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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-03-08, Page 6Farm News and Views every month CHANGES IN THE CHURCH SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY: SLEIGH RIDES PRESERVE THE PAST A FARMER'S ANIMAL PARK THE MAGAZINE OF AGRICULTURAL LIFE ... Subscribe today. Call 523-4311 PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1995. Short staffing cuts county health inspections A shortage of health inspection staff means the Huron County Health Unit is not meetings its Ministry of Health requirements in inspecting restaurants and food premises, a report to the Board of Health says. Only 46 per cent of food premis- es were inspected in 1994, the report says, down from 60 per cent in 1993. However, in 1995, the Ministry of Health is introducing a new computerized monitoring sys- tem which requires every food premises to be inspected four times each year. The department had the equiva- lent of more than one health inspec- tor less in 1994 than 1993, leading to the inability to fulfill its duties, the report says. In addition to not meeting Ministry of Health require- ments for food premises inspection, the health unit is required by min- istry regulations to inspect all com- munal wells serving less than five residents. The report says the department doesn't even know where all such wells are. The department is supposed to audit the records of all licensed sewage hullers under the Environ- mental Protection Act. There has been no review for several years of the criteria that a septic tank con- tractor should meet to be licensed. In addition, the time required to complete septic tank permits has increased from two to four hours in 1991 to four and a half to six hours in 1994. If the building cycle increases again, it will be difficult to handle the work, the report pre- dicts. Time constraints also prevent the staff from providing education- al programs which are needed to keep contractors, municipalities and the public informed of changes in legislation. The staff shortages resulted when former Director of Public Health Inspections, Ed Harrison, retired. The post was not filled but the work was assigned to Klaus Seeger, senior public health inspector. With the resignation of another health inspector last August, the depart- ment was left an inspector short. Maarten Bokhout, medical offi- cer of health, argued that budget restraints shouldn't reduce inspec- tion staffing further or the public protection might suffer. He sug- gested he should have the discre- tion to hire staff on a contractual basis to make sure extra workloads get carried out. The Board of Health received the report without comment. County seeks grant for more landfill testing Huron County council will seek provincial funding for the next phase of its search for a landfill site, even though it hasn't complet- ed the first phase of the research. Dr. Gary Davidson, director of planning and development, explained that normally at the cur- rent stage of waste management master plan, the county would expect to have several candidate sites still in the running. All but one site has been eliminated in the current round, however. Before going to the expense of completing the Master Plan Study, it was felt it would be best to do more hydrogeological study of the remaining site, in Ashfield Town- ship. However, there is no funding under the Master Plan study phase for additional drilling so the county has had to apply for funding under the Financial Assistance Program which will provide funding for Environmental Assessment Hear- ings, Hydrogeological Investiga- tions, public consultation, landfill design, Environmental Protection Act hearings, property purchase, equipment, site preparation and buildings required on the site. This stage is estimated to cost the county $5 million, not including the provincial share. "We would have liked to apply for $50,000 for drilling on the Ash- field site, but the province will only fund the entire project," Dr. David- son said. But Bill Mickle, reeve of Exeter, said the estimated further $5 mil- lion needed for the next phase of the project "indicates to me that this is a, consultants dream". He wondered how much more money would be required for the comple- tion of the initial Master Plan study. Craig Metzger, master plan study co-ordinator, said $950,000 had been spent so far with a further estimated $500,000 needed to com- plete the study. Exeter reeve squabbles with Klopp at council A claim by Huron MPP Paul Klopp that the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) did not want to discuss problems in the new municipal conflict of inter- est law got under the skin of Exeter Reeve Bill Mickle at Thursday's county council session. Mr. Klopp, appearing before council for his annual visit, said he had been concerned about com- plaints he had heard from munici- pal politicians about the new Several supporters of the Morris tract were in the gallery for the March 2 meeting ,of Huron County Council and one councillor decided to give them a show. Naturalists and users of the Tract, between Goderich and Benmiller, have been protesting the county's plans to selectively log the hard- wood stand but Pat Down, reeve of Usbome, pulled no punches in her support of logging. "As farmers, we believe in harvesting things we care for," she said. She put on a talk, illustrated with props including everything from a rolling pin to a geranium plant to show that wood contributes many important things to our lives and that plants need to be pruned for maximum growth. "I would rather ut a tree and turn it into something useful than have it rot," she said. While opponents have claimed harvesting some of the mature tim- Streamlining of committees and shortening of council meetings meant Huron taxpayers saved of more than $20,000 in salaries and expenses to their county councillors and appointees in 1994. Total remuneration and conven- tion expenses for all councillors and appointees to the Library Board and Board of Health totalled $198,825, down from $220,392 in 1993. Indicative of the cost-cutting was the salary and expenses for Warden Alan Gibson, who received $26,176 in salary and $6,944.87 in expenses for a total of $33,121, compared to $43,826 for 1993 war- den, Tom Tomes. legislation which requires council- lors to list their assets for public scrutiny, and refrain from taking part in meetings at which they might have a conflict of interest. However, he said,- an official in the Ministry of Municipal Affairs had said AMO didn't want to discuss the issue anymore. "Whoever gave you the informa- tion that AMO is not ready to talk about it was mistaken," said an angry Reeve Mickle, who is presi- ber might jeopardize some rare species growing in the bush, Reeve Down pointed out that the tract had been extensively logged before the county took it over and yet those species seemed to have survived. She also noted there are trails through the tract that hikers and snowmobilers want to continue to use. "They say they want to keep it in pristine condition but as soon as they put a trail through it, it isn't pristine anymore." Reeve Down closed with a call for co-operation. "We can work together. Both sides can see the other's point of view." That is exactly what the recom- mendation of the Feb. 10 meeting of the Agriculture and Public Works committee suggested, call- ing for formation of a committee to develop a master plan for the tract. That recommendation was adopted by county council with no further debate. dent of AMO. The two also got into a debate as to which conflict of interest provi- sions were the toughest, those for MPPs or those for municipal coun- cillors. Mr. Klopp suggested coun- cillors wouldn't want to have to live with the restrictions MPPs must follow but Mr. Mickle said that while MPPs must file detailed per- sonal financial material, this infor- mation is not available to the public but only to a commissioner. In addition, complaints of a conflict for an MPP go before the commis- sioner while municipal politicians may have to go to court to defend themselves. Morris Tract supporters get speech from councillor Councillors' payment drops Next highest remuneration was former Goderich Twp. Deputy- reeve Dave Gower at $14,286. Local members' salaries and expenses were: Leona Armstrong, Grey, $5,537; Mason Bailey, Blyth, $410; Tom Cunningham, Hullett, $3,785; Norm Fairies, Howick, $5,049; Doug Fraser, Morris, $3,387; Bob Hallam, West Wawanosh, $3,429; Marie Hick- nell, McKillop, $4,443; Dave Lee, Blyth, $4,813; Brian McBurney, Tumberry, $5,032; Clem McLellan, . Morris, $461; Ron Murray, McKil- lop, $601; Don Schultz, East Wawanosh, $401; Ernie Snell, East Wawanosh, $3,929; Bill Vanstone, Colborne, $3,754; Gordon Work- man, Brussels, $4,516.