New Policy Will Comply With Legislation

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This is almost funny. In another report to council for the June 26 council meeting, titled New Policy – Electronic Monitoring of Employees, under Discussion: The Town of Amherstburg values trust, discretion and transparency and believes employees deserve to know when, how and for what purposes their work is being monitored.

Financial Matters states, ‘Failure to approve the Electronic Monitoring of Employees Policy may expose the Town to fines and other legal penalties under the Employment Standards Act, (2000).’ Shouldn’t that have been listed as a risk?

Risks If Two Events Are Not Approved – Real Or Speculative?

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In a report to council by Bill Tetler for the June 26 council meeting, the recommendation is that two events be approved:

  1. Super Santa Walk/Run – November 18th, 2023
  2. The Server Shuffle – August 12th, 2023.

The RISK ANALYSIS section includes:

It should be noted, that should these events not be approved, it might have the following detrimental effects on the community:

  • Less awareness and exposure for the Town to attract visitors which could result in economic loss for the Town and its businesses;
  • A lack of support from Council may discourage long standing volunteer associations from providing social and economic opportunities. This would result in a perception of non-worth for their volunteer efforts;
  • Less exposure for the Town reducing its tourism market share;
  • Less exposure for the Town reducing its ability to attract new residents;
  • Less exposure for the Town reducing its value to potential investors;
  • Tourism is a primary industry for the Town of Amherstburg, reducing events will directly impact employment opportunities;
  • Event experiences are learning opportunities for our guests, which promote repeat visits, the deep history Amherstburg has to offer and showcases our local museums, attractions, and historical sites;
  • Events financially support not-for-profit organizations, to ensure sustainability within our community.

Offensive Terminology

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copy of email sent to members of council and CAO Critchley today:

i was appalled to hear one Amherstburg Accessibility Advisory Committee member use “wheelchair bound” and another use “bound” during the June 22 committee meeting; this language is outdated and offensive.

i was equally shocked to see the term “crazy” used in three images on the town’s facebook page in reference to woofaroo. i’ve attached screenshots for your information.

i’m also including a link to an article, Are You Still Using The Word Crazy in 2022, even though it’s 2023.

i suggest there is a need for more training given the language used by a member of a committee that should be more aware of preferred terminology and the number of times i’ve encountered ableist attitudes.

Interested In Accessibility?

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Watch the Amherstburg Accessibility Advisory Committee in action. Today’s 5 pm meeting agenda has a few items but the meetings seem to take longer than necessary for the same reasons as the council meetings. Can’t people refrain from providing unnecessary speeches, sharing personal anecdotes, and straying off topic?

ORDER OF BUSINESS includes:
2023 Public Consultation Objectives
Multiyear Accessibility Plan
Survey Responses Report – Public Consultation 2022

Site Plan Review – 580 Middle Side Road
580 Middle Sdrd – Site Plan
That the Site Plan for 580 Middle Side Rd. BE ENDORSED by the Amherstburg Accessibility Advisory Committee.

Site Plan Review – 527 Sandwich Street South
01 May 09 2022 Amherstburg SP Metric SP 2.1 Rev
That the Site Plan for 527 Sandwich Street South BE ENDORSED by the Amherstburg Accessibility Advisory Committee.

Watch online.

Town Website Advertised 3 LIBRO Amenities, Celebrated 2

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In addition to media articles, the Town of Amherstburg website advertised the LIBRO Celebration Day: “Join us in celebration of 3 NEW AMENITIES!’

screenshot of town’s advertising:

Town of Amherstburg website advertising 3 NEW amenities at LIBRO CENTRE

Clicking the ‘LEARN MORE’ links to the itinerary for two amenities:

Also read: Libro Walking Trail Not Celebrated On June 10

Amherstburg Residents Forum

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The River Town Times reports the Amherstburg Residents Forum brought three concerns to Amherstburg town council on June 12. Read the article.

Nancy Atkinson’s request to delegate, on behalf of the group, was unsuccessful. Hear Delegate Request Discussion June 12, 2023 Council Meeting.

Council waived rules to allow Nancy Atkinson to speak regarding:

  1. the new no parking sign in front of the Navy Yard Park at Richmond and Dalhousie
  2. a Routine Disclosuure and Dissemination of Information Pollicy
  3. the Senior Centre on Victoria Street.

Atkinson thanked Deputy Mayor Gibb and Councillor Crain for attending the Residents Forum May 25 meeting.

Hear Deputy Mayor Gibb On Dalhousie Street No Parking Sign comments in response to Atkinson’s June 12 council meeting presentation.

Strategic Planning Presentation Request Answered

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You might remember that I requested a copy of the April 18 Strategy Corp. slide presentation to Amherstburg town council and CAO Critchley advised, As the slides used by Strategy Corp are proprietary information, should you wish a copy of the presentation, please submit an MFIPPA request.

In an email to council and Critchley, I strongly urged council to enact a Routine Disclosure Policy, but no responses were received.

The May 17 Essex County Council Strategy Corp. slide presentation was attached to the agenda.

On May 18, I emailed Strategy Corp. and mentioned how the slides were not on Amherstburg town council’s April 18 agenda. I requested a copy of the Amherstburg presentation and requested permission to post it to my blog for my readers.

On May 18, my email was acknowledged and it would be looked at.

On June 9 I followed up to find out if the public can access the Amherstburg presentation the same way the public accessed the county presentation.

On June 17 I followed up again. And, upon completing the Strategic plan survey, I added, ‘there is no mention of accommodating people with disabilities if pop up events pose barriers, as does the online survey. it was disappointing to see accessibility as an item separated from the DEI, but a number of the disability community know too well that accessibility is not usually a part of DEI.’

On June 20, Strategy Corp. emailed: In response to your more recent comment, we have been directing folks who require accommodation to reach out to the town directly at 519-736-0012 or accessibility@amherstburg.ca. This had been included in promotional material but was missing from the webpage. I have updated the webpage to include those instructions, so thank you for bringing that to our attention!

While I do understand that accessibility is considered a key part of DEI, our previous engagement up to the survey development has indicated that accessibility, in particular, is a concern and priority for the Town. We therefore thought it appropriate to include it as a distinct option for residents to prioritize. As you rightly point out, not everyone realizes accessibility is a key part DEI efforts.

Finally, I do apologize again about the delay on the presentation. This type of material has historically been considered proprietary, and that is why it was not attached to the Council agenda for April 18. However, the presentation itself was recorded in an attempt to maximize transparency for residents interested the process being undertaken. I will follow up with my colleagues about what we are able to share with you directly, and get back to you this week.  

On June 20, within an hour, Strategy Corp. emailed, these slides are considered proprietary and I was asked to direct my readers to watch the full presentation to Council on the Town’s website here: April 18th Special Council Meeting Video. I’ll note we had some brief technical difficulties during the presentation and so the presentation gets going around the 6-minute mark.

Related: Strategic Planning Presentation – File an FOI Request

How Many Members Of Council Can Attend An Event?

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No, it’s not a joke. When I emailed CAO Critchley about the June 10 Libro Celebration of only two amenities, instead of the three advertised, I also commented: I noticed that 5 members of council attended on June 10. where would i find guidelines? at monday’s council meeting when counclllor pouget asked about touring the seniors’ centre, didn’t you say only three could attend?

CAO Critchley: With respect to the attendance of the 5 members, that is fine at an event such as this if the business of the municipality is not discussed or furthered  in any way –ie. policy or decisions are not being debated or made.  The Senior Center is not yet complete and so, it is possible that discussions of this nature could happen and so out of an abundance of caution we like to organize them in groups of 2 and 3.

the burg watch: thanks. i would hope that members of council are trained and fully aware of when they can and cannot discuss the business without constant and/or guidance.

CAO Critchley: Thanks for your further email.

Certainly members of Council do receive all of that training but we have found that it’s the “perception” of the situation that is the key and, as we have received Closed Meetings Complaints in the past due to such perceptions, we like to err on the side of caution.

Libro Walking Trail Not Celebrated On June 10

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I sent the following email to CAO Critchley and members of council on June 15.

i’m writing to request an explanation for the town not celebrating all 3 Libro Centre amenities on June 10. the town referred to celebrating all 3 and instead celebrated 2. am800 reported, in part, “The Town of Amherstburg is getting ready for a day of celebration. It will take place on June 10 at the Libro Centre to mark the official opening of its three new outdoor amenities. Councillor Don McArthur says the town is celebrating its new Skate Park, Bike Trail and Nature Trail. He says the Skate Park and Nature Trail are already up and running with the Bike Trail opening closer to the celebration. McArthur says he was on the three-kilometre nature trail on Monday. I took my dogs for a walk and I’ll tell you, there’s always people walking on that trail with their dogs, with their families, it has a beautiful view of Big Creek,” says McArthur. “It really is stunning.”

CAO Critchley’s answer, received today is: This was an operational decision and the Libro Trail project will be celebrated in the future.

Mickle Park Playground – How Useable?

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Below is an email to Councillor Pouget and Councillor McArthur on June 12 in advance of the council meeting.

After watching the June 5 Amherstburg Accessibility Advisory Committee Meeting, and reading some of the documents, I have some concerns regarding the recommendation to ENDORSE the playground design proposed for Warren Mickle Park’s playground redevelopment.

I’m writing to both of you because Councillor McArthur is council’s rep on the AAAC and Councillor Pouget consistently represents the interests of people with disabilities.

Ms. Heidi Baillargeon advised the AAAC an RFP resulted in three proposals that went through a Review and Scoring committee, and this was the design that was selected for installation at Warren Mickle Park. Ms. Baillargeon also advised the AAAC that it is partly a ramp structure, there are a number of accessible components, and that ‘a wheelchair can only go up to the first deck.’ It is preferable to use person first or identity first language and not refer to the assistive device alone.

How did a Review and Scoring committee approve this proposal?

What Makes a Playground Inaccessible? (aoda.ca)

  • Multilevel platforms
  • Stairs
  • Narrow walkways
  • Monkey bars
  • Bucket swings
  • Swings
  • Slides (plastic or metal)

Would someone please explain how the proposed Warren Mickle Park will be AODA compliant and inclusive if children with disabilities can’t access or use all the equipment? 

From the Parks Master Plan 2018, “It is essential that parks are inclusive and barrier-free, as guided by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). To ensure that the parks system is able to serve people from all segments of the community, accessible seating, washrooms, shade (structures and trees), parking, connections to key destinations and safety must be prominent considerations.”

While Ms. Baillargeon mentioned the CSA Z614:20, a safety standard, there was very little discussion regarding the AODA, Regulations, inclusive playground guidelines and mandatory public consultation.

The Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation of the AODA mandates public consultation as follows:

“When constructing new or redeveloping existing outdoor play spaces, obligated organizations shall consult on the needs of children and caregivers with various disabilities” and shall do so in the following manner: 

1. designated public sector organizations and large organizations must consult with the public and persons with disabilities. (emphasis added).

2. Municipalities must also consult with their municipal accessibility advisory committees, where one has been established in accordance with subsection 29 (1) or (2) of the Act. 

Outdoor play spaces, accessibility in design 

80.20 When constructing new or redeveloping existing play spaces that they intend to maintain,obligated organizations shall,

(a) incorporate accessibility features, such as sensory and active play components, for children and caregivers with various disabilities into the design of outdoor play spaces; and

(b) ensure that outdoor play spaces have a ground surface that is firm, stable and has impact attenuating properties for injury prevention and sufficient clearance to provide children and caregivers with various disabilities the ability to move through, in and around the outdoor play space. O. Reg. 413/12, s. 6.

There was also no discussion regarding the 2021 survey that no children under the age of 18 participated in. 

Will the four benches be accessible? Will the bike racks be accessible? Will there be any braille elements? Will accessible washrooms be installed? Will accessible parking spaces be available? Will accessible signage and wayfinding be installed? The concept plan 2021 included a picnic area and in answer to the question, What park amenities would you like to see at Warren Mickle Park, 50 (74.6%) said picnic table: will accessible picnic tables be installed?

Also of concern is an AAAC member’s comments regarding the slide: he could only see one problem with it – that is you put it in this park and people find out about it, they’re gonna want it in all the other parks and that means retrofitting. Then the member asked about the cost for that.

In is my understanding that AAAC members identify barriers and ‘provide advice and recommendations to Council on accessibility issues within our community’ and council makes budgetary decisions for what accessible projects it prioritizes.