The Citizen, 2009-01-15, Page 17The amount may not have beenbig, but North Huron councillorswere not about to take this debt offthe books.
At the Jan. 5 meeting of council, a
letter from the Town Hall Heritage
Theatre was presented. The
organization was requesting that the
township write off an outstanding
debt that has been on the books for a
few years.
According to clerk-administratorKriss Snell the bill amounts to over$1,300. “I have an issue with this,” saidcouncillor Archie MacGowan. “Iunderstand they have had a couple ofhard years, but I have a problem with
writing off an old debt.”
In the letter, signed by board chair
Doug French and vice-chair JoAnne
Davis, it was noted that the board is
taking a number of steps to
invigorate the organization so that it
is more viable. To that end they have
secured a Trillium grant to be usedfor the hiring of consultants to “helpus chart our course” and a staffperson. The Theatre is currently trying toclimb out from a debt load ofapproximately $22,000, which dates
back to 2004/05.
“This year’s poor ticket sales have
not helped to ameliorate it,” the
board chairs wrote. “We are hopeful
with the Trillium grant funding we
will begin to have more successful
seasons.”
The letter also recognized thegenerosity of the township inproviding the theatre space rent free,and acknowledged that this issomething that will change in thefuture. “Given our current financial state,
however, we would ask that we
negotiate a sliding scale based on
our revenues until we have a stable
income.”
Asked by council whether or not
there had been any attempt to pay
the bill, Snell said the last payment
was $300 in April, 2007. This wasthe first since 2005.“I don’t even feel an effort hasbeen made,” said MacGowan. “Evena small amount on a regular basisand I would have been morereceptive.”
Councillor Alma Conn, who has
agreed to sit on the theatre board,
added, “We cannot continue to
absorb debts of dysfunctional
groups. If they are looking for new
direction, they need to clear up the
debts of the past.”
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2009. PAGE 17.
An explanation from an Amish
resident as to why he might get
special consideration regarding the
township’s dog bylaw failed to sway
North Huron councillors.
At the Jan. 5 meeting councillors
discussed a second letter from Rudy
Gingerich regarding a kennel fee.
In November Gingerich and his
wife Lizzie, had written council
requesting that they not be required
to pay the amount stipulated for a
kennel. They felt that as they did not
belong to any registered societies,
nor pay insurance on their animals
that they did not qualify as a kennel.
They offered to pay an additional fee
for owning eight dogs, and to sign a
contract that would restrict
expansion.
Councillors suggested a letter be
sent asking the Gingerichs to explain
what part of the bylaw they felt
didn’t apply to them.
In his response Gingerich
indicated that the people of his
community help each other
voluntarily but “do not believe in
actually buying insurance in the
respect that we feel we have to give
ourselves to God’s will.”
They requested council consider
grandfathering in this situation.
Councillor James Campbell noted
that there is no grandfather clause in
the bylaw and that council would set
a precedent by not following the
guidelines they have set.
In response to a question from
deputy-reeve Murray Scott
regarding other municipalities that
have Amish residents, and how they
handle similar situations, clerk-
administrator Kriss Snell said that
currently Ashfield-Colborne-
Wawanosh has no limit on the
number of dogs a resident may
have.
However, Campbell added, that
they are “looking at what we’re
doing.”
Councillor Alma Conn said she
found the request puzzling. “They
are people who also believe in
supporting the laws of the land. It’s
very unusual that they ask for an
exemption.”
North Huron won’t write off long-term debt
Resident asks council for exemption from kennel fee
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