HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-03-14, Page 1Huron County proposes budget increase of 4.99%
Huron County Council will meet
this afternoon (Wednesday) to
consider a proposed budget that
will increase the mill rate 4.99 per
cent.
VOL. 6 NO. 11 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1990.50 CENTS
Smoked out
Several Blyth firemen were clouded by smoke on Thursday while
trying to control a chimney fire at Murray McCall’s house on Lot
34, Concession 12 in McKillop Township near Walton. Ivan
Shannon and his family were residing in the house which is now
unliveable due to extensive damage to the roof and attic and
destructive water damage to the second storey.
Spreading chimney fire damages McKillop home
BY LISA BOONSTOPPEL
A chimney fire that burned out of
control Thursday afternoon has left
a family with use of only the ground
floor at their house at Lot 34,
Concession 12 in McKillop Town
ship.
“The house isn’t liveable,” said
Paul Josling, Blyth fire chief. He
estimated the damage to be as
much as $25,000. The family of
Ivan Shannon, his wife and two
children were living at the house
which is owned by Murray McCall.
The budget calls for expendi
tures of $23,344,894 an actual
increase in expenses of 7.1 per cent
but growth in local assessment in
the county means the net impact on
Yet, though there is extensive
damage, Mr. Shannon is presently
living in the house which has been
his home since birth. “He doesn’t
want to leave his home,” said
Bonnie Shannon, Mr. Shannon’s
daughter-in-law. She said he is
using the woodstove not affected
by the fire (the fire started in the
woodstove in another room when
the pipes overheated and caused
the fire) to try and dry the house.
The rest of the family members are
residential property is 4.99 per
cent.
Pay equity is one of the areas
driving up costs as the county
brought in a plan to bring wages up
residing with relatives.
Extensive damage resulted from
the water needed to douse the fire.
“The roof and the attic are all
burned and the upstairs was ruined
by water. The water took all the
plaster off the ceiling,” said Chief
Josling.
Blyth firemen were using a
piercing nozzle to help combat the
blaze and firemen were iu-
ously thrusting the nozzle (which
sprays water out the end) through
to standard in the various depart
ments. The county will also put
another million dollars away for the
Huronview project this year, up
$106,250 from the reserve fund set
the roof to dampen the blaze in the
attic. Two loads of water were
used, one of them being from the
Seaforth department which Blyth
called for assistance. The firemen
were able to save the rest of the
house.
It was neighbours who called the
fire department when smoke was
seen coming through the roof.
Chief Josling estimated that the
fire had been burning in the attic
for a half an hour before any smoke
or flames were visible.
aside last year.
In Social Services, a 20 per cent
increase in the shelter allowance
and a six per cent increase in basic
social assistance plus salary in
creases of about 11 per cent, due
partly to pay equity, has increased
the budget by 7.1 per cent, but the
county’s share increases only 4.6
per cent.
The Huron County Museum
budget jumps by 38 per cent, much
of that is because the salary of the
director comes out of the operating
budget for the first time instead of
the budget for the expansion of the
museum as in past years. The
museum also expects additional
revenues because of increased
attendance.
As Huronview reduces its resi
dent population in preparation for
the future move to two smaller
homes in Clinton and Brussels, a
reduction in the number of patient
days will decrease the amount of
revenue to the home. Still, fixed
costs remain the same meaning the
home is expected to cost an
additional 23.6 per cent to operate.
Plumbing and environment costs
under the Health Unit budget will
increase 36.8 with new staff hired
to clear up a backlog in inspections.
Overall, expenses are expected
to increase $417,373 in 1990 over
1989.
County council will debate the
budget and if it is approved, will be
in a position by the end of the
month to let each municipality
know what levy it will pay in the
coming year.
Grey Owl
closes doors
After three years in business
Grey Owl Enterprises in Brussels is
closing its doors, and an auction
will be held this Saturday to sell the
equipment.
According to Hank Ten Pas, who
with partner Doug Bertrand, inves
ted their own money into the
business when they began, the
time had come for the pair to give
serious consideration to whether or
not they could afford to keep the
giftware packaging operation going
any longer.
“Our first priority was to keep
the place going rather than shut the
doors,” Mr. Ten Pas said, “and for
the last little while we have been
toying around with the idea of some
people buying us out.” But, he
went on to explain that due to lack
of financial backing that didn’t
work out so he and his partner had
to make a decision. “We started
with nothing, no grants or loans
and really gave it a try, but we
couldn’t keep going forever waiting
for someone to buy it. And our
lease was running out - we had
taken two 18-month leases that
ended in January - we knew we had
to make a choice.”
Mr. Ten Pas says that when he
and Mr. Bertrand, who is from
Elmira and commuted everyday to
Grey Owl, began the business they
felt, and still do, that Brussels was
an ideal location and that it would
take them a while to get the
business going. “Our rent was
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