The ball diamond. The site of the old arena. The tannery. The lack of parking. The lack of affordable housing.
Anyone who lives in the village of Hastings could have predicted these perennial hot topics would be raised for candidates to be mayor of Trent Hills and councillor in the local ward. Questions about those issues and much more were asked in a two-hour session on Saturday at the library branch.
More than 75 people filled the meeting room to hear from mayoral candidates Mike Metcalf and Steve Haylestrom and Ward 5 council candidates Ethan Armit, Bob Crate and Dennis Savery.
In addition, Rick English, who has been acclaimed as deputy mayor, also spoke, but didn’t take questions. Also, several candidates who are running in other wards were on hand to listen.
The Hastings Debate Committee had received 51 questions before the meeting and pared them down to a more manageable number. But the session still ran more than an extra half hour. As well, some folks who attended were upset that they didn’t get to ask their questions directly. Moderator Kim Dowds assured them their questions would be passed on to the candidates so they could be answered.
The candidates agreed that the biggest issue for the next council will be ensuring that the municipality does its part to help build a new hospital, but no one talked about how they would handle the cost of extending services, or finance the community contribution that the province will require. The total community cost could be $70 million or more with Trent Hills as the host facing a big ask, as the fundraisers put it.
The first question was about communication, or the lack of it from current and previous councils and what will be done to improve the situation. Dennis Savery answered first and started a trend that went down the table as he mentioned this newsletter as the best source of information on council’s activities. I certainly appreciate the comments, but relying on an aging journalist is not really a long-term solution.
“Communication is the most important thing going forward,” Armit said, noting that he has promised to post a report following each council meeting that outlines decisions and how he voted.
“People in Hastings need to feel heard,” he said.
Haylestrom said there need to be regular ways for people to communicate with council.
Crate said later encouraged residents to attend council sessions. “It’s lonely at the meetings.”
A question about the village green/ball diamond, led to a discussion about the municipality’s recently completed 20-year master plan for recreation that focused on the need to redevelop this site and the Hillside Park in Campbellford.
Metcalf said now that the plan has been completed the municipality can start seeking provincial grants and work with a community advisory committee to determine what should be built.
The recreation plan offered some suggestions, including a bandshell, picnic shelter, furniture, plants, and a washroom with a cost from $800,000 to $1.5 million.
Crate also agreed with getting community input and suggested a covered space for a rink, or the farmers’ market.
Haylestrom criticized the $130,000 cost paid to consultants for the plan and said as mayor he would push for such work to be done by staff, not outsourced.
One question asked whether Hastings gets a fair share of the spending done by Trent Hills. Savery and Crate pointed out the millions spent upgrading the water and sewer systems in the village.
“We have to meet the needs of all of Trent Hills,” Metcalf said. “It’s a balancing act.”
The municipality is currently looking at updating the Hastings fire hall, he said, noting that it has an asset management plan with a 20-year horizon.
Armit suggested hiking the fees for the Hastings marina, calling it a “private members country club” for the rich.
On the topic of the lack of parking in Hastings, Haylestrom said he didn’t have an answer to what should be done, but asked the audience for suggestions about how they would solve it.
Metcalf suggested improved signage could help direct drivers to spaces that are available.
