HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-01-12, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12,1994.
County crew’s hard work gets engineer’s praise
The holiday season didn't hold
many holidays for snow-clearing
crews of the Huron County High
ways Department, county Engineer
Denis Merrall told county council-
lors Thursday in Goderich.
Mr. Merrall praised the work of
his crews during the unrelenting
stormy weather of the holiday peri
od. "They've done a tremendous
job." And lest anyone think the
workers were logging huge over
time pay, Mr. Merrall pointed out
that full-time employees are getting
time and a half in time off rather
than in additional pay. It means, he
said, that on a rainy day in March
when it's difficult to do much work
anyway, employees will get the
time off they might have enjoyed
more on Christmas Day or New
Year's Day.
County to cut grass on Auburn Patrol
After contracting out the grass
cutting along the county roads in
the Auburn patrol area, Huioii
County Highways Department will
take over the job itself this coming
season.
Denis Merrall, Huron County
engineer, said the county will be
able to keep an extra person on
payroll and still save money by the
move. He pointed out that when the
work was first contracted out the
tender price meant substantial sav
ings for the county. But the con
tractor had obviously
underestimated his costs because
— — - • _County revises speed limits
The experiment with higher
speed limits on county roads has
been a success, county highways
officials say, so the revisions in
speed limit are being revised.
The new bylaw, passed by the
Jan. 6 meeting of county council,
adds more highways to the list of
those approved for higher speed
limits. One area, however, will
have lower speed limits. Respond
ing to concerns about high speed
traffic approaching the junction of
County Road 15 and Highway 4 in
Londesboro, the county has
imposed a 50 km per hour speed
limit from the west entrance of
Londesboro.
Welfare rolls on the rise
The recession, declared dead by
economists, continues to add new
people to the list of those requiring
social assistance in Huron County.
The Social and Cultural Service
Committee report, released at the
Jan. 6 meeting of county council
shows that the number of welfare
cases jumped 9.28 per cent between
October 1992 and October 1993,
with 12.92 per cent more people
being helped. In October 1993, 83
cases were added because the
applicants had run out of unem
ployment insurance. On the other
hand 44 people went off welfare,
having either found employment or
received unemployment insurance.
the bid in 1993 was considerably
higher. Last year the costs were
$233 per kilometre in the Auburn
patrol compared to $98 in the
Wroxeter patrol and $161 in the
Zurich patrol, where county staff
did the cutting.
The past two years has seen a lot
of bridge maintenance work which
meant that regular staff were kept
busy. In 1994 there will be less of
this work meaning a worker who
might otherwise be laid off can be
used for the work. The county
already has equipment for the
work.
Questioned by Robert Hallam,
reeve of West Wawanosh, about
the move, Mr. Merrall said "Do
you want to payoff someone and
pay more or save and keep some
one on payroll?"
But county councillors were not
so pleased with the number of
times provincial highways were
closed during the stormy period.
Jack Coleman, deputy-reeve of
Stanley Township, pointed out that
the heavy traffic of salt trucks from
Goderich to other parts of the
province kept moving anyway but
sought out ways around the road
blocks, travelling county, and even
township roads.
Mr. Merrall agreed that the
trucks running on township roads,
which aren't built for such heavy
traffic, can cause damage. "You are
going to have premature prepaving
problems because the salt trucks
are using it," he said of one popular
Stanley Twp. road.
Closing of provincial highways is
a decision made by the Ontario
Provincial Police, he said, not the
Ministry of Transportation. Mr.
Merrall suggested those concerned
with the frequent closings should
write letters expressing their con
cerns. The closings have an impact
not only on non-provincial roads
but on the entire economy of the
county because of lost business, he
said.
SNELL FEED &
HCBE presents JK report
An interim report was presented
to the HCBE at the Jan. 10 meeting
concerning the implementation of
Junior Kindergarten (JK) at eight
area schools and the expectations
for the 1994 school year.
Walton Public School had made
a request to the adhoc committee,
asking to increase the size of their
class to 23 from 20, with the addi
tion of .25 teacher assistant posi
tion. The request was accepted by
the committee.
Several proposals were made
asking that children bom after the
June 30 cutoff be allowed into the
classes. All the proposals were
rejected by the committee.
At present the enrollment in the
schools are: Zurich, Senior Kinder
garten-13, JK-six; Grey Central,
25/eight; Stephen, 29/eight; Turn
berry, 25/12; Colborne, 14/five;
Brookside, 25/nine; Walton, 13/10
and McCurdy, seven/nine.
An exception was made in the
case of McCurdy with reference to
admitting students bom after June
30. In that case, all students in the
catchment area could be accommo
dated in the space available and
with the hiring of .5 teacher assis
tant position.
The board agreed to adhere to
their policy of integrated JK/SK
classes and to continue the on
going assessment of the classes.
In addition to the eight schools
presently offering JK, eight more
will be added by September of
1994.
Those schools will be Blyth,
Brussels, East Wawanosh, Hensail,
Holmesville, Howick, Hullett and
Usbome.
Negotiations are continuing with
the remaining eight schools in the
district. Considerations are being
discussed with regards to available
space and daycare personnel who
would be affected by the change.
The board also passed a motion
which would see JK students being
able to begin classes either in
September or January of their eligi- —
bility year.
This would allow parents more
flexibility in determining when the
child was ready to begin, says
Superintendent of Program Arnold
Mathers.
All elementary schools in Huron
County must have a JK program in
place by September 1997.
Colborne appoints officials
Colbome Township council held
its first meeting of the new year on
Tuesday, Jan. 4 at the Colborne
Township Community Hall.
Council enacted a bylaw to appoint
statutory officials and certain other
non-statutory officials for the year.
The payment of the bills and
‘Can no longer
afford Cadillac
system’
Continued from page 1
tion Paul Carroll says, "It would be
good to have two psychologists and
resource teachers for every school,
but the board must find the balance
between protecting the service to
the students and the cost efficiency
of the service."
Arnold Mathers, superintendent
of programs, says "The board can
no longer afford a Cadillac system.
By sharing employees, such as a
social worker, we are able to
employee a full-time person and
have good co-operation with the
other agencies to provide better
time scheduling for the employee."
"We have to try this system and
see if we can make it work," he
says.
accounts for the month ended Dec.
31 in the total amount of
$423,433.55 as supported by the
appropriate invoices was approved
for payment. Included in this total
were the quarterly entitlements to
Huron County in the amount of
$81,540.69; to the Huron County
Board of Education in the amount
of $224,831.15; and to the Huron-
Perth County Roman Catholic
Separate School Board in the
amount of$23,110.41.
Council authorized membership
renewals to the Ontario Building
Officials' Association in the
amount of $100 to the Association
of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers
of Ontario in the amount of
$230.05 and to the Association of
Municipalities in the amount of
$818.41.
A Resolution from the Town of
Clinton which requests the
provincial government to review
legislation in regard to handicapped
elevators was endorsed.
Council reviewed a report from
the Ministry of Municipal Affairs
entitled "A New Approach To Land
Use Planning." Council directed
Clerk John Stewart to draft a letter
in response to the report which
would be discussed further at the
next council meeting.
The Huron County Planning and
Development Department con
firmed that the Planning Advisory
Committee would hold the
mandatory
concerning the Official Plan
Amendment and Zoning Amend
ment applications of Ernest and
Sharon Marshall at the Colbome
Township Community Hall,
Tuesday, Jan .18 at 7:30 p.m.
public meeting
College offers
literacy courses
Literacy skills are essential for
individuals and the communities in
which they live and work. The
Literacy Centre of Conestoga
College last year helped 70 adults
in Listowel and Brussels improve
their reading, writing and math
skills.
Now, with the beginning of a
new year, Conestoga College is
again offering adults free, one-to-
one and small group sessions in
reading, writing and math. Literacy
Centre activities start this week.
Teachers are available by
appointment at different times
during the day and evening.
For more information on the
Literacy Centre, contact Marilyn
Haslam at 271-5700 in Stratford, or
toll free at 1-800-463-0796.
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