COBDEN — The possibility that organizations trying to fix Muskrat Lake could be damaging to each other when it comes to getting funding has forced a decision on the Whitewater Region’s environmental services committee.
During last night’s meeting, the committee was reviewing a report provided by deputy-clerk Hope Dillabough regarding a financial request from Donald Deer. He was asking council to set aside $93,000 in this year’s budget for a study to be done on Muskrat Lake. It was suggested grant funding could also be received if the municipality belonged to the Drainage Investment Group (DIG) at a cost of $1,500 per year.
DIG will help secure grant funding by applying for various grants on behalf of the township regarding cleaning up Muskrat lake, Ms. Dillabough explained.
She said Mr. Deer advised council about DIG to help secure funding. She advised Mr. Deer staff would not have the time, nor all the knowledge necessary, to secure this funding and he would have to take on the responsibility of applying for the grants.
“He is adamant and passionate to fix up Muskrat Lake,” Ms. Dillabough said.
Councillor Cathy Regier said he’s not the only person interested in fixing the lake.
“There are so many groups involved,” she said. “Is anybody working together or are they all separate?
“There’s not going to be a lot achieved if they don’t come together.”
Ms. Dillabough said she is aware of four organizations/people working towards fixing Muskrat Lake. They are Mr. Deer, the Muskrat Watershed Council, Donald Broome and the Muskrat Lake Property Association.
Mayor Hal Johnson said until there is an “adequate focus with everybody,” there’s only going to be little grants to fix little things.
“We need to go after precious grants and get some action,” he said. “It sounds like for a fee we’ll tell you what’s wrong; for a fee we’ll apply for grants; for a fee, we’ll bring in the experts.
“These are nothing more than a sales pitch,” he stated.
Councillor Charlene Jackson questioned if Mr. Deer wanted the $93,000 put into the budget and then have grant funding pay for it, or, if he wanted council to put it in the budget so taxpayers could pay for it.
While there was no clear answer, treasurer Marsha Hawthorne said she would speak to Mr. Deer and get an answer.
Coun. Jackson further questioned if DIG would apply for the funding and she was assured by Ms. Dillabough that was how she understood it.
Councillor Chris Olmstead said the situation “gets more and more confusing. There are four different delegations all vying for our attention. No one is moving forward. We don’t know who supports who.”
Coun. Regier agreed with Coun. Olmstead, adding, “Until the four groups come together…I am not prepared to put money out. We need a full understanding of the different groups.”
Coun. Jackson suggested the four groups be invited to a meeting to get an understanding of what is happening.
“We need one organization representing us or council represents ourselves,” she said. “We can’t have all these people applying for grants.
“It would be nice to work together and work in one direction to get Muskrat Lake fixed,” Coun. Jackson said.
Chief Administrative Officer Christine FitzSimons agreed with the idea that the groups need to work together, noting they could be applying for the same grants and cancelling each other out.
She will issue a special invitation to the four groups to attend a special meeting.
