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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-02-16, Page 23 THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2012. PAGE 23. Happy 75th Birthday Grandpa Chalmers Set Kyle Bos, right, set up his Hullett Central Public School teammate Colton Rodger, left, perfectly during a match at an area volleyball tournament held at Central Huron Secondary School in Clinton on Feb. 3. (Denny Scott photo)Still giving advice at 80 Happy Birthday Dad(Jack Knight) Landfill problems in Turnberry“Complex” geology at the closed Turnberry landfill site may require extra monitoring wells to be drilled, engineers told Morris-Turnberry councillors at their Feb. 7 meeting. Geoff Rether of Wilson Associates, a hydrogeological consultant working for B.M. Ross and Associates, the municipality’s engineers for the site, explained there is a gravel deposit near the middle of the former landfill that is allowing water from two different water sources to merge. The water leaving the north side ofthe site has a higher level of sulfatethan is acceptable under Ministry of the Environment (MOE) drinking water guidelines. The sulfate is probably from drywall scraps from Royal Homes that were buried at the site for many years, he said. “There is no real risk because there are no [drinking water] wells in the area,” Rether said. Rether’s company had been called in to investigate where the sulfate was coming from after it had been picked up in monitoring wells. The MOE first flagged the sulfateproblem in the 1990s and requiredthat it be monitored. When the levelof sulfate in the leachate increased past the allowable limit in recent years, the ministry required more investigation. Frank Vanderloo of B.M. Ross told council that Rether’s findings would be forwarded to MOE and monitoring of the leachate will continue. In early 2013 the situation will be reassessed and at that time the ministry may want additional monitoring wells drilled to keep track of leachate leaving the site. By Keith RoulstonThe Citizen No parking to remain on Mill St. Blyth United churchgoers are going to need to continue to not park in front of the former Blyth Fire Hall, as does everyone else. The former fire hall, now a public works shed, fronts on to Mill Street and is right across the street from Blyth United Church and previously created a no-parking zone on both sides of the street. Parking on the church side of the street has been open for some time but, with the need to get vehicles in and out of the shed, that side of the road remained a no parking zone. Blyth United Church Treasurer Rick Elliott wrote a letter to North Huron Council requesting that council allow parking there and that the no parking signs be removed to indicate that. The letter was addressed by council at its Feb. 6 meeting. Director of Public Works Ralph Campbell stated that the only way people could park there on a Sunday was if there was no need to get into the shed. “If they don’t want the roads plowed, sure, they can park there,” he said. “We need to be able to get in and out of that shed at all times.” Council agreed and stated that it would not remove the no parking signs. NH to discuss ATVs on Feb. 21 After receiving reports from the North Huron Public Works Department, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), legal counsel and the Ministry of Transportation North Huron Council is prepared to discuss the issue of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on municipal roadways during their Feb. 21 meeting. ATVs, colloquially known as four- wheelers, are legally allowed on roadways if a farmer is using it to move between their own farms but any other use is strictly prohibited by the Ministry of Transportation. Despite this ruling, OPP have been known to pull over people going between their own farms according to previous reports by Reeve Neil Vincent. To combat this problem, citizens in North Huron approached council in mid-2011 to request that council make it legal for ATVs to be on the road if they are properly insured and licensed. The issue has been debated at council among members. Councillor James Campbell, a farmer, stated that he has seen the damage that ATV users can cause when they go across fields and that he believes allowing them on the roadway could lead to more damage. Other council members are concerned with the traffic and sound that could be caused if ATV users are allowed on the road. Chief Administrative Officer Gary Long said that the issue was one they wished to research fully before a decision could be made. “With reports from [the aforementioned groups] we’re ready to bring this before council,” he said. North Huron Recreation and Facilities Director Pat Newson suggested that drastic changes to her department could result in as much as a $80,000 savings in the upcoming budget. In a report to council during its Feb. 6 meeting she stated that the recently vacated position of Recreational Clerical Assistant, which was full time, could be replaced with a total of 24 part time hours per week. She stated that, prior to this, major changes, mostly at the North Huron Wescast Complex (NHWCC) would result in a savings of approximately $66,800 per year. “We’re reducing staff at the gym and make changes in the staffing at the aquatic centre as well,” she said. “That, with the increase in fees, will save in the long run.” Most of the changes won’t be rolled out until March but, due to a decision in late 2011, the new fees for the centre have been in effect since Jan. 1. The savings came as a result of reduced hours at the NHWCC as well as a switch to a thumb-based identification system that reads the vein pattern in users’ thumbs. Other changes include closing the centre on Sundays in the summer due to low attendance (an average of 11 people use the facility on Sundays during that time period) and changing the fitness centre to not being supervised at all time. “The changes I’m suggesting will reduce costs and improve customer service,” she said. “We’ll be expanding the front counter hours into the early morning and late night but doing so with less employees to save money.” Council agreed to Newson’s recommendation to replace the full- time position with part-time hours and closing the centre on Sundays in the summer. While council has stated several times it is attempting to dramatically cut costs, this is the first report made to council that indicates any kind of savings. Brodhagen Chamber of Commerce Men’s Night March 30, 2012 Pigtails & Ribs Social 6:00 p.m. Dinner 7:00 p.m. at the Brodhagen Community Centre $20.00 per person 519-345-2209 or 519-348-0940 NH Rec. board saves $80k