For those of you that may not know me, my name is Rob Armstrong and I am the Chief Administrative Officer of the Municipality of Meaford, as well as, the Director of Development Services. As the Mayor mentioned in her last message, I’m one of the new faces you will be seeing in these regular messages. I’m here to provide some updates on what’s happening in the Municipality of Meaford.

As many are aware, similar to last year, another fall storm hit our shorelines hard around Halloween. While we did have some road closures due to debris getting tossed up on to the road, Municipal staff responded quickly to clean up and reopen roads with minor interruption. The majority of shoreline protection work we had completed earlier in the year to reinforce the waterfront held up, but some areas continue to be fenced off due to safety concerns. We ask that everyone continue to use caution in waterfront areas and if residents need sand bags to protect their property, please contact the Municipal Office, as we have a supply of bags available. Please be advised that you will need to arrange for your own sand to fill them.

On November 17, we’re holding an open house with regard to the Fire Services at Woodford Hall from 2-8 p.m. We’ll be onsite to provide information and answer questions about the changes to our agreement with the Inter-Township Fire Department (ITFD). It is key to note, that under the proposal, ITFD will continue to provide the same service to residents of the former Township of Sydenham. For more information on the changes in question, visit www.meaford.ca/itfd.

As many of you know, we’re also in the process of developing the 2021 Municipal budget. Last week we held a budget public engagement session, and this week Council spent Monday and Tuesday in full-day sessions to review the operating and capital budgets in detail and ask questions of staff. At this time, the Municipality has the budget with a proposed increase of 5.14%. Council will be discussing the budget again on November 30th and the next statutory public meeting will be held on December 14th. All residents will once again be receiving the Budget in Brief by the mail in the next few weeks. You can find information on the budget, including the draft and FAQ’s, at www.meaford.ca/budget2021. You can also email any questions or comments on the budget to us at [email protected].

We hope you have enjoyed the unseasonably warm temperatures lately and have been getting out in the sun before the snow hits us once again. I wanted to remind everyone that as of November 15th, vehicles must be off the streets and out of Municipal parking lots between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. Our plows will be hitting the streets before we know it, so please remember to get your snow tires on and snow brushes ready as winter approaches.

Thank you for continuing to follow the three W’s – washing your hands, wearing masks, and watching your distance. Have a great weekend, stay well, and stay safe.