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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1996-03-13, Page 7ROAST-AROMA Our Biggest Roast Sale Of The Year! See Page 5 of our flyer for details Scrimgeour's Food Market Food Markets Blyth 523-4551 KNECHTEL GREEN SEEDLESS GRAPES Product of Chile No. 1 Grade 1.94 kg. TIDE LAUNDRY DETERGENT 12 Litre Box or Ultra Tide 6 Litre Box Assorted Varieties 7 99 SHOPSY'S "DELI FRESH" WIENERS Regular or BBQ 450 g Pkg. •' 99 BONELESS OUTSIDE ROUND STEAK ROAST Cut From Canada A/AA/AAA Grades Beef Hip (Eye Removed) 5.05 kg 229 lb. r POST BRAN FLAKES Savings based on our regular retails. We reserve the right to limit quantities to normal family requirements. Values effective: Monday, mar. 11 - Sunday, Mar. 17/96 KNECHTEL PURE APPLE JUICE 1.36 Litre Tin .99 SAVARIN POT PIES Assorted Varieties Frozen 170 g/200 g Pkg. 2/.99 with coupon L. 400 g Box Price without coupon 1.69 Value .90 PLU 2400 Valid only at Scrimgeour's Food Market until closing Sun., Mar. 17/96 Nielsen 44726791 THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1996 PAGE 7. Huron municipalities discuss amalgamation By Bonnie Gropp The buzz word across the province these days is amalgama- tion. Locally, municipalities in Huron County have been'dancing around the topic of restructuring for some time, but in recent months discus- sions have turned more serious, at least in one corner of the county. While an Exeter man is promoting a proposal for the county's restruc- turing, all municipalities are preparing for a meeting in Clinton on March 23 to consider the possi- bilities. Though certainly in its early stages there are those who believe amalgamation in some form or In an attempt to gain money from its county forests to help pay for maintenance costs, Huron County Council at its March 7 meeting, approved priorities for harvest of timber. Designed by Marvin Smith of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, the plan sets out three ways of achieving income from the 13 remaining county forests once the Morris Tract has been sold to the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Four of the properties will be examined and marked for hard- wood trees in upland areas to take advantage of the current good prices for maple. Five properties will be examined for lowland stands and small volumes of upland hardwoods. Markets will also be examined for potential revenue from thinning of evergreen planta- tions on 11 properties. Bob Hallam, reeve of West Wawanosh, questioned what stan- dards would be used for harvest of the trees. If the same rules were applied as those being used in the harvest of wind-damaged trees in the Morris Tract, he said, it would be a very inefficient harvest. Because of the ecological sensitivi- ty of the Morris Tract, strict harvest procedures were imposed. Warden Bill Clifford assured Hallam that harvest procedures consistent with good forest man- agement would be used. *** Although it will be late this month before the final budget is adopted, Warden Clifford announced the target of a zero tax increase had been achieved by the various departments, despite cuts to provincial government grants. *** In an effort to help balance the library budget, fines for overdue items borrowed by adults will increase to 20 cents a day from 10 cents while the cost will increase from five to 10 cents. It's estimated this will generate an addition $8,000 a year in revenue. The problem of closures of Branch III libraries continues to hang over the library. McKillop Twp. has agreed to the closing of Walton Library. Stephen Twp. has agreed to the closing of the Cen- tralia library, but only if all Branch III libraries are closed. Turnberry has refused to close Bluevale Library. West Wawanosh has asked for discussions to develop innova- tive ways of keeping the Auburn Library open at no cost to the library board. The board will also another is inevitable. Blyth Coun- cillor Doug Scrimgeour, who recently attended both the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) and the Ontario Good Roads contentions, says the per- ception he came away from those sessions with, is that if municipali- ties don't start to make plans, the province will make them for every- one. "Some people are in a denial state. I think if we don't start to plan we may find ourselves with something unpalatable." Brussels Clerk Donna White said she was surprised by the message she heard at a recent seminar in Stratford. Guest speaker Michael Smither, the editor of Municipal discuss with Howick Twp. ways of turning one of its Branch III libraries into a Branch II library. *** December saw a rise in the num- ber of people on welfare in Huron from November, but a drop from the same period a year ago. The number of beneficiaries increased 6.58 per cent on a monthly basis, but decreased 9.05 on an annual basis. * * * The county has agreed to rein- state Clinton's ability to do grant consents for land severences after the town agreed to the new plan- ning fee schedule and agreed to pay all outstanding fees. The same offer will be made to Exeter. The con- sent function had been withdrawn from both towns after they refused to go along with a previous fee sys- tem that saw part of all planning fees go to the county. Exeter has now agreed to go along with the new fee structure but has asked that bills for past fees be forgiven and that the county review the fee sys- tem. *** Again this month council went into closed session, the fourth month in a row that council has closed the door to talk about per- sonnel or property matters. *** Rent will rise six per cent at apartments at Huronview and Huronlea. The rent for a one bed- room apartment will rise from $540 to $572.40 while a two-bedroom apartment will increase from $658.26 to $697.75. It's the second year in a row rent has increased by six per cent. However, under rent control legislation, the rent could have increased 11 per cent last year and, since the full limit wasn't used last year, could have increased by eight per cent this year. *** Future county wardens will have to pay for the privilege of celebrat- ing their election victory. Under a policy adopted by county council a party will be held at the Huron County Museum after the warden's election at the inaugural meeting. The warden will pick up the first $500 of the tab with the county paying the remainder. *** The county will increase deductibles in its insurance policies in order to cut the cost of the over- all bill. The original estimate from Frank Cowan Insurance was $191,687, up $31,094 from last World, didn't forecast the restruc- turing of municipalities so much as he did the amalgamation of ser- vices to cut costs, she said. "I got the feeling from him that bigger isn't always better." Scrimgeour agrees with the idea that there may be cost-savings through the combining of services. "I don't like change, but sometimes it can be for the best. However, it's better to have some control over our destiny." In the proposal from former Exeter reeve Bruce Shaw, a princi- pal of Goderich District Collegiate Institute, the townships of Ashfield, Grey, East and West Wawanosh, Howick, Morris, as well as Wing- ham, Brussels and perhaps Luc- year, 19 per cent. By increasing deductibles, the county will shave $12,000 from the bill. * * * The county will contribute $1,700 toward the cost of the fire Continued on page 8 know would become Area I. The suggestion for Area H is Bayfield, Colborne, Goderich, Goderich Twp. and Stanley while Area III would be Blyth, Clinton, and Seaforth, as well as Hullett, McKil- lop and Tuckersmith Townships as well as the possibility of Hibbert, Dublin and St. Columban from Perth. Area IV is suggested to be formed by Exeter, Hensall, Zurich, and Stephen, Usborne and Hay Twps. with the possible inclusion of Grand Bend, McGillivray, Bid- dulph and Lucan. Though White and Scrimgeour agree that there has to be a start somewhere, both would be most comfortable seeing rural municipal- ities linked together. "Personally, I would like to see something like Blyth and Brussels and a couple of townships together," said Scrim- geour. According to White this type of restructuring has actually already happened. "We have always worked well with our neighbours." Blyth and Brussels share the ser- vices of a sewage treatment plant manager, a chief building official and animal control officer and each works co-operatively with repre- sentatives from other municipalities to fund the arenas, the landfills and fire area boards, to name a few. "We've already done what the province has suggested. We've made every cut we can," says White, adding, "but we'll keep looking." One concern White does have is rural policing. "If it comes to pay- ing on a per capita basis it's going to be a big difference for rural com- munities." "Everybody's concerned, that's for sure, and councils are dis- cussing it. We did get hit pretty hard with cuts this year. If we get another round of cuts like that, the province may not force amalgama- tion by legislation, but rather finan- cially." White said it has been comforting to hear of the "no damage" method of amalgamation that has been dis- cussed, which would mean that staff would be maintained and offices would not be closed. "We'll just have to wait and see." But not, without a little planning. While both admit the prospect is not right around the corner, they agree forming some kind of idea is sound. "I think we have to get our own houses in order," says Scrim- geour. "I don't think it's safe to hide our heads in the sand." County council briefs Timber harvest priorities set