Next step in annexation up to Miscampbell

It’s now Miscampbell’s turn to make a move which could make or break a proposal from Fort Frances to annex parcels of land from there and Alberton.
Alberton council threw a roadblock in Fort Frances’ “housekeeping,” efforts last Thursday by turning down a proposal to annex the parcel of land which holds the Fort Frances landfill site.
Included in the application for a boundary change is a parcel of land in Miscampbell–owned by Fort Frances–where the Fort Frances Airport sits.
Mayor Glenn Witherspoon noted Friday that Fort Frances council will now wait for a response from Miscampbell before deciding what to do next.
“We’ll now wait to hear from Miscampbell to see how they react to our proposal and if it is positive, we can proceed,” said the mayor. “If it’s negative, then we have some big decisions to make.
“We will obtain those boundaries, whether it’s by negotiations or by approaching the province,” he added.
Provincial legislation requires a double majority in any boundary changes and if Miscampbell agrees with the town’s proposal, Alberton will be down 2-1.
Some members of the Miscampbell local roads board attended the public meeting in Alberton last Thursday but they’ve declined to comment until negotiations have been completed.
At that meeting, Alberton council and many ratepayers appeared to be angered by the town’s negotiation tactics.
“Fort Frances definitely has us over a barrel,” Reeve John Milling said Thursday. “[They’ve] entered an annexation proposal with ourselves and Miscampbell that sets up a double majority where, if two parties reach an agreement, the other, by extension, goes.”
“But if Alberton and Miscampbell reach an agreement, Fort Frances can veto it because they have double the population,” he added.
Alberton council had some concerns over the proposal before they held last Thursday’s session to get public feedback.
“I don’t like the offer. I don’t think it’s reasonable to eat away at our tax base,” Reeve Milling had said.
About 30 Alberton residents attended the meeting to give their input on the proposal. And if Coun. Deane Cunningham and CAO Bill Naturkach, representing the town, were hoping to see support from the residents, they left disappointed.
With allegations of being “bullied into it,” “backed to the wall,” and “over a barrel,” Alberton residents clearly were unhappy with the town’s offer.
Several residents voiced concern over what they will do with their garbage if Fort Frances decides to close the dump to non-residents down the road.
Alberton council said it had requested that a clause on the original title–allowing Alberton use of the dump until its population reached more than 1,501–be removed.
“Our feeling is when our population reaches 1,501, Fort Frances could close the landfill to us,” said Reeve Milling, who had indicated he would have accepted a proposal offering Alberton residents equal access to the dump indefinitely.
The monetary value of the proposal appeared to be of little concern for Alberton residents and council compared to the future of their garbage disposal.
In return for permission to extend its municipal boundaries around the landfill, Fort Frances would continue to pay taxes to Alberton over the next four years–a total of about $1,700 a year.
But, echoing the public sentiment, Alberton council held a special meeting after the public session and unanimously voted against accepting the proposal from Fort Frances. It agreed instead to seek a lawyer’s services in light of what they feel are unfair negotiations.
“We probably figured we were over a barrel but we wanted to negotiate and get something,” noted Alberton Coun. Roger Simms.
“It seemed almost at every time we would appear to be making progress, we’d get a letter shooting us down,” he added.
Fort Frances already owns the property but wants to move it into its jurisdiction because of a potential amalgamation between the neighbouring municipalities.
During the public session, Coun. Cunningham highlighted several benefits for Alberton if Fort Frances continues to own and operate the dump within its own jurisdiction.
“They don’t have to operate their landfill and I think that’s a real plus,” he said. “In the district, the per capita cost of operating costs is $23 per person. It’s a benefit of almost $21,000 a year.
“The other benefit Alberton would enjoy is that any future potential liability a landfill site might cause would be ours instead of yours,” he added.