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Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 47 Issue 08
Drayton, Ontario
Daily Interest 1.55%
638-3328
Friday, February 21, 2014
www.jackfinancial.ca
Mapleton backs MPP’s call for reform of joint and several liability legislation
Family Day fun in Mapleton
by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON – The township has joined a growing list of municipalities supporting a call for changes to liability legislation that makes taxpayers an easy target for lawsuits. Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece is pushing the provincial government to reform “joint and several liability� - an issue driving up municipal insurance premiums and, in turn, property taxes. In December Pettapiece introduced a private member’s resolution calling on the province to act. Currently, if two or more parties are found at fault or negligent in a lawsuit, damages can be recovered from any defendant, even if the party is deemed only one per cent responsible. In a Feb. 12 press release, Pettapiece cites a 2007 case
Family fun - Since 2008, Ontarians have celebrated Family Day on the third Monday in February. Designed to provide families with a day to share together and take a break during the bleakest month of winter, the event is celebrated with a wide range of activities in communities across Wellington County. In Mapleton, an afternoon of ice skating at the PMD Arena was on the agenda for many local families on Feb. 17, including Justin and Sandy Yutzy, of Drayton, and their children Quinten and Kiara. In addition to Ontario, Alberta Saskatchewan and British Columbia all celebrate Family Day. Albertans have been celebrating the holiday the longest, beginning in 1990, while British Columbia introduced Family Day in 2013. photo by Patrick Raftis
in which an Ontario Superior Court found a municipality 50% liable for a crash involving a young driver under the influence of alcohol who ran a stop sign. The municipality should have had better signage, the court found, because drivers in the area had a habit of running stop signs. “Local property taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay the price in cases like these,� Pettapiece states in the release. “We need the government to come up with a plan that is fair to all concerned.� Pettapiece’s resolution calls on the government to implement a comprehensive, longterm solution to reform joint and several liability insurance for municipalities by no later than June 2014. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario has urged municipalities to provide
“immediate written support� for Pettapiece’s resolution, which has already received over 90 supportive resolutions from municipalities, including several in Wellington County. Mapleton council unanimously endorsed the resolution at its Feb. 11 meeting. The township’s annual premium for all forms of coverage in 2014 is $176,945. That’s up about 3% from the $170,989 the municipality paid in premium for the 2013 term. In 2011, AMO released the results of a survey showing municipal insurance rates had increased by 22% over previous five-year period. Because the issue affects municipalities across Ontario, Pettapiece states he is hoping to win support from MPPs of all parties. Debate on the private member’s resolution is scheduled for Feb. 27.
Budget trimming continues in Mapleton
Local residents planting trees by the thousands MAPLETON - Over 16,000 trees will be planted along watercourses in Mapleton this spring. Landowners have been working with the community group Trees for Mapleton to add trees along creeks, ditches and rivers. Mark Funk, a Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) forestry specialist, says the 16,000 trees will stretch a cumulative length of 12 kilometers along Mapleton’s waterways. “This will go a long way towards improving the water quality in the creeks and ditches� says Funk. “It’s certainly going to help downstream water quality in the Conestogo River and the Grand.�
1 Year GIC - 2.09% 3 Year GIC - 2.26% 5 Year GIC - 2.80%
These treed creek buffers (sometimes called riparian buffers) provide a number of farm and environmental benefits: they can filter sediment and nutrient runoff from fields, encourage water infiltration and provide habitat for beneficial birds, insects and aquatic wildlife. Bill Kabbes, a Mapleton farmer, planted an 820-metrelong creek buffer with trees over 20 years ago. Kabbes, who has a dairy operation near Arthur, planted the trees and installed a fence to keep his cattle out of a tributary of Farley Creek. When asked whether the buffer has improved water quality, Kabbes replied, “For sure! I think the water leaving our
property might even be cleaner than the water coming in.� Although Kabbes says the main goal was to reduce the amount of manure getting into the water, it has also benefitted his herd’s health. “The project has had unexpected benefits in terms of herd health. I have seen a lower rate of both mastitis and foot rot now that the cattle aren’t in the creek.� Grant money is available through the Wellington Rural Water Quality Program to assist with tree planting and other water quality improvement projects. For more information contact GRCA staff at 519-6212761 or ruralwater@grandriver.ca.
by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Council and staff here continue to trim expenses as they work through the 2014 municipal budget process. A treasurer’s report approved by council at the Feb. 11 meeting includes a draft budget requiring a tax levy of $4,393,343, an increase of $393,254 over the 2013 levy. Finance director Yufang Du said those numbers would result in a budget levy increase of 9.83 per cent and tax rate increase of 3.03%. An earlier draft of the budget on Jan. 28 included a levy increase of $437,995 over the 2013 levy - or 10.95%. The report was received following a four-hour budget session prior to the regular council session on Feb. 11. Mayor Bruce Whale said council is still aiming to have
the budget passed by the end of March. However, he noted, the process could be complicated by decisions to be made regarding rebuilding of the township’s public works garage at the Mapleton administration Centre on Sideroad 16. The facility burned down on Nov. 29 and further meetings with the township’s insurer, the Frank Cowan Company, are needed before rebuilding can proceed. Whale said the project could still affect the 2014 budget. “We have a few unknowns,� said Whale. “We’re not sure how much coverage we’re going to have.� While insurance will cover the loss of the building, additional funds could be needed if council decides not to rebuild the exact same building on the same footprint as the previous shed. It’s possible the munici-
pality may have to debenture a portion of the project, Whale explained. The mayor also noted further review of potential bridge and road projects will be conducted before the budget is finalized. “We do know we have some bridges in this municipality that are not going to last forever,� said the mayor, noting four bridges have been identified as requiring attention in the near future. Du presented a report explaining that Mapleton’s 2014 share of unconditional grant funding through the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund is $1,050,600, a decrease of $185,300 from 2013. “That 185,000 that we lost transfers into a four per cent increase in our operating budget. So it’s pretty significant for us,� said Whale.
Mapleton Safe Communities group seeking volunteers
Safey day - Mapleton Safe Communities is seeking volunteers to assist with their community activities. A safety day for local students is among the events planned in 2014. Above, Mapleton resident Walter Grose mans the farm safety booth at a safety day in Minto last spring. Community News file photo Main St. W. Palmerston
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For more info call 519-343-3640 or visit www.norgantheatre.com
MAPLETON - Mapleton Safe Communities (MSC) is urgently seeking volunteers to fill vacant positions. Partnering with Mapleton Fire Rescue (MFR), the County of Wellington OPP, and Wellington County Safe Communities, the committee is comprised of MFR representatives, Mapleton council members, OPP officers and community volunteers. The committee’s main objective is to explore and implement ways to make Mapleton Township as safe as possible. The committee has been in development over the past
few years but organizers are pleased with some of the results of staying committed. Whether promoting drug/alcohol abuse awareness programs or anti-bullying seminars, the committee’s aim is to identify and address safety issues within Mapleton Township. “Each community has a unique profile. Issues that may affect a place like Minto may not have the same impact or relevance in Mapleton,� states MSC chair Wilma Mol. Last year MSC launched and implemented the Vial of Life Program and the group hopes to launch the Road Watch Program at some point
Weekly Wag
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in 2014. Road Watch is an OPP initiative that addresses unsafe driving and/or road hazards in a proactive way. The committee is also planning its first Mapleton Safety Day for all Mapleton students in Grades 1 and 4. Working in cooperation with local schools this all-day event is scheduled to be held at the PMD Arena in Drayton on May 13. “This is a transitional year for our committee and we are excited about these new initiatives,� said Mol. “But like a lot of committees we need more help, some of our members are overloaded with other commitments, some retiring and some
moving away. It is our hope that a few good people will step up to the plate and join our committee.� In addition to looking for new members, the committee is also seeking a youth representative (preferably a high school student or older). This it is an ideal way for students to fill their community service requirements, Mol notes. The committee meets on the last Monday of each month at 7pm at the Drayton Fire Hall. The community is invited any of these meetings. Contact Mol for more information at wilmasworld@live. com or 519-575-8430.
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