Next we have the new option for seasonal Canadian residents to be able to vote by mail.  This is going to be a “Special Ballot” which the township will make available to those who are from out of town and those who may be house bound or in hospital, you just have to apply for it.  I believe that the township will be sending out more information closer to voting day on how to take advantage of this way to vote.

The Official Plan update is moving forward at a brisk pace.  The township held an open house yesterday for folks to come and see and hear what the consultants are recommending ( document is on the township website) and then a draft with the recommendations will be presented sometime next month.  The residents will have 30 days to review this document, another open house will be held for comments, and then it will be put into a final document and presented to council for consideration in Aug.  It is a fairly big document which takes some time to get  through but one worth reading if you are at all interested in what is going to possibly be in our “new” Official Plan.

A petition was presented at Tuesday nights council meeting against the “big pipe”.  The Ratepayers have collected 796 signatures which I   think surprised our council.  It has been a long hard job to get those signatures simply due to the fact that until recently we did not have addresses of those residents in the servicing area from the township, we had to rely on good old door to door contact to get the information that we had to that point.  We will continue to collect signatures during the summer so if you haven’t signed contact me and I will get you a form.  The call from Bruce Miner the presenter on behalf of the Ratepayers was for the township to come up with a made in Wainfleet solution, this course was ignored.  The reasoning was that they do not know what the actual cost of the pipe will be to be able to determine if it is unaffordable.  You tell me folks was it affordable at the $42 million dollar mark 5 years ago?  What makes them think that this project is going  to go any way but further up beyond the last figure of $83 million dollars?  If it wasn’t affordable at $42 million it isn’t affordable at $83 million. Can someone tell me where I have gone wrong in my thinking ?

The upcoming fall elections are starting to get closer as the weather warms up.  I know it is early days yet but there is a very limited      number of us who have stepped up to the plate to be counted.  I urge you all to ask questions of anyone who officially becomes a candidate and be sure that you know what their platform is before you cast that vote, but cast the vote don’t let this opportunity get by you to have a voice in your local government.  

As always let me know what you are thinking I have no problem listening to ideas or concerns.

Betty