HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-04-30, Page 1CitizenTh
e
$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, April 30, 2015
Volume 31 No. 17
NEW CAO - Pg. 15
Chambers begins her
time in North Huron
HOCKEY - Pg. 9
Two-time WOAA champion
team hosts 25-year reunion
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0
INSIDE
THIS WEEK:
Huron East tax levy proposed to increase 4.91%
Remembering and playing
Every year the Matt Dinning Memorial Rugby Tournament
is held to recognize Corporal Matthew Dinning, a Wingham-
area resident who perished in 2006 in Afghanistan. His
alma mater F.E. Madill Secondary School hosts the
tournament and, this year, played in its final
game. Unfortunately, the Madill Mustangs were ousted by the
Grey Highlands Secondary School Lions. Shown is Madill’s Josh
Gibbons making a tackle on a Grey Highlands player. Supporting
Gibbons are, from left, Craig Murray, Matthew Schraa, Caleb Bott
and Jackson Goodall. (Denny Scott photo)
G2G Trail
to open
July 1
Huron East Council was on the
verge of an unusual “financial
experiment” during April 21 budget
deliberations, but a tie vote defeated
the initiative.
With the municipality facing
several equipment purchases, Mayor
Bernie MacLellan discussed the
option of an internal debenture
(borrowing money from its own
reserves and paying them back with
interest) to fund a $180,000 capital
purchase for the Public Works
Department.
While the purchase would end up
costing the municipality slightly
more in the long run, due to the
interest, the purchase would have
been spread over the course of five
years.
Councillors who opposed the
concept, however, felt it was a
dangerous practice to get into and
Treasurer Paula Michiels said she
felt that, like the perceived financial
freedom of a credit card,
debenturing equipment would lead
to the municipality living beyond its
means with purchasing.
Councillor Nathan Marshall said
that while he wasn’t necessarily
against the concept of a debenture,
he felt that if Huron East was going
to employ reserves, it should be for
larger projects like bridge
replacements or paving, not
equipment purchases.
MacLellan said that a debenture
would reduce the municipal levy
significantly this year, but that the
purchase would effectively account
for a one per cent tax levy increase
every year for the next five years.
He suggested that the debenture
could be viewed as a “financial
experiment” and would be useful for
council to see where the
municipality is in five years and then
decide if it was a good or bad
decision.
The vote, however, was tied,
which means it was defeated.
Once again, conversation shifted
to the budgets of the municipality’s
three community centres.
With the Vanastra Recreation
Centre set to receive over $20,000
for roof repairs, Councillor Dianne
Diehl said that a policy is needed for
The Guelph to Goderich (G2G)
Rail Trail will soon become a
reality, with the full trail set to
officially open on July 1.
According to a press release
issued by the G2G Rail Trail
Advisory Committee, the entire trail
will be open for users on Canada
Day. While sections of the trail are
already open, this will mark the
culmination of years of hard work
by those involved with the trail.
“The [G2G Trail] runs along
former CPR railway land that
stretches over 137 kilometres
between Guelph and Lake Huron.
Working from the original plan that
was drafted over 25 years ago, the
G2G Rail Trail volunteer-based
advisory committee stepped up
roughly five years ago, adopting the
responsibility of completing the
proposed rail trail,” the release
states.
It further states that there is
“tremendous support” from many
steward groups and stakeholders
along the trail. In addition, a number
of trail groups are in the process of
“stepping forward” to ensure that
the trail becomes an “iconic
integration” between urban and rural
Ontario.
The trail, which has been referred
to as the backbone of Ontario trails,
will connect 13 communities.
There are also plans in the works
Morris-Turnberry Council decided
status quo is the way to go for
garbage and recycling pickup in the
municipality.
Originally, Morris-Turnberry
Council had sought several different
options for the pick-up, including bi-
weekly in the residential centres in
the municipality as well as one-side-
of-the-street pick-up. However, after
being informed Bluewater
Recycling, which handles the
contract, advised against one-side
collection since it could cause
congestion, they decided to leave
things the way they are with
collection weekly in residential
areas and bi-weekly in rural areas.
Maintaining the status quo will see
an increase of 11.20 per cent in price
from $137,233.24 to $152,623.47.
Director of Public Works Gary
Pipe said the congestion issue would
be very prominent in residential
areas.
“The problem is that things are so
close in town, there could be enough
issues where people are trying to
keep things in their driveway.”
Deputy-Mayor Jamie Heffer said,
even in the rural areas, if one-side
collection was used, there could be
congestion problems due to
recycling and garbage being all on
one side of the road.
Mayor Paul Gowing stated he was
leary of increasing the time between
collections, especially in residential
areas.
“In the warmer weather, there
could be a significant issue with
having household garbage picked up
every two weeks,” he said. “The
garbage could become quite
noticeable if it were sitting there for
that length of time.”
Pipe informed council the
municipality will take in an
estimated $126,500 from garbage
tag sales and a grant for recycling
from Bluewater Recycling which
will cover the majority of the
$152,623,47 price tag.
Councillor Sharen Zinn said, due
to most of the cost being covered,
she didn’t see the point in changing.
“I think, from what I’ve looked
over here, that for the difference in
price I don’t see the point in
changing it,” she said. “I don’t see a
big enough benefit to upset everyone
and switching it to one side or
changing the schedule.”
Gowing agreed, saying there had
been no negative comments
regarding the current collection
schedule and plan.
“Why attempt to fix something
that’s working?” he asked.
Gowing then asked Pipe if he had
heard any complaints, to which Pipe
said any input he received has been
positive.
The Citizen
Celebrating 30 Years
1985~2015
Continued on page 19
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
M-T sticks with collection status quo
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 16