Council and staff here are frustrated after learning the township has once again been turned down for funding for a new water tower in Drayton.
At the Nov. 11 meeting, CAO Patty Sinnamon advised council the municipality’s application through Infrastructure Canada’s Small Communities Fund was unsuccessful.
The municipality has now been turned down several times for funding through various government programs.
Mapleton was previously rejected for water tower funding through the province’s Small, Rural and Northern Municipality Infrastructure Fund program in 2013, and the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative program in 2012.
Sinnamon said the municipality was advised the ministry “didn’t feel it was as strong a health and safety issue as other municipalities that had other needs.”
“I don’t know how much more urgent of a need you could have when you’re fighting a major fire in a subdivision – to go without water,” said councillor Neil Driscoll.
Mapleton’s application to the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund for money to cover work on several roads in the township was also rejected, Sinnamon reported.
The CAO said indications are that Mapleton’s high assessment and low debt levels compared to other applicants weigh against their applications.
“We feel as staff sometimes we’re penalized because of how well run things are financially,” said Sinnamon, who suggested council could consider broaching the topic with federal and provincial ministers when attending conferences in the future. She also suggested it would be a good idea to initiate discussion through municipal organizations on how government funding is allocated.
Driscoll noted the rejected applications require a lot of resources to prepare and result in project delays. “Their system is taking up a lot of time – I think this council needs to make a decision,” he said.
Councillor Jim Curry pointed out the water tower project will be area-rated just to Drayton residents, “Yet they look at the entire township and that’s not fair. It’s a small part of the township that bears the whole financial burden.”
“For further development we need that water tower,” said Mayor Bruce Whale, adding that solving sewage capacity issues is also part of the equation.
Councillor Andy Knetsch suggested the township ask Wellington County “to help us put pressure on at a higher level.”
