Georgian Bluffs wants to chat with Owen Sound about potentially extending city water services to homes in the Pottawatomi area of the township.
And perhaps other shared services between the two neighbouring municipalities as well.
The township’s committee of the whole unanimously approved a recommendation at its meeting Wednesday to draft a letter to Owen Sound council on behalf of Georgian Bluffs council, requesting the CAOs and mayors of both municipalities meet to explore the viability of extending city water services.
The motion says township council has received concerns regarding water services from the Pottawatomi community for several years, and has acknowledged the need to explore an alternate water service.
The Pottawatomi Village Drinking Water system serves only a couple dozen users in a subdivision near Nicol’s Gully, just west of Owen Sound.
Georgian Bluffs CAO Cynthia Fletcher told councillors about the looming negotiations with Owen Sound: “It would be the intention to start with our ask, but the point is well taken there are many things we could be collaborating on. My counterpart and I have had many discussions about potential services that we could provide, services that Owen Sound could provide.”
She made the comments after Coun. Rick Winters asked whether the motion should be limited to just talking about water extension services with Owen Sound.
“I think one of the things with any agreement is when you approach somebody to ask for something you have to be willing to give something,” Winters says.
Deputy Mayor Grant Pringle: “It’s just really good to see something going forward with this. It’s been too long … it’s good to leave the options open to look at more avenues. As we’ve all heard in the last month from everybody we’ve talked with, we’ve got to work together. Let’s get it out there and get it started.”
Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy says the city is interested in having talks with Georgian Bluffs about shared services, but not just water and wastewater.
“There’s other issues that should be on the table, and from our point of view will be on the table. We can go back to the recreation agreement that we had years ago that Georgian Bluffs and Meaford at the time walked away from,” Boddy says, referring to talks with Georgian Bluffs in 2012-13 that failed to yield an agreement for the township’s youth to have full access to city minor sports programs and camps in exchange for an annual payment.
“And other similar things,” Boddy continues. “We get requests for busing out to the Sunset Strip. If they’re interested in supporting their businesses then they’ll find a way to help fund it.”
Asked about who would pay for the potential extension of city water services, Boddy says: “It is something we can discuss with Georgian Bluffs. Certainly, it’s not going to be the Owen Sound taxpayer. When we look at our population of just 21,000 (people) providing services for approximately 40,000-plus that come into the city, we think it’s fair there’s other things on the table to help support our taxpayers.”
