Chatham-Kent’s newly re-elected mayor is looking toward the future as he begins his second term.
Mayor Darrin Canniff said there are several big-ticket items up for debate when council meetings resume on November 21.
The new council will have its hands full with several municipal items that were put on hold ahead of the municipal election, including a woodlot preservation bylaw for the municipality.
In July, the last term of council opted to pause the debate on the bylaw, which would restrict or prohibit the cutting of trees within the municipality.
“The tree [bylaw] discussion will certainly start sooner rather than later,” said Canniff. “I think it’s going to start right away.”
The bylaw has been a contentious issue for more than a year, with council previously passing and extending a temporary woodlot conservation bylaw multiple times.
Another major discussion that will be coming to Chatham-Kent Council is the redevelopment of the Downtown Chatham Centre.
“They’re working hard behind the scenes to put together a detailed project, so we know exactly what we’re voting on and how much it’s going to cost,” said Canniff. “The economic details and the impact on taxes — I think that’s what a lot of people are looking at.”
The broad plans for downtown Chatham include bringing several municipal services under one roof, such as the Civic Centre, the Chatham Library Branch and the Chatham Cultural Centre.
The current proposal also includes the demolishing of a portion of the DCC to make way for an entertainment complex, which would support a 4,000-seat facility for hosting a variety of sports and events, including an ice rink.
An initial report suggested the overall cost of the project was in the neighbourhood of $115-125 million.
In early August, council passed a motion to spend $2 million to have administration conduct further due diligence on the DCC proposal and report back to council with a detailed cost assessment.
Canniff said he expects administration will present its report to council early in the new year.
In the meantime, the newly elected council will take part in training next week, followed by the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol Theatre on November 15.
