Spiffy corner lot
Councillor Hugh Moggy noted a job well done on the corner lot at Queen and Arthur Streets, which will be transformed into a seniors’ park by next spring. Mayor Paul Moffatt added that benches are on their way that will be installed with some people coming forward looking to sponsor the new benches.
Planning Board sans Northeast Town
After a review of the Manitoulin Planning Board minutes, Councillor Leslie Fields asked about the Northeast Town leaving the board by January.
“Will they have everything in place by January?” she asked.
“Do we know how this will affect our cost to the Planning Board yet?” she added.
“No, not yet,” Mayor Moffatt responded.
Councillor Moggy asked if the Planning Board will be able to reduce staff as a cost saving measure.
“Not really,” the mayor said. “There won’t be the same amount of business.”
“That’s too bad,” said Councillor Moggy.
Norisle surveys
Council received two quotes for marine surveys for the Norisle—one for interior, the other for exterior—as required by the municipality’s insurance company.
“We have spent most of the summer looking at what and where we might send the Norisle and the lowest common denominator for the insurance company has the requirement for surveys to confirm that the vessel is indeed seaworthy and can make any trip,” a report to council states.
“We have found companies that will do these surveys and they have provided cost estimates for us,” the report continues. The report noted that while it was not in the 2016 capital budget, it was recommended to do them for three reasons:
If the vessel is not seaworthy, the problem is much more difficult to address;
If the surveys are completed, the municipality might be able to get estimates for moving the vessel to a final destination and without these estimates, the municipality can’t lobby the senior government levels for financial assistance; and
If the surveys are done now, Assiginack can lobby through the winter at the Ontario Good Roads/Rural Ontario Municipalities Association conference.
The motion to hire the two companies was carried.
McLean’s Park,
Outside the Box
Council reviewed a letter from Heather Thoma, Outside the Box program coordinator with 4elements Living Arts, asking to place a drawing box on the McLean’s Park trial.
The beautifully made wooden boxes will be attached to a tree with soft webbing straps, two to three kilometres into each trail. Each drawing box will be geocached and inside visitors will find art materials such as drawing paper, pencils, pens, trail maps and hiking and stretching information. Visitors will be invited to make a drawing to leave for a future visitor and to take the drawing that was left by the previous hiker.
The drawing boxes invite people to slow down, make a drawing, stop, breathe, stretch and observe before continuing along their walk.
Each box will be linked to geocaching.com so that the caches will be accessible to thousands of people. Each visitor will be encouraged to post a picture of themselves with the box and their drawing to the Outside the Box social media pages.
Council all told Ms. Thoma, who was in attendance, what a good idea it was and approved the drawing box for McLean’s Park trail.
Accounts for payment
Council approved the following accounts for payment: general, $136,954.89; and payroll, $19,032.87.
OPP billing
Assiginack received its Ontario Provincial Police annual billing statement at $23,294 monthly, which is a slight increase over last year.
Application to new grant
Assiginack will be applying to the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund (CWWF), a new fund announced in the 2016 federal budget that will invest up to $569.6 million in Ontario for immediate improvements to water distribution and treatment infrastructure.
CWWF will provide municipalities with vital infrastructure funding to help accelerate short term investments to support the rehabilitation and modernization of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and the planning and design of future facilities and upgrades to existing systems. All recipients receive a minimum of $75,000.
