HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-07-14, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2011.
Ball’s Bridge to receive heritage plaque today
Council to pay for ice resurfacer in Brussels
Get off the tracks
Andrew Hess wasn’t letting anyone stop him from capturing
a water balloon during a game of capture the water balloon
at the Huron Chapel Evangelical Missionary Church’s
Vacation Bible School in Auburn last week. (Denny Scott photo)
After what some Huron East
councillors felt was a late addition to
the budget, funding for the new ice
resurfacer for the Brussels, Morris
and Grey Community Centre has
been finalized.
Whether the machine was actually
a late addition to the budget or not
was the topic of a heated debate, but
in the end, council voted to fund
payment for the entire cost of the
Olympia at its July 5 meeting.
Council agreed the municipality
would fund the new resurfacer at a
cost of $76, 135, less the amount of
money in the centre’s reserves,
which is $23,778. The amount to be
utilized from the general tax levy
then is $52,357.
The initial proposal was thatcouncil pay 50 per cent of the cost,leaving the community to fundraisefor the rest. At first the cost included
an infrared ice leveller, driving the
cost up to just over $91,000.
Debate amongst the councillors,
however, eventually ruled out the
leveller, stating the ice resurfacer
was essential, while the leveller was
more of a luxury.
When the issue of an ice
resurfacer was first brought to
council, it was late in the budget
process, but as Councillor David
Blaney pointed out, the final budget
had not yet been passed. When
several councillors discussed the late
nature of the request, Blaney took
offence to the suggestion that the
request was slipped in the back door.
“This came to council before the
budget was passed and a warningthat it was coming came beforethat,” Blaney said. “The idea that wecame in after dark and slipped this
into your desk drawers should be
stopped right now.”
After Blaney made those
comments, several councillors
backed off, saying they weren’t
suggesting that anything was done
against the rules, just that the request
for a large chunk of money came
when the final budget had essentially
been decided, leaving councillors to
“find” nearly $80,000.
Councillor Joe Seili also said that
in addition to the notice given to
council this year regarding the ice
resurfacer, it has been a purchase
that was on council’s radar for over
five years.
“The day has come to pay the
piper,” Seili said.Initially the money was designatedto come out of one of themunicpality’s reserves, but after
some time to reflect, councillors
decided to take the money out of the
general levy, increasing the centre’s
tax levy by enough to cover Huron
East’s share of the purchase.
Seili, who had announced his
resignation from council just before
this debate, said it was absurd that
council was on the fence about
purchasing a piece of equipment the
centre needs in order to function.
“If my employees need a tool, I
buy them the tool. If they need the
tool to complete the job and they
can’t complete the job, I don’t get
paid,” Seili said. “We have to buy
them the equipment, or we need to
close the doors.”
The vote to pay for half of the iceresurfacer along with the ice levellerwas defeated and a new motion wasbrought forward by Blaney
removing the ice leveller completely
and asking for Huron East to pay for
the resurfacer in its entirety.
Before the vote was taken,
councillors agreed the nearly
$24,000 in the centre’s reserves
should be used to offset some of the
cost. Blaney agreed to amend the
motion to include that, as several
councillors thought it was strange
that the centre has over $23,000 in
its reserves, while at the same time it
is carrying a deficit.
The motion passed and council
authorized the community centre
board to accept the tender from
Olympia and to proceed with the
purchase.
Ball’s Bridge, a bridge that spans the
division line between Central Huron
and Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh, will
be recognized as a historical site on
July 14 with the installation of a gold-
and-blue heritage sign.
Held at 1:30 p.m. at the Bridge, the
unveiling will reveal a sign that will
outline the significance of the ancient
bridge and its building style.
The Friends of Balls Bridge have
been the driving force behind restoring,
maintaining and having the bridge
recognized.
The bridge, which was erected in
1885 to replace a wooden bridge, is one
of the few surviving examples of 19th
century wrought iron bridge
technology.
The bridge had weight-class
restrictions put on it 1989 and was
eventually closed in 2006.
Responsibility for the bridge was
then downloaded from the county to the
municipalities, Central Huron and
Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh, which,
working with The Friends of Ball’s
Bridge, restored it, reopened it in 2007
and started to raise funds for
preservation projects.
The bridge is located close to 82153
Baseline Road, near the intersection
with Little Lakes Road.
By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen
Continued from page 1
promised,” he said.
Now that he is no longer an
elected representative, Seili says he
will keep a reasonable distance from
the proceedings of council, saying it
wouldn’t be fair of him to be
involved with council after he’s
resigned.
“If I was at council, it would be
too much interference,” he said.
“There has to be some distance.”
Newly-installed chief
administrative officer Brad Knight
said he will have to investigate the
Municipal Act as to what the next
step for council is.
The process will be delayed
slightly, he said, as a formal written
resignation was not received from
Seili until after the July 5 meeting,
meaning that his resignation will not
be officially recognized by council
until July 21. After that meeting, the
wheels will begin to turn as to what
happens next.
While Huron East has not had to
deal with such a situation since
amalgamation, there have been
appointments and by-elections in
other municipalities within the
community in recent years. Current
North Huron Councillor Brock
Vodden and Deputy-Reeve David
Riach were installed by council after
the untimely death of Councillor
Murray Nesbitt and the declaration
of Councillor Greg McClinchey’s
seat as vacant several years ago.
Seili steps away from council
BUY? SELL? TRY CLASSIFIED