Council report

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Tourism Strategy implentation:

Municipal Council has approved the establishment of a Tourism Advisory Committee [TAC] and the hiring a full-time permanent tourism coordinator to implement the Tourism Strategy which was approved by council on January 12 last. The TAC will be a sub-committee of the Community and Economic Development Advisory Committee (CEDAC). As recommended in the Tourism Strategy, members of this subcommittee will be appointed by Council. The staff report recommending the establishment of the TAC described the proposed structure of the Committee.

“The Subcommittee will be made up of five to seven tourism operators with direct involvement in serving visitors. The Subcommittee will provide recommendations to Council on the implementation of the Tourism Strategy and feedback to staff on product development initiatives and marketing.”

Council will expect an annual report from the TAC on their activities and achievements. It is expected that the Municipality will soon be calling for applicants to act as members of the subcommittee, and the terms of reference for the TAC will be established and approved by Council before the first meeting of the appointed committee.
BIA levy agreed:

Council approved the annual levy for the Old Town Kemptville Business Improvement Area [BIA]. The BIA requires a levy of $25,500 which will be levied on the property owners within the BIA area. The budget for the year ending December 31, 2021 relies almost entirely on this levy, although a new initiative of the BIA is expected to supplement revenues. This is a new category for businesses in Kemptville, called Associate memberships, which will be set at $300 per business. Three businesses have given verbal assurance of interest, so $900 is expected to add to revenues this year. The BIA believes that more businesses may be interested in becoming an associate member, which will further add to the operating budget of the organization.

As always, the BIA operates on a strictly limited budget and keeps costs as low as possible. It is calculated that the net budgetary surplus at the end of this year will be $12.

“Iddy Biddy Corn Maze”:

The International Plowing Match (IPM) will be held in North Grenville in 2022. The IPM is a major agricultural event that draws in tens of thousands of visitors to take part in the competitions and events over the course of a week. The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the Municipality is seeking support for an innovative attraction for the IPM, an ‘Iddy Biddy Corn Maze’. Five acres of land would be needed to accommodate the proposed maze, and this would be undertaken in cooperation with the Kemptville Campus.

The Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee is working to establish community partners to assist in the establishment of the maze, including the donation of seed, machinery and labour. The Committee would take leadership over this project.

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