HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1975-04-24, Page 1Whole No, 5589
116th Year FIRST SECTION PAGES 1 — 14 THE HURON EXPOSITOR, THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1075 — .22 PAGES
.100A Yonr ':AiivOnce
$1410 60;25elits
Irate ratepayers ask Tuckers
council to support recreation
I
A MUDDY FALL — Friday's rain left an awful lot of mud on theMoto Cross course
at Hully Gully Sunday where a motorcycle race was held. Local rider Richard Little,
last year's Ontario small wheel school boy ctiampion participated In the race. A
good crowd watched,the races.
Concerned that thousands of
acres may be affected by poor
drainage, Hullett Township
council met with ministry of lands
and forests officials last Tuesday
over drainage of land near the
'Mullett Wildlife area.
Reeve John Jewitt had earlier
in March at a Meeting with
ministry officials expressed con-
cern that thousands of acres of
prime farmland would not be
properly drained once part of the
Wildlife area is permanently
flooded.
Council met with ministry'
official Rene Jones and they
toured the possible trouble spots
near the area,
Ministry officials were also
concerned 'about the potential
problem and didn't want to hurt
any of the surrounding farmers.
No further action was taken
because the ministry of lands and
forests doesn't have any figures
yet on the final level of the
flooded area.
At their regular meeting last
week in a busy session, Hullett
council decided to buy a new
truck and snowplow assembly
Tuckersmith for recreation for a
number of years, the reeve
pointed out,
"Council' is . saying that
recreation is not their
responsibility.That's the
fundamental question. A token
$300 doesn't accomplish much",
Walter Armes of Egmondville
said.
The ratepayers asked about the
availability of provincial grants
for recreation andWere told that a
full time recreation director would
be heeded before the township
could qualify.
Reeve Thompson said a man
had told him that Seaforth only
charges $9 per hour for ice time at
the arena, while Mitchell charges
$19. "If Seaferth charged a
decent rate, they wouldn't have to
go to the public."
Liz Watson of Egmondville said
the charges at the Seaforth arena
are going up. "Up how Much?
This "is where they went wrong",
Councillor Bert Branderhorst
said.
"The government in Seaforth is
trying to do a decent job and
support recreation by keeping
costs down to where people can
afford them. You're saying you
don't believe in recreation", Mr.
Armes • said.$
Through most of the meeting
Reeve Thompson and Deputy
Reeve Sillery fielded the
ratepayer's questions. "Why
doesn't someone else speak?"
someone in the audience asked.
Councillor Cleave Coombs, who
lives in Egmondville, asked if
people would be in favour of
being assessed separately for
recreation in Seaforth, in, the
same way that Vanastra residents
are assessed for recreation there.
Mr. Armes called that a stop gap
• 1( and said "You still haven't made
Thirty-five angry ratepayers
from Egi6ondville, Harpurhey
and other areas Close to Seaforth
who attended• Tuckermith
council's meeting Tuesday night
Wanted to know why the council
had refused a. request from
Seaforth for a donation of $2,300
towards the cost . of capito
improvements at the . Seaforth
arena.
Seaforth council has levied a
$15 per person charge on
Tifekersmith residents who use
their arena because the township
has refused to contribute.
Seaford' asked surrounding
townships to help with the 'cost of
bringing the arena up to safety
and health standards
percentage of use
McKillop, Hibbert and
townships contributed
Seaforth requested.
• "Why is the township not
willing to support the proportion
of its residents who use the
Seaforth ,arena to a great
extent?" Howard dames of
Egmondville, who introduced the
topic, wanted to know.
' "The moment we do, Clinton
Hensall, Vanastra and Brucefield
will all want a grant too. There
has to be some halt to the
taxpayer's money", Reeve Elgin
Thompson said. "We do pay fo
fire protection, we have to have
that".
Those in the audience
suggested that the township set
up a budget for recreation and
contribute the, money to all the
arenas and recreation facilities,
whether in Clinton, Seaforth or
Hensall, that Tuckersmith
residents use.
The three municipalities have
been' getting $100 each from
on a
basis.
Hullett
what
"1-,,a policy on- whether you:re in
recreation at all."
Chouheillors had all backed the
original decision, deputy reeve
At Vanastra
High costs of commercial and
industrial insurance at Vanastra
were again the topic at
Tuckersmith council when Russ
Archer of Archer Farm Sales
asked council for fire protection.
Mr. Archer and Gary Ferguson
of Bayfield Boats, yVilf Schneider
of Huron Acoustics and Edgar
Rathwell, who has a machine
shop at Vanastra all told council
that' their insurance rates had
increased a huge amount because
the former base is more than
three miles from the responding
, fire department at Brucefield,
Dennis O'Connor, a • London
insurance agent whose company
insure's 'these businesses and
others at Vanastra, explained that
according to National Fire
Protection Agency standards, the
Vanastra businesses are high
• risks because, of this distance. He
estimated that the men could save
up to 30% on ^ their insurance
costs if the township could
• arrange to have the Clinton Fire
department respond to fire, calls ...
at Vanastra.
Clerk Jim McIntosh told the
men that the township's insurer,
. Frank Cowan Ltd. was not aware
of any difference in rates outside
a three mile distance from a fire
department.Reeve Elgin
Thompson and deputy reeve
Ervin Sillery said that they had
also talked to individual agents
who didn't think the five mile
distance from Brucefield would
put rates up a great deal.
Mr. O'Connor explained that
residential and township
standards are followed by much
of the insurance industry.
Mr.Schneider commented that
(Continued on Page 11)
from Harvey • Krotz Ltd. of
Listowel for $29,603. It was the
lowest tender submitted,
(Continued on Page 4)"
Tuckersmith Township
councillors tried again to come to
grips with the, dog problem in the
township at theie meeting
Tuesday night. They appointed
Eldon O'Brien of R.R.S, Clinton
as animal control officer for the
township.
The township's contract with
Goderich dog catcher Dick Eisler
expires at the end 'of this month.
Mr. O'Brien will travel around
the township selling dog tags. if
people refUse to tag their dogs, as
required by the township dog
control by law, Mr. O'Brien can
impound the dog.
Mr. O'Brien will be paid a flat
rate of $1 for every dog that he
tags. Tuckersmith residents who
Ervin Sillery said but,
"everybody makes . mistakes.
We're willing to back down if the
majority in the township wants
it"
Reeve Thompson said that
supporting recreation in three or
four areas would add a minimum
of $8000 to the tax rates. In reply
to a question from Mr.Armes,
clerk Jim McIntosh said that
there are about 800 ratepayers in
the township.
"That would only be about $10
apiece", Mr. Armes said.The
clerk answered that taxes are
levied on assessment and some
ratepayers would pay more and
some less on that basis, "unless
you want a surcharge per
property."
"That wouldn't seem to be an
intolerable burden", Mr. Armes
said.
To the reeve's suggestion that
the fairest way seemed to be to
have the users. pay, Frances
Teatero of Egmondville said
"Couldn't the 'township
compromise with Seaforth and
give them some money? It's all
very well to say $15 isn't much
but what about families with 7 or
8 kids. ,That's $15 each."
"What are we to do with kids,
shove them in a box and say we'll
let you out when you're 30?" she
asked.
Norm MacLean, Egmondville
said organizations like the
Hensall Spring Fair have been
getting grants from the township
for years. "What the township is
being asked to pay is fair really,
considering that we have been
sponging off Seaforth for all these
years", Mrs. Watson said.
"It makes the township look
cheap. Any child who can read is
wondering what is going on",
Mr. MacLean said.
'We don't seem to belong
anymore", Mr. MacLean said
"We need guidance • and
suggestions. None came at" the—
sewer meeting.- T don't think
you're representing the township
as a unit."
"You're saying 'we're not
going to tell you what to do about
sewers but we'll tell you ,what to
do about your kidsc: " Mrs.
Teeter() said.
The reeve suggested a vote on
the question. Mr. Armes said
most people would accept it if a
majority of the township voted
down involvement in recreation.
"Other municipalities see a value
in recreation, This one doesn't,"
"Recreation is part of
education", Art Finlayson of
Harpurhey said, He later left the
meeting with the comment "I
think I'll go now and see if I can
find that dark little entrance to
Harpurhey," Harpurhey
residents have asked the council
to provide more street lights in
the hamlet.
"Is Egmondville willing to pay
a levy on properties for
(Continued on Page 4)
insurance was not as great a risk
as industrial. He said the Fire
Protection Agency was a
nationally known body whose
have eceipts for dog tags that say
they are paid up until later this
year won't have to buy a tag, until
the present ones expire, council
decided.
In other, business the council
accepted a petition on the Sinclair
thin from Jim. McGregor. Mr.
McGregor was asked to contact
other property owners in the area
and ask them to sign the petition.
The drain is municipally owned.
Building-permits were issued to
• William Mickle for renovations to
a poultry barn and to the Day
Care Centre at Vanastra.
Ontario Hydro was given the
authority to light a standard on a
township owned park lot at
Vanastra:
High insurance rates hurt businessmen
Hullett, wildlife
area talk drains
A BIG MOUTHFUL — Little Bruce Ungarian got
more than enough to eat when he accompanied his
parents to the ham supper at Cavan Uhited Church;
Winthrop Wednesgay night. Bruce is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Jack Ungarian of Seaforth. (Staff Photo)
DUBLIN LIONS GET CHARTER 'Dublin has a new
Lions club, chartered Saturday night in Mitchell.
Charter members are, front, left, Reg. Smith, Willy
Huron' County Board
Deweese, back, Jim Paratchek, Norm tVIckay, Jim
Snowdon and Ron Ferguson. (Staff Photo)
Education budget up 17%
•
AVERY WET ROAD The scene above was a fairly ,
comrribri one along many roads in the S*eaforth area
this tri'feekend. Drivers were forced almost on to the
she 'der on some gravel roads until road •crews could
406
repair the damage. This large pool of water was on
the side road south of Harp'urhey in Tuckersmith
over the weekend. (Staff Photo)
The Huron County Board of
Education approved a budget at a
special meeting Monday night
totalling 515,7 83,772. The new
budget is an increase of
$2,396,233 or 17.9 per cent over
the previous years expenditures.
The budget presented to the
board by budget committee
chairman Marion Zinn represent
a mill rate increase of 5.95
bringing the total mill rate
assessment to 47.08. In her
presentation to board members
Mts. Zinn stated that the budget
was a realistic appraisal of the
board's needs for the year 1975.
The budget total is comprised
of 57,814,356 in elementary
school expenditures and
$769,416 in secondary school
expenditures. Provincial grants
totalling $11,529,314 make up
73;05 per cent of the total while
municipality and township
assessment totalling $3,554,761
will make up 22.52 per cent of the
total, The remaining 4.43 per cent
or 699,697 will be made up from
tuitions of non-county resident
students and miscellaneous
revenues, „,
In the elementary panel of the
budget $4,787,164 of the
expenditures are paid for labor
and benefits and office supplies.
Capital building expenditures
transportation, bus purchases,
debenture costs and other non-
operating costs will total
$1,399,446. The remainder of the
elementary school expenditures is
comprised of books and supplies,
custodial maintenance costs and
special transportation expenses.
In secondary school
expenditures a total of $5,036,1.36
has been budgeted for salary and
benefits and office supplies.
Extra , ordinary expenditures
Which include capital building
projects, transportation,
debenture ,costs and
non-operating expenses total
$1„061,663. The remainder of the
secondary school expenditures is
comprised of library books and
supplies, cafeteria and custodial
maintenance, contractual
maintenance and special
transportation expenses.
The budget committee also
made additional provisions of
$22.000 in the budget for the
institution of a preventative
maintenance program. The
program would call for the hiring
of three skilled tradesmen to
service school equipment in an
effort to expand the 'life
expectancy of both buildings and
equipment.
The assessment breakdown for
the five men icipalities and 21
- - townships in the county is as
follows: Clinton, $157,510;
Exeter, $217,115; Goderich,
$530,085; Seaforth, $97,512; and
Wingham, $187,762; Bayfield,
$50,983; Blyth, $32,924;
Brussels, $40,631; Hensall,
$71,913; Zurich, $29,015.
The assessment breakdown for
the 16 townships is Astifield.
$157,600; Colborne, $107,006;
Goderich, $153,206; Grey,
$129,282; Hay $193,219; Flowick
$167,650; Hullett,$11,594;
McKainp, $106,145; Morrfs,
$97,069; Stanley $146,873;
Stephen $246,405; Tuckersmith
$171,597; Turnberry $77,9771
Usborne, $122,988; East
Wiiwanosh, $79,445 and WeSt
Wawanogh $66,255, •
The total Windy -coritributiat to
the $15 million plutv edifeatiOn
budget IS $3,554,761 '014'40
per cent of the total tett.
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