HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-03-13, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2008.
Plans for Huron County roads
were approved at the March 5
meeting of county council.
In an information report county
engineer Don Pletch stated that
design work was underway for
projects proposed for replacement or
repairs in the 2008 highways budget.
This included the Ethel bridge
replacement, which is ready to tender
for late March to early April with
construction to begin in late May.
The project, said Pletch, has been
delayed by one month while they
waited for hydrologic/hyraulic
information from the Maitland
Valley Conservation Authority.
The highways department tendered
four paving projects provposed in the
budget. With costs coming in lower
than the budgetted amount, there is a
projected surplus of $586,746.05 on
these projects.
Councillor Jim Fergusson of
Bluewater questioned whether the
money would be used for other
projects.
Pletch said that it was believed the
savings may have been realized in
part because of having tendered
early.
Also, the contractors “were keen”
about tendering for the Hwy. 8 work,
which is not going to happen this
summer. “That may have hit them
harder,” said Pletch
Huron East councillor Joe Seili
said that he had understood that
differently. “After meeting with our
MPP and the Ministry it was said that
Hwy. 8 will be tendered.
Warden John Bezaire of Central
Huron said that it would not be until
later this year. “We are hoping to
tender in the fall for next year’s
construction.”
Also out of the projects for 2008 is
the $1.8 million for the Gorrie
bridge. This has been withdrawn
from pending the resolution of
outstanding issues of the
conservation authority
hydrologic/hydraulic information
study and with Howick Twp.’s
concerns with the environmental
awareness process.
A recommendation from
committee to county to accept a
tender from Lavis Contracting Co.
Ltd. for work on County Roads 86
and 25 carried. The tender price was
$4,301,129.93. An additional
$129,000 has been allocated for
asphalt cement, contingencies and
county-related costs of completing
the project.
The county also approved the
recommendation to accept the tender
submitted by Lavis for work on
County Road 1. The tender price was
for $556,457.30. An additional
$17,000 has been allocated.
The Lavis tender of $820,000 for
County Road 4 was accepted with an
additional $25,000 allocated.
Be the change
Jacob McGavin introduced his fellow students at Brussels
Public School to his new group, Kids Care (which includes
siblings, Mackenzie and Teegan, Courtney Bloemberg and
Heather Bone), last week in a presentation encouraging
others to step up and join the existing five members. The
group is dedicated to global change starting with the school,
up through the community and beyond. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Inadequate fines levied by justices
of the peace for dog bylaw offences
brought out frustration from animal
control officer Bob Trick when he
reported to Morris-Turnberry council,
March 4.
Trick, who holds a similar post for
several other Huron County
municipalities, complained of a pit
bull attack in one of those
municipalities where $500 damage
was done to another dog, yet the pit
bull’s owner was only fined $100.
Under the pit bull legislation the
owner could have been fined up to
$10,000, given a jail term and been
made to pay for damages.
In another case, Trick said, a 92-
year-old woman was attacked by a pit
bull while working in her garden. The
fines were $25 for not having the pit
bull registered, $300 for the attack
and $75 for the animal being at large.
“You take a lot of static when you
charge someone,” Trick said, “and
these fines aren’t worth the static.”
He said he had written a letter of
complaint to Carol Mitchell, MPP for
Huron-Bruce over the issue.
Councillors agreed that Trick
needed support on the issue and
decided to endorse his letter. Mayor
Dorothy Kelly noted that if you don’t
speak up you don’t get action.
Within Morris-Turnberry, Tricksaid he had investigated seven dogattacks. Three dogs were declaredvicious. Two were put down by their
owners. One owner didn’t comply
with the conditions and moved out of
the municipality.
Pit bulls seem to be coming from
the cities to rural areas, Trick
observed. People seem to think that
it’s easier to keep their presence
unnoticed in rural areas.
He had three calls from the OPP to
remove dogs, one at a residence that
was the scene of a drug bust.
He had to remove six skunks fromTurnberry Central School, aftergetting permission from the schoolboard. From the behaviour of one of
the skunks Trick said he was sure it
was rabid.
Trick predicted a banner year for
coyote reproduction this spring.
“They’re in good condition so they
will have more pups,” he said.
Meanwhile, with the lighter snow
cover this winter making it hard for
the coyotes to run down deer, they
have been turning to other livestock,
he said.
Road repairs on
county’s agenda
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541 Turnberry St., Brussels
519-887-9114
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Inadequate fines frustrateanimal control officerBy Keith RoulstonThe Citizen
A decision by county council at
the March 5 meeting not to extend
the lease for the Jacob Memorial
Building to Epilepsy, Huron-Perth-
Bruce was not without opposition.
The organization’s five-year lease
expires June 30 and the county has
determined that the space is now
needed for its own purposes. They
have agreed to allow Epilepsy,
Huron-Perth-Bruce to remain rent-
free in the building for six months
until Dec. 31 to allow time for other
arrangments.
At committee of the whole a
recorded vote showed four opposed
and 13 in favour.
At county council, Huron East
councillor Joe Seili raised his
objections again, expressing concern
that the move might result in lost
jobs and the loss of an organization
in the area.
Councillor John Grace of
Goderich said he didn’t see the
organization moving out of the
county.
“Well, this is Huron, Bruce and
Perth. If you kicked me out and it
was up to me, I’d leave Huron.”
“Certainly it’s possible,” said
Grace, “but it’s not fair to assume
they’ll leave.”
County votes not to renew lease
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
Head.
Heart.
Hands.
Health.
Help Wanted.
Right now, 4-H needs volunteers to work with youth in
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where you are today.
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