Council will be forming a committee to at least look at the possibility of retaining the pond in Hillsburgh.
At the June 6 council meeting, councillor Barb Tocher said of her initial notice of motion, “It seems like a long, long time ago I said I was going to bring forward this notice of motion, but it’s been bumped from original meetings, to extra meetings.
“The reason for this resolution stemmed from the May 7 meeting when there was an overflowing crowd here as council was making its decision on what course to take” on repairs to the culvert beneath the dam under Station Road.
Tocher said then councillors John Brennan and Josie Wintersinger said they did not want to see the pond lost – but felt they had to go with the options to repair the culvert and dam for other reasons.
“It’s totally understandable. I get the sense from council that retaining the pond is one of their priorities.”
But, she said, repairing the road is priority number one.
Her recommendation is creation of an ad hoc committee of councillors and citizens.
“There’s been a number of members of the public who have expressed interest to be part of that committee.”
Wintersinger said the pond will go down as a result of the work to fix the road. “I made the motion that I wanted the road fixed. The road is our responsibility; the pond is not.”
Wintersinger added, “While I think it is a shame to lose the pond, the road has to be opened. I don’t know if we can save the pond.”
Brennan added, “Absolutely it would be a shame to lose the pond.”
He saw council having a choice. If council does nothing (other than the current proposed repairs), the pond will be gone, Brennan said. “Or we can at least explore the feasibility of, if not retaining now, then the possibility of bringing back the pond at some point.”
Brennan said, “I’d rather do that than just give up.”
Wintersinger said, “We’re not just giving up.”
She had no problem with looking at saving the pond, “as long as the road gets fixed first.”
That decision has been made, Brennan agreed.
Tocher said that she was not asking council to reconsider its decision to fix Station Road.
Her other concern was councillors made a decision about the road, “but they have also made a decision about a private property owner’s asset. I would suggest to you, if someone suggested we drain the pond at Stanley Park, I would be just as up in arms as I am right now.”
Tocher said, “We are taking away the rights and privileges of a private homeowner in our decision making, and I think we need to look at that.”
She said the creation of a committee is one means of looking at that. “We have arbitrarily made a decision that will alter her property forever, unless we look at it.”
Tocher said, “Rather than give up, this is my way of looking at possibly mitigating what is going to happen.”
Wintersinger said she did not want to see things delayed further. She said people are being inconvenienced, and there has been an emergency.
“We owe it to the people to get the road open. I’m sorry that it affects [a private property owner], but that person has not been exactly cooperative.”
Councillor Deb Callaghan said it is not just the effect on one property owner but the community around the pond.
“It’s affecting property values and quality of life on all of those people.”
Mayor Lou Maieron said, “If there is an interest of the citizenry in that vicinity to form a committee and if you wish to sit on that committee as a resident – more power to you.”
He was still weighing the idea of having it as a committee of council. “I’m not taking any side on the pond, I’m just offering the perspective that the pond is a private piece of property.”
He said many years ago the town had looked at purchasing the pond, but chose not to because of liability issues and other concerns.
Maieron said if the dam is kept, it would have to meet 2012 standards.
He said the pond issue is different than the ballpark at Centre 2000 since the dam and pond are privately owned – even if it sits beneath a municipal road.
Maieron said he was not trying to belittle Tocher’s passion. “But the pond is not ours,” Maieron said.
He said it might be a different situation if the pond was municipally owned.
Tocher said her reason for the resolution was so council and the community could work together.
Maieron said if the community wishes to move forward on this, it can then come to council.
“Even if council is not interested,” Tocher guaranteed that a committee will be formed. “And you will probably here from them.”
Maieron said he was not trying to dissuade a committee from being formed.
“If the citizenry wants to go forward and come up with a plan, then come to council. Right now it doesn’t belong to us.”
He said if the pond was a town asset, he could see it being a special council committee.
Brennan said what he found unacceptable in the debate, was the prospect of the road being closed another year and a half.
Tocher’s resolution to establish the committee carried.
