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Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 47 Issue 40
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.08% 3 Year GIC - 2.27% 5 Year GIC - 2.70% Daily Interest 1.45%
638-3328
Friday, October 3, 2014
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Township selects firm to develop new municipal cultural plan by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Mapleton council has approved the selection of Millier, Dickieson and Blais to develop a municipal cultural plan. The firm’s proposal to do the project for $26,275 was chosen from among five bidders at the Sept. 16 meeting of the economic development committee and approved by council on Sept. 22. A report from business development and marketing coordinator Crystal Ellis notes Mapleton was successful in its application to the County of Wellington’s BRE (Business Retention and Expansion) Municipal Implementation Fund and has been granted $25,000 towards the creation
of the cultural plan, which was originally budgeted at $40,000. Originally, with $25,000 obtained from the county, the remaining $15,000 was allocated in the 2014 budget, but the lower bid means less will come from the township. “The proposal received from Millier, Dickieson Blais will see just under $5,000 being funded from the Mapleton budget this year,� Ellis noted in her report. Municipal cultural planning is a priority in the council-approved Economic Development Strategic Plan and Township of Mapleton 2013 Community Based Strategic Plan, the report points out. “Having completed the
Mapleton branding project in the spring of 2014, the next step is to build upon the momentum of the rebranding project and further identify our cultural assets to strengthening the community identity and future goals. The strategies ... provided in the cultural plan will then be utilized as a valuable tool in attracting and retaining both businesses and residents in our municipality.� Councillor Neil Driscoll asked how the project managed to come in so far under budget. Ellis speculated Mapleton may be benefiting from lower prices from the consulting firm, resulting from experience and efficiencies garnered from creating cultural plans for other municipalities.
Club to host ‘Mapleton Has Talent’ as fundraiser for Drayton splash pad Cute as cupcakes - Haleigh and Alexa Klassen gave out cupcakes at their mother Melanie’s table at the Drayton Kinettes’ Mom 2 Mom sale on Sept. 27 at the agricultural hall. Melanie owns and operates The Cake Castle. There were 38 vendors at the event with all proceeds going to community projects and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The Kinettes meet the on the first and third Thursday of each month at the agricultural building and new members are always welcome. For more information contact Sasha Shannon at draytonkinettes@gmail.com or find them on Facebook. photo by Caroline Sealey
DRAYTON - The Rotary Club of Drayton will present “Mapleton Has Talent,� a family/community oriented variety talent show at the beginning of December. “We are looking for interested and talented people from our surrounding community with creative and entertaining acts,� organizers state. This could include groups and/or
individuals with special or unique talent and flare. Acts could include soloists, duets, dancers, comics, karate, magicians and short skits, to name a few. An energetic and charismatic master of ceremonies is also required. “Do you think you have what it takes to dazzle Drayton? Now would be a good opportu-
nity to put yourself out there,� organizers state. A general information meeting for those interested will be held on Oct. 7 at the Drayton Theatre/Library Lounge. Call Lorrie Spaling at 519-6382232 for more details. Admission for the event will be by donation. All funds will go towards the Rotary’s 2015 splash pad project.
Council keeping lots on hold until wastewater capacity issue resolved by Patrick Raftis MAPLETON - Council has officially suspended an allocation of 14 units of sewage capacity to Wellingdale Construction after hearing from the township’s engineers and a representative of the local developer on Sept. 23. A motion to remove a holding provision from 14 lots on Faith Drive in Drayton had to be deferred at the Aug. 26 meeting after an engineers’ report from R.J. Burnside and Associates stated that while the plant’s rating indicated capacity was available, the township actually had an operational deficit of 61 units. By delaying the allocation “until sufficient capacity becomes available,� as a resolution passed on Sept. 23 states, “we’re not taking it away, just suspending it,� stressed CAO Patty Sinnamon at the meeting. “As soon as we know we have legitimate capacity we could go back and deal with this,� said Mayor Bruce Whale. Gord Feniak, of R.J. Burnside, told council the treat-
ment capacity for which the local plant is rated is “the upset limit of what we are allowed to allocate out.� However, he noted, an “estimated operational capacity,� has been established through monitoring flows for the past year or so. If on any given day the plant exceeds the rated limit, Mapleton would be in violation of provincial regulations, so “you have to set a limit,� said Feniak. “Knowing you can’t go over, we’re finding about 90 per cent of the actual rated capacity is what you can actually use,� he explained. At the Sept. 9 meeting, council approved moving ahead with initiatives aimed at alleviating wastewater capacity limitations, including directing staff to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for the completion of a Class Environmental Assessment for long-term wastewater management. Whale also pointed out that council received a report from public works director Brad McRoberts during a closed
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session held before the Sept. 23 meeting on how to proceed “and it’s addressing a lot of things.� Councillor Neil Driscoll said, “I think our engineers and our operators need to communicate more often. I’m not wishing to put the blame on either party, but I think that’s been lacking in the past.� Whale stated, “Hopefully we can get this resolved, although it’s going to take longer than I think we might hope for, but I think we’re on the right track.� John Mohle of Wellingdale Construction was not satisfied with progress on the issue and said refusing to lift the hold on the capacity units, after agreeing to transfer them from the Murray Group to Wellingdale, “constitutes bad faith and conduct by the township. “The fact is, you folks are to give me those units. You gave them to the Murray Group. Where are they?� asked Mohle. “Your operational concerns are not my concern.� Mohle added, “people make
plans based on those unitsâ€? and he suggested that council move into closed session to discuss the matter further. “We’re not going into closed,â€? replied Whale, who asked Mohle, “Was there a commitment that the hold would be lifted? If you have that in writing‌â€? “So that’s the kind of municipality that we we’ve become? That everything has to be in writing?â€? Mohle responded. Councillor Andy Knetsch stated, “Council in good faith made a decision to grant those 14 units ‌ the fact of the matter is we cannot give something that is not there.â€? Knetsch suggested if council “rammed this throughâ€? a relationship built up with the Ministry of Environment while working through the township’s capacity issues “is going to go for naught.â€? “Why do I have to suck it up? That’s what it boils down to,â€? Mohle responded. He also suggested council “better look very, very careful-
Weekly Wag
ted tes the talen What separa ssful m the succe o fr l a u id iv d in f hard work. one is a lot o g- Stephen Kin
ly� at the township’s handling of sewage capacity issues. “We hear what you’re saying. We made a decision on the wrong information and we’re sorry and know we’ve got to deal with it,� said Driscoll. Bill Van Zwol of Wellington Construction noted his company has spent a lot of money in the community “counting on that allotment that is there� and suggested relying on a single engineering opinion is a bad idea. “If it was my business I would have two or three options on the table as to what to do because the municipality has quite a bit of money on the table,� said Van Zwol. “Do you know this is the correct opinion? I bet none of you can, because you’re not experts.� Mohle asked, “Suppose Wellingdale comes up with a completely different engineering opinion? Would you accept that at face value?� “We would certainly review it,� replied Whale. “We don’t want to jeop-
ardize or run the risk of the ministry ignoring us the way they have the last three or four years, saying we haven’t got our act together so we’re not going to deal with it. I’m not any happier than you are about this in terms of the setback,� Whale told Mohle. The mayor said the township is hoping to have a proposal regarding increasing capacity ready to go to the ministry by February. Mohle asked council to respond in writing to a letter he sent the township on behalf of Wellingdale Construction. The letter indicates Wellingdale “fully expects the township to lift holding provision on 14 lots,� by the end of September. “Obviously it is Wellingdale’s intention and desire to work with the township in the event there may be legitimate sewer capacity limits; however it is not prepared to wait out an indefinite problem with no apparent solution in these particular circumstances,� the letter states.
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