HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-09-13 Minutes I - 11
Draft minutes -Not vet approved by Committee
NOTES OF MEETING OF
SAMUEL WILMOT NATURE AREA
MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
HELD ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2005
AT 7:00 P.M.
Attendance: David Best Allan Hewitt
Councillor Don MacArthur Cathrine McKeever
Joe McKenna Karin Murphy
Greg Wells Peter Windolf
Regrets: Arthur Burrows Cam McCauley
Leanne Sobol
Absent: Jim Cleland
1. Agenda ~ ~K"'~ ~.~a.~ e,.w~.
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Additions ~°°~-
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There were no additions to the agenda.
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Acceptance ofA~enda l~i~.;~ Y~~`K-~.a._.~.v~
MOVED by David Best, seconded by Karin Murphy - m
THAT the agenda for be accepted.
CARRIED ~
2. Minutes of June 14, 2005 - .~,.~~„_w,°`-""
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Corrections ~ i
There were no corrections to the minutes. '
Approval of Minutes
MOVED by Karin Murphy, seconded by Don MacArthur
THAT the minutes of June 14, 2005 be approved.
CARRIED
3. Issues arising from the Minutes
There were no issues arising from the minutes.
4. Project Updates
Si~na~e
As discussed at the last meeting, Gary Page has now installed bird guards on all the signs
prone to bird droppings and they seem to be working. There have been several incidents
of the signs being removed from their frame. Gary is currently coming up with a more
secure frame design for the ones which were recovered and will replace, at his cost, the
sign that was stolen.
Newcastle Memorial Forest
The area where the forest will be located has undergone a lot of preparation throughout
the summer. The soil has been turned, it has been graded and weed-sprayed, and the
Operations department has begun building the trails. The Lions Club will soon begin to
seed the area with a grass mix.
They have already started to sell trees for planting to begin this fall. Peter has provided
the Lions Club with a list of trees that are native to the Nature Area. He has also ordered
the wood that will be used to create the entrance feature.
Peter will look into producing a letter of understanding or a formal agreement outlining
responsibilities and restrictions for both the Lions Club and the Municipality.
Garbage Cans
Students from Bowmanville High School have painted 2 garbage cans, which have now
been installed in the Nature Area. One is located at the Cobbledick Road parking lot, and
the other is at the Toronto Street parking lot. The students also painted one can for the
Valleys 2000 and three for the beaches area.
Gazebo
The gazebo to be installed at the top of the bluff will be ordered this fall. Details on its
size and building materials have yet to be finalized. The Committee discussed the
potential for vandalism and would like to investigate using a more vandal-resistant
material such as metal or recycled plastic. The extra costs and benefits of this will be
considered, although our existing budget may not permit the construction of an all metal
gazebo.
Viewing Platform Vandalism
The viewing platform nearest the lake was vandalised recently. This is also where the
stolen sign was originally located. Cathrine suggested there be a section on page 2 of the
Canadian Statesman outlining the cost of vandalism to taxpayers. Councillor MacArthur
will suggest this to the Mayor and Council.
Bride
Peter met with GRCA and MNR in July regarding the erosion at the bridge. GRCA has
received the report from Aquafor Beech and will use it for the design of the bank
stabilization. Greg brought a draft of the plan, which, when constructed, should be a
fairly permanent solution. The funding for this project will not be available from MNR
in 2005, as originally expected. Peter will aslc the Director of Engineering Services if
COMRIF funding would be available for such a project.
5. Sub-Committee Updates
Special Events
The History Tales & Birding Stroll was a successful event, with approximately two dozen
people in attendance. The day included historical stories by Sher Leetooze and bird
spotting led by Diana Piche. Jennifer will compose a thank you letter for Sher and Diana
for their services, to be signed by Allan.
Sher has been paid; however, Diana refused payment. Cathrine suggested the Committee
make a donation to Bird Studies Canada. With this donation, the Committee will receive
a one year subscription to Bird Watch Canada, which will contain information which may
be useful for future event planning.
MOVED by Karin Murphy, seconded by Don MacArthur
THAT the Samuel Wilmot Nature Area Management Advisory Committee donate $100
to Bird Studies Canada.
CARRIED
Greg will look into the feasibility of conducting an Owl Prowl for an October 22 fall
event. Allan will also speak to the astronomy club about this date. If a fall event is
scheduled, an announcement will be included in the next newsletter.
Communications
Joe is still working on the fall edition of the newsletter. He accepted some suggestions
for content topics and will try for a draft by the end of September. Cathrine will look into
a couple of prospects for sponsorship. Peter will provide content on partnerships with
schools, service clubs, and local corporations.
6. Other Business
Member Resignation
A letter of resignation was received from Jim Russell. The Clerks department will be
notified and asked to advertise for a new member.
Poaching
Members were given a copy of an article from The Toronto Star regarding a man who
was caught poaching fish in the Nature Area. The article also details his sentence and
fine.
Adjournment: 8:32 P.M.
Next Meeting: Tuesday October 11, 2005
7:00 p.m.
Meeting Room lA
Notes prepared by J. O'Donnell