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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2014-08-06, Page 66 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, August 6, 2014 www.seaforthhuronexpositorcom letters to the editor Vanastra property revitalization would be positive for Huron East To the Editor; Attached is an email and letter sent to Brad Knight, as well as the mayor and all the council members of Huron East. I believe that local municipalities should be held accountable for their actions. You have my authority to publish these articles. Dear Council Member, Attached is a letter faxed to your colleague, Brad Knight, also relevant to you specifically. The letter is self-explana- tory. I do not wish to burden the Taxpayers of Huron East with the costs brought on by the ineptness of the Mayor and Council Members. However, you were elected to operate Huron East in an efficient, cost-effective manner but your collective actions show another agenda that must be chal- lenged. Instead of cooperat- ing, you have chosen to pur- posely create a problem from a situation that could have benefited your Taxpayers. This matter is now before the Courts which you brought on - not us. This matter will also be settled by the Court of Public opinion which, undoubtedly, will see the Mayor and Council t C z IP 1 \„ g to You are invited to attend these area churches ST. THOMAS CHURCH 21Jarvis St. Seaforth Rector The Rev. Karine Snowdon Rectory 519-482-9071 Church Office 519-527-1522 Sunday. August 10th ST. JAMES ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WELCOMES YOU 14 Victoria Street, Seaforth 519-345-2972 Sun. Mass 11 a.m. ST. PATRICK'S, DUBLIN Worship at 9:30 a.m. Guest Priest: Rev. Lynn Mitchell EVERYONE WELCOME Sat. Mass 5 p.m. Sun. Mass 9 a.m. FR. BRIAN McCOLL BETHEL BIBLE CHURCH An Associated Gospel Church 126 Main St. Seaforth 519-527-0982 Pastor Mark Kennedy SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE 10 a.m. Tuesday Evenings • Youth Groups - Junior & Senior High 6:30 to 9 p.m. • Vacation Bible School Aug. 11-15 61- EVERYONE WELCOME EGMONDVILLE UNITED CHURCH Pastor Steve Hildebrand Youth Coordinator - Laura Nakamura WORSHIP August 10th at 10:30 a.m. Youth Sunday School at 10:30 a.m. For more information view our web site www.egmondvilleunitedchurch.com and Like us on Facebook. NORTHSIDE UNITED CHURCH MINISTER MARY FLETCHER Welcomes you Sunday, August 10th at 11 a.m. Nursery Provided 54 Goderich St. W. . N (5 519-527-1449 I._ www.cavannorthsideunited.ca FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 59 Goderich St. W. Seaforth 519-527-0170 Student Minister Amanda Wickenheiser Lorrie Mann - Organist Worship Sunday, August 10th, 11:15 a.m. All Welcome ..1., Nursery Provided as needed. '—'.. Office hours: Wed. 9 a.m. - Noon Members supporting him, remembered in Huron East for the shame and infamy caused by Taxpayer waste. To stop this foolish action you only need to agree to the requests I had made to yourselves, previously. Of course, if you choose to carry on with your Court action, then the building at 197 Toronto Blvd in Vanastra will remain in the state it is until it crumbles by itself to the ground or Huron East pays $250,000 to have it removed. This is not a legal matter - just a simple, intelligent, political decision. Dear Brad, Re: 197 Toronto Blvd., Vanastra, Ont. This letter is to inform you, the mayor and all coun- cil members that all of these named parties will be added, personally, to the present legal action we have taken again the municipality. Our company will be seeking punitive damages in the amounts of $50,000 against the mayor, $30,000 against yourself and $20,000 against each of the council members. Our legal council will examine, under oath, all of the above to find out who was responsible for turning down our request to assist in the development of the above building and property - and why - evenin thought it woud have cost Huron East absolutely nothing. We have often requested that Huron East work with us, not against us, which has been the case since we brought the above building and this will come out dur- ing the proceedings. Presently, the property has land tax of about $1,000 per year, the building is an eyesore that would have been cleaned up and looked brand new. The cost to have the present building removed would be over $250,000. Under our proposal, we requested a tax holiday for a period of 20 years, after which, the township would eventually have received property tax of over $60,000 per year. This was all explained to the mayor and councilors in prior letters. Our intention is to turn the building into a combina- tion of lower cost accomida- tion for seniors, mature student housing for the REACH program and much- needed summer rentals for the large influx of tourists that come to the area in the summer months. The devel- opment of this project would fit right in with the Vanastra Revival Project. We never asked for any public money such as was given to build the low-cost housing in Bluewater, at a cost of $173,000 per unit. Our projet would be built and financed totally with private money at no cost to the tax payer. Our development would have: Created jobs in Vanastra Additional income for, and use of, the Recreation Centre Seniors affordable housing Spin-off opportunities by increasing tourism REACH students' aware- ness of Vanastra Eventual large property tax income Bus service from Vanas- tra to Clinton and Goderich This development was turned down by the mayor and council for no logical reason. There has never been a reason given and our con- clusion is that this was purely a personal reason judging by the remarks that the mayor has made in the past. Under the Municipal Act, the coucnil has the right to give tax holidays, which are done quite often if a project is good for the municipality. This project is definitely good for Vanastra. The reason that we are taking this action is to make elected municipal officials accountable for their actions and let the voters know that tey do have control, locally. Brad, keep in mind that once legal action commences, it takes on a life of its own, regardless of what a lawyer tells you. Remember what happened to Meaford tax- payers when a judge ordered $1 million in dam- ages again the town of Meaford for acting brzenly on instructions from a stub- born mayor and self-inter- ested lawyer. Of course, the taxpayers were the ones who suffered. Should you rick your taxpayers money based on the advice of a lawyer who gets paid, whether or not he wins your case? Sincerely, Carl Strand President Affordable Hous- ing Ontario Corporation Keep your funny -bone in shape! Laughing has proven stress -release and Sharing a Healthier health benefits. Funny how that works, eh? FUtUreTM vvito PaRTIcIPacTIon®