HomeMy WebLinkAboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-09-21, Page 14Wednesday, September 21, 2011 • Signal Star 13
% meeting focuses on bouncing back
es
nal Star:
thinking can
own back.
Michael Strick-
,traight to the
,ecial BIA meet -
he Livery Tues-
fiber 13.
g done in
lute
n time we
t, we just
ova it out
gal period."
r Greg Stewart
nt of the room
of. representa-
o give answers
(ding, funding,
on with busi-
Li..
ilding steering
has been trying
'd tape on zoo -
ns and amend-
erning demoli-
:onstruction as
)ssible.
fig done in the
nimum time we
can do it, solicitor Greg
Stewart informed those
present. "We just have to
wait out the appeal period."
A bylaw approving the
fast-track process has been
given an approval in princi-
pal at council, but manda-
tory 20 -day notice and
appeal periods mean it can't
fully take effect until early
November.
In the meantime business
owners are not only faced
with the disruption of bus'.
ness, but food and goods
spoiling in buildings that
still cannot be entered, even
three weeks after the
tornado.
Building and business
owners expressed their con-
cerns about the contamina-
tion happening while wait-
ing for the green light.
Committee member, solici-
tor Richard Ottewell, said
insurers are dropping the
ball on timely cleanup, call-
ing on the Insurance Bureau
of Canada (IBC) to take
charge, as they did in Slave
Lake, Alberta.
"Insurance, has got the
money," Stewart said. ""they
are the ones holding up the
process."
For owners seeking dem-
olition or reconstruction,
the Building Department
has been streamlining the
process. Chief Building Offi-
cial Jim Spence noted a
checklist has been compiled
and is now available at
Town Hall.
But what to do with pre -ordered
stock?
Lynn Nietsch of Sweets tic Memories
noted many owners are faced with
that situation. offering the idea of a
"tornado blowout sale" for backer up
stock.
Claude Reaurne, owner of West
Coast Kitchens, took it one step fur-
ther, suggesting groups of businesses
collectively find space and work from
the same location.
"You can share units, wages, hours,"
he said. "Sitting at home worrying
about inventory .won't sell it."
Goderich and Area Disaster Relief
Fundraising Coordinator, Tom Jasper,
stressed that. the ODARPfund is about
replacing losses that are not covered.
That includes the cost of restoration
and repairs to get the business back to
pre -tornado shape not covered by
insurance.
"We are the next line of defence
after insurance; he said.
And for what ODRAP can't cover,
there still may be a way, said Rick
Lobb of the Edge Fund committee.
While he said the fund is still emerg-
ing, it aims to assist preserving built,
environmental and cultural heritage
in Goderich. That applies, he said, to
top ups necessary if insurance and
ODRAP aren't enough by raising
money for specifics, such as heritage
buildings or trees.
With so many businesses starting
from scratch, this is a good time for
the BIA to rebuild from the ground up,
Strickland closed by saying.
"Our downtown was already hurt-
ing in the weeks before the tornado,"
he said. "We need to work better...
Gerard Crows Godarich Signal Star
The rebuild advisory steering committee, Greg Stewart, Denise VanAmersfoort and
Richard Ottewell, answer questions from the BIA Tuesday, September 12 at the Livery.
look at the board itself." With an
Annual General Meeting coming up in
the next two months, Strickland urged
people to come forward and fill all the
open spaces on the board. They too,
need new energy and visions to con-
tinue their threefold mandate: special
events, beautification and economic
development.
Planner Denise VanAmersfoort said
a visioning session is scheduled for
Saturday, September 24 to start the
process of information and idea shar-
ing for rebuilding the downtown core.
The meeting starts at 10 a.m.-n the
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REMINDER
TOWN OF GODERICH
2011. Final TAX INSTALLMENT
DUE September 30, 2011
Please present your bill when making payment. Interest of
1.25% (15% per annum) will be added to unpaid installments on
October 1, 2011. if you have recently purchased property or have
not received a tax notice please contact the Town Hall, 57 West
Street, Goderich, 524-8344 ext 213. Tax payments may be made
in the fallowing ways: at financial institutions in the Town of
Goderich, municipal office (interact now available), telephone/
net banking, pre -authorized payments and post dated cheques.
After hour payments can be dropped into the mailbox at the
front of Town Hall.
Lori Rounds
Deputy Treasurer/Tax Collector