PRESENT:

Angus Toulouse
Arnelda Bennett
Lawrence Solomon (virtual)
Leroy Bennett
McKenzie Toulouse (virtual)
Michael Abitong
Nelson Toulouse
Nicole Eshkakogan (virtual)
Paul Eshkakogan (virtual)
Rhonda Stoneypoint (virtual)
Sheldon Toulouse

STAFF:

Andrea Hajt-Jacobs, Director of Council Secretariat
Darla Boston, Administrative Assistant – Political Office
Evan O’Leary, Sagamok Development Corporation Manager Meggan McCracken, Director of Finance
Natalie Spencer, Human Resources Manager
Juanita Skruibis, Director of Family & Community Social Services
Ross Assinewe, Director of Planning & Infrastructure
Ryan McLeod, Financial Advisor
Sean Cassidy, Director of IT & Communications
Susan Deschamps, Director of Long-Term Care (virtual)
Vance McPherson, Director of Education

GUESTS:

Sonya Cloutier, Regional Emergency Management Coordinator – Mamaweswen (virtual)

REGRETS:

Anna Marie Abitong

Meeting called to order @ 4:53 PM Opening Prayer by Nelson Toulouse

Motion 2024/03 #12
Sagamok Chief and Council motion to accept the agenda as presented and amended.
Moved by: Nelson Toulouse
Seconded by: Leroy Bennett
A/O: 0
Discussion: Addition of an in-camera session.
CARRIED

Policy C-3.8 Revision | Vance McPherson, Director of Education

Vance is seeking an amendment to Policy C-3.8 to allow Sagamok employees eligibility for participation in draws and door prizes held during working hours. The rationale is to encourage staff to attend events, boosting department visibility within the community and encourage collaboration between staff and members.

Nelson – Is this standard across departments?
Angus – It does vary across departments, and listening to senior managers, the possibility of reversing the policy to allow for staff to participate was brought up.

Motion 2024/03 #13
Sagamok Chief and Council motion to amend Policy C-3.8 to read ‘Sagamok Anishnawbek employees are eligible for gifts and prizes at community sponsored events’.
Moved by: Nelson Toulouse
Seconded by: Leroy Bennett
A/O: 1 – Abstention - Arnelda Bennett, as an employee
Discussion:
CARRIED

Innovations Testing Sagamok | Evan O’Leary, SDC Manager

Evan has met with Mamaweswen to deploy some robotic mechanisms to the area around Sagamok for the purposes of testing. The project is designed to use drones for the purposes of search and rescue operations, and requires a cell signal to operate.

There is groundwork needed to ensure that there are no dead spots of cellular signal, and if there are, a booster for signal would need to be installed, and the required infrastructure would be left behind for use in emergency response following testing.

Other tests within Sagamok would take place within this fiscal year; a marine thinking rescue boat, a hominid robot for remote water treatment, a delivery done, and satellite imagery.

Arnelda – when we talk about youth training, will they will be trained in all five of these projects, or is a project by project basis?

Sonya – each program will have a workshop for the youth, and we encourage the community to come out to be hands on, speak with the engineers, and be aware of the tests as they occur.

Motion 2024/03 #14
Sagamok Chief and Council motion to allow the innovations testing to take place within Sagamok starting March 27ᵗʰ, 2024.
Moved by: Arnelda Bennett Seconded by: Nelson Toulouse A/O: 0
Discussion: Andrea – Can we have something go out through Communications to ensure the community is aware of what will be going on?
CARRIED

Proposed Consolidated Budgets for FY 2024/25 | Meggan McCracken, Director of Finance

Budgets are being presented this year with consolidated departmental budgets, which includes OFNLP.

This is different from prior years, showing a deficit showing of $2.1 million sitting in corporate services. This highlights the funding need while still allowing departments to operate with their status quo budgts for the upcoming fiscal year.

This deficit is likely to be resolved with a future budget reforecast, as there are several unknowns relating to funding agreements that are expected to be clarified as the new fiscal year begins. There are funding assumptions and memorandums of understanding that are as of yet to be complete, and by the 2ⁿᵈ quarter will show a more concrete revenue with a balanced budget.

Additionally, there are revenue sources that are yet to be entered into the budget, and this deficit should not be a point of worry.

Another part contributing to the deficit is the necessary upgrades and changes made to IT & Communications such as improving their software suite, various organization wide security improvements, and improved support services using the ticketing processes.

Arnelda – to clarify, the deficit is all attributed to the corporate services spreadsheet.

Angus – Administration has an admin fee of 10%, and not all programs are able to meet that fee. We also have a suggestion that most admin fees from like organizations are 18%. If we had a similar rate, we would likely not have this deficit. We don’t have as high a fee when programs we have now have to be diligent with spending.

Our corporate services costs are always growing, and they are not government funded. When we have needs for these core services such as IT, Finance, Administration, we need to find ways to make it work. We do need our organizations like Assembly of First Nations and Chiefs of Ontario to push government to change its funding policies for First Nations communities.

Motion 2024/03 #15‍

Sagamok Chief and Council motion to approve the Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2024/25 with the years forecasted revenue of $36,701,745, expenses of $38,784,788; Chief & Council recognize the deficit that is currently projected and plan to address the deficit by the reforecast of $2,128,471.
Moved by: Nelson Toulouse
Seconded by: Arnelda Bennett A/O: 0
Discussion:
CARRIED

OFNLP Budget for FY 2024/25 | Meggan McCracken, Director of Finance

The proposed OFNLP budget is showing a large increase in OFNLP dollars due to coming out of the negative effects of COVID. Additionally, OFNLP has also added online gaming as a source of revenue and expects to add $200,000.00 to the budget as a result of money earned from it.

Motion 2024/03 #16
Sagamok Chief and Council motion to approve the proposed OFNLP Budget of $2,150,000 and Capital Budget of $39, 458, 163 for Fiscal Year 2024/25.
Moved by: Nelson Toulouse Seconded by: Arnelda Bennett A/O: 0
Discussion:
CARRIED

Motion 2024/03 #17
Sagamok Chief and Council motion to authorize the conversion of loans receivable (not exceeding $14,500,000.00) from ZEI/ZCLP/OCL to an equity investment by Sagamok Anishnawbek that will see a shift on the balance sheet for the period ending March 31, 2024.
Moved by: Nelson Toulouse
Seconded by: Lawrence Solomon
A/O: 0|Discussion:
CARRIED

In-Camera Session

Motion 2024/03 #18
Sagamok Chief and Council motion to enter in-camera.
Moved by: Sheldon Toulouse
Seconded by: Arnelda Bennett
A/O: 0
Discussion:
CARRIED

Motion 2024/03 #19‍

Sagamok Chief and Council motion to approve BCR 2024-03-53.
Moved by: Sheldon Toulouse
Seconded by: Leroy Bennett
A/O: 1 – Nelson Toulouse
Discussion:
CARRIED

Motion 2024/03 #20

Sagamok Chief and Council motion to move out of camera.
Moved by: Arnelda Bennett
Seconded by: Leroy Bennett
A/O: 0
Discussion:
CARRIED

Motion 2024/03 #21Sagamok Chief and Council motion to adjourn the meeting.

Moved by: Arnelda Bennett
Seconded by: Leroy Bennett
A/O: 0
Discussion:
CARRIED

Closing Prayer by Nelson Toulouse Meeting adjourned at 7:17 PM.

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