HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-12-27, Page 1•
December 27, 2000
$1
(includes GST)
In brief
First
Huron
East
meeting
set
for Jan. 2
The
12 -member
Huron East council will
meet for its inaugural
meeting on Jan. 2 at
7:30 p.m. in the newly
renovated municipal
building in Seaforth.
While the first agenda
is expected to be Light,
the council plans to
meet weekly instead of
the traditional twice-
monthly meetings of
the five former
municipalities that
make up Huron East. '
Seaforth, Brussels,
and Grey. McKillop and
Tuckersmith Township
are all amalgamating
into Huron East on Jan.
1.
Each municipality
will become a ward of
Huron East and two
councillors representing ,
each ward were elected
in November's
municipal election with
a mayor and deputy
mayor elected at large.
The meeting will see
mayor Lin Steffler.
deputy mayor Bernie
McLellan and the rest
of council sworn in
before the group starts
dealing with regular
municipal business.
Some of the agenda
items include cleaning
up some remaining
issues from the former
councils including the
hiring of a new chief
and deputy chief for the
former
Township's
department.
• Grey
fire
By Scott Hilgen 1orff
Huron East
comes
together..
Page 2
Pioneer
Christmas.
'Page 6
Cooks for kids t
gets Masonic
boost.
Peg. 10
Preparing time capsule,
last act of Seaforth council
Past mayors reflect on town as it prepares to become Huron East
By Susan Hundertmork hall. which is currently being
Expositor Staff •
Dissolving the corporation
of the Town -of Seaforth was
the final official act of town
council during .its last
meeting last Tuesday. when
a ' ceremony ' was held
recognizing the town's
history as it prepares for its,
membership in the new
municipality of Huron East.
Seaforth's -former mayors.
present ,council members and,
town staff as well as a
handful of community
:members listened as council
passed.. its
final' bylaw-
s t a t i n g
Seaforth will
ceaseto exist
as a
corporation
effective Dec.
31, With
Huron East
officially
beginning Jan:
1
"Seaforth.
r.
will not die or
fade away, and
neither will
any of they
other four
municipalities
amalgamating
into Huron
East. We've
chosen to/retain the names
for each of the wards and
Huron East can become a
leader in Huron County,"
said outgoing mayor Dave
Scott. who had grown an
historic beard for the
occasion, much like ones the
town's forefathers may have
had.
Seaforth council also
retired the mayor's medallion
to a time capsule which will
be placed somewhere in town
renovated to accommodate
-the new municipality's
administration.
Also included in the
capsule were other Seaforth
memorabilia from the town,
its various departments,
schools. organizations and
businessesess.-
Themayor's chain of
office was passed over to -
Huron •Easf'S new mayor, Lin
Steffler.
As- well, a ceremony was
conducted symbolizing the
amalgamation of Seaforth.
Brussels. Tuckersmith.
McKillop and
G r e y
Townships b)/ '
pouring five
pitchers of
differe.nt
coloured
water/into a
bowl, which
then turned
green.
"Hopefully,
the green
means growth
and fertility.
This is an end
but it's also a
beginning and
in just a few
weeks, we'll
have a ,new,
/municipality
and! a new
logo. We should be proud of
our role in bringing Huron
East together," said Scott.
Seafortb's former mayors
Irwin Johnston, Alf Ross and
Hazel Hildebrand reminisced
about Seaforth's history,
including the times- they
spent'as mayor. • .
• Seaforth has come a long
way since the early days but
the population has :not
increased a great deal since
Ste FORMA, Page t
Quoted
'Seaforth will
not die or fade
away and
neither will any
of the other
four
municipalities
amalgamating
into Huron
East,' --
Outgoing
Mayor Dave Scott
3uson rlundertmark photos
Mayor Dave Scott sorts
through some of the Seaforth
memorabelia being placed in
a time capsule to be opened
again in 50 years as the town
prepares to become part of
Huron East. The Corporation
of the Town of Seafotth will
be officially dissolved on Dec.
31 to make way for the new
municipality. (left) Scott hands
over the chain of office to Lin
Steffler. Steffler, the current
reeve of Seaforth becomes
mayor of Huron East on Jan,
2 when she will be sworn in
at the innaugural'meefing.
The ceremonies took place
last Tuesday night at the final
Seaforth council meeting.
Huron East officially forms Monday
By Scott Hilgsndorff
xpositor Editor
As tidying up of the Huron East
restructuring plans take place, the
new municipality about to form on
Jan. 1 hasfound itself with
significantly more savings than
originally expected through a deal
with Aaurix North America to handle
the town's water and sewer services.
Savings of about $100,000 a year
are expected and while the savings
result from the sale of the town's
PUC, they will apply to the town's
restructuring plans.
Administrator Jack McLachlan said
this now ensures Huron East will
receive a full $$563,661 grant from
the province.
"We were very pleasantly
surprised," said McLachlan of 'the
savings generated by going with a
private company.
The grant is offered to
municipalities whb restructure and
can prove significant savings and is
given to cover the costs incurred by
restructuring such as the current
renovations being trade to Seaforth
Town Hall to turn it into the
municipal offices for Huron East.
Hired to operate the water and
sewer systems is Azurix North
America which will operate the
existing water and sewer facilities in
Seaforth, Brussels and Tuckersmith
Township for about $488,000 in
2001. This year?s costs under the
'current system are expected to
exceed $700,000.
This adds to about 550,000 in
annual savings by having one
-insurance policy .for the five
municipalities that are forming
Huron East and further savings by
having one administrator instead of
throe.
Meanwhile the Huron. East
Transition - Board, which is
overseeing the amalgamation of
Seaforth, Brussels, Tuckersmith
Township, McKillop Township and •
Grey
Township into Huron East, has
almost concluded its work as it
prepares to hand over any final
details to the new council which
holds its first meeting on Jan. 2.
Hiring complete
All department positions have been
filled with all existing staff being
rehired to new or existing positions.
See ALL, Page 14
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