By: Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

The temperature in the Town of Essex Council Chamber got a little heated during the July 6 regular meeting when deciding what to do with the naturalized area along South Talbot Road.

At the previous June 15 meeting, Councillor Katie McGuire-Blais started discussions about the naturalized area along South Talbot Road. It was explained it was no longer being mowed, like it had been the previous few years, as the intention was to grow it as a naturalized area. Some residents expressed their frustration at what they believed looked unkempt and the decrease in service-level.

Council was directed to report back to Council with some options for financial and environmental impacts.

Director of Community Services/Deputy CAO, Jake Morassut, presented Council with a list of six options to consider in how to move forward with the matter.

After discussing the matter for around an hour at the July 6 meeting, a majority of Council voted to support Mayor Sherry Bondy’s motion to utilize up to $5,000 from the Urban Centre Revitalization Reserve to enhance the aesthetics of the area, so it looks presentable. The Town will also reach out to ERCA and other partners to see about any willingness to donate plant material.

Bondy’s motion passed five to three, with herself, Councillors Rodney Hammond, Jason Matyi, Kim Verbeek, and Brad Allard in support. McGuire-Blais, Deputy Mayor Rob Shepley, and Councillor Joe Garon were opposed.

Adding more plants and overseeding will take place when the Town undertakes the annual maintenance cut this September, for best results.

This was an option not included on Morassut’s list, which ranged from continuing with naturalization, cutting every two-weeks, to creating a staggered naturalized area that would have pockets of naturalization from the Civic Centre to the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) trail.

Since the previous meeting, the Town received around 15 emails on the matter, of which it was estimated around 80% were opposed to the current naturalization.

Initially, Councillor McGuire-Blais motioned to implement the staggered naturalized areas, having staff identify suitable pockets that can remain naturalized and cut the rest as turf grass. Around 50% of the area would have been cut. It would have had a financial impact of $6,853.68, due to overtime.

“As a Councillor, I’m here to talk for the people who live here. The people who I have talked to want it cut,” McGuire-Blais said. She asked Council to listen to the individuals of the entire municipality they represent, and uphold what residents in Essex Centre want.

The issue was that the change took part as part of a plan that reduced the level of service, which no one knew about. Because of that, the conversation was not had at budget time. She hoped her motion would have beautified the area in some spaces, and the naturalized areas could be expanded.

She said she was trying to compromise with the rest of Council in asking for the staggered naturalized areas. However, she commented, most on Council “have been like, ‘nope, nope. I like it.’ So, I don’t care what the rest of Council says or what the rest of the residents say. This is a good compromise.”

Her motion failed in a four-four tie with herself, Councillors Garon and Allard, and Deputy Mayor Shepley in support. Councillors Hammond, Matyi, Verbeek, and Mayor Bondy were opposed.

When Bondy presented her motion that passed, McGuire-Blais responded, “So, just for clarification, we have no problem with spending the money. We just don’t want to listen to the residents and do what they’re asking.”

Bondy noted 50% mowing seemed to be too much for half of Council, so she was trying to find a solution that would pass. She also believed public education was needed, as long grasses are not typically seen in urban areas.

“It’s not that we’re not listening. We got 15 emails, and some of the people agree with the naturalized area. It’s just how we’re doing it. So how can we make it better?” she said, adding the Town has to start having naturalized areas.

McGuire-Blais later said, “So, I just want to clarify that the Mayor is putting out a motion that doesn’t support what the residents of Ward One are asking for.”

Mayor Bondy called a Point of Order on McGuire-Blais’s behaviour.

Shepley believed McGuire-Blais’s motion was a nice compromise. He did not support Bondy’s motion, as he did not believe it supported what the Ward One residents wanted, though he appreciated her effort.

In answering Shepley’s question about how there was a change in maintenance of the space, but not a funding change in the budget, Morassut noted more duties had been added onto staff, such as maintaining turf grass at the sports fields. They were under the impression it was known this area was to become naturalized. He said it was a Provincial plan as it related to the Highway 3 expansion.

Shepley said he preferred the mowed look, which is the consensus of what he heard from many of the residents who reached out on the matter. He said he was also a little irked by some of the comments made by Councillors. Ward One residents asked for something, and some of the Council reps do not live in the ward.

Matyi believes it should be talked about in budget time. If there is beautification money available, that should be utilized.

In answering Councillor Garon’s question if the Province could hold anything over the municipality if it did not continue on with the naturalization, Morassut could not confidently say whether or not it would. He would have to look into that for an answer.

Garon said a lot of residents’ concerns had to do with ticks. He understood the concerns of residents. He liked the staggered idea.

Councillor Verbeek wanted to reseed the area with stronger plants that could overcome the thistles in the fall. She wanted to see where the project was meant to go.

“Hopefully, we will see some nice improvement this fall,” Bondy said.

Council did hear from two residents who spoke to the matter.

Colchester resident Nettie Ridley spoke of the importance of naturalized areas, and that many are taught that a mowed look is preferred rather than understanding native plants play an important role in supporting biodiversity.

To her, the area is lovely because of what it represents.

“Let’s be a leader in this realm. Let’s do more, rather than less,” Ridley said. “Let’s be proud as the Town of Essex that we’re moving forward with some of these initiatives that are so important.”

Essex Centre resident Karen Arnold agreed with Ridley, but also expressed concern with the number of thistles that were growing in the area, and how they could continue to spread.

Morassut clarified the Town does not have any control of the south-side of the fencing, as this is Provincial property. It can only maintain the north-side.

Council also supported Matyi in sending a letter to the Province to maintain its side of the property to control the noxious weeds and thistles, and also received the update on the Community Services Master Plan that was presented at the previous meeting. It was deferred as the naturalization matter was looked into.