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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-02-24, Page 12Page 12 Times -Advocate, February 24, 1993 How about a monthly tax bill? Grand Bend council remuneration comes in under budget GRAND BEND - Village council received a total of $19,554.06 last year, according to a statement of re- muneration issued at Monday eve- ning's council meeting. That was the only figure released as Grand Bend, unlike other munic- ipalities, does not provide break- downs for individual council mem- bers. However, since each council member is supposed to receive $300 per month, plus expenses, and the mayor $400 per month, it is evi- dent the actual amounts did not stray far from the target. In fact, clerk Paul Turnbull noted the actual remuneration total was some $1,000 under the amount bud- geted. Although just a consideration at Gibbs, council sign beach lease GRAND BEND - A final agreement to lease the main beach of Grand Bend from Mal- colm Archie Gibbs of Parkhill was signed by council Monday evening. The village gets the use of the beach for the summer, maintains the property, and provides life - guarding. The village also carries liabili- ty insurance on the property from May to December and Gibbs is indemnified from any legal action arising from use of the beach. Any income from special events on the beach, such as vol- leyball totuaaments :or conceits, will be split 5050 between Gibbs and the village. The vil- lage dam however, get .all in- come from pop machines and the bathhouse. Gibbs does get a $3,800 fee for the license of the property to the village. The only difference from last year's agreement is a clause making Gibbs and his family li- able for any activities or ani- mals they may have " on the beach. In other business, council con- firmed that a March 23 meeting will be held at 9 a.m. for those interested in the long range plans for the village's harbour. One proposal being forwarded by the harbour and economic development committees is the addition of up to 650 new dock- ing slips in the harbour. Conservation Authorities to get $139,147 for beach cleanup CLINTON - Paul Klopp, MPP Huron, today forwarded payments totalling $139,147 to the Ausable- Bayfield and Maitland Valley Con- -servation Authorities to - prevent pollution of county beaches. The funds were provided, on behalf of Environment and Energy Minister, Bud Wildman, under the Clean Up Rural Beaches (CURB) program. "I am very happy to be able to support the Ausable-Bayfield and Maitland •Valley Conservation Au- thorities in their drive to make Lake Huron's beaches clean and safe," Klopp said. "Clean beaches are a vital part of our communities. By helping farmers and -local resi- dents, we can reclaim our beaches for our residents as well as for visi- tors to our country." Most rural beach closures are due to runoff from farm yards, live- stock watering in watercourses, in- adequate milkhouse washwater dis- posal and faulty private sewage systems. The Ausable-Bayfield Conserve- -lion Authority will use the $95.843 tto provide 17 payments to rural res- idents to remediate local septic sys- tems and barnyard run-off as well as to limit access of livestock to streams and rivers. The Maitland Valley Conserva- tion Authority will use the $43,304 to provide 11 payments to rural res- idents to curb barnyard runoff and to improve local septic tank sys- tems. council in other business agreed to direct Turnbull to investi- gate how the village's cash flow might be improved if the tax collec- tion system were changed from its present quarterly schedule. Turnbull told council that the vil- lage does experience cash flow problems, especially when the large education levy is due. Councillor Phil Maguire agreed the system should be changed if it would help the ratepayers meet their tax bills, rather than face a large bill every three months, espe- cially if it would help the village too. "I don't think we should be bor- rowing money to pay the school board when we could collect taxes to pay it," said Maguire. Mayor Tom Lawson noted that other municipalities are no longer using the traditional quarterly bill- ing. London now has five yearly payments, and Stratford collects taxes monthly. Lawson asked Turnbull to send a note to the board and the county to see if it was possible or made eco- nomic sense to change levy pay- ment dates. Grand Bend agrees volunteers need more recognition GRAND BEND - Volunteers in Grand Bend 'need to feel more ap- preciated. That was the conclusion at Monday evening's council meet- ing when a proposal to switch the village's appreciadea.4knrer to a September date. Council acknowledged that the past November dinners have fa- voured the Winter Carnival volun- teers. Seasonal volunteers have left the village by that time. Mayor Tom Lawson said the ap- preciation day should be held around the Labour Day weekend. "We can no longer work on the basis that the Winter Carnival does its thing, the air show does its thing...the Salmon Derby does its thing....We have got to start work- ing together," said Lawson. "This place has got to be excep- tional for the volunteerism," agreed councillor Bill Uniac. He said the present dinner was good for certain committee mem- bees, but said Lb would like to see a better event to pull together volun- teers of Grand Btllld's all 12 months. ����_`� "Like a balbetAie," commett/eMM councillor Phil Magte. to which Uniac said that Msspoesibility. Council agitied 'to examine the matter further. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of mid -winter price thaws and pocket big savings ALL MERCHANDISE ON SAL off Floor Samples Clearing At... Sale Starts February 24th 34- The Biddulph Blues lades silo -pitch team from Lucan held their annual mixe4 volleyball tourney on Saturday. Above, Dar- rel Finkbeiner of the Mixers team spikes the ball at the Court- ly Crew team. 235-0173 • awe Fine Furniture, Flooring and Window Fashions Main St. Exeter