Killaloe –  The mayor of Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards (KHR) Township has publicly apologized to council and ratepayers for comments he made at the November 7 meeting about a possible meeting with the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks at the Rural Ontario Municipality Association (ROMA) conference in January to discuss water levels on Round Lake.

The comment generated a wave of concern that the mayor was going to talk to the minister about the Bonnechere River Watershed Management Plan Amendment (BRWPA), which resulted in several letters to council and a delegation from the Round Lake Property Owner’s Association (RLPOA) at the November 21 meeting.     

Mayor Dave Mayville addressed the issue in his opening remarks last Tuesday night, explaining the intent of his comment about putting a bug in the minister’s ear about the water levels. He had also said at the Nov. 7 meeting he wanted to speak to the minister about the possibility of re-opening Foy Park.

“I would like to touch base regarding the reaction to comments I made last regular meeting regarding Foy Park and the water levels of Round Lake,” he began. “I was looking for suggestions from council to form a delegation to present at the ROMA conference in January.

“A resolution is needed to form a delegation and unfortunately, only three councillors were present at the November 7 regular meeting, and the deadline for submissions was yesterday, November 20.” (Councillors Ted Browne, Carl Kuehl and Brian Pecoskie were absent).

He said in the future, when council goes as a delegation they will be prepared with a well-thought out presentation that utilizes all of its resources and includes all topics council thinks are relevant.

Mayor Mayville reminded everyone he lives on the Bonnechere River and in 2017 and 2019, he saw firsthand the terrible damage and great expense incurred by his neighbours because of flooding.

“I don’t want that to happen again to anyone, and I’m sure council would agree. It’s clear that the Bonnechere Watershed Management Plan Amendment has made a huge difference in the spring freshet.

“And we’re all grateful to the many individuals and groups that made this amendment a reality,” he added. “It’s been three years since the draw-down began in September each year, some years earlier than expected.”       

Plan Successful  

He said everyone can agree the amended plan has been successful and that there are many good things that have come from its success. He said there is no major flooding and it’s easier to manage the water that does come.

“And I understand that if the plan had not been in place this year, we would have been in trouble again. The ice push is easier to manage, there’s less water damage, and less expense.

“In recognizing the good means we must also acknowledge that there are some things to identify,” he continued. “There is nothing so drastic that it requires a change to the amendment, but the early draw-down means boats are out of the water earlier, so lake recreation is shortened.”

He said there are dry hydrants that could or could not be related to the lower water and dry wells which could or could not be related as well.

“As the mayor, I receive phone calls from residents with questions about the water levels and the consequences that those residents are facing. I am obligated to address their questions, and if I don’t know the answer, then I ask questions until I have the answer, just like the speeding on Highway 58 and other concerns presented to me by residents.”

Mayor Mayville said he will push every button possible with the county and others to get answers.

“There is no need for anyone to feel threatened by my words. Because of the efforts of all parties involved in the amendment, the positive results of the amendment and the high costs of the amendment to this township, the amendment stands as it is, and that was the intent all along,” he stressed. “However, I will be asking RPG (Renfrew Power Generation) during budget time every year about their timing of the draw-down to ensure that they follow what is recorded.

“And in the meantime, I will continue doing my job with respect to questions and concerns for all residents,” he concluded.          

Councillor Carl Kuehl asked the mayor why he brought the topic up when three councillors were absent. The mayor said he was just throwing out ideas to see if anyone agreed.

“We went through that whole thing,” Coun. Kuehl remarked.

“We fully understand that, as I said,” the mayor responded.    

RLPOA Concerned

Mike Kendall, who represented the RLPOA on behalf of president, Rob Norris, referred to a letter the organization sent to council regarding the water plan. He said he has seen water levels go up and down on the lake and had seen three serious floods, starting back in 2007 and again in 2017 and 2019.

“My concern, when I heard that a delegation was going from our council to ROMA next year was that this plan has worked for us for a few years now. It’s much improved over what we used to have, it definitely handles the freshet as well as the freshet can be handled, because no one can determine what is going to happen there.”

Mr. Kendall noted RPG manager Shawn Cameron has been of big assistance, noting he was part of the RLPOA presentation to council back in January of this year.

“Our concern really, as an association is, that we definitely don’t want to see something that is working well, after we have seen proof of what didn’t work well, get broken or get changed.”

Mr. Kendall said everyone knows there are people on either side of the issue and he knows people that have said they had trouble with their well since they started to draw down the lake.

“But apparently there’s not always 100 per cent correlation between the lake dropping and the wells dropping,” he remarked. “Because it can happen, but it doesn’t necessarily happen.

“But we’re all affected around the lake,” he added.

He said the RLPOA wants to see the BRWMP continue the way it is at present.

“And we really don’t see any valid rationale for a change,” he stated.

Mayor Mayville said it is his responsibility to bring calls that he receives to council, noting he received a call this week from someone who had purchased a home on the lake who was yelling at him because of the low water levels.

“They just purchased this house and the well was dry,” he said.

“There was no intent of changing this plan,” he continued. “My concern is the people are calling about the timing of the water being (drawn down).”

He noted Mr. Cameron had told council in January that RPG measures the levels regularly.

“We just want to make sure that he’s going to continue that, to the point some people have brought up concerns about it being lowered prior to the long weekend in September.”

He said when people bring those issues to him, he has to bring them to council.

Councillors Respond

Councillor Ted Browne asked the mayor to identify who had called him. Coun. Kuehl said he felt if someone had an issue they should submit it in a signed letter.

“Then we can’t act on anything unless we have a signature,” he said.

 “Maybe that’s what I’ll start doing,” responded the mayor. “They have to supply me their name and if they will allow me to bring it forward.

“If someone has a complaint, we need a letter, with it signed,” he continued.

Coun. Browne said he watched the You Tube video of the November 7 meeting, saying there was no doubt in his mind that Mayor Mayville wanted to meet with the minister to amend the amendment to the BRWMP. Mayor Mayville cited what he had said that night, stating the main thing he wanted to talk to the minister about was Foy Park.

“Then I brought in that I had the calls the last three weeks; it’s right here in black and white. You can’t misinterpret that.”

Coun. Browne played the clip from the meeting where the mayor said he wanted to just put a bug in someone’s ear about the water levels, because he had received “numerous, numerous calls” about it.

“The only way we can read that is that you want to talk to the minister to get him to change the amendment,” Coun. Browne said. “I don’t know how else you can take that.”

“The main part is Foy Park,” the mayor stressed. “That was the key part to this whole . . .”

Coun. Pecoskie said he took issue with the fact the mayor was planning on talking to the minister without first talking with council about it.

“I also heard rumours that you went to (MPP) John Yakabuski about the water management levels on the Bonnechere River,” he said.

He added he was never part of any discussion at council and was unsure if anyone else at the table was part of any discussion about talking to the MPP about the plan.

“So, why has this happened, and council doesn’t know anything about it?” he queried.

Coun. Pecoksie said there was a stack of letters that came in since the comment from people who are totally against any changes to the plan.

“I don’t know what you call numerous numbers of people who want it changed, but that’s how many people want it left as is.”

Coun. Browne said as a council, he didn’t care if a resident had to walk to the middle of the lake to get to their boat in October.

“Because that doesn’t cost the taxpayers of this township any money,” he remarked. “What cost the taxpayers of this township any money is when April, May comes and everybody’s basement is flooding.

“That’s what our concern is,” he added.

He again noted he felt the mayor’s comment was “black and white” and could not be taken any other way.

Mayor Mayville stressed he had said “put a bug in someone’s ear about the water levels”.

“What I didn’t explain in that, and maybe I should have, and I look back and I should have, is the timing of the draw-down. Whether it is prior to the long weekend, or the long weekend.”

Coun. Pecoksie said many studies have been done on when the best time is to do the draw-down.

“They didn’t just pull them out of a hat and say let’s do it today,” he commented.

Mayor Mayville noted when Mr. Cameron was there in January, he said they look at the levels from year to year and if it should be altered or not.

“To this point, it hasn’t been,” the mayor said.

“But they do look at it every year,” Coun. Browne noted.

Coun. Maureen MacMillan noted the ratepayers need to know that council would not support any proposed meeting with the Minister regarding changing the BRWMP. She added she, Coun. Bil Smith and Coun. Harold Lavigne would not have felt comfortable supporting the proposed meeting without the input of the three absent councillors.

Mayor Mayville said a decision on his suggestion could not be made on the initial evening, adding council was not aware of the deadline for submissions for delegations at ROMA at that point either.

 “So, there was nothing going to happen,” he stated.

Request For Resolution

Coun. Pecoskie reminded the mayor that previous councils had spent four or five years working with stakeholders on the plan.

“And we all supported it 100 percent full council. Now, we have a new council here, with three (four) members who had nothing to do with that.

“I’m wondering if we could give Tammy (CAO Tammy Gorgerat) permission to draw up a resolution to bring to our next meeting to have a vote or discussion with council to see who supports it and who doesn’t,” he added. “And if we do support it, it’s the amendment that’s in place now.”

“That’s a great idea,” Mayor Mayville responded.      

Coun. Browne said from discussions he had with people like Mr. Kendall and Mr. Norris, the issue was making council look bad, especially after all the hard work that had gone into the plan.

“I think we have to put a letter out stating that this was not council’s wishes. I think there has to be something sent to all the stakeholders. It should be in our newsletter, because a lot of people are hearing about it and a lot of people may not hear about this maybe.

“So, I think we have to come up with some kind of thing for that as well,” he added.         

 Coun. Kuehl said one the letters was addressed to “Dear Dave Mayville and members of council”.

 “Now council’s getting the flack for this,” he pointed out.      

Coun. Lavigne said he received at least seven calls from people very concerned by the mayor’s comments.

“And who walks on the shoreline at this time of year, whether it’s muddy or not?” he queried.

Mayor Mayville said he also liked Coun. Browne’s suggesting of the letter, saying once the resolution is passed, it could me mentioned in the newsletter.

Mr. Kendall said he believed that was a positive step, adding he felt the mayor’s suggestion regarding Foy Park was a good one.

Mayor Apology

Mayor Mayville was clear in his apology in the meeting.

“In closing, I apologize to council, also for the misinterpretation to the people that I wasn’t trying to do that,” he remarked. “The main focus for me was Foy Park and I did bring in the topic of water. That was my fault, I shouldn’t have done that. Sorry.”