BLUEWATER SHORELINE RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

NEWSLETTER - May, 2001

This Newsletter is produced and distributed by the Bluewater Shoreline Residents’ Association (BSRA), an umbrella group of residents/beach/cottage/subdivision associations, as a service to the shoreline residents in Hay and Stanley Wards. It is funded by the Member Associations and its Associate Members. For information on membership, please contact the Membership Secretary, Jim Chapman, at (519) 235-1644 or (519) 565-5303. BSRA’s Postal address is BSRA, GMB #411, RR 2, Zurich ON N0M 2T0.

This issue of the Newsletter is being distributed now to provide notice of the Association's General Meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 30, 2001 in the Parish Hall of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, North of St. Joseph on Highway 21 opposite Church Road. Our special guest speaker will be the Mayor of the new Municipality of Bluewater, Bill Dowson. Current information will be provided, and discussions will help determine the Association's future activities. Although only the official representatives of paid-up recognized constituent Associations actually vote, Associate Members and Members of constituent Associations are welcome to participate in the discussions. Coffee and soft drinks will be provided. Information of significance to shoreline residents in our area is provided below, some of which updates information given in past Newsletters.

BLUEWATER IS HERE!

As planned, our new Municipality came into being with the advent of the year 2001, the first year of the Twenty-first Century and the Third Millennium. As predicted, the formal amalgamation process is only part of the work needed to implement the amalgamation decision. The long process continues, of amalgamating personnel and routines, synthesizing disparate by-laws and policies, and achieving loyalty and cohesion within the new municipality. However, there are still issues that reflect protection of “turf” and of blending of practices from former municipalities. (Note Our New Logo è)

The BSRA Executive Committee was impressed by the response of the Shoreline Community in participating in the election-by-mail process, thus demonstrating the interest and commitment of Shoreline Residents to good municipal governance. The Executive is confident that the Members of the Bluewater Council will merit the confidence of the Shoreline Residents, as they have demonstrated a high level of responsibility and knowledgeability, and are working hard on the long amalgamation process and on current issues, with a meeting per week being the average, and with lots of reading, consulting, answering questions, etc. occupying even more time. Bluewater is fortunate that it has so many dedicated residents willing to serve on the Council. At least one member of the BSRA Executive has been at each Regular Meeting of the Council, and at many of the Meetings of the Council meeting as the “Committee of the Whole.” As noted in past Newsletters, the members of the Executive Committee are there to provide a “presence” of the Shoreline Residents, to monitor the discussions and decisions, and to answer questions if asked.

For your information, here is a list of those who were elected. You may wish to clip and keep it for reference.

Mayor Bill Dowson Hay Ward Brad Mousseau

Deputy Mayor Paul Klopp Hay Ward Tony Denomme

Councillor at Large Diane Denomme Bayfield Joe Laudenbach

Stanley Ward Mavis Govier Zurich Marg Deichert

Stanley Ward Bill Martin Hensall Rod Parker

The Municipal Offices are located at 14 Mill Street, Zurich, and the mailing address is PO Box 250, Zurich ON N0M 2T0. The Office has two telephone numbers: (519) 236-4351 and (519) 565-5212. The Fax number is (519) 236-4329. As noted in a previous Newsletter, the Management Team consists of the following:

Janisse Zimmerman, Clerk-Administrator Milt Dietrich, Chief Building Official

Luanne Phair, Treasurer, Tax Collector and Deputy Clerk Tom Dickins, Facilities Manager

Ross Fisher, Public Works and Property Manager

To complete your list of reference names and addresses, here is a list of the BSRA Executive Committee Members:

Office Name Subdivision Home phone Lake phone

President: Don Brazier Lakewood (519) 271-6203 (519) 565-5231

Past President: Don Tuckey Glitter Bay (519) 474-0515 (519) 565-5348

Vice President: Bob Campbell North Houston Heights (519) 565-5202

Vice President: Chuck Box Norman Heights (877) 294-6382 (519) 238-5034

Secretary: Ann Kertesz Egerton Beach (519) 471-6088 (519) 565-5285

Treasurer: Bob Worthy Sunset Estates (519) 641-0860 (519) 236-7512

Membership Secretary: Jim Chapman Westdell (519) 235-1644 (519) 565-5303

Newsletter Editor: Doug Banks Houston Heights South (519) 471-4378 (519 565-2560

Proposed Construction of a new Community Centre/Arena Complex in Zurich

An issue which has been caught up ion the amalgamation process is the construction of a new facility in Zurich to replace the Babe Siefert Arena. The need for replacement was identified prior to the finalization of amalgamation plans, and planning for re-building and funding had already begun in Zurich. That is, a decision had been made by Zurich Council to go ahead with the project.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Government agreed to the creation of the Municipality of Bluewater, and a Transition Board was created, made up of the Councils of the amalgamating municipalities. This Board thus became responsible for making and recommending decisions where over $10,000 was to be spent, including such projects as a new Arena complex in Zurich, now recognized as a new Bluewater Arena because of the shift in funding from the Village of Zurich to the Municipality of Bluewater, a much larger tax base, because of amalgamation. At the same time, Bluewater also inherited Community Centre/Arena complexes in Bayfield and Hensall, as well as the Stanley Ward Community Centre complex at Varna.

Engineering studies were sought and rough cost analyses were made, including new arena construction vs. twinning of existing facilities, etc. The Transition Board was under considerable pressure from interested ratepayers to act quickly because of the condition of the existing arena, and the Board agreed to recommend that Bluewater proceed with construction of a new facility to replace the one in Zurich.

Nonetheless, concerns were expressed at the time about the high cost of replacing the facility, estimated to be an expenditure of some $3.4 Million for the __________ residents of Bluewater, although proponents of the new arena counter that the expenditure is “only $7 per month per household for 10 years.” Concern was also expressed about having an overcapacity for the population of the municipality of Bluewater, and therefore building facilities for the use of those in Exeter and Goderich, who now occupy a considerable portion of the ice time at the other two arenas at the cost of local taxpayers. The argument is made that Bluewater should satisfy the demands of those within the municipality, and not finance facilities for outsiders, whose fees for service do not adequately cover the actual costs when the total investment is considered.

A third concern is the total allowable debt load of the municipality, especially as other projects engendering long-term debt have not yet been examined, let alone planned and costed. In this category might be water services Bayfield), new wells (Hensall. Zurich) sewage disposal construction or upgrade (all 3 villages and the Shoreline), road upgrades, expansion of the Bluewater municipal offices to contain the standing crowds and to provide an adequate ante room to the Council Chamber, as well as to provide adequate emergency exits. The Province will impose a maximum debt load on Bluewater, (that is, the maximum amount of debt it will be permitted to undertake), and in the end, this will determine what major projects will be undertaken, no matter what need or desire there may be for them.

Recently, there has been growing opposition to the construction of a new facility in Zurich, with the core of the dissent centring on the Hensall area. Their focus seems to centre on the constraints imposed by the long-term debt load on other projects, inasmuch as the need for a new facility has not been adequately proven to them, nor has there apparently been adequate study of other needs for the long-term debt capacity. This group of “Concerned Citizens” has requested very specific information re budgets and finances, and re needs assessment.

The BSRA Executive Committee has followed with interest the presentations of various points of view at the Bluewater Council meetings, and has noted the very vocal, (and sometimes belligerent), and numerous supporters on each side. The Executive is cognizant that when amalgamation took place, Shoreline residents accepted, (without having a choice), that they had become part of a larger entity, and would be required to fund such projects as this and activities having little to do with the Shoreline area, in expectation that if, in the future, Shoreline area needs were identified, (say, a sewage system along the shoreline), or municipal needs affecting shoreline residents were identified, (say, a new solid waste facility), that the rest of the municipality would also help fund such a municipal need, even if only permitting it to be part of the overall debt load.

At present, reports are being prepared by Bluewater staff re needs assessment and fiscal aspects, and the Council is awaiting word from the Ministry as to its debt-load limits. At the time of writing, public meetings were planned for Bayfield Hensall and Varna in early May, and the Council is struggling to deal with this and other issues. Meanwhile, the Council is also struggling to build a cohesive community in Bluewater while it deals with a divisive issue.

Redressing Inequality

At the last BSRA Annual Meeting, the Executive Committee was asked to seek to redress the inequality of the provision of road services to the Shoreline Residents in comparison with that provided to the rest of the new municipality. It is generally understood that a dedicated road is created in a plan of subdivision to be the property of the municipality when the work has become a road, in other words, the road “belongs” to the municipality. When a road is “assumed” by the municipality, it takes ownership, and with it, responsibility for maintenance and servicing. The existence of subdivisions with roads that have been dedicated to the municipality, (at least to a former one), but not assumed by the municipality has been a long-term irritant, especially where roads were built to the standard as directed, not assumed, and then the standard has changed. The reluctance of municipalities to take over additional road responsibilities, and therefore additional costs, is understandable, but the perception is that the municipality owns the dedicated roads and so should “assume” them.

The Executive Committee is making a presentation to Bluewater Council on May 14 as the first step in a lengthy process, and is asking that a Committee be struck by the Council to develop a plan to deal with the issue. It must be remembered that some dedicated roads have already been assumed (taken over) by the municipality, but many have not. There are also private roads that have not been dedicated, and roads over private property whose status as roads is questionable. There are also dedicated road allowances with no roads on them. Once the “ownership” of particular roads has been established, and the preferences of those served by a particular road have been ascertained, then a process can be established.

As you are well aware, the servicing of dedicated (but unassumed) roads and private roads is now at the cost of those using them, but then, the control rests with those servicing them. If the municipality assumes them, then the users have no control over servicing them, as to what service or when, or whether there are drainage issues, etc. There is also presumed to be some measure of control over trespassers, as there is over the private roads which are owned outright and deeded to the owners, who also have complete control over where the road is placed in the road allowance, easements over the road allowance, etc. As noted, the situation is confused west of Highway 21, and will take some sorting out. The Executive Committee expects to be part of the process and will be following developments with great interest.

Servicing of roads is expected to be a long term cost to the municipality, hence the reluctance to assume roads, but provincial legislation now permits municipalities to tax areas which receive lesser services at a lower tax rate. For those subdivisions which wish to retain control, and thus the expense of maintenance of their roads, this is an option which will be examined by the Executive Committee to help deal with the traditional inequalities in the Shoreline Community.

BSRA Insurance Program for Member Associations

Here is the latest information on the Program, as reported by our Treasurer, Bob Worthy.

Association Liability Policy — Several associations including the BSRA have been added to this new group policy set up last September, covering us for $2,000,000 of Commercial General Liability, Non-Owned Automobile Liability and Personal Injury Liability; $25,000 for Medical Payments; and $100,000 of Tenants Legal Liability; all for a premium of only $325 plus PST. We thank those associations that have supported this Group initiative and ask other associations to seriously consider this coverage and its savings. Naturally, the more of us in this Group plan, the less expensive the rates will become.

Directors and Officers Liability Policy — Bob Worthy has been working on obtaining this coverage, as several associations carry it and others want this coverage for their associations, but the premiums are too high. We are pleased to report that the BSRA is establishing a master policy for Directors and Officers for $2,000,000 in liability coverage, and will issue certificates for each individual association. The good news is the cost — $1,500 premium covering up to 10 associations or approximately $150 per association, a significant savings. This is available to those associations with the BSRA Group Association Liability Policy.

Resident Insurance — This is another new BSRA initiative offering better coverage at BSRA Group rates and thus at lower cost. We are delighted to be offered, as a group, one of the most comprehensive and flexible insurance products, which now also addresses the concerns of limitations of personal visits such as during the winter months. This policy also covers numerous added protection at no extra cost. The policy is for replacement cost on buildings, higher personal umbrella liability, etc. Special coverage for high value and unusual items is available. There is no obligation to get a quotation for your residence and compare the coverage and cost. Just identify yourself as a BSRA member to our agent.

Contact Brian McHugh at Westlake-McHugh Insurance in Zurich at 236-4391 with any questions on these BSRA Group plans.

Don Brazier, President Compiled by Doug Banks, Newsletter Editor