Times Advocate, 1995-02-15, Page 12Page 12
Times -Advocate, February 15,1995
Look for 1997 as start
for Huron's 911 service
Right now the county is
working on addressing
and who will pay for signs
By Fred Groves
T -A staff
GODERICH - While the 911 emergency phone
service is still at least a couple of years away for
Huron County, things seem to be moving along
quite quickly.
On July 7, county council approved the establish-
ment of a working committee. Since that time a spe-
cial committee of council has been meeting on a
regular basis to discuss the biggest step in the pro-
ject, municipal addressing.
Carol Leeming, 911 project co-ordinator says that
Ashfield Township has been selected as the mu-
nicipality in which the pilot testing will be done.
"We're looking at support from the municipalities
in order to proceed with municipal addressing," said
Leeming.
What has been done in Ashfield is that the roads
have been driven and distances between each prop-
erty have been measured. The committee is con-
sidering naming the side roads and concessions in
the county and the goal is that every property in Hu-
ron will have a 'unique' address.
"We need to sit back and see how we will do the
whole county. There needs to be an overall scheme
approved to," said Leeming.
Bell Canada has made a driver and vehicle with a
fifth wheel measuring device available. The vehicle
will be recording the location of all driveways and
other information necessary. It is hoped the survey
crew will be able to cover 60 kilometers of road
each day and complete all the necessary field work.
"Actual doing could take four months. It's the re-
lated decisions that takes the time," said Leeming.
One of those decisions, and one of the most ex-
pensive parts of the project, will be signage. It is es-
timated the cost of the intersection signs could be
$100 while those on each resident will be $20.
"The county is looking at co-ordinating the signs.
How they (municipalities) pay for it is up to each
municipality,"
said Leeming.
When Bell
Canada made
its initial pres-
entation to Hu-
ron County
they put forth
an option as far
as the central dispatching was concerned. Bell can
provide that service, or the county can opt to set up
their own.
Presently the county is investigating who would
best be the Neutral Answering Station (NAS) and
determine the exact cost of this particular service.
"That's one of those decisions that have to be
made down the way. We know how much (Bell)
will cost," said Leeming.
And how much will 911 cost Huron County?
Besides the signs, there is also the expense of the
service itself. There would be a 32 -cent charge each
month on every resident's phone bill. This covers
the upgrades and continued maintenance.
If the county decides to have its own N.A.S., then
it is estimated the annual cost would be $1.47 per
person in the county which is expected to be paid
for out of the general county tax levy.
And what exactly is enhanced 911?
This computer based system links telephone num-
bers with properties. Calls made to 911 are locked
into the system and cannot he broken by the caller.
Huron County residents should look for the ser-
vice to be in place in a couple of years.
"A lot of things have to fall in place. Bell says it
usually takes two years to be able to dial 911," said
Leeming.
Smoke-
free
zone for
Exeter
arena?
A messy pile of
cigarette butts
led one
councillor to ask
if outside was
still too close
for comfort
EXETER - Solving one prob-
lem sometimes ends up creating
another, so the town's arena staff
has found.
Councillor Dave Urlin, in pre-
senting his recreation centre re-
port to council last week said
that the banning of smoking in
the arena lobby and entrance has
forced smokers outside, where
there are no ashtrays.
"When the snow melted we
found a mega -mega pile of cig-
arette butts, and we found it was
a real problem to clean up," said
Urlin.
Urlin said some "tiles" have
been installed outside the arena
doors, in the hope smokers will
deposit their butt -ends there.
However, councillor Wendy
Boyle wondered if, as in other
jurisdictions, smoking could be
banned up to 25 metres from the
building.
"You think they should butt
out in their cars before they
come in?" asked mayor Ben
Hoogenboom.
"Well, I think, as a registered
nurse, they should butt out be-
fore they start," commented
Boyle.
Urlin also said the recreation
board has followed up on coun-
cil's request for information
about high school students using
the arena parking lot during the
day.
"We know there are some kids
from the high school parking
there, but so far it hasn't been a
problem," said Urlin.
"There was one little problem,
but we have advised staff to just
call police," he said, apparently
referring to some drivers at-
tempting "donuts" in the lot.
The OPP has also been asked
to patrol the parking lot at noon
hour, he said.
Vldeos reveal sfacrets of
Zurich's sewr problems
Remote cameras have
located cracks in pipes, and
illegal connections
ZURICH - While the full findings of an under-
ground survey of Zurich's sewer lines has yet to be
presented to council, there are already some in-
dications it may have some surprises.]
The $9,000 study was aimed at tracking down
how excess water is making its way into the sewage
system. Non -sewage waters are reducing the capac-
ity of the village's treatment lagoon system, but if
they are found and corrected, the system may last
the village several more years before a costly expan-
sion is needed.
"Hopefully when it's all solved we'll have made a
difference," clerk -treasurer Maureen Simmons told
council Thursday evening.
Simmons also said she has made application to
the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) to re-
cover some of the cost of the study.
Remote video cameras were snaked through Zu-
rich's sewers, and Simmons said the tapes already
seem to suggest there are about 20 illegal hookups
to the system, and about 15 cracks on lines on pri-
vate property allowing ground water to seep in.
Simmons said the study has revealed that one
property owner has an illegal connection using the
sanitary sewer for drainage of an entire backyard -
instead of using a storm sewer connection.
All illegal hookups and cracks on private property
will have to be corrected, usually at the owner's ex-
pense.
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2:00 p.m. on Monday, February 20, 1995 to receive and
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Nominations will be received for the election of two
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