city council group pictureA light night at council tonight.

Street closure requests, unmaintained rural roads and the passing of the audit to the Mattagami Wastewater Plant are all on the docket.

Also, a discussion on buying local is expected.

Follow our live blog starting at 6pm.

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

Grzela is not in attendance.

First up is a resolution from Dubeau, for KPMG to interview all employees independently if they so choose.

It is unanimously approved, and will be added to the agenda.

Only one presentation on the night, from the Francophonie 400, celebrating 400 years of francophone presence in Ontario with Roxanne Daoust and Manager of Tourism Guy Lamarche.

Lamarche says more than 600,000 francophones live in Ontario, with over 18,000 in Timmins alone.

They are requesting support for marketing to celebrate the milestone.

Lamarche says their project has the necessary funding, and won’t need any money from the city.

Cave au Vin, a popular wine and cheese event will return to the city this fall.  Also coming is a French Canadian Culinary Festival.

Canada Day will see Celeste Levis perform, as well as multiple francophone artists as part of this summer’s Concert Series.

At the Great Canadian Kayak Challenge and Festival, they also want to create canoe voyageurs on the Mattagami River.

A time capsule will also be made, along with a video.

A legacy project, a monument, will also be built.

Lamarche says they are asking to create a floral arrangement with the Francophonie 400 at Hollinger Park, and at city hall.

They also want 100 vertical flags put up around the city, and a new flagpole for permanent display at city hall, to replace the current Franco-Ontario flag.

The value of the project is $388,000, which is paid for in grants from the province.

Black and council seem fully supportive of the presentation, and what they’re asking.

Bamford raised a concern, that this doesn’t become a thing where other cultures will come up and ask for displays.  He says looking ahead, we could have a display with room for all cultures.

He is otherwise in full support.

To see everything the committee has in mind, CLICK HERE.

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Black is now bringing up an award from the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario to councillor Mike Doody.

Black says he didn’t put this on the agenda so this would be a surprise to Doody.

It is the “Senior of the Year Award,” and well deserved for a career of helping the community by being a member of many boards.

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Now is the CNIB, hosting an accessibility walk.  It would go from city hall to the Timmins Transit on June 4th, and people would have to get there by alternate methods of mobility to give people a sense of what the blind or partially blind must go through day-to-day.

Still with the CNIB, they want to have an extension of light signal length.  This would go from 90 seconds to 100 seconds.  This will come back.

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Next is the road closures for Urban Park.

It will close Third Avenue from Cedar Street to Pine Street and Third Avenue from Spruce Street to Cedar Street, on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from June 17th to August 27th, 2015.

The closure on Third Avenue would be from 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning to 5:00 p.m. on Friday evening, inclusive. * Half of the street cannot be blocked off as there needs to be direct access for emergency vehicles. * There will be standard policing in this area until midnight and any additional security would be the responsibility of the BIA. * That the City be added to the BIA’s liability policy (minimum of $2 million dollars) as a co-insured during this event.

It is passed.

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Now up is the approval for fireworks on Canada Day and the Great Canadian Kayak Challenge and Festival at the Mattagami River.

It will also close Riverside Drive from Fogg Street to Norman Street.

It is passed.

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Now up is the five-year review of the city.

It is passed.

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Now is the sale of land for Paul Avenue.  It goes to Glen and Carol Black for $50,000.

It is passed.

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To the KPMG motion put in earlier, and it passes.

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Campbell is now up for handy transit.

He says we have to deal with an aging population sooner or later.

This would cover an area east of Pine Street on Moneta Avenue, Gold Mine Road, and include Delnite, McDonald Hill and Buffalo Ankerite properties.

He says they would take a phase in approach, which by 2016, would give the city a good idea on if they could cover the whole city.

Doody says he has no trouble with what Campbell brings up.  He would be more comfortable getting support from the MAAC first.

Marks agrees, and mentions he spoke against this during the budget process.  He does like the phase in approach however.

Bamford disagrees.  He says it shouldn’t go to the MAAC because “we’re meeting the standards set out by the province.”

He says expanding to Phase 2 or 3 could expand even further to the rural areas, based on what’s been seen in other communities.

Bamford says transit comes under scrutiny quite often, for many different reasons, adding we have a larger rural area than most other cities.  He says we could see issues in the winter time.

He says Campbell’s heart is in the right place, but he can’t vote for the resolution as it doesn’t make economic sense.  He is in favour of Phase 1.

Dubeau wants to amend the resolution, so that Phase 1 starts July 1st, and look at a review in January 2016.  The amendment passes.

Rinaldo says they need another bus to do this, because the buses as is are booked.

She says we need more drivers and buses just to service the city as it is, adding handy transit buses are booked “days, weeks in advance.”

Another point is brought up with the winter roads, and how some roads in rural areas aren’t maintained by the city.

Wawrzaszek is supporting Phase 1.

Rinaldo asks if this is passed, where is the money coming from?  Black says it would have to come from the tax stabilization fund.

Campbell says it’s not a lot of money to do this.

It goes to the vote, which will start Phase 1.  It is passed with everyone except Rinaldo and Marks voting in favour.

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Now to a clean up weekend.

Black says they would have a weekend where tipping fees are waived in order for volunteers to come up and clean the city.

He mentions a number of volunteers who did a clean up this past weekend, with 21 people getting over 16,000 lbs of garbage to the landfill.

Black says these volunteers would want to do these clean ups more throughout the summer, but wouldn’t be in favour to waive tipping fees every time as it would open the city up to people abusing the system.

This will come back.

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By-law time!

Sale of land on Paul Avenue and Louis Street is passed.

Land donation at Frank Street is passed.

An amended traffic by-law, a three-way stop and restricted parking for a limited time.  City Clerk Steph Palmateer says that also includes the Rea and Columbus four-way stop.

Dubeau asks about if this was a motion missed last time.  He mentions this has taken two months to process.  Black and Palmateer clear the air, just a minor technicality due to the busyness of city staff.

This is passed.

To an agreement with Suncor Energy for a fuel contract is passed.

Agreement with Deloitte LLP for the Mattagami Wastewater Plant audit.

Marks isn’t supporting the audit.  He says we are too far into the process to do the audit, and the money would be better spent on the handy transit Phase 1.

It is passed anyway, with Doody, Marks and Rinaldo opposing it.

To the purchase of a multi-articulating mini-wheel loader, with an agreement with Tracks and Wheels is passed.

To the purchase of two 3/4 ton heavy trucks with Jack Findlay Motors.

Dubeau says he’s gone through a lot of policies, but does want to look into a “buy local” policy in the near future.

The motion on the table passes, with Marks opposing.

To the acquisition of land on Strachan Avenue is passed.

An encroachment by-law at 189 Wilson Avenue.  This passes as well.

Wawrzaszek asks about it being a permanent encroachment, which it is.

To the stop up, close and sell roadway, an undeveloped roadway behind Argento Boulevard is passed.

Black says he will work on trying to coordinate the spring cleanup dates on June 1st, 4th, 9th and 11th.

and council is adjourned!