HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-06-20, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2013.Association looks to place signs throughout county
The Huron County Home and
Farm Safety Association is hoping to
increase safety along county roads,
but not all Huron County councillors
are sold on the association’s plan.
At Huron County Council’s June
12 Committee of the Whole
meeting, Jim Burns and Merv Bauer,both volunteers with the association,presented a plan to install 75 slow
moving vehicle signs throughout the
county. Most councillors were in
favour, however, not all felt it was
Huron County’s project to pay for.
Both Burns and Bauer are cash
crop farmers, Burns near Seaforth
and Bauer near Brussels, and they
both felt councillors wereundervaluing the signs and theirimpact on farm safety.
The organization came to council
seeking an in-kind donation from
from the Public Works Department
for the location and installation of
the 75 signs. After a discussion with
county Civil Engineering
Technologist Mike Alcock, Burns
was told the rough estimation is$200 in labour per sign, which, for75 signs, comes out to about
$15,000.
Burns discussed the initial
placement of the signs over 10 years
ago. He said that less than five of
those original signs remain,
suggesting that most of them would
have been lost due to wear and tear
or vehicle collisions taking out the
signs.
That brought Burns to the second
part of the association’s request,
which was continued maintenance
and replacement of the signs once
they have been installed. Burns
suggested that it would be up to the
county to inspect the signs on an
annual basis, making sure they are
still in their original location and
still visible. If any repairs were
needed, Burns said, they would then
be the responsibility of the county.
He told councillors that the
association had raised enough
money from the surrounding
communities to supply materials for
the signs, which include a two-part
steel post, a large metal sign and the
fastening bolts necessary.
Burns also showed councillors a
map of potential sign locations,
which were strategically chosen for
high farm traffic and near grain hubs
where there is a high likelihood of
slow-moving farm vehicles
travelling to and from grain
hubs, such as Hensall, Walton and
Varna.
Huron East’s Joe Steffler said he
was in favour of the donation. He
then made a motion that staff be
directed to prepare a report on the
feasibility and exact cost
implications of taking responsibility
for the signs.
Huron East Mayor BernieMacLellan, however, was concernedabout ongoing costs associated with
the maintenance of the signs.
MacLellan said that he had no
problem with the association
wanting to place the signs at its own
cost, but for it to become a county
project, he felt wasn’t the county’s
jurisdiction. He added that all the
signs are doing are reminding people
to obey the laws of the road, which
he felt didn’t necessarily need to be
done.
Bluewater’s Paul Klopp, however,
said that such a practice is exactly
what’s behind the posting of speed
limit signs. He said that speed limit
signs are posted quite regularly
because drivers forget what the
speed limit is on specific roads.
Sometimes people need to be
reminded of the laws of the road,
Klopp said.
Bauer, however, told MacLellan
that the signs have been successful
in Huron County.
“Before the signs went up in
2000,” Bauer said, “there was about
one death per year involving farm
equipment collisions.
“Since 2000, there have been
none. I think that about justifies the
cost.”
Despite MacLellan feeling the
project wasn’t one for the county, he
voted in favour of directing staff to
prepare a report. The report will be
forthcoming at a future meeting.
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