THE
SERVING THE MAPLETON COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY NEWS Volume 48 Issue 32
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 1.99% 3 Year GIC - 2.21% 5 Year GIC - 2.30% Daily Interest 1.00%
638-3328
Friday, August 7, 2015
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Buildings damaged in Mapleton as wicked winds whip through region by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Local officials report no one was injured and no livestock was lost despite severe damage to buildings during a fierce thunderstorm that involved a tornado touchdown in the area on Sunday night. Environment Canada has confirmed an EF-2 tornado touched down in Teviotdale shortly after 9pm on Aug. 2, tearing the top floor off one home and damaging another. The tornado caused significant damage in Minto and Wellington North. Several homes and barns were damaged by high winds, as were several cruisers at the North Wellington OPP Detachment at Teviotdale. “We’re extremely grateful that there were no known injuries,” stated Wellington County
Warden George Bridge, mayor of the town of Minto, in a press release issued Aug. 3. The release also quotes Wellington North Mayor Andy Lennox, who estimates damage from the storm was expected to run into millions of dollars. Mapleton Mayor Neil Driscoll told the Community News the storm also did significant damage in the township. “We do have a fair bit here in Mapleton,” said Driscoll in a telephone interview on Aug. 4. He noted a large shed on the Third Line near Lebanon was “torn off its foundation and thrown against the barn.” A house in the same area was also damaged and a turkey barn at Maryborough Line 14 and Sideroad 12 was “knocked down.” Though the roof collapsed at the turkey barn owned by Buck Ross
(who was unavailable for comment by press time), there was no livestock loss as the barn was empty at the time, said Driscoll. “There were no injuries and no livestock was harmed (anywhere in Mapleton) from the reports I’m getting back,” said the mayor. While emergency responders were busy in Minto and Wellington North, Driscoll said Mapleton firefighters were not called to any incidents caused by the storm, noting much of the damage occurred on Mennonite farms and “they don’t call 911, they just start cleaning up.” Officials say the holiday weekend may have been a blessing, as many residents were away from their homes. Driscoll indicated this is Continued on page 2
Wicked winds - A large implement shed was ripped off its foundation and thrown against a barn at this farm on the Third Line of Mapleton during a fierce storm that ripped through the area on Aug. 3. A house in the same area was also damaged and a turkey barn in the township was knocked down during the storm, which included a confirmed tornado touchdown at Teviotdale. submitted photo
Township employees receive 2.4% raise, enhanced shift premium, on-call pay by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON – Township employees will receive a 2.4 per cent pay increase for 2015. On July 28 Mapleton council approved the cost of living increase retroactive to Jan. 1 for employees working with the Township as of Aug. 1. The increase was recom-
mended in a review of township compensation practices provided by acting CAO Brad McRoberts. The report notes the township’s 2015 budget allowed for an increase of up to 2.5%, and Statistics Canada’s Ontario Consumer Price Index for 2014 is 2.4%.
Council also accepted a recommendation from the report to adopt a “compensation philosophy” designed to “attract, engage, motivate and retain qualified employees through an internally equitable (fair and consistent), non-discriminatory and externally competitive compensation (pay and ben-
efits) program.” The philosophy also aims to: - ensure Mapleton’s compensation programs are affordable within the long-term financial capacity of the organization; - ensure consistency with human resources strategies set
out in the townships mission and values statements and strategic plan; - comply with the Ontario Pay Equity Act and other employment statutes; and - establish and maintain a pay grid structure that achieves internal equity through a job evaluation system.
In the report, McRoberts said the philosophy should help create a culture to help the township attract and retain good workers. “Significant turnover in staff has occurred over the past two to three years and, excluding terminations, these turnContinued on page 3
Council selects familiar consultant to assist with search for new CAO
Summer fun in Mapleton - Recent warm weather has seen cottagers and visitors alike flocking to Conestogo Lake. The public dock at the Grand River Conservation Area was a busy spot on a recent sunny summer Sunday, July 26. photo by Mike Robinson
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by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Council has agreed to engage the same consulting firm that assisted with a recent staff reorganization and the replacement of a public works director to help out with the search for a new CAO. Following a lengthy incamera meeting on July 28, council passed a resolution in open session to “accept the proposal from N.G. Bellchamber and Associates for CAO Recruitment Process subject to satisfactory reference checks.” Mayor Neil Driscoll told the Community News the firm’s fee to help with the process to replace former CAO/Clerk Patty Sinnamon would be approximately $15,000. Sinnamon was terminated on July 2 after being employed by Mapleton Township and the former Village of Drayton for nearly 18 years. Driscoll said three other proposals were received; one from The Ravenhill Group, Ward and one from Uptigrove and Prime Management Group Inc. Though he said the applicants consider their price quo-
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tations “confidential,” Driscoll said N.G. Bellchamber and Associates submitted the second lowest price. The mayor said other factors came into play in the selection process, noting the selected company is “used to working with what we call a rural municipality.” In March 2014, Mapleton council hired the company, headed by former municipal administrator Nigel Bellchamber, to assist with a staff restructuring process following the November, 2013 dismissal of former public works director Larry Lynch. That process resulted in the June 2014 hiring of current public works director Brad McRoberts, who was appointed acting CAO/clerk after Sinnamon was let go. In October of 2014, four public works management positions were eliminated and three new positions created as a result of the restructuring. Driscoll hinted in a July 30 telephone interview the current process could also go beyond finding a replacement for the CAO/clerk.
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“That’s something that, honestly, he might recommend to us too … when we go through this process maybe he’ll say, ‘This is what your structure could be,’ and that’s what led us to making a decision to go with him versus some of the others, because he understands municipal organizations,” the mayor said. Though the municipality has worked with the firm previously, Driscoll said the resolution made the hiring conditional on references because, aside from the mayor, none of the other council members were in office when the township last engaged Bellchamber. “We just want to make sure that he did the right thing for other municipalities,” the mayor stated. Bellchamber has indicated he will involve council in determining, “what we want in a new CAO/clerk,” Driscoll said. “Really there’s no sense going through the process and he brings us candidates and we say ‘Well, they don’t suit us.’” The search for a new CAO/ clerk is expected to take until early November.
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