Centre Wellington council has named township planner Brett Salmon to the Wellington County active transportation committee.
The appointment was made on the recommendation by Parks and Recreation Director Andy Goldie, who is already the chairman of that committee.
The county is forming the committee and it is expected to start meetings in April. Last year, county council approved the development of a county-wide active transportation plan. Active transportation means using people power by walking or biking or even canoeing.
Goldie said in his report that the other six municipal councils in the county also gave their approval to the committee. The county will manage the project, which has a projected cost of $60,000.
Goldie said that includes $25,000 from Wellington County, another $4,000 from Wellington Dufferin Guelph Public Health, and a Healthy Communities grant of $10,000. That leaves each lower tier municipality to pay $3,000 each.
Goldie said county, public health, and Centre Wellington officials have been meeting over the past few months and set some tentative goals. They agreed a key component of a county wide active transportation plan is the development of a county steering committee to help oversee and coordinate the project.
The county’s planning committee met in early March to consider the terms of reference for that committee.
The goals of all that work is to establish a transportation system with numerous options that reduces reliance on any single mode of transportation an promotes walking and cycling for leisure and commuting.
It would also develop a county wide system that promotes on- and off-road transportation, and increase safety standards that will encourage more citizens to walk or cycle.
The committee will include one representative from each municipality in the county, either a councillor or staff member, one representative from Wellington Dufferin Guelph In Motion, one from Public Health, one from the Ministry of Transportation, a county councillor or staff member, and someone from among the county road superintendents.
The meetings will be held monthly and run until May of 2012. The committee will oversee the preparation of an active transportation study, a terms of reference and engaging a consultant within the budget, involve the public, and make minor changes to the committee terms of reference as needed.
Councillor Walt Visser suggested, “being cynical” that Centre Wellington is much larger than the other municipalities and he wondered if it is fair the township has only one seventh of the representation.
“We have much more at stake,” he said.
Goldie said he could take that suggestion back to the group, and it is possible changes can be made.
Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj saluted the group for its work to date, noting that the work is moving forward well.
“This has got a lot of momentum,” she said.
