After months of searching and $2,300 later, Wellington North councillors have discovered there is no Hill’s Pond Weed.
A recent Wellington North works report stated that Ken Smart finally found a biologist who could determine if the endangered plant was at the bridge site. That determination was needed before work on the bridge could continue.
The cost for the biologist’s inspection and report was $2,300.
After all was said and done, Mayor Mike Broomhead said Works Superintendent Gary Williamson told him the report stated there was none of the plant on site.
Councillor Dan Yake, who chairs the works committee, stated that this is an explanation of why so many municipalities are struggling financially. “In my opinion, this is the biggest waste of $2,300 in a long time.”
He said the only reason the report was needed was because of regulations and engineering trying to make everything as perfect as possible.
“I’m just mad … it’s going to mess up the rest of the meeting,” he added.
Earlier this year, the possible existence of an endan- gered plant started to bog down efforts to reconstruct a bridge in Wellington North in Arthur township.
Hill’s Pondweed (Potamo- geton hillii) grows in clear, cold ponds and slow-moving streams where the water is alkaline. The plant is considered threatened provincially, and is of special concern nationally. Now that there is verification the plant does not exist, work that was started in spring can continue.
