Additional Town of Essex Council Notes for Monday, September 16, 2024
- ESSEX FREE PRESS
- Sep 25, 2024
- 12 min read
by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative
Shepley, Hammond recap attendance
at AMO Conference
On behalf of the Town of Essex, Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley and Councillor Rodney Hammond attended the recent Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) Conference, which took place in Ottawa.
“The 125th AMO Conference was highly informative and provided numerous opportunities to advance our community’s interest and build stronger relationships with our partners in governments and officials,” Shepley said.
During the Conference, Premier Doug Ford made many announcements, Shepley relayed. One regarded the creation of an online development tool. This is expected to benefit local and international investors in allowing municipalities to upload detailed information about available commercial and industrial properties.
In addition, Ford announced $200M to help municipalities build and renew sports and recreation facilities. Applications are now open. Essex voted later in this meeting to make an application, hoping to secure funding for the future Essex Centre Sports Fields.
Other discussion he sat in included development and wellbeing of communities, on creating age-friendly communities in enhancing the quality of life for seniors, and diversifying municipal leadership with an emphasis on the need for mentorship and succession planning. That discussion included the barriers young candidates face when entering politics.
Hammond spoke of how he sat in on a session that focused on urban development and the impact that it has on the local workforce. Another discussed affordable housing innovations.
He learned that once someone enters homelessness, the opportunity to get back out is rare. Hammond hopes the Town’s newly formed Affordable Housing Task Force will be able to ward off any issues regarding homelessness.
A working lunch he was a part of discussed how the Hydro One system will support the anticipated growth in the coming years.
Residents approach Council regarding driveway
width on Irwin as construction continues
Essex Council heard from two delegations, each concerning driveway entrances on Irwin Avenue.
Irwin Avenue is currently under construction.
Rick Smith’s home backs onto Irwin Avenue. He noted he needs a larger driveway to park four cars. With road construction, the Town noted the Development Standards Manual (DSM) allows for 25’ driveway max. He complained the curb was placed in front of his garage.
Smith said he asked the Town for an additional five-feet of width and was denied.
He asked Council to remove the curb, so he can drive out of his garage.
Through discussion on the matter with Council, Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais noted it was her understanding the contractor had the curb planned for the 30’ width. The Town asked the contractor to fix that, with the DSM’s regulations in mind. The resident was asked if he wanted the 25’ driveway starting at the sidewalk or garage.
Norm Nussio, Manager of Operations and Drainage, said there were consultations with residents on the street regarding driveway width. He noted if allowing more than 25’ driveway entrances, it could open up other residents asking for the same.
McGuire-Blais also explained two additional feet were added of concrete, as the contractor didn’t want to leave a small strip of grass between two driveways for residents to cut. The Town then changed the location of the curb cut.
Councillor Kim Verbeek first motioned that Council receive the delegation and ask Town Admin for a further report. This did not pass.
A majority Council vote passed Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley’s motion to leave the driveway as is, noting the resident did get the extra two-feet of concrete and was asked where the curb should go previously.
McGuire-Blais did not agree with Shepley’s motion, because she said the resident tried to make changes before the concrete was poured. She said there was miscommunication.
John Fraser also approached Council regarding an extension of his driveway on Irwin Avenue.
He said his original permit for a driveway was applied for around five-years ago. He was permitted to cut the curb at 25’. His driveway is 19’ wide. He was told by Town staff his driveway width was going to be shortened, because the 25’ width puts him over where the driveway is and could potentially allow someone to park on the boulevard, blocking the sidewalk.
He was understanding of that. Fraser’s issue was that his driveway width is 16’4’’. The usable entry is smaller than that.
Fraser said he is losing two-feet of his driveway.
He provided the Town Clerk with signatures of other residents in the area who he said lost around three-feet of their driveway access, because they do not have usable entry.
He claimed Town staff told him he would not use that additional three-feet closer to his house. Fraser said he does use it, however.
Fraser asked the Town to allow him 19' of usable entry and then flare-out the sidewalks as he has seen elsewhere.
He suspects other residents will complain to the Town losing that three-feet.
Councillor Joe Garon said he was concerned with how the curbs are tapered down, and how long they are, that residents are losing close to three-feet of driveway access. He asked if that is a standard used in Essex. When it comes to tapering the driveways, he wondered if that was done on all driveways.
Nussio believes Fraser’s driveway was flared at one point, and discussions were had onsite. It was straightened out. He believes further discussion included that the additional feet could be poured, but be at his cost.
Nussio does not believe the additional three-feet requested would change the use of his driveway. He can still use the full 19-feet on his property.
Fraser contended that it was inaccurate about the conversation of having to pay. He said he told Administration, if they wanted to shorten his driveway entrance three-feet, he asked for three-feet of usable opening.
The driveway there now suits the driveway he has, Nussio added. The way the driveway is set up does not stop him from parking on that 19’ in his driveway.
Council moved to receive the delegation and to have a report created on the cost of allowing the full 19’ of the driveway.
Essex-owned water services constructed
prior to ‘55 should not contain lead
Council for the Town of Essex received an Environmental Services Department Report regarding “Lead in Drinking Water” at the September 16 meeting.
The Report follows a Council resolution from the May 6 meeting that supported Mayor Sherry Bondy’s motion, which directed Administration to prepare a report for information regarding lead pipes in the Town of Essex.
When presenting her motion for Council consideration a few months ago, Bondy said she sits on the Union Water Board and on the Ontario Municipal Water Association. She is learning a lot about water and wants to make sure the Town knows what is in its pipes and is doing everything possible in case there are some lead pipes out there.
“We really should have a zero-lead tolerance,” Bondy said then.
Bondy also thought about older Town-owned facilities and testing them, if they have not been done in some time.
Rob Mackie, Manager of Environmental Services, presented the findings of the “Lead in Drinking Water” report.
“Lead is a naturally-occurring metal, which was used as an acceptable plumbing material prior to 1955,” Mackie said, adding any risk of lead in drinking water comes from the corrosion of the metal from the public or private water service lines or plumbing components.
His report details that lead is more likely to be present in the plumbing systems of homes that were constructed prior to 1975, as the National Plumbing Code of Canada considered lead an acceptable material until that time.
The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Parks regulates water testing for lead. Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, Mackie noted the maximum allowable concentration for lead is 0.01mg/litre.
Health Canada, he added, has a guideline value for lead at 0.005mg/litre.
That is one of the lowest guidelines in the world, Mackie stated.
Testing was made mandatory for municipal drinking water systems in 2007 under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Lead sampling began in Essex in 2008.
Between that start date and 2011, 112 lead samples were taken from Essex’s distribution system. Of those, one sample – taken in 2008 – exceeded the 0.01mg/litre threshold.
“Through this rigorous sampling plan, the Town of Essex became exempt from the lead testing as required under the Safe Drinking Water Act,” Mackie said. “However, we are still required to sample for lead from our distribution system.”
That sampling happens once every three-years, in both the summer and winter months of that year. The last time this took place was in July of 2023.
Samples taken ranged from 0.00015 to 0.00044mg/litre, well below requirements.
Sampling will again occur in 2026.
Records of Town-owned water services constructed prior to 1955 show there should not be any existing lead services within the Town-owned water distribution system, as those areas have been replaced during capital replacement projects. If a town-owned water service is discovered to be lead, Town staff will investigate if the private-property service is lead as well, Mackie explained.
He added that written notification is always provided to the property owners of the findings, as well as an information package from Health Canada.
The Environmental Services Department only replaces the Town-owned portion of a lead water line. The private-property owner would be responsible for their portion, but would have the opportunity to utilize the site contractor for additional savings.
Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley asked if records of notifying residents of lead discovered are kept and passed on to a new owner of the home in the future if the lead components are not changed on privately-owned property.
Mackie noted that information is logged with the Infrastructure Services. He was not sure if that information is passed on to new property-owners, but that is something that could be looked into.
In responding to Mayor Sherry Bondy’s question on when the last time a lead pipe was found in the Town-owned water distribution system, Mackie noted that was in 2022 regarding a service line on Irwin Avenue. It was replaced. The Town does find lead in private-property services from time-to-time.
Bondy thanked Mackie for the report.
Council to choose one pedestrian crossing or sidewalk for South Talbot at budget time
In looking to enhance pedestrian safety and access to the multi-use trail on South Talbot Road, Council for the Town of Essex directed administration come back at budget deliberations with the cost to add one pedestrian crossings at Laird Avenue and the price for a sidewalk from Brien Avenue to Victoria Avenue on the east-side of the street.
Council will then be able to choose with which option to proceed.
The decision was made at the September 16 meeting, in addition to receiving a report regarding pedestrian crossings on South Talbot.
Back in June, Council supported Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais’s motion to direct Administration to review the feasibility of installing pedestrian access ramps along South Talbot Road at Iler Avenue, Laird Avenue, and Centre Street to access the multi-use pathway along South Talbot Road South.
At the time McGuire-Blais said there is a large stretch where the trail cannot be accessed, unless walking on the street.
She would like to see at least two installed. This is currently not permissible as there is not a controlled stop, she explained.
Norm Nussio, Manager of Operations and Drainage, presented the report at the recent meeting, which was created following the direction Council provided.
He said in 2016, Town administration reviewed all pedestrian crossings in urban centres. At that time, Council of the day supported continuing the practice of establishing controlled crossings on collector and arterial roads to improve vehicular and pedestrian safety in the Town using the Ontario Traffic Manual.
As per the Town’s Development Standards Manual, all collector roads are required to have sidewalks on both sides of the road with a provision for a multi-use trail to improve pedestrian safety for highly travelled roads within the municipality, he added.
At this time, Nussio said South Talbot does not have a sidewalk on the east-side of the road, but does have a multi-use trail on the west-side that runs parallel to Highway 3.
He added there are two controlled crossings with stop signs on South Talbot, at Victoria Avenue and Brien Avenue.
Administration recommended installing a sidewalk on the east-side of South Talbot, from Brien to Victoria, to facilitate pedestrians.
That is different than the request made, but administration believed it was the best recommendation for the neighbourhood.
That would provide a cleaner look and would follow what the development standards calls for.
Nussio said the Town follows the Ontario Traffic Manual when it comes to crossings. In this case, if the Town did a crossing at the three intersections, almost 18 signs would have to be installed on that short stretch of road, along with paint markings, curb cuts, and access to the multi-use trail.
McGuire-Blais was not in favour of putting a sidewalk in. She said that is not what she asked for. She inquired about the cost for signage.
She noted one or two crossings, instead of all three, could be added.
Nussio suspected the sidewalk would cost more, but would be the more appropriate setup when thinking about residents, traffic, and sign pollution.
Councillor Joe Garon spoke about the potential frustration of drivers that could be created by adding additional stop signs. He believed a sidewalk may be the better solution.
Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley would not be opposed to putting in one crossing, which may be better than the cost of a sidewalk.
Town creates Best Management Practices for Buffer Strips Brochures
Council for the Town of Essex received a report regarding Best Management Practices for Buffer Strips – a protective zone of permanent vegetation between a farm field and a waterway that protects water quality – for information.
Norm Nussio, Manager of Operations and Drainage, prepared the report, which he said administration completed after a lot of research and a lot of work was conducted.
The Report details that buffer strips slow and filter storm runoff, while helping to hold soil in place. As a result, the amount of harmful phosphorus that reaches local lakes may be reduced, which in turn reduces the risk of harmful algae blooms that are prevalent in the surrounding Great Lakes.
He said it is a report that was a long-time coming, and details a public education campaign for the planning and installing of buffer strips on private lands.
As part of Essex’s Climate Adaptation Plan, Infrastructure Services for the Town developed a brochure, highlighting better soil erosion protection practices on resident land, while protecting the environment by reducing the impact soil erosion can have on the drainage systems.
The brochure provides information on what are buffer strips, the key benefits, and pictures that represent what the Town would expect in these areas.
There is also contact information on how to receive the 140-page Ontario Best Management Practices for Buffer Strips guide from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
Town staff also connected with the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) in creating the brochure, as it offers annual programs to help plan, build, and fund the creation of buffer strips.
The Report to Council adds the cost to print 500 brochures would be $225, plus applicable taxes. Administration will monitor the need and print more on an annual basis.
The Plan is to mail out the brochures with drainage bills on an annual basis to agricultural land owners and users. Copies will also be available at the Essex Municipal Building.
Councillor Rodney Hammond is looking forward to hearing feedback, and Councillor Jason Matyi suggested hosting open houses in the wards most-affected by this subject matter.
Janitorial services for
Essex facilities awarded
Council awarded the Supply of Janitorial Services to Bee-Clean Building Maintenance until July 31, 2026. Further, Council allowed the contract to be extended until 2028, pending Bee-Clean
Building Maintenance fulfills the RFP requirements throughout the initial term.
The Report to Council notes the Town of Essex has a total of seven locations requiring janitorial services, including the Essex Town Hall, the Gesto Office, the Essex Recreation Complex, Fire Station 1 and 2, Essex Centre OPP Station, and the Harrow OPP Station.
The Town received seven proposals.
It adds that the estimated total cost of all seven facilities for one year, including all applicable taxes, as submitted by Bee-Clean Building Maintenance, is $140,029.08.
Essex proclaims September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Council supported the request from Childcan: The Childhood Cancer Research Association to proclaim September 2024 as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
The resolution notes most recent data shows that cancer remains the leading cause of disease-related death in children, and that Childcan believes childhood cancer must be designated a child health priority.
Support services for families are critical, it states, adding Childcan raises awareness and funds to provide personalized, responsive, and compassionate programs and services to families facing the childhood cancer journey from diagnosis, through treatment, post-treatment care, or bereavement.
Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy noted the symbolic flag is still flying outside of the Essex Municipal Building.
Notice of Motion to be presented at the October 7 meeting
Councillor Jason Matyi will ask Council to have the Town of Essex reach out to the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) to obtain the necessary contacts and information regarding participation in the phragmites biological control program.
His motion will also ask Council to support sending letters expressing the Town’s interest in collaborating with ERCA and other agencies for the inclusion of Essex as a future bio-control release site, committing to exploring all available measures to combat the spread of invasive phragmites to ensure long-term ecological protection in the region, and have Admin report back to Council on next steps.
His resolution notes that invasive phragmites is a highly-aggressive plant species that has significantly impacted ecosystems in Essex County.
Subsidy By-Law passed
By-Law 2366 to establish a subsidy program in the Town of Essex was passed on September 16, 2024.
The By-Law notes it is a program to provide financial grants to residential property owners to reduce the risk of basement flooding, due to sanitary sewer and stormwater surcharging.
By-Law for agreement between Essex and Windsor given two readings
A By-Law to authorize the execution of an Agreement between the Corporation of the Town of Essex and the Corporation of the City of Windsor was given two readings for the Authorized Recreation and Skill-Building Programs Purchase of Service Agreement from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.
