HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1997-10-08, Page 13Report 'distorts' true cost
of road management
o
pgae 1
evaporate.
Carnochan said the
report "distorts" the true
• cost of municipal road
management, and in that
sense, the savings of
Muntz's privatized systema
will not be there as indicat-
ed.
'Under the • current sys-
tem, the county, towns and
townships spend about
$20-inillion each year to
maintain the 2,833 kilome-
tres of road and 404
bridges in the county.
Muntz considered four
options of road manage-
ment for the county, three
of which offer potential
savings.
The first option would.
keep the road, system as it
is and allow the county and.
municipalities to manage
their own roads but would
result in.no savings.
The second option.
would have local munici-
palities" assume responsi-
bility for the county roads
within their municipality
and eliminate the county
road system. • This option,
according to .Muntz, would
save about $t -trillion by ee
eliminating 30 per cent of
the existing roads • equip-
ment layingoff the equiv-
alent of 21 full-time
employees and closing
half the township yards
The' third option would..
have the county assume
responsibility ,'for roads"
and eliminate the 'local
Municipal : road :systems.
Muntz estimated this
option would save $2.5 -
million .with deeper cut-
backs to staff and equip-
ment.
Less `graders' needed
A big part of the equip-
ment cutback would be a
reduction in the number of
county road graders.
i►R„.. frnt , a:r$ filo nn„*,ter hale
•. LL6atI ataat* tptt. L.�'.�•_aJ __.,,
a."high density" of graders
-- which • is good for local
industry .but not cost effec-
tive.
Rather than disposing
of old graders when new
ones are purchased, the '
'county has reportedly kept'
many graders for use dur-
ing peak winter periods.
Muntz said such a prac-
tice is dangerous. He did-
n't deny the need for extra
graders. during peak times,
but in his opinion, the
•extra graders should be
contracted on an as -needed
basis rather than owned by
the county.
He: said the county has
to consider how long it
wants to keep fixing its
dead horse.. "You're ,sit-
ting on a' (maintenance .
cost) time bomb with that
big stuff sitting around in
your yards.”
Contracting from ,the
;private sector was key to
savings available' from
Muntz's fourth option -- to
privatize the roads system;
'He said :' this option
would result in an estimat
-ed savings. of $3.8 -million
reducing' staff, equipment
and, facilities by :approxi
matel'y'half. •
Muntz noted that
although as many as 41 of
100 roads employee
`equivalencies' might be
laid off under privatize -
tion, those people will find
employment with the
roads servicing companies:,
thecounty will in turn hire.
Muntz acknowledged
the. L,„rement.. t.,IIL, 14o. t,,,/ .
• •.ullaeala LYVV-1.14l
tem usedby the county and
the townships serves the
special needs of Huron
Cowaty roads at a cost
belowthe provincial aver=,
age, but he added council
should ' .consider the
"potential of privatiza-
tion.
He recommended • a
Huron Road Service
Corporation be formed. •
• The corporation would.
be a partnership between
individual municipalities
and a private road service
contractor.
The such a corporation,
said Muntz,` is a middle
ground between total, pri-
vatization and the current
system which . "steam
rolls" creativity He said
the input of a private con-
tractor would introduce'
"dynamics" • into thecoun
ty roads system .to better: •
serve the needs of the mar-
ketplace. •
The council' decided to
send ,the roads study report
to local councils arid. the
Road': Superintendent's
association for further,
comment before a recom-
mendationis brought back
to county
Ltaa'kno u Oei'blWir 03; idv i. 0 Page h
LISA IS A
A :leader in her community, an inspiration
to everyone she meets -- Lisa is a start
For the past seven years Lisa has given her
time, energy and spirit supporting the Easter
Seal cause. Last year she was recognized as an
Ontario Junior Citizen, and honoured by the
Ontario Community Wpw..nanvrs Ascnriafinn
and the Lt. Governor of Ontario.
We know there are stars in our community too.
If you know a young person, aged 6 to 18, who
is involved in worthwhile community service, a
special person who is contributing while living
with a limitation, or a youth who has performer'
an act of heroism, help us make them stars in
Toronto next spring.'
Nominations will be accepted until
October 31,1997. Contact this newspaper
or the OCNA at 905-639-8720, Loc 230.
JUONTARIOO
__JUNIOTOCITIZEN
C111Z6N
OF
YEAR
STAR
The four area schools were presented, with Remembrance. Day kits com-
pliments of the Lucknow Legion, ,Branch 309.: Included in the kits are
'five videos, produced by the National. Film Board of Canada; the Canada
Remembers ` book, and a teachers'; guide: "Canada's Coming of Age.
193945". Accepting the kits were Laurence Uyl, Lucknow Christian
School; Joan Duckitt St, Joseph's; and Tim Burkett, 'Lucknow- Central.
d Pyette'(second from right) Branch 309 president made the presenta-
tion last week.: Brookside School willalso receive the kit.' (Livingston
nt'/If r+1'
M.y name is the .beginn.in'g' of „ply story,
i'hromlli'the 1'N tintvenion do the «iifhtc o1 the ('hild, l/Nfl `E'! i
; `' •'' tYt)r/.'/ill to 1101.1 it/l't' Ito child A dt It11'd their right to 04, .ltorat to a
UOicee Hank and rt nationalitg. Motu., i;ive rt'htn Ctt11.See the 'range box
FAZPItiltand'tiln P"N11 1 I- <i,idt and .gilt:,. 1.t't Ike sterid negro.
unicef4i
."I
m4.1 N.nmo. ( Lddan • 1and
Families Can. use their
newspaper to read together,
think together, talk together.,
What a marvelous family
togetherness tool
.Herare some practical tips to
help improve:your child's reading
skills:
Read the newspaper to your
child regularly
•Talk about. what you're reading
• Read the .newspaper together.
•Let children' choose What they
want to read
' * Encourage your child to read a
newspaper every day: •
The LuC
IT.AtL STARTS WITH...NEWSPAP'ERS
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