By John Francis, Bruce Peninsula Press
At the request of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the public boat launch at Dyers Bay was closed down and barricaded by municipal staff on September 6. A sizeable piece of steel sheeting has come loose from the adjacent government dock, shifting in the currents and partially blocking the boat launch.
The dock is owned and maintained by the Government of Canada.
The nearest boat launch with equivalent capacity is at Lion’s Head, some distance away.
Agenda for MNBP Council Sept 12 Meeting
A report in support of Mike Campbell’s delegation on behalf of the upcoming Gravel Gran Fondo cycling day informs Council that the Oct 2, 2022 event has been fully booked since July, entirely by word of mouth. Participation has been capped again this year at 400 riders.
An excerpt from the report gives a quick insight as to why the event is so popular:
year’s ride will have four distances 35km, 56km, 80km and 115km. We have partnered with the Bruce Trail Conservancy to add a 6km out and back ride to the stunning Cape Chin Lookout.
Another unique aspect of our ride is our four feed zones that serve delicious butter tarts and other fresh baking, water, coffee and fruit. This is a ride not a race.”
The Gravel Gran Fondo is sponsored by Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association as a fundraiser for their ongoing environmental work. Last year’s Gran Fondo raised $40,000 for the Biosphere Association; the local Lions Club cooperated on ride day facilities and raised a further $6,500.
Volunteers are needed for a wide variety of support tasks — making signage and baking butter tarts in the days before the event, then on Gran Fondo weekend, there’s rider registration on Saturday and course marshals and support personnel on the route and roughnecks to put up and take down the festival tent.
All volunteers will receive a free Event T-Shirt, lunch and a beer at the Festival Tent. To register, go to: https://www.brucegravelfondo.com/volunteer
Municipal Assets Undervalued?
A Report from Municipal Treasurer Teresa Shearer informs Council that “The renewal values of our facilities have been based on historical costs with an annual percentage increase.
Recent insurance claims have shown that our facilities may be undervalued and therefore under insured for actual replacement costs.”
The Report recommends Council accept a single-source proposal from a trusted appraiser recommended by the municipality’s insurance company. The cost of the appraisal will be approximately $30,000 and the Treasurer suggests this be covered out of capital reserves in order to get the new values in time for the 2023 policy renewal.
Integrity Commissioner Quits
MNBP’s Integrity Commissioner, Harold Elston, has filed a notice of Early Termination. His tenure at MNBP will end Dec 31, 2022. He suggests a Toronto firm, Aird and Berlis. The CAO’s Report notes that Aird and Berlis can be expected to charge a higher hourly rate and also a higher rate for travel to MNBP.
The CAO’s Report states that the alternative is to initiate an RFP (Request for Proposal) process to hire a new Integrity Commissioner.
Underpaid Councillors?
A consultant’s report on Councillor remuneration has been prepared by Ward and Uptigrove. It found that MNBP’s Mayor is the lowest paid Mayor in the comparator group and that the Deputy Mayor and Councillor positions are the second-lowest paid in the comparator group. On average, council remuneration in MNBP lags the 20th percentile by 12%.
MNBP’s council remuneration system consists of an honorarium for each position (far below the 20th percentile of the comparator group) plus variable pay for meeting attendance (slightly above the 20th percentile of the comparator group).
What should Council do? The CAO’s Report points out that the current system encourages meeting attendance. It asks whether Council wishes to tweak the existing system or create a new remuneration policy from the ground up.
Arena Architect Hiring
A CAO Report recommends hiring Salter Pilon Architecture of Barrie, ON to design the renovations at Lion’s Head arena. The recommendation was prepared jointly by CAO Peggy Van Mierlo West and GSS Engineering Consultants. Salter Pilon’s was the highest of the three bids received, but it committed 55% more hours to the project than the lowest bid. Salter Pilon offers the lowest hourly cost of the three bids.
The project is expected to cost somewhere over $10,000,000, so the architecture cost, at $1,192,000, is in the expected range of 10% of construction costs.
The Report also notes that Salter Pilon’s “engineering subconsultant (GM Blue Plan) is based in Owen Sound and would likely be able to provide the most timely support during the construction phase.”
Lion’s Head Waterfront Plan
The Sept 12 Council Agenda includes a 73-page Report about Lion’s Head waterfront, including the full 69-page consultant’s report. (Go to www.northbrucepeninsula.ca, then choose the “Agendas and Minutes” link in the bottom right corner. Select the link for “Council Sep 12 2022”, then select “Agenda Package” to load the whole Agenda — 354 pages in this case. The Lion’s Head Waterfront Revitalization Report begins on page 201.)
The most controversial issue at Lion’s Head harbour is what to do with the campground. In the first lot of public consultation, public opinion seemed to favour closing the campground and making the whole shoreline public. Some people demanded a second round of consultation and this time, a majority favoured keeping the campground in place. The total of the two surveys is well under 5% of the number of voters in MNBP.
The graphic above is excerpted from the consultant’s report, showing the campground turned into public space. The photo below left shows the current shoreline with the campground. For more maps and detail, see the full report in the Council Agenda.
