Grenville councils endorse alternative police board option

You are one step away from reaching consensus.

Grenville County communities are being asked by the province to agree on an alternative regime for police departments in the area. There are currently separate boards in Augusta, Prescott, North Grenville and Merrickville-Wolford. There is no plaque at Edwardsburgh Cardinal.

All five communities are served by Grenville County Ontario Provincial Police, which has department offices in Prescott and Kemptville.

A joint proposal to retain separate boards in North Grenville and Prescott and create a board that would include Merrickville-Wolford, Augusta and Edwardsburgh Cardinal was approved last year by councils in four of the five affected communities. Augusta did not support the move.

Augusta proposed an alternative arrangement where there would be two boards: North Grenville (including Merrickville-Wolford) and South Grenville (Augusta, Prescott and Edwardsburgh Cardinal). Local CAOs discussed the options last month; The mayors beginning the new four-year term also discussed the Police Committee’s proposal before the staff recommendation went to the five councils.

“The Attorney General’s office has asked communities to meet again to try to reach consensus,” said a staff report distributed to community councils. “They have asked the group to provide an update as soon as possible.”

The cardinal councils of Augusta, Prescott and Edwardsburgh approved the proposal at their respective meetings on Monday. The Merrickville-Wolford Council meeting scheduled for Monday has been cancelled.

North Grenville Council voted to approve the two-panel proposal at its meeting on Wednesday.

“We didn’t think it was the right path,” Augusta Mayor Jeff Shaver said of the majority of the previous Augusta council rejecting the original option.

The North-South proposal was thought to be the more logical choice.

“You’re looking at a map, it makes so much sense,” Shaver said.

The mayor of Augusta said “there was a little fireworks” over the township’s location.

“We held our ground and we made it,” Shaver said.

“I’m glad it’s finally over.”

Edwardsburgh Cardinal Mayor Tory Deschamps said the new councils appear more willing to work in a north-south arrangement.

“We don’t know if that has happened in the past,” said Deschamps, adding that all five municipalities appear to support the two-board option.

Edwardsburgh Cardinal CAO Dave Grant noted that the Attorney General still has the option of a county-wide board or some other option.

Prescott County. Lee McConnell supported the recommendation but indicated that he would like the city to continue receiving regular reports and statistics specific to Prescott.