Development charges and discussions regarding farm properties are still keeping councillors here busy.
Next week, council is meeting with Watson and Associates to get an explanation on how development charges should affect farm properties.
As the meeting was announced, Wellington North Mayor Mike Broomhead wanted to make a few clarifications of his own.
He noted one of the remarks he made at a previous meeting, where farm representatives were present, was that the charge is not going to change – that night. He stressed the comment was in reference to the way the meeting was set up – the bylaw was going through the first, second and third readings.
As a result, there was no way the bylaw implementing development charges could be changed – that night.
“It was impossible at that time,” Broomhead said.
But, he added, council will be looking at it again. He thought it was fairly clear at that time council wanted time to pull additional information together before making a decision.
Broomhead said a number of issues were brought up at the public meeting, and a series of questions were asked. He said the municipality intends to provide proper answers.
The mayor noted local farmers “seem to be pretty riled up.”
However, he added if the municipality had that particular input from the agricultural community from the beginning, council might have made a different decision.
“We would have looked at the information,” he said.
He stated the issue was that at the previous meeting, council was being asked to make changes without having that information or background.
“It wouldn’t be proper as a council to do it that way,” Broomhead said, adding if changes are made, something would be in place to reimburse individuals.
“If changes are made,” he stressed.
Broomhead said people are upset at this point, when they don’t need to be upset, because, “We’re going to treat everyone fairly.”
But council needs the chance to review the information and see if there is a means to address the concerns and issues, he added.
“I had some very upsetting phone calls from farmers, but once I had the chance to explain it, they thanked me and said they had not understood the process,” the mayor said.
He noted farmers had believed councillors did not listen to them and they were getting the shaft.
“That’s so far from the truth. It’s too bad,” he said, explaining council would do its best to resolve the issues.
