Meaford council was unable to support a proposal by the Rotary Club of Meaford to upgrade and pave the Meaford Harbour area.

At council's regular meeting on June 8 council was forced to defer the offer from the Rotary Club to pay for half the harbour paving project this year because a risk assessment report about ground contaminants at the harbour needs to be completed first.

Council received a lengthy report at the meeting from the municipality's Planning Department about the harbour. The report detailed the municipality's process to plan for the future use of the harbour facility. As part of that study the ground at the harbour area - since it was once an active train station - was tested for possible contamination.

The tests indicated the presence of some contaminants and now the municipality must complete a Risk Assessment report to determine how to move forward. Complete funding for the report is available through a federal program called the Communities Adjustment Fund.

Since the Risk Assessment report is required, council was unable to approve the Rotary proposal to pave the harbour area this year - because the report could recommend that the contaminated soil needs to be removed. If that scenario unfolded the newly paved areas of the harbour would have to be ripped out in order to complete the recommendations in the report.

Several councillors pointed out that the City of Owen Sound faced similar circumstances at their harbour lands when the Grey Bruce Health Unit's new building was being constructed and when a new playground at the Bayshore Arena was being installed several years ago.

"We're very appreciative of the offer from the Rotary Club. Unfortunately there are some things we have to do first, before we can get to that point (of paving the harbour area," explained Mayor Francis Richardson at the meeting.

Councillor Gerald Shortt was clearly upset by the report.

"I'm absolutely opposed to this report. The Rotary offered us 50% funding for this project. They may not be there next year. We should be praising them for this offer and not shutting them down," said Shortt.

Other members of council said they were not happy about the situation, but they couldn't possibly approve moving ahead with the paving project when the municipality's own technical reports told them more work was possibly needed.

"Nobody is happy with what we have to do at this stage. Nobody is happy with the time it takes for these things," said Mayor Richardson.