The Voice of North Grenville
The North Grenville Times
Council update by Brandon Mayer Following a closed session meeting on June 12, Council met a second time last week for a busy regularly scheduled Council meeting on June 14. Absent from the meeting was Deputy Mayor John Barclay who was attending the MyView Youth Film Festival which he helped to found. The meeting began with a presentation that served as an introduction to a later public meeting on the zoning by-law amendment requested for the proposed new development at the intersection of County Road 43 and Pinehill Road. Following this introduction, the land acknowledgement was read and the meeting proceeded as per the agenda. Next, Mayor Arie Hoogenboom from the Township of Rideau Lakes presented an update on the Maple View Landings Redevelopment Project. The object of Mayor Hoogenboom’s presentation was to ask for a donation from the Municipality to put toward the facility. In addition to encouraging the Municipality to run a fundraising event in the months ahead, Mayor Hoogenboom also respectfully asked for a direct donation of $1 per North Grenville resident for each of the next three years. This works out to a total donation of about $51,000. The presentation was well received, and Mayor Nancy Peckford thanked Mayor Hoogenboom for taking the time to present. Following the Maple View Landings presentation, the public meeting regarding the requested zoning by-law amendment took place. Much discussion took place between members of Council, an agent of the developer, and Deputy Director of Building & Planning, Philip Mosher. One of the
important discussions was regarding affordable units. The Municipality’s plan suggests that 25% of new housing built locally should be “affordable”. However, due to the nature of the 150 proposed seniors’ residential units, lower affordable housing figures of 10%-15% have been debated for this development. In a very unusual situation, when Mayor Peckford called the question to move the motion and approve the zoning by-law amendment, and following Councillor Doreen O’Sullivan raising her hand to be the mover of the motion, no other member of Council agreed to second the motion. Mayor Peckford asked if any Councillor would be willing to explain what they would like to see prior to moving the motion forward. Councillor Kristin Strackerjan spoke up and asserted that she believes that the parking situation needs to be figured out first. “We continue to do this throughout the Municipality where we set ourselves up for failure when it comes to parking,” said Councillor Strackerjan. She further noted that she does not want the motion defeated as she believes it is a “great project”, but that more information is needed. A motion to defer the decision until (tentatively) July, pending more information on the parking situation, was passed unanimously. The final major agenda item discussed was a motion from Councillor O’Sullivan to include cats in the Municipality’s by-law to control domestic animals at large. Mayor Peckford noted the controversy that this issue has created with strongly opposing opinions, to the point that it gained relatively rare local coverage by the CBC. “I am not looking for a cat fight here,” Councillor O’Sullivan joked in the meeting. “I am not proposing that we round up and kill
•• all cats that are running at large.” The Councillor further explained the detailed reasoning for her position. Councillor Strackerjan provided an opposing opinion based on her conversations with many residents and with the SPCA. She stated that the proposed motion would not be easily enforceable and would put undue pressure on animal welfare organizations. She also questioned whether cats that are rounded up and not claimed would be caged long term or euthanized. Further, she relayed a local veterinarian’s comments about the necessity for some cats to be allowed to go outside for exercise. A local resident also addressed Council regarding her previous experience with a similar by-law from when she lived in Nepean in the 1990’s. She warned that the Nepean by-law resulted in cats being euthanized and neighbours being pitted against each other. Interestingly, this resident revealed that she moved to North Grenville to leave “that kind of environment” behind. Another resident spoke to Council to voice support for Councillor O’Sullivan’s motion. Ultimately, Councillor O’Sullivan’s motion was defeated by a vote. Mayor Peckford invited Councillor O’Sullivan, or any other Council member, to bring back a modified motion in the future. Councillor Deb Wilson thanked Councillor O’Sullivan for bringing awareness of the issue to the public; however, Councillor O’Sullivan seemed unhappy, saying “but that’s what the motion was – you defeated it.” Mayor Peckford interjected and asked that informal discussion be reserved for after the meeting, before ending the meeting after just over 2.5 hours.
The Kemptville Male Choir brings harmony to the NG Library
submitted by the Kemptville Male Choir It’s all about that bass! Come enjoy an afternoon of song with the Kemptville Male Choir on June 24 and remember the days when you sat on your dad/uncle/ grandpa’s lap, when the magic of men’s voices soothed your soul. Directed by Alto Bev McArthur and Accompanist Deb Protsack, the choir will harmonize a variety of old favourites including Broadway tunes, spirituals, and popular tunes like "Sweet Caroline", "Goodnight Sweetheart", and "Unchained Melody". The Kemptville Male Choir only performs occasionally, so catch them for a rare performance at the Street Piano as these local fellas are sure to please! What? The Kemptville Street Piano Concert Series presents Who? The Kemptville Male Choir When? Saturday, June 24, 2pm Where? North Grenville Public Library terrace How much? Free! (Cash donations welcome, or see the featured section on our FB page for the link to our GoFundMe campaign.) 4 June 22, 2023
•
UPDATE
MUNICIPAL OFFICE HOURS The Municipal office is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Visit our events calendar to find out what’s happening in the community: www.northgrenville.ca/events Sign-up to receive Mayor Peckford’s e-newsletter at: northgrenville.ca/connect.
UPCOMING MEETINGS COUNCIL MEETINGS
Please see the Council agenda for further details on how to participate in Council meetings. All Council meetings will be live streamed on YouTube at: youtube.com/user/NorthGrenville/featured and on the Municipality’s website at: www.northgrenville.ca/meetings. To make a deputation in relation to an item on the agenda, please provide your comments no later than two hours prior to the start of the meeting to clerk@northgrenville.on.ca. Council agendas are available at: www.northgrenville.ca/meetings. • Friday, June 30, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. (Closed Session) – Catered Affairs • Tuesday, July 4, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. (Open Session) – Bishop’s Mills Hall, Bishop’s Mills
COMMITTEE MEETINGS Committees may be meeting in-person or virtually. Please see the Committee agenda for details on how to attend. Agendas can be found on the Municipal website at www. northgrenville.ca/meetings. • •
Environmental Action Advisory Committee – Monday, June 26, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. Arts and Culture Advisory Committee – Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.
VOLUNTEER AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Municipal Clerk The Municipality of North Grenville is seeking to fill the position of Municipal Clerk in the Corporate Services Department. For a full list of available positions and information on how to apply, please visit www.northgrenville.ca/careers. Please submit applications to hr@northgrenville.on.ca by 4:00 p.m. Thursday, June 29th, 2023. Advisory Committees The Accessibility Advisory Committee currently has room to accommodate more members. Visit northgrenville.ca/committees for more information on how to apply. For questions, please contact the Clerk by email at clerk@northgrenville.on.ca or by telephone at 613-258-9569 ext 171.
TAX BILLS
All 2023 final tax bills have been mailed. If you have not received your bill, please contact the Municipal Office at 613-258-9569. The due dates are June 30 and September 29. Payments can be made in person by cash or debit. Credit card is available only when paying online through the North Grenville website.
ParticipACTION
Get active North Grenville! ParticipACTION Community Challenge is back starting Thursday, June 1 until Friday, June 30, 2023. Get active throughout the month of June and track your minutes on the ParticpACTION app or website. For more details visit: www.northgrenville.ca/GetActive
NORTH GRENVILLE IN BLOOM
North Grenville is participating in Communities in Bloom, which is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the aesthetic appeal of communities across Ontario. North Grenville is looking for residents and businesses to participate by sharing photos and details of their blooms. We will be putting together a profile book and tour of the community for the judges visiting the second week of August. If you’re interested in taking part in the initiative, including contributing to the profile book, tour, or submitting your beautiful photos of local gardens and landscapes, visit the North Grenville in Bloom project page on northgrenville.ca/projects. For more information, contact vision@ northgrenville.on.ca.
The Municipality of North Grenville 285 County Rd. 44, PO Box 130 , Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0 Tel: 613-258-9569 Fax: 613-258-9620 general@northgrenville.on.ca www.NorthGrenville.ca Building: 613-258-9569 x130 Fax: 613-258-1441
Fire Services Info: 613-258-9569 x201 Fax: 613-258-1031 By-Law Services: email: bylawinquiries@northgrenville.on.ca 613-258-9569 x211 Police Administration: 613-258-3441 Animal Control: 613-862-9002
www.ngtimes.ca