HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-07-25, Page 7THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2013. PAGE 7.
Continued on page 1
evaluated.
“Operations like that would be
small enough to ignore the
distances,” she said.
Several people requested that
council deal with this issue as soon
as possible.
The farmers present at the meeting
said that it is just as easy for them to
plow under a home and work the
land as it would be to deal with the
hassle of renting it out, so they
would like to see it enacted.
Others present said they wanted
their children to have the experience
of growing up in the country, but
couldn’t necessarily own an entire
farm, so a surplus residence would
be perfect for them.
Council seemed anxious to
implement the idea as well with
Councillor Bernie Bailey promising
as much haste as could be mustered.
“We really want to push this...
we’ve been pushing and pushing to
have it done,” he said to the
assembled ratepayers.“We as a
council, and I’m sure Sally as well,
really feel your frustration.
Everything seems to take so long,
but we will try to get this moving.”
Central Huron has a new code of
conduct in place but it has one
staunch opponent.
Councillor Brian Barnim again
noted his opposition to the code
during council’s July 16 session.
Among Barnim’s concerns is the
understanding the code can be used
by municipal staff to lay complaints
about council and that “council can
complain about council.”
Mayor Jim Ginn supported the
proposed code. “I don’t think it’s a
lot ask for council to be respectful of
each other,” said Ginn. Councillor
Burkhard Metzger also addressed
Barnim’s past concerns with the
code’s application in other
jurisdictions by noting codes of
conduct are commonplace.
Giving a nod to the Municipal Act,
Barnim contended a councillor’s
number one goal is to voice the
concerns of ratepayers.
“We’re obligated to represent our
ratepayers. To me, this is just a way
of silencing people who say things
that should be said,” said Barnim.
Councillor Alex Westerhout also
expressed reservations while
Councillor Marg Anderson
wondered why the staff’s code of
conduct was not as lengthy though
CAO Peggy Van Mierlo-West noted
the staff’s code is actually divided
into two parts and is longer.
While Barnim asked whether
council could discuss the staff’s
code, Councillor Metzger argued
that would be a moot exercise given
it is already in effect.
Central Huron Council held its
first ever Mayor’s Mingle on Friday
night at the Holmesville Hall and
Mayor Jim Ginn says it went over
pretty well.
Ginn told the approximately 60
people in attendance that the
meeting was held in an informal
fashion to make people feel
comfortable in approaching
councillors and asking them
questions. People can find council
meetings intimidating, he said, and
this way people could have some
food to eat, perhaps have a beer, and
chat with their councillors about the
issues at hand.
The evening began informally,
with several tables set up and a
councillor at nearly every table. In
attendance were Ginn, Deputy-
Mayor Dave Jewitt, and Councillors
Marg Anderson, Alex Westerhout,
Burkhard Metzger, Brian Barnim
and Dan Colquhoun. There were
also several staff members in
attendance, including Chief
Administrative Officer Peggy Van
Mierlo-West, Director of Finance
Terri Taylor, Community
Improvement Co-ordinator
Genny Smith and Clerk Brenda
MacIsaac.
Once everyone was settled and
had a plate in front of them, Ginn
and Taylor began a short slidepresentation focusing on what Ginnsaid was the main focus of those at
the meeting: taxes.
Taylor provided ratepayers with a
breakdown of where Central
Huron’s income comes from,
detailed where tax dollars go and
how Central Huron spends that
money.
Ginn also detailed several “good
news stories” for the municipality,
including two solar panel projects
that are currently paying back
capital loans that will provide
significant income for the
municipality in just a few years. The
solar projects are affixed to the
rooves of the Central Huron
Community Complex and the
Regional Equine and Agricultural
Centre of Huron (REACH).
Smith also spoke to those at the
meeting, highlighting several
projects that are currently in various
stages of development throughout
the municipality.
Smith explained that organizers
are attempting to make Clinton and
Central Huron a sports tourism
destination and they have already
taken significant steps in the right
direction to help make that dream a
reality.
Smith talked about the five-
kilometre walking trail that runs
through Clinton and she also
discussed the Kelly Gruber Silver
Slugger Baseball Camp that tookplace in Clinton earlier this month.She also discussed the inaugural
48-hour Amazing Race in Central
Huron, which will run on Sept. 28-
29. Registration for the event
opened on Saturday.
In an interview with The Citizen
after the Mayor’s Mingle, Ginn said
he was pleased with the turnout and
the discussion he had with
ratepayers, adding that he received
fewer complaints than he was
expecting.
“We’re constantly hearing about
the lack of communication between
council and the public,” Ginn said.
“So we chose an evening meeting in
hopes of being as informal as
possible.”
Ginn said the majority of the
questions he fielded were about
municipal process, which is exactly
what the evening event was about,
clearing up misconceptions and
helping to put ratepayers on the
right path in whatever they’re
trying to achieve in the
municipality.
Ginn says that due to the positive
response to the meeting, he hopes to
maybe make it an annual event that
could cycle through the
municipality’s three wards.
“People seem to appreciate the
fact that we took the time,” Ginn
said, “and I wouldn’t be afraid to
move it around.”
Central Huron
approves new code
Farmers want plan changes
Central Huron’s first Mayor’s Mingle a success
Mingling with the mayor
Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn hosted the municipality’s first
ever Mayor’s Mingle on Friday night at the Holmesville Hall,
welcoming ratepayers to mix with councillors and ask them
questions in an informal setting featuring barbecue and
beer, if they were so inclined. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Functional art
Wayne Muma, a Stratford-area furniture maker, had his functional art on display on Friday as
his exhibit opened in the Bainton Art Gallery at Blyth Memorial Hall. Muma’s exhibit is open
until Aug. 13. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Request for Submissions from Huron County Artists
for the Huron County
ART SHOW & SALE
September 15 to December 22, 2013
at the Huron County Museum,
110 North Street, Goderich
www.huroncounty.ca/museum
Submissions must be received at the museum by 4:30 pm
Saturday, August 31
Please phone 519-524-2686, ext. 205 for information and regulations
NEW! Art welcome in 2 or 3 dimensional mixed
media, photography or digital imagery, as well as
our traditional paintings. $10. submission fee.
Metal Art
398 Queen St.,
Blyth
519-523-4276
By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen
By Cheryl Heath
Special to The Citizen
See histories and
historic photographs
on the Huron History
section of our website
www.northhuron.on.ca