HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-04-19, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2012.
Vincent laments fire rumours
Chief Black ‘has given his all to us’ says Vincent
Central Huron’sCAO search begins
Years of donations
Free The Children speaker Amber Schuler, left, made a presentation at Blyth Public School
regarding her group and the work they do and received a $5,736.72 cheque to help with the
cause. The money represented four years of fundraising by Blyth Public School students and
was presented by former Blyth Public School students. Presenting the cheque were, from left:
Schuler, Melissa VanSchaik, Keyonia Johnston, Ryan Nesbitt, Wyatt Carey, Alex Peters and
Dalton Richmond. (Denny Scott photo)
Continued from page 1
to the members of the fire
department, but he reiterated that he
planned on coming back.
“I’m going to get through this,” he
said, adding, with a laugh, that his
fellow firefighters “couldn’t get rid
of [him] that easily.”
Reeve Neil Vincent was nearly
moved to tears at the announcement
and stated that Black would be in
council’s thoughts and that the news
was shocking.
“I didn’t know that John was very
sick,” he said. “I had heard of others
with the flu and how it had knocked
them for a loop, so I was surprised to
hear the announcement.”
Vincent said that when word first
broke that John was ill (with the flu)
he had said Black should stop at
nothing to get better and the
announcement wouldn’t change
that.
“John has given his all to us,” he
said. “We couldn’t have found
anyone else to do the work necessary
to have a legally compliant fire
department and the guidance and
leadership he provided at the ESTC
through his years of training and
teaching at the Ontario Fire College
has been invaluable.”
Vincent said that the ESTC was
what originally brought Black to
North Huron as he had come to
teach and decided he liked the
area.
Sparling said that the first concern
of everyone involved is for Black
and his family.
“We want to do what we can for
John’s family,” He said. “They will
be in our thoughts.”
During North Huron Township
Council’s Monday night meeting, a
bylaw was approved officially
naming Hodgkinson the acting fire
chief and accepting Black’s medical
leave of absence.
Continued from page 7
welcoming audience that always
includes relatives and friends. The
nearly full house was quick to show
their appreciation of the groups.
Camille Lehnen-Baker is a 13-
year-old violinist who is obviously
comfortable with her instrument.
Camille is the granddaughter of
Henry and Nellie (Westerhout)
Baker. This young lady played,
among other numbers, a lively
medley of Irish jigs and reels.
Joining her on stage for an Irish duet
was Rachael Snell. Seems the two
girls take violin classes together;
another great experience for them
and the audience. Barb Bosman
played piano accompaniment.
The Clinton United [Church’s]
Men’s Trio sang some familiar
gospel numbers that had the
audience clapping and singing
along. The trio, Bob Mann, Gary
Black and Paul Docksteader offered
among others, the Kris
Kristopherson number, “Why Me
Lord?” an Elvis oldie, “Who Am I?”
and “Love Lifted Me”. Louise
Docksteader accompanied the trio
on piano. Gary and Bob also played
guitar backup.
Bob Mann was a busy musician
that evening for he was part of
another trio with Ken Scott and Barb
Bosman. This group also favoured
the audience with gospel numbers.
Their first set began with the
familiar Bob Dylan song, “The
Answer Is Blowing in the Wind”.
Gospel songs tend to have a message
for the listeners and this is true of
one of the group’s other numbers,
“One Day at a Time”.
Continued from page 1
covered by the operational budget
which the service charges provide
for, we carry them ourselves.”
That was one reason there was
extra money put into the Emergency
Services Training Centre project,
according to Vincent, to be sure it
had the capacity to work as a fire hall
if the Blyth fire hall proved to be
unusable.
Vincent also stated that providing
service based on assessment or
population is not something that
would work. The system is based on
what was used when area fire
protection was provided by fire
boards.
“I’m not saying it was a perfect
system, but it worked so we’re using
it,” Vincent said.
Gowing said that while it was said
by North Huron Councillor Alma
Conn that Morris-Turnberry hadn’t
tried to negotiate, he saw things
differently.
“We tried to set up numerous
meetings to suggest changes, but we
were told no,” he said. “Negotiations
don’t work with just one group
willing to bend.”
Vincent stated the budget for the
fire service has always been
open and that, as a result of the first
set of negotiations with Central
Huron council, it had been
reviewed.
“As part of those negotiations our
budget was reviewed by a long-
service firefighter on behalf of the
Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office,” he
said. “He told us that we are on the
right track to a legally compliant
system, but he also told us we would
most likely face criticisms and
complaints of price until our
neighbours saw the 16 acts that are
required to be met to become legally
compliant.”
The acts aren’t light reading either
according to Vincent who said he
had spent hours reading through and
has spent a good chunk of that
reading the 56-page document that
outlines who is responsible for what
fire protection services in a
municipality.
Vincent also stated that a lot of the
neighbouring municipalities keep
referring to the Emergency Services
Training Centre (ESTC) as a new
fire hall when that couldn’t be
further from the truth.
“They still have no idea the ESTC
is designed to be a stand-
alone investment by the firefighters
and North Huron Council,” he
said. “Our business plan is to see it
completely pay for itself including
the fire department portions.
None of the operational budget will
be reflected in any ESTC costs as
their budgets are completely
separate.”
He stated he feels a lot of the
frustration comes from people
circulating rumours.
“It’s such a battle to get the facts
out there when people want to
believe coffee shop rumours instead
of coming to us,” he said.
Gowing said this is an important
issue and he hopes to look at other
options as well as the municipality’s
plan to build its own fire service, a
plan that has proven to be
controversial.
Central Huron Council hasbrought in consultant NigelBellchamber to find themunicipality’s new chiefadministrative officer (CAO).
Bellchamber conducted several
interviews with several senior staff
members and councillors over the
previous few weeks and now feels he
has a good handle on what the
municipality needs in its CAO.
Bellchamber was approved to
continue his process at the April 10
regular meeting of council and he
made a presentation on his interview
findings.
While council had expressed
interest in somewhat of a hybrid
position after the departure of former
CAO Kevin McLlwain (perhaps
fusing the CAO position with
something angled more towards
marketing of the Regional Equine
and Agricultural Centre of Huron,
the Central Huron Community
Complex and the Clinton Raceway)
Bellchamber said it was clear that a
CAO is what the municipality wants
and needs.
Bellchamber said his interviews
with senior staff members and
councillors (with the exception of
Councillors Dan Colquhoun,
Burkhard Metzger and Deputy-
Mayor Dave Jewitt, with whom
Bellchamber was unable to meet)
were “quite enjoyable” and that the
consensus was that the municipality
needs a CAO, despite earlier
thoughts.
“It was a resounding yes,”
Bellchamber said.
Bellchamber said that a CAO is a
crucial part of the senior staff team.
For the development of senior staff
members, whether it be on a day-to-
day basis or for long-term planning
purposes, a CAO is the only person
who can be that person, Bellchamber
said.
“That’s not the role of the mayor,”
Bellchamber said, “and it’s not
something that council as a group
can handle well.”
Bellchamber said a CAO would be
integral in areas like health and
safety, performance appraisal, the
municipality’s strategic plan, union
negotiations and labour relations,
recruiting and development,
economic development, negotiations
with other municipalities and being
the administrative face of themunicipality to community groupsand organizations.A CAO would also be responsiblefor maintaining contact withdifferent arms of the federal andprovincial governments and be abuffer between staff and council, if
necessary.
Bellchamber listed a multitude of
qualities the municipality’s new
CAO should possess, such as
honesty, integrity and accountability,
to name a few.
While it is unlikely, Bellchamber
said, it is possible for someone from
the private sector to make the shift to
the municipal sector, but there would
be a learning curve involved, so he
wouldn’t necessarily shut such
people out of the search.
Bellchamber said that a good CAO
would be able to give credit when
it’s due, but also make adjustments
when it’s called for as well.
“A good CAO is likely a good
hockey coach too,” Bellchamber
said.
He also said the CAO will have to
be a good “juggler” being able to
manage several large projects at
once.
Bellchamber then presented his
timeline, saying that advertising in
municipal publications, as well as
local media outlets, should begin
this week (April 16-20) and
applications would be due on May
12. Interviews should begin on May
26 after Bellchamber meets with the
personnel committee (which
consists of Mayor Jim Ginn,
Deputy-Mayor Dave Jewitt and
Councillor Alison Lobb) to review
his shortlist of candidates.
Second interviews would take
place on June 2, with all members of
council taking part. By that time,
Bellchamber said, the list should be
cut down to just two candidates.
Following the final interview,
there will be a reference check and
negotiations, which Bellchamber
estimates should be completed by
June 8.
The new CAO, Bellchamber
estimates, should begin by mid-July.
A motion to accept Bellchamber’s
timetable and proceed with the
process was carried by council.
Bellchamber assured council,
however, that they are not committed
to hiring anyone until a bylaw is
passed authorizing the hiring of the
successful candidate.
By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen
Songfest thrills Londesborough audience
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