HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-03-16, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1988.
Future capital needs worry councillors
Continued from page 1
Pioneer Thresher Reunion that
makes use of the arena. Councillor
Bill Manning of Blyth acknowledg
ed there was likely some spinoff
from the thousands of people who
come to Blyth, some for several
days, but pointed out that Blyth
works department crew works for
nearly a week helping set up the
event. Councillor Howson pointed
out that the entire rental fee from
the Threshers Association goes to
the community centre board but
that Blyth picks up the costs of such
things as the hydro used for
campers.
Reeve Fraser said that if Blyth
wasn’t prepared to budget on
lcreasing its share of the costs,
vforris was prepared to sign the
agreement.
Hullett's Councillor Bob Szusz
asked Reeve Fraser what would
happen if Morris signed the
greement supporting the arena at
i cost of $4,000 as the budget
shows this year but next year the
budget increased and Morris’ 18
per cent share jumped to $6,500.
Would Morris still be in the
agreement or would it be another
case like the Brussels, Morris and
Grey agreement, he asked, referr
ing to accusations by Brussels
Councillors in last week’s Citizen
that Morris had renegged on its
agreement to pay $4,000 to the
BMGarenain 1987. Ared-faced
Reeve Fraser said you can’t always
believe what you read in the paper
(see additional story on page 2).
Ron Gross, Hullett Councillor
said the 1988 budget for the
community centre was just a
caretaker budget and there needs
to be more budgeted in 1989 for
maintenance compared to the
$ 12,000 in the 1988 budget. The
cost to municipalities was bound to
increase, he said. But Morris
Councillor Howie Morton dis
agreed, saying that if rental fees
were a little more equitable there
might be more money raised to
offset higher maintenance costs.
Frank Szusz, chairman of the
Community Centre Board pointed
out that maintenance costs had
been higher last year than normal
and that new arena manager Dave
Cook had said he could live with the
$12,000 budget for maintenance.
Councillor Howson said that Mr.
Cook had been trying to get
different community groups to
help pay for some special mainten
ance problems in the building such
as the replacement of dressing
room floors. “If we can get that
happening it certainly will help,”
he said.
Melanie McLaughlin, represen
tative of the Ministry of Tourism
and Recreation said that some
things such as replacing those
floors might be eligible for grants
under the province’s Capital Con
servation program. She suggested
the community centre board stay in
close contact with her to find out if
grants for various projects are
available.
After concern was expressed by
some representatives about future
capital needs such as the replace
ment of the condenser and the
compressor on the ice-making
plant Ms. McLaughlin said that
capital costs were not part of the
agreementbeingconsidered. It
was important to sign the agree
ment for support of operational
costs, she said, but it was also
important that a five-year forecast
of capital costs should be under-
taken. The arena had aging
equipment, she said (the compres
sor and condenser are 22 years old)
and even the building is 10 years
old and other centres have had
major problems with 10 year old
buildings. Capital expenses, how
ever, were part of a separate
negotiation, she said.
Councillor Gross said that he
was concerned about the replac-
ment of the condenser, pointing
out that a grant for up to one-third
of the replacement cost had been
approved but had to be used this
year or lost. He felt the councils
present should be setting aside
one-third of the replacement costs
between them and anotherone-
third should be raised through
donations and the job should be
done this year before the grant was
lost.
Councillor Howson said that a
reserve fund for major repairs was
now in place with the Blyth
Broomball League holding a 50-50
draw to raise money and also
making a donation. It wasn’t a
huge amount of money yet, he said,
but there was a start. Councillor
Szusz said it would be nice if a
group would take on the project of
replacing the condenser as the
Blyth Legion Ladies Auxiliary had
taken on the project of raising
money to install the lift.
After an hour and a half of
discussion the meeting broke up so
that East Wawanosh and Hullett
councils could consider their posi-
McKillop lets gravel contract
Walton
Compiled b\ Mrs. Betts McCall. Phone 887-6677
UCW studies Easter
The Easter Horizon was the
themefcr the March meeting of
Walton unit of the U.C.W. held in
the Duff’s Church basement Wed
nesday evening.
The worship service was opened
by Edith Wey. The scripture was
read by Annie Reid. Edith read the
Easter Horizon followed by prayer.
Hymns were sung with Doreen
Hackwell as pianist. Offering was
received and dedicated.
About
The “topic” on the Easter story
was given by Leona McDonald,
reading “Listen to the Easter
Chimes.’’ Business was led by
Marie McGavin assisted by Au
drey Hackwell. Coming events
were announced. Names were
drawn for eight people to take fruit
loaves to the Easter Thankoffering
April 10. Easter Lilies are to be
purchased for Easter.
Marie closed with a poem, “Safe
for today”, followed by a half hour
fellowship when lunch was served
by Berva Watson, Maxine Marks,
and Elva Bolger.
A total bid of $85,700 from
Donegan’s Haulage Ltd. of Lis-
towel was the lowest of four
tenders submitted to crush, haul,
spread and stockpile gravel for
McKillop Township in 1988, and
was the one that was accepted by
council at its March 1 meeting.
Broken down, the contract pro
vides for Donegan’s to crush, haul
and spread 28,000 Imperial tons of
gravel at a unit price of $2.90, and
to crush and stockpile 3,000 cubic
yards at $1.50 per unit. The other
tenders submitted were from Geo.
Radford Construction Ltd. of Blyth
for $91,300; Machan Construction
Ltd. of Monkton for $96,430; and
from Jennison Construction Ltd. of
Grand Bend for $97,720.
At the same meeting, council
gave its consent to two land
severances of 100 acres each, with
the land to be used for agricultural
purposes; the first being Lot 8,
Concession 5, owned by James F.
Maloney, and the second being Lot
33, Concession 3, owned by Cor
and Catherine DeCorte. Council
also approved a tile drainage loan
application in the amount of
$13,500 for Gerald and Anne Ryan,
for work on the north parts of Lot 28
and 29, Concession 13.
Engineer William Dietrich at
tended the meeting to explain the
options for crossings for the Reid,
Buchanan, Smillie, McCallum-
Winthrop and Winthrop-South
municipal drains, and will be
contacting the ratepayers concern
ed on the same matter. Engineer
William Kelley was also in atten
dance to present council with a
progress report on his firm’s
contract for renovations to the
McKillop Twp. garage, and to
discuss the allowances and addi
tions requested on the plan.
In response to a letter from the
Walton Women’s Institute regard-
ing the recycling of garbage,
council noted that it will be
attending a meeting with Grey
Twp. council later this month to
discuss the implementation of such
a program.
PALMER SEEDS
people
Several people from this com
munity attended the pig-tail, rib
and sauerkraut dinner at the
Brussels Legion Saturday evening.
Allan and Alice Searle have
arrived home from a holiday in
Florida.
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Humphries,
London spent the weekend at the
home of his mother, Mary Hum
phries.
Winter is back with us this week
so the children home for the winter
break will have more time for their
winter sports.
Walton Wl
plans meeting
The Walton Women’s Institute
Marchmeeting on Canadian In
dustries will be held in the hall this ■
Wednesday evening. The noon
luncheon at noon will feature Irish
Stew. Come early as it begins at
11:30. Thursday evening will be
another euchre party.
tion as to whether to support the
agreement. On reconvening Hul
lett Reeve Tom Cunningham said
his council had some reservations
about the tight budget for the arena
this year and worry about the need
to budget more money to mainten
ance but it would support the joint
agreement.
Ernie Snell, reeve of East
Wawanosh, said he would find it
hardtoexplaintoBelgrave area
residents that they should support
the Blyth arena costs through their
taxes when they had used so much
volunteer labour to complete re
novations to the Belgrave arena in
1986 but his council would also
support the agreement.
Councillor Howson thanked
everyone for attending saying the
arena board was aware it had a
responsibility to the municipal
councils to run the complex well.
He said the board was very aware it
had a sparce budget for 1988 but
that hopefully if more local groups
become involved the needed pro
jects can be undertaken without
having to depend more on tax
money.
KING BRAND SEEDS
I am pleased to announce that we are now handling the many
varieties of soybeans and small grains of King Agro.
SOYBEANS H.U.GRAINS
KG30 2600 Helena 2 row
OAC Bicentennial 2600 Micmac 2 row
Maple Arrow 2600 Joly 6 row
OAC Libra 2650 Leger 6 row
KG 60 2700 Donald & Ogle oats
OAC Aries 2750 Mixed grains
Maple Donovan 2750
Len and Chris Palmer
R.R.#5, Wingham
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