For Immediate Release
Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Council Connect: Highlights from November 14, 2023, meetings of Council

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

Public Meeting of Council

Zoning By-law Amendment 12207 County Road 42 Scheduling of a Public Meeting: A zoning by-law amendment application was filed to change the zoning of an approximate 0.50-hectare parcel of land located on the south side of County Road 42, approximately 60 metres west of its intersection with Lesperance Road (12207 County Road 42), to facilitate the construction of a 3- storey, 23-unit residential development, with associated indoor/outdoor parking and amenity areas. Public input included concerns with traffic control and congestion, safety concerns for residents and children, loss of privacy in surrounding homes, and negative effects on the businesses in the area. Administration will consider the public input and report back to Council at a future regular meeting with a recommendation on the application.

Regular Meeting of Council

Proposed New Legislative & Clerk Services Administrative Fees: As part of a Clerk’s Service Delivery Review in May 2022, Town services were examined to determine the level of staff support required by applicable Departments to offer such services. The report outlines proposed new fees for the following specific services, some of which are currently performed without cost recovery: Commissioner of Oath for $15.00, Notary Public Services for $40.00, Municipal Review of Liquor Licence Applications for $50.00, and Review of Applications for Noise By-law Exemptions for $50.00. Council received the report and referred the fees to the 2024 budget deliberations, specifically the Administrative Fees and Charges By-law for 2024.

Request to Appoint a Drainage Engineer – Malden Road East Drain: Oliver Moir, P.Eng. of Dillon Consulting Ltd. was appointed Drainage Engineer to the Malden Road East Drain, to produce an updated report for the Drain that will include the watershed boundary, plans and profiles, and updated future maintenance assessment schedules. The Drain is located on the east side of Malden Road with its upper limit located on the south side of South Talbot Road and its outlet into Pike Creek.

Essex Region Conservation Authority Non-Mandatory Programs and Services Cost Apportioning Agreement: On June 23, 2022, the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) Board of Directors approved non-mandatory programs and services aimed at promoting the conservation and management of natural resources in their watershed area over and above the core mandate of the Authority. To secure funding for these initiatives, ERCA is now required to negotiate agreements regarding the allocation of costs with member municipalities, including the Town of Tecumseh. The programs and services include tree plantings, water quality research and monitoring, educational outreach and community engagement and much more. Council received the report and authorized preparation of a by-law authorizing the execution of a Cost Apportioning Agreement with ERCA for various non-mandatory Essex Region Conservation Authority programs and services for the four-year term January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2027. The by-law will be considered for adoption at the Regular Council Meeting on November 28, 2023.

Amend 2023 Municipal Buildings Capital Works Plan – Cada Library Renovation Project: Renovations at the Cada Library are underway and unfortunately, several deficiencies have been identified, which were revealed once building materials were stripped back as part of the renovation. Council approved a project increase of $125,000 to fix deficiencies that are required to ensure safety and code compliance. Council further authorized the use of the Infrastructure Reserve to fund these extra costs.

Lakewood Park South – Parking Lot Security: Council received a report outlining the numerous incidents of public nuisance behaviours occurring in the parking lot at Lakewood Park South, primarily on weekends from mid-May to early October. Administration presented 4 options to address the nuisance complaints in the park. Council directed Administration to proceed with costing option 4: Install a permanent parking barrier arm system at the ingress/egress at both Lakewood Park South and Lakewood Park North with timed closure from 10pm – 7am, per Parks By-Law 2017-56 and, install security cameras on the lighting stands in the parking lots and on the Parks shed. Consideration of this option will be given during 2024 budget deliberations.

County Road 46 Municipal Class Environmental Assessment 8th and 9th Concession Roads (Hwy 401 to County Road 46) Award of Engineering Consulting Services: The County of Essex is undertaking a Class EA for CR46 improvements and is partnering with the Town to extend improvements along the 8^th and 9^th Concession roads. Accordingly, the Town will assume responsibility for its share of the engineering consulting services associated with this work. Administration recommended BT Engineering Inc. for Engineering Consulting Services, for the CR46 Class EA, specific to the Town’s scope being the 8th and 9th Concession Roads between Highway 401 and County Road 46. Council approved the award to BT Engineering for $66,720 excluding HST, subject to County Council awarding their portion of the work to BT Engineering at their meeting of November 15, 2023.

Next Regular Meeting: The next regular meeting of Council is November 28, 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.