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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-04-14, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2005. HE supports farmers Tiny dancers The beginning students of Keshia Bishop’s step and clogging groups performed the Chicken Dance at the year-end recital on Thursday in Brussels. From left: Heather Hastings, Ally Miners, Sarah Mitchell and Brookelyn Johnston. (Bonnie Gropp photo) Cross-border billing now moving forward By Keith Roulston Citizen publisher A threat by Huron County council to take legal action to collect money owed for calls by Huron’s ambulance service seems to have gotten the attention of neighbouring counties. The motion ‘ showed we are serious,” said Larry Adams, chief administrative officer of the county. Huron is owed $1.3 million for calls into neighbouring counties. Because most of the neighbours owe more than they have coming to them from calls into Huron, they have been in no hurry to pay. “We’ve been trying to meet with them,” said Adams When, at a meeting of the chief administrative officers of the western Ontario Officials ‘burning up the lines9 Continued from page 1 Warden Doug Layton said county officials have been “burning up the lines” to Queen’s Park after their research showed • that the county doesn’t qualify for the Northern and Rural Communities Grant under the new program. The county will receive one-time funding that will see it receive close to $6 million this year, but in 2006 it will lose $1.2 million of the current $2.4 million grant. The grant will be reduced by $10 per household in 2006, $25 a household in 2007 and a further $50 per household in 2008. “After 2008 we (the county level) won't get any money,” counties, other CAOs were made aware of Huron council’s motion to take legal action if the accounts weren’t settled by June 30 suddenly meetings were scheduled. Asked by Huron East councillor Bernie MacLellan if council should take more action to speed the resolution of the issue Adams said he felt county staff now had enough ammunition to get the problem resolved. Meanwhile, Huron County now has a giant in its corner in its attempt to recover patient billing charges for ambulance calls. The City of Toronto has joined the call for a change that would see the ambulance service receive all of a $45 billing charge for ambulance patients. Carey told councillors. “We see the carrot first,” added Larry Adams, chief administrative officer. “When you look at the long term you see we lose.” Most lower tier municipalities with the exception of Central Huron will receive more money, but when all the money coming into the county from the provincial government is compared, Huron will receive $1.3 million less. That would translate into an additional 10 per cent increase in the county levy at a time when the county is struggling to find ways to cut a projected 18 per cent tax increase for 2005. Layton said he could assure Currently, a patient pays $45 of a $400 ambulance call fee. The hospital keeps $30 of this fee and the county gets $ 15 (on top of the $355 it gets from the province). “We would like the extra money but would really like the province to pick up 50 per cent of ambulance funding,” said David Lew, Huron County ambulance service manager. When land ambulance services were downloaded to municipalities the province agreed to pay 50 per cent of costs but as costs have risen, the province’s payments have not kept pace, leaving municipalities to pick up a larger and larger share. While the additional $30 would not make a huge impact in Huron, it means $5 million to Toronto. councillors this would be a topic at an-upcoming meeting of the western Ontario wardens. Carey added that most neighbouring counties seem to be in the same boat as Huron. The big gainers under the plan are the large urban municipalities which will get an extra $177 million a year. “It’s a pretty neat little shell game,” said Goderich councillor Deb Shewfelt. “We pump up the lower tiers, starve the upper tier and have the upper tier raise taxes while there’s a net loss for the whole county.” “At the (Ontario) Good Roads (Association) they suggested there would be By Jim Brown Citizen staff Huron East council demonstrated its support of farmers by concurring with a pair of similar resolutions at its first April meeting. The meeting was held in the auditorium of the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre. The resolutions dealt with supporting farmers in the wake of the unprecedented collapse in the prices for Ontario grain and oilseeds, The first resolution came from the Twp. of Huron- Kinloss which supports the representative marketing boards and associations in their call for an immediate infusion of $300 million through a Grain Market Disaster payment; an adequately-funded effective program for market revenue insurance for the 2005 crop year and beyond; and refinements to the Canadian Agriculture Income Stabilization Program for Ontario grain and oilseed Council By Jim Brown Citizen staff The tenders for dust suppressant were opened at the March 15 meeting of Huron East council. Any decision was deferred until the chemical analysis could be compared among the tenders. The decision was made at council’s April 5 meeting held at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre. Public works co-ordinator. John Forrest recommended to council that they accept the tender from Cliff Holland for Huron East council approves lawnmower By Jim Brown Citizen staff Huron east council met in the auditorium at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community last Tuesday evening for its regular session winners and losers (in the new program),” said Rosemary Rognvaidson, Howick councillor. “Now we know what they meant.” East Huron councillor Bernie MacLellan warned against using the windfall of the short-term funding to reduce this year’s tax increase. Already the projection is for another 20 per cent increase next year, he said, and if the additional funding was all spent this year the need would be even greater next year. Joe Seili, Huron East councillor agreed. “If we want to cut the deficit we’re going to have to cut services.” producers. Councillor Mark Beaven of the Grey ward urged council to support this resolution, especially in terms of points two and three. He indicated there has to be a long-term sustainable program for farmers to survive. A second resolution came from Don McKercher requesting that municipalities support the efforts of farmers and the Ontario Grain and Oilseed Group in their petition to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the government of Ontario for a one-time injection of $300 million dollars to get the industry through the disastrously low prices of 2005-2006, which is significantly less money than the discontinued market revenue insurance program would have generated for Ontario farmers and co­ operation between the Grains and Oilseeds Group and the minister of Agriculture and Food to find a longer term support mechanism that will opens tenders the supply of salt brine at a price of $33.17 per tonne. He reported that he and the two patrol foremen, Wayne Dolmage and Dave Hastings, reviewed the tenders as well as the chemistry analysis. According to Forrest, the chemical analysis of Cliff Holland and DenMar Brines were very comparable and any major deficiencies could not be identified. He added.. . they recommended that a specific gravity test be done on each load of salt brine delivered to confirm the consistency of the product and they were going of council. About five members of the public were in attendance for the meeting, which dealt with a number of issues involving the entire community. A number of tenders were received for the supply of a 25-horsepower lawnmower. Public works co-ordinator John Forrest recommended to council that they approve the tender from Logan Farm Equipment for a John Deere The Vitamin Shop www.canadianvitaminshop.com on Brand Name VITAMINS ; Natural Factors g Natural Factors FLEXABLE MELATONIN ryl GLUCOSAMINE Promotes s FWibfe 1 SULFATE - i UkJ Restful Sleep f VSrl Sodium Free I ^“1 3 mg - 90 500 mg - gsSSSifi Su*3'in9ua' Jumbo 500 Tablets Tablets Item » 1213 $20.98 Item 0 2218 $7.78 FREE DELIVERY on Orders Over $50.00 The Vitamin Shop reserves the right to limit quantities sold. 1212 Broad Street, Victoria, BC V8W 2A5 [Canada’s premier nutritional supplement dispensary - since 1984 J be affordable to the province in the worst years and that — in most years — will involve little or no pay-outs as the industry does compete effectively. Deputy-Mayor Bernie MacLellan of the Tuckersmith ward said he supports the farmers, but could not see paying for the 2006 year. He said if the farmers know prices are going to be low for a specific crop, why would they plant that crop. He believed that is bad business management. Beaven said this represents a long-term sustainable program which he felt should be established with the earlier resolution. Councillor Joe Steffler of the Seaforth ward said he believes money should be set aside every year so when there is a bad year, the funding is already in place. He indicated it was no solution, but he supported this resolution. The motions to support these resolutions carried. to use the salt brine on 10 blocks that were originally to have calcium chloride. Four of those 10 blocks will be in the Grey ward and other four in the McKillop ward. The final two blocks will be in the Tuckersmith ward. Forrest noted all concession roads in the Grey ward will have calcium chloride put on them. “There are other products out there, but they have not been tested,” he said. He indicated that he believes Canada Company Road will have the salt brine put on it. 757 at a cost of $10,925. The public works co­ ordinator had wanted a 60- inch reach discharge model with a 25hp engine. Of all the tenders submitted, only one had a rear discharge, but the cost of that model was close to $17,000. The specs also included a ROP (roll over protection) cab, which were featured on all models, with the exception Continued onjjage 26