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Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 46 Issue 07
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.10% 3 Year GIC - 2.25% 5 Year GIC - 2.65% Daily Interest 2.00%
Friday, February 15, 2013
Council gets first look at draft budget for 2013
Fighting arthritis - Kally Bradley, 10, is pictured with her mother, Lindsay at the Kure For Kally Show and Sale fundraiser held at the Palmerston Community Centre on Feb. 10. Kally suffers from both arthritis and Crohn’s disease, but has been making strides with new treatments. photo by Patrick Raftis
Kure for Kally event raises funds to support arthritis research efforts by Patrick Raftis PALMERSTON – Kally Bradley of Palmerston has been living with both Crohn’s disease and arthritis since she was two-and-half years old. Her mother Lindsay Bradley says the dual afflictions prevent Kally, now 10, from participating in many of the activities most children enjoy. “She hasn’t’ been able to do a lot of sports. Swimming is the only thing that’s really comfortable for her.� However, advances in treatment have helped and Kally’s
condition has improved noticeably since she began to receive a clear liquid diet administered through a tube. “Since she started this new treatment, she’s been a whole new girl,� notes Lindsay. While there is currently no cure for either Crohn’s or arthritis, Kally’s family is working for the day cures may be possible, not only for Kally, but for others. Last weekend the second annual Kure For Kally Show and Sale was held at the Palmerston Community Centre, featuring raffle and
bake tables, a lunch counter and numerous exhibits by local home-based businesses. Last year’s inaugural event raised about $1,500 for arthritis research and Lindsay said organizers were hoping for a similar total for this year’s event, held Feb. 10. “All the money goes to the Arthritis Society,� she pointed out, adding that for the past three years the Bradleys have also been involved in organizing a series of fundraising walks for arthritis research under the Kure for Kally banner.
Chong says revised research design will enhance turbine health study WELLINGTON-HALTON HILLS - Local MP Michael Chong says a revised research design for a federal study of the health effects of living near wind turbines will result in a more complete study. Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, announced on Feb. 10 that Health Canada has published a revised research design for the wind turbine noise and health study, which is being carried out in collaboration with Statistics Canada. The proposed study design was posted on the Health Canada website in July for public comment, and over 950 comments were received during the 60 day public consulta-
tion period. After an evaluation of feedback received during the consultation, the expert committee introduced changes to the research design including an assessment of infrasound and changes to the questionnaire administered by Statistics Canada. The expert committee includes specialists in areas including noise, health assessment, clinical medicine and epidemiology. A press release announcing the change states the government is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians, and this study is in response to questions from residents living near wind farms about possible health effects
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of low frequency noise generated by wind turbines. The expert committee has carefully reviewed and evaluated the feedback received during the public consultation and has taken it into consideration when developing the revised research design, the release continues. “We are focused on putting the health and safety of Canadians first, and this study will do that by painting a more complete picture of the potential health impacts of industrial wind turbine noise,� said Chong. Study results are anticipated in late 2014. An initial target Continued on page 5
by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON – The municipality would spend about $6.8 million dollars under a draft 2013 budget presented for consideration by township council at a special meeting on Feb. 4. The figure, if adopted, would represent a spending increase of about $323,000 over last year’s actual spending and would be about $173,000 more than budgeted for in 2012. The draft budget proposes spending of just over $4.6 million on capital projects in 2013. The proposal before council includes a five per cent wage increase for Mapleton staff. CAO Patty Sinnamon said the five per cent increase proposal is based on a survey of 21 municipalities, which shows Mapleton wages are below average. “We are five to seven per cent below the average. This brings us to the average,� she noted. Also under consideration, are changes to the township’s retirement program for employees. Currently the municipality and its employees each contribute three per cent of the employee’s wages to an RSP program. That would increase to six per cent each under one proposal put forward. Sinnamon said some discussion has been given to joining the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS). In that scenario, the RSP program would be discontinued. Mapleton is one of the few municipalities in the province that does not belong to the OMERS plan and while this proposal is still in the discussion stage, Sinnamon said “we are looking into what it would cost to move in that direction.� Wages in the draft budget total $477,000, up from 2012 actual wages of $407,309. However Sinnamon pointed out the township did not have to pay a finance director for much of 2012, after former finance director Mike Givens left in August to take a similar position with Wellington North. In 2012, the municipality budgeted $449,000 for wages. Council did not address the wage and benefit proposals during the Feb. 4 meeting. While the proposed spending is offset by nearly $3 million in anticipated revenues, staff anticipate sharp drops in several areas of revenue flow. The Ontario Municipal
Weekly Wag
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Partnership Fund (OMPF), the Ontario government’s main transfer payment to municipalities, is being reduced across the province. In Mapleton, OMPF grants will be down by $85,900, from $1,321,800 in 2012 to $1,235,900 for 2013. “That represents a significant challenge,� stated Sinnamon. “We’re looking at $200,000 less in revenues and $85,000 of that is OMPF,� said Mayor Bruce Whale. Sinnamon explained that anticipated transfers from reserves have not been factored into the draft budget and will bring the revenue side up. The township also received a cash windfall in 2012 from the development of the Conestogo Wind Energy Centre project that won’t be duplicated this year. The project developer NextEra Energy, paid the township a total of $50,000 in one-time fees ($5,000 per turbine). The project also generated about $70,000 in building permit fees for the township. Among the major capital expenditures proposed in the budget draft are $426,000 worth of work on bridges and culverts and $310,000 for a new road grader. A total of $1.6 million worth of work on township roads is also in the draft budget. Council confirmed its intent to go ahead with upgrades to Sideroad 12, with the $30,000 cost of the project to be split between the township and Neil and Barbara Driscoll, who operate a commercial grain elevator on the road. Councillors Neil Driscoll and Mike Downey declared conflicts of interest on the issue when it was discussed at the budget meeting, as they did when the issue was dealt with in a site plan agreement at the Jan. 8 council meeting.
Whale asked Downey to disclose the nature of his conflict. “Being on the same board as someone and entering into a cost-sharing agreement,� replied Downey, adding that by “board� he meant council. About $42,000 worth of work on the Maryborough Community Centre in Moorefield is proposed, including accessibility improvements and a new cooler for the bar area. Public works director Larry Lynch pointed out the longer the hall goes without needed improvements, “the less rentals it’s going to generate.� He noted some inexpensive improvements could be made to the hall by painting and drywalling, but “I really shouldn’t spend any money on it if we’re not going to do anything with it.� Lynch estimated the hall generates about $10,000 in rental fees annually. Councillor Andy Knetsch added, “I think we need to sit down and discuss the specifics of where we want to go with this building. We need to set a date and sit down and look at the different options.� Work on the expansion of the Drayton Fire Hall to accommodate EMS services is also in the draft. The $50,000 expenditure in 2013 would be covered by transfers from reserves and reserve funds. Reserves are funds set aside by the township, while reserve funds are pre-designated funds, such as gas tax transfers from the province, or development fees. The fire hall project funding includes $23,100 from reserves and $26,900 from reserve funds. Councils has tentatively set a date of Feb. 21 for another budget meeting.
Correction: Driscoll says snow removal in Glen Allan not an issue An article in the Feb. 8 issue of the Community News (“Councillor questions winter maintenance costs�) incorrectly indicated councillor Neil Driscoll was concerned about the charges billed to the municipality by a private contractor for snow removal in Glen Allan. Driscoll states his comments at the Jan. 22 meeting were in fact in reference to costs for plowing at the Mapleton medi-
cal clinic in Drayton. He said his intent was to question why it cost more for November and December snow removal at the medical clinic ($599) than it did at the PMD Community Centre ($339), where the parking lot is much larger. Driscoll told the Community News he has no concerns about the amount charged for plowing in Glen Allan. The Community News regrets the error.
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