THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF ATHENS MINUTES OF MEETING MONDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2017 MEMBERS PRESENT Mayor Herb Scott, Deputy Mayor Rob Layng Councillors Darin Alguire, Les Coutlee, R. Ferguson, G. Kearney, Gary Sheffield STAFF PRESENT Darlene Noonan, CAO/Clerk Treasurer ALSO PRESENT Diane Mitchell, Henry and Sally Smid, Kathryn Hudson, Rob Ross, Margaret Rusland, Jean Brassington, Pat Blanchard, Bruce Demitroff CALL TO ORDER Mayor Scott - call to order ADDITIONS TO AGENDA - D. Noonan - move D. Mitchell from #9 to #6 delegation - R. Ferguson – enter into closed meeting regarding personnel & identifiable person #15 - L. Coutlee – bulletin board at Memorial Park should be moved and refurbished - #14 - R. Layng – update #10 fire department DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST - None - MINUTES MOVED BY R. LAYNG SECONDED BY L. COUTLEE THAT Council approve the minutes of the July 4 and August 1 2017 meetings as circulated. CARRIED BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES – R. Layng – hoe anywhere near Hard Island Road house yet – NO – thank Mayor Scott - he provided information and county and levy to BGH. - DELEGATION(S) – Athens Blooms – J. Brassington - like to get your reaction to proposals we will not go ahead with anything unless we know if that’s what you want 1. Continuation of 8 gateway beds. 2. Demolition of gateway beds on County Road 5 N and S. 3. Hiring students in September to dig and remove all existing plants from each gateway bed, plants will be free for the taking, following an offer to the garden club members. 4. The 6 remaining beds – plant a single gold tipped juniper. 5. Recommend hiring an experienced part time gardener next year. 6. Plants for hanging baskets on Main Street need to be chosen and ordered by the end of September. - After lengthy discussion it was agreed to downsize the perennials in the County Road 5 N and S beds in order to have the juniper planted in the middle and this will then be minimum maintenance. The other 6 remaining beds to be left until spring and if at that time Council will arrange to have them downsized if need be and the library has a plant sale fundraiser that these could be donated to, and it will allow for time for Council to decide what to be planted for annuals and continuation of the beds. Herb asked Jean to provide the last five years hanging basket colour schemes so that Council can determine what to move forward with. Jean will hand over or provide her “planting bible” as to what has worked and what has been planted every year. Herb asked for this to be provided soon if ordering needs to be done by the end of the month for next season. Jean agreed. - H. Scott - on behalf of Council and community and motorist who admire all hard work thank you and P. Blanchard for leading the charge and thank the rest of the committee long hard run and a mountainous amount of work thank you – and to the rest of the team. - D. Mitchell – hand out tonight sample of motions passed elsewhere – expanding and protecting rural post offices MOVED BY G. SHEFFIELD SECONDED BY R. FERGUSON THAT Council supports the recommendations put for by OGGO on behalf of Canada Post and will forward a letter of support to Prime Minister Trudeau requesting the government seriously consider supporting and implementing the recommendations. CARRIED ACCOUNTS MOVED BY R. LAYNG SECONDED BY G. KEARNEY THAT Council approve the accounts for payment as circulated. CARRIED REPORTS OF MUNICIPAL OFFICERS CAO – reviewed capital road projects budgeted and completed. - It was discussed driveway culvert replacements on Hard Island Road due to washout with the rain storms in July – it was discussed that an unfortunate situation that hasn’t ever and may never happen again, however personal driveway culverts are the property owners responsibility. There are drainage issues on Hard Island, however would not be solved for the entire road by this expense and needs further review once our Road Superintendent is back as this was a road on his future capital plan. CORRESPONDENCE - S. Smid - retirement from the library board – 30 years a long time – H. Scott - didn’t think she was that old. Thank you for your service and very much appreciated by everyone. - W. Knappers – Charleston residents concern with constant OPP presence and charges due to the signage being off in their opinion. – 50 ahead maybe with flasher would be nice. G. Kearney - can we maybe get it back and see on the speed one – put right at the sign – around Lower Oakleaf sign there says 50 ahead and a little further is actually 50 – place at the 50. - Wilkinson & Company – 2016 completed Municipal Financial Statements COMMITTEE REPORTS – Athens Fire Dept. - they have a shortage of available members either shift or work during the day their support during day shift hours is running thin, and attendance issues – and will be speaking to members again and making some changes and they were hoping to look at a way to entice more around during the day to attend calls – they have some concerns and when it comes to outfitting a firefighter looking at a fair amount of money and to be on the hall and not in use is not a good thing and either speak with members whose attendance is low and make a move or get additional new members more shift workers or more day support – other thing great BBQ, nice to mingle with people down there was great. G. Kearney - got hold of Jeff Sloan on September 19th - could do the truck and would be at fire hall or Washburn Road and asked about logo on the door if we would be able to do something like that if measurement we could get it want it the same as other truck newest one. – D. Noonan - will check into past logos on trucks. - Vimy Oak Committee – L. Coutlee, J. Brassington and R. Ross had a visit to the sight and emails back from them, middle of brick paving stone walkway not in favour – preferred sight is where maple tree donated from DuPont is located, move that tree to Centennial Park. - Athens Heritage Society – Murals project – S. Smid – Fresh Market has agreed to use West wall– there is another potential donor for another suggested site –at this point two possible with a third down the road –– R. Ferguson - when all is said and done in mural fund is it possible to see about having a fourth one if there is money left – H. Scott - my perspective, caution because we got into this one and going to get $10,000 and we got $650 before we go too far, I’d like to make sure we have 3 covered – R. Ferguson – that’s why I said next March when all said and done we could consider it – H. Scott - would like to be careful – S. Smid - hoping when one goes up people be excited to see it come. PLANNING - None - BY-LAWS - None – PUBLIC QUESTION PERIOD - H. Smid - request to Council - what to do with the backdrop and have an answer as to what we are looking at and getting the room done and what are we to do? – we would like to have it displayed we don’t own it but we can have it if we display it – H. Scott - no plans to do anything – L. Coutlee - don’t see that room being usable this year but maybe look at a few small bits next year – but could we put it in the library? – how about upstairs – Rebecca’s - head Rebekah said behind piano – G. Kearney - not that we didn’t want it and fear of moving and nowhere to store it – and won’t get damage – H. Smid - the agreement is to display it my question is what about to get it back to where we can display it – H. Scott - not an issue with Rideau Lakes Mayor it isn’t a problem or issue he will find out tomorrow. R. Layng - you are talking about agreement, well it won’t be displayed no matter where it goes – H. Smid - my question is how long until this room is ready so we can display it? - we put the money into it was for the library children’s programs and didn’t pan out, we wouldn’t have put money in it, we did it was an opportunity but wouldn’t have been in the spot we wouldn’t have been ready anyway – R. Layng - display it there door open to view it for people? – H. Smid - we were hoping for an art exhibit over there and someone there at certain times to facilitate it. R. Layng - we have nowhere or no wall upstairs in JBC to use –– K. Hudson - hanging of backdrop would coincide with mural project and artistic and heritage displays – R. Ferguson - one of those unfortunate situations it’s the money we got didn’t cover that room and budget to complete that room not in budget this year and to build around something that wasn’t to cost anything and now it is and we’ve explored all options and a lot more money than original offer to hang that there – R. Layng - you satisfied if it went up to Rebekahs? – H. Smid - but it’s not good for viewing one year or two year or ten years – R. Ferguson - we can’t answer that right away or right now – H. Smid - will contact Rideau Lakes and suggest what they will do and hope its ok that they store it not display if for a while, hate to lose it. QUERIES AND COMMENTS BY COUNCIL R. Layng – nothing R. Ferguson – nothing L. Coutlee – bulletin board at Memorial Park – needs replacing. G. Kearney - nothing D. Alguire – nothing G. Sheffield – nothing D. Noonan - nothing H. Scott – truck at fire hall going to use G. Tackaberry’s tank and he has generously agreed to move wheels and shorten wheel base and mount and paint tank at his cost. – took bogs out and there was a couple came forward to offer financial help, have a problem with persons paying when Ministry won’t help, but think we need to have a discussion with what we are going to do with the next bog that comes in, either we are or we aren’t, we made a decision not to then but we did it and support 100% but before the next one comes in we need to know if we are, we need to build something into the budget to cover the cost. – G. Kearney - we can’t do a single thing without CRCA or MNR and then there is an email from MNR that removal of floating mass - no permits required and at owners expense but no one will take ownership just keep shoving but in boat ramp we don’t own and do it and second time and clean it and pay it and its going to happen again about 10 acres floating – we’ve done it twice now – do we send the bill the next time – G. Sheffield - talk to new chair – R. Layng – did. – D. Alguire – I think we need to talk to CLA as Council and know outcome of this decision no support from MNR or CRCA and maybe two organizations come together with money to deal with these bogs. – need further discussion NOTICE OF MOTION MOVED BY R. FERGUSON SECONDED BY D. ALGUIRE THAT Council enter in camera discussions at 9:20 p.m. for the purpose of personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees. CARRIED MOVED BY G. SHEFFIELD SECONDED BY G. KEARNEY THAT Council close the in camera discussions at 9:35 p.m. which were for the purpose of personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees. CARRIED ADJOURNMENT MOVED BY G. SHEFFIELD SECONDED BY G. KEARNEY THAT there being no further business this meeting of Council adjourn at 9:40 p.m., Council to meet again on Monday October 2nd 2017 at 7:00 p.m. or sooner at the call of the Mayor. CARRIED _________________________________ ___________________________________ MAYOR CLERK