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Council Brief - July 17, 2024

The following is a summary of the proceedings of the Public Hearing and Regular Council Meeting held July 17, 2024:

  • Council received the Manager of Development Services Report dated July 17, 2024 respecting the Road Allowance Closure and Sale Application for the unopened road allowance for 138 Front Street, at the Public Hearing.
  • Council passed By-law No.61-24, Being a By-law to Permanently Close, Declare Surplus and Authorize the Sale of the Highway of the Municipality of Sioux Lookout (138 Front Street) at the Regular Council Meeting.
    • Purpose: The application to purchase the unopened road allowance was submitted by Deborah Korobanik, which added to the existing property and brought the property into compliance.
  • Delegation: Christine Hoey, the President of the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre Foundation and Laurel Laakso, Chief of Staff at the Meno Ya Win Health Centre, presented the Foundation’s request for a donation to Council. They emphasized the urgent need for Municipal monetary support for the MRI machine, requesting a total of $75,000 over three years. The proposed donation schedule is $25,000 annually for 2024, 2025 and 2026. Council directed staff to prepare a report that reviews all possible options concerning the donation request. 
  • Delegation: Nate Hochstetler, on behalf of the Sioux Lookout Food Bank, requested a donation from the Municipality. The Food Bank requested a donation of $3,384.88, which equals Municipality’s share of the sale of 5 & 7 Carlbom Drive. This donation would be reinvested into the Food Bank, specifically to fund the construction of its new building. Council directed staff to prepare a report on the donation options.
  • Council passed By-law No. 64-24, Being a By-law to Authorize and Direct Mayor and the Clerk to Execute Agreements and Documents Regarding the Sale of the hereinafter described Land by The Corporation of the Municipality of Sioux Lookout to Stacey George and Skyler Goretzki.
  • Council passed By-law 65-24, Being a By-law to Authorize the Conveyance of Certain Hereinafter Described Land by The Corporation of the Municipality of Sioux Lookout to Stacey George and Skyler Goretzki; and to Direct the Mayor and the Clerk to Execute the Transfer.
    • Purpose: The sale of the Municipally owned property at 86 Third Street, Hudson facilitates community development, as the new owners plan to develop the building into new living quarters.  
  • Council received the Treasurer’s report dated July 17, 2024, regarding Hillcrest Project Budget.
  • Council authorized and directed staff to submit a Phase 1 application to NOHFC for Hillcrest land improvements.  
    • Purpose: The landscaping enhancements at the Hillcrest Development are to attract developers and ensure the new development is aesthetically pleasing. 
  • Council awarded the contract for the Front Street and Third Avenue Asphalt Overlay Construction Project to A.J Positano Paving o/a Duval Developments Ltd. in the amount of $274,478.11, plus HST.
    • Purpose: To provide an asphalt overlay on Front Street between Fourth Avenue to Sixth Avenue, and on Third Avenue from Curtis Street intersection to Second Avenue, that will improve the roads and should increase the life span of those sections of road.
  • Council authorized staff to develop a Sioux Lookout Access Points (Boat Launch) Working Group.
    • Purpose: To establish a working group consisting of municipal staff, who will engage stakeholders, tasked with creating a five- and ten-year maintenance and Capital Plan for the Municipal Boat Launches. The plan will be presented to Council for review by February 2025.
  • Council passed By-law No. 63-24, Being a By-law to Authorize and Direct the Mayor and the Clerk to Enter into and Execute the Municipal Funding Agreement for the Canada Community-Building Fund Between The Corporation of the Municipality of Sioux Lookout and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).
    • Purpose: To allocate the Canada Community-Building Fund to areas that are ineligible for other forms of funding, thereby reducing the reliance on taxation for funding certain projects. This funding has typically been designated for road maintenance (formerly known as the “Federal Gas Tax Funding”).
  • Council received the 2024 Municipal Operational Budget-to-Actual for the First Quarter.
    • Purpose: To provide a financial overview of the Municipality’s Operating Budget from January 1st to March 31st, 2024.
  • Council passed By-law No. 66-24, Being a By-law to Adopt Municipal Policy No. 5-4, Being and Electronic Fund Transfer Policy for The Corporation of the Municipality of Sioux Lookout.  
    • Purpose: To approve the Electronic Fund Transfer Policy so it can be implemented.
  • Council passed By-law No. 59-24, Being a By-law to Authorize the Execution of a Partnership Agreement Between The Corporation of the Township of Pickle Lake and The Corporation of the Municipality of Sioux Lookout Pertaining to the Sioux Lookout OPP Detachment Board.
    • Purpose: To establish a Partnership Agreement to facilitate the implementation of the joint OPP Detachment Board between Sioux Lookout and Pickle Lake, adhering to the 2019 regulations stipulated by the Ontario Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA).
  • Council directed the Clerk to develop, procedures respecting hybrid meeting participation.
    • Purpose: To develop guidelines that enable hybrid participation for Council meetings, as well as those of Council appointed boards, commissions and committees. The recommendation will be presented to Council for their review at an upcoming Meeting.
  • Council supported the AMO/OMA Joint Health Resolution Campaign that urged the Province of Ontario to recognize the physician shortage in the Municipality of Sioux Lookout and Ontario, to fund health care appropriately, and ensure every Ontarian has access to physician care.   
  • Council supported the OPP Resolution from the Municipality of Tweed, calling on the Ontario Government to immediately implement sustainable funding for small rural municipalities by reabsorbing the cost of the Ontario Provincial Police Force back into the provincial budget with no cost recovery to municipalities.
  • Council supported the Corporation of the Municipality of Red Lake’s petition to the Province of Ontario to create a Provincial funding model, in addition to the NORDS Fund which is set to expire in 2026-2027, to provide revenues to all resource-based communities in Northern Ontario that are proportionate to the revenues leaving our region/municipality in an effort to offset the additional burdens placed on resource-based communities to provide municipal services to these industries.   

Council Briefs are provided in this format for convenience only and are not approved Minutes of the Council Meeting.  For more information, please contact Brian P. MacKinnon, Chief Administrative Officer and Municipal Clerk at [email protected]

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