CENTRE WELLINGTON – While staff are hopeful the newly proposed termite management program will cause a "meaningful change," some residents are doubtful the strategy will succeed at eradicating termites in the township.
Approved at a Centre Wellington council meeting Monday afternoon, a new report from staff has proposed an "arms-length approach" to the termite management program that would provide a one-time subsidy of up to 85 per cent of the initial exterior treatment up to a maximum of $2,500 per property in the zones identified in a 2020/2021 survey which found hundreds with either an active infestation or at risk.
Staff also suggest extending this program to up to 50 properties outside these identified areas to account for termite migration.
To be effective, the report said vendors recommend treating at least 60 per cent of the properties identified in the survey.
"We're just trying to get something started and so I think obviously going through this process, getting the program started, we're going to get feedback and maybe this program will probably get massaged as we move forward," said Mayor Shawn Watters, at the meeting. "But I think really at the end of the day...we've got to get going on this."
The approved strategy is "not enough" for residents like Maria O'Neill, the founder of the Elora/Fergus Termite Action group on Facebook, who delegated at the meeting and said the subsidization plan is "a great start" but the township needs to do more to include all residents "irrespective of budget constraints."
This point was supported by another delegate Randy Vaine, who said he doesn't believe the township's current proposal is comprehensive enough to deal with the termite problem and he'd like to see a strategy that could start immediately.
"We understand that regular home maintenance cannot be the council's responsibility, but they should aid in removing physical and financial barriers to encourage proactive and educated termite management," said O'Neill. "Although this initial financial incentive is helpful, it might not be sufficient long term for everyone, especially for families stretched financially in the current economy."
Referencing other municipalities' termite eradication strategies, O'Neill suggested the township implement a "collective aggressive effort" to reduce and ultimately eradicate termites- starting with a free standard open-air burn permit for those living in identified red and blue zones to support the "timely disposal" of dead infected wood on residential properties.
"It seems that only our township wants to sweep termites under the rug and not address the root cause. I can honestly say whatever trust that we, the community, had in you is gone," said O'Neill, addressing the council directly during her delegation. "You need to work on rebuilding that trust. We need to know that we can rely on you when we come to you with problems, especially when they span multiple wards."
While supportive of the new strategy, several councilors shared concerns at the meeting about the vendor being responsible for public education, agreeing to a program without knowing the full cost and the risk factor if the program achieves less than 60 per cent.
The township's managing director of corporate services and treasurer Adam McNabb said the vendor feels 60 per cent is effective coverage in terms of "a meaningful change in the termite population."
"That said, we can't force or press gang people into taking part in this particular program, so we do run the risk of entering into a subsidy-style program and not having a desirous amount of uptake," said McNabb. "Will we be able to reduce the termite population based on the uptake? Probably. Is it an eradication platform? Potentially not."
Sharing concerns about "equitable access," Coun. Denis Craddock asked whether the township will offer support for those with lower incomes impacted by the infestation.
McNabb said while that would "add a whole lot of nuance to the program," staff will consider it and report back.
Coun. Kim Jefferson also suggested the township consider working out an agreement with the vendors allowing residents to start treatment now while the agreement is developed so they're not just asking residents to "wait a little longer."
"I understand wanting to have signatures in place and contracts in place, but I also understand the frustration that's coming from the residents...we're coming on the middle of September right now and then, if we are taking a few more months, then the program isn't going to be done or even initiated until next year," said Jefferson.
CAO Dan Wilson said he feels cautious about telling residents to "go ahead" with scheduling treatment until an official agreement is signed.
An update on the program will come to council in October.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program
