CollingwoodToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected] or via our website. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is in response to the draft 2024 budget, which proposes creating a position and hiring a forestry co-ordinator.
I am writing with extreme concern regarding the hiring of a forest coordinator for our town to protect our tree canopies.
Collingwood is known for our canopies, so I must assume that over the years town staff have been diligent and thoughtful making decisions about the trees and when or if they needed to come down.
When I read that it will cost about one-quarter of a million dollars to hire this person and provide them with a vehicle, and continue to contract out services, it really upset me. Almost a quarter of a million dollars for one year?
In checking with two other towns of similar size (Owen Sound and Stratford, Ontario) with tourist/heritage focus like us, they both informed me that forest management is within their parks department, not standing alone in any way.
I worry as well, that decisions would be delayed if this position was in place, as there would be another level of bureaucracy to deal with before moving forward with next steps of town maintenance or development.
Consultants are regularly used to conduct town business. I would like to know how much was spent on tree consultants last year and to date this year when a decision was challenged. Probably not close to a quarter of a million dollars!
Also, what is the job description?
If council votes to proceed, I could only hope they would make it a contact position and have it evaluated many times throughout the contract period to evaluate and ensure we are getting best value for our tax dollars.
Donna Mansfield
Collingwood, Ont.
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