South Huron Council briefs

Municipality of South Huron logo.

By John Miner

CAO’s pay set at $189,371

Accepting the recommendation of its CAO Performance Review Committee, the annual remuneration of CAO Rebekah Msuya-Collison was set at $189,371 for the year. Additionally, council voted to continue the professional development allowance at $15,000.

In the report to council, the committee said Msuya-Collison’s performance met and exceeded the strategic priorities set for 2023 to 2026. The committee said it considers the annual remuneration equitable, particularly when compared to that of her peers as listed in the publicly available “Sunshine List.”

Trees and Me request turned down

In a split vote, a request from The Trees and Me Forest School for free use of the municipality’s kitchen this summer was rejected. The Bayfield-area-based school runs summer camps, PD day camps and before- and after-school programs.

The school plans to expand to the Exeter community and requires a certified kitchen before it can become a licensed childcare provider. The request submitted by The Trees and Me owner Hannah Field asked for free use of the kitchen for PD days on April 24 and June 5 and once a week starting July 3 until the end of the summer.

Bluewater Recycling setting new fees

The annual recycling fee for industrial, commercial and institutional (ICI) properties will be $160 per wheelie bin starting on Jan. 1, 2027, up from $71.40. Changes in provincial regulations removed ICI recycling from the residential blue box program this year, prompting Bluewater Recycling Association to implement a dedicated ICI collection system.

In a letter to council, the association said the increased fee reflects the full cost of delivering ICI recycling services across a large and predominantly rural service area.

Access control project company selected

Council gave the go ahead to hiring Canadian Security Concepts to provide access control at the town hall, South Huron Recreation Centre and future community service facilities.

A report to council said many individuals hold physical keys that provide access to multiple areas within the recreation centre and there have been instances where individuals have accessed the building without staff knowledge.

This is a serious safety concern at the recreation centre due to the presence of the refrigeration plant and ammonia system. The access control system will allow staff to monitor and control access in real time. Key fobs can be programmed with specific access levels and restricted to timeframes. Access privileges could be revoked at any time without needing to retrieve physical keys.

Stephen arena roof repair proposal approved

South Huron Council approved engaging an engineering firm to provide the detailed drawings and design required to complete phase two of the Stephen roof repairs.

The work will bring the roof up to 2024 building code standards and allow for additional weight to be added. The cost to complete the drawings is $22,000 and there will be additional costs for the construction work.