Assiginack Museum doings
Curator Jeanette Allen noted in her October board minutes that 947 people visited the museum this season. The museum hosted five bus tours, the Community Heritage market and an Heirloom Quilt Show.
In 2015 the board will begin planning for its 60th anniversary season.
Cheque registry
Council passed a motion to approve accounts payable in the amount of $404,224.48, general, and $17,117.30, payroll.
Drinking water inspection report
Council reviewed its latest drinking water inspection report from the Ministry of Environment with the municipality in full compliance with all standards. Reeve Brad Ham did note with some annoyance, however, that under the heading ‘other inspection findings’ the municipality was taken to task for its recent purchase of used membranes for its water treatment plants.
“As noted during previous inspections, the membrane filtration technology used in the Manitowaning plant has become obsolete and the type of membranes used are no longer manufactured,” the inspection report states. “The Township of Assiginack has addressed the short term implications of this issue and has purchased all available replacement filters. They are also planning to purchase additional membranes from a nearby water treatment plant using the same membrane technology that is currently undergoing a retrofit.”
“Although the purchase of the replacement membranes will allow the plant to continue operating for a number of years, it should be viewed as an interim solution,” the report continues. “The long term operation of the treatment system remains a concern and the Township of Assiginack is strongly urged to plan, both operationally and financially, for the ultimate replacement/retrofit of the membrane technology in the plant.”
CAO Alton Hobbs said he would like to see an engineer’s report to back up those statements.
“It was a very poor choice of wording in that report,” the reeve added.
Wikwemikong seeks support
The Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve sent a request to Assiginack seeking a motion of support for a Wikwemikong Centre of Diabetic Excellence, which they did with great gusto.
“It’s always nice to support our neighbours,” the reeve said.
“It’s a great idea,” Councillor Les Fields added.
Christmas fun
This year’s Parade of Lights will be held on Friday, November 28 during the annual Manitowaning Christmas Madness event. The community is encouraged to get involved by lighting up a float and entering the parade. There will also be community events throughout the evening for the whole family.
Assiginack is also sponsoring another great event: the Catch the Candy Cane Contest.
Between November 20 and December 20, 20 two-foot candy canes will be hidden throughout the township. Residents of Manitoulin will be encouraged to find all 20 candy canes. Once this is done, your name will be entered into a draw for gift certificates from each of Assiginack’s 11 businesses. See a future ad in this paper for more details.
Backflow bylaw
Council passed bylaw 14-26, “being a bylaw to establish a backflow prevention program for buildings receiving potable water from the corporation for the Township of Assiginack.”
The bylaw applies to all lands, buildings and structures connected to a municipal water treatment plant and municipal distribution system within the jurisdiction of Assiginack henceforth.
The owner of lands, buildings or structures being serviced by a municipal water supply or system shall be responsible for all costs associated with the installation, testing, operations and ongoing maintenance of the backflow prevention device.
Weighted Vote
Assiginack Reeve Brad Ham noted to his council, upon review of the September 30 Manitoulin Planning Board minutes, that the vote on the proposed weighted voting system at the planning board table had finally passed and that it involved “quite the discussion.”
Reeve Ham explained that the weighted vote, when requested by the municipality in which the planning issue under considerations is located, will be based upon a number of votes pre-amalgamation, meaning Assiginack will have one but the Northeast Town will have three votes, as will Central Manitoulin, while Burpee-Mills and Gordon/Barrie Island each have two votes.
“Hopefully it works out,” the reeve said.
Chief Building Official report
Council reviewed a report from Chief Building Official (CBO) Gerry Strong about a recent conference he attended in Niagara Falls where two issues came to light that “directly affect (the) municipality.”
“The smaller issue is related to our Emergency Management Plan,” Mr. Strong wrote. “The 2012 disaster in Goderich illustrated the need for the CBO to be a member of the Emergency Control Group. In their situation several buildings were damaged and orders had to be issued to demolish or repair. The CBO was hindered in the performance of her duties because her exclusion from the Control group.”
“The more shocking issue,” he continues, “is the dramatic increase in liability for municipalities due to the issuing and non-issuing of building permits. With the increased use of title insurance, municipalities are being sued by insurance companies for permits issued as far back as 20 years. The duty of care is no different for small, rural municipalities with part-time building inspectors than it is for large municipalities with full-time building departments.”
Mr. Strong concluded by calling the continuing practice of part-time building inspectors “questionable.”
While council agreed with what Mr. Strong had to say, the reeve said he doubted if the municipality could ever afford a full-time CBO.
CAO Alton Hobbs said he would like to begin discussions with the Northeast Town to see about sharing its building inspector. “We likely wouldn’t need someone from, say, November to April, but come May we will,” Mr. Hobbs said. (The Northeast Town has both a CBO, part-time, and a building inspector, full-time.)
“The arrangement we have now is not good,” Councillor Paul Moffat said. “It’s too hard for him (CBO) to cover everything.”
Accounts for payment
Council passed a motion to issue payments for the general account, $159,419.39, and payroll, $17,634.03.
Application for consent
Council received an application for consent from the Manitoulin Planning Board “to provide for the technical severance of Lot 7, Concession 7 together with right-of-way.”
The reeve explained that the severance is not in Assiginack, but on a shared concession with the Northeast Town.
Council moved that “we inform the Manitoulin Planning Board that we have no objection to Consent Application B 29-14, provided that the municipalities have not opened the road allowance between concessions 6 and 7 Bidwell Township, east of the Bidwell Road, and confirming that Assiginack has no intention of, and will not be providing any maintenance on this road allowance, and that the current and future owners be requested to complete a ‘hold harmless’ agreement, protecting this municipality from any liability claims for use of this unopened road allowance.”
Landfill expansion update
Assiginack council received word that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry species at risk study was completed and that “preliminary results indicate there are no red flags.” Once the study is finished, it will be incorporated into the municipality’s Ministry of Environment’s environmental assessment submission and posted on the ministry’s Environmental Registry.
“If no issues or further comments are raised within 60 days after posting, we will submit a study completion notice to the MOE at which time we can commence the Environmental Compliance Approval application with the local MOE to construct and operate the landfill expansion,” writes John Smith, solid waste management practice lead, Exp. Services Inc.
“It’s been seven years,” said Reeve Ham. “When you can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel, I think that’s a good thing.”
Commercial unit write-off
Council passed a motion, recommending a tax write-off of a vacant industrial unit located on the Assiginack side of the Manitoulin East Municipal Airport as of October 1 and as such has filed a tax appeal.
