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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1996-10-23, Page 2Page 2 Times -Advocate, October 23, 1996 IN Regional A week without television? HURON COUNTY - In con- juction with Child Abuse Pre- vention Month and in an effort to encourage parents to spend more time with their children, Rural Response for Healthy Children is challenging area families to turn off the television between Oct. 28 and Nov. 1. According to the Goderich Signal -Star, Statistics Canada re- ports children spend an average of 18 hours watching television each week. To accept the challenge phone the Turn off the TV hotline at 1- 800-479-0716. "Children cannot help but be conditioned by the images they see," explained the Star. "Most of what we see on television are images which focus on a small part of life designed to capture and keep an audience - things like sex and violence for exam- ple." School boards participate in pilot project HURON COUNTY - The county's public and Catholic school boards are two of 95 On- tario boards participating in a Ministry of Education pilot pro- vincial report card project this school year. According to the Huron Ex- positor, Grade 1 to 9 pilot tests involve. achievement reports in the IasE._'weeks of 'J� uary June,alti6rxpidd to lead fa a standard report card in these grades for the next school year. Education Minister John Sno- belen announced last Wednes- day the new report cards are be- ing selectively field-tested in an estimated 900 schools. Have a news di; ? Call the Times -Advocate' igt 235-1331 TF -IF NEWS Final report provides further information The Amalgamation Committee will withhold the final fee until several concerns are ad-- dressed ddressed by the consultants EXETER - In response to con- cerns from four municipalities, the amalgamation study consultants KPMG have indicated they are willing to go further in their analy- sis before sub- mitting a final re- port. Until several is- sues are dealt with, the final invoice of $43,000 will be witheld. Grand Bend re- quested KPMG con- sider all the options for amalgama- tion laid out in the call for proposals including remaining in both Lambton and Huron Counties as well as stepping out of the county system. Although current legislation prevents the continued involvement of one municipality in two counties, Ivey stressed each option must be evaluated based on its merits. He added a contract or agreement could be set up if the two -county scenario provides the most savings. "They have completed what I consider two of the four scenarios," said Grand Bend Mayor Cam Ivey. "I don't think we should pay them their fee until they deliver." In a letter to Com- mittee Coordinator Larry Brown, the consultants indicated they have received copies of Lambton and Huron budgets and will in- cluding additional financial in- formation and analysis on all four scenarios in the final report. Usbome Township Reeve Pat Down said rural aspects of the study also need review. "1 would like them to go over some of their justification," said Down, referring to comparisons made with possibly only two other "I don't think we should pay them their fee until they deliver." townships. The letter also stated projected savings for the amalgamated mu- nicipality are conservative and ad- dition savings of $50,000 to $60,000 could be achieved through re-engineering. For example, KPMG suggested building permits and dog licenses could generate ad- ditional fees." We felt that is a bit suspect as a comment," said Exeter Ad- ministrator Rick Hundey who felt the additional fees could not be considered savings. In discussion period, Grand Bend Councillor Bob Mann brought the fact the report lists only ad- vantages of amalgamation to the committee's attention " Act in the interest c f the people," said Mann. "Don't be afraid to break new ground." The final report will be presented to the committee at the October 30 amalgamation meeting. Public reviews report on proposed drainage work USBORNE - Usborne Township approved a Consideration of Report for the Mayer and Passmore Mu- nicipal Drains last Tuesday. Bill Dietrich, an engineer from W.E. Kelly and Associates re- viewed the report and drainage maps for both projects and an- swered questions from landowners. The township appointed Dietrich to prepare the reports after it re- ceived a petition to improve the drains in the township. The report 4brttain ''a `detalt&I ttiap showing the landowners affected by the pro- posed drainage works and each were mailed a copy and invited to a council meeting to express their concerns. Some landowners said they would like the work to be done this fall to minimize crop damage. The provision of allowances for the crop damages was explained and the timing for construction was discussed. "If there is crop damage (land- owners) will be compensated by al- lowances in the report," said San- dra Strang, Usborne Clerk - Treasurer. council heard that weather condi- tions and prices may be better in the spring and they agreed to wait until then to call for tenders. Landowners may submit a writ- ten appear for re -assessment and adjustments will be made at the Court of Revision scheduled for November 19. Billing procedures In other business, Usborne Town- ship and the Exeter alnd'Area Fire Board are looking intothe` billing procedures for car fires'and extrica- tions performed by the Exeter Vol- unteer Fire Department. Council was advised the Town of Exeter, as well as Hay, and Stephen Townships were surveyed to de- termine how costs for fire de- partment calls relate to car fires and extrications. They are especially concerned about who gets billed in a situation where the car owner isn't insured for such a call. If there is no chance of re- covering the cost from the in- surance company then the mu- nicipality in which the call occurs will pay. If the call occurs on a pro- vincial highway, the Fire Board hills the province. Strang said they are looking into billing insurance companies for car related fire calls in Usborne Town- ship as a standard first option. Usborne-Bldduiph Road During the meeting council ac- cepted Ken Parker's, road super- intendent, report and discussed winter maintenance on the Us- borne-Biddulph Boundary Road. The roa�1, was paved last summer and the road superintendent is gath- ering estimates on the cost of sand- ing, salting and plowing the road- way during the winter season. Before the road was paved both townships split the cost of main- taining the road equally, however, Strang said Usborne isn't equipped to clear paved roads as well as Bid- dulph and would like to re- negotiate maintenance procedures. "Usborne doesn't have many paved roads and it doesn't make sense to purchase the necessary equipment," said Strang. "We would like to find some other way of coordinating a shared main- tenance along that road." Mutual Aid positions Wingham Fire Chief Harley Gaunt, at left, is the new acting Huron County Mutual Aid coordinator. Exeter Fire Chief John Morgan is the new acting Huron County Mutual Aid deputy coordinator. Both positions become official Jan. 1. Gaunt fills a vacancy that has existed since Clinton Fire Chief Dean Reid left the position in May. Gaunt said there's some catching up to do, especially with 911 coordinating and mutual aid reports. Committee makes flnanclal suggestions VANASTRA - Additional permanent staff are not to be hired by mu- nicipalities, there is to he a freeze on municipal capital expenditures and area fire departments should service response areas within a 10 -mile ra- dius of fire halls. Those were the recommendations of the Municipal Reform Committee presented at Thursday night's meeting at the Tuckersmith Municipal Of- fice. There are exceptions and additions to these Hensall-Zurich-Hay- Stanley-Tuckersmith-Bayfield committee suggestions. The hiring freeze would last only during the committee's deliberations and the ex- penditures halt excludes water and sewage. Also, one committee member suggested the pay structure of firefighters be examined in an effort to keep wages consistent between municipalities. The committee also reviewed data prepared on costs and rental rates of local recreation facilities. "There's going to have to be some tough and hard decisions made here," said Hensall Clerk -Treasurer Luanne Phair. Zurich Reeve Dwayne LaPorte and Clerk Treasurer Maureen Simmons noted the importance of keeping the Zurich arena open. "You don't want to take it away from the kids," pointed out LaPorte. "We've taken so much away from the kids alrleady." The unpopularity of user pay was discussed along with the increasing interest in sports such as soccer. Although committee members talked at length about arena deficits and the need to break even, they felt more in- formation is needed before making suggestions on recreation programs and facilities. Information will be gathered on facility usage, debt and structural assessment. Following the next committee meeting on Nov. 7 in Zurich, a full coun- cil meeting on Nov. 14 at the Tuckersmith Township Municipal Office will bring councils up to date on information the committee has reviewed. Decisions delayed �1t Ward structure Usborne Reeve Pat Down pre- sented a motion to the committee that would create a ward structure designating one representative each to Grand Bend, Bosanquet and Us - borne, two each for Stephen and Exeter and two members to be elected at Targe. The motion was amended by Stephen Deputy Reeve Tom Tomes, who added the struc- ture be reviewed prior to the next election, it use the current voter's list and the at large members be the mayor and deputy mayor. Exeter requested this motion was tabled until October 30 after the en- • tire council has been given an op- portunity to provide its input. lir Continued from front page sanquet led to a discussion of com- pensation. Bosanquet provided the committee with an initial com- pensation figure of $2.5 to $3 mil- lion. Hammond also commented on compensation stating the legislation is vague on how to deal with a remnant municipality. Hammond will proN ide the committee with background information regarding how compensation has been dealt with in the past. The Bosanquet motion was re - tabled and the remaining four mu- nicipalities will meet prior to the next meeting to discuss the issue of compensation. Come in and browse our fully stocked shelves `