Local mayor raises issue of winter storm road confusion

All and all this has been a relatively mild winter, but Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan says the two storms that we’ve had so far have exposed some gaps in the information the public gets regarding road conditions.

MacLellan raised the issue at this week’s Huron County council meeting.

“Unfortunately there appears to be a void in the messaging that gets out to the public. Now I understand it’s not the county’s responsibility to be that information system and there will always be a liability in giving incorrect information and weather is not our specialty,” MacLellan lamented.

MacLellan admits he doesn’t have the answer but suggests if the information was only coming from one source, it would likely be more accurate, more timely and more consistent.

“It’s maybe unfortunate the OPP don’t take that upon themselves but they don’t consider that their responsibility either. They’re not the weather people, they’re not the messaging system to the public on things like that, other than when they close a road they do want that information to get out there that they have closed the road,” added MacLellan.

MacLellan says county council did not feel it was in a position to assume that role. It hasn’t budgeted for that and don’t know what kind of time commitment would be involved. MacLellan says he’s hoping someone will see this as an opportunity to deliver a service to the public and run with it.

Read original story from Midwestern Ontario News – BlackburnNews.com