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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-03-11, Page 2Page 2 Times -Advocate, March 11, 1998 Regional wrap up Smoke detectors checked door to door PARKHiLL - In tribute to late Parkhill fire chief George Elliot.' firefighters and local Lions Club members were to :team up on March 7 to cl:,ck smoke detec- tors in town residences. According to the Parkhill Ga- zette. if inspectors felt: the .need for 'additional detecors. they would supply them to .residents at a low cosi They were also to replace defective batteries for the devices.. • - EIliot. a long-time Lions mein - her.' wanted to .ensure all rest- derices in• Parkhill have a work- ing smoke detector hti• 1998. . "It Is In-. recognition . 0f George's caring nature, his love of the town and his concerns for allot- its residents that the Lions and firefighter: have .taken up. George's cause:: the Lions told the Gazette Doctoral ■ prize awarded ST. MARYS - Fbrmcr St. Marys resident Shawn- Marshall is one 'of four winners of the -Natural Sciences and Engineer- ing Research Council of Canada prices recently •awarded. for out- standing doctoral research. The St. Marys Journal Argus -reports Marhsatl researched„ the '.Ice Age • with the department of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the - University of British Columbia.• "These four young people have made. an outstanding start to their research careers." Thiim- as Brzustowski.' president • of NSERC. told, the Argus.• "Their achievements- exemplify • the high quality of research in Cana- dian universities. and the value of research' and innovation -for the countrv's-future." Pot house nabbed by police MCGILLIVRAY TOWN- SHIP - Marijuana and .its para- phcrnalia was scooped by the Ontario Provincial Police on Feb.,24. reports the Parkhill Ga- zette. Value of the seized materials is •estimated at $ 18.000. Police • took 173 marijuana plants and processed cannabis as well i.s growing and processing equip- ment from the residence north of Parkhill. • The police- raid is the second in the arca in less than a year. On April 25.OPP nabbed 157 tnari.luana plants- and growing equipment. • Health unit issues flu precautions HURON COUNTY - Because schools are reporting high ab- • senteeism due to influenza. the Huron District Health Unit is recommending the -public take precautions. reports the Huron ,Expositor. According to Public Health Nurse Shirley Chalmers. the county school absenteeism rate has exceeded that of the past couple of years: - "This year it's just starting• now and may go on for another month," she told the Expositor. Chalmers advises frequent hand washing. flu shots for high risk people and staying at home for those who have contracted the bug. INTHF Bacteria in Lake Huron resistant to antibiotics The e.coli levels during the study period were generally lower than the provincial standard but were resistant to selected antibiotics used in humans and animals By Kate Monk T -A Reporter EXETER It hasn't happened overnight; hut the Save our. Lake Value- Environment (SOLVE) working group has reached some agreement about the causes of Lake Huron wa- ter pollution and some solutions. 's. . - Last Tuesday. SOLVE reviewed a report revealing e.coli bacteria in Lake Huron comes from human and animal sourc- es. But a more important health issue is the bacteria is re= sistant to several antibiotics. .• While was the prime goal of the study was to determine whether the source of the bacteria in Lake Huron was human or animal. the high lev- el of multiple. antibiotic resistance is a surpi se and is a concern for human and animal health. "Multiple resistance is alarming and a con- cern around the world." said Garr• Palmatecr of GAP EnviroMicrohial Services inc: in London, the author of the report. When a bacteria resists antibiotics. alternative antibiotics and methods- of treatment must. he lisund to cure the infection. • Water. was sampled at seven beaches along Lake Huron during the -study period of September -23 to December 3. 1997. Six antibiotics were tested on the samples with the premise that if animal bacteria was present. it would-be re- sistant to antibiotics used in animals. in the same way., hu- man bacteria would show resistance to human antibiotics. "1t was very -difficult to distinguish between human and an- imat e.eoli because it had resistance to both groups of anti- biotics." explained Klaus Seeger •of The, Huron County Health Unit and the- chair of SOLVE. - Seeger said the amount of e.coli varied from location to lo- • cation and throughout the period of the study. According to Sceger,•evcryone in SOLVE agreed the study Period was only a snapshot •and raised more questions than it answered:• The next step is to raise funds to run the study for a.onc-year-. period wire' a complete picture. Palmatecr estimated the price tag would be in the $40,0)0 to 50.000 range. According to Bob Humphries, the rural and agricultural rep- resentative at the Clinton Ministry of Ag- riculture. Foci and Rural Affairs office. the ministry still has concerns about the meth- odology of the study. An OMAFRA`staffer is going through the study methodology and re- sults with a fine-toothed comb. The actual numbers of e.eoli have mit been released. to the public since there- is concern on how the numbers would he. interpreted without an executive summary. Information "This .issue is in the public eye more than before. I think a large number of farmers are trying their best." from SOLVE states the e.coli:levels during : - - - • the study period were- generally lower than - the provincial standard of 100 e:eoli per 100 milliliters of wa- ter -However. during certain times and locations ce.coli levels exceeded _the standard and the cause of these occurrences should be studied further. the fait sheet states. Seeger explained since all sources contribute to water qual- ity problems. all need to _play., a role in -the_ clean-up. SOLVE members agreed the sources of microbial contamination in the • rivers, streams, drains -and lake incdude.hoth hurnan and an- imal and come from urban, rural and lakeshore areas.' ' As part of the exercise, SOLVE.came to an agreement on 20 points identified as "common ground/concerns/action." Nearly all the recommendations for action call for govern- ment initiatives even though environntental funding for pro- grams and -grants has decreased in..recent years. lite first action- for the Ministry of the Environment and Energy is- to be more aggressive with its enforcement pro- grant`and develop higher fines for convicted offenders. Seeger said the leaders of the agricultural groups are dis- cussing further actions to improve water.quality but they still - need to get their members committed. "This issue is -in the public cye.more than before. l think a large number of farmers are trying their best," he -continued, adding peer pressure is needed in the farming community and with people with faulty septic systems. • - Other recommendations include the development' of an en- vironmental home plan program. financial assistance from all levels of government to assist in education programs, re- searchand enforcement and making the results of any mon- itoring program available to the public. "We can't disinfect the bathing . beaches .so we need to clean up:the sources." Palmatecr summarised. • .A final report will be completed by the end of March at which time specific numbers are expected to he trade public. Farm organizations. conservation authorities. the Huron County Health Unit, municipalities and Huron's Edge make up -the SOLVE working group. Biddulph Township pays for sewer extension work By Craig Bradford T--.4 Reporter • BIDDI l.PH TWP. - Biddulph Township residents will finally get a -chance to. hook up to Lucan's sewer system after months of dis- • cussion on who will pay for the. work. . - ' Rather than have - .rman Lan - sink's Hcrdonjoc front the money, as was .proposed carnet this ycar.� administrator Larry Hotson said the township will use reserves 10 pay for the 522.000 .worth -of 'work to brine the sewer line across Main St. at Saintshur Linc. The decision was made at a special council mect- ing on Feb: 26. • Lansink agreed to pay for the work it he could recoup his costs later through development charges on future lots hooking- up to the system. But the township docs not have a development charges bylaw, so rather than go through the lengths process to draft and pass a bylaw. councillors chose to fund the project out of reserves. Hotson said the township has the money to complete the .project. though other proposed proj&ts mas` .have to wait. The township ware - cover the project • cost through frontage and connection charges. Biddulph must still come up with an agreement with Lucan on an ad- ditional sewer hook-up fec to he collected by' Biddulph and turned over 10 Lucan so the village can pay for treatment -of Biddulph waste at its - treatment plant-. Bid- dulph has commissioned Dillon, Consulting to prepare a 51.000 study. mapping Out the potential sewer service arca 10 help the vil- lage and township- hammer out an agreement. Lucan administrator Ron Rcvmer said although no final figures have been set. the -village is consideringa 53.265 per household._ -sewer connection charge which is in line with how much a new household- in Lucan • would' pay for Lucan inspection service will cost less LUCAN - Its .not often a build- ing inspector brings a smile to your face. but that's what happened at Lucan council at last week's meet- ing. Council approved the North Mid- dlesex District Building System '98 budget at - last week's meeting that calls for Lucan to pay 5796.57 less than '97. - Lucan's. share - of the North Middlesex District Building System for '98 falls to 58.048.11 from 58.844.68 in '97. The total levy is also down to $59.741:83 in '98 from 560.880.64. Administrator Ron Reymer said the decrease comes mainly from chief building official Barry Mills' workers compensation classifica- tion being downgraded from a higher risk category. resulting in.a credit that might last past next year. The lower levy even includes a one per cent raise for Mills. some- thing Reymer called "not out of line." - But not all councillors were in fa- vor of approving the budget as pro- - posed..Deputy Reeve Harry 'Wraith questioned giving Mills a raise. Police Briefs MUM ImIl•=1 Vehicle break-ins at Lucan Arena . . LUCAN - Two vehicles were. broken into at Lucan Arena on March 4. • London OPP Const. Donna Shulist said thieves stole two cases of beer from one vehicle and a CD player and CDs from the other Stanley collision inetwes one STANLEY TWP. - A passenger received minor injure in a two -car crash at the intersection of County Rd. 31 and Stanley Twp. Sideroad 15 on March 3 at -around 8:30 a.m.. Huron County OPP said. A '90 Pontiac driven by Nell Vanwonderen. 39. of Brucefield hit a '97 Pontiac driven by Kenneth Elston. 71. of Kincardine. Margaret Elston. 68, of Kincardine. received minor injuries. Vanwonderen is charged under the Highway Traffic Act, Huron County OPP said. the service. The figure is based on • the sewage percentage of the total development charge. In i;ompari- son. the Charge to hook into the vil- lage's water system is 51.225. • Hobson said with sewer lines costing about 5250/m plus connec- tion charges. Biddulph • residents hoping to tap into Lucan's sewer system arelooking at a 55.000 total hill. ' Notes from last week's Biddulph council meeting: .: Down(loading) the road The township will inherit County Road 47 (Saintshury Line) from Fallon Drive to Main/Saintshury from Middlesex County later this year as the province downloads .roads to the county and the county down to its member municipalities. . The township will also take over re- sponsibility for County Road 59 . north of County Road 47 (Whalen Line to Granton): a development Hobson said his council is not in agreement :with since the two miles Reymer. said three of the member municipalities had passed the bud- • get already. Wraith • was the only _ nay in.a recorded vote. In -other council business. the Ausahle Bayfield Conservation Au- thority wants to continue handling . Lucait's and other Middlesex mu- nicipalises' septic tank inspection . and approval services as pan "of its Middlesex County Private Sewage Disposal Program. The province has recently downloaded the pri- vate se -wage service decision- making to municipalities. Other options council can con- sider include the London- - Middlesex Health Unit who have contacted Ekfnd Township about taking it on or have. Mills add the work to his plate, Reymer said he sees the work. what he called the equivalent of a building inspector's work except for septic systems. as "an exten-• sion" of what Milts already does. He added Mills may • not have enough time to take on those duties because of his current duties. , Council needs to. make a decision before the April 1 deadline. of the road Biddulph inherits would he maintained at township stan- dards while the rest would be main- tained at. county standards. Hobson argued •the entire road is a con- necting link and should. be main- . tained at the same standards Town- ship road standards are lower than county roads. Hotson said the county will either pay for any re- quired road•reconstruction work he - fore the turnover or will give the township money to do the work. • Fire budget okayed Council .unanimously approved the..Lucan-Biddulph Fire Arca bud- get of 555.550. The budget -came in at the same level as last year's thanks to some• creative number crunching. Lucan council okayed the budget the same night (sec re- lated story elsewhere in this edition •of the Times -Advocate). - . Stone Bold Grand Bend's Jennison Construc- tion Ltd. will provide about 23.000 tonnes of gravel for Biddulph this year at $4.60 per tonne.. Council chine Jennison's cheapest tender over London Township's C.R. Chit - tick Construction. RRI Lucan's Bill Blanc Trucking. and RR2 Lucan's Clarence Carter & Sons. - Fuel it up - Exeter's Davis Moore Fuels re- ceived council's nod for the cheap- est diesel and furnace oil tender over the Dowler -Karn Ltd: Lucan office and Bumstead Fuels Beam me up, Larry Biddulph's municipal office will get new phones after council • okayed the $3,335 purchase of an Omni -Tel system over Bell Can- ada's 54.352 system.. The new phone system will have four. lines and eight phones and will enable calls to be patched through to the garage without office staff having to leave their office to .tell public works staff they have a call. Hobson 'said the old system has been dis- continued and replacement parts are no longer available. - Council rebates old Nevada fees in Hensall By Craig Bradford VA Reporter • • HENSALL - Hensall council decided to give a couple charitable organizations a break at Monday's • meeting. - • • Both the .Huron County Crimestoppers and the Hensall Kinsmen wanted municipal licence fee re- funds for Nevada ticket boxes containing a dis- continued ticket line. The old ticket line went -out of production on Jan. 31. 1998 and new tickets are be- Councillor Steve Towle then asked Neilands what kind of break the Kinsmen want. - "100 per cent,",was Neilands quick response. Clerk Luanne Phair countered it costs time and money .for village staff to administrate licencing. - Later in the meeting, councillor Dave Annen agreed with the charitable group members who said. any money they make on Nevada tickets goes back into the community and the village should rec- ognize -that. He moved that the council refund the outstanding licencingfees to the Kinsmen and Cri- mestoppers . with councillor Greg Dayman sec- ing used with .bigger prizes but more tickets per • onding. . box. . • The only dissenting voice On cauneil was Reeve Crimestoppers spokesperson Paul Graf attended Cecil. Pepper who said -the village operates as a•non-.- the meeting to say -his group wanted 5270 for 10 profit organization similar to any charity and any boxes of defunct. tickets they pulled 'from .area businesses while the Kins- "You can't men wanted a refund for eight boxes or - run this town 5216. Graf said Crimestoppers. paid on Nevada 51.605 to the village last year in li- cencing fees for 48 boxes of tickets. tickets."' Representatives • from the. Kinsmen • and the Hensall Legion were also on hand. Kinsmen Tom Neilands questioned the fact the village makes money on • Nevada- licencing. He. said other clubs Kinsmen have contacted report they "get a break" on licencing fees. "You can't run this town on Nevada tickets." Nei - lands said. • decisions on refunds or changing li- cence fee policies should be made dur- ing budget talks. - Council eventually approved a re- hate to both groups but shelved a pro- posal to waive the three per cent li- cencing fee for the a future till budget deliberations in mid-April. 'Ilse Kinsmen will have to give the village a writ- ten report on the issue before they get their refund. Phair said Nevada ticket licencing fees for all groups in Hensall amounted to about 53,500 last year. . Assessment commissioner explains changes or Continued from front page ities. This will apply for the taxa- tion years of 1998. 1999 and 2000. 2. Assessments will be based on the current value of the property — the amount of money a property would be sold for by a willing sell- er to a willing buyer. The legislation en- sures property such as farmlands. man- aged forests and con- servation lands are assessed only on the basis of their current use. 3. There will be seven standard property classes: residential/farm, multi -residential, commercial, industrial, pipeline, farmlands and managed forests. Municipalities will set the tax rate for each class. There will also be new subclasses. The new law replaces the old mill rate with a tax rate which is a per- centage of the assessed value of a property. ?itis will be used to cal - "Sou up culate property tax. Tax ratios show how different property classes are taxed in re- lation to one another. The res- idential/farm class will set the benchmark for other classes and its ratio must be 1.0. If, for example, the commercial class is taxed al twice the rate of the residential/ farm class, then its tax ratio will be 2.0. The province' will calculate and publish transition ratios for all seven property classes. Municipalities can use these transition ratios to set their taxes if they want to minimize the tax shifts among the new prop- erty classes. 4. The farm tax and managed for- est tax rebates have been eliminat- ed and replaced with a new low tax rate. Eligible farm property and managed forests will be taxed at 25 th western Ontario is relatively -to-date." per cent of the residential/farm tax rate. Municipalities adversely affected by this change may he eligible to receive support from the Com- munity Reinvestment Fund. Designated conservation lands will be assessed based on their cur- rent use and will be exempt from taxation. The Business Occupancy Tax has also been eliminated. •Municipal- ities can recover it from property classes that previously paid the B.O.T. or they can distribute it among other property classes, as long as they tax within the fairness ranges. Municipalities can also phase in the tax changes resulting from the reassessment over a period of up to eight years. 5. The Ontario Fair Assessment System is to provide a faster and less costly way to resolve concerns about property assessment. Property owners have received their Notice of Property Assess- tnent. They can call the assessment office to discuss their new value with property assessors. If nee= cssary, the value can he changed; and an amended Notice of Property Assessment will be issued up to April 2. There is also •a 're- consideration pnxcss'• after this date. After - this date, the assessment rolls will be printed, then delivered to municipalities on April 30. Following the presentation, Mor- gan fielded several questions from the audience of more than 50 peo- - ple at the South Huron Recreation Centre. Most questions were about specific properties which Morgan said would have to be considered individually. His parting words cautioned peo- ple about challenging their assess- ments. "The door swings both ways. If you ask for a re -assessment and we find the value should be increased, we'll increase it," Morgan said.