HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2002-03-13, Page 7MUNICIPALITY OF
CENTRAL HURON
WARD II
Hallett Minor Ball
Registration
Thurs., March 21 - 6 to 8
Sat., March 23 - 10 to 1
At Hullett Central Public
School, Londesboro
Phone Karen Dolmage
at 523-4726 for more
information
IVES
INSURANCE BROKERS LTD.
Visit us at:
WWW.IVESiNSURANCE.COM
"All Classes of Insurance"
DOUG GOUGH, Broker
184 Dinsley St. W., Blyth
Tel.: (519) 523-9655
Fax: (519) 523-9793
6olid Oak Pine
FURNI URE
4.7)0.1i ma4, Maciet Clea4aitce Sale
Save on pedestal tables, chairs,
hutches, computer work centres,
bedroom suites, entertainment centres,
coffee and end tables.
Just west of Molesworth on Hwy. #86
R.R. #2 Wroxeter NOG 2X0
(519) 335-3228 Fax 335-L442 Open Mon. - Fri. 8 tam - 6 pm; Sat. 10 am - 4 pm
`Wait o-utc gactaw
euteet d Sale $
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2002. PAGE 7.
Protests prompt county to halt paramedic testing
County council briefs
By Keith Roulston
Citizen publisher
After being barraged with protests
from the county's paramedics,
Huron County councillors voted
Thursday to halt psychological
testing that's part of a skills
upgrading program.
The issue was raised by North
Huron Councillor Doug Layton. "I
gave my word I would speak for
them," he said. "From what I can
gather the paramedics are at an all-
time low with morale. They don't
trust me or anyone else."
Layton asked that some kind of
assurance go out to the paramedics
that their concerns were being heard.
"When a group of people feel the
way they do they're not going to be
By Keith Roulston
Citizen publisher
Staff efforts to bring the
construction costs of three new
ambulance stations closer to the
original estimates were rejected by
county councillors who voted to
accept the original tender at an
additional cost of $75,000 per
station.
The estimate in 2000 had been that
each station would cost about
$300,000, an amount later increased
to $350,000, but the lowest of nine
tenders received came in at
$1,303,000, or $434,333 per station.
In an effort to reduce the cost
closer to the estimate, project
director Claus Breede had negotiated
By Keith Roulston
Citizen publisher
Recommendations included in the
O'Connor Report into the Walkerton
water tragedy have increased the
sense of vulnerability and
heightened concern regarding
liability for many staff in the Huron
County Health Unit.
Dr. Beth Henning, acting medical
Huron County council approved
terms of reference for a half-million-
dollar groundwater study at its
March 7 meeting.
The study calls for well head
protection studies and risk
assessments for 26 water systems
both in urban and rural areas plus a
mapping of aquifers, a vulnerability
assessment and a use assessment.
***
Council approved offering a 50-
by-60-foot piece of county-owned
property in Belmore to Wightman
Communications. The property,
purchased bythe county in 1962 and
apparently used at one time for sand
storage, will be used by Wightman
for a switching station. Proceeds
from the sale will be donated to the
Belmore Community Centre.
Eat right
Exercise too
Ask your doctor
about a
healthier
You .„„S",
performing their best service," he
said.
Clerk-Administrator Lynn Murray
assured Layton she had spoken with
one of the paramedics and was aware
of the concerns and that she was
going to go out and speak with them.
A memo will be sent that "wherever
there is an opportunity to modify
(the program) we will guarantee we
will."
But South Huron Councillor Dave
Urlin was adamant that the testing
program should be stopped. "I don't
feel the paramedics have been
treated fairly," lie said in making a
motion to halt the testing.
He was supported by Deb
Shewfelt of Goderich. "I don't know
what it's got to do with ambulances,"
he said of the testing. "To me it's an
a price of $1,079,000 with lowest
bidder Vertseeg Contracting of
Elmira by eliminating infloor
heating in the garage area, using a
stud wall in the garage instead of a
cement block one, using asphalt
instead of steel on the roof and
eliminating an emergency electrical
generation system.
As well as the $1,079,000, price,
the agriculture, public works and
seniors committee had
recommended a further $40,000
allowance to see if the steel roof and
infloor-heating could be returned.
But others worried some of the
cuts might be short-term thinking.
"I would highly recommend
concrete in the garage area," said
Dave Urlin of South Huron. Using
officer of health, made the comments
in her report to the health and
planning committee's Feb. 12
meeting.
Henning said there may be
increased political pressure and
scrutiny put on the board of health
and the medical office of health due
to the recommendation that all
boards should have a full time MOH.
Huron also has- a number of
Meanwhile a section of old road
allowance for County Rd. 87 in
Gorrie will be offered to an
insult.
"I tell you I'm sick of (getting) the
calls and I think morale is in the
dumper for sure."
But Bernie MacLellan, Huron East
councillor and chair of the .
agriculture, public works and seniors
committee, said he felt there had
been a misinterpretation of what was
being asked for and that the base
hospital that controls the Huron
ambulance service was in favour of
the testing. Those who have
volunteered to start the testing
program shouldn't have it stopped,
he argued.
But Paul Klopp of Bluewater said
those who had volunteered to begin
the testing were coerced into doing
so.
Murray said stopping the
allweather drywall on a stud wall
"you're just looking at disaster down
the road," he said. He recommended
at least raising the footing wall by
two feet to have a concrete base for
the wall, "It'll save you years and
years on the lifetime of the
building."
That argument hit home with Rob
Morley ,of South Huron who had
made the original motion for the
$40,000 allowance. "If you're going
to spend $1 million don't try to save
$20,000 then pay the price down the
road," he said.
In the long run it was Goderich's
Deb Shewfelt who recommended
going back to the original design.
"Why don't we bite the bullet and go
with the tender. It will cost maybe
communal wells, Henning pointed
out, and the health unit has a role to
play in public education and
providing expertise in preventing
problems.
A communications plan should be
drafted to suit specific circumstances
where a boil water order is needed,
whether for a municipality of a small
water system, Henning advised.
The health unit has already
adjoining neighbour with the
proceeds to go to the Howick
Community Centre.
psychological testing throws into
question the advanced lifesaving
training paramedics were to begin
since the base hospital feels the
testing is part of the training
program.
"This channels you into the
modules (of the training program)
where you perform best," she
explained later in the discussion. The
results of the testing are known
only to the consultant who carries
out the tests, she said, not to the
employer.
Keith Johnston from Morris-
Turnberry argued "Our paramedics
have gone through enough. Maybe
(the testing) will be good in a couple
of years but not now."
Carol Mitchell from Central
Huron said she'd like to hear
$80,000 a station," he said. "What
I'm afraid of is that if we nickel and
dime it, the general public will walk
by (the station) and say 'isn't that
awful'."
Central Huron's Carol Mitchell
called it. a "red letter day" because
"I'm going,to agree with Councillor
Shewfelt. It's really important to do
it right."
One by one councillors came out
in -support of Shewfelt's motion.
While the motion approved the
original tender price, Breede was
given authority to negotiate some
savings, such as the fact the county
has already purchased shelving for
the current stations and this can be
moved to the new stations instead of
new shelving being purchased.
adopted a policy of notifying the
local municipality as well as the
owner. of a well that has been found
to be contaminated.
officials from the base hospital
explain their reasons for wanting the
testing but that the testing program
should be halted until this discussion
took place.
She was supported in an amendment
to Urlin's motion by Neil Rintoul of
Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh who
asked for an opportunity to hear all
sides.
But Urlin argued against any
amendment. "I think we have to stop
it today, take a step back and take a
look at it," he said. He also argued'
that the cost of the testing hasn't
been nailed down. 7t could be $200
or $500 a person."
In the long run the amendment
was lost and the motion to stop the
testing was approved in a recorded
vote by a 9-7 margin.
Please Recycle
%rnIfii This Newspaper
Groundwater study approved
It's back to Cadillac model for stations
O'Connor reports burdens health unit