CENTER WELLINGTON — The Center Wellington council will issue a report Monday recommending staff approve a grant program to partially reimburse owners of termite treatments.
The previous council authorized employees to negotiate with Balson Preventative Solutions Inc. in the summer of 2022 to offer up to $200,000 worth of nematode treatments on termite-infested properties. A previous investigation by an entomologist found that about 259 properties in Fergus and Elora had confirmed or suspected termite activity, with an additional 219 adjacent properties at risk.
Due to failed contract negotiations in the fall, the termite treatment did not take place.
The staff now recommend running a grants program similar to that used by the province in 1978-1990, when the Department of the Environment funded termite control programs that allowed municipalities to help property owners with termite treatment costs.
“The community could use the $200,000 already earmarked for termite management to fund a similar grant program. It is expected that a grant program would consist of a grant of approximately $500 to $1,000 per property to fund a portion of the actual cost of treating termites,” the report said.
The report will be discussed at a council meeting on Monday.
Read the full report here
