The Citizen, 2017-06-22, Page 1INSIDE
THIS WEEK:
HONOURS - Pg. 7
Nearly 200 Huron County
women honoured at event
IPM '17 - Pg. 10
The Citizen' continues its
countdown to IPM 2017
LIONS - Pg. 20
Jim Prior becomes second
Brussels Lions to win award
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON NOG 1H0
Volume 33 No. 25
$1.25 GST included
Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County I Thursday, June 22, 2017
Step by step
Not all the fun at Hullett Central Public School happens on
the ground. Some students opt to climb and get some air
under them. It's not quite a voyage to the stars, but whether
it's the jungle gym or a snow pile in the winter, some
students find the climb exhilarating. Last week it was, from left,
Ashley Kuntz, Macey Adams and Sophie Greydanus who were
enjoying the altitude on a warm June day on a slightly higher level
than their fellow students. (Denny Scott photo)
New OPP detachment to be built in Clinton
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Central Huron Council gave the
construction of a new Ontario
Provincial Police detachment in
Clinton the go-ahead at Monday
night's council meeting.
The new station will be located at
325 Albert Street, which is in the
north end of Clinton on the east side
of the main street, across Beech
Street from the newly -constructed
fire station.
Representatives of the IBI Group,
working with Infrastructure Ontario
on behalf of the OPP, were at the
meeting on Monday night to speak
to the project.
Amy Shepherd from IBI said
that the Clinton site is just one
of nine other sites across the
province that are part of a
sweeping "modernization" project
for the OPP's buildings.
Due to the Clinton building being
just one piece of the puzzle,
Shepherd was asking for an
extension on the construction
deadline. The traditional timeline for
such a project is 18 months, but
planner Laura Young saw fit to
extend the deadline to 24 months,
not the 36 months the group was
requesting.
Shepherd, however, spoke to
council and asked for the
36 -month extension, explaining that
because the project includes nine
sites, there are large group tenders
that will need to be awarded and a
massive amount of co-ordination
required.
Councillors saw fit to grant
Shepherd and the group their
request. Deputy -Mayor Dave Jewitt
said that it was likely that the group
would get to the end of its 24 -month
period and then return to council
and ask for a 12 -month extension,
which council would then grant
because the group would be in
the middle of the project and it
wouldn't make sense to stop it at that
point.
The property will be zoned as a
community facility with a proposed
front yard setback of 19 metres,
which required a three -metre
setback from the initial setback of 16
metres. The site would also need a
setback of one metre on its exterior
side yard as well, expanding it from
five metres to six.
The site will include a parking lot
for the detachment's staff and the
police department's fleet for 112
vehicles, as well as a 12 -space
visitor parking area.
Young also told council that the
application met the requirements for
a minor variance, which include
meeting the intent of the Central
Huron Official Plan, meeting the
intent of the Central Huron zoning
bylaw, the project is desirable for the
appropriate development of the
lands in question and it is minor in
nature.
The conditions recommended
for the application are that the
police detachment be located
within the footprint provided on the
sketch in the planner's presentation.
The variance approval period
was originally set for 18 months, but
was extended to 36 months by
council at the request of the
applicant.
Council approved the application
with the extended deadline.
The new Huron OPP detachment
had been a point of contention that
arose from discussion at a Morris -
Continued on page 14
Council
supports
Blyth 140
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
The Blyth 140th committee has
received the support it sought from
North Huron Township, however,
questions arose as to the exact plans
of the committee during a recent
North Huron Council meeting.
In a report presented by Director
of Recreation and Facilities Pat
Newson to council on June 19 it was
explained that, as a result of bylaws
held by the Blyth Lions Club, the
group may need to move some
events back to the Blyth
Community Centre, where they had
previously been planned.
Newson explained that, since she
made the report, information about
the Lions bylaws came forward, and
that had a bearing on her
recommendation.
"The Lions already have their
own bylaws that there is no loud
noise in the park after 11 p.m.," she
said. "We can't waive our noise
bylaw until they waive theirs and
they haven't had a meeting yet."
Newson explained that the park,
which is surrounded by residential
property, might not be an ideal
location for the event due to the
Lions not meeting in time to waive
the bylaw for the event.
Newson' s recommendation,
however, was that North Huron
Council agree to waive fees for
renting municipal space for the
celebration. She amended that,
adding that North Huron could
waive the rental of the upstairs hall
at the community centre if the group
needed it for the dance. She then
said she knows it goes against
council's previous direction.
"I realize that waiving the fee is
not what the fee waiving and
donation bylaw [implemented by
this session of council]
recommends, however, had this
group had more time to focus on
planning and delivery, we likely
would have insisted they come to us
with a terms of reference," Newson
said, pointing out the group is a sub-
committee of the Blyth Business
Improvement Area, a committee of
council. "We could create a terms of
reference, as we did with the
[Musical Muskrat Festival in
Wingham] to waive some of their
expenses.
"This is council's choice, but the
group is hoping to have the event at
no charge or by donation," she said.
Newson said if council does
waive the fees, the town will track
time and expenses and those costs
will be posted to the general ledger
in the economic development
Continued on page 19