Loading...
The Citizen, 2012-05-31, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012.True costs questioned in fire department start-upContinued from page 22the exercise might be a waste ofmoney.One presentation, from Doug Kuyvenhoven, executive vice- president of Royal Homes, one of the largest taxpayers in Morris- Turnberry, didn’t ask for the two municipalities to go back to the bargaining table. Instead, he urged Morris-Turnberry to accept the bill. “I suggest we pay for the fire service and thank them,” Kuyvenhoven said. He noted that it was “big picture thinking” by a former mayor of Wingham that saw Royal Homes locate in what was then Turnberry Twp. 40 years ago. Since Wingham didn’t have the 13 acres of land needed for the plant, the mayor urged Kuyvenhoven’s father to locate in Turnberry and arranged for Wingham to provide the water and sewer required. How much of the municipality’s tax revenue was because of similar cases where Wingham provided services across the border to Morris- Turnberry industries, Kuyvenhoven wondered? Start-up costs questioned Several presentations questioned the accuracy of the municipality’s estimated cost to set up the fire department. Chief Building Official Steve Fortier estimated a cost of $100 per square foot for 3,000 - 4,000 square foot stations based on the costs experienced by other municipalities which had recently built new fire stations. During the question period Belgrave resident Gordon Folkard said he didn’t agree with any of the figures. Based on many years involved in building, “I know you can’t build for that cost.” Meanwhile, James Marshall, Morris-Turnberry’s community fire safety officer, showed photographs of used fire trucks in the U.S., all with mileage of about 60,000 km. which would allow the municipality to have four trucks to start for under the $400,000 budget set up to equip the department. The municipality would also set aside $50,000 a year in a fund to purchase new equipment and would be able to make its first purchase in 2018, he said. Howson, a firefighter with North Huron’s Blyth Station as well as a businessman, said he had problems with the estimates which he said were “not practical”. New fire trucks cost $350,000 to $400,000, he said. He questioned why someone would be selling trucks that were still serviceable unless there were problems with them. From business experience, Howson said, when you prepare a business plan for a new venture you can be prepared to double the figures you first come up with. On top of that, he said, council proposes to borrow money to set up the fire service and pay it back over a 30-year period. That’s a huge amount of interest for the taxpayers to repay, he said. Beer-Bailey argued against using buying used equipment. “If you go ahead, please, no second-hand equipment,” she said. “Don’t risk the lives of the firefighters.” The true cost Garniss, in his question, asked why Huron East and Howick departments operated at so much less cost than North Huron. Figures shown in the municipality’s presentation indicated North Huron’s department spends nearly $800,000 a year to cover a total population of about 7,000 from two fire halls while Huron East spends $581,000 to serve 9,233 people from three fire halls.Gowing said all departmentscomply with governmentrequirements, despite the difference in costs. “We’ve received good service from all the departments,” he said. Archie McGowan, administrator of Braemar Nursing Home located in Morris-Turnberry, but who is also a former North Huron councillor, asked: “What if this [North Huron’s charge] is the true cost? I don’t think North Huron ratepayers are prepared to subsidize Morris-Turnberry.” Gowing said Morris-Turnberry has never asked to be subsidized, but council objects to the share of the North Huron department’s costs it’s being asked to assume. In the days of the fire area boards, Morris-Turnberry covered 27.7 per cent of the Wingham department and 20.16 of Blyth’s. But in those days, Morris-Turnberry got 100 per cent of its coverage from those departments. Today, in the interests of having the closest station respond, Morris- Turnberry has contracted the Howick and Huron East (Brussels) departments for partial coverage, leaving North Huron to cover only 62.9 per cent of the municipality. Yet Morris-Turnberry is covering 32.1 per cent of the North Huron department’s costs. The original breakdown of costs for the fire boards was based on each department’s share of the total assessment of the area covered, Gowing said. Morris-Turnberry has asked that costs be levied according to assessment under the new pricing structure, but North Huron wants to stick with the old formula. Costs divided by the assessment of that area covered by the North Huron department would save Morris- Turnberry $67,000 a year. Recruiting firefighters Plans call for recruitment and training of 32 firefighters to serve the two stations but many in the audience questioned whether that many volunteers can be found. Marshall showed data that there were 177 people between the ages of 18 and 49 in Belgrave and nearby area while there were 137 in Lower Town. To date, five volunteers had come forward but recruitment was just beginning, said Michie. But Somers pointed out that Belgrave is basically a bedroom community with few people who would be available to answer calls during week days. He also predicted that some of the volunteers who were recruited might reconsider when they realized how great a commitment they had made. Belgrave’s Lynne Armstrong, who launched the Ontario Municipal Board appeal of the rezoning for the land for the Belgrave station because, she said, “I just wanted to see the process reviewed” questioned whether enough training costs had been included. During the public question period another resident questioned what the municipality would do with the land and buildings when they couldn’t find enough firefighters to staff the department. Land purchase Several people during question period objected to the fact that council had bought land for the two fire stations before informing the public of plans for the fire service. Gowing explained that a municipality is allowed to have in camera meeting when it is purchasing land in order not to drive up the cost. This brought scoffs from Armstrong and others who questioned if there was interest fromanyone else in buying these parcelssince they had been unsold for sometime. Others questioned what council would do with the land if the fire service didn’t go ahead. Gowing said it could split up the Belgrave property into several residential lots and recover its cost. The survey Several in the audience exploded in fury when they learned that a survey was scheduled to be mailed out on Monday. The survey was to ask people to vote for either starting a new fire service or maintaining thestatus quo of purchasing servicefrom North Huron. It also said thatfailure to return the survey would be counted as a vote of support for the fire service. Gowing said council was trying to ensure people take the time to reply but others saw something underhanded. “If only 40 per cent of the surveys are returned you’d be saying 60 per cent are in favour,” Kuyvenhoven said. The day following the meeting a group of unhappy ratepayers descended on the municipal office todemand the survey not be mailedout.The mood of the meeting was perhaps best summed up when Belgrave’s Ross Proctor asked anyone present who supported the idea of a fire service to stand up. No one did. In summing up, Gowing said “We’ve heard you loud and clear.” From his observation the number one thing people wanted them to do was to go back to talk to North Huron, he said. BEAN SPROUTS NURSERY SCHOOL West Huron Care Centre, 37792 Zurich-Hensall Road, Zurich, Ontario N0M 2T0 519.482.5825 CIRCLE OF FRIENDS NURSERY SCHOOL 267 Andrew Street, Exeter, Ontario N0M 1S1 519.293.1057 CLINTON CO-OPERATIVE CHILDCARE CENTRE 165 Princess Street, Clinton, Ontario N0M 1L0 519.482.5777 GODERICH MUNICIPAL CHILD CARE CENTRE 376 Cambridge Street, Goderich, Ontario, N7A 2Z1 519.524.7441 HURON COUNTY COMMUNITY HOME CHILD CARE RR #5 Clinton, Ontario N0M 1L0 519.482.8505 | 1.888.371.5718 NORTH HURON CHILDREN’S CENTRE 239 William Street, Wingham, Ontario N0G 2W0 519.357.2424 RELOUW EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING CENTRE 80 Victoria Street East Exeter, Ontario N0M 1S1 519.235.0710 SEAFORTH CO-OPERATIVE CHILDREN’S CENTRE 82 Chalk Street Seaforth, Ontario N0K 1W0 519.527.0682 TINKER TOTS NURSERY SCHOOL 76 King Street Hensall, Ontario N0M 1X0 519.482.5825 TUCKERSMITH DAY NURSERY 26 Toronto Blvd, Vanastra, Ontario N0M 1L0 519.482.7634 WALTON’S LITTLE SCHOOL RR #3 Walton, Ontario N0K 1Z0 519.887.8440 WEST HURON EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING CENTRE 37792 Zurich-Hensall Road, Zurich, Ontario N0M 2T0 519.236.7071 YMCA OF SARNIA-LAMBTON 190 Suncoast Drive Goderich, ON N7A 4N4 Before & After School Care @ St. Mary’s Catholic School 519.524.2125 Assistance with the cost of childcare may be available. Call 1.888.371.5718 for more information. For more information on licensed Child Care in Huron County call 1.888.371.5718. We Support QUALITY Child Care! Running the torch The annual torch run for the Special Olympics made its way through Blyth on Tuesday morning with dozens of people taking part. The relay began in Wingham, making its way through Blyth and Clinton before heading west to Goderich where the run finished up with a barbecue and a celebration. (Denny Scott photo)