HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-02-10, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2005.
North Huron weighs need for grant
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
North Huron can have up to
$10,875 from the province’s
Communities in Action Fund.
They’re just not sure they want it.
At the Feb. 7 meeting of council
clerk-administrator John Stewart
stated that as a result of the Hugh
Thomas Report, thought had been
given to a marketing plan for
recreation throughout North Huron.
This past fall the Ministry of
Tourism and Recreation came up
with a grant. They would cover 80
per cent of the cost.
With the deadline nearing, Stewart
said he instructed the director of
recreation/facilities Dan Cousins to
proceed with the application. Word
was recently received that it had
been approved.
Stewart explained that a
marketing plan would be developed
for staff to implement a promotional
strategy for recreation in the
First response will stay
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
Despite a request from Morris-
Turnberry there will be no change in
emergency response within the
Blyth Fire board area.,
At the Monday night meeting of
North Huron council, a letter from
Morris-Turn berry was presented for
consideration. The letter stated that
the council there felt the
department’s response to medical
emergencies was a service that was
no longer required and expensive to
operate.
“In 2003 and 2004 Morris-
Turnberry has been billed for calls
township. An outside consultant
would be hired at an estimated cost
of $13,000.
Deputy-reeve Murray Scott
wondered, however, if anything else
could be done, noting that they are
competing with many other arenas
in neighbouring communities.
Stewart agreed, adding however,
that the idea is to develop programs
that would be unique to North Huron
in the hope that people from other
communities would then participate.
“It’s not going to be easy. It has to be
the type of things that not every
community will offer.”
Stewart noted for example that
there is a lot of “down time” for the
ice, when possibly a marketing plan
could come up with strategies for
use.
Councillor Archie MacGowan,
however, noted that the pool is a
bigger concern. “It’s by far the most
costly to operate.”
He added, “The staff is doing a
good job of promoting the facility.
amounting to $4,260 for
medical response, which we have no
way of recovering,” the letter
stated.
Councillor James Campbell,
however said that the municipality
was billed just $ 1,500 for the service
in 2004 and the other figure was
from 2005.
While the letter stated that the
service had been established when
the area was located in an under
serviced ambulance area, and this
was no longer the case, councillor
Archie MacGowan said he felt there
were still many times when the first
response team could be at the scene
first. “And when you’re calling for
but I don’t know that they can take it
any further without something like
this.”
He suggested that council
complete a request for proposals
(RFP) to see what is offered. “If it’s
not what we want, can we not tell
the province then we don’t want the
money?”
Councillor Arnold Taylor
wondered if Cousins also felt it was
“beyond his scope” to complete this
plan.
MacGowan said that a mini
marketing scale had been
completed, but that Cousins has
really done everything he can within
his budget.
“I think he thought this was what
council wanted,” said MacGowan.
Taylor said he did, but “I guess I
thought this was in his scope.” He
said he felt a consultant would only
give them answers they already had
but couldn’t afford to proceed with.
MacGowan cautioned that if
council had misgivings they should
medical help, you kind of don’t want
to wait.”
Clerk-administrator John Stewart
said that the 9-1-1 dispatch will call
the ambulance if it is in a closer
location to the call. “If it’s quicker
for the ambulance to get there then
the department is not dis
patched.”
Campbell noted that the night of
the fire board meeting the
department got a call to an accident.
“First response was there seven
minutes before the ambulance,”
added councillor Edgar Daer.
“The ambulance personnel highly
praise the first response team,” said
Campbell.
end it now rather than waste any
more staff time. “This is not to
dissuade you. The public has been
on us to make more use of the
complex. But I also hear what Dan
told us. There are other complexes
out there.”
A motion passed to proceed with
the RFP.
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