Council Meeting Highlights – August 9, 2022

August 10, 2022
Town News
  • A Closed session meeting was held regarding an Integrity Commissioner complaint against Councillor Mike Kench. Reporting out of Closed Session, Council voted to make the report public by attaching it to the Council minutes. Council voted against the integrity commissioner’s recommendation to penalize Councillor Kench by withholding 90 days remuneration pay.
     
  • Council passed a motion to support, in principle, an offer from the Scoolpt 3-D printing company to donate a sculpture to the Town of Gananoque of a bird sculpture which would be placed at the waterfront in Joel Stone Park. Scoolpt will bring forward a final concept/budget at the September 6th Council meeting.
     
  • King Street Pedestrian Bridge: Structural Analysis Update – Staff advised Council that engineers deemed the bridge structure to be unsafe resulting in its closure for public safety. Council opted to leave the bridge closed and voted in favour to defer the matter to the 2023 budget and requested that staff bring forward more information regarding other options including demolition of the bridge, as well as to await the results of the Canada Community Revitalization Fund application.
     
  • A Class III Development Permit for 107-113 King Street East was presented to Council at a public meeting. Council approved a short-term accommodation containing three (3) guest rooms/parking spaces with certain conditions.
     
  • Council approved the Gananoque Public Library’s request to engage Shoalts and Zabak Architects Ltd to conduct a review and feasibility of adding a lift to the second floor. The cost would come out of library reserves in the amount of $3,200.
     
  • Council received correspondence by several user groups requesting earlier ice at the Lou Jeffries Arena. Council did not move a motion to direct staff to pursue this but suggested that the Club’s could make this request for next year and provide the necessary lead up time.
     
  • Council approved the signing of a Service Level Agreement with CRCA to support Category 2 programs which will assist the Planning Department with Land Use Plan reviews.  The cost is $1,220 annually.  
     
  • Council authorized staff to post a Notice of Intention to amend the following Municipally Designated Heritage properties: 11 Church Street, 120 King Street West, and 145 Stone Street South.
     
  • The following items were approved as additions to the Town’s Civic Collection: WWII Red Cross Quilt, Gananoque Clock Tower Window, Sheet Music handwritten by William Rees, Photographs of the Thousand Islands Bridge, and Linklater School Objects.
     
  • The Kinsmen Building Advisory Panel requested that Council hire a contractor to review the building condition assessment and conduct a site inspection as it relates to the costing of capital improvements for 400 Stone Street North. Council approved this request and will fund the cost from the $5,000 HVAC capital budget previously approved for the building.
     
  • Council received the Capital Matters Pending monthly Report, 2022 2nd Quarter Operating Income Statement, 2023 Budget Deliberations Report, Fire Department Second (2nd) Quarter Report, Water & Wastewater Second (2nd) Quarter Report and the Gananoque Public Library Quarterly Report.  The Town Treasurer provided an overview of the 2nd Quarter Operating Income Statement to advise on the state of the Town’s mid-year operating costs.
     
  • The By-law to adopt the Joint Leeds and Grenville Election Compliance Audit Committee Terms of Reference was postponed.
     
  • As recommended by the Heritage Advisory Panel, Council passed a By-law to name the Bandshell the “William “Bill” Rees Band Shell”, located in the Town Park.
     
  • A By-law was passed to award a contract to Greer Galloway Group Inc., for the purpose of completing a Comprehensive Roads Needs Study.
     
  • Council defeated a motion to purchase Market Kiosks.