BRUCEDALE – Topics discussed at the Guelph/Eramosa council meeting on July 10 include:
– the Marden Time Capsule;
– statistics on bylaw complaints; and
– collection and spending of development charges last year.
Marden Time Capsule
A time capsule filled by Marden School students in the 1960s was opened by students at the same school in 1997.
Those students then filled the capsule back up with objects that illustrate their own time, and decided the capsule would be opened once again 25 years later, in 2022.
This was pushed back because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the capsule is set to be opened this year.
“It will be interesting to open this one up,” said Mayor Chris White.
An exact date for opening is yet to be determined.
The capsule will be refilled with new items that represent the current period in time, and sealed back up until 2073.
“Ruth Robinson has been very much involved in the time capsule,” noted councillor Corey Woods.
“Her children were in the school at the time when the capsule was sealed back in 1997.”
Though the focus of the capsule in previous years has been on items related to Marden School, the new items will focus more on Guelph/Eramosa Township, Woods said.
Robinson has put together a list of items that she and some other members of the Guelph Horticultural Society would like to see in the capsule, he added.
But the township is seeking input from the public for additional ideas.
Woods said “basically anything” can be included, as long as it is small and expected to last for 50 years – so nothing electrical.
“We are really open to any ideas.”
Robinson and deputy clerk Chris Fraresso are planning to create an advertisement outlining what can go into the capsule, welcoming ideas and item donations.
Bylaw complaints
Bylaw enforcement and property standards officer Ivan Luneski said there has been “a constant rise of complaints” in the township.
He compared the numbner of complaints in the last month with the first half of the year, as well as last year.
From Jan. 1 through June 30, 250 formal complaints were submitted, as well as about 500 inquiries.
All of the 250 formal complaints were investigated, with 84 cases still open and 166 closed.
The majority of these complaints were regarding;
– property standards (32);
– parking (30);
– site alteration (29);
– clean yards (28);
– zoning (28); and
– animal control (25).
Development charges
In 2022, Guelph/Eramosa collected $182,000 in development charges, including $105,000 for municipal wide growth related capital initiatives and $76,000 related to water and wastewater.
“This is down significantly,” said director of finance Linda Cheyne, because there was reduced building activity last year.
The development charges were used to fund $369,000 in growth related capital and debt financing costs.
The money went towards:
– an aerial fire truck;
– a development charges background study;
– a sanitary inflow investigation (smoke testing within Rockwood); and
– a wastewater pretreatment plant in Alma.
At the end of the year there was $1,183,289 remaining in development charge reserve funds to support future growth-related capital requirements.
A full recording of the meeting is available at https://www.get.on.ca/township-services/committee/mayor-and-council/meetings, as well as the agenda and reports presented.
