MZOs, speeding, staff salaries, site alteration: candidates give it their all at Oct. 8 meeting

ABERFOYLE – Council candidates were there, mayoral candidates were there, and they were joined by a crowded house of about 200 people at the Puslinch Community Centre on Oct. 8 for a meet-the-candidates event hosted by the local Optimist Club.

Council candidates took the stage first and after opening remarks, they fielded questions from the audience.

All four incumbent councillors – Sara Bailey, John Sepulis, Jessica Goyda and Russel Hurst – are running again along with two new prospects: Steven Dorgo and David Smedley.

Relationship with Queen’s Park

Resident Susan Fielding asked why council decided not to go to Queen’s Park at the invitation of Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Joseph Racinsky, when councils from other municipalities did.

“You missed an opportunity to take our concerns to Queen’s Park,” Fielding said.

The incumbents explained they didn’t think it appropriate to have quorum at Queen’s Park for an informal meeting, which is why they turned it down.

“I’m not interested in lunch at Queen’s Park,” said Hurst, adding council has a good relationship with Racinsky.

“It has to be a focused meeting,” said Sepulis.

Goyda said the township does have a good relationship with Racinsky and Bailey noted she attends the Rural Ontario Municipal Association and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conferences where “we do get face-to-face time with the ministers,” she said.

Dorgo said in his line of work he has met with the minister of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs in the past and is well-positioned to do so again if elected.

Smedley said the township should take advantage of every opportunity to build relationships with the province.

“We have to keep the doors open,” he said.

There were a few questions about the site alteration bylaw.

Bailey said there’s great risk to the township’s water if contaminated fill was imported and it leached into the water system.

“I’m proud of the site alteration bylaw,” she said.

Hurst said “hundreds of truckloads are coming in by cover of night” and acknowledged it could present “challenges” for normal farming practices.

Smedley agreed environmental protection is paramount. 

“We have to keep the negative consequences out,” he said.

“We need bylaws that have teeth and review them periodically,” said Dorgo.

Goyda said the bylaw is aimed at eliminating large-scale illegal dumping but agreed “not all fill is bad.”

Sepulis said the bylaw is important to curtail illegal fill, “but where it falls down is if a resident wants more than two truckloads to top up their driveway. We’ll be addressing that in Q1 next year,” he said.

Another resident brought up an issue with getting a zoning change to expand a home-based business – a time consuming and expensive proposition. “Is there a reasonable way that non-severance applications can have an expedited process?” he asked.

“That’s information we don’t get feedback on,” Bailey said. “I’m always interested in how to be more efficient.”

Hurst agreed there could be ways to remove some of the bureaucracy.

Goyda agreed the planning process can be expensive and frustrating, and she would “look at ways of streamlining the process.”

Sepulis, chair of the planning and development advisory committee, said, “if you have something, if you want advice, we’ll listen to you.”

Candidates were asked how they will maintain the rural character and integrity in Puslinch as it relates to the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, currently in the process of being updated?

Sepulis said he wants to develop an official plan for the township, “that would steer where development would go.”

Goyda noted the employment lands study included “enormous” consultation with residents and was successful in that regard. 

“That’s the approach I’d like to see us making” with future development in the township,” she said.

Dorgo said he’d like to see investment in parks and trails and wants the Puslinch Community Centre utilized more, for dance classes and such.

Smedley said he’d like to see more density around the hamlets of Aberfoyle, Arkell and Morriston and greater protection of rural landscapes.

Hurst said he’s chair of the heritage committee that has designated 100 properties, all by willing homeowners, since the province imposed a time cap on designations. He noted the designation of employment lands and the township’s purchase of the Puslinch Tract lands will also go far in retaining the rural character of the township.

Bailey said her priorities with development are to preserve farmland, protect water and the environment, and retain rural and heritage features. She noted there is a heritage grant program and called the Parks and Recreation Master Plan “super exciting.”

Public transit

Bailey said the youth committee has said they’d like the independence of travelling by bus.

“Maybe there’s a way to bring Guelph buses here, especially to Arkell,” which is closest to Guelph Transit routes, she said.

Hurst thought public transit would require collaborating with Guelph, Cambridge and Wellington County.

Dorgo and Goyda each mentioned the county’s Ride Well program, which operates in Pusinch. 

Smedley said, “I would love to see public transit.”

Sepulis also thought there’s potential to partner with larger centres on transit.

Mayoral candidates

James Seeley is the incumbent candidate, but both Stephanie McCrone and Michael Wilford said they have strong skills and are prepared to do the work.

One resident asked if the candidates would commit to holding a public meeting on the long-awaited Fire Master Plan.

“All council meetings are public,” Seeley answered. The resident was concerned the Cambridge fire department was covering parts of Puslinch and that coverage was not consistent across the township.

Seeley said the township has had conversations with Cambridge, “but it comes with a cost to your tax bill.”

McCrone said she would hold town hall meetings where people could ask anything of the mayor or senior staff.

Wilford said the residents who fall under a mutual aid agreement with Cambridge should have an extra levy to cover the costs.

“I would hope the savings on insurance would offset the cost,” he added.

One resident noted council meetings are generally held during the day and she’d like to see more evening council meetings so more people could attend.

“That could be looked at,” Wilford said.

“I’m all for it,” McCrone said.

“I would entertain that,” said Seeley. “As mayor I could call a special meeting.”

But evening meetings would impact staff hours, and staff also have families they need to be home for.

“If we move to evenings, I’m concerned we would lose staff to nearby communities,” Seeley added.

A member of the community group Help Protect Puslinch asked the candidates where they stand on Ministerial Zoning Orders (MZOs). In Puslinch, Jim Estill, CEO of Danby Canada, has requested an MZO so he can locate a new headquarters on agricultural land outside of recently designated employments lands.

Seeley said every planning application is weighed on its own merits and the MZO is a process available to developers.

“But I prefer the planning process,” he said.

McCrone said the site is a good location for industrial headquarters.

“It’s on the Hanlon corridor with proximity to the 401,” she said. “It’s a good location.”

Wilford said he’s against MZOs and against Danby locating at that site.

Staff salaries

Both McCrone and Wilford said they would be willing to look into staff salaries and the number of staff employed by the township.

Seeley said council has a policy to pay staff in the 60th percentile of comparator  municipalities. He worried that lowering salaries would lead to staff turnover, and then nothing gets done.

“I don’t feel staff should be the pincushion for costs,” he said, adding the issues that staff have to deal with in Puslinch – aggregate, roads, highways, water, industrial development – require a unique skill set.

Candidates were asked if the proposed Anthony pit is to include below-the-water-table extraction near Mini Lakes and residences on Gilmour Road.

“This council has been fighting for residents for eight years,” Seeley said. “We have limited influence over this.”

He said the township has installed cameras to record when heavy trucks don’t follow truck routes, and the township is forwarding complaints to the province.

“But it’s a provincially approved process,” he said.

McCrone echoed that, as did Wilford.

And if the pit does impact residential water?

“There’s a thorough review process,” Seeley said. “If wells are impacted, they (the aggregate company) have to mitigate it.”

The mayoral candidates were also asked about a preferential system that would make it easier for residents to request zoning changes.

Wilford and McCrone both agreed there should be one.

Seeley did too, although such a process would have to follow any and all legislation.

What would you do to remove your personal opinion to change policy and listen to residents more?

“I don’t think personal opinion has any place (on council),” Wilford said. “I would talk to staff and residents.”

“You have to look at each case,” McCrone said. “Common sense has to be a factor.”

Seeley said the mayor has a dual role: representing the citizens and looking after the interests of the corporation.

Lowering speed limits to 60km/h across township

Seeley said it would cost $50,000 to “sign” all the roads at 60km/h, which is a hefty price tag for a small tax base. So council instituted a policy where speed limits can be changed when a road is being reconstructed.

“We’re also advocating for more enforcement from OPP,” he said, adding the township doesn’t have jurisdiction over county roads or their speed limits.

“I don’t understand why it has to be so complicated to reduce speed limits,” Wilford said, adding the flashing radar speed signs seem to be a good deterrent for speeders.

McCrone said more enforcement is needed. And she’s okay with spending money to reduce the speed limit.

“For a life? I’m willing to spend fifty grand on signs,” she said.