HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-11-04, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4,1992. A TONY MCQUAIL Council agrees to keep truck 2 ROSS HEMINGWAY area men throw hat in Huron-Bruce NDP ring Two area farmers are vying to represent the Huron-Bruce New Democrats at their Nov. 12 nominating meeting in the Lucknow Town hall. Brussels-area farmer, Ross Hemingway, was bom and raised in Huron County and graduated from Seaforth District High School. He took over the family farm in 1978 and has been active in farm, community and church groups. Mr. Hemingway is also an aircraft engineer working for Air Ontario and serving as a union officer with the CAW. The other contender, Lucknow - area farmer Tony McQuail, moved to the area in the early 70 s, working first as a hired hand then Blyth council briefs Council puts office on hold Plans to redo the interior of the Blyth municipal offices have been put on the backburner. At the Oct. 27 meeting of Blyth council, councillors were walked through the offices and shown what the proposed changes were. They include a new work station along the inside wall which would include a typing desk, a work desk and drawers for filing and storage. Councillor Robbie Lawrie put forth a motion stating the office work should be put on hold until council finds out what its financial obligations to the theatre are. It was unanimously supported. Blyth councillors will no longer receive free admission to the annu­ al Blyth Lions Christmas banquet and dance councillors decided. Each year, as a Christmas bonus, the village pays the admission fee to the dance for all full-time village employees, including councillors, and gives all employees a turkey. This year, councillors decided to cut this cost for themselves. Other village employees will still receive the tickets and a free turkey. Councillors learned the provin­ cial government has refused coun­ cil's application for a waste management improvement grant. The Blyth-Hullett Landfill Site Committee had applied in Oct. 1991 for an $11,000 grant for maintaining, upgrading and closing the site but the application was denied. The committee will re-apply for the grant. »** The village's 1993 service charge estimates for the Blyth Sewage works system have increased dra­ matically. Clerk-Treasurer Helen Grubb buying a farm. He graduated from Goderich District Collegiate Institute and achieved an Honours Bachelor of Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo. He has been active in local farm and community organizations as well as being elected for three terms to the Huron School Board. Recently Mr. McQuail served as Executive Assistant to the Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food. Guest speaker Cathy Hird will conduct the election. Ms Hird is a Grey County farmer, United Church Minister and the federal candidate for Bruce-Grey. She will be focusing on the costs of a North American Free Trade Agreement. the 1993 service charges is $128,300, up from $107,722 in 1992. The reason for the tremendous increase is the inclusion in the operating cost forecast of certain direct and overhead expenditures that previously were provided free of charge (such as administrator wage, lab fees and water sample), and a revision of forecasting oper­ ating costs. Councillors were dismayed at the news and planned to speak to Brussels council briefs Hallowe’en patrol costs village $1170 While the burning of a school bus in Brussels got Halloween weekend off to a terrible start, overall the weekend was better than normal, Brussels councillors agreed Monday night. "Friday night seemed to scare the kids off for Saturday night," Coun­ cillor Greg Wilson reported to council. Councillor Wilson and Councillor Bruce Hahn worked with the Brussels Fire Department to patrol the streets until the early hours of Sunday morning. It cost the village $1170 to have the firemen patrol (including $300 to fight the bus fire Friday) but that was down from last year. Firemen had several calls to extinguish small fires on Friday and Saturday. Several street signs were stolen by vandals. Still, councillors felt, over all it was better than other recent years. Most of the troublemakers were local youths, not the gangs of imported troublemakers from other towns that roamed the streets last year. Continued from page 1 average operation cost estimate of $56.54 per hour over a five year period. "We’re not getting accurate fig­ ures presented to us and I need to know the right numbers before I make a decision," said Councillor Scrimgeour. After he repeated this statement several times Ms Grubb responded by saying "You have all the figures before you, I'm sure you're capable of subtracting the grant off. You have a calculator." He then presented council with a figure of $68 per hour which he arrived at by calculating costs with­ out the rental fees. But he continued to stress the calculation was done incorrectly and finally Reeve Dave Lee said "Well, I've had it. Don't give us this song and dance. The staff spent a week getting these figures for you and now is the time to make a deci­ sion. I'm through with this cha­ rade." Then Councillor Scrimgeour said "Well, it shouldn't have taken a week." Councillor Scrimgeour implored Councillor Sparling to give his opinion on the figures and Council­ lor Sparling said "My idea is that the public wants the net cost and this is what we have here." He told Councillor Scrimgeour that since they'd had these figures for a week before the meeting, he should have requested Ms Grubb to present the figures another way if he felt they'd been presented incor­ rectly. Reeve Lee then said based on Katherine Barr, a Toronto Field Services Officer and Mark Bell, with London Administration to discuss the increase. Clerk-Treasurer Helen Grubb said in talking to other municipal clerks, she learned the village of Blyth is very fortunate its outstand­ ing levies are only 3.6 per cent. Blyth councillors were informed there are $16,107.34 worth of out­ standing levies from March, June and September levies. *** Council postponed the letting of the tender for snowplowing for the upcoming year. Councillors agreed the lowest tender was loo large an increase over last year. Under the circumstances they wanted to explore all possibilities before awarding the contract. *** If the weather co-operates, the new tennis court at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Cen­ tre could be paved later this week, Councillor Wilson said. The area is prepared so that as soon as the pavers can get good weather they can start, he said. *** Councillors agreed that when Clerk-Treasurer Donna White takes maternity leave in March, Lori Pipe, deputy clerk-treasurer will step up to fill the position. Council will advertise to hire a part-time assistant for Mrs. Pipe during the maternity leave. Mrs. Continued on page 7 Ms Grubb's determination the truck cost $56.54 to operate, it would likely be more expensive to tender. Using the tender costs McKillop township recently accepted of $51 per hour and $25 per day standby, he calculated that for 155 hours of snow removal (last year's time spent) it would cost the village $10,540 to use its own truck and $12,730 to tender the job out. Councillor Shirley Fyfe said, "With all the expensive repairs we've already made on the truck and the excellent job of snow removal our truck operators do for us, we should give them another chance." Council also heard the opinion of Don Scrimgeour via letter who praised the town for its snow you are invited! to attend the first general meeting of the F. E. Madill "School & Community Association" on WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH, 7:30 P.M. School Library Panel discussion on - Student Conduct at Lunch Time Community/School concerns Also Update on "The Transition Years” Everyone Welcome Students, teachers, parents, guardians^ community members BLYTH LEGION BRANCH 420 SPECIAL DATES TO REMEMBER NOVEMBER 7,1992 POPPY DAY CANVASS Door-to-Door will start at 9:00 a.m. Those Legion members who can attend will please meet at the Legion at 8:30 a.m. Your assistance will be appreciated. Let us make this another great campaign. NOVEMBER 8,1992 BLYTH BRANCH 420 CHURCH SERVICE will be held at the Auburn Missionary Church. Church Service will start at 11:00 a.m. Please be ready to assemble for the march at 10:30 in Auburn. NOVEMBER 11,1992 REMEMBRANCE DAY Service will be held at the BLYTH MEMORIAL HALL at 10:45 a.m. with James H. Carne, Pastor officiating. The Parade Parties will meet at the Blyth Legion at 10:15 a.m. YOUR ATTENDANCE SHALL BE REMEMBERED removal. "I don't know of any streets in any other town which are kept in belter shape," the letter stat­ ed. Councillor Fyfe made a motion that council repair and safely the truck and use it for this year's snow removal. It was unanimously approved. Councillor Sparling pul forth another motion requesting that all costs related to snow removal and snow plow operation be broken down and more readily and accu­ rately provided for council's con­ sideration. The motion also stated these costs should be reviewed annually as part of the budget preparation process. This motion was also unanimous­ ly agreed upon.