From the "Reader to Reader" in Millbrook Times, Nov 6, 2009:
I am writing to express my concerns and confusion over the current council’s ways of running our township. I agree with earlier letter writers in this column, who raise questions such as: How can the quantity of a resource like water go from limited to unlimited in less than two years? And, who is going to pay for the projects’ cost overruns and the additional costs of developing Fraserville from rows of houses with big garages in front and strip malls in between to a community where people actually want to live?? Yep, my guess is too that it will be the current citizens in two main ways: 1) By property taxes higher than anyone can imagine right now, and 2) By having to pay for a facility, infrastructure and user fees to buy back the water that originally came from underneath us!!!

Our reeve has been quoted saying something like “It’s just a hand full of the usual people that are opposed” to the current water and Fraserville plans. I venture the guess that as more citizens in general become aware of the details of the plans, it will be only a handful of people that will be in favour.

And, as one letter writer points out, there are a few corporate citizens that would stand to benefit a great deal if the current plans are executed. Why are the common citizens expected to carry the risk and foot the bill for what is plainly costs of doing business in their trade (bringing water and services to a development site)??

The Fraserville project has already been costly to the current communities. How? Since the community at large has seen no major evidence of local expenditures or reserves, one could think that a large portion of the commission revenues the township has received from the slots, has been used to pay consultants fees etc. to create a plan that would work for a very narrow purpose (ensure return on speculative investments by a few entities) while paying little or no attention to the needs and wishes of the rest of the taxpaying community in the township. The township has not even applied for available funds for projects such as dearly needed new or renovated sports facilities for the community. In fact, several local organizations in the sports, youth and arts have faced increased fees or threats of highly increased fees for facility use, and township support for community events have stagnated or declined in several cases. The current communities and the opportunities within them are not a priority it seems. Only the new forced “community” in Fraserville has gotten increased levels of funds and attention.

Fellow citizens, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the current planning for the township (and quickly, please!). Ask questions of your representatives and do not be content with evasive answers. And, if you agree that the township council has embarked on a project that is ill-conceived and a prime example of community, environmental and financial planning that is poor, short-sighted and un-sustainable, then get involved and let us turn this likely disaster around. There is time and opportunities, but we have to be quick and creative.