Council Connect: Highlights from March 28, 2023

Public Meeting of Council

11th Concession Drain Branch: A public meeting was held to hear comments on the Engineer’s Report prepared Dillon Consulting Ltd., for drainage works on the 11th Concession Drain Branch.  The Drainage Report, prepared by Mark Hernandez, P.Eng., of Dillon Consulting Ltd., the appointed drainage engineer, covers construction work for the proposed new branch drain along the west side of County Road 43 (11th Concession Road), immediately south of County Road 42. The purpose of the meeting was to hear public comments from any affected landowners.

Special Meeting of Council

Procurement: Council received a presentation regarding the Town of Tecumseh Procurement Policy.

Customer Service: Council received a presentation regarding the Town of Tecumseh Customer Service Policy, service reports and strategy updates.

Regular Meeting of Council

Link to Agenda

Windsor-Essex Community Foundation Grant Agreement: The Windsor-Essex Community Foundation (WECF) has approved a grant in the amount of $15,000 to support a commemorative sculpture of Tecumseh, Shawnee warrior chief for whom the Town is named, including signage and a healing garden in Lakewood Park North.  An artist was engaged to work with Administration and descendants of Tecumseh to design the sculpture, which is in the final stages of approval. Council approved the sculpture and the report.

Fire & Rescue Services Aerial Platform – Tender Award: With development proceeding throughout the Town, including mid-rise residential buildings, a 95-foot or 100-foot aerial platform to replace the existing 70-foot platform was requested in order to provide improved response capabilities.   A Request for Proposals was issued and after review, The Fort Garry Fire Trucks Ltd proposal received the highest evaluation score. Council approved the tender in the amount of $2.5M, to be funded from the Fire Apparatus Lifecycle Reserve.

Zoning By-law Amendment Condition of Consent B-05-23 1650 Shawnee Road Scheduling of a Public Meeting: Council received the report for a zoning by-law amendment that has been filed in order to change the zoning pertaining to a 0.19 hectare (0.46 acre) parcel of land situated on the east side of Shawnee Road, approximately 80 metres north of its intersection with Westlake Drive (1650 Shawnee Road), from neighbourhood commercial to residential. The change in zoning would facilitate the redevelopment of the subject land for residential uses. Council authorized holding a public meeting for the zoning application, which will be held on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.

Statement of Council Remuneration and Expenses Paid in 2022: Council received the report outlining an itemized statement on remuneration and expenses paid to them in the previous year. 2022 Professional Development costs of $23,333 exceeded the budget by $12,533. This is primarily due to costs incurred for new council orientation sessions which were not included in the 2022 Budget. Otherwise, costs were in line with the 2022 budget.

Lesperance Road Storm Pump Station – Emergency Repair:  On Sunday, March 5, 2023, a single motor vehicle accident occurred at the corner of Riverside Drive and Lesperance Road with a vehicle striking the Lesperance Road Storm Pump Station located at 12280 Riverside Drive causing significant damage. D.C. McCloskey Engineering Ltd. estimated the cost to repair the damaged Lesperance Road Storm Pump Station to be $260,000 inclusive of a contingency allowance. Administration recommended that this amount be funded through the Storm Lifecycle Reserve Fund, so that repairs can be initiated. Administration will work with the Town’s Insurer to recover these costs from the insurance company of the motorist responsible for the accident and the associated damages. Council received the report and authorized the funding.

Town of Tecumseh Heritage Advisory Committee: Administration reported on a review of the role of the Town’s Heritage Advisory Committee and recommended that the Tecumseh Heritage Advisory Committee be dissolved and that requests for heritage listing or designation be administered through the Town of Tecumseh Development Services Department.   The recommendation results from recent legislative and regulatory changes (Bill 23) making the role of navigating through the Ontario Heritage Act more technical.  Over the last 23 years, the committee has listed 5 sites and designated 1.  Heritage designations will continue to require a period of public notice, and passing of a by-law, which would be presented at a regular Council meeting. Members of the Heritage Advisory Committee were thanked for their contributions. Council received the report and approved the dissolution of the Committee, with heritage matters reassigned to the Department of Development Services going forward. 

2023 Citizen Satisfaction Survey: The 2023 Citizen Satisfaction Survey results were presented to Council by Nanos Research who provided an overview of responses, including initial analysis and trends.  404 residents from the Town of Tecumseh participated in telephone surveys between February 22^nd-March 19^th, 2022.  95% of residents who participated indicated that their quality of life as a resident of the Town of Tecumseh was good or very good.   Nine in ten respondents would recommend the Town of Tecumseh as a place to live to family and friends. Council will utilize this data to develop strategic priorities for the Town and remain committed to conducting surveys on a biennial basis.  The accompanying report received by Council, acknowledges the Town’s continued commitment to customer service and effective service delivery

Next Regular Meeting: The next regular meeting of Council is April 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.