Culvert request
Resident Jim Fawcett told council that he planned to replace the failing bridge on his property over the Black Creek Drain with a four-foot by 24-foot culvert. Acting clerk-administrator Roy Hardy said the township’s drainage engineer had okayed the proposal, but Councillor Michael McKenzie said the culvert would not handle the water under full-flow conditions.
Mr. Hardy said he would discuss with the drainage engineer to find a solution. Council approved the work at the landowner’s expense in principle, pending an engineering study.
New clerk-
administrator
Council approved the appointment of T. Silvio Berti as the new Tehkummah clerk-administrator, to be effective on September 16, 2019.
Health and safety report
Township staff will be repairing the east wall in the township garage. It is not a structural wall and will not need an engineering study.
Mr. Hardy also said marina traffic is winding down and council gave direction to roads superintendent Kevin Dunlop to reduce the staffing at the site.
Snow plow tenders
Tehkummah received one response to its tender for a new plow truck that included two options from Cambrian Truck Centre. The tax-in pricing for a truck made to order based on Tehkummah’s specifications would be $314,671. Cambrian also had a truck available with similar or better specifications that would be ready a few months sooner for a final price of $325,461. The pre-made truck would be ready by January, whereas the made-to-order truck would be available by April to May.
Council stated its first preference as the pre-made, more expensive truck, provided that it met Mr. Dunlop’s approval. Otherwise, they would order the custom-made truck to township specs. The council currently has one plow truck running and a second that will be ready in October.
Revised 2019 budget
Council received an updated copy of the revised budget that reflected the township’s activities and eliminated some projects that would not be completed this year. A copy of the updated budget was not provided in the agenda package or upon request.
Some highlighted items included audit fees that were over budget, though down from last year, because of the work the auditors had to do in completing their report. Councillor McKenzie asked about new septic fees, which will begin to be collected for commercial dumping into the South Baymouth lagoons. The township received $15,000 in cannabis-related funding which will be deferred to next year.
Mr. Hardy noted money set aside for efficiency-improving building work, something the new clerk-administrator will address. Councillor McKenzie asked about contract expenses under administration which were over budget. Mr. Hardy explained that this was the money he receives for his services. He also stated that once he leaves, he will be working to complete certain ongoing projects for a period of time until Mr. Berti is fully in charge of the township.
Final bills for office improvements were over the budgeted amount but the final bill has arrived. The township’s gravel bill was $16,000 under budget which will be rolled forward to next year.
Councillor McKenzie asked for an update to the funding for the approved 10th Sideroad and Concession 6 project. Mr. Hardy said the amount coming from the senior governments was $1,947,381, which will be distributed after the work is completed, but the budget amount will move forward to next year.
Council passed a motion to approve the amended budget and post it on the township website. As of press time, it has yet to appear.
Tehkummah roads project update
Council permitted Reeve David Jaggard and Mr. Hardy to sign the agreement with the senior governments to finalize their funding commitments for the roads project. Mr. Hardy told council that in the time since the township applied, the federal government has allowed for a larger amount of contingency in the budget. This will allow Tehkummah to hire a project manager and have an engineer do the design.
Mr. Hardy said the township will have until the fall of 2022 to complete the work, which will allow time to account for poor weather conditions or other unexpected delays.
Mr. Hardy said no environmental assessment was required because the roadway already existed in the work zone, but Manitoulin’s Anishinaabe communities would need to be consulted before the work could commence.
Councillor McKenzie asked whether the township had received any estimates on compensation from Belanger Construction after last year’s tar and chip job was unsatisfactory. It had not yet heard from the company. He said the township shouldn’t have to pay for that job out of this roads project’s budget.
Updates on the project will be given to council on a monthly basis.
Street light replacement
RealTerm Energy provided an estimate of about $33,000 to replace every one of the 42 streetlights in South Baymouth with LED units. This money will come from Main Streets and provincial efficiency funding. Based on varying estimates, LED streetlights can pay for themselves in reduced energy costs in 2.5 to nine years, depending on the circumstances.
The new lights will be dark sky compliant to reduce light pollution.
5th Concession road allowance
Council received a request from a property owner whose driveway connects with the 5th Concession road allowance to turn the track into a four-season maintained road. Mr. Dunlop said the road did not appear to have been ditched or built up with a proper base, indicating low probability that the roadway was ever historically maintained by the township.
There was, however, a culvert on the roadway which could possibly be construed as historical roadwork. Council resolved to defer this item until the township’s responsibility could be determined.
Bills
Council resolved to pay for the budgeted advertisement in the upcoming MTA tourism publication. Council also donated $100 to the Central Manitoulin Public School Fall Fair.
Surplus equipment
Tehkummah will sell its brusher attachment for a tractor to the Township of Baldwin for $1,000 plus HST. Tehkummah cannot accommodate the brusher attachment with its equipment and its pump is also in poor repair.
Deferred item updates
Mr. Hardy suggested putting the replacement of the library floors in the 2020 budget. Councillor Lorie Leeson said somebody had already come forward with a proposal and that the board was anxious to have the work completed. Mr. Hardy said the budget would need to be changed and approved at the October meeting of council if the township were to go through with the project.
The Little Schoolhouse Museum roof replacement is in progress. The steel shake material will be ordered from Terrastar Building Products and crews are looking to have the work complete by the end of the year.
Mr. Hardy had a discussion with the Ontario Clean Water Agency in the week following the council meeting and would brief Mr. Berti.
Tehkummah has received the first lease payment for the Rogers tower site and will be signing for a five-year commitment at a “reasonable increase.”
The township is waiting for the library board to review the proposed service agreement and provide its feedback to Tehkummah.
Correspondence
Council supported resolutions against forced municipal amalgamation and in support of providing safety to Ontario farm families, employees and animals, similar to a previous letter that Tehkummah supported.
