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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1999-12-29, Page 2ITIMeti-Actvocate Wediiesday.December 29, 1999 More townhouses proposed in Goderich GODERICH — A vacant piece of land on the end of Martha Street. in Goderich known locally as 'the com- mons' may soon be developed for town- houses, reports the Goderich Signal -Star. Developer Joe Durand has submitted plans to the town requesting approval for the con- struction of a 40 -unit townhouse develop- ment. The area has long been a problem for -the town. A subdivision plan was designed in the 1920s but the area has remained undevel- oped because several owners had stakes in the property. The property zoning would need to be changed from residen- tial low density to resi- dential high density for the development to pro- ceed. Durand is building similar townhouses in Exeter. Employe collect five tons of food WINGHAM Employees at Wescast Industries Inc. in Wingham collected more than five tons of food during the past seven weeks, reports the Wingham Advance - Times. The food has been transported to the North Huron Community Food Share on a regular basis. Last year, Wescast collected nearly 5,000 pounds of food. Forty-two safety zone c es laid WING AM — Since the inception of the Community Safety Zones in Wingham, 42 charges have been laid, according to the Wingham Advance Times. Located on Diagonal Rd., Carling Terrace and John St., the fines are doubled when dri- vers are caught break- ing the law. More than $3,000 in fines have been issued this year in the zones. While the zone desig- nations appear to have helped the traffic situa- tion in those areas, the police chief indicated the police wil continue to monitor the zones. Council forms sub -co: deal with By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF ' LUCAN BIDDULPH — It's an issue that won't go away. Property owner Fred Lewis appeared before council again at its Dec. 21 meeting asking the municipality to upgrade and maintain the portion of Airport Drive between the Saintsbury and Roman Lines. Lewis says he needs the road improved because he wants to build two chicken barns on property he owns on Airport Drive and will be running heavy farm equipment up the road. While council agreed with Lewis to form a sub -committee to deal with the issue, it still doesn't want to upkeep the road and Reeve Earl French said just because a committee is being formed it doesn't mean Lewis will get what he wants. Since Lewis first set the issue before coun- cil; council has maintained the road is not open and the municipality is not responsible for fixing it. A rough estimate from engineer Bob Stevenson said fixing Airport Drive to standards "could cost over $600,000, although Lewis said that figure is exagger- ated. French said he's worried about council being liable for any accidents that may hap- pen on the road if council does the work. He said if council fixes up the road somewhat, but not to normal township standards, the township's lawyer has said the municipality is responsible for any accidents. Administrator Ron Reymer said if council does what Lewis wants, it will appear to the taxpayers that council is fixing up a road just for one person. Lewis argued that other people use,the road.Airid bought to the flee to; rive problem: council meeting 1004 tanner Allan Scott, who said a properly maintained Airport Drive would make MU Job easier. And while the Issue could ,go to the courts for a legal opinion on whether or not the township has to maintain the• road, Lewis admitted the township would probably win any legal case. Coup. Paul Wallis said he wanted to help Lewis and all property owners on Airport Drive should be consulted to deal with the issue, but French was not so conciliatory. "We are not about to spend any money on Airport Drive. That's the bottom line," he said, adding he doesn't like paying lawyers but the township will go to court with Lewis if it has to. Wallis said he also doesn't want to spend any money on the road but wants to work with Lewis to reach a solution. Coun. Harry Wraith agreed with French council doesn't have to help Lewis, although he said if Lewis wants to pay for the upkeep of the road, he would like to co-operate with him. Lewis said he can only wait until February for a decision from council. The subcom- mittee to deal with the issue will include French and three appointed councillors. Offer on old office Council has accepted, subject to approval of financing, a conditional offer on the for- mer Village of Lucan municipal office on Main Street. Since the offer is conditional, Reymer couldn't release any more details, although he said more will be released if financing is approved Jan. 10. Council has said it hoped to sell the build- ing for about $60,000. Granton sewer project Stevenson said construction for the sewage plant for the much -delayed Gr on sewer project should begin in February. He also updated council on the project, saying it needs 47 easements to dig on landowners' properties. Easement costs are estimated at $87,000. To pay for sewer hook-up, the township will give ratepayers two options — paying in two installments or financing it through the township for 10 years, a cost which would appear on ratepayers' tax bills. There will also be an open house for the affected ratepayers on Jan. 12 at the Granton fire hall from.2 p.m. to 4 p.m, and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Library almost done Workers are finishing the final details on the new Lucan Library and should be ready for a mid-January opening. A grand opening; will probably take place sometime February, arena board chairperson and Coun. Perry Caskanette said. "It is beautiful down there," Caskanette said of the new library. - Coun. George Marr added .the workers "did a super job" on the project. Reymer announced to council the Luhan Lions have donated another -$25,000 to the project. "A big thank you to them," Reymer said, adding the Lions had previously donated $50,000. Old grader sold The township sold the old grader for $8,500 to Masse Grading of Thorndale. The Masse bid was the highest of seven the township received. The 1975 gradei! had been put on the market because council .no longer needs it after the Village of Lucan and Bidduph Township merged Jan. 1, 1999. ..:,. . School boards elect new ch By Stew Slater SPECIAL TO THE TIMES -ADVOCATE SEAFORTH — It should be an interesting term for the newly -elected chairpersons of both school boards in Huron and Perth counties. Both boards have elected trustees for their second term as chairperson but, while Wendy Anderson of the Avon. Maitland District School Board might expect more of the same, Huron -Perth Catholic District School Board chair Bernard Murray will feel a big change. That's because Anderson returns for a second consecu• - tive term, while long-time trustee Murray last.sat as chairperson in 1991/92, prior the vast educational changes undertaken by the present provincial government. "I think where the difficulty lies is that we've lost those extra people that have opin- ions around the board table," he said, commenting on province -directed restructur- ing which took the board from 14 trustees to five. "You get 14 people sitting around the board table and they bring a lot of good thought to it." • The other big change, Murray notes. was the province's removal of school boards' money -raising pow- ers. Instead of establishing a yearly 'mill rate' for the col- lection of tax money, trustees must now make do with what the government gives them. This funding formula has cre- ated a whole new array of frustrations for school board trustees and Murray pins the blame for many of these frus- trations on the ministry's lack of understanding about rural areas. Those frustrations include insufficient transportation funding and unrealistic goals for school capacity. School capacity was, by far, the biggest frustration for trustees of the Avon Maitland board through Anderson's first term. A year ago, the board was in the throes of public outcry after it released a list of schools which could face clo- sure. Toprup funding from the government allowed the board to avoid most closures last year, but dwindling enrol- ment and low school capacity rates have again forced the board to contemplate closure. Anderson was re-elected on a second ballot Dec. 14, defeating Goderich-area trustee. Vicki Culbert. Zurich - area trustee Bob Allan was re-elected as vice -chair. "It's a sign of a healthy organization when a number of people are willing to put their names forward for posi- tions of responsibility," Anderson told trustees follow- ing the board election. The public outcry has made the past year far from smooth, however. At a board • meeting Nov. 23, Anderson decided to summon police after the mayor of' Seaforth stood up in the pub- lic gallery and began shouting at trustees and staff. And it didn't take her long to make it known she will continue to take action against what she deems inappropriate tactics by members of the public. She interrupted a planned delegation to the board from concerned Seaforth citizen Brenda Kenny after Kenny criticized director of educa- tion Lorne Rachlis for not moving his family into the region when he accepted his job. "We're not here for personal attacks on staff," Anderson stated, cutting Kenny off mid - sentence. • Other challenges faced by the boards:,ire negotiations with teachers and the corre- sponding teachers unions and shortcomings in special edu- cation funding. In each case, Murray says, there are province -wide deficiencies, and he points again to inade- quacies in the ministry. "We've had the problem of trying,to sort out what the government is .saying to us. That's not always easy and they don't always help," he said. "They've made these decisions, I think, rather hastily, and then try and decide how they're going to work afterwards." IPM makes a profit Continued from front page maintains the event added of keeping the books allowed several million dollars to the the funds to be distributed in local economy. a more timely and fair method . Statistics show people who than having all the money visited the match left money flow through the IPM commit behind. The instant teller tees.Hr�►E machines at the site had � The IPM has met �l1,,$90,000 in cash with - its financial com- //"(V.Ddrawals, ° mitments such as � c9 There is no tally of the Canadian I` �oe how much money Feedgrains Bank was spent at for the church exhibitors' booths service offering, or at area restau- the Women's rants and acconr Institutes for themodations.. cookbooks and the f�j. .�� Organizers hope Knights of Columbus �,� the county's economy for parking duties. will continue to benefit The local committee spent from the '99 IPM as tourists $1.2 million to put on the people return for vacations or Huron IPM with Craig estimat- buy from businesses that ing at least $1 million sup- exhibited at the event. porting local businesses. He