Source water protection, a fire report and a new subdivision were a few of the items discussed at the April 18 Guelph-Eramosa council meeting. Councillor Louise Marshall was absent.
Fire
During the month of March there were 22 calls for assistance to the fire department: three medical calls, six carbon monoxide alarm calls, one public assistance call, four car accidents and eight hydro/storm related calls. The March 24 ice storm resulted in eight calls for assistance and 107 staff hours.
The fees for service paid by the Ministry of Transportation to municipalities has hit the five-year mark and rates were increased. The fees for service rate for an incident on a provincial highway have increased to $450 per hour from $410 per hour.
The fire fees schedule has also been changed so that fees for service for the fire department now states “current MTO rate” and will reflect the five year reevaluation of fees for incidents on provincial highways.
Also new to the fire fees schedule is a section outlining that the responsible party is always 100 per cent billable for hazardous materials calls.
Source water protection
“The county has submitted a second official plan amendment, OPA 98, to update their policies to conform to the Grand River Source Protection Policies that we’ve been discussing over the past few years,” township planning associate Kelsey Lang explained.
“They’ve circulated it to us for comment and it is what we would expect to see in these policies.”
Council David Wolk asked how council could agree to something when the cost is unknown.
Lang explained that the updates will have no cost impact on the township but could impact applicants in the future.
Mayor Chris White said the future impacts are unclear because source water protection isn’t fully implemented.
“I think we’re in for a bit of a bumpy road but at the end of the day we are required by law to bring these things into place and then how it impacts folks, we’ve said since day one.”
Council approved the township’s comments.
New subdivision
Council supports the severance of a lot to create a new subdivision given the applicant satisfies all the requirements the township deems necessary, financial or otherwise.
The property at 5155 Fourth Line is predominantly located on an agricultural area however the portion to be severed is within the urban centre of Rockwood.
Barbara Bonner is requesting the portion be severed to support a subdivision application and zoning bylaw amendment application.
The applicant also requested a drainage easement on the land be retained. It would accept overland storm water from the proposed subdivision and from Rockmosa park and would permit access for maintenance.
Councillor Corey Woods asked for clarification on the drainage pond.
“So all of those lands drain to a pond that currently exists?” he asked. “So they’re retaining the pond and they’re just going to continue draining all that land.”
White explained that the easement ensures the subdivision will have a legal right to drain to the pond and the property owners will not be able to arbitrarily remove it.
Commercial complex
Council approved the site plan agreement for a seven-unit commercial complex at 167 Jolliffe Ave. in Rockwood. The site plans were approved on Sept. 8 subject to a site plan agreement.
