The Town of Fort Frances will be entering into a new agreement with the Ministry of Natural Resources for shoreline property along the La Verendrye Parkway.
Town CAO Mark McCaig noted yesterday the issue of the beach management with the MNR had been unresolved since the last agreement’s expiration in 1999.
“Almost a year after I came in, [the MNR] had contacted me and said this beach management agreement was still out there,” said McCaig.
“When the last one expired, I think the town was contemplating purchasing land and there was an appraisal and everything,” he added. “That’s why there was never another one signed.
“Then last year, we were kind of wondering some things about it, like maybe if some of the lands were flooded and stuff like that,” continued McCaig. “We had some questions, and wanted to be sure we protected all our interests.
“These things take a little time sometimes.”
Last April, the town met with the MNR to discuss next steps to draw up a new agreement and three options were outlined at that time:
•The MNR would consider selling the Crown land, but not the water parcels, to the town (the appraised value of the land and water parcels is $731,400, so the cost of the land would be an undetermined amount less than that);
•The town could lease-to-own the land through a long-term lease agreement with the MNR at 12 percent of the market value of said lots; or
•The town could enter into a beach management agreement with the MNR at 10 percent of the gross revenue of sales generated on said land and water lots, plus a one-time payment of $1,000.
After several more meetings with MNR since, administration recommended Monday night that the town’s new agreement with the MNR should be for a 25-year term, with the MNR receiving 10 percent of gross revenues of sales generated on the land and water lots plus a one-time payment of $1,000.
While council has shown concern over this percentage, the MNR has confirmed this is a fixed and standard term within all such agreements, McCaig said in his report.
That said, the town will lobby to reduce the 10 percent gross revenue position.
Twenty-five years is the minimum length of time for such an agreement, noted McCaig.
The town also will investigate the future purchase of marina lands through a feasibility study.
Furthermore, the town will designate an additional 30 metres out from the shoreline, with the MNR’s approval, for future endeavours, such as the potential relocation of the Hallett and Lookout Tower there.
Council unanimously voted in favour of McCaig’s recommendation.
Also at Monday night’s meeting, council:
•agreed to a request from the Police Services Board to rename the Fort Frances OPP detachment as the Rainy River District OPP detachment;
•referred a request from J.W. Walker School to arrange for curbside pickup for the school’s recycling program to the Operations and Facilities executive committee for its recommendation;
•approved a report recommending the town retain engineering firm R.J. Burnside and Associates Ltd. at a cost of $52,025 (plus GST) for the development of a contingency plan for the operation of the sanitary sewer system in response to an extreme storm event;
•agreed to issue a letter releasing Crime Stoppers of liability with respect to use of the playground equipment supplied by them last year;
•approved a treasurer’s report supporting the Administration and Finance executive committee recommendation not to make a financial contribution to the Tim Perreault Memorial golf tournament at the Heron Landing Golf Course on May 26;
•passed a bylaw to amend the Northwest Mobility agreement with the City of Thunder Bay and the Township of Atikokan for the provision of cellular phone service (this amendment was to change the wording “Township of Atikokan” to “Atikokan Enercom”);
•passed a bylaw to amend the bylaw to appoint Grant Thornton LLP as auditor for the town. This firm was formerly known as Ernst and Young;
•passed a bylaw to establish tax ratios for prescribed property classes;
•passed a bylaw to authorize the levy and collection of taxes for all municipal purposes in the Town of Fort Frances for the year 2006; and
•passed a bylaw to authorize increasing the cap to taxes for commercial, industrial, and multi-residential properties and to establish a minimum threshold for certain eligible properties.
The annual limit on capping for commercial, industrial, and multi-residential classes will increase to 10 percent, and there shall be a minimum threshold of 80 percent for properties eligible for “new construction” or “new to class” classification in 2006.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
