Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1998-06-10, Page 24PAGE 24. THE WIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1998. A turn at page Cassie Fischer, a Grade 7 student at Grey Central Public School was introduced as page for county council by Grey Twp. Reeve Robin Dunbar, right. Also pictured is Warden Jack Coleman. County council briefs 9-1-1 stalled until June 1999 Got A Vacant Spot In r. Your Garden? Well...come to Te-em Farm. They have all you need! Te-em Fartg's beautiful, top quality plants will make your landscaping the best on the block! AREA'S LARGEST PLANT SELEC770N! Regular Spring Hours...Monday-Friday Sam-dusk, Sat. & Sun. 9am-6pm NOW READY...Asparagus in freezer quantities Pick your own or ready picked! Call for crop update and picking hours! A Gardener's Forociee (519) 482-3020 RR#1 Bayfielct Ont NOM 1 GO LOVELL'S STRAWBERRIES YOU PICK...WE PICK Open Between June 6'^ or 8'h For pick CALL 263-6418 1 st farm west of Kippen intersection on south side. Berries sold by litre, Open: Mon.-Fri. 8 am-8 pm Sat. 8 am-6 pm Sun. 8 am-12 noon (no picking in pots or pans) INVEST IN YOUR COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION 12% vir 6 MONTHS (MINIMUM $10,000.00 NEW MONEY) Annual Interest Paid at Maturity. All funds are reinvested in your local community and are deposit insured by Deposit Insurance Corporation of Ontario CLINTON COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION LTD. 48 Ontario Street CLINTON DASHWOOD 482-3466 237-3777 118 Main Street North EXETER 235-0640 Roadside picnic area to stay open for summer arbitrator had ordered the county to reinstate all workers and give them back pay and seniority for all the time they had been laid off, includ- ing vacation time, plus interest. But the county took that award to the Divisional Court and the three judges agreed the county couldn't be prevented from laying, off work- ers. While the decision wasn't a sur- prise, Lynn Murray, county clerk- administrator said the swiftness of the judges' ruling and the com- pleteness of their agreement with the county's position, was unex- pected. The county was also award- ed legal costs. The union can still seek leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal. If that right is granted the county have to defend its case to the higher court. Murray warned this could go on for a long time yet. *** The county is still waiting for the assessment information it needs to calculate tax bills for the munici- palities. The release of assessment information is being delayed by amendments being made to Bill 16 in the Ontario legislature. The bill is expected to be passed in mid- June and some time after that the information will be available to municipalities so they can figure out final tax bills. The process is normally done in April. *** The Ontario Works program is proving to be a frustrating experi- ence for both clients and staff of the Huron County Social Services Department according to John McKinnon, department administra- tor. The reason is continuing changes in the legislation, McKinnon said. "One month we tell our clients one thing and the next, something else," he said. "It's quite upsetting to our staff and clients." For instance, McKinnon said, a month ago the legislation said that a lien could be put against the prop- erty of anyone who had been on welfare for more than a year but the legislation was changed to say the lien "shall" be placed on the home of anyone who had been on welfare for more than a year. Bruce Raymond. White said that the Chief Build- ing Official Paul Josling-Iiad been in to see what work was being done on Ken Dowling's store downtown. Dowling had, however, not been in to apply for a permit. *** Word has been received that the village's application to, the province for the Special Circumstance Fund is being reviewed. Emergency plan to get update The implementation of 9-1-1 emergency telephone service won't take place before June 1, 1999 at the earliest, Lynn Murray, Huron County clerk-administrator told county councillors at their June 4 meeting. The problem, she said, lies with Bell Canada which claims it can't honour its earlier deadline because of staff cutbacks caused by greater competition in the telephone busi- ness. "Our signs are going to be worn out before we use them," quipped Brian McBumey, reeve of Turnber- 1Y. Bob Szusz, reeve of Hullett, wor- ried about the number of signs that are being stolen and wondered about the need to replace them. Murray said there was no pressure for quick replacement until the 9-1- 1 system is actually- going to be in use. _ *** A judicial review has agreed that the county did have the right to lay off workers at its homes for the aged in 1993. In August 1996, an Continued from page 22 Preparedness Seminar he attended was very interesting and quite worthwhile. She and McArter have set a goal to update the village's plan this year. *** The sale of a property in town has hit a snag. White explained that the attorney representing the pur- chasers-of a home on Alexander Street said the garage was in the wrong place so a minor variance was needed. "I don't know how he knows, because there has been no survey," said White. "And I don't know how they can process it without a sur- vey. I'm just making you aware in case a request comes in." White said that a building permit had been issued when the garage was constructed. "They didn't do anything incorrectly. But we cer- tainly can't start expecting every- one who gets a building permit to have a survey completed." Councilor Greg Wilson referred to the minor variance as a waste of money for the buyers and sellers. "The garage isn't going to move." **a Building permits were issued to Verne Bridge, Huron Feeding Sys- tems, Bob Bridge, Murray Pipe and Roadside picnic areas on the for- mer Hwys. 4 and 86 will remain open for the use of travellers, at least for 1998. The three sites, north of Blyth on County Rd. 4, east of Wingham on County Rd. 86 and at Amberley, were not transferred to the county along with the highways. The coun- ty had agreed to enter into an agreement with the Ministry of Transportation to maintain the sites if local municipalities would cut the grass and look after garbage. Don Schultz, reeve of East Wawanosh sparked the debate when he asked County Engineer Sandra Lawson when the portable toilets he felt the county had promised to erect, would be installed at the East Wawanosh site. Lawson said the county had decid- ed not to go ahead when faced with an estimated cost of $3,500 to rent and service the toilets. That cost, however, was for two toilets at each site. Since then, she said, she had been told MTO only had one toilet at each site. Schultz said if the county was not going to provide the toilets his township didn't want to maintain the area. After the Victoria Day weekend, he said, township employees found human waste behind trees and other places in the park. If there are no toilets the picnic areas should be barricaded, Brian McBurney, reeve of Turnberry agreed. Bert Elliott, reeve of Morris also supported his neighbouring reeves. But support for maintaining the areas was strong from across the county. Bill Camochan, reeve of Tucker- smith pointed to the money the county spends to attract tourists to Huron. "Why do we fund them in one place and send them away in another?" he questioned. But Roy Triebner, reeve of Exeter, wondered what the differ- ence between these picnic areas were with parks like MacNaughton Park at the north end of Exeter which is used mostly for picnics. McBurney said the roadside parks are not used by local residents but by travellers through the area. Councillors voted to continue to maintain the picnic areas this year but the future remains uncertain. Lawson pointed out that when Hwy. 83 was turned over to the county, the Ontario Realty Corpo- ration, real estate arm of the gov- ernment, wanted the county to buy a picnic area there at a cost of $30,000. The park ended up being fenced off. There has been such flak over the issue that the new transition committee is looking at the issue again, Lawson said. Norm Fairies, reeve of Howick Twp. suggested the county should make a presentation to the commit- tee. "They're keen to get rid of the highways but they want to put a price tag on the property," he said.