Province prefers local solution

Province yet to formally respond to requests to step into annexation dispute between city, Cavan Monaghan

Although Queen’s Park has received letters from the city, Cavan Monaghan Township and Peterborough County asking for help to sort out an annexation stalemate, the province is still encouraging local politicians to try to agree on a deal themselves.

Conrad Spezowka, a spokesman for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, wrote in an email to The

Examiner that the city, township and county can all expect to receive a formal response to their queries soon.

But Municipal Affairs Minister Bill Mauro is still expecting the municipalities to work together toward a deal.

“The minister is prepared to consider a restructuring proposal that is supported by all involved municipalities,” the email states.

“We encourage the city, township and county to continue working toward a possible solution that meets provincial requirements.”

A deal appeared to be within reach last month – but then it ended in a stalemate.

City and township officials had agreed to allow 4,140 acres of land from the township to be absorbed by the city. The lands are southwest of current city limits, and include Peterborough Airport.

The city would have had to pay the township $2.5 million annually for the next 25 years. The idea was to increase industrial lands for Peterborough.

But when city council wanted to be able to pay less upfront while gradually increasing payments, township council said it didn’t want to renegotiate the memorandum of understanding (MOU).

Instead, city council asked the province to decide where the border should be - and also how much the city should pay.

Township council also sent a letter to the province, but it took a different approach: it asked that the city be urged to receive the MOU. The county urged the same in a letter to the ministry.

Mayor Daryl Bennett wasn’t available for comment on the matter Thursday.

But city CAO Allan Seabrooke said council is not about to receive the MOU; councillors turned it down.

“My council majority vote is clear that they want the province to intervene and they are not proceeding with the current MOU,” he wrote in an email.

Scott McFadden, the mayor of Cavan Monaghan Township, said there’s a process to follow.

All three councils need to receive the MOU - which is the basic framework for a deal – and then allow citizens to weigh in at public meetings.

Next you develop a “restructuring proposal”, he said; that’s a blueprint for the deal that sets out every detail, including a payment schedule for the city.

Every aspect of the deal can be discussed at that point, McFadden said – but only then, not now.

“Everybody needs to follow the process – and yet the city hasn’t accepted the MOU,” he said.