Some board members lack understanding of NVCA’s mandate

By Sandy Agnew AWARE Simcoe March 4 2012

At the February 24, 2012 NVCA board meeting the board heard a deputation from George Oldreive, Broker of Record on behalf of the applicant Richard Donnelly, Murphy Business Inc. for a 73 hectare (Ha) quarry (Donnelly Pit) in the Township of Adjala Tosorontio. He was complaining that the fees charged by the NVCA were excessive. 

Earl Hawkins from Mulmur Township asked the complainant what he thought he “could live with.” The answer from Mr. Oldreive was around $10,000.00.  The fee applied by the NVCA is $92,250 based on the board approved fee schedule of 73.8 ha x $1,250/Ha.

Alicia Savage of Clearview said she would not support the motion to retain the fee as applied. She felt a cap should be placed on fees and that the price per Ha was not a good way to determine the fee.

Dan Davidson from Innisfil pointed out that the quarry would generate millions of dollars in revenue, the fee was negligible in comparison and if the developer didn’t pay his share then the taxpayers get screwed. Davidson went on to say that the NVCA was not WalMart (where prices are rolled back).

Thankfully the saner heads prevailed and the fees remained in place for the quarry. 

Even though the fee schedule had been approved only last year, a motion to review the fee schedule as part of the business plan review in 2012 was put forward by Alicia Savage, seconded by Rob Keffer of Bradford West Gwillimbury, and passed.

It has become abundantly clear to me that after a year of the new NVCA board, some members view the CA merely as an impediment to development. Even after numerous orientation sessions at the beginning of the term there seems to be little understanding by some members of the value of protecting the ecological functions of the land. Even the obvious benefits of preventing property damage and drowning by curtailing building in the flood plain, seem lost on some politicians.

The NVCA budget was hacked and cut to a 1.7% increase. In their zeal to appear fiscally responsible, many politicians have lost sight of the overall mandate of the CA.

Or perhaps it has been the goal of some members all along to try to gut the mandated powers of the CA so that development can easily get approval. Attempts during the 2006-2010 term by former Essa mayor David Guergis to dissolve the NVCA failed, so maybe the tactics have now turned to harassing the NVCA staff to distract them and impede their ability to fulfill their mandate.

I believe the provincial conflict of interest rules need to be strengthened and that anyone who has connections to businesses that must obtain permits from the CA as part of their normal business should not be sitting on any CA board.  Even those politicians who accept campaign donations from developers and related businesses have a conflict of interest in my view.

It’s time to back off harassing the NVCA and let them do their job.