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Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 47 Issue 36
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.08% 3 Year GIC - 2.27% 5 Year GIC - 2.70% Daily Interest 1.45%
638-3328
Friday, September 5, 2014
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Wastewater capacity issues continue to impede development
Ice bucket brigade - On Aug. 26 members of the Drayton and Moorefield stations of the Mapleton Fire Department accepted the ALS ice bucket challenge from Drayton resident Glynis Belec. Each of the 20 firefighters present donated to the cause. They in turn have challenged the Minto and North Perth Fire Departments and the Teviotdale OPP detachment. photos by Caroline Sealey
GRCA still in running for ice storm aid CAMBRIDGE - The Grand River Conservation Authority is still in the running for financial assistance from the provincial government to cover costs incurred as a result of last December’s ice storm. At the GRCA’s Aug. 22 general meeting the board re-
ceived a letter from Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Laurie LeBlanc in response to the authority’s expression of interest to the Ice Storm Assistance Program. “The ministry has carefully reviewed your submission and determined that you have pro-
vided sufficient evidence of damage incurred as a result of the Dec. 21-22, 2013 ice storm. You are eligible to proceed to the full claim stage to seek assistance for eligible response and recovery costs,� the letter states. Continued on page 2
by Meagan Leonard MAPLETON - Residential developments in Drayton and Moorefield are at a standstill, as issues with Mapleton Township’s wastewater capacity remain unsolved. A motion to remove the holding provision from 14 lots on Faith Drive in Drayton, originally introduced on July 22, was deferred after an Aug. 26 engineers’ report from R.J. Burnside and Associates stated the township actually has a capacity deficit of 61 units. For companies such as Wellingdale Construction, Murray Group and Glenaviland Development, it means more waiting and increased frustration, as their queries received no definitive response and a timeline for progress could not be established. CAO Patty Sinnamon said when the township looked at numbers provided a month ago, on paper the capacity was available. “When we looked at the application at the last meeting, we were under the impression that the capacity is there,� said Sinnamon. “(On paper) we were at 734 cubic metres so we had 14 units of capacity available, but operationally we have a deficit. So based on that new information, that lifting of the hold provision should be deferred,� said Sinnamon. There are 865 households currently connected to the wastewater plant, which has a rated daily capacity of 750 cubic metres. However, operationally, the plant’s capacity is closer to 675 cubic metres per day, leaving a capacity deficit of 61 units. If the Murray Group total allocation of 45 units of capacity is included - 14 of which were transferred to Wellingdale
Construction in July - the plant would be over capacity by 106 units. “The existing plant configuration does not allow precise control of the daily discharge volumes, and due to this limitation, the operational total annual discharge is approximately 10 per cent less than the approved total,â€? states the R.J Burnside report. Director of public works Brad McRoberts said the 750 cubic metres is more of a guideline. “It’s very difficult to get bang on and get right down to the last cubic metre,â€? he said. “But that’s not the issue, the issue is that we have an operational capacity and we’ve already allocated beyond it, even if you looked at the theoretical capacity we’ve allocated beyond it.â€? The engineers’ report indicates that as of July 31, raw sewage flows were operating at 105.3% capacity. John Mohle of Wellingdale Construction attended the Aug. 26 meeting and was disappointed to learn the holding provision would not be removed from the properties on Faith Drive, as previously discussed. “It is the legal responsibility of the municipality to honour the 45 lots,â€? Mohle said. “An engineer can have all kinds of ideas, but right now they’re just ideas. If you have an operational problem you can’t put that on the Murray Group. This is a real liability ‌ the lots should not be allocated unless the system is running accurately per unit.â€? Councillor Andy Knetsch suggested council meet with engineers at R.J Burnside to discuss the discrepancies and new report findings. “We’re going on information that is provided for us (so)
I’d like to know where these numbers are coming from,� said Knetsch. “I would like to see an engineer here to explain why the numbers are wrong. We can’t allocate what we don’t have and we’re making decisions based on incorrect numbers.� Mohle stressed, “Allotments are a real thing, they are a legal responsibility that has to be honoured.� McRoberts said some possible short-term solutions could include putting out a conservation strategy to homeowners asking them to reduce high volume consumption, or conducting tests on the sanitary sewers to identify any illegal connections. He said groundwater infiltration is also an issue and could be remedied by realigning buried pipes. “In a simultaneous multifaceted approach, it can help reduce the discharge currently going through the wastewater lagoons,� said McRoberts. An additional 1,440 units are expected to be connected to the Drayton/Moorefield system by the year 2031. For years, the township has been attempting to obtain Ministry of Environment approval to have flow rates for discharges into the Conestogo River increased from 750 to 950 cubic metres per day. Council has a tentative meeting scheduled with the Ministry of Environment in mid-September, but Mayor Bruce Whale could not promise a solution by the end of the month. “Hopefully we can get something moving on this perpetual issue of capacity,� Whale said. “I don’t like to see this holding up development in our community.�
Council approves debenture for streetlights, bridge repairs
by Meagan Leonard MAPLETON - The implementation of LED streetlights in Mapleton Township could potentially save the municipality upwards of $50,000 over five years, council heard on Aug. 26. The new lights would use about a quarter of the energy of current fixtures, Mayor Bruce Whale commented before council voted to proceed with a preliminary audit. “Based on the numbers from 2013 in terms of electricity and repair costs, the total was $78,900,� said CAO Patty
Sinnamon. “But we will be saving approximately $60,000 with the LED lights over five years. The (audit) will reaffirm that.� At its July 4, council approved a debenture of up to $1,000,000 to cover the cost of bridge repairs and streetlight upgrades. At the meeting on Aug. 26, finance director Yufang Du recommended that council proceed with a loan application to Infrastructure Ontario as the interest rates through Wellington County appeared to be higher (2.76 with the county
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versus 2.62 with Infrastructure Ontario). Du suggested a 10-year debenture for the bridge work in the amount of $538,500 and a five-year debenture of $242,800 for the street light upgrades. On July 22 council accepted a proposal from Real Term Energy, a partner of Local Authority Services, for the design and retrofit of LED lights within the township. “From the numbers I saw, it looks like the electricity being used by the new fixtures would be just over a quarter of what
we’re currently using,� said Mayor Bruce Whale. “The savings would be 75 per cent of the current cost.� Part of the streetlight upgrade project requires an investigative audit to be completed by Real Term Energy. The audit will verify the size, location and type of streetlights, energy and maintenance invoices, and other aspects of the streetlight system. Public works director Brad McRoberts said following the completion of the audit, it will be provided to council for review and consideration.
Weekly Wag
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Based on the findings, council may choose to opt out or sign a formal agreement. “My intention is to give notice tomorrow to proceed and they’ll have 120 days to complete the audit and that gives us enough time to submit a funding application before the end of the year,� McRoberts said. Councillor Jim Curry wondered how the audit and subsequent replacement of the streetlights would affect area residents. “Will we have to shut down half the village,� Curry asked. McRoberts said the work
would cause minimal disruption. “I expect it will be completed on a fixture-to-fixture basis. It would be unobtrusive to residents,� he said. Du said because the application process through Infrastructure Ontario is lengthy, it is unlikely they would receive the funding until December. Reserve funds may be used to cover the costs in the meantime. Residents who require an immediate streetlight repair can file a request on the township website.
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