For Immediate Release
Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Council Connect: Highlights from May 9, 2023, meetings of Council

Tecumseh Town Council met this evening, and here are the highlights:

Regular Meeting of Council

Pathway to Potential Funding Agreement 2023: Since 2013, the Tecumseh Community & Recreation Services Department has been administering funding programs to assist low-income families with access to recreation programs, through the Pathway to Potential (P2P) program. The Town of Tecumseh offers children, youth, adults and seniors living on low income the opportunity to participate in any program offered through the Community & Recreation Services Department at 10 percent of the program cost. Council approved entering an Agreement with the City of Windsor & P2P for these programs for the budget year of 2023.

CRS-2023-09 Golden Age Club User Agreement: In accordance with approved recommendations from Report CRS-2023-07 on April 25, 2023, Administration prepared a User Agreement between the Town and the Golden Age Club (GAC) for the period they are accommodated at the St. Clair Beach Community Centre (SCBCC) during Cada Library renovations. The terms of the Agreement provide for the Town’s obligations for care and maintenance of the SCBCC and the GAC’s obligations for their use of it, as well as the insurance and grant reporting requirements of the GAC. The Agreement was endorsed by Council with authorization to provide the GAC a two-week period for their review and sign-off. The Agreement will return to Council for final consideration on May 23, 2023.

Summary of Public Consultation and Recommendations Regarding Proposed Changes to the Tecumseh Transit Service Route for 2023: Council received a report outlining the results of the engagement process and corresponding assessment for the Tecumseh Transit route, as well as recommendations on the proposed changes to the fixed route. Changes include re-introducing stops at Tecumseh Town Centre Plaza, and the Sobeys Plaza on Manning Rd, along with changes to timing for the Brighton Road Loop and relocation of the Dillon Drive route to Little River Blvd. Council approved the report, with the changes to be implemented on June 1, 2023.

Town of Tecumseh New Fireworks By-Law: Council received a report summarizing the revisions to the proposed fireworks by-law after feedback was received from major local stakeholders. Changes include requiring permits for aerial fireworks, further definitions in the by-law of such terms as “Fireworks Supervisor” and “Assistant”, and changes to the bylaw to reflect federal recommendations. Council approved the report and adopted the By-law.

Maisonneuve Street Sidewalk from Shawnee Road to Lesperance Road: At a meeting on January 26, 2023, Administration was requested to prepare a report on the feasibility of installing a sidewalk along Maisonneuve Street from Shawnee Road to Lesperance Road to have it connect with the Lesperance Road Trail that is scheduled to be installed in 2024. At this time Administration does not recommend the installation of a sidewalk on Maisonneuve Street from Shawnee Road to Lesperance Street due to the high likelihood that segments of the sidewalk installed may be removed and replaced during future infrastructure improvements to the entire street. Council does not approve adding the Maisonneuve Street Sidewalk, from Shawnee Road to Lesperance Road.

Upper Little River Watershed Drainage and Master Plan Class Environmental Assessment Study Completion and Final Adoption: The City of Windsor and Town of Tecumseh together with the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) commenced this watershed study to document the existing conditions of the Upper Little River Watershed and to recommend stormwater management measures to mitigate potential negative impacts as development occurs over time. The Master Plan is considered approved under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process and may proceed to implementation. Council adopted PWES-2023-34.

Request to Refer Drainage Report Back to Engineer – Shuttleworth Drain: Council approved Report PWES-2023-37 to refer the Drainage Report for the Shuttleworth Drain back to the Drainage Engineer based on the requests from the two landowners and the discussions with OMAFRA. Administration recommended that Council refer the Drainage Report for the Shuttleworth Drain back to the Drainage Engineer. Once the Drainage Report has been referred back and all necessary changes have been incorporated, the Drainage Engineer will submit an updated Drainage Report for reconsideration and the Drainage Act process will proceed again.

Request for Repair and Improvement to the North 12th Concession Drain – Appointment of Drainage Engineer: A request was submitted to replace (and lengthen) a driveway culvert that provides access over the Drain on the west side of 12th Concession Road commencing north of County Road 46. Council approved Josh Warner, P.Eng. of R. Dobbin Engineering Inc. to be appointed Drainage Engineer to produce an updated report for the access culvert that will include the watershed boundary, plan and profiles, and updated construction and future maintenance Assessment schedules.

Subsequent Connection to a Municipal Drain (s. 65) – Cyr Drain & Extension: Council approved the landowner’s request to allow a subsequent connection to the Cyr Drain and Extension (Drain) in accordance with Section 65(3) of the Drainage Act (the Act). This request was made to help facilitate  proposed development of the parcels, whereby stormwater would be serviced into a single drainage area being the Cyr Drain.

Amendment to the 2023-2027 PWES Capital Works Plan County Road 43 Trunk Watermain Project W-4 (CP Rail to County Road 42):  Council received recommendations to amend the 2023-2027 Capital Works Plan to include the County Road (CR) 43 Trunk Watermain Project from CP Rail to County Road 42 as part of the County of Essex Phase 2 CR42 & 43 Improvement Project.   Dillion Consulting Limited will be retained for engineering consulting services.  Total project expenditures of $4, 886,000 for engineering (2023) and construction (2024) will be funded through the Watermain Reserve Fund.  Council approved the recommendations.

Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund 2023 Intake Cedarwood Sanitary Pump Station Reconstruction: Council approved Administration to apply for federal funding under the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) 2023 Intake, for the Cedarwood Sanitary Pump Station Reconstruction Project.  As part of a 2022 Condition and Capacity Assessment conducted by Stantec Consulting Ltd., full reconstruction of the Cedarwood PS is recommended due to site elevation and susceptibility to flooding, as well as age of the pump station and maintenance challenges including sourcing replacement parts, frequency of repairs and increasing costs.  A full replacement will mitigate risks associated with potential pump failure and ensure optimal operating efficiencies across the service area.  The preliminary estimate for the reconstruction is $7.75M, which if successful under DMAF, may be covered up to 40% ($3.1M).  The Town’s share of 60% ($4.65M) would be funded from the Wastewater Facilities Reserve Fund.

Next Regular Meeting: The next regular meeting of Council is May 23, 2023. The agenda and livestream will be available on the Town’s website. Follow the Town of Tecumseh on Facebook and Twitter for news and the latest information.