Monday’s council meeting included a surprise during the CAO recruitment topic.
The council also conducted a careful deliberation of a laneway closure, a grant for firefighter safety, and a parking lot lease for a dollar.
CAO search - Item 7.3 Memo from the Chief Administrative Officer Re: CAO Recruitment
Within a head-snapping, less than one minute, Mayor Andrew Wannan introduced the CAO recruitment agenda item, sought clarity on the process from the city clerk, suggested a motion to defer, received the motion and a seconder, and took a vote.
And all without offering an opportunity for questions or comments from councillors.
Wannan: “Yeah, so, while, in light of recent events, there may be a change here.”
“Perhaps we’d like to just postpone this for maybe even a couple of weeks just so we can investigate further, potentially, maybe, even save our finder’s fee here.”
“So, I guess someone needs to make a motion to defer,” he said without explaining what the "recent events" were.
Deputy Mayor Charles Flintoff looked taken by surprise, as Councillor Merrill Seidel read a prepared motion to defer - the motion promptly seconded by Couns. Rick Bull.
Immediately following the quick vote, Flintoff inquired about an opportunity for questions. His microphone was off. The city’s transcript reads, “Can I ask a question, oh, or is it too late?”
The clerk responded, “Question. Sorry. The questions could only be on whether or not to defer on the deferral once a motion to defer is made.”
Seidel’s motion deferred the CAO recruitment agenda item “until our next meeting on January 27th, 2025.”
Laneway closure – Paris Drive
In contrast, council deliberated the matter of a Paris Drive to bush trail, laneway closure for fifteen minutes.
The laneway closure matter came to the By-law and Planning committee, November 6, as a result of a request from the property owners on either side of the laneway. At that meeting, committee chair, Couns. Norman Mann told the committee he had driven by to see the laneway.
“I did drive by this particular area the other day. This one doesn’t seem to go anywhere other than behind those houses on Paris Drive,” he told the committee members, Mayor Wannan and Couns. Seidel.
The committee directed staff to gather public input. ElliotLakeToday published a short story with pictures of the location, November 15.
At the next By-law and Planning committee meeting, December 9, city clerk, Natalie Bray, informed that “a notice was posted for three weeks to facilitate this process and gather feedback. So, in terms of city departments, the response was minimal … we did receive six public inputs all of which were in favour of keeping the laneway open.”
Bray described the objections which included the setting of a precedent for closing other walkways.
At Monday's meeting, Bray informed that the laneway is not part of regular maintenance, planners had no objections as it does not connect to other streets, and she noted there is another access nearby. Later in the discussion, Couns. Seidel described the alternative access as "six houses up the street."
Couns. Flintoff said, "I went and I checked that out and it's not on the maintenance schedule and it's just a little path." He called it, "hardly even a trail."
The laneway between the properties leads to a short, small dirt path containing smaller rocky obstructions, through a usually dry creek bed.
The clerk also noted there is a difference between the street-to-street trails and this one. "I believe when it's a street-to-street trail ... this one just leads to bush. I think you can eventually get to Tokyo [Crescent] but there's no connecting street."
Couns. Bull expressed concern about the closure saying, "I wouldn't want to see a laneway closed because we're just not maintaining it."
Addressing the matter of precedent, Interim CAO Rob deBortoli noted the city has closed very few laneways and that it has been a long time since the last closure. He also noted this laneway is "access to, really, the open bush," adding, "perhaps this decision to close this particular laneway will be a benefit to everybody, all around."
All present participated in the debate of the matter and council voted to close the laneway with Couns. Bull opposing the motion.
Grant for firefighter health and safety
A grant of $8,230 has been approved by the provincial government to purchase equipment to "help reduce long-term effects of exposures to fire related contaminants and chemicals," Director of Emergency Services, John Thomas, reported to the council.
"In Canada, 50 to 60 firefighters die of cancer every year. And half of those are from Ontario," he said, referring to information from the Ontario government.
The grant will fund "a heavy-duty extractor used to wash and decontaminate bunker gear," at a cost of $8,986.42. Thomas said the remaining $756.42 will come from the department's operation equipment account.
Thomas explained that presently, the department sends heavily soiled gear to a professional cleaner in North Bay, taking about "three to five days to get that bunker gear back. So, that's gear that's not in the station for firefighters to be wearing."
"This will also help with this extractor so that we do get all the contaminants out and our firefighters are wearing safe gear," he said.
Parking lot lease for a dollar
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city and Mt. Dufour Ski Area was approved. The agreement will lease the parking lot area to the club during the ski season (December 1 to April 15) for a five year period, at a nominal fee of $1. The club will assume responsibility to clear the parking lot, as required for the ski hill users.
In response to concerns received by council and the ski hill management, staff and council informed the public this does not prevent the public from accessing the parking lot but reminded the public it is a parking lot.
"Mt. Dufour is not putting a gate at the area, but some important things for council and the constituents to realize: it's a parking lot. It is not a walking track. It is not a place to go and run your dogs," Manager of Economic Development, Steve Antunes, commented.
Deputy mayor, Charles Flintoff explained, "There is still access there. This is just, the council and Mr. Antunes and staff, cleaning up paperwork and getting everything done right."
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