HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1975-04-24, Page 1111C41 I+ 4,
gh costs oteonmerclal and, industrial
t''Ot.tratt0eatYattastra Were again the topic,
uekemith 'conncl Then Russ Archer
Arther°;Far Sales asked council, fob !ii e
�tection, n ,
ar; Archer . and Gary Ferguson, of
Rayfie'ld.Boats„ WilfSchneider of Huron
c".'o ties 'Oct Edgar Rathwell, who has a
.machin , .shop gt,Yanastra all told.council
• trot tho r ttsurance rates had increaged:a
huge.11,tige',4mOWtt becausethe former base is
moreatha i there ,Miles the responding
• firedep ;t!t lentat$xucefield.
Dennis Q Connor, a London insurance
'agentkwose. company insures these
•
Thirty-five angry ratepayer$ from
gmondville, • Harpurhey and other areas
close to Seaforth who attended Tucker-
s it"h Council',s meeting Tuesday night
Wanted to know why the council had
refused a request from Seaforth for a
donation of— $2,300 towards the cost of
capital improvements at the Seaforth
arena.
'Seaforth , council has levied a $15 per
person charge on Tuckersmith residents
who use their arena because the
has refused -to contribute. Seaforth asked
surrounding townships to help withthe cost
of bringing the arena ..up to safety and
health standards on a percentage of use
basis. McKillop, ' Hibbert . and Hullett
townships contributed what Seaforth
requested.
"Why is the township not willing to
*, support the proportion of its residents who
use the Seaforth arena to a great extent?"
Howard James of Egmondville, who in-
troduced the topic, wanted to know.
"The moment we do, Clinton, Hensall,
Vanastra and Brucefield will all want a
.grant too. There has to be some halt to the
taxpayer's money," Reeve Elgin -
Thompson said. "We do . pay for fire
protection, we have to have that."
Those in the audience suggested that the
township setup a budget for recreation and
• contribute the money to all the arenas and
:recreation facilities, whether in Clinton,
Seaforth or Hensall,' that Tuckersmith
residents use.
ix
•
s angry ratepayer,
The three ,. municipalities have been
'getting $100 each -from Tuckerstnith for
recreation for a number of years, the reeve
pointed out. .
"Council is saying that recreation is not
. their responsibility. That's . the fun-
damental question. A -token of $300 doesn't
accomplish . much," Walter Armes of
Egmondville said.
The ratepayers asked about the
availability of provincial grants for
recreation and were told that a .full time
recreation director would be needed before
the township could qualify.
Reeve "Thompson said a man had told
him that Seaforth only charges $9 per hour
for ice time at the arena, while Mitchell
charges $19. "If Seaforth charged a decent
rate, they wouldn't have to go to the
public,"
Liz Watson ' of Egmondville said the
charges at the Seaforth arena are going up.
"Up how much? This is where they went
wrong," Councillor Bert Branderhorst
said.
"The government in Seaforth is trying to
do a decent job and support recreation by
keeping costs down -to where people can
afford them. You're saying you don't
believe in recreation," Mr. Armes'said.
Throughout most of the meeting Reeve
Thompson and Deputy ' Reeve Sillery
fielded the ratepayer's questions. "Why;
doesn't someone else speak?" someone in
the audience asked.
Councillor Cleave Coombs, who lives in
Egmondville, asked if people would be in
favour of . beingassessed separately for
recreation in Seaforth, in the same way
that Vanastra residents are assessed for
recreation there. Mr. Armes called that 'a•
stop gap and said "You still haven't made
a policy on whether you're into recreation
at all."
Councillors had all backed the original
decision, deputy reeve Ervin Sillery said
but, "everybody makes mistakes. We're
willing to back down if the majority in the
township wants." Reeve Thompson said
that supporting recreation in three or four
areas would add a minimum of $8000 to the
tax rates. In reply to a question from Mr.
Armes, clerk Jim McIntosh said that there
are about 800 ratepayers in the township.
.' `That would only be about $10 apiece,"
Mr: Armes said. The clerk answered that
taxes are levied on assessment and some
ratepayers would pay more and some less
on that basis, "unless you want a sur-
charge per property."
"That wouldn't seem to be an intolerable
burden," Mr. Armes said.
To the reeve's suggestion that the fairest
way seemed to be . to have the users pay,
Frances Teatero of Egmondville said
"Couldn't the township compromise with
Seaforth and give them some money? It's
all very well to say $15 isn't much but what
about families with 7 or 8 kids. That's 15'
each." •
"What are we to do with kids, shove them
Huron Board. of Education Budget.
The Huron County Board of -Education
approved a budget at a special, meeting
Monday night totalling $15,783,772. The
new budget is an increase of $2,396,233 or
17,9 percent ,over . the , previous years ex;-
penditures. a
The budget presented to the board by..
budget committee . chairman Marion Zinn,
represents a mill rate increase of 5:95
bringing the total mill rate assessment to.
47.08. In her presentation to board Mem"
bers Mrs.0Zinn stated that the budget was a
realistic appraisal of the board':. needs for
the year 1975.
• The budget total is comprised of
$7,814,356 in elementary 'school ex-
penditures and $7,969,416 in .secondary
school expenditures. Provincial grants -
totalling $11,529,314 make up 73.05 percent
of the total while municipality and town-
, ship, assessment totalling $3,554,761 will
make up 22.52 percent of the total. The
remaining 4.43 percent or 699,697 will be
made up from tuitions of non -county
resident students and miscellaneous
revenues.
SCI
1 i'iieetftig
a .
In the elementary panel of the budget
$4,787,164 of the:' expenditures are paid for
labor and benefits and . office supplies.
Capital building expenditures, tran-
sportation, bus -purchases, debenture costs
and. other non-operating ` costs will total
$14399,446.
The -remainder of the elementary school
expenditures is comprised of books and
supplies, "custodial, maintenance costs and
speeial transportation expenses.
In secondary school expenditures a total
of '$5,036,136 has been budgeted for salary
and . benefits and office supplies. Extra
ordinary. expenditures which include '
capital building projects, transportation,
debenture costs and non-operating ex-
penses total $1;061,663. The remainder of
the secondary school expenditures is
comprised' of library books and supplies,
cafeteria and . custodial maintenance,
contractual maintenance and special.
"transportation ekpenses.
The budget -committee also 'made ad-
ditional provisions of $22,000 in the budget
•
for the institution of a preventative
maintenance program. The program
would call for the hiring ;• of ,>' three
tradesmen to service school;equip ent in
an effort to expand the life expeancy of
both buildings and equipment.
The assessment breakdown.for the five
towns and five villages in the county:is as
follows: Clinton, $157,510; Exeter $217;115; '
Goderich $530,085; Seaforth $97,514; and'
Wingham $187,762, Bayfield $50,983; Blyth
$32,924; Brussels $40,631; ,Hensall $71,943i
Zurich $29,015. .
The assessment breakdown for, the 16
townships is Ashfield. $157;600; g$borne
$107,006; Goderich $153,206; Grey $129;282;
Hay $193,219; Howick $167,650; Mullett..
$11,594; McKillop $106,145; Morris $97;069,
Stanley $146,873; " Stephen $246,405
Tuckersmith $171,597; Turnberry.$77,977
Usborne $122,988; -Hast Wawanosh:$79,445
and West Wawanosh'$66,255. k
The total. eountY,,contribution o the $15
million -pips education budget is $3,554,761
or 22.5 percent of the total cost.
Committee to meet onca week
The Clinton Centennial Committee at
their meeting last week decided that
because the Centennial Celebrations were
close at hand, they will meet twice a week
from now till August. -
Beginning in May, the Committee will
'meet the first and third 'ed ii5days `of,
each month. Because the Town Hall is
booked on the first Monday, both meetings
from now on will be held at the Legion;
which has donated their Hall free.
The Centennial Committee also voted to
hire a person to handle the bookkeeping
and money it the Souvenir stone on Rat -
Blood donor
clinic to be helil
A` Blood Donor Clinic is being held at
C,H.S.S. this coming Monday, April 28;
1975. This annual affair in the past has
collected up to 200 pints of blood by the Red
Cross Society for use in area hospitals.
It is expected that, again this year, an
interclub competition will be between
the Kinsmen, . the Lions, the Legion, the
Firemen and the CMS students to see
which group will give the most blood.
The clinic is
'open from 12:30 to
4
.m.
.
and- (3 to 8 p. . and everyoneis ,urged to
attend. Clintonn in the past has been known
as a good blood giving town • lets keep up
the record." • ' . ►
tenbury Street, just up from Albert. , '
The store, 'which will' likely open this
weekend, is slated to be manned by
volunteer help for three days a week, but
the committee felt that they needed , one
person responsible for all the books and
money- W.. ,,. .�
'The committee ' also appointed Al
Spencer of Clinton to replace Don Kay as
assistant treasurer to Eugene McAdam.
Mr. Kay has his hands full as program
chairman.
A registration committee has been set up
with Harold Lobb and Guss Boussey to look
after acquiring more members.
Century old homes
to be honoured
Anyone who lives in a century old home
or older could be eligible for a com-
memorative plaque according to Mrs.
Doris .Batkin, Chairman of the Clinton
Centennial Historical Committee.
The•plaques, which will be erected at the
owners
request in the near future, a
will
designate thetorne-astavi n g beets erected
on or prior to Clinton's incorporation as a
town in 1875.
Ifou live in a century home or know of
y y
any one who does
please
se c
nta
c Mr
s
C.A
Trott st 4023O or Mrs, .GlenL ckhart
487716 of tieCli torHistorical raet
Y
wit
eby'May 18,197c.
Eric Switzer, reporting fdr • the
correspondence committee, - said that
brochures outlining the Centennial et&etits---
are nearly ready for mailing, and he'said
he still has lots of names of former Clin-
tonians pouring in.
Tickets will ,go on -sale fora:.the. t/imtL
barbecue and MentaCdfib night on Friday
July 18. As well as covering the costa the d;
dinner, the $10 ticket will `make the' buyer
eligible for several ' thousand- dollars in
prize money at_a .draw to be held the same
evening. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold.
The local merchants will be given first
crack at setting up concessiens in several
spots along main street that the committee
has leased. Iftfiere is no local response,
then outside concessionaires will be
sought.
The Centennial Committee also decided
not to ask for a cut 'of any profits from an
event staged on behalf of the centennial.
They decided that if the, -1ro"up' ` or
organization wanted to give a donation,
then that would be Welcome.
Mrs. Doris Batkin of the Historical
Society was given permission to go ahead
and order 1,500 copies of the ...Book .on ..the
..
history of Clinton. Mrs, Batkin also told the
meeting that a display of, antiques and old
pictures is planned for the Town Hall.
She also said that there will likely.be bus
(-ours of Can -WI during -Centennial week,
pointing out all ,the historical spots by a
tour guide.
The Centennial committee will also
meet
with the recreation.cornmit ,n d. he
Public deka be artent to see ab
t
setting up a clean-up crew, which will.;
operate during Centennial week.
businessesbusiqesses, and others at Vanastra, ex -
10.1041
x -
la ned , teat • according to National Fire
rQtectlon Agency standards, the
Vanastra;businesses are high risk because
MacLean, Egmondville saidyou, opt whew , .of this.dfstance. He estimated that the men
in a lox and say we l1 let y u could save , up;to 30 percent on 'their in -
you
Nort'n r'30?" " suirance costs if the township could arrange
. ,to
oargaiizations like the Hensall Spring Fair the Clinton Fire department
rhave„
�.°ond to fire calls at Vanastra.
have' been getting grants f 'om the . town- Clerk Jim McIntosh told the men that the
ship for years. "What :'the`to reship is being townshi P's insurer, Frank Cowan Ltdwas
asked to pay is fair really, considering that •
we have been, sppnging off Seaforth for all
these years," Mrs, Watson said.
"It makes the township look cheap, Any
child `Who can read is wondering what is
going on," Mr, MacLean said.
"We don't' seem to belong any more,"
Mr. MacLean said. "We need guidance and ,
suggestions. None came at the sewer
meeting..I don'tthink you're representing
the township as a unit."
"You're saying 'we're not...going to tell
you what to do about sewers but we'll tell
you ,w1t ,to: -do about your kids'," Mrs.
Teatero said.
The, reeve suggested a vote on the
question. Mr. Armes said most people
would -accept it if a majority of the town-
ship voted down involvement in recreation.
"Other municipalities see, a value in
recreation. This one doesn't."
"Recreation is, part of education;" Art.
Finlayson of Harpurhey said. He later left
the Meeting with'the comment "I think 'I'll
go now and see if I canfind that dark little
entrance to , Harpurhey." Harpurhey
residents have asked the council to provide
more street lights in the hamlet.'
"Is;Egmondville willing to pay a levy on
properties for • recreation? the reeve
asked. "If you give to all areas propor-
tionately in the whole township, who will
kick?" Mr. MacLean saki. "People follow
the paper and they'll kick," the reeve
replied. "It's a roads and bridges council,"
Walter Armes commented. "But an arena
ispart of the deal,
,
just like. roads
ds ' da
nd
bridgesnd.schocis r s
,not aware of any difference in rates outside
a= three mile distance from a fire depart -
Ment. Reeve. Elgin Thompson and deputy
reeve Ervin Sillery said that they had also
talked to individual agents who didn't think
the five mile distance from Brucefield
would put rates up a great deal.
Mr. O'Conner explained that residential
and township insurance was not as great a
risk as industrial. He said the Fire
rotection AgertcYlteffl a,"nationaily known
bod whtada"are° followed '`by
much of theose i ►ssurnanc rd in4du�stry'�
Mr,Schneider ° commented that
businessmen', at. Vanastra couldn't get
insurance -from the •agencies that the
council members had talked tek
I want protection ' for the. dollar's I'm
paying," Mr, Archer said, "Did yon ask the
Clinton Fire Board? Would they -serve us?"
Mr. Archer asked. Reeve Thompson said
he hadn't asked but that he didn't think
there would be a problem,
Mr, Ferguson said his insurance rates
had gone up from $8,000 to $16,000 this year,
and even with increased coverage, the
.and
of the distance gf the fire
department accounts for easily $5,000.
Council asked Mr, 'O'Connor to send a
letter detailing the costs involved to
Vanastra businessmen because of the
distance of the Brucefield F.D. He will
estimate costs of insurance if Clinton
provides protection and costs 'if an on site
fire brigade was established at Vanastra.
Mr. Archer said that -businessmen would
probably be prepared to pay part of . the
cost of getting fire protection from Clinton
and added that it would probably not
amount to as much as the increased in-
surance premiums.
Tuckersmith will have to continue to pay
50 percent of the cost of the Brucefield
brigade, the reeve commented, because
the township has a 50-50 split with Stanley
township.
Problem with dogs
plagues Tuckersmith
Tuckersmith township councillors tried residents who have recipts for dog tags
again to come to grips with the dog that say they are paid up until later this
problem in the township at their meeting year won't have to buy a tag until the
Tuesday , night. They appointed Eldon present ones expire, council decided.
O'Brien of RR 5, Clinton as animal control In other business the council accepted a
officer for the township. petition on Sinclair drain from Jim •
The township's contract with Goderich McGregor. Mr. McGregor was asked to
dog catcher Dick Eisler expires at the end contact other property owners in the area
of this month. and ask them to sign the petition. The drain
Mr. O'Brien will travel around the is municipally owned.
township selling dog tags. If people refuse Building permits were issued to William
to tag their dogs, as required by the Mickle for renovations to a poultry barn
township dog
of bylaw, Mr. O'Brien and ay Centre
at Vanastra.
can impound the dog.Ontario Hydro was given
the authority to
O'$rien will be ..aid a flat rate of $1 light a standard on a township owned ark
1` �h v V o t. 4 r � uv�, p��t�,. a N4'!.iI, y�/�y' ,:(;{T.a.'�'� },r(y '•+t'4"'
.., r..
�] `.:. h� �-. ;� /�ji�4� L'r >i:,.:*,� "jp" r r�'��cr r, y .t}i
(continued on.page $) tor�.`evefy dog that he t: '�citers cart a.
lsr�
Heaviesf i
20 years
1 heavy rainfall last Friday night pushed the Bayfield River over its banks,
i iu•eatening Clinton's new"sewage treatment plant. The water which canoe within
of the top of the dyke forced the temporary closing of the plant for several
hours early Saturday morning as the river water level was higher than that
inside the plant. The over 3" rainfall in less than 5hours is believed to be the
heaviest since Hurricane Hazel in 1954.,(News-Record photo)
Sewage plant threatened
A heavy rain storm late last Friday night
In Huron County caused thousands of
lollgrs damage in flooding that was
'described as the worst since Hurricane
Hazel in 1954.'
Over three inches of rain fell on the
'Clinton area in less than. five hours Friday
fight and added to cks and', rivers
already swollen from the run off of the 18"
Snowstorm of two weeks previous,
.. se
•, Hur'id�reds. of ♦ people ffound -the rrj 1M es
*ling .out ;theirbasements SaturdaY
orning as °the water, unable to got away
,st enough, backed ,%.p.' into basement
ti
drains.
The excessive runoff also caused heavy
erosion on many fields in the area and a
few township roads suffered heavy
washouts.
Clinton P.U.C. employees were up most
of Friday ni ht keeping their fingers
Iver
ed
river
len
a fr1
crossed - . as e .� swollen Grossed Y �s �.
threatened the town's new $800,00. sewage
treatment plant on Victoria Terrace. The
volume of incoming water from the Tdwrep
sewage
as lsa overloaded with:
� w , o
y stagy
andira wste";.abd;u"Oseq subsequently y threatened
'the in -put area'of the plant.
Gus Boussey, manager of the ' PM -44
•
said that his phone was "ringing off the
wall", all Friday night with requests for
pumps to empty out flooded basements in
town. Nearly 100 homes and businesses had
water problems. Unfortunately about half
of Clinton's storm water dumps into the
sanitary sewer causing problems with that
systep whenever:there is aheavy rainfall.
ie•exeessivre rainfall mill also set back
seeding of spring 'grains' by area farmers
already
ydelayed two Weeksby, a 1,4
y,ala
e S
Spring,sa1�, S ien1' ral:offic1alsar keeping
their fiigrs crosscathat there Will be no
yore heavy precipitation in the, near
future
4