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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2011-02-03, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2011.YMCA pitches for Central Huron complex Twice the crazy on one carpet Heidi and Lexi double up for a ride down the hill at Grey Central Public School’s Winter Carnival. The event was held on Jan. 28 and run by students. The student body gets to kick back and enjoy a full fun day of playing in the snow and learning team work and enthusiasm. The event is organized by the Social Activist Club and has recently become an annual event that members of the club spend many days planning for. (Denny Scott photo) Turbine debate continues at ACW The YMCA of Sarnia-Lambton,which is responsible for many satellite and community centres, including the YMCA presence at Goderich’s Maitland Recreation Centre, made a presentation to Central Huron Council to sell them on the benefits of having a YMCA gym in the new Central Huron Community Complex. Jim Jansen, CEO of the region’s YMCA organizations and Shawn Dillon, the Vice President of Business Development spoke to council during their Committee of the Whole meeting on Jan. 27 to tell council what they could bring to the community. The YMCA operates centres such as the proposed one in Clinton and the current in Goderich by organizing the center, taking care of human resource tasks and providing the services, but not the equipment. “We provide a recognized and valued brand,” Jansen stated, saying the YMCA is known for their “cradle to the grave” programs that work in both rural and urban neighbourhoods. The duo acknowledged that there would be challenges to opening the new centre under the YMCA banner, including the overlap with the current gym in Goderich, butbelieved that the traffic caused bythe new community centre wouldovercome those problems.The YMCA representatives outlined their best and most likely guesses and stated that there would be a road to the gym being a moneymaker for the municipality, but that the investments would be for the health of Central Huron residents. In their worst case scenario, a YMCA in the Central Huron Community Complex would have 286 members, and require $69,000 in municipal funding to remain viable, while their best case scenario, for the forseeable future would have the gym more or less breaking even for operating costs with 476 members. While the opening date of Sept. 2011 would be steep for the YMCA staff to prepare for, they stated they should be able to manage. Jansen explained that members of the private fitness industry would have little to fear from the YMCA. “When we renew or build, we have to consider other providers, like the private industry,” he said. “We want to complement what is being offered already, not force people out of business. We are not part of the competitive marketplace, we’re a charity.” Reeve Jim Ginn wondered if thatextended to children’s programmingcurrently offered at the RegionalEquine and Agricultural Centre ofHuron (REACH). Jansen stated it would. “We’re here to offer what youwant us to offer,” he stated. “If youdon’t want us to offer something, orwould like to see something offered,we do that.” Costs for original set up would be approximately $57,000 according toJansen, which would providecommunication and technology setup, membership cards and readers,commissioning, sales and marketing. Continued from page 18 maximum, meaning if we have problems, we have spares.” Hubbers then said, if they followed the 1,000 metre setback outlined in ACW’s policy, without even considering other parts of the policy or the GEA, they would lose the entire project. “If we followed that guideline, we would have six sites to build on,” he said. “We would have six parcels of land from six landowners, giving us approximately 990 acres to work with.” The problem with the setbacks is that there are very few blocks in ACW that are more than 2,000 metres wide, let alone 2,000 metres plus the road allowance, which eliminates most of their building area according to Hubbers. “We want to be a part of this community,” he said. “We want to be here and operate this plan as a corporate citizen of the community. “This project has substantial benefits to the community as a whole,” he said. Hubbers also addressed the concern of turbines left without care, which is commented on in ACW’s wind turbine policy, but did not connect the two inclusively. “We’re not a company interested in building turbines and then selling to another developer,” he said. “Capital Power doesn’t develop projects to sell them off. It has always been our intent to develop and operate our own projects. “Our intent isn’t to go anywhere, it is to stay here and be a part of this community,” he said. Council then had a chance to respond to the reports, and councillor Barry Millian, who chairs meetings regarding wind turbines due to Reeve Ben Van Diepenbeek, Deputy-Reeve Neil Rintoul and Councillor Murray Curran having conflicts of interests, stated that there were definite questions from the public, but that Hubbers wasn’t there to deal with them, as this was an information session. “I know that there are people with concerns, but, to be fair to [Hubbers], I’m not aware of anything Capital Power is doing that is breaking provincial guidelines,” Millian stated. “Any problems anyone has they need to take to the province.” Despite statements from council that Hubbers presentation was an information meeting and would not have a public question period, members of the audience spoke out of turn to express their concerns. Questions revolved around the need for 1,000 metre setbacks, which Hubbers couldn’t answer for, but he did state that the company is not interested in causing people discomfort. Hubbers stated that, while there are no rules for setbacks for individuals who want a turbine on their land, Capital Power acknowledges the need for that, and ensures that any dwelling will not experience noise above 45 dBA, which is the guideline set by the province for cumulative industrial noise. “We don’t want people to experience buyer’s remorse,” he said. “If we believe that a turbine on someone’s property will cause them to be uncomfortable, we will go to them and ask them if they’re sure.” After several more questions and statements, Millian stopped the meeting. “I’m going to have to break this off,” he said. “The GEA makes it hard for council to make any rulings in these situations.” Millian went on to state that, while it was obvious there are several people who weren’t in favour of Capital Power’s KII project, there are many landowners who are. “We have to take all the information, and all the desires of the township, into account before we make a decision.” Sponsorship levels are: 1. Friends $250-$499 2. Benefactors $500-$999 3. Patrons $1,000 and over ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - 1000 COPIES AR E BEING ORD E R E D ! Only Order a copy prior to March 31, 2011 at the $100.00 +$5.00 GST = $105.00 -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- ------ ----- -- -- --- - --- - -- - - - - --- -- - - - -- - - -- - --- -- - -- -- By Denny ScottThe Citizen