SERVING MAPLETON AND MINTO
THE
COMMUNITY NEWS VOLUME 52 ISSUE 44
1 Year GIC - 2.44% 3 Year GIC - 2.50% 5 Year GIC - 2.55% Daily Interest 1.25%
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019
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Dearth of seasonal applicants leads township to hire full-timers By Aryn Strickland
Harriston Haunt - The first annual Harriston Halloween Haunt on Oct. 25 attracted some scary characters, including Clifford residents, from left: Kynzlee, Zach and Joe Grice. Participants enjoyed snacks at the park and guided tours of downtown businesses offering treats and activities. Photo by Patrick Raftis Additional photos on page 8
Hectic building pace continues By Patrick Raftis MINTO – The value of building construction continues to climb at a record pace here in 2019. To the end of September, a total of 171 building permits were issued in the Town of Minto, for construction valued at a combined $30.2 million. To this point in 2018 the town had issued 174 permits for $28.3 million worth of construction. “Overall the year to date is strong again,� chief building official Terry Kuipers told town council on Oct. 15. “Permit numbers are about on par with last year, which is still at the top end of our chart, but our values so far have exceeded what our
record year was last year, so that’s looking good.� In September, Kuipers reported, the town issued 18 building permits for construction valued at nearly $3.5 million. That’s up from the same month in 2018, when 16 permits were issued for just over $2.8 million worth of construction. Agricultural construction was strong in September, with seven permits issued for buildings worth about $1.2 million. There was also considerable activity in the residential sector, with permits issued for two single-family dwellings valued at a combined $870,000 and a four-plex valued at $1.16 million. “I got lots of paperwork
sitting on my desk, so this current month should be good as well,� Kuipers noted. Year to date, the residential sector featured 26 permits issued for single-family dwellings and eight multiunit structures, for a combined residential construction value of just over $16 million. To the same point in 2018 the town issued 29 single-family dwelling permits and four multi-unit permits for a combined construction value of about $13 million. Year to date agricultural construction, with 26 permits for $5.7 million worth of construction, is down from 2018, when 40 permits for construction worth about $10.9 had been issued by the end of September.
MAPLETON - The public works department here was left scrambling after its annual job posting for winter seasonal maintenance workers did not attract any viable candidates, council was told on Oct. 22. In response, council has approved increasing the public works department staff compliment, with $73,000 taken from the operations budget to hire four full-time, year round workers. In previous years the roads division operated with six full-time staff in summer, supplemented by six seasonal operators and various private contractors from November to April, to deliver winter services. “In September we put out an ad recruiting for six seasonal staff to run our afternoon shift as we do every year and we were unable to recruit any applicants,� public works director Sam Mattina said. Council did receive two applications, Mattina went on to say, but neither were appropriate as one did not meet the qualifications and the other did not show up for the interview. Public works staff have received confirmation that two seasonal workers that have done the job before will return, but they were unable to fill the four additional positions. Offering the full-time positions, Mattina said, will attract more applications and fill the position as it is a much more appealing offer.
Councillor Paul Douglas asked Mattina, “Are you confident with the posting for the four qualified candidates, that will make a difference?� Mattina said he had complete confidence offering four full-time positions would result in a better outcome. “Full-time employment is a more lucrative lure than seasonal work. Working for a municipality is a career of choice,� said Mattina. “We’ve analyzed the situation and come up with some internal recoveries and current funding in the budget.� Initially staff estimated the additional cost of hiring four full-time maintenance workers to be $163,000. However, after reallocating other funding in the budget, including $50,000 for summer students, $10,000 for sidewalk snow removal outsourcing and $30,000 for other downtown snow removal tasks, staff was able to reduce the amount to $73,000 in additional funding. It has also meant reallocating various tasks to public works staff. Councillor Marlene Ottens said one of her main concerns is how it would affect sidewalk clearing for students walking to school in the winter. “I am still not sure that I see how the sidewalks would get cleared in the morning in time for school kids to get there if these people are clearing the snow on the road which the six would usually being doing,� she said. Mattina clarified sidewalk operation is separate from the roads operation.
Reallocating funding usually set aside for outsourcing the sidewalk clearing, Mattina said public works will also reallocate arena staff to clear sidewalks. Mayor Gregg Davidson asked whether other municipalities faced the same difficulties. “It’s been increasingly difficult through the years to recruit the winter seasonals. In years gone by there would be a need for 20 operators and you would get 50 applicants,� said Mattina. Centre Wellington, he noted, faced similar issues. Councillor Martin asked what happens if council were to not approve Mattina’s request for additional funding. “Should this not be approved, it would impact our response time; we would then most definitely be out of compliance with the maintenance standards ... which will open us up to third party risk to the corporation and the claims that could follow from that risk,� said Mattina. Davidson asked, if the request were not to be approved and the township did not hire the four full-time workers, what the cost would be to hire a contractor for winter roads maintenance. “We are too late in the game, to tell you the truth, to contract this out. Winter is on our doorstep,� said Mattina. “Contracts of this type that are struck are generally 10-year contracts and it is not a short-term, fast solution.� Council unanimously approved the request.
OMPF grants drop in 2020 for local municipalities Oct. 25 of their 2020 allocations through the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF). Among municipalities in northern Wellington County: - Mapleton’s 2020 allocation is $832,700, down $4,700 from $837,400 in 2019;
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- Minto faces a cut of $63,800, with the 2020 allocation at $1,540,800, compared to $1,604,600 in 2019; and - Wellington North will receive $1,283,700 next year, down $13,100 from the current year’s allocation of $1,296,800.
Grass drags - The Moorefield Optimist Club hosted its inaugural snowmobile grass drag races at the farm of Neil Driscoll on Sideroad 12 in Mapleton on Oct. 28. There was a good crowd on hand to watch over 100 racers compete in the event. Photo by Patrick Raftis
WEEKLY WAG
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– PARK QUEEN’S Municipalities in northern Wellington County will receive a combined total of about $80,000 less through a key provincial funding program next year. across Municipalities Ontario received word on
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