Derek E. Silva

Spreading knowledge & understanding

  • Council Preview: April 24, 2019

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    If you would like to read the full agenda, you can do so here.

    Delegations, Presentations & Petitions

    None!

    Consent Agenda

    We only have the March 2019 Building Report to review, and we can see that a number of building permits have been issued for the new EdgeWater Estates subdivision in Kilworth. We’re currently ahead of the pace set in 2018.

    Staff Reports

    • Hyde Park Road Crossing
      • This issue is back at Council again since Chris Traini, the County Engineer, can join us tonight.
    • Asphalt Resurfacing Program
      • Staff are recommending the 2019 Asphalt Resurfacing Program be awarded to the lowest tender bid submission received from Coco Paving Inc. in the amount of $934,300.00.
    • Four Wheel Drive Articulating Tractor with Attachments Tender PWE 19-07 Results
      • Staff are recommending that the purchase, supply and delivery of one (1) four wheel drive articulating tractor complete with attachments be awarded to the tender bid submission received from Cubex Ltd. in the amount of $180,120.78.
      • The vehicle proposed is the MacLean MV4.1, which you can find more information about here. It’s a good looking vehicle!
    Image courtesy of MacLean Engineering
    • Pollinative Friendly Plantings at Municipal Facilities & Parks
      • Our first look at how our staff recommend moving forward with the Mayors Monarch Pledge. They are seeking approval for planting locations at various municipal facilities and parks.
      • In Ward 4 the Wellness Centre, Komoka Community Centre, and Komoka Park have been identified as potential locations to plant milkweed. In 2019, only the Wellness Centre and the municipal office will be considered since both sites were already due for garden bed upgrades, while other sites will be considered in future years.
    • Budget Amendment
      • A proposed budget amendment, as requested by Council on April 10, in the amount of $250,000 to move forward with the Arva Wastewater Treatment Facility Environmental Assessment. These funds are NOT from property taxes, but are paid for through development charges which are applied to new builds.
    • WSIB Actuarial Valuation
      • A report on our estimated obligations, which for December 31, 2017 and 2018 are calculated to be $721,809 and $708,579 respectfully.
      • The last Lost Time Injury was a fatality back in 2012. Since then, there haven’t been any Lost Time Injuries requiring WSIB intervention at Middlesex Centre.
    • Reserve and Reserve Fund Policy Amendment
      • Staff are proposing a new Reserve Fund – the Future Road Upgrades Reserve Fund.
      • Why? Because some consent applications include a clause where the Municipality requires the owner to pay 50% of future road upgrades. This condition is added to consents where the property abuts a municipal road within an urban settlement area that is not constructed to an urban standard. This was the case for the recent severance on Elmhurst St, where the applicant questioned the validity of this clause.
      • Middlesex Centre tracks this information, however the money has been tracked in the Roads Capital Reserve Fund to date ($47,913.18). Now staff are recommending a separate reserve fund for better tracking purposes.

    Committee of Adjustment

    We have a packed Committee of Adjustment session this time! Here are the items that fall within Ward 4:

    • A-06-2019 – Gielen – 29 Lansdowne Park Cres.
      • The applicant is seeking relief from the Comprehensive Zoning By-law in order to erect an accessory building in the exterior side yard.
    • A-07-2019 – Carter – 18 Lansdowne Park Cres.
      • The applicant would like to build an accessory building that is taller than the Comprehensive Zoning By-law’s maximum height requirement for an accessory building of 6.5 m (21 ft), and the floor area requirement of an accessory building of 165 m² (1,776 ft²). Instead they would like to build a garage for their own vehicles and other items with a maximum height of 10.0 m (33ft) and an area of 298 m² (3,208 ft²).
      • Staff are recommending denying the application. Having been on-site, I understand what the applicant is trying to do and the implications, and I’m confident they will be able to explain their rationale better than I can.
    • A-03-2019 – Melchers, Unit 9-10038 Oxbow Drive
      • The applicant is seeking relief from the Comprehensive Zoning By-laws minimum exterior side yard setback required, whereas the applicant is requesting an exterior side yard setback of 1.72 metres.
      • Staff are recommending approval.
    • A-08-2019 – Melchers Development Inc. – 10038 Oxbow Drive
      • The applicant would like relief from the Comprehensive Zoning By-laws maximum encroachment permitted for a deck in the rear yard, whereas the owners are proposing a maximum encroachment of 3 metres into a required rear yard.
      • Staff are recommending approval.

    Public Meetings

    There are not any public meetings affecting Ward 4 directly this evening. There is one about enhancing our official plan to include a new by-law specifically surrounding source water protection for Melrose and Birr. You can read the report in detail here. Since Komoka and Kilworth’s municipal systems get its water from Lake Huron, and homeowners not on municipal water are not impacted by this new by-law. However, any time new development is proposed in a part of Kilworth or Komoka where municipal water is not available, various checks do happen to ensure the continued viability of the aquifers in the area currently in use. That is also something we saw recently during the Elmhurst St. severance application, and I look forward to seeing the results!

    That’s it for tonight’s meeting! If you have any questions, please let me know.

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  • Council Recap: April 10, 2019

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    If you missed the preview, you can find it here. We’re going to keep this recap short and sweet!

    Delegations, Presentations & Petitions

    • Pat Fowler made a passionate, compelling presentation about the need to encourage and adopt policies to encourage the planting of flower species that monarch butterflies need in order to thrive. Deputy Mayor Brennan expressed concern about milkweed invading farmland, but I deflected that by sticking to the policies recommended by the Mayors Monarch Pledge and the fact that our staff can ensure any works don’t impact farmland. I made the motion to receive the presentation and to ask staff to report back on which steps we can take along with a timeline, which was seconded and approved!
    • The Middlesex Federation of Agriculture presented information that showed the number of farms continues to decline, along with the amount of farmland available. On a brighter side, some types of farms are increasing in numbers. We also briefly discussed the property tax ratio, which County Council left at 25% for this year with an eye toward more long-term solutions.
    • Jordyn Scott requested, and received, the Municipally Significant Event designation for the third annual Oma’s Big Green Egg Food Festival in Delaware happening June 8, 2019 at BJ’s Country market. Councillor Scott recused himself since it is his business hosting the event.

    Consent Agenda

    Items 7.1 through 7.5 were received as information. For item 7.6, Council asked staff to bring back the Arva WWTF EA to proceed forward with it.

    Staff Reports

    A light night for staff reports.

    • The application for funding the reconstruction of Hyde Park Rd through the Rural and Northern Communities Funding Stream was approved.
    • Council voted to receive the one-time doubling of the Federal Gas Tax Fund and will look for the best projects to use it on in 2020.

    There is nothing of significance to report on correspondence or by-laws. We eventually did go into closed session to discuss the selection of our new CAO, which was revealed last week.

    And that’s it! Thanks for reading.

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  • Council Preview: Apr 10, 2019

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    Alright, back at it with the normal Council schedule! Councillor Heffernan posted a great recap of the March 27 meeting I wasn’t able to attend. The April 8 meeting was a closed session related to the selection of our new CAO, so I’m not able to report on anything that happened that evening.

    You can find the full agenda for today’s Council meeting here.

    First we have a Closed Session at 5pm to continue discussing the selection of our new CAO, the only municipal employee that reports directly to Council. Then…

    Delegations, Presentations & Petitions

    • Pat Fowler will make a presentation, with several letters of support, asking Middlesex Centre Council to support the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge.
    • The Middlesex Federation of Agriculture will deliver their Annual Agriculture Update. No presentation provided.
    • Jordyn Scott will ask Council to designate Oma’s Big Green Egg Fest 2019 a municipally significant event so that they can obtain a special occasion permit.

    Consent Agenda

    • MXC staff and the St. Clair Conservation Authority are looking to clarify roles and responsibilities around maintenance of the Coldstream Conservation Area, and renew the agreement early in order to do so as recommended by MXC’s insurance provider.
    • We have the full costs of the recent Integrity Commissioner report now, which came to $11,951.34.
    • The budget has some discrepancies versus where we ought to be on a purely mathematical basis, but overall things look healthy.
    • Fire Chief Toth shows us he and his team are doing a tremendous job executing on the Master Fire Services Plan! I look forward to seeing the next one when it comes time.
    • The Community Services Advisory Committee appointed its new Chair and Co-Chair, and Director of Community Services Scott Mairs laid out the staff wishlist for 2019, including identifying the location for a fenced in dog park in Komoka or Kilworth! 🤩
    • And, the report Council asked for about going ahead with the EA for a new Wastewater Treatment Facility in Arva.

    Staff Reports

    It’s all good news here!

    • The federal government recently introduced the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Plan (ICIP), which the province is also taking part in. The Rural and Northern Ontario Stream is now open, and staff want to seek over $4,000,000 in funding to help pay for Hyde Park Road’s reconstruction between Thirteen Mile Road and Elginfield Road.
      • If we are successful, this would cut down our own future expenses from almost $5M down to roughly $833,500! Let’s hope for the best!
      • This is also a good time to make sure we have all our ducks in a row for the Ilderton Arena, regardless of what Council decides, so that when the appropriate funding stream comes up, our staff are ready to submit the necessary documents for provincial and federal funding.
    • You may have heard the federal gas tax is being doubled on-time 2019. This means instead of $525,126.70, we should receive $1,050,253.40! Staff are recommending putting the additional funds into a reserve for the time being, and the money will be spent in 2020 instead once they identify the best projects to tackle.

    Correspondence

    The Sydenham River Canoe and Kayak Race is now in its 47th year! It looks like a lot of fun, and I hope to participate with one of my children next year.

    That’s that! If you have any questions, please get a hold of me.

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  • Council Recap: March 20, 2019

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    This recap is a long time coming! I got caught up in the swing of my daughter being born just a few days later, and haven’t had much opportunity to sit down and catch up on these blog posts. Thankfully things are back to normal, and so now I can continue with the responsibilities I promised during the last election campaign.

    Here is a link to the preview, in case you missed it.

    Delegations, Presentations & Petitions

    Emmy Nguyen made her case for why the invoice for fire services should be either reduced or eliminated. The Fire Chief also spoke about the services provided to Ms. Nguyen, a non-resident. During Council’s turn to ask questions, I asked Emmy whether she knew that a Middlesex Centre resident would also be billed for fire department services rendered in the City of London, if I were involved a collision there. She did not know that. We also found out that interest is not applied on bills for fire/rescue services, so Ms. Nguyen can take her time paying the bill, which she will need as she’s a student. After a few more questions from Council, we voted to receive the information and no further action was included.

    Consent Agenda

    • Nothing truly special here to report. Building activity is roughly the same as 2018, but we expect that to rise now that building permits can be issued for EdgeWater Estates. I suspect Kilworth Heights West is shortly behind.
    • Budget is in good shape.
    • Middlesex Centre is well below its annual repayment limit, and our own policies specify a repayment limit that’s far below the maximum set by the province. We have several debts that will be eliminated this Council term, and I’m looking forward to seeing those drop off the list.
    • All items were received for information.

    Staff Reports

    • Chris Traini could not attend the meeting to discuss the southern cross walk on Hyde Park Rd in Ilderton. Ultimately nothing was decided. I did receive an idea from a member of the public later, which I will discuss with Council members soon.
    • Autoform Contracting London was awarded the sidewalk replacement program for 2019. I also bring the very welcome news that the sidewalk on St. Lawrence Street in Komoka will finally be extended all the way to Komoka Road, across the former Food Town property!
    • Council voted to approved the placement of the United Empire Loyalist Burial Ground Plaque in Tiffany’s Pioneer Cemetery in Delaware.
    • Council approved a grant for the Optimist Club of Ilderton to replace Canadian flags in support of Canada Day celebrations in Ilderton.
    • Council voted to inform the County that we recommend draft plan approval of the subdivision on the south side of Union Ave, near Oxbow Drive.
    • Council approved removing the severance agreement for a property in Denfield.

    Committee of Adjustment

    Council approved the minor variance application put forth by Steve and Liane Allen to allow them to build a larger-than-normal accessory building.

    Public Meetings

    • Timberwalk Phase 5
      • There is a lot of concern, some of it based in contracts and written discussions, of what Sifton is proposing to alter.
      • The primary concerns raised were over density, promises vs. current proposal, discrepancies in marketing (even current marketing that I could find on the Sifton website during the meeting), storm water drainage, road conditions, pedestrian safety, and a few others.
      • By the end, Council recommended that the public form a committee that would attempt to address their concerns with Sifton directly, and now Council will wait to see the results of that.
      • No other decisions were on the table, or made this evening.
    • Application ZBA 06 2019 was approved.
    • Qutaiba Tawfic Medicine Professional Corporation
      • There were concerns from neighbours about traffic, setbacks, and a commercial property next to their residential properties.
      • Dr. Qutaiba and his planner did their best to explain why this location was purchased and chosen for a medical clinic including access to highways nearby, being able to care for more patients than he has funding to do so at St. Joseph’s Hospital, being able to put a healing garden in the back, and so on.
      • As a commercial property, this property is subject to site plan control and therefore Dr. Qutaiba has a whole host of provisions to address including setbacks, screening, and others that will probably address his neighbours’ concerns fairly well.
      • Council voted to receive the information and will see this application back at Council at a later date with a firm recommendation from staff.
    • Council voted to approve applications ZBA-08-2019, ZBA-09-2019, and ZBA-05-2019.

    Correspondence

    Council voted to receive items 12.1 through 12.8, and to appoint the County of Middlesex as our weed inspector.

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  • Council Preview: Mar 20, 2019

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    Here is your preview of the Middlesex Centre Council meeting for March 20, 2019. You can find the full agenda here.

    No closed session this meeting! Yay!

    Delegations, Presentations & Petitions

    First up, a non-resident named Emmy Nguyen is asking for the fees associated with her motor vehicle collision/incident in August 2018 be waived. You can read her statement along with our Fire Chief’s report.

    Consent Agenda

    • The January and February Building Reports look healthy. Oriole Park is booming right now! I know that building permits are now available for EdgeWater Estates, and will likely be available for Kilworth Heights West in the next couple of months, so the rest of 2019’s building reports could show double digit single family dwelling and townhome building permits being issued.
    • The 2018 Animal Control Year End Summary has some sad news in the form of a few animals needing to be euthanized, but overall a good picture shown. Remember that dogs are licensed in Middlesex Centre, so please get your dog licensed! Also, Lobo Animal Care & Control handles animal control for the municipality!
    • The budget actuals look good, and our annual repayment limit vs. payments being made in 2019 are in great shape. MXC is using only roughly 50% of our annual repayment limit, and we have several debts that will be fully paid off before the end of this Council term in 2022.

    Staff Reports

    • Chris Traini, Middlesex County’s Engineer, will be at Council to present and discuss the crosswalk on Hyde Park Rd, south of Ilderton Rd. Much has been made of this crosswalk and the controversy surrounding its current state vs. what Middlesex Centre Council would like it to be (lights, push button, etc).
      • I have said my piece about this. I don’t represent Ward 1/Ilderton, but I think it sets a poor precedent if we can’t justify beefing up this crosswalk. To me, using traffic counts at a crosswalk many believe to be unsafe in order to justify leaving it as-is or removing it entirely is completely backwards. Pedestrians are consistently treated as second-class citizens when it comes to crosswalks.
    • Staff is seeking approval to award the concrete sidewalk replacement program to Autoform Contracting London, which came in almost $40,000 under budget. If approved, staff will also seek to get more work done and catch up on this important program.
    • The London and Western Ontario Branch of the Umpire Loyalist Association of Canada would like to erect a plaque in honour of Colonel Daniel Springers, who is buried at Tiffany’s Pioneer Cemetery in Delaware.
    • Staff is seeking approval of the application of draft subdivision for the last portion of Union Ave to be developed. The developer would like to erect 9 homes along the westerly part of Union Ave, just north of Oxbow Drive.
    • Donna Layng would like to remove her severance agreement for a piece of land along Denfield Drive, in Denfield. Staff is recommending approval.

    Committee of Adjustment

    Only one to decide on. Liane Allen is seeking approval to erect an accessory building that is larger than typically allowed; 86m² instead of the normal 60m².

    Public Meetings

    There are two public meetings for properties in Ward 4 at this meeting.

    • The owners of 10125 Oxbow Drive are seeking approval to re-zone the property to UR-1, which would eventually allow for development of the land.
      • This is just the latest step in this developer’s process to develop these lands. They will likely be building the first three homes along Oxbow Drive this year, which will help fund the rest of the engineering studies and such for the remainder of the property.
    • There is an application to sever a surplus farm residence at 9800 Oxbow Drive, between the CN Railway tracks and Landsdowne Park Cres.

    And that does it! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about the items above or the public meetings I omitted from the preview, please let me know!

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