Lever elected chair of gravel producing municipalities

Dennis Lever, mayor of Puslinch Township, was elected chair of the Top Aggregate Producing Municipalities in Ontario (TAPMO) organization at the annual Ontario Good Roads Association and Rural Ontario Municipal Association combined conference last week.

Lever has been a member of this municipal alliance since its inception. Formerly known as Top 10 Aggregate Municipalities, TAPMO was established in 2011 to address concerns regarding levy payment amounts, rehabilitation, recycling and other issues.

In 2012, interest from other municipalities in joining the organization resulted in changing the name to Top Aggregate Producing Municipalities in Ontario. Fifty municipalities that produce an average of more than one million tonnes of aggregate annually have been invited to join the organization. These municipalities represent 80 per cent of the aggregate produced each year in the province.

“TAMPO is working with the Ontario Stone Sand and Gravel Association to close the gap between what the levy payments municipalities receive and the real impact on local infrastructure,” said Lever.

“Local municipalities have an opportunity to bring this issue to the forefront and make positive contributions in reforming the Aggregate Resources Act ... I look forward to working with the [province] to develop long-term, practical approaches that will benefit aggregate industry stakeholders across the province.”