The Citizen, 2019-08-15, Page 15THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2019. PAGE 15.
After an hour-long special
meeting on Aug. 1, North Huron
Township Councillors are in a better
position to consider the future of the
municipality’s relationships with its
neighbours.
The meeting represented the
culmination of hours of staff work
since North Huron Reeve Bernie
Bailey stated he wanted a review of
the agreements the municipality has
with neighbours and other
organizations.
There was little feedback from the
reports in open session, however, a
closed-to-the-public session resulted
in direction being given to staff
regarding the upcoming renewal of a
shared services agreement with the
Municipality of Morris-Turnberry.
The meeting was divided between
departments, with each providing an
overview of existing agreements,
starting with the Director of Public
Works and Facilities, Sean McGhee.
McGhee reported on many
agreements, including several
providing water to Morris-Turnberry
properties, hydrants in neighbouring
municipalities, the operation of the
Belgrave Community Centre, the
Victoria Street Bridge agreement
with Morris-Turnberry, the Belgrave
water system and an agreement with
Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company
regarding water for its domestic
purposes and fire suppression.
Most of McGhee’s reports were
received without comment, how-
ever, in response to the Cowbell
agreement, Councillor Kevin
Falconer asked if the former Emer-
gency Services Training Centre’s
water hook-up would be changed
now that it’s owned by Cowbell.
“There is capability there for a
much larger connection with the
expansion of the brewery,” he said.
“[Cowbell’s] wells aren’t connected
to that building.”
McGhee said that was a good
point, adding there is a four-inch
water main going to the property and
he doesn’t believe it’s metered. He
said he would investigate it further.
Following McGhee, Fire
Department of North Huron
(FDNH) Deputy-Chief Chad Kregar
outlined the agreements North
Huron has with other municipalities
for fire services, including mutual
aid plans, providing services for
neighbours in Central Huron,
Morris-Turnberry and Ashfield-
Colborne-Wawanosh. He also
reported on agreements with Owen
Sound for dispatch, automatic aid
agreements with South Bruce and
Howick and mutual aid agreements
with Bruce, Perth and Wellington
Counties.
Kregar did say that council should
consider a special agreement for use
of the FDNH’s 100-foot aerial
ladder truck at the Wingham hall.
The truck provides a service other
municipalities can’t, as the only
departments or halls that can match
that are in Seaforth, Goderich and
Listowel.
The problem, according to Kregar,
is that while most services provided
through mutual aid are reciprocal,
most municipalities can’t offer a
similar service to the aerial truck, so
some kind of costing may be needed.
No other comments were made
regarding the FDNH agreements.
North Huron Director of Finance
Donna White reported next on a
boundary adjustment agreement set
up in 2005 between North Huron
and Morris-Turnberry for the Willis
property.
That property, the current site of
the A2A proposed development, was
previously in Morris-Turnberry,
however for agreeing to service
commercial lands on County Road
86 and a portion of tax dollars until
the land is developed, the land was
given to North Huron.
That agreement, however, may
require some fine-tuning after
questions arose.
Specifically, Deputy-Reeve Trevor
Seip asked if North Huron would
still be paying taxes on undeveloped
lands if part of the parcel was
developed. Since the A2A project is
phased, the question is a pertinent
one, White said.
“The agreement isn’t clear as to
whether it’s just developed land that
the taxes will be shared on or the
whole parcel,” she said, adding she
will seek clarification.
Vicky Luttenberger, Director of
Recreation and Community
Services, next spoke to soft
service contributions from Morris-
Turnberry which were codified in
2016/2017, showing that annually
Morris-Turnberry gives $75,000
to the North Huron Wescast
Community Complex, $16,000 to
the Blyth and District Community
Centre, $17,000 to cemetery
operations and a $10,000
contingency fund on the books.
Luttenberger also spoke to an
agreement for Galbraith Park, a site
that is primarily used for soccer in
Wingham’s Lower Town.
That agreement, which sees North
Huron pay taxes on the Morris-
Turnberry land and take care of
administration and maintenance,
expires at the end of 2021.
Finally, Luttenberger spoke to
agreements with school boards for
use of facilities, including a
reciprocal, cost-neutral agreement
with the Avon-Maitland District
School Board.
Those agreements were recalled
later during a report on the child care
department, which noted that, while
there is no charge for the before- and
after-school programming at
Maitland River Elementary School,
a children’s program at Sacred Heart
Elementary School could, by
September, be costing the
municipality $650 per classroom for
before- and after-school
programming.
Kirk Livingston also provided a
report on the shared building
department that North Huron and
Morris-Turnberry operates co-
operatively.
The department is one of the few
remaining initiatives from the North
Huron/Morris-Turnberry shared
services project that was attempted
several years ago that saw multiple
departments between the two
municipalities merged.
Livingston said the system is
currently working well, and the
estimates for the cost of the program
are within acceptable limits.
Finally, Chief Administrative
Officer Dwayne Evans presented
examples of how other
municipalities handle shared
services and border agreements.
Bailey thanked staff for the report,
and said that, while some of the
agreements are good for North
Huron, others “need to be tightened
up” and said now was a good time to
consider the shared services
agreement North Huron has with
Morris-Turnberry.
North Huron’s relationships considered at meeting
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Taking action
This year’s iteration of the Blyth Festival Young Company is set to hit the stage with Eco Echo:
A Play for Greta Thunberg, directed by Pippa Johnstone. The five members will pay tribute to
the climate crusader in the Phillips Studio on Aug. 15-17. From left: Madison Draper-Paley,
Emma Marcy, Lauren Zemmelink, Crystal Snyder and Audric Cherrey. (Photo submitted)