Councillors here have reservations about a proposed Wellington County economic development and tourism committee.
Council recently reviewed correspondence from Mapleton Township’s Chief Administrative Officer Patty Sinnamon. She said a meeting of mayors, chief administrative officers and economic development officers was hosted by the Mapleton Oct. 21.
She wrote, “Over the past few years, there has been an interest expressed by several lower tier chief administrative officers, and economic development officers to work together in creating and developing economic development strategies and tourism opportunities on a county-wide basis.”
“As you are no doubt aware, communities compete with other communities around the world when it comes to economic development and tourism promotion. Recognizing that a new industry in one municipality benefits other Wellington County municipalities (increased County assessment), it makes sense to pool our resources and market Wellington County with a regional approach and subsequently on a global scale.”
Her letter indicated there is more potential to sustain existing jobs, business retention and expansion, and to recruit new businesses and industries by working together.
The group also believes more funding would be available at a regional level than what might be available or approved on an individual municipal basis.
“To that end, we are asking that each municipal council support a request to Wellington County council to establish a Wellington County economic development and tourism committee.”
Sinnamon also wanted to confirm that, as discussed at the Oct. 21 meeting, the CAOs and economic development officers of the seven member municipalities would be working together on a joint application to the Saugeen Community Futures and Wellington Waterloo Community Futures Corporations for financial assistance in creating a marketing tool for Wellington County festivals and events .
Wellington North Mayor Mike Broomhead said he had read Newspaper reports expressing some reluctance by Centre Wellington Township.
“But I haven’t heard that officially, or from the mayor.”
Broomhead he, and Wellington North’s economic development staff Dale Small and Donna Jack left the Oct. 21 meeting thinking it was a good thing.
“My thinking is if we join in, we need to join in together.”
However, council offered other thoughts on the matter.
Councillor John Matusinec said the idea came to council previously, when he chaired the township’s economic development committee six or seven years ago.
“The reason it was turned down at that time was we felt the tourism part wasn’t going to be bad, but in the economic development part there would be a lot of conflict of interest.”
He added there is also the potential of a lot of finger pointing if an industrial plant ends up in one community and not another.
“I think we have a strong economic development committee as it is. I can’t see any benefit to this,” he said.
Councillor Ross Chaulk said, “We’ve been proactive on economic development long before the county ever got involved.”
He believes if Wellington North becomes part of a regional group, “We’d just get lost in the shuffle and everything we had achieved would go by the wayside.”
Councillor Bob Mason agreed with both of them.
“I think it is just one more step of the county trying to take control of economic development.”
He, too, believes the township has a strong economic development committee and staff dedicated to the municipality.
Councillor Dan Yake asked if the proposal had actually been reviewed by Wellington North’s economic development committee.
Broomhead said it had – and it had not.
While it had been discussed by members and a number were at that meeting, the item has not officially been debated at a committee meeting.
“I was surprised it came to us this soon. Dale, Donna, and myself were at that meeting,” Broomhead said.
He agreed it might be better to defer a decision until there is more information. He said one of the things to be considered is it was not all the economic development committees together, but to develop tourism strategies and opportunities on a county-wide basis.
He suggested it would be a good thing to bring the item before the local committee first and perhaps have Small and Jack explain their views to council.
Yake said it certainly needs to go to the committee. He noted his understanding is the proposal is not intended to be a committee run by the county, but to get some of support in certain areas.
“This seems to read a little differently.”
Broomhead agreed the issue needs further discussion.
