MAPLETON – Property taxes to be levied and collected for the township in 2019 total $7.8 million.
Staff announced the total at the May 28 council meeting, during which council approved a related tax rate bylaw.
The township will also collect $10.1 million on behalf of the county and a further $3.5 million for the province’s education taxes.
According to the report to council, the finance department anticipates invoicing and mailing notices for the two final 2019 tax installments in July. They are due on Sept. 27 and Nov. 28.
New tiered response agreement
Council authorized Mapleton Fire Chief Rick Richardson to sign a memorandum of understanding with Guelph Wellington Paramedic Service on May 28.
The memorandum will revise a tiered response agreement signed in 2012 to state the fire department will only be sent “to the calls that they can make a difference,” states Richardson’s report.
“I guess the biggest thing is if the ambulance is going to be delayed over 20 minutes, now we would be called. That time previously was 15 minutes,” Richardson told council.
According to the report, when tiered by Cambridge Central, the Mapleton Fire Department will continue to respond to calls for:
– obvious immediate threat to life;
– burns/electrocution/inhalation;
– near drowning;
– vehicle collisions;
– penetrating trauma.
Mayor concerned about potential new kennel
During a meeting on June 13, Mayor Gregg Davidson voiced major concern over a zoning amendment application that, if ultimately approved, would allow another licensed kennel to operate in the township.
The proposed zoning amendment would permit a commercial kennel on a farm on the 4th line and Sideroad 18 in a building (325 square metres) to be built on the property.
“This would make 13, I believe, registered kennels within our township that we have,” Davidson told council.
“I know we have our bylaws … I just have some great concerns about adding more and more kennels in our community.”
Applicant Eli Brubacher told council the kennel would be used to breed St. Bernard dogs and while the bylaw would allow for up to 25 dogs in the kennel, he did not anticipate having that many.
Councillor Dennis Craven said he agreed with Davidson’s concerns.
“I agree with your comments sir, but do we have any idea of what other municipalities of the same size would have … Are we exceeding a reasonable amount or are we below accepted amounts?” asked Craven.
County planner Jessica Rahim told council other lower tier municipalities have shown similar concerns and are considering updating their respective current kennel license bylaws.
“The Township of Mapleton isn’t far off … I can say that some of them have started to have discussions about looking at that bylaw again as to the permitted number of kennels, distance to neighbouring dwellings, things like that,” Rahim said.
Councillor Paul Douglas reminded council of the benefits of permitting an licensed kennel.
“At least the applicants are coming in to get a licensed kennel as opposed to … having illegal kennels. At least this way we have access to visit them and make sure they are operating up to standard,” Douglas said.
Still, Davidson said, the township already has a large number of dogs to contend with.
“It’s just one of those concerns indicating that we have a lot of dogs and adding more dogs; there are a lot of dogs out there that people can adopt elsewhere,” Davidson said. “To me breeding more dogs when there is all kinds of dogs available kind of irks me a bit.”
