County council is expected to meet behind closed doors tonight to discuss the possible sale of its portion of the railway corridor north from Shelburne, but at least one councillor is publicly opposed to a sale of the corridor - to anyone.

Melancthon Deputy Mayor Bill Hill has advised the council that he is out of the country and can’t attend tonight’s meeting, but that he is totally opposed to the sale irrespective of who wants to buy it.

“I could be encouraged to support a lease of the line. However, there would have to be a solid business plan that showed considerable economic benefit to the residents of the area and the

Municipalities that the rail line would go through.

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The “greater good” should be served,” he says in a letter to the council.

“Further I think the process should be ‘opened up’ to the public and tendered. This would show our transparency and add considerable public input.” Mr. Hill notes that there is to be a public meeting at Shelburne prior to any decision on a sale but points out that the corridor is also being considered in the county’s trails master plan.

The Dufferin County subcommittee on the railway corridor, meantime, has reviewed an appraisal of its value, and will be asking the potential buyer if it still has an interest.

Meetings of the committees and county council with respect to the potential sale of the railway corridor are all held in camera, as permitted by the Municipal Act. It is not known what position will be taken by the council now that it has the appraisal.

The sub-committee of Government Services is chaired by Orangeville Deputy Mayor Warren Maycock and comprises, in addition, representation from Amaranth, Melancthon and Shelburne - the municipalities most directly affected by the proposed restoration of the tracks north from Orangeville.

There is a sole prospective buyer - The Highland Rail Group, part of The Highland Companies with about 7,500 acres of farmland in Melancthon, and an aspiring developer of an ultimately 2,400-acre limestone quarry,

At Highland, spokesman Michael Daniher said in a phone interview Wednesday that the company still has a vision of a restored rail line and is “continuing due diligence” on the Orangeville- Brampton portion.

He did not say whether Highland has been

approached by the sub-committee

or not. Instead, he

said the company respects

the sub-committee/committee/

county council process, and “we don’t want to get

ahead of the process.”

The conditional purchase agreement with

the Orangeville-owned portion of the former CP Rail branch line to Owen Sound from Georgetown stipulates that Highland has time to complete its due diligence studies. The agreement is for a pur- chase price of $7-million, with $2-million held back until the company has laid rail a mile beyond the present terminus.

North Dufferin Agricultural and Community Alliance (NDACT) believes that Highland wants the rail solely in support of openpit limestone operations, and is vehemently opposed to the sale, as is the snowmobile club which uses the corridor on a year-to-year lease.