Huntsville Town council met at the Port Sydney Community Hall on Monday July 25. The meeting was chaired by Deputy-Mayor Karin Terziano as Huntsville Mayor Scott Aitchison was absent.
Here are some of the highlights:
Council waives River Mill fees for Tragically Hip’s farewell concert simulcast
Helena Renwick of Huntsville’s Business Improvement Area (BIA) was before council representing the BIA but also herself as a citizen. She told councillors that on Saturday, August 20 the CBC has agreed to let communities broadcast the Tragically Hip’s final concert of a 15-concert cross-Canada tour. She said her husband had the idea of airing the concert at River Mill Park. The project has since come to fruition with Huntsville Festival of the Arts, the BIA, the Chamber and the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, Town of Huntsville and Minor Hockey joining in as partners. She said all donations from the free event will go toward cancer care programs via the Huntsville Hospital Foundation. The Kingston Ontario band’s lead singer, Gord Downie, was diagnosed with an incurable form of brain cancer in May. Council agreed to waive $138 in park fees.
Athlete recognized
Shannon Rodie proudly wears the gold and silver medals she earned at the Ontario Special Olympics Spring Games
Council remuneration to be looked at in-house
Huntsville Council voted to have staff do a review of councillor remuneration in-house, rather than appointing an external group of private citizens to review their pay scale. In a follow-up conversation with Doppler, Huntsville CAO Denise Corry said reviewing councillors’ pay scale has historically been done in-house and council has simply opted to go back to using that method. Staff will compare the pay scale for staff as well as councillors in ten other municipalities of a similar size and bring back a report to council with their findings. Increases to council remuneration would not take place until the following term of council. (Read Doppler’s earlier story here.)
Video production for new initiative to cost about $5000
Councillor Bob Stone said Huntsville’s Economic Development Committee has decided to join forces with Starshine Video Productions to produce a video to target cottagers who own businesses. The idea is to encourage them to locate some or all of their business to Huntsville. In conversation with Doppler, Stone said the cost of the video would be approximately $5,000.
Funny signs go viral?
Stone also told council that the committee is investigating the cost of funny signs not only to achieve a specific purpose but as a tourism drawing card, encouraging people to take photos of and with the signs and mentioning Huntsville at every opportunity including in places like social media.
Is Huntsville’s downtown waterfront getting too crowded?
Under new business Councillor Jonathan Wiebe asked whether the waterfront by the Town docks and Boston Pizza wasn’t congested enough. He questioned the merits of adding an art installation in that vicinity in the form of a statue and said he’s been hearing concerns about the navigability of that waterway. “We could be creating a problem that’s already showing itself.” He asked what the status of that project was. Huntsville CAO Denise Corry was asked to look into it.
Bridges aren’t cheap
Council approved an expenditure of $647,240 plus tax from its public works capital reserve, plus a maximum of $70,000 from its Federal gas tax reserve fund to replace the Stephenson Road 1 bridge. Council also committed to include the repayment of the funds pulled from its public works reserve funds as part of its 2017 budget considerations.
Fundraisers for Fairvern Nursing Home
Councillor Jason Fitzgerald reminded council that Paddle for Fairvern is coming up in August. He also said that the Stephenson Lions’ annual duck race is coming up this Sunday July 31 and Fairvern Nursing Home will be one of the benefactors from the proceeds of the event. He told everyone to join the race at the Port Sydney dam at 11 am Sunday.
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There are several residences and cottages on the west side of the Stephenson Rd 1 bridge but on the east side of hwy 11 – these families need access to the hwy and thus that section of Stephenson Rd 1 can not be closed permanently! There are plans in the works for a fly-over at Hwy 11, eliminating the level crossing but until such time both the hill section of Stephenson 1 and the hwy access must remain open and a functional bridge in place. Thank you to the towns and district for stepping up to replace this bridge!
Come on councillors, when presented with two recent ideas for projects that were to be gifted to the town you supported them. The presenters went away, spent large sums of money (some raised thru the community) and utilized a great deal of manpower in kind, only to hear that suddenly you have cold feet. In both instances you have tried to stop it before it was installed. How do you know that it will increase congestion? Perhaps directional signage might be beneficial. Boaters have their driver’s license, they’ll figure it out. Council should be asking how we could get the power company to get those unsightly power lines and poles removed, when will the park shoreline improvement be done, when will the congestion of cars and trucks around the park be dealt with, how can we enhance what we have back there that will bring it back to being pedestrian friendly, etc. This art piece will be a one of a kind and will make our harbour a unique destination. We should embrace the idea. If it doesn’t work then propose another location or at the very least give the donor a heads up before you blindside him in public.
Where to start? On general principles, I protest the Tragically Hip simulcast; as it destroys the respectfulness owed to a true Canadian icon, and replaces it with a circus. I understand the free admission (it’s available on your home TV), but the “live concert” feel of the park event is worth far more. Let’s charge a reasonable admission, say $25, to honour Gord Downie and fight cancer to a greater extent.
I agree with Council (commencing next term) being paid appropriately within the municipal hierarchy. Also, doing both Council and staff reviews in-house is a tremendous savings over retaining a consultant: Kudos. I would feel more comfortable, however, with staff also postponing any increases to coincide with a new term of Council.
Over the years, Huntsville has consistently (with the historic street lamps, the Tom Thomson sculpture, the proliferation of flowers downtown, the future sculpture, the discarded??? streetscaping concept for the east end, etc.) improved the appearance and “class” of our Town. Now, in one fell swoop, “so-called funny” signs are being considered as a tourist attraction. Please say it ain’t so.
Finally, as a newcomer to Huntsville, I am unfamiliar with its road system (below the District level). But I am aware that the entrance to Stephenson Road 1 is closed for a considerable period in the winter, without prohibiting access of local residents to their homes. Why not just construct a cul-de-sac at the southeast end of the bridge and close the remaining section of roadway permanently. This would seem to be a win-win situation: removing an access point from Highway 11 (a limited access highway) is positive; as is the significant financial savings. If the other connection(s) to the cul-de-sac require maintenance/reconstruction, the monies are available from the realized bridge repair savings. Surely, the AADT (Average Annual Daily Traffic) across this structure can in no wise justify an expenditure in excess of $800,000.