Chatham-Kent residents affected by flooding will benefit from a municipal sandbag program starting in 2020.
During Monday night's meeting, council voted in favour of implementing the program in order to help those affected by extreme flooding situations.
Councillor Anthony Ceccacci was behind the idea. In May he brought forward a motion requesting that municipal staff prepare a report that looks at the possibility of creating a sandbag program. The report suggested three options -- keeping the status quo where the municipality directs residents to local businesses for supplies or filling of sandbags, developing a municipal sandbag program or establishing a contract with a local supplier to include a set price through a request for proposal process.
After seeing the report and the options, Ceccacci put forward a motion on Monday night that detailed recommendations for a program.
The original report estimated that a sandbag program would cost the municipality around $200,000 a year. Ceccacci's motion on Monday stated that the most cost-effective solution be created and the dollar amount of a program be considered during the 2020 budget deliberations, not exceeding $200,000. It also suggested that any leftover money not used on the program be carried over to the following year.
"I'm hoping that they can kind of come up with a mixture of staff as well as a public and private entity to get together and make it happen," he said. "Make it happen more effectively and more feasible from a financial standpoint."
According to Ceccacci's motion, each property would be allowed 85 bags maximum. To ensure that the program is not misused, only residents living in the flood-impacted areas would get access to the sandbags. The program would not cover the cost disposing of the bags.
Many councillors expressed a belief that not implementing a sandbag program would end up costing the municipality more in the long run. Councillor Carmen McGregor noted that the report stated the cost of creating a sandbag program, but she questioned if people have focused on what the cost of not helping people with mitigation issues would end up being.
"I truly don't feel that it should be a big concern about sharing the burden with all the municipality because what we will all pay within the municipality is going to be much greater than the cost of sandbags to help those living on the waterfront," she said.
The motion passed 17-1 with Councillor Joe Faas voting against it. Fass expressed worry of the program being a "slippery slope."
"I think we need to be very careful with what programs we're putting in place here," said Faas. "That will be the next thing that happens, people will be coming and saying 'okay you helped them with their flooding issue, what are you doing with mine?' So I'd be very cautious."
The sandbag program will now be factored into the 2020 budget. During deliberations, a councillor can put forward a motion to remove it from the budget. However, Ceccacci said he fully expects to see the program implemented next year.