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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1998-12-23, Page 53Wednesday. December 23, 1998 Exeter Times -Advocate Lucan council says spend it all for pump program By cram Bradford 11MtiS•ADVUiA.11i s i MT LUCAN — Lucan council is trying to taken full advantage of a grant pro - grain rather than have the opportunity for free cash pass lhem,by. At the last ever village council meeting last week, council agreed to .apply to the fodoral/pro vInc 1al Infrastructure program to transfer about $8,000 out of the Infiltration sump pump program to the Kent St. sanitary sewer project. Deputy Reeve harry Wraith raised the subject and has been a big propo- nent of the sump pump program. "I would hate to lose that money," he said. Tho funds in the sump pump grant program must be spent by next March and Wraith is afraid .the deadline will go by before all the sump pump work is done. Reeve Robert. Benner pushed for the grant money transfer to make sure the grant money gets spent. • The Kent St. sewer pro- ject low tender from Lucan's PVG Excavating came in at just under $60,000, almost double the original staff estimate of $35,500. . The other tenders ranged all the way up to $96,000. The work was finished at. the end of summer. Tho village picks up a third or the' cost of infra- structure projects with the federal and provincial governments also pitying a third each. Other notes corn the meeting: Upset nothing said . Wraith displayed his displeasure no one had said anything about the departure of public works superintendent Doug Johnston whose: position was eliminated with the Jan. 1 merger with Biddulph Township. Johnston has spent 26 years with the village and Wraith said his dedicated service should be recog- nized. "i just find it hard to believe Doug will no longer be with us," Wraith said. Wraith espoused Johnston's virtues that included fundraising for various village, causes, serving as an ambassador promoting the village and countless hours of volun- teer service not to men- tion his on the job perfor- mance. • "Doug came. in here, took a_ hold and made things better," Wraith said. 1 never heard him back wash anyone in any way. Ills strong traits and the many hats he wore for the village under many bosses...I just want- ed to give him a few min- utes of my time." Wraith also commended assistant lax collector Linda hackney for her 18 years with the village. iler position was also elimi- nated due to the amalga- mation. Benner applauded Wraith for speaking about Johnston. adding Wraith was the one most quali- fied to do so. Johnston refused Co attond.tho.last ever COUP - meeting even after the urging of Wraith. Heritage gives thanks Lucan Area Heritage president Mike Anderson thanked council for all its support in the past year and gave an update on what his group has been up to. Lucan will finally be on the Stratford visitors guide map for the first time next year. • .The grand opening of the historic log cabin will be May. 29 to coincide with the Ride Back in_ Time. There will also be a joint ,Heritage-Biddulph Celebrations Committee charity auction April 10 to coincide with the Biddulph Township 150th anniversary festivities._ Anderson had a wish list for items in the Lucan 'municipal building that may be surplus after the Jan. 1 merger with Biddulph. • First on the list was the use of the village building if Lucan Biddulph can't find a buyer. Anderson proposes the building be used as a temporary Heritage museum or, a library. He said several furnish- ings within the building, like the reeve's gavel. are• historic and should be kept in a museum. • Ile also suggested vil- lage records kept in the basement could be added to the Ileritage archives in the museum across the street rather than move them to the Biddulph building. Anderson also wants the village. photocopier and other items, that won't be. needed at the Biddulph building after the Merger. e ,o':. •, t • ChitiiiGreetings All the best this holiday Our thanks for the chance to serve you this year Country Trenditions 362 Main St. S., Exeter 235-4138 A Chrisfmas hank You We extend to our valued customers our bey u•i hesfhr a wife and {zippy bohda .'e1.vvn r ■— �Qtc, 4.1 III framietg 1 HOUR ■ 430 Main St. S. ,Exeter - 235-3713 Full steam ahead The province „ has stepped towards passing Bili 79 or the Fairness for Property Taxpayers Act despite the protests' of many municipalities. The bill calls for munici- pal business tax `.increases to small businesses to be capped at 1,0 per cent this -year, tive per cent in '99 and five per cent in 2000. The bill- would„also call for businesses who have alrcady.received a tax rebate to give some of it back to municipalities,and other businesses to have their taxes increi►tie sub- stantially. The province drafted the bill to'rospond to a huge outcry from busi- ness owners who•said the changes to how taxes were levied this' year and the subsequent huge tax increases would put them out of business. iteymer said the bill will put municipalities like Loran in the "unenviable position” to tell some peo ple they didn't get the rebate they thought and others to fork over more cash. "1t appears (the province is) proceeding full speed ahead," he said with disappointment. Finally done Bob Taylor, an over 25 year vet as a member or the treasurer on the Lucan Community Memorial Centre manage- ment board and its cur- rent chairperson, will call it quits at the end of the year, in a letter to the board. Taylor said it was time for younger members to take over. Library out of limbo After not . returning many of the organizing group's phone calls, the architect in charge of preparing the plans for the new Lucan library, London's Glen Herglotz, finally faxed them that he was back to _work on the project last week. The library• construction was- due start in September and be com- pleted by the, end of January in the origivtal proposal. The ground has yet to be broken at the .site of the new S300,000 library at the southwest corner of the Lucan Community Memorial Centre: 1 lave a Happy Holiday and a wonderful New Year EXETER WALLPAPER WORLD 451 Main St. S. Exeter 235-2340 .11Acifif May all good things come your way this holiday. Our thanks for your continued support. The Residents and Staff of the Exeter Villa ' Nursi ng C. Retirement Home wish everyone all the Blessings of the Christmas Season Bob Yon ' Glenn Mary yackie Lesky. Karen -.w