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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-08-17, Page 3• nal -Star • Wednesday, August 17, 2011 • Ibome School Council looking for second opinion on repair costs Creces h Signal -Star olborne school community is hoping for the best and i i g for the worst. 1)1• quite honest, it doesn't look really good, said t a Ingham, School Council Chair. "From a school 1 standpoint, it's a tough pill to swallow" awing a special meeting of the Avon Maitland District t t-a.att Hvti;a F 4ivis.3 s; RI!IAG Ste, ings Allis Claimers Tractor Pulls Ws and ettikkents Programs August 19, 20, 21 south ei Psis* 3 Ow - PARK THEATRE 30"The sows GODERICH 524- 78 1 1 Sat & 9:15 - Thur 8:00 INCEt WN MOVIE tt•U5" IUTES ESS N.movielinks•ca August 19 - 25 4. Fri 8l. Salt 6:45 & 9:1.8 Sun • Thur 8:00 relenca 14A k~Mb kik *,ail. 1-800-265-3438 School Board July 28, to which more than 100 concerned parents, teachers and members of the school community came out, the news was delivered that the school on Lucknow Line was closed because of mold problems and students would be shipped to the empty Victoria Public School. in Goderich. The school community fears the high cost of remediating the mold problem will bring about an :accommodation review and - worst case scenario- close the doors for good. 'Colborne is a very tightly knit school. We look at ourselves as a family there," Ingham said. "It has been quite a strug- gle to date. I" don't know of anybody that's happy with what's happening now.": A school board meeting in Septem- ber will determine whether or not the review takes place, though the Colborne community has been through this before, Tess than five years ago. It is always sitting in the back of our minds," Ingham said. "We're using our 'Keep Colborne School Open' button from the last accommodation review." It is unsettling, she said, that the fate of the school Is now in the hands of trustees. However, if the July 28 meeting is any indication, there is an incredible amount of parental support. - Part of what doesn't sit well with the parents, she said, is the calculations of repairs versus building value that has the school teetering dangerously close to -the 60 per cent mark - the cut off for accommodation review.. - At the July meeting, .Ashfield Col- borne Wawanosh Councilor Barry Mil- lion told the board that for any major works they should be seeking more opinions than one on how much it would cost to repair the school. Millian also suggested looking at local trades- people for the work and for a second opinion. The Colborne community also wants to see the report which was created on Victoria when it was deemed prohibi- tive to repair. "We are still waiting on that from the board," Ingham said. "We're working on getting the information .requested at that meeting" Over the next month, the school council will be putting pressure on the trustees to keep Colborne open and avoid another accommodation review. Ingham noted she has two kids attend- ing Colborne, and would like to see them graduate there: In the meantime, she said, the community will mobilize, rallying to keep their community hub. County prepares for judicial inquiry. 4) Councillors are seeking to have an inquiry on their home turf Cheryl Heath OMI Agency Huron County Councillors are seek- ing to have an inquiry on their home turf. But that move did not come without some debate at the county's Aug. 10 committee -of -the -whole session. In addressing the upcoming inquiry into county council's composition, CHSTS M-ULHERN UFiANCIE. BIROIFC EFt _ Dan Kerr, RIB, CLP tic Lyons & Jim Mulhern welcome Dan Kerr to 1.yon* & Mulhern insurance Brokers Ltd. ChartereedlnsurAnce Professional with 12 % experience in property & casualty insurance: specializes in farm &commercial coverages in addition to all personal lines insurance. ct Dan for your insurance needs: M9-524-2664 LYONS St MULH Insurance Brok p • Auto • Home • Commercial • Recreational • Farm • Beat/Cottage • Travel/Medical 519-524-2664 as West Street Goderich Itaio County CAO Larry Adams reports that while the review was originally set for Aug. 24, only a half hour could be allo- cated to both the five municipalities seeking the action and the four munici- palities defending it. As it stands, says Adams, the next available Hu ion County date for the inquiry is in November, though the county could see a faster resolution by agreeing to have the inquiry In another venue outside the county's borders. That proved to - be an idea that some councillors favoured. "Let's get it over with," urged Coun. Deb Shewfelt (Goderich). Others, however, were not so sure. "It's a -Huron County problem, it should be fixed in Huron County," argues Dave Frayne (South Huron). Meanwhile, Coun. Bernie MacLellan (Huron East) says November is soon enough and that proved to be a senti- ment shared by the rest of county council. The issues stems back to an earlier county decision to allow four munici- palities --- Huron East, Central: Huron, Wact Coast kitchens.. And Much Mori • Kitchens • CtetatfVartttx• • Fltttrtatttmcttt Units • Horne Offices Paondiallig bantALLAntos CUM bits Akipoutericators Visit Our Showrarm SO West St. Goderich 519-440-0352 Linda Rctrue rarer (World & District CAam►vr of ('owiwtirrc iiiistedmi of the )gar A'wr+d 2006 140011: M nNt•naatktt k* he meats ca South Huron and North Huron -- to keep an extra representative at the countytable. though Municipal Prop- erty: Assessment Corporation (MPAC) statistics suggest they did not have the populations required to do so. A 1999 Huron County bylaw set the rules for representation with one councillor per 4,000 population and, as such, South Huron, Central Huron and Huron East were set to lose their third representa- tive while North Huron should have Lost its second voice at the county level. However, after some municipalities contested the MPAC statistics and other complaints were lodged, county admin- istrators consulted legal counsel, which suggested- that proper procedure was not followed and that the county coun- cil's composition should not change for this term. Correction Liz Schweitzer's Dancing Trees artwork was incorrectly identified on page 4 of the August 10 edition of The publication regrets the error. FOSTER FAMILIES - NEEDED FOR Huron Perth CHILDREN & YOUTH oatl..rsr Help Children from Your Community For Information Call the Huron -Perth Children's Aid Society Perth County: Vy Waller at 519-271-5290 or 1800-668-5094 Huron County: Deante Jardine at 519-524-7356 or 1-800-265-5198 •