Jack Hepworth’s Report, Nov 16, 2015

Jack Hepworth’s Report, Nov 16, 2015

November 16, 2015 Seguin Council eAgenda

Road Closure – November 23, 2015 Muskoka Road 3 (Aspdin Road)

  • Muskoka Road 3 (Aspdin Road) will be fully closed to all through traffic at the Rosseau River Bridge beginning 7:00 a.m. on November 23, 2015 through to 5:00 p.m. on December 20, 2015. Local motorists are advised to follow posted detour signs.
  • The purpose of the closure is to accommodate the planned rehabilitation of the bridge which is located approximately 6.0 km east of Rosseau village.

Seguin supports the MWC in protecting the health of our watersheds

The following is an excellent summary of the work done by the Muskoka Watershed Council. As your councillor, I am a member of the Watershed Council. Seguin supports this organization with an annual grant and an appointed representative. Peter Sale is the current Chair. He has written an excellent letter to request funding for 2016. The letter follows:

On behalf of Muskoka Watershed Council, I extend our thanks to the Township of Seguin for its past support of the activities of the Muskoka Watershed Council (MWC). As the 2016 budget time approaches, MWC respectfully requests $1,000 from the Township of Seguin to assist with developing environmental educational and stewardship material.
2015 was a busy year for MWC. The Living in Cottage Country handbook was released in February and was well-received with almost 1,000 copies being sold to date. This project wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Township of Seguin and we are pleased to include your logo in the handbook.
In addition to the handbook, a couple of very exciting projects began this year and will continue into 2016. Over the past several months, MWC held public consultations with several community groups in the Muskoka River Watershed to help us form a picture of what people think this area will look like in 2050. The public input for the Community Expectations project is currently being consolidated and analyzed. This input will also be used in the Climate Change Impacts project, which is looking at the expected impact of climate change on the Muskoka River Watershed to 2050 and will include a paper containing recommendations for local mitigation plans.

We have been able to engage several volunteers to work on these projects, including local consultants, retired professionals, scientists and other community members. The findings of the reports will be useful to municipalities for official plan policy, planning infrastructure investment and developing adaptation plans for local communities.
The findings of the reports will also be used by MWC to develop stewardship and educational materials, predominantly focused on the largest threats to our watershed as identified in the 2014 Muskoka Watershed Report Card: invasive species and species at risk. Financial support requested from the Township of Seguin in the amount of $1,000 will go towards these efforts.

While we sell the Living in Cottage Country handbook at a price that covers printing costs, we also have a number of smaller print products, including brochures, which we provide at no charge to community groups and municipalities and distribute at our events.
I will contact you early in January to set up a time to address Council in support of this request. Thank you for your support in protecting the health of our watersheds.

Thank you Peter for your informative request.

A summary of the November 16 Seguin Council meeting

  • Execute and return the Authorized Requester Information System (ARIS) Agreement to the Ministry of Transportation Ontario. By-law No. 2015-092.
  • Advise the Committee of Adjustment of the appointment of council representatives to the Committee for 2016. Resolution No. 2015-309.
  • Implement the seasonal summer maintenance of the portion of Bridgewater Road from Turtle Lake Road to the public boat launch. By-law No. 2015087.
  • Proceed with property tax write offs. By-law No. 2015-091.
  • Engage the services of Dennis Trinaistich as legal counsel to represent the Township of Seguin at the Ontario Municipal Board Hearing Case No. PL151021 Johnston re: Official Plan Amendment Application No. OPA-2015-0001-F & Consent Application No. B-2007-0016-F. Once legal counsel and staff have prepared initial strategy for the case, have legal counsel attend a meeting of council to present the case strategy and next steps.