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I�;0�1�(IIi.ATI�i(D-THE BL1TH STANDARD -THE
NO. 20
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1987
Clinton Council pulls in re ns
to keep 1987 budget in lin
By Shelley McPhee Haist
CLINTON - Council members here have
given themselves a pat on the back for their
work with the 1987 municipal budget.
The $1,740,389 budget means a general in-
crease of 7.4 per cent above the 1986 budget
of $1,628,365,
It could have been higher. Councillor Case
Buffinga reported that the finance commit-
tee spent "many late nights" working and
reworking the budget. As a result, they
managed to whittle the final figures down by
some $55,000.
Mayor John Balfour said that the first
draft budget figures indicated an increase of
close to 16 per cent this year.
"We asked for severe cuts and all the
municipal departments co-operated well,"
he noted.
As a result, a final budget proposal came
to council that saw some major adjustments
and close trimmings.
Mayor Balfour noted, "The recreation
department made substantial cuts this year
and they are to be commended. Last year
the recreation costs came in under budget
and they've saved taxpayers' dollars. There
is excellent management there and the ser-
vices have not suffered."
In 1986 the recreation committee budget
was set at $138,607. The end of year figures
showed that the actual costs came in below
the budget estimate at $135,626. This year
the recreation committee is taking a further
cut in funding, setting the 1987 budget at
$106,123.
Further cutbacks and reductions include
those made to the public works budget. Last
year, $226,120 was set aside for public works
expenses, however only $219,960 was spent.
This year $206,588 is being budgeted for
public works.
Costs for industrial and planning are down
this year. In 1986 some $23,750 was set aside
to foot the bill for the cost of constructing a
roadway into the industrial park area. With
this work completed, the industrial budget
has been trimmed to $7,000 in 1987.
Likewise under the street lighting
heading, costs ran over $70 000 in 1986 with
the installation of 80 new lighting units. This
year -six new lights will be erected on Maple
Streets and thus the budget has been reduc-
ed to $43,654.
Highway debentures which cost $12,720 in
1986 bring in a- nil budget figure this year.
While cutbacks and decreases are
evidenced in the overall 1987 municipal
budget, so too are significant increases.
This year large dollar signs come under
the transporation services heading, which
includes a $41668 budget for municipal
drain work to be specifically used on the
Jenkins Drain and the Wise Drain on Mary
Street. As well $38,900 has been budgeted for
curb, gutter and asphalt work on Clinton
streets. Another • $25,000 is being allocated
for sidewalk work in 1987, as compared to
the $13 834 budget for the pervious year.
Another major expenditure in this budget
year will see $51,000 going towards work on
upgrading the sanitary sewer system - an
ongoing three year project that the
municipality is working on with the Ministry
of the Environment.
"Roads, sidewalks and hard services are
the main emphasis of this budget," Mayor
Balfour explained.
He said that the municipal drains and the
sanitary sewer projects were "uncon-
trollable expenses." He further noted, "I
have no apologies to make. This is a very
realistic budget."
Further analysis of the budget shows that
general government expenditures are
higher thisear, with administration wages
running at $151,432, as compared to $117,500
budgeted in 1986. Costs include the salary
for the new deputy clerk, as well as continu-
ing settlement payments that are being
made to the former clerk -treasurer of the
municipality. A new budget figure in the
general government category includes
$4,000 which is set aside for public relations
expenses.
ire protection costs are up this year,
from $41,770 in 1986 to $54,402 this year as
money is being raised towards the purchase
of a new tanker truck for the Clinton Fire
Department.
The police budget is set a $294,251 this
year, as compared to $275,436 in 1986. In-
creases in the wages and benefits packages
account for the rise.
Capital expenses for the recreation
department have climbed this year from
$13,874 spent in 1986 to $36,479 budgeted for
1987. This year the money will go towards
the cost of the arena flooring changes, work
on the ball diamonds, painting the pool and
the grandstand, purchasing a new tractor
and grass trimmer, enlarging the com-
pressor system and improving the penalty
boxes at the arena. Funding for this work
50 CENTS
will be supplemented by government
grants.
Government grants are not to be overlook-
ed in the budget. This year some $700,000
will help the revenue side of the Clinton
budget through various assistance pro-
grams provided by the government.
Revenues are anticipated to come in at
$788,688 from the general municipal taxa-
tion. This year's figures (with 1986 numbers
in brackets) are: residential $550,553
($505,031); commercial $176,705 ($161,686);
business $61 430 ($55,535).
. Along with the 1987 budget figures for
Clinton, council also approved the county
and school board levies and requisition re-
quests for the year. Taxpayers in Clinton
will also be contributing to this budget
which includes the following (1986 figures in
brackets) : County of Huron $155,057
($138,824) ; elementary public school
$349,396 ($328,824) ; elementary separate
4,426 ($22,330) ; secondary public $247,771
($265,592) and secondary public $18,732.
The total expenditures in the municipal
budget include: general government
$348,270 ($308,200); protection to persons
and property $391,309 ($354,987); transpor-
tation services $506,890' ($496,800); en-
vironmental services $187 195 ($185,732);
health services $31,054 ($2,680); recrea-
tion, cultural and social services $245,077
($208,328); planning and development
$30,594 ($51,638).
In dollars and cents, the 1987 Clinton
budget means an average increase of 5.19 in
the taxes paid by the public school
supporter.
A sampling of assessments and tax
payments shows the following: a residential
public school supporter with an assessment
of $3,980 will pay $1,515.21 in taxes in 1987, as
compared to $1,440.40 for a difference of
$74.81.
A residential public school supporter with
an assessment of $2,550 will see his tax bill
rise by $76.44 in 1987 with taxes of $1,000.24
being paid in 1987 as compared to $923.76 in
1986.
A commercial public school supporter
with an assessment of $4,800 will pay out
$2,149.87 in taxes, an increase of $106.14
from his $2,043.73 tax bill A commercial
separate school supporter with a $1,580
assessment will pay $729.08 in taxes, as
compared to $673.38 in 1986, for an increase
of $55.70.
Cottager finds boater's body on beach
A Port Albert cottager, while taking a
walk on the beach, discovered the body of
one of two area men who have been miss-
ing on Lake Huron since April 25.
The body of Doug McKay, 32, was
discovered on the beach at 9 a.m. on Satur-
day, May 23, nearly a month after the Kip -
pen resident set out from Goderich on a
fishing trip with Bill Daters, 28, of Exeter
in a 12 -foot aluminum boat
Daters is still listed as missing.
An extensive search, involving Goderich
Police, Provincial Police, Canadian Coast
Guard, and Canadian Forces Search and
Rescue personnel and equipment failed to
turn up anything but the missing men's
boat, two lifejackets and a baseball cap.
All found between Bayfield and Grand
Bend.
The scaled-down search has been conti-
nuing when time and manpower allowed,
for the past three weeks, using OPP
helicopters and boats. Plans for a
helicopter search of the shoreline in an at-
tempt to find Daters were under con-
sideration for today.
An autopsy revealed the cause of
McKay's death to be drowning. Coroner
Dr. Ray Flowers, of Clinton, has not yet
announced if an inquest will be held.
Awaiting the fireworks display on May 24 were (left) Tina, Trisha and Robbie McClure.
The display was orginially scheduled for May 18, but was cancelled for one week. Each
year the Hullett Recreation Committee sponsors the fireworks show which is held at
Hullett Central School. (Anne Narejko photo)
It's not too late to donate
CLINTON - The door-to-door canvass by
the Clinton Public Hospital volunteers has
ended, but if you happened to have been
missed, don't worry, it isn't too late.
Al Jewson, of the fund raising committee
for the hospital's new obstetric wing, said
donations may be dropped off at the office
(69 Victoria Street) between the hours of 10
a.m. and 2 p.m. from Monday to Friday.
Another alternative is to phone the office
at 482-5528 and arrangements will be made
to have someone come and see you.
John Cochrane
is deputy -reeve
CLINTON - John Cochrane received coun-
cil's unanimous vote to serve as deputy -
reeve for the municipality.
The appointment was made at the May 19
council meeting, following council's acc-
eptance of resignation from the elected
deputy reeve Rosemary Armstrong.
Mrs. Armstrong is moving from Clinton to
Goderich, therefore necessitating her
resignation. Her leave from Clinton Council
became official on May 20, the day of her
birthday.
Mrs. Armstrong who was chosen deputy -
reeve in the 1985 municipal election served
on Clinton council for nine years.
She will be replaced for the remainder of
this council term by Councillor John
Cochrane. He was first elected to council in
1985.
With the shift, his position on council now
becomes available for a replacement. Coun-
cil will be holding a special meeting on June
15 at 7 p.m. at the council chambers to name
a replacement. Any interested person who
wishes to run for the council position is in-
vited to send a letter of intent Clinton Clerk -
Treasurer Marie Jefferson. The term of of-
fice will run until 1988 when the next
municipal election is held.
CPH now
calling
for tenders
CLINTON - The public hospital here has
received government approval to call for
tenders for the construction of their new
obstetric wing.
Clinton Public Hospital Administrator
Dan Steyn says the tendering will be closed
on June 25.
"We're hoping for the best," he said.
If plans go as scheduled, construction will
begin in early fall.
OMAF offers farming assistance
By David Emslie
CLINTON - Two women, working out of
the local Ontario Ministry of Agriculture
and Food (OMAF) office, will be busy dur-
ing the summer providing jobs for local
youths while assisting area farmers.
Susan Diemert of Neustadt in Grey Coun-
ty and Donna Kieffer from Teeswater in
Bruce County are the co-ordinators for the
Agricrew and Junior Agriculturalist pro-
grams in Huron County this year.
Miss Diemert recently completed her
fourth year at the University of Western On-
tario where she received her Bachelor of
Arts in science and home economics. She
noted that she tried out for this summer
OMAF job because she would someday like
to become a rural organizational specialist.
Her studies in home economics helped to
land her the job.
Miss Kieffer, on the other hand, isn't stu-
dying related subjects at the University of
Waterloo, but she comes from an
agricultural background. She is going into
her third year at the university where she
studies history.
"We recruit, we interview and we hire.
We do promotion as well, and farm visits.
Then there is dealing with any problems
that come up with the crews or the
farmers," said Miss Diemert in giving a
general job description for their positions.
Both programs the women will be working
on are funded by the Ministry of Skills
Development.
The Agricrew program has been in ex-
istence since 1978. In the program a farmer
can hire a crew of three crew members and
a foreman to do eight hours of work at the
cost of $90 a day.
This program aids both the farmers and
the workers hired as the farmer gets fairly
cheap labor and the crews get work
experience.
Miss Diemert pointed out that the crews
can be hired to do anything from haying to
painting to fencing.
Crew members must be between the ages
of 15 and 24, have some farm experience and
be full of energy, the women pointed out.
Agricrew's popularity has grown over the
year4, and over its nine year history it has
gone from covering only eight comities to its
current position as a province wide pro-
gram. This year there will be approximate-
ly 76 crews located province wide. In this
11101111.11111114.
These two Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food representatives, Donna Kieffer
(left) and Susan Diemert will be kept busy this spring and summer as coordinators for
the Agricrew and Junior Agriculturist programs in this area. Their work will provide
farmers with help and hard workers with jobs. (David Emslie photo)
arca there will be two crews in Hurorr South youths as 16 crew members are needed
and two in Huron North. along with alternates.
Over 20 jobs will be provided for local The OMAF representatives suggested
that any farmers interested in hiring a crew
should call early to make a booking because
quite a few bookings have already been
made.
The Junior Agriculturalist program is
similar to Agricrew in that it also started
out in a few counties and spread until it is
now province wide.
Now going into its sixteenth year, the pro-
gram has three main objectives and they
are: to offer summer assistance to farmers;
to offer urban students an opportunity to
gain farm experience; to bridge the rural -
urban gap.
Called an experience program, it places
youths with no farm experience on a farm
with a host family for the summer. The
workers are 16 to 18 years old
The workers are selected on the basis of
their interest in agriculture, their will-
ingness to learn and their enthusiasm and
maturity.
Miss Diemert explained that the rural -
urban gap is bridged because the hired
worker lives with the farmer and takes in
the farmers life while becoming part of that
family through working with the farmer day
by day. The Junior Agriculturists are also
encouraged to take part in rural activities.
While the workers are carefully chosen,
host families also receive close scrutiny.
Host farm families are selected on their
need for summer assistance, their will-
ingness and ability to teach, and their pa-
tience, concern and interest in the Junior
Agriculturist and the program.
A matching process takes place between
the families and the workers, Miss Kieffer
noted, where such subjects as religion, or
their feelings on smoking are compared.
"Not every farmer gets a Junior
Agriculturist, we have to match them up,"
she explained.
Once this match -up takes place both par-
ties benefit. As in the Agricrew program the
worker 'gets experience while the farmer
gets cheap labor. Of the $20 a day the worker
receives the farm family pays half with
OMAF covering the other half. The host
family also provides room and board.
Anyone interested in working in either of
these two programs, or in hiring workers
through these programs can contact Miss
Diemert and Miss Kieffer at the Clinton
OMAF'offiee at 482-3428 or 1-800-265-5170.
CLINTON PUBLIC
HOSPITAL
BUILDING FUND