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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-05-16, Page 6W¢t6ingQ farm flowIRT*6 83341 CURRIE LINE - RR 3 BLYTH Owner: Gaye Datema 519-523-9407 E-Mall: wetsinge.datema@sympatico.ca Available from our greenhouse: • Planters, Hanging Baskets & Bedding Plants • Some tomatoes and vegetables available. • Plus we also have some perennials Give us a call. OPEN 6 DAYS A WEEK - CLOSED SUNDAY COME AND SEE US THIS SEASON FOR YOUR GARDEN PLANTS NOTICE HURON COUNTY HIGHWAYS DEPARTMENT proposes to apply the herbicide "DIPHENOPROP BK 700" Reg. No. 16724 under the Pest Control Products Act (Canada) on County Road No's. 1, 4, 8, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 25, and 31 right-of-ways for control of noxious weeds as listed under the Weed Control Act. Application time to be the weeks of June 4th to June 22nd, 2001, weather permitting. There will be no spraying done in built up areas. For further information and for location of the roads to be sprayed, contact Sandra Lawson, Huron County Weed Inspector at (519) 524-7412. Collect calls will be accepted. PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2001. Letter to the editor `The board will be listening' says Anderson THE EDITOR, In its brief history, the Avon Maitland District School Board has heard from a lot of people on a great variety of subjects. Without a doubt the subject that produces the greatest response is the issue of student accommodation. Everyone knows we have been down this road before and there is no doubt that it can be a painful path. When the decision to close schools was reached in 2000, the board heard from many people who had sugges- tions that they felt would make for a more acceptable process. They wanted an opportunity for input that was meaningful and heard before any specific schools were considered. They wanted long- term population projections that were developed by an objective source. They told us that they could live with changing schools once, if neces- sary, but they didn't want it to hap- pen again. They wanted a system- wide plan that would deal with our excess space issues over a significant period of time. The board took those suggestions to heart when they made adjustments to the Student Accommodation Review Policy. To get the data that people told us they wanted, a consultant was engaged to prepare population pro- jections to the year 2015. Those fig- ures were referred to in a report that was considered by the board at its last meeting. Those figures show that the problem of excess space in our schools will continue well into the future. On the basis of those figures alone, the board voted to set up Community. Accommodation Study committees which include each and every school in the District. Representation on those committees will include school council members, community mem- bers selected by the municipalities and the school principals. What we hope to have come from .these committees is an idea of how people want their schools to look in the future. We hope that people will tell us what their priorities are for the education of their children. These reports will be received by the end of September and will he invaluable to the board in planning for the future. As part of their standard practice, thqconsultant's report included some 51 options for consideration that named specific schools. The alarm that this has caused in our District is unfortunate indeed. The options do not take into account many of the other things that the board will need to consider. To name just two- the age of the build- ings and the transportation costs, not to mention the results of the public consultation that is just beginning. Those things and many others will be considered. The quality of the information in the CAS reports is dependent on the willingness of people to take an objective and informed look at the challenges that we are facing. I know that the people of Huron and Perth Counties can rise to that challenge. Be assured that the board will be lis- tening. Wendy Anderson Chair AMDSB. Huron gets Ministry's blessing for landfill plan Huron County has gained the blessings of the Ministry of Environment for a new plan to make the fullest use of available landfill site capacity. Steve Janes, the county's waste management consultant, called the agreement good news. "We've come a long way," he said, from the days when the county was looking at a multi-million-dollar county-wide Agreements worked out between the Avon Maitland District School Board and local municipalities in an effort to prevent chaos because of smokers outside secondary schools won't be allowed by the Huron County Health Unit. The health unit has been told by Dr. Colin D'Cunha, chief medical_ officer of health that students are not to be allowed to smoke on school property, even if the property has been leased to local municipalities. "The Ministry is adamant that leased lands are part of the school property," explained Marlene Price of the health unit. "We understand there are issues and we're trying to work with the school boards." Several councillors were upset by Increases in the value of Huron County farmland and residential dwellings and decreases in the value of industrial facilities will see a large shift in the tax burden to farms and residences, County Treasurer David Carey told county council, May 10. Farmland value increased 42.4 per cent between 1996 and 2000, Carey said while residential properties increased 5-7 per cent. Industrial properties in the county decreased 12 per cent and commercial ,properties increased slightly by 3.2 per cent. Under the province Bill 140, the ratio of the residential rate that indus- trial, commercial and multi-.residen- tial owners can pay is frozen so more North Huron Councillor Jeff Howson served notice at the May meeting of Huron County council that he'll seek compensation for Blyth and District Fire Department for its expenses in providing a first- response emergency service, Howson, AO 'is also chair of the Blyth and District Fire Area Board, said he had been instructed to seek payment from the county for medical supplies used by the department in its capacity as a first response to_acci- dents and medical emergencies. These supplies were paid for by the Ministry of Health when it ran the landfill site. The new plan, outlined to county council Thursday, recognizes there is currently 54 years of capacity within the municipal landfills and allows the county to facilitate movement of garbage from one municipality to another without having to go through an expensive environmental assess- ment hearing. "The host municipality will also the decision from on high that kills a local solution to the problem of smokers taking up sidewalks, streets and neighbours' properties. Carol Mitchell, Central Huron councillor said before the leasing agreement children arriving at the day care centre at Central Huron Secondary School in Clinton had to walk through the smokers. "By leasing the property it got them (the smokers) to another area. What we're going to do is have them go back in front of the school again." "It was a huge problem in Goderich," added Deb Shewfelt, Goderich councillor. Neighbours "literally couldn't open their win- dows in May and June (because of of the tax burden cannot be shifted to industrial and commercial properties. Central Huron Councillor Bert Dykstra said as a result "the tax increase is going to be phenomenal for agriculture. Could the increase be phased in'?" But Carey said if the increase was to be phased in the only area that could pick up the additional tax would be residential property own- ers. "Administratively, it would be a nightmare," he added. Paul Klopp, councillor for Bluewater, said the Federation of Agriculture is looking at the issue. "We're really stuck (as politicians)," Klopp said. "Is there some way we ambulance system but now that the service has been downloaded to the county, nobody's paying the bill. Blyth is the only first response tire department in the county, Howson said. Carol Mitchell, Central Huron councillor supported Howson's request. "It,'s a service that is very much appreciated, she said. County Clerk-Administrator Lynn Murray promised to look into the issue and bring it betbre the agricul- ture, public works and seniors com- mittee at its next meeting. retain ownership and control of its own landfill site. This will allow the former Exeter landfill in South Huron to contract to take the waste from Wingham, in North Huron, and Brussels in Huron East. Currently Exeter has 54 years of capacity in its landfill, based on cur- rent use rates. The addition of Brussels' nd Wingham's garbage the smoke). Children going to the public school had to walk out in the street to get around the smokers. "The thing that ticks me off is that it's illegal to buy cigarettes (if you're under 19) but it's not illegal to smoke them." Shewfelt said Goderich had passed a loitering bylaw as one way of deal- ing with the problem but had never enforced it due to the lease solution. Now the town may be forced to use the law and will put black marks on the records of some students, he said. South Huron Councillor Joe Hogan, a former teacher, pointed out that because no one under 19 is supposed to be smoking, there shouldn't be any smoking going on in schools. can support these farm groups (in lobbying for change)." Warden Norm Fairies said in his township, Howick, all the bookwork necessary under Bill 140 to deal with 130 industrial and commercial prop- erties resulted in a grand total saving of just $320 for these businesses. If farmers get another equivalent bill to protect them from tax increases it would mean more headaches. will reduce that to 34 years, Janes said, but with a continued decline in waste generation due to recycling and the use of bag tags. this capacity may expand again. "Fifty years is a long time," Janes said of the county's current capacity. "Who knows what will come up in the meantime. If the cost of card- board and paper goes up it will reduce the amount of waste going into the landfill." Joe Hogan, councillor for South Huron, wondered how the host municipality would be covered for potential liability problems 20 to. 30 years down the line. Janes said that it's a complex issue and that in Ontario the owner of the landfill is responsible for problems. The agreement between South Huron and North Huron and Huron East, however, will have money built into the tipping fee that will create a fund to deal with any potential liability in the future. Asked by North Huron Councillor Doug Layton about how fast this- agreement could be put in place in view of the fact Wingham is facing closure of its site, Janes said the MOE has promised to fast-track approval of a waste transfer station at Wingham for collection of garbage to be transported to South Huron. Howson seeks county compensation for Blyth's first response service MOH disallows smoking solution Farms to see shift in tax burden