The fireworks some might have expected never really materialized, but the Puslinch mayoral debate on Oct. 7 was interesting nonetheless.
Dennis Lever, Dick Visser and incumbent Brad Whitcombe fielded questions from hundreds of residents who packed the community centre in Aberfoyle. Many had to stand, as the crowd overflowed into the lobby for one of this election’s most anticipated debates.
Not surprisingly, the first question posed to the candidates was about the 2010 budget – including a 12% tax rate increase – that was passed unanimously by council.
Manfred Ganning, who is a candidate for Puslinch councillor, wanted Visser to clarify his proposal after the fact to use money from a reserve fund to lower the tax increase this year.
Visser, who admitted it was a mistake to approve the 12% increase, said he proposed later to take $300,000 out of recreational reserve funds, which would have resulted in a tax rate increase of “virtually zero.”
Lever said he was at the budget meetings this year and one thing that became clear is that in addition to three large tax increases in the last four years, the township’s reserves have also been declining over that time.
Whitcombe explained the parkland fund to which Visser refers is created through development charges, a large portion of which are generated when large rural residential homes are built.
“You can only spend it once,” Whitcombe said, noting the development charges for such homes may be coming to an end and it will be difficult to replace the funds. He thought it was best to preserve the reserve fund while still looking out for the long-term needs of the municipality.
Neighbour to the north
When it comes to the City of Guelph and its possible expansion south, Visser said while Puslinch does need to have better relations with the city, Guelph has enough capacity to grow within its current border until 2031. Besides, he added, environmentally sensitive land to the city’s south means it will likely first look to the east to expand.
Lever agreed the township needs a better relationship with Guelph. He said the Places to Grow Act will make it difficult for the city to expand, but even if it’s “not within our lifetime,” it is inevitable that the city boundary will one day reach Highway 401.
Whitcombe refuted that statement, claiming sensitive environmental features mean the area can not sustain a large urban population. He called the township “an oasis” that needs to be protected.
“I am confident, as long as we keep up the good technical work and make sure we respect our environment in this community, it will not be urbanized in our lifetime or beyond,” said Whitcombe.
Community responsiveness
One resident at the meeting wanted to know how each candidate would make the township more attentive to the needs of residents.
Visser said the township has “a lot of good staff,” but there may be some problem areas. He noted one staff member will not even speak to him anymore because he’s been “somewhat vocal” over the last term. Visser said staff may need to be pressured to undergo training to deal with the public in the proper manner.
Lever said one of the primary criteria when hiring township staff should be their ability to deal with the public.
“If they don’t have those skills or can’t be taught those skills, they will not get a frontline job,” he said.
Whitcombe stressed the staff at the township is “top rate.” He specifically mentioned the role of CAO Brenda Law, who has been with the municipality for 33 years.
He acknowledged bad days or breakdowns in communication happen everywhere, but Puslinch staff always strives to answer concerns reasonably and promptly.
Planning issues
Lever told the crowd he wants to “take back control” of planning issues, noting the township currently uses part-time planners from Wellington County.
But both Visser and Whitcombe said hiring a full-time planner for the township makes little sense.
Visser said the township had its own planner at one time, and there was little work to do. He said using the county planning services makes more sense financially than taking on an annual salary upwards of $100,000.
Whitcombe added the township is “very well” served by having the entire county planning services at its disposal.
“We pay for what we use,” said Whitcombe.
Water taking
Another hot topic at the debate was the potential long-term impact commercial water taking will have on the community.
Visser said Nestle Waters Canada, which has been in the community for 15 years and employs about 300 people, operates under a licence issued by the Ministry of the Environment. He said its current well on Brock Road, as well as its back-up well, will have to conform to the licence and take into account the water demands of nearby subdivisions.
Lever said he is concerned about all the water taking activities in the township – not just by Nestle – for which there has never been a cumulative impact study completed.
Whitcombe noted the township has employed a ground water monitoring system for 20 years, which provides the municipality with invaluable information. The township also employs Harden Environmental Services and has a well protection agreement with Nestle to ensure any concerns are addressed quickly, he said.
He added Nestle has to either truck or pipe water from its back-up well to its headquarters on Brock Road, and the township will have “absolute control” over that aspect.
The Big Lake
Visser said he has been a “strong voice” on the topic of the Big Lake – plans to transform several gravel pits into one large lake measuring 700 acres in size – for three years.
He accused Whitcombe of talking secretly with up to 20 potential partners without input from council or the public. He reaffirmed that he is not opposed to the project, but he is against any taxpayers’ money helping to foot the bill. He said the aggregate companies involved, which he alleged to date have contributed absolutely nothing, should cover all costs.
Lever said the township was originally supposed to pay $40,000 for preliminary studies, but is on the hook for $95,000 to date. He said the companies involved stand to make a large profit on the land surrounding the lake and thus the total cost should be borne by them.
Whitcombe said the idea is for the land to be turned over to the public trust; it will not be developed privately. He stressed all councillors were invited to every meeting but some chose not to show up.
Whitcombe also said the only questions he ever asked before council got involved was if the project was possible and if there was interest from the gravel companies – and the answer to both was yes. He said once the township hears back about a funding application, there will be a comprehensive and public process, and if people don’t want the lake, it will not happen.
The bypass
Calling the poor air quality in Morriston a “travesty,” a resident asked how the candidates could speed up the process for a Highway 6 bypass around the hamlet.
Visser said it’s obvious better air quality comes with the new bypass. He explained township representatives have lobbied tirelessly along with MPP Ted Arnott and that’s all they can continue to do.
Lever said the bypass should already be in place, considering the process has gone on for over three decades. He said the township needs to lobby the government to make the project a priority, perhaps stressing the commercial benefits as well as the safety ones.
Whitcombe said the township has worked for years on pushing for the bypass and “our patience is running out.” He said the bypass should be the number one election issue for MPP candidates in next fall’s provincial election.
New library
One man in attendance asked why the old library was torn down and is being replaced, considering there did not appear to be a huge spike in the number of users. He also wondered if repairs were ever discussed.
Visser said the old library was built in 1986 or 1987 and if his house had a leaky roof, he wouldn’t tear it down, he’d fix it.
“It broke my heart to tear it down,” he said of the old building. He questioned the procedure that led to the decision, including just a 15-minute presentation on the plans, and said the building should have been repaired, leaving extra money to repair county roads in the township.
Lever said he watched as the price for the building rose from $1.5- to $2.5-million and was rejected by county council. The price was eventually brought down to closer to $2-million, but Lever suggested improvements at the old library would have been sufficient. In addition, he said when it came to the decision, too much happened too quickly, with no public consultation.
As chair of the county committee in charge of the library board, Whitcombe said when it comes to new libraries, the buck stops with him. He explained the county library system has the highest use of any in the province and research shows after receiving a new building, use increases dramatically.
Research also showed the old library was about half the size of what the community really needed, so expansion was dismissed as a solution. The new building is functional, accessible and will suit the township’s needs for many years to come, he said.
Uniting factors
While the candidates differed on many subjects, they were in agreement on three questions. All three are opposed to the idea of the “424” highway that would pass directly through Puslinch Township.
They are also strongly opposed to the poison pen newsletters making their way around the township, and they all agreed that the reconstruction of several roads in Morriston is long overdue.
