North Huron Council declared the Emergency Services Training Centre as surplus to its requirements on Monday, as well as public works yards in both Blyth and East Wawanosh.
Council members entered closed session on Monday to discuss "a proposed or pending acquisition of land by the municipality or local board [Blyth property]" according to the agenda. What followed was a vote on three separate motions to declare the E.S.T.C., Blyth Public Works yard and the East Wawanosh Public Works yard as no longer required by the municipality.
Reeve Neil Vincent says the eventual sale of the E.S.T.C. will get rid of "a sizable portion of township debt", and confirms the plan is to "rebuild a south fire hall, plus a major North Huron Public Works building and yard" that will service both Blyth & East Wawanosh.
Councillor Yolanda Ritsema-Tenninga asked council to split one motion into three separate motions, so all three buildings can be sold as separate entities through a sale process.
Ritsema-Teeninga notes this is because CAO Dwayne Evans has the authority to accept bids for the E.S.T.C., but does not have the ability to accept bids for the Blyth or East Wawanosh Public Works yards.
Ritsema-Teeninga confirms North Huron has received an offer on at least one of the properties and says this is why council went about declaring all three properties as surplus, calling it a "win-win situation".