2024 Council Highlights - May 27

Council - May 27, 2024

Remarks by the Mayor

The Deputy Mayor, stepping in for the Mayor who lost his voice, shared how he attended the Canadian East championships as a coach for the Mariposa Wrestling team. The team, consisting of nine talented athletes, some which are from Ramara, brought home an impressive haul of six gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. Congratulations to all the participating athletes.

Councillor Fisher reported that she organized and attended the ‘Share Your Wares’ event at the Brechin Legion on Saturday, May 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event was well attended and allowed people to donate or take used items, which helped reduce the amount of waste going to landfills. Councillor Fisher also advised that the Rooted in Ramara Committee is planting their community garden tomorrow, May 28, or on an alternate date. The Committee has been also asked to attend Peavey Mart’s monthly community day to provide information and resources on what the Rooted Ramara Committee does for the community.

Councillor Tuju reported that she and David Snutch attended the Ontario Small Urban Annual Conference (OSUM) from May 1 to 3, 2024, at the City of Orillia’s Recreation Centre. She reported that the conference focused on relevant issues, specifically water and wastewater in a small environment with similar municipalities. Councillor Tuju also reported that the students at Rama Central Public School won the first prize trophy in the annual Battle of the Books at the beginning of May. Congratulations to all those students! On May 5, Councillor Tuju participated in the Commemoration of the Battle of the Atlantic and had the privilege of laying a wreath on behalf of the Township. Lastly, Dana Tuju wanted to highlight National AccessAbility Week, which celebrates the valuable contributions and leadership of persons with disabilities in Canada, the work of communities and organizations to remove barriers and the ongoing efforts to become a more accessible and disability-inclusive Canada.

Councillor Bell reported that she and Deputy Mayor Bell attended the Ramara Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting on May 9 at Casino Rama as a Ramara Chamber of Commerce Board member. Councillor Bells sincerely thanked Casino Rama for hosting the well-attended event and highlighting the achievements of businesses and organizations within Ramara. Councillor Bell also advised that the Lake Simcoe Regional Conservation Authority has launched a new community engagement platform, ‘Have your Say Lake Simcoe,’ that allows the public to review current projects, stay updated on project information and provide feedback.

Welcome Councillor Gough

Councillor Joe Gough is now serving as the Ward 4 Councillor for the remainder of the 2022-2026 term. Visit our Council page to familiarize yourself with Council members, learn how to communicate with Council, invite a Council member to your special event, and stay informed about Council decisions through Council Highlights. Discover more at ramara.ca/meetcouncil.

Notices of Motion

Council passed the following Notice of Motion

WHEREAS Ramara currently has 1 water user fee and 1 sewer user fee on municipal systems;

AND WHEREAS similar to fire departments, roads department and libraries which have 1 fee structure for multiple municipal locations from which the service are delivered;

AND WHEREAS there has been some confusion on who pays for these services;

AND WHEREAS sewer and water is only available to the users and therefore paid by the users and pay through the designated ratepayers budget;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council reaffirm that there be no segregation and the general taxpayer does not fund any ongoing or capital expense for sewer and water funding with the exception of interest free loans if necessary

Public Meetings

The Township of Ramara held two pubic meetings last night

A pubic meeting regarding a Zoning By-law Amendment to temporarily allow a Garden Suite at 2871 Concession Road 7. View the Notice of Completion and Public Meeting for further details.
A public meeting regarding the Area-Specific Development Charges Background Study and Draft Rates. View the Development Charges page to review the Draft Bylaws, Background Study and Council presentation.

Presentations, Receiving of Petitions and Deputations

Simcoe Sports Dome Project Proposal

Mike Winacott presented to Council about the construction of a sports dome in Ramara. The dome, which spans 88,000 square feet, includes three soccer fields, one large FIFA regulation field or one baseball diamond, and artificial turf and two hard court surfaces. Additionally, there would be a community meeting room, party room, snack bar area, store, office space, and first aid area. The Council approved receiving the presentation information.

June is Parks and Recreation Month

Justine Bayne, Supervisor of Recreation and Community Services and Abby Harper, Recreation Programmer, provided a presentation outlining the variety of events and activities that Ramara Recreation planned to celebrate Parks and Recreation Month in June. This year's theme is 'Community thrives here,' focusing on weekly focus areas: Movement, Trailblazers, Guardians, and Connection. Each event will help get people moving, connect with others in the community, and learn and experience something new. The public can find a complete list of events on Ramara's Community Calendar or by following Ramara Recreation Facebook or Instagram.

Petition Titled: “Ramara Residents on Well & Septic Must Not be Subsidized Ramara Residents on Water & Sewer”

Council received the petition as presented. The public can view the petition form and petition paper version.

Consent Agenda

Internet Update

Staff provided an internet update memo to Council regarding the work being completed by Rogers in the Service Gap B area.

View Internet Update

Learn more about internet initiatives within the Township of Ramara at www.ramara.ca/internet.

Public Meeting Summary

Staff provided a report outlining the results of the public meeting for the Highland Mills Zoning By-law Amendment File Z-7/22, the Municipal-led official Plan Amendment Number 25, and the Implementing Zoning By-law Files OP1/24 and Z 1/24.

View report

The public meeting for the Highland Mills Zoning By-law Amendment was held on April 15. The comments received related to the Plan of Subdivision will be addressed through the Draft Plan Approval process; therefore, staff support the Zoning By-law amendment, as written, that is attached to the May 27, 2024 Council meeting for consideration.

For the Municipal-led Official Plan Amendment Number 25 and Implementing Zoning By-law, the public meeting was held on April 29. The Official Plan Amendment will update the Township's current policies relating to Renewable Energy Facilities, additional residential units, and residential densities. The Zoning By-law Amendment will implement the changes brought about through the Official Plan Amendment and update some definitions for consistency and clarity on interpretation. The Official Plan Amendment 24 updated the language around access to public schools to state that "The Rama Road Economic Employment District is not a settlement area. Multiple Unit Dwellings permitted are considered recreational dwellings that are part of the resort establishment." For the Zoning By-law Amendment, staff updated the following language around retaining walls, ‘a retaining wall, other than a fence, may be located within any required yard or setback on a lot but not be closer than 3 metres to any part of a front or exterior side lot line. The construction of a retaining wall shall be subject to the requirements of the Township of Ramara's Fill Bylaw.' The updated bylaws for the Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendments are attached to the May 27, 2024 Council meeting for consideration.

Items Requiring Immediate Attention of Council

2024 AMO Conference Delegation Meeting Requests

Council approved the following AMO Delegation Requests:

Ministry of Environment, Conservation & Parks - regarding Bayshore Village Sewage Treatment Works EA progress and funding
Ministry of Infrastructure – regrading funding for water and wastewater infrastructure
Ministry of Health – advocating for OHIP-covered medical services within Ramara.
Ministry of Energy – Natural gas phase 3 expansion
Minister of Tourism, Culture & Sport – Community Improvement Plan Update, Rama Road Projects and partnerships/collaborations
Ministry of Transportation – Highway 12 improvements, including widening, CN track delays, maintenance

Ramara Soccer Club Request

The Ramara Soccer Club is requesting that the Council waive the vending permit fee and ask permission to provide water and freezies at the soccer fields on Saturdays from May 25 to August 10. Any donated funds will go back to the Township of Ramara at the end of the season to go towards the upkeep and maintenance of the fields. The Council approved waiving the vendor fees for the Ramara Soccer Club for the 2024 season and approving the Ramara Soccer Club’s alternative arrangement to sell refreshments at a nominal fee.

Top Aggregate Producing Municipalities of Ontario (TAPMO)

The Top Aggregate Producing Municipalities of Ontario (TAPMO) have joined together to work with industry partners and provincial decision-makers to developing a sustainable plan for aggregate extraction. TAPMO would like to hire an Executive Director who can help the board members monitory the industry but requires financial assistance. Council approved to receive and support the T.A.P.M.O. correspondence and $5,000 be allocated in the 2024 budget.

County Council Update

The highlights from the April 30, 2024 County Council meeting are now available.

View highlights

Announcement and Inquiries – Members of Council

Mayor Clarke provided a heartfelt goodbye to CAO Zach Drinkwalter, who is stepping down as CAO effective June 10. Zach has been a valuable leader for the organization and instrumental in maintaining the Township's strong financial position. He was first hired in 2017 as a Deputy Treasurer and progressed through the municipality in many different roles, including Director of Corporate Services/Treasurer to CAO in 2022. Mayor Clarke wished him success and happiness in his new role, which would allow him to create a better work-life balance by taking a role closer to his family. Congratulations, Zach, on your new role; we will miss you!

Councillor Bell asked about Ramara Township's stance on stopping the County of Simcoe from assuming control of Ramara’s water and wastewater services. Mayor Clarke clarified that as part of the Regional Governance Review overseen by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH), Ramara has expressed support for the County taking on these services. This decision is primarily driven by the aim of managing costs and planning effectively. However, it's important to note that the County of Simcoe still needs to take a definitive stance on this matter.

Councillor Bell asked that with some of the questions submitted and some of the questions not being answered, what is the reassurance to the public that staff will answer their questions and how will they be addressed if they aren't answered at the meeting? CAO Drinkwalter advised that some of the historical questions that don't relate to the current rate study may not be addressed due to the difficulty and time required for staff to obtain some of the historical data and the relevance of the data to the current rate study.

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.