ELORA – The newly-elected Centre Wellington council got down to some housekeeping items at its first regular council meeting on Dec. 13
And councillors proved to be conciliatory, complimentary, and eager to get going.
Council has had a few orientation sessions in the past month and has one more important session to complete – establishing the strategic plan for the next four years.
CAO Dan Wilson presented a report card on how far the last council got on its strategic plan and was requesting permission to hire a consultant to walk council through this last, important step as they set the table for the next four years.
“It’s a critical tool in the municipal environment,” Wilson told council. “It sets goals determines action and mobilizes resources.
“It gives us our marching orders.”
Because of COVID-19 the past council did not achieve all the initiatives it established in its strategic plan, Wilson said.
But they did secure employment lands and infrastructure work at the North Fergus Business Park is set to begin in 2022/23.
They did begin a parking strategy for Elora and Fergus with a successful pilot shuttle service operating in the summer.
And lands for a central operations centre in Fergus have been secured and design work is underway.
Council agreed to allow the township to put out a request for proposals from consultant firms on developing a strategic plan and then that firm will consult with council, staff and the public to help determine Centre Wellington’s most pressing needs.
Land acknowledgement
Council also agreed to begin council meetings with a land acknowledgement after hearing a report from Annie Veilleux of Archaeological Services Inc., who has been working with several municipalities in Wellington County to consult with Indigenous groups and establish the words and circumstances when a land acknowledgement will be given.
“The intent is to honour, respect and recognize the nations that lived here before,” Veilleux told council.
“If a land acknowledgement is poorly conceived, it can have the opposite effect. It should not just be lip service.”
Wilson said the land acknowledgement should be read at “significant events” and listed council meetings, official meetings with Indigenous nations, formal unveilings/ceremonies, and public meetings, open houses and workshops as appropriate occasions for a land acknowledgement.
“It makes it more meaningful,” he suggested.
It will also be included at the beginning of important municipal documents and on the Township’s website.
Council unanimously endorsed the land acknowledgement and when it should be used.
Deputy mayor
Council decided to share the role of deputy mayor, so each councillor gets the opportunity.
“I feel it’s an important team building exercise and it builds leaders,” said Mayor Shawn Watters.
Each councillor will assume the role for eight months in the following rotation:
- 2022 to July 2023, Kim Jefferson;
- 2023 to March 2024, Bronwynne Wilton;
- April 2024 to Nov. 2024, Barb Lustgarten-Evoy;
- 2024 to July 2025, Jennifer Adams;
- 2025 to March 2020, Lisa MacDonald; and
- April 2026 to Nov. 2026, Denis Craddock.
OLG agreement
The Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation has added sports betting to its offerings and Centre Wellington, which hosts a casino, stands to gain some extra funding.
The existing agreement gives 5.24 per cent of proceeds received at the Elements Casino Grand River to the township. The township will now receive an additional 4% of proceeds from electronic sports betting, Wilson said.
The township has an OLG allocation policy:
- 88% of funding received goes to capital projects with an upset limit of $2.2million;
- 5% goes to the arts, culture and heritage reserve to distribute through grants; and
- The rest goes to the economic development reserve fund.
“We will review this before the Jan. 5 budget meeting,” Wilson said.
Snowmobile trail
The Fergus, Elora, Belwood Snowmobile Club was seeking an agreement with the township to allow some township property to be part of the club’s trail system.
The club maintains 150 km of trail that also goes through private property. It has similar agreements with those property owners.
Snowmobile season is generally January and February.
“There is a snowmobile trail that leads into the Centre Wellington Sportsplex grounds, which acts as a staging and parking area, where people will travel to enter onto the trail system.
There are two other areas where the snowmobile trail travels on municipal lands including a portion of Cotton Tail Trail and Third Line right of way,” reads a report presented by manager of parks and recreation facilities operations Matt Tucker.
Council supported the agreement.
