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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1994-04-13, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13,1994. Policy change dominates strategy plans Huron County councillors, who held a strategic planning day at Benmiller Inn on Friday, reviewed a raft of draft policies designed to streamline operations of the county. Councillors supported the idea of limiting county councillors to $1,500 in convention expenses a year, rather than the current policy that allows councillors to attend one convention. The new policy County won’t change grant policy Huron County council will not be reconsidering its policy to phase out all grants to community organi zations, councillors at Friday's strategic planning day in Benmiller decided. Goderich had argued, with the support of some county councillors, that its grant of $15,750 in 1993 not be reduced. The airport's grant is scheduled to be reduced to $10,500 this year and disappear by 1996. Brussels Council briefs Village to consult architect Brussels firemen have prepared rough drawings for a new firehall to be built under the federal-provin cial infrastructure program. Councillors agreed to ask a local architect for his price for preparing drawings and specifications for the building. They already have a quote from an engineering firm for its charges to prepare similar draw ings. Choice offends Hullett reeve Continued from page 1 ing structure or to adopt Section 28 which requires only the passing of a bylaw by county council. Leaving the current structure would have increased council membership, already at 32 mem bers for the 26 municipalities, by a minimum of a further three deputy reeves, and possibly by five. Using those figures, Bill Clifford, deputy reeve of Goderich, said the differ ence between adopting Section 28 and continuing the current system could amount to 10 councillors. Using an estimated cost of $10,000 per year per councillor (actual dis bursements for the 32 member council last year amounted to $5,900 per member), he said the saving could amount to $1 million over a 10 year period. "I sat on council back in the 1970s when we had a lot more councillors," he said. "Today's smaller council is a lot more efficient than that was." Reeve Workman breaks tie Continued from page 1 they "were in two feet of water". In Clinton, where the homeowners were getting no individual benefit from the drain, the municipality picked up the share for the property owners. That's why he was in favour of the village picking up the entire tab. "If everybody had a basement full of water we probably wouldn't object," Mr. Mutter said. In a recorded vote Councillors Wilson and Hahn supported the homeowners' request for all taxpay ers to share the costs. Councillors Dave Hastings and Mary Stretton felt the homeowners should pay the bill. It was left to Reeve Gordon Workman to break the tie. "The Drainage Act has been in power for would allow councillors to attend more than one convention if they could keep costs down enough to stay under the limit, or if they picked up some of the cost them selves. Departments would also budget a maximum of $1,500 for employees to go to conventions. "I’m happy, as a department head, to have a rule that's as close to the councillors' as possible Goderich Reeve John Doherty argued for retention of the grant "If the federal and provincial govern ments feel it’s worthwhile to spend $600,000 on a runway to enhance the airport to the county, I think we should support it." Without the $15,000 grant, the operating loss at the airport would jump from $45,000 a year to $60,000. Current ly a new development is underway in Goderich Twp. that would not have taken place if not for the air port, he said. »** Council approved a new banking arrangement with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in Brussels. The village will pay a $210 monthly flat fee for banking services but will be required to’ keep no minimum balance. The old agreement had a flat fee of only $180 a month but the village was to have a $55,000 minimum balance But John Doherty, reeve of Goderich disagreed with his deputy. He felt the cost per council lor was much lower and felt council should continue the current system even if it meant more members. "If it's not broke, why fix it." The council's senior member, Grant Stirling, reeve of Goderich Twp. suggested a smaller council was better. He recalled when there were 45 members on council (when more municipalities had,deputy reeves on county council) and "it was ridiculous. Surely to goodness 26 people can run the county. Sec tion 28 is not the best but it is the best option." Bill Camochan, reeve of Tucker smith Twp. who had promoted his township's proposal for a compro mise, supported the Section 28 solution reluctantly. Given that the Tuckersmith compromise would have required a private member's bill, he said, it was the lesser of two a lot longer than I've been around and I'm not going to be popular but I think the property owners should pay," he said. "When there are storm sewers put in elsewhere in the village I don't think the people in Frederick St. should be*assessed anything on their taxes," an angry Mr. Mutter said. Other taxpayers in the village may be saved $13,000 by the coun cil decision but they won't get off totally free. The village will be assessed about $3,000 for water draining off Frederick St. itself, Mr. McBride told the March 16 meet ing. In addition the village will be paving the street this summer so the catchbasins on the street won't fill up with gravel, Reeve Workman told the visitors. because it prevents a perception of 'us' and 'them'," said Denis Merrall, county engineer, during one of the small, discussion groups in the morning session. Under staff training, a suggested policy would call for employees to provide written assurance they would remain with the county for an allotted amount of time before >, being allowed to take time off for Norm Fairies, reeve of Howick Twp. supported the argument "The airport is part of the transportation system of the county," he said. "The county would be remiss in loading all the burden on one municipality when the facility ben efits the county." But Brian McBumey, reeve of Tumberry Twp. argued how much benefit the airport was to the whole county. Tumberry is 30 miles away and local business near Wingham is in its various accounts. Councillor Mary Stretton was appointed Brussels representative for the five year review of the Brussels, Morris and Grey recre ation agreement. Doug Sholdice has been appoint ed chairman of the Brussels Ceme tery Board. 3vils to accept Section 28. Tom Cunningham, reeve of Hul lett Twp. was not happy with the choice. "Some of us find Section 28 offensive. I find it to be only a short term solution. I find it offen sive that Section 28 be forced on us by the numbers." Brian McBumey, reeve of Tum berry Twp. felt it was unfair that a change requiring a private mem ber’s bill had to have virtually unanimous support while a simple majority in council could put Sec tion 28 in place. "The only option I could support is the status quo," he said. Besides, given that the province is pushing school boards to reduce their size, perhaps when they turn the same push on county councils, Huron could reduce its members to a number that makes sense now. Others felt council should be looking at something even more dramatic than Section 28. "I think, we should keep it (representation) where it is and start looking at amalgamation," said Alan Gibson, Huron County warden and reeve of Ashfield Twp. Tom Tomes, reeve of Stephen Twp. agreed. "We should be look ing at amalgamation because it is going to be forced on us. I'd rather choose my own partner." While some councillors worried that giving more votes to larger municipalities might reduce the voice of smaller villages and town ships, a report given to the council lors Friday showed that in 18 recorded votes taken between Dec. 1991 and Sept. 1993, not once would the outcome have been changed by the new voting struc ture's multiple votes for larger municipalities. The voting structure would only be used in a recorded vote. extended periods of time for train ing. "We've had complaints that the county is paying for staff to upgrade their training and they go on to work with other employers," said Bayfield Reeve Patricia Carri er, a member of the Strategic Plan-, ning Committee. Councillors also looked at a con flict of interest policy tor employ ees. Mr. Merrall warned about get- arguing that. Goderich is too far away and a municipal airport is needed near Wingham, Reeve McBumey said. If the economic impact on the county was the measure of why the airport should be supported, he said, how about the Blyth Festival which "has a huge impact on Huron County." If the Festival is to have its grant cut, why shouldn't the air port also be cut, Reeve McBumey wondered. Blyth Reeve Dave Lee agreed, saying it would hurt the Festival to lose the grant Pointing out that like the airport, the federal and provin cial governments also think it is important to support the Festival, he called for the policy of eliminat ing all grants be retained. "I'm sorry to say we should keep the policy." In the long run that's what hap pened. In a show of hands (it was not an official council meeting) councillors voted to continue with the policy of eliminating all grants. 10 8 Chestnut Sheet. Toronto, D ntaf in M 5 GI83 ting the wording right in such a policy. The wording of the current policy which said no employee could make a recommendation that involved an organization of which he was a member, would mean he would have to resign as a member of the Goderich Lions Club because as county engineer, he has dealings with the Auburn Lions over shared projects like the Auburn sign which the Lions erect ed on county property. The meeting also addressed the thorny issue of a common purchas ing approach for all departments but councillors admitted they have a long way to go in working out the problems involved in a policy designed to save the county money. ■WU— I 1/UV1 J/ • storm kits available Ross Mitchell Cabinets & Construction 887-6782 u