Just finished Day 2 of the AMO (Association of Municipalities of Ontario) conference in Windsor.  Have had several meetings with different Ministries including Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services and Ministry of Infrastructure.

The Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services listened to concerns about the skyrocketing cost of policing and agreed that there was a need to look at providing the service in a different way that would allow sustainability for the municipality.  More to follow in the fall or spring session of legislature.  I am looking forward to seeing what changes are proposed.

Early this morning I met with MPP Peter Milczyn, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure, Bob Chiarelli.  With the recent Cabinet shuffle, I felt it was important to establish contact with the Minister who replaced Brad Duguid.  It was immediately clear that MPP Milczyn was fully informed about our waste water treatment plant deficiencies  and that we have been working hard with MOECC to resolve the issues.  I left the meeting with a feeling of confidence that the provincial government DOES understand our challenges.

We will be preparing our application for the Ontario Community Infrastructure Grant – intake 3 (OCIF) in the next few weeks.  Premier Wynn announced on Monday at AMO that an agreement had been reached between the Federal and Provincial governments for the Federal Green Infrastructure and Water and Waste Water Grants and that intake will open for this new funding in the fall – and we will be poised to apply for it as well.

A BBQ tonight was a nice way to do some networking.  Here is a photo of some of the Leeds Grenville Mayors – Ron Holman, Joe Baptista, Doug Malanka and Pat Sayeau.