DarrenWhite will be sworn in as the new Melancthon councillor at tonight’s council meeting, following a public selection meeting Tuesday evening.

The selection was made in a closed session of the council following brief presentations by each of the seven candidates for the vacancy created by the retirement of long-time councillor Beverley Kumprey in the public session.

These were the seven: Mr. White, Wayne Hannon, Nanci Malek, Bart Malloy, Nancy Noble, Wilbert Tupling, Patricia Salisbury. Among those, Mr. Malloy has been a frequent questioner of township actions, and is a declared candidate for the October municipal election.

In other business tonight, the main concern of the public is expected to be the February 2010 draft of the new official plan.

And the focus of discussion is likely to centre on the provision for extraction of mineral aggregates as well as the protection of prime farmland.

The new plan would “protect aggregate operations from uses that would hinder or preclude continued use or expansion or would be incompatible with such operations.”

It would also “minimize negative impacts of new or expanded mineral resource operations on the environment, existing and planned land uses and the area’s rural character.”

At the same time, in what might be seen as contradictory, the agricultural objectives include an aim “to preserve agricultural areas for long term agricultural use, preserve and protect for agricultural uses and normal farm practices.”

But the OP would “permit in prime agricultural areas only agricultural uses, secondary agricultural related uses, and extraction of mineral aggregate as an interim use,” among other permitted uses.

Meridian Planning has already queried to lack of mapping on the posted draft of the OP. Meridian represents The Highland Companies, which has an interest in aggregates as well as in agricultural uses for the 7,500 acres it owns in the township.

Meantime, North Dufferin Agriculture and Community Taskforce (NDACT) is opposing Highland’s forthcoming application for 2,400 acres of quarry zoning, and is adamant that the Honeywood loam topsoil should be protected against all forms of development other than potato and special crops.

NDACT, in fact, has gone on record as saying the new OP appears to favour aggregates but, in effect that a Highland Companies quarry in Melancthon would be in the wrong place.

“The notion that Aggregate extraction up to 300 feet or more below the ground surface is an interim use that will not cause irreversible impacts on Agriculture and WaterResources is farfetched and far from proven,” NDACT says in an email.

It refers to the provincially mandated mapping of aggregate resources, and says there are billions of tonnes of aggregate in sections of Mulmur and in Grey and Simcoe counties with as little as 25 feet of overburden above the bedrock.

“There are more billions of tonnes of accessible Amabel resource designated adjacent to the proposed rail corridor from Shelburne to Owen Sound and in Halton Region.

“The Provincial ARIP mapping did not designate Guelph bedrock potential in Grey County because the Guelph resource potential in Melancthon Township was considered sufficient.

“The designated Guelph bedrock resource areas in Melancthon Township are also underlain by the Amabel bedrock at shallow depths in the east with depth increasing to the west.

“Why would Council want to encourage even more aggregate applications in deeper overburden outside the provincially designated areas?” NDACT asks.

Melancthon recently adopted its Development Charges bylaw. Single family dwellings are set at $5,256; 2-bedroom apartments at $3,103; single bedroom and bachelor suites at $2,118; multiple dwellings at $4,572; and non-residential buildings at $3.82 per square foot. Students took hands-on challenges

On Wednesday, 400 students in grade 7 and 8 from 33 schools in the Upper Grand District met at the Grand River Raceway, Elora to take part in Hands-on Challenges in: Lego Robotics, Constructing Technology, Video Production, Design and Build, Cartooning, Health and Safety and Lego Mechanics.

The winners in each category will go on to a Regional Skills Competition.