Town council briefs

Jeff Helsdon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Town to look at anti-harassment policy

Tillsonburg council asked staff to prepare a report to explore options for establishing a municipal civility and anti-harassment policy focused on public conduct towards municipal staff and council.

The motion followed discussion in closed session at the Nov. 24 meeting “regarding communications from an identifiable individual.”

It mentioned municipalities “experiencing increasing incidents of harassment, threats and abusive behaviour directed at municipal staff and elected officials.” The motion also acknowledged the Association of Municipalities of Ontario called for proposals to support municipalities in creating such policies.

The staff report will be brought back to council at a future meeting with recommendations and next steps.

Coun. Kelly Spencer said she and Deputy Mayor Dave Beres went to AMO, they attended a seminar on harassment and the AMO initiative.

“There was a rise of harassment all over in all of the municipalities, with the top two being from citizens or from candidates who didn’t get elect, and those were the focus,” she said.

Spencer said most interactions with the public are positive, but some situations cross to harassment, intimidation or personal attacks. She emphasized this policy would not restrict constructive criticism or passionate debate.

“This is about strengthening our workplace safety, supporting the people who service this community and ensuring the Town of Tillsonburg remains a place where civic participation is both welcomed and conducted respectively,” she said.

Official plan update

Hanne Yager, Policy Planner and April Nix, Manager of Policy Planning, Oxford County updated council on the process to update the county’s official plan.

The plan is being updated to improve conformity to provincial regulations, streamline review processes and add clarity for existing processes.

Economic development committee endorses growth estimates

A revised goal for the town’s allotment of institutional and commercial land was given a thumbs-up by the town’s Economic Development Committee.

Committee chair Jesse Goossens appeared before council earlier this year asking the county to update its percentage of institutional and commercial land in the Oxford County Growth Analysis and Land Needs from 15 to 30 per cent. The request was made because of a shortage of commercial/institutional land in town.

Since then, the county updated the percentage of commercial/institutional to 19 per cent, and the Economic Development Committee’s input was sought.

And the youth survey says . . .

A survey of the town’s youth by the town’s Youth Advisory Council revealed several desires for the town’s youth.

Some of the highlights were:

• Youth seek activities beyond traditional sports

• 89 per cent of youth want more non-sport options such as gaming, arcades and movie theatres

• Only six per cent of youth attend arts and cultural events monthly, showing low engagement

• Youth want more festivals, art classes, community murals and teen events

• Youth had concerns about safety, ranging from wanting better lighting in skate parks and parks to concerns about harassment, drug use and homelessness in public areas

• 66 per cent of youth expressed dissatisfaction with current shopping options.

Before council accepted the report as information, Coun. Kelly Spencer said new members of the youth council are engaged and hoped they will work on the survey results.

Grant to Garden Gate approved to assist with accessibility

Council endorsed a Community Improvement Plan application for 167 Simcoe Street for a matching Accessibility Renovation Grant for $3,000.

The application from Tillsonburg Garden Gate Ltd. was for adding barrier-free access, including automatic doors.

The Great Pumpkin to the Rescue

The Great Pumpkin of Peanuts fame may not be coming to Tillsonburg for Halloween next year, but the Great Pumpkin Rescue will become a permanent fixture.

Locally, the program sees bins located through Oxford County, including in Tillsonburg. The program was launched in 2021 at the urging of Coun. Chris Parker. The pumpkins, gourds and squash deposited by town residents are then donated to a local farmer, who uses them pig feed.

Council’s motion at the Nov. 24 meeting included a motion to the program permanent.

A historical agreement

Tillsonburg council approved updated its agreement with the Tillsonburg and District Historical Society.

Although the society has been assisting with the museum, there hasn’t been a formal agreement since 2011. The new agreement “outlines mutual responsibilities: the town provides meeting space, staff support, and facility access, while the society supports the museum through annual financial contributions, provision of historical content, and collaborative activities.

Upgraded security cameras for community centre

Updated security cameras for the Tillsonburg Community Centre were amongst the projects approved by council for surplus capital funds.

In a report to council, Director of Recreation, Culture and Parks Andrea Greenway recounted that a security review by the OPP identified the need for more cameras and that there was low quality with some of the existing cameras. She recommended 22 new cameras, at a cost of $88,000. She suggested reallocated $100,000 in excess funds from the replacement of the pool liner to fund the cameras.

The report also suggested reallocated unspent money from other projects to install bollards at the fire hall and public works, plus emergency lighting at public works.

Coun. Bob Parsons asked if the cameras would be live feed and monitored by staff.

When Greenway said the cameras are monitored by recreation staff at present, Parsons suggested having fire dispatch monitor after hours.

Crier compensation

A motion by Mayor Deb Gilvesy will see a review of compensation for the town crier.

Gilvesy said this was not something requested by the town crier, but came about after a third party wanted to compensate the town crier for an event beyond the $50 per event fee presently being paid.

The present bylaw is the original one, with the original fee. Gilvesy found Tillsonburg’s fee is significantly below what is offered in other municipalities.

“In my seven years on council, I don’t recall this ever being investigated,” she said.

The motion passed called for a review for fairness and to ensure current standards are met.