Woodstock will have a new bylaw that will control outdoor burning.  After a lengthy discussion Council asked the fire department to work with other staff to develop the bylaw which will have to be ratified.Highlights of the new bylaw will include the need for permits which will last five years, but there will be no fees associated with them.  Anyone wanting a permit for outdoor burning will have to have working smoke detectors in their homes and health concerns of neighbours who may be adversely affected by the smoke will have to be taken into account.

The request from Woodstock cabbies to be able to charge people $120 to clean up a taxi if someone is sick while in the vehicle will be discussed at the next meeting of council.The cabbies say in many cases if someone is sick the cab must come out of service and there are not enough vehicles to keep the cabbie on the road and they are out of pocket for the cleaning costs.

If Woodstock can have a drive through beer store, then they can have another drive through financial institution.  City Council has approved an application from the Bank of Nova Scotia on Devonshire at Springbank to construct a new bank building that will include a drive through teller service.

The Woodstock Art Gallery and the Woodstock Fanshawe Singers will be combining their efforts in November to hold a fundraiser in November that will feature the poetry of Pauline Johnson that has been set to music.  The event will also be the launch of a CD that includes the poetry sung by various Ontario Youth and Adult Choirs.   The Songs My Paddle sings will be a 50/50 event limited to 100 tickets that will be $75 each.  The event will mark the 100^thanniversary of the death of Johnson, a Mohawk performer and poet.

Concerns raised by concerned citizens about the stigma and possible odours from a proposed crematorium council seem to have swayed Woodstock Council so they have denied a zoning change that would have allowed  the business to go into the Bysham business park.  Council felt that a crematorium was not consistent with the nature of the other businesses in the area. Council was told there may be other areas in the city that would be suitable for such a business.

The City of Woodstock will not support the extension of sewer and water services to the proposed landfill in Beachville.  Mayor Pat Sobeski says the city and other urban areas are quite protective when it comes to cross border services.  They want to ensure that as part of the terms of reference around the proposed landfill in Beachville that Walker Environmental will have to show how they would dispose of waste water on site and not use the Ingersoll waste water system.

When the final tax bills arrive for Woodstock ratepayers 78 percent of them they will see an icreasee of 2 percent which means about a dollar.  Woodstock Council was also told that the most valuable property in Woodstock is assessed at $900,000 while the overwhelming majority of properties has a value of between $175,000 and 300,000.a total increase.  According to MPAC the average house price in Woodstock last year was $203,000 and this year the values have gone up an average of $750.

Woodstock is increasing the availability of the recycling of electronics to its residents.  The only question is who will provide the service.Council was looking at a staff report that was recommending Ontario to provide the service and then one councilor raised another company that would provide the service.  The plan will have a bin near the yard waste site.Residents would be able to bring their electronics out and dispose of them safely.

East Zorra Tavistock is telling the provincial government they will not be a willing host for industrial wind farms.  Council supported a motion from the Township of Wainfleet, but adjusted the wording so it stated clearly that East Zorra Tavistock is not the willing host.  The only wind farm on the horizon in East Zorra Tavistock is a proposed series of turbines near Innerkip.  The desire may be ineffective because locating of the wind farms is solely a provincial responsibility.

East Zorra Tavistock Council is happy with the composition of council and the current ward boundaries.Council received a report from the CAO which showed the ratios of councilors to voters across the township.The largest concentration is in Ward 1 which is the village of Tavistock where there are just over 2,300 voters with councillor.  The smallest Ward is number 2 which includes the area around Hickson, has just under 1500 voters and one councilor.  Two Councilors serve Ward 3, which contains Innerkip has over 2,000 voters, East Zorra Tavistock’s Mayor and Deputy Mayor are both elected township wide.

A Mennonite cemetery in the north east corner of East Zorra Tavistock will almost double in size after approval was given by township council.  The land was donated by the current owner but a change in zoning was necessary to move the property from an agricultural to institutional designation.

A long ignored park in Innerkip may be getting a new lease on life.  According to East Zorra Tavistock Councillor Jeremy Smith, the park near the Matika subdivision has been the subject of discussion among the neighbours.  Smith points out that most park renovations in the village have been the result of community effort, fundraising and some assistance from township council.Serious work on the revitalization may be delayed somewhat because residents are focusing on equipping the playground at the school so it is more entertaining for the tots after school hours.

Proactive work by the Public Works crew in East Zorra Tavistock led to minimal damage during the recent ice storm.  Mayor Don McKay received a letter from OPP Community Officer Constable Mike Hannah noting there were no problems with downed power lines or trees on the road because of the trimming work done by Public Works.  McKay says staff is always looking out for possible problems, or potential problems and deal with them to avoid difficulties during storms.