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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-09-17, Page 12Huron East is in the final stages ofan agreement with Central Huron,South Huron and Goderichregarding the new landfill the four municipalities will be using in the future. Deputy-mayor Bernie MacLellan said there were several issues Huron East needed resolved before they would feel comfortable with the agreement. As of last week, he said, most of them had been addressed and adjusted. The only remaining item is that there has been no tipping fee set. This, however, given the current state of the agreement, is understandable, he said. In the recent meetings, MacLellan said that garbage coming into the Mid-Huron landfill site has been “reduced drastically” since users of the landfill moved to clear plastic bags. “We were supposed to be there now already,” MacLellan said. “Now they’re thinking it might be 2011, but it could be four or five years until we move to the new landfill now.” With such a potentially large window for the new landfill to take effect, MacLellan says that tipping fees cannot be established now for a landfill that may not be used for five years.He said there will be a warning at12 months until the new landfill willbe utilized so that those involved canmeet and discuss the tipping fee.Even with these provisions builtin, MacLellan says, he is not too worried about what the tipping fee may be. Not only has Huron East invested tens of thousands of dollars into the research for the landfill, but there is a clause in the contract that says tipping fees cannot make for a profit above cost, but that they have to cover costs, leaving a very small window to establish a tipping fee. MacLellan said there was also discussion about an escape clause. Again, however, he said this isn’t something the municipality should have to worry about considering the money it has already invested in the project. MacLellan said it was his understanding that the agreement will be a majority rules, all or none situation, where all four municipalities would decide to stay or all four would decide to go. The term, MacLellan says, will be five years at the least. It could however, be extended at the end of the five years, or once the municipality reaches its allowable tonnage, which is 65,000 tonnes. He also said that if Stage 3 of the proposal gets approved, the municipality would stay until the end of Stage 2, which should take the municipality, at the current rate, which has been reduced since the clear plastic bag regulation, until 2030, MacLellan estimates.MacLellan says the agreementlooks like it will be a good one forHuron East. MacLellan said that he and clerk-administrator Jack McLachlan willbe attending a landfill meeting in the near future, where the remaining details should be ironed out, leading to an agreement being ready to sign for all the municipalities very soon. PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009.Huron East looks at waste pact Construction Ph.:519-523-9354 Cell:519-525-8615 Custom 5" seamless eavestrough in aluminum or steel New SHEAR TALENT HHaaiirr DDeessiiggnn && TTaannnniinngg ffoorr mmeenn && wwoommeenn 45 West Street GGOODDEERRIICCHH 551199--552244--66555555 Walk-Ins Welcome Fun, Friendship and Adventure for Girls JOIN TODAY! Call 1-800-565-8111 Or visit us at www.girlguides.ca The Knox United Church Women’s general meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the church. This is an open invitation to parents and families to attend an information meeting on living with diabetes. Karen Cook, diabetes co- ordinator for the Wingham and District hospital will speak and answer questions on juvenile diabetes or type two diabetes. The Knox United Church Anniversary Service will be held on Sunday, Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. The guest speaker will be Joan (Currie) Black. The community extends congratulations to Shaun and Erin (Mitchell) Walker on the birth of their son Kaden Mitchell Walker born on June 26 in Temiskaming Shores. This is a first grandchild for Jack and Lynn Walker. The community extends congratulations and best wishes to Nicole Procter and Mark Skinn who were married on Saturday, Sept. 12 at their grandparents Ross and Mary Procter’s home. Terry and Kim Ansley of Thessalon visited the area and attended the Thresher Reunion in Blyth. While vacationing they stayed at Rod and Debbie Ansley’s home in Blyth, had dinner with Gladys VanCamp and Harold and Nancy Jardin and visited with other Campbell relatives. The folks you meet The Thresher Reunion each year isn’t just about the sights and sounds, it’s also about seeing and visiting with friends new and old. Wallace Bell, left, of Brussels catches up with Doug Bruce from Belgrave. (Vicky Bremner photo) It was bargain day when tenders were opened for two municipal drainage projects at the Sept. 1 meeting of Morris-Turnberry council. The tender of A. G. Hayter of Parkhill was accepted for the larger of the two projects, the McCutcheon drain in Morris ward. The tender was $131,900 plus GST, a saving over the engineer’s estimate of $134,690. There was a saving too in the winning bid for the Bryce municipal drain that straddles the boundary between Turnberry ward and the former Culross Twp. in South Bruce. Ryan Construction of Brussels had the winning bid of $20,330, including GST. The engineer’s estimate had been $25,599. Court of revision was also held on two drains. Despite the fact that there were no appeals of cost assessments and no landowners present, the McCutcheon drain presented the more pressing problem for council. Landowners have until Sept. 22 to appeal their assessments which means the bylaw for the drain can’t be passed until then and work wouldn’t normally begin until it is. But the open portion of the drain comes under the fish habitat provisions of Fisheries and Oceans Canada which requires all work to be completed by Sept. 15. Bill Dietrich of Dietrich Engineering Limited told council that “99.9 per cent of the project is just putting in tile” and can wait until after the bylaw is approved. Council agreed to go ahead with the open channel work that is only a small part of the cost. There was one appeal of the cost assessments for the Bruce drain with Dave Reid arguing that most of his land is a designated wetland and therefore he doesn’t gain benefit from the drain, for which he was assessed a cost of $2,200. The court of revision did not agree and upheld the assessment. Graduation Brendan Pierce graduated with a Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies with a Specialization in Commercial Aviation Management in London. Currently he is working in Trenton, Ontario with the 424 Transport And Rescue Squadron. In March 2010 he will be heading to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to begin flying the Harvard II aircraft. Lots of love from Gramma Pierce, Paul, Terry and Jennifer. Morris-Turnberry gets bargains on drain bids By Keith Roulston The Citizen Classified advertisements published in The Citizen are now available on our website at www.northhuron.on.ca By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen A Huron councillor is off to Ottawa to talk about sustainable energy specific to agriculture. Huron East’s Bernie MacLellan made an announcement at the county’s committee of the whole meeting Sept. 9 regarding a wind turbine created by one of his companies that allows 100 per cent usage of the power produced. He said that Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb has been working with him on the idea of a grant program for farmers to buy the turbines. MacLellan said it is expected there could be 100 people hired should the program proceed. “I have been told the wages are comparable to Volvo, so this is going to be good for the county.” It’s also good for the country as this wind turbine would be completely Canadian made. By Bonnie Gropp The Citizen MacLellan seeks energy info By Linda Campbell Call 357-2188 PEOPLE AROUND BELGRAVE