Tonight is the last meeting of Bradford West Gwillimbury council until after the municipal election and the new council members are sworn in this December.
Inauguration of the new council will take place Dec. 4, with the first council meeting on Dec. 18.
Here is a look at some of the highlights from the agenda for tonight’s meeting, which will be at 7 p.m. in the Zima Room of the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library.
The public is welcome to attend.
Air conditioning and home businesses
Members of the public are welcome to attend a public meeting about zoning bylaw changes for home businesses and side yard setbacks for air conditioning units.
This is the start of the public consultation process, and council will not make any final decisions tonight.
For home businesses, the town is considering a change to legal grey area in its bylaws to allow more home businesses, including piano and swimming lessons, home-based medical practitioners, fitness instruction, and catering.
For air-conditioning units, this issue has been on council’s radar for several years after several local residents had to re-install their air conditioning units after the town’s enforcement officers got involved when some third-party contractors installed the units incorrectly under the town’s zoning bylaws.
Town staff is proposing to reduce the minimum side-yard setback for central air conditioners in residential zones from 1.2 metres to 0.6 metres in order to reduce the distance between air-conditioning units and property lines.
In a report to BWG council, staff suggest another option is to remove a side-yard setback altogether to 0 metres.
BWG Cultural Master Plan
A consultant from MDB Insight will make a presentation to council to outline a proposed cultural master plan for Bradford West Gwillimbury.
Council may vote to adopt the master plan in principle.
The master plan has several goals, including ingrate arts and the creative entrepreneurial community, leverage cultural resources to support downtown revitalization, and address cultural facilities and space needs.
One option the master plan report outlines is a standalone performance space, which it notes could see cost savings if incorporated into the redevelopment of the Bradford and District Memorial Community Centre. Consultants estimated a standalone performance space could hold 300 seats in an approximately 1,100-square-metre space, costing $5.3 million.
The full report can be read online.
Maurino Court, Valleyview Crescent islands
BWG council passed plans for a South West Quadrant Construction Project, which includes creating landscaped islands on Maurino Court and Valleyview Crescent.
At the last council meeting on Sept. 18, council was presented with a petition from local residents opposed to the islands.
As the project has already been tendered and awarded, council will consider its options and vote on whether to eliminate the islands in this project.
The islands would be surrounded by a curb and contain topsoil, sod and a tree.
Toys for Tickets
BWG council will vote on whether to start an annual program where people who get tickets for overnight parking infractions between Dec. 1 and Dec. 14 can pay their fines by donating a new children’s toy.
Some of the conditions include the toy must be in its original package, its value must equal or exceed the amount owed on the fine, and its receipt must be presented at the time of payment.
Overnight parking restrictions come into effect Dec. 1 to April 1, with on-street parking banned between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Holland Marsh berm cutting
After the Holland Marsh Growers Association asked BWG council to have overgrown weeds along the canal cut down, BWG council is now expected to vote on whether to allow for costs for that in its next budget.
A staff report council will vote on recommends council consider purchasing equipment and provide for seasonal costs for maintenance related to grass cutting along the north canal berms.
The report states the area is 92,000 square metres, and the cutting would cost $4,140 each time, or $12,420 annually.
Proper equipment would cost about $19,000, and staffing would be about $12,000 a year, read the report.
Clocktower landscaping
BWG council will vote on whether to establish a nearly $61,000 budget from a provincial Main Street Revitalization Grant for landscape renewal and accessibility upgrades to the courthouse and Treasury Building located at 57 and 61 Holland St. E.
This spring, council voted to put a hold on the project until town staff could lower the costs and potentially find in-kind support from local businesses.
With the $61,000 grant, staff propose several upgrades to that area, including replacing benches and waste containers, replacing stone planters near the sidewalk, removing “council chamber” lettering from a wall, and remove and replace interlocking paving stones.
Plastic bag ban
Council will receive a town staff report about potentially banning plastic bags in Bradford West Gwillimbury, and potentially direct staff on how to move forward.
A staff report notes public consultation and public education would be necessary, which would result in costs to the municipality.
Speed sign changes
BWG council will receive the minutes from the last Traffic Committee meeting last week, which includes a report on doing speed counts in the area of Line 5 and Canal Road, moving a 50 km/h speed limit sign 150 west of 2853 Line 3, which is just west of Canal Road, and adding $50,000 to the 2019 budget for the purchase of electronic speed signs, some of which could be permanently placed.
Expanded GO Transit parking
Initiated by Coun. Raj Sandhu, council will vote on a motion to formally request Metrolinx speed up its planned expansion of the Bradford GO station parking lot “to the greatest extent possible” and that council pledges its support.
Civic Awards changes
BWG council will vote to accept the minutes from the last meeting of the Committee of the Whole, which is made up of council members.
At that meeting Sept. 18, the committee voted to change the annual Civic Awards to cut the seniors category and add awards for Hero/Bravery and Public Service, as well as extend the nomination period from July 2 to the following May and include award descriptions.
