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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. 4