We welcome the first week of spring with an appropriate meeting, the monthly Grand River Conservation Authority membership board meeting! With spring practically here, it seems fitting that much of this month’s meeting agenda is dedicated to the awarding of construction tenders, including one locally for the new nature centre at Guelph Lake. Strap in though, because this is a packed agenda with a lot of business to tackle!
NOTE: This meeting will be in a hybrid format and broadcast from the GRCA Administration Centre on YouTube starting at 9:30 am.
Cash and Investment Status – As of the end of February, the GRCA had Notes Receivable in the amount of $56,170,735 with outstanding cheques written in the amount of $57,955.
Financial Summary – Not much has changed budget-wise speaking since last month when the 2024 budget was formally approved, but the GRCA has pledged $10,000 in funding to the Waterloo Wellington Children’s Groundwater Festival, which is going to come from the transition reserve, at least for this year anyway.
Guelph Lake Nature Centre Tender Award – Following up on October’s report that work on the new Nature Centre at Guelph Lake was finally ready to proceed to tender, we get this, the tender. Dakon Construction wins the bid with a tender of just over $2.1 million before the HST. The total project is expected to cost $2.35 million, with $1.1 million of that to come from the General Capital Reserve, which will then be reimbursed through the GRCA Foundation as they collect future pledges, donations, and potential grants and land sales.
2024 Replacement Vehicle Purchase – The board needs to approve the purchase of some new trucks, vehicles and accessories: a 2024 Ford F150 XL Crew Cab 4×4 Hybrid 1/2 ton pickup, a 2024 Ford 1 Ton Cab and Chassis, and two 2024 Toyota Rav 4 Hybrid SUVs. The budget for these vehicles was approved, and the one’s they’re replacing will be put up for public action and sold.
Road Site Preparation and Surface Treatment Tender – More tenders! Cornell Construction was the wining bid for a $550,000 project to prep and treat park and cottage lot roads inside the various conservation authority areas around the region. Fun fact: The GRCA constructs and maintains approximately 146 kilometres of paved roadways and 11.6 hectares of paved parking lots.
Monitoring and Maintenance of Alarm Systems, CCTV, and Control Access Systems – Another fun fact: The GRCA has 39 locations where a security system is installed, 13 CCTV locations, and one location with a legacy card entry system. The Authority had used the same company for decades, but with changes in technology and other concerns, the contract this time was put out for tender and the winning bid came from Garda Alarm Services. Upon board approval, Garda will be signed up to a three-year contract with an option for a fourth.
Byng Island Concession Stand to Washroom Renovation – This park in Dunnville has got a small problem, the day-use area doesn’t have dedicated washroom facilities of its own so people have to use the pool compound, which is kind of a pain for the lifeguards and other staff. An old concession stand is getting an upgrade that will include some new washrooms, and Abcott Construction was the winning tender for the project, which has a total budget of $280,000.
2024-2026 Cottage Lot Curbside Garbage and Recycling Materials Collection, Processing, and Disposal Contract – Another contract that the board needs to approve is a new agreement for the collection of garbage and recycling for cottage lot rentals at Belwood Lake and Conestogo Lake. Provincial Waste Systems was the winning tender.
Conservation Areas Revenue and Expenses – At a previous meeting, staff were asked for more information about the revenue and expenses of conversation areas, and how capital spending is managed, along with information about how other CAs do the same work. The answer to that last question is that there is no single best practice for capital construction and maintenance at conservation areas.
Seasonal Camping Program and Byng Island Seasonal Camping Plan Update – If you’re a seasonal camper at a GRCA campsite then you’ve probably received the Seasonal Camper Guidebook, which includes the rules and expectations for your long-term stay at that site. Since the guidebook was introduced, the GRCA has set some compliance standards and while progress is generally being made, Byng Island seems to be the exception with issues like deck heights, generator use, electrical demands and bigger than recommended trailers. There’s going to be a renewed effort to meeting those standards and a detailed communication plan will be implemented to reach those seasonal campers this summer.
Implementation of Legislative and Regulatory Changes under the Conservation Authorities Act: Ontario Regulation 41/24 – New changes to the Conversation Authorities Act will go into effect on April 1 including updates impacting the regulation of development for the protection of people and property from natural hazards. This seems like the most important line from the report in regards to these changes: “It is important to note that there are no changes to GRCA’s role in planning services at this time. Conservation Authorities continue to provide mandatory (Category 1) programs or services related to reviewing and commenting on applications and other matters (e.g., planning document updates) under the Planning Act, and for proposals under Acts referred to in Section 6 (2) of Ontario Regulation 686/21: Mandatory Programs and Services.”
Proposed By-law 1-2024 – Along with the regulatory changes, there are bylaw changes. There are updates to the powers of the general membership, which includes changing references to the “Local Planning Appeal Tribunal” to the “Ontario Land Tribunal”, new and expanded powers for the CA, and the opportunities to request a hearing from the conservation authority.
Landowner Stewardship Grant Funding Agreement Renewals – In the name of improving the health of the watershed, the GRCA runs or co-sponsors a number of initiatives including Rural Water Quality Programs for Dufferin County, Wellington County, the Region of Waterloo, Brant County, and Haldimand County, as well as the Oxford Clean Water Program, the Hamilton Well Decommissioning Program, and Brant Grow Green Program. Some of the contracts for these programs expired at the end of last year, the rest of them expire at the end of this year, and the GRCA is working on completing new agreements to continue these programs.
Bridgeport Dike Capacity Improvement Environmental Assessment Study Contract Budget Increase – The GRCA has partnered with the City of Kitchener in a federal Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF) grant program to carry out repairs and capacity improvements to the Bridgeport Dike. Work began in 2021, but now the contractor is seeking an additional $116,503.50 to complete the scope of the work after further consultation with both Kitchener and Indigenous groups especially around further flood protection measures.
Requests for Proposals: Engineering Consulting Services, Permits and Plan Review – Staff are looking to retain a consultant to help review planning applications, environmental assessments, and similar engineering work. According to the report, this is a temporary measure meant to help the GRCA cope with the challenge of staff vacancies.
Current Watershed Conditions – Last, but not least, the monthly watershed weather update. According to the staff report, although precipitation levels in the region were below normal in February, the three-month indicators are nominal, which means there’s no action recommended right now from the Low Water Response Team. The reservoirs are slightly above normal operating levels for this point in the year, and Lake Erie is below 2021 levels. The forecast for the next three months calls for above normal temperatures and near normal precipitation.
Guelph Politico 