AGENDA

 

TORBAY ENVIRONMENT & TRAILS COMMITTEE MEETING

 

Wednesday, April 26, 2006, 7:30pm, Kin Room/Kinsmen Centre

 

Present:          Peggy Manning                       Shirley Thorne

                        Madeleine Florent                   Ralph Tapper

                        Kay Codner                           

 

1.                  Introductions and Review of Agenda

The agenda was approved.

 

1.                  Review and Approval of Minutes of Last Meeting (March 29, 2006)

The minutes of the last meeting were approved.  The following update on items was provided:

(1)        Eco-Action application: it will probably be at least a month before we hear anything.

(2)        Green Team: we have been advised that our Green Team application was not approved this year due to the high number of applications and the fact that we have had four Green Teams in a row. Our students are still eligible to apply for positions as there are several teams approved in the metro area.


(1)               Environmental Damages Fund: our final report has been accepted and the $1500 hold-back has been received from Environment Canada.

(2)               Stewardship Association of Municipalities: Jason Foster made a presentation to Council on the program. We will be getting two new road signs. The location of the sign at the south end of Torbay may need to be reviewed depending on the location of the future bypass road.

(3)               National Wildlife Week: with the help of Krista, Cathy and Julie, we mounted a very successful display at the Rooms.

(4)               Portable signs: Bob Codner is looking into provincial regulations and whether the town can make its own by-laws. Ralph will raise our concerns with Council.

 

3.                  Updates on Projects & Other Information Items

3.1       Trail Mapping Project

We will have a more detailed report at the next meeting. Our summer student has been hired and we expect to move significantly ahead with this project this year.  Help in walking the trails will be needed this summer from our volunteers.

 

3.2       Gully Project/Outdoor Classroom

The town will hold a meeting of landowners in the Gully area on May 1 concerning the proposed amphitheatre, to be chaired by Bob Codner.  Representatives of the schools and TETC will not be taking part in the meeting. We need guidance from the town regarding the infrastructure model and what to do with it. It is probably time for TETC to step back somewhat from the future infrastructure plans for the Gully and let the town take it to the next level.

 

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We have applied for some modest funding from Persona in the event we do proceed with building the amphitheatre.

 

3.3       Torbay’s Community Challenge

With the administrative funding available to TETC during this project, we will be able to keep Cathy on for a couple of weeks more so she can complete the final report, bring participants up to date and close out the project.

 

We have not yet received a reply to our February 27 letter to the Environment Minister but media announcements have made it clear that the OTC will not be continued. The government has not yet announced what, if any, program will replace the OTC.

 

3.4       Municipal Plan Review - TETC Submission

The draft submission has been revised based on member input and sent to the town planner with copies provided to all council members.  The hearings are expected to take place soon.  Our submission will posted to our web site and emailed to members with an invitation to residents to send their own personal submissions on issues they consider important to the future of our town.

Ralph will remind councillors to review our submission. We may also want to send copies to the Northeast Avalon Times.

 

3.                  5th Annual Community Open House, April 30, HTES, 2-5pm

Plan are well under way for this year’s Open House at HTES with several new groups participating such as the Natural History Society. During the event, we will be selling our calendars for the special discounted rate of $2 each. The Fire Department will be participating and will have their firetruck on hand for the children to see.

 

3.                  Spring Clean-up/Great Torbay Pick-Me-Up - Planning   (* see note at the end)

The town’s spring clean-up will take place from May 5-16.  Saturday, May 13 was selected as the best day for our neighbourhood clean-up (aka the Great Torbay Pick-me-up). Since Mother’s Day is on May 14, we can perhaps encourage residents to participate in “a clean-up for Mom”. Garbage bags will be available at the town hall during regular business hours and we will arrange to have a volunteer hand out bags on the town parking lot from 10am - 12pm. People can drop their bags off at the town hall, the ball field or dispose of them themselves. We will ask Rodney about arranging other pick up spots, such as the Kinsmen Centre, the Quigley’s Lane island and the Byrne’s Lane post boxes.

 

In view of the amount of litter that accumulates on our roads, it was suggested that we arrange a neighbourhood clean-up in the fall as well.

 

3.                  Other Business          

6.1       Pens

The unsolicited offer of monogrammed pens was looked at and turned down.

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6.2       TETC Survey of Residents

Surveys have been mailed to all residents to gather information on current practices and attitudes regarding recycling, composting, etc. The results will help us prepare in the event our EcoAction proposal is approved.  Prizes will be raffled among those who return their questionnaires by May

31.

 

6.3       5-Year Strategic Plan

Ralph will obtain a copy of the town Strategic Plan’s for TETC’s information.

 

3.                  Date of Next Meeting and Adjournment

The next TETC meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 31, at 7:30pm in the meeting room downstairs at the Kinsmen Centre.

 

 

 

 

 

            *  IMPORTANT CHANGE

 

Please note that since the April 26 meeting, we were unable to move ahead with plans for our neighbourhood clean-up on May 13 as indicated in the minutes above. The town will this year be making plans for the clean-up and will announce details when they are available.  For further information on the clean-up, contact Rodney Cumby at the town hall.