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Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 46 Issue 09
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.10% 3 Year GIC - 2.25% 5 Year GIC - 2.65% Daily Interest 2.00%
Friday, March 1, 2013
Rodeo in Mapleton to be held July 5-7 MAPLETON - Dust off your hats, put a shine to your boots and get ready for the first annual Mapleton Rodeo. The July 5 to 7 event is being hosted by the Optimist Club of Moorefield and the Kinsmen Club of Drayton. Wildhorse Productions (A-Bar-K Rodeo) will bring the New Holland Elite Rodeo Series to Moorefield for two days of Rodeo action in Mapleton Township. Cowboys and cowgirls from across Canada, the U.S. and Brazil will compete for championship points in all the traditional rodeo events, including bull riding competitions, bareback bronc riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing and tie down roping. Organizers are promising an exciting weekend “filled with fun for the entire family.� Ukulele lessons - Grade 5/6 students are learning to play the Ukulele at Maryborough Public School in Moorefield through a program started by Wendy Hallman. Stumminging up a storm, from left, are: Kylie McBeth, Sierra Martin, Kelsey Walker and Sara Martin.
submitted photo
Council limits cost sharing for road upgrade by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Council here has agreed to place an upper limit on a local grain elevator operator’s portion of a cost sharing agreement with the municipality for a road upgrade project on Sideroad 12. At the Jan. 6 meeting, council was advised Neil and Barbara Driscoll were prepared to pay half the estimated $30,000 cost of proposed improvements to Sideroad 12 from Wellington Road 8 to the first driveway of the Driscoll property.
Council agreed to the arrangement, and later confirmed the decision during preliminary budget discussions. At the Feb. 5 meeting, council dealt with a letter from Barbara Driscoll asking the municipality to “consider adding words to reflect a maximum cost of $15,000 to the Driscolls.� “We’re just asking that our costs be capped at $15,000,� she told council. “That was my understanding of (the agreement),� said Mayor Bruce Whale.
Public works director Larry Lynch said he also understood the limit on the Driscoll’s portion to be the intent of the original agreement. “Is $30,000 still a good ball park figure?� asked councillor Jim Curry. Lynch replied there is “some leeway� in the original estimate for the project, which will involve widening the road by three metres, in part to accommodate increased traffic generated by the business. “I’m confident we can do it at that price,� Lynch stated.
Council approved the request to limit the Driscolls’ share of the costs to $15,000. Councillors Neil Driscoll and Mike Downey both declared a conflict of interest on the issue and left the room during discussion and voting, as they did when council discussed the agreement on previous occasions. Downey has stated his conflict stems from being a member of the same board (council) as Driscoll while that board is entering into a cost sharing agreement with him.
The weekend kicks off Friday night with a barbecue dinner, followed by two fun-filled days with activities for children during the day, exhibitors and displays, food of all kinds and the rodeo on Saturday and Sunday. For the adults there will be live entertainment under the big tent on Saturday night. Organizers are planning extensive promotion for the first annual Mapleton Rodeo. “This is an incredible opportunity for local, regional, provincial and national businesses to become involved at the ground level, in the first year. With a marketing reach exceeding half a million consumers, we’re confident the Mapleton Rodeo will be a huge success for the community and the local economy,� states a press release from the rodeo committee.
Consultant hired to prepare asset management plan by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Council here has approved the hiring of a consultant to assist with the township’s municipal asset management plan. At the Feb. 12 meeting, council approved a staff recommendation to accept the submission of CN Watson and Associates to complete the plan at a cost of $49,900. Municipalities are required to complete asset management plans by Dec. 31 in order to be eligible to receive funds under the Ontario Municipal
Infrastructure Investment Initiative (MIII). The township has already engaged CN Watson to carry out a rate study and analysis of water metering installation for Moorefield and Drayton. In a report to council, CAO Patty Sinnamon explained much of that work will involve a review of the water and wastewater assets and updating the lifecycle contributions. The township has received a provincial grant of $24,851 to offset the cost of preparing its asset management plan.
Draft budget puts tax levy increase at 8% in Mapleton Township by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Taxpayers here could be looking at an increase of around eight per cent in the local portion of their property tax bills. A revised 2013 draft budget presented at a special council meeting on Feb. 21 would see council spending about $6.86 million, offset by revenues of just over $3 million, leaving a little more than $3.85 million to be raised through the tax levy. In 2012, the municipality raised $3.56 million through taxation. The additional $280,000 in the draft budget projects to a levy increase of slightly less than 8%. The figures include an increase of 2% to staff wages
and a 2% increase to the municipality’s contribution to RSPs for Mapleton employees, who do not belong to the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System. In 2012, the township spent $1,886,551 on wages, about $100,000 less than the proposed wage cost of $1,986315 in the 2013 budget draft. The 2013 figure factors in the addition of a part-time horticulturalist and a part-time administrative assistant. CAO Patty Sinnamon also reminded council the actual 2012 figures were lower than budgeted because the municipality operated without a director of finance for much of 2012. The position has been vacant since last August.
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The wage and RSP increases were confirmed by resolution following an in-camera session at the Feb. 5 council meeting. An increase of 5% for staff wages was originally included in a first draft of the budget presented at a special meeting on Feb. 4. Mayor Bruce Whale said the in-camera discussion on wages was held because “we had to discuss where we wanted to position ourselves,� relative to other municipalities. At the Feb. 4 meeting, Sinnamon advised council that Mapleton wages were five to seven per cent below average. In response to a question from councillor Jim Curry, interim finance director Theresa Armstrong explained
that in 2012 the owner of a single-detached home at an average assessment paid $996 for the township portion of their tax bill. Whale suggested the fact Wellington County kept its levy increase to 2.4% would help soften the blow of the proposed hike to the Mapleton portion. Curry wondered if an increase of roughly 8% in assessment in the township would help offset the levy increase. Whale pointed out the municipality simply adjusts its mill rate to raise the amount of money needed, regardless of the amount of assessment available. However, the mayor noted that a huge increase in the value of farmland would
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be phased into the assessment base over the next five years, resulting in agricultural land bearing a larger share of the tax burden than is currently the case. The draft budget includes about $275,000 worth of work on bridges and culverts in the township. That amount will barely scratch the surface of the long-term improvements needed on those types of structures, according to a report presented by public works director Larry Lynch. The report shows over $11 million worth of potential work needed to bring all the bridges and culverts in the township up to standard. He urged council to set aside a specific amount to be spent on the structures
each year, in order to allow for planned improvements. “I need to know what council is prepared to spend per year so I can put together a program,� said Lynch, noting the bridge and culvert program could then be integrated into planned roadwork. Lynch suggested some seldom-travelled roads may have to be closed or restricted to “horse and buggy or local traffic� in order to avoid expensive bridge repairs. Council agreed to budget $70,000 for upgrades to the Drayton Fire Hall to accommodate the addition of EMS services. Originally, $50,000 had been budgeted, but councillor Continued on page 3
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