Mayor’s Report for June 21, 2022
June 7th
I attended the Emergency Control Group Meeting. It was decided that the State of Emergency should remain in place until further progress was made in hydro restoration and road clearing.
At 5:30 – I presided over the regular Planning Meeting and at 6:30 – I presided over the Regular Meeting of Council. Council meetings are now open to in person attendance, continue to be optional for virtual attendance and the council chambers is open to the public with social distancing protocol. Meetings continue to be live streamed through YouTube.
June 8th
I was invited to attend a Donation Ceremony at the Marmora Legion. I would like to announce the generous donations made from various fund raising events.
The Poppy Fund: $1000 dollars to each of these initiatives.
Operation Leave the Streets Behind – to ensure that every veteran who is homeless or near homeless finds the help they need to leave the streets behind.
Operation Service Dog – dogs are trained and paired with veterans to help reduce anxiety in public settings, redirect attention to more positive activities, help with nightmare interruption and in stabilizing sleep patterns.
Ontario Command Youth Education – the RCL is committed to ensuring the tradition of Remembrance remains relevant to and supported by younger generations. Youth education regarding Veterans and Remembrance through a range of local and national initiatives is promoted.
Catch the Ace:
$4,124 raised for the community.
$1,000 to the RCL Charitable Foundation
$1,000 Heart of Hastings Hospice
$1,000 Marmora Firefighters Association
$500 Friends of the Library
$624 Marmora Public School Breakfast Club
Marmora 237:
$250 to Crowe Valley Lions Club – Canada Day Parade
$500 to the Marmora Swim Club
A huge thank you to the Marmora Legion for their generous contributions to our various community projects and associations. On behalf of myself and Council, thank you to Maxine, Annette, Lynn and all of the Legion Executives and Members for your continued support to the community.
I would like to also mention the renovations completed at the legion. You did a fantastic job and the room is a great venue for special events.
June 11th
I spent a good portion of the day reviewing material for the Alpha conference conducted through the Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health. This was a two day conference with numerous guest speakers and panels of experts discussing the future of Boards of Health since the pandemic. The pandemic interrupted the basic mandate of the Boards of Health and shifted their operations to respond to vaccinations and tracing, etc.
Modernization of the Health Care System and particularly boards was discussed. With a new Minister of Health not yet appointed it is not certain how this will proceed. Executives passed a motion to encourage a collaborative approach to decisions made in any form of restructuring.
AMO continues to be in communication with the ministry to encourage a collaborative and negotiated approach to advocate for shared services. It is not always cost effective to amalgamate and any reorganization should remain mindful of the different and specific needs of certain geographic areas and the cultural differences, e.g. urban, rural.
June 16th
I presided as chair for the Crowe Valley Conservation Authority Board Meeting.
The Crowe Watershed has been minimally impacted by the storm of May 21st. The McGeachie Conservation Trails have been shut down and the Gut has been closed. Staff reported higher than normal water levels due to the significant rainfall over the previous weekend and worked to stabilize water levels at various dams by adjusting logs. The water remains high and the Trent locks have been closed for safety reasons. In the Agenda a report on the number of property enquiries showed Marmora and Lake as reporting the most enquiries.
June 18th
I attended the Fire Department Open House. Thank you to Chief Tony Brownson and his crew for a great displays and opportunities to experience the fire department’s facilities especially for the kids. Thank you to Potter’s Value Mart for their contribution and donations. Thank you to the volunteers. The event happening when I was there was the simulated extrication of a victim from a vehicle. Hopefully, this training never needs to be used but if so they are trained and equipped to respond. Well done.
That afternoon, I drove the areas that have been reconstructed and paved. Marble Point Road, Lakeshore Road, High Shore Road, Booster Park Road. Great improvement.
I also drove to Callaghan Rapids to observe the new parking area provided for visitors and which restricts motorized vehicle access to the scientifically sensitive area. Thank you to the volunteers and to the Conservation Authority for taking action to protect this area and retain access to the public.
June 19th
CBC requested an interview regarding the May 21st storm. I spoke with the reporter and basically provided them with the information I shared in my Mayor’s Report following the storm.
June 20th
I participated in the Emergency Control Group Meeting for an update. Deputy Mayor Mike Stevens reported that there are trees falling on a daily basis in the north area. Staff are dispatched to remove trees fallen on the roads. Staff continue to clean up the roads and ditches of fallen trees and brush. The brush is being hauled to specific sites where it will be ground up. The ground is saturated from the rain and roots are unstable so wind and rain are adding weight causing them to topple over. Also throughout the municipality trees and branches are hanging dangerously. There is a report in the Agenda with more detail.
June 21st
I attended Hastings County Planning & Development and Finance Property and Personnel Committee Meetings, followed by a Special Hastings County Council Meeting, in person.
Crowe Valley, Quinte, and Lower Trent Conservation Authorities made a presentation to Hastings County Council who requested the delegation determine if there was a away to streamline the consent and application processes to reduce turnaround times for applicants. It was suggested that the regulations policies of the authorities could be reviewed to standardize them. Presently, each Board sets its own regulations.
Hastings County made a $500,000 donation to the Belleville General Hospital Foundation.
At 3:00 p.m. I met with Roberta Fulthorpe, a volunteer, regarding ongoing projects at Callaghan Rapids. As a volunteer she is cataloguing and preparing an inventory of plants.
Tonight – I am presiding over our Regular Council Meeting, in person.
In conclusion, I want to express my sincere appreciation to staff and the members of the public who have responded to the May 21st storm and the wind storm this weekend. I know a lot of residents have and continue to provide assistance with road and brush clearing using their personal equipment and donating their time. I want to thank staff for responding to calls over the weekends to clear downed trees from the roads and ensuring the safety of the public.
Thank you.