HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-05-28, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015.
HE sees increase in permits
Seeding the future
Blyth Community ‘Comet’ Garden Designer David Rankine, left, behind volunteer Laura
Peach, and gardening guru Rhea Hamilton-Seeger, right, were three of the 10 volunteers on-
site last week for the first day of planting en masse for the garden. While beans had been
planted the previous week, last Friday marked the day when the rest of the plants in the
‘comet’ part of the garden were planted. (Denny Scott photo)
Continued from page 11
23. East Wawanosh
24. Goderich
25. Blyth
26. Wingham.
***
Huron East saw a massive
increase in both the number and the
value of building permits issued in
the municipality in the month of
April.
During January, February and
March, the municipality had issued
just 13 building permits, while in
April alone, Huron East issued 32
permits, the value of which was
$5,638,548.
These permits bring the
municipality’s year-to-date figures
up to 45 permits issued in 2015 for a
total value of $7,176,539, according
to a report presented to council by
Chief Building Official Pro-
Tempore Brad Dietrich.
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Continued from page 1
funding, Knight told council, a
number of commitments will have to
be made, both from council and
from the community by way of
fundraising.
The funding available can cover
between 33 and 50 per cent of the
total project costs, however, Knight
said that priority may be given to
projects that can demonstrate that
two-thirds of the project costs will
come from other sources. In
addition, projects eligible for
funding cannot commence before
April 1, 2016 and must be completed
by March 31, 2018. Again, priority
may be given to projects that can be
completed by June 30, 2017 – due to
the linkage to Canada’s 150th
anniversary that year.
Knight told council that the
dressing rooms at the community
centre have long been in need of
expansion and are nowhere near the
standard seen at most other area
arenas.
Councillor David Blaney, who is
also a member of the recreation
committee, agreed, saying that the
rooms are far too small for modern
day hockey teams and there is no
room for female hockey players to
change either, saying that girls are
having to change in a storage room.
“It’s like changing in a broom
closet,” Mayor Bernie MacLellan
said. “It’s sad.”
Knight directed councillors to
similar upgrades that were made to
the Seaforth arena in 2010 as a
potential model for the Brussels
project.
With a total price tag of $1.496
million, Huron East paid $400,000,
matching fundraising, while both the
federal and provincial governments
paid $348,389 each through the
Recreational Infrastructure Canada
(RinC) program.
In presenting the proposal to
council, Knight praised the
recreation committee for being so
prepared, even when there was no
funding on the horizon.
“By having the foresight to have
line drawings and estimates
prepared, the BMG committee has
put the municipality in a position to
make a grant application for a
significant project,” Knight said in
his report.
He told council that the only factor
left to be determined, if council were
to decide to utilize municipal funds
for a portion of the project, would be
what percentage of funding Knight
should request in the application.
Several councillors stated that
while they understood why Knight
would suggest asking for one-third
of the funding, they felt they should
ask the federal government for 50
per cent of the total project, the most
money possible.
“I think we should roll the dice
and ask for as much as we can,”
MacLellan said. “At the end of the
day, if you have a good application,
you have a good application.”
MacLellan also pointed to the
timeline on the municipal portion,
saying that if the project can’t
commence before April, 2016, then
Huron East has two more “budget
cycles” before that date.
Councillor Larry McGrath,
however, was against the pie-in-the-
sky approach, saying that before
council decided to proceed any
further with the application,
councillors should decide where the
money would come from, adding
that Brussels residents had just been
“taxed” through both the levy and
fundraising for a new library.
It was then suggested that
municipal staff prepare a report for
council outlining a 50 per cent
request for funding with a maximum
municipal contribution of $400,000,
but MacLellan felt it was wrong to
make that decision too early.
He suggested that staff prepare a
report outlining various funding
options and council could make its
final decision at the June 2 council
meeting before the application is
officially submitted.
MacLellan also reminded
councillors that Morris-Turnberry
will have a role to play in this
process as well, as a percentage
stakeholder in the community
centre. Knight said he planned to
notify Morris-Turnberry Council of
the potential application.
As directed by council, Knight and
Treasurer Paula Michiels will
prepare a report for council to
consider at its June 2 meeting.
Riding for a cause
Blyth’s Fire Riders, a team of cyclists committed to the Ride to Conquer Cancer next month,
hit the road together for the first time on Sunday, riding from Blyth to Vanastra and back (taking
the long way whenever the situation presented itself). The team is hosting a fundraising
barbecue on Saturday, June 6 at Scrimgeour’s Food Market in Blyth. Everyone is invited to
come for a bite to eat, to meet the team or to perhaps support their quest. From left: Jeff Elliott,
Rick Elliott, Team Captain Jeff Josling, Paul Kerr, Shanann Josling, Cindy Kerr, Heather Elliott,
Shawn Loughlin, Donna Walsh and Marg Anderson. (Photo submitted)
Proposed improvements could top $1.5 million