Councillors here continue to wonder how small municipalities will handle the cost of implementing source water protection plans.
As Puslinch council again discussed the issue on May 2, it was clear those concerns are shared by municipalities across Ontario.
Councillor Susan Fielding told council of a recent source water protection meeting for Hamilton-Halton. She said that in mid-April all the chairmen of the source water protection committees met with Minister of the Environment Jim Bradley.
“They had quite a large agenda to discuss but the minister would not make any funding commitment,” said Fielding.
All the committee chairmen are hearing from their respective municipalities and wonder what is going to happen with funding, she added.
Fielding said there has been no reply to an earlier letter sent by Halton Region, or similar letters from other regions, requesting a schedule extension. She said it appears MOE staff is willing to respond, “but it is the minister who was stalling – but the decision is the minister’s to make.”
The only commitment is there will be an answer to the extension request, but they don’t know what that answer will be. Fielding said while reports are due in mid-August, approvals will not likely be issued until a year after that.
She believes the current source water protection committees would remain intact for at least another year, into 2013. At that point, the government would like the committees to continue in an advisory capacity.
She said one of the pressing concerns is well head protection, especially in areas where the protection area crosses municipal boundaries. She said there are still talks about every municipality having a risk management officer, and the ministry felt any municipality with a population over 2,000 could afford that cost.
Councillor Wayne Stokley asked if there is any option of that being done at the county level to share the costs – or if it could be done on a contract basis. He questioned requiring every municipality have its own risk management officer on standby.
Stokley is uncertain of the training requirements and if it needs to be done with a new person or if it could be done by someone on staff. He said, “It would be much easier to have this at a county level, and utilize a contract.”
Fielding said the ministry sent a draft outline for the type of person for this job. “They were suggesting people with a masters degree in ecology, which is a person who is obviously going to be well-paid.”
Fielding said there is also talk about additional training twice a year.
“But for what they are expecting, I don’t know if we could send our chief building official,” said Fielding.
She added there is still so much “up in the air. They’re talking out of two sides of their mouth when they are asking for such high qualifications.”
Fielding is uncertain there is anyone currently on staff who would qualify for the job.
Mayor Dennis Lever said it appears the ministry is looking for people with university science degrees, environmental science and a real background in the kinds of issues they are going to run into.
“There’s a lot of authority going to be placed in this person,” said Lever.
He said provincial legislation does not allow the upper tiers to become involved – currently. Lever added it is his intention to meet with the other mayors, and the issue will come up on the agenda.
Fielding said there was also some conversation that this might be something best left in the hands of the conservation authorities. “It may make a lot of sense in a lot of ways,” she said.
She cited the deadline within which the work needs to be done. “All the municipalities were in favour of a five-year implementation, while everyone else seemed to want to get things underway immediately.”
She said the municipalities were out-voted and as a result Hamilton-Halton voted in favour of a two-year implementation.
“It was frustrating because you could see the municipal representatives worried about the financial side and how this would be implemented. In a perfect world, it would be great if we could do it tomorrow.”
She is equally uncertain if the other groups understood what the municipalities will be facing.
Councillor Ken Roth asked about the potential of a regional risk management officer and sharing the costs.
Councillor Jerry Schmidt shared those sentiments.
“I don’t see how Puslinch Township could afford what is being asked of us,” said Schmidt.
He agreed it would be much more affordable and beneficial to share the responsibility and cost.
Stokley said the township current contracts for specific services such as its hydrogeologist and he sees that as the way to go – if it would be acceptable for this type of program.
Lever said the idea of the mayors getting together would be to bring up suggestions, which would be taken back to their respective municipalities.
“I also would like to see the conservation authorities involved,” he said. “My concern there is that we have a number of conservation authorities within our boundaries and would need each one of them to respect the views of the others.”
He explained the various source water regions also have various committees in place, each with slightly different recommendations.
Lever said regardless of the person hired, additional training would be required, aside from the technical qualification.
Fielding said, “Ultimately, the MOE is going to have to step up to the plate if they want to make this a success.”
They have to make some commitments one way or the other, she said.
