City calls on province

Divided city council votes to ask province to step into annexation stalemate with Cavan Monaghan Township

City council voted Monday night to ask the provincial government to step into the stalemate between the city and Cavan Monaghan Township over the proposed annexation of 4,140 acres of township land to the southwest of the city.

City officials had reached a deal to pay the township $2.5 million a year over 25 years for the annexation of the land.

But city council wanted to be able to pay less upfront while gradually increasing payments. Township council rejected the idea and refused to negotiate further, placing the deal in limbo.

Under a motion passed Monday night, the city will also look into using lands in the city currently zoned for future residential use as industrial lands instead.

Coun. Henry Clarke, Coun. Lesley Parnell and Coun. Dan McWilliams voted against the motion, which was introduced by Coun. Dave Haacke.

Mayor Daryl Bennett did not participate in the debate and did not vote. He declared a pecuniary interest, saying his family owns property within or near the area proposed for annexation.

Haacke’s motion also involved telling the provincial government that the cost to the city, in this annexation deal, was too much.

Coun. Dean Pappas was highly supportive; he said the cost of the proposed deal to the city would have been “onerous” for taxpayers.

Plus, he said it’s not the city’s fault the deal hit an impasse.

“City council has continually voted to keep negotiating with Cavan - and Cavan has continually stopped the bus,” Pappas said.

Coun. Henry Clarke seemed vehemently opposed to the idea of allowing the province to make the decision.

Clarke said he didn’t expect the province to work very quickly to sort out these difficulties; that’s going to leave the city to “sit back and wait” while we run out of industrial land and young people leave the city for lack of jobs.

Meanwhile the township has offered more than 4,000 acres of industrial land, he emphasized. “4,000 acres!” Clarke exclaimed. “This is achievable – but not this route!”

Coun. Dan McWilliams agreed with Clarke, saying he didn’t think it was a good idea to stall the deal any further by allowing the province to sort it out.

But Coun. Keith Riel said he saw the township “with its hand out”, asking the city to cover the cost of creating new industry.

“Why is Peterborough taking 100 per cent of the hit, on economic development?” he asked.

Coun. Gary Baldwin said he couldn’t imagine spending that kid of tax money on a deal with the township when city streets are strewn with potholes and construction projects – such as a twin-pad arena, with a proposed pool – are also on the drawing board.

Coun. Diane Therrien said she wasn’t in favour of the city “building out onto swamplands” to create industrial parks.

“I feel like we are trying to catch up to an economic model that made sense 10 years ago,” she said.

Coun. Don Vassiliadis said he thought perhaps it’s a good idea to see whether the province could sort it out – and maybe even give the city a better deal.

“I thought the deal was too rich,” he said.

So did Coun. Andrew Beamer.

“We are overpaying - and we are the representatives of the taxpayer first,” he said.

But Coun. Lesley Parnell emphasized the need for industrial lands. She said it doesn’t help to get hung up on the price tag when you’re purchasing a major asset.

“We have to have some vision for the future,” she said. “It (annexation) will be beneficial to our citizens.”

The vote still has to be ratified at a council meeting, likely next week. People will get the chance to weigh in, prior to that final vote.