Minto Mayor Dave Turton says the municipality was very honoured to receive a Rural Ontario Inspiration Award at ROMA Conference this week.
Minto got the award alongside Niagara-On-The-Lake for the Municipal Shared Equipment Model, and the award was presented by Huron Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, Minister of Rural Affairs. Turton says the Municipal Shared Equipment Model involved Minto and Niagara-On-The-Lake sharing some municipal assets to help save money.
"We had a tractor that we don't use much in the summertime, we use it to plow snow in the winter. So rather than it sitting here not being used, it was leased under the Municipal Shared Equipment agreement to Niagara-On-The-Lake," Turton explained.
The deal also saw some half ton trucks get borrowed by Minto the other way.
Turton says the idea to share municipal assets was Minto CAO Gregg Furtney. He adds that it was great to see the idea work so well, and that council supported it.
"It seems to have worked very well. Our rural communities, we have limited funds and limited resources and it's an opportunity to save a few dollars," he said. "When you put your heads together and think outside the box, you never know. Again, I give the credit here to our CAO for coming up with the idea and council agreeing to it and saying 'Lets give it a shot,' and here we are today getting an award. It's amazing and wonderful."
In the near future, Turton says Minto will send a delegation to the Good Roads Conference to share insight about the Municipal Shared Equipment Model and pass on their experience with it to others that may benefit from a similar strategy.
