The Creemore
ECHO
Friday, August 18, 2023 Vol. 23 No. 33
www.creemore.com
News and views in and around Creemore
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Speeds lowered, flashing light coming to intersection by Trina Berlo Councillor Marty Beelen continues to look for ways to reduce collisions at two problem intersections on County Road 9, east of Cashtown Corners. He amended his motion tabled at Clearview council's Monday meeting to investigate adding signage warning “cross traffic does not stop” at the intersections of Centre Line Road and 3/4 Sideroad Sunnidale in place of rumble strips. Area residents have been vocal in their opposition to rumble strips but are in favour of speed reduction. They are hoping that lowering the posted speed limits will prompt GPS navigation systems to bump north-south traffic back to Airport Road. Beelen was also able to get support for his motion to reduce the speed limit to 60 km/hr on Centre Line Road and 3/4 Sideroad Sunnidale, northbound and southbound approaching the intersections. He is also investigating the installation of speed cameras and speed tables, and
he reported that the County of Simcoe is adding flashing lights to the stop signs at Centre Line Road. “This is my solution to some of the problems we are having there,” said Beelen. A traffic study found that from 20152020 there were 33 collisions on Centre Line Road and 17 on 3/4 Sideroad Sunnidale. “We’ve had 14 [collisions] in half a year,” said Beelen, adding that the data indicates the volume of traffic is increasing, even though the township does not have updated traffic counts. “Reducing the speed approaching these intersections should reduce the severity of accidents if they occur,” reported Beelen. Road crews will also be painting the words ‘stop ahead’ on the asphalt leading up to the stop sign. “I hesitate to include more signage,” said deputy director of public works Dan Perreault. “Too much signage and it becomes part of the scenery and (See “Collision” on page 3)
Staff photo: Trina Berlo
Clearview Township and the County of Simcoe are adding safety measures to the intersection of County Road 9 and Centre Line Road.
BIA relieved of vendor approval authority by Trina Berlo F i n d i n g t h a t t h e To w n s h i p o f C l e a r v i e w ’s Ve n d i n g B y l a w “empowers the Creemore BIA Board to act beyond its statutory and constitutional purposes,” council is amending the bylaw. The change will downgrade the BIA Board of Management’s input on vendor permit applications to a commenting agency, rather than an approval authority when reviewing vending applications within the jurisdiction of the Business Improvement Area. “It is important to council and the administration to continue fostering a good partnership with the Creemore BIA board of management,” reported clerk Sasha Helmkay to council on August 14. “Amending the current bylaw to allow the Creemore BIA to
comment rather than approve a vending application within the jurisdiction of the Business Improvement Area is a protection measure, as the township now understands that the bylaw in its current state creates a direct conflict.” When the Vending Bylaw was approved in 2014, Creemore BIA Board of Management was given approval authority over the location within the defined business improvement area. The issue came to light in 2023 when two vendor permit applications were received. “It was proceeding through these application processes that the question regarding a potential conflict of interest was raised,” reported Helmkay. “It became a concern that the bylaw put BIA board members in a real conflict and had exceeded their statutory
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purpose.” The CAO sought a legal option which confirmed concerns. “In our view, the township’s Vending Bylaw poses a real risk of creating direct conflict by positioning the Creemore BIA Board as an approval authority within the vending application process,” writes James I. McIntosh of Barriston Law. “In accordance with the Municipal Act, the membership of the Creemore BIA Board is largely determined by and includes local commercial property owners and tenants. The nature of the Board’s membership raises a legitimate concern that a significant number of BIA Board members maintain financial or private interests that may be affected by the outcome of a vending application decision. The
participation of these members in the vending application process would constitute a conflict in violation of the Township’s Code of Conduct for Committees and Boards.” The letter also says, “[in accordance with the Municipal Act], a municipality shall not, except as otherwise provided, refuse to grant a licence for a business by reason only of the location of the business.” The BIA will have 14 days to provide comment from the receipt of the application. BIA president Nancy Johnston said members of the BIA board are relieved to have to the approval authority removed saying it did create a conflict for members who are business owners themselves but also community members.
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