SERVING MAPLETON AND MINTO
THE
COMMUNITY NEWS VOLUME 52 ISSUE 47
1 Year GIC - 2.41% 3 Year GIC - 2.45% 5 Year GIC - 2.57%
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2019
Daily Interest 1.25%
638-3328
www.jackfinancial.ca
Staff projects operations budget over-spending By Aryn Strickland
A sweet job - The Drayton Christmas Craft Show drew a crowd to the PMD arena on Nov. 16. Brooklyn Gray and her brother Cole help to clean up and enjoyed some of the leftover muffins (vendors at the show were treated to free coffee and muffins). Additional photos on page 4. Photo by Jennifer Goertzen
MAPLETON - Based on current calculations, officials here are projecting the township will overspend the 2019 operations budget by $123,891 by year’s end. The operations budget has been significantly impacted by legal fees associated with the township’s water and wastewater project and winter maintenance program, finance director John Morrison told council on Nov. 12. “I have assumed what I thought was a worst case scenario based on the ... first six months of the year, and then I’ve been projecting some of the summer trends so I hope I have a realistic number for you,” said Morrison. According to his report, council has spent $194,054 to
date on legal expenses associated with its water and wastewater renewal project. In April, council announced its plan to invite companies with applicable experience to invest in and propose solutions for, the township’s water and wastewater systems renewal. It is currently still in the RFP process. “The forecast assumed that by year-end the legal bill may be as high as $250,000,” states the report. “Should the RFP be awarded it is assumed that the successful proponent would reimburse the township for its legal expenses.” “If the successful proponent reimburses the township for those set legal costs, will that simply get added as an income say on next year’s budget?” asked councillor Michael Martin.
Mor rison replied, “Should there be a successful proponent they would probably have a receivable and then offset that expense. Otherwise, it would be a loss of this year, we won’t know before closing the books.” Staff have also assumed a deficit by year-end of $134,000 for winter maintenance. “Winter maintenance is already over budget this year and that’s because winter never ended last year and now it’s started early. So is that going to be a problem?” asked councillor Marlene Ottens. “It could well be a potential problem,” Morrison said. However, other programs and operations not exceeding the budget are helping to moderate this budget pressure. SEE OPERATIONS » 2
Cattle perish in Nov. 12 barn blaze on Drayton area farm By Chris Daponte MAPLETON – A local farmer is “devastated” after about 10 cattle perished and an implement shed was destroyed in a large fire here last week. But it appears things could have been much worse. Mapleton Fire Chief Rick Richardson said firefighters were called just after 8pm on Nov. 12 to the blaze on the 8th Line between Sideroads 16 and 17, near Drayton. the told Richardson Community News he could see large flames from about a mile away from the property,
so he called for help from the Minto department. About 30 firefighters from Mapleton and 20 from Minto’s Palmerston station responded. An implement shed containing “quite a bit of equipment” and large bales of hay was fully engulfed by flames when firefighters arrived. “There was no saving any of that,” Richardson said. The concern, he noted, was several barns immediately adjacent to the shed. “The shed is attached to a beef barn (that’s) attached to a poultry barn,” explained Richardson. “[The fire] was
starting to spread into the beef barn.” He said the owner, initially alerted to the blaze by a passerby, managed to free about 60 of the 70 cattle contained in the barn. They were later transported to other farms. About 10 cattle perished, Richardson said the day after the fire, stressing that is an early “rough estimate.” Five tanker trucks, three from Mapleton and two from Minto, shuttled water continually from Drayton to battle the fire, Richardson said. He added the fire is not SEE CATTLE » 2
Farm fire - About 10 cattle perished and an implement shed was destroyed in a large fire on Nov. 12 in Mapleton. Photo by Patrick Raftis
Lighting up Palmerston - Carolers from Palmerston Christian Reformed Church entertained the crowd on Nov. 15 as they waited for the countdown to 7pm and the lighting of Palmerston Lions Heritage Park for the Christmas season. RIGHT: Living window displays have become a tradition at Palmerston’s annual Christmas season kick off event, Light Up the Park. Palmerston Fair ambassadors and junior ambassadors, from left, Sophie Glendenning, Rebecca Dick and Madison Leitch, pose in a downtown window before beginning some Christmas crafts. Additional photo on page 3. Photos by Jennifer Goertzen
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