HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-07-05, Page 1Huron
In brief
Town
seeking
help
to cope
with
flooding
Because basements
and streets flooded
again June 25 the
second time in six
weeks, Seaforth.
administrator, -Jack
McLachlan has set up a
meeting . with the
Ausauble . Bayfield
Conservation Authority.
Public , . works
superintendent John
Forrest had
recommended they seek
help from the authority
at council, June 13
meeting. in response to
concerns from the first •
flood, May 13 that saw
some .basements with
four and five feet of
-water. _ -
Most of the flooding
this time .was measured
in inches but saw
basements, just repaired
from the last flood,
damaged again.
M the time,. council
wasn't sure anything
could be done to stop
the flooding since much
of it came from• runoff
from fields north east of
Seaforth that slope
toward the town and
Silver Creek. one of the
main sources of the
flooding since it could
not contain all the extra
water.
Mayor Dave Scott
said he spoke with
several, people June,25,
concerned about the
problem between
sewage backups and
water that have caused
hundreds of thousands
of dollars in damage in
town.
"We are working on
the problem." he.said.
McLachlan said they
ate going . to ask the
conservation authority if
there is any way they
can increase the flow in
Silver Creek and that
they are also seeking
advice from the town
engineers,' B.M..Ross
and Associates.
Howe'ver.the
engineers have also
been tied up working on
the water crisis in
Walkerton.
By Scorn Hilgendorff
Inside...
Crowds gather
at Manor for
special event..
Page 3
Featuring
Seaforth Gds
d* Band
Pogo 6
St. Patrick's
church
celebrates 100_
Pogo 12
July 5, 2000
Si
jrncludes GST)
Local weather
Wednesday --Sunny
with cloudy periods.
High 23.
Thursday --Mix sun,
cloud, showers.
High 24. Low 15.
Friday -Sunny. High 25.
Low 13.
Saturday --Sunny.
High 27. Low 13.
From Environment Canada
_ Saying 'Goodbye'...
Students at Watton Public School gathered at the end of the day Thursday, the last day of classes, to say farewell to their school The school is being closed as a
cost -savings measure by the Avon Maitland District School Board. Students placed messages inside helium filled balloons to share with the world their best
`memories of the school.
My fondest memory of Walton Public School is... " the entire year (Grant Bolton)
the teachers (Nicole Williamson) playing with my friends (Chris Holmes)
Scott Hilgendorff photo
playing soccer with my friends and track and field (Kyle Griffiths)
the.fun I had here (Lindsay Hoegy)
when I learned a lot of stuff (Keiryn Jacobs)
last year when I beat Chris in the ball throw (Jamie Reinink(
playing with my friends during the year (David Pethick)
when'( played with all my friends and going on trips with each other (Jodi McIntosh)
Hospital will build aambulaance
base
If county will keep service in Seaforth, hospital board willing to build base
By Scott Hilgendorff
Expositor Editor
Seaforth Community Hospital is
willing to build and ambulance base
at the hospital if Huron County
Council approves keeping the
ambulance base in Seaforth. -
County council will be discussing
the issue at its meeting tomorrow.
July 6, where councillors are looking
at how ambulance services should be
provided when the province
downloads that responsibility to the
county level this January.
"It'svery preliminary but the board
wanted to send a clear message to the
county." said Andrew Williams. a.
vice president of the Duron Perth
Hospital Partnership and
administrator for Seaforth
Community Hospital.
He said this is the hospital's way of
showing a commlttnent to keeping.
the ambulance service .in the
Municipality and supporting the
Work to proceed
on cenotaph
By Scott Hilgendorff
Expositor Editor
Work will commence as
soon as possible on repairs
to the Legion cenotaph in
Victoria Park.
The hope is that
restoration work could be
done before the Legion
needs to take a picture of
the cenotaph for a national.
Legion publication
honouringveterans and
before a service is held
there in August as part of
the provincial fire
convention being held in
Seaforth. '
"It's a perfect
opportunity for the town
and Legion to work
together and bring up to
standard a memorial to
people who have served in
the Wars," said Reeve Lin
Steffler.
She recently examined
..the cenotaph site and spent
time with Legion member
Errol Skillender discussing
the issue.
In May, council had
received a request from the
Legion to repair the
cenotaph and after
discussion that revealed it
See COUNCIL, Pogo 2
partnership's official position that
ambulance services should be located
at or near each hospital in the
partnership.
"It's consistent with the partnership
position." said Williams.
Bonnie Adamson, president of the -
partnership. was at Seaforth
Council's June 27 meeting to outline
the partnership position.
Adamson said the partnership has
been working with Lynn Murray,
county administrator, regarding the
transfer of ambulance service
responsibility to the county. :
A recent report from county -hired
consultants, has suggested several
options. at least two of which could
see county ambulance bases moved
outside of the municipalities.
Adamson said that report has
triggered a partnership response.
Among the issues identified in the
report is the transfer of patients and
whether or not there is a better way to
See. HOSPITAL, Page 2
Budget sees residents paying.
increase of .03 per, cent in taxes
Taxpayers face a small
increase this year after
council approved its 2000
budget at its June 27
meeting.
After reviewing the budget
in May, council passed its tax
collection bylaw last Tuesday
that will see a $10,000
residential assessment
receive a $3.64 increase.
The budget has an overall
increase of .03 per cent,
accounting for the
$3.64/510,000 assessment
increase.
There was a two per cent
increase in the county portion
of the taxes while school
taxes remain almost the same
as 1999's with county taxes
raising $554,785 this year, up
from $543,040 in 1999 and
education taxes raising
$576,507, an increase of
about $2,000.
The budget includes the
conintuation of grants to:
Seaforth Community
Hospital. S2,600; Lions Park
and Pool,$6,500; Lions Santa
Claus Parade, $2,000;
Agricultural Society. $200;
Tuckersmith recreation, $350
and another $7,500 toward
the Business Improvement
Area's mural project.
Fire services account for
$39,190 of this year's budget
with $4,000 of that going to
salaries, same as last year.
A surplus of $3,035 carries
into the 2000 policing budget
with the contract for OPP
policing costing $374,100
this . year, down from
S379,657 last year.
In economic development.
$10,000 has been included
for business and industry
recruitment, up from $5,500
budgeted last year. although
only 52,789 was used.
Economic development
advertising has hecn
increased to $5,000 from
$1,000 in 1999 although no
money from this part of the
economic development
budget was used last year.
Council passed a bylaw to
collect $834,023 for "general
municipal purposes."
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