Well here we go again, off to the merger talks. In a Special Council Meeting, Thursday 10th of October, the Mayor of Cobourg Lucas (I have so many ideas) Cleveland will introduce a Notice of Motion that will enable, if passed, the Cobourg Police Services Board to enter into discussions with Port Hope and Hamilton Township to create a “West Northumberland Police Service”. The relevant clauses are printed below but read the complete motion here

NOW THEREFORE THAT Cobourg Council recommends that the Cobourg Police Service Board begin to explore the possibility of a merger with the Port Hope Police Services while continuing to explore all opportunities for expansion including but not limited to provision of police services into Hamilton township; and

FURTHER THAT Cobourg Council recommend that Mayor Lucas Cleveland write to Mayor Hankivsky of Port Hope and the Council of Port Hope along with Mayor Scott Jibb of Hamilton Township and the Council of Hamilton township to inform them of this direction and ask that they consider these options and possibilities as councils.

I just hope that the  Archives at the Police Station – in the basement, aren’t too mouldy because there are boxes and boxes of previous studies to drag out and read. Better still the Mayor should invite former CPSB Chair and former Councillor Dean Pepper out for a coffee. If the Mayor interrupts his usual verbal hosepipe style of conversation and lets Dean get a word in edgeways he might learn all about the failures of many previous attempts at cooperation with Port Hope over the past forty years. How about some lessons learned? After all we wouldn’t want to repeat history for Nth time this time!

Personally I think that the economies of scale could lead to a successful arrangement. Given the seemingly tight relationship between Mayors Hankivsky and Cleveland with the local MPP Minister Piccini monies will be found to cover increased Merger and Capital costs from the Provincial Government’s slush funds. They do have over $4 Billion of unspent Federal Health money that they had hidden and are now spending like drunken sailors on pre-election goodies – who’s to say this couldn’t be one of those? Mayor Jibb of Hamilton Township will be easily persuaded by the speculation of lower costs and will gleefully join in.

I will await the the upcoming debate next month just to see what the Cobourg Council will tell him – the Mayor, what to do.