Two local MPPs have indicated they are pleased to see municipalities are starting to receive some action on their disaster assistance claims from the December 2013 ice storm.
On Feb. 13, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing announced it had approved the claims and initiated final payments to Centre Wellington, Puslinch, and Mapleton. The three townships received the full amount of their claims through the provincial Ice Storm Assistance Program.
Centre Wellington has been promised $297,000, Puslinch $44,923 and Mapleton $23,000.
“I’m very pleased that the Township of Mapleton was successful in its application, and I want to congratulate township staff for their work,” said Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece.
It’s unfortunate, Pettapiece said, that the government’s process was so time-consuming to municipalities.
“The government’s application process was onerous, to say the least,” he added. “There is no good reason why it should have taken this long for the government to help municipalities.”
Pettapiece stated he will continue to follow up with the government on behalf of all the remaining municipalities still waiting for funding, including the Town of Minto, which has been offered an interim payment of about $28,000 on a claim of just over $80,000.
Welllington Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott noted Centre Wellington and Puslinch are among the first municipalities to be promised financial assistance for cleanup costs following the December 2013 ice storm.
Arnott pointed out the Region of Halton has been offered $996,639, the Town of Halton Hills $326,901, the Town of Erin $156,702, and the Township of Guelph/Eramosa $56,178. All of those amounts have been characterized by the government as “interim funding.”
“I trust our municipal partners and I know that staff from all our municipalities have spent untold hours putting the claims together to satisfy the government’s process,” said Arnott. “I was glad to support their efforts.”
