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IV 451 Main Street - EXETER OPEN: Thursday Friday Saturday 10 - 5 Sunday 12 - 5 FU RN ITU RE+MATTRESS •ACCESSIORI ES +AREA RUGS 11 m-nt •A Wednesday, June 28, 2006 Exeter Times -Advocate 3 Small communities want more funds By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — Ontario's small communities are working together to lobby the federal and provincial govern- ments for sustainable long-term funding for big-ticket items such as water and sewer projects. Politicians and municipal staff representing over a dozen rural municipalities met in Exeter's Olde Town Hall last Friday to organize themselves and develop a plan of action. The group had earlier met in Teeswater in the Municipality of South Bruce June 9. The municipalities have come together because of the initiative of South Bruce Mayor Ralph Kreutzwiser, who said his municipality has been trying to get a $21 million sewer project for 1,000 households in Teeswater/Formosa for 10 years. Kreutzwiser said South Bruce has spent about $300,000 on studies, but has been unable to get grants. As a result of his frustra- tion, South Bruce wanted to see if municipalities across the province are having the same difficulties. According to Kreutzwiser, they are, and readers of the Times -Advocate are aware of the controversy surround- ing the approximately $6 million Crediton/Centralia sewer project which could cost property owners $20,000 each as a result of South Huron being turned down twice for a Canada -Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) grant. Kreutzwiser said small municipalities in Ontario have major concerns about the environment but can't afford new systems. "We need to keep our hamlets and villages going," he said, explaining that E. coli numbers in his municipality are high and he's worried about the aquifer being pol- luted. Calling themselves 'Fair Funding for Small Communities of Ontario', the group of municipalities is hoping to have meetings with the ministers of the envi- ronment, infrastructure, finance and agriculture and food and lobby for long-term and sustainable funding for small communities. If those meetings aren't possible (due to the summer break), the group hopes to meet with the ministers at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) meeting in August. The group also decided on a committee to head the proceedings: Kreutzwiser will chair the committee, with South Huron Coun. Ken Oke as vice -chairperson. Other members of the committee are Wellesley Township Coun. Ron Hackett, Town of Minto Mayor Dave Burns, Township of Wilmot chief administrative officer Grant Whittington, Township of Lanark Highlands Mayor Larry McDermott and Crediton's Dianne Faubert, who will represent the public. While sustainable, long-term funding for water and sewer projects is the group's number one priority, there are other concerns. South Huron chief administrative officer Larry Brown said the application for grant programs has to be more transparent and municipalities should be able to see if their respective projects are viable for grants and how the applications will be evaluated. He said municipalities have wasted "all kinds of money" applying for grants. Kreutzwiser agreed the grant application process needs to be streamlined. Wellesley Township Mayor Ross Kelterborn said there should be specific grant programs for projects such as bridges, like there used to be. The group also doesn't want to compete with urban centres for grants. Burns, calling the COMRIF grant process as "seriously flawed," said the government doesn't put a high priority on making small town Ontario viable. He said small towns are held to large city standards, but don't have the assessment base to support those standards. Burns said municipalities have to ensure their own water and sewage systems are self -financed once they `Rural Roots' at Queensway `Rural Roots', consisting of Doug Oesch, left, Martin Gelinas and Jeff Millar entertained Queensway Retirement Residence and Nursing Home Sunday afternoon during the home's annual Strawberry Social fundraiser. Proceeds from the afternoon will be donated to the Perth - Huron VON Palliative Care Program.About $300 was raised. (photo/Scott Nixon) are up and running. He spoke of his own municipality's difficulties in setting rates and the financial shortfalls they have experienced. "Allegedly now we have a system that is self financing, except for a few million here or there," he said. Arran Elderslie clerk/chief administrative officer Joan Albright pointed out that small communities are neces- sary for many urbanites who retire and vacation in the rural areas. McDermott said he will work on organizing the east- ern Ontario municipalities in a similar fashion. He told the T -A after the meeting that concerns in that part of the province are similar to those in southwestern Ontario. "It was like I hadn't left home," he said. "The story is very, very similar." He said municipalities put a lot of effort into applying for COMRIF grants and had a low success rate. McDermott described the municipalities' efforts to band together and lobby the provincial and federal gov- ernments for more cash "absolutely terrific." He said small communities produce most of Canada's exports and resources. "We are the fuel that fuels the urban economic engine," McDermott said, adding that if the partnership between the rural and urban sectors is lost, "Canada suffers." Kreutzwiser pointed out the federal government is "raking in" billions of surpluses and need to start shar- ing it. He encouraged the municipalities to speak to their MPs and MPPs. The group will seek resolutions from each involved municipal council supporting their initiatives. $4> MUNICIPALITY OF BLUEWATER BAYFIELD - HAY - HENSALL - STANLEY - ZURICH 2001 NOTICE OF OPEN HOUSE with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation at The Bayfield Complex Tues., July 4, 2006 Noon - 8 pm