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Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 47 Issue 16
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.09% 3 Year GIC - 2.26% 5 Year GIC - 2.80% Daily Interest 1.55%
638-3328
Friday, April 18, 2014
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Budget with 10 per cent levy hike passed by council in close vote by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Township council has approved, just barely, a 2014 municipal budget with a four per cent tax rate increase and a 9.8% hike in the total levy. Mayor Bruce Whale cast the deciding vote as the budget was approved by a 3-2 margin. Councillors Andy Knetsch and Jim Curry voted in favor, while councillors Mike Downey and Neil Driscoll were opposed. Driscoll expressed concern about the potential impact of construction costs for a new public works shed on the budget, should an insurance claim not cover the entire cost of building a new shed to replace one destroyed by fire on Nov. 29. While insurance will cover the cost of rebuilding the shop, changes to the design of the building could result in overruns. Driscoll suggested postponing passage of the budget until the cost of that project is more clear. “We’ve come this far. We have the budget pretty close. Would it take us that long to get it a bit firmer?� he asked. “I don’t think we’re going to know the final numbers until
we do an RFP (request for proposals),� said Whale, who estimated it might be another six months before all costs of the project are known. Whale said the insurance money would cover any initial costs for the project and CAO Patty Sinnamon said debentures, if needed, would not impact the 2014 budget. “I’m pretty sure we can’t wait six months (to pass the budget),� said Whale. “I don’t think it would take six months,� replied Driscoll. “The reality is, even a month down the road we’re going to be facing different challenges. We cannot keep deferring,� said Knetsch. “You cannot budget for the unknown. All you can do is move ahead and face the realities. After all it is a budget,� said Curry. Driscoll also expressed concern about the possibility of extra expenditures for winter maintenance causing a shortfall in the 2014 budget. Curry pointed out this past winter was “an anomaly.� “We haven’t had a winter like this in probably 10 years. So you bite the bullet, you make your budget and you move forward,� Curry said.
The 2014 budget calls for total spending of $7,205,429 to be offset by $2,777,429 in revenue, leaving $4,427,741 to be raised through the tax levy - 9.8% more than in 2013, when the levy was just over $4 million. The budget projects an increase in wages of about $30,000 in 2014 over actual township wages in 2013, which totaled $2,068,835. Actual wages in 2013 were over budget by slightly more than $30,000. Capital items in the budget include $40,000 to complete a renovation of office space in the basement at the Mapleton administration centre, $50,000 to replace a condenser at the PMD arena, and $87,000 for washroom replacement at the Moorefield park. In total, the budget projects capital spending of just over $1.8 million. The increase means the taxes on a single family dwelling with an average assessment of $299,998 would increase by about $82. After the passage of the budget, Driscoll gave notice he plans to introduce a motion to have the township move to a five or 10-year capital and operating budget.
Township asked to waive water charges by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - A local citizen is asking council to come up with a way for the township to make a collective contribution to locally-based Reapers of Hope. In operation in Moorefield since April of 2013, Reapers of Hope is an arm of Christian Aid Ministries (CAM) of Waterloo. The operation is set up to dehydrate surplus produce and convert it to dried soup mix for shipment abroad to feed those in need around the world. At the April 8 council meeting, Drayton resident Ab Hesselink asked if the municipality would consider foregoing the water and sewer charges for the facility. “This would be a means of having the total community supporting this good work,� said Hesselink. “It would also be a means for the municipality to reciprocate for (Reapers of Hope) making their facilities available to the municipality to park some of the trucks and machinery in after the municipal works garage fire.� Reapers of Hope relies entirely on volunteer labour and Hesselink said he has had
Feeding the world - Volunteers at Christian Aid Ministries’ Reapers of Hope operation in Moorefield process vegetables to make soup for those in need around the globe. Community News file photo an opportunity to be one of nearly 2,400 volunteers who have contributed more than 16,000 hours to the operation. “It is a very rewarding and humbling experience. My observations over the last number of months have been that this facility and the organization does very good work, and reminds us of how fortunate we all are living in this land of plenty ... with a little effort and organization they make a huge difference,� said Hesselink. In his presentation to council, he noted the organization has shipped 51,324 pounds of soup mix, enough for nearly 1.7 million meals since setting up shop in Moorefield.
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Hesselink said he feels foregoing the sewer and water charges of about $60 a month “would be a good way for the whole municipality to participate.� Councillor Andy Knetsch was firmly behind the proposal. “It’s a no-brainer in my opinion. I support this,� he stated. Councillor Jim Curry told Hesselink, “I certainly support what you’re trying to do.� However, he pointed out that since water and sewer charges are area-rated, only Moorefield property owners would be contributing through a waiver of the charges. Continued on page 3
Skate park survey - Local residents had their chance to vote on their preference from among three short-listed locations for a proposed skate park facility in Drayton at a public information meeting at the PMD arena on April 10. photo by Patrick Raftis
Skate park options presented at meeting by Patrick Raftis DRAYTON - About 35 local residents attended a public information meeting on potential locations for a proposed skate park here on April 10. The Drayton Skatepark Committee provided information on a proposed design for a skate park, and offered residents a chance to vote for their preference from among three short-listed locations for a facility. From an original list of seven, the list of possible locations has been pared down to: - adjacent to the batting cage at Drayton Kinsmen Park; - the PMD Arena parking lot; and - the lower level of the Drayton municipal parking lot. Skate board enthusiasts who spoke at the meeting indicated a preference for the municipal parking lot location. Because the parking lot is already paved, money would not have to be
spent on a concrete pad, meaning more of the funds raised for the project could be devoted to equipment. Easy access to local stores and restaurants was also cited as an advantage of the downtown location. Committee member Joanne Brown noted that although the parking lot location would place the park close to a funeral home, it could easily be blocked off with pylons and declared off limits when necessary. Bruce Schieck, a member of the Drayton Entertainment board of directors, expressed concern the conversion of the parking lot would have a negative impact on the downtown. “We’ve been trying for 25 years to get the cars off the main street in front of the businesses,� he said, noting the Festival Theatre attracts between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors to Drayton each season. Many of those in attendance expressed concern about the
potential for noise emanating from the skate park. However, Graham Cook, of Canadian Ramp Company, pointed out a new facility, made with properly-engineered ramps and obstacles, would be much quieter than the wooden ramps currently in use at a home-made skate park created by local young people at the end of a cul-de-sac in the Drayton Heights subdivision. Councillor Neil Driscoll asked Cook if his company could bring a ramp to town for a demonstration. Cook said that is not something the company can offer. “Then it would be a used ramp,� he explained. Cook suggested local residents could visit skate parks in other communities to see how they work. Brown said the citizen input collected at the meeting will form part of a presentation to Mapleton council in May.
Knetsch objects to free park passes by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON – Councillor Andy Knetsch feels members of the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) are not entitled to free passes to conservation authority parks. Minutes of the GRCA annual meeting presented as correspondence at the March 25 Mapleton council meeting indicated GRCA chair Jane Mitchell pointed out each of the members have been issued a complimentary membership pass to GRCA conservation areas.
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“Just going back to the financial difficulties that we all face, whether provincial, federal or municipalities, I just want to go on record and point out that I don’t agree with that,� stated Knetsch. A report presented at the GRCA annual general meeting on Jan. 24 recommended that complimentary 2014 membership passes be issued to: - members of the authority and the Grand River Conservation Foundation; - Grand River Conservation Authority regular, part-time,
seasonal, temporary and casual staff; - Grand River Conservation Authority retirees; - living members of the GRCA honour roll; and - others on authorization of the chair or CAO. The report notes the intent is to allow these individuals to become familiar with facilities available in the Grand River watershed. In 2013 the price of a membership pass was $122. The price for a 2014 season’s pass is $125.
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