HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-07-06, Page 33Godetich Sigritlittat 4' Wednieda* Judy 5i 261 1
quest to investigate health concerns beyond LFN committee's mandate, says county council
an Hundertmaik
Agency
request to broaden the mandate for Huron
r>tty council's low frequency noise cotnrnit-
vas denied at last Wednesday's committee
e whole meeting
Siemon (Huron East) said he'd
e the request so that the LFN committee
id investigate any negative health effects
edby industrial wind turbines.
is to -prevent any of our constituents from
I.1 f anyone gets sick from any effect of .a
1 turbine, that's what we've set up the com-
ee.to deal with so we have a duty to put this
ird," he said,
le request asked to "broaden the mandate
le LEN committee to include impacts and
r health issues from wind turbines,"
owever, Coun. Deb Shewfelt (Goderich) dis-
ed, stating low frequency noise, not the
d ;t: tion of health i U was the reason the
mittee was set up,
ewfelt said the committee should just be
E gang LFN, not wind turbines or solar
atns
o add wind turbines is a red„herr ng,'he
iw frequency noise is an issue onto itself,"
Coun. Neil Vincent (North Huron), add -
e request "changes the intent ofthe LFN
tteee"
nless there's a panel of doctors on there, I
't know what they'd do for health issues,
Coun. George Robertson (South Huron).
tan, Brian Barnim (Central Huron), chair of
LFN committee, explained that members
t to amend the mandate because ft's difficult
k about tow frequency noise without talk -
bout wind turbines
t would be nice to have in our mandate that
say the word 'wind turbine' without hav-
o reel everybody back in again, he said
O un: Bill Dawson (Bluewater) pointed out
•
that Huron County council is going to have to
spend more than the $50,000 budgeted on the
LFN committee if it is going to look at the health
effects of wind turbines.
"Ifwe're going to do a health study, ' we'd need
to look at millions of dollars;' he said.
Running for wards
Coun. Bernie MacLellan (Huron East)
announced at the June 15 committee of the
whole meeting for Huron County coundl that e
will be running for Huron County's warden this
year
"I've been asked to run for warden every
since my second year on council and this year,
rill in a position to do so. It's time to take the
next step, he said. "My peers are continuously
asking me to chair various committees and they
know I show respect to cncillors around the
room and make sure everyone gets heard"
Need for affordable housing
'An 18.7 per cent increase on the waiting list
fit the 415 housing units available in Huron
County is showing a need for more affordable
housing in the region, Social Services Adminis-
trator Dave Overboe told county councillors at
their committee of the whole meeting on June
15,
"Perhaps it's just a sign of the times because lists it's happening across the province. Waftsts are
higher than they've ever been before," `added
Housing Services Manager Barb Hall.
Overboe's report showed awaiting list in April
2011 of 279, compared to the usual number of
215-.2220.
Coun. Deb Shewfelt (Goderich) expressed
concern about the waiting list, asking if there
was some way of encouraging private enterprise
to build more affordable housing in Huron
County.
"Has capitalist society gone to sleep or do they
no longer want to be involved in the rental
industry anymore?" he asked.
Overboe responded that while private afford-
able housing might take off some pressure on
the county's rent -geared -to -income housing, a
recent survey of market rental rates in Huron
showed that rent is "relative 4.w in many
areas."
"Private enterprise is not gouging on rent," he
said, adding that the county has been consider-
ing an idea of subsidizing the rent for eligible .
clients.
"If we subsidized the rent, landlords could still
that --4.e
a reasonable profit," said Overboe.
As well, his report showed that the month of
April shpws 3.2 per cent of renters in arrears,
creeping up from an average rate o2 per cent
Overboe added that numbers do not indicate
a large number of Hunan County families in "dire
straits.''
"Iheare not homeless or living on the streets.
They are using living with family or in facilities
with rents higher than they can afford. Some are
waiting_ for very specific locations, like the
ground floor facing east: But, they are on the list,
so they do qualify," he said.
Landlord Tenant Act concerns
Huron County council is requesting a meeting
with the provincial Minister of Housing at this
summer's AMO (Association of Municipalities
of Ontario) conference to discuss the Landlord
Tenant Act, after a motion made at the lune 15
committee of the whole meeting
While discussing the need for more affordable
housing in the Huron, Coun. Ben Van
Diepenbeek (ACW) pointed out that manly farm-
ers are leery about renting their empty farm-
houses because of. the additional expenses
caused by "professional renters."
He a said he's received complaints from farm-
ers who have been forced to do. over $10,000 in
repairs to upgrade their houses, even when the
renters haven't paid their rent or utility bills for
four or five months. •
Coun: Jim Ginn (Central Huron) agreed that
he has received many similar complaints in
Central Huron and added that the Landlord
Tenant Act is "in favour of the renter over the
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landlord:'
"Is there anything we can do to put a little
moreiairtiess into it? Many farmers would
sooner tear down their house than put up with
renting it out," he said.
Huron County CAO Larry Adams said the
same issue comes up at meetings he attends
about the lack of control a landlord has if "things
tum sour" and suggested a first step might be
bre up the issue at the AMO convention in
August. -
"'this is an issue that has come up across the
nation," he said.
Coun. Bill Siemon (Huron East) added that
manylandlords would rather turn apartments
into condominiums than keep there as apart-
ments because the Landlord Tenant Act limits
rent increases to three per cent,
"The average landlord is behind the emit -ball
and has to tum his apartments into condos to
get more money" he said.
Siemon presented the motion that Huron
County meet with the Minister of Housing at the
August AMO convention, which was passed by
committee of the whole.
Upping the benchmark
Huron County councillors agreed to increase
the benchmark subsidy to Huron Sands Non -
Profit Homes at their June 15 committee of the
whole meeting but not before Courri. Deb Shew-
felt asked for reassurance that the oration
is getting its finances in order.
"I'm agahist giVitIggielll this $1,200 until they
show how they're going to break even. if they do,
we'll give them their $1,200; he said.
Huron Sands Non -Profit Homes Inc. is a
35 -unit non-profit townhouse complex in
Goderich with corporation status and aboard of
directors. The board rets a property manage-
ment companyao manage all aspects of the
complex.
Housing Services Manager Barb Hall recom-
mended increasing the benchmark subsidy
from the county from $14,444.31 to $15,644:31
after determining that the current benchmark
was set 20 years ago.
Hall said she has been meeting with the
Huron Sands managers for a year and a half to
talk about the weakening ftnancial position of
the option since 2008 and its accumulated
three-year deficit.
"Factors must be in place to stop the ongoing
deficit position and this may be obtainedby
increasing the. benchmarks where appropriate
and working with Huron Sands to reduce unnec-
essary e'r►wnditures," she said in her report.
I all b. L' dile example of a $4,900 expense for
a conference that was addressed immediately.
"They have agreed to find every measure pos-
sible to eliminate their deficit," she said
Shewfelt asked if it would make more sense
financially for the county to take over the facility
but Social Services Administrator Dave Overboe
replied that Huron Sands is a private corpora-
tion which the county can't "simply take over"
"The only thing we can do is reduce or hold
back our funding, he sand.
Hall added she is helping Huron Sands reduce
their bad debts from four per cent to the county
level of three per cent .
Courthouse clock to be repaired
The clock at the Huron County Courthouse
will be repaired,
Huron County's committee of the whole,
which met on June 15, agreed to award a
$16,561.88 contract to repair both the clocks and
the chime system in the courthouse building.
Harkes Industries, of Gorrie, will do the work.