By Angelica Ingram
The following are brief reports of items discussed during a Dec. 14 meeting of Dysart et al council.
In an effort to improve network capacity for cell service the municipality has signed a master services agreement with Bell to bring small cell systems to the area.
The agreement would focus on concentrated areas where there is a demand for cell service and improve that said Adam Fulford director of field services for CanAcre who is working on behalf of Bell.
The approach would have the company work with the municipality and use their infrastructure to place small units on said Fulford.
Currently the demand is exceeding the capacity and a small cell system is a different approach to a cell tower or other device.
The unit can be painted and concealed with locations chosen based on areas currently in demand. For Haliburton the locations would mostly be within the downtown core.
The units would improve uploading and downloading for wireless data for Bell and its affiliates which include Telus Virgin Koodo and others.
Several of these units currently exist at the Minden Wild Water Preserve where they were installed to assist with capacity during the Pan Am Games this past summer.
In order to move forward the municipality would need to enter into a master services licence agreement with Bell. The agreement would give the municipality authority for location/site approvals and bind them to a 20-year term.
Costs incurred by the units would be paid for by Bell.
Councillors passed a bylaw to enter into a small cell master licence agreement with Bell Mobility.
JDHES students urge council to join Blue Dot movement
Environment Haliburton had a little help from students at J.D. Hodgson Elementary School to convince councillors of the importance of a right to a healthy environment.
Carolynn Coburn and Heather Ross brought in a group of students in grades 5 and 6 to tell council why they believe everyone should have the right to clean air drinking water and a healthy environment.
Environment Haliburton has been visiting with each area municipality in the hopes they will each sign a resolution in support of the Blue Dot movement which is being spearheaded by the David Suzuki Foundation.
To date both Algonquin Highlands and Highlands East have supported it.
Councillor Derek Knowles questioned the constitutional amendment aspect of the movement and said he had a problem with this.
“As a citizen I feel I have those rights today” he said.
Coburn said as a resident of Ontario you may feel this way however the amendment would apply to the entire country.
Councillors thanked the students for coming in and speaking so eloquently and passionately.
A resolution in support of Blue Dot was not brought forth by council.
Council approves MTO to use patrol yard during winter months
Councillors have approved a letter of understanding with the Ministry of Transportation allowing them to use the municipal patrol yard during the winter months for Carillion the company contracted by the province to do snow removal.
The partnership would allow Carillion to put a truck in the patrol yard in Dysart making a huge difference in terms of response times for Dover’s Hill approximately four kilometres from the yard said public works director Brian Nicholson.
As of right now the snow removal trucks are stationed in Minden.
“It’s all positive for us” said Dysart Reeve Murray Fearrey. “It’s all about safety.”
Municipality looking at building addition
Chief administrative officer Tamara Wilbee is looking at bringing information forward regarding building onto the municipal building.
Fearrey said it’s time to start planning for the future and that space was very limited at the current facility.
Rezoning amendment for Living Libations building approved
Plans to build a new facility for successful online business Living Libations are moving forward.
Council approved a rezoning amendment and site plan agreement for the property off of Harburn Road where the business is slated to be located next spring following construction.
Currently zoned rural the proposed property is being rezoned highway commercial. A public meeting regarding the rezoning will be held on Feb. 1.
The zone for the building site will be limited to a five acre site on the lot according to municipal planner Pat Martin’s report.
“The business is considered to be an agricultural related business and so the proposal is generally consistent with provincial policy and conforms to the provisions of the Dysart official plan” wrote Martin in her report.
