Central Council passed a resolution stating that it does not support MPP Randy Hillier’s request for support in his investigation of Conservation Authority practices at the final meeting of the outgoing council on November 27.

Coun. Brent Cameron questioned some of the Conservation Authority practices.

“I will support Council in its decision but CAs aren’t as easy to deal with as perhaps they might be,” Cameron said. “Remember when Welly Smith Road was flooded?

“There was a beaver dam on Authority property and we went back and forth with them on it too long. If it were anybody else, we could have forced action on it far more quickly.”

CAO/Clerk Cathy MacMunn said that she supported the CAs as they do site visits when planning matters are involved that would be far more expensive if private companies had to be engaged to do the same inspections.

“If their (CAs) responsibilities were downloaded to municipalities, there’s no way we could afford it,” said Coun. Bill MacDonald.

“Downloading can happen bit by bit,” said Mayor Francis Smith. “And we have been downloaded on before.

“It’s more cost effective for a small rural municipality to do it the way we’ve been doing it.”