The Citizen, 2016-07-07, Page 1INSIDE
THIS WEEK:
SPORTS - Pg. 8
Brussels Tigers take down
Walton Brewers 11-3
GRADUATION - Pg.
11
Local schools graduate
Grade 8 students
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ANNIVERSARY - Pg. 27
East Wawanosh's 150th
kicks off with special event
4Citiz
Volume 32 No. 27
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Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, July 7, 2016
Another year gone
The students at Hullett Central Public School perhaps felt
one year older and one year wiser as they dashed out the
school's doors for the last time this school year. On
Thursday, June 30, the students were at the doors ready to
go, just waiting on that fateful bell to ring. Wearing their Canada
Day best are, from left: Ryan Cowan, Landyn McNaughton,
Sophia Greydanus, Kayley Kuntz, Javaugh Hendricks and Cole
Reiger. (Shawn Lou photo)
NH considers support for Blyth Streetfest
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Several members of council feel
the Blyth Business Improvement
Area (BIA) Streetfest is the ideal
time to start imposing changes on
the way North Huron Council
supports local events.
In a request presented to council
during its July 4 meeting, the
Streetfest committee reported it
needs assistance from Public Works
staff to close Queen Street for the
July 23 event. Requests were also
made for pylons, help to transport a
stage to and from the Clinton area,
help to set up recycling and garbage
bins and assistance transporting
bleachers to the main street from the
Blyth baseball diamond.
Councillor Bill Knott, who is the
BIA's voice on council and vice -
versa, said he had no problem with
the street closure, but felt that, if the
committee wanted assistance from
the municipality, it should be done at
cost.
"We have told all groups and
organizations over a year ago that,
going forward, if they are requesting
staff, they should be prepared to
pay," he said. "This involves a
vehicle and manpower to go to
Clinton and will be quite expensive.
The event is on a Saturday, so there
could be overtime."
Knott said the township could
provide the barriers, pylons,
recycling and garbage bins, but that
the BIA would have to pay the going
staff rate for assistance.
Deputy -Reeve James Campbell
said he agreed with Knott.
"We talked about this before," he
said. "On a Saturday, we will pay
extra time for this."
Director of Facilities and
Recreation Pat Newson explained
that the moving of the stage and
bleachers would happen before and
after the event and likely take place
during the work week and that the
only thing that would require staff
on the weekend would be related to
the road closure and barriers.
She also stated that no policy was
set dictating what a committee of
council such as the BIA can be
expected to be paid for, which, in the
absence of a memorandum of
understanding about the particular
event, meant council was yet to deal
with a similar issue before.
"The activities have been done on
behalf of the community event over
the past few years," she said. "Items
like this and the Musical Muskrat
Festival need to have a
memorandum of understanding or
be hosted by a BIA and we need to
outline what we are or are not
willing to contribute."
Councillor Brock Vodden
disagreed with Knott and Campbell,
saying that the tradition is to help
community events like this.
"It's important for the towns, for
economic development and
goodwill within our community," he
said. "I would oppose this."
Chief Administrative Officer
Sharon Chambers stated that there
Continued on page 24
Mayor's
concerns
raised
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Last week Huron East Mayor
Bernie MacLellan addressed the
municipality's administration
committee in regards to a number of
concerns raised by Brussels
residents.
The meeting was called after a
discussion between MacLellan and
Chief Administrative Officer Brad
Knight. MacLellan spoke to over
two dozen Brussels residents at the
local Legion Branch, in a meeting
organized by former Huron East
Mayor Joe Seili, and documented a
number of concerns spanning from
property standards to the condition
of the Brussels, Morris and Grey
Community Centre.
After discussing the laundry list of
issues, MacLellan and Knight
thought they would be best
addressed through the
administration committee and called
a meeting for June 28 in Seaforth.
At the meeting were Chair Alvin
McLellan, members Brenda Dalton,
Joe Steffler and Larry McGrath, as
well as MacLellan and Knight. In
the audience were fellow councillors
Dianne Diehl, Ray Chartrand and
David Blaney, as well as Seili.
The meeting was held exclusively
to address Brussels residents'
concerns that arose from
MacLellan's meeting at the Brussels
Legion one week earlier.
First and foremost on the minds of
residents, he said, was property
standards and a number of homes
and businesses throughout the
village they felt were bringing down
the property values and undermining
efforts of those who keep their
properties in good shape.
Through the process of discussing
this issue with Brussels residents,
MacLellan said he realized that
council doesn't receive updates on
property standards issues
throughout Huron East and asked
for a report to be created and
presented to council at an upcoming
meeting.
Knight said that because of the
nature of property standards
concerns and the possibility that
they may end up in court
proceedings, it is difficult to produce
regular reports for council about
problems in the municipality and the
progress being made on those
issues.
If bylaw enforcement officer
Bruce Brockelbank does author an
update for council, Knight said, it
would have to be sent to council
outside an official meeting, or
discussed in a closed -to -the -public
session for fear of compromising the
Continued on page 28