The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1999-05-12, Page 4030 Exeter Times—Advocate Wednesday, May 19, 1999 Big building boost thanks to mew Canadian Tire store By Craig Bradford ships. Coun. George Robertson said council should have further discussions to le —ut what Exeter's capita proJdct.priorl- ties are. Urlin agreed but added the skate- boarding park is a worthwhile project. t Coun. Joe Hogan added he'd like to see the site and see plans before earmark- ing cash for a skateboarding park. Armstrong said councillors should have their project priority lists ready for the May 27 budget meeting. Reunion gets cash The South Huron District High School All -Years Reunion committee received $200 from council it requested. - Committee member Deb McCann spoke to council on their request for the cash which will be used to pay for some initial costs with anything left going to the school for educational use. The all -years reunion will invite all for- mer students and staff of the school to return on June 30 -July 2, 2000. The year will mark the 50th anniver- sary of the current high school building. plus the 100th anniversary of high school education in Exeter. TIMES ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER -- What adifference a month can make, • The new Canadian Tire store planned for the north side of Thames Rd. E. beside the proposed now valu-mart store put a $1.8 million shot in the arm for -what has been an anemic building permit total sq far this year. The Canadian Tire permit was one of eight issued in April totalling $2,264,000. Other permits included four .home additions/renovations, a commer- . tial addition and one new single family • home. So far this year, $2,283,800 worth of building permits have been issued com- pared with $623,400 during the same period in '98. Chief building official Dave Moyer said '99 will be "generally a good year all around" when it comes to building activ- ity in Exeter. Other notes from the meeting: Back door politics? Minutes from Huron County's Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) April 27 meeting raised the ire of at least one Exeter councilor. Coun. Robert Drummond questioned a SPC decision to not consider individual local restructuring proposals till after a Sept. 1, 1999, target date. The SPC's rationale was county council would likely want to put a county coun- cil restructuring proposal together bringin together all local amalgama- tions rat r than piecemeal a new coun- ty council gether. Drummond felt the SPC was not only needlessly delaying the South Huron amalgamation proposal but it was open- ing the possibility of the county bringing in a single tier against the wishes of its member municipalities. "They are trying to wait'tiii thwit- • tial election and then try to slip a single tier through the back door'," Drummond said. f • It's a sign (again) Council again 'discussed what to do about numerous large portable signs along Main St. Deputy Reeve Dave Urlin questioned 'how many lit portable signs are ou without a permit. Moyer responded there are three or four signs along Main St. that, probably don't have the $10 for 15 days permit, adding he would report back to council on the exact number of signs without permits. Coun. Peter Armstrong said putting stickers on signs showing they have per- mits might be a good idea. Later Reeve Roy Triebner brought the sign issue' up again. Moyer responded the town has to decide which signs they want to regulate. He added London leas an annual licencing fee for signs. Mayor Ben Hoogenboom said the 120 day per year limit for signs to be dis- played along Main St. is too long and should be cut back to 30 days per year. He said anyone wishing to put a sign out for a longer stretch of time should be investing in a permanent sign. Moyer said he would attend the next Business Improvement Association meeting and come up with some recom- mendations for council. Make your lists Armstrong was on the rest of council's case to prioritize possible projects the $240,000 Special Circumstances Fund grant from the province could be used for. Council has already earmarked the first dollars to go to a new Rec Centre roof. Moyer said the two, roofing engi- neering consulting firms he's talked to have come in with initial quotes of $100,000 and $180,000. The original price range for the project was between $40,000-$150,000. Armstrong argued t . ' Rocx tioi r ' and Parke Committee has recommended $10,000 of the grant be spent on a skateboarding acility at the Rec Centre. He added land beside the Rec Centre has already been set aside for a multi- use facility that would include a skate- oard pad. Council agreed to send the county a letter with their concerns over their take on the SPC minutes as well as forward- ing copies to their South Huron merger b P P partners, Usborne and Stephen town - those businesses on side to pave their portions. An open- door A decision made with best intentions has come back to put a small bite on council's behind. Council recently decided to allow Precision Blood Mission to pay the prior $600 rezoning fee on its proposed new Catholic church since it picked up an application before the fee was raised to $925. Council granted Chris and Tracy Watson the same consideration after the couple wrote a letter to council detailing they too would have applied to rezone their home to allow for a daycare centre before the fees went up if they knew about the increase. While Urlin and other councillors agreed it was only fair to rebate the Watsons the $325, Drummond said he was against Precious Blood getting a rebate because it opened the door for others like the Watsons to request the same rebate. Drummond was also the lone nay vote to give the Watsons their - rebate. A number of events are planned for F the reunion weekend, many of which will coincide with Canada Day festivities. The committee is also looking for sto- ries from years gone by to be included in a South Huron High School history book being compiled by Joe Wooden. Contac Kendra Arthur, 235-4006 or 235-4587 or Pat Rowe, 236-7167, with your mem ories, for more information, to voluntee or to register for the reunion. Council also granted the Exeter Rode $200 for a Silver Buckle Cowboy Sponsor in the Rodeo program. Counci has a one in seven chance to win th money back if its cowboy wins the even the buckle sponsors. Pavement for If lot .Cpligi.lr jy aT yer the go ahead to fl!� t r 0 1 e t ave a art of die parking lot behind the new parkette at 406 Main St. to be paved. Moyer said the work will cost $6,765 for the municipal part of the lot only. Six businesses own part of the lot and coun- cil came to the consensus that going ahead with the municipal work may get Zurich steps back to the '60s ZURICH -- Students at Zurich Public School are stepping back in time this week with 'Groovy! A Musical Comedy Tribute to the 1960s'. The play is set in a field at Crumb's Apple Farm which is now functioning as a command centre for a pop music festival. The play runs tonight and Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Zu- rich P.S. Admission is $3. "It was a time to grow and achieve, stand up for what you believe. A generation of brotherhood and sisterhood, all riding a storm. It was a time to move and reach out, a time to stand up and shout. A generation of understanding, yet demanding wide -spread so- cial reform. And everybody sang... Power to the people all across the land, Hey now, everybody lend a hand. Singing... Power to the people! Rise up and beat the drum, Sing it, shout it, "We shall overcome!' • inal OKs Council gave its final blessings for: the proposed new Precious Blood Mission Catholic church at the west end of Sanders St. (rezoning); the new pro- posed larger valu-mart grocery store (official plan amendment and rezoning) disconnecting future the foundation drainage tiles on new buildings from the sewer system and installing sump pumps, the discharge to be contained on the property it comes from and no causing a public danger (like frozen sidewalks); the sale of fireworks in town extended to a month before the Victoria Day weekend through to Canada Day and for a month before Dec. 31, 1999. Another poop policy? On • a i lightprtnoto:-Drumtnondi dered if Exeter needs a 'poop and scoop' policy for horses riding into town. He said he witnessed horses using town streets as public washrooms dur- ing the recent Exeter Saddle Club how beside the Rec Centre and mused if a rider could be put in beside the dog poop and scoo olic Community loses active member STEPHEN TWP — The community lost an active member last Wednesday with the passing of Cecil ,Desjar- dine. He is survived` by his wife Eleanor and sev- eral . children, gra,nd- children, and great - grand -children. Desjardine was a di= rector of the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority, the Ontario Bean Producers Mar- keting Board and the Hay Mutual insurance Co. He also served his community as a coun- cillor and reeve and represented Stephen Twp. on Huron County council. As a member of the -Grand Bend United Church, Desjardine was a choir member and so- loist. HOLIDAY DEADLINE Due to the Victoria Dai Holiday (Mon., May 24), ALL ADVERTISING must be submitted by Friday, May 21 at 4 p.m. TIM 1:S-ADVOCATI 424 Main St. Exeter (519) 235-1331 Fax 235-0766