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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1981-06-11, Page 51 Hensall annex undecided Continued from page 1 financial impact study and reported that of the 17 affected properties, the tax increase based on 1978 figure would have resulted in in- creases of 554 to $1,017 for the .property owners had they been residing in Hensall at that time. He listed the increase for the four objectors as follows: Freeth $61.06, Simpson $61.06, Eyre $28.33 and Elliott $55.57. Jens Anderson of Ontario Hydro and Sheila Raeburn of the Hensall PUC reported that the -owners would enjoy reduced hydro rates if they were in Hensall. The annual saving to the four was listed as follows: Freeth $151.00, Simpson $174.63, Eyre $253.15 and Elliott $297.32. Hensall insurance agent Don Joynt said there would be no change in their in- surance rates as they were all beyond 1,000 feet of a water hydrant at the presdnt. Huron County public health inspector John MacKinnon said he surveyed the homes in the southern area under consideration and found no evidence of problems with water supply nr septic tanks: He said the .operty sizes would allow for replacement of the septic tanks if necessary under current county regulations. Hensall clerk Betty Oke reviewed the fire and recreation services. She said there would be no change for the annexed areas in fire protection as they were presently serviced by the Hensall brigade through agreements with Hay. She also told the hearing there were few available residential building lots for sale as some of the vacant lots were "double lots" and the owners did not wish to .sell. The clerk noted that she received about 10 requests in the last year from people looking for residential building lots. Voicing his objection. Freeth said his property would lose school bus ser- vice because the board policy was only temporary. Under cross examination, he reported that his two children attend school in Ex- eter. The OPP Corporal also said he beloved his taxes would increase considerably and felt that home owners would be forced to hook up to the water and sewer services whether they like it or not. "I am a loser", he said of annexation, noting he had nothing to gain as there was already a move on foot to br- ing urban and rural hydro rates into comparable cost. He said that until Hensall has approved zoning for their own lands they shouldn't be allowed to annex prime agricultural land. Singer referred again to the Ontario Foodland Guide which indicated that while such land had to be protected, other develop- ment and growth cannot be stopped, Freeth told Murphy he had not attended any of the secondary plan meetings held in Hay in which annexd- tion was discussed and the Goderlch lawyer he. thought the hydro rebate received by Freeth as a rural user was probably under $10. The Hay resident also agreed that the proposed Reid subdivision could be ap- proved by Hay if the annexa- tion bid by Hensall was turn- ed down. Singer told him he would have a chance to air his views regardingthe sub- division even to thpoint of going to the OMB. Freeth reported he did some shopping at the Hen- sall grocery and hardware stores but that his children didn't use the municipality's recreation facilities. Elliott also contended the Huron board of education policy on busing was only temporary and expressed fears about being forced to hook into the water and sewage facilities. "That's rift what I heard," Singer replied in reference to previous testimony that hookup would not be forced on the residents annexed. Elliott said his children_ use the Huron Park arena and the family generally shops in Exeter. He said he feared his property's value Citizens News, June 11, 1981 RACE LEADERS — Dennis Hartman leads Jimmy Thuss in a 400 meter race at St. Boniface Separate School, Tuesday. The boys held their positions to place first and second in the 11 and 12 year-old class. would decline with more residential development behind it. In summing up his argu- ment, Murphy commented only that this was the first annexation hearing in Huron and termed it a "fresh ap- proach" in that it was done locally with the cooperation of the township and village without the normal raft of lawyers and everyone get- ting armed to the teeth for a lengthy and costly hearing. Singer said he found the evidence complete and con- gratulated the municipality in the way it was presented. He was told that if ap- proval is given, Hensall would like the order to be dated for January 1, 1982. Biases influence school closure By JASON AINSLI E Human biases were the essence of dispute among members of the Huron County Board of Education on Thursday afternoon, when the board met for its final regular meeting of this school year. The discussion was over the establishing of a citizen review committee to oversee school closures and course cuts,, and Director of Education, D.J. Cochrane, conceded that it is a sensitive issue. He reminded board members that "each board must adopt a policy which follows certain Ministry of Education guidelines and which, after receiving public input, may or may not lead to a decision to close a school" or classroom. In his policy proposal to the board, Mr. Cochrane suggested that voting members of a school ac- commodation review committee would include two members of a Home and School Association or two parents of children attending the school in question, these to be elected at a public meeting: two eitizens of the area served by the school in question, also elected at a public meeting; one school board trustee, appointed by the board chairman, to represent the public school electors of the area served by the school: and one trustee, appointed by the board chairman, from another area. It was this last provision which caused concern among some board mem- bers. Board Trustee Frank Falconer opened the debate saying "this committee would be useless", unless the final provision allows for three trustees to be ap- pointed by the chairman of the board. He suggested the com- mittee should have an equal number of board trustees as outside members because "we'd never get a recom- mendation from that sort of a committee (two trustees and four citizens) that a school be closed." "The top brass (board) doesn't have any say in that sort of system," he said. "What is our purpose of being here?" Board Trustee • Jean Adams agreed. "If a parent has a child in that system, you can't explain closures or course cuts to him. Parents are biased. People who come to the public meeting - and you know who they are going to be - are completely biased. We have to educate them." But Trustee Eugene Frayne said "somewhere, we've got carried away with the power of this review committee. What we have is the public presenting its side, its feelings, and • . bringing recommendations .to the board. The committee has no authority." "We want the public to be biased," he said, "to prevent the board from making hasty decisions." Director Cochrane elaborated on the power of the committee. He said there are two safety valves on the route to a school closure: first, there must be approval from the reviewing com- mittee for any recom- mendations to be presented to the. board ; then the entire board must approve the recommendations. "I weighted the representation specifically to give the citizenry more say at the committee stage," he said. "The memo from the ministry requires that the public have input." "If we load the committee with trustees, we'll lose that input," Trustee John Jewitt said. Board Vice-chairman Bert Morin said, after considering the needs of the students and community, the purpose of the review is to examine details of cost. He said if outside citizens understand the costs of courses or schools, then they can be directly involved with the solutions to problems. "It's more than fair with the community." Board Chairman Don McDonald reasoned that where the public elects two people to sit on the com- mittee, those elected members will be informed and rational. Trustee Marion Zinn added some perspective on the discussion, saying that in the past decade only one school was closed and it was closed by the parents who wished their children to go to schools that had more to offer. At the end of the discussion, the board voted to change the wording of the committee membership requirements to read that all of the trustees serving the area of a proposed school closing will sit on the com- mittee (be it one trustee or three) as well as one other trustee not serving that area. The county's secondary schools were not included in the discussions because with only five schools serving the county, chances of a high school closure are minimal. Miscellaneous Rumblings Continued from page 4 children up for adoption. The minister simply stressed the importance of the survey and the need to have everyone reply. But again, I must stress: simply reporting these things means very little. With the tremendous volumes of written information locked away in various government files, very little can ever be co- ordinated to give an accurate record of a person's history. I can't help think though, an extra page on April's tax form could have saved a good portion of the $95 million the government estimates it will spend on the census. R.N. PECK APPLIANCES 7 'In The Heart of Down Town Varna" • Vacuum Cleaners • Soles and Service of most makes • CS Radios and Accessories • Speed Oueen Appliances • Moffat Appliances • Smoke Sensors • Insect lights and Fly Killing Units • Handcrafted Gifts Vorno. Ont. 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