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The Citizen, 2018-07-19, Page 11THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2018. PAGE 11. Expense forecast of Howson Dam continues to grow By Denny Scott The Citizen The final bill for the potential replacement or rehabilitation of Wingham's Howson Dam, when looked at as a long-term investment, continues to get more expensive. At North Huron Council's July 9 meeting, Director of Public Works Sean McGhee presented a report outlining the financial options tied the work required at the site. According to his review, if the site were rehabilitated or replaced and a 30 -year loan were taken out from Infrastructure Ontario to cover the cost, it could cost in excess of $9,486,473.81 based on a KGS Group engineering report. McGhee started his presentation by stating that the dam has reached a point where it can no longer be ignored. He went on to say that, outside of the less -than -$500,000 cost to remove the dam, the municipality would need outside funding to proceed with any project. "As we start to talk about that," he said, "it's important to point out the fact that this is a North Huron asset. It's not area -rated. When we speak about funding, it has to be borne in mind that... any costs associated will impact the whole of the residents in North Huron." While McGhee's report included a synopsis of the comments made during North Huron Council's May 22 meeting, including those from a group of residents arguing to keep the dam for tourism and aesthetic purposes and the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority saying it would be better for flood planning to remove it, the true cost of the dam replacement or rehabilitation had council questioning the future of the site. Based on the report from KGS, which stated that costs could run 30 Paying it forward The Blyth Lions Club hosted a special meet and greet with Blyth Olympian Justin Peters, right, on Sunday. Peters was one of the goalies named to Team Canada for the Olympic Winter Games hockey tournament held in PyeongChang. The team earned a bronze medal. Peters was on hand to talk to fans and had some equipment to show off. The funds raised will be donated to the Blyth Brussels Minor Hockey Association. (Denny Scott photo) per cent lower to 50 per cent higher than estimates, McGhee said that repairing the dam, either through pinning the existing structure to steady it or adding mass, would cost $4.38 million or $6.99 million, respectively, over 30 years. Replacing the dam with an earthen embankment would cost $6.05 million while a full - width overflow weir, most similar to what is there now, would cost $9.49 million, again, over 30 years. McGhee's suggestion was to undertake a $22,000 study to determine whether rehabilitation was even possible, saying that KGS wasn't contracted to get the core samples necessary to make that decision for the company's first report to council. He also presented an engineer's report from the 1980s in which council put significant stock. The report indicated that there was "zero strength" left in the concrete more than 30 years ago, so council saw little sense in putting out $22,000 more to receive the same information. McGhee also pointed out that rebuilding the dam could be done as a phased project, which could cost more, but would allow council to tackle the structure one step at a time. After receiving that information, council discussed replacement of the structure and how that might be funded. Councillor Trevor Seip said that it was best to focus on replacement costs. "Forget the rehabilitation," Seip said, adding that, unless there was a reason to not trust the report, Continued on page 15 Central Huron fine with Tim's site plan By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Central Huron Council has said "thanks, but no thanks" to a proposal from North Huron Council regarding the Blyth -area Tim Hortons development. At a recent meeting, North Huron Council had expressed concern over trucks parking on the raised median between the entrance and exit to the parking lot. Councillors said that trucks were being parked on that raised part of the parking lot and that Central Huron's public works department should consider its removal. At its July 3 meeting, Central Huron Council discussed the request, but did not see its merit. Councillors stated that the mountable, raised curb is a valuable demarcation that defines the entrance and exit. Without it, councillors said, motorists would be entering the plaza any number of ways, resulting in an even more confusing situation. Council authorized staff to draft correspondence for North Huron Council outlining that no changes were required for the time being. *** Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn said that the municipality's new bench honouring Nobel Laureate and Clinton resident Alice Munro has been well received by the Clinton community. Ginn told councillors that he attended a special unveiling ceremony for the bench in front of the Clinton branch of the Huron County Library and that it was an appropriate way to honour Munro. *** Council is planning on making a donation to Windmill Lake Wake and Eco Park for the restoration of the windmill. Ginn said that the annual Mayor's Mingle, which was held at Windmill Lake, was another successful event that welcomed hundreds of residents to the business. He said that the owners didn't want any payment for use of their location for the event, but that they would accept a donation towards the windmill restoration project. Ginn initially proposed a $500 donation, but Councillor Alison Lobb suggested $250 and Councillor Alex Westerhout agreed. The donation was not formally approved, however, as Clerk Brenda Maclsaac suggested drafting a report and a formal recommendation that could be accepted at council's next meeting. North Huron insurance premiums drop substantially By Denny Scott The Citizen A sharp decline in North Huron's insurance premiums have Councillor Trevor Seip questioning the reason behind the price drop. North Huron, for the first time in seven years, issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for its municipal insurance after being insured by BFL Canada since Jan. 1, 2012. The results of that RFP were presented during council's July 9 meeting. After several years with BFL, the premium, plus tax, for 2018 was $169,401, higher than three of the four proposals received. North Huron decided to go with AON Reed Stenhouse Inc. as the company's proposal, prior to taxes, came in at $118,878 for 2019, more than $50,000 less than BFL Canada's 2018 cost. BFL Canada also participated in the process, returning a proposal of $134,425. Seip asked why there was such a substantial decrease, even from the same company, in the insurance premiums. Director of Finance Donna White explained that most municipalities have seen similar decreases as the market has recently "levelled out" "The insurance market has changed," she said. "Insurance crept up after 9/11. Municipalities are seeing some substantial reduction in premiums regardless of what company they are with." Seip went on to ask if they were receiving better rates because they requested proposals, saying if that was the case, it may be best to request pricing every three years instead of five. He did say, however, that there is significant work that goes into issuing such an RFP. Before White could provide an answer, he also asked if the municipality could find efficiencies by working with its neighbours, to which White said some locations have considered county -wide policies into which municipalities could buy. Council accepted AON Reed Stenhouse Inc.'s proposal for insurance for $118,878. J 1 fide le Ju1y 19t 11. 2lst 1 Particiaatina Businesses MicroAge Basics of Wingham The Workshop Pandora's Pantry The Gift Chest Wingham Optometry Annette's Treasures Galore The 2 Step Christine's Clothes Closet Pharmasave Stainton's Home Hardware Chameleon's of Wingham Rintoul's Pools & Spas of Wingham House of Bloom 11 11 11