HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-10-28, Page 2•
Regional wrap up
New St. Marys councillor will -
be appointed, not elected •
ST. MARYS — Following the resignation of
Councillor Dave. Cunningham, St. Marys council
has decided to 111l, the vacancy by an open ap-
pointment rather than with the person who fin-
ished seventh in the last election, reports the
Journal -Argus. •
Council had a heated debate on the topic at
the Oct. 13 meeting.
The option of holding a by-election was dis-
missed because it would cost $6-8,000.,
Councillor Don Van Galen requested the dem-
ocratic process be recognized and that the sev-
enth -place candidate from last fall's election be
appointed. Mayor Jamie Hahn disagreed stating
1,100 registered voters did not vote for the sev-
enth place candidate.
In 1996, St. Marys council also used its own
criteria for appointing a new councillor rather
than appointing the closest candidate from the
previous election.
A recorded vote followed the discussion with
Councillors Heather Goad and Don Van Galen
voting against .the appointment -by -application
process with the remaining four voting in fa-
vour.
An advertisement inviting applications for the
position of town councillor appeared in last
week's Journal -Argus.
911 signs come to Usborne
Continued from front page
signs must be within 10
feet of the edge of the dri-
veway and not more than
10 feet from the property
line.
. Strang said sign location
concerns are passed on to
township road superinten-
dent Ken Parker who vis-
its the site to reach an
agreement with the
owner on an appropriate
spot for the sign.
Once installed, the sign
becomes the responsibility
of the property owner
who must ensure nothing
obscures the sign. If the
sign is damaged or stolen,
the property owner tnust
pay to have it replaced.
"We're finding the inter-
section signs are being
stolen and they're expen-
Sive to replace," said
Strang, adding the town-
ship has to pay the cost of
replacing the sign.
While the signs may be
good for giving directions,
residents are not to use
the 911 • number that
appeared on their assess-
ment and tax notices in
their addresses yet
because there are still
some errors that will be
corrected.
Intersection signs have
become a collector's
item for thieves.The
municipality has to pick
up the tab for replacing
stolen signs.
Usborne Clerk -Treasurer Sandra Strang says most of
the property plates for the municipal addressing sys-
temhve been erected in UsborneTwp. but some
sites re still missing the posts and/or plates.
Exeter Times -,Advocate
In the News
Over 600 march in Stratford
_. ..
Wednesday. October 28. 1998
by Michele Greene
STRATFORU - On a beautiful fall schools In the two counties.
day that usually keeps rural people Agnes Denham,, of the Perth
at home to work, over -600 eople Federation of Agriculture, -said the
from across Huron and Perthc oun- •
new Pudding fthe needs of ruuormula doesn't meet
ties participated in the ruralnot ral families.
response rally In Stratford on certainly not crural ocussed,'tudent focusseddshe
Saturday to protest possible school said.
closures.
if the
Parents, students and teachers hadangers
cons de She ed theree added cc stsland
from Mornington Central,-
fColb
rom me Public -School, of busing youngsters
Mitchell Public School, King VVe don't greater distances to
Lear Senior Public School, a other schools, especially.
Avon Public School and ppreciate in the winter months.
many others marched -
through
to pick Nancy Fisher-
in
through the streets of down- one school - . V6ssen, of the Hur
town Stratford. Trustees over another, noalftion for Educat
fromfrom the Avon -Maitland and formerly the cha
et School . Board for reasons person of Clinton Pub
marched with them. Boainclud-
ing that are not for. School's parent coun
Trustee Ray Ford and education but told the crowd that th
Abb protest called for a ne
Armstrong.
Chairperson Y for Cost savings funding formula that f
and economies. rural Ontario.
Over 100 people from
South Perth Centennial of scale, .We. doh't apprecia
alone came to the rally. JaneNANCY having, to -pick o
Finan, chairperson of the FISHER-VossEN, school over another, f
parent school council, said reasons that are not
education but for co
children from the Rannoch sc o� savings and economies of scale,
m d during their lunch she said. -
on
ion
ir-
funding formula and a new dead-
line. By Dec. 31. all boards must
identify schools to he closed in •
order to be eligible for future fund-
ing to build new pupil places. •
'December 31 is too close.
Farmers are still harvesting their
crops. We can't get our -heads
around.this deadline until we get
our crops in, she said.
Stratford Mayor Hunt said the -
province is listening only to
Toronto, because it Is the "squeaky
wheel.'
'We need to convince the
province that there is more of
Ontario outside the boundaries of
metro,' he said.
tic Rallies like Saturday's event is
cit, rural Ontario's opportunity to be
eir heard. • •
w Sooner or later, [Premier Mike)
is Ilarris, will hear the squeak," said
Mayor Hunt:. Gay Young, of 'People
to for Education, encouraged: the
on . crowd to continue making partner -
or ships like the one building between -
for parental farming organizations and
st the Small Urban Municipalities
Association, which is supporting the
efforts, said'Stratford Coun. Dan
d Mathieson.
e Another similar rally was
- planned in St. Thomas on Sunday.
I Members of the crowd in Stratford
were encouraged to participate.
f On Tuesday (Oct. 27) night,
f trustees discussed and possibly
voted on a report. which lists 28
schools to be closed or converted.
The meeting was held at Stratford
Northwestern Secondary School.
a e signs
breaks at school last week.
They carried them on Saturday,
following schoolbuses and farm
tractors to the band shell on
Lakeside Drive by the river in
Stratford to protest the provincial
government's funding formula.
Many speakers said the funding
formula is causing potential rural
school closings. The Avon -Maitland
is looking at closing up to 19
• Forcing boards t� pick an
choose between schools breaks th
government's. commitment to pro
viding the same education for al
students across Ontario, said
Sharon Rounds_ , vice-president o
the Ontario Federation o
Agriculture. -
So far, she said the government
isn't listening, to Ontario's rural
people who are calling for a new
Lucan still waiting for numbers
By Craig Bradford
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
The plaques will be ' .The City of London has although they use far less
• erected in the parks approached Lucan about water than those '
where the scouts dug and • limiting the charities that with
LUCAN — It better be . planted flowers.
worth the wait. • apply for the Lotto moneygrowing families.
to ones that are based so Rmuch ab utmer'scern the cuisnrt
solely out of each centre: rent drop, in revenue, but
For example, London if thetrend continues next
would,handle the regional year.
charities like the -Red If sewer revenues con -
Cross and Cancer Society tinue to fall, council may
while the village would have to look at increasing
tell the province to ear- the rate or changing the
mark money for- the rate structure again. '
Lucan Lions or Scouts.
In addition, next year
The village must have Lucan isn't due to reap
the variance," Lucan,The ABCA wants -the . its charities list to the any money from new coli--
Reeve Robert Benner saiddone to
study or plan Province by March 31,
at the recent village coup- ensure storm water flows 1999 -
province to its sewer sys-
Lucan and Middlesex
County is still waiting for
a county -wide service
quote from the OPP
though the quote was
expected to be ready•for
discussion at the Oct. 13
county council meeting.
"We are having some -
problems receiving the
numbers from the OPP on
It's a drain
The village will soon put
the consulting work on its
master drainage plan .put
to tender.
Lucan. is required to
commit to doing either .a .
costly subwatershed study
or a drainage plan by the
Ausable Bayfield
Conservation Authority.
cd meetingnt From future developments tem.
P Sewer revenue down The tax revolt
That variance. is 'a inthe , village' aren't Reytiter is concerned
reworking of the quote increased from the cur aboutTaxpayers appealing
• rent rate. , a 15 per cent fall in their enlarged '98 bills
since it won't lie a true Not having a studysewer revenues since the may put a huge, dent in
count or village instituted the new the village's coffers.
y wide scenario: plan in place has kept a rates.
Strathroy-Caradoc have local developer, their own police service P Lobro, Instead of a straight Reymer said disgruntled
and North Dorehester, from going ahead with a percentage of water to file an have
vp till tot. 31e
West Nissouri and subdivision 'in the north- usage fee, Benner intro- province. appeal to the
Middlesex Centre have west corner of the village• duced a combined usage
While the ounty and ;
and flat charge earlier school board cporti ns of
this year so those that use the '98 tax bills are the
water that, doesn't end up main reason the bills
in the sewage system have gone up for most ,
(gardeners, swimming people, Lucan stands to
pool owners, those who lose some revenue.
wash their cars) aren't (The village will receive'
penalized: the respective ,
Reymer speculated the from school boardst and
sewer rate revenue might the county for refunds to
be down' because of the taxpayers if they win their
new rates but added he appeals.)
and treasurer Ruth Frost "Depending on the num-
will take a more in depth bers it could have a sig -
look at the situatio
approached London Village administrator
Police ori providing nolle- Ron Reymer said he's
ing. being careful drafting this
The province has man- tender document since
dated that all rriunicipali- this is the first time the
ties must pay their shore village has sought quotes
of policing and has tagged' ' on a drainage plan.
Lucan's minimum cost at Lotto with a catch
$195.50 per household or... While Lucan charities
just over $139,000 per will receive a $7,232
Year: windfall Prem the Ontario
Other notes from the Lottery Corp., some
meeting:, . extensive paperwork
Scouts lauded must be filed. The village
The Lucan Scouting has to submit •a list of
received plaques recog-
nizing their Communities
In Bloom efforts in village
parks.
charities that qualify for week. n t Is nlficaht affect on our bot -
the money. The criteriatom line," Reymer said,
includes the charities Pained about vthee cnew "Some people have a
must be registered and sewer rates because their legitimate complaint."
incorporated. bills have gone up