city council group pictureSuspending officers without pay is just one of the items on tonight’s city council agenda.

Landfill hours, and an update from the TEDC are also on up for discussion.

Stay up to the minute with our live blog, beginning at 6pm.

(Keep refreshing the page for updates as the night goes along.)

Council began by going in-camera, so a crowd is gathering outside chambers.

Most of which are the cast of O’Gorman High’s latest musical, “The Suessical” to sing the national anthem.

Just a note, Noella Rinaldo is not present tonight.

They are starting with a late addition, an appeal request from the Timmins Taxpayers Association.

In attendance are members Logan McMeekin, Todd Lever and Alex Szczebonski.

It seems as if it will have to do with the Golden Manor.  Dubeau says the Taxpayers Association has been declined to present a couple times so far and adds we need feedback from all citizens.

“We have the responsibility to hear them out,” he said.

Doody says the Association was asked to meet with council, and they refused.

He adds the Golden Manor wasn’t mentioned at all during the election, and anything that has to do with long-term health care has to benefit the taxpayers and not interrupt the quality of care.

Campbell says he reviewed the power point presentation, and it raises questions on whether the Manor is being ran properly.

Bamford says he’d like to have a meeting setup, so they can go over concerns in full.

Dubeau says the whole discussion has been whether or not they should present, not about the contents of the presentation.

Black says they have annual meetings with several groups, and additional presentations should go to committee and go to review.

Dubeau and Campbell vote to hear the presentation, while everyone else in attendance votes against it so the Timmins Taxpayers Association will not present tonight.

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Next up is TEDC Chair Fred Gibbons and Christy Marnig.

They are here to present their quarterly update, and they’ve gone over their targets in each of their key groups.  Below are the results, with targets in brackets.

They created 148 jobs (80), expanded 11 jobs (10), started up 135 businesses (75), held 892 consultations (800), held 14 seminars (6) and had 557 people attend information sessions (150).

Marnig says they are looking at data storage, cold weather testing and the Productivity and Innovation Centre.

They are targeting to do 60 business assessments in three years.

Over the next little while, Marnig says they want to work on the Industrial Park, Biomass and Board Training for Not for Profit organizations.

Doody asks where they are on a university coming to town.

Gibbons says there was an RFP for up to three universities to create satellite campuses but Timmins didn’t make the cut.  He says it was due to enrolment being under 5,000.

Doody mentions he’s surprised by the province, that they wouldn’t even consider Timmins to be a regional university hub.

Black says it seems the university expansion looked more towards the GTA.

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Jocko Creek on Highway 655 will go under construction in 2016.

Black says this option was best to not have any significant closures.

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Next has to do with the traffic lights along Algonquin Boulevard.

Bamford asks if 10 seconds could be added to the North/South green light, to help those who may have a bit of trouble crossing, and might feel rushed.

The lights between Algonquin/Brunette and Algonquin/Theriault are synchronized.

Black says they can look at options.

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Now onto the request for funding for the Timmins Ringette team.

It is passed, they will get $3,000 for their upcoming trip to nationals.

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Next is a letter from Iroquois Falls.  They are looking to get support from other communities to send a letter to Resolute Forestry to hold off taking down the mill, so the town can have time to find a new owner to use it.

It is passed as well.

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Proposed changes to Bill 52, to address Northern Ontario concerns is passed by council.

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Now onto suspended officers without pay.

This is the same thing as last week.  Mayor Black told us following last week’s Police Board meeting that he will send more information to councillors, to better inform them on why this needs to be passed.

It isn’t to plainly suspend an officer without pay, it’s to give the Police Chief more discretion to do so.

Black says there is support from a couple entities around the province.

He reiterates this would apply to serious offences only, and not related to duties of the officer.

Bamford says he doesn’t dispute there is a problem, and there does need to be changes.  He doesn’t believe the province will accept the letter as is.

He says they need to put emphasis on the Ontario government, so that there are hearings in a better time frame.

“It’s a complex issue, and I don’t want to give a simplistic answer,” Bamford said.

Marks says he’ll support it because there needs to be some discussion on this.

“It needs to be addressed, and the provincial government isn’t stepping up,” he said.

Campbell agrees that there is an issue, but doesn’t know where they’re going with this.  He says they’re just re-hashing something that was sent out multiple times without a response.

 

They will be voting to get government support to help suspended officers financially, as judiciary hearings can take an extremely long time.

That is passed.

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Next is an operational review.

The city would spend $105,000 to hire KPMG to look at a review on service delivery and operations in the city.

The review would start April 20th, and go until July 3rd.  A final report is expected August 10th.

It is passed.

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Next is to amend the hours at the Deloro Landfill from 10 hours a day to 8 hours.

It will be moved to the April 27th meeting.

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By law time!

First is the deeming by-law for Vimy Avenue by Toal Management is passed.

Next is Airport Road bridge design, an agreement with McIntosh Perry is passed.

Establishing a policy for Grants to Organizations is passed.

Appointing a municipal law enforcement officer for Northern College is passed.

Agreement with KPMG for the services and operational review is passed.

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A couple more items are on the list.

There is a request to cover transformers with a safety barrier cage, at the corner of Pine Street North and Eighth Avenue.  This is at the corner of Roy Nicholson Park.

They will get the Parks and Recreation department to take a look at concerns.

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Council is adjourned!