The Citizen, 2008-11-20, Page 26PAGE 26. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2008.
County councillors received a
sneak peek of the new history books,
Donnelly on Huron and More On
Huron at the Nov. 3 meeting.
Justice James Donnelly and co-
author Gordon Hill were present to
talk about the project and autograph
copies.
The official public launch was at
the Huron County Museum on Nov.
17.
***
The new health unit director,
Omid Pour-ahmadi, MPH, RPC,
began his duties Nov. 3.
Information outlined to council
stated that Pour-ahmadi holds a
Master of Public Health degree from
John Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Public Health. He has focused most
of his work for more than 10 years
on family health, children and adult
mental health and child welfare
through research, health promotion,
health education and public health
policy.
The report noted that Pour-
ahmadi’s most recent contribution
has been related to the development
of a new children’s mental health
model and assessment scale. This
program has been implemented for
more than two years at the
Children’s Aid Society with “very
promising and positive results.”
Through this program, the report
continued, many families have been
able to regain their function, develop
healthy relationship and meet the
needs of their families to build a
healthy family unit.
***
Council approved a
recommendation from the planning,
agriculture and public works
committee denying an application
for severance on a property in South
Huron.
The purpose was for the creation
of a new lot under the municipality’s
surplus policies. The lands, located
on Part Lot 22, Conc. 14 in the
Stephen ward, contain an existing
single family residence and shed on
approximately two acres.
Approximately 48 acres of vacant
land would be retained.
The committee felt that the
severance did not conform with
South Huron’s official plan.
***
An application for a lot line
adjustment on Front Concession in
Ashfield, to reflect zoning and to
reduce previously severed land was
approved. Approximately 7.2 acres
will be severed, with 4.7 acres
retained to be merged with the
abutting farm.
***
Council received a report on the
the Nutritious Food Basket from
supervisor Cherie Dolmage.
The survey is a tool to measure the
cost of eating healthy within the
board of health region.
A Nutritious Food Basket consists
of 66 items including fresh, canned
and frozen fruit, vegetables, meat
and fish; breads, cereals, rice,
noodles, cookies and crackers; milk,
cheese and yogurt. It does not
include processed food, snack food
or non-food items such as dish
detergent, toiletries or personal
hygiene items.
Six stores were surveyed in May
and June.
The cost varies based on age,
gender, pregnancy and lactation. A
reference family of four, man and
woman between the ages of 25-49,
boy aged 13-15 and girl aged seven
to nine, is used for annual
comparisons within health regions.
This year, the cost of healthy
eating for this family was $138.57, a
1.1 per cent increase over last year
and a 22.7 per cent increase since
1999 when the survey was first
utilized in Huron County.
The report noted that for low
income families there may not
always be enough money to
purchase healthy food choices.
Programs such as the Good Food
Box assist families with this.
***
The 911 policies and procedures
have been deferred so that more
information can be received
regarding several issues. These
include, property and intersection
identification, signs and blades sign
design, ordering of property blades,
road naming and establishing road
names.
***
A report on the Good Food Box
was presented by treasurer David
Carey.
The revenues come from box sales
at $15 per box and Take Heart Huron
funding of $4,000 per year, which is
100 per cent funded by the Ministry
of Health.
The county’s contribution to the
program are in-kind costs such as a
portion of a staff salary. Because the
program fits the Ministry’s
mandatory program entitled Chronic
Disease Prevention, the health unit is
able to recoup 75 per cent of these
costs.
The report summary noted that the
first nine months of 2008 saw the
total program run at a small surplus
of $800.34. The impact to the county
is a small deficit of $105.62.
***
A mid-study progress report
showing an energy audit for
Huronview, Health and Library
Complex and the Jacob Memorial
Building was presented. Included in
the study was also a conservation
strategy for energy management, a
meteorological test tower for wind
analysis, environmental scan and the
feasibility of a wind generator.
This project receives 50 per cent
funding from the Federation of
Municipalities Green Municipal
Fund. The study is guided by a
county steering committee.
***
Council endorsed the facility
audits report and recommendations.
An audit was conducted on five
county facilities, the courthouse, the
health unit, the museum, the Jacob
Memorial Building and the land
registry office.
Many of the recommendations can
be tied into existing projects. Some
building deficiences are as a result of
older building features that met
earlier barrier-free standards but are
now in need of repair. Others are a
result of changing legislation and
need to be addressed in the short
term in order to be able to provide
access to services for all county
residents.
It was noted that a complaint had
been received from a resident
regarding the entrances to the land
registry office, neither of which is
barrier free. A recommendation was
made to create at least one
accessible entrance.
Also during the audit, service
delivery options were considered.
The accessible service at the land
registry office is delivered at a kiosk
located close to the side entrance. It
is recommended that this entrance
be made barrier free.
***
The base bid submitted by Smith
Peat Roofing and Sheet Metal Ltd.
for the total price of $299,069 plus
GST for the replacement of the the
court house roof was endorsed.
***
An executive assistant will be
hired for the warden and chief
administrative officer.
A Turnberry Ward couple leftMorris-Turnberry council angry,Nov. 4, after council refused their
request to allow a modular home as
a second residence on their farm.
David and Lynne Magee had
appeared at the Oct. 7 meeting of
council to request a second
residence on their farm for their
daughter and son-in-law and their
family, who were required to help
with the heavy workload on the
horse farm.
The issue was not whether the
house would be allowed, but what
kind of structure it would be. The
official plan in Turnberry allows for
only a single-wide mobile home.
Morris Ward’s official plan allows a
double-wide mobile home.
The Magees asked to be allowed
to use a modular home instead,
arguing that it was also mobile andcould be removed when no longerneeded just as a mobile home could.Further, they asked to be able tobuild their own modular home onsite.After a month to consult and think
over the request, councillors decided
they would allow a double-wide
mobile home but not a modular
home.
“Whatever we do we will have to
do for everyone,” said councillor
Bill Thompson.
Deputy-mayor Jim Nelemans
explained that the provisions for a
second home on a farm are meant to
be for a temporary structure.
Opening the door for modular
homes might bring problems in
future if others take advantage of the
situation, he said.
“I’m afraid it would never be
moved if it needed a crane to move
it,” he said.
Lynne Magee argued that adouble-wide would cost more in thefirst place and will depreciate faster.“We don’t want to be stuck with abuilding that’s not worth moving.”When mayor Dorothy Kelly saidcouncil didn’t want to allow a
building that was hard to move
because others might take advantage
of that, Magee wondered why that
would be a problem. “It would help
keep families working together.”
David Magee argued that if
mobility was the question, they
could build their house with wheels
under it and it would be just as
mobile as a mobile home.
But Chief building official Steve
Fortier explained that the kind of
Canadians Standards Association
sticker on the house determined
whether it was a “mobile” home or a
modular home.
Councillors passed a motion that
would allow a double-wide but not a
modular home. Lynne Magee reacted angrily asshe left, thanking councillors for having her family “living in a bloodytin can”.
County council briefs
History book gets preview
Morris-Turnberry turns down couple’s request
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Christmas baking
There was a nice assortment of baking on offer at St.
John’s Anglican Church’s bazaar and sale on Saturday in
Brussels. Betty Gowing, left, and Gladys Van Camp tended
to the table. (Vicky Bremner photo)
By Keith RoulstonThe Citizen
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