The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1994-01-05, Page 2Page 2 Times -Advocate, December 29,1993 molopsior Regional wrap Official plan opposed MITCHELL - Fearful of the onset of regional government, at least one Mitchell Town coun- cillor is against a countywide of- ficial plan. Councillor Ruth Fiebig ex- pressed her dissatisfaction with the request for input by County Planning Director Dave Hanly during discussion at the Decem- ber 20 session of Town Council, it was reported in the Mitchell Advocate. "I think it's a waste of taxpay- ers dollars," she said. "Who's go- ing to pay for it?" Councillor Fiebig found an ally in Deputy -Reeve T3ob Bur- tenshaw, who remarked that this is a "sneaky way of getting into regional government." Mayor Hugh McCaugheysaid bp still sees merit in the idea, es- pecially for economic develop- ment. McKillop blasted for hiring process SEAFORTH - McKillop Township was grilled about the way it went abou hiring a new employee by a delegation of concerned residents at the De- cember 21 council meeting. After laying off a full-time worker, the township contracted out work for a short time. Coun- cil has since hired a temporary employee for relief work in case of illness and large snowfalls. Residents at the meeting said council should have offered the temporary job to its former em- ployee first or advertised the po- sition, it was reported in the Hu- ron Expositor. Councillor James Ryan said that perhaps council should have advertised for the position but rejected charges that 'McKillop Council hires their friends.' Support limited for fire chief position BOSANQUET - Plans for a part time area fire chief appear to have limited support. The position would take some of the growing administrative burden off volunteer chiefs such as helping co-ordinate training. At a December 16 meeting Bosanquet offered to pay for all operating and training costs of the chief, while the salary would be split equally among all partic- ipants. But area council representa- tives did not have strong support for the proposal. Bosanquet council agreed to continue with the proposal and at least establish an estimated budget for the chief. Another meeting on the issue is expected in February. Concerns with police board agreement SEAFORTH - Seaforth's Po- lice Services Board continues to have concerns with the draft agreement for the Huron County Communications and Dispatch System. The draft agreement was dis- cussed at the board's December 22 meeting. It outlined a three - board shared agreement rather than an agreement to purchase service from Goderich, as previ- ously discussed. There were questions raised about the article in the agree- ment in which each party must give one yeaes notice and pay a portion of any termination pack- age to employees, it was report- ed in the Huron Expositor. 0 IN THF. 1 Dashing through the snows... whoa! Melissa Prout, (left) while tobogganing at Morrison Dam Thursday aftemoon, begins to spin out of control, heads for the bushes, wipes out...but that's all part of the fun. At top right Kevin Hogan leaps his snow racer over a natural bump in the trail. And at bottom right Carrie Prout grins and hangs on as she takes her snow racer for a ride down a difficult trail at Morrison Dam. 'Exeter mayor offers his views on his last year Continued from front page. "We will, before the end of '94, have a definite long-range plan," he said, suggesting it will set goals and estimates for the town's growth, assessment, and land needs. "We will be talking with our neighbours," he said, repeating the catch phrase that suggests some land from the surrounding town- ships may be in needed to assure room to grow. Amalgamation: Discussions at both county council and in the town chambers have proposed Exeter may one day want to join forces, with those neigi>lcttrs to form a gional municipality, and reap the benefits of a more efficient, cooper- ative government structure. Is it just futuristic daydreaming? Shaw doesn't think so. "1 can see South Huron as one government," he said, adding that he isn't afraid to say he can see real advantages for Stephen and Hay Townships to join together. "1 don't see Usborne being able to stand alone much longer. It's too small in population," he continued, predicting its council may want to join with Exeter even before a one - government South Huron forms. The communities will still have their own identities, he assured, but will be joined as one political unit. Exeter will be forced into such changes, he said, adding that change can be sad, but necessarily good. He said he believes future munic- ipal leaders will have to seek crea- tive solutions, not conservative ones. Old things will go, changes will come. Buildings: When asked if there js.one project in particular he wants / to s‘e accomplished in his last year in office, Shaw considered briefly and agreed there is. "There is one thing. I would like to see us do something with our properties," he said. With a lease to be renewed on the municipal office, an under- used town hall, an aging library, and a vacant police station, Shaw said the time is now to act on con- solidating Exeter's public build- ings. He said a drawing does exist that depicts connecting the police sma- tion to the back of the town hall, Junior Kindergarten full in all eight Huron Schools with program arContinued from front page. He said at Clinton Public School a program proposal has been forwarded the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Services for a com- bined early childhood education kindergarten centre. This centre would be a joint venture between the board and day care op- erators. Carroll said discussion of alternatives is at various stages with day care operators in the county. But for now, Carroll said he is optimistic that the board is moving in the right direction with the implementation of Junior Kindergarten. "At the end of the day, I think we will be saving the taxpayers money and delivering a better program," he said. 4 so long as the electrical transform- er station is out of the way. It might join the library and the mu- nicipal offices, but is only one of many possible solutions. "The old library, I can't see it staying," admitted Shaw, suggest- ing an expanded police station might be its new home "if we can't go to the elementary school". Shaw agrees tearing down the old library may be seen as drastic. In fact, Shaw says the aging Old Town Hall was one of the first is- sues he tackled as mayor in 1975. "When I first became mayor, my preference was to tear it down," he said, but changed his mind when he saw the report in favour of its pres- ervation. The decision to keep it was the right one, he admits. To- day, that building may be an impor- tant pan of the town's future. "I think something can be done with [the hall] where we do make better use of it," he said. Policing: By far the biggest is- sue of 1993 for Exeter was polic- ing. Both the dispute with the for- mer chief and the transition to OPP contract policing consumed a great deal of time for council. Two months into its first OPP contract, Shaw says he believes all is going very well for council and the Police Services Board. "Over our heads now, we still have a lawsuit," he said, referring to former -chief Jack Harkness' suit against the town for half a million dollars. Shaw said there is no indication if or when there will be a trial, if the suit will be dropped, or if it will be settled out of court Future plans: This year, Shaw will not only step back from munic- ipal politics, but will also finish his 'year-long term as chairman of the Ontario Secondary School Princi- pals Council. When asked if he might run in the next provincial election, ho only laughed and said he truly is looking for a rest. "My mother says I've been hyper- active...since grade 11," he said, in- sisting he is looking forward to pur- suing other interests. "I'd really like to write. I'd like some time to develop that skill." As for his time as Exeter's mayor, from 1975-78, and again from 1980-94, he said he doesn't want to leave any legacy other than being remembered well. "I would like to think I made a difference," he said. N/aM Straw, principal of Stephen Central, listens to students in the school's first Junior Kinder- garten, 9s they explain whet they did in class Monday. JK students present include Karmel Smith,on Straw's right, Brett Steeper, Jensen Bell, Kira O'Neal, Caitlin Geiser and Chantal Yearley. 1