ELORA – Centre Wellington staff walked councillors through the 10-year capital forecast at the committee of the whole meeting on Oct. 4 as they prepare the 2022 draft budget.
Council has already looked at items on the list of capital projects for 2022; Monday’s discussion centred around projects planned for further out.
Councillor Stephan Kitras wanted to know why there is funding allocated to update the township’s growth strategy when a growth strategy has never been approved.
Brett Salmon, managing director of planning and development, said staff created a growth strategy project in 2016 and council approved a preferred strategy in 2017, but then the province announced new growth targets, “so we put on the brakes and ever since have been in flux,” he said.
Salmon called it a “top down” process, with the province allocating growth to Wellington County and the county allocating growth to the member municipalities. Wellington County is now in the midst of a municipal comprehensive review (MCR).
“We can’t complete ours until the county does theirs,” he said, adding staff placed updating the growth strategy in 2026 to allow time “for the county’s MCR process to play out.”
But he agreed “it would be preferable to move it forward,” as many of the township’s other strategic documents – development charges, roads, waterworks and wastewater for example – are related to growth.
Kitras put forward a motion to move developing a growth strategy to 2022 but his motion failed.
Termites
Councillors zeroed in on termites. The capital forecast allocates $60,000 a year for the next four years, but a presentation earlier in the year by termite expert Tim Myles indicated nearly 500 homes in the area are impacted by termites and the cost to eradicate them would come in closer to $1 million.
Salmon said staff has been talking with other vendors – Myles has indicated he is not prepared to take on the job – and he expects to come to council with an RFP some time in 2022.
Bridge 24WG
$4.2 million has been allocated to replace Bridge 24WG, on 1st Line between Sideroad 10 and Sideroad 15 in the rural area to the north of Fergus. Local resident Paul Rappolt delegated to council on the bridge, which he thought was too expensive and didn’t think should be a priority.
“I question if this project serves the needs of the majority of people here,” Rappolt said. “There are more pressing needs. Four million dollars on a minor bridge heading north is not money well spent.”
Colin Baker, managing director of infrastructure services, said council approved the bridge replacement earlier this year and an environmental assessment and public consultation has already occurred. The cost is large because a retaining wall also needs to be constructed to accommodate the steep grade of the road.
“Emergency response times are driving it,” Baker said, adding the project is at the detail design stage and he expects it will go to tender early next year.
East Mill Street to Melville
Sabine Maarse, owner of Elora Doggy Daycare, delegated to council on the plan to replace the watermains on East Mill Street in 2023.
Maarse noted there were three watermain breaks on Mill Street East this year that caused damage to her storefront and not only is she out of pocket on some of the repairs, her insurance premiums and deductibles have increased substantially.
“I just want to be sure this doesn’t get pushed out further,” she said of the planned work to the road. “Please keep it at the front of your mind when you’re doing the budget.”
Baker said the project is being completed jointly with Wellington County and is in the preliminary design phase. It will include replacing watermains, storm sewers and sanitary sewers and improvements to the sidewalk.
To a question from council, Baker said it would cost another $1 million to put electrical utilities underground at the same time. Centre Wellington Hydro has some appetite for doing it but Hydro One, which also has infrastructure in the area, is not interested at this time.
Council approved a motion to include the 10-year capital forecast in the draft 2022 budget in a 4-3 split with Mayor Kelly Linton and councillors Steven VanLeeuwen, Ian MacRae and Neil Dunsmore in favour and Kitras, Bob Foster and Kirk McElwain opposed.
