HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2013-12-18, Page 1212 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Bluewater blooms in 2013, looks ahead to 2014
Gerard Creces
OMI Agency
It was a bloomin' successful year for
the Municipality of Bluewater.
In just its fourth year of participating
in Communities in Bloom, the munici-
pality received a five -bloom rating - the
highest available.
On Monday, Dec. 2, Jim Ferguson
and Ileather Reddick of the (:113 com-
mittee were before council to both cel-
ebrate their 2013 successes and look
ahead to their 2014 budget and
schedule.
There are no new initiatives for 2014,
however, the (:IB committee is looking
to up participation in the current pro-
gram under the catch phrase "Strive for
five times two."
There were a couple firsts for Bluewa-
ter 0113 last year. In spring, volunteers
sold 125 trees in conjunction with Earth
I)ay. 'file committee hopes to tip that
number to 150 this year. All trees were
purchased from the Ausable Bayfield
Conservation Authority, and Ferguson
told council that a small mark up is
added to the trees to cover costs in case
some go unsold. If council were to buy
any remaining trees, he said, that
charge could be dropped altogether.
Gerard Create UMI Agony
Janisse Zimmerman, CIB Vice -Chair Jim
Ferguson, profile book author Heather
Reddick, CIB Chair Kay Wise and Mayor
Bill Dowson present Bluewater's five -
bloom award at the Dec. 2 meeting of
council.
Another first for the GUI committee
was a hay bale sculpture contest. The
contest was intended to provide tourists
and residents a chance to drive around
the municipality and showcase the
rural quality of life. However, as there
were only two entries in 2013, there is
much work to be done to promote the
contest for the coaling year, including
approaching farm -related businesses
and groups such as 411.
Ultimately, the goal is to make a "bale
trail" through Bluewater, Ferguson
explained. Other activities under the
(;I13 banner included both private and
public beach cleanups, as well as a gar-
den recognition program, and a daylily
program featuring a new species of
flower developed at Iluron Ridge
Greenhouses.
There will be a contest in 2014 to
name the new hybrid.
NM!
HURON
COUNTY
NOTICE OF
PUBLIC MEETING AND SPECIAL SESSION
OF HURON COUNTY COUNCIL.
TO CONSIDER
PASSING A BY-LAW TO
CHANGE THE TERM OF WARDEN TO ONE YEAR
on Monday December 30th, 2013
Public Meeting Scheduled for 9:00 a.m.,
to consider this matter
in the Court House Council Chambers, (,oderich
Special Session of Council
to immediately follow.
The Council of the Corporation of the County of Iluron intends to consider
passing a By-law that changes the terns of Warden of Huron ('ounty to
one year.
A Public Meeting shall he held at 9:(X) a.m. on the 30th of December, 2013
in the Court House ('ouncil Chambers, 1 Courthouse Square, Goderich,
Ontario. The purpose of the Public Meeting is for ('ouncil to consider
changing the term of Warden of Iluron ('ounty to one year.
All written comments on this issue shall be received in the Office of the
County Clerk, by 3:0) p.m. on Friday December 27th, 2013 at
1 Courthouse Square, Gaderich, Ontario for inclusion in the
Public Meeting.
Susan ('ronin, County Clerk.
The Corporation of the ('ounty of Huron,
I Courthouse Square,
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One year, two, are we back to one again?
Council to
re -address
term of
warden
Paul Cluff
QMI Agency
The two-year terns of war-
den could he going back to
one-year after Iluron County
council hastily voted to re-
address its length of terns by
year's end.
At the Wed. Dec. 11 com-
mittee of the whole meeting,
council voted 9-7 to bring
the topic back to the table,
nullifying a November 2012
decision to extend the length
of office, set to start after Jot'
Steffler's terns ends next
December.
As per the municipal act, a
decision has to he made
either way before the end of
the year or that derision
won't take effect for four
years, because 2014 is an
election year, said GAO
Brenda Orchard.
Council agreed to discuss
and vote on the length of
term Dec. 30.
Opinions varied widely in
council chambers.
Past Warden Ge'or'ge Rob-
ertson said council should
remember that they are
elected in the lower tiers and
time commitments will con-
flict with the warden's post.
A two-year term is not good
for the lower tiers, he said.
Councillors Deb Shewfelt
and Dave Jewitt emphasized
that Iluron County is a big
business and consistency is
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landscape.
"I have been a long, long time
believer that it should be a two-year
terns, it's a business, it's not a social club
and ve treat it like a social club," Shew-
felt said of the warden's post during a
break from the meeting.
Shewfelt told councillors it takes two
or three months to acclimatize to the
warden's role. Summers are slower, as
well, with fewer meetings.
"You can't run a $90 million business
%vith someone heading it up six or eight
months of the year. It's impossible"
At the polar opposite of the debate
sat Bluewater Mayor Bill Dawson, who
suggested the vvarden's post Is more of
a 'length of service reward' for council-
lors and a one-year terns would give
more people a chance to run for the
position.
Seafort11 Mayor Bernie Maclellan
balked at the 'reward' suggestion.
"As a group we pick someone who
can lead, it 11tts nothing to do with how
long you have been around."
MacLellan said the workload can he
managed and responsibilities delegated
if need be. The position is not meant'.'
he full-time, he said, though he did t
a year off work to focus on the warden t
post and Iluron East council in 2012.
Art Versteeg, who lost the warden's
vote earlier this month to Sterner, men-
tioned in tit' past he sees the role as a
'figurehead; "I don't believe everyone
should get a turn. 'There are differences
in abilities around this table"
"It is a figurehead position now, kiss-
ing babies and cutting ribbons," Shew-
felt said. "I haven't seen (a tva1'den) get
out there and sleet with industry and
find out what they want. 1 have been
around since the '70's. It's a social club,
always has been."
ninon (:aunty's warden is paid an
honorarium Of $11,500, plus per diems
for trill and half-day (less than 2.5
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