The meeting started a few minutes late. Chair Shirley Prue called the meeting to order and asked for a minute of silence ‘to commemorate a member of our committee who is no longer with us, who passed recently.’

Before the silence ended, Mayor Michael Prue walked in, waited, and then spoke to his wife from across the room. So, technically, isn’t the mayor out of order? I can’t imagine that behaviour being tolerated at a council meeting.

For whatever reason Shirley Prue asked the clerk to do the roll call; she usually asks the clerk to do the land acknowledgement also but this time she read it.

On to pecuniary interest where a discussion was held because of Tony Pietrangelo’s wish to abstain from item 6.1 site plan review since he used to own that property at one time (McDonald’s). Shirley Prue thought he didn’t have a conflict. Councillor McArthur just wanted to acknowledge, regarding item 6.4 the fest-for-all progress update, that he works for the organizer, County of Essex, in communications and would promote the event on social media. 

Site Plan Review for 151 Sandwich Street South

• Ms. Prue thought Heidi Ballairgeon was there to talk about this but she said no, she didn’t have this one.
• The clerk explains the site plan changes for the McDonald’s restaurant, including a two-lane drive-through and expanded rear building area.
• He said he reviewed the site and didn’t have any particular recommendations beyond what has been provided but of course, it is provided to the committee for any recommendations they may have. (yes, admin has a chance during iits own site plan review process).
• Following clarification that there will be two order lanes that will merge, the committee receives the site plan without any specific recommendations.

Kings Navy Yard Park Extension Phase 1B

• Now it was Heidi Baillargeon’s turn to present; her audio kept cutting out.
• the Kings Navy Yard Park extension phase 1B focused on stabilizing the break wall and addressing accessible walkways that come from Dalhousie Street into the site
• doing a site remediation by taking contaminated soil out and disposing of it and putting all the underground site servicing and things that most people won’t generally see, but cost a lot of money, so all the servicing for future electrical requirements for the site, future sanitary storm connections, all your hydro, water, gas.
• Christine Easterbrook asked what was at the very top of that half circle; it looks like there’s steps up to it.
• Baillargeon said yes, there’s a transition area with a gradual ramp so you can either choose to go down a series of stairs in the middle or you can follow the ramp down the left or the right.
• Tents could be placed on either side and food trucks could locate around the semi-circle.
• Pietrangelo asks, how close is the closest accessible parking spot?
• Baillargeon says the closest accessible parking spot, I believe there is one right on Dalhousie Street, just down in front of flow cafe I think it is. So when Dalhousie gets reconstructed, we are planning on basically taking where the property line is and bumping that into have angled parking all the way along the roadway, so that, you know, we can provide parking for the site, but it’s not part of this project at this point. We don’t have the money to do that right now.
• Pietrangelo asks Baillargeon, what are you looking for from us to do with this, with your presentation, what do you need from us? (After all the years on this committee, why members are still asking what is being sought from it is odd).
• Baillargeon says, I’m bringing it to the committee to let you know that we have accommodated and made accommodations for accessibility in the complete transition from Dalhousie Street to the waterfront. (No, universal access would allow for one ramp, not a ramp on either side of a set of stairs like the tourist booth on the highway. Segregated means of access is far less desirable).
• Councillor McArthur asks, what is right in the centre?
• Baillargeon says that is supposed to be a future feature. We’ve had some discussions with the Indigenous community in terms of maybe making that part of the three fires Confederacy. 
• McArthur asks a follow up, benches are there accessible benches throughout the park? (shocking, since I have criticized McArthur for volunteering on this committee and not being a stronger champion for people with disabilities). 
• Baillargeon says there will be accessible benches throughout the park. There will be the black ribbon style benches that will be going in this section, and they will be located kind of along the pathways closest to the riverfront.
• McArthur then asks what about fishing in this part of the park?
• Baillargeon says I think the fishing would be accommodated. 

H Murray Smith, Centennial Park Revised Concept

• Baillargeon presents the revised concept plan for H Murray Smith, Centennial Park
• The plan includes a walkway connecting the seniors Active Living Center and accessible parking near tennis and multi-use courts.
• The committee discusses the need for crosswalks and traffic calming measures along Richmond Street.
• The clerk mentioned the benches are conceptual in this drawing, because we have to do consultation on those elements. (yes, how many times have I requested meaningful consultations?!) 
• He said we would want to consult specifically on how far to place those benches so that people could find the rest areas they needed along the route. So all of that would come when we get to building these elements.
• Easterbrook asks, it’s supposed to be, every what is it? 200 metres and Baillargeon agrees and says we have more than every 200 metres within the plan.
• Ms. Prue asks, and of course, my favorite question is, where are the washrooms?
• Baillargeon says the washrooms are located in the Seniors Active Living Center just off the back of that building. 
• Chris Drew asks are there any designated pickleball courts? 
• Baillargeon says pickleball is at the Libro. 
• Pietrangelo asks if the speed limit is still 50 kilometers an hour through Richmond Street. He thought maybe they should lower it. 
• The clerk said it is a lowered speed limit.

Fest for All Event Update

• The clerk noted he sees Ron in the room and said so I’m hoping he’s taking some diligent notes. I’ve seen some coverage there in the paper, and hoping we keep seeing that coverage as well, because this is an event we’re really looking forward to.
• It’s the County of Essex running the fest for all but we have been sort of given the nod to be the host community for this. (the town offered to host it this year).
• Scheduled for September 12, highlighting possible 50 vendors that showcase services, supports and products for persons with a disability and promote accessibility in the community.
• The town will have a tent set up and partners doing demonstrations like the miracle league and the ice bullets, the sledge hockey team.
• Clerk notes, I think that there’s a chance that what we may be best at is showcasing what it is that our site has to offer in terms of built amenities. Obviously, the miracle league itself is a crowning jewel for things to have in a community, for persons with disabilities. You do have that inclusive play structure and that wheelchair swing that’s included there, that are not things that you often see in in many communities.
• Clerk says we’re going to have our comms team there promoting the town and the services and offerings that it has and the supports that it offers. (That should be interesting).
• Possible Protesters
• Chris Drew says I know there’s a lot of interest in it. I’ve got a lot of people that’s been asking me different questions about what happened last year in Colchester, and people are asking what the date is and stuff like that. The only thing is, I’m hearing rumbles that there may be some protesters there, and I hope it don’t happen,
• Ms. Prue asked, protesting what?
• Drew says protesting about what goes on in the town with the AODA. 
• Ms. Prue laughs and then says I’ll be intrigued to hear that.
• The clerk says for this event the focus is on supports for people with disabilities and, you know, equality in the community is an important message to take home. 

Unfinished Business and Future Plans

• Pietrangelo raises concerns about the unfinished sidewalk on Pickering and requests a motion to complete it.
• The clerk says the work is pending some site activities.
• Ms. Prue asks like what? 
• The clerk says I’m not at liberty to discuss the development and will find out a timeline.
• Pietrangelo says we had the flag raising in Essex, I sent an email out to everybody about the Amherstburg flag raising for accessibility. I never got an answer back. So my question is, did we have a flag raising in Amherstburg for accessibility this year? (No, they didn’t).
• The clerk says I believe we did.
• Pietrangelo says I don’t know why we didn’t do that this year here in Amherstburg. We should have done it. We should not have left it just Essex County, because Essex County is fine but I think Amherstburg is Amherstburg. (I’m guessing no motion was made to raise a flag in Amherstburg this year).
• The committee discusses the need for a flag-raising event for National Accessibility Week and the importance of involving schools and whether it should be held at the Libro or town hall.
• Ms. Prue says last year there was a little bit of awkwardness, I think, in terms of accessibility, even for the patio area of the town hall, there was a couple of hiccups.
• Easterbrook mentions another opportunity – December 3, which is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. 
• Pietrangelo asks if he should make a motion or if the clerk can draw one up to have a flag raising every year because if we’re going out of our way to even go with aphasia, you know, we’re really into this, we have to let the people know. I don’t know if Essex County is aware of that. We are the only town that has an Aphasia program going on; that’s important.

New Business Accessible Parking and Streetscape Improvements

• The clerk says we will be looking at our multi-year Accessibility Plan and notes the Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility has changed grant funding; they require projects be part of the defined plan of the town of the Amherstburg. We know that we have grandfathered structures in the town that are not required to comply with the current provisions. You know, laws get better every year, and sometimes our buildings are not renewed for a number of years. 
• Easterbrook asked about the little covered bus stop things that we had talked about. The short answer is that they’re not bus shelters.
• The clerk mentions a review of accessible parking in downtown core and plans to bring back a report for improvements and to do the consultation that’s required. (insert often repeated phrase of requesting meaningful consultation).
• The clerk says they received a request from a resident that we do have to consider and will bring that to the next meeting.