Loading...
The Lucknow Sentinel, 1997-02-12, Page 3Sliow us your moves! moss counci: ajor concern *from page I "'ire exercise is to weigh the data and see if we want to- proceed with ainalgamation," interjected Mowbray. "The team is to' gather data through • our staff,. put it -together in a forni'that a committee on look at and see if there is at positive side to amalgama- tion." Both Wolfe and Mowbray Have major con- cerns how'. amalgamation will shake down Qver the :years, Wolfe saidhe could see • problems "'down the, road .whets it' wouldn't be a harmonious relationship, Also brought to the table lastweek were five: recortcnteridations from the amalgamation coordina- tion tearn, who continueto• research • information: and bring suggestions :to the meetings;, even though the Terms of Reference, under. which they are' appointed -to: the team; have not been approved . 1, The ' name for the. 'th.aybe' new. muncipalilty - The. Municipality of the Township • of . LucknowlKinloss. 2. Lucknow' and Xinloss beconsidered as wards' within a new municipality, • with the- reeve elected' at large;'and three councillors frim each of tiinloss and . Lucknow. After.. The 'first terra,' :consideration couid be given to reducing, the •: number • el'ected from each -ward to two. 3 Axnalgamation date. Jan 1,' 199$, with elections in .November 1997",for the • new -Municipality, and the edsting councils tocontiw- ue through the month of Dezember 1997. 4. The new council would ,be considered as. the Lucknow ' Hydro - Commission. Tw:o separate mill rates. for the village and rural, and. , .reserves .: to be kept separate and be spent on. special areas where raised. Mowbray 'admitted that. a ward system might have: merit, "but it also has pit- • falls, he said. W"hen the two councils reviewed a milk rate com- parison between the ' turro Municipalities and a com- bined estimate om-bined'estimate for an amal gamated . municipality,, Wolfe questioned any sav- ings shown. He said the • sav n s has to he consider- able in order . for . amalga- uiation'• to be worth' the effort - "The;.sort of analyses on the table to this point lead :me to believe there is still a lot of work to do. When I go to. the pubi'ic, I want to know I've checked it out," said Wolfe. , ;• Reavie urged Wolfe to Keep an open mind. ` If we , don't have' some positives, we're wasting our time." Lucknow councillor Rick McMurray pointed out that the two nnunicipal ities already share expens- es'iii,several areas. .• Wolfe agreed that they were sharing: at ,' "high, lova ."'Why would .we not.. :.just share adminstration, in •cane office," he questioned. When reminded .of the ingham. Hospital neve .° cutve, action committees to meet. by Margaret Stapleton The executive committee of the board of governors. at. Wingham and District Hospital and members of the local action -con mittee,`formed to save the hospital; will meet in the near future to come up`with a.cernmon strategy for . the next phase of hospital restructuring, . The motion that the two groups meet came about after considerable debate at, the February hospital. board' meet- ing, .a debate which revolved around the issue of jitst who does speak for the hospital. The action committee was formed late last year after the Huron -Perth ..District Health Council's task all released' three options on hospital restructuring, all of which would have •lirnited the role of the' Wingham hos- pital. The action committee was comprised of interested local citizens .with Verna Steffler,, hospital board nteni• b er, its chairman. Tbe action committee developed its owu: option for hospital restructuring and presented -it at a series of six public meetings prior t� the DISC open house Dec. 12 in Wingham. Once the task force revealedits preferred' option for hospital restructuring a plan which would !tur ► to; page 8 bounce climb flex fly flow gf ide sera{ tum fedP p Pitch propel push roll rue swing toss tumble twist walk Ysahtsg a r'ea¢hi Tutu 4/0r1; cors directive from Al Leach°,. Minister of Municipal Affairs . and Housing regarding councils taking a serious look at restructur- ing, Wolfe responded,, that it wasn't necessary to take a "knee jerk reaction to Toronto's sayings. "We have,an:opportuni- ty to shape our destiny and we should take our time," said Wolfe. ' m "Yes and WE should shape it," said Kiiiloss councillor. Gerald . Doelmman,. "not the provin- cial -government" The 10 councillors eventually • agreed that sharing administration ser- vices would be the way to start,, although there were some reservations: "It is the way to start, although I don't think you get a true picture," said Lucknow's Tom. Pegg. Those who have ques- tions pr concerns, addi- tions or deletions'. regard- ing the Terms of Reference and other reports were to submit -them in writing to the coordination 'team. by , Feb. 17 so they can be answered at the next meet' ing. The team was. also asked. to fine tune some areason the cost analysis. Eoth councils plan to hold,public stings they know exactly :how, things would unfold with complete •amalgamation.. arduous one•and it remains to be. seen if a -.target .date. ` of .January 1998 is realis, • • The. process .will be an LtleknoliV Sentinel, Wednesday, February 12, I -Page 'nage news pe ge you genea by Vat;Uvingston Effective March 1, .Lucknow resi- dents will be charged on a user -pay basis. for every bag of garbage they ,generate. The cost - $1:25 for every bag put at the ;curb.' Cuts to transfer money from the `provincial government aree affecting every municipality. Lucknow is , no dif•-, -ferent. The village's transfer payment 'was cut by 9 per cent, or $20,112, in j.1997. , • These were •sortie of the facts present ed by Greg' Archibald, the general man- ager- of R'ruce Area Solid Waste :Recycling Association, and Councillor Rick. McMurray,.Ivhen 'they met with members of the local Chamber, of Commerce last week. Loss of funding can be handled in three ways; maintain existing services and raise taxes; reduce services and hold taxes; or-tnaintair services with -the -least impact on Luckpow's ratepayers. Council, chose the latter and so the bag •tagsystem will be put in place. In 1996,. it cost approximately $20,:000' to collect and $1o,U00 to.dispose of the village'sgarbage. That works out to about 14 per cent of the.. tax dollars Lucknow . had for illage services. • Lucknow pay's forevery ton of waste it -leaves, -at -the -Mid -Huron Landfill site. The less waste Lucknow deposits at the landfill site, the' more money the ;village will save. The thedry is that reducing 'the amount of 'waste sent t� .the :landfill is a good opportunity tc decrease costs with— out ithout decreasing services:.. Lucknow is the last municipality using Mid -Huron to go to a ..user -pay system. .Experience shows that user -pay communities reduced . the amount of landfill waste by 3G to 50 per cent. In other words, when the person generating the waste . pays out of their own pocket,., they find` ways to reduce their waste. Recyling and'coniposting play a large rale in :the solutionto the cost of landfill. A .user -pay system is also more fair, said' Archibald, .Currently, ratepayers are assessed on the value of their home. People with larger homes pay more, The.example he used was that a hoine assessed- at $100,000' recycles and coml.-- posts. oma-posts. It only produces one bag of. garbage peer week. Another home' assessed at $50,000'' does not recycle or compost and: produces four bags per • week.. • The person with thelarger home pays. twice as touch for garbage disposal: yet disposes of 75 per cent less garbage, thus subsidizing the smaller home, • The „village will continue to offer col- lection of yard waste during the summer :months, a large garbage pick-up (i.e. fridge; etc.) once per year, and blue box recycling. Businesses- who have concerns regarding the impact of the user -pay sys-' tern are welcome to calk Archibald at 1- $00-794-9770. He: ,will consult with you to come up with some ideas on, how to reduce your waste orr reduce your at curb Fullinforination•.on the; implementa: tion of the. program will: ibe ,nxaled,,too, each household in Lucitnow." Five free bag tags will` be included SOMEONE A. SECOND CHANCE. �'. • IIiscus5 oiigandonation ,w><>Gh your family and sign a donor yard t; os.y. TM KIDNEY FOUNDATION OF CANAIpA, !:ROSES *CUT: ,� O POTTED RASES • ILANTS •ARRA GEME !TS •GIFTS r a OWE 576 Cal atibef Street',. Luicknow (519) 528-3331:2