The Corporation of the Township of Laird

Regular Council Meeting Minutes – July 17, 2025

REGULAR AGENDA – AGENDA 44 CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF LAIRD July 17, 2025, at 6:00 pm Laird Township Council Chambers

Present: Mayor:

Shawn Evoy Councillors:

Matt Frolick, Wayne Junor, Todd Rydall, Brad Shewfelt Clerk:

Jennifer Errington Road Superintendent: Shawn Evoy Presenters:

Mitch Marinovich, Patrick Connoly (phone)

1. Call to Order

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

2. Declaration of Pecuniary Interest

3. Agenda Approval

#160-25 Moved by: Matt Frolick Seconded by: Wayne Junor BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council hereby approves the July 17, 2025 agenda as presented. Carried.

4. Delegations and Presentations

  1. a. Stefanizzi Professional Corporation Chartered Professional Accountant
  2. i. Consolidated Financial Statements for year ended December 31, 2024 DRAFT
  • Good clean audit.

#161-25 Moved by: Brad Shewfelt Seconded by: Wayne Junor BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council directs the Treasurer and the Clerk to sign the Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2024.

  1. b. North Shore Agricultural Society (NSAS) – Patrick Connolly, President, called in at 7:22 p.m. to speak to Council.
  2. i. NSAS use of fairgrounds on dates other than the Laird Fair weekend.
  • Patrick Connolly explained to Council that the grant funding is based on membership and the number of events NSAS puts on. Grant money raised can go towards things such as kids’ events for the Laird Fair, and there are opportunities for grant funding that can go towards upgrades/repairs to the fairgrounds. The more events NSAS puts on, their insurance fees go up. They would like to work with the Township to help lower the costs for events. NSAS put on the Little Britches Rodeo on July 12, 2025, they didn’t charge admission or require membership. NSAS would like to put on more events and would like to have the use of the grounds at no cost. Council requested that NSAS put together a plan and present it to Council after the Laird Fair.

#168-25 Moved by: Matt Frolick Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council directs staff to refund the Laird Fairgrounds Rental fees for the Little Britches Rodeo held on July 12, 2025 put on by the North Shore Agricultural Society.

5. Adoption of Minutes of Previous Meeting

  1. a. Council Regular Meeting – June 19, 2025
  2. b. Recreation Committee Meeting – June 24, 2025 – No Quorum #162-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Wayne Junor BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council approves minutes of the Regular Council meeting of June 19, 2025.

Carried.

6. Adoption of Accounts

  1. a. General accounts to June 30, 2025 #163-25 Moved by: Matt Frolick Seconded by: Todd Rydall BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council approves the general accounts to June 30, 2025, in the amount of $10,798.75.

Carried.

  1. b. Roads accounts to June 30, 2025 #164-25 Moved by: Wayne Junor Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council approves the roads account to June 30, 2025, in the amount of $67,496.01.

Carried.

7. Staff and Committee Reports

  1. a. Road Superintendent (Roads, Waste Disposal & Recycling, and Maintenance)
  2. i. Road Superintendent Report #165-24 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Matt Frolick BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the Road Superintendent Report dated July 17, 2025, as presented.

Carried.

#166-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Matt Frolick BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council directs staff to purchase the Kubota Disc Mower currently being rented by the Roads Department from roadside cutting. For the purchase price of $8,000.00. Noting that the $1,500.00 rental fee will be waived by Northshore Tractor.

#167-25 Moved by: Brad Shewfelt Seconded by: Matt Frolick BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council directs staff to proceed with required repair to the washroom trailer used by LIR. Carried.

b. Clerk Administrator, Deputy Treasurer

  1. i. Clerk’s Report #169-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Wayne Junor BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the Clerk’s Report dated July 17, 2025, as presented.
  2. ii. Task Summary Sheet & Recent Activity Log
  3. iii. Concern/Information Log – Updates #170-25 Moved by: Brad Shewfelt Seconded by: Matt Frolick BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the July 17, 2025, Task Summary Sheet & Recent Activity Log and the Concern/Information Log as presented.

Carried.

  1. c. Treasurer’s Report

d. Recreation Committee & Recreation Sub-Committees

  1. i. Wharf Sub-committee Minutes – June 25, 2025 #171-25 Moved by: Wayne Junor Seconded by: Matt Frolick BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the June 25, 2025, Wharf Sub- committee minutes.

Carried.

  1. ii. 2025 Committee and Board – Addition to Wharf Sub-committee #172-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Matt Frolick BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council approves adding Carol Ranta as a member of the Wharf Sub-committee.

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. Algoma Power Echo Bay to St. Joseph Community Tree Giveaway #173-25 Moved by: Brad Shewfelt Seconded by: Matt Frolick BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council directs staff to reach out to organizers Paul and Tania Hazelett to confirm that Council would like Laird Township to participate in the Algoma Power Echo Bay to St. Joseph Community Tree Giveaway, and to have staff let the organizers know when the next Township newsletter will be issued in order to advertise the community tree giveaway event.

Carried.

9. New Business

  1. a. Memo: Modernizing Municipal Payment and Revenue Collection with Access2Pay #174-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council receives the Modernizing Municipal Payment and Revenue Collection with Access2Pay report for information, and THAT Council directs staff to schedule a formal proposal review with Access2Pay, explore funding options, and to return to Council with a recommendation as to how this system or others like it may free up an equal or better amount of staff labour and make the case that this system pays for itself in offset labour.

10. Notices of Motion

11. Closed Session

#175-25 Moved by: Matt Frolick Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council proceed into closed session at 8:07 p.m. in accordance with Section 239 (2) (a) personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees. Carried.

  1. a. Approval of closed meeting minutes of June 17, 2025.
  2. b. Personal matters about an identifiable individual, including municipal or local board employees.

#176-25 Moved by: Matt Frolick Seconded by: Wayne Junor BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council come out of closed meeting session at 8:34 p.m. and continue with the Regular Council Meeting. Carried.

Consideration of and action on matters arising out of the closed meeting.

#177-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council hire Noah Crozier as the Laird Fairgrounds Custodian. Carried.

#178-25 Moved by: Brad Shewfelt Seconded by: Todd Rydall BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council hire Ron Schmidt as the Temporary Waste Disposal Site Attendant. Carried.

12. Communications and Correspondence

  1. a. Dr. Harold S. Trefry Memorial Centre, RE: Thank you for your Support, June 17, 2025
  2. b. Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility, RE: Enhancing Access to Spaces for Everyone (EASE) Grant, July 7, 2025 #179-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Matt Frolick BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council directs staff to participate in information sessions for the Enhancing Access to Spaces for Everyone (EASE) Grant and to apply for grant.

Carried.

  1. c. Support Resolution: City of Pickering, RE: Raising Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), June 6, 2025 #180-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council supports the Municipality of Pickering’s’ resolution requesting the Ontario Provincial Government to significantly raise the

payments of Ontario Works (OW) and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and the increases be reflected in the upcoming Provincial Budget and that the increased amount aligns with inflationary costs and thereby decrease the pressure on food banks and the reliance on municipalities and taxpayers to supplement the gap in financial need; and,

THAT the resolution be forwarded to all Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs), the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). Carried.

  1. d. Jody Wildman, RE: Meeting with the Opposition, July 14, 2025
  2. e. Hydro One, RE: North Shore Link Project, July 2025
  3. f. Township of Tarbutt, RE: Desbarats to Echo Bay Planning Board, June 19,

13. Mayor and Council Comments

14. By-laws

  1. a. 2058-25 Conformity By-law #181-25 Moved by: Wayne Junor Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt BE IT RESOLVED THAT Council adopts By-law 2058-25 being a by-law to confirm the proceedings of the meeting of Council held on July 17, 2025.

Carried.

15. Adjournment

#182-25 Moved by: Todd Rydall Seconded by: Brad Shewfelt BE IT RESOLVED THAT this Council shall now adjourn to meet again on August 12, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at the Laird Fairgrounds for a Special Site Meeting or until the call of the chair. Carried.

Mayor – ___________________________ Shawn Evoy

Clerk – ___________________________ Jennifer Errington