Mulmur donates $5,000 to Medical Centre
Despite previously deciding to hold off on making a commitment to the Creemore Medical Centre until after its budget deliberations for next year, Mulmur Council voted Tuesday to commit itself to donating $5,000 to the Centre’s expansion effort in 2013.
This decision came after Council received a letter from Don MacFarlane, chair of the Mono Mulmur Citizens’ Coalition. MacFarlane reported that the board of (MC)2 and some of its members had raised concerns over Council’s lack of immediate support for the project, and that they considered such support an important priority.
“Many Mulmur residents, particularly in the north part of the Township, go to Creemore for the relatively full service offered at the Medical Centre, and feel that this operation is important to them,” wrote MacFarlane. “The proposal to upgrade the facility to improve services available, to improve access, and other changes will benefit the Mulmur residents (particularly seniors) who make up 30 per cent of the users of the facility.”
MacFarlane noted that the Medical Centre needs to have made significant progress toward its $350,000 fundraising target by February 1, 2013, or postpone the project indefinitely. He further recommended that Mulmur Council donate between $2,500 and $5,000 to the cause immediately, and make a commitment to find another $10,000 per year for the next two years.
Mayor Paul Mills opened the debate on the subject by restating his opinion that there was no money to be found in Mulmur’s 2012 budget for an immediate donation. He also expressed misgivings about committing any money at all, given the fact that Mulmur’s residents use several medical facilities outside of the Township – in Orangeville, Alliston, Creemore, Collingwood and Markdale.
“How far do we go here?” asked Mills. “Health care funding is not up to municipalities, it’s up to the Province. If the Creemore Medical Centre needs money, I really feel that this should be a user-pay scenario.”
The rest of Council was feeling more charitable, however, with Councillor Lynn Hilchey speaking up first.
“We are always looking for input on how we spend ratepayers’ money,” she said. “And with this letter we’ve been clearly told that we should be supportive.”
Conceding that Mulmur currently has no money budgeted for the cause, Hilchey proposed that Council go into next year’s budget process with a commitment for the Medical Centre.
With that, a motion by Hilchey and seconded by Deputy Mayor Rhonda Campbell Moon commit to a $5,000 donation in 2013 was passed. No commitment for 2014 was made at this point.
Greenhouse Decision
Mulmur Council met in camera for 90 minutes Tuesday morning to discuss the ongoing dispute regarding a large greenhouse on the property of Councillor Lynn Hilchey and her husband John, which was erected without a building permit and, in the opinion of Township planner Ron Mills, is in contravention of Mulmur`s zoning bylaw.
On the agenda Tuesday was a request from John Hilchey for Council to give the structure “municipal approval.” With this, Hilchey could then theoretically approach the Dufferin County Building Department and retroactively apply for a building permit.
A decision on the request was put off until after the in camera session, however, during which Council met with Dufferin County Chief Building Inspector Mike Giles. Following the session, Council reopened its doors to the public and passed a motion stating that the Hilcheys must remove the greenhouse by November 30, unless a complete application to amend the Township zoning bylaw has been made by that date. If an application is made but eventually turned down, the structure must then be removed.
In a recorded vote, Mayor Mills and Councillors Heather Hayes and Earl Hawkins voted in favour of the motion and Deputy Mayor Rhonda Campbell Moon abstained from voting. Councillor Hilchey was not present for either the in camera session or the vote, having declared a conflict of interest.
New Meeting Schedule
After several discussions about Mulmur’s procedural bylaw over the past few meetings, Council agreed Tuesday to change its meeting schedule so that its daytime meetings take place on the first Wednesday of the month, rather than the first Tuesday. Evening meetings will remain on the the third Wednesday of the month. It’s hoped the change will provide more consistency, as well as give Councillors more time to prepare for daytime meetings after long weekends. The schedule change will take effect starting in January 2013.
