The Council of the Town of Swan River met on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 7:30 pm in the Town Council Chambers with Mayor Jacobson presiding along with Deputy Mayor Moriaux and Councillors Boychuk, Powell and Bobick.
Absent with Permission: Councillors Medwid and Whyte.
Also Present:
CAO D. Poole, CFO T. Gnida, Public Works Dir D. Harvey, Fire Chief D. Fedorchuk, Recreation Dir Mintenko
Delegation Attendees:
Media: Jeremy Bergen, Star and Times
1. Call meeting to order
Mayor Jacobson called the meeting to order at 7:30pm.
2. Adoption of the Agenda
Resolution No: 2023-0247
Moved By: Tracy Boychuk
Seconded By: Tanya Powell
RESOLVED that the agenda for the June 6, 2023 regular meeting of Council be adopted.
Carried
3. Confirmation of the minutes
Resolution No: 2023-0248
Moved By: Tracy Boychuk
Seconded By: Don Bobick
RESOLVED the minutes of the May 16, 2023 regular council meeting and the May 23, 2023 special meeting be approved.
Carried
4. Reception of Delegations and Hearings
5. Reception of Petitions
6. Communications
6.1 RCMP Jan-Mar quarter invoice package
Resolution No: 2023-0249
Moved By: Tanya Powell
Seconded By: Tracy Boychuk
RESOLVED the Royal Canadian Mounted Police letter dated May 23, invoice dated May 24, and Contract Policing Monthly Year to Date Report dated March 31 be received.
Carried
6.2 Invitation- PMH Stakeholder Meeting
Resolution No: 2023-0250
Moved By: Tanya Powell
Seconded By: Tracy Boychuk
RESOLVED the invitation to the June 21st stakeholder meeting held by Prairie Mountain Health be received.
Carried
6.3 To receive building permit applications
Resolution No: 2023-0251
Moved By: Tracy Boychuk
Seconded By: David Moriaux
RESOLVED that Building Permits 14/23 through 23/23 with a total estimated value of $2,978,000.00 be received.
Carried
7. Reports of Committees
7.1 Director of Public Works Report
Resolution No: 2023-0252
Moved By: Don Bobick
Seconded By: Tanya Powell
RESOLVED the Director of Public Works report be received.
Carried
7.2 Handivan Report
Resolution No: 2023-0253
Moved By: Don Bobick
Seconded By: Tanya Powell
RESOLVED the May 2023 Swan River Handi-Transit Van Report be received.
Carried
7.3 Council and CAO Reports
8. New Business
8.1 AMM Resolution – MTI Snow Clearing Agreements
Resolution No: 2023-0254
Moved By: Tracy Boychuk
Seconded By: Tanya Powell
WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) has the responsibility to maintain the Provincial Trunk Highways within Towns, Cities, and Municipalities communities including snow removal; and
WHEREAS the Provincial government has encouraged Towns, Cities, and Municipalities to perform the work of snow removal within their communities, and
WHEREAS MTI allows municipalities to enter into snow removal agreements for the complete or shared responsibility between the municipality and the province to provide snow removal at a desired level of service to the municipality’s ratepayers; and these agreements over time have been based on different models including basket funding, equivalent water precipitation, snowfall, etc., and
WHEREAS from time to time MTI agrees to small percentage increases in the amount of funding provided through the agreements, but it is evident that the cost to perform the work far exceeds the amounts provided by the service agreements,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED AMM lobby the Provincial Government to provide a step increase in funding to Towns, Cities and Municipalities who maintain the Provincial Trunk Highways within their municipal limits through snow removal maintenance agreements, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED AMM lobby MTI to perform a study and/or act on providing a consistent, measurable formula in the disbursement of these funds and further funds to municipalities performing the snow removal work on PTH highways within their municipal limits.
Carried
8.2 AMM Resolution – Medical Examination Funding
Resolution No: 2023-0255
Moved By: David Moriaux
Seconded By: Tracy Boychuk
WHEREAS in the Province of Manitoba, The Workers Compensation Act has recently been amended to include new types of cancer for which presumptive coverage is available to fire fighters and the Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC) personnel,
AND WHEREAS this coverage for nineteen (19) different forms of cancer is setting an example for all other Provinces to follow in the protection of their fire fighters,
AND WHEREAS the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs has recently created a Cancer Prevention Committee to create a plan for promotion of best practices in the prevention and risk reduction strategies to minimize the probability of fire fighters developing cancer,
AND WHEREAS the Manitoba Association of Fire Chiefs continue to work with the Manitoba Office of the Fire Commissioner and The Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba to develop a uniform reporting process where departments can maintain records of the fires that their individual fire fighters attend, which would include the information required for the presumptive legislation should they ever receive a cancer diagnosis,
AND WHEREAS a reference document has been developed for recommended physical, lab, and screening tests that will help identify these cancers and heart injury/disease that are part of the areas of special consideration required due to the occupational risk associated with firefighting, which is greater than the public,
AND WHEREAS the fees charged for current clinical examination are not consistent throughout Manitoba;
“NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the AMM lobby the Province of Manitoba on behalf of municipalities to create requirements for all Fire Departments to maintain such records, and that the Province of Manitoba provide necessary funding to municipalities to cover the costs of municipal fire fighters to obtain medical examinations every two(2) years to diagnose possible cancers and as early as possible
Carried
8.3 AMM Resolution – Co-Sponsor – RCMP Cost
Resolution No: 2023-0256
Moved By: Tracy Boychuk
Seconded By: Tanya Powell
WHEREAS the cost of all policing in Manitoba is taking up greater and greater amounts of municipal budgets, particularly in urban municipalities; and
WHEREAS the root causes of crime, and therefore the need for policing, are issues arising from failures in systems beyond the scope of municipal governments such as mental health, addiction (health), and socio-economic status; and
WHEREAS municipalities that serve as hubs for health and social services attract people in need of those services and then must address the negative outcomes when services fail to meet those needs; and
WHEREAS municipal boundaries have absolutely no effect on the incidence of crime; and
WHEREAS the current funding model for policing in Manitoba has not been materially changed in decades, no longer meets the needs of the realities of today, and inappropriately puts the burden of policing the taxation of real property; and
WHEREAS the Province of Manitoba has undertaken an independent review of the legislative requirements to provide policing as well as the administration and distribution of provincial funding support for municipal policing;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the AMM lobby the Province of Manitoba to amend the Police Services Act to ensure that the model for funding policing in Manitoba is equitable, transparent, and aligns the allocation of costs with the capacity to pay and the jurisdictional responsibility over the root causes of crime.
Carried
8.4 Crime Reserve Request
Moved By: Don Bobick
Seconded By: Tanya Powell
RESOLVED the Town of Swan River support and fund the Swan Valley Chamber of Commerce Community Safety Watch Program as per the attached proposal.
Tabled
seconder to table: Bobick
8.5 Signing Officers
Resolution No: 2023-0257
Moved By: Tanya Powell
Seconded By: Tracy Boychuk
RESOLVED that the signing officers for the Town of Swan River be either Mayor Lance Jacobson or Deputy Mayor David Moriaux, and either Chief Administrative Officer Derek Poole or Chief Financial Officer Terence Gnida.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that cheque signing authority be approved for Councillor Don Bobick only in the absence of both Mayor Lance Jacobson and Deputy Mayor David Moriaux.
Carried
8.6 Swan Valley Planning District New Development Plan
Resolution No: 2023-0258
Moved By: Tracy Boychuk
Seconded By: David Moriaux
WHEREAS The Town of Swan River, along with the Municipality of Swan Valley West, the Rural Municipality of Minitonas-Bowsman, and the Rural Municipality of Mountain have committed up to a maximum of $9,375.00 each in additional funding to the Swan Valley Planning District as the portion of owner funding required by the Building Sustainable Communities grant program funding to complete a new Development Plan on behalf of the Swan Valley Planning District;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED The Town of Swan River support the Swan Valley Planning District’s initiative to hire a consulting firm through a competitive bid process, who shall draft for approval an updated Swan Valley Development Plan.
Carried
8.7 Swan Valley Fire Board – Memorandum of Understanding Extension
Resolution No: 2023-0259
Moved By: Tracy Boychuk
Seconded By: David Moriaux
WHEREAS the Town of Swan River and the Municipality of Swan Valley West entered into a Memorandum of Understanding May 16th, 2023 for the purpose of providing joint administration of fire protective services in the Swan River Valley and neighboring areas, and
WHEREAS the term of the MOU expires June 16th, 2023, and both parties continue to express a desire to complete a final agreement to complete the scope of the partnership;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the Town of Swan River agrees to extend the MOU beginning June 17th, 2023, ending December 31st, 2023 or until such time that the final agreement is approved and signed.
Carried
9. Unfinished Business
10. Accounts
10.1 To approve accounts
Resolution No: 2023-0260
Moved By: Don Bobick
Seconded By: David Moriaux
RESOLVED the accounts as follows be hereby approved for payment:
1. General Account Cheques No. 30292 to No. 30384 totaling $853,723.80 as listed on Schedule A.
2. Payroll Account Cheques No. 5320 to No. 5323 totaling $111,440.74 as listed on Schedule B.
3. Direct Deposit Payments totaling $745.00 as listed on Schedule C.
4. Direct Deposit Payments totaling $40,061.87 as listed on Schedule D.
Carried
10.2 Use Water and Sewer Reserve for total cost of 100 Blk Centennial Dr N Utility Renewal
Resolution No: 2023-0261
Moved By: Don Bobick
Seconded By: David Moriaux
WHEREAS the 2023 Financial Plan Capital Budget included 100 Blk Centennial Dr N utility renewal $300,000 with $150,000 Borne by Water and Sewer Reserve and $150,000 Borne by Borrowing;
AND WHEREAS the Council of the Town of Swan River wishes not to borrow but rather draw from the Water and Sewer Reserve for the entire cost of the project, and the Water and Sewer Reserve has a balance well in excess of such cost;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that an amount equal to the total cost of the 100 Blk Centennial Dr N utility renewal capital project be transferred from the Water and Sewer Reserve Fund to the General Operating Fund upon completion of the project, in accordance with clause 168(2) of The Municipal Act.
Carried
10.3 To approve grant to Communities in Bloom
Resolution No: 2023-0262
Moved By: Tanya Powell
Seconded By: Tracy Boychuk
RESOLVED that a Grant be made to the Communities in Bloom Swan River Committee in the amount of $6,000.00 as included in the 2023 Financial Plan.
Carried
10.4 To add unpaid accounts to taxes
Resolution No: 2023-0263
Moved By: Tracy Boychuk
Seconded By: Tanya Powell
WHEREAS the Town of Swan River used municipal equipment, materials and labour to carry out private works on private property under The Municipal Act clause 250(2)(e), and set the fees and charges for the works under clause 252(1)(a) of The Act;
AND WHEREAS sufficient time has been allowed for payment of such outstanding amounts as listed on the attached Schedule “A” totaling $1,157.07;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT each of the unpaid amounts listed on Schedule “A” be added to the corresponding property tax roll and collected in that manner under subsection 252(2) of The Act;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT notice be sent to each property owner detailing the amounts being added to the taxes and advising that interest will accrue on said amounts in the same manner as for unpaid property taxes effective July 1st, 2023.
Carried
10.5 Cancel business taxes
Resolution No: 2023-0264
Moved By: Don Bobick
Seconded By: Tanya Powell
RESOLVED that the business taxes owing for roll number 1225000.200 in the amount of $103.25 be cancelled as business operations ceased in 2021.
Carried
11. By-Laws
11.1 First Reading – By-Law 5/2023 – Procedure Bylaw Amendment
Resolution No: 2023-0265
Moved By: Tracy Boychuk
Seconded By: Tanya Powell
RESOLVED that By-Law No. 5/2023 being a By-Law of the Town of Swan River to amend the rules and regulations of council be read a first time.
Carried
12. Notice of Motion
13. In Camera
RESOLVED that, pursuant to Section 152(3) of the Municipal Act, Council go into Committee and close the meeting to the public.
14. Out of Camera
RESOLVED that pursuant to Sections 152(4) of the Municipal Act this meeting be reopened to the public.
15. Items Arising out of Camera
16. Adjournment
Resolution No: 2023-0266
Moved By: Don Bobick
Seconded By: Tracy Boychuk
RESOLVED that this regular meeting of Council now adjourn at 8:17pm.
Carried