The Corporation of the Town of LaSalle

Minutes of the Special Meeting of the Town of LaSalle Council

Council Orientation

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Council Chambers, LaSalle Civic Centre, 5950 Malden Road
Members of Council Present:
  • Mayor Crystal Meloche, 
  • Deputy Mayor Michael Akpata, 
  • Councillor Terry Burns, 
  • Councillor Mark Carrick, 
  • Councillor Sue Desjarlais, 
  • Councillor Jeff Renaud, 
  • and Councillor Anita Riccio-Spagnuolo
Administration Present:
  • J. Milicia, Chief Administrative Officer, 
  • P. Marra, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, 
  • J. Astrologo, Director of Council Services/Clerk, 
  • G. Beggs, Director of Planning and Development, 
  • D. Davies, Chief of Police, 
  • P. Funaro, Director of Culture & Recreation, 
  • D. Hadre, Director of Strategy and Engagement, 
  • R. Hyra, Director of Human Resources, 
  • D. Langlois, Director of Finance and Treasurer, 
  • J. Osborne, Director of Public Works, 
  • E. Thiessen, Director of Fire Service/Fire Chief, 
  • N. DiGesu, Manager of IT, 
  • and L. Jean, Deputy Clerk

Mayor Meloche called the meeting to order at 9:00 am.

Mayor Meloche read the Land Acknowledgement Statement.

J. Milicia, Chief Administrative Officer, noted that in follow-up to the Orientation Session held on December 8, 2022, Administration was seeking feedback from Council regarding issues they heard on the campaign trail and any goals they may have for the new term.  

Deputy Mayor Akpata entered the meeting at 9:03 am.

Councillor Renaud advised that lighting on trails, parks, ball diamonds, and more identifiable crosswalks near parks are issues that have been raised with him.   

Councillor Desjarlais indicated that she, too, heard about a need for trail lighting.  She also heard from residents that there is a need for better communication from the Town, but acknowledged that the Town communicates through various means, not limited to billing inserts and social media.  Councillor Desjarlais inquired whether all crossings had an auditable tone to provide crossing assistance to those with visual impairments. J. Osborne, Director of Public Works, and P. Marra, Deputy CAO, explained that most of the crosswalks are equipped with the auditable assistance feature. However, they have to double-check the Sprucewood and Matchette crossing as that one is older and may need to be updated. 

Deputy Mayor Akpata would like to see greater engagement with the business community.  He noted that in his interactions with the business owners, many want to work with the Town to contribute to the community.   

Councillor Carrick agreed with Deputy Mayor Akpata and indicated that he would like to see something put in place to allow businesses an opportunity to have input in the Town's future direction.  He is interested in preserving LaSalle's history. The roundabout at the Sprucewood and Matchette intersection and power outages are two (2) other items that generate resident interest.  

Councillor Riccio-Spagnuolo advised that most of the comments she's received have been positive. She has also received feedback regarding recreation and events such as the installation of new basketball courts, a LaSalle Santa Claus Parade, and whether camps would be offered at the new Event Centre.  Residents have also inquired about the Town installing more sidewalks, increasing communication from the Town, and adding an in-person method of voting for the next election.

Mayor Meloche outlined goals as she sees them for the Town.  She is interested in moving forward with some of the significant projects that were previously started: the Malden Road expansion, and the Front Road redevelopment.  She would like the Town to focus on attracting businesses in the Howard Bouffard area, would like to see a hotel and perhaps more restaurant options in Town, and would like the Town to update the business directory.  She would like the Town to continue connecting with other levels of government and fostering those relationships.  She wants the Town to continue to offer affordable and free events for families and residents.  She is interested in establishing a committee for heritage, culture and history. She would like Administration to keep communication open with the City of Windsor regarding the Sprucewood Matchette intersection.  Other areas of interest she identified included: ensuring we have enough medical clinics so that residents can get the care they need, continuing with our trail program and exploring ways to preserve our green spaces.  

Mr. Milicia noted that some of the issues and priorities noted by Council align with the Strategic Plan.  With respect to communication between the Town and the community, the Town works hard to get messages out.  He noted that on the one hand social media is a powerful tool, but not everyone uses social media. Administration is working on ways to connect using other communication methods and is looking at ways to improve its communication overall. However, he also noted that there is a responsibility on members of the public to be engaged and get informed.  The preservation of heritage, culture and history align with the Strategic Plan, but part of the challenge is developing a master plan to create a strategy to move this forward. Mr. Milicia also noted that additional lighting in Parks is contrary to the Master Plan so Administration will have to revisit that feedback item. Engagement with the business community aligns with the Strategic Plan and Administration needs to devote more time and energy to this component of the plan now that we are hearing there is a willing partner.  Administration will be coming back to Council with a report regarding business engagement.

Clerks Note:  Each Department Head reviewed their respective presentation with Council.    

Councillor Burns entered the meeting at 9:57 a.m.

Mayor Meloche called for a recess at 10:44 a.m. The meeting was reconvened at 11:00 a.m.

Mayor Meloche recessed the meeting for lunch at 11:56 p.m.  Deputy Mayor Akpata reconvened the Meeting at 12:45 p.m.

Mayor Meloche called for a recess at 2:47 p.m.  The meeting reconvened at 3:05 p.m.

Meeting adjourned at the call of the Chair at 4:23 pm.

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