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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-11-24, Page 3esda , November 24, 1999 Exeter Tin , dvocal tucan Biddulph says `no'toAusable Centre request ByScott Nixon The centre also wanted TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF an p tion on a 10 -year n to the deal. ncil finally put the matter to rest at its Nov. 16 meeting. In a recorded vote on a motion by Coun. Harry Wraith, council voted 9-1 to reject the request and sell the building. Only Coun. George Marr voted against the motioh to sell. In rejecting the centre's request, Coun. Leroy Maguite said council agreed to the centre's original request of a five- year deal and then the centre changed its mind and asked for more. Coun. Glenn Silver echoed Maguire's con- cerns of the Ausable Centre's desire to change the original request, explaining that he sup- ports the Ausable Centre but doesn't want the municipality to have to pay for roof or heating systems costs. Wraith argued the mat- ter has gone on for too long and the municipality can help the centre in other ways. He said he's not against . the Ausable Centre, but the centre is asking for too much. "I'm going to be the bad boy and say 'no,'" Wraith said of . the centre's LUCAN BIDDULPI-- After several months of negotiations,• Lucan Biddulph council finally said 'no' to the Ausable Centre's request to lease the former Village of Lucan office. Instead, the municipali- ty has decided to sell the building, something it was going to do before the Ausable Centre made the lease request in the summer. Township administrator Ron Reymer has said the township hopes to sell the building for $60,000. The original proposed deal was for the Ausable Centre to lease the for- mer village municipal office for five years at $1 per year. Then, after months of stagnation, Ausable Centre president Tom McInerney appeared before council early in November and requested a 15 -year lease at $ i per year, with the municipali- ty on the hook for repairs to the building's roof and heating and cooling sys- tem for the first eight years of the deal. In the final seven years, the municipality and the Ausable Centre would split the costs. request. He said the centre still needs to grow and "fight on their own a wee bit." Deputy Reeve Bob Benner said the centre's original proposal -- a five-year lease — was reasonable, but they let the opportunity slip away. ,He also said the cen- tre's request goes beyond the kind of support coun- cil gives to any other organization in the municipality. Marr, in defence of the centre, argued it has brought $300,000 into the community and should be supported by council. Ausable Centre consul- tant Rosemary Gahlinger- Beaune told the T -A Monday the centre is dis- appointed about council's decision. "I think it limits our growth and therefore the growth of the town as far as bringing social ser- vices ... to the town just because of our restricted space (at the current site)." Permission from council to lease the former vil- lage office, 'Gahlinger- Beaune said, would have shown municipal support for the Ausable Centre. She said the former proposed five-year lease, with the .Ausable Centre responsible for all roof and heating repairs, was- n't feasible for the centre. "The costs would have been far too prohibitive," she said. For now, the Ausable Centre will stay where it is on Main Street, although Gahlinger- Beaune said that location is too small. The former village office was attrac- tive because it would have provided the centre with more office space and confidential areas. "It'll be crammed quar- ters, but we'll do the best we can (in the existing building)," Gahlinger- Beaune said. The case of the old fetter EXETER — An old let- ter somehow resurfaced at Exeter council at last week's meeting but it had the same effect as the new one'. • Exandarea Meadows Housing Co-operative resident Sue Blommaert brought the oversight to the attention of the Times -Advocate. Last week's story about concerns from Exandarea residents on traffic around their building located near the corner of William and Church streets contained details from a letter cir- culated around the coun- cil chambers at the meet- ing. The letter was a copy of one written in '92 by for- mer Exandarea co-ordi- nator Wendy Bright. The updated letter Blommaert recently sent council was somehow switched for the old one. Bright left Exandarea later in '92 and the build- ing co-ordinator now is Wayne Tingle. The Times -Advocate regrets any confusion this may have caused. 3 EXETER CLEANING CENTRE . • Dry Cleaning • Coin Laundry • Laundry Service Exeter's only complete cleaning centre Is now an agent for SUEDEMASTER LEATHER CLEANERS Services include; • suede and leathers • purses, gloves, • shoes/boots/hats • sheepskin rugs • furs and fur storage • repairs on suede and leather • ultrasonic blind cleaning • pillow cleaning • rug cleaning • smoke odor removal CMI For Frau E -.timate 23 5-4101 344 MAIN ST.. EXETER NO TAX On all regular priced Merchandise the le Exeter 235-1500 • Open Fri. evenings • co. until 8 p.m. on a a hn tma CCS w a 0 CO hrisma a.. 1 w 3 Early Christmas Bonus Early Christmas Bonus SAVINGS *on re ar priced merchandise. Excluding • Sale items • Computers & Printers • Cellular Telephones • e Account purchases RadioShack 110 Main. St. N., Exeter 235-0800 Early Christmas Bonus Early Christmas Bonus cr) z 0 cc) as+.1E OMR INC U w ( 0 CO r L • ca Lu