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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1994-01-12, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12,1994. County Council briefs County seeks grant for Huronview renovation Huron County could be on the verge of getting a huge grant for the renovation of part of the old Huronview building into office space, Warden Allan J. Gibson told county councillors at their Jan. 6 meeting. "There is every indication we are going to get jobsOntario funds to convert Huronview," the warden said in his opening remarks. It's possible, he said, that the announcement of the grant may even be made before the February meeting of council. Morris councillors salaries remain the same as past year The remuneration for council members was set at the Jan. 4 meet ing of Morris Twp council. The reeve will receive $2,000 for expenses and $80 per meeting, the deputy reeve will receive $1,800 and $75 while the council members will get $1,700 and $75. These figures remained the same as the previous year except for a slight increase in the remuneration for the councillors. The exact amount of the increase was not available. In addition to these amounts W. Wawanosh council freezes remuneration For the third time since being elected to office the West Wawanosh councillors voted them selves no salary increase for the upcoming year. At the Jan. 3 meeting it was agreed that Reeve Bob Hallam's remuneration will remain at $1,500 for the year while councillor's salary will stay at $1,000. A letter is being forwarded to Huron County to indicate the coun cil's strong support for the county's efforts in having a private mem ber's bill passed to amend the vot ing structure of Huron County council which would see only the reeves of each municipality having a county seat and one vote. Reeve Hallam and Clerk Joan Armstrong were given authoriza tion to apply to the Ministry of the Environment and Energy for a grant to determine the remaining capacity at the landfill site. A public meeting was held to dis cuss a minor variance for Gary Smith. Other than Mr. Smith there were no ratepayers present. Mrs. Armstrong informed council that no correspondence had been received from agencies or others notified of the meeting. Planner Cindy Fisher's report was reviewed. The minor variance to allow for the construction of a storage build ing on Part Lot 16, Cone. 5 was granted. The road payments totalling $36,295.81 and the general accounts in the amount of $10,304.87 were approved. Council appointed Rhea Hamil ton-Seeger as the township's repre sentative to the North Huron Community Development Area for a one year term. Reeve Hallam and Mrs. Arm strong will sign the development agreement with Chester Finnigan for the proposed development of a portion of his land south of Luc know. Council concurred with the posi tion of a committee of independent pharmacists with regard to the pro posed legislation restricting the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies on the basis of discrimination. Also the committee feels it will deprive Part of the complex will be tom down in the recycling scheme. Part of the building is already being used by the Huron Day Centre while the Huron County Health Unit and the Huron County Library will use other portions of the build ing that was replaced by new homes for the aged, one at the same site and another near Brussels.*** February will also bring big news in a less pleasant way. It is expect ed that the next round of candidate sites for a Huron county landfill councillors will be paid 40 cents per kilometre on business, will be compensated for the difference between private and party phone service at their residence (if they have private service), will be paid $80 per day plus expenses for des ignated meetings and receive $35 per meeting for every meeting attended as a council representa tive. Councillors will be supported for attending one convention. All fees will be paid and the member will receive $80 per diem while at the the small pharmacies of a major portion of their annual income. A bylaw was passed authorizing Reeve Hallam and Mrs. Armstrong to sign the agreement for the opera tion and maintenance of the Luc know Arena and other recreational programs carried out under the jurisdiction of the joint Recreation Board. A bylaw regulating the installa tion of entranceways by township residents was passed. Council passed a bylaw for bor rowing up to $600,000 to cover expenses prior to the collection of 1994 taxes. Deputy Reeve Alex Chisholm was nominated as the township's second representative to the Luc know Medical Centre Board. The nomination was made as the chair man of the board is from West Wawanosh and the agreement pro vides for two representatives from the chair municipality of that year. McKillop pays , accounts McKillop council at its Jan. 4 meeting reviewed a proposal to construct a water storage facility on the property of the Seaforth Com munity Centres. Council was not in agreement with the proposal. The road accounts totalling $8,585.47 were approved for pay ment. Reeve Marie Hicknell and Clerk Marion McClure were authorized to sign and submit to the Ministry of Transportation a petition show ing that during 1993 a total of $531,074.31 had been spent on highways and bridges. A donation of $100 was approved for the Association of Municipalities to help in covering costs incurred during the Social Contract process. Council endorsed a resolution from Clinton asking the provincial government to review the legisla tion governing elevating devices for the handicapped so their use Continued on page 18 will be announced at council's meeting next month. Dr. Gary Davidson, director of planning and development, said it is essential to announce the sites in February if drilling to test the suitability of the sites is to be completed while the ground is still frozen. On the morn ing the list of sites is released to council, county employees will be advising each of the property own ers involved of their selection. Township clerk-treasurers will also be advised. *** convention as well as $35 per day in meal expenses. Morris council authorized the payment of annual fees to several organizations at the Jan. 4 meeting. They were: AMO membership, $536.52; Ontario Farm Drainage Association, $90 and Association of Clerks and Treasurers, $230.05. Council was advised that the 1993 taxes are 10 percent in arrears. That figure is up from 8.7 percent in 1992. Deputy Reeve Clem McLellan was authorized for signing authori ty at the CIBC in Wingham during the absence of Reeve Douglas Fras er. The township will be advertising for a person to count dogs and issue licenses and tags. A bylaw was passed to authorize the borrowing of $500,000 for municipal operations in 1994. Council approved the establish ment of an extra inspection fee in the amount of $100 for buildings constructed or altered without a permit. A bylaw authorizing a tile drainage debenture for Lot 15, Cone. 7 was approved. The general account was autho rized for payment in the amount of $62,795.26. The road account payment totalled $15,533.17. '—----KZ—------- POKER TRAILBLAZERS RALLY Brussels Arena Sun. Jan. 16 Registration -10 A.M. -1 P.M. ~ Cash Prizes ~ ~ Door Prizes - FOOD BOOTH ~ OFSC Permits Required All hands to be in before 5 P.M. "CATCH THE ACTION" BRUSSELS CRUSADERS vs 1980 Brussels Intermediates Sat. Jan. 15 at 7:30 "Blueline Club" Game Sponsors: J.R.'s Gas Bar & Take Out Ltd. Brussels 887-6951 County staff continue to move up the salary grid even though, under the Social Contract, they will get no monetary reward for the changes. But some councillors worry what the ultimate effect of these changes could be once the Social Contract restrictions come off. As they gain more experience or increase their education level, county employees move up the complicated salary grid which nor mally would entitle them to more money. Under the Social Contract, however, all salaries and wages are frozen or even rolled back. But Bill Mickle, reeve of Exeter, worried what the long term effect of people continuing their move up the grid could mean. Could employees suddenly be in for a large increase in pay once the freeze comes off, he wondered. The grid changes could be binding a future council to a large increase in payroll, he warned. "We need to know what grid movements granted will cost at the time the Social Con tract comes off," he said. Lynn Murray, county clerk administrator promised to present a report to deal with the situation.**♦ Minutes of the strategic planning committee will be presented to council in the future. Goderich Reeve John Doherty raised the question of whether the committee was a regular committee of council and if so, why minutes of the com mittees meetings weren't presented to council along with all other com mittee minutes. The committee, in charge of re-examining the struc ture of the county council for more efficient planning, has been meet ing periodically for the past year, sometimes away from the county court house. Ms Murray said the committee is a committee of council and a motion, presented by Reeve Doher ty, was passed that minutes will be presented to council in the future.*** The Huron County Warden and the chairman of the Huron County Wheeler Auto Glass Wingham 357-1270 Board of Health will be the coun ty's elected official representatives on the Huron-Perth District Health Council. But while Dave Gower, as the Board of Health chairman, will sit on the committee in 1994, there was some disagreement as to whether he would continue to sit after this year. Mr. Gower, deputy reeve of Goderich Township, felt he had been nominated as a long term representative on the board in order to give the county some con tinuity (the warden would change yearly). Robert Fisher, reeve of Zurich, felt that there should be continuity but also felt the chairman of the Board of Health should also be on the council as the liaison between the two bodies. He suggested the wardens of the counties should be given an honorary position. Ms Murray said the two counties had sent a joint submission to the minister of health asking that elect ed officials be given equal repre sentation on the DHC. Currently 40 per cent of the members would be unelected representatives of con sumers, 40 per cent from providers and 20 per cent from elected bod ies. If the councils were given equal representation it would mean each county council would get a third representative. A decision not to give a grant to Goderich Municipal Airport was postponed until after representa tives of the airport have a chance to make a presentation. The $15,000 grant to the airport was recom mended to be cut along with other grants as part of county's efforts to cut costs. But a motion to confirm that cut was deferred, pending a presentation from the town and air port management. III ^Sno-pitc|x^ Volleyball Ping-pong Hp^inder Mtigi gHtockey Shoot Out j First 16 Entries ® 10-12 persons * per team ,l; $50. per team Teams participate in all events % Championship based on point* system 4? To register call: Murray McArter & 887-6621 Gord Finch '^887-6368 George Langlois S 887-6727