HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2012-06-13, Page 4Request to investigate health concerns beyond
LFN committee's mandate, says county council
Susan Hundertmark
QM' Agency
A request to broaden the mandate for
Iluton County council's low frequency
noise committee was denied at last
Wednesday's committee of the whole
meeting.
(;oun, Bill Menton (Ilur nn East) said
he'd made the request so that the 1.1:N
committee could investigate any nega-
tive health effects caused by industrial
wind turbines,
"it's to prevent any of our constituents
from harm, [(anyone gets sick from any
effect of a wind turbine, that's what
we've set up the committee to deal with
so we have a duty to put this forward,"
he said,
The request asked to "broaden the
mandate for the [,EN committee to
include impacts and other health issues
from wind turbines"
However, Cour. 1)eb Shewfelt
(Goderich) disagreed, stating low fre-
quency noise, not the investigation of
health issues, was the reason the com-
mittee was set up,
Shewfelt said the committee should
just be studying LEN, not wind turbines
or solar installations.
"'1'o add wind turbines is a red her-
ring," he said.
"Low frequency noise is an issue onto
itself" agreed Coun. Neil Vincent (North
Huron), adding the request "changes
the intent of the 1EN committee"
"Unless there's a panel of doctors on
there, i don't know what they'd do for
health issues," added Coun. George
Robertson (South I Iurcn),
Colin. Briton Barnim (Central Huron),
chair of the 1.FN committee, explained
that members want to amend the man-
date because it's difficult to talk about
low frequency noise without talking
about wind turbines.
It would be nice to have in our man-
date that we can say the word 'wind tur-
bine' without having to reel everybody
back in again," he said,
Conn. Bill Dowson (Bluewater)
pointed out that Huron County council
is going to have to spend more than the
$50,00( budgeted on the LFN commit-
tee if it is going to look at the health
Grand Bend
Canada Day
Celebrations /I Flreworl�
Friday, July 1, 2011
'` "d(('("
11ean - afi day
Noxa - &news
Giant Children's Mural:
Om* Haim Mia Ow*
10da ems point raa sound.
Antique 1. Vintage Vehicle
Show 8 Shine: Sall
diamond. Calladliii of
raw and ve ifl & *Maga
Noon - 330p111 Ruff a Tumble Dog Show:
MI mad Eider saw
Meeh la sola plass and Ow
donna d wart In the
PMMa►
4p101 Parade: Moil IllrNt,
SjNaa -10pea
Live Entertainment: Mob
Om& buds.
Mash U hod
Oda at Ipa.
Fti►eworksl Mob On& gats
ammo
7!1,3''
1__u,1 wistewr
L 111 PNrMno11111
oan�dian
Canadian
t tatlteee
Iburism.c m
fa111. billill VON 1.1 ,,t.tv S'norv,
effects of wind turbines.
"If we're going to do a health
study, we'd need to look at mil-
lions of dollars," he said.
Running for warden
Coun. Bernie Maclellan
(Huron East) announced at the
June 15 committee of the whole
meeting for lluron county coun-
cil that he wilt be running for
Huron County's warden this
year.
"I've been asked to run for
warden every year sine my sec-
ond year on council and this
year, I'm in a position to do so.
It's time to take the next step" he
said. "My peers are continuously
asking nu• to chair various con-
mittees and they know I show
respect to councillors around the
room and make sure everyone
gets heard"
Need for affordable housing
An 18.7 per cent increase on
the waiting list for the 415 hous-
ing units available in Huron
County is showing a need for -
more affordable housing in the
region, Social Services Adminis-
trator Dave Overboe told county
councillors at their committee of
the whole meeting on lune 15,
"Perhaps it's just a sign of the
tunes because it's happening
across the province. Wait lists are
higher than they've ever been
before," added housing Services
Manager Barb Hall.
Overboe's report showed a
waiting list in April 2011 of 279,
compared to the usual number
of 215-220.
Coun. Deb Shewfelt
(Goderich) expressed concern
about the waiting list, asking if
there was some way of encourag-
ing private enterprise to build
more affordable housing In
Huron County.
"}gas capitalist society gone to
sleep or do they no longer want
to be involved in the rental
industry anymore?" he asked.
Overboe responded that while
private affordable housing might
take off some pressure on the
county's rent -geared -to -income
housing, a recent survey of mar-
ket rental rates in Huron showed
that rent is "relatively low in
many areas"
"Private enterprise is not goug-
ing on rent," he said, adding that
the county has been considering
an idea of subsidizing the rent for
eligible clients.
If we subsidized the rent,
landlords could still realize a rea-
sonable profit" said Overboe.
As well, his report showed that
the month of April shows 3.2 per
"It's
prevent any of our
constituents from
harm. If anyone gets
sick from any effect
of a wind turbine,
that's what we've
set up the committee
to deal with so we
have a duty to put
this forward."
— Cvrin, Bill Sic'nron
cent of renters are in arrears,
creeping up from an average rate
of 2.2 per cent.
Overboe added that numbers
do not indicate a large number of
Huron County families in "dire
straits"
"'They are not homeless or liv-
ing on the streets. 'They are using
living with family or in facilities
with rents higher than they can
afford. Some are waiting for very
specific locations, like the ground
floor facing east. But, they are on
the list, so they do qualify," he
said.
landlord Tenant Act
concerns
Huron County council is
requesting a sleeting with the
provincial Minister of }lousing at
this summer's AMO (Association
of Municipalities of Ontario)
conference to discuss the Land-
lord Tenant Act, after a motion
made at the lune 15 committee
of the whole meeting.
While discussing the need for
more affordable housing in the
Huron, Coun. Ben Van
Diepenbeek (ACW) pointed out
that many farmers are leery
about renting their empty farm-
houses because of the additional
expenses caused by "professional
renters."
Ile said he's received com-
plaints from farmers who have
been forced to do over $10,000 in
repairs to upgrade their houses,
even when the renters haven't
paid their rent or utility bills for
four or five months.
Coun, Jim Ginn (Central
Huron) agreed that he has
received many similar com-
plaints in Central Huron and
added that the Landlord Tenant
Act is in favour of the renter over
the landlord"
"is there anything we can do to
slut a little more fairness into it?
Many farmers would sooner tear
down their house than put up
with renting it out," he said.
Huron County (:AO Larry
Adams said the same issue
comes ftp at Meetings he attends
about the lack of control a I'Ind-
lord has if "things (urn sour" and
suggested a first step might be
bringing up the issue at the AM()
convention in August.
"'this is an issue that has come
up across the nation," he said,
Coun. Bill Slenton (Huron
East) added that many landlords
would rather turn apartments
into condominiums than keep
theist as apartments because the
Landlord 'Tenant Act limits rent
increases to three per cent.
"The average landlord is
behind the eight -ball and has to
turn his apartments into condos
to get more money" he said,
Siemon presented the motion
that 1 iuron County meet with the
Minister of 1 lousing at the August
AM() convention, which was
passed by committee of the
whole.
Upping the benchmark
Huron County councillors
agreed to increase the bench-
mark subsidy to Huron Sands
Non -Profit liomes at their June
15 committee of the whole meet-
ing, but not before Coun. Deb
Shewfelt asked for reassurance
that the organization is getting its
finances in order.
"I'm against giving them this
$1,200 until they show how
they're going to break even, If
they do, we'll give them their
$1,200," he said.
Huron Sands Non -Profit
Homes Inc. is a 35 -unit non-
profit townhouse complex in
Goderich with corporation status
and a hoard of directors. The
board retains a property man-
agement company to manage all
aspects of the complex.
Housing Services Manager
Barb I gall recommended increas-
ing the benchmark subsidy from
the county from $14,444,31 to
$15,644,31 after determining that
the current benchmark was set
20 years ago.
Hall said she has been sleeting
with the Huron Sands managers
for a year and a half to talk about
the weakening financial position
of the organization since 2008
and its accumulated three-year
deficit.
CONTINUE > PHAGE 15