HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-03-26, Page 1212 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Bluewater Wind Energy Centre
\lExTera
ENERG
Community Liaison Committee (CLC): Meeting No. 4
April 7, 2i, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Stanley Community Centre, 38594 Mill Road, Varna, Ontario
In April 2013, Varna Wind, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of NextEra Energy Canada, LP (NextEra), obtained approval from the
Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) to build a Wind Energy Centre in the Municipality of Bluewater, Huron
County, Ontario.
We are hosting the Final Community Liaison Committee Meeting
Good planning involves the community so we have established a
Community Liaison Committee (CLC) to discuss key aspects of
construction, installation, operation, maintenance and retirement
of the Bluewater Wind Energy Centre. While this Committee is a
requirement of our Renewable Energy Approval, it is also a vital
part of our continued commitment to communicate and provide a
forum to exchange ideas, share information and to offer project
updates. The CLC is not intended to re -visit matters already
addressed through the MOECC approval process.
About the Bluewater Wind Energy Centre
The Bluewater Wind Energy Centre, which includes a transmission
line that extends into the Municipality of Huron East, has a
maximum generating capacity of up to 60 megawatts, using 37
wind turbines; this is enough clean energy to power over 15,000 homes. The wind farm created about 150 construction jobs and
currently employs 6 full-time local operations team members. Over its 20 year lifespan, this project is expected to contribute almost
$9 million to local governments in property taxes and $13 million in lease payments to landowners.
About the Community Liaison Committee
The Committee is made up of people with diverse perspectives and varied backgrounds and experiences, so as to provide a broad
and balanced perspective. Representatives of the following groups were invited to make up the Committee: persons residing or
owning lands within 1 km of the Project; other area residents and landowners; members of the agricultural and business
community; government agencies; local organizations; special interest groups; and Aboriginal, First Nation and Metis communities.
A total of four (4) CLC meetings will be facilitated by AECOM. While committee membership has already been established (i.e., the
application process is complete), all meeting materials (e.g., agendas, minutes and presentations) will be made available for public
review at www.NextEraEnergyCanada.com/projects/bluewater.shtml.
All meetings are open so that the public can attend and observe the conversation — as well, requests for delegations are welcomed.
To be considered for a public deposition, please submit a request and the actual written deposition to Avril Fisken (AECOM) by
March 31, 2015.
CLC Meeting # 4 Agenda
• Registration and Welcome
• Provide update on the Bluewater Wind Energy
Centre
• Discuss Mitigation and Monitoring Process
• Update from Operation and Maintenance
Team
• Public Depositions, if any
• Identify Future Opportunities for Discussion
Email: avril.fisken@aecom.com
Fax: 519-763-1688
Mail: 55 Wyndham Street North, Suite 215
Guelph, ON N1H 7T8
For more information regarding the Bluewater Wind Energy
Centre please contact Derek Dudek at the following:
Tel: 1-877-257-7330
Email: bluewater.wind@nexteraenergy.com
County
benefit costs
under control
Dave Flaherty
Huron Expositor
Huron County has
achieved its goal to bring
health benefit costs in
control.
That was the message
delivered at the Committee
of the Whole meeting held
on March 18.
Dennis J. Donnelly of
Donnelly Management
Advisory Services Ltd.
updated county council on
the performance of the
Huron, Perth and St. Marys
Benefits Consortium that
was created a few years ago.
According to Donnelly,
in 2010, group benefit
costs made up approxi-
mately 10 per cent of the
county's payroll.
Under the old plan the
county had, it was projected
that figure would have grown
to 22 per cent by 2019.
"You'd be spending about
15 per cent of the county's
budget on benefits," Don-
nelly said.
The path the county was
on at that time would not
have been sustainable and
would have had an even
worse effect on the lower -tier
municipalities, he added.
According to Donnelly,
rising benefit costs are not
always an "insurance issue"
but can be attributed to bad
human resources practices.
As a result of adopting its
new benefits program, Don-
nelly said the county would
have a projected surplus of
$570,000 at the end of 2015.
"Three -hundred fifty thou-
sand of this can be
withdrawn at the end of this
year for services for the tax-
payers," he added.
As of March 2015, benefits
currently represent eight per
cent of the county's payroll.
Huron East Mayor Bernie
MacLellan queried what the
projections for 2019 are
under the new plan.
Donnelly said by then
benefits should represent
between six to eight per cent
of payroll.
"This is about sustainabil-
ity. The goal was to get off
the higher trajectory to a
more reasonable number,"
he said.
Addressing the projected
surplus, Ashfield-Colborne-
Wawanosh Reeve Ben Van
Diepenbeek asked why they
could not withdraw the
entire amount.
Donnelly said if there
were no funds in the ben-
efits reserve, the insur-
ance companies would
suspend claims.
Howick Reeve Art Versteeg
asked what the benefits of
teaming up with other
municipalities were.
"It's about leverage," Don-
nelly said, explaining that
having a larger base of cli-
ents gives the county more
power in controlling prices.
However, Donnelly
advised that they should not
take the "Statue of Liberty"
approach and simply accept
everyone who wants to come
aboard.
He said before partnering
with another municipality the
county needs to make sure
they are "on the same level"
as those already involved.
Suring a el
Healthier
Future��n
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