Town Council

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Saugeen Shores municipal staff recommended at the recent Town Council meeting that the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) for Southampton remain as a project in the 2012 Capital Forecast due to staff time constraints and workload dealing with projects approved in the 2011 budget.

According to the Planning Act, "a CIP allows a municipality to study a defined area for the purpose of creating a document that establishes a framework for providing a coordinated plan for improvement and rehabilitation to public and private lands.  It establishes policies to encourage improvements to private lands through financial incentive programs such as grants, loans or property tax assistance to private landowners for the purpose of improving facades, signage or redevelopment of buildings."

The recommendation came forward to Council as a result of Council's request to consider moving the CIP forward from 2012 to 2011.  It was felt that the sooner the CIP is started and completed, the sooner the municipality could provide funding to private businesses for improvements.

 The CIP process will include approximately 10 meetings, including two public meetings to be scheduled around the summer months.  Starting the CIP process in 2011 however, conflicts with the Official Plan Review and Woodlands Study public consultation process  authorized by Council and, therefore, scheduling meetings could be problematic.

Two members of Council would be appointed to the CIP committee but there are several approved projects that are to be undertaken that require staff involvement:

• Official Plan Review:  Council members involve will be expected to attend a minimum of 8 additional meetings, including four public meetings, between June and November

• Woodlands Study:  One public meeting

• Waterfront Ad Hoc Committee:  Will include a number of steering and public meetings

• Southampton Town Hall Restoration

• Saugeen Shores Fire Master Plan Committee

Councilor Diane Huber asked if a CIP, in fact, required Town staff to be involved.  "Volunteer work in Southampton created the former Streetscape and my sense is, if people show up at an introductory meeting, the work gets done.  I think there would be a number of volunteers who would step up to the plate.  I also don't feel this is a seasonal issue.  I would like to encourage groups of people to do their thing ... we have a chance here to encourage some 'splinter' groups to form and give us some advice and to make more of an impact in this Official Plan.  I thing we should agree to throw it out there and see if volunteers will take up the effort."

Councilor Fred Shildroth said, "I am not sure that having a separate group starting something without reporting back to the municipality is the way to go.  If you want to start a process it should be done the same way as it was in Port Elgin.  It should not go ahead with no direction from us and end up going against what we want to accomplish." 

According to Town staff, the Development Coordinator is the Project Manager for the Official Plan Review, the Woodlands Study, Streetscape and proposed Southampton CIP.  Because the CIP requires preparation, follow-up, attendance at meetings, background research, report writing, addressing committee and public questions and obtaining County approval, it is felt that staff cannot commit the necessary resources needed to start the CIP this year.

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Wednesday, May 11, 2011