There is some concern about the Elmwood fire department.
West Grey wants to end its relationship with Brockton and the joint fire department.
Brockton Councillor Chris Peabody is holding out hope that West Grey will have a change of heart and decide not to pull out of the joint Elmwood Fire Department.
Peabody notes in the divorce agreement — West Grey is seeking a lump sum of cash for the payment of the fire building and the trucks.
Peabody takes real issue with this request.
He estimates that lump sum will be somewhere in the neighbourhood of 300 to 400 thousand dollars.
Peabody questions why Brockton residents should be expected to hand over that type of cash when it is West Grey who has initiated the separation.
Peabody notes that when Brockton pulled out of the Paisley Fire Department a few years earlier — it did not seek out any type of financial settlement.
He believes this precedent should impact the current situation.
Peabody urges West Grey to reconsider its decision to leave.
He says the Elmwood Fire Department has thrived as a joint municipal board for over half a century.
Peabody says pressure from Ontario Fire Marshall’s office to do away with joint fire board should be ignored.
He calls it another example of a Toronto decision that makes no sense for rural Ontario.
West Grey has given Brockton notice that it plans to dissolve the joint fire board on December 31st.
In the meantime an evaluation and appraisal will be conducted on all of the fire assets.
