News that the Port Sydney, Utterson and Area Chamber of Commerce has joined forces with its Bracebridge counterpart isn’t sitting well with some.
At Huntsville Council’s May 23rd meeting, Councillor Bob Stone requested that the Port Sydney chamber return half of the $5,000 that the Town of Huntsville had contributed towards the chamber’s operating costs. He referenced a visit to council last February from past president Gord Haig and current chamber president Peter Matthews asking for the monetary contribution.
“At the February council meeting we asked Mr. Matthews and Haig, of the Port Sydney and Utterson chamber, if they intended to amalgamate with the Bracebridge chamber. Their answer was ‘No, we only wish to collaboratively work with them.’ A few weeks later, after they received $5,000 from the Town of Huntsville, they announced that they are in fact amalgamating with Bracebridge,” said Stone.
I find the timeline and their actions highly questionable. I submit their new partner should have the pleasure and responsibility to fund at least half of their responsibilities.Huntsville Councillor Bob Stone speaking on the merger between the Port Sydney and Bracebridge chambers
Councillor Jason FitzGerald told Stone that he agrees with him in principle that “it appears we may have been misled and I certainly felt that way and in discussions afterwards with people involved with the chamber and to the gentleman who made that representation – I think there was not a unanimous decision [between]the two gentlemen who were sitting at the table making the deputation.” FitzGerald followed those comments by saying that despite what has transpired, asking for the money back given that the Town has already given the chamber the funds “is probably wrong and I’m not sure that we even can do it.”
FitzGerald added that the Town of Huntsville has also endeavoured to find efficiencies in its operations with other municipalities. “And what’s happened here is one of our partners has gone out and tried to find these efficiencies. Offers were made to the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Chamber of Commerce, they chose not to engage in trying to find those efficiencies so I don’t think that we can penalize the Port Sydney chamber of commerce for trying to find these efficiencies,” added FitzGerald, who represents the area.
Councillor Det Schumacher also represents that area and said he would not support the reimbursement. “I don’t believe the two gentlemen here misled us. I firmly believe they fully discussed what was happening at that time. Things changed for them down the road with future discussions, I’m sure. In my experience with the south end of our community and municipality, it’s a catchment area for Bracebridge north end and people go from here to shop in Bracebridge, Bracebridge people come up this way to shop. Let the $5,000 stand. If you want to make a decision next time around, go for it,” he told council.
Huntsville Mayor Scott Aitchison asked for further clarification from Town CAO Denise Corry on what the contributions are used for.
“There are no provisions outlining how the funds are to be utilized,” she said, adding that the funds were approved in the 2017 budget and have since been disbursed. “It’s a matter that has commenced so in order to request the funds back, procedurally, would not be permitted.”
Corry did say municipal staff have been in discussion with the chamber and have identified that “for the next season we will have to have a memorandum of understanding clearly underlining what the intent of those funds are for,” she said, adding that council will then have the ability to make a decision as to whether to proceed with funding at that point. She added that while the funds are not earmarked, chamber representatives have indicated that the funds are being used towards a tourism booth and customer service and that would remain status quo regardless of the chamber’s recent merger with Bracebridge. In the end, council dropped the motion to ask for the money back.
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