Staff
The Town of Fort Frances’ new strategic plan will be presented at tonight’s council meeting.
Called “Realities . . . Challenges . . . Opportunities,” this is the final draft of the plan which council and administration first started working on back in June, when they met at Sunny Cove Camp for an all-day session.
The strategic plan outlines council’s priorities for the remainder of its term (a little more than three years).
Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig noted the plan outlines “issues that are lingering in the town, things that need to be addressed, [and] maybe potential opportunities that we’ve identified that the town should be looking into trying to help facilitate.”
“They may relate to mining exploration in the region, or potential demand for residential lots within the community, things like that,” McCaig added.
The strategic plan also incorporates regulations the town has to comply with, such as ensuring accessibility to buildings.
The town also received public input during the strategic planning process, which has been taken it into account.
“There were some delegations made in regards to assisted living, and we’ve tried to incorporate some of those requests into how we plan to move forward in assisting with that exercise,” noted McCaig, citing one example of how public input has been considered in the plan.
Tonight’s council meeting is scheduled to start at 6:35 p.m. The committee of the whole will meet first at 5:30 p.m., but is slated to remain in-camera until 6:15.
Other business on the agenda includes:
•a verbal update from Mayor Roy Avis re: the AMO conference on Aug. 21-25;
•AMO conference travel and per diem claims for Mayor Avis and Coun. Paul Ryan;
•AMO conference travel and purchase card expense claims for Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig;
•2012 budget timetable;
•a report regarding East End Hall renovations to meet accessibility requirements;
•a report re: traffic signal upgrades at Central Avenue;
•a report re: trees planted on a town boulevard at 236 Second St. E.;
•a request re: roadwork on Eighth Street East between Victoria Avenue and Christie Avenue;
•the awarding of tender No. 11-OF-11 (the supply of park and cemetery flowers for 2012-14);
•a report re: an Armit Avenue sidewalk between Front Street and Church Street;
•a report re: the renewal of an airport hangar lot lease to Eldon Mose;
•a report re: retaining BMA Management Consulting Inc. to complete financial plans for water and wastewater systems;
•a report re: the maintenance cost of solar panels;
•a report re: the town’s criminal background check policy;
•an invitation to the Riverside Foundation for Health Care’s ”Mardi Gras” fundraiser coming up Saturday, Oct. 1;
•a memorandum from the Rainy River Future Development Corp. re: a demolition grant application;
•an advertisement request from the Fort Frances Times re: the NW Ontario Vacation Guide Map;
•a joint request from CUPE and the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care to proclaim Oct. 26, 2011 as “Child Care Worker and early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•a bylaw to approve the purchase of a handicapped transit bus from Macnab Transit Sales Corp. (tender 11-OF-08);
•a bylaw to approve a contract with Wilco Contractors Superior Inc. for the supply and installation of wildlife control fencing at the Fort Frances Municipal Airport (tender 11-OF-10);
•a bylaw to approve a proposal from Honeywell Building Solutions to prepare an energy and facility renewal report with respect to certain town facilities (tender 11-OF-05);
•a bylaw to approve a memorandum of understanding with Ontario Early Years Centre (FIREFLY) with respect to continued delivery of core early-year child services by the Fort Frances Best Start Hub;
•a request for a meeting from the Fort Frances Public Library Board; and
•a notice of the Treaty #3 Area Economic Opportunities Conference 2011 to be held Sept. 28-30 in Kenora.
