A new economic development group that includes all of Wellington County, the Waterloo Wellington Community Futures Development Group, and a representative from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs has a formal start.
And that start had councillor Lou Maieron wondering on Aug. 12 if county council might suddenly see a new hit to its annual budget sometime soon.
Council considered minutes from the committee that, on July 6, formally named itself the Wellington County Municipal Economic Development Group, or, less formally, the group.
It considered a terms of reference for comment and approval. The idea behind it is to have that group work with each municipality to develop and implement economic and tourism growth and promote a business-enabling environment in Wellington County.
The group contains a chairman, secretary, and 11 voting members total. The others are from the county’s seven municipalities, two from Wellington County, and a Futures economic development officer.
Support staff will come from three townships, a member of Wellington County, and a Futures and an OMAFRA representative.
The minutes of the July meeting stated the terms are for one year for the chairman and voting members, and will be reviewed by the members.
The minutes also stated, “The group will operate as a stand alone committee which will become a standing committee of the County of Wellington in the future.
The group planned to approve its terms of reference the day after the county council meeting.
In surveying the county economic sectors, Centre Wellington’s economic development director Dave Rushton suggested the easiest to first survey would be the manufacturing sector. He suggested that if each municipality could pay $125, an effective and accurate inventory could be prepared.
Pattie Sinnamon, of Mapleton, was to collect the funds from the municipalities, and distribute the funds to Taylor Analytics.
Councillor Chris White, who is chairman of the group, told county council, “It looks like we’ve got a good shot at a grant with three [provincial] ministries.”
But Maieron was not particularly pleased to see the group was deciding that it would become a standing committee of county council.
White said that statement in the minutes was “over reaching” but he added, “At the end of the day, in the long term, it may make sense to have” a council committee for economic development.
He said that might be 20 years down the road. He added the group is simply asking for county council endorsement.
“It is county wide,” White said. “It’s not isolated.”
But Maieron said he would like to see another county body oversee the activities of the group. He suggested the planning committee might be ideal for that purpose.
“I just want due process,” Maieron said, adding that he has no wish to see a sudden budget item (request for operating cash) coming from the group.
White argued the group has been approved in concept by county council, and, “It’s been in front of county council for close to a year.”
He said it is just working on the parameters for the group, a plan, and then everything will “come back to county.”
He said county council will decide what to do with the committee, and added that what is happening now is “baby steps.”
Council took no further action, but simply received the report.
