Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1995-05-03, Page 1 The North Huron itizen Vol. 11 No 18 Wednesday, May 3, 1995 61e + 4¢ GST650 Sweets for the sweets The Ark hosted a tantalizing mystery tour in Brussels on stop. Here, some Chocolate Rum Cake puts a smile on Friday night as local youths followed clues to some the faces of, from left: Christa Smith, Jenny McKercher chocolate treasure. Five residents hosted the group and Katie Harrison treating them to a special chocolate lovers delight at each County seeks answer to Ashfield problem Community LocAblisinessman says goOdbye to Brussels' main street See page 9 Feature Area resident shares memories of Holland's liberation See page 6 Sports Brussels Bulls honour their own at banquet See page 8 Education Students learn about business from the pros See page 15 Honour agreement or we won't pay Hullett tells Blyth By Bonnie Gropp A letter from a municipality that pays a share towards the arena has Blyth councillors hoping for some volunteer support. Blyth council was told at the May 1 meeting that Hullett will withdraw its support as of Dec. 31 if Blyth does not "fulfill their com- mittment as to their representation to the board as required under the terms of the signed Agreement" by June 1. Reeve Mason Bailey and Coun- cillor Gerald Kerr are the council representatives on the board. Blyth is also, according to the agreement allowed to have two civilian repre- sentatives, the appointment of which has been deferred by coun- cil. Bailey has attended four meet- ings of the board, while Kerr has been present at three. "The idea was to save the village money," said Kerr, over $100 every meeting. "Yeah, but it will cost you $10,000 if Hullett withdraws its support," said Dave Lee, the former reeve who was in attendance in the gallery. "These people seem to want to spend money, they don't want to save anything," said Kerr. "That's their prerogative," said Lawrie, adding that he thought the village should look into finding volunteers willing to serve on this. Owners try to give land committee. A motion was made to advertise to see if there was anyone interest- ed. It's got plenty of frontage in a prime downtown location but there's a piece of land in Brussels the owners can't even give away. Owners of two lots on Mill St. West (beside the Masonic roadside chapel) have offered the property to village council for free but after considerable discussion Monday night, councillors decided they did- n't want it unless the owners paid the legal fees to transfer the proper- ty. Earlier the owners had offered the land to other owners, again with no takers. The problem comes from the fact the land is useless because of its lack of depth and various setback regulations. Setback requirements from Mill St. would mean any building erected would have to be near the back of the lot. But the set- back regulation from the bank of the Maitland River means the building would have to be so far forward it would be in the setback area from the highway. So while the owners aren't allowed to build on the land and can't give it away, they must still pay taxes on it and must pay to have the grass cut to keep it in proper order for the village's prop- erty standards bylaw. "They should be helped out," Reeve Gordon Workman felt. He suggested the village could take over the land, plant trees and make it an attractive entrance to the west end of the vilage. "I disagree. We shouldn't have to pay to help them out," said Coun- cillor Greg Wilson. He suggested Continued on page 8 Huron County council's Adminis- tration, Finance and Personnel committee will seek a solution for a unique problem caused by the fact Ashfield Twp. Reeve Alan Gibson cannot take part in debates involv- ing the proposed landfill site in the township. Art Simpson, Ashfield deputy- reeve, asked council to give the township a voting delegate, other than the reeve, on the waste man- agement committee. Because Reeve Gibson owns one of the properties involved in the only remaining candidate site for a Huron County landfill site, he has had to absent himself from the council chamber for any discussion involving the site. This has left Ashfield, the only township direct- ly affected by the search for a site, without any representation. The Planning and Development committee had proposed that Ash- field be allowed to have a non-vot- ing representative on the committee but Ashfield felt that it deserved to have someone who could vote. "It is not the intent of Ashfield Twp. to vote against everything," Simpson said. "It would be irre- sponsible to try to stop the process, but we want to protect the interests of their neighbours (of the site). Ashfield Twp. has effectively been locked out of the voting process." Trying to solve the problem, however, brought legal and proce- dural problems for county council- lors. Under provincial legislation, only elected county councillors can be on the planning committee of which the waste management com- mittee is a part. If a separate waste management committee was set up, it would be legally possible to appoint someone not from county council but the council's procedural bylaw would have to be changed to give the appointee voting rights. But county solicitor Dan Murphy suggested council should not make any changes to the procedural bylaw before results of drilling on the Ashfield site are known. Drilling is currently being done to see if the site will meet hydrogeo- logical requirement. If it does, the next part of the waste management master plan study will take into account social impacts of the site. If it is rejected, the whole selection process will be opened up again and higher classes of farmland will be considered. Jack Coleman, chair of the Plan- ning and Development committee, felt the move to give voting status to Ashfield would be premature before study results are known. Brian McBurney proposed that non-voting status be given while the Administiation, Finance and Personnel committee explored the possibility of changing the proce- dural bylaw to allow a separate Waste Management committee to be set up on which Ashfield would have voting privileges. "I think it would only be fair because if it happened (the conflict situation), we could be in the same situation." He dismissed the worries of some councillors that a precedent was being set because the likelihood of such a situation occurring again was very remote. There is a lot of distrust over the landfill issue and the county needs to open up lines of communication, he said. He was supported by Tom Cun- ningham, reeve of Hullett. "I wouldn't want my municipality to be in the situation Ashfield is." It is once again time for the Spring Fish Out at Cook's Pond. The third annual event, which draws dozens of participants young and old each year, donates 10 per cent of all proceeds to Big Broth- ers. On June 4, everyone is invited to test their luck at the trout stocked spring fed pond, located on Conc. 9 of East Wawanosh Twp., just 3 1/2 miles west of Belgrave. Trophies will be awarded to the junior and senior angler with the longest catch of the day and raffles will be held for all. Bill Mickle, reeve of Exeter, said the county should try to get around procedural matters. "I think we have concerned ourselves about our procedures but we should be con- cerned about the democratic rights of the people of Ashfield." Council supported the motion of Reeve McBumey to allow the non- voting member while studying the possibility of giving Ashfield a vote at the committee level. But Pat Down, reeve of Usborne, pointed out this didn't completely solve Ashfield's problem because it will still not have a vote at county council on the issue. All anglers are asked to con- tribute 25 cents per inch for the fish caught. Refreshments are free and 10 per cent of the proceeds from the bar- becue will go to the cause as will a loonie donation asked of all over the age of five. Participants are asked to bring their own bait as the supply for sale at the pond is limited. No corn or lures are allowed. There are no licenses required or entry fees for the derby or raffles. Come celebrate spring with a day of fishing at Cook's. The event runs from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Spring fish out earns bucks to benefit Big Brothers Assoc.