The Corporation of the Township of Laird

Regular Council Meeting Minutes – April 17, 2025

REGULAR AGENDA – AGENDA 39 CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF LAIRD April 17, 2025, at 6:00 pm Laird Township Council Chambers

Present: Mayor:

Shawn Evoy Councillors:

Todd Rydall, Brad Shewfelt, Wayne Junor, Regrets:

Matt Frolick Clerk:

Jennifer Errington Road Superintendent: David Pollari

1. Call to Order

Mayor Evoy called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

2. Declaration of Pecuniary Interest

3. Agenda Approval

#88-25 Moved by: Wayne Junor Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council hereby approves the April 17, 2025 agenda as presented. Carried.

4. Delegations and Presentations

5. Adoption of Minutes of Previous Meeting

  1. a. Council Regular Meeting – March 13, 2025
  2. b. Council Special Meeting – March 26, 2025
  3. c. Recreation Committee Meeting – March 25, 2025 #89-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council approves Council minutes of the Regular Meeting of March 13, 2025, the Special Meeting of March 26, 2025, and the Recreation Committee minutes of March 25, 2025.

Carried.

6. Adoption of Accounts

  1. a. General accounts to March 31, 2025 #90-25 Moved by: Brad Shewfelt Seconded by: Wayne Junor BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council approves the general accounts to March 31, 2025, in the amount of $6,055.10.

Carried.

  1. b. Roads accounts to March 31, 2025 #91-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Wayne Junor BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council approves the roads account to March 31, 2025, in the amount of $23,650.39 as presented.

Carried.

7. Staff and Committee Reports

  1. a. Road Superintendent (Roads, Waste Disposal & Recycling, and Maintenance)
  2. i. Road Superintendent Report

Moved by: Brad Shewfelt Seconded by: Todd Rydall BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the Road Superintendent Report dated April 17, 2025, as presented. Carried.

  1. i. Council Q&A

b. Clerk Administrator, Deputy Treasurer

  1. i. Clerk’s Report #93-35 Moved by: Wayne Junor Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the Clerk’s Report dated April 17, 2025, as presented; and arising from the report that Council sets the Waste Disposal Site Spring Clean-up dates for Saturday, May 25, 2025, and Sunday, May 26, 2025.

Carried.

  1. ii. Task Summary Sheet & Recent Activity Log
  2. iii. Concern/Information Log – Updates #94-25 Moved by: Brad Shewfelt Seconded by: Wayne Junor BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the April 17, 2025, Task Summary Sheet & Recent Activity Log and the Concern/Information Log as presented.

Carried.

  1. iv. Council Q&A
  2. c. Treasurer’s Report
  3. d. Recreation Committee & Recreation Sub-Committees
  4. i. Report: Bar River Community Center Rental Agreement #95-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Wayne Junor BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the April 17, 2025, Bar River Community Center Rental Agreement report, and further that Council adopts the updated Bar River Community Center Rental Agreement and that the Laird Hall Rental Agreement be amended to include additional insurance wording and an indemnification clause.

Carried.

  1. e. Cemetery Board
  2. f. Planning Board
  3. g. Police Detachment Board
  4. h. Algoma District Services Administrative Board
  5. i. Algoma District Municipal Association (ADMA)

8. Unfinished Business

  1. a. Laird Township, Traffic Speed Analysis Study Proposal #96-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Wayne Junor BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council receives the Traffic Speed Analysis Study proposal from Tulloch Engineering and directs the Treasurer to defer this decision for consideration during budget deliberations.

Carried.

  1. b. Fire Agreement January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025

Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Wayne Junor BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council approves entering into a Fire Agreement with Macdonald, Meredith and Aberdeen Additional Township for January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, and authorizes Mayor and Clerk to sign the agreement as amended to include a reconciliation clause. Carried.

  1. c. Memo: 2025 Draft Budget
  2. d. April Draft Budget 2025 #98-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt BE IT RESOLVED that Council receives the Township of Laird April Draft Budget 2025 and requests staff to make amendments and present the revised budget at the May Council meeting and further that Council approves creating a reserve fund for Climate Change/Extreme weather events and Tax Stabilization Fund.

Carried.

  1. e. Reserve Report 2024 #99-25 Moved by: Wayne Junor Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt BE IT RESOLVED THAT the 2024 Reserve Report be received for information and further that Council directs Treasurer to reallocate $185,945 from Landfill reserve and allocate $100,000 to Fire Capital and $85,945 to working capital.

Carried.

9. New Business

  1. a. Provincial Offences Act Inter-Municipal Agreement Renewal #100-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Wayne Junor BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council approves Mayor and Clerk to sign the Provincial Offences Act Inter-Municipal Agreement renewal for a five-year period.

Carried.

  1. b. Senior of the Year Nomination #101-25 Moved by: Brad Shewfelt Seconded by: Todd Rydall BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council nominate Dick Beitz for the 2025 Senior of the Year Award for Laird Township.

Carried.

  1. c. Memo: FCM Grant – Green Municipal Fund BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the April 17, 2025, FCM Grant – Green Municipal Fund report and further that Council requests Clerk to apply for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Green Municipal Fund grant.

Withdrawn.

10. Notices of Motion

11. Closed Session

12. Communications and Correspondence

  1. a. Support Resolution: Northern Highway Safety Plan, Coleman Township, February 24, 2025 #102-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Wayne Junor BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council supports the Municipality of Coleman’s resolution to support the Northern Highway Safety Plan proposed by MPP Guy Bourgouin, MPP Lise Vaugeois and MPP John Vanthof.

AND FURTHER THAT the resolution be forwarded to the Minister of Transportation; the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; all Provincial Leaders; the Federation of Norther Ontario Municipalities (FONOM); the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA); and all municipalities in Ontario. Carried.

  1. b. Support Resolution: Standing for Canada Resolution, Municipality of East Ferris, March 11, 2025 #103-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council supports the Municipality of East Ferris resolution to petition to support Canada by removing trade barriers between provinces in support of Canadian businesses;

AND FURTHER THAT the resolution be forwarded to the Prime Minister, Premier of Ontario, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Rural Ontario Municipal Association, Ontario Good Roads Association, Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and all Ontario Municipalities. Carried.

  1. c. Roads Department Appreciation Letter, Denise Perigord, March 12, 2025
  2. d. City of Toronto – Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) – Residual Waste, February 20, 2025
  3. e. Laird Fair Sponsorship Letter

13. Mayor and Council Comments

  1. a. Good Roads Conference March 30 – April 2, 2025 – Verbal Report
  • There was not as much at Good Roads as there was in the past. Good Roads used to be combined with ROMA conference; therefore, there were no politicians at Good Roads.
  • Great opportunities to network, opportunity to speak with Bonnie Crombie about the state of the highways.
  • Took in sessions on Transportation of nuclear waste, guardrails, and asset management, etc.

14. By-laws

  1. a. 2051-25 Conformity By-law #104-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Wayne Junor BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council adopts By-law 2051-25 being a by-law to confirm the proceedings of the meeting of Council held on April 17, 2025.

Carried.

15. Adjournment

Moved by: Wayne Junor Seconded by: Todd Rydall BE IT RESOLVED THAT this Council shall now adjourn to meet again on May 22, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. or until the call of the chair. Carried.

Mayor – ___________________________ Shawn Evoy

Clerk – ___________________________ Jennifer Errington