This month, Council heard on key issues including Watershed Management, Water Quality Monitoring, Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan Update, Preliminary Land Review – Fire Station, 2024 Asset Management Plan, Muskoka Community Land Trust.
Here’s what happened:
- Invited Presentations:
Council received a presentation from Glenn Cunnington of the District of Muskoka regarding the Integrated Watershed Management Technical Project Results. After the Muskoka River Watershed experienced 100-year storm events in 2008, 2013, 2016, and 2019 (resulting in significant damage to private property and municipal infrastructure), the Province provided funding to the District of Muskoka to advance 12 technical projects to study the health of the watershed and investigate potential solutions to reduce the impacts of flooding. Final reports are available on the District’s website and data products will soon be available to the public (i.e. updated mapping).
Council received a presentation from Rebecca Willison of the District of Muskoka regarding the District of Muskoka Water Quality Monitoring Program. Muskoka has been monitoring water quality for over 40 years and has one of the best municipal datasets in the world. The 2023 testing results showed that 64% of lakes sampled had a higher total phosphorus (TP) reading than the previous year and 74% of lakes sampled had a higher TP reading than the 10-year average for that lake. The District will continue to keep an eye on these levels.
Staff will present an update to the Town’s Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan, which is required by provincial regulations, reporting on energy consumption and goals and proposed methods for energy conservation. Climate Action is included as a priority in the Town of Huntsville's Strategic Plan and a plan will be completed in 2024 to advance policies that support emission reductions and decarbonization beyond business as usual. During the current reporting period, between 2018 and 2021, the Town’s buildings and facilities energy usage decreased by 17% (from 7,306,500.17 ekWh to 6,043,409.60 ekWh) and GHG emissions decreased by 18% from (918.54 tonnes to 754.33 tonnes). Reasons for this decrease included the divestment of three non-core Town assets (254 Marsh Road House, Huntsville Train Station and CN Railway Ancillary Shed and the Waterloo Summit Centre for the Environment) and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- OUTCOME: Council approved the Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan, which will be submitted to the Province of Ontario, published on the Town’s website and made available to the public in printed form at Huntsville Civic Centre (Town Hall) upon request.
Council will receive a report from staff requesting approval to initiate a Preliminary Land Review for a new Huntsville Fire Station #1 location. The Fire Services Master Plan (accepted by Council in 2022) calls for relocation of Huntsville Fire Station #1 due to various challenges of the building and location. Due to growth in the Town, the station requires several upgrades including more office space and increased storage for equipment. The current location is in close proximity with commercial industry and schools, which has resulted in traffic delays, impeding the response times of emergency vehicles.
OUTCOME: Council recognized the need to relocate Huntsville Station #1, and the urgency of securing land for its future development and approved the preliminary process of staff reviewing potential location sites and initiating conversations with landowners and any applicable agencies with oversight.
Staff will present the Town of Huntsville’s 2024 Asset Management Plan, which identifies the Town’s key asset categories (such as roads, bridges, storm sewers, facilities) with an analysis of each and provides a proposed long-term financial strategy to address the annual infrastructure funding gap (the costs required for maintenance and/or replacement over the lifetime of the asset).
OUTCOME: Council received an in-depth presentation on the 2024 Asset Management Plan. Positive news was that 63% of the Town’s assets are in fair or better condition and there is currently an annual cost savings of 45% for roads through the use of proactive lifecycle management strategies. Only 45% of annual infrastructure funding needs are currently being met. Council expressed interest in the potential of spending more time learning about Asset Management Planning due to the importance of the topic for the health of the Town’s finances and infrastructure, possibly through a Special Council Meeting devoted to this topic. Council voted to adopt the Town of Huntsville’s 2024 Asset Management Plan. The next Asset Management Plan will be presented prior to July 1, 2025, and will include proposed levels of services for the Town's assets as well as a financial strategy recommended for implementation in future budgets.
Council will receive a report regarding a request from the Muskoka Community Land Trust (MCLT) for donation of municipal property located at 40 Florence St. W. and Abraham Road for an affordable housing development. Council will consider whether to direct staff to continue discussions with MCLT and legal counsel to finalize the transfer of the lands and the development proposal.
OUTCOME: Council supports, in principle, the donation of the lands to the MCLT for the Florence St. affordable housing development and directed staff to engage legal services to assist with the development of a letter of intent, with associated conditions to be addressed prior to the transfer of the land, and report back on the framework of the land donation, letter of intent, and any required agreements.