Councillors here are waiving fees for the Millcreek Subwatershed Community Liaison Team.
That move came as a result of a letter to council on Feb. 15 from Bev Wozniak who made the request for the team.
Wozniak asked the fee for use of the Alf Hales room at the community centre be waived.
“We have as a group carried on in order to continue to represent the public interest and provide a community service in the township.”
She said for the past 17 years members have been at the fall fair, distributed water bottles for testing wells, distributed pamphlets from various government agencies like the MOE, MNR, Agriculture department.
“We use to meet once a month and the only monies to pay for the use of the room was to pass the hat. As we are a small group, we are finding it very difficult to afford the rental.”
Councillor Wayne Stokley suggested the matter be referred to the recreation committee.
“They are the ones who deal with the facility issues in the township.”
Councillor Jerry Schmidt, however, contended what was before council is “a perfectly logical request from my point of view. I can’t see this as being controversial at all.”
Schmidt did not see a point to sending the matter to the recreation committee.
Councillor Ken Roth also believed it could be dealt with by council that night. “If it goes to recreation and they make a recommendation, we’re going to have to approve it here, anyway.”
He saw no need to hold up the decision for a month. He supported waiving the fee.
Councillor Susan Fielding pointed out the township charges many other community groups to use the hall.
“I think approving this would actually go against what the recreation committee is trying to accomplish, which is not to have as many freebies for people.”
She said a number of those involved are not township residents, “and I think this is really a very small cost.”
Fielding said council needs to be careful since there are a number of groups that could ask for free rental and she did not want to set a precedent.
She, like Stokley, preferred the issue be sent to the recreation committee.
“We need to use our committees and respect our committees – especially on issues such as rental fees. I really think this is a recreation issue.”
Mayor Dennis Lever agreed there are concerns about maintaining incomes from township facilities, but he compared the association to Friends of Mill Creek, which gets free accommodation in the Puslinch fire hall. He supported Wozniak’s request as well.
A motion to waive the fees passed 3-2 with Stokley and Fielding opposed.
