By Chad Ingram

Published May 4 2017

The following are brief reports of items discussed during an April 27 meeting of Minden Hills council.

The township will commission a bronze monument honouring artist André Lapine a large collection of whose works are owned by the Minden Hills Cultural Centre.
Councillors agreed to waive the township’s purchasing policy and sole-source the $28500 project to artist Steve Hudak.
“The procurement policy for this type of project would normally require a request for proposal process” read a report from community services director Mark Coleman. “However the availability of a skilled artist connected to a casting foundry would be very limited. If a RFP process was undertaken and successful each proposal would likely be significantly different and difficult or subjective to evaluate. This proposal and rendition has been reviewed and supported by the cultural centre advisory committee in 2016.”
The work planned for the corner of Bobcaygeon Road and Parkside Street will feature a life-sized plein air setup with stool easel palette and other items along with a plaque. It is scheduled to be completed at the end of August.
Lapine was born in Latvia and rose to prominence in Toronto. He lived out his later years in Minden and is buried in Minden cemetery.
The Agnes Jamieson Gallery was created to house his paintings.

Shoreline road fees jump

Councillors approved a fee increase for the purchase of shoreline road allowances in the township.
The new cost will include a $500 non-refundable administration fee a partial purchase price of $4000 for the first 150 feet of frontage and $18 per foot of frontage thereafter.
Previously there was a non-refundable $500 administration fee and a partial purchase price for the first 150 feet of frontage at $750 with each additional foot sold at $2.
The changes bring Minden Hills’ fees more in line with those of surrounding townships.

Grass fires

Fire chief Doug Schell is asking residents to remember that daytime burning is prohibited.
“We’ve had two grass fires people burning during the day” Schell told councillors. “They have been charged.”

PTSD policy

Councillors approved a post-traumatic stress disorder prevention plan and anti-stigma policy for the Minden Hills fire department. The Ministry of Labour has mandated that all municipalities employing first responders draw up such plans. The fire chiefs of the county’s four municipal fire services worked together on the plan and a county-wide peer support team will also be created.