By Anne Finlay-Stewart

• Joachim Ostertag and Colleen Purdon, speaking for the Inclusive Communities Committee, announced that for the fifth year Owen Sound will be hosting a One World Festival – a celebration of our local diversity with displays and performances from dozens of community groups and individuals. Hundreds of school children attend but all are welcome in the Market Square behind city hall May 22 from 9:30 to 2:30.
• The Precarious Work Group of Peace and Justice Grey Bruce presented their final report and recommendations to council. See The Hub story on this initiative.
• The CYOS consortium who manage the day-to-day operations of the Owen Sound Billy Bishop Regional Airport updated council on their status. Flights include not military and med-evac, training and Owen Sound Flight services. Commercial flights for local businesses average about one every 1.6 days. The new restaurant, Tilleys, has been a great draw for those coming by car or plane, and the rent helps defray expenses. The CYOS group, who run the airport on a non-profit basis, returned $3126 in unused money to the city. How often do we see that?

In the mailbag:

• Grey County Warden Kevin Eccles wrote to council to say that he is replacing the practice of a brief visit to each council in the county with a "more meaningful opportunity to share information" at the annual Warden's Forum in late April.
• Owen Sound Community Association wrote to offer their help in promoting community input into potential changes to transit routes or services. Director of Operations pointed out that council had confirmed their decision on the new routes last summer and his department was in the process of implementing their wishes. When the changes go into effect, OSAC will be given the information, but the City Manager said promotion on this and other city issues will be focussed on driving residents to where they can find information, rather than committing to deliver the information itself to organizations for dissemination.
• Owen Sound's current five-year Strategic Plan is up for review, and the process will begin soon. Designed to answer the questions Where are we now, Where do we want to go, and How do we get there? Staff and council will have the most work ahead, studying data from the city, county, local organizations and the provincial and federal governments, and public input from residents and ratepayers will be sought in a number of ways. Council voted to hold two community meetings, as well as on-line surveys, social media interaction and "places and spaces conversations" before the draft plan appears mid-June.
• In answer to Councillor O'Leary's question about whether or not enough had changed in the past five years to justify the potential $50,000 cost of the review, City Manager Ruth Coursey replied that the exercise was s much about the council as a unit as anything. "In my opinion, fifty thousand dollars to check the pulse of the community and to determine your own direction as a council is well worth the investment", she said. The Hub will post the website for the process when it goes live.
• Public appointments to city boards and committees discussed in camera two weeks ago were confirmed. The "sunset clause" limiting appointees to a maximum six-year term was waived for five people, and twelve men and five women were appointed to a dozen boards and committees.
• With several options and past history before them, council decided to recognize volunteers serving city boards, committees and events with a meet-and-greet reception before a spring council meeting, and a gift of an Owen Sound coffee mug.
• Director of Finance, Wayne Ritchie, presented a report on council members' remuneration for 2014. It was received with no discussion. The formula for compensating the mayor, deputy mayor and council for their service was changed by the previous council before the end of their term, increasing base pay and eliminating per diems for each council and committee meeting attended.
• The Pan Am torch relay is coming through Owen Sound June 11 and 12. Stand by for the surprise reveal of the local torch bearer in March!
• And in further summer fun news, there is a big country music concert planned – no headliners named yet – at Kelso Beach on July 25. If that sounds too hot for you, consider the 16th Annual Owen Sound Police Services Polar Bear Plunge to be held just outside the north end of the Bayshore on March 21 this year (Mayor Boddy has made it clear that he supports the event but will not be plunging) or the 2015 Men's Women's and Co-ed Provincial Broomball Championship inside the building that same weekend.
• Owen Sounders are on their way to some terrific new food options as the council moves forward the permitting for two new downtown businesses. The Milk Maid will be a cheese, gourmet food and wine bar in the old Humours Restaurant on 2nd Ave, and Casero Kitchen Table which has provided authentic Mexican food at both the Owen Sound Farmers' Market and a double decker bus at Sauble Beach, will be moving into the Vern's Donut location tucked in off 3rd Avenue. Stay tuned here on The Hub for their progress!

Anne Finlay-Stewart is Community Editor of Owensoundhub.org. She can be reached at [email protected].