A tree house, the Ussher’s Creek Subdivision, and septic inspections were a few of the items discussed at the June 15 Guelph-Eramosa council meeting.
Tree house encroachment
Council agreed to an encroachment agreement regarding a tree house structure in Rockwood that is crossing the property line onto municipally owned land. First brought to the township’s attention in 2014, the structure is now approximately 1.5 to 2 feet on municipal property.
Council chose to enter into an encroachment agreement with the property owner for seven years. During that time the structure must be removed if the property is sold or before the seven years is up.
“I can accept seven years … but I don’t want to see any more of these,” said councillor Corey Woods. “And I don’t want to set a precedent that you can just go and do whatever … you want and we’ll allow you to keep it for seven years.”
Ariss subdivision agreement
Council entered into a subdivision agreement with 2081862 Ontario Limited for the Ussher’s Creek Subdivision near Wellington Road 86, part of lot 8, concession 4 in Ariss.
“I’ve been hugely impressed,” said councillor David Wolk. “I think it’s going to be a great development.
“I think based on the absence of any more phone calls to myself I think people have made up their mind that this is going to be alright.”
Woods added, “As long as you can keep on impressing people you shouldn’t have any problems.”
He said the site looked clean and organized and he thought the people who lived there now accepted the development.
Mandatory septic inspections
There are 420 properties in Guelph-Eramosa that are located in “highly vulnerable municipal well head protection areas or intake protection zones,” according to a report to council.
It is mandated under the Ontario Building Code, the Clean Water Act and the watershed based on the Source Protection Plan that the properties are required to be inspected every five years.
Inspections were awarded for WSP Canada Inc. and are expected to commence this month.
The township received $42,740 from the province under the Source Protection Municipal Implementation Fund and is scheduled to receive an additional $15,000 in funding.
However, it is anticipated that another $100 per inspection will be required to fund the program.
Users will be required to pay for the ongoing program and will do so with an additional tax levy added to their July tax bill that will use the five years between inspections to raise the required funds. The levy will commence in 2016.
“This is a provincial mandate,” Woods said. “The province is telling the municipality ‘you have to do this’ but this isn’t the municipality.”
He said he doesn’t like that the municipality is involved in a provincial mandate.
“Even though this is provincially mandated and it’s a cost … in theory it’s a good thing,” Mayor Chris White said. “You have enough septic tanks leeching all over the place, one bad septic can be a gazillion dollar fix.
“It’s a burden on folks who have to do this but it’s for something that makes sense.”
Geotechnical investigations RFQ results
Council awarded the contract for the supply of 15 geotechnical investigations and reports to Peto MacCallum Ltd. for $19,000 (excluding taxes.) The work will occur throughout the township and the purpose is to collect and analyze data and make recommendations for road base design.
The other three geotechnical firms (soil consultants) to provide quotes include: EXP Services Inc. at $18,800, Terraprobe at $24,600 and VA Wood at $25,900.
Peto MacCallum was awarded the contract because it provided the most detailed scope of work and the difference between its bid and the lowest bid was minimal.
