the
Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 47 Issue 14
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.09% 3 Year GIC - 2.26% 5 Year GIC - 2.80% Daily Interest 1.55%
638-3328
Friday, April 4, 2014
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Council told asset management requires steady increase in taxes by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON – A consulting firm says the township needs to more than double its annual investment in infrastructure and steadily increase taxes in order to reduce an infrastructure deficit identified in a new asset management plan. Watson and Associates Economists Ltd. and BluePlan Engineering Consultants Limited were retained in March 2013 by Mapleton to prepare an asset management plan, after the provincial government announced such plans would be a requirement to receive funds under future infrastructure programs. Dan Wilson of Watson and Associates told council at the March 25 meeting the plan is to be used as a tool during various decision making processes, including the annual budgeting and capital grant application processes. “I think you’ll find that asset management will become a very great tool to the township,� said Wilson. “It will serve a lot of different avenues to the staff. It will definitely help identify capital priorities in relation to the budget process. It really does
become a long-term financial plan.� Wilson explained the township presently owns capital assets with a 2013 replacement value of approximately $418.9 million (excluding land assets). This total is split into $390.4 million of tax-supported assets, $11.6 million of water assets and $16.8 million of wastewater assets. “That’s a very significant investment,� said Wilson, adding that, for accounting purposes, “There’s a fairly large level of assets already at the end of their useful life.� However, he noted the accounting formula does not take into account the “actual condition,� of the assets. “Taking into account condition and risks, your immediate needs are much lower,� he explained. The plan shows Mapleton is currently investing $1.7 million per year in asset management. “You should be investing above $4 million per year, given the amount of assets you have and given what we believe you should be spending.� To fund the infrastructure deficit, Wilson said Mapleton needs to plan for a 5.8 per cent levy increase every year for 10
years and 3.4% per year after that. However, Wilson noted, those estimates don’t factor in any future infrastructure funding from upper levels of government or other third party sources. Such grants, Wilson says, would reduce the required expenditure by the township, but shouldn’t be counted on for planning purposes. “The key here is to show the province you’re committed to trying to reduce that infrastructure deficit going forward,� he said. Grant funding, said councillor Andy Knetsch, is, “one of the elephants in the room not only for this municipality but all municipalities and I think that well has gone bone dry.� Wilson replied, “Municipalities are at a point in time now where they have to decide how much they want to be in charge of their own destiny. You can put an asset management plan in place and sit back and wait for province to bail you out and, if they don’t, then you’re in trouble.� “I don’t know how we’re going to do that - tucking away millions of dollars a year,� said Knetsch. Continued on page 3
Amendment to remove MDS exemption to be presented to council on April 8
Kilimanjaro climbers - Markus Frei, left and Bill Van Zwol of Mapleton recently returned from a trip to Tanzania, where they climbed to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. photo by Patrick Raftis
Mapleton men conquer Kilimanjaro by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON Two Moorefield-area residents recently returned from the adventure of a lifetime in Africa. Markus Frei and Bill Van Zwol climbed to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro and wrapped up a three-week visit to the Dark Continent with a safari through the Serengeti National Park. The trip from Feb. 12 to March 3 was neither the first time in Africa, nor the first climb for either man. However, at nearly 20,000 feet above sea level, Kilimanjaro was easily the highest peak they had conquered. Frei grew up in Switzerland and has spent time in that county’s mountainous regions every few years over the last decade. From 1975 to 1980, he did mission work in Tanzania through the Christian Reform World
Relief Committee. Van Zwol’s climbing experience was more limited, having once ascended a 5,000 foot peak in British Columbia while visiting his son. He also spent a week in Africa as a volunteer on a mission trip through the Christian Reformed Church about three years ago. The trip was initiated by Frei’s zeal for the mountains. “I like climbing and I like hiking in the mountains,� he said. Van Zwol is a co-owner of Wellington Construction, where Frei works part time. “Bill sort of wondered what my plans were because I was nearing my retirement. I said, ‘I have to keep working. I want to stay in shape. I want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro,’� Frei explains. “Well, he looked at me and said, ‘Are you sure?’ I said ‘yes’ and he said, ‘Well I’m coming too.’�
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From there, the excursion expanded to include Van Zwol’s daughter and son-inlaw, Val and Greg Huzarik, and Greg’s sister, Christa. The trip also involved a total of 20 support staff, including three guides and 17 porters, all of whom must be certified by the Tanzanian government and adhere to strict regulations, including a limit of 20 kilograms beyond their own personal equipment that they are each allowed to carry on the excursion. The large group is needed, Van Zwol explains, “because you have to carry everything you’re going to need in with you.� That includes tents, food, clothing, water and other supplies. While the guides are able to access some water en route by boiling water from creeks and melted snow, a considerable Continued on page 3
by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Council here is expected to move forward at its next meeting with plans to remove a controversial exemption from minimum distance separation (MDS) regulations in the township’s comprehensive zoning bylaw. The section in question in the bylaw, which was passed in 2010, provides an exemption from MDS 1 requirements for new non-farm uses of property on existing lots in agricultural zones that are less than four hectares (9.9 acres). The exemption has been the subject of considerable controversy over the past 20 months, as it allowed for residential construction on several previously-dormant lots near Moorefield within the MDS radius of an existing but unoccupied hog barn. At the March 25 meeting, Mark Van Patter, Wellington County manager of planning and environment, presented council with two options for amending the bylaw. Van Patter explained a review of individual property
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files indicates there are only 40 vacant checkerboard lots that need to be dealt with. He recommended that 32 lots in the Moorefield area require a rezoning before they can be developed. Eight larger lots elsewhere in the township would be allowed to develop, provided they can meet certain requirements, including compliance with MDS 1. The second option presented by Van Patter would have seen all 40 lots require rezoning before they could be built on. However, he noted that option would appear to place unnecessary restrictions on the larger lots. Van Patter said the eight larger lots all meet standard requirements for building, while the lots near Moorefield should all require the owners to come to council for a rezoning before development could occur. “All the Moorefield area lots have something wrong with them. Either they can’t meet MDS or they are too small,� said Van Patter. Resident Earl Campbell
was present at the meeting and told council he favours the first option, which would not restrict development of six checkerboard lots in the Rothsay area. “One of the reasons I asked to be a delegation is that I want to fully understand what council’s intent was and that council fully understand what their intent was,� said Campbell. Campbell also raised a question about how accessory buildings would be handled on the larger lots and how much lot coverage would be allowed. Van Patter said he would check on the issue of accessory buildings. “So we still have a little bit of homework, but we’re getting down to the fine strokes,� said Mayor Bruce Whale. “I think we should change (the name) to chessboard lots,� he quipped. Council passed a resolution to receive Van Patter’s report and directed that a draft bylaw for a zoning amendment based on Van Patter’s recommended option one be presented at the council meeting on April 8.
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