Township welcomes 4-H livestock shelter but not near Ripley well

Huron-Kinloss council welcomes the construction of a 4-H livestock shelter east of the Ripley-Huron Community Complex, but not near the new Ripley well.

At the council meeting last night (April 20), Mike Gallant, spokesman for the project, said the interested parties would prefer to build the shelter north of the tennis courts, closer to the arena building, which is better for housing livestock, particularly on Ripley Fair day.

Gallant said the groups met Sunday (April 19) and agreed they want the building back at the original location, north of the tennis courts; then, when and if the water well goes on-line, the building would no longer house livestock.

A staff report indicates this proposal is not a good idea. Based on discussion from 2012 and 2013, B.M. Ross and Associates stated that if livestock were housed in the shelter, it would be considered a significant drinking water threat under the Source Water Protection policies.
"The 100-metre area around the well is considered highly-vulnerable and under Source Water Protection policies, the storage of agricultural source material is prohibited in this area."

The report says that even though the Saugeen Drinking Water Source Protection Plan is not in place, and the tower is not yet built, staff is aware of the policies and would have a very difficult time issuing a building permit for the shelter knowing that it would hold livestock within 100 metres of the well.

Back in 2013, council received letters from the Ripley Agricultural Society, Ripley Classics and the Ripley Reunion committee, in support of the construction to occur east of the Ripley ball diamonds. Subsequently, a resolution was approved by council June 18, 2013, accepting the supporting letters and approving the location east of the ball diamonds.

Gallant asked council if there were any chance of re-negotiating the location for the 4-H livestock shelter.

Councillor Jim Hanna said he was reluctant to permit cattle in the shelter now, because five years down the road, when livestock would be disallowed, "everyone would come back bitching that they can't have cattle in the shelter."

Deputy mayor Wilfred Gamble said there is no "when and if" the well goes on-line, the well is already there.

"The fair is there and the cattle are already at that location on fair day," said Gallant.

"I would support the shelter as a pavilion but not with cattle in it," said Hanna.

Administrator Mary Rose Walden said the concern is that the shelter is considered a temporary manure storage building.

"If every other animal is back in that circle on fair day, why are we even having this conversation?" asked councillor Lillian Abbott.

"Because it's a structure," said councillor Don Murray.

"We have already passed a resolution of support for the location east of the arena," said mayor Mitch Twolan.

"If it has a cement floor in it and no livestock, it would be fine in that original location (north of the tennis courts)," said Murray.

"We are mandated to follow the Source Water Protection policies," said Twolan. "We are mandated to hire a Risk Management Officer (RMO) and Risk Management Inspector (RMI). It might not make sense but we have no control over it."

Walden suggested deferring the issue to the May general committee meeting after the township has hired an RMO, and had input from that individual.

"What I'm hearing is that a pavilion would be okay in that original location, but with no livestock in it," said Twolan.

"We might be told that all of the animals have to be moved from that location on fair day," said Walden.

"The big benefit of that location for a shelter is that it's accessible for family picnics and other events," said community services officer Mike Fair.

Council agreed to defer the issue to next month.

The proposal for a 4-H livestock shelter came to council in June, 2012, as a place for livestock and their owners at the annual fall fair and the potential to house invitational shows for beef and dairy, as well as for other events such as ball tournaments, the Ripley Reunion activities, family picnics, winter carnivals and summer festivals.

The project was to be built in three phases:
 

The first phase would be a 40-foot-by-90-foot livestock shelter with a three-foot overhang - total width of 46 feet. The ceiling height would be 12 feet with gabled ends, using coloured steel (yellow and brown). The building would be located straight north of the tennis courts and east of the arena. Cost for this phase would be about $40,000 to $60,000.

 

The second phase would include wheelchair-accessible washrooms, a small kitchen with a sink, electrical outlets with counter tops on both sides, and a cement floor area under the shelter.
 

Phase three would include roll-up sides on the building that are electrically-operated.