectic with family visiting from overseas and handling a variety of requests from residents, so I simply wasn’t able to prioritize putting together this preview by Monday.

I will say now that next Wednesday, December 4 there will be a special budget meeting at 9:30am focused on the 2020 budget. I am hoping to have a significant motion on that agenda as well! 🙂

Onto tonight’s meeting! Here is the full agenda.

Delegations & Presentations

  • BM Ross Engineering will present the finding of their Bridge Needs Assessment. The immediate 10 years has a lot of money that can be spent rehabbing and replacing bridges, while the 11-20 year outlook is far more rosy if we just keep up with minor repairs.
  • Cara Finn, County Director of Economic Development will show us her Economic Development Fundamentals Presentation.

Consent Agenda

Three items in tonight’s consent agenda:

  • October 2019 building report; nothing special to highlight.
  • As promised, a revised animal control by-law that has provisions for cats.
    • In speaking with staff, I’m told we don’t need to mention wildlife since “Wildlife is currently covered under our contract with our animal control provider. Typically, we don’t respond to wildlife complaints such as skunks and raccoons in backyards (i.e. private lands). Our animal control costs including veterinary and or euthanasia would be quite significant if we responded to these (private) complaints. We should be advising the public that they can contact a pest control company who will deal with that concern. Staff will develop a list of these companies to assist the public and contacting the appropriate person.”
  • And the adoption of a Staff and Council Relationship policy. Both a good practice and required by the province as per changes made during the prior legislature.

Staff Reports

  • Staff are seeking approval to create a new, full-time Deputy Clerk position. Of course my initial thought was, “Do we really need one?” Thankfully the CAO and Clerk have foreseen this line of thinking and attached significant rationale and evidence that Middlesex Centre has been running far more lean than other municipalities of similar or smaller size.
  • Staff are also seeking direction regarding the Kilworth off-leash dog park and Ilderton Fire Engine projects for 2020. There is rationale included for both, and both projects have survived this long into the process. I support both initiatives at this time, unless someone has a serious argument that can sway me.

Committee of Adjustment

One item occurring in Ward 4 at 125 Erie Ave, where “relief from the Comprehensive Zoning By-law in order to establish an interior side yard setback of 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) on either side, whereas the By-law requires a minimum interior side yard setback of 3.0 metres (10 feet) on one side and 2.0 metres (7 feet) on the other side.”

No public meetings of importance to Ward 4 this evening.

That’s it for tonight! If you have any feedback, let me know.