The Huron Expositor, 1998-01-28, Page 22 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, Jay IS, Resit;
Restructuring
Committee
defeats its
own motion
BY GREGOR CAMPBELL
Expositor Staff
l'he restructuring commit-
tee that Seaforth is on defeat-
ed its.own motion at a meet-
ing last Wednesday night, the
same motion it circulated to
all 26 municipalities in the
county last month, asking
Huron to hire a consultant
and fog m a committee for
another but new study that
would look at restructuring
county -wide.
The vote was 11-10 against.
Besides Seaforth, this
Central Huron Municipalities
Restructuring Committee, or
CHRC for short, is made up
of representatives from the
towns of Clinton and
Goderich, and the townships
of McKillop, Hullett,
Goderich and Colbome.
Mayor Dave Scott, who
was one of Seaforth's repre-
sentatives at the meeting, said
this doesn't mean the move
towards a county -wide
restructuring study is dead on
the vine.
EARLY NEXT MONTH
He said the idea of hiring a
consultant seemed to be the
sticking point in last week's
central Huron committee
vote, but there is a move
afoot involving a comparable
kind of county -wide restruc-
turing study, that comes from
Huron's planning committee
and is scheduled to be dealt
with at the county level the
first week of February.
Seaforth's mayor also said
concerns were expressed at
last week's CHRC meeting
that there are no members on
this county planning commit-
tee representing "urban" or
town interests, and that it
may be more weighted
towards the "rural" point of
view.
Seaforth Council carried the
CHRC motion and endorsed
a Huron county -wide study at
its Jan/ 6 meeting.
Good news
Scaforth has received some
good news from Huron
County.
County engineer Sandra
Lawson sent a letter indicat-
ing Huron will be taking full
responsibility for the town's
traffic lights, so all local PUC
charges for maintenance and
hydro will be sent to the
county.
On top of this, Huron is to
pay 100 per cent of the main-
tenance costs for Seaforth's
connecting link (Highway 8).
Clerk Jim Crocker com-
mented at council's Jan. 6
meeting that this town thus
has "the best of both. worlds."
Jay Cochrane, left, Cody McNaughton, Lance .Laverty and Jamie Dale. Grade 7 students at
Seaforth Public School, measure vinegar and wa$L152 determine the density during a science pro-
ject at the school this week. (Fitton photo)
Local PUC workers -still out east
two -and -a -half weeks ago. that hit eastern Ontario,
BY GREGOR CAMPBELL This town's rear augcl , or Quebec and New Brunswick
Expositor Staff digger truck, went along too. eviler this month is the worst
In total, 13 men and six natural disaster in Canadian
trucks originally went from history.
the two counties, and men The boys have been taking
and equipment have been pictures, our PUC manager
shuttled hack and forth since,
for instance some hydro
poles headed east from
Mitchell last week.
The PUC manager says
Smale called early last
Wednesday morning and
sounded "upbeat" despite
getting over a cold and the
long hours all the workers
have been putting in.
WORST DISASTER
Power had just been
restored in the particular area
Doug had been working,
Phillips related, and he and
the boys seem to get a real
charge out of that sort of
thing.
Those that keep track of
such things say the ice storm
Seaforth's Public Utility
Commission still has equip-
ment and men working dou-
ble -shift in the ice storm rav-
aged east.
Brett Finlayson of the local
utility returned from a week
of work around Winchester,
south-east of Ottawa, on
Sunday.
PUC manager Tom Phillips
says fellow -employees Doug
Smalc and Dennis Medd
could be back the middle of
this week.
It depends on how the situ-
ation improves out there, it's
being mqnitored on a regular
basis, slid whether they're
needed back here or not.
Smale and Medd left with
the convoy of Huron -Perth
utility workers, first orga-
nized by Phillips, on Jan. 11,
PUC get acquainted
meeting m Dublin tonight
The West Perth public utilities commission plans to
hold a "get acquainted evening" at the Dublin community
centre tonight (Jan. 28) at 8 p.m.
PUC manager\secretary-treasurer Bob Hume said the
five commissioners on the West Perth PUC will be in
attendance to answer questions from interested customers.
He said the evening is intended to give Dublin cus-
tomers an overview of the services and procedures the
new PUC will be offering in the community.
Merging the Dublin hydro electric commission with the
Mitchell PUC has given the Dublin customers options
they have not had, said Hume.
For instance, waterheaters can be rented from West
Perth PUC, something never offered by thc previous com-
mission in Dublin. In addition, said Hume, commissioners
will explain the options customers will now have in the
method and location of paying their PUC account.
Stressing the evening will be of an informal nature, he
said customers and commissioners can take the opportuni-
ty to get to know one another over a cup of coffee. (-R.K )
Council briefs
Scaforth Council has
approved the transfer of
$12,925.51 into the town's
reserve fund account from
the Ausable-Bayfield and
Maitland Valley conservation
authorities' trust fund.
Because of the "amalgama-
tion" of the authorities and
"potential for restructuring"
of Seaforth, clerk/administra-
tor Jim Crocker told council
on Jan. 13 that he felt it was
"in the town's best interest to
retain control of the funded
reserve."
He said the funds were held
in trust for future mainte-
nance and capital expenses
"where originally expensed
through the sewer expansion
and improvement capital pro-
ject.•"
Entering thc new year,
Scaforth clerk/administrator
Jim Crocker had a balance of
94.75 hours of overtime
owed to him..
Council approved his report
at its Jan. 13 muting.
The town's administrator
reported he had 69 hours
owed to him at the end of
1996, and put in 388.50
hours of meetings and
optional overtime last year,
100 hours of which was
mandatory. •
He also took 262.75 hours
off "in lieu of" lut year, sub-
tracted from the suhtotal
leaving his 1997 balance.
* * *
Tax arrears were 1.2 per
cent less in Seaforth at the
end of last month than they
were at the end of 1996.
The 1997 receivable repre-
sents 6.9 per cent of total tax
revenue, clerk/administrator
Jim Crocker reported to the
Jan. 13 meeting of council.
Tax arrears at the end of
December totalled $139,997,
compared to $141,429 at the
end of 1996.
"Current taxes" for last year
were $93,103, compared to
$99,968 (7.1 per cent arrears)
the year before. The compa-
rable figures for thc three
years previous (95 to 93)
were $83,488 (6.9 per cent),
$77,537 (7.8 per cent) and
$105,675 (10.4 per cent).
***
Sgt. Paul Holmes told the
Jan. 14 meeting of Seaforth's
Police Service Board that
when OPP community ser-
vice officer John Marshall
retires this ycar, Const. Don
Shropsall of Clinton will be
assuming his duties.
Sgt. Holmes, now in charge
of the provincial police
force's Seaforth/Clinton con-
tract, also offered his assis-
tance during upcoming meet-
ing(s) between the police
boards of the two towns
where shared services will be
discussed.
says, and its "unbelievable...
total devastation."
Originally it was estimated
1,400 hydro poles were
down, Phillips says, but the
information he now has indi-
cates the final figure will
probably be closer to 7,000
poles downed in eastern
Ontario, about 4,500 of .them
around Winchester.
There are some 300 to 400
trucks helping to put things
back together there, and from
800 to 900 men.
Phillips says if anything
untoward electrically hap-
pens around here while the
crews are working there, the
public utilities of Seaforth;
Clinton and Mitchell are
backing each other up, with
Ontario Hydro available too,
if necessary.
Our utility manager, who
organized the original relief
convoy with the blessing of
commissioners on the
Seaforth PUC, is a director in
district 6 of the Municipal
Electrical Association.
300th donation
A press release from the
Canadian Red Cross Society
notes Paul Copeland of
Sparling Street in Seaforth,
"recently reached the mile-
stone level of 300 blood.
donations."
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Bob McNaughton, Seaforth 519-527-1571
Graeme Craig, Walton 519-887-9381
McMaster Siemon, Mitchell 519-348-9150
Barb Worden, Dublin 519-345-2777
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A. Ask for specific information about the grief recov-
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St. Thomas
Anglican Church
Jarvis St. Seaforth
Rev. Robert Hiscox
482-7861
Sunday, February let
Service of Holy
Communion at 9:30 AM
followed by Annual Vestry Mooting
First Presbyterian
Church
Goderich St. W. Seaforth
11:15 AM
Sunday School
during Church Service
Minister:
Rev. Nicholas* Vandermey
Bethel Bible Church
Meeting at Seaforth High
9:45 a.m. 5.8. 7:00 p.m.
11:00 Worship Evening
Bible Study
Small Group meetings Weekly
An Associated Gospel Church
WINTHROP CAVAN
UNITED CHURCH
9:30 AM
NORTHSIDE
UNITED CHURCH
Goderich St. W., Seaforth
11:00 AM
Rev. Jane Kuepfer
527-2635
St. James
Catholic Church
Victoria St., Seaforth
SUNDAY
MASS 11:00 A.M.
Father Dino Salvador