Brant withdraws from joint city-county services committee

A Brant County decision to withdraw from the joint city-county services committee is a “devastating blow” and puts the city at a crossroads, Mayor Kevin Davis said.

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“Transportation is an urgent priority for our residents, particularly those in West Brantford,” Davis said. “We also need to take action to solve the issue of gridlock on Brant Avenue.

“We are now left with very few options within city boundaries.”

Davis said the long-term solution is likely amalgamation, or alternatively, asking the province to consider moving the airport and the surrounding lands into the city.

Although the city owns and operates the Brantford Municipal Airport, the airport is located on land governed by Brant County.

The committee was formed to determine if solutions can be found to issues affecting both municipalities.

Brant officials announced Tuesday night that, after extensive deliberation, the county had decided to withdraw from it.

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“Through our joint initiatives, we have achieved successes that have positively impacted our residents,” said Alison Newton, Brant’s chief administrative officer, said in a statement. “We value the relationship and partnership that we have with the City of Brantford and look forward to future opportunities outside of the committee platform.”

But, due to staff capacity constraints the county will suspend its participation in the committee to focus on ongoing projects and current commitments, the county’s statement said.

This decision will ensure existing initiatives are completed effectively and continue to meet the needs of communities within the county, the statement said.

“Despite the dissolution of the committee, the County of Brant remains committed to exploring future collaborative opportunities and is optimistic about the potential for new initiatives that will further strengthen the bond between the two communities,” Newton said.

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The county and city already collaborate on social services, delivered by the city, and paramedic services, delivered the county.

Issues addressed through the joint services committee including household hazardous waste, organics, public transit, transportation master plans, sports/recreation facilities and economic development are currently being looked at by staff, Newton said.

Davis, however, said it is up to the elected representatives not staff to make decisions on important issues.

“The best that can be expected from staff working together, without the ongoing and active support of elected officials, are marginal improvements in already existing joint services, such as hazardous waste days or joint fire dispatch,” Davis said.

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The county’s decision came on the same night both municipalities voted in favor of a 10-year city-county service agreement for fire dispatch services. The agreement comes into effect July 1.

“As a result of this service agreement, a critical aspect of emergency services will be provided in a fiscally responsible, stable, and high-quality manner,” the county said Wednesday in a separate statement announcing the agreement.

One of the issues being looked at by the joint city-county committee was alternative routing of the Oak Park Road extension, Shellard Lane extension to Rest Acres Road and a Brantford Southern Road bypass along Phelps Road, County Road 18 and Garden Avenue to improve traffic flow.

Other issues include further development of the airport and transit routes between the two municipalities.

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Davis called the county’s decision a devastating blow and said most of those initiatives are now “dead in the water.”

The county’s decision is an incredibly disappointing approach to area-wide challenges and issues the two communities must work together to address, Davis said.

As well, Davis said the discussion about the county’s decision to withdraw from the joint services committee was done in-camera, that is out of the public’s view.

County officials confirmed that the discussions did take place in-camera but said the vote was done in public.

In statement released after The Expositor’s print edition deadline, Brant County Mayor David Bailey said the County of Brant and the City of Brantford are two separate single tier municipalities.

“We choose to collaborate with each other on a number of services that are mutually beneficial,” Bailey said. “The services that we currently partner on will be maintained and county staff will continue to work on other initiatives with city staff, just outside of the committee platform.

“Our commitment remains to providing the best services possible to County of Brant residents.”

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