Water Committee presentation
During a special meeting of council held May 26, council opened the floor to Phil Blake and Don Gibson of the ad hoc water committee to review their concerns regarding water rates for the municipality as well as possible changes to the Ontario Clean Water Agency’s operations in an attempt at cost saving measures. In a lead up to this meeting, Mr. Blake and Mr. Gibson examined documents, toured the water treatment plants and met with OCWA technicians.
The committee requested permission from council to explore with other municipalities that use OCWA’s services current contracts in order to compare rates. Once this fact-finding mission has been accomplished, and a list of specific recommendations is created by the committee, the municipality will request a meeting with OCWA to review the material. Council expressed its thanks to the committee for all their hard work.
Possible intern
Council debated the possibility of securing an intern position in the municipal office to work on behalf of Friends of the Norisle and ‘duties as assigned,’ as directed by council. While council said it realized the financial subsidy involved, it also recognized the need to acquire the right person for such a position with concern about an ‘ad hoc’ job description.
It was decided to ask FedNor for funding to do a complete administrative review of the municipality, with a view to adding another staff member and working that position into a revised work sharing system.
Future donations
Following discussion led by Councillor Brenda Reid at a council meeting held last month, council decided that all requests for financial support and donations up to $250 would become the responsibility of the treasurer to review and to decide upon, ensuring that the requests fall within budget.
Accounts for payment
Council passed motions to authorize cheques for payment in the amount of $62,723.74, general account, and $17,255.65, payroll.
Sea Cadets given donation
Following a letter from Manitoulin Navy League fundraising chair Rick McCutcheon, council passed a motion to donate $100 to the Manitoulin Sea Cadet Corps.
Clerk-treasurer Alton Hobbs called the cadet corps “an excellent program.”
“They have done well by that program,” Councillor Les Fields added.
Good Roads reserve
Assiginack council received a letter from the Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA) regarding its 2012 financial contribution of $1,000 toward its litigation fund to see Minimum Maintenance Standards declared null and void at the Superior Court level. The court action was effective and the action was dismissed.
Any of the donated funds not used were to be refunded back to the contributing municipalities on a pro-rated basis of 50.1 percent. For Assiginack, this amounts to $501.
OGRA asked that the contributing municipalities keep this share in its reserves should the standards issue be raised again.
Council agreed to leave its share in the OGRA reserve.
The filters have arrived! The filters have arrived!
Mr. Hobbs shared with council the good news that the replacement water treatment plant filters have arrived, all 21 of them.
Council had been turned down from receiving Small Rural Northern Municipal Infrastructure Funding in its quest for replacement water treatment membrane filters after the company that had previously supplied them was sold.
Thanks to some sleuthing by the municipality’s engineer, the municipality was able to track down some replacement membranes, 21 of them, in the United States. These have been purchased.
Reeve Brad Ham also told his council that he had been in conversation with Billings Mayor Aus Hunt about the purchase of Billings’ used membranes, as they shared the same water treatment plant technology but Billings was successful in securing funding to replace theirs.
Mr. Hobbs suggested that the municipal engineer check over the Billings membranes before purchase.
“That is good news,” Councillor Fields said.
“We were awful lucky we were able to access them,” Councillor Paul Moffat said.
Assiginack adopts social media policy
Assiginack passed bylaw 14-15 at its June 3 meeting of council, establishing a social media policy that will be overseen by events coordinator Jackie White.
“This policy established guidelines for the use of the social media applications specifically so that the disbursement of timely and accurate information is balanced with the township’s need to ensure that: a) the use of social media tools does not compromise public safety or the township’s image; b) the information provided through social media is in line with the township’s vision and guiding principles; c) social media content does not violate individual privacy or conflict with existing municipal policies and bylaws or other regulations as applicable; and d) social media content posted on behalf of the municipality is accurate, accessible, transparent and accountable.”
Social media includes Twitter, blogs, bulletin boards, chat rooms, discussion groups, instant messaging, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Wikipedia.
Mr. Hobbs explained that there had not been an incident regarding inappropriate use by staff leading up to the policy, but that he has been following municipal journals which show ever increasing numbers of municipalities getting into hot water because of posts in bad taste.
“We want all employees to know that if the employer is criticized, it’s not their problem to deal with it,” he said, noting that soon summer students will be hired by the municipality—the age group that uses social media the most prevalently.
The policy will be sent to all of the employees as well as being posted on the Assiginack website.
While the policy does not directly say that an employee’s personal social media use is included, Mr. Hobbs had this to say: “If you get in trouble, you’re on your own.”
Correspondence
Council received correspondence from Sarah Hutchinson of the Manitoulin Rodeo committee, outlining the event details for June 28 and 29; concerns with the draft Official Plan from the Northeast Town; and an email from Rainbow District School Board Trustee Larry Killens regarding the Assiginack Public School students who were recently published in ‘The Canadian Quilter.’
Regarding the Northeast Town’s concerns, Councillor Fields asked whether council would look at the raised concerns as they apply to Assiginack’s own situation.
Reeve Ham, who sits on the Manitoulin Planning Board as the Assiginack representative, said that many of the items of concern, probably half, have already been taken care of or are of significance to all Island municipalities, and beyond, giving the example of no future development on private roads.
“The MMAH (Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing) has said ‘we will listen,’ which is better than a flat out ‘no’,” the reeve said.
Mr. Hobbs commented that the Northeast Town document was “a well researched response,” with council agreeing.
