HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-05-06, Page 1The Blyth Memorial Hall is
undergoing some reconstructive
renovations to update its windows,
masonry work, and doors.
The Blyth Festival, in cooperation
with the Township of North Huron,
received a Trillium grant for $30,000
towards the $67,300 project.
On Wednesday, April 28, the
township presented the remainder of
the funds to the festival via a
$37,300 cheque.
The project will see new windows
and automatic doors put into
the hall.
The township, according to a press
release regarding the event, has
worked with the Blyth Festival to
help develop marketing in the region
as the Festival attracts over 30,000
visitors to Blyth.
Carol Mitchell had, earlier in the
week, presented the Trillium fund
cheque to representatives from The
Blyth Festival, the primary
caretakers of the facilities.
The project involves placing
automatic doors, and replacing 27
windows, as well as some cosmetic
work around the windows.
Scheduled to be completed by
June 1, the work shouldn’t interfere
with the upcoming theatre season.
No to septic plan
in Huron East
After receiving the Huron County
Health Unit’s presentation on the
proposed septic system inspection
program, Huron East council voted
to not support the program in
principle as North Huron and
Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh have.
Councillors were truly divided on
the issue. The recorded vote resulted
in a tied vote 6-6, ultimately
defeating the motion.
The program, which is mainly
preventative in nature, is aimed at
improving the quality of water
throughout Huron County. And
while most councillors approved of
the ideas behind the program, the
application of the program came
under severe scrutiny from several
councillors who felt what was
proposed through the program
wouldn’t achieve what the Health
Unit is hoping to achieve.
Other councillors, however, while
agreeing with those statements in
principle, felt that a first step needed
to be taken.
“To do nothing at this point is like
saying that we don’t need stop signs
because not everyone stops for
them,” said councillor David Blaney.
The main issue to which Blaney is
referring is the pumping of tanks,
which would be mandatory under
the new program. If the inspection
program is approved, a cycle period
would be approved (the two current
suggestions are seven and 12-year
cycles) an inspection would be
mandatory for every resident with a
septic system in the municipality
once within that cycle period at an
approximate cost of $322 per
inspection cycle ($46 per year on a
seven-year cycle, for example).
While the inspection would be
mandatory, so too would a pumping,
which would ensure that septic tanks
throughout Huron East were getting
pumped out on a regular basis.
Bob Worsell of the Huron County
Health Unit said that the lack of
pumping is the single biggest
problem facing area septic tanks and
endangering ground water and this
program would not only mandate a
pumping every time an inspection
was required, but it would increase
education as to why a pumping is
necessary.
Deputy-Mayor Bernie MacLellan
Festival receives
upgrade funding
CitizenTh
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$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, May 6, 2010
Volume 26 No. 18SPECIAL- Pg. 13Spring Home andGarden section begins ANNIVERSARY - Pg. 7 Brussels MennoniteFellowship celebratesSPORTS- Pg. 8Saugeen Maitland winsbig at provincialsPublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 PAP Registration No. 09244 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:
Festival Funds
Artistic Director of the Blyth Festival, Eric Coates (left) and General Manager, Deb Sholdice
(right) accept funds from the Township of North Huron to aid in the replacement of windows
and doors at the Blyth Festival. The township donated $37,300 of the $67,300 estimated total
cost, with the rest being covered by a Trillium grant. From left: Coates, North Huron Reeve Neil
Vincent, Huron County Accessibility Committee member Lorie Falconer, North Huron
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Ratepayers in Central Huron will
face a zero per cent increase in their
taxes for 2010.
Council approved its 2010 budget
at a special meeting on April 25.
The total budget for the year is
$10,640,651. The municipality is
responsible for $4,074,296 and will
raise that amount in taxes. Central
Huron will contribute $4,303,679 to
the county and $2,262,676 to the
board of education.
On a house assessed at $100,000,
the total taxes will be $1,409.29. The
total assessment is down $29.29
thanks to a decrease in the tax rate
from the county and the boards of
education.
While the taxes for Central Huron
remain the same as last year, the
county portion of the total taxes is
decreased by 2.96 per cent and the
board of education share is
decreased by 4.37 per cent.
There was some concern about the
Regional Equine and Agricultural
Centre of Huron (REACH) having
an impact on the budget for this year
and in years to come. There was also
some concern about money from
Slots being used to help finance the
REACH project.
Deputy Reeve John Bezaire said
there was some misconception in the
county about the money Central
Huron receives from the slots. Many
people believe that money is bonus
money.
Bezaire said the money Central
Huron receives from the casino
helps to make the municipality an
equal partner with the lower tiers of
the county when it comes to
receiving money from the province.
While REACH is responsible for
its own finances, the municipality is
going to do its best to make sure it is
successful.
“We are going to make sure it is
not going to bleed the municipality,”
he said.
He said REACH is going to need
things and the municipality may
have to help out, but Central Huron
is not going to financially assist
REACH over the long term.
Another ratepayer was concerned
if an arena was built, how the
municipality could afford it with the
REACH project and the new fire
hall.
Chief Administrative Officer
Kevin McIlwain said the fire hall
will be paid off this year. As far as
the arena is concerned, the
municipality has $1,000,000 in
grants committed from the
provincial and federal governments
as well as $150,000 in reserves.
Councillor Marg Anderson said
the $2,000,000 isn’t in the
municipality’s pocket, but it is
committed to Central Huron.
McIlwain said the municipality
would be able to pay off a
$2,000,000 carrying loan if the costs
exceed $5,000,000.
“We will be tendering soon” he
said.
He said they have talked to the
user groups and their list of wants is
extensive.
The total levy for Auburn street
lights is $952. The total levy for
Londesborough street lights is
$5,633.03.
Council passed the motion to
approve the budget and to set the tax
rate for the rate payers.
Council also passed a resolution,
as a member of the Mid-Huron
landfill site, the municipality of
Central Huron approved allowing
the residents of the former Hullett
Township (no East Ward, Central
Huron) to bring their waste to the
Mid-Huron landfill site.
No tax increase for Central Huron
By Jim Brown
Special to The Citizen
Continued on page 32
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen