Zorra Township Council briefs

Connor Luczka, Echo Correspondent

Mayor wants township to prepare for looming tariff threat

At the Feb. 5 Zorra Township Council meeting, council instructed staff to investigate its procurement practices and whether or not it can ban American companies from contracts.

The motion was put forward by Mayor Marcus Ryan, who was spurned by an announcement made by Ontario Premier Doug Ford earlier this month.

After proposed tariffs were put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump (and before it was walked back the Monday they were supposed to be enacted), Ford announced that his government would be banning American companies from contracts and urged Ontarian municipalities to do the same.

Although the tariffs have been paused until the end of the month, many Canadians are still preparing for the impact they will have – as is Zorra township.

“The intention of my motion here,” Ryan explained, “is that we get a report from staff on what it would look like, and I think we need to know what it looks like, regardless of whether it's over and it never comes back again.”

He said that he is unsure if legally the municipality can issue such a ban and, even if they could, what budgetary impacts it would have.

Coun. Paul Mitchell, who said he is usually cautious about wading into areas that aren’t the municipality’s concern, agreed. He saw it as a way to protect the township.

The motion was subsequently passed unanimously.

Multi-use courts will have a new location

Just after the Zorra Multi-Use Courts Committee announced reaching its fundraising goal, council officially endorsed a new location for the courts: block 26 of the upcoming Kingwood subdivision.

Kingwood Homes, a Burlington-based developer that is constructing a transformational, multi-phased subdivision at the former Maple Leaf Foods grounds, agreed to convey a parcel of land for the courts that were adjacent to the site of a newly proposed school the Thames Valley District School Board is building in conjunction with the township.

The additional parcel will facilitate the expansion of the proposed soccer pitch at the site into a full-size field, as well as additional amenities like washrooms and shade structures.

The committee subsequently endorsed the new area as a prime location.

Previously, the courts were intended to be built behind the Thamesford District Recreation Centre.

Mobile emergency centre sourced through provincial dollars – may be a burden on future taxpayers

The township was successful in securing the community emergency preparedness grant, a $46,950.20 fund that will go towards a reception trailer and emergency equipment to house residents displaced by large-scale emergencies, such as hazardous material spills, tornados, or floods.

Although good news for the township today, tomorrow may be a different story.

As noted in the staff report, the Canadian Red Cross had previously been able to supply a reception centre service in the past, though it has closed its Oxford County branch.

Mayor Ryan pointed out that the recently sourced reception trailer will not cost taxpayers anything; however, this is a new service provided by the municipality and in the future, when a new trailer may be needed, it will be on the municipality’s shoulders to source it.

“This will be placed into our asset management and tracked for depreciation,” Joshua Doyle, manager of emergency services, said. “It is an item that isn't going to be used often. I'm hoping that it's going to last much longer than a general trailer might. However, you are correct in giving this money to the township, the province is transferring that responsibility, and the administration that comes with it. So, we will have to budget for this in future budgets, although I expect that it to be a moderately low amount annually.”

Additionally, as a mobile trailer it may be moved across the county and even beyond. As noted in the report, Middlesex County has two similar trailers and the addition of Zorra’s means that the region is better prepared for emergency displacements.