The Corporation of the Township of Adelaide Metcalfe
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Corporation of the Township of Adelaide Metcalfe 20 Council Minutes – March 21, 2011 THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF ADELAIDE METCALFE COUNCIL MINUTES – March 21, 2011 Present: Mayor David Bolton, Deputy Mayor Adrian deBruyn, Councillor Betty Ann MacKinnon, Councillor Kurtis Smith and Councillor Nick Stokman. Also Present: Administrator/Clerk/Treasurer Fran Urbshott, Road Supervisor Eldon Bryant and Fire Chief Arend Noordhof. Call to Order At 7:00 P.M., Mayor David Bolton called the meeting to order. At this time, all those in attendance were asked to recite the Lord’s Prayer, in unison, if they so wished. Council and Staff observed a minute of silence to remember our fallen firefighter, Mr. Robert Dodge and the Listowel Firemen. Declaration of Pecuniary Interest and General Nature Thereof None Minutes MOVED by Deputy Mayor deBruyn SECONDED by Councillor MacKinnon Resolved that the Minutes of March 7, 2011 regular meeting be adopted as amended and circulated. CARRIED. Correspondence Received And Circulated 1) Card in memory of Firefighter Robert Dodge 2) Deputy Minister Forward – Use of herbicides 3) Minister Hoskins – Newcomer Champion Awards 4) Valerie Clark, OMAFRA – Taste It Gala on March 29, 2011 5) Eric Gunnell, OOWA – Annual Conference – April 3 – 5, 2011 6) John Fenik, Mayor of Perth – Mayor’s Book 7) Eric Magni, NFF Coordinator Middlesex – NFF Program 8) AMCTO – 2011 Annual Municipal Leaders Forum – April 15, 2011 9) Sophia Aggelonitis, Minister of Seniors – 2011 Senior of the Year Award 10) Bettina Weber, CEMC Middlesex County – Enbridge Pipelines Donation Correspondence Received And Not Circulated 1) FFAO Messenger – Volunteer Firefighter Retirement Age MOVED by Councillor MacKinnon SECONDED by Councillor Smith Resolved that this item of correspondence be deferred to a future meeting. CARRIED. 2) Brian Tibbet, Southwest Health Force Ontario – Physician Recruitment – To be addressed at the April 4, 2011 meeting. 3) CAA South Central Ontario – HST Proposal Corporation of the Township of Adelaide Metcalfe 21 Council Minutes – March 21, 2011 Delegations Mr. Klaus Hoogstra, 3112 Napperton Drive, attended the meeting with respect to the road conditions at the Pike Road bridge. Mr. Hoogstra informed Council of the damage that occurred to his vehicle due to the condition of the road and that he would like some compensation for his damages. Township Supervisor Eldon Bryant reported that he was aware of this problem and that signs had been erected at the site to advise drivers of the problem. Mr. Bryant indicated that the Roads Department had been doing repairs to this road on an ongoing basis. The winter freeze and thaw has made the problem worse this year. Mr. Bryant also informed that minimum standards are being met and that the road, as well as the bridge, will be fixed as soon as weather permits it in 2011. Councillor Smith said that this problem has been there for a long time. Councillor Stokman noted that this recurring problem issue is a concern. Deputy Mayor deBruyn indicated that he understands the situation and that the Road Department is following the minimum standards for all roads in the Municipality. He also indicated that our policy does not cover any claims compensation. Mayor Bolton advised that we do not cover such claims, but that the Municipality will be repaving the road in 2011. Mr. and Mrs. David Bloomfield, 27748 Havelock Street, addressed Council regarding the drainage issues on their property and is requesting that the Township Drainage Superintendent investigate the matter. After some discussion, Councillor MacKinnon suggested that the Township Drainage Superintendent visit the site and report back to Council. Mr. Bloomfield also mentioned that the streets in Kerwood were not to the satisfaction of the Village of Kerwood residents. Township Road Supervisor Eldon Bryant informed Council that the streets were done late last fall and the winter weather, along with some settlement of the sewer trenches, have caused some issues. Once the spring weather happens, the streets will dry up and the shoulders will have a chance to settle and this will make a big difference. An assessment of the streets will be done at a later date after the winter sand has been swept up. Mayor Bolton thanked Mr. and Mrs. Bloomfield for their presentation. Mary Ann Hendrikx, Vice Chair, Ontario Pork Producers, attended the meeting to discuss with Council the Business Risk Management Program. Ontario’s pork and beef industries are in trouble. Ontario’s productive beef cow herd declined 18.4% since the beginning of 2003 while the productive sow herd has declined over 20% since 2007. Corporation of the Township of Adelaide Metcalfe 22 Council Minutes – March 21, 2011 As the experiences of BSE, H1N1 and the high Canadian dollar have shown, when a crisis hits, the costs and risks are too big for the farming industry or governments to carry on their own. The current AgriStability Program alone is not enough to solve the problem. Its effectiveness is limited as farmers cannot count on the payments not yet received given the amounts owning are not known until after the filing of income taxes the next year. The AgriStability program also does not sufficiently protect against events that affect markets over the longer-term. For these reasons we, as farmers, have come together and wish to partner with the provincial and federal governments to establish an insurance program similar to the successful program recently implemented for the Grains and Oilseeds industry. In order to protect these Ontario industries now, we are asking the provincial government to move immediately with the RMP insurance program and companion “kick-start” program to ensure its success, even without concurrent federal commitment. With both the Province and famers committed to their shares, the federal government will be under enormous pressure to accept their responsibility to do likewise. This insurance program would protect local farmers, consumers and taxpayers alike against fluctuations in market prices and costs. Premiums would be paid by farmers to government, thereby allowing all partners to share in and limit the risk. We have undertaken unprecedented consultations with our members and the broader farm community whose feedback has helped to shape the program. They have told us that pursuing and establishing an insurance program is their #1 priority. To be clear, the industries are not seeking a government bailout. In fact, the establishment of price risk insurance will help ensure future bailouts are not necessary. The Province’s pork and beef farmers will ensure everyone in rural Ontario is aware of our appreciation should the provincial government take immediate action. We will also ensure federal MPs are pressured to champion similar action from the federal government. By partnering with Ontario’s local farmers, the provincial and federal governments will help sustain local food production and strengthen the rural economy. After the presentation, the following resolution was passed. MOVED by Councillor MacKinnon SECONDED by Deputy Mayor deBruyn Resolved that Council supports the resolution as follows: WHEREAS agriculture industries are an important part of both our local and the provincial economy; AND WHEREAS Ontario’s productive beef cow herd has declined 18.4% since 2003 while the productive sow herd has declined over 20% since 2007. Corporation of the Township of Adelaide Metcalfe 23 Council Minutes – March 21, 2011 AND WHEREAS the current AgriStability program does not sufficiently protect against events that affect markets over the longer-term and fails to provide farmers with timely or predictable relief; AND WHEREAS the experiences of BSE, H1N1 and the high Canadian dollar have shown that when a crisis hits, the costs and risks are too big for the farming industry or government to carry on their own; AND WHEREAS the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association and Ontario Pork have undertaken unprecedented consultations with their members and proposed the creation of a new government-backed Business Risk Management insurance program similar to the pilot project established by the Ontario government for the grains and oilseeds industry; AND WHEREAS the establishment of this new insurance program would give farmers the predictability, bankability and level playing field they need to successfully compete with farmers across Canada and around the world and grow their businesses locally; We will call on the Federal and Provincial governments to partner on an urgent basis with Ontario’s pork and cattle producers in the establishment of the Business Risk Management programs proposed by their provincial organizations which would see farmers premiums funding 30% of the long-term program costs and the remaining funding following the traditional 60/40 split between the federal and provincial governments; While calling on both the Federal and Provincial governments to participate in this initiative, we encourage the Provincial government to assume a leadership role in the establishment of this program by including it in its 2011/2012 budget, even in the absence of a Federal government commitment, through the creation of a partial program as was done with the province’s grains and oilseeds industries. And that a letter and a copy of the resolution be forwarded to Bev Shipley, MP, Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, as well as Maria VanBommel, MPP, Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. CARRIED. STAFF REPORTS Fire Chief’s Report Fire Chief, Arend Noordhof, updated Council on the following: 1) Sudden death of Robert Dodge. Fire Chief Arend Noordhof updated Council on the passing of Firefighter Robert Dodge. Fire Chief Noordhof informed Council of the tremendous support received from Middlesex OPP, and the assistance of the fire departments from Strathroy/Caradoc, Parkhill and Watford during the visitation and funeral of Firefighter Dodge. He also mentioned that approximately 60 firefighters from various departments attended the visitation. Fire Chief Noorkhof’s request to purchase a plaque in memory of Firefighter Dodge to be installed in the office at the fire hall was approved by Council.