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12 02 1997 Inaugural III ~I . II~ 11\ 1\! iii III 1'1 III III IIi III dl III Iii ,III Ii 1'1 III III III 1!1 III :11 r!1 III iii ill ~ 1 THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF ORO-MEDONTE INAUGURAL MEETING 1997-2000 COUNCIL TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2,1997 @ 11:00 A.M. - COUNCIL CHAMBERS Council Present: Mayor Ian Beard Deputy Mayor Don Bell Councillor Lillian McConnell Councillor Ralph Hough Councillor Neil Craig Councillor Ron Sommers Councillor Ruth Fountain Staff Present: Jennifer Zieleniewski, CAOlTreasurer; Lynda Aiken, Clerk; Jerry Ball, Road Superintendent; Paul Eenhoorn, Fire Chief; Joe Casey, Deputy Fire Chief; Deborah Broderick, Director of Recreation & Community Economic Development; Keith Mathieson, Manager of Public Works; Ron Kolbe, C.B.O. Also Present: William Duncan, Randy Wuensch, Eric Douglas, Bonnie McPhee, Janice MacDonald, Debbie Mooney, Bruce Wiggins, Dean Mawdsley, Jim Dixon, Jim Parker, Ken Robbins, Pat Robbins, Bill Edgerton, Bruce Campbell, Brian Jennett, Richard Yule, Beth Perdue, Evelyn Perdue, Isobell McKee, Vicki Reed, Kristen Reed, Severn Township Mayor Ron Stevens, Orillia Mayor Ken McCann, Gilchrist Ayers, Edna Ayers, Robert Davis, Sam Dominelli, Helen Bell, Lorna Sommers, Marilyn Bridgoon, Lisa McNiven, Linda Cameron, Simcoe County Warden Jack Hunter, Wendy Hough, Stella Drake, Muriel French, Fay Craig, Bryan Drake, Barrie Mayor Janice Laking, June Beard, Isobel Beard, Rilla Beard, Roy Bridge, AI McLean, M.P.P., Cindy Mills, Sandy Johnston, Rev. Barbara Rhodes, Meryl Drake, Tamara Obee, Tim Crawford, Mayor of Ramara Dr. Tom Garry, Anne Brousseau, Andria Leigh, Janice McKinnon, Tara Mittermayer, Sandra Cuthbertson, Rick Cuthbertson, Lynn Burness, Barry Peyton, Wayne Dusome, Ron Watkin, Ross Cotton, Nick McDonald, Chris Williams, Hugh Murray, Carey Nieuhof, Gary Charters, Steve Trotter, Allan Johnson, Bill Koughan, Gail Donovan, Len Hassburger, Tom Fendley, Gary Boyd, Dan Tinney, Peter Smith, John Thompson, Roy Campbell, Anna Milligan, Kim Allen, Brian Miller, Michael Diver, Shirley Bell, Colleen Phillips, Jake Leigh. Jennifer Zieleniewski, CAO/Treasurer called the inaugural ceremony to order. Jennifer Zieleniewski: Welcome Council elect, honoured guests, ladies, gentlemen, and fellow peers. My name is Jennifer Zieleniewski and it is my privilege to call to order the inaugural meeting of the 1997 -2000 Council for the Corporation of the Township of Oro-Medonte. Please join in the singing of IIOh Canada". I, 4,-, 2 We are delighted and proud to have the wonderful Oro-Medonte children's choir take part in our inaugural ceremony this morning. An introduction of this choir cannot be made without first introducing its creator and director, Marilyn Gregory. Following a successful career starring in musical theatre in Toronto and the Stratford Festival, we are all fortunate that Marilyn has chosen to make Oro-Medonte her home. As a past musical director of the Etobicoke Children's choir. Marilyn has also co-written two successful children's musicals. The Oro-Medonte Children's Choir was started by Marilyn in 1995 and has grown to over 30 children between the ages of 8 and 18. In addition to performing throughout Simcoe County, the choir competed in the Kiwanis Music Festival this past year and placed first in the Community Choir category. The Choir will be performing two selections for our enjoyment: 1. Canada's Love Song: Is a piece composed by local musician, Nada Evans. This lovely selection will feature a solo by Marilyn Gregory. 2. In keeping with the spirit of the season, the Choir will also perform the Christmas Carol, Falice Navidad. I present to you, the Oro-Medonte Children's Choir under the direction of Marilyn Gregory. Before moving on with the swearing in of the new Council, I would like to take the opportunity to reflect on the last three years in the life and times of the Township of Oro- Medonte. History suggests that the first term into restructuring is one of the most difficult times for a municipality and its Council. Looking back, I believe that Council has kept to basics, applying the old cliche "All I've needed to learn I've learned in kindergarten" .. .co- operation, consideration, sharing, caring and listening. Openness was the flavour of the day.. . co-operation was the buzz word... partnerships were struck and public input assisted Council in meeting many of their goals and objectives. Through application of these values, a strong foundation has been established from which future Councils can build. Proud of our heritage.. . excited about our future. On behalf of the staff, it is with the greatest of respect that I welcome the new Council and look forward to a progressive working relationship. The Declaration of Elected Office and Oath of Alliance will be administered by the Clerk, Lynda Aiken. Lynda Aiken: (Lynda Aiken, Clerk, administered the Declaration of Elected Office and the Oath of Allegiance to Ian Beard, Don Bell, Lillian McConnell, Ralph Hough, Neil Craig, Ron Sommers, Ruth Fountain and James Blackburn). Mayor Ian Beard: At this time, I would like to ask Reverend Barbara Rhodes of St. George's Anglican Church in Fairvalley if she would give us a blessing and a prayer. Reverend Barbara Rhodes: Thank you Mr. Mayor. Let us Pray: Oh Mighty God, You have given us this good land of Oro-Medonte and called us to be stewards of its human, environmental, social and economic resources. May we who call this place home be mindful of Your generosity and be glad to do Your will for the health and well being of each one of us, man and woman, teen and child. May we all enjoy honest activity, receive truthful education and experience the honorable way of life. Save each one of us from discord and confusion, pride and arrogance, wrongful action and disreputable conduct. Enable those who have been chosen for positions of responsibility on this local ~ ' 3 council to exercise their authority with the spirit of true wisdom and virtue so that justice may be known to be done. In times of prosperous decisions well made, let our hearts be thankful. In troubled times may the course of action be always for justice. Thank you for those who offer themselves to public service knowing that with joys will come many stretching points and tough moments of decision and challenge. Bless each member of the council, Mayor Ian Beard, Deputy Mayor Don Bell, Councillor from Ward One Lillian McConnell; from Ward Two, Ralph Hough; from Ward Three, Neil Craig; from Ward Four, Ron Sommers; and from Ward Five, Ruth Fountain. And also the trustee for the public school board James Blackburn. That they and we may be people of peace among ourselves. And a blessing to Oro-Medonte and to our neighbors to the north, to the south and to the east and to the west. May this council serve You and your constituents in our time to the dignity of their name and to the honor of Oro-Medonte and to Your glory. So be it. Amen. Jennifer Zieleniewski: There are some chairs available here if someone would like to move forward, maybe someone who is out in the hallway would like to come in. Mayor Beard: Okay, I guess the next item on the agenda is the inaugural speech by the mayor. I was going to bring out a stack of papers about this long just to scare the heck out of you, but I thought, no better not do that they'll all leave. Anyway, good morning ladies and gentlemen, honored guests. I thank you all for coming. The Council taking office this morning will be very busy for the next three years. We have the privilege and responsibility of guiding the Township into the year 2000. This term will not be one of resting on our past achievements but a time of many changes and much hard work, the transfer of responsibilities from the Province to the Township and to the County will take many hours, days and weeks of the Council members' time. The implementation of the Official Plan, Secondary Plan and the Recreation Master Plan will also demand the Council's attention as well as the added responsibility of policing which will also contribute to the workload. As nothing can ever stay the same, this Council will have some rather large challenges to deal with. This Council, more than any other Council, will need to remember the past in order to help to build a future. This Council will need citizen involvement to assist them more than ever before. This Council will need to work more closely with the County and neighboring municipalities to the benefit of all of our residents. The people of Oro-Medonte have elected a Council which I believe is ready, willing and able to deal with the challenges ahead, as in the past. It will be my personal goal to help every member of Council and staff to work together to do this and to make the Township the best it can be it, as well as personal achievements in all of our staff and Council members to make them the best they can be. I'm looking forward to the next three years and the challenges ahead. At this point I have a little special presentation to make and I'll just come down there for a second. (presents flowers to his wife). I'm going to embarrass the hell out of my wife. On ,behalf of the staff and Council members, thank you. Behind every successful man there is a woman telling him where he went wrong along the way. I might add my mother is in the audience right beside my wife as well. Anyway, at this point we will have the remarks from the members of Council and I would like to ask Deputy Mayor Mr. Don Bell to say a few words. Deputy Mayor Bell: Thank you your worship. Good morning ladies and gentlemen. It is nice to see so many out here today. If we're going to have this many people at every meeting we may have to put on another addition. We'll see how that works out. I think of all the people up here I have the easiest job offulfilling the promises made during the election campaign. I think I'll be able to keep all mine. I guess I'm going to have to be a watch dog on some of the promises that some of the other members made. I don't know what they were, but they'll probably come out pretty soon. As the mayor has mentioned, the next three years are going to be important. I think it is critical that we talk to our neighboring municipalities and work with them in partnerships. I really don't see any big issues at this moment, but I'm sure there will be lots of them. We have had a busy three years with the Official Plan, Zoning By-law, the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and setting up an economic development department, which I think will show us some big results in the next three years. I would like to welcome the members of the old Council back. We have a great group to work with. I would also like to thank the members who are not back. I think they made a great contribution to the Township and I thank them for that. I also welcome the three new members. It's nice to see . . 4 new blood. I'm sure they are going to come forth with some new ideas and I'm looking forward to working with them. I'm also looking forward to representing Oro-Medonte on County Council. That's going to be a new challenge for me and it sounds like there are some real challenges coming to the County, so I'm looking forward to working there. I guess my only promise was that I'll do the best that I can and I will continue to do that. I don't have any flowers, but I would like to recognize my wife who kept the home fires burning. I wish everyone the compliments of the season. Thank you. Mayor Beard: Next we have Councillor Ward One Lillian McConnell. Councillor McConnell: Good morning ladies and gentlemen. As a member of Council I appreciate the opportunity not only to represent Ward One but to serve this board and the rest of the residents of Oro- Medonte. As an elected representative we must never lose sight of the fact that we must be of service to those who have given us their trust. I have much to learn in the functioning of Council but I am well aware that my first duty is to listen to the residents of this Township. I look forward to this new challenge. There will be a time when we must work creatively to offset the effects of the provincial agenda. I believe we have a Council and a staff who are up to the challenge and I am eager to be part of it . I thank you for this privilege of serving you as councillor. Mayor Beard: Councillor Ward Two, Ralph Hough. Councillor Hough: Thank you lan, fellow councillors, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen. I didn't know until I got the agenda that we were going to have to speak, so I have been busy in my preparation. But lan, Lillian and Don have pretty well said everything. We face a lot of challenges and we're all up to them. So I would just like to keep it on a personal note. I would once again like to thank everyone in Ward Two for placing their trust and support in me as their councillor. And as Lillian said so correctly, we are representing everyone in this whole Township for the betterment of everybody. I would also like to thank my wife Wendy for her support during the campaign. I'm really looking forward to the next three years. It's going to be challenging, interesting and I know we have a good group of people that are going to act in everybody's best interests. We're going to have disagreements, but we're going to have to agree to disagree sometimes and leave here on amicable terms at the end of the day. If we don't loose sight of that we'll have a good three years. I would also like to wish everyone the best of the season to yours and everyone else, and staff in particular. Thank you. Mayor Beard: Councillor in Ward Three, Mr. Neil Craig. Councillor Craig: Thank you Mayor Beard. Ladies and gentlemen, I heard a story about President Jimmy Carter when he was finished with public life. He was asked, "What was the most memorable part of your life?". They all thought it was going to be when he was inaugurated president. He said, "No, it was when hydro came to the farm". That's something for us to remember. The decisions that we make are ones that affect us in our home, those are the most important decisions that we will be making as a Council. Services to people, things that affect them in their everyday life, like the hydro on the farm. That's what I like to keep in mind as I try to do my work as a councillor - listen to the ratepayers in Ward Three and across the Township, in order that we do make the right decisions. We are also employers of a number of staff and as their employers we affect their whole life as well. So I'm conscious of our responsibility as an employer. I just want to say to the new Council that I look forward to working with you all. I wish to thank the residents of Ward three for re- electing me and I would also like to pay tribute to my wife Marilyn in the audience and my mother. She has three friends visiting from England who have come all this way, I'm sure, just to be able to be here today. Thank you all. Jennifer: Importing support Councillor Craig? t, 5 Mayor Beard: Councillor for Ward Four, Mr. Ron Sommers: Councillor Sommers: Thank you your worship. Members of Council, especially the new members, welcome aboard. I'm sure we'll work well together over the next three years. I hope everyone can hear me, I'm not use to using a microphone, but if you can't hear me just wave your hands, I'll talk louder. Lynda I don't like this spot. There's a big crack in the glass and it took me three years to break that chair in you know. But anyway, it's hard to get comfortable. Anyway I would like to thank the residents of Ward Four. I had been representing Ward Five, and I am now, as of today, representing Ward Four. So I would like to thank the people of Ward Four for electing me to Council for the next three years. I would also like to introduce my wife Lorna and I would also like to thank a person who helped me during my campaign, my neighbor Nancy Stoddart and also my daughter Jennifer who got right into campaigning and all the issues this year. I would also like to thank Marilyn Gregory and the organized children's choir. They have been a member of my ward in Hawkestone the last three years and she does good work with the children's choir. They sing at all kinds of functions and they usually sing at Council at Christmas time. They also take part in quite a few activities throughout our municipality. I would also like to say thank you to staff. I've enjoyed working with staff over the past three years. I guess there are some boss staff and some worker staff, not that I'm saying the bosses don't work, but anyway it takes the whole group to make a municipality work. So, I would like to thank staff for helping me and for being able to communicate with them. They've just done a super job. I'm haven't any big long speech. That just about ties it up, and again, thanks for re-electing me to Council of Oro-Medonte and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Mayor Beard: Councillor from Ward Five, Ruth Fountain. Councillor Fountain: Thank you Mr. Mayor, welcome ladies and gentlemen. I would like to thank all the people in Ward Five for electing me and for giving me this opportunity to serve as councillor in Oro Medonte. I was born and raised in Oro-Medonte on a farm, so I am really thrilled to be back here as part of the council which will take us into the year 2000. As I close the door on my career at the bank, I am really looking forward to working with this Council. I think we have a good, strong Council to work with. We have the staff, and I will be calling on them to get information. And I really look forward to serving the people and working with the other boards for the best of the whole Township of Oro-Medonte. And again, if I may ask my husband to stand up, Jack. I wouldn't let him go door to door in case he frightened the residents. I left him at home to cook the meals and do the laundry while I was out campaigning. Thank you, Jack. I look forward to working with the Council and I wish everybody a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Mayor Beard: School Board Trustee, Mr. Blackburn, would you like to say a few words at this time. Trustee Blackburn: I would just like to bring greetings from the Simcoe County School Board which is now going to be District 17 under the reorganization. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Simcoe County District 17 board is now only five school board members instead on 20. And that I will be representing Springwater as well as Oro-Medonte. For all the people at the front here who have been talking about working with their neighbors, they may well end up by the end of this session, in three years, also representing Springwater and Oro-Medonte. All the best for the holiday season and I hope to see many of you over at Midhurst on various occasions. I hope that the quality of education which we have in the schools will improve. I hope, once we start to talk about the Grade 3 test results down the road, we will see some improvement. Thank you. Mayor Beard: Lillian McConnell. , 6 Councillor McConnell: Since everyone is thanking their families I do have a husband who went door to door with me and he was very, very supportive. Unfortunately, because he is a teacher he couldn't even swing part of a day off or he would have been cruicified. Anyway I would like to thank my husband for supporting me. Mayor Beard: At this time I would like Mr. Allan McLean to speak. Allan, you still haven't taken percunerary and malversation out of those Oaths of Office. MPP Allan McLean: It will become easier your worship, every year you are sworn in, so as you continue to stay elected it will get easier for you. I want to first of all congratulate you Ian on your re-election. The people of Oro have given you a sound mandate and it does feel good, I know to have that mandate. I would like to congratulate everyone, Deputy Mayor Brown (Bell), the other Councillors Craig and Sommers who have been re-elected and the three new members. You will get a great experience here, I did, for 17 years in Oro. It was on Dec. 7,1963 when I was first elected to Oro Council and I've been learning ever since. I also want to congratulate those members that ran who were not successful because those are the people that may democracy work. You put great effort in and I know how it feels to have been defeated in an election. And you know, simply what we do, we offer our services and people select certain people to run the affairs. Those people who are not elected must feel proud that they have had the opportunity to offer their services. I am glad that you called me first because I have to be in Toronto at a quarter to two for a vote and that vote is on the restructuring bill. And I look forward to the opportunity to work with you over the next three years. We are dealing with the restructuring and the shifting of responsibilities from the province to the municipalities. I want to assure you that it has been guaranteed to me that it will be revenue neutral, that there should be no need to raise taxes. I want to assure you that I will work with you to make sure that it does happen. We feel that the smaller municipalities should be able to cut two per cent out of their budgets and the large municipalities will be three per cent. We do hope that the shifting of responsibilities... which is something I was after many years ago when I was on Council, when we had the full school tax we felt that it should be separate and many other people felt the same way. Now with 50 per cent off, 50 per cent still on, we will see how it works out, but I want to hope its revenue neutral. I want to work with you and I hope that the relationship over the next three years will be that and that the taxpayers will be happy. I would also like to say to the mayors from Barrie and Orillia and a couple of others that are here, the co-operation that you need from the local municipalities around you is something that will make it work. If I don't get out of here pretty soon OPP Jim Dixon will be following me and I won't be happy. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and have a great three years on Council. Thank you. Mayor Beard: Next we have the Warden of Simcoe County, Mr. Jack Hunter. Warden Hunter: Thank you. Your worship, members of Council, congratulations on your election. MPP AI McLean, visiting guests, ladies and gentlemen. It is a real honor and privilege for me to be here on behalf of the Council of the County of Simcoe and its 16 municipalities. You hear this morning lots of enthusiasm at the table, excitement. We also heard about opportunity and challenges. May I just say to you, when the enthusiasm and the excitement dies off a little the opportunity and the challenges will still be there. Those of you who are new members are in for a treat. This is the best place in the world to be if you want to do something for your community, and I know that's why you are here. I know you will work hard to do that. It's an opportunity for me to also welcome "Brown Bell" (Deputy Mayor Don Bell), I think that's what it was wasn't it? Along with Mayor Beard as councillors of County Council coming into the new term. I know you have been represented in the past at County Council you will be well represented again. You can be proud of your representatives they have served you well, they have served this County well and I'm sure your representatives going this time will do the same. So once again to Council, all the best, may you endure, may you enjoy it, and may you succeed. And to everyone from all of us at County - Merry Christmas and the best for the new year. I 7 Mayor Beard: I would like to call on our good friend from the south, south east, the Mayor of the City of Barrie, Mrs. Laking. Who also, incidentally, is a taxpayer in our Township. Mayor of Barrie, Janice Laking: I've just been looking at the pictures of the early pioneers of Oro Township and I presume you have some up there of Medonte too, have you? Mayor Beard: Those are the Medonte ones. Mayor of Barrie, Janice Laking: Oh, those are the Medonte ones. So that's why there aren't any Fletchers, McQuaigs or Craigs. I'm just delighted to be here as I am every year when I come out. My roots do go back to this Township, my McQuaig and Fletcher ancestors keep me on the straight and narrow. My father was born here and I do own property in the Township. So I will be watching Beard carefully and I'm anxious to work co-operatively with the Township. Mayor Beard: Do we have the mayor of City of Orillia, Mr. Ken McCann. I was at their inaugural last night and, ah here he is, I knew he was here some place. Would you please come forward and say a few words. Mayor of Orillia, Ken McCann: Thank you Mayor Beard, Deputy Mayor Don Bell and members of Council. I come here with a very simple, short message that I will work with all the mayors in this next term and I hope there will be positive dialogue. I am sure there is some help for me here. Thank you very much. Mayor Beard: A good friend, Mr. Roy Bridge, Councillor from the Town of Innisfil. Councillor Bridge: Good morning your worship, or good afternoon, I guess it is now. Brian sends his regrets, the new mayor of the Town of Innisfil. He can not be here this morning due to previous commitments and he has asked me to attend in his place. To you your worship, members of Council, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Innisfil, I would like to congratulate this Council on the election, those who were re-elected and those who are new members at this time. I'm sure you are looking forward to the challenge and I'm sure there will be a challenge and after listening to AI, I feel a lot better. I think he's going to be behind us. But we'll have to wait and see what comes. I think all has been said that could be said this morning and I'm sure Innisfil will work with Oro at any time and on any opportunity that arises. To all of you here, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you. Mayor Beard: Bob McKee, the Mayor of the Township of Clearview. Mayor of Township of Clearview, Bob McKee: You fellows, your worship have set a bit of a precedent here today which will be hard for me to follow. I'm the mayor-elect for Clearview, our swearing in will be tomorrow and it really bothered me when I saw that big bouquet of roses. My wife isn't use to that and I have her here with me today, but if I had known that was going to happen I might have left her out in the car. We've been to quite a few of these over the last couple of days, we were down at the County building last night, and on the way out, I think a chap, I've saw him here, I don't know his name, was sitting in cloak room and he was dressing me down, telling me I had to change my ways, because I wasn't a gentlemen because I didn't hold your coat up, so this job is bringing things that didn't use to bother her out, they are cutting little bit now. I'm Bob McKee from the great Township of Clearview, your western extremity in this great County and I bring greetings to each and everyone of you from the Council there and all the folks in that Township. We'll be looking forward in the next three years to be as cooperative as possible at County, we realize the situation we are in financially, and I imagine all Townships are in the same bind. It is kind of rewarding to hear Allen speak this morning because there is a lot of feeling of things being cooler. It's pretty hard to put up , 8 with it when you see the pile of money that has gone down to the province - we do look for a little bit coming back from time to time. Again I thank you all, the crowd that is out here today is encouraging, and must be encouraging to this Council to have this many folks show up. You need to be encouraged folks to be the backbone of your community. Without the help from the taxpayers and ratepayers in the community everything falls apart. Again I bring you greetings and hope, and may the Lord look after you all. The best to all of you in the new Christmas season, thank you very much. Mayor Beard: Robert Davis, Mayor of the Township of Essa. Mayor of Township of Essa, Robert Davis: Yes your worship, I will speak from here. Your deputy mayor was kind enough to tell me to sit by his wife so that I couldn't get out to say to much. But anyway, congratulations to the members of this Council. It's an exciting three years that are coming up. You have a great cross-section Ian, you have a sod-buster, you have a former sod-buster, you have a banker. Great, there's a great wealth of knowledge there. On a little bit different theme, it's kind of hard, after everyone stole your lines or stole your thunder, but I was very impressed today with the choir of Oro Medonte and the leader. If this is any indication, and if children are the future of Oro-Medonte, then Oro-Medonte has nothing to worry about what so ever. And another thing, we Canadians as a whole are very complacent. Look at those children sing, from their hearts, with conviction, the look of intensity on their faces, they were absolutely fantastic. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you. Mayor Beard: Doctor Tom Garry, Mayor of the Township of Ramara. Mayor of Township of Ramara, Dr. Tom Garry: Your worship, Deputy Mayor Bell, not Brown, and members of Council, some of whom I know. The last time I saw Ralph he was lying in a bed. I would like to thank you, your worship, for the invitation for me to come here this morning and to represent my municipality. It was a great pleasure yesterday to have Deputy Mayor Bell present in our municipality for our inauguration, as were other mayors that are present here today. It was a delight, really, to have Allan McLean speak and to give us some good news for a change. And no doubt, as Warden Hunter will no doubt agree, that that is welcome news for us. I look forward your worship, to the next three years working with you, in co-operation with you as we have in the past three years and that co-operation I also extend to the distinguished guests who are here, including Inspector Jim Dixon, who is sitting here at the back to Mayor Ron Stevens and to the Chippewas of Rama Mnjikaning First Nation. I extend to all of you my sincere co-operation for the next three years. And I congratulate you, your worship, and look forward to working with you. I wish all the residents of the Township of Oro-Medonte, all the special guests, you your worship and Council a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you. Mayor Beard: Mr. Ron Stevens, Mayor of the Township of Severn. Mayor of Severn, Ron Stevens: Your worship, members of Council, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen. I come here today to honor your new Council. They worked very hard to be elected, some of them re- elected. I would suggest that the new ones enjoy today for tomorrow they are going to have a real reality check. But not withstanding that, I think that the buzz word today is co- operation, I believe that is a fact. We must cooperate together as municipalities all over this County including the cities of Barrie and Orillia. I know that will happen and I look forward to that. It's not going to be an easy time, you notice Mr. McLean left before we all started to talk and that's fine. But I do welcome the opportunity, I welcome the challenge. In closing, I say to Councillor Fountain as you were being sworn in here a buzz came over the thing and I thought they were zapping you because you use to be in Orillia Township. Thank you very much. Mayor Beard: 9 I would like to invite the Mayor of Springwater to speak, Helen Couttes. Mayor of Springwater, Helen Couttes: Good afternoon and congratulations to the new Council. On behalf of Springwater I would like to wish them well over the next couple of years. I would like to say at these occasions, since you are part of Oro-Medonte now, that one of your councillors use to be part of Springwater and we miss you Neil. But we know Oro-Medonte gained and maybe that's one of the reasons I can say confidently that we - now by my compass, we to the west of you, I know your signs say differently - we will work co-operatively on what needs to be done. We'll even try to be sure that the snow travelling through out Township from the north west only lands on your ski hills and not on your roads. I would like to say to the two newly elected women councillors, I know your seating arrangements are by ward, but at the moment you seem to be right out on the edge. So it is from one female councillor that I should probably warn the rest of the councillors, that they'll probably be right into the middle of things very shortly - even if they are still sitting at the end of the table. All the best for the season, all the best for your term of council. As many of you know, the majority of my grandchildren live in Oro-Medonte with their parents so I have a vested interest in this municipality as well. Congratulations and all the best. Mayor Ian Beard: I would like to thank everyone for coming out this morning. We are going to have a lunch when we get the doors open so I hope everyone will stay and enjoy themselves. All of us, our neighboring Townships and the County, will have to work closer together over the next few years. Because the province is going to - and I don't like to say the word download because they don't like us to say that - be sending a lot of stuff through this level and we are going to be much more involved. We are going to need to work with our neighbors. I appreciate, and will hold our neighboring municipalities to this, that we will work closer together and I think it's about time and I am personally looking forward to this. If no other members of Council would like to say a few words I welcome you to join us for lunch. Thank you.