Body: Committee of the Whole Type: Agenda Meeting: Committee of the Whole Date: June 11, 2019 Collection: Council Agendas Municipality: South Frontenac
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TOWNSHIP OF SOUTH FRONTENAC COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING AGENDA
TIME: DATE: PLACE:
7:00 PM, Tuesday, June 11, 2019 Council Chambers.
Call to Order
Declaration of pecuniary interest and the general nature thereof
Approval of Agenda
Scheduled Closed Session - n/a
Recess - n/a
Public Meeting - n/a
Delegations
(a)
Asset Management Presentation - Louise Fragnito and David Holliday
Reports Requiring Direction
(a)
Strategic Policy for Asset Management
28 - 37
(b)
Funding requiring direction
38 - 39
(c)
Roads Requiring Permanent Repair
40 - 43
(d)
Restructuring of Recreation in South Frontenac
44 176
(e)
Council Compensation - Amendment
177 179
Reports for Information - n/a
Rise & Report from Committees of Council
(a)
Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority
(b)
Quinte Conservation Authority
(c)
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
Information Items
(a)
Gavin Marshall, Magenta Waterfront Development Corp
180 184
(b)
Meela Melnik-Proud, re: Application for Extension of Draft Plan
185 187
3 - 27
Page 2 of 190
Approval for the Johnston Point Plan of Condominium (c)
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry - Survey to improve the Province’s Resilience to Flooding
188
(d)
Evonne Potts (on behalf of the Board of Directors) Battersea Loughborough Lake Association, re: Draft Plan Approval Extension for Johnston Point
189
(e)
Warden Higgins, County of Frontenac, re: Johnston Point Draft Plan Extension - Input from Council on decision
190
Notice of Motions
Announcements/Statements by Councillors
Question of Clarity (from the public on outcome of agenda items)
Closed Session (if requested)
Adjournment
Asset management
Page 3 of 190
1
Asset management is… What do we own?
What condition is it in?
Where is it?
What needs to be done?
What is it worth?
When does it need to be done by? Page 4 of 190
2
What Do We Own? Linear Assets Roads •
804 Centreline km Total • • • •
165 km Asphalt 431 km Surface Treatment 208 km Gravel 16 km of Sidewalks
Structures • •
51 Bridges and Culverts over 3m span (OSIM) 167 Culverts Greater than 1m and Less than 3m (Non-OSIM)
Underground Infrastructure •
Water • • •
Storm Sewers • •
7,850m of storm sewers 342 Structures (Catch Basins, Manholes, Etc.)
Page 5 of 190
•
6,368m of Watermain 39 Fire Hydrants 210 Services
3
What Do We Own? Properties • • • • • • • • • • •
Town Hall and Library Arena 4 Patrol Yards Museum Medical Clinic 15 Parks 8 Fire Halls Water Treatment Facility 18 Recreation Facilities 21 Boat Launches 10 Waste Disposal Sites (5 active) Page 6 of 190
4
What Do We Own? Rolling Stock Licensed (Trucks) Building • 3 Building Department Trucks Fire • 8 tankers • 7 pumpers • 1 mini pumper • 5 squads • 4 ¾ ton trucks • 1 1 ton truck • 1 SUV Public Works • 16 Light Trucks • 19 Heavy Duty Trucks (Includes Garbage Truck)
Page 7 of 190
5
What Do We Own? Rolling Stock Unlicensed & Other (Equipment)
• • • • • • •
Public Works 3 Loaders 3 Graders 2 Backhoes 1 Excavator 7 Trailers – 3 Equipment Floats, 2 Culvert Trailers, Belly Dump, Utility Trailer 1 Roller 1 Trackless
•
Corporate Services Computer equipment including server and various software
Page 8 of 190
• • • • • • • •
Fire Self contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) (50) Bunker gear (110) Hoses/Appliances (approximately 32,000 ft) Lighting unit Extrication equipment ATV with trailer Boat with trailer Mobile compressor
6
What is it worth? & What condition is it in? Township of South Frontenac Condition Score Asset Class
Replacement Cost (2016)
Distribution
1 - Excellent
2 - Good
3 - Fair
4 - Poor
5 - Critical
Roads
$288,586,000
81%
$141,625,500
$40,280,500
$60,992,500
$31,742,500
$13,945,000
Bridges & Culverts
$25,771,265
7%
$17,093,928
$5,038,038
$1,573,825
$572,225
$1,493,250
Facilities
$27,307,000
8%
$7,102,000
$4,065,000
$14,435,000
$1,705,000
$0
Water mains & Facilities
$10,978,935
3%
$10,978,935
$0
$0
$0
$0
Storm Sewers
$3,502,338
1%
$2,619,943
$107,568
$68,309
$637,606
$68,912
Total
$356,145,538
100%
$ 179,420,305
$ 49,491,106
$ 77,069,634
$ 34,657,331
$ 15,507,162
50.4%
13.9%
21.6%
9.7%
4.4%
% of Total
Page 9 of 190
7
Page 10 of 190
8
What Do We Currently Do? Roads Segment Selection Condition Based Planning • Right treatment at Right Time • Set Baseline Budget • Keep the good roads good
•
Consideration of Base Defects • Affects Available Preservation Techniques
•
Operational Consideration • Preventative maintenance • Drainage Improvements
•
External Factors • Aligning with other Municipalities • Private Development projects • Timing of segments (finding efficiencies/cost savings)
Page 11 of 190
•
9
What Do We Currently Do? Structures OSIM Structures (>3m Diameter) •
Consultant Based Inspections • •
•
Required Biennial Inspections Multi Year Capital and Maintenance budgets
Contracted Rehabilitation •
Preservation removed if exists
Non-OSIM Structures (<3m Diameter) •
Municipal Staff Inspections • • •
•
3 Level Condition Rating (Good, Fair, Poor) GPS Located Replacement and Maintenance included in Annual Budget
In House Replacement Cost effective Quick response when needed
Page 12 of 190
• •
10
What Do We Currently Do? Fleet •
Equipment Replacement Program • • •
•
Right Sizing Fleet • •
•
Inflation Accounted For 20 Year Forecast Includes Building and Fire Department Trucks
Removing Under Utilized Equipment Adjusting Fleet to Changing Environment
In House Maintenance (Public Services) • • • •
Reduced Reliance on Outsourcing Reduced Down Time Extend Life Of Fleet Support Building and Fire Department Page 13 of 190
11
What Do We Currently Do? Long Range Forecasting
Page 14 of 190
12
What Do We Currently Do? Road Network Life Cycle Planning
Page 15 of 190
13
What needs to be done?
Page 16 of 190
14
What needs to be done & When does it need to be done by?
- Comply with Legislation In December of 2017, the province approved Ontario Regulation 588/17, Asset Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure. The legislation takes a staged approach to meeting various sections of asset management planning.
Page 17 of 190
15
Page 18 of 190
16
What needs to be done & When does it need to be done by? • The first requirement for the Strategic Asset Management Policy is being presented in draft at this COW meeting. • Within the policy, a governance structure provides the responsibilities within the organization and specifies:
Page 19 of 190
The Council is entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing, on behalf of citizens, a large range of services provided through a diverse portfolio of assets. Council, having stewardship responsibility, is the final decision maker on all matters related to asset management in the Township. The Council and senior management are committed to the success of asset management planning.
17
What needs to be done & When does it need to be done by?
Page 20 of 190
18
Working Groups
• The Township has been selected to be part of 2 working groups to help support & move our asset management plan and align it with the requirements of the legislation. AMO/AMOntario – Eastern Ontario co-hort AMP it up 2.0
Page 21 of 190
19
Working Groups (continued) AMO/AMOntario - Eastern Ontario co-hort. As one of 4 municipalities selected (others are Smith Falls, Loyalist and Rideau Lakes), this group is working through specific areas of the requirement: • Establish an asset hierarchy and governance structure • Develop the asset inventory and identify gaps • Identify and measure current levels of service provided to the community • Completing a risk assessment for all major assets Page 22 of 190
This program started In February 2019 and support is anticipated until the end in December 2019. 20
Working Groups (continued)
AMP it up 2.0 Offered through the Municipal Finance Officers Association (MFOA), the program provides free consulting to assess our current plan and develop an action plan for remaining items. This will bridge the gap from the AMO/AMOntario working group for the remaining items to be completed.
Page 23 of 190
This program is beginning as of June 2019 and support is anticipated until the end of 2020. 21
What needs to be done & When does it need to be done by?
- Update Asset Management software and set up additional functionality The 2019 capital budget includes the update to our current asset management software, Cartegraph This will provide additional functionality and flexibility Once this step is complete, facilities data from the 2017 condition assessment will be uploaded and updated Page 24 of 190
Rolling stock will also be added to the system as it is currently maintained through spreadsheets.
22
What needs to be done & When does it need to be done by?
- Incorporating growth Currently, forecasts generated from the software look at a “like for like” replacement and staff manually adjust based on the project type to reflect replacement costs (ie adding sidewalks, widening shoulders)
Page 25 of 190
With the development charges study and upcoming growth study, staff will use this data to also incorporate new assets or improvements that would be driven from growth.
23
What needs to be done & When does it need to be done by?
- Updating Long Range Financial Plan The updated asset management plan is the primary driver of updating capital requirements within the long range financial plan.
Page 26 of 190
Capital planning scenarios are run within Cartegraph to show the unlimited budget demands versus matching funds to forecasted increases. Ie. linear roads have been increased by 5% year over year. For facilities, known replacements are included ie. firehall every 4 years but there is currently a “placeholder” average amount used. In the 2020 update, facilities will be driven by Cartegraph rather than a “placeholder”
24
How do all the different steps interconnect?
Page 27 of 190
25
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REPORT TO C.O.W. TREASURY DEPARTMENT AGENDA DATE:
June 11, 2019
SUBJECT:
Strategic Asset Management Policy
RECOMMENDATION: That COW provide any direction before this policy comes before Council on June 18. BACKGROUND: The Corporate Services Committee considered this report on June 4 and asked that it go to COW for comment before adoption on June 18. In December of 2017, the province approved Ontario Regulation 588/17, Asset Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure. The Strategic Asset Management Policy (Appendix B) is the first requirement in a staged process for compliance with O.Reg. 588/17 over the years 2019 to 2024 (Appendix A). Under this regulation, Council is required to approve a Strategic Asset Management Policy by July 1, 2019. Subsequently, the Strategic Asset Management Policy must be reviewed and, if necessary, updated at least every five years afterwards. The Policy must address twelve components: (1) The municipality’s goals, policies, and plans that are supported by the asset management plan; (2) The process by which the asset management plan is to be considered in the development of the budget or any long-range financial plans that take into account municipal infrastructure assets; (3) The municipality’s approach to continuous improvement (e.g., adoption of effective practices) regarding asset management planning; (4) The principles to be followed in the municipality’s asset management planning process. These principles must uphold the points outlined in section 3 of the Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act; (5) The municipality’s commitment to consider actions that might be required to address climate change impacts upon its infrastructure; (6) Alignment of the asset management plan with financial plans related to the municipality’s water and wastewater assets; (7) Alignment of the asset management plan with the Province’s land-use planning framework; (8) Explanation of the capitalization thresholds used to determine which assets are to be included in the asset management plan and how the thresholds compare to those in the municipality’s tangible capital asset policy; (9) The municipality’s commitment to coordinating planning on asset management for infrastructure that is jointly-owned with other municipalities (e.g., Arena); (10) Identification of the persons involved with the asset management planning process at the municipality, including the executive lead; (11) Explanation of Council’s involvement in asset management planning; and
Our strength is our community.
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REPORT TO C.O.W. TREASURY DEPARTMENT (12) The municipality’s commitment to provide opportunities for residents and other interested parties to provide input into the asset management planning process. This draft policy was jointly created by David Holliday from Public Works and myself to provide cross-departmental input. We both attended training sessions to provide guidance on the creation of the policy. The Policy will be used as a guiding framework for updating the Township’s asset management plan. ATTACHMENTS Appendix A – Regulation overview Appendix B – Strategic Asset Management Planning Policy - draft Submitted/approved/prepared by: Louise Fragnito, Director of Corporate Services & Treasurer
Our strength is our community.
Regulation Overview Strategic Asset Management Policy (by July 1, 2019) Requires municipalities to outline commitments to best practices and continuous improvement Asset Management Plan: Phase 2 (by July 1, 2023)
Builds out the Phase 1 plan to include all assets
Asset Management Plan: Phase 1 (by July 1, 2021) For core assets*: • Inventory of assets • Current levels of service measured by standard metrics • Costs to maintain levels of service Asset Management Plan: Phase 3 (by July 1, 2024) Builds on Phase 1 and 2 by adding: • Proposed levels of service • Lifecycle management and Financial strategy Page 30 of 190
*Core assets are municipal roads, bridges water, wastewater and stormwater assets
Strategic Asset Management Policy • The regulation requires all municipalities to develop and adopt a strategic asset management policy by July 1, 2019. The policy must include: Which municipal goals, plans, and policies the AMP will support.
Process for how AMP affects development of the municipal budget
Commitment to consider climate change mitigation and adaptation
Principles that guide the AMP
Municipality’s approach to continuous improvement
Process for alignment with land-use planning framework
Identification of executive lead and how council will be involved
Commitment to provide opportunities to engage with the public Page 31 of 190
Page 32 of 190
Strategic Asset Management Policy 1.0 Purpose: A strategic asset management policy formalizes the Township’s commitment to asset management. The asset management activities are supported by the strategic goals and objectives of the Township. It is the guide for Council, management and staff for day to day activities as well as on-going decisions related to assets. This policy will support the Township in focusing its asset management measure on managing risks, addressing priorities, and meeting short and long-term needs within affordability. 2.0 Vision: The Township’s vision is to proactively manage its assets to best serve the Township’s objectives, including: • • •
Prioritizing the need for existing and future assets to effectively deliver services to the community or stakeholders, Supporting sustainability and economic development, and Maintaining prudent financial planning and decision making.
3.0 Objectives: The objectives of this policy are to: • •
Provide a consistent framework for implementing asset management throughout the organization. Provide transparency and accountability in the decision-making processes which combine strategic plans, budgets, service levels and risks.
4.0 Strategic Alignment: The direction to support and build vibrant communities as well as encouraging responsible growth requires alignment of the many initiatives underway in our organization at any given time in order for it to be achieved. This alignment is necessary to properly consider whether the level of service provided by our existing and planned assets supports the vision and direction of Council. Asset management planning therefore will not occur in isolation from other municipal goals, plans, and policies. An integrated approach will be followed to develop a practical asset management plan that aligns with our strategic direction. The elements of our asset management planning approach keeps us mindful of the goals
1
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described in our Strategic Plan, align with our growth management plan, our master plans, and our financial plans while respecting our borrowing policy. All of the Township’s plans rely to some extent on the physical assets owned by the Township and the commitment of staff to ensure their strategic use. This includes the long-term maintenance, repair, optimization and replacement of existing assets along with the acquisition of new assets to meet the evolving needs of the Township. 5.0 Stakeholder Engagement The goal of the Township is to efficiently provide its various stakeholders with the municipal services they need aligned with meeting regulatory requirements while balancing available resources. To achieve this, the Township needs to understand the needs of current stakeholders, consider the needs of future generations, and incorporate these perspectives into the asset management plan. As an integral part of the asset management approach, the Township will: • Provide opportunities for residents and other stakeholders served by the Township to provide input in asset management planning; and Coordinate asset management planning with other municipalities who own related or connected assets. 6.0 Guiding Principles The Township will choose practices that aim at reducing the lifecycle cost of asset ownership, while meeting agreed levels of service. Decisions are based on balancing service levels, risks and cost. The Township will consider all the assets in a service context and take into account their interrelationships as opposed to optimizing individual assets in isolation. The Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act, 2015 sets out principles to guide asset management planning in municipalities in Ontario. The Township will strive to incorporate the following principles whenever possible into the day to day operation of the Township: Forward looking: The Township shall take a long-term view while considering demographic and economic trends in the region. Budgeting and planning: The Township shall take into account any applicable budgets or fiscal plans, including those adopted through Ontario legislation Prioritizing: The Township shall identify infrastructure priorities which will drive investment decisions.
2
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Economic development: The Township shall promote economic competitiveness, productivity, job creation, and training opportunities. Transparency: The Township shall base decisions on publicly shared information and make information available to the public Consistency: The Township shall ensure the continued provision of core public services Environmentally conscious: The Township shall endeavor to minimize the impact of infrastructure on the environment respecting and helping maintain ecological and biological diversity. Health and safety: The Township shall ensure the health and safety of workers involved in the construction and maintenance of infrastructure assets. Community focused: The Township shall promote community benefits including both social and economic, arising from infrastructure projects. These projects are aimed at improving the well-being of a community such as local job creation, improvement of public space within the community and promoting accessibility for persons with disabilities. Innovation: The Township shall endeavor to make use of innovative technologies, services, and practices, particularly where doing so would utilize technology, techniques, and practices developed in Ontario. Integration: The Township shall strive to consider the principles and content of non-binding provincial or municipal plans and strategies established under an Act or otherwise, in planning and making decisions surrounding the infrastructure that supports them. 7.0 Community Planning Asset management planning will be aligned with the Township’s Official Plan and the Provincial Policy Statement of the Planning Act. The asset management plan will reflect how the community is projected to change with respect to development. The combination of lifecycle analysis and financial sustainability principles will be the driver in the selection of community development or redevelopment that requires new assets, or existing asset enhancements. The projected changes should be documented to support the recommendations in the Asset Management Plan. Cross-referencing the Township’s Official Plan and the Asset Management Plan will ensure that development occurs within the Township`s means through an understanding of current and future asset needs.
3
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8.0 Climate Change Climate change will be considered as part of the Township’s risk management approach embedded in local asset management planning methods. This approach will balance the potential cost of vulnerabilities to climate change impact and other risks with the cost of reducing these vulnerabilities. 9.0 Scope and Capitalization Thresholds The service rendered by an asset will be a determining factor of whether or not to include it in the asset management plan. If the service delivery of an asset requires oversight by the Township it will then be included in the asset management plan. The capitalization threshold used to determine which assets are included in the asset management plan is therefore a guideline. This qualitative approach is unlike the quantitative and dollar value-based methodology prescribed in the tangible capital asset policy. 10.0 Financial Planning and Budgeting The Township will integrate asset management planning into the annual capital budget, operating budget, and its long-term financial plan. The asset management plan will be used as a resource in order to: Identify all potential revenues and costs (including operating, maintenance, replacement and decommissioning) associated with forthcoming infrastructure asset decisions; Evaluate the need of each significant new capital asset, including considering the impact on future operating costs; and incorporate new revenue tools and alternative funding strategies where possible. Department staff will reference the asset management plan for their area in order to look up forecasted spending needs identified in the plan, verify progress made on the plan to identify potential gaps, and prioritize spending needs for the year to be budgeted for. Finance staff will be involved in the asset management planning process to coordinate the information from the department staff in the preparation of the budget submission. The department level budget submission prepared by each Senior Manager will be reviewed and evaluated by the CAO and Treasurer in the preparation of the Township`s annual budget.
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For the purposes of managing water assets, the water financial plan will be used as a basis for establishing user fees, and any applicable master plan will be referenced in order to ensure alignment with the budgeting process.
11.0 Governance and Continuous Improvement The policy requires the commitment of key stakeholders to ensure the policy guides the development of a clear plan that can be implemented, reviewed and updated. The Council is entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing, on behalf of citizens, a large range of services provided through a diverse portfolio of assets. Council, having stewardship responsibility, is the final decision maker on all matters related to asset management in the Township. The Council and senior management are committed to the success of asset management planning. The following details the responsibilities of the key stakeholders within the Township: Council: Approve by resolution the asset management plan and its updates every five years; Conduct annual reviews of the management plan implementation progress on or before July 1st of every year, that includes: o Progress on ongoing efforts to implement the asset management plans; o Consideration of the Strategic Asset Management Policy; o Any factors affecting the ability of the Township to implement its asset management plans; o Consultation with senior management; o A strategy to address these factors including the adoption of appropriate practices; and o Support ongoing efforts to continuously improve and implement the asset management plans. Executive Lead: Maintain compliance with the asset management policy and provincial asset management regulations. Champions and guides the asset management process. Management Team: Oversee asset management planning activities that fall within their service area and in support of others. 5
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Implementation Team: Update asset management planning data such as condition and replacement costs
The governance structure is summarized in the diagram below:
Management and Support
Council Chief Administrative Officer
Monitoring, Management and Implementation
Director of Corporate Services *Executive Lead Management Team
Director of Public Services Director of Development Services Technical Supervisor
Implementation
Technical and Operations Staff
6
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REPORT TO COUNCIL TREASURY DEPARTMENT AGENDA DATE:
June 11, 2019
SUBJECT:
Funding requiring direction
RECOMMENDATION: That Council provide direction on how the various funding sources should be allocated. BACKGROUND: Over approximately the last year, various funding has been announced and is being brought forward to council to receive direction on next steps.
- Federal Gas Tax Top up - $576,916: As part of the 2019 budget, the federal government announced it will top-up the Federal Gas Tax Fund with a one-time transfer equivalent to the 2018 allocation. These funds will fall under the same rules of our current agreement with AMO. This provides the scope of what the funds can be spent on and further that the funds must be spent within a 5 year period. The recommendation of the Corporate Services Committee was that part of the funds could be spent on hardtop deficiencies identify by Public Works and that the remainder be put into reserves for future consideration. The County is also in receipt of a top up and a report is to be presented to County Council with recommendations. The budgeted 2019 allocation, as in prior years, is being redistributed to the lower tiers to use for linear construction; what they do with the top up funds is up to County Council.
- Modernization Fund - $517,129: The province has distributed a one-time payment to support small and rural municipalities’ efforts to become more efficient and reduce expenditure growth in the longer term. This allocation is unconditional in its use and does not have a deadline as to when it needs to be used by. The recommendation of the Corporate Services Committee was to put the allocation into reserves and wait for a recommendation from the new CAO along with possibly further information from the province on upcoming changes.
- Main Street Funding - $51,837 In January 2018, the province announced the Main Street Revitalization Initiative to support Ontario’s main streets and their business communities. The funds need to be spent by March 2020. Initially, there was discussion with the County about signage for hamlets and businesses. The Corporate Services Committee’s recommendation was to reach out to the County on the status of the project. If the project deadline could not be met through a partnership with the County, the committee recommended that the funds be spent for village signage.
- Cannabis Implementation - $29,555: Our strength is our community.
Page 39 of 190
REPORT TO COUNCIL TREASURY DEPARTMENT The province has provided funding to municipalities in relation to the legalization of Cannabis and the increased costs that may be incurred such as policing, bylaw enforcement or public health. These funds are to help manage the costs and impacts for the next two years. The County has also received matching funds. The Corporate Services Committee recommended that the funds remain set aside in reserve until specific needs have been identified.
ATTACHMENTS None Submitted/approved/prepared by: Louise Fragnito, Director of Corporate Services & Treasurer
Our strength is our community.
Page 40 of 190
REPORT TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE PUBLIC SERVICES DEPARTMENT
AGENDA DATE: June 11, 2019 SUBJECT: Roads Requiring Permanent Repair RECOMMENDATION: THAT permanent repairs to various road sections be undertaken in the amount of $500,000 to be funded from savings in the Petworth Culvert project, from the approved carryover of Carrying Place Road and approximately $100,000 from the Devils Saddle Culvert project; AND THAT the Murvale Boundary Road reconstruction originally scheduled for 2021 be accelerated to 2019 with funding in the amount of $600,000.00 from the Working Fund Reserve and that the proposed 2021 Capital Budget be reduced accordingly
BACKGROUND: A list of roads that have been impacted by the numerous freeze/thaw cycles this spring was presented to the Public Services Committee on May 16, 2019 (Attachment 1). For the last few terms of Council our strategy for the linear Capital Budget has been to generally focus on preserving the good roads and reconstruct those that have reached the end of their useful life. Our overall condition rating on Township roads, without weighting arterial roads higher than local roads, is approximately 80/100 based on biennial inspections. However, as a result of these freezing and thawing cycles, it would seem that a lot of roads were deteriorating at a rate higher than anticipated. It must be emphasized that the roads appeared in worse shape earlier in the spring when the frost was still in the ground. Staff have refined the initial list with consideration given to proposed year of construction and class of road. See Attachment 2. All of these road sections are proposed to be excavated, replenished with compacted Granular A & B, drainage improvements where required and surface treated or asphalt. The last 50m of hard top on First Lake Road is proposed to be pulverized to granular and hard topped at a later date. We have been experiencing significant weather variations over the past several years. It appears as though the seasons have shifted a month from the norm. Sometimes Spring has started a month early and sometimes, like this year, a month later. These changes in climate require consideration during budget deliberations as to the financial impact on our infrastructure.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS: The estimated costs of the proposed repairs are outlined on Attachment 2. Approximately $500,000.00 is required for permanent repairs as identified. The $500,000.00 in permanent repairs can be funded from the expected savings in the Petworth Culvert of approximately $200,000.00, from the carryover for Carrying Place Road of approximately $200,000.00 and approximately $100,000.00 from the Devils Saddle project.
Our strength is our community.
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REPORT TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE PUBLIC SERVICES DEPARTMENT Other than Murvale Road, this proposed work is expected to be outsourced. In addition, Murvale Boundary Road is scheduled for reconstruction in 2021 at an estimated cost of $600,000.00. Scanlan Road and Amey Road are under construction this year so there will be synergies to accelerate this project to this year as opposed to undertake sacrificial repairs. It is proposed that the 2021 Capital Budget will be reduced by this amount. Likewise North Shore Road is scheduled beyond 2022 and it is suggested to accelerate this reconstruction to 2020 with funding from a deferment on Bellrock Road
ATTACHMENTS:
- Original list
- Refined list
Submitted/approved by: Mark Segsworth, P. Eng. Public Service Director
Our strength is our community.
ATTACHMENT 1 Road Name
Segment
Length (m)
Width (m)
Area (m2)
Depth (m)
Volume (m3)
of Truckloads Truck Time (6
(20 yds) loads/day)
Truck Cost
Excavator Cost
First Lake Road
1
100
7
700
0.6
420
16
Henderson Road
1 2 3 4
200 50 50 50
7 7 7 7
1400 350 350 350
0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6
840 210 210 210
Holleford Road
1 2
100 150
7 7
700 1050
0.6 0.6
Latimer Road
1 2
200 200
7 7
1400 1400
Leveque Road
1
300
7
Loughborough Portland Boundary
1 2
50 50
Murvale Road
1 2 3 4
Lower Round Lake Road
Flaggers Cost
3
1
$ 1,927.80
$ 1,445.85 $ 428.40
32 8 8 8
5 1 1 1
3 1 1 1
$ 3,855.60 $ 2,891.70 $ $ 963.90 $ 722.93 $ $ 963.90 $ 722.93 $ $ 963.90 $ 722.93 $
420 630
16 24
3 4
1 2
0.6 0.6
840 840
32 32
5 5
2100
0.6
1260
48
7 7
350 350
0.6 0.6
210 210
150 150 50 150
7 7 7 7
1050 1050 350 1050
0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6
1 2
200 50
7 7
1400 350
Northshore Road
1 2 3 4
75 75 100 150
7 7 7 7
Quinn Road West
1 2
50 50
Valleyview Road
1
Wallace Road
1 2
Granular B Granular B (t) Cost
Granular A Granular A (t) Cost
630
$ 11,340.00
231
856.80 214.20 214.20 214.20
1260 315 315 315
$ 22,680.00 $ 5,670.00 $ 5,670.00 $ 5,670.00
462 115.5 115.5 115.5
$ 1,927.80 $ 2,891.70
$ 1,445.85 $ 428.40 $ 2,168.78 $ 642.60
630 945
$ 11,340.00 $ 17,010.00
231 346.5
3 3
$ 3,855.60 $ 3,855.60
$ 2,891.70 $ 856.80 $ 2,891.70 $ 856.80
1260 1260
$ 22,680.00 $ 22,680.00
462 462
8
4
$ 5,783.40
$ 4,337.55
$ 1,285.20
1890
$ 34,020.00
693
8 8
1 1
1 1
$ $
963.90 $ 722.93 $ 214.20 963.90 $ 722.93 $ 214.20
315 315
$ 5,670.00 $ 5,670.00
115.5 115.5
630 630 210 630
24 24 8 24
4 4 1 4
2 2 1 2
$ 2,891.70 $ 2,168.78 $ 2,891.70 $ 2,168.78 $ 963.90 $ 722.93 $ 2,891.70 $ 2,168.78
642.60 642.60 214.20 642.60
945 945 315 945
$ 17,010.00 $ 17,010.00 $ 5,670.00 $ 17,010.00
346.5 346.5 115.5 346.5
0.6 0.6
840 210
32 8
5 1
3 1
$ 3,855.60 $ 2,891.70 $ 856.80 $ 963.90 $ 722.93 $ 214.20
1260 315
$ 22,680.00 $ 5,670.00
462 115.5
525 525 700 1050
0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6
315 315 420 630
12 12 16 24
2 2 3 4
1 1 1 2
$ 1,445.85 $ 1,445.85 $ 1,927.80 $ 2,891.70
321.30 321.30 428.40 642.60
473 473 630 945
$ 8,505.00 $ 8,505.00 $ 11,340.00 $ 17,010.00
173.25 173.25 231 346.5
7 7
350 350
0.6 0.6
210 210
8 8
1 1
1 1
$ $
963.90 $ 722.93 $ 214.20 963.90 $ 722.93 $ 214.20
315 315
$ 5,670.00 $ 5,670.00
115.5 115.5
100
7
700
0.6
420
16
3
1
$ 1,927.80
$ 1,445.85 $ 428.40
630
$ 11,340.00
231
250 50
7 7
1750 350
0.6 0.6
1050 210
40 8
7 1
3 1
$ 4,819.50 $ 3,614.63 $ 1,071.00 $ 963.90 $ 722.93 $ 214.20
1575 315
$ 28,350.00 $ 5,670.00
577.5 115.5
$ 1,084.39 $ 1,084.39 $ 1,445.85 $ 2,168.78
$ $ $ $
$ $ $ $
Asphalt
Total
$ 4,620.00 $ 8,585.50 $ 28,347.55 $ 28,347.55 $ 9,240.00 $ 17,171.00 $ 56,695.10 $ 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 $ 14,173.78 $ 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 $ 14,173.78 $ 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 $ 14,173.78 $ 99,216.43 $ 4,620.00 $ 8,585.50 $ 28,347.55 $ 6,930.00 $ 12,878.25 $ 42,521.33 $ 70,868.88 $ 9,240.00 $ 17,171.00 $ 56,695.10 $ 9,240.00 $ 17,171.00 $ 56,695.10 $ 113,390.20 $ 13,860.00 $ 25,756.50 $ 85,042.65 $ 85,042.65 $ 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 $ 14,173.78 $ 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 $ 14,173.78 $ 28,347.55 $ 6,930.00 $ 12,878.25 $ 42,521.33 $ 6,930.00 $ 12,878.25 $ 42,521.33 $ 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 $ 14,173.78 $ 6,930.00 $ 12,878.25 $ 42,521.33 $ 141,737.75 $ 9,240.00 $ 17,171.00 $ 56,695.10 $ 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 $ 14,173.78 $ 70,868.88 $ 3,465.00 $ 6,439.13 $ 21,260.66 $ 3,465.00 $ 6,439.13 $ 21,260.66 $ 4,620.00 $ 8,585.50 $ 28,347.55 $ 6,930.00 $ 12,878.25 $ 42,521.33 $ 113,390.20 $ 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 $ 14,173.78 $ 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 $ 14,173.78 $ 28,347.55 $ 4,620.00 $ 8,585.50 $ 28,347.55 $ 28,347.55 $ 11,550.00 $ 21,463.75 $ 70,868.88 $ 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 $ 14,173.78 $ 85,042.65 Grand Total
$ 892,947.83
Page 42 of 190
Days (2 trucks)
ATTACHMENT 2 Road Name
First Lake Road
Segment # Length (m)
Width (m)
Area (m2)
Depth (m)
Volume (m3)
of Truckloads
(20 yds)
100
7
700
0.6
420
16
1
Truck Time (6 Days (2 loads/day) trucks)
3
1
Truck Cost
Excavator Cost
Flaggers Cost
$ 1,927.80
$ 1,445.85 $ 428.40
Granular B Granular B (t) Cost
630
$11,340.00
Granular A (t) Granular A Cost
231
$
Asphalt
Surface Treatment
$
3,500.00
$
4,620.00
‐ $ ‐ 7,000.00 1,750.00 $ 14,173.78 1,750.00 $ 14,173.78 1,750.00 $ 14,173.78
$ $
4,620.00 46,524.10
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
46,524.10 23,262.05 34,893.08 58,155.13 46,524.10 46,524.10 93,048.20 69,786.15 69,786.15
856.80 214.20 214.20 214.20
1260 315 315 315
$22,680.00 $ 5,670.00 $ 5,670.00 $ 5,670.00
462 115.5 115.5 115.5
$ $ $ $
9,240.00 $ 17,171.00 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75
$ 1,927.80 $ 2,891.70
$ 1,445.85 $ 428.40 $ 2,168.78 $ 642.60
630 945
$11,340.00 $17,010.00
231 346.5
$ $
4,620.00 $ 8,585.50 6,930.00 $ 12,878.25
$ $
3,500.00 5,250.00
3 3
$ 3,855.60 $ 3,855.60
$ 2,891.70 $ 856.80 $ 2,891.70 $ 856.80
1260 1260
$22,680.00 $22,680.00
462 462
$ $
9,240.00 9,240.00
$ 17,171.00 $ 17,171.00
$ $
7,000.00 7,000.00
8
4
$ 5,783.40
$ 4,337.55
$ 1,285.20
1890
$34,020.00
693
$ 13,860.00
$ 25,756.50
$ 10,500.00
1 1
1 1
$ $
963.90 $ 722.93 $ 214.20 963.90 $ 722.93 $ 214.20
315 315
$ 5,670.00 $ 5,670.00
115.5 115.5
$ $
1 2 3 4
200 50 50 50
7 7 7 7
1400 350 350 350
0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6
840 210 210 210
32 8 8 8
5 1 1 1
3 1 1 1
$ 3,855.60 $ 2,891.70 $ $ 963.90 $ 722.93 $ $ 963.90 $ 722.93 $ $ 963.90 $ 722.93 $
Holleford Road
1 2
100 150
7 7
700 1050
0.6 0.6
420 630
16 24
3 4
1 2
Latimer Road
1 2
200 200
7 7
1400 1400
0.6 0.6
840 840
32 32
5 5
Leveque Road
1
300
7
2100
0.6
1260
48
Loughborough Portland Boundary
1 2
50 50
7 7
350 350
0.6 0.6
210 210
8 8
Total (Surface Treatment)
4,620.00 $ 8,585.50
$ $ $ $ $
Henderson Road
Total (Asphalt)
2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75
$ $
1,750.00 1,750.00
$
‐
$
‐
$ ‐ $ 14,173.78 $ 14,173.78 $ 28,347.55 $
‐
Murvale Road
Propose to rebuild in 2019 for $600,000 and fund from proposed 2021 Budget Lower Round Lake Road
1 2
200 50
7 7
1400 350
0.6 0.6
840 210
32 8
5 1
3 1
$ 3,855.60 $ 2,891.70 $ $ 963.90 $ 722.93 $
856.80 214.20
1260 315
$ 22,680.00 $ 5,670.00
462 115.5
$ $
9,240.00 $ 17,171.00 $ 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 $
7,000.00 1,750.00
$ $ $
46,524.10 11,631.03 58,155.13
$ $ $ $
‐ 58,155.13 11,631.03 69,786.15
$ 85,042.65 $
414,895.60
$
‐
Northshore Road
Propose to accelerate to 2020 in place of Bellrock Road. Quinn Road West
1 2
50 50
7 7
350 350
0.6 0.6
210 210
8 8
1 1
1 1
$ $
214.20 214.20
315 315
$ 5,670.00 $ 5,670.00
115.5 115.5
$ $
2,310.00 2,310.00
Wallace Road
1 2
250 50
7 7
1750 350
0.6 0.6
1050 210
40 8
7 1
3 1
$ 4,819.50 $ 3,614.63 $ 1,071.00 $ 963.90 $ 722.93 $ 214.20
1575 315
$ 28,350.00 $ 5,670.00
577.5 115.5
$ $
11,550.00 $ 21,463.75 $ 2,310.00 $ 4,292.75 $
963.90 963.90
$ $
722.93 722.93
$ $
$ $
Grand Total
4,292.75 $ 4,292.75 $
1,750.00 $ 14,173.78 1,750.00 $ 14,173.78 $ 28,347.55 8,750.00 1,750.00 $ ‐
Page 43 of 190
Page 44 of 190
STAFF REPORT RECREATION DEPARTMENT
AGENDA DATE: June 11, 2019 SUBJECT: Recreation Committee Structure and Process The following report was prepared to provide Council information regarding the evolution of the Recreation Committee Structure and Process. The objective of this report/recommendation/proposal is to refine the committee structure and process to be focused only on key functions that require input gathered from high engagement with the local and broader community. RECOMMENDATION: That Public Services and Recreation Staff recommend the restructuring of recreation committees to a “Recreation and Leisure Facilities Committee” and a “Community Programming & Events Committee” And that staff be directed to actively advertise for committee appointments to these committees with a deadline of July 19th. BACKGROUND Currently the township operates with five recreation committees (four district, one central). Without the tremendous efforts of our community volunteers, many recreation programs, facilities and events would not be here today. Recreation and leisure in the township of South Frontenac has undergone many changes over the past years. With the increase in staff resources and the addition of new processes, the role of the Recreation Committee volunteers is shifting towards emphasis on engaging with the broader community to gain a better sense of trends and needs. The role of the community recreation volunteers is vital in supporting the work of Township staff and in providing Council with the information and rationale to make informed decisions. Timeline and Process to Date • January 15, 2018 o As part of the annual review and updating of the SFRC Terms of Reference, the committee began discussions about the current structure/process and some issues that were identified. • April 16, 2018 o Further updates to the SFRC Terms of Reference and continued discussion about the changing role of district committees and South Frontenac Recreation. • June 4 2018 o SFRC Terms of Reference approved o Further discussions about the frustrations of staff and committee members in regards to the current Recreation Committee structure. Suggestion by staff to engage with a facilitator to assist with revising the role of the committee and provide a new path.
Our strength is our community.
Page 45 of 190
STAFF REPORT RECREATION DEPARTMENT
• Sept 17 2018 o SFRC put forward Resolution No. SFRC-2018-09/17-03 THAT the South Frontenac Recreation Committee seek the approval of Council to engage with a facilitator to have a guided session that helps revamp the Recreation Committee structure and process, AND THAT we delay Recreation Committee appointments until results of the facilitated session are presented to Council. • December 4, 2018 o Staff presented a Recommendation Report to engage a facilitator o Council approved the following motion THAT Council authorize the engagement of an external facilitator, in advance of the 2019 budget approval process, to guide a session that helps revamp the Recreation Committee structure and process AND THAT Council delay Recreation Committee appointments until results of the facilitated session are presented to Council. • February 2019 o A special committee representing the districts was formed to provide input into reviewing the Recreation Committee Structure and Process. o The township engaged the services of Rob Wood, 8020 Info Inc to facilitate a session with the members to help guide the process. o Rob Wood created a pre-session survey and sent it out to ‘all’ districts to support the development of the facilitated session o Note: only 12 out of 37 district committee members provided a response to the survey. • February 25th at 7pm. o Rob Wood facilitated a session with the committee members Key Findings: Below are some of the key findings and reoccurring themes identified in the comments received from ‘all’ committee members along with the results of the facilitated session. • Current model no longer meets the expanding needs of the community. • Many tasks that have been historically done by volunteers are now being handled by staff. Maintenance, facility booking, direct programming, program promotion, rec guides, student recruitment, etc. •
Changing demographics & recreation trends mean we must look at a broader range of needs. • Ensure engagement at the local level so that local perspectives are effectively represented o It is important that the work of event committees such as Canada Day and the Pumpkin Festival can continue regardless of the structure • The structure must continue to keep volunteers engaged and involved • The roles of township staff, committee members and Council needs to be better clarified in order to support a refined process. Our strength is our community.
Page 46 of 190
STAFF REPORT RECREATION DEPARTMENT
• Must improve how we engage the wider community to hear from all interests. This should be done through multiple mediums. • Input to Council must be improved and come from committees on a more consistent basis. By reaching out to the broader community we should have a better sense of trends and needs that can be communicated to the entire council for decision or further direction. Potential Recreation & Leisure Committee Structure: Based on the results of the facilitated session in was clear that there is a difference in views in how recreation committees should be structured and the process that should be followed. The following were some of the options that came out of the feedback and discussions: • Maintain current structure with four District Committees and one Central Committee • Eliminate the four District Committees and maintain one Central Committee with Community and Council representatives from all areas in the Township. • Eliminate the one Central Committee and maintain the four District Committees A Path Forward In an effort to move the process forward, township staff met to review the results of the facilitated session and discuss a potential structure/process for the committee’s consideration. Staff involved in this discussion including; Director of Public Services, Supervisor of Facilities, Supervisor of Recreation and Township Clerk. Through this discussion, extensive exploration into how other townships structure recreation committees and along with consideration into asset management planning, an alternative option was proposed. The staff recommendation focuses more on ‘functions’ as opposed to historical Municipal geographic boundaries. The proposed structure is mindful of the importance of local input while having a broader perspective in order to enhance planning processes, outreach, needs assessment and communications. The composition of the committee will represent a broader range of groups, needs and interest. It will be better positioned to assist all areas in the community by contributing a wider range of perspectives and expertise. Rotating monthly committee meetings supported by additional ‘community engagement activities’ to gather input and ideas should result in greater district and community representation than we have with the current model. Note: Since amalgamation, many other municipalities have moved to a ‘function’ based model with additional support coming from municipal staff. Out of 75 Townships sampled only 4 continue to operate with a District Recreation Committee while 29 have no Recreation Committees at all and 42 operate via a function based format. The Townships sampled represented many diverse and unique townships from across Ontario. Even though they are individually unique, the majority have transitioned since amalgamation and share a common desire to embrace change that supports the development of recreation and leisure.
Our strength is our community.
Page 47 of 190
STAFF REPORT RECREATION DEPARTMENT
Structure by Function Recreation and Leisure Facilities Committee
Community Programming & Events Committee
Purpose: This committee would be focused on indoor/outdoor facility/amenity maintenance needs and capital projects. Also provides supports for community programs and events.
Purpose: This committee would be focused on engaging with the wider community through multiple mediums to ensure that we are meeting programming and event needs.
Outputs:
Outputs:
• Conduit for community, sporting groups clubs and organizations • Supports facility usage/bookings • Provide input into annual facility operating and capital budgets from an asset management perspective prioritizing recreation based on needs and usage. • Meets to review and support capital projects • To provide residents support and guidance through the process required to successfully present ideas and needs to the township and Council. • To provide recommendations to Council
• Support current community programs/events and developed new initiatives. • Supports facility usage/bookings • Resource for township supported events • Guidance for community run events • Volunteer appreciation along with retention and recruitment • Supports the Community Grant Program • Provide input into annual recreation operating and capital budgets • Assist with gathering content for Community Services & Activity Guide • To provide residents support and guidance through the process required to successfully present ideas and needs to the township and Council. • To provide recommendations to Council
Benefits to Recommended Structure by Function • Committee volunteers focused on community engagement and not so much in the day to day operations of recreation and leisure facilities/programs. o Increased engagement with the local district and broader South Frontenac community • Community volunteers can apply for a committee that is based on their interests • Committee will represents a broader range of groups, needs and interests • Rotating meetings throughout the township • Greater opportunity for individuals and community groups to engage with the township • Decreased costs the township due to honorariums and mileage payments
Our strength is our community.
Page 48 of 190
STAFF REPORT RECREATION DEPARTMENT
Reporting Structure
Note: There would not be a requirement for anyone that is on a Canada Day committee or Pumpkin Festival committee or other community event committee to sit on the programs/events committee. Only those that are nominated to the programs/events committee or are delegations to the programs/events committee would be on it. The programs/events committee would be a support committee to others (fireworks, health unit requirements, booking support, volunteer recruitment, etc)
Our strength is our community.
Page 49 of 190
STAFF REPORT RECREATION DEPARTMENT
Summary Feedback from Distirct Committees The Special Committee and the District Committees had opportunity to provide feedback and comments on the proposed function based structure. The following is a summary of the feedback received. Full details of Special Committee and District feedback in regards to the proposed structure can be found in the following documents. • Feedback from District Committees on draft structure and process • Minutes of the June 3rd Special Meeting Bedford District Bedford District Recreation Committee passed a motion at their last meeting THAT Bedford Recreation Committee to continue as a local committee with possible adjustments (size, etc) AND THAT Central Committee to continue with Bedford representation. Note: The Bedford Recreation Chair was not in attendance at that meeting The BDRC Chair indicated that currently the BDRC mostly focuses on Canada Day and that the Bedford Community would benefit from having more resources and support associated with the Functional Committee structure. Loughborough District Overall Loughborough District Recreation Committee was supportive of the proposed structure with some minor changes as reflected in the feedback provided. It was also noted that there needs to be a greater focus on increasing the lines of communication between members, residents, and the township. Storrington District The Storrington District Recreation Committee is not in favour of the proposed structure. The Storrington District Recreation Committee passed a motion to bring the Storrington Recreation Committee’s agreed statements forward to the South Frontenac Recreation Committee. These statements being: • Eliminate the one Central Committee and maintaining the four District Committees is favorable to this committee. • Leave the committee structure the way it is • Create a facilities committee and have an ad hoc Storrington District Recreation Committee with representatives on the new central committee Portland District Overall Portland District Recreation Committee was supportive of the proposed structure with some minor changes as reflected in the feedback provided.
Our strength is our community.
Page 50 of 190
STAFF REPORT RECREATION DEPARTMENT
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Annual costs to operate the 5 current Recreation Committees: $12,000 avg Estimates Annual Costs to operate the 2 proposed Recreation Committees: $6000 est
ATTACHMENTS • SFRC Minutes o January 15 2018 o April 16 2018 o June 4 2018 o Sept 17 2018 • 2018 Updated SFRC Terms of Reference • 2018 Staff Recommendation Report -Recreation Committee Facilitation • Facilitator Reports: 8020 Info Inc. o Pre-Facilitation survey to all District Committee members o South Frontenac Rec - Discussion Guide for Planning Session Feb 25, 2019 o Minutes of Facilitated Session Feb 25, 2019 o Outcomes Report for Feb-25 Planning Session - 2019-0304 • Draft Staff Recommendation on Recreation Committee Structure provided to Committee • Reports of the Special Meetings of Committee o Minutes of April 1st, 2019 o Feedback from District Committees on draft structure and process o Recreation Structure June 3rd Presentation o Minutes of the June 3rd Special Meeting • Supporting Documents- Functional Committee o Draft Terms of Reference o Draft Agenda Template
Submitted/approved by:
Prepared by:
Mark Segsworth Director of Public Services
Tim Laprade, Arena/Recreation Supervisor
Our strength is our community.
Page 51 of 190
South Frontenac Recreation Committee Minutes
Date:
January 15, 2018
Time:
7:00 pm
Place:
Council Chambers
Attendance: Chair Pam Morey, Councillor Pat Barr, Councillor John McDougall, Councillor Norm Roberts, Councillor Mark Schjerning, Linda Bates, Donna Brown, Kevin Fox, Mike Howe, Alvin Wood. Regrets: Wolfe Erlichman, Tracy Holland Staff: Tim Laprade, Arena & Recreation Supervisor, Angela Maddocks, Deputy Clerk
- Call to Order The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Approval of Minutes Moved by Kevin Fox Seconded by Linda Bates That the minutes of the December 18, 2017 meeting be approved. Carried.
- Business Arising from the Minutes Linda Bates reported that the cost for the Canada 150th aerial photo is $20.00. Scott Gilham from the School Board has provided a blanket approval for the use of the photo in the Recreation Guide and other advertising. Tim Laprade has the original photo on a CD. The schools requested approval for using the photo as a fundraiser and the committee agreed that given their assistance in organizing the project there was no problem the schools doing so.
- New Business a. Selection of Chair and Vice-Chair Tim Laprade opened the floor to nominations for these positions. Nominations for Chair Pam Morey was nominated by John McDougall and Mike Howe seconded the nomination. The nomination was accepted. Donna Brown was nominated by Pam Morey and Alvin Wood seconded the nomination. The nomination was declined. Nominations for Vice-Chair Donna Brown was nominated by Kevin Fox and Alvin Wood seconded the nomination. The nomination was accepted. Moved by Linda Bates That the nominations be closed.
Seconded by Norm Roberts Carried.
b. Terms of Reference Review Tim Laprade introduced an exercise to help frame the discussions around the review of the terms of reference. Each member answered the following questions:
- Why do you choose to sit on a district committee?
- What do you feel is the role or responsibility of your district committee?
- What groups are represented on your district committee?
Page 52 of 190
The following questions/comments were discussed: • Is the committee achieving the items outlined in the “purpose”? • Redundant items – maintenance of facilities • What is SFRC’s role in the volunteer recognition award process? • Are we missing other individuals from community groups to be acknowledged for volunteering? • Should SFRC be nominating individuals in SF for other Ontario awards? Should there be a sub-committee for this purpose? • The role of the district committee – is there still a purpose/need for one? The request for a dog park was used as an example. Requests were made to the district committee but the process was circumvented and another request went right to Council. • Composition of SFRC – is there a need for four Councillors on the committee given there is more support staff now. • If supporting recreational programs and facilities eventually comes out of the tax revenue it was felt the need for the four Council members becomes even more important. There will be increased expectation for recreational programming and activities in the future. • What does recreation mean? There is a broader interpretation for recreation than there once was. • Should there be a quarterly presentation to Council on behalf of SFRC for better communication between the committee and Council? • The committee was encouraged to continue to identify needs along with a rational to help Council make informed decisions. 5. Updates a. 2018 Recreation Guide The proof for the Recreation Guide will be available shortly. b. Time Capsule Project Tim Laprade noted the email from Amanda Pantrey indicating that items for the time capsule are still being accepted c. District Committee Updates Storrington Elections took place at their last meeting. John Kot will be the alternate if Kevin Fox or Alvin Wood are unable to attend a SFRC meeting. Loughborough Mike Howe reported that Canada Day planning is underway. Portland The committee hasn’t met yet in 2018. Bedford Donna Brown has been re-appointed as Chair. While one member has left the committee, there are two new members on Bedford Recreation. 6. Other Business: Pam Morey notified the committee of a free “Dementia” seminar offered by the Alzheimer’s Society to be held on January 24 at 7:00 pm at the S & A Hall in Harrowsmith. Pat Barr noted that the Bedford Historical Society will be hosting an “Open House” on February 24. Tim Laprade reminded the committee of the Family Day event on February 19 at the arena. Volunteers are needed. 7. Chair to sign off on meeting attendance
Page 2
Page 53 of 190 8. Next Meeting: Monday, March 19, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. 9. Adjournment: Moved by Linda Bates That the meeting be adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
Seconded by Kevin Fox Carried.
Recording Secretary: Angela Maddocks
Page 3
Page 54 of 190
South Frontenac Recreation Committee Minutes
Date:
April 16, 2018
Time:
7:00 pm
Place:
Council Chambers
Attendance: Chair Pam Morey, Councillor Pat Barr, Councillor John McDougall, Councillor Norm Roberts, Councillor Mark Schjerning, Linda Bates, Kevin Fox, Tracy Holland, Alvin Wood, Mayor Ron Vandewal Regrets: Wolfe Erlichman, Mike Howe Staff: Tim Laprade, Arena & Recreation Supervisor, Angela Maddocks, Deputy Clerk Mark Segsworth, Public Works Manager.
- Call to Order The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Approval of Minutes Moved by Kevin Fox Seconded by Linda Bates That the minutes of the January 15, 2018 meeting be approved. Carried.
- Business Arising from the Minutes Linda Bates reported that the actual cost to schools was $30.00 for the aerial photo of the Canada 150 project.
- New Business a. Volunteer of the Year Awards Nominations o The deadline for the nominations is May 14, 2018 with the celebration and presentations scheduled for June. b. Centralized Booking Process o Tim Laprade provided a verbal update on the centralized booking process. A single point of contact through the Public Works Department may alleviate associated risks. For now the booking of soccer fields and diamonds will be done by volunteers; however a consolidated calendar will be kept in the office. o If any problems arise on a weekend or after hours, there is an on-call person who can be contacted for assistance. c. Facility Photo Inventory Project o Paul Wash, local photographer, will be providing a complete photo inventory of facilities and buildings once the weather is cooperative.
- Updates a. 2018 Recreation Guide The Recreation Guide has been distributed through the mail, is on the township website and additional copies are available at both George Street and Keeley Road sites. b. Review of Updated Terms of Reference Tim Laprade noted that the changes in the draft terms of reference the “green” indicated new items or items to be left in the document and “red” items are to be removed.
Page 55 of 190 Linda Bates provided costing for the honorarium expenses paid to South Frontenac Recreation committee and the district recreation committees and questioned the amount of meetings necessary based on previous meetings and agenda content. She felt this money could be better spent on programming and equipment for recreation. It was her opinion that as a volunteer people should not get paid. She proposed a resolution with respect to meeting frequency. Moved by Linda Bates Seconded by John McDougall That the “Meeting Frequency” as outlined in the Terms of reference be amended to read “shall meet six times a year or at the call of the Chair. Lost Councillor Schjerning suggested it would be useful to develop a “terms of reference” for each of the district committees. A motion was proposed to this effect below. Moved by Mark Schjerning Seconded by Norm Roberts That the South Frontenac Recreation Committee terms of reference are modified to reflect only the SFRC and that a term of reference is developed for district committees. Carried. There was continued discussion about the changing role of district committees and South Frontenac Recreation that included the number of council members represented on SFRC, Canada Day planning and fundraising, size of committees and how each district committee has different responsibilities. It was questioned whether recreation has been totally amalgamated as there is still a district mindset. Tim Laprade suggested that going forward the SFRC would attend Council meetings on a quarterly basis to report on work and provide an update on requests etc. Mark Segsworth noted that staff do not look at districts when maintaining facilities and fields and that it is his intention to get a much better handle on bookings and the costs for recreation facilities and fields. c. District Committee Updates Storrington The committee met with staff and offered input and recommendations for the improvements to Storrington Centre. They were appreciative of this opportunity and are happy with what is being proposed. Loughborough There were no updates as there hasn’t been a meeting since January. Portland The committee has been reviewing the role of the committee. Bedford No updates. The Bedford Historical Society will be hosting a Flea market and Bake Sale in May. The steps and ramp replacement project is to start on April 17, 2018. d. Time Capsule Project The goal is to have the “burial” event before the May long weekend. The capsule will be buried near the flag with a large rock to mark the spot. There has been a good collection of items submitted. 6. Other Business: . 7. Chair to sign off on meeting attendance 8. Next Meeting: Monday, May 28, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.
Page 2
Page 56 of 190 9. Adjournment: Moved by Mark Schjerning That the meeting be adjourned at 8:00 p.m.
Seconded by Kevin Fox Carried.
Recording Secretary: Angela Maddocks
Page 3
Page 57 of 190 Minutes of South Frontenac Recreation Committee June 4, 2018 Time: 7:00 PM Location: Council Chambers
Present: Donna Brown, Vice-Chair, Wolfe Erlichman, Councillor Pat Barr, Linda Bates, Councillor John McDougall, Mike Howe, Tracy Holland, Councillor Mark Scherning, Kevin Fox, Councillor Norm Roberts Regrets: Pam Morey, Alvin Wood Staff: Tim laprade, Recreation & Arena Supervisor, Angela Maddocks, Deputy Clerk, Mark Segsworth, Public Works Manager. 1.
Call to Order Donna Brown, Vice Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Declaration of pecuniary interest and the general nature thereof
a)
There were no declarations.
Approval of Minutes
a)
Minutes of April 16, 2018 meeting Resolution No. SFRC-06/04-01 Moved by Kevin Fox Seconded by Linda Bates THAT the minutes of the April 16, 2018 meeting be approved. Carried
Business Arising from the Minutes - n/a
New Business
a)
Recreation Committee Structure Tim Laprade addressed the frustration he has sensed from the committee the current structure. He suggested that a facilitator be obtained to revised the role of the committee and provide a new path. Discussion took place regarding the evolution of the committee, things that used to be done by volunteers but are now being done by township staff, the different needs of each district and how do we manage the expectations from the public for recreation and cultural programs. There is a need to find a model that will support funding recreation in the township. The recreation survey conducted in 2016 needs to be reviewed as part of this process. The committee requested that Tim Laprade research the cost to have a facilitator assist with the process of the structure and role of the committee.
b)
Protocol for maintenance concerns Mark Segsworth reaffirmed the process of going through Jamie Brash, Solid Waste & Facilities Supervisor with respect to maintenance concerns. He felt that the Public Works Department has established a consistent level of service
Page 58 of 190 Minutes of Council June, 4, 2018 established across the township for events with respect to opening washrooms on weekends, garbage pick up etc. Mike Howe noted that the support from Jamie Brash has been exceptional however some volunteers do not understand the process and it is difficult to get everyone to follow the protocols in place. 6.
Updates
a)
Review of updated Committee Terms of Reference The committee reviewed the terms and agreed to remove the last bullet from the “District Committees” section that read: “District committees include a maximum of 12 members”. Resolution No. SFRC-06/04-02 Moved by Councillor Pat Barr Seconded by Mike Howe THAT the Terms of Reference be adopted as amended. Carried
b)
Time Capsule Project Tim Laprade reported that there was a good turn out for the burial of the time capsule at Centennial Park. This was a great project to commemorate Canada’s 150th. There is a nice plaque embedded at the site. It was encouraging to have young people in attendance.
c)
Volunteer of the Year Awards Tim Laprade reported that the Volunteer Recognition Award recipients for this celebration are Kerry Fox, Kim Deline, Mary Jo Dowker and Marilyn and Boyd Goodberry. The ceremony for presenting these awards is scheduled for June 19 at 6:00 pm for the recipients and their guests with presentations to start at 6:45.
d)
Centralized Booking Process (Diamond and Field usage) Tim Laprade circulated copies of confirmed bookings for soccer fields, ball diamonds and ball parks. The committee commended staff for this information. It was noted that practice times are not reflected on the schedule; not all leagues are providing the information and they will be encouraged to submit the information so that more accurate tracking can be done on the use of all township fields. It was noted that McMullen Soccer Fields are not being used. The enrollment for soccer has decreased over the past few years from 900 to 500 currently registered. Tim Laprade noted that the on-line registration module has the ability for facility booking and this will be something he will be moving towards using in the future. Councillor McDougall asked if the use of the Verona Lions Club diamond could be reflected in this data.
e)
Capital and Maintenance Project Updates Tim Laprade provided the following updates on projects:
Page 59 of 190 Minutes of Council June, 4, 2018 • • • • • • • • • f)
dog park at Centennial Park - a committee has been formed to assist in the development The Point- top up sand cells and replenish sandstone pricing for fencing for the multi use court and re-sealing of court for icestock group repaint bunker at The Point after Canada Day accessible gates being built concept plan for Glendower playground equipment concept plan for Gilmour Point washrooms and changerooms Glendower Hall steps underway - additional funds needed for enhancements power at Centennial Park before Canada Day
District Committee Updates All districts have plans for Canada Day celebrations. Mike Howe circulated the posters the committee has made for their July 1 celebrations and their June 30 fishing derby. Linda Bates reported that the celebrations in Harrowsmith are based on a shortened day and a better route has been established for the parade. John McDougall noted the Dog Agility Trials held at Centennial Park was a great event. Kevin Fox noted that they will be giving kids coupons for hotdogs and drinks to attract more children, given that Canada Day is on Sunday there is concern about attendance the soccer tournament. Donna Brown reported that they will be hosting a pancake breakfast and have local entertainers Jessica Wedden and Jon McLurg. She also noted that the local lodge and school visits are booked for Bradshaw School.
Chair to sign off on meeting attendance
Next Meeting - at the Call of the Chair
Adjournment
a)
Motion Resolution No. SFRC-06/04-03 Moved by Linda Bates Seconded by Councillor Schjerning THAT the meeting be adjourned at 8:10 p.m. Carried
Page 60 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Committee September 17, 2018 Time: 7:00 PM Location: Council Chambers
Present: Chair Pam Morey, Linda Bates, Donna Brown, Wolfe Erlichman, Kevin Fox, Tracy Holland, Mike Howe, Alvin Wood, Councillor Barr, Councillor McDougall Staff: Tim Laprade, Arena & Recreation Supervisor, Jamie Brash, Facilities and Solid Waste Supervisor, Angela Maddocks, Deputy Clerk. 1.
Call to Order
a)
The Chair called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
Approval of Minutes
a)
June 4, 2018 Meeting Resolution No. SFRC-2018-09/17-01 Moved by Kevin Fox Seconded by Donna Brown THAT the minutes of the June 4, 2018 meeting be approved. Carried
Business Arising from the Minutes - n/a
Updates
a)
Centennial Dog Park The grand opening of the Dog Park took place on August 30, 2018 with a good turnout. This project was over budget and this was due to fencing costs. Originally, based on other similar projects, page wire fencing was budgeted however chain link fencing was a better choice. A report on the budget overage will be going to Council on September 18 for both the dog park and the multi-use pad at The Point. Pam Morey noted the facebook group created for the dog park.
b)
Skateboard Park Feasibility Report The money set aside in 2018 will be reallocated to the budget overage for the dog park and multi use pad. Tim Laprade indicated that he has received estimates for a feasibility study ranging from $13,000 to $50,000. He has also received a 150 page response from a supplier that will be very helpful in answering operational questions. We need to look at potential sites, capital and operational expenditures and the demographics and number of youths in our hamlets. We will reach out to other rural communities who have installed skateboard parks for input. The committee felt there was an interest in the community for this based on delegations and feedback from the recreation survey. It was agreed that this item should be included in the 2019 budget. Resolution No. SFRC-2018-09/17-02 Moved by Kevin Fox Seconded by Linda Bates
Page 61 of 190 Minutes of Council September, 17, 2018 THAT the South Frontenac Recreation Committee recommend an increased budget for a Skate Board Feasibility study as part of the 2019 Budget - not to exceed $15,000 in order to gain further insight into the feasibility of building a Skate Park in South Frontenac Township. Carried c)
Centralized Booking Process Tim Laprade reported that staff are gradually implementing the process. This provides consistency and a better idea of users and less liability. We are still maintaining contact information with local groups. Linda Bates and Tracy Holland commended Joyce Steele on the work she is doing in coordinating the booking process.
d)
Committee Structure/Facilitated Session Resolution No. SFRC-2018-09/17-03 Moved by Councillor McDougall Seconded by Linda Bates THAT the South Frontenac Recreation Committee seek the approval of Council to engage with a facilitator to have a guided session that helps revamp the Recreation Committee structure and process, AND THAT we delay Recreation Committee appointments until results of the facilitated session are presented to Council. Carried
e)
Capital and Maintenance Project Updates Jamie Brash provided an update on the status of the capital and maintenance projects identified in the 2018 budget.
f)
District Committee Updates Portland District The 2019 budget was reviewed at the last meeting. Bedford District There was a great turn out at Glendower Hall for the pancake breakfast on Canada Day. The front steps at the hall look great. Committee focused on 2019 budget needs. There is potential for a monthly games night and a retirees group use of the hall on a monthly basis. Loughborough District Attendance for Canada Day was down due to temperature. No updates on the Triathlon, however the Lakes and Trails Festival was very successful. Storrington District Canada Day was very successful. Committee was pleased with the fireworks technician. High praise for the renovations completed at Storrington Centre. The committee worked through their budget process.
New Business
a)
Summer Program Report Tim Laprade provided an overview of the summer programs. Safety and security of each site was stressed to staff and an missing child protocol was developed and a scenario was conducted. He commended the staff as the outcome of the scenario resulted in finding the missing child in six minutes. There is some improvements needed to the spinal injury scenario.
Page 62 of 190 Minutes of Council September, 17, 2018 With respect to the blue green algae issue, better communication and clarification of results will be addressed for next summer. It was noted that the risk level associated with the shut down of Gilmour Point beach was way below the risk level. A video clip was presented to the committee showcasing the drop in programming. b)
2019 Recreation Budgets Tim Laprade and Jamie Brash presented the consolidated version of budget proposals from all four districts that included the rationale and estimated costs for each project. They will present an updated version of the capital and operating budget at the October meeting.
Chair to sign off on meeting attendance
Next Meeting: October 15, 2018 at 7:00 pm in SHS Library
Adjournment
a)
Resolution Resolution No. SFRC-2018-09/17-04 Moved by Linda Bates Seconded by Donna Brown THAT the meeting adjourn at 9:15 pm. Carried
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Committee Terms of Reference Name: Purpose:
South Frontenac Recreation Committee
To engage and recognize the community volunteers who serve on the local district recreation committees To involve and respect the vital role of our district committee partners To facilitate communication between the district committees, community, SFRC and Council To coordinate on behalf of the Township; the use, development and maintenance of recreation facilities and parks To coordinate the delivery of programs To coordinate and submit an annual operating and capital budget for the Township
Reports to:
The committee reports regularly to council through distribution of minutes and periodic reports and recommendations
Composition
The committee is comprised of 9 members, appointed by Council Council appoints one councilor and 2 members from each of the districts based on nominations from the respective area
Chair
Selected annually by the committee at its first meeting of the calendar year.
Vice Chair
Selected annually by the committee at its first meeting of the calendar year.
Meeting frequency
The committee will meet routinely 6 times per year Or at the call of the Chair
Quorum
A quorum is considered 5 members, but must include one member from each district
Decision making
The committee makes recommendations to Council The committee will strive for consensus on all items, however if voting is necessary; all members of the committee shall have a vote, a simple majority will decide an issue, questions resulting in a tie vote will be defeated. In the absence of a committee member, an alternate from the district committee may attend and vote on behalf of the member.
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Minutes
Written minutes of all meetings shall be prepared. Minutes will be distributed to Council after they have been passed by the committee
Sub committees
Sub-committees may be established as necessary, for a limited time and for a specific purpose. Sub-committees will report back to the next full committee meeting.
Compensation Committee and sub committee members (excluding councilors and staff) will be compensated at the rate of $25 per meeting that exceeds 1 hour in length Review
The committee at the first meeting of each year will review these terms of reference. Recommendations for change will be forwarded to Council for approval.
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STAFF REPORT RECREATION DEPARTMENT
AGENDA DATE: December 4, 2018 SUBJECT: Recreation Committee Structure/Facilitated session RECOMMENDATION THAT Council authorize the engagement of an external facilitator, in advance of the 2019 budget approval process, to guide a session that helps revamp the Recreation Committee structure and process AND that Council delay Recreation Committee appointments until results of the facilitated session are presented to Council.
BACKGROUND Recreation in the Township of South Frontenac has undergone many changes over the past years and the Township needs to look at ways to reflect the changes while focusing on meeting the Committees purpose as outlined in the Terms of Reference. There is a sense that committee members, staff and the Community are frustrated with the current Committee structure and process. As a Community we have different pressures, changing demographics and rec & leisure needs that may have not existed in the past. As per discussions that occurred at the June 4, 2018 South Frontenac Recreation Committee meeting regarding the evolution of the committee. The committee requested that Supervisor of Recreation research the cost to have a facilitator assist with the process of the structure and role of the committee. It was agreed that a facilitated session would help revamp the Recreation Committee structure and fine tune the process that the Township employs for supporting Recreation and Leisure Services in South Frontenac. Some of the comments that arose during the discussion and would be part of the facilitated session include: • • • • • • •
things that used to be done by volunteers but are now being done by township staff the different needs of each district and how do we manage the expectations from the public for recreation and cultural programs. there is a need to find a model that will support funding recreation in the township the recreation survey conducted in 2016 needs to be reviewed as part of this process. Are we meeting the purposes of the SFRC terms of reference? revamp the structures and process before we review the Recreation Mater Plan and update the 5 year recreation plan review the 2016 Recreation and Leisure Public Survey report/results
In September the following motion was passed by the committee. Resolution No. SFRC-2018-09/17-03 Moved by Councillor McDougall Seconded by Linda Bates
Our strength is our community.
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STAFF REPORT RECREATION DEPARTMENT
THAT the South Frontenac Recreation Committee seek the approval of Council to engage with a facilitator to have a guided session that helps revamp the Recreation Committee structure and process, AND THAT we delay Recreation Committee appointments until results of the facilitated session are presented to Council.
FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS A budget of up to $5,000 will be included in the 2019.
Prepared by:
Submitted/approved by:
Tim Laprade
Mark Segsworth
Arena/Recreation Supervisor
Director of Public Services
Our strength is our community.
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Pre-Facilitation survey to all District Committee members On behalf of South Frontenac Township, we are reaching out this week to all members of district recreation committees to ask for your input on some important recreation planning issues. For example: • How best to identify and make a case for local recreation needs • Revamping the structure for local recreation planning • Liaison between the Township & recreation groups • How recreation committees might operate in the future These topics touch on future processes, structure and priorities to be considered by South Frontenac Township. Feedback will also be provided to the South Frontenac Central Recreation Committee for a facilitated planning session scheduled Feb. 25th. Below you will find a link that takes you directly to an online tool where you can freely contribute your ideas and perspectives. This is not an email questionnaire — to give your input, simply click the link below or copy it into your Internet browser. It will take you to the web page and you can just type in your comments. The link to use is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SFRecreation-2019 All feedback is welcome. Please note that your input is anonymous, and it will be compiled as submitted (not filtered or summarized by the consultant) for review during this planning project. And the formal deadline for contributing your feedback is end of day, Monday, February 18th. If you should have any questions about the process or feedback tool, please contact Rob Wood, 8020Info (consultant) at strategy@8020info.com or Tim Laprade, the Township’s Arena and Recreation Supervisor, at tlaprade@southfrontenac.net . Thanks for your input and continuing interest in South Frontenac recreation! As ever … Rob. ———————————————————Robert A. Wood, President & CEO - 8020Info Inc. Tel: (613) 542-8020 | http://www.8020info.com
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Q1 How best to identify needs and make a case for them: Over the years, the range of recreation activities has grown beyond traditional sports as new interests have emerged and age demographics have changed. In responding to these pressures, the Township must ensure available resources are devoted to the most important needs — and it must provide evidence that demonstrates a good case for the use of tax dollars. In the past, district committees have been helpful in identifying needs. Other available methods include public surveys, consultations with recreation organizations, input from volunteers, interactions with staff and so on. From your own point of view, how might we improve the way the Township and Central Recreation Committee connect with the overall community to gather data, information and other evidence to show the need for various types of new recreation initiatives? (Also feel free to mention any potential concerns you may have about making changes to the current system.) Q2 Revamping Structures for Recreation Planning: Support for recreational programs and facilities in the Township has changed gradually over the years: Staff now are responsible for duties that once fell to local volunteers. Methods of gathering information and communication are different today. There are new ways of developing and delivering recreation programs. Different needs in local districts need to be addressed in a balanced way across the Township. And some are not clear on how best to seek Township support for capital and programming projects — Go through local district committees? Through the Central Recreation Committee? Through staff? Direct to members of Council? Some major planning projects are on the horizon as well — updating the five-year recreation plan, looking at the user fee structure, and updating the 2016 recreation survey. It has been suggested that the current structure for recreation planning should be revamped. From your perspective, what type of structure and processes do you feel would be the most effective and timeefficient in planning for future recreation needs, programs and facilities? (Some discussions so far have suggested either maintaining the current committee structure — four district committees and one central — or, alternatively, developing a new structure with one central recreation planning committee supported by sub-committees working on specific events like Canada Day events, the Pumpkin Festival and so on.) Q3 Liaison between Township & Recreation Groups: One of the most important roles for the current committee system is providing a channel for liaison between community recreation groups and the Township (staff and Council). This includes communications, making recommendations to Council, recognizing worthy volunteers, gathering information for
Page 69 of 190
recreation publications and so on. Can you propose any specific ideas or make suggestions on ways to improve how the committee functions as a conduit for information among districts, community groups, clubs, sporting groups and other organizations? Q4 How Recreation Committees Operate: When it comes to the way our recreation committees function (in terms of meeting format and timing, attendance and preparation, agendas, information reports, communications channels, making decisions and so), what would you most like to see changed? Are there any specific areas where we may need to change our typical approach, activities or ways of doing things to accomplish our goals? Q5 PRE-mortem (not a post-mortem): Sometimes it helps make a stronger plan if we consider our weak or vulnerable points. If we imagine a day in 2023 sitting in a meeting to discuss a major failure with the changes and improvements we planned in 2019, what do you predict would have been the cause of that potential failure? Q6 Other comments for consideration:
Page 70 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project
Page 1 of 23
South Frontenac Recreation: CRC Planning Session 7pm, Mon. Feb. 25, 2019
|
South Frontenac Council Chambers
|
Facilitator: Rob Wood
There are many potential issues to be addressed by the Township together with the South Frontenac recreation community:
How best to determine recreation needs and priorities,
Ways to enhance planning structures & processes, especially for major future projects like the next five-year recreation plan, user fees, and community survey.
Ideas to improve how the SFRC and Township plan and communicate across South Frontenac with various recreation interests / individuals in the community. Our focus for this session is to review input from district members and explore various options for future recreation planning. We also hope to establish consensus on a few specific priorities and next steps for moving forward.
Discussion Guide: 7:15pm
Overview of the Session
7:20pm
Understanding Perspectives Around the Table:
8:10pm
8:35pm
▪
Lightning Round: Reactions to the Advance Input (see pages 5-23).
▪
“Clicker” Questions: Assumptions for Planning (see page 4).
▪
Key Issues, Choices and Priorities: Exploring for Consensus — Desired outcomes/key guiding principles for South Frontenac Rec — Preferred options for planning processes, roles and structure — Proposals for action to improve consultation and communications — Renewing focus and practices for districts, SFRC and the Township
Proposals for Future Action: ▪
Participants will be invited to make specific proposals for future action to improve recreation planning approaches and to identify priorities.
▪
Confirming timelines for various activities and next steps.
Wrap-up and Takeaways — adjourn by 8:45pm.
Participants:
Linda Bates Kevin Fox Doug Morey Norm Roberts
Donna Brown Tracy Holland Pam Morey Mark Schjerning
Wolfe Erlichman Mike Howe Alan Revill Alvin Wood
Support: Tim Laprade, other staff, and facilitator Rob Wood
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Page 71 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project
Page 2 of 23
Highlights from the Advance Input: For discussion Feb. 25, 2019 The recap below summarizes some of the highlights from all the advance input received from district committee members over the past 10 days. It is provided as a useful “cheat sheet” for handy reference during the discussion on Feb. 25th, but is not intended to replace the detailed feedback on the following pages or be taken as “recommendations”… they are just some summary notes for your convenience.
How Best to Identify Recreation Needs & Make a Case for Supporting Them: •
Improve community awareness of the rec planning process / how to give input.
•
Simply the process for making needs known; have one channel (not multiple).
•
More actively engage volunteers and the full range of community associations/ clubs/groups in the decision process to tap into their knowledge and experience.
•
Enhance the role of district groups and/or have Township deal with them directly.
•
Collect data (e.g. look at bookings by paid users, or surveys for new initiatives)
•
Use surveys, consultation and information booths to reach out to students, seniors, library users, parents, those we are missing/who don’t participate etc.
•
Make better use of social media, digital communications and input via websites.
•
Conduct a planning review to consider having fewer but higher-quality facilities.
•
Use pilot projects to test programs, and surveys/studies for capital projects.
•
Identify different needs/concerns in different parts of a broad geographic area.
Options for Revamping Recreation Planning Processes and Structures: •
Maintain district committees to drive local programs/events/festivals as well as engage community volunteers to run local programs. Or structure these groups as subcommittees of a central committee but with the same role.
•
For activities like the Pumpkin Festival, Lakes and Trails, and Garlic Festival, maintain the model of using local volunteers and central staff. Most volunteers are motivated/interested in programs, not central planning.
•
Improve communications to/from district committees and from local committees to a full range of community groups.
•
Local committees have a direct line to councillors and their communities.
•
Find ways to ensure that local committees reflect the full range of perspectives and needs in their districts.
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Page 72 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project
Page 3 of 23
•
Reduce the number of steps, people and red tape residents go through to make a case for their recreation needs. Develop a more effective and efficient process.
•
Disband Central Committee & have Township staff deal directly with district groups.
•
An amalgamated township should not be divided by districts, although a central committee should have district representation.
•
Certain administrative functions, such as bookings and use of facilities across the local boundaries, should be centralized.
•
Consider ways to reduce cost to the taxpayer.
Communications and Liaison between Township and Recreation Groups: •
Publish an online directory of district reps and their contact information.
•
Connect user groups for their mutual benefit/interest (e.g. tennis & pickleball).
•
Include groups, clubs and associations on the recreation committee or have recreation committee members sit with each of those other groups.
•
It is natural for committee members to be most interested in their own sports or recreation activities, but others need to feel they can influence planning too.
•
Use online technology to connect groups across districts in South Frontenac.
•
Centralize communications as a staff function (e.g. Recreation Calendar).
Options for How Recreation Committees Operate: •
They should operate more consistently across the four areas.
•
Local groups must feel they have input in the decision-making process.
•
Governance should be more transparent and communications more timely.
•
More time should be spent on looking at needs/planning than reporting updates.
Factors that May Influence Future Success or Failure: •
Reluctance to try something different, keep up with trends or change.
•
Structures that divide rather than focus on equal opportunity for all residents.
•
Lack of communication between users/groups and Council.
•
Lack of clear roles/responsibilities for staff and volunteers.
•
Loss of district identities and representation.
•
Not listening to concerns or knowing what the community overall really wants.
•
Lack of sustainable funding/investment (consider taxpayers, user fees, grants etc).
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Page 73 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project
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“Clicker” Questions First Principles & Assumptions for Planning: Agree or Disagree? This tool is designed to stimulate discussion on the underlying assumptions or principles that might guide any redesign of the recreation planning process and structure in South Frontenac. Please review the list below. Using anonymous “clicker voting”, you will be asked whether you agree or disagree with these statements — examples of potential assumptions that might shape future approaches. Differences in views will be explored.
Would you agree or disagree that … []
Changing demographics & rec trends mean we must look at a broader range of needs.
[]
Without a local group playing an active role, volunteers won’t be easy to engage.
[]
Surveys & social/digital media can be effective tools to get broad input for planning.
[]
Input to Council should go through a structured rec planning process, not direct.
[]
Real differences from district to district require representation from local advocates.
[]
We have a good handle on changing demographics and recreation needs/interests.
[]
We’re all one now — we shouldn’t emphasize different local identities for planning.
[]
We need to do more to hear views from those who don’t happen to sit on committees.
[ ] 9.
In addition to districts, we need to hear from individuals & community associations.
[ ] 10.
Local residents find it confusing / difficult to make their recreation needs known.
[ ] 11.
A centralized group cannot properly appreciate local desires and concerns.
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Page 74 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project
Page 5 of 23
South Frontenac Recreation Planning: Advance Input
Feedback from District Committee Members: To help get the planning session off to a fast start, members of district recreation committees in South Frontenac were invited to provide their perspectives on some key planning questions. In total, 16 participants contributed input on the following questions and issues relevant to planning strategies for moving forward. Their input was received during the period Feb. 12–20, 2019. There are many potential issues to be addressed over the next few years — our discussion on Feb. 25th will open the conversation on some of the following topics raised in this feedback.
- How best to identify needs and make a case for them: Over the years, the range of recreation activities has grown beyond traditional sports as new interests have emerged and age demographics have changed. In responding to these pressures, the Township must ensure available resources are devoted to the most important needs — and it must provide evidence that demonstrates a good case for the use of tax dollars. In the past, district committees have been helpful in identifying needs. Other available methods include public surveys, consultations with recreation organizations, input from volunteers, interactions with staff and so on. From your own point of view, how might we improve the way the Township and Central Recreation Committee connect with the overall community to gather data, information and other evidence to show the need for various types of new recreation initiatives? (Also feel free to mention any potential concerns you may have about making changes to the current system.) Responses: 15 •
Use the knowledge and experience of the volunteers that are involved in the activities, more in the decision process.
•
First, it is no longer the Central Recreation Committee. Perhaps a better understanding would come from people attending events in other areas and see how many are there.
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Page 75 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project
•
Page 6 of 23
Before the creation of SFRC, the chair of the different rec committees was responsible for programming and buildings/fields. Money came from the Park Reserve Fund. Members of council often used this process to build a power base in the respective communities. The creation of the SFRC slowly changed things. The addition of Tim and Jamie has greatly improved the various programs and quality of buildings and fields. Community members go directly to Tim and Jamie to solve concerns. This is why we are here.
•
An indicator of what recreational activities are actually occurring is to reflect on the booking system of paid users. Whether it’s court or field, seeing the paid users must give a real clear indication of who is using the township’s facilities in a structured sense and the square-footage and degree of use per square foot that a group uses the space. For new recreation… that is a bit harder. Can pre-existing facilities be adapted to make a new initiative work? Continuing to build single sport / recreational areas (for example that the township has around 7 different courts for tennis and these courts are hardly used for tennis) seems not meeting needs overall. Not that folks don’t play tennis in our township… it may have to do with the quality of the courts. And so, I feel that if one of the courts in the township was revamped and made out to be the “tennis court” of South Frontenac and the facility was constructed to be high quality for the playing of tennis… then this would be a better outcome overall for the sport and playing of it. People want a “good quality” playing area for their sport / recreation activity and will drive the 15 minutes to get there. The same can be said for other sports and the court / field required to play the sport appropriately.
•
I believe that the community is largely unaware of the current recreation structure in the township and how that structure functions. If the continued model is going to be district based, those district committees should be working on a plan to engage the community and various organizations in their district in order to get the word out about themselves and what they do. Continuing on that assumption, Central committee then needs to make a greater effort overall to include and interface with all of the associations and other recreational clubs in South Frontenac to ensure that the role of recreation in our township is reflective of the residents. It’s time to start including the leadership of the hockey, soccer, baseball and other clubs/associations with the recreation committees to find out the true needs out there.
•
Keep four local district that grass root of recreation where you get input from community group.
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Page 76 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project
Page 7 of 23
•
I would divide the community into different types of dwelling categories and randomly e-mail these residences surveys. Then, I would ask the high school students to survey the seniors at the Grace Centre and the senior housing to get a broad sense of the needs. I would also survey local students, library users, parents whose children are involved in local sports, parents of children at the Early On Centre and New Leaf Links and school daycare centres.
•
Consultation sessions, surveys at not just events but at grocery stores, libraries, through sports organizations. The idea is to reach those who do participate in activities and those we are missing who may not be attending activities. We did a survey a few years ago, which was great, but if we can’t start implementing things our constituents will lose faith in completing these.
•
Comments section for feedback/suggestions on the web site. Surveys sent out to all participants contact e-mails (parents, etc.) for those who have registered in any sport/activity within the township. Repeat a survey township wide every X years. Demographics change and so will the wants of the residents. Feedback on desire for a central “Hub” recreation/multi use centre (pool, ice pad, etc). Do we move away from Districts? It’s been 20 years since amalgamation.
•
Several new ways of gathering data have been introduced by the recreation coordinator and are very useful in gathering information. These include creating a recreation survey and setting up township info booths at local events. These are definitely a good start and need to be continued in the future. The survey needs to happen on a regular basis. This strategy can be included in the next 5 year plan. In addition to these methods we could also hold town meetings as well as use local papers. I feel that the current method of consultations with local recreation organizations and input from volunteers, while valuable, may be limited in identifying all needs of the township as a whole. I think the use of social media can play a large part in identifying these needs. I have noticed that other municipalities have pages on social media that are dedicated to just recreation. I know social media is something that the township has just started to explore and use. I realize that using these sites to gather and send information is something that needs close monitoring in order to be effective. A position on the township staff dedicated to social media would definitely help communication and identifying the recreation needs of all who live in our township.
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Page 77 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project
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The days of people reaching out to local committees is not as effective as it once was due to changing times. The process of how community members need to make their recreation needs known is confusing and at times ineffective. We have found that our committees have been bypassed several times by residents who go directly to Council to make their needs known. Residents and some staff members of the township are not always aware of the process, making the recreation committees’ efforts seem unnecessary. I feel that there may be too many steps in how a community member or organization has to follow in order to make their ideas/needs known. It is time to simplify the process to make things easier for all involved. Changing the current system is something that needs to happen in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of how recreation needs are dealt with. I have no concerns in making these changes. Changes, in my opinion, will only better the lines of communication between the township and its constituents. •
Currently the District Committees gather information from their districts. There is also the old reliable — to email or call or visit your Councillors. This system has worked very well over the years and continues to do so. In my years it has been working very well. Sports and Recreation Groups in the Districts have contributed dollars to assist the Township in providing services and facilities. In my opinion the Central Recreation Committee provides no value to the process and I shall explain why. In the beginning it was necessary. The local committees had a budget and were responsible for getting things done in their own communities. It worked some times. To be sure, there were committees that were more successful than others. Those 4 committees came together to lobby for a position to help recreation in the Township. A person was hired. Now, however, we have that person; we do not need the Central Committee. Councillors sit at the District level where they have the most input and get the most input from their constituents. Then they sit again at the Central Level and then committee as a whole and eventually at a Council meeting. I believe if we are looking at eliminating a Committee, we should eliminate the Central Committee.
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Page 78 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project
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Page 9 of 23
Having a stronger social media presence might help connect with people more effectively. The survey in 2016 was a great idea. Perhaps make that standard practice for every few years. Maybe promote the district recreation committees more and state that residents are welcome to attend to pitch their ideas and concerns.
•
By polling active organizations throughout the township as to recreation activities and needs in their area. By listening and adhering to previous surveys and putting into action the suggestions brought forward. (The last survey’s top request was a swimming pool, then skate park, dog park and water park). Dog park completed and being used. Not everyone will agree with changes but, instead of being paid an honorarium, take that money for one year and deposit it in a separate rec. reserve account to be spent on a recreation item. (approx. $10,000.00$15,000.00).
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The current system of district committees gives residents of a vast geographical area a local forum to address recreational needs and concerns. How can someone in the far-flung north of Bedford District conceive of the desires of a seasonal resident on the south end of Dog Lake in Storrington? Public awareness of the existence and function of local committees needs to be enhanced through the efforts of the Township Recreation Staff.
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Monitoring usage by community members in activities is a good way of identifying need. Having an easy way for people or groups to access facilities to undertake a program on pilot basis, and if successful, that is drawing enough public involvement to show interest, then include it in ongoing funding and program support. Similarly, as activities fall out of favour, have monitoring of community involvement to ease out support for activities that do not show community interest. This method works for activities that can use existing facilities. For ones like indoor swimming or skateboarding that require capital investment, consider using more sophisticated methods of market research to determine if there is enough interest to justify the investment.
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Page 79 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project Page 10 of 23
- Revamping Structures for Recreation Planning: Support for recreational programs and facilities in the Township has changed gradually over the years: •
Staff now are responsible for duties that once fell to local volunteers.
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Methods of gathering information and communication are different today.
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There are new ways of developing and delivering recreation programs.
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Different needs in local districts need to be addressed in a balanced way across the Township.
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And some are not clear on how best to seek Township support for capital and programming projects — Go through local district committees? Through the Central Recreation Committee? Through staff? Direct to members of Council?
Some major planning projects are on the horizon as well — updating the five-year recreation plan, looking at the user fee structure, and updating the 2016 recreation survey. It has been suggested that the current structure for recreation planning should be revamped. From your perspective, what type of structure and processes do you feel would be the most effective and time-efficient in planning for future recreation needs, programs and facilities? (Some discussions so far have suggested either maintaining the current committee structure — four district committees and one central — or, alternatively, developing a new structure with one central recreation planning committee supported by subcommittees working on specific events like Canada Day events, the Pumpkin Festival and so on.)
Responses: 16 •
I’m not sure… I can see merit for both approaches. If you have passionate people and good leadership… amazing things will get done.
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Must maintain district committees as township is too large for one committee to cover it.
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I think the current way is good except there needs to be more communication coming back down to the committees.
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The problem I see is that the local committees often do not reflect the total nature of the district. However, we need community volunteers to run local programs. The key is how to create local groups that feel they have input into all aspects of recreation planning and programming.
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Page 80 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project Page 11 of 23
•
I do believe that the current recreation structure is in terrible need of restructuring. I feel the current structure, although useful in the past, is now ineffective and unnecessary. As a district recreation member for over 10 years I have definitely witnessed a change in the responsibilities and duties of district and central levels of the recreation structure. I believe that the needs of all districts are the same but vary in degree of support needed depending of population and community involvement or volunteer support for recreation in that area. First of all let me say that we are a amalgamated township and should not even be thinking of recreation as being divided by districts. The structure that I support would be that a central recreation review committee be put in place to help the township staff make decisions regarding recreation projects by aiding in gathering facts and information to help the council make informed decisions on all projects. This may include communication with local groups and members of the community for feedback and suggestions. As far as I know, the township does not currently run many events on its own. Most events are run independently by community organizations, sometimes with monetary or other forms of support from the township. These events will continue to run regardless of the township having district recreation committees or not. Most of these organizations directly contact staff with any event questions or concerns. With the development of event and facility guides for organizations wanting to run events or use recreation facilities, the need to be affiliated at the district level had become defunct. I feel that the central committee can help staff by providing some guidance and support to those wanting to use township facilities or holding events by helping them navigate through the process. The central committee could also aid with guidance and support for capital programming projects. I am unsure of why some committee members have such a strong opposition to any change. I am totally baffled as to why they would not see the advantages in making a change that, in my opinion, would only strengthen and make easier how we gather information and support recreation in our community. As mentioned in my response to question 1, the process for how the community can seek support for projects is, as it stands now, very confusing and flawed. By not having to deal with the district committee, it may simplify the process for everyone concerned. In conclusion I feel that having just one central recreation review committee would be the most effective and time efficient in planning for future recreation needs, programming and facilities for our township.
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Page 81 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project Page 12 of 23
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As I have been on one of the district committees for at least 5 years, I see that this is a very ineffective and inefficient way of doing things, so I would recommend developing the second option with a central committee and subcommittees.
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Continuing on the district model is archaic at best. A central committee with sub-committees for specific events and functions is probably the best way to proceed. Steering residents to the district committees only seems to give them cause to look for ways around this process so that their concerns don’t get lost in the shuffle from district to Central to Council. That’s too many steps for recreation concerns to go through to be addressed in any meaningful way, if they even make it through that whole set of committees. I understand that the districts themselves may have certain projects they support, but that can be easily encapsulated inside of a subcommittee for that purpose. Reducing the number of steps, people and red tape between our residents and their recreation needs should be the priority.
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Central committee only with perhaps some district representation. No need for one Councillor per district. Perhaps two from Council. Each of the various organizations look after their own needs (i.e. soccer, baseball, football, etc.).
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For the reasons mentioned above, it is the Local Committees that have the direct line to the Councillors and the communities. The local districts should be maintained and the Central Committee should be scrapped. As for subcommittees working on special events, you currently have that as a committee, not as a subcommittee.
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Maintaining current committees: by having one central committee you lose grassroots information plus it will NOT be good for recreation in South Frontenac; not enough input from local group; that way committee can work all different things.
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The structure should be revamped. Yes, one central recreation planning committee and event committees and preparing a strategic plan would require some time-limited working committees, I would imagine.
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Due to the vast geography of the township, I think the current structure of committees should still exist — districts and central. However, having one central facility booking ‘agent’ (staff, web-portal, phone extension) would be more efficient. I would also suggest that person to be the liaison for the independent cleaning contract people to ensure the upkeep of the facilities is satisfactory.
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Page 82 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project Page 13 of 23
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20+ years ago district committees were to disband and just have Central Rec. They are still there. Combine Portland and Loughborough Canada Day events with one year Portland does the day event and Loughborough does the evening entertainment and fireworks, and then switch the next year. The idea of sub-committees and reporting to central is a good idea. Sub-committees should be run by volunteers and not paid an honorarium. Monthly reports should be sent to Tim to be reviewed and sub-committees should present proposals to Central Rec with information data forwarded to Central Rec committee members one full week before their meeting. With paid staff doing so much of the work that was completed by volunteers in the past, it has lifted a huge responsibility from the Volunteers.
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As stated above, local district committees are necessary to keep channels open to citizens. Reducing representation to one Twp. Rec. Committee just contributes to a system of central control and bureaucracy, which will eventually lose contact with the citizenry.
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Leave as is. A lot cheaper for us taxpayers.
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It varies a bit on the activities. We need a more centralized approach to best use facilities for activities, like leagues that work across boundaries. For leagues, there is also the need to centralize planning on times, etc., to maximize participation and use of space. For other kinds of events, like festivals, some would work best with centralized panning. It is good for the Township to support a few activities a year that become big community-wide events, modeled on the Family Fun Day. Could include the Pumpkin Festival, Lakes and Trails, Garlic Festival. This would be a model of using local volunteers and central staff. There is also need to centrally coordinate and support local community events. The suggestion of having a Township-wide group with subcommittees on areas of interest would seem to support most of these initiatives. Any structure that allows local volunteers to concentrate their time on their interests and feed those interests into a Township system for support seems better. Most volunteers do not want to be involved in the central planning.
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Page 83 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project Page 14 of 23
- Liaison between Township & Recreation Groups: One of the most important roles for the current committee system is providing a channel for liaison between community recreation groups and the Township (staff and Council). This includes communications, making recommendations to Council, recognizing worthy volunteers, gathering information for recreation publications and so on. Can you propose any specific ideas or make suggestions on ways to improve how the committee functions as a conduit for information among districts, community groups, clubs, sporting groups and other organizations? Responses: 16 •
Perhaps publish a contact name, email address and telephone number of the representative for each district on website for township.
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Perhaps seeing how user groups can connect for mutual interest / benefit. For example, tennis and pickle ball areas. Multi-Use and Ice Stock.
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Better attendance at the local parks and recreation meetings by the user groups.
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The geographic size of SF and population spread make a single system very difficult to make and still reflect the local nature of the community.
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Start including those groupings, clubs, and associations with the recreation committee OR make sure that someone from the recreation committee is sitting on each of those groups. In that way there is some communication between people who may not have had a chance otherwise. Obviously this is a bigger time commitment, but in order to accurately reflect the needs, the larger issues of each group need to be heard by someone who can bring that back to the recreation committee.
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The committee members don’t really feel they have any influence, so feel ineffective. Also, it appears rather random as to which group or club has a rep on the committee. I also think that we are assuming that, just because a rep is interested in axe throwing that they are also interested in little league baseball, when really most committee members are understandably predominantly interested in their own sport as they are not employees who are paid to be neutral. I think the new committees should communicate through a online meeting structure to save money and to allow communication amongst districts and should represent water sports, ice sports, and team sports rather than their individual sports to allow for more neutrality.
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Page 84 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project Page 15 of 23
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Staff need to become more active and reach out more to all community groups and leagues. Their needs and wants must be looked at. A centralized “Recreation Calendar” should be produced that lists the various activities, registration process and deadlines throughout the township. Having to look in different locations for various activities can lead to people missing out on an activity. This should be available on line and in the Recreation Guide.
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I do not believe that the current committee system is providing an effective channel for liaison between community recreation groups and the township. To my knowledge almost all recreation groups now deal directly with the township staff with any questions or concerns. This is yet another change that has made the current committee system unnecessary. Local soccer, softball, pickle ball, ice stock and other recreation groups to my knowledge deal directly with staff NOT the local district recreation committees in most districts. This is a practice that needs to change across the board to make usage of township facilities known to the township. This is especially necessary when trying to keep booking records concise and up to date. Now that the township is using a program to make a more consistent calendar of bookings, cutting out the middle man is necessary to make this effective. I believe that one central recreation committee will be able to help staff communicate and gather information from local groups and act as a conduit to connect those groups to the recreation staff that can address their concerns. I think the process should be: 1) The community bring their needs to the central committee. 2) The central committee and staff gather information from that group and the community. 3) Staff and member of the central committee and possibly a member of that local group present information to the council so that Council can make an informed decision on the project. Ideas on how to improve how a central review committee can function as a conduit would be: it could help form a database of all groups to make connecting with for information easier. A review committee could be involved with proposing questions for surveys. They could be involved in recreation related town meetings. Members could aid in going to township events to connect with community members to relate information on how to connect with the township.
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Page 85 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project Page 16 of 23
•
Currently the chair of the district committee can call Township staff, or the local Councillor can, if a problem is identified at the district level. It seems to work pretty well. The staff can also seek answers from local sports and recreation groups by calling or emailing.
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Community reports to the district committee and then South Frontenac rec and then to council very early. Same as other committee. If council works, don’t make new wheel.
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Most sports organizations can go directly through township staff for their needs, so some committees became just reporting groups and didn’t really move things along with the township as they were being addressed directly through staff. As well people from the community could bring things forward directly to the township without going through the district Rec committees.
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Again, promoting more widely that people can come to the district meetings as a starting place for community recreation ideas or initiatives.
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On the township website, introduce a Recreation Suggestion and Requests space for the general public to access with their concerns and requests. The public then have an avenue to put the requests in writing, Rec has a copy, and it is then the committee’s responsibility to compile requests as they come in and act accordingly. This function would be open to all residents of the Township of South Frontenac and a reliable resource for the Rec Committee.
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District Rec committees need to be revamped, with a better vetting process for membership. The committee I am a member of is populated by “volunteers” with interest only in complaining about facilities maintenance and exclusive usage. We need members who are true community-spirited people, not the “same ole year after year” do-nothing complainers. Representation from all recreation organizations is needed.
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Nope.
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Interest sub-committees, open meeting for community input, Township lists of interested groups and individuals to ask for input.
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Page 86 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project Page 17 of 23
- How Recreation Committees Operate: When it comes to the way our recreation committees function (in terms of meeting format and timing, attendance and preparation, agendas, information reports, communications channels, making decisions and so), what would you most like to see changed? Are there any specific areas where we may need to change our typical approach, activities or ways of doing things to accomplish our goals? Responses: 16 •
Where recreation is active and lots of participation, leave alone; where very little, provide leadership and perhaps some funding to try a new thing.
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I think it has to be more standard across the four areas.
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The local groups must feel that they have input in the decision-making process.
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I don’t think that the average resident has any idea what is being discussed at the committee meetings. Given that governance should be transparent, there should be some reasonable assumption that individual committees should be transparent as well. Inviting the press or individual associations etc. can be a very good way to get the information out there to our residents. Our current district/Central model is terrible since someone at the district level who isn’t going to the central meetings needs to wait a month or more to hear back about topics that were taken to the central meeting. Not to mention the fact that then that still has to pass to Council for resolution. It’s such a huge time sink for what could be an otherwise efficient process.
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Only meeting when there are items to discuss and not attending meetings with nothing to report. It is a waste of time, staff, volunteers and taxpayers dollars. It would be better to meet 4-6 times per year at Central Rec. with input from sub-committees and any local organizations. Most events happen from June to October along with Family Day in February. There is always the opportunity for the chair to call a meeting as deemed necessary.
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No need for four district committees plus the central one. We have been an amalgamated township for 20+ years. Recreation should go the same way as the old district garbage rating and be eliminated. Central vs Districts.
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Page 87 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project Page 18 of 23
•
We shouldn’t waste our time each reporting on our club’s activities. Instead, we should just be asked to present if there has been any recent developments at the club level. We should be working together in small groups to brainstorm on how we can improve the recreation programs within SF. We should have more power to effect change and more say over where the budget is allotted. The number of participants should determine where the money is spent, not “who shouts the loudest” like is happening now. I would like the committee chair and secretary to be paid as it is a lot of work, and the rest of us should be volunteers. Really, $30.00 today is not worth the cost of processing. We volunteer because we care, not to be paid. (A yearly gas card of $30.00 would be a nice gesture, but not necessary). Also, we need to look at the demographics to see who needs the programs most. Then, we should look at income and determine who may need a subsidy and work from there. There are a lot of inaccurate assumptions made at present based on outdated statistics. This needs to be rectified if we are to offer high-quality suitable programs.
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Talking from just a central committee view, as I see the district committees should no longer exist. I believe that, on the whole, our approach and activities and way of doing things is relatively good with these few exceptions: – Number of meetings. I believe that there is no need to meet every month unless there is business to discuss. Perhaps Quarterly meetings with the option of the Chair to call a meeting at her discretion as needed. – We only need representation from one or possibly 2 councillors on the committee, as we should be looking at the township as a whole. Councillors should be looking to better the whole township not just their district. (It may be wishful thinking.) Also possibly only 4 other members of the community to sit on the central committee. Not necessarily one from each district. (Again wishful thinking that people can separate themselves from their district.) – I would like to see the members of this central committee more involved in gathering information on projects and for reports. We want to feel useful. – I would like these committee members continue to be involved in decisionmaking on budgets, projects and processes. – If reports go to council I would like a member of this committee in attendance to help support the report so that there is a member of the community supporting and explaining the project, not just staff. – I would like to see more recreation staff within the township to create more programming and create events so that the township has more direct involvement with the community.
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Page 88 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project Page 19 of 23
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Not sure.
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Currently local sports and recreation groups work with the local committees to accomplish goals and then go directly to Council or staff. They do not need to go to Central. This seems to be working very well. The local sports and recreation groups have a vested interest in their own districts and do their best to look after them. There is buy-in from local volunteers because they recognize that the work they do is valued.
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NO. NO. System worked fine.
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Doesn’t appear to have consistency around reporting, agenda’s etc. Reports have not been posted consistently on the SF website, so this is not assisting with letting our community know what we are working on, what we are reporting on, etc. We don’t seek out new members to join our committees generally. No consistency with what the goals of the committees are. Not sure if they are the goals of the members on the committee or that of the community.
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I think the current way is effective (monthly, agendas, meeting minutes, etc).
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No, our Rec committee is great. We all work as a team and put suggestions the table and talk about them.
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Councillors should not sit on District Committees but attend by invitation only. Feedback in writing via Township Rec staff to the District Committee is needed. We presently discuss issues and pass motions using a consensus model. Minutes are submitted to Council via the Recreation Manager. The contents of these minutes are never addressed at Central Rec meetings to my knowledge and no follow-up comes back to District. Communication is paramount!
•
Stronger Township approach.
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Page 89 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project Page 20 of 23
- PRE-mortem Question (not a post-mortem): Sometimes it helps make a stronger plan if we consider our weak or vulnerable points. If we imagine a day in 2023 sitting in a meeting to discuss a major failure with the changes and improvements we planned in 2019, what do you predict would have been the cause of that potential failure? Responses: 15 •
Fearing change.
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Lack of communication between the user groups and the council (administration).
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Adherence to a district structure at a time when we made a decision years ago to amalgamate to become South Frontenac. A district structure only serves to enforce an us-vs.-them attitude between the separate districts when the real focus should be on providing equal opportunity for residents across the township as a whole.
•
I think it is unrealistic to continue to have volunteers organize and run programs as they or their children age out of the program and they are gone. The quality of the sports teams need to be improved, so that they aren’t considered the fallback programs for children who aren’t serious about the sport. The programs should be planned and organized by the paid recreation staff, and volunteers can coach or be team manager for a maximum of three years. The structure, registration forum and insurance should be provided by the Township. Also, I think more money should be put into the trail system and a user fee or membership should be put in place to cover the cost of maintenance. I think competing recreational activities should be respected. Snowmobiles should not be allowed on certain sections of the K & P or Cat Trail on certain days. Seadoos should not be allowed on certain sections of the lakes that are used for fishing and paddling. Catch and release, fishing in kayaks and electric motors should be encouraged to reduce the impact on the lakes.
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The reluctance to change. Districts want to hold onto their individual identities and not let go with centralization. This needs to be accepted or we will not progress as a community and township.
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By getting rid of district committee and having one committee.
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Page 90 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project Page 21 of 23
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The cause of the potential failure will be the inability to change. I have heard way too many times that, “things are done this way because that is the way they have always been done”. We need to look out of the box and realize that although change can be hard at first, it can be beneficial to all in the long run.
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#1 Yes, the elimination of the District Committees. #2 Should the Municipality go to a Municipal system of first past the post, then the local committees would be absolutely essential. In such a system you could end up with 8 councillors from one area and then how would the other Districts feel?
•
Resistance to change from current members involved. Not really knowing what our community wants, but rather looking at what those few people on a committee wants.
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That we did not listen to the community or stay current in trends. Some great work has been done with recreation in our township over the last few years (shout out to Tim, Jamie and Mark!). Namely changing the tennis courts to be compatible with pickle ball, the rec survey, hiring summer students, etc. But the fear of trying something different or keeping up with trends seems to be a weakness in our township as a whole. SF just got Facebook in the last two years and still only uses it for road closure updates. Social media could be a powerful tool to connect with residents, yet they do not want to do it.
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By not listening to concerns and input from our taxpayers.
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Money. Recreation is funded primarily from a parkland surcharge levied on new development. It needs to move to a tax-based model. This was promised a year ago, but we haven’t seen it yet.
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No one listened to the taxpayer, the recreation committee at that time. Each recreation committee in the township had different ideas and nothing happened.
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Staying too much focused on the local areas, rather than local interest organizing.
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Donald Trump.
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Page 91 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project Page 22 of 23
- Other comments for consideration… Responses: 11 •
We need to meet the needs for sport and recreation. Keep our residents from having to head back into Kingston in the evening or weekends to access what South Frontenac doesn’t offer, or that our facilities / courts / fields are just not up to par. Having spaces that are of good quality and are not just haphazardly constructed are essential to attracting participants. Baby-boomers are going to need these spaces and it would be a shame for folks to have to drive to Kingston instead of accessing facilities right in our own area. By having high quality facilities, the payoff is that it opens the doors to different sports being able to “showcase” their sport in many other neat ways that could have economic spin offs for our communities.
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I sincerely hope this comment gets brought up at the meeting on Feb 25th. “I believe that we are in a position right now to stop our adherence to the district model. The sort of thinking that happens when looking at things from that perspective is us vs. them. It allows division between us at a time when we should be focused on working together to solve the larger problems facing the entire township. There are great volunteers, organizations and associations in every district; let’s leverage that amazing amount of resources to help ourselves and our neighbours rather than only focusing on our own backyard.” That said, thanks for putting this forward for discussion. I truly believe that it’s an important task that needs real movement such that recreation and community engagement can move forward on the right path.
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Thank-you for making recreation a priority. We are so fortunate to live where we do, we would be crazy not to capitalize on our natural beauty. Recreation is critical for building a strong sense of community, and keeping people healthy and happy. I would strongly recommend spending more tax dollars on township recreation, including more permanent staffing to ensure SF Rec is represented properly. Please keep the district rec committees; they are a far better representation of community needs than one committee charged with representing such a huge boundary. Focus on central booking and consistency with facility maintenance.
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You must have more communication with people. Keep local committees. All districts have different needs. By having one committee, you lose that.
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Change is positive and should be embraced.
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Page 92 of 190 South Frontenac Recreation Planning Project Page 23 of 23
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More money needs to be put into recreation and users should be expected to pay a reasonable fee for programs. Continuing to offer day camps and swimming lessons at cut rates for parents will undermine the growth of other programs as they will be unable to compete against such low user fees. Also, the staff in these programs should be carefully screened to ensure that they have the interest of the participants in mind and that they are skilled instructors (not just related to someone). There needs a gym facility and more fitness programs offered for teens, parents and active seniors to keep them in the community, so that they don’t head to Kingston for gym facilities and exercise programs. That way, our rural communities will grow rather than shrink. The Township needs more indoor facilities, so they should purchase/rent buildings like the local strip mall and set up recreational programs there. It should not always be assumed that people don’t want to pay for these programs as many locals are paying private fees of $80-100.00 per month for these programs. These funds would be good revenue for the Township.
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I would like to see the user fees done away with for the users under the age of 18. We are penalizing the organizations and the users that are promoting a healthy choice!
•
I believe our demographics have changed tremendously. We need to make change, get out of our comfort zone, try new things and new ways of doing things and really getting a pulse on our community. It is a big geographic area, which can have its challenges, but if we can really know our landscape and be okay with recognizing there are differences in the areas but really know what those differences are, we can have a great vibrant community.
•
The rec. committee has spent a considerable amount of time and energy over the past 30+ years and we need to look into the future with an open eye as what is best for our entire township. Where do we go from here to support each other and make our township the best, leading by example? Our future generations are depending on us to bring forth a unified committee working together as an efficient team for the betterment of all concerned.
•
I find serving on District Rec. unrewarding, primarily because of the frustration with membership described in 3 above as well as the autocratic interference of our councillor at meetings. I suggest that the size of the Central Rec. committee be reduced to 1 representative from each district and 2 not 4 councillors.
•
Nothing may or may not be done but it all takes time and this survey should go out to taxpayers in the tax bills and see what they say and again some may answer and some may not.
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Minutes of Facilitated Session February 25, 2019
Time: 7:00pm Location: Council Chambers South Frontenac Recreation Present: Doug Morey, Norm Roberts, Alvin Wood, Kevin Fox, Linda Bates, Pam Morey, Mark Schjerning, Tracy Holland, Alan Revill, Wolfe Erlichman, Mike Howe. Staff: Time Laprade – Arena & Recreation Supervisor, Rob Wood – Facilitator, Angela Maddocks – Clerk, Mark Segsworth – Director of Public Services, Jamie Brash – Manager of Facilities & Waste Management, Emily Caird – Committee Secretary Others: Ron Vandewal, Ross Sutherland
- Call to Order a. Tim Laprade called meeting to order at 7:01 pm
- Reports For information a. 2019 Budget Approval Tim Laprade noted that the 2019 recreation budget had been approved with the exception of the rec coordinator position, event photographer, and movie screen. Council requested that more information be provided on the Centennial Dog Park upgrades and Gilmour Park building before making a decision. b. Tim Laprade announced that the 2019 Community Services & Activity Guide was now available online.
- Information Items a. Lightening Round Doug Morey commented that we are not as far apart as we think we are. Consensus is possible. Norm Roberts felt that the districts need to stay.
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Alvin Wood felt that the current Committee Structure is dysfunctional. The districts require more work and there is a disconnect between the district committees and Council. Kevin Fox expressed concern with the concept that “old is bad and new is good”. He felt that this statement is not necessarily true. He also expressed concern in reference to municipal politics moving towards a “past the post’ electoral system and what that might mean Council and district recreation. Linda Bates said that her goal was to move towards a system that consisted of meetings that were more focused and useful, and potentially less frequent. She found attending meetings with no reports or purpose unnecessary. Pam Morey stated that changed needs to happen. Tim Laprade noted that his focus was to make sure that the main goal of the Future Recreation committee should be to improve how we engage the community. More input from the public is required, not just input from those sitting on the committees themselves. Mark Schjerning noted the importance of keeping up with the changing demographics of the community. He felt that the focus of recreation should be on what’s going to best serve the community and the younger families that are moving here. Tracy Holland stated that we have grown as a rural community and that each small community is different with different needs and required services. She noted that one size does not fit all and that she wanted to feel more engaged and purposeful when contributing to any recreation committee. Alan Revill noted that he was prepared to learn and listen. Wolfe Erlichman commented that he believes South Frontenac can build on the existing committee structure that is already in place – there is the opportunity to make it function better. Mike Howe references 2009 when the new structure was introduced and that previously the SFRC had more of a purpose. He noted his concerns about maintaining programming and the funding of programing for seniors. b. Clicker Questions & Feedback
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- Changing Demographics & rec trends mean we must look at a broader range of need. A= 82% D=9% DK= 9% Comments: • AW - Seniors is a big range and there is nothing for them outsiof the Sydenham area. • TP - The trend of Festivals is popular right now and SF needs more.
- Without a local group playing an active role, volunteers won’t be easy to engage. A= 82% D=18% Comments: • LB – She felt there was no problem getting volunteers, it was actually harder to keep them. We should be able to offer them a meal or incentive, it shouldn’t cost you to be a volunteer. • Comment was made that the organizations and community groups get a lot more volunteers – it’s not really the district rec committees getting volunteers.
- Surveys & social/digital media can be effective tools to get broad input for planning. A=80%
D=10%
DK=10%
Comments: • DM – Surveys need to be well advertised or else you get nothing. • LB – Send out the survey with interim tax notice & bag tags – everyone watched for their bag tags. • TP – 700 individual responses were received in 2016 – lots of valid data. The SF recreation staff also monitor other Facebook groups for feedback – any patterns of interest or concerns are considered valid data and used as input. • MH – Social media can be used to drive people to the surveys – but then what gets done with that data? There should be a survey done every two years – with focused questions. • KF – Leary of social media and doesn’t believe in the validity of surveys or the utilization of the internet for data collection. 4. Input to Council should go through a structured rec planning process, not direct.
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A=82%
D=9%
DK=9%
Comments: • NR – Process should go from the District committee to the Central committee and then to Council. If it goes directly from district to council then the other districts won’t know what has occurred. • DM – The recreation committee should fine tune their data through process and then bring the final product to Council so that they can make informed decisions. • AW – The committee set up needs more structure – the current process slows things down too much. The tradition with country politics is for citizens to run right to council. • MH – It is any citizen’s right to go to council. We should never discourage people from going to council – we just need more structure. • WE – Agreed with MH’s statement. • AR – Noted that we should not stop individuals from approaching council, however, funding requests should come from committees not individuals. • DW – Every citizen does have the right to approach council but it also creates a back door option. This allows people to go around the recreation committees and go straight to council – this ends up being a waste of committee member’s time. Process isn’t meant \to stop people, just funnel them to the right channel. • PM – Supportive of DM’s comments about funneling individuals to the committees for guidance. 5. Real differences from district to district require representation from local advocates. A=55%
D=36%
DK=9%
Comments: • PM – We need local representatives, not necessarily a district group. • DM – I hear the same issues coming from each district. Some committees are different sizes which mean some may be more powerful – this may make things unbalanced. Local representation is important but necessary for a committee structure. • TH – Do we actually need district committees at central committee? Interest groups don’t know that their input is important at recreation committees.
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• • •
WE – Thinks that there are clear differences in each area and that those differences should be represented. NR – Some districts have more groups, which is why it has a bigger committee. That is how it was structured 20 years ago (Storrington). MH – Each group can have structure, but we need to follow the same way of communicating.
- We have a good handle on changing demographics and recreation needs/interests. A=9%
D=73%
DK=18%
Comments: • AW – we don’t get any feedback at the district level. We receive input from the public, submit it to the central committee and then get nothing back. • TL – We don’t have a good handle on this. I don’t feel that the input from district committees are actually community input, more just input from the individuals on the committee. We get lists (basically a wish list) from the district committees, not a focused list of what we need and why the Committee thinks it’s justifiable. • DM – Some of the best ideas actioned in 2018 did not come from the district committees – instead they were brought to council by the public via petition, i.e. the Centennial Dog Park. Items from survey feedback often get lost in the paperwork but they were still good ideas. • NR – If we has handle on this, then we wouldn’t be having this discussion 7. We’re all one now – we shouldn’t emphasize different local identities for planning. A=45%
D=45
DK=9%
Comments: • MH – Geography is our enemy. We planned this consolidation years ago and brought on staff to make it happen – our problem now is just the distance. Now we have technology – lets utilize that. • MS – What have others done? What did the City of Ottawa do post amalgamation? It’s been 20 years – others are obviously making it work. • RW – It seems you are competing against each other for services?
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• • • • • •
• • • • • •
• •
•
AR – Planning districts and boundaries don’t need to be reflected in recreation committees. AW – We were forced to be one in 1998 – let each district stand up and say what they want. NR – We have 10 separate provinces that make up Canada – why can’t we have 4 different districts. RW – What do we lose by operating as one? AW – Everything is centralized in Sydenham – we need to work to keep things local in each district. TL – We still need to maintain local identities. I don’t want you to lose that – we want it all represented, just as one whole. We would fail if we didn’t develop a structure that works as one committee and has local district committees. TH – Maybe we work as one but provide localized surveys in order to get that type of input. MH – The driving force here is money. We now have one back account – we’re being forced to be one due to that. We cannot continue operating the way we are. RW – How do we hear about issues hamlet to hamlet? DM – Voices need to be represented, but a committee structure is not necessary to achieve that. AR – Diversity is in each region, but we are all one LB – I have lived in 3 out of the 4 district and contributed/supports each of them. I feel a part of every district and feel that we must work together as we all pay the same taxes. We are all working from one pot, so we need to work together towards the same goal. AW – We are all one, but that doesn’t mean we need to be treated as one. Each district has different needs. MH We have fulltime staff that know what they’re doing. We just need a clear process for all. We can’t give everyone everything they want. We need strong mechanisms to be able to respond and provide to the community. RW – You need a fair process going in but also need a fair and clear way of communicating information back to the community.
- We need to do more to hear views from those who don’t happen to sit on committee. A=91%
D = 9%
Comments: • LB – We have many different lions clubs, but they don’t sit on any committees. Many groups don’t feel that they are listened to. We need to reach out to them and let them know they are welcome at our meetings.
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•
TP – He cautioned this concept – we don’t want huge committees – but encourage them to share with the rec committees.
- In addition to districts, we need to hear from individuals & community associations. A=91%
D = 9%
- Local residents find it confusing/difficult to make their recreation needs known. A=45%
D=36%
DK=8%
Comments: • TL – I don’t believe it’s difficult, the community always finds their way. They definitely don’t take the process we think they should, but they always find a way to make their wants and concerns none. The lack of process is the confusing part. • LB – It should be clean and clear for residents – that’s what they need. We have a good website, we should utilize it more by publishing clear and concise steps online for people to follow in relation to making their recreation wants known. ; • TL – A few things ended up in the 2019 budget that the committees didn’t even know about. These were brought forward to council directly from residents. • DM – This is a spot we can make a ton of change. The role of the committee should be to assist people through the process of getting people to where they need to be. Committees should take on a navigation role and help facilitate resident’s recreation needs. • AW – Tim pointed people back to the Storrington district recreation committee when they had a request and that was great. The networks are what’s important. Information does not need to pass through another committee (central). 11. A centralized group cannot properly appreciate local desires and concerns. A=27%
D=55%
DK=18%
Comments: • TL – It all comes down to inputs – how are we getting community input? We should be able to get local desires if we have connected methods of obtaining input.
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• • •
DM – A centralized group has to be made up of people in tune with local desires and concerns, so by its very natures should be made up of people form every geographical area. KF – That’s how they are now – with districts. If we move to a Past the Post system then how will committees be created? DM – No need for district committees.
c. Proposals & Big Themes Rob Wood stated the need to narrow down ideas to specific proposals. Tim Laprade noted that whether it be a district recreation committee or central committee in place – that group will need to get out every few months and get in touch with the people and capture their needs and interest. SF wants input not matter what the structure of recreation committees looks like. Norm Roberts commented that collecting good input can be as easy as targeting local coffee shops and barber shops to get in touch with the community. Alvin Wood reiterated the need for district recreation committees but noted that occasional town hall meetings to touch base would be better instead of monthly district committees. Mike Howe noted that a “Town Hall” meeting should be structured and focused on a specific topic as meetings with no purpose are not well attended by the public. Linda Bates suggested quarterly meetings for the Central committee. Doug Morey suggested that committees attempt to engage other organizations more. This could mean attending their meetings our inviting them to SF recreation meetings in order to obtain their wants and needs. Wolfe Erlichman expressed concerns that fewer meetings for committees would mean the slowing down the already slow process of accomplishing goals. He felt this would also reduce continuity within the committees. Mark Schjerning noted that the Township needed to clarify its role as well – what do they see themselves leading vs. other organizations (I.e. sports leagues). Tracy Holland commented that in her experience, volunteers don’t want to or need to go to monthly recreations meetings. The increase of township staff have made that possible and easier. She said the focus now should be on better understanding the current demographics of the community
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and that a second look at the 2016 survey results may provide a direction for South Frontenac Recreation. She suggested that having town hall meetings in various areas throughout the township to explore the big ideas uncovered through the survey would be the most beneficial. Kevin Fox posed the question – when is a survey valuable? Tim Laprade commented that the results from the 2016 survey contained more than the 14 voices that sit on the SFRC. He noted that the results from the survey were distributed to each district committee, and was disappointed that nothing was done with that information. Mike Howe noted that the committees need direction in relations to survey data and feedback – i.e. these are the 5 things we should all focus on over the next 5 years. He commented that in 2009 the foals and direction were clear and the period that followed was very productive. d. Committee Takeaways Many felt this was a positive first session and that everyone wants the same outcome for the community. Others felt that this process was meant to find consensus, and that the goal is still very far away. It was noted that the goal is to clean up the current processes and procedures. Also noted was the need for diverse identities in the community to still be represented, and for those communities to have a clear path of communication to and from Council. Township staff felt that recreation needs are clearly changing and the goal should be to capture local voices and identities through a variety of input and means. There is also a need to identify staff roles and community member roles. Rob Wood noted that he would come back to the table with options for the committee to discussion and reviews. 4. Tim Laprade to sign off on meeting attendance. 5. Next meeting discussed for either March 25th or April 1st of 2019. 6. Adjournment a. The meeting was adjourned at 9:07 pm
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SFRC Planning Session
OUTCOMES REPORT REVIEW DRAFT
Mon. Feb.25, 2019 (7-9pm) | South Frontenac Township
Discussion Outcomes: This “facilitator’s report” provides a summary of some of the key outcomes and findings of the facilitated discovery session held Feb. 25th with members of the SFRC.
Context for the Discussion: The Township has many potential issues to address together with the South Frontenac recreation community: •
How best to determine recreation needs and priorities across the township,
•
Ways to enhance planning structures & processes, especially for major future projects like the next five-year recreation plan, user fees, and community survey.
•
Ideas to improve how the SFRC and Township plan and communicate across South Frontenac with various recreation interests / individuals in the community.
The focus for the planning session was on reviewing input from district members (details available in the discussion guide for the session) and exploring various options for future recreation planning. This discussion was the first step in a broader process to establish consensus on a few specific priorities and next steps for moving forward. Documentation: The following material provides a summary of highlights and results of a planning assumptions exercise that used “clicker voting” to prompt discussion on some underlying planning issues. It concludes with a short summary of initial ideas for portential action to be considered further in the process.
Participants:
Linda Bates Mike Howe Norm Roberts
Wolfe Erlichman Doug Morey Mark Schjerning
Kevin Fox Pam Morey Alvin Wood
Tracy Holland Alan Revill Tim Laprade
Support: Township Staff and Rob Wood (facilitator)
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“Lightning Round” of Opening Comments: The session opened with a “lightning round” of a quick comment from each of the participants — on the advance input received from district recreation committee members and/or general issues. Some highlights captured include: •
A hope for consensus on how best to move forward.
•
The valuable role played by district committees, and also dysfunctional aspects in some cases. There is a disconnect between districts, SFRC and Council.
•
A concern about assuming all of the “old” is “bad” and all of the “new” is “good”.
•
Potential issues around local representation if the township should move to electing councillors from across the municipality using a “first past the post” method.
•
The essential need to engage with the whole community to identify recreation needs (which would involve reaching out to individuals and groups beyond committees).
•
The value of being open to change.
•
How the demographic profile of the township is changing (particularly with residents and families moving into South Frontenac from Kingston) and with that, the leisure and recreation needs and interests also change. Growth is also increasing demand for programs, services and facilities and affects what is needed where.
•
Different district committees are approaching their role in different ways. In some cases, membership may not reflect the full range of interests or needs in the community.
•
SFRC meetings need to have focus, a worthwhile purpose and get something accomplished beyond reporting on local (district) activities. Committee discussions have been affected by the increasing role staff play in day-to-day operations (topics that used to be covered in meetings).
•
Each community in the Township is different, and needs different services — one size does not fit all. Local volunteers are more engaged by local (vs. centralized) activities.
•
Engagement at the local level is important, and the group should look at building on the existing structure compared to making significant changes. If there are problems with the current model, look at ways to improve the way it functions.
•
The motivating factors for the volunteers and local committees has changed — in the beginning the focus was on bringing facilities up to standard and pursuing funding and new programs.
•
A better process is needed to support broad engagement.
•
The group needs to look at gaps related to opportunities/services for seniors.
•
Technology offers tools that could be used effectively for recreation outreach, planning and communication purposes.
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Assumptions for Planning Purposes — Agree or Disagree: Most of the meeting was spent focused on a “clicker voting” exercise to help clarify assumptions about the landscape for recreation planning and how they might influence development of improved approaches for needs assessment and planning processes. Detailed results are appended, but here is a general summary of outcomes: CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS/NEEDS: •
Most agreed that changing demographics & recreation trends mean we must look at a broader range of needs. Specific areas mentioned included programs for seniors and young families, and the popularity of festivals of various kinds (similar to those already presented in South Frontenac).
•
The majority of participants indicated the SFRC/Township does not have a “good handle” on changing demographics and leisure/recreation needs and interests. This results in part by not reaching out widely enough to hear from all interests, not sharing information across districts effectively, and some proposed initiatives going outside the process (e.g. taking a petition directly from a district to Council). VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT:
•
More than 80% also agreed that local volunteers won’t be easy to engage without a local group playing an active role — in many cases, it has been organizations and community groups that attract them. There’s also a challenge to keep them involved. SURVEYS/COMMUNICATIONS:
•
A good majority agreed that surveys and social media can be effective tools for gathering broad input for planning. But not everyone connects through social media, and surveys need to be well advertised to attract a good response (e.g. tax notices and bag tags). Staff also monitor Facebook for signs of emerging issues/interests. A full survey (like 2016) should be done every couple of years. More attention should be paid to analysis and interpretation of the raw data.
•
Ten out of 11 participants agreed that more must be done to hear views from those who don’t happen to sit on committees. A similar proportion agreed the process needs to be informed with input from individuals and community associations. This does not necessarily mean increasing the size of committees to an unwieldy size, but finding ways to reach out to and connect with individuals and organizations to hear their views and needs.
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PROCESS ISSUES: •
More than 80% also agreed that input to Council should go through a structured recreation planning process, not directly to Council as a first step. The process needs to be fair, while respecting every citizen’s right to approach their elected representatives. The process also needs to be faster so proponents don’t feel they have to “go around” the system. The process of recommendations coming through SFRC would also need to be supported by Council. Committee members could also serve as “process mentors” for those bringing proposals forward from the community.
•
Opinions were split on the question of whether local residents find it confusing and/or difficult to make their recreation needs known. One one hand, as many mentioned, residents can always find their way (like “water through the cracks”) but it can be confusing. The website might be used more effectively to help residents navigate the process. Committee members can also assist those with ideas, concerns and proposals. In some areas, members felt district committees were working well. DISTRICT REPRESENTATION and CENTRAL PLANNING:
•
The opinion of the group was split on whether there are real differences from district to district requiring representation from local advocates. There are both township-wide issues/themes and distinct local issues. The key point from discussion was to ensure local perspectives were effectively represented (which could be through district committees, outreach to local organizations and/or representation on a central committee).
•
Views were evenly split on the question of favouring township-wide (centralized) approaches vs. responding to different local identities for planning processes. Distance is a practical problem, but it might be bridged by technology. Decisions must serve the overall interests of residents across the township (“there’s one bank account”), but local identities must be represented. One danger is competing against one another. There is also concern about the prominence of Sydenham due to its size and central geographic location.
•
Only one-third of the group agreed with the idea that a centralized group cannot properly appreciate local desires and concerns. It depends on representation, whether the group is tuned into local desires and concerns and whether it has good methods for gathering input. A number of participants felt district committees serve that function already and do it well. Some felt there was no need for district committees to serve as the channel for needs assessment; others felt Council could be well served directly by district committees without an intermediate step (SFRC) to go through.
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Planning for Follow-up and Action: Initial Ideas The session wrapped up with an open discussion of initial ideas for future action. Proposals included: •
Reach out to local groups. Methods might include … — a series of quarterly district town hall meetings focused on specific themes/topics, — connecting with people at local coffee shops and other gathering places, — use of social media and quarterly/annual surveys, — making presentions on local needs to Township Council, — inviting other organizations to committee meetings (or vice versa).
•
Look at ways to speed up the process and also to maintain continuity/communications (e.g. if monthly meetings are scheduled less frequently).
•
Clarify the role of the township (and staff) in relation to separate roles played by local groups (such as sports leagues, facility scheduling and so on).
•
Clarify the value provided at/by each step of the process.
•
Establish a core agenda for topics and direction.
•
Take steps to better understand the changing demographics across the township.
•
Build on the approach used in the 2016 survey. Provide committees with direction with respect to the results (e.g. five priorities for action).
•
Address gaps in recreation/leisure opportunities for seniors.
•
Develop a 2020 Recreation Plan.
NEXT STEPS: •
Staff, in consultation, will work up some potential alternatives to enhance planning processes, structure, outreach, needs assessment and communications.
•
The regular timing for the next SFRC meeting (March 25th) may be too early for the prep work to be completed — a potential date of April 1st, 2019, was proposed as an alternative.
•
Follow-up will proceed with naming of the committees for now.
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South Frontenac Recreation Committee — Feb 25, 2019
Planning Assumptions Discussion The following material documents the results of a “planning assumptions” exercise designed to stimulate discussion on the “lay of the land” for recreation planning processes and ways to assess needs across the municipality. Using anonymous “clicker voting”, participants were asked to agree or disagree with 11 statements — potential assumptions that might form the basis for future planning structure and processes for South Frontenac Recreation. After each set of results, the group discussed the outcomes and their interpretation.
- Changing demographics & rec trends mean we must look at a broader range of needs. Responses Percent
Count
Agree
82%
9
Disagree
9%
1
DK/Can’t Say
9%
1
Totals
100%
11
Discussion: •
Seniors is a big range, and there is nothing for them outside of the Sydenham area.
•
The trend of festivals is popular right now, and South Frontenac needs more.
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- Without a local group playing an active role, volunteers won’t be easy to engage. Responses Percent
Count
Agree
82%
9
Disagree
18%
2
DK/Can’t Say
0%
0
Totals
100%
11
Discussion: •
There is no problem getting volunteers — it is harder to keep them. We should offer incentives for volunteers (meals, expenses, free admission) — it shouldn’t cost you to volunteer.
•
Volunteers are attracted mainly by the organizations and community groups — not the district or central recreation committees.
- Surveys & social media can be effective tools to get broad input for planning. Responses Percent
Count
Agree
80%
8
Disagree
10%
1
DK/Can’t Say
10%
1
Totals
100%
10
Discussion: • Not everyone uses digital media, and the sample may not be valid as a predictor. •
Surveys need to be well advertised to get a good response, i.e. send out surveys with the interim tax notice and/or bag tags.
•
700 individual responses were received in 2016 – lots of useful data. South Frontenac recreation staff also monitor other Facebook groups for feedback — any patterns of interest or concern provide useful data and are used as planning input.
•
Survey results should be actionable, and conducted annually/bi-annually.
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- Input to Council should go through a structured rec planning process, not direct. Responses Percent
Count
Agree
82%
9
Disagree
9%
1
DK/Can’t Say
9%
1
Totals
100%
11
Discussion: •
Process should go from the District committee to the Central committee and then to Council. If it goes directly from district to Council, then other districts won’t know what has occurred.
•
The recreation committee should fine tune the data through its consultation process and then bring the final product to Council so that they can make informed decisions.
•
The committee process needs more structure — the current approach slows things down too much. The tradition with local politics is for citizens to run right to Council.
•
It is any citizen’s right to go to council. We should never discourage people from going to Council — we just need more structure.
•
We should not stop individuals from approaching council, however, funding requests should come from committees not individuals.
•
Every citizen does have the right to approach council but it also creates “back door” options. This allows people to go around the recreation committees and go straight to Council. This ends up being a waste of committee members’ time. Process isn’t meant to stop people, just funnel them through the right channel.
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- Real differences from district to district require representation from local advocates. Responses Percent
Count
Agree
55%
6
Disagree
36%
4
DK/Can’t Say
9%
1
Totals
100%
11
Discussion: •
We need local representatives, not necessarily a district group.
•
We hear the same issues coming from each district. Some committees are different sizes, which could make some more powerful — this may make things unbalanced. Local representation is important but must be balanced in the committee structure.
•
Do we actually need district committees represented at Central Committee? Interest groups often don’t know that their input is important at district recreation committees.
•
There are clear differences in each area and those differences should be represented.
•
Some districts have more groups: That is why they have bigger committees. That is how it was structured 20 years ago (for example, in Storrington).
•
Even if each group has their own structure, we need to follow the same way of communicating.
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- We have a good handle on changing demographics & recreation needs/interests. Responses Percent
Count
Agree
9%
1
Disagree
73%
8
DK/Can’t Say
18%
2
Totals
100%
11
Discussion: •
We don’t get any feedback at the district level. We receive input from the public, submit it to the Central Ccommittee, and then hear nothing back about the outcomes.
•
We don’t have a good handle on this: The input from district committees is not actually community input — more likely just input from the individuals on the committee. We get lists (basically a wish list) from the district committees, not a focused list of needs and why the Committee thinks they are justified.
•
Some of the best ideas actioned in 2018 did not come from the district committees — instead they were brought to council by the public via petition (for example, the Centennial Dog Park).
•
Items from survey feedback often get lost in the paperwork and follow-up, but they were still good ideas.
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- We’re all one now — we shouldn’t emphasize different local identities for planning. Responses Percent
Count
Agree
45%
5
Disagree
45%
5
DK/Can’t Say
9%
1
Totals
100%
11
Discussion: • Geography is our enemy. The consolidation was planned years ago and staff were brought on to make it happen. Our problem now is just the distance, but now we have technology — let’s utilize that. • •
What have others done? What did the City of Ottawa do post-amalgamation? It’s been 20 years — others are obviously making it work. It seems districts are competing against each other for services.
• •
Planning districts and boundaries don’t need to be reflected in recreation committees. Groups were forced to be one in 1998 — let each district say what they want.
• •
Ten separate provinces make up one Canada — why can’t we have 4 different districts. Everything is centralized in Sydenham — better to keep things local in each district.
•
We still need to maintain local identities. Don’t lose that — we want it all represented, but just as part of one whole. We would fail if we didn’t develop a structure that works as one committee and has local district committees.
• •
Diversity is in each region, but we are all one. Maybe we work as one, but provide localized surveys to get that type of local input.
•
The driving force here is money. We now have one back account — that’s forcing us to to act as one. We cannot continue operating the way we are.
•
Voices need to be represented, but a committee structure is not necessary.
•
Some volunteers are active and contribute/support more than one district. While feeling a part of each district, we must work together as we all pay the same taxes. We are all working from one pot, so we need to work together towards the same goal.
•
We are all one, but that doesn’t mean we need to be treated as one. Each district has different needs.
•
We have full time staff that know what they’re doing. We just need a clear process for all. We can’t give everyone everything they want. We need strong mechanisms to be able to respond to and provide for the community.
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- We need to do more to hear views from those who don’t happen to sit on committees. Responses Percent
Count
Agree
91%
10
Disagree
9%
1
DK/Can’t Say
0%
0
Totals
100%
11
Discussion: •
We have many different lions clubs, but they don’t sit on all committees. Many groups don’t feel that they are listened to. We need to reach out to them and let them know they are welcome at our meetings.
•
A caution about including representatives from all the associations and community groups: We don’t want huge committees, but we should encourage them to share their views and input with the recreation committees.
- In addition to districts, we need to hear from individuals and community associations. Responses Percent
Count
Agree
91%
10
Disagree
9%
1
DK/Can’t Say
0%
0
Totals
100%
11
Discussion:
[No comments]
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Page 114 of 190 Page 13 of 14
- Local residents find it confusing / difficult to make their recreation needs known. Responses Percent
Count
Agree
45%
5
Disagree
36%
4
DK/Can’t Say
18%
2
Totals
100%
11
Discussion: • It’s not difficult — the community always finds their way. They definitely don’t take the process we think they should, but they always find a way to make their wants and concerns known. The lack of process is the confusing part. •
The process should be clean and clear for residents — that’s what they need. We have a good website: We should use it more by publishing clear and concise steps online for people to follow in relation to making their recreation wants known.
•
A few things ended up in the 2019 budget that the committees didn’t even know about. These were brought forward to Council directly from residents.
•
This is an areas where we can make a lot of change. The role of the committee should be to assist people through the process — of helping people to get where they need to be. Committees should take on a navigation role and help facilitate resident proposals to meet recreation needs.
•
As an example, staff pointed people back to the Storrington district recreation committee when they had a request and that was great. The networks are what’s important. Information does not need to pass through another committee (central).
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- A centralized group cannot properly appreciate local desires and concerns. Responses Percent
Count
Agree
27%
3
Disagree
55%
6
DK/Can’t Say
18%
2
Totals
100%
11
Discussion: •
It all comes down to inputs — how are we getting community input? We should be able to get input on local desires if we have connected methods of obtaining input.
•
A centralized group has to be made up of people in tune with local desires and concerns so, by its very nature, it should be made up of people from every geographical area.
•
There’s no need for district committees.
•
That’s how they are now — with districts. If we move to a First-Past-the-Post system, then how will representative committees be created?
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Recreation & Leisure Committee Structure and Process Overview: Without the tremendous efforts of our community volunteers many recreation programs, facilities and events would not be here today. Recreation and Leisure in the Township of South Frontenac has undergone many changes over the past years. With the increase in staff resources and the addition of new processes, the role of the Recreation Committee volunteers is shifting to more of an emphasis on engaging with the broader Community to gain a better sense of trends and needs. The role of the community Recreation volunteers is vital in supporting the work Township staff do and to provide Council with the information and rationale to make informed decisions.
Key Findings: Below are some of the key findings and reoccurring themes identified in the comments received from ‘all’ committee members along with the results of the facilitated session.
• Changing demographics & recreation trends mean we must look at a broader range of needs. • Ensure engagement at the local level so that local perspectives are effectively represented o It is important that the work of event committees such as Canada Day and the Pumpkin festival can continue regardless of the structure • The structure must continue to keep volunteers engaged and involved • The roles of Township Staff, Committee members and Council needs to be better clarified in order to support a refined process. • Must improve how we engage the wider community to hear from all interests. This should be done through multiple mediums such as: o Coffee shop talks o Town Halls throughout Township o Public Education Staff o Use and monitoring of Social Media o Surveys o Website feedback o Delegations to Committee and Council o Directly with Community groups and sporting organizations o Reviewing activity trends and best practices • Input to Council must be improved and come from Committees on a more consistent basis. By reaching out to the broader Community we should have a better sense of trends and needs that can be communicated to the entire Council for decision or further direction.
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Potential Recreation & Leisure Committee Structure: A Path Forward It was clear from the feedback and discussions that there is a difference in views in how recreation committees should be structured and the process that should be followed. The following are some of the options that came out of the feedback and discussions: • Maintain current structure with four District Committees and one Central Committee • Eliminate the four District Committees and maintain one Central Committee with Community and Council representatives from all areas in the Township. • Eliminate the one Central Committee and maintain the four District Committees In an effort to move the process forward, Staff have met to review the results and are proposing an alternative structure that focuses more on ‘functions’ as opposed to historical Municipal geographic boundaries. The proposed structure is mindful of the importance of local input while having a broader perspective in order to enhance planning processes, outreach, needs assessment and communications. The composition of the committee will represent a broader range of groups, needs and interest. It will be better positioned to assist all areas in the Community by contributing a wider range of perspectives and expertise. Rotating monthly committee meetings supported by additional ‘Community engagement activities’ to gather input and ideas should result in greater district and community representation than we have with the current model. Note: Since Amalgamation many other Municipalities have moved to a ‘function’ based model with additional support coming from Municipal Staff.
Structure by Function Recreation and Leisure Facilities Committee
Purpose: This committee would be focused on indoor/outdoor facility/amenity maintenance needs and Capital projects. Also provides supports for Community Programs and Events. Outputs: • Conduit for community, sporting groups clubs and organizations • Supports Facility usage/bookings • Provide input into annual facility operating and capital budgets from an Asset Management Perspective prioritizing recreation based on needs and usage. • Meets to review and support Capital projects • To provide residents support and guidance through the process required to successfully present ideas and needs to Township and Council. • To provide recommendations to Council
Community Programming & Events Committee
Purpose: This committee would be focused on engaging with the wider community through multiple mediums to ensure that we are meeting programming and event needs. Outputs: • Support current community programs/events and developed new initiatives. • Supports Facility usage/bookings • Resource for Township supported events • Guidance for Community run events • Volunteer Appreciation along with retention and recruitment • Supports the Community Grant Program • Provide input into annual recreation operating and capital budgets • Assist with gathering content for Community Services & Activity Guide • To provide residents support and guidance through the process required to successfully present ideas and needs to Township and Council. • To provide recommendations to Council
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Committee Details/Terms of Reference Composition: • X # of Community Members • X # of Councilors • Secretary: Executive Assistant • Staff Support: Facilities Committee (Facility & Solid Waste Supervisor) • Staff Support: Program Committee (Recreation & Leisure Supervisor) Reporting Structure and Inputs Into Process: (See Graph below) The committee reports regularly to council by means of • distribution of minutes • staff reports and recommendations • quarterly presentations from committee Inputs to committee • Committee members, Council and Staff Resource can bring any requests for information or concerns to the committees • Senior Management can bring any requests for information or concerns to the committees • Community Groups/Orgs can bring any requests to committees through the established delegation process • Committees actively engage Public and bring information back to committee Committee Appointments and Term: • Committee positions are advertised at the beginning of each council term • Council appoints X # of Councillors and X # of community members from each District based on a call for nominations for a total of X # of members. • The committee selects a Chair and Vice Chair annually at its first meeting of the calendar year. • The Chair and Vice Chair positions must be community members from the committees • Committee Chair may be removed only by a vote of a majority of the Committee. • The Chair of the committee shall serve as Chair for a period of no more than two consecutive years. • As per the directions of Council, the Chair and Vice Chair position will rotate annually and not be the same person each year unless a new Chair is not selected,. • Members of the committee can only serve X# of years on the committee in a row before new members are appointed. • Vacancies on the committee will be advertised and filled as soon as possible through the nomination process. Meeting Frequency: • The committees will meet routinely at a minimum of X# times per year or at the call of the Chair • Committee meetings will be held at different locations via rotating schedule throughout the Township • The Committees will also hold Public Engagement sessions as part of their role to capture interest and needs. • Quorum: A quorum is considered X # of voting members Meeting Agendas: See draft Agenda template A standard Agenda template with reoccurring topics specific to the committee will be developed. The Executive Assistant will prepare the agenda in consultation with the Committee Chair along with request for additional items from the committee members.
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Decision Making: • The committee follows Councils procedures for conducting meetings and making decisions as a group • The committee will strive for consensus on all items, however if voting is necessary; all members of the committee shall have a vote, a simple majority will decide an issue, questions resulting in a tie vote will be defeated. • The Committee Chair may seek direction from the Staff resource to assist with the decision making process. Meeting Minutes: • Written minutes of all meetings shall be prepared by the Executive Assistant • Minutes will be provided to the committee for discussion and approval at the next committee meeting and distributed to Council after they have been passed by the committee. Sub Committees: • Existing Committees such as the Pumpkin Festival (Committee of Council) and Community Committees (Canada Day, Lakes & Trails) would continue to operate and work with Recreation Committees for additional support and guidance. • Special Sub-committees may be established as necessary, for a limited time and for a specific purpose. Sub-committees will report back to the next full committee meeting. Meeting Attendance and Compensation: • The committee Chair will sign off on attendance list and provide it to Executive Assistant of Staff Support Supervisor for authorization for remuneration. • Committee and members of subcommittees of Council (excluding Councillors and staff) will be compensated $31.84 per meeting AND ‘this rate will be adjusted on a regular basis at the same increment as negotiated for the Township’s bargaining unit.’ • Recording Secretaries on Subcommittees of Council will be compensated $65 per meeting • All members including Recording Secretaries on Subcommittees of Council are paid for their mileage to attend the committee meetings. Delegations to Committees: Delegations by groups or individuals may be made to either of the committee and will follow the following process; • Delegations will be received by the Committee and will be limited to a maximum ten minute presentation, unless otherwise approved by the Committee, and are considered in the following order: o Those persons the Committee has requested to appear o Citizens, organizations or their representatives who have notified the Chair or Staff Resource in advance of the Agenda being set with their desire to appear. The Chair or Staff Resource will direct the delegation to the appropriate committee and may request that the delegation presentation be moved to a different meeting date if the meeting agenda is full.
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Examples of how Issues/Items are brought forward and dealt with: Scenario 1: Issue/Item: Storrington Soccer is concerned about the pending legislation that will make it law that soccer nets are secured on the fields. Approach: Storrington Soccer would bring this to the ‘Recreation and Leisure Facilities Committee’ to discuss item and bring this to the attention of Council. Scenario 2: Issue/Item: A group of vocal individuals feels that the Community would benefit from a Splash Pad. Approach: The group would bring this to the ‘Community Programming and Events Committee’ to discuss item and bring this to the attention of Council if required. This particular issue may also involve the support of the ‘Recreation and Leisure Facilities Committee’. Scenario 3: Issue/Item: A Minor Ball group wants to discuss a potential change in the grass cutting schedule on the outfield. Approach: The Minor Ball group would bring this to the ‘Recreation and Leisure Facilities Committee’ to discuss item and bring this to the attention of Council if required.
Scenario 4: Issue/Item: A group of individuals is interested in hosting a new event in the Township and doesn’t know where to start. Approach: The group would bring this to the ‘Community Programming and Events Committee’ to discuss item and bring this to the attention of Council if required. Scenario 5: Issue/Item: A local School wants to install some public art in one of our parks. Approach: The local school group would bring this to the ‘Recreation and Leisure Facilities Committee’ to discuss item and bring this to the attention of Council if required.
Scenario 6: Issue/Item: Council has endorsed moving forward with a Skateboard Park Feasibility Study and now the Consultant hired want to start the process. Approach: The Consultant would work with both the ‘Recreation and Leisure Facilities Committee’ AND the ‘Community Programming and Events Committee’
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NEXT STEPS •
April 1st: Discussing amongst this group
•
April 1-30th: Feedback from Districts provided to Recreation and Leisure Supervisor
•
April 30th- May 3rd: Staff to revise report if required
•
May 6th: Final discussing amongst this group o Includes discussion and decisions on Terms of Reference and further Committee details
•
May 7-9th: Staff to revise report if required o Includes timeline for implementing structure/process
•
May 14th: Report to Committee of the Whole o Includes potential updates to Councils Procedural Bylaw 2017-76 so committee structure is in compliance.
•
May 21st: Report to Council
•
Implementation as per Council direction o Work to fine tune the process be expanding on some of the feedback received o Clearly identify tools for engagement and a means to implement o Identify some key priorities
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Recreation and Leisure Facilities Committee AGENDA DATE/TIME: PLACE:
To rotate around Township
Call to Order Updates • Any maintenance or repair items to report • Capital project updates • Items for budget consideration (ongoing process) • Report on any community engagement activities that have taken place • Any urgent items to bring to Councils attention • Any items to bring to the Community Programming & Events Committee
New Business • Potential delegations to committee Next Meeting: - TBD Adjournment
Community Programming & Events Committee AGENDA DATE/TIME: PLACE:
To rotate around Township
Call to Order Updates • Any Program or Event updates • Items for budget consideration (ongoing process) • Report on any community engagement activities that have taken place • Any urgent items to bring to Councils attention • Any items to bring to the Recreation and Leisure Facilities Committee New Business • Potential delegations to committee • New initiatives (i.e. Volunteer recruitment and retention strategy, Event Planners Guide)
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Next Meeting: - TBD Adjournment
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Minutes of Facilitated Session April 1st, 2019
Time: 7:00pm Location: Council Chambers South Frontenac Recreation Present: Doug Morey, Norm Roberts, Alvin Wood, Kevin Fox, Linda Bates, Pam Morey, Mark Schjerning, Tracy Holland, Par Barr, Wolfe Erlichman, Mike Howe, Donna Brown. Staff: Tim Laprade – Arena & Recreation Supervisor, Mark Segsworth – Director of Public Services, Emily Caird – Committee Secretary
- Call to Order a. Tim Laprade called meeting to order at 7:00 pm
- Information Items a. Volunteer Recognition Tim Laprade drew attention to the advertisement that was included in the email package. He noted the deadline for applications is May 15, 2019. b. Committee Appointments Tim Laprade explained that since the last gathering of the SFRC, Council has passed a resolution to reappoint the current Committee members so that they can continue with regular business until a decision of the future structure is decided. This resolution is effective until April 30th, 2019. c. Results of Facilitated Session Tim asked the group if there were any questions about the results of the study. The group felt it was very well done. d. Report on Options for Recreation Committee Structure Tim Laprade gave an overview of the report from staff that was circulated prior to the meeting and projected on the screen. He highlighted that South Frontenac Recreation would not be where it is today without the volunteers. Tim Laprade explained that with more staff roles being added, the role of volunteers has changed and more development is required. Tim Laprade then opened the floor to questions from the Committee. Councillor Roberts inquired as to where the committee members for each function would come from. He noted that the members should be representative of the whole community. Tim Laprade agreed and responded that staff had not discussed the topic of composition and wanted the Committee’s input. Councillor Roberts felt that the best approach would be to pick representatives first and then assign them to one of the two functional committee. Tim Laprade noted that this structure allowed for members to explore more specific interests within this new structure. Tracy Holland noted that she felt this new structure could work better as currently groups are bypassing the district recreation committee level. Councillor Roberts expressed concerns that staff was pushing to get rid of the district committees and that he was not supportive of this direction. Mike Howe noted that in many ways the district committees have already disappeared as people are often going around the district committees and
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going straight to Council. He explained that he did not like it at first, but it was a sign of the changing times. He noted that he appreciated the new functional structure as he personally had a greater interest in the recreation and leisure facilities stream. Mike Howe noted that his major concern stemmed from keeping the committees informed and involved. He felt that a major weakness in the model is asking the committees for budget input and then staff not using any of their suggestions. Tim Laprade explained that this system is not meant to disregard district representation, it is only a different format of what already exists. He noted that he did not feel the current committees represented the whole community and that the new structure actually allowed for greater community representation. Alvin Wood stated that he also felt this system was getting rid of district representation. He noted that he would still meet with other people within the Storrington district whether he was supposed to or not. Linda Bates, Pam Morey, and Tim Laprade all expressed concerns with this statement. Alvin Wood then noted that Storrington District Recreation discusses facilities more than programming, however, the Pumpkin Festival has been happening for 24 years and Council has had very little involvement. Tim Laprade explained that the smaller sub committees such as the Pumpkin Festival Committee and various Canada Day Committees would still continue to operation the same way, but with the support of the new function based committees. Tracy Holland commented that the functional structure would allow for new event ideas to go through the programming group and if there is no opportunity to run a particular program in Portland for example, there may be the possibility it could run in Loughborough instead. She noted that this allowed to for individuals to bring the ideas to a committee that would support the concept without the person having to attend a specific area committee meeting. Tracy Holland also expressed her support of this concept by noting that this would allow people to explore more specified areas. She felt that she did not represent her community in terms of facilities as that was not her direct interest. Mike Howe noted Township facilities staff are now looking after things that volunteers used to. He expressed frustration with previously trying to find out information, thus should the committee move towards a 2 tier structure, the process should aim to be clearer. Donna Brown posed the question of funding and how events that were previously funded through the district committees would continue. Tim Laprade confirmed that events within each district would still receive funding from the central committee. Councillor Barr inquired about the process for facility improvements, as it is often the District Committee members that notify staff of an issue. She also questioned the group on the formula for attracting new people. Kevin Fox responded that persistence is key. Kevin Fox also noted that he felt all four district communities were different and that the new system is already how Storrington District functions. He noted that Mark Segsworth attended a Storrington Dist. Meeting in order to discuss upcoming construction projects within the community and gain Committee input. Mark Segsworth responded by explaining that there was also a Public Information Session held as well and that process would still be in place whether or not there are district recreation committees.
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Tracy Holland addressed her comment to Kevin, which spoke to Storrington district looking after one facility, while other districts have several. Councillor Morey reiterated that changing the current structure to something more function based will not change what Storrington Dist. is currently doing, it will make it better. Kevin Fox expressed concerns with the amount of representation each district would have on the new committees, stating that the community would not be properly spoken for. Councillor Morey noted that not all districts have a large number of members sitting on their committees and that a change to the new function based structure would allow for more minds to contribute to all of South Frontenac. He felt that Storrington’s enthusiasm would be a great addition to recreation in other parts of South Frontenac. Pat Barr expressed concerns with committee members having to travel 35-45km away for a meeting should the district committees be disbanded. Mark Schjerning noted that change is never easy but things have changed over time. He felt that most activities throughout the community run whether there are district committees or not. He noted that in most cases the actual district committees do not run any of the programming themselves, and that Township recreation programs are now ran by permanent staff. Donna Brown and Mike Howe noted that the new structure was still not clear and inquired about process and how the committee will be comprised. Tim Laprade explained that these decisions needed to be made by the committee and that he felt the new structure would allow the Township to better engage the community and not just the people around the committee table. Mark Schjerning inquired about what other municipalities are doing. Tim Laprade explained that most of the surrounding municipalities have moved to a function based model - including the City of Kingston, The Town of Greater Napanee, and Loyalist Township. He noted that he could only find two that were still using the district structure, one being South Frontenac and the other being Central Frontenac. Central Frontenac has three districts, of which only two have working committees, and they have also experienced their own challenges. Councillor Roberts recommended coming back on May 6th with each district’s input on a Terms of Reference. Tim Laprade agreed with this exercise and noted that he had a draft he could share with the Committee. Mark Segsworth reiterated to the Committee that the goal is to move forward. Councillor Roberts also noted that he would work with Council to extend the Committee appointments again to May 30th, 2019. 3. Tim Laprade to sign off on meeting attendance. 4. Next meeting discussed for May 6th of 2019. 5. Adjournment a. The meeting was adjourned at 8:08 pm
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Recreation & Leisure Committee Structure and Process
District Input on Proposed Structure
Bedford District:
Bedford District Recreation passed a motion at their last meeting THAT Bedford Recreation
Committee to continue as a local committee with possible adjustments (size, etc) AND THAT
Central Committee to continue with Bedford representation.
Loughborough: There was quite a discussion around the purpose or need for the Facilities Committee and felt most could be covered in the Programming and Events Committee. There was also some comments about how the Facilities Committee really was more of a staff responsibility and function. Below are the rough suggestions from the district meeting. • • • • • • • • •
Composition 8 members - no more than 2 per district 2 councilors rotating total of 10 members committee appoints a chair and vice chair and they must be committee members Members of the committee can only serve 4 years in a row before new members are nominated. meet a minimum of 10 times a year quorum 50% plus 1 = 6 members minutes and agenda 1 week prior to the meeting to the committee members Sub-committees will report back to full committee, what does this mean? Are there timelines?
What happens to the current Committees, are they absolved? How do you become a member? How do you get nominated? Is there a process, will there be applications?
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Storrington District: RECREATION COMMITTEE STRUCTURE- The document supplied by Tim Laprade and the Township was reviewed by this committee. The following is the discussion that came after the review:
- Alvin, noting the flow chart on page 5 of the document, agrees that there should be a separate committee for all township recreation and leisure facilities, however a committee representing the programs and events is not realistic. Alvin comments that people from different event committees will not want to sit on another committee just to satisfy township requirements.
- John, noting the potential recreation and leisure committee structure options on page 2, comments that we cannot really make an informed decision until an option is selected.
- The committee agrees that the third option, eliminating the one Central Committee and maintaining the four District Committees is favorable to this committee.
- Kevin comments that the Storrington Recreation Committee functions well, and that the committee does everything it is supposed to in terms of budgets and approvals. It is said that the other district committees cannot get volunteers and suggests approaching the different community groups and ask them if they would like to represent themselves on the district committee, similar to how the Storrington committee finds members.
- Norm mentions that in 2009 this committee was the only one to properly spend the money allotted for fences around the soccer pitches, it only happened because the Storrington Committee functions well and gets jobs done.
- Ron agreed with Norm, stating that the Storrington committee works hard to get the job done, and it gets done faster because of the work of this committee.
- Ron also suggested that a modification in the proposed structure might work, keep the Storrington District Recreation Committee and merge the rest of the districts to one.
- Alvin suggests that if this committee is dissolved by the township, a new committee can form ad hoc and can appoint one or two representatives from Storrington District to sit on the new ‘central committee’. Annie asked if this would change the amount of funding we get from the Township for recreation, the committee thinks that with the right representatives that it would not.
- The committee agrees to either leave the committee structure the way it is, or make a facilities committee and have a ad hoc Storrington District Recreation Committee with representatives on the new central committee. A motion is made by Norm for Alvin and Kevin to bring the Storrington Recreation Committee’s agreed statements forward to the South Frontenac Recreation Committee, seconded by John Carried
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Portland District:
- Discussed Draft Committee Details/Terms of Reference a. Consensus was that proposed committee structure made sense to members that were present. b. Feedback regarding the following was provided: • Composition
- 2 members per district. Districts should be encouraged to form community organizations to gather input from larger representation or gather input from existing groups.
- 2 Councilors per committee
- Keep group numbers lower so meetings can function well and be productive • Reporting structure
- Distribution of minutes to committee members, council and greater public
- Staff and representatives from the committee should be responsible for reporting
- Inputs to the committee – need to clarify and include what the established delegation process is • Committee Appointment and Term
- Specify where committee positions will be advertised
- Second point – should be a maximum of 2 per district
- Chair and Vice Chair positions – should be members from different districts. • Meeting Frequency
- Recommend that committees meet 4 times per year
- Quorum should be (50% +1) • Sub Committees
- First point – don’t need to list groups. Existing Committees or community groups/organizations would continue to operate ……
- Second point –should remove as necessary and add “at the discretion of the support staff” • Delegations to Committees
- Last point – should have to notify both the Chair and staff resource in advance of the Agenda
Recreation & Leisure Services
SFT Master Recreation Plan 2005
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Encouraging all members of the community to participate in leisure, sport, and physical activity, regardless of age and ability, for the social and economic benefits of individuals and of the Township.
Why Are we Here? o Current model no longer meets the expanding needs of the Community. o Many tasks that have been historically done by volunteers are now being handled by staff. • Maintenance, facility booking, direct programming, program promotion, rec guides, student recruitment, etc. o To be clear…this isn’t about staff trying to get rid of district representation.
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This is about refining the committee structure and process to be further focused on key functions that require input through increasing the engagement with the local and broader community.
How Did We Get Here? What the Committee’s have said: o We don’t have a “good handle” on changing demographics and leisure/recreation needs of the Community o Groups & individuals occasionally go around Committee and directly to Council o Groups & individuals going from one District Committee to another District Committee until they get what they want Page 133 of 190
How Did We Get Here? What the Committee’s have said: o Low attendance at meetings • Members representing certain organizations tend to only participate when they require support or feel that a topic pertains to them • Current structure is broad and does not allow for individuals to focus on their interest o Repetitive meetings without new items being brought forward o A need to spend less time sitting in a room meeting and more time out engaging with public Page 134 of 190
o Hard for someone that sits one District Committee to have an positive impact or contributions towards what is going on in another District
How Did We Get Here? What we have heard from the Community: o Decisions of the Committee don’t always represent the larger community need o Don’t always feel welcome or needs/interests are being represented o Not sure how to provide input into recreation and leisure needs o Rarely any turn over in committee members, so it is difficult to get the opportunity to serve Page 135 of 190
o Committees representation tend to be focused on Minor Sports groups
How Did We Get Here? Staff Perspective: o Committee members indicating a need for change o Infrequent contribution when we call for agenda items o Seldom any updates from Districts during SFRC meetings o District Meeting minutes infrequently contain any motions or recommendations to be brought forward to Council Page 136 of 190
o A sense that there is minimal Public engagement beyond just those that sit on the committees
How Did We Get Here? Staff Perspective: o Decisions or recommendations not always based on consultation with the District population or larger Community (Skate park example) o Decisions on Community needs/budget requests not always having any supporting rationale • Budget submissions sometimes seem like a list of what the people that sit on the committee feel we need and not always based on any rationale or larger District/Community input Page 137 of 190
o Public Service Committee and other Township Committees have moved away from being District based in order to have a broader focus
How Did We Get Here? Review of Recreation Documents: • Recreation Master Plan • 5 Year Plan • Storrington District Rec Master Plan • Portland District Rec Master Plan Unfortunately, I could not find any copies of plans for Loughborough or Bedford to reference Page 138 of 190
Review of Recreation Documents Review of Recreation Documents: Recreation Master Plan, 5 Year Plan, District Rec Master Plans
Recreation Plan for Storrington District (1987) In creating the plan, the Committee of that time used the following means to Engage with the Public
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o Surveys sent out to all Township households o Surveys sent out to all recreation and cultural organizations in Storrington o Meetings held with reps of all recreation and cultural organizations in Storrington o Invitations to interested parties in Storrington to send in written submission o Invitations to interested parties in the Community and surrounding municipalities to send in written submission o Public Meetings held o Special meetings with Senior Citizens, Schools, Board of Education, Libraries o Municipal Staff input
Review of Recreation Documents RECCOMENDATIONS from Recreation Plan for Storrington District (1987) o Expand the responsibility of the Recreation Coordinator for the delivery of Community programming o The Storrington Rec Committee to establish a ‘consistent, more structured approach to service delivery.’ o Closer working relationship between Storrington and the volunteer sectors. Page 140 of 190
o Notation from report: ‘Municipal support generally goes to those groups in the community that are most vocal in expressing their needs.’
Review of Recreation Documents RECCOMENDATIONS from Recreation Plan for Storrington District (1987) o Defined mandate for Storrington Recreation Committee • 2 Councillors, 5 residents, Rec Coordinator (3 year terms) o Introduction of a community-wide coordinated approach to the delivery of leisure services, that will require alterations to the existing practices of the municipality o Committee to perform annual planning session that includes engaging all members of the Public and groups (similar to what was done to create the Master Plan) Page 141 of 190
Review of Recreation Documents Review of Recreation Documents: Recreation Master Plan, 5 Year Plan, District Rec Master Plans
Recreation Plan for Portland District (1986) In creating the plan, the Committee of that time used the following means to engage with the Public o Similar steps to what Storrington did to engage public
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Review of Recreation Documents RECCOMENDATIONS from Recreation Plan for Portland District (1986) o Introduce a new mechanism whereby service delivery can be better coordinated to respond to community needs o Hire a Recreation Director o Increased Communication between public and all providers of leisure services o Develop a community leadership organization Page 143 of 190
o Committee to perform annual planning session that includes engaging all members of the Public and groups (similar to what was done to create the Master Plan).
Review of Recreation Documents SFT Recreation Master Plan (2005) and 5 Year Recreation Plan (2010) Speaks to the Township having the following Committees: o 4 District Recreation Committees (2001) • Responsible for programming the use of Township recreation facilities, monitoring conditions
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o South Frontenac Recreation Committee (as of 2009) • Advise Council on specified topics Sub Committees reporting to SFRC • Facilities and Maintenance Committee • Swim & Camp Programs Committee • Communication and Volunteerism Committee
Review of Recreation Documents Why am I highlighting the recommendation from these Documents? o Although we have made significant improvements over the past 30 years by implementing some of the recommendations, we still have work to do to continue to move forward o Demonstrates the level of engagement that is required to make sound recommendations for recreation and leisure needs o Some of the same issues identified 30 years ago are the exact same issues that are being raised today
a ‘consistent, more structured approach to service delivery.’ engaging all members of the Public and groups a new mechanism whereby service delivery can be better coordinated to respond to community needs increased Communication between public and all providers of leisure services use of ‘functional committee’s’
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• • • • •
Review of Recreation Documents We must continue to ask ourselves… Are we doing our best to engage with the entire Community for the provision of Recreation and Leisure in South Frontenac?
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Review of Municipal Recreation Structures Review of Municipal Recreation Structures o I have been asked several times… ‘How do other Townships structure their Recreation & Leisure Committees’? o Scan of 75 Municipalities (small to medium sized) • Types of Structures Identified District Committee Structure Staff Function as Structure Committee Structure by Function Page 147 of 190
Comparison of Municipal Recreation Structures 45
42
40
Number of Townships
35 29
30 25 20 15 10 5
4 District
Staff Function Recreation Structure
Committee by Function
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0
District Admaston Bromley Central Frontenac South Frontenac Augusta
Staff Function Brock Bonnechere Valley Bonfield BlandfordBlenheim Black-River Matheson Assiginack Asphodel-Norwood Ashfield-ColborneWawanosh Armour Archipelago Canton Athens
Bancroft Caledon Collingwood Cramahe Douro-Dummer Faraday Hearst Huron-Kinless Innisfil La nation Madoc North Frontenac North Grenville Parry Sound Perth Petrolia West Nipising
Committee by Function Loyalist Marathon Merickville Midland Minden Hills Orillia Peterborough Renfrew Rideau Lakes Smith Falls South River Stratford Tilsonburgh Welland Tiny Amaranth Adjala-Tosorontio Alnwick-Haldimand Beckwith Billings
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Napanee Alberton Amherstburg Arnprior Barrie Brant Brock Bruce Mine Carleton Place Centre Hastings Chisholm Clarence-Rockland Cobourg Goderich Gravenhurst Grey Highlands Hanover Huntsville Kingston Laird
District Input on Proposed Structure Let’s take some time to…
Review the District Input provided on the prosed structure
Clarify some questions or comments that Districts had in the input provided
Asks questions of Districts Page 150 of 190
Respond to any new questions
District Input on Proposed Structure Bedford District: Bedford District Recreation passed a motion at their last meeting THAT Bedford Recreation Committee to continue as a local committee with possible adjustments (size, etc) AND THAT Central Committee to continue with Bedford representation. Questions for Bedford District: o Do you feel that the way Bedford District Recreation is currently structured that it is representing the needs of the district and larger community or just those that sit at the table? • How?
o What are the ‘possible adjustments’ that you are proposing if the structure remains the same?
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o What are the concerns about moving away from the current model to the proposed Function Based model?
District Input on Proposed Structure Loughborough District: Suggestions from the district meeting on proposed structure Composition 8 members - no more than 2 per district 2 councilors rotating total of 10 members committee appoints a chair and vice chair and they must be committee members Members of the committee can only serve 4 years in a row before new members are nominated. meet a minimum of 10 times a year quorum 50% plus 1 = 6 members minutes and agenda 1 week prior to the meeting to the committee members Page 152 of 190
o o o o o o o o
District Input on Proposed Structure Response to Suggestions from Loughborough District: o Discussion around the purpose or need for the Facilities Committee and felt most could be covered in the Programming/Events Committee. Comments about how the Facilities Committee really was more of a staff responsibility and function.
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• Staff felt that we could better serve the Public needs by having a similar structure to the way the Public Services Department is structured Jamie= Facility improvements, maintenance Tim= Program/events, community engagement/relationships Provides more opportunity for Community Committee Volunteers to get involved in a specific committee that interests them There would still be work between the two committees
District Input on Proposed Structure Response to Questions from Loughborough District: o Sub-committees will report back to full committee, what does this mean? Are there timelines?
• This would be in the event that the Committee feels that an additional temporary sub-committee is required that it would report back to this committee
o What happens to the current Committees, are they absolved? • What specific Committees are you referring to? • Decision of Council
• To be determined as we move forward • Decision of Council
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o How do you become a member? How do you get nominated? Is there a process, will there be applications?
District Input on Proposed Structure Questions for Loughborough District: o Do you feel that the way Loughborough District Recreation is currently structured that it is representing the needs of the district and larger community or just those that sit at the table? • How? o When you say that the two proposed Committees need to meet 10 times a year do you think that perhaps they can meet less but still have additional Community Engagement sessions? • ie. 4-5 annual meetings, 4-Community Engagements sessions around Township, 2Presentations to Council Page 155 of 190
District Input on Proposed Structure Storrington District: o There should be a separate committee for all township recreation and leisure facilities, however a committee representing the programs and events is not realistic. • Same response as to Loughborough District question (although different direction)
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• Staff felt that we could better serve the Public needs by having a similar structure to the way the Public Services Department is structured Jamie= Facility improvements, maintenance Tim= Program/events, community engagement/relationships Provides more opportunity for Community Committee Volunteers to get involved in a specific committee that interests them There would still be work between the two committees
District Input on Proposed Structure Storrington District: o People from different event committees will not want to sit on another committee just to satisfy township requirements. • There would not be a requirement for anyone that is on a Canada Day committee or Pumpkin Festival committee or other community event committee to sit on the programs/events committee • Only those that are nominated to the programs/events committee or are delegations to the programs/events committee would be on it
• Staff are currently providing support to individuals and organizations for programming, events and initiatives beyond what the Committees are involved with. This would allow for greater Community involvement and support
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• This would be a support committee (fireworks, health unit requirements, booking support, volunteer recruitment, etc)
District Input on Proposed Structure Storrington District: o The potential recreation and leisure committee structure options on page 2, comments that we cannot really make an informed decision until an option is selected. o The committee agrees that the third option, eliminating the one Central Committee and maintaining the four District Committees is favorable to this committee.
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o Storrington Recreation Committee functions well, and that the committee does everything it is supposed to in terms of budgets and approvals. It is said that the other district committees cannot get volunteers and suggests approaching the different community groups and ask them if they would like to represent themselves on the district committee, similar to how the Storrington committee finds members.
District Input on Proposed Structure Storrington District: o In 2009 this committee was the only one to properly spend the money allotted for fences around the soccer pitches, it only happened because the Storrington Committee functions well and gets jobs done. o Storrington committee works hard to get the job done, and it gets done faster because of the work of this committee.
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District Input on Proposed Structure Storrington District:
o Suggestion that a modification in the proposed structure might work, keep the Storrington District Recreation Committee and merge the rest of the districts to one o Suggestion that if this committee is dissolved by the township, a new committee can form ad hoc and can appoint one or two representatives from Storrington District to sit on the new ‘central committee’. o Would this change the amount of funding we get from the Township for recreation, the committee thinks that with the right representatives that it would not Page 160 of 190
o The committee agrees to either leave the committee structure the way it is, or make a facilities committee and have a ad hoc Storrington District Recreation Committee with representatives on the new central committee.
District Input on Proposed Structure Questions for Storrington District: o Do you feel that the way Storrington District Recreation is currently structured that it is representing the needs of the district and larger community or just those that sit at the table? • How? o How does Storrington District Rec currently find members to sit on committee? • How much turn over has the committee had?
o Do you feel that these options will increase the engagement with the local and broader community and meet their recreation and leisure needs? • How?
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o Storrington is proposing two potential options • ‘leave the committee structure the way it is’ • ‘make a facilities committee and have a ad hoc Storrington District Recreation Committee with representatives on the new central committee’
District Input on Proposed Structure Portland District: o Consensus was that proposed committee structure made sense to members that were present. o Feedback regarding the following was provided: • Composition 2 members per district. Districts should be encouraged to form community organizations to gather input from larger representation or gather input from existing groups. 2 Councilors per committee Keep group numbers lower so meetings can function well and be productive Page 162 of 190
o Reporting structure • Distribution of minutes to committee members, council and greater public • Staff and representatives from the committee should be responsible for reporting • Inputs to the committee – need to clarify and include what the established delegation process is
District Input on Proposed Structure Portland District: o Committee Appointment and Term • Specify where committee positions will be advertised • Second point – should be a maximum of 2 per district • Chair and Vice Chair positions – should be members from different districts. o Meeting Frequency • Recommend that committees meet 4 times per year • Quorum should be (50% +1) Page 163 of 190
District Input on Proposed Structure Portland District: o Sub Committees • First point – don’t need to list groups. Existing Committees or community groups/organizations would continue to operate • Second point –should remove as necessary and add “at the discretion of the support staff” o Delegations to Committees • Last point – should have to notify both the Chair and staff resource in advance of the Agenda
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District Input on Proposed Structure Questions for Portland District: o What groups are currently represented by the PDRC? o Do you feel that you are representing the needs of the district and larger community or just those that sit at the table? • How?
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Questions from Group?
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?
Where do we go from here? June 4-6th: Staff to revise report and include • Staff recommendation • Feedback provided from all Districts including preferred options • Details from all meetings, including facilitated session June 11th: Report to Committee of the Whole June 18th: Report to Council Implementation of Councils decision Page 167 of 190
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Minutes of Facilitated Session June 3rd, 2019
Time: 7:00pm Location: Council Chambers South Frontenac Recreation Present: Doug Morey, Norm Roberts, Alvin Wood, Kevin Fox, Mark Schjerning, Mike Howe, Donna Brown. Absent: Tracy Holland, Par Barr, Wolfe Erlichman, Linda Bates, Pam Morey Staff: Tim Laprade – Arena & Recreation Supervisor, Mark Segsworth – Director of Public Services, Angela Maddocks, Clerk, Emily Caird – Committee Secretary
- Call to Order a. Tim Laprade called meeting to order at 7:00 pm
- New Business a. Introduction of Kristen Koen Tim Laprade introduced Kristen Koen, the Public Education/Museum Coordinator summer student for this season. He noted that those wishing her to attend community events can contact her through the recreation office. b. Volunteer Appreciation Event Tim Laprade announced that the Volunteer Appreciation event to celebrate 2018 Volunteers will take place on June 18th at 6:00 pm. He also took the opportunity to announce that Recreation Committee Member, Alvin Wood, will be recognized at the reception. He also noted that Rhonda Storring is the other 2018 recipient of the Volunteer Appreciation award.
- Updates a. Review of April 1st, 2019 Minutes Tim Laprade drew attention to the minutes from the meeting on April 1st,
Kevin Fox moved to accept the minutes of the April 1st, 2019 Meeting. The minutes of the April 1st, 2019 meeting were adopted as presented. b. Presentation on District Feedback Tim Laprade gave his presentation on Recreation and Leisure Services, which included a look at previous recreation master plans from some of the various districts, review of other municipal recreation structures, and feedback from each of South Frontenac’s District Recreation Committees. In reference to the number of Townships operating in the 3 different formats, Alvin Wood inquired as to how many of the 75 were rural based municipalities such as South Frontenac. He felt this was important to
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properly understanding their recreation role in the community. Tim Laprade was unsure as to the ratio at this time. Upon reviewing the feedback from each District, Tim Laprade posed questions to members from that area. Bedford District Recreation
- Do you feel that the way Bedford District Recreation is currently structured that it is representing the needs of the district and larger community or just those that sit at the table? Donna Brown answered No, and explained that the Committee mostly focuses on Canada Day and that they have not reached out to see what the Community needs. She felt that they do not have the membership numbers to accomplish more initiatives.
- What are the concerns about moving away from the current model to the proposed Function Based model? Donna Brown noted that the Committee is concerned about losing their presence in the community should the Bedford District Rec Committee be disbanded. Donna Brown also explained that they are short on members and would like to grow their Committee.
- How much turn over has the committee had? Donna Brown explained that most people had been the same for many years with the exception of two new people in the last year. She noted that there are no programs in Bedford, thus, few groups and individuals to draw members from. Loughborough District Recreation Mike Howe spoke on behalf of the Loughborough District Recreation Committee and noted that they were concerned about the lines of communication between members, residents, and the Township, should the structure change. Mike Howe inquired as to what vehicle sub committees will have to communicate with the Township should there be no districts.
- Do you feel that the way Loughborough District Recreation is currently structured that it is representing the needs of the district and larger community or just those that sit at the table? Mike Howe responded by saying that he feels currently they are representing the needs of the people at the table. He explained the Committee realized that a lot of needs weren’t being addressed only after the results of the Community Survey came back a few years ago.
- When you say that the two proposed Committees need to meet 10 times a year, do you think that perhaps they can meet less but still have additional Community Engagement Sessions? Mike Howe noted that the proposed number of meeting being 10 is definitely something that could be changed.
- How much turn over has the committee had? Mike Howe responded by noting that there had not been much turnover in recent years. Most who sit on the Committee are tied to a specific group or activity.
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Storrington District Recreation
- Do you feel that the way Storrington District Recreation is currently structured that it is representing the needs of the district and larger community of just those that sit at the table? Councilor Roberts felt that they do indeed represent the interests of the larger community. He offered their support of the Inverary Youth Group as an example.
- How does Storrington District Rec currently find members to sit on the Committee? How much turn over has the committee had? Alvin Wood explained that he actively recruits individuals for the Committee. Members of the Storrington Rec Committee believes that they have had 3 new people over the last 5 years sit on their Committee.
- Do you feel that these options will increase the engagement with the local and broader community and meet their recreation and leisure needs? Alvin Wood felt that yes, Storrington’s proposed options of status quo or the addition of a district ad hoc committee, will increase engagement as it would allow for all groups and associations to sit on the Committee. Portland District Recreation
- What groups are currently represented by the Portland District Recreation Committee? Councilor Morey noted that some of the groups represented include: the local baseball and soccer associations, the VCA, the S&A Club, and the Lions Club. He explained that the S&A handles Canada Day every year, as opposed to a subcommittee.
- Do you feel that you are representing the needs of the district and larger community or just those that sit at the table? Councillor Morey noted that the intent to represent the entire community is there, but it is sometimes a challenge to do. He noted that pickleball is a local activity that is not represented on the Committee, as they have had their successes by working directly with the municipality. Councillor Morey explained that the Committee in Portland recognizes need but do not always know how to take actions as current members cannot always directly relate to some topics (I.e. A skateboard park.)
- How much turnover has the Committee had? Councillor Morey noted that there had been some turnover, however, it is often related to the change in representation within the different associations and groups that sit on the committee.
General Group Discussion Tim Laprade opened the floor up to general discussion on the feedback from all districts. Mayor Vandewal was in attendance and noted that if the Central Recreation Committee is disbanded and only the 4 district
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committees still exist then the topic of budget distribution will just get debated at Council instead. Mayor Vandewal also addressed the Storrington’s proposed option of having Ad Hoc Committees in addition to the Functional Committees – he noted that this may add too many layers of people to the process, which in turn could decrease efficiencies. The Clerk, Angela Maddocks, noted that she had watched Recreation in South Frontenac evolve over the last 20 years and felt that South Frontenac needs to position itself to be united. She felt that it was important to work collectively and think beyond the constructs of districts in order to strengthen the entire township and better serve the residents of South Frontenac. Mark Schjerning noted that the many sports associations and specialty groups will continue to operate no matter what happens with the municipal recreation committee structure. He felt that there may be no need for district committees and that a central/function based committee could serve South Frontenac well. Mark Schjerning also noted that he felt Township facilities should be entirely managed and maintained by staff. Donna Brown noted that she felt the Bedford Community would benefit from having more resources and support associated with the Functional Committee structure. She felt that the combination of members from various districts would allow for growth and new ideas in the Bedford area. Councillor Morey expressed his interest in all recreation committees working together to coordinate ideas and talk creatively about recreation and leisure in South Frontenac. Mike Howe explained that the role of Recreation Committee members has changed, and we need to adapt. He noted that previously their role included organizing swim programs and day camps as there were no permanent staff to administer these things, which has since changed. Councillor Morey noted that despite changes, the people around the Recreation Committee table were still important as they are the leaders in this community. He explained that despite having more staff, the recreation volunteers and committee members are known for their presence in the community, making them the most equipped to engage residents effectively, which an extremely vital element of municipal recreation. Tim Laprade shared Councillor Morey’s comments, explaining that changing the focus of the Committees would help to better serve the community by engaging the public and making recommendations to Council on their behalf. Mayor Vandewal acknowledged that competing geography has always been a challenge for recreation and leisure within our vast municipality. Mark Schjerning noted that the Centennial Dog Park in Harrowsmith has brought residents from all over, not just Portland District. The creation of a Facebook group for the dog park has established a community in its self that has no district associations. c. Next Steps Tim Laprade explained that he would be compiling all the information collected since January of 2019 and putting a report forward to Committee of the Whole and then Council on June 18th, 2019.
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Kevin Fox inquired as to if the members of South Frontenac Recreation Committee would get the opportunity to review the report prior to it going to Council. Tim Laprade noted that the report would be the Functional Committee Structure that was initially recommended to the Committee with a few alterations to reflect the Committee’s feedback. Angela Maddocks noted that Tim Laprade’s report would be available for viewing with the Agenda that gets posted on Civic Web. 4. Next meeting a. The next scheduled meeting is to be determined. 5. Adjournment a. The meeting was adjourned at 8:05 pm
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Functional Committee- Draft Terms of Reference
Committee Details/Terms of Reference Composition: • 8 Community Members (no more than 2 per district) • 2 Councilors (rotated between Districts) • Secretary: Executive Assistant • Staff Support: Facilities Committee (Facility & Solid Waste Supervisor) • Staff Support: Program Committee (Recreation & Leisure Supervisor) Reporting Structure and Inputs Into Process: (See Graph for reference) The committee reports regularly to council by means of • distribution of minutes • staff reports and recommendations • quarterly presentations from committee Inputs to committee • Committee members, Council and Staff Resource can bring any requests for information or concerns to the committees • Senior Management can bring any requests for information or concerns to the committees • Community Groups/Orgs can bring any requests to committees through the established delegation process • Committees actively engage Public and bring information back to committee Committee Appointments and Term: • Committee positions are advertised at the beginning of each council term via multiple forms of communication mediums • Council appoints 2 Councillors and 8 community members from each District based on a call for nominations for a total of 10 members per Committee. • The committee selects a Chair and Vice Chair annually at its first meeting of the calendar year. • The Chair and Vice Chair positions must be community members from the committees • Committee Chair may be removed only by a vote of a majority of the Committee. • The Chair of the committee shall serve as Chair for a period of no more than two consecutive years. • The Chair and Vice Chair position will rotate annually and not be the same person each year unless a new Chair is not selected, • The Chair and Vice Chair positions must not be from the same District • Members of the committee can only serve 4 years on the committee in a row before new members are appointed. • Vacancies on the committee will be advertised and filled as soon as possible through the nomination process.
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Meeting Frequency: • The committees will meet routinely at a minimum of 4 times per year or at the call of the Chair o Committee meetings will be held at different locations via rotating schedule throughout the Township • The Committees will also hold a minimum of 4 Public Engagement sessions per year as part of their role to capture interest and needs. o The two Committees can chose to take part in these sessions together or host them separately o Additional mediums to engage the Public will be used by Township Staff • The Committees will present to Council a minimum of 2 times per year • Quorum: A quorum is considered 50% plus 1 = 6 members Meeting Agendas: (refer to draft Agenda template) A standard Agenda template with reoccurring topics specific to the committee will be developed. The Executive Assistant will prepare the agenda in consultation with the Committee Chair along with request for additional items from the committee members. • Minutes and agenda will be circulated 1 week prior to the meeting to the committee members Decision Making: • The committee follows Councils procedures for conducting meetings and making decisions as a group • The committee will strive for consensus on all items, however if voting is necessary; all members of the committee shall have a vote, a simple majority will decide an issue, questions resulting in a tie vote will be defeated. • The Committee Chair may seek direction from the Staff resource to assist with the decision making process. Meeting Minutes: • Written minutes of all meetings shall be prepared by the Executive Assistant • Minutes will be provided to the committee for discussion and approval at the next committee meeting and distributed to Council after they have been passed by the committee. Sub Committees: • Existing Committees would continue to operate and work with Recreation Committees for additional support and guidance. • Special Sub-committees may be established at the discretion of the support staff for a limited time and for a specific purpose. Sub-committees will report back to the next full committee meeting.
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Meeting Attendance and Compensation: • The committee Chair will sign off on attendance list and provide it to Executive Assistant of Staff Support Supervisor for authorization for remuneration. • Committee and members of subcommittees of Council (excluding Councillors and staff) will be compensated $31.84 per meeting AND ‘this rate will be adjusted on a regular basis at the same increment as negotiated for the Township’s bargaining unit.’ • Recording Secretaries on Subcommittees of Council will be compensated $65 per meeting • All members including Recording Secretaries on Subcommittees of Council are paid for their mileage to attend the committee meetings. Delegations to Committees: Delegations by groups or individuals may be made to either of the committee and will follow the following process; • Delegations will be received by the Committee and will be limited to a maximum ten minute presentation, unless otherwise approved by the Committee, and are considered in the following order: o Those persons the Committee has requested to appear o Citizens, organizations or their representatives will notify the Chair or Staff Resource in advance of the Agenda being set with their desire to appear. The Chair or Staff Resource will direct the delegation to the appropriate committee and may request that the delegation presentation be moved to a different meeting date if the meeting agenda is full.
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Recreation and Leisure Facilities Committee AGENDA DATE/TIME: PLACE: To rotate around Township
Call to Order Updates • Any maintenance or repair items to report • Capital project updates • Items for budget consideration (ongoing process) • Report on any community engagement activities that have taken place • Any urgent items to bring to Councils attention • Any items to bring to the Community Programming & Events Committee New Business • Potential delegations to committee Next Meeting: - TBD Adjournment
Community Programming & Events Committee AGENDA DATE/TIME: PLACE: To rotate around Township
Call to Order Updates • Any Program or Event updates • Items for budget consideration (ongoing process) • Report on any community engagement activities that have taken place • Any urgent items to bring to Councils attention • Any items to bring to the Recreation and Leisure Facilities Committee New Business • Potential delegations to committee • New initiatives (ie. Volunteer recruitment and retention strategy, Event Planners Guide) Next Meeting: - TBD Adjournment
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REPORT TO COUNCIL CLERK’S DEPARTMENT
AGENDA DATE:
June 11, 2019
SUBJECT:
Council Compensation - Amendment
RECOMMENDATION: THAT Council amend the Council Compensation framework effective immediately to provide full day meeting compensation for the Mayor at the existing rate of $150.00 per day. BACKGROUND: On September 4, 2018, following a review conducted by the Citizen Advisory Committee, Council passed the following motion: THAT Council adopt the following recommendations of the Citizen Advisory Committee:
- Effective January 1, 2019, Council Compensation be set at: Mayor
$33,621
Deputy Mayor
$19,561
Councillor
$15,084
- That the Mayor receive no additional honorarium for meetings
- That the meeting fees for the Deputy Mayor and Councillors continue to be compensated at $50.00 per meeting or $150 for a full day meeting
- That an honorarium for attendance at Conferences continue to be paid as per the existing policy for all members of Council
- That the monthly allowance for communication costs be increased to $100
- That future adjustments (beyond January 1, 2019) be tied to the percentage change negotiated for unionized employees. On May 14, the Mayor asked Council to consider an amendment to the Council Compensation Framework to provide full day meeting compensation for the Mayor at the established rate of $150. The Mayor cited that there are several times throughout the year where he is expected to give up a full day to attend or participate in meetings for which he does not feel he is adequately paid for and yet Councillors in attendance receive full day compensation. The Mayor went on to say that he had no problems with not being paid incrementally for his attendance at meetings such as CSC, PSC or DSC as he has a choice if wishes to attend. Examples the Mayor feels are not adequately compensated for include meetings such as: Annual Emergency Management Training and Exercise, Saturday
Our strength is our community.
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REPORT TO COUNCIL CLERK’S DEPARTMENT
Budget Session, First Round of CAO interviews, Full Day Orientation sessions, Bus tours, etc. For reference the earnings for 2018 are reproduced for your information. Brad Barbeau Meetings Honorarium Conference Per Diem Mileage Other Total Ray Leonard Meetings Honorarium Conference Per Diem Mileage Other Total Doug Morey Meetings Honorarium Conference Per Diem Mileage Other Total Norman Roberts Meetings Honorarium Conference Per Diem Mileage Other Total
Mark Schjerning Meetings Honorarium Conference Per Diem Mileage Other Total Ross Sutherland Meetings Honorarium Conference Per Diem Mileage Other Total
2,250.00 11,656.37 0.00 276.10 550.00 14,732.47
50.00 1,059.67 0.00 10.78 50.00 1,170.45
0.00 1,059.67 0.00 0.00 50.00 1,109.67
780.00 12,716.04 300.00 982.70 1,097.30 15,876.04
250.00 11,656.37 1,000.00 46.75 779.25 13,732.37
3,450.00 12,716.04 750.00 2,339.70 2,052.98 21,308.72
Patricia Barr Meetings Honorarium Conference Per Diem Mileage Other Total John McDougall Meetings Honorarium Conference Per Diem Mileage Other Total Al Revill Meetings Honorarium Conference Per Diem Mileage Other Total Randy Ruttan Meetings Honorarium Conference Per Diem Mileage Other Total
Ron Sleeth Meetings Honorarium Conference Per Diem Mileage Other Total Ron Vandewal Meetings Honorarium Conference Per Diem Mileage Other Total
1,610.00 13,639.04 750.00 1,852.40 927.40 18,778.84
1,700.00 11,656.37 0.00 796.95 550.00 14,703.32
2,750.00 15,023.64 1,000.00 1,854.60 2,239.33 22,867.57
0.00 1,059.67 0.00 0.00 50.00 1,109.67
1,300.00 12,900.64 0.00 739.75 600.00 15,540.39
0.00 29,392.32 0.00 2,355.10 600.00 32,327.42
Our strength is our community.
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REPORT TO COUNCIL CLERK’S DEPARTMENT
FINANCIAL/STAFFING IMPLICATIONS: If approved, the change in compensation would have an estimated annual impact of $900 (6X$150).
ATTACHMENTS:
Submitted/approved by:
Prepared by:
Wayne Orr
Wayne Orr
Our strength is our community.
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From: Gavin Marshall Gavin.Marshall@magentainvestment.ca Date: June 4, 2019 at 1:24:09 PM EDT To: “rvandewal@southfrontenac.net” rvandewal@southfrontenac.net Subject: Magenta Waterfront Development Corporation ‐ Gavin Marshall Hi Ron, Recognizing that I’m/we’re an unknown quantity, having only recently taken operational control of our Johnston Point, Cranberry Cove, Pine Point Rd. and Applewood Lane developments, I thought it might be useful to provide this introductory letter and overview of our vision. There have frankly been a lot of bumps and bruises since we made our initial investment in early 2014. However the reasons for that are clear and we have taken effective remedial action. The fundamental reasons why we wanted to invest in South Frontenac remain, and based on the fantastic working relationship we’ve established with Claire, Mark, Tom and everyone else at SFT, we are completely confident that we cannot only quickly and successfully complete the existing projects, but continue to invest and work with you moving forward. I look forward to meeting and working with you. Kind regards,
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|._.|
MAGENTA Because tomorrow
matters
Mr. Ron Vandewal Mayor South Frontenac Township P.O. Box 100 Sydenham, ON KOH2T0 June 4, 2019 Dear Mayor Vandewal: HEAD OFFICE
Re: Johnston Point & Cranberry Cove DPA Extensions
580 Terry Fox Drive Suite 401, Ottawa ON, l<2L4B9 magentainvestment
ca
ADMINGSTRATIVE OFFICES
Our family owns a majority interest in the Applewood Lane, Johnston Point and Pine Point Road developments, as well as 100% of the Cranberry Cove development. As I you are aware, the minority owner is a company owned and controlled by Gary and Martha Beach (“BeachCo”).
47 Gore St. East Perth ON, K7H 1H6
To date we’ve financed the four projects by way of a $10 million investment, in addition to substantial loans advanced to BeachCo.
CONTACT
As you‘re aware, after some delay owing to a legal dispute, Tony Fleming confirmed on March 20"‘that South Frontenac and the County would deal exclusively with us for the purpose of completing the projects without further delay.
Tel: 613-2305014
Toll-Free: 888-267-1744
Ext. 310
Fax: 613267-7644
Toll-Free: 888-Z677644
The delay referenced above did not allow our team sufficient time to satisfy the Draft Plan Approval (“DPA”) conditions prior to the current deadline, thus requiring the applications to extend both the Johnston Point and Cranberry Cove DPAs. By way of introduction, I grew up in a rural farming community in Prince Edward County——in a place much like South Frontenac. Our family home was on Roblin Lake and the lake has always been my spiritual home. Our family home is now on Big Rideau Lake in Tay Valley Township. I went to Queen’s and started my business career in Kingston. My kids went to Queens and my son is currently living in Kingston while he finishes his MBA. Kingston and Queen’s have played a large and significant role in my life and I’ve been grateful for the opportunity to give back to Queens in a number of ways, including working with the Biology Station (“QUBS"). Profits from our development activities have been earmarked to make a major donation to the QUBS Land Trust in order to qualify for a matching grant from the Nature Conservancy of Canada and to fund construction of a new aquatics research
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El MAGENTA Because tomorrow
matters
building to replace the seventy-year old structure there now. Regional Kingston remains our company’s second most significant market after Ottawa and we continue to grow our business there. In short, I have deep roots in the Kingston area and continue to strengthen these ties, as reflected in our multi-milliondollar investment to date in South Frontenac.
As you’re aware, the existing Johnston Point DPA is the product of an unprecedented degree of scrutiny and analysis. As we consider the future we all must strive to build, this is unquestionably in the common good because here in South Frontenac we have crafted the gold standard for what environmentally sensitive, responsible and sustainable waterfront development must become. The development incorporates many unique elements intended to elevate environmental standards to a whole new level. For example, half of the island bordering on the PSW between Units 8 and 9, has been reserved as a Blanding’s turtle shelter. Perhaps the most unique and progressive feature of the development, is the codified requirement for the condominium corporation to adhere in perpetuity to the biological “owner’s manual” drafted by our Field Biologist, Rob Snetsinger. A portion of the condo fees will be allocated to the Environmental Committee, responsible for ensuring that all of the environmental safeguards are maintained on an ongoing basis, ideally with QUBS oversight and support.
There is an old saying that you can’t legislate human nature. The new residents being attracted to Johnston Point embrace these environmental controls, they want to live in a community of like-minded people, they want to build net-zero homes that minimize our carbon footprint. They want to live in the special place that is South Frontenac, offering the unique combination of a cutting-edge progressive community that hasn’t forgotten its rural roots, located in close proximity to a cosmopolitan city with second to none healthcare, equidistant between the GTA and Montreal on the 401 corridor, and a stone’s throw from the border. This same unique combination is why we have invested millions in South Frontenac and why it remains a significant part of our business model moving forward. These new members of our community will contribute far more than tax dollars and a gigantic shot in the arm for the local economy. They are talented and successful people with so much to contribute to every aspect of community life and a compelling desire to do so. They’ve fallen in love with South Frontenac and want to give back to their new home.
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El MAGENTA Because tomorrow
matters
As noted above, the current DPA incorporates extremely elevated environmental and planning standards and controls. We are keenly aware, that everything we do will be under the microscope and every detail in the existing DPA must be scrupulously adhered to, no matter how minute. We welcome and embrace this scrutiny because the current DPA is perfectly aligned with our philosophy—with why I was motivated to do the project in the first placewith the legacy I want to leave. Johnston Point, quite simply, is the future we all need to get to, making by definition, South Frontenac a beacon for the future we all need to get to.
We have assembled a team of professionals, led by Tracy Zander, President of and including our field biologist, Rob Snetsinger and our lawyers, Nelligan O’Brien Payne, supported by Magenta staff, who have been working closely with Township, County, CRCA and KFL&A Public Health since we were finally able to assume control in late March to ensure that all DPA conditions are satisfied to the letter and as expeditiously as possible. ZanderP|an
On this note I want to emphasize how encouraged and gratified we have been by the professionalism and spirit of constructive collaboration demonstrated by all of your staff from day one. This has truly become a public-private partnership with all parties committed to realizing the vision of Johnston Point and in turn strengthening and growing our community. We have the expertise, we have the financial resources, and with all parties committed to rolling up their sleeves there is no reason why the project cannot finally be completed within the next few months.
In a past life I was President of the Perth & District Chamber of Commerce and the inaugural Chairman of the Town of Perth’s Economic Development Committee and we still maintain offices in Perth. I wish frankly that my former home had the resources and the great foundation to build on that South Frontenac has. Magenta is a $400 million company and we look forward to building on the relationships we’ve established and working with you to continue to make South Frontenac a model for what a flourishing, environmentally sustainable 215‘century community must look like. Our team and I would be delighted to meet with you to discuss any aspect of Johnston Point or our other three current developments, and to compare notes re. our mutual visions for the future in South Frontenac.
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|._.|
MAGENTA Because tomorrow matters
Kind regards,
Q4, Gavin Marshall, President & Founder gavinmarshall@magentainvestm (613) 230-5014, Ext. 310
ent.ca
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From: Meela Melnik-Proud [mailto:meelamelnik@hotmail.com] Sent: June-04-19 3:59 PM To: councillorrevill@gmail.com; Morey, Doug douggmorey@gmail.com; councillornroberts@gmail.com; patbarr1@aol.com; rgruttan@gmail.com; rayleonard1952@gmail.com; sfcron.sleeth@gmail.com; Ron Vandewal rvandewal@southfrontenac.net; 7846elbe@gmail.com; Wayne Orr worr@southfrontenac.net Subject: Re: Application for Extension of Draft Plan Approval for the Johnston Point Plan of Condominium June 4, 2019 Re: Application for Extension of Draft Plan Approval for the Johnston Point Plan of Condominium Dear Mayor and Councillors, Thank you for your time and consideration of our concerns over the recommendation to Council to extend Johnston Point’s draft plan approval. What stands out for me in reading this planning report, and discussions surrounding it, are not solid reasons to “keep momentum for all parties to work actively to move this file towards final approval”, but our Township’s motto closing out each page. “Our strength is our community.” The Johnston Point Plan of Condominium has been on the Township’s agenda since June 2014 – a full 5 years. For five years concerned residents have continued to work in good faith and our community’s best interest to provide solid common and expert knowledge and opinions to assist in decision-making on these proposals in an effective, timely, open and fair manner. For five years, we have continually felt shut out of the decision making process, while we continually experienced and documented the failure of Township, County, the CRCA and/or the MNRF to adequately assess, or effectively monitor and enforce the Conditions of Draft Plan Approval to protect, conserve and restore this highly ecologically sensitive peninsula and its numerous species at risk. Five years ago, August 2014, the CRCA recommended the County defer the application of Johnston Point “in order to determine which species have been identified in the area, the suitability of those species to use the wetland/adjacent lands in question, and any mitigation measures to avoid impacts.” Explicit in the CRCA’s early evaluations was the need for regulation in order to fully protect what was in our community’s best interests: “the main interests of the CRCA in this application are … the protection of natural heritage features (wetlands and woodlands) … the purpose of Ontario Regulation 148/06 is … to preserve the hydrologic and ecological functions of wetlands… By virtue of this regulation, the CRCA regulates all development and site alteration activities (including grading and filling) within 120 metres of the PSW, and within 50 metres of the shoreline of Loughborough Lake. Within a regulated area, written permission must be obtained from the CRCA prior to development or site alteration taking place.” 7 - CRCA letter (Aug 8 14); 10 - CRCA letter (Nov 12 14) Explicit in the response from the developer’s consultants that won conditional CRCA approval in November 2014 was “that there would no negative impacts” and their “confidence”that, because there were no species at risk on Johnston Point, “we do not feel that mitigation measures are warranted.” Ecological Services, Sept 3, 2014 Letter It was regardless of the fact that lake residents had immediately brought forward common knowledge that this Condominium Plan was concentrated in highly ecologically sensitive PSW where negative impact still had not been properly evaluated, and where both species at risk and the designation of Area of Natural and Scientific Interest had been overlooked. Ecological Services Response to Wicklam and Rennie; Ecological Services response to Mariotti; Ecological Services Response to Anthony Cameron - Oct 1 14 By July 2015, your own peer review experts had identified the full extent and seriousness of what had been missed in the EIAs, and the danger of solely rely on the developer’s due diligence and the confidence of his ecological consultants: “Summary of Conclusions … Does not demonstrate there will be no negative impacts on the natural features or their ecological functions for significant wildlife habitat for
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threatened species … for the ANSI or the PSW. Does not demonstrate development and site alteration in fish habitat will be in accordance with provincial and federal requirements. Site alterations performed may have contravened the prohibitions of the Endangered Species Act. At a minimum, the proposed development has the potential to result in long-term negative impacts to Blanding’s Turtle, Snapping Turtle and Gray Ratsnake …It is strongly recommended that the MNR be consulted prior to any further site alteration.” EIA Peer_Review McIntosh-Perry July29_2015.pdf It was inexplicable to us how, in light of the McIntosh-Perry review, these developments were allowed to proceed to the OMB with your full endorsement, particularly without the MNRF assessment and a collaborative re-evaluation of cumulative negative impacts. It was why we made a bid for party status at the April 2016 OMB to “request that the development be denied until such time that all recommendations from the Peer Review EIA as well as all regulations as set out in the ESA are met. Until then, … that this case be dismissed based on the fact that the 180-day clause invoked by the Developer specifically aimed at avoiding due process.” It seemed clear to us then that, in order for this development to proceed, an overall benefit permit would be required. By definition, the main purpose of this ESA permit was not to protect Johnston Point, but specifically to allow for threatened and endangered species on Johnston Point to be killed, harmed or harassed, or their habitat to be damaged or destroyed, in order for development to proceed. It was our understanding that your mandate was assessing the risks development posed to, and protecting, Johnston Point’s species at risk and natural heritage environment, not allowing it to be damaged or destroyed in a trade off. It was this perspective– an ecologically balanced provincially significant wetland complex that provides habitat to multiple species at risk and is of life science natural and scientific interest - that has never been given your full consideration. Clearly, by definition of this ESA permit, and by connectivity of this wetland ecosystem, it means there will be irreversible long-term negative impact to the full spectrum of “natural heritage features and ecological functions” under the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) , and to “conservation of land”under the Conservation Authorities Act (CAA) and Ontario Regulation 148/06. I believe that if our Township and County continues to ignore this perspective over prioritizing approval of this development, it will be at all our own peril and grave danger to future generations. As municipalities across Ontario are following Kingston lead by declaring climate emergencies “for the purposes of naming, framing and deepening our commitment to protecting our economy, our ecosystems and our community from climate change,” I believe the lapsing of the Conditions of Draft Plan provides our community with a unique and urgent opportunity to take bold, corrective, and precedent setting action. We have provided you with our most trusted expert opinion on what we stand to lose in moving forward with Johnston Point. It is that of Gordon Miller, our former Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (2000 to 2015) - our province’s former environmental watchdog and guardian of our Environmental Bill of Rights until this office was eliminated in the interests of big business. Mr. Miller warned that in this “extreme case of conflicting values – between species at risk conservation and residential development … On Johnston Point, the species and habitat loss will be absolute.” What better opportunity to respond to the threat of “absolute” loss of species and habitat on Johnston Point, as a clarion call and moral duty for immediate action to mitigate catastrophic climate change and loss of biodiversity? What better opportunity to recognize the “extreme case of conflicting values – between species at risk conservation and residential development” on Johnston Point as a catalyst for shifting mindsets and practices away from the purpose of proponent-driven approvals back to protecting and restoring provincially significant natural environments that in turn help to protect citizens?
What better opportunity to realize the community’s contribution in the decision on Johnston Point as the perfect opportunity to make this big and essential change that is in all our best interest?
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What better opportunity to rally behind last year’s petition, signed by over 2400 people calling for a stop to development of Johnston Point. https://www.change.org/p/battersea-loughborough-lake-association-stopdevelopment-of-johnston-point-on-loughborough-lake-north-of-kingston-ontario We continue to be driven forward by the conviction that if this Plan of Condominium is allowed on Johnston Point, with its multiple layers of designated protection and its diversity of species at risk for the mere sake of 15 houses, then no place in Ontario is sacred from development. It means irreversible losses and consequences to present and future generations, as our historically unparalleled and catastrophic decline of Ontario’s wildlife is allowed to continue unabated. To ensuring that community is all our greatest strength, Meela
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Municipal CAOs and Clerks, Cataraqui Region, The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has invited municipalities and others to provide input on Ontario’s resilience to flooding via an online survey. Here is a link to the survey: https://www.ontario.ca/form/survey-improving-provinces-resilienceflooding. Responses are due by June 14, 2019. The Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority works with municipalities to reduce the impacts of flooding on the communities in our region. Relevant aspects include floodplain mapping, planning and permitting in floodplains, water monitoring, and flood forecasting & warning. Municipalities also play an important role in flood event management and response, such as providing sandbags and guidance to residents. The survey response from CRCA staff will encourage the Ministry to:
- Follow a watershed-based approach to flood management;
- Collaborate with conservation authorities to build on existing programs;
- Invest in up-to-date floodplain mapping, as well as water monitoring and flood-related infrastructure such as dams; and,
- Work with communities to reduce the impacts of flooding on existing homes, businesses and infrastructure in low-lying areas. If you have any related questions, please contact Katrina Furlanetto, Manager, Watershed Planning & Engineering, at kfurlanetto@crca.ca or 613-546-4228 ext. 248. Thanks, Donna bcc: CRCA Municipal Representatives
Donna Campbell Assistant, Chair and General Manager
Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority 1641 Perth Road, PO Box 160, Glenburnie ON, K0H 1S0 Phone: (613) 546‐4228 ext. 229 ‐ Fax: (613) 547‐6474 Toll Free for Area code (613): 1‐877‐956‐2722 Visit us on the web: www.crca.ca www.cleanwatercataraqui.ca www.cataraquitrail.ca Follow us on:
Page 189 of 190 Dear Councillors,
June 4, 2019
According to the Report to Council dated May 30, 2019, the Development Services Department is recommending “THAT South Frontenac Council recommend the County of Frontenac extend draft plan approval for a period of one year for application 10CD2014/001, subject to the conditions outlined by the OMB decision dated June 28, 2016 and direct the Clerk to forward this resolution to the County Clerk.” We are opposed to this recommendation. The application to extend draft plan approval for Johnston Point lists the reasons why conditions of draft approval have not been completed to date, citing two reasons:
- That “The owner was required to execute an Overall Benefit Permit with MNRF to ensure protection of some species at risk habitat on the site…”
- And that “the owner was delayed in their ability to clear the other draft Plan conditions and register the Condominium” due to “an ongoing legal dispute between the previous project manager and Magenta Waterfront Development Corporation”. Regarding the Overall Benefit Permit: It was the owner who delayed the Overall Benefit Permit process and repeatedly ignored requests to file an Information Gathering Form – an essential form to determining whether an Overall Benefit Permit is required. The owner was made aware of species at risk (SAR) at least as early as September 14,
- Following this, members of the public provided common knowledge of SAR at both public meetings, on October 7, 2014 and March 17, 2015. On June 11, 2015 McIntosh Perry observed three different species at risk on site at Johnston Point. Despite these early reports of species at risk on site at Johnston Point, an Information Gathering Form wasn’t filed by the owner until May 25, 2016 – almost two years after the first SAR reporting, therefore, the requirement to execute an Overall Benefit Permit should not be considered a reasonable delay. Regarding delay caused by a legal dispute between the previous project manager and the Magenta Waterfront Development Corporation: This dispute should be of no concern to the Township and should not be considered a reasonable delay. Also, we are concerned by the report that “A significant item that prevents staff from being in a position to clear conditions is the ability for Township staff to review the Benefit Permit.” Since the Overall Benefit Permit was issued to Magenta as per the ER registry, why didn’t Magenta simply give the County and Township a copy of the permit, rather than having the County file a Freedom of Information request which delays the process as it has yet to be completed. This development at Johnston Point has been costly to our Township, both in terms of taxpayer dollars as well as the ecological cost of irreversible negative impact. We ask that our Township vote against the Draft Plan extension application 10CD2014/001. Respectfully, Evonne Potts On Behalf of the Board of Directors Battersea Loughborough Lake Association
Page 190 of 190 Angela Maddocks From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject:
mayorhiggins@xplornet.com June 5, 2019 2:49 PM Wayne Orr; Angela Maddocks Ron Vandewal; ‘Jannette Amini’; ‘Joe Gallivan’ Johnston Point Development Plan
The County has received the South Frontenac Council motion that defeated the “Application for Extension of Draft Plan Approval for the Johnston Point Plan of Condominium 10CD‐2014/001” and we are quite surprised to see that motion be defeated. As we are going to discuss this application at our next County meeting we would like to understand the rationale from the Council members who defeated the motion and would ask that each of these Council members provide their rationale for their decision so we can make an educated decision ourselves. This request, from the Warden (Chair of County Council,) is abnormal but we feel there is no logical explanation that we are aware of for failing to approve an extension to allow the developer to finish completing their requirements. In reading their planner report and your own staff’s recommendations they both appear solid. To that end, if you agree, can you have the rationale comments from each Councillor who defeated the motion be provided to Jannette Amini by end of day June 12’th so we can include them in our agenda package for the next County meeting on June 19’th. This will allow our County Council the opportunity to review and understand the rationale of the South Frontenac decision before we make our own decision at the County. Respectively, Ron Higgins Warden County of Frontenac mayorhiggins@xplornet.com 613‐884‐9736
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