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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-01-05, Page 1CitizenTh e $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, January 5, 2012 Volume 28 No. 1 SPORTS - Pg. 9Ironmen break losingstreak with shootout win 2011 - Pg. 12‘The Citizen’ looks backat the year that wasPOLICY- Pg. 3North Huron defers bylawon procedurePublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK: Weekly collection needs only council approval Library design presented at Levee She can’t win Deputy Mark Pennington and Huron East Most Wanted Parasol Sal, also known as Pat Langlois, often seen with her accomplice The Big Guy, were on hand for the Brussels 140th Birthday kickoff celebration at the Brussels New Year’s Day Levee celebration. Sal’s own flesh and blood called from Mexico to donate $20 to keep her in prison prompting her to throw up her arms in disgust. The event was held at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre. (Vicky Bremner photo) Nearly 20 years after wiping its hands clean of a service that is traditionally handled by municipalities, Central Huron is wading back into the business of co- collection after receiving favourable comments from ratepayers about a proposal put forth by Bluewater Recycling Association president Francis Veilleux. Councillor Burkhard Metzger, who outlined the possibilities for councillors during Central Huron’s Dec. 22 Committee of the Whole session, suggested offering up the three sizes of collection bins — small (two bags), medium (four bags) and large (six bags) — at progressively costlier prices in order to encourage citizens to continue in the battle against excessive waste. Metzger also pitched the possibility of bi-weekly collection, at a cost of $28.58 per household per year, which proved to be an idea favoured by several councillors, including Alex Westerhout, Alison Lobb, and initially, Mayor James Ginn. “This is supposed to be something that is good for the environment,” said Westerhout, arguing it would not be cost effective or efficient to have weekly garbage runs. Councillor Brian Barnim lobbied for weekly collection at a cost of $51.42 per year, noting it’s largely the lakeshore ratepayers that have been asking for a change to the current system that sees private contractors picking up Central Huron’s garbage at a cost of $2.50 per bag and up. While noting seasonal residents have small lots that don’t allow for composters, Barnim says there are other concerns, like cottagers who don’t want to return on weekends to find old garbage still there. “I do see that (bi-weekly collection) as a problem on the west of Hwy. 21,” he said. Westerhout argued that there would not be the kind of volume created to necessitate weekly collection and, as a consequence, many rural residents would be likely to use the opt out option. That is something Barnim was prepared to live with as he noted, “They can’t miss what they don’t have.” “There has certainly been a lot of phone calls west of Hwy. 21 and 60 per cent of your tax assessment comes from west of Holmesville,” says Barnim. While Lobb echoed Westerhout’s sentiments, and argued that bi- weekly pickup encourages recycling as well as advanced measures, like using kitchen catchers and composters. Mayor Ginn chose to support weekly collection given that Metzger’s report shows no other municipality uses bi-weekly collection and that there might well be the volumes in place to justify Bluewater Recycling Association trucks travelling Central Huron roads once a week instead of bi- weekly. In the end, councillors, defeated Lobb’s motion for bi-weekly service and endorsed Metzger’s resolution for weekly pickup at a cost to the taxpayer of about $80 per year, which will be placed on the tax bill, and bin costs to range from $80 for the smallest to $120 for the medium and $160 for the largest. There will be other associated costs of the program, including dumping fees at a cost of about $20 per household per year. Once council endorses the motion, ratepayers will be sent letters offering up a two-week window to choose a bin size, if they do not respond, they will receive the default size. Ratepayers also have the option to opt out. Council’s next session is set for Monday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. The Blyth Business Improvement Area (BIA) is officially prepared to move forward as North Huron Council approved its constitution just in time for their inaugural meeting tonight, Jan. 5 at the Bainton Art Gallery. “With some minor tweaking to clarify issues about voting and membership, the constitution is ready to be considered by council,” Chief Administrative Officer Gary Long explained to North Huron Council at the Jan. 2 meeting. Aside from some wording that was found to refer to the Town of Blyth instead of the Township of North Huron, council approved the constitution allowing the BIA to begin planning to develop business in the area. Councillors were concerned that having Deputy-Reeve David Riach as council’s representation on the BIA’s board could be seen as a conflict of interest as he is a business owner in the area, however both Reeve Neil Vincent and Long agreed that, since decisions made by the BIA won’t specifically benefit any particular business, Riach’s voting privileges shouldn’t cause concern. “Fiduciary conflicts of interest are the real concern,” Vincent said. “That means the potential to make money from a decision being made in an unfair situation. Since the BIA won’t make money itself that benefits anyone on the board and their decisions will reflect on more than one, if not all the businesses in Blyth, it shouldn’t be a concern.” Architect John Rutledge has been instructed to prepare tendering documents based on his proposal for a renovated and expanded Brussels Library. Rutledge was given official direction from Huron East Council at its Dec. 20 meeting. He had promised council he would present comprehensive plans before Christmas at a previous meeting, a promise on which he delivered. “I’m very glad to be able to make this presentation before Christmas,” Rutledge told councillors at the last regular meeting of 2011. Rutledge presented councillors with the entire building’s proposed floorplan as well as computer- generated concepts as to how the exterior of the building will look, from two different angles, after the expansion. Rutledge also presented council with cost estimates that range nearly $300,000 from one another without even taking several factors into account, simply because, Rutledge said, it was too early to make a reasonable estimate on them. Rutledge said that low range for the library, including a 10 per cent contingency fee, a 10 per cent professional fee and five per cent for permits, inspections and related fees is $693,574 and he presented a high- end estimate of $979,959. The proposals do, however, include 13 per cent HST, which the municipality should receive 86 per cent of back from the government. The two estimates, however, don’t include cost to be incurred to fill in the new addition’s foundation with gravel fill, upgrades to the existing basement for new HVAC mechanical installations or costs related to several easements, site work, landscaping and the parking lot that is proposed to include 16 total spots (two of which will be handicapped-accessible). This was a point that concerned councillors immensely. With the amount of fill necessary to level the property (which is currently very sloped), some councillors felt landscaping and fill costs alone could drive the cost up another $250,000. Rutledge has proposed the parking lot for the west side of the property, behind the existing library, and for the sidewalk to run along the south side of Orchard Line, eventually running into the new entrance. Under Rutledge’s proposal, the entrance would make its way into a central hallway with part of the library area on the left of the entrance and the programming room By Cheryl Heath Clinton News-Record By Denny Scott The Citizen BIA approved by North Huron By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Continued on page 24