The Citizen, 2007-03-29, Page 21Delaying the inevitable is onlygoing to cause problems in thefuture. That was the consensus of North
Huron councillors March 19 when
they discussed the reaction of
Morris-Turnberry and Howick
councils to the Wingham fire board
budget.
Deputy-reeve Murray Scott said
that while the purchase of a pumper
in 2008 had received support two
years ago, it seemed that the other
councils now felt it should be
delayed a year.
Also up for discussion at the board
meeting, he said, was the purchase
of a pickup. “The chief brought back
quotes that were somewhat better
than expected.”
There was also discussion about a
contingency fund that added to what
was already a confusing meeting,
according to Scott. “Afterconsiderable discussion the boardonce again, though I stand to becorrected on this, approved thebudget with the $15,000 emergencycontingency fund removed (fromoperating) and $11,000 thrown
directly into capital. And I have
some idea that a pickup is being
purchased.”
This item had actually not been in
the original budget.
Councillor Archie MacGowan,
who sits on the board with Scott,
expressed his frustration as well. “I
think this is a really poor way to run
the board. A motion was on the book
for two years that a pumper be
purchased for 2008. And if I
remember correctly, the Morris-
Turnberry representative at that time
was adamant that it be stuck to, then
it’s a complete reversal.”
MacGowan added that there were
going to be three major capital
purchases necessary in the next few
years. “When I explained (to theboard) that there was more to bepurchased and asked how we couldhandle that then, but not now, well,they didn’t know.”MacGowan said he also asked howthey were planning on covering the
capital expenditures coming up for
the Blyth department, which include
a new fire hall, projected for 2010 at
an estimated cost of $500,000.
MacGowan agreed that the capital
costs for the fire departments are
“painful items to have to swallow,
but if my house is on fire I like to
ensure the pumper works.”
Reeve Neil Vincent said it was
foolhardy not to go ahead with a
decision made two years ago, if it
means “jamming” a number of
capital assets into one year.
According to Scott, reports that
the budget was 52 per cent more
than last year were a little
misleading in that operating costs
are on par with last year. The
expenses are safety equipment itemsdue for replacement. “And as far as the pumper goes,it’s been in the plan for a long time.”Councillor James Campbell saidpeople had asked him why the Blyth
truck was so much less than the one
for the Wingham department. “We
had to explain that that one was a
tanker, not a pumper. And (Blyth’s)
chief said that price was not out of
line.”
Councillor Murray Nesbitt
wondered whether the vote was by
representative or by population.MacGowan said it is the former.“However, you bring up a good pointbeing as (North Huron) carry about50 per cent of the costs on any item.”For now though it looks as if the
pumper won’t be arriving as
planned. “There has been no official
resolution, but the two other councils
said they don’t want to see it in
2007,” said Scott.
(See Morris-Turnberry council
decision of March 20 in story on this
page.)
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2007. PAGE 21.
Morris-Turnberry councillors
turned down the proposed budget for
the Wingham Fire Board at their
March 20 meeting, then approved a
reduced amount.
In a recorded vote, councillors
turned down a $290,700 budget
that included money for a new
pickup truck for fire chief Harley
Gaunt.
Voting in favour of the budget
were councillors Lynn Hoy, Edna
McLellan and Mark Beaven. Voting
against were mayor Dorothy Kelly,
deputy-mayor Jim Nelemans and
councillor Paul Gowing.
Hoy, who sits on the fire board,
argued in support of the new truck.
“It was unanimously voted (by the
board) in 2006 not to spend money
on repairs to the truck but to buy a
new truck in 2007,” said Hoy.
A possible solution was for
Morris-Turnberry’s representatives
to resign from the fire board and the
municipality purchase coverage in
the same way it will purchase
coverage from Brussels.
“I would approve (the budget)
without the pickup,” said mayor
Kelly.
That brought about a new vote on
the budget without inclusion of the
pickup truck. That motion passed
unanimously.
Meanwhile councillors agreed
they would honour their
commitment to pay for a portion of a
new pumper truck for the Wingham
department which will be ordered
this year for delivery in 2008, even
though rearranging of fire
boundaries would reduce the amount
of coverage Wingham provides to
Morris-Turnberry.
Decisions at fire board frustrate NH councillors
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By Bonnie GroppThe Citizen
Canadian Cancer Society
volunteers will be busy delivering
and selling bright, yellow daffodils
across Huron and Perth Counties
this coming weekend.
Daffodil Days take place from
Thursday, March 29 to Saturday,
March 31 at over 50 outlets in the
two counties.
Daffodils are $6 a bunch or $10
for two bunches. “Money raised
from the sale of daffodils allows the
Canadian Cancer Society to
continue to fund leading-edge
research to fight breast, colorectal,
lung, ovarian and every other type of
cancer”, says Janis Cunningham,
unit manager for the Huron Perth
Unit. “It also supports advocacy for
healthy policies that protect the
public, education on risk reduction
and services for those coping with
cancer, such as one-to-one support
and rides to cancer-related
appointments.”
Daffodil Days kick-off the
Canadian Cancer Society’s Daffodil
Month, where more than 40,000
volunteers across Ontario join
together to sell daffodils and canvass
door-to-door in April.
The Canadian Cancer Society is a
national community-based
organization of volunteers whose
mission is to eradicate cancer and to
enhance the quality of life of people
living with cancer. When you want
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Buy daffodils this weekend