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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-06-07, Page 1CitizenTh e $1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, June 7, 2012 Volume 28 No. 23 COUNCIL - Pg. 13MacGowan returns toreplace Conn THEATRE - Pg. 23 Wingham HeritageTheatre closes its doorsSPORTS- Pg. 8Brewers lose to Winghamin rain-shortened gamePublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK: Central Huron wants a seat at fire negotiation table No, we will not let you go Sure it looks like enprisonment, but it was all in good fun as Landyn, left, and Ayden Hallahan shared a few bounces in the inflatable castle erected at East Wawanosh Public School on Saturday. The school held its celebration of education to honour the history of the school and to show its students a good time in its final year. (Vicky Bremner photo) Fire meeting proposed Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn feels his municipality could face rising costs as a result of Morris- Turnberry starting its own fire department, so he thinks Central Huron deserves a spot at the negotiating table. Speaking in response to a letter to council on behalf of the residents of Auburn from Jacqui Laporte and Jim Schneider, Ginn said he had heard North Huron Reeve Neil Vincent on the radio saying that if Morris- Turnberry was to pull out of the current fire agreement, costs would rise for Central Huron and Ashfield- Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW). “We need a new approach to this,” Ginn said. “Perhaps Central Huron and ACW should join with North Huron and Morris-Turnberry to get a comprehensive, long-term agreement hammered out by everyone.” Ginn suggested writing a letter to North Huron saying that Central Huron would like to be included in further meetings where the fire coverage issue is being discussed. “We should just see what kind of a response we get,” Ginn said. “We have to take a different approach to this.” Councillor Brian Barnim agreed, saying that talks should begin as soon as possible to avoid what happened two years ago with fire negotiations, which included a protest on the town hall steps in Clinton. “I think it’s a real good idea to start it now,” Barnim said. “Last time it went down to the 13th hour and I don’t think we want to see that situation again. “It will be a long, grueling process, I can guarantee you that and I think it should be started sooner rather than later.” Councillors consulted Central Huron Fire Chief Steve Cooke, who was at the meeting, about the potential benefits of setting up a county-wide fire service. Cooke said the concept had been nixed by Huron County Council already, but even if it wasn’t, it would be a much more expensive service to provide, he said, with over a dozen full-time employees. “It would be very cost- prohibitive,” said Cooke. “There would be 12 to 15 full-time staff to hire and that would be just the start.” In Laporte and Schneider’s letter, disappointment was expressed that the county couldn’t come to an agreement on county-wide fire coverage. It was important to the residents that emergency medical response be provided to all residents of the former police village. “It is important that the emergency medical response to the village of Auburn remain consistent, regardless of which side of Goderich Street a person is in need,” the letter stated. Barnim, who is the council’s Huron County’s two highest administrators were relegated to “non-disciplinary administrative leave” after a special council meeting at 4 p.m. on May 29. Chief Administrative Officer Larry Adams and Treasurer David Carey are now on leave after an e- mail was sent to those in administration throughout Huron County and its lower tier municipalities. Huron County Warden Bernie MacLellan, in a call from a conference in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, said the decision was a personnel matter and so it was dealt with in closed session, as all personnel matters are. Huron County Director of Planning and Development Scott Tousaw has been named interim acting CAO in Adams’ absence. When both Tousaw and Huron County Clerk Barb Wilson were reached for comment, both declined to comment on the situation. MacLellan said he couldn’t comment as to the county’s next steps in the situation, just that any personnel matter would be dealt with in closed session. The special meeting of Huron County Council was the first meeting since council received consultant George Cuff’s report on governance late last month. Cuff’s report was comprised of three separate reports, one of which was a private personnel report for only council members to see. North Huron Township Council, through Chief Administrative Officer Gary Long, is seeking a meeting with Morris-Turnberry Council regarding fire protection services. “I contacted my counterpart in Morris-Turnberry, Nancy Michie to talk about the possibility of our two councils getting together to discuss fire services,” Long said. “We’re looking at dates late in June. Councillors decided they would propose a June 28 meeting to Morris-Turnberry and debated what form the meeting should take. Despite some concerns that the issues existing between the municipalities are too complex to be separated, council declared the meeting would be only in regards to fire protection. Another meeting would then be considered for other issues. Deputy-Reeve David Riach said he was concerned that other issues would just naturally come up while discussing fire, but Councillor Brock Vodden wasn’t convinced. “I disagree,” he said. “Other facts are related to it but I don’t think there are any that are inextricably related to it. I think fire is enough to take on during the meeting.” Councillor Bernie Bailey By Denny Scott The Citizen Continued on page 18 By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen CAO, treasurer placed on leave By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Continued on page 20