HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1976-01-28, Page 1costume fatEfel§nittels Figure Skating Carnival, corn ing,u34 week from Saturday
on February 7: The theme of Ihid yearS :barnivar it.'a Valentine: Geeeting-cin ice.
(Photo by Langlois)
NoW•41bLOSTiLL...• . ar.loW.-• rib e ee
The Majestic Women's Insti-
tute are doing their- bit in aid of
the Heart Fund Campaign. You
can help by attending, the card
party they are having in the
BrUsSels Library on Monday,
February 2nd The proceed 'from
that event will do to the Heart
Fund. Enjoy a pleasant social
evening of cards and at the same
time do your bit fora Very worthy
fund;
**•
Arrangements tot that Minna
fun event, "Polar spon,
kited by the. total Lions CIMi are.
well under way: Sonid new items
have been added to the pfogratti
which includes Dog Sled Races,
ShowtriObile Poker Rally as well
as other favoured events' such tiS
Fall Fair
set for
September
At special meeting
unciFok's sewers
105th Year — Issue No. 4
WEDNESDAY., JANUARY 28, 1976
Members of the Brussels
Council decided unanimously to
Short Shots
by Evelyn Kennedy
Torchlite Parade, Polar Dip;
Thunder Mug Races, events at
the, arena, Dance, Sunday break-
fast and curling. Watch for full
particulars and plan not to miss
any of the fun and excitement.
*44**
Snow 'with high Winds; then
rain followed by temperature.
dropping, combined to play havoc
with road conditions throughout a
wide area in this part of Ontario.
Travelling Sunday night was
extremely hazardous when not
impossible. Many secondary
school students got 'yet another
unscheduled holiday on Monday
with P.E. Madill Secondary
School bus transportation can,
celled when travelling on roads
and highWaSy in the: area was
go ahead with the $3 million dollar sewage system for the village at a special council
meeting on Monday night.
Reeve Jack McCutcheon said it
would have been• easy to call a
plebiscite on the issue that more
than 300 ratepayers asked for a
petition to council. But, he said,
the majority of the taxpayers
depend on council to make these
kind of decisions.
He said he was concerned that
a delay of a couple of months
getting the sewers underway now
could set back the project five or
six years and the costs would be
much higher. Really sewers
should have gone in in 1965 when
they were first contemplated, he
said.
The reeve said he feels the
deciSion to go ahead with the
sewers is in the best interests of
Brussels.
One councillor wondered
Whether people were
knowledgeable enough about the
seWerproject. Other councillors
commented' that the December 2
OMB decision in favour of sewer's
`Woiltirined on Page 8)
settled and if there was any sense
tcarrying on the fight. The reeve
-replied that council could still
back down or decide to put the
question to a vote, even at this
point.
$3 million is quite a debt for a
village like Brussels where pay
rates are low and there, is little
industry, one person suggested.
Couldn't the sewers be done in
. stages of a quarater of a million
dollars, perhaps the main street
' and back a block first, it was
asked?
Reeve McCutcheon said the
• sewer program would cost a lot
more if it was done in stages and
added that it's not just part of the
town that needs sewers. Ministry
of the environment people
• testified at the OMB hearing that
significant ' pollution is coming
from all four corners of the
village.
Mel Jacklin said the sewers
would be an awful burden on
senior citizens. There should be a
vote and sewers would probably
be voted down, Mr. Jacklin said.
Councillor Harold Bridge said
they probably would be..
' A ratepayer asked who would
pay for the sewer system if only
25% of the population hooked
into it. According to village clerk
Bill King, council would have the
authority to pass a by-law
insisting that paople hook up and
health authorities would also
probably require hook ups. Every
property owner who has sewers
going past his land has to pay a
frontage and connection charge of
roughly $70 a' year whether they
hook in or not. Once hooked in,
the- sewage treatment :charge-. is
about $130- a year, in addition.
TenteW septic tanks' 44.Ve been
put into the village- owned mobile
home park, which is scheduled to
go on sewers, but clerk King said
the septic system at the. park is
really only temporary and
approval for it was given by -the
health unit with the under-
standing that sewers would be
replacing it soon.
Ian McDonald asked Reeve
McCtitcheon and • council
members if they didn't feel
obligated to give the people, who
elected them a vote when they ask
for it. Mr. McDonald said he
knew people who would volunteer
to run polling booths • for an
election on the sewers.
Reeve McCutcheon commented
that costs will go up if there is
more delay and Brussels could
lose its provincial subsidy.
The $3 million dollar tag is a
firm price for 1976, Reeve
McCutcheon told a questioner
who wondered if inflation would
put the price up still further.
The reeve explained that the
Ministry of the Environment
owns the sewage system and will
bill the village according to the
amount of sewage they treat. The
village will have to collect from
sewer users to pay this Ministry
bill- and clerk King said the $200 a
year per household should pay
the bill. -
Members of the citizens
committee which is asking for a
sewer vote asked councillors to
say whether or net they favpared
a vote. Councillor Bridge was the
only one who committed hiniself.
he said he wants to go ahead and
put sewers in.
What happens if you can't pay
your share of the sewer costs,
'someone asked., "DO they take
your property or what?"
Clerk King told the Post that he
isn't sure if sewer charges could
be applied to taxes or if civil
actiori .would have to be taken to
get payffietit.
$3 million is 'too much
Crowd knocks
sewer cost
September 21 and 22 were se t -ipoomionimm,
as the dates for this year's
Brussels Fall. Fair at the
Agricultural Society's annual
meeting Wednesday night. About
45 people braved bad weather to
attend the dinner meeting at St.,
John's Anglican church and-hear
Huron's ag rep Don Pullen speak.
Mr. Pullen praised the
agricultural society for their hard
work on the fair and in 4-H
activities. He had special thankS
(Continued on Page 8)
About 60 people showed tip for
ameeting ,,,on the proposed $3
million dollar sewer system in
Brussels on' one of the stormiest
nights of the winter' so far and
made it clear that the decision to
go ahead with sewers is not a
dead issue in BrusselS.
Brussels council approved a
sewage system for the village
last year. After about 15 letters
questioning the cost and need for
the system were received, the
Ontario Municipal Board
scheduled a hearing for the
village in December. After
testimony from objecting citizens
and health -and environment
officials, the OMB ruled that
dangerous and frightening
pollution from inadequate septic
tank systems in the village made
the sewers necessary and
over-ruled the objectors.
More than 300 Brussels rate-
payers signed a petition to council
asking for" a vote on whether or
not to proceed with the sewer
system, which would see the
average homeowner paying about
$200 a year for 40 years, for
connection, frontage and sewage
treatment charges.
Brussels Reeve Jack
McCutcheon called Wendesday
night's meeting to explain, the
need for the system. Spokesmen
from the Ministry of the
Environment were asked to
attend, but according to Brussels
clerk Bill King they felt that after
two public meetings and the OMB
hearings on the sewers, not much
new would -be discussed.
Most of those at Wednesday
night's meeting spoke against the
sewage system and favoured a
plebiscite, to ,deeide whether or
not. they couldbe
, One . ratepayer, Leonard
Lament asked 'Reeve' MCCuteheon
if the sewer question was all
considered too dangerous.
*****
The gremlins got into the
Brussels Post computerized
typesetting machineS • last Week.
Short shots should have read
90% not 20% of those
approached by some gentlemen
a petition opposing the
compulsory seat belt law, agreed
with the petition.
In another Short Shots item we
should have said that Murray
Bremner of Brussels shOuld get
credit for photos of etirling
Minters and a fire which were in a
recent issue of the- Post,
*-*
If an-yone desttes sign the
(Continued -Ott Paid 5)-