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Moving forward with the new headquarters.

Meaford Council is moving ahead with plans to renovate the PUC building into the new municipal headquarters. Council awarded the tender at Monday night's meeting, but there was more debate over the price tag. The tender cost was 299 thousand dollars. Deputy Mayor Robert Reid questioned the cost, stating it was 100 thousand dollars over the estimate. But Mayor Gerald Shortt says the cost is actually cheaper than what their consultants estimated. Council approved the tender with a 4-2 vote. Councillors Reid and Diane Hurlburt were opposed. Hurlburt would have rather seen the money spent on an addition to the current St. Vincent township office. She says all municipal staff would have been under one roof and they would have less costs. Under this plan, Hurlburt says they have the same number of municipal buildings and staff would still be separated. Shortt maintains the PUC office will provide good working conditions for staff to do their jobs correctly.