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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1994-10-26, Page 4Page 4 Tines -Advocate, October 26, 1994 Publisher: Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Composition Manager: Deb Lord Advertising; Barb Consitt, Theresa Redmond (Yews; Adrian Harte, Fred Groves, Catherine O'Brien, Ross Haugh Production; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Robert Nicol, Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner, Marg Flynn Transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert Front Office & Accounting; Norma Jones, Elaine Pinder, Ruthanne Negrijn, Mita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information leadership i !. inion I'.I)ITORIAI, Almost enough to do it right Those who attended Monday's meeting of the "corner committee" must have been shocked to find out how hor- ribly disorganized. the town hall renova- tion project really is. The committee still has no clear idea of what it expects from the Old Town Hall. Because the basic structure al- ready exists, the group cannot ask an ar- chitect the age-old question "how big a building can I get for this money?". Hard figures on what square footages are actually needed, and presently exist, were sadly missing from the meeting, even though they had been prepared some months before. The main issue, however, is how bad- ly town council failed the entire infra- structure grant process back in March. Estimates for three sewer projects were presented to council for application un- der the infrastructure program, taking $211,631 from the $790,000 allowed. The town hall project, then still a vague concept, had no estimate and was only to get whatever was left over. Logic should have dictated all ducks should have been lined up in a row be- fore making application. Consequently, the corner committee is looking at a budget almost big enough to do the first phase of the project right; way too big to do it cheaply and quick- ly; and maybe enough to do a half- baked, half -completed phase that some- one might complete someday. It is clear that renovating the Old Town Hall to gain perhaps 200 square feet of office space over the present mu- nicipal office leaves no room to accomo- date the "civic corner, focal point" as- pects much touted at the March strategic planning meeting. As it stands, the Old Town Hall is a functionless liability to Exeter: an empty structure with no purpose, except as a lone example of civic architecture in this town. Those already predicting doom for the project forget that the empty building would still be standing there, still costing the town money. If only one of the smaller sewer pro- jects could have been deferred, a proper start on the "civic corner" plans might have been possible. Your Views Letters to the editor 'Heritage Corner' shouldn't be rushed "Perhaps present council would be well advised to shelve this haphazard project..." Dear Editor: It appears to me that the present council has acted with undue haste in designating the corner of Sand- ers and Main Streets as "Heritage Corner". In their rush to get on with this project they have obviously given very little thought to the subject. Hiring an architect to come up with numerous proposals seems like a waste of money, especially when one considers that even thc sitting council doesn't appear to have any clear ideas about what kind of development would he suitable for this sec- tion of town. There is no doubt about the cultural and historical significance of the buildings that are standing on this corner. They should he preserved with an eye to the past and a vision for the future, and it is most important that proper, not hurried, planning takes place. Deciding upon a realistic bud- get would be a good start, before council takes any steps towards committing funds to this project. The present figure of $560,000.00, with one third of this amount coming from the town of Exctcr, scorns to be woefully inadequate. If this project is going to succeed at all sufficient funds must be set asidc. prior to commencement of any work. Perhaps present council would be well advised to shelve this haphazard project and let the soon to be elected ncw council re -think the whole thing, with a little more input from the people of Exctcr, for whom they will speak. Yours truly, Jan Van Haarlem Exeter A View From Queen's Park By Eric Dowd TORONTO - Ontario new Democrats - think- ing well ahead - are developing a strategy for after the coming election, if they lose: Blame everything an Premier Bob Rae, dump him and try a comeback posing as a different party. Many New Democrats recognize like others that with only 16 percent in polls they have lit- tle chance of winning and some already are try- ing to distance themselves from the leader. The unions angered most by the NDP's cuts in public service pay have made it plain they feel Rae personally is more responsible than the party. They revived mass picketing and chose to tar- get a fund-raising dinner billed as 'an evening with Bob Rae' at which he was wined and dined by well-wishers, including even a few businessmen. The Canadian Union of Public Employees said the event was business's way of saying 'thank you very much Bob Rae - here arc your C CASA Publications Mail Registration Number 0386 SUBSCRIPTION RATES; CANAL% Witton 40 riles (66 km.) addressed to non letter carrier addresses 630.00 plus 62.10 G.S.T. Outside 40 miles (85 km.) or any letter canter address 830.00 plus 830.00 (total 60.00) ♦ 4.20 G.B.T. Outside Canada 888.00 (Includes $88.40 postage) Published Each Wednesday Moming at 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario, NOM 188 by 1.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Telephone 1-519-235.1331 • Fax: 51x235.0766 #R106210835 T, MI Your Views Letters to the editor I. Town Hall misconceptions "...1 would like to try to correct some of the misconceptions con- cerning the cost and future of the building." Dear Editor: As a member of the Steering Committee for the Old Town Hall, I would like to try to correct some of thc misconceptions concerning the cost and fu- ture of the building. 1. The engineer tells us that the building is as structurally sound as it was when the Heritage Foundation restored it 20 years ago. 2. The renovations will not cost 2 million dollars - they will cost approximately $550,000.00 with two thirds of the money coming from the Federal and Provincial governments (InfrastruCture Grants). 3. This grant money has been received by the Town and must be used for this project. Another grant of over $200,000.00 has been received and used on public work projects (drains and sewers) 4. The Council has guaranteed through its budget- ing that thcrc will he no tax increase for any of these projects - so 1994 taxes were the same as 1993 and 1995 should be the same as 1994. 5. the Heritage Foundation turned the Town Hall hack to Council in A-1 condition because of two very good reasons: we had no tenant and no money to undertake thc necessary renovations to make it fully accessible to all our citizens, as we must now do by law. 6. The $550,000.00 will insure that the building will he accessible and will serve as Council Cham- bers and Town Offices. 7. The plans have not been "softened" because of any controversy. The Steering Committee, after vis- iting several other Municipal Buildings. believes that thc Council Chamber should he located in the upstairs Hall and not as an add-on to the building - and that is the ncw idea! 8. The Town Hall is Phase One - 1 hope that Council will be able to start Phase Two (Library) in early 1996. 9. The Town owns too many buildings (an empty Police Station, the Old Town Hall, P.U.C. Building, Library) and wc arc renting space uptown - this ar- rangement does not make sense to me. Council and Town Offices belong in our Town Hall. 10. We, the Citizens of Exeter, should look at this building with a lot of pride. If wc ignbrc this oppor- tunity to use government funds to assist us in these renovations, we might as well tear the building down. Is this what you want? Valerie Gould. Exeter pieces of silver.' CUPE has insisted that Rae is the problem and demanded NDP MPPs 'bring Rae to his senses' or it wilt 'put Rae in the ranks of the un- employed.' Canadian Labor Congress president Bob White also fingered the premier, saying 'Bob Rae deserves the response he is getting from la- bour.' The Ontario Secondary Schoolteachers Federation says Rae 'betrayed' the unions and the Power Workers Union says 'irreparable damage has been done by Rae.' Other unionists have called Rae a 'traitor' and stressed they need to break away from Rae rath- er than the party. Former NDP minister Zanana Akande, who resigned as an MPP in disgust, heaped personal blame on Rae, saying she was 'disappointed in his direction, his leadership and some of his policies.' NDP critics outside the legislature, including former consumer spokesman Mel Swart and Will Bob Rae take the fall? former federal finance spokesman Steven Langdon, have criticized Rae more than the party, and economic nationalist and former fed- eral party research- director Jame's Laxer point- ed to Rae as 'doing more than anyone to under- mine' NDP traditions. Rae also has been targetted as the problem in a spate of leaks to news media that some of his Ministers are not enthusiastic about some of his policies and therefore not as much to blame. The main beneficiary in terms of winning ap- proval from New E mocrats turned off by Rae is always Economic Development Minister Frances Lankin, who is reported constantly op- posing Rae in private and on the point of re- signing, although she always changes her mind at the last moment. Lankin has been portrayed often as an unsul- lied alternative, someone NesJ'Demoorats who have worries about Rae can rally around and the natural heir to Rae if his party is defeated. More New Democrats have scrambled to dis- tance themselves from Rae in interviews in an important new book. Rae Days. by Thomas Walkom who writes from a left perspective and whose basic fear is that Rae is aLiberal. Among them, Janet Solberg. former president of the Ontario NDP and member of the party" first family as daughter of former federal !cadet David Lewis and sister of former Ontario lead- er Stephen Lewis. says Rae talks sometimes like a 'neo -conservative' and her father would 'turn in hislgrave.' Others in the party establishment say Rae has been co-opted by business, has a 'bunker men- tality' and is ungenerous and inflexible in han- dling staff. This complaint is almost the same as the theme of another book, Giving Away a Mira- cle, by two party insiders a year ago, that the leader has grabbed their party by the scruff of the neck and dragged it along against its mem- ers' wishes. It is not much of a party that blames everything on the leader.