Oxford County Politics

Zorra township council, May 21st

Thursday, 23 May 2013 17:05 JW

By Brian Donlevy

Zorra Township is concerned that the larger message around the landfill is not being heard. Mayor Margaret Lupton says citizens should look closely at what they are sending to landfills and try and control the amount of waste. According to Lupton, less garbage to landfills will mean fewer landfills will be needed so proposals such as the one from Walker Environmental for the quarry in Centreville will not be necessary. Lupton is alarmed because there was so much garbage put out in Zorra for the large item pickup it took crews 7 days instead of the usual 5 to gather it all.

Zorra Council got their first look at new design guidelines for the Township. The in-depth report covers future development whether commercial or residential, transportation needs and the look of the villages to maintain the local flavor and charm. Council just received the report and are planning to have a special meeting over the summer so they can take a closer look at the report.

Voters in Zorra will not have to adjust to new ward boundaries for the next municipal election. Council received a report that says there have not been any complaints about the ward system and the electorate is equally represented by the four councilors. The Mayor will continue to be elected township wide.

Residents of Uniondale are worried about the impact of a proposed nursery on their water supply. Council heard a proposal that would have moved a nursery, as well as a farm equipment sale and repair operation into Uniondale. County staff recommended that the application be denied because the sales and repair operation are not considered agricultural in nature, in as much as they do not necessarily have to be on a farm or agricultural reserve. Council was told that if it was strictly a nursery operation it would come closer to fulfilling the intent of the planning rules. Because of all of the questions around the proposal council voted to defer the entire matter.

SWOX Council, May 21st

Thursday, 23 May 2013 17:04 JW

By Brian Donlevy

The community hall in Salford is getting solar power. The 10 megawatt project has been approved for a provincial government FIT program which means extra power produced by the solar units can be sold to the Ontario Power Authority. South West Oxford Township has received two quotes on the project and because of the price a third quote is needed before they can proceed. But they do want the solar panels up and producing power by the end of the summer.

Cooperation among building officials of the five rural municipalities in Oxford County has led to an award winning program. The five put together a hand book to act as a checklist for rural structures. It makes it easier to ensure that all buildings are constructed properly and follow all of the applicable bylaws.

South West Oxford Township is hoping the new protocols among levels of government and conservation authorities will lead to an easier time when dealing with municipal drains and ditches. The guidelines focus on the relationships between conservation authorities and the Ministry of Agriculture who is responsible for the drainage act which are the rules governing municipal drains and tile drains.

Oxford County Council, May 22nd

Thursday, 23 May 2013 17:00 JW

By Brian Donlevy

At the end of 2012 the County of Oxford spent almost a million dollars less than they expected. The audited financial reports for the County showed a year end surplus of $959,052. Some of the savings that led to the surplus was the mild 2012 winter meant less salt and sand was needed, a decrease in the caseload of the Human Services Department and additional provincial funding for Woodingford Lodge. This figure can fluctuate wildly, because it is the result of a number of issues that the County has no control over.

When it comes to long term debt in Oxford County the per household portion dropped last year. The amount of debt last year was $1463 down from $1552 the previous year. The debt dropped because no new debt was taken on by the County and some long term debt has been paid off.

The County’s annual report and strategic plan was unveiled at Oxford County Council. This year both documents are in an entirely online format, but can be printed. The annual report looks at all of the accomplishments in the County. It also gives the citizens of the County a chance to see how their tax dollars are being spent.

A new Oxford tourism guide has hit the market. This one is called a taste of Oxford and is a culinary and dining guide for the County. Not only does it highlight local restaurants it also has a list of local artisans and farm markets. There were more than 40,000 copies of the guide printed and they will be available at tourism information spots, local hotels and motels and other locations throughout the county.

The group opposing the proposed landfill in Centreville want people to comment on the proposed dump, but they don’t want people to comment right away. A draft terms of reference document around the landfill has been released and it is inviting comment, but according to OPAL any comments would not have any impact. The time for meaningful public comment will be once the formal terms of reference have been filed with the Ministry which will be near the end of July. Once filed the public will have 30 days to respond. OPAL spokespeople claim that any comments against the dump will be used by Walker Environmental, the company that wants to build the dump, to strengthen their arguments to have the process proceed.

Is Woodstock trying to pick fights with the County?

Tuesday, 21 May 2013 16:03 JW

By Brian Donlevy,

The City of Woodstock seems to be picking fights with Oxford County on a regular basis. The most recent is a decision by city council to take the County to the Ontario Municipal Board over a county decision to bring waste water services to the County works yard. This follows a request earlier last week from Woodstock Mayor Pat Sobeski to call in a special meeting investigator to see any rules were violated by the County around discussions held behind closed doors to reimburse Oxford Gardens. County had rejected a request to waive development fee but then negotiated a deal to help the company recover some costs associated with the purchase of their current site.

County Warden Don McKay says if Woodstock has a problem with the County, discuss them face to face

McKay notes “there are several issues the city seems to want to comment on. We would be more than glad to sit down and talk about them, but we’re not being invited for open discussion. It just seems to be council posturing through action or resolution.”

McKay says he cannot understand the sudden flurry of discontent from the city, but says there have been times in the past when Woodstock has been upset that it is part of the county government rather than a stand alone municipality.

Two tiered government in Oxford County was established in 1975, when the current five townships and 3 urban centres were recognized through provincial legislation.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 21 May 2013 17:05 )

Blandford-Blenheim council, May 15th

Thursday, 16 May 2013 19:25 JW

By Brian Donlevy

Blandford Blenheim is looking at going to an automated vote counting system to speed up the process on election night. Currently township staff collect all the ballots and then they are counted manually. If the township automates, then the ballots will be fed into the machine which will count the ballots. If the ballot is marked incorrectly, the machine will notify the voter allowing them to correct the mistake. Using the machine will save the township money on staffing costs because more people are not needed to count the ballot.

Other people’s misfortune is good news for the coffers of Blandford Blenheim Township. A look at the first quarter finances for the township shows an increase in revenue and the largest item comes from Highway 401. The provincial Ministry of Transportation pays Blandford Blenheim Emergency Services every time they respond to an accident or incident on the highway. So far this year, the payments have totaled more than $30,000.