The Citizen, 2015-06-11, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015.
Fair seeks midway funding
Knott defends investigating police expansion
Below is a Letter to the Editor
from North Huron Blyth Ward
Councillor Bill Knott. It is an e-mail
response he sent to a ratepayer who
voiced his concerns with council’s
consideration of expanding the
Wingham Police Service across the
entire township, rather than
continuing with an Ontario
Provincial Police (OPP) contract.
Since Knott has received a number
of e-mails expressing such concerns,
he has asked that his response be
printed in ‘The Citizen’ in the form
of a Letter to the Editor – SL
THE EDITOR,
This topic has been before council
before and seems to polarize
everyone when it is.
The problem is that most people
do not understand how the policing
is structured and costed and keep
trying to compare apples and rocks.
The issue should not always be
about cost, but about value. What
you get is for what you pay.
I will try and explain what I
believe as simply as I can. The
Wingham Police Service (WPS)
provides full service coverage to the
Wingham area. This includes
patrolling, traffic enforcement,
parking and other municipal bylaw
enforcement as required and it
serves only the Wingham area. There
is a cost to this and when you look at
the size and population of the area, it
is quite high in relation to the
population.
The OPP, on the other hand,
operate on a response-only premise
under our current agreement. In
other words, call 911 and we will
come.
My experience over the last
several years is that the average
response time when I have called has
been 23 minutes and that included
several serious situation calls
involving weapons and collisions.
This is not unusual since they are not
required to be stationed in Blyth and
may be busy elsewhere and unable
to respond sooner. They provide no
patrol, traffic enforcement, parking
or bylaw enforcement. If we want to
have any of those services, we must
step up to another level and we can
choose what services we wish to add
and, of course, we must pay for it.
The discussion is back on the table
because the OPP have changed their
pricing model and the cost has risen
dramatically and our 2015 budget
figure is almost $50,000 higher then
our 2014 actuals and represents an
increase of 25 per cent and that is
actually only a portion of the
increase. The balance has been
spread over several years and there is
no guarantee that I have seen that
will stop further increases again next
year or the years after. Many
municipalities are facing increases, I
hear, as high as 90 per cent.
Effectively, we have no control or
say over what the OPP costs will be
now or in the future where with the
WPS we at least have some control
and say.
The basic bricks and mortar are
already there and what we are
discussing is the addition of a couple
of officers and a cruiser. For this,
you will get a much higher level of
service to the community, which will
in fact make our community more
attractive to those considering
moving here for what may not be
much more than what we are paying
now.
I am not saying we live in a hot
bed of crime, but since I have lived
here I have seen a decline in the
respect for others, their property and
the rules that make a community
work. If we wish to grow this
community, that growth will come
from outside of it. In addition to jobs
or a retirement alternative, we must
assure those who consider coming
here that it is a safe place to be and
that they will be respected.
While I appreciate the fact that
several OPP officers live here in
Blyth, I do not see the relevance.
They live here, but they do not work
here. When they come home at the
end of their shift they need to
unwind and forget the day as much
as, or more than, any of us. They are
not out patrolling the neighbourhood
or waiting by the phone for someone
to call. They are off-duty and
deserve to be.
There also exists the opportunity
to offer this service to our
neighbouring communities as well,
similar to the way we operate fire
services now across municipal
boundaries. This would spread the
cost base over a much larger area
and could effectively reduce our
overall police cost.
But if we do not examine it and
consider the cost and benefit aspect,
we will never know. I have listened
to all the naysayers and all I keep
hearing is that it will cost more, but
I have never heard any of them ask
what the benefit may be now or in
the future. That, in my opinion, is
not sound fiscal management or
planning.
In the end we may opt to continue
as we are, but we must continue to
ask questions and look at options in
everything we do here. Otherwise,
we continue to do what we have
always done without regard to
change and relevance and that is
what brought us to where we are
today. While we acknowledge the
speed and scope of the change in the
world around us, we seem to be
mired in the belief that we can
continue to remain unchanged and
survive here in our little cocoon.
Bill Knott,
North Huron Councillor – Blyth
Ward.
The Blyth Business Improvement
Area’s (BIA) Streetfest committee
has a little more steam behind them
as North Huron Township Council
approved two necessary requests for
the July 25 event.
During its June 2 meeting, council
approved to close Queen Street,
where the celebration takes place.
Council also approved several other
requests provided by the Blyth
Streetfest Committee of the Blyth
BIA.
The requests include having
access to the meeting room and
public washroom space in Memorial
Hall, several pylons, assistance
delivering the stage being provided
by the Clinton Agricultural Society
as well as setting it up and returning
the stage after the event and placing
and collecting garbage and recycling
along the main street.
Council approved the requests,
most of which require assistance
from the Public Works Department
of the municipality.
THE EDITOR,
It has come to the attention of the
Brussels Agricultural Society that a
midway would make the Brussels
Fall Fair Sept. 15-16 more attractive
to the young people of our
community.
Midway companies need a
guaranteed deposit before they will
sign a contract. McDonald Home
Hardware in Brussels has graciously
started our fundraising campaign by
committing up to $1,500 towards
our goal of $5,000. Mark
Pennington Heat & Cool is also on
board.
A Midway Sponsor Board will be
on site for the entire fair. The
construction last year reduced
our attendance and we are trying
to recreate enthusiasm in our
event.
The Brussels Agricultural Society
is having the 2015 Fair Book launch
at the Brussels Farmers’ Market June
19 from 2 - 6 p.m. if you would like
to drop off your contribution or you
can mail to Brussels Agricultural
Society, PO Box 133, Brussels, ON
N0G 1H0. Make cheques payable to
the Brussels Agricultural Society
with a note in the memo area for
Midway. A tax receipt will be issued
if requested.
Thanking you in advance for your
support.
Dorothy Cummings, Director,
Brussels Agricultural Society.
3rd Annual
Central Huron Mayor’s Mingle
A Celebration of Volunteerism
July 7, 2015
5-8 PM
Central Huron Community Complex
Complimentary BBQ Meal Courtesy of:
Annual General Meeting
Monday, June 15, 2015
Social 5:30 p.m. Meeting 6:00 p.m.
Wroxeter Community Hall,
Wroxeter
Please RSVP to Dorothy 519-357-3562 Ext. 101
519-440-2717
Wonky Frog Studio
PLAY WITH CLAY
Letters to the Editor
Connecting with the community
The Fire Riders cycling team will be taking on the Ride to Conquer Cancer this weekend,
biking from Toronto to Niagara Falls to raise money for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
and ended a months-long fundraising campaign on Saturday with a barbecue in front of
Scrimgeour’s Food Market in Blyth. From left: Fire Riders members Cindy Kerr, Shanann
Josling, Jeff Elliott and Jeff Josling were all on hand for the event and to eventually draw the
winning “Beer for a Year” ticket. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Requests approved