Dr. Victor Fagbuyi
Council welcomed Dr. Victor Fagbuyi to its February 6 meeting to present him with a “token of their appreciation,” said Mayor Al MacNevin. Dr. Fagbuyi has joined the Northeast Manitoulin Family Health Team.
Dr. Fagbuyi thanked council for “this very kind gesture.”
“It’s been my experience, since I came to Little Current, I’ve been welcomed in such a warm way,” the doctor said. “Everyone seems ready to help.”
“In this day where there’s a lot of chaos, hate, in the middle of all this we can start to see kindness,” Dr. Fagbuyi continued, recalling his first day in Canada with his young family at a southern Ontario airport. “You’re new here,” the person said to him. “If you have any problems, you come to my house.”
“They didn’t know they were helping a doctor,” I wish to extend that kindness to my patients.”
Councillors around the table took their turns welcoming the doctor to the community, offering words of encouragement, thanks and even a trip to the farm for his family by Councillor Bruce Wood.
Borrowing and interim tax levy bylaws
As is standard course, the council for the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands passed its annual borrowing bylaw. Council authorized the borrowing of $2,000,000 from TD Canada Trust “to meet, until the taxes are collected, the current expenditures of the municipality for the year.”
Council also passed its annual bylaw that the interim tax levy be made in two installments: 50 percent of levy is payable by February 28 and the balance due on April 28.
Tenders awarded
Council awarded two tenders at its February 4 meeting.
A tender for a one-ton truck for the downtown docks received two results: Manitoulin Chrysler at $105,936.94 and McQuarrie Motors at $107,100.25. The tender was awarded to Manitoulin Chrysler.
Council reviewed three tenders for a fuel system upgrade at its downtown docks: Wagg’s, $83,979; PSL, $71,893.59; and McDougall Fuels, $82,476. Council awarded PSL the tender. The monies for both projects will come from the waterfront reserve account.
Blue Box resolution
Council reviewed a resolution from the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) which raised concern with the province’s transition to full producer responsibility for the household blue box program. It notes that producers/stewards are not responsible for products purchased within the industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) sectors. Products recycled at home are disposed of by an ICI-funded program or landfilled, they explain.
“All municipalities are concerned with the lifespan of landfills and FONOM believes it is important that the province and producers/stewards start discussing the transition to a producer-funded responsibility system for the recyclables generated by the ICI sector,” FONOM writes.
The Northeast Town passed a resolution, moved by Councillor Michael Erskine and seconded by Councillor Laurie Cook, “…that producers are responsible for the end-of-life management of recycling products from all sources…”
Council approves charity giveaway
Council received a request from Jamie Flitchett of Helping Hands Family Mission based out of Sudbury to host a food giveaway from the recreation centre parking lot on February 5. He also requested help from the public works crew through use of a forklift to remove palettes of food from the transport trucks.
The mission planned to bring two transport truck of food to give away.
Council approved the request.
Agnew Lake tailings resolution
Council received a request from Zak Nicholls of Little Current, asking the municipality to pass a motion declaring NEMI to not be in support of the movement of radioactive materials from Nipissing First Nation to the Agnew Lake Tailings Management Area. Council passed a motion supporting Mr. Nicholls’ request.
Municipality ending arrears notice mailings
CAO Dave Williamson noted the rise in postage rates and its effect on the municipality’s bottom line.
“We spend about $25,000 a year in notices,” the CAO shared. “We would like to stop sending arrears notices.”
Mr. Williamson said the municipality was looking at an estimated jump in postage to $31,000 a year. “We’ll try it this year. We hope to lower it to $22,000.”
Mr. Williamson said staff would be seeking to add to its existing database of 537 emails.
