HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-02-21, Page 3The Huron Expositor • February 21, 2007 Page 3
News
Debate reopens on Ball's Bridge agreement
Ratepayer's letter questioning S250,000 allocation used to reopen debate
Cheryl Heath
GEMEEMED
A letter from an unim-
pressed ratepayer nearly
delivered a wrecking ball to
the Ball's Bridge agreement.
The letter, penned by
Wingham resident Robert
Elliott, questioned the wis-
dom of allocating $250,000
to the devolving of Ball's
Bridge.
That letter was used by
Coun. Bernie MacLellan
(Huron East), Wednesday, to
reopen debate on the plan to
pass the bridge to the lower -
tier municipalities that bor-
der it, along with a one-time
$250K grant.
"To me, we're not follow-
ing correct procedures here,"
•said MacLellan, arguing no
funds should be allocated to
the bridge because council
agreed not to spend any
money from the 2007 budget
on the bridge.
Warden Deb, Shewfelt
(Goderich) noted the bridge
was removed from the roads
budget to allow for the ulti-
mately approved solution —
money from the Ontario
Municipal Partnership
Fund — to be found.
Though a resolution, put
forward by MacLellan,
failed to pass in order to
debate the fate of Ball's
Bridge, one took place when
council was faced with pass-
ing a bylaw that officially
turned the bridge over to
Central Huron and
Ashfield-Colborne-
Wawanosh (ACW).
Warden Shewfelt argued
it only makes sense for the
county to devolve the bridge
and pass along the funding.
"It's the start of things
that should've happened
years ago," he said, noting
he didn't understand
MacLellan's stand on the
bridge when Huron East
has a number of bridges
that must be dealt with.
MacLellan argued it
would not be unheard of
for the county to reverse
its decision on Ball's
Bridge.
And, he said, council
might've fallen victim to
a "political ploy" because
a number of representa-
tives of the Friends of
Ball's Bridge were on
hand at the last meeting.
Coun. Joe Seili (Huron
East) said the money
attached -to the deal
Five mailboxes destroyed
Five mailboxes were destroyed along McNaughton
Line in Huron East sometime between 1 and 5 a.m. on
Feb. 17, reports the Huron OPP.
A blunt instrument was used to damage and flatten
the mailboxes, causing more than $600 in damages.
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made him uncomfortable
since there is nothing writ-
ten to force the lower tiers,
which haven't officially
agreed to take the bridge, to
use the grant only for the
stated purpose.
Coun. Ben Van
Diepenbeek (ACW) noted
his municipality has already
agreed to take on the bridge,
and it has also applied for
funding from the province's
one-time $70 -million
Infrastructure Ontario
grant.
"We're not going to squan-
der it on something else," he
said.
Coun. John Bezaire
(Central Huron) expressed
concern about whether the
final tally on how much
rehabilitating the bridge
will cost would prove too
daunting to Central Huron
and ACW.
Bezaire also put forward a
motion to table the third
reading of the bylaw that
would allow things to move
forward. It failed to pass.
Coun. Bert Dykstra
(Central Huron) echoed the
host municipalities are
"sticking their necks out" by
signing the agreement with-
out knowing what the reha-
bilitation project is going to
cost.
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The warden argued it is
time to move forward with
the Ball's Bridge project.
"I think we've had great
discussion on it for a year
and a half," he said.
In a recorded vote, 12 of
the 19 voting councillors
agreed with Shewfelt's
assertion.
Those opposing the
bylaw's passage were
Bezaire (Central Huron),
Max Demaray (Howick),
MacLellan (Huron East),
Dorothy Kelly (Morris-
Turnberry), George
Robertson (South Huron),
Seili (Huron East) and Jim
Dietrich (South Huron).
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