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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2014-01-22, Page 88 News Record • Wednesday, January 22, 2014 county council Policing costs discussed at county committee meeting Goderich mayor says costs should be shared Dave Flaherty Goderich Signal Star The topic of policing costs reared its head at the Huron County committee of the whole meeting on Jan. 15. During the meeting, county CAO Brenda Orchard asked if there were any requests for delegations at the combined Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA)/Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA) confer- ence to be held in February. Bluewater councillor Tyler Hessell queried whether there could be a del- egation from the county to attend the conference to discuss policing costs. Hessell said policing costs in Blue - water are estimated at $700,000 in 2014, going up to $1.2 million in 2015. Paul Gowing, mayor for Morris- Turnberry said policing costs in his township could double, which he said is "not acceptable." Goderich deputy mayor John Grace suggested, "Maybe we should be look- ing into county -wide policing." Grace said the cost of policing per household in Bayfield is $160, but $460 for Goderich. "They get the same service as Goderich, but Goderich pays $460 per household." Last year, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) announced they would be look- ing at a new billing model with the province. Many municipal politicians have WHO'S WHO Of Our Local Business Won -en Attention: Women In Business The Clinton News Record and the Seaforth Huron Expositor will be placing Special Pages in our Wednesday March 5th edition for our Local "Women In Business" Let our readers know about you and your business or services. Why you started the business you are in and what products or services makes your business unique. Home - Retail - Service! Contact Us Today! 519-482-3443 or Call 519-527-0240 Clews Record $e,ron Expositor Dawn Johnston-clinton.ads @ sunmedia.ca Maxwell Bickford-max.bickford@sunmedia.ca said there is large inconsistencies with the per household costs of policing. Howick Reeve Art Versteeg said the potential new billing model is "going to be tough on all the smaller municipali- ties" and that "a change this radical should be rolled out over a number of years." Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan said he gets about 30 documents a week across his desk on the issue of polic- ing costs. "It doesn't matter who comes up with a formula, there are people who will win, and people who will lose." "Bottom line is, if they (the province) decide to do this, they will do it," MacLellan added. Warden/Huron East deputy mayor Joe Steffler said he felt they were "spinning their wheels", and they hadn't looked into the issue enough to send a delegation. Goderich mayor Deb Shewfelt also spoke on the topic. "Policing is a local issue. It's just another service. Every other service we share the costs. If you want to portion out roads and bridges, do it, but we should share in policing as well," Shewfelt said, also suggesting that the county should consider amalgamating its separate police boards. PARK THEATRE la . T -sem GODERLCH 5244E1 i .� 7:30 Nightly ;10 L V ' —a r Jan 24 - 30 Trausr No ❑rie Chrlx Pfaff Ir In C air r Kennalh Bran P eIns KnIghtlry JOCK AYtill. SHADOW RECRUIT Lt C�7nc� 1 1.7rr Thiuinry Hoi 5-{1 117911•3 JR%e'•�+t+ Id+i. n tir 'NI ghtI y AMERICAN HUSTLE 7:30 swu.c 09+11.11.1.44191 wwwkrnoviel iii ks.ca • • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SAID rn l% a terior rends 4•Paint & Paper I Al 0 •: Bed & Bath Window Treatments CA • hid •H 11 VICTORIA ST. CLINTON y (519) 482-3528 • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE Until February 8th f,. f„ •T • C/! County backs efforts to get Great Lakes act passed 3 "Debate has grinded to a halt," says Nancy Goucher Dave Flaherty Goderich Signal Star Huron County has thrown its support behind efforts to make sure the Great Lakes Protection Act is passed before the next provincial election. Nancy Goucher, water program man- ager with Environmental Defense Can- ada, spoke to county councillors at the Jan. 15 meeting about the importance of the having the bill passed. "The Great Lakes need all the help they can get;" Goucher said. "You can see the situation getting worse." Goucher said three of Ontario's four Great Lakes are "in decline" and fish har- vests are forecasted to decline 25% over the next 25 years. She called all these figures "disturbing; explaining that 80% of Ontarians get their drinking water from the Great Lakes. Goucher said the Great Lakes Protec- tion Act, if passed, would "create greater attitudes towards revitalization" and "empower local governments and individuals." It would also allow lower -tier govern- ments to create frameworks and proto- cols, and would set targets and provide an avenue for updates on progress, she added. The province's standing committee is currently reviewing the act, but Goucher said, "debate has grinded to a halt" due to "politics" and "it might not be able to pass by the next election." Goderich mayor Deb Shewfelt said he believes this to be a very important issue that has been "bogged down by a minor- ity government:' "It's time to move ahead;" he said, not- ing the act "has a lot of good intentions in it:' Bluewater deputy mayor Paul Klopp asked Goucher to expand on what kind of "politics" was stopping the act from being passed. "Some of it is really just `politics', the opposition parties don't want the Liberals to be able to take credit," she said. Councillors passed a motion to show support to the Environmental Defense Canada's efforts, joining other municipal- ities Kingston, Hamilton, Toronto, Nor- folk County and Owen Sound, which Goucher said represents 26% of Ontario's population.