HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-06-10, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2010. PAGE 9.
The Knox United Church said its
farewells to Reverend Rick Hawley
after almost 30 years of service.
Good luck to the Rick and his family
with their future endeavours.
Another wonderful Sunday in
Auburn came with all the fixings for
the Huron Chapel Evangelical
Missionary Church and its 30th
annual family picnic. Although the
weather approached with what
looked to be a chance forthunderstorms, this did not interruptthe family gathering of a closecongregation.
The Huron Chapel Evangelical
Church reminds us that family and
fellowship is an important part of
outreach within our communities.
Friends of the Community
Foodbank would like to remind
everyone that hunger still happens
on a beautiful sunny day. Area
foodbanks are all reporting increased
usage and new clients. They are
asking that you remember them
when you plant and harvest your
garden. And please think outside the
can; you can donate tea, coffee,
sugar, soap, powdered milk,
crackers, etc. As always, cash
donations are also appreciated; tax
receipts are issued early.
If you feel that you can help withthis much needed outreach, call theKnox United Church for moreinformation. Terry Fletcher or
Margaret will be in the office
Tuesday mornings at 519-523-4225.
The stork arrived on Sunday, May
23 with a bouncing baby boy for
Michael and Leanne Schneider of
Edmonton, Alberta. Joshua Elijah
weighed in at 8 lbs, 2 oz. Anxiously
awaiting his arrival was big sister
Heather and big brother Logan. Jim
and Dorothy Schneider of Auburn
are happy grandparents and the
extended families welcome his
arrival as well.
With this excitement in the
Schneiders’ lives, it’s no wonder
they take great concern for the safety
of the playground equipment in
Auburn. I am pleased to say that over
40 parents and children gathered atthe Auburn Community park toreview the future of the playgroundequipment. Councillor Marg
Anderson presented the findings of
an inspector’s report.
It was decided to leave the
equipment and proceed to raise
funds for more. A committee of
parents was formed to proceed in
this direction.
The Londesborough United
Church family Movie Night will be
held on Friday, June 25 at 7 p.m.
featuring the movie Curious George
2: Follow that Monkey!
It was a great job by the ladies who
led the service at the Knox church.
With their demonstrations of
handmade quilts, this is a reminder
that all that we are stitched in comes
from the heart of a family.
By Kerri
Heroux
hopturn@
hotmail.com
PEOPLE AROUND AUBURN
NEWS
FROM AUBURN
Knox bids farewell to Reverend Hawley
ACW council prepares to blend urban water rates
Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh
(ACW) Township Council decided
to set a deadline for their current
practice of varying water rates
throughout the municipality.
Since there are so many small
systems within ACW, the township
has charged individuals based on the
water system they draw from,
resulting in price variances based on
the numbers of users on a system,
and what type of system it is.
For example, rates in Century
Heights and Maitlandview Estates
are both more than $150 per year
higher than the area with the lowest
cost, Amberley, because
Maitlandview Estates and Century
Heights are on a newer ultraviolet
water purification system, which
costs more and there are fewer
residents to spread that cost over.
“Everyone is getting the same
water service,” Deputy-Clerk Linda
Andrews said. “The cost just
changes based on [the variables].
ACW was preparing a financial
plan for its water systems, as
mandated by the Ministry of the
Environment, and decided to commit
to the blended rate for the
forecasting involved.
All municipalities must submit a
financial plan for their water
systems that is valid for six years,
and replanned every five years, to
receive a Drinking Water License for
the systems, which allows the
systems to provide water to
residents.
The government is looking to have
full cost recovery on water
and sewage, according to Steve
Burns, a representative from B.M.
Ross.
By blending the plans, residents
will see their rates average out, and,
according to council’s best
estimates, each user will be looking
at a cost of approximately $475, an
increase for some, and a decrease for
others.
The blended plan allows ACW to
deal with all its water systems as
one, which will save the township
approximately 25 per cent on the
estimated $8,000 cost of preparing
the plan.
Councillor Carl Sloetjes said that
the plan is a sound one, since it will
allow council to build up reserves to
help with capital replacements,
which contrasts starkly to
having the replacements paid for by
the system users as is now practiced
in ACW.
“This provides insurance,”
Sloetjes said. “If a well goes down,
it’s not going to be the responsibility
of those who use the well, but of the
entire collective of the township.”
Sloetjes said that, according to
Burns, the government will most
likely force blended rates
eventually, so ACW can prepare
ahead of time, but reap the benefits
of it now.
Deputy Reeve Neil Rintoul agreed
with the Sloetjes about the insurance
the blending would allow, and
encouraged the motion. Water rates
will remain at their approved levels
this year, but are planned to be
blended in 2011.
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
WI turns 110
Past presidents of the
Huron West Women’s
Institute gathered around
a cake that celebrated
110 years of service.
From left are Jean
Plaetzer, Wilma Higgins,
Jean Fraser, Lois Elliot,
Betty Archambault,
Debbie Bauer and Mabel
Jacklin. (Denny Scott photo)
MEETING NOTICE
MUNICIPALITY OF
MORRIS-TURNBERRY
The upcoming Council and Committee meetings for the
Municipality of Morris-Turnberry will be held:
Tuesday June 22 at 7:30 p.m. Regular Council Meeting
in lieu of June 15
Tuesday July 6 at 7:30 p.m. Regular Council Meeting
Tuesday July 20 at 7:30 p.m. Regular Council Meeting
ACW debates landfill
Residents close to the Ashfield
Landfill Site - the only active
landfill site within Ashfield-
Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW)
Township’s borders - want council
to reconsider an expansion to the
site.
A group of concerned citizens
spoke to ACW Council at council’s
June 1 meeting about the proposed
expansion of the landfill site.
The expansion is proposed to be
between seven per cent and nine per
cent according to Reeve Ben Van
Diepenbeek.
The group insisted that their
concerns were not about not liking
the landfill site in their backyard,
but about the danger to the aquifer
and well systems located within the
leachate flow area of the landfill
site.
The group’s initial concern was
brought on by maps detailing the
aquifers and hazardous spots in the
area, one of which falls directly
under the landfill site.
Citizens from around the landfill
made several requests for ACW,
including several new test wells
drilled on the eastern side of the
landfill site; a test well drilled
diagonally under the landfill site; a
complete chemical analysis of the
test wells; consultations with the
Ministry of Natural Resources,
Huron County Planning Department
and the Maitland Valley
Conservation Authority; a
hydrogeologists report and an
analysis of how RJ Burnside and
Associates, the engineering firm
responsible for the consultation on
the project, is approving the project.
Councillors agreed to further
investigate the issues, but were
divided on the idea of bringing in an
independent review on RJ Burnside
and Associates, an independent
consultant.
“Burnside is using the
information that is there,”
Councillor Carl Sloetjes said. “We
shouldn’t dismiss the engineering
firm we have here and go with
someone else. We hired them
because we trust their results.”
Sloetjes did agree that more wells
could be drilled to provide as much
information as possible, and put the
citizens minds at ease.
Aside from the expansion of the
project, the concerned citizens’
group also wanted council to review
what wastes go into the site.
Shingles could make up nearly fifty
per cent of the material dumped at
the landfill by weight, according to
the citizens.
The group, and several
councillors, including Deputy
Reeve Neil Rintoul, agreed that
shingles should not be placed in the
landfill site.
Reeve Ben Van Diepenbeek stated
that, if council continued with extra
wells being drilled and third-party
analysis, an additional $100,000
should be put towards this project,
as costs of analysis and additional
wells would add up.
Van Diepenbeek said that each of
the 10 proposed vertical wells will
cost $6,000 to $10,000.
Council put the application for
landfill expansion on hold pending
further investigation, and asked that
the requests and questions from the
group be officially submitted to
ACW, so they could verify them and
pass them to RJ Burnside and
Associates.
By Denny Scott
The Citizen