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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2017-11-16, Page 19Council debates flower purchase By Denny Scott The Citizen Two North Huron Council members were left wondering why Wingham and Blyth couldn't be more like Auburn after being presented with a request for pre- budget purchase approval for hanging baskets and flower planters. Director of Recreation and Facilities Pat Newson presented the report to council during its Nov. 6 meeting. In it, Newson requested permission to purchase hanging baskets to be hung from light standards as well as flowers for the baskets and other planters, such as those on the Queen Street bridge in Blyth. The total cost of the flowers was $5,700, however, as was indicated later in the discussion, that isn't the full cost. Deputy -Reeve James Campbell held up Auburn as an example of a community taking on these projects itself. He said the former police village doesn't benefit from this move and residents of Auburn, a village split among three municipalities, handle the beautification of the village through the Auburn Horticultural Society. "[The Auburn Horticultural Society pays] for all [the village's] plantings with no cost to us," he said. "I wonder if we shouldn't have Blyth and Wingham look after this themselves." Campbell said the item should be handled by the Blyth and Wingham Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) respectively. Newson explained that placing and maintaining the hanging baskets would be a difficult task for volunteers. She said the equipment and access to water could be a barricade to volunteers being able to keep the flowers healthy. She North Huron prepares for budget process Continued from page 1 saying that might be the part of the budget the public needs explained. Seip said council needs to give ratepayers more credit when dealing with the budget. He claimed that ratepayers know costs need to be cut, but they may not know that any savings found would likely need to be reallocated elsewhere and wouldn't result in savings for the municipality. Council didn't receive any workable budget numbers on Monday in regards to assessment or expenses, however councillors all had plans to fight rising budgets and much of it relied on the ratepayers. From suggestions that ratepayers need to be more vocal about proposed service changes to ideas that property owners should be responsible for removing snow from the sidewalks in front of their homes, each of the five council members present had notions as to how council should proceed. The only actionable item was to have council and staff prepare for the next meeting by taking a long, hard look at what services the township currently provides, what it needs to provide and consider ways to generate more revenue. A date for the next meeting budget meeting, when council will see start seeing draft budget numbers from staff members, will be set at a future council meeting. Find a job or advertise a job on the Jobs In Huron section of our website at www.northhuron.on.ca pointed out that both Wingham and Blyth do have organizations that provide other `green' efforts throughout the village, just not this particular effort. "Wingham has a horticultural society that takes care of numerous plantings," Newson said. "There [is far more work] than our volunteers can accomplish." Newson said Blyth has the Friends of the Village who have taken over responsibilities of the now - disbanded Blyth Horticultural Society. She pointed to projects at the Blyth Memory Garden and the village sign at the intersection of Blyth and London Roads as examples of its work. Newson said that asking these groups to take on this added responsibility would be betraying the appreciation they deserve for their work. Beautification of Wingham and Blyth is a hand-in- hand project between the groups and the municipality, she said. Campbell said if Auburn, a hamlet split among North Huron, Central Huron and Ashfield-Colborne- Wawanosh, had residents who could handle the beautification projects without seeking funding or acknowledgement, he didn't know why Blyth and Wingham ratepayers couldn't do the same. He also pointed out that North Huron Council should be looking for efficiencies in its budget and this is a potential cut that wouldn't reduce services. Councillor Trevor Seip, who regularly reminds council it needs to find ways to save money, said that the $5,700 shouldn't be cut.. "We have to look to bigger scale services to decide ... what we really need," he said. Seip said council can't partnerships without municipality being worse off result. "I think this adds community more than know," he said. "It adds $5,700." Seip went on to say the large-scale discussions are more important, saying he supports this project as well as similar projects in Auburn and Belgrave if they materialize. "This should be a beautification project for the whole municipality," he said. Vodden agreed, saying the debate should be about equity, not these specific flowers and planters. Councillor Yolanda Ritsema- Teeninga commended the Auburn work and this expense encourage the cut the as a to the we really more than volunteer group for its said that cutting wasn't a way to community. Campbell wasn't convinced, however, reminding council that the total cost of maintenance of the flowers wasn't presented. Newson explained that North Huron staff are in Blyth several times a week and every weekday in Wingham watering the flowers. "There is labour, machinery and fertilizer and it's much greater than $5,700," he said. The total cost of the project wasn't available when Campbell asked for it, however Newson said she could provide it at a later date. Council voted in favour of the pre- budget approval for purchasing the flowers for the hanging and roadside flower pots. Royal Canadian Legion Br. 420, 192 Dinsley St., Blyth, ON 1-4 p.m. Best Wishes Only [i)III(i&i)ii!1I SURF N' SAFARI THE ULTIMATE BEACH PARTY SHOW FRANKIE AVALON JAN & DEAN THE VENTURES THE BEACH BOYS e. WA' "•"--:..:.:01c. JOE PASSION STARS AS JIMMY BUFFETT BLYTH MEMORIAL HALL SATURDAY 423 QUEEN STREET TICKETS DEC 2 519-523-9300 $39 8:OOPM www.BlythFestival.com +sc THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2017. PAGE 19. Good day for a hot meal As Huron County was facing its first blast of winter snow, the Blyth United Church was hosting a drive-thru dinner on Nov. 9. Shown is Les Falconer receiving his meals from a winter -ready Brenda Brooks. 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