Simcoe County’s urban mayors pursuing regionalized service hubs

New Tecumseth Free Press June 17, 2013
Mayors of the seven municipalities in Simcoe County who meet as the Primary Settlement Areas (PUSA) Working Group have updated their Statement of Common Principles whose application with provincial support could include the regionalization of services such as water and wastewater operations.

PUSA, chaired by New Tecumseth mayor Mike MacEachern includes Barrie, lnnisfil, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Collingwood, Midland, Penetanguishene and Orillia. They are the seven “urban nodes” the provincial government has designated to accommodate the bulk of new growth in the Places to Grow plan over the next three decades.
The amended statement on tonight’s New Tecumseth council agenda for adoption, including a background report by CAO Terri Caron, is its first appearance in a public forum. (See report CW-3 on the June 17 agenda) PUSA meetings are not public, nor are they advertised, or minutes provided.
Ms. Caron’s report notes the amended statement was to recognize that the urban nodes had expanded since 2009 to include Innisfil and Midland-Penetanguishene and required those changes.
“The Working Group believes that there is strength in speaking to the Province with one voice and is seeking a delegation at the upcoming AMO conference to advocate for support for the common issues their communities are experiencing by virtue of being designated as Primary Settlement Areas and for Provincial funding assistance to assist in their development.”
Water and wastewater operations in Simcoe County are the responsibility of each municipality, and over the past few years, the upper tier has made overtures, and commissioned studies to justify uploading the systems.
In the original urban nodes Statement of Common Principles from August 2009, it was specifically spelled out “in this regard they are opposed to water and wastewater treatment collection and distribution services being transfered to the County of Simcoe.” That objection has been removed from the amended Statement, and instead, PUSA sees “benefit in engaging in discussions together and with the County in respect of a broad range of issues that may provide opportunities for mutually beneficial projects including but not limited to opportunities for transportation, transit, trail linkages, formation of joint boards, shared service agreements etc.”
On June 3rd Mayor MacEachern told New Tecumseth councillors, that the urban node mayors have been discussing “other ways to work together, and what would that look like if we did.” It was in reply to Ward 3 councillor Paul Whiteside questioning “if there had been any further discussion re such a change recently at either the County or provincial level.”
Asked this morning via email for comment, mayor MacEachern, who no longer answers Free Press Online directly, instead directed the questions to communications director Kim Wingrove who then emailed the following statement on his behalf: “The purpose of the Statement of Common Principles that Council is being asked to consider, is to provide a guiding sense of the direction that the PSA municipalities will be working towards when they meet. The only commitment that the participating Councils are making is to be supportive of studying and gathering information in respect of all cooperative alternatives and opportunities for servicing that may exist. The alternatives and information would be brought back through a public discussion process. No alternatives are being eliminated at this stage.”

Innisfil presses urban nodes to embrace joint service agreements
New Tecumseth Free Press June 24, 2013
While New Tecumseth mayor Mike MacEachern continues to not answer questions from Free Press Online about Simcoe County’s urban nodes shift in strategy as it relates to service delivery at the municipal level, Innisfil’s CAO said this morning via email “the intention is to maximize the investment in infrastructure such as water and wastewater and ultimately minimize the burden on taxpayers/ratepayers.”
In 2011, the urban nodes – New Tecumseth, Barrie, Orillia, Bradford, and Collingwood, idenitifed as the primary growth areas in Simcoe County by the provincial government’s Places to Grow plan – approved a Statement of Principles that among other general notions, noted that they objected to the transfer of water and wastewater to Simcoe County. In fact, Simcoe County was not invited to be a participant in the discussions.
The provincial government since amended Places to Grow and added Innisfil (Alcona Beach) and Midland Penetanguishene to the urban nodes group. As a result, the Statement of Principles has been amended, and the only change is the removal of the objection to uploading the hard services. As well, Simcoe County is now a full voting member of the urban nodes group.
“The issue of removing the objection in the principles from our perspective recognizes that the County does have a role in planning, transportation and other related activities which impact the quality of life in our communities,” said Innisfil CAO John Skorobohacz. “Taking a stand that is opposed to engaging partners and others in the way we deliver our services is a rather insular approach and eliminates solutions which may be to the benefit of our communities and ultimately our taxpayers. Innisfil is interested in exploring options and alternatives which help to meet this community’s needs while also being cost effective.”
According to “meeting notes” from August 20, 2012, which are stamped “Approved April 23, 2013” and included on tonight’s council agenda as a result of last week’s queries by Ward 3 councillor Paul Whiteside about what was taking place at the urban nodes meetings, Innisfil requested “clarification…. to ensure there would be no road blocks to joint servicing.”
“We have historically enjoyed a fair and mutually advantageous water servicing agreement with our neighbours to the south (BWG) and we would anticipate that through future discussions such a process would be explored with other neighbours,” noted Mr. Skoroboahacz. “If by working together we can leverage other levels of government in this process to assist with funding our infrastructure needs as has happened in other parts of the province and country then we owe it to our residents to be open to such possibilities. We continue to operate in an environment which demands that we examine options carefully and make prudent decisions in the execution of our duties and we remain committed to that responsibility.”
For his part, mayor MacEachern, chair of the urban nodes working group, has been one of the more vocal objectors over the past few years to Simcoe County having any involvement with water and wastewater operations. In fact, in March 2012, he was opposed to the County giving Innisfil $125,000 in funding to help finance a water and wastewater study, suggesting “I think that the County has enough to worry about without getting into services which are clearly outside their jurisdiction and within which they have little expertise.”
Asked this morning why he no longer opposes the County’s involvement, he directed his reply through New Tecumseth communications director Kim Wingrove who stated in an email that that “all cooperative alternatives are being considered. None have been eliminated at this stage. The only commitment that the participating Councils are making is to be supportive of studying and gathering information in respect of all cooperative alternatives and opportunities for servicing that may exist. The alternatives and information will be brought back through a public discussion process. No alternatives are being eliminated at this stage.”