Times Advocate, 1993-06-09, Page 1summer
Sweetheart
Maass
Assorted eillsous
1695 tiw
c.b & carry ilk
COUNTRY 11.01P/Mc
Exeter_
Inside
CCAT
Group want
moratorium
page 2
Jiiiiisaseatkors
Hensel! Fair
starts Friday
Me .3
Oliver
Plitouse ready to
open
season
pages 10-11
'Top athletes
SHDHS awards
night
d front
:Students of the Year
Nominees for
Friday's
formal
page 18
Branderhorst
to join Exeter
town council
EXETER - Bert Branderhorst, a
runner-up in the 1991 municipal
electienaxilirbe joining Exeter town
council in July.
Branderhorst has :agreed to fill
the seat left empty- with thepaaaing
of councillor Tom Humphreys last
month.
While councillor .Robert Drum-
mond wondered if cosmcil could in-
stead be downsized, mayor Bruce
Shaw pointed out the Municipal
Act requires the seat be filled, and
that an odd number of council
members, including the mayor, be
maintained.
Reeve Bill Mickle said the possi-
bility of downsizing Exeter's coun-
cil, which presently has six council-
lors. a reeve and deputy -reeve. and
mayor, might arise if county coun-
cil no longer requires a voting dep-
uty from Exeter.
Council's executive committee
will also be reviewing three appli-
cations for the position of PUC
commissioner to replace the late
Harry DeVries.
Written submissions for the posi-
tion have been received from Roy
Triebner, Bart DeVries, and Don
Winter.
f ire
department
called to help
at accident
EXETER - The Exeter OPP de-
tachment investigated three traffic
accidents on local roads, one of
which required fire department help
to extricate the drivers.
Thursday, the OPP and the Zu-
rich Fire Deparunent were called to
a collision on Highway 21 near St.
Joseph in which truck driven by
John Mason of Dashwood collided
with a pickup driven by Kraig
Gingerich of RR2 Zurich. Both ve-
hicles received substantial damage
and the drivers sustained minor in-
juries, say police.
On Saturday, police investigated
a single vehicle mishap on High-
way_84. Police say Timothy Teeter
of Dashwood received minor inju-
ries in the incident.
The OPP were also called to a
with a parked car in Hen-
- Sunday.
On Friday, the OPP arrested and
charged two young offenders with
possession of stolen property after
recovering a stolen car in Huron
Park. Police say ale car was stolen
from the Grand Bend area.
'Fine tuning' of deal remains
iC
Geiser KrtesIe
Investments
RSP's
GIC's
Seg Firm&
23154410
'Comnci/ gives nod io OPP contrast for Exeter
EXETER - Despite months of
wrangling, town council had little
to say about a decision made Mon-
day night that effectively spells the
end of the town's police force.
A lengthy behind dosed dears
meeting before council's regular
session examined a second propo-
sal from the Ontario Provincial Po-
lice's contract division, a mare
Fitness Week keeps
South Huron hopping
modest contract to replace the
town's force than the $574,166 of-
fer discussed three weeks ago.
Iry public session, councillor Rob-
ert Drummond made a motion to
send a letter :the "Ministry of lie
Solicitor General accepting "Option
B in principle", but Drummond
asked for a more detailed explana-
tion of the contract itself.
•
ryone was getting into the spirit of Participaction
last Wednesday, in recognition of Canada's • Fitness
Week, At right, Becky Wilson of Exeter Public School has
her sunglasses on as she competes in the sack race dur-
ing her school's -Fun Day activities in the afternoon. That
evening, Hensel! had their own sack race as part of a
challenge against Zurich. Here Doris Becker jumps
ahead. Mop photos on page 20.
Revenues far from certain
One -percent tax increase
in works for Exeter
EXETER - Described as "one
hell of a big guess", the town bud-
get is coming together with what
appears to be a one -percent tax in-
crease, but as council and town
staff agree, there is little precision
in knowing if revenues and grants
will live up to expectations.
Town clerk Liz Bell said she had
left room for a "worst possible sec-
nario on the Social Contract", with
about $100.000 expected to be
missing from provincial grants this
year, which the government insists
can be taken from staff salaries.
Bell also noted she has spread
some of the town's financing a little
thinner, with certain expenses be-
ing carried over into the 1994 tax
year.
Delays on the 5115.000 landfill
site study may also help the budget.
"Maybe later on at the end of the
year we'll know more," said Bell,
noting the cost of the study may
have to be spread over two years.
On the debit side, Bell noted the
town will now have to,pay provin-
cial .tax on staff group benefits
since the last provincial budget.
Councillor Bob Spears was the
fust to express doubt about budget-
ed fees and revenues.
"I think we're very optimistic,"
said Spears, observing that building
permit fees are down considerably:
only $6.800 so far this year, despite
$25.000 budgeted in projected rev-
enues.
Spears also questioned the esti-
mates on garbage bag tax revenue.
Bell said she expects quite a few ,
tags will be sold in December for
the January 1 introduction of the
user pay program, but deputy -reeve
Fuller disagreed, predicting sales
would be slow this year, and not
the $100,000 Bell had allowed for.
"It depends if they want to come
in every month or not, or if they'll
buy them all at once," agreed Bell.
Council did, however, overturn
the voluntary pay freezes proposed
by town administrator Rick Hundey
and building official Dave Moyer.
Mayor Bruce Shaw said the ges-
ture was "noble" but said it was not
appropriate, given past restrictions
and the possibility of toeing the
province freeze municipal salaries
for three years under the Social
Contract.
Bell .noted the overall increase
amounted to about $3,000 for both
Hundey and Meyer, and that other
merit increases had already been
approved for other staff.
One major capital expenditure in
the budget is the much -delayed pur-
chase of a new dump truck for the
works department, but Kells said
the cost of equipping the new chas-
sis can be deferred to the 1994 bud-
get.
In all, council agreed the predic-
tions for provincial grants, the So-
cial Contract outcome, and the rev-
enues predicted for the new user
pay waste programs made the en-
tire budget uncertain.
"This is one hell of a big guess,"
said Shaw.
"If it doesn't fall in place there's
going to be some real hard deci-
sions next year," said Mickle.
An amended budget will be pre-
sented to council at the June 21
meeting for final approval.
lnvpices going out
for toucan sewers
LUCAN - Residents of the vil-
lage of Lucan can expect the cur-
rent invoices for the sewer expan-
sion system in the mail during the
week of June 14.
At last Tuesday's regular meet-
ing, council authorized clerk Ron
Reymer to send out the invoices to
be payable by Friday, July 30 and
Friday, October 22.
The first installment due on July
30 is for $1,300 with the balance of
$1.200 coming due on October 22.
A full payment of $2,500 will be
accepted up to and including July
30.
There will be no esiensions After
October 22 as debontaring will be
prepared at that time. Reyiner indi-
cated 16 of the 536 taxpayers in -
r system have al-
#isir payment in full.
The $2,500 -charge is for sewers
to normal residential properties
"There's a few line items 1 think
we 'need clarified," agreed reeve
Bill Mickie.
When pressed for details about
the OPP's second offer, mayor
Bruce Shaw said Option Bis a con-
tract to police Exeter for $482,000,
nearly $100,000 a year less than the
town pays to operate its own force
now.
Shaw said the main difference be-
tween Option B and the previous
Option A is the equivalent of hav-
ing one full time officer less on the
job, the costs involved, and asso-
ciated administrative time.
"The coverage is essentially the
same," said Shaw.
Nevertheless, council will be
sending the contract back fora little
"fine tuning" in the hope the cost
tan be trimmed a little more. Shaw
had expressed last week an expec-
tation a contract could be arranged
for about $450,000.
Under the contract, the OPP will
not only take over most of the as-
sets of the present police force, but
will also hire the officers.
Since OPP salaries are somewhat
higher than muncipal police forces,
;the OPP contract represents an op-
portunity for the town officers who
might have hoped to eventually
join the provincial force. Without
such contract obligations, white
male officers are not being hired by
the. OPP in the numbers they were.
Times -
Advocate
wins national
Blue Ribbon
TORONTO - The Times -
Advocate is once Again a Blue Rib-
-" " l newspaper
Jw1Bigg•
The Canadian
Community News-
papers Association
has judged the
Times -Advocate to
be among the top
one-third of all
newspapers in its
class from across the
country entered in
the 1993 General
Excellence Competition.
The award entitles winning news-
papers to display the CCNA Blue
Ribbon logo on their editorial page
mastheads.
BLUE
RIBBON
AWARD
New small -size franchise
McDonald's
confirms plans for
ureter restaurant
this
EXETER - Long rumoured, but confirmed Monday evening,
McDonald's Restaurants is coming to Exeter.
A 2,183 square foot (200 square metre), 39 seat fast-food restau-
rant will be completed and open for business within only a few
weeks if final approvals for the project go ahead as expected.
The restaurant, which will include a drive through and 25 parking
spaces will be one of the smaller McDonald's in the province. In
fact, it and another similar project in Fergus will represent the fust
of their size for McDonald's Restaurants Canada, Nidae Abbas, a
representative of McDonald's, explained to council Monday eve-
ning.
When asked by councillor Ben Hoogenboom if there was room for
expansion on the site, Abbas replied the property was being devel-
oped to its potential now:
The restaurant will sit on die former location of Hurex Tools on
the north boundary of Exeter at 263 Main St. N.
Mayor Bruce Shaw asked when construction would start on the
project and Abbas told him building permits and tenders would be
obtained as soon as a miner v mild ,be granted for the fa-
mous golden arches sign.
A public meeting to dimes the 11 -metre tall sign is planned for
tonight. Current sign bylaws only allow for single -pylon signs to be
three metres tall.
Abbas said the restaurant would be completed within about 10
weeks, which surprised some councilors.
"it doesn't have a basement, which is why the period is so short,"
she said, adding that McDonald's will try to give preference to local
conhractors when cons
Mp pld's wiU.ttifti of abo a s e proper-
ty.
"You'll always did with head office, not the lic nsehywlder,," said
Abbas.
Couneif gave unanimous approvalto the site plan presented Mon-
day.
I