Erin to move to next stage of SSMP

Following a 4-1 vote councillors here have elected to move forward with Erin’s Servicing and Settlement Master Plan (SSMP).

The lone opposition to moving ahead was current Mayor Lou Maieron, who is not running for any position on Erin Town council for the next term.

Erin residents should not expect significant progress until 2015, since a newly elected council will not be sworn into office until December 2014.

The Sept. 9 council session involved considerable discussion on whether council should move ahead with the process.

The original motion was a recommendation that council move forward with the next phases of the SSMP and environmental assessment process.

Councillor Josie Wintersinger said when council had a special meeting to look at this final report, “a figure was thrown out that (council) had spent $1 million. We haven’t spent $1 million.”

Wintersinger then asked the mayor for an explanation of his statement (sent out to local residents), as Maieron had stated he was not available to participate in the previous meeting.

In addition, Wintersinger asked for clarification from finance director Sharon Marshal.

Maieron said when one looks at the total expenditure of the SSMP between what the town has paid and costs incurred by Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), “I’m not sure if it is at $1 million … but it is pretty close.”

Wintersinger countered, “We do not have a bill that says (the town) has spent $1 million.” Further she doubted the CVC would be sending the town an additional bill.

Maieron said the town is not getting a bill from the CVC because it is funded through municipal levies from the watershed – primarily Peel Region.

He estimated costs incurred by the CVC are over $350,000.

Marshal said she could only relay the cost incurred directly by the town “which to date is about $493,000.”

Wintersinger said that at this point taxpayers have only paid $495,000.

Even so, Maieron said, the CVC studies are paid through taxpayer money, even if it is not all paid by Erin taxpayers.

 “It is still taxpayer money that funds the CVC,” said Maieron.

Councillor John Brennan said the resolution before council was to move ahead and go into the next phase of the SSMP. He noted that as this process moves forward it will come back to council for ratification before additional costs are incurred. He said that process will include a review of a number of options.

“As we move forward, I want to ensure we don’t close any doors before we absolutely have to in terms of what choices we may have down the road.”

Maieron said he had also wanted see environmental assessment cost estimates before moving forward. He also said the SSMP process was originally only to take a couple of years, but it has taken much longer.

“We don’t know the EA costs for phases 3, 4 and 5 of the SSMP,” said Maieron, noting the only costing the town has received is for a standard,  traditional gravity feed sewage treatment plant.

“The question is – how feasible is this plan in reality?” Maieron asked.

He then questioned the practicality of spending more money on the SSMP. Maieron opined that moving forward without a clear idea of the costs is the equivalent of writing a blank check.

Brennan said the next stages of the SSMP are intended to answer a lot of the questions that remain unanswered.

“The costs will depend on the technologies and approaches chosen in addition to a number of other factors,” said Brennan.

He said that information is needed to make the best decision for the town – and to get any potential grants.

Brennan added, “No one is kidding ourselves, we are not going to do this if we don’t get the funding. But we need the environmental assessment to have the ammunition to go out and ask for the funding in a responsible way.”

Wintersinger believed council should move forward.

Councillor Barb Tocher said the recommendations before council are that it move forward with the remaining phases of the Class EA, that the town seek out funding or assistance from the upper levels of government, the town look into water servicing upgrades, the town update its official plan to make the SSMP work, that the town update its storm water management policies and town make use of the information gathered in the SSMP.

She said noype of sewage treatment has been precluded at this point. Only going to an RFP will generate the cost estimates for the next phases of the EA, Tocher said. She added there has been no decision by council where the growth will take place; only options have been put before council – and no decision was made.

Brennan agreed the costs won’t be known until the town gets into the RFP process.

Maieron said approval was akin to writing a blank cheque.

Tocher said if the costs of the RFP are not suitable, the new council can decide not to move forward at that time.

Brennan said, “If we get to the RFP and find out it is going to cost an arm and three legs, we won’t do it.”

Maieron still wanted to have the costs before moving to the RFP.

Eventually council voted 4-1 to move forward, with only Maieron objecting.

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