Lakeshore Advance, 2013-01-30, Page 3•
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Lambton Shores poflcin9 to increase in 2014,�still��
less expensive than having a municipal police force
Heather Wright
Lakeshore Advance
The cost of policing rural Lamb -
ton County will rise in 2014, but it is
still cheaper than having a munici-
pal police force.
'That's according to Lambton O1'1'
Detachment Commander Scott
Janssens. 11e was speaking with
Lambton Shores Council recently
anuli rising concern across the
vince of higher policing costs.
.amhton Shores is part of a coop-
erative of nim' rural municipalities
in Lambton which contracts the
01'1' to provide services. Lambton
Shores picks up 31 percent of the
bill, amounting ng to $2.22 million this
year.
While the 2013 budget is actually
decreasing by 1.5 percent this year,
officials are still worried about
mounting rusts when a two year sal-
ary freeze for police officer's expires.
The biggest concern is the prov-
ince's promise to the O1'I' Associa-
tion - the group which negotiates
police officer contracts - to make
the ()PP the highest paid officers in
the province in 2014.
Janssen says the cost for labour
will rise, but the increases won't be
astronomical. Janssens says there
an' "27 police services which make
more than the ()PP" right now but
the "difference between the top and
the bottom is about $1,000 a year:,'
And he points out that the ()PP
still provide a good value for munic-
ipalities. Janssens says for munici-
palities with a population between
15,00( and 50,000 it costs about
$150 per household to contract the
OPP. "It is $2110 per household for
municipal policing."
'1111' detachment commander says
the ( )PP has taken steps to reduce.
costs, including p8r1ng; Clown sup-
port staff costs by 1 1 percent. Fuel
costs have also decreased by 6.5
percent. 1'he O1'I' is also working;
with the Big Three automakers to
conte up with a better, more fuel
efficient cruiser which could reduce
transportation costs by 20 to 25 per-
cent In the future.
"We understand policing costs
are t'xpensive'...it's an expensive
business...but if you look at the
data, we are Very favourably,„ Jans-
sens says. "We continue to monitor
our budget...but costs keep rising.”
Lambton Shores Mayor Bill
Weher, who sits on the policing
committee, agrees. "Our com-
mander and our officers who are at
the board are very conscious of the
costs,' says Weber.
'Ihe mayor added that consider-
ing all the extra resources used in
(Grand Bend during the sutnnler,
the municipality is getting a good
deal.
Janssens agreed saying during a
long weekend, the ( )PP will have 25
officers in town and assigns two
supervisors to the area.
And Janssens says the rest of the
county also is well served. Under
the current contract, 1,8111/)1011 pays
for the equivalent of (itt police offic-
vis.'Ihere are over 1 1(1 which patrol
the area.
Lambton Shores' water will warm camp occupiers
Gord Whitehead
Advance
Lambton Shores Council has
approved an agreement t0 sell
Water to Canada's defence
department (1)NI)) to maintain a
heating system for the people
who hooted military personnel
Out of Camp Ipperwash nearly
two decades ago,
Council, without debate or
comment, adopted Community
Service Director Brent Kittlmer's
recommendation for "temporary
water servicing" for boilers that
heat buildings occupied by First
Nations people. 'Ihe deal would
continue until the. 1)N1) com-
pletes decommissioning the she
and returning the land to the
First Nations, a process sug-
gested to take about five years,
Kittmer noted.
Kittmer's reference to the five-
year estimate triggered neither a
questioning laugh nor smile. A
land transfer agreement was
signed with great fanfare 15 years
ago, on June Ili, 1996, pby 1\1lnist1'r
of 111(11811 Affairs lune Ste vait
and Norm ShaWnoo, then chief -
elect of the Kettle and Stony
Point First Nation. It was a step
"applauded" by Art l ggleton,
minister of national defence at
the time,
In January, 199t), the federal
government issued a request for
proposals for an environmental
search for and cleanup of unex-
ploded munitions and chemical
and fuel product contamination.
It was a project that was esti-
mated to take four years and
woull1 pave the way to
deconmmissloning.
In his report t0 the January 14,
2013 session of Lambton Shores
(:ouncil, the community services
director said the 1egtte'sted water
supply would not be consumed
by residents of the site, whet'. the
water system is tinder a pelma
nem boil water advisory, until th1'
site is tleconlrtlissiont(1. Kittmer
said an existing service line feeds
a control building where resi-
dents ('1111 obtain potable water
for consumption.
Consultants fur the defence
department are proposing a 200
millimetre (eight inch) line to
provide enough pressure to feed
the camp's water tower, the com-
munity services director reported.
1 le said the existing municipally -
oWned 200111111 (vaternlain along
the west side of Army Camp Road
would be "live tapped" so that
service t0 Ipperwash residents
would not be interrupted.
Kintner also reported the
1)NI)'s request for a maximum 40
cubic metres per day could he
Cathy lima Spec$sI to Lakeshore Advance
Casper
the friendly squirrel
This white squirrel has made Grand
Bend home since just before Christmas.
Shown here he enjoys a dally treat from
the neighbourhood.
accommodated without impact on area
residents. "As this agreement has a
defined time frame, there is no long tern)
commitment required from the nlunici -
pality that may impact future growth or
development," he added. "The agree-
ment also has cancellation clauses in the
event that the municipality can no
longer supply the site with water"
Billing for water consumption will be
consistent with other users connected
t0 the system, said Kintner. "All costs
associated with the project will be cov-
ered by DND and the road will be
restored to municipal standards after
the connection to the Waternlain is
complete,' he told council.
"When the agreement expires, DNI)
will b1' required to remove any infra-
structure installed as part oldie project
back to the isolation valve at the prop-
erty line," Kintner told council.
A copy of the agreement indicates it
Was to commence on I)ecenther 5, 2012
and expire on December :31, 2017 "brit
may be renewed for additional five-year
terms by agreement oldie parties either
before or after the termination date."
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