County works yard, pro shop lease among ‘legal matter’ in camera items

New Tecumseth Free Press May 14, 2012

New Tecumseth’s solicitor is seemingly busier these days as “legal matters” come in bunches on tonight’s in camera portion of the council agenda.

Four separate items are identified as a “Legal Matter” which is justification to keep the items confidential. They include the Simcoe County works yard site plan agreement, which until now has been a topic discussed in open session.

The County entered into a site plan agreement with New Tecumseth that included a commitment to build a noise attenuation fence around its new works yard on Cty Rd 1, west of Beeton. The estimated cost is about $300,000 and the County does not want to build it.

Instead, the County has asked the Town to relieve it of its obligation for at least one year to determine whether the operation is affecting the residential neighbours. After a year, the matter would be revisited.

New Tecumseth council has reiterated on several occasions that it sides with the residents who are concerned about noise from the works yard, and expects the County to build the fence before occupancy permit is issued.

“The item has been described to Town staff who have advised that it can properly be discussed in a  closed session,” wrote mayor Mike MacEachern in an email reply, when asked why the issue was now confidential. “We are very careful with any item that goes into closed session as we prefer to have all items in the public session.”

Other items scheduled for in camera discussions as a “Legal Matter” tonight include the pro shop lease agreement at the New Tecumseth Recreation Centre. About two weeks ago, George’s Arena Sports ceased operations without warning with a year remaining on a four year lease that paid the Town $10,000 annually.

There’s also the “Collingwood to Alliston Pipeline update,” and the “adopted Simcoe County Official Plan OMB update.” The latter sparked after County planning director David Parks apparently sent an email to planners in the county’s 16 municipalities – but asked that they withhold its contents from their councils and senior administrators.

New Tecumseth has put Simcoe County on notice it wants the proposed modifications to the Simcoe County Official Plan circulated to the municipalities before its presented to County Corporate Services Committee and County Council, or the Town “may appeal the Simcoe County Official Plan and proposed modifications should this consultation not occur or if the Town is not satisfied with any of the proposed modifications.”