For Immediate Release
Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Council Connect: Highlights from June 27, 2023, meetings of Council

Tecumseh Town Council met this week and here are the highlights:

Court of Revision

Drainage Report for the East Townline Drain:  A meeting was held to hear from affected owners wishing to appeal their assessment identified in the Engineers Report prepared by Mark Hernandez P. Eng, of Dillon Consulting Inc. The report incorporates the changes to the Drain under the Drainage Act, including relocation of the lower portion of the Drain to the east side of Manning Road and enclosing the Drain upstream. These upgrades were part of the Manning Road Improvements Phase 2 project, completed in 2021 and 2022.

Public Meeting of Council

Zoning By-law Amendment, Petcon Realty Corp., South Side of County Rd 22, West of Sylvestre Drive: A public meeting was held to hear from neighbouring owners and interested stakeholders/agencies regarding a zoning amendment application for property located on the South Side of County Road 42 and West of Sylvestre Drive currently within an “Agricultural Zone”. The application requests to rezone the land into a site-specific “Holding General Commercial Zone”, facilitating the proposed commercial development of a six-story hotel and a separate commercial/retail building. Comments received will be considered as part of the full evaluation of the application.

Regular Meeting of Council

Local Government Week Contest Winners: Council shared their appreciation to all who participated in Local Government Week activities between May 22-26^th, 2023. Special congratulations to the contest winners who were recognized at the Council meeting:

• 1st Place Essay Contest Winner – Deanna Roberts
• 2nd Place Essay Contest Winner – Brock Donais
• Poster Contest Winner – Matilda Shafer

Lakewood Park North Boardwalk Emergency Replacement: On June 5, 2023, a minor fire was reported on the wooden boardwalk at Lakewood Park North. Due to the quick response, a broader fire event was prevented. An examination of the damage caused by the fire exposed structural and material instabilities with the boardwalk. The condition of the boardwalk warranted a decision for it to be replaced. Council authorized funding in the amount of $165,000 (plus non-refundable HST) from the Parks Lifecycle Reserve for a new concrete boardwalk.

CADA Library Renovation Project - Tender Award: Council approved a recommendation to award the tender of the CADA Library Renovation Project to Vince Ferro Construction Ltd. A funding increase was also approved from the Lifecycle Building Reserve bringing the total budget of the project to $1,243,185. Cost of the project is proposed to be shared between the Town and Essex County Library board in the amounts of $879, 136.60 and $376,772.00, respectively. The focus of the renovation project is to revitalize the interior of the CADA Library and improve functionality within the space, including accessibility upgrades and modernizing the layout. During the renovation period, the Tecumseh Library Branch will operate out of the Town’s facility at 12420 Lanoue Street, formerly known as the Golden Age Club.

Amendments to By-Law 2009-01 Retail Business Holiday Act: Council adopted the recommendation to amend By-Law 2009-01 Retail Business Holiday Act and exercise section 1.2 of the Act permitting municipalities to exempt retailers from application of the Act as long as at least one day is designated as a required holiday closing (December 25^th). The Town of Tecumseh BIA supports the exemption along with flexibility in hours of operation beyond current By-law limits of 9:00am-6:00pm. Updating the current By-law to include the holiday exemption and flexibility in hours of operation aims to support the Town’s local businesses and strengthen tourism.

Town of Tecumseh New Procedural By-Law: Council accepted recommended revisions to the Procedural By-Law.  First and second readings were presented and carried.  Revisions resulted from the Procedural By-Law Subcommittee that was convened in February 2023, tasked with reviewing the existing By-Law and recommendations from the previous subcommittee, as well as feedback from the Clerk’s Department Service Delivery Review (2021/2022).  Changes to the By-Law include:  agenda structure and management, role definition for Council Members, procedural rules and clarification for existing practices, flexibility to move meetings (with notice) to electronic only, and voting process clarification. The third and final reading will take place on July 11^th, 2023.

Essex Power Corporation – Appointment of Proxyholder for Shareholder’s 2023 Annual Meeting: Essex Power is required to hold an annual meeting of shareholders and occasionally requires a special shareholders’ meeting. Mayor Gary McNamara and Mr. Tom Burton are the current directors appointed by the Town to sit on the Board and have the authority to represent the Town and vote at board meetings but are not authorized to represent or vote at shareholders’ meetings. Council approved the report for Mayor McNamara to be appointed proxyholder for the Town to cast its shareholder votes at the Essex Power Corporation’s 2023 Shareholders Annual Meeting. Tom Burton was appointed as an alternate proxyholder.

Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund Phase 1: Scully-St. Mark’s Pump Station and Riverside Drive East Reconstruction Project - Construction Services Tender Award: Council awarded the Tender for the Scully-St. Mark’s Pump Station and Riverside Drive East Reconstruction Project in the amount of $19,202,990.28, excluding HST, to Sterling Ridge Infrastructure Inc. Additionally, Council approved the accommodated funding allocations for the project, reflecting a total budget requirement of $23,346,900 with an $11,900 increase due to estimated project costs increasing significantly.

Adoption of Municipal Drain By-law, 4^th Concession Drain: Council carried first, second and third readings of By-law 2023-69 to adopt the Engineering Drainage Reports for the 4^th Concession Drain prepared by RC Spencer Associates Inc.  This drainage project was initiated by the Town of Lasalle and crosses municipal boundaries into Tecumseh.  By adopting the Engineering Drainage Reports, the Town will have authority to complete maintenance and assessments (in accordance with associated schedules) on segments of drains located in the Town. Lands owned by the Town of Tecumseh, and privately owned lands within the Town will be assessed in terms of costs based on schedules of assessment included in the Drainage Report for current recommended repairs and improvements, and for future drain maintenance.

Amendment to Drainage Assessment Schedules for Works Completed under Section 78 of the Drainage Act in 2022: Work was substantially completed on the McLean-Hergott Drain, consisting of the construction of a new bridge, with ancillary work, for the Town Water Division over the Drain. The Town applied to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) for grant funds for eligible agricultural lands. The total drainage assessment to the Town is $44,952.94 funded from the Town Watermain Reserve Fund. Council approved the report and gave By-law 2021- 77 first, second and third readings.

Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund Phase 1: Scully-St. Mark’s Pump Station Replacement and Riverside Drive East Reconstruction Project Award of Engineering Consulting Services: Council awarded Engineering Consulting Services for the Scully-St. Mark’s Pump Station Replacement and Riverside Drive East Reconstruction Project in the amount of $941,056.50 excluding HST to Dillon Consulting Ltd. The proposal submitted by Dillon Consulting Ltd. was deemed acceptable by the Evaluation Committee and satisfies the requirements of the RFP for Engineering Consulting Services for this Project.

Asphalt Paving Tender Award 2023: Following Council adoption of Report PWES-2023-01 on January 26, 2023, a few opportunities have arisen that resulted in an amendment to the 2023 Asphalt Program including the delay of the parking lot paving for Lacasse Park and requests from the Ministry of Transportation for the 8th Concession Road / Highway 401 overpass. Council approved the tender for 2023 Asphalt Paving in the amount of $681,000 excluding HST be awarded to GIP Paving Inc. Council authorized funding increase of $316,690 to the original allocation, be funded from the Roads Lifecycle Reserve.

Crack Sealing Tender Award 2023: Council approved the tender for the 2023 Crack Sealing in the amount of $132,140 excluding HST to be awarded to Fine Line Marking Inc. By-law 2023-073 was given first, second, third and final reading, to authorize the Mayor and Clerk to execute an agreement, satisfactory in form to the Town’s solicitor, with Fine Line Marking Inc.

Source Water Protection 2022 Annual Progress Reports: Council received a report summarizing the Source Water Protection Annual Progress Report. Source Protection Plans protect municipal wells and surface water intakes from specific activities that may pose a threat to drinking water. Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River and Lake Erie provide the Windsor-Essex Region with its municipal drinking water. The Essex Region Source Protection Plan contains policies to ensure that identified potential risks to the source water are prohibited or managed in a way that protects the municipal drinking water supply. A representative from the Essex Region Conservation Authority was in attendance to present the 2022 Annual Progress Report. The overall score for the Essex Region SPP for 2022 is Progressing Well and Municipal Progress is rated as Limited Progress.

Next Regular Meeting: The next regular meeting of Council is July 11, 2023. The meeting is scheduled to be held electronically. 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.