2024 Council Highlights - June 24

Council - June 24, 2024

Remarks by the Mayor

Mayor Clarke opened up the meeting and advised that on June 7, despite the rain, MPP Jill Dunlop, along with Mayor Basil Clarke, members of Ramara Township council, and the public, officially opened Bluebird Park Playground, one of the two new playgrounds, which were made possible in part by a $150,000 Capital grant from the provincial government's Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). The public can find the second playground at the public Lagoon City beach and park, which is located off Lake Ave in Lagoon City.

Mayor Clarke also addressed that our national holiday, Canada Day, is coming up on Monday, July 1. He hopes that residents celebrate with their neighbours, families and friends the rights and freedom we are blessed to have in Canada. This day is a significant reminder of our national pride and unity, and he encourages everyone to join in on one of the community events going on in and around the Township.

Councillor Bell reminded the community that the annual Lagoon City Canada Day Boat Parade will occur on Saturday, June 29, at 1:00 p.m. for those who want to see the boats decorated in the canal. On Thursday, June 13, Councillor Bell, Councillor Snutch, Councillor Fisher and Councillor Tuju participated in the Ramara Historical Society's 20th anniversary and the Township of Ramara's 30th anniversary celebration. Many residents in Ramara attended this event, which showcased the history and achievements within Ramara since the amalgamation of the townships of Rama and Mara 30 years ago.

Councillor Tuju acknowledged that she and Councillor Fisher participated in the One Simple Seed event hosted by the Parent Council at Twin Lakes Secondary School. This event showed how the community can access, grow, and prepare its own healthy food. This well-informed event also showcased samplings of food prepared by the students.

Councillor Tuju also participated in the Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition's fundraiser, 'Laugh for Lake Simcoe,' a comedy show at the Orillia Opera House. The event was a great success, raising significant funds for the Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition, a testament to our community's commitment to environmental causes.

Councillor Fisher shared how Councillor Tuju and her participated in the community garden event showcasing the achievements of the Rooted in Ramara Committee. She also participated in the last master garden series hosted by the Ramara Township Public Library in partnership with the Friends of the Library and the Rooted in Ramara Committee. Councillor Fisher also participated in Teeny Tiny Summits, offered through the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA), a forum to discuss scale-appropriate economic development strategies for Ontario's smallest communities.

Deputy Mayor Bell advised that he, Mayor Clarke, and members of Council attended Ramona Hall's Appreciation Dinner on June 8 and the Warden Gala on June 13. The Gala raised over $40,000 for the United Way Simcoe Muskoka, the County of Simcoe's partner in building stronger communities.

Remarks by the CAO

CAO Robin Dunn provided the following administration update.

Over the past week, township staff have collaborated with a professional videographer to craft engaging recruitment videos for the Township. These videos, designed for marketing purposes, will showcase a variety of roles, including full-time, part-time, seasonal, and summer positions, reflecting the diverse employment opportunities within our community.

With the upcoming long weekend, residents are reminded that the Township Administration Building and facilities will be closed on Monday, July 1, 2024, to commemorate Canada Day. Regular business hours will resume on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at 9 a.m.

Residents are encouraged to review the Fire Danger Rating prior to starting their campfires this summer. The Rating can be viewed on Ramara’s website at the bottom of the page, on the Fire and Rescue Services webpage, on the signage posted at the municipality's entrances, and on our phone system.

With many Fireworks restrictions in place, residents are encouraged to review what is permitted and not permitted within the municipality. Fireworks are NOT permitted within the boundary of Lagoon City, at any short-term rental accommodation location, when a fire ban is in effect or on a municipality’s owned land or roadway. Fireworks are permitted only in approved locations without a permit on the weekend prior to Canada Day, the weekend after Canada Day and on Canada Day between dust and 1:00 a.m. Other than the other holidays listed online, Fireworks permits are required.

The construction on Ramara Road 47 is nearing completion with base asphalt scheduled to be placed this week, weather permitting the project is anticipated to be fully completed by the end of July

The Ramara Recreation’s Summer Camp starts next week, so please be mindful of the additional children at the Ramara Centre when visiting.

Presentations, Receiving of Petitions and Deputations

Halting Municipal Water on Lakeshore Drive

Elaine Buzovetsky provided a deputation to Council with a petition outlining the support received from the community on halting the servicing expansion on Lakeshore Drive. Council approved to receive the deputation as presented.

2023 Financial Statements

Richard Steiginga from Baker Tilly presented the Township of Ramara's 2023 Financial Statement. The statement showed that the Township received a clean audit opinion. Over the last five years, the Council has focused on building reserves to enhance and maintain our capital assets, investing in investments, and ensuring our revenues exceed the expenses. As a result of the Council and staff's due diligence, Ramara Township has a strong financial position going into 2024.

View the full 2023 Financial Statements

Listen to the presentation

Items Requiring Immediate Attention of Council

Trails Committee Funding for Trail Resurfacing along Rama Road

In 2023, the Trails Committee applied to the County of Simcoe Connecting Communities grant for $30,000 to complete the resurfacing along Rama Road from Longford Mills Road north to approximately Quarry Point Road. Due to quotes received and other projects taking precedence to be completed, the Trails Committee decided to put this project on hold.

This year, the County of Simcoe changed their application requirements and processes for the Connecting Communities Grant; the main change that affects the Trails grant is that all projects must be completed before applying for the following year's grants; in our case, we will have the resurfacing grant that will not be completed as the budget that was allotted to this project was used for another project. Staff suggested that the Committee cancel this project and reschedule for future years when matching funding was available. The Committee discussed the option and determined that they wanted to request additional money from Ramara Township Council for $15,000.00 and also request a matching amount of $15,000.00 from Rama First Nation as they may have a vested interest in the trail to access the "North Lands" by foot or bike from the Casino Rama area. Since the last Trails Committee meeting on May 15, 2024, the CAO of Ramara reached out to the CAO of Rama First Nation and discussed the request of money to fund the resurfacing of the trail from Longford Mills Road North to Quarry Point Road. In a positive development, they agreed to fund the request of $15,000.00, showcasing the successful collaboration between the two communities thus allowing the Township to have combined funds of $30,000.00 to match the County of Simcoe grant of $30,000.00. Council approved to support the Trails Committee with an additional $15,000 to complete trail resurfacing.

The Committee of the Whole change of date

As a result of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Regional Governance review public hearing scheduled for July 8, the scheduled Committee of the Whole meeting date has changed from July 8 to July 9. By Tuesday, July 2, 2024, staff will provide information on the time the Committee of the Whole meeting will start. Council approved to reschedule the date to Tuesday, July 9, 2024.

County Council Update

The highlights from the May 28, 2024 and June 11 County Council meetings are now available.

View highlights from May 28

View highlights from June 11

Announcement and Inquiries – Members of Council

Councillor Bell inquired about the Official Plan Open House date where staff would also address questions related to the servicing on Rama Road. CAO Dunn reported that he will report a date before the holiday long weekend as he is meeting with his leadership staff on Tuesday.

Councillor Fisher reported that the Brechin Legion and the Ramara Township Public Library have many events happening. Each Sunday, the Brechin Legion hosts a Jam Session and Open Mic where various musicians play music. Each Friday, other than in the summertime, the Ladies Auxiliary hosts a lunch. There is a Cornhole Tournament on June 29, and the Annual Brechin Gold Tournament is held on July 27. The public can view all events on the Brechin Legions website.

The Ramara Township Public Library is hosting a murder mystery dinner. Tickets can be purchased directly from the library.

Requests for Reports

Council approved for staff to write a report outlining the Account Receivables.

Council approved for staff to bring back the three previous reports written regarding the Lakeshore Servicing expansion project.

Bills and Bylaws

Council passed the following Bylaws:

Reminders

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For More Information

For more details on any of these items, see the full meeting Agenda or view the meeting on the Township of Ramara's YouTube Channel.

The Meeting highlights are prepared to give residents a timely update on decisions of Council. The Council Meeting Minutes are the official record of the meeting.