HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2011-10-19, Page 11Wednesday, October 19, 2011 • Lakeshore Advance 11
County department seeks more funding
Huron County's economic develop-
ment department is encouraging county
councillors to send in the ftmds.
In a presentation to Iluron County's
tkt. 12 committee -of -the -whole session
in Clinton, economic development
officer Mike Pullen says more sustaina-
ble funding is needed to get the ball
rolling.
While reporting on recent successes
in drawing tourists to Huron County
thanks to the Huron Tourism Associa-
tion's work in drawing travel writers,
Pullen says the advisory board would
like "more leverage funding" for eco-
nomic development projects given its
provincial government grants are drying
up.
"We're finding our external funding is
becoming less and less flexible," notes
Pullen.
Coun. Bernie MacLellan (Huron East)
says though he supports the idea, he is
concerned the bulk of such money
would end up in the hands of
consultants.
"Is the funding for actual work or
studies?" he asked.
Pullen says the truth is the money
would be used for both studies and cap-
ital projects since most upper tier grants
do come with provisions requiring
studies.
"There is a desire to look at more of
those on -the -ground projects," says
Pullen.
Ultimately, councillors agreed to look
at the possibility of providing more
funding to the conunittee during their
2012 budget deliberations. They also
agreed to Pullen's recommendation to
create a Huron Economic Development
Advisory Board effective December
2011. 'Ihat committee will be comprised
of the county warden, three county
councillors, one representative from
each of the county's five economic pil-
lars and two representatives from the
Huron Business Development
Corporation.
Read All About it
In a related report, Huron Tourism
Association director Cindy Fisher
reports all indications are one writer's
I'commendation can make all the
'difference.
In a report delivered by Fisher and
consultant Laurel Armstrong, the pair
reported the county's ongoing efforts to
host travel writers is paying off as one
writer alone, Mark Stevens, managed to
Kineto I heatre
Forest
"CONTAGION"
Rating: 14A (MMS Tama)
ootos.r 31, 22, 23 & 28th
Starring: Matt Damon,
KalaVAnaiM, Jude Law
promote Huron County in
three publications, The
Toronto Star and the maga-
zines, Canadian Yachting and
Lakeland Boating.
"Editorial features are eight
tittles more effective than
advertising," says Fisher, who
notes The Star article was by
far the most effective as St.
Joseph's Brentwood on the
Beach received 12 calls within
eight hours of the publica-
tion's release while the bed -
and -breakfast Clair on the
Square in Bayfield received
more than 40 calls in the
weeks that followed.
Fisher adds the goal is to
continue offering perks to
travel writers in order to bet-
ter spread the word about
Ontario's West Coast.
After the Storm
In a wrap-up report on how
the county's planning depart-
ment dealt with issues follow-
ing the F3 tornado that
touched down on Aug. 21,
director Scott 'Tousaw
acknowledges things are still
not quite business as usual.
Though there was minor
damage to the department's
assessment office, Tousaw
says both it and the depart-
ment's Small Business Enter-
prise Centre were closed for
three business days due to the
power outage. Though it is
now open, problems with the
telephone system remain as
calls are being routed through
Clinton, meaning direct
extensions and voicemail can-
not be accessed.
While giving kudos to his
department for going the
extra mile in the weeks after
the twister's touchdown,
Tousaw notes planning
department staff members
went door to door to deliver
regular information to
Goderich residents left with-
out utility and phone services.
In addition, three department
staff and one planner assisted
with the logistics needs for
social services.
Furthermore, a full-time
planner is working with
Goderich for a minimum of
six months, and a number of
enhance economic develop-
ment services are ongoing,
including having the GiS staff-
ers assist with mapping.
"I feel that our staff was
exemplary over the course of
the crisis," says Tousaw, who
credits planner Craig Metzger
with perhaps putting it best
with the summation: "In the
end our plans are only as
good as our people and some-
times our people are better
than our plans."
Tousaw adds the county's
forest conservation officer has
also been kept hopping by
helping farmers deal with
damaged woodlots.
'The only challenge we had
was communication with
those first three or four days,"
says Tousaw, noting some
staff members had neither
Net nor phone services, and
though the Blackberry proved
helpful, those messages didn't
always go out.
Goderich Mayor Deb Shew-
felt took time out to dote that
municipal staff created news-
lettters in those first critical
days through the use of man-
ual typewriters.
"Don't throw out those
typewriters, he advised.
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'lbusaw concluded his presentation by
noting the department reviewing its Con-
tinuity of Operations Plan, including the
possibility of finding an out-of-town site
to set up in if power was out in the entire
community.
Moving Ahead
Repair work on County Road #83's
truss bridge is moving forward thanks to
a resolution passed by councillors on
Wednesday.
Conn. Bernie MacLellan (1 iumn East)
asked whether placing a load limit on the
site alight help curb the bridge's wear
and tear but public works director Dave
Laurie notes given that 3,000 vehicles
regularly use it, that move would likely
prove to be an unpopular one.
'lie project will cost $120,000, and will
be included in the 2012 Public Works
Capital Budget.
Severance Approved
Though the Municipality of Morris-
'llirnberry's Official Plan does not allow
it, county councillors moved to approve
a new lot creation under surplus sever-
ance policies after learning Morris-Thrn-
berry councillors support it, and that the
severance itself will allow the current
homeowners to stay in the family home.
Planner Carol Leeming says the prop-
erty owners, Alex and Susan Fair of Mor-
ris-Turnberry, are interested in severing
the home from the farmland, which is
being sold to a nearby farmer. Leeming
says the problem is there was a previous
severance on the farmland, which,
according to the Morris-i'urnherry Offi-
cial Plan, would prohibit the change.
After a pitch by landowner Alex Fair,
which revealed the previous severance
occurred in the 1970s right around the
time Iluron County set its policy with
regard to severances, councillors
approved the request.
"Morris= l'urnberry strongly supports
this application. It just makes sense," says
Coon. Paul Dowing (Morris- ILrnberry).
Goon. Bill Dawson (Mummer) also
supported the application and notes it is
good to see that a century home will
remain in the family.
Linking Up
Huron County's roads department is
preparing to link up to road condition
reporting web sites this winter but it will
not go so far as to regularly post updates
on conditions from its own road crews.
Public works director reports that
though there was some consideration to
regular updates, the change would
require too Hutch of the road crew's
time.
Awarded
Aperture Photographic is the winning
bidder for a project that will see the com-
pany compose video and photographic
content for a Make I luron I lone market-
ing campaign designed at drawing immi-
grants to the region.
The project, which is 1011 per cent
funded by the province, will cost $35,0(X),
plus IIS'T.
Coun. Bernie MacLellan (Huron East)
also took time out to note that schedul-
ing conflicts prevent him from attending
the committee's meetings and asked that
another representative step up, which is
something Coun. Dave Riach (North
limn) agreed to take on.
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