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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-08-18, Page 344 'd lore ifter unt sh' 45 .88 16 78 .20 91 .39 .76 ig jofl reprOentii4Veq , held a ..preS-, ltRigtY4#4'4103Wst,440.4 and S•nl4nOr?7'4.01,7410.W6rkeis er7,07613; 15'CvrnPar0r ,t0:• ,the yy Water Plant construction ess conference was called as a result of legations by. Ontario Liberal:Leader Dr. Mtth and former Lummus .employee cDenald about lack of productivity at eing built for Ontario Hydro by Lum- ree union representatives, Len Schultz, ersigni and Jack Porter said in a statement that they were representing ion workerS. re part of a committee of business representing 21 trade unions em - build Heavy Water Plants B and D. efused to comment on allegations made productivity levels at the site but said e there only to defend the workers. re not prepared to comment on Ac - made by him (Owen MacDonald) ng excessive cost nor mismanagement tire project," the statement said. tement said that some of his statements truths andllander towards the general r and reputation of the construction and their families and we feel that the s a right to know the truth as we see it." nion representatives said that Mr. Id has been quoted as saying con - workers spend their working day , fishing or loafing. is simply net true. It is a lie," their t said. nstruction workers we take pride in our lis and the jobs we are performing and e in an honest days work for .an honest tement also took some carefully aimed Mr. MacDonald's credibility. •';.K 4 •. e question „the creitibtlity of ..Mr. tigAtitentatto 'a we have evid�nce that he,,,,maylhave...acteaLZalt-OfC, 'vengeance and not conscience." . The statement referred to his work "not being , up to standard and he continued to be inef- ficient." "When a worker is faced with the choice of either resigning or being fired normally he would select the easy way out and resign rather than minimize his prospects for future employment." Mr. MacDonald said he resigned his position as a cost engineer because of the low produc- tivity at the construction site. During a question and answer period the committee said that it had met with Dr. Smith Monday and he did not blame workers for low productivity at the site. Dr. Smith declined a union invitation to tour the site and see for himself the restrictions put on productivity because of Heavy Water Plant A operating beside the construction area. Mr. Schultz, representing the teamsters and head of the committee, said that the possible escape of H2S gas from the operating plant is "a very big factor" in determining productivity.' The three union representatives were asked about poor union -management relations being a factor in reducing productivity. Since 1969 there have been 48 work stoppages at the Bruce. Nuclear Power Development, only five have been legal strikes. "Our relationship has been and is fine," said Mr. Porter, who represents electricians on the committee. They said that since the committee started about one year ago work stoppages have been sharply reduced at the heavy water plant con- struction site. • Monthly meetings are held when grievances are aired. It was at such a' meeting the idea came for the press conference, Mr. Tersigni said. AO 444144', That's a big '350 c'mon - Mrs. M. Courtney, head nurse of the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital pediatrics wing accepts a cheque for $350 from Circle City C.B club social convenor Don Henry. Also on hand for the presentation was Cathy Vollick and Charity MacDonald (seated) and Norma Amy, super- visor; Mary Gillis; administrator, Jim Banks, Janice Reynolds, club treasurer and Tonv Vollick. The money donated towards the pur- cnase of equipment for the pediatrics wing was raised by the C.B. club at a March dance. The group has planned a second dance on December 10 at Saltford Valley Hall to raise more funds for the wing. (staff photo) „.„ 44 ial ' • . . • 4 CH ,•,(410. *AggThi1;0• go metric. It could be a little con - now most of the roadsigns in the area flees in metric measure which may be misleading. A Canadian doctor who tudying road habits of drivers over the past few years says the signs will only lead to confusion and provide further distraction to drivers. He claims the signs will lead to more highway accidents. (staff photo) vis here October 2 u. Cart- of the Jubilee 3 executive announced on Tuesday that Friday, will be the most likely date for illiam Davis to visit Goderich. The has also received assurance that meter Trudeau will visit Goderich endof the year. mier's office has already given the date to the Jubilee 3 committee as the le date for the Premier's visit to town nitnittee will_now in turn send back oval of this date before it is finally lee 3 committee has.several tentative. e works .forithe Premier's visit, in- 'aque Presentation, an evening dinner or the burial of a time capsule con- uvenirs from - the Sesquicentennial ahrt,er has " recelved word' from' the Minister of National that the. C4padian. ilostroyerlii4C8 1:047"1""'; 1 Sunday, August 281stopping on the way about one mile off shore in Goderich. The destroyer, rarely seen on the lakes in time of peace, will be Performing several manoeuvres and weather permitting, will launch the helicopter Sea King while stopped off shore in Goderich. Goderich dignitaries may board the ship at Sarnia and be set ashore in Goderich by use of n smaller boat. Index Lummus Page 7 Classified Page 15-19 Editorial 66666 • • .... . . Marriage. „ „ „ . Page 4-5 Page 8-11 .Page 1A 130 YEAR -33 THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 1977 TWENTY-FIVE CENTS PER COPY °using starts way down BY JEFF SEDDON Mortgage rates, land costs, building material costs and a lack of readily available serviced lots in Goderich have all combined thus far in 1977 to reduce housing starts in town by more than 50 percent. Acting building inspector Andy Boutilier reported recently that his office has issued just nine single family residential building permits in 1977 and two permits for duplexes. Those figures, when compared to last year's, show a 60 percent decline in new housing units. By the end of July in 1976, 27 permits had been issued for new dwelling units in Goderich. Speculation amongst professionals involved with housing have attributed the drop to a number of things including a lack of industrial expansion in Goderich and cheaper land costs in surrounding municipalities. All municipalities around Goderich are on a par and in some cases much higher in their new housing figures. The reduction in the creation of new housing units in Goderich hasn't caused any alarm in the housing industry since it is generally agreed that there is no immediate need for new housing. Goderich came through a couple of boom years in housing and in the past two years more than 100 new housing units were created here. In 1975 there were 72 starts and in 1976 there were 34. Those figures have had considerable bearing on the 1977 construction of houses and about a dozen of the units built last Year are still unoc- cupied and on the market now. LAND PRICES HIGH Inflationary trends have caused the biggest crunch in new 'housing here. Lot prices in Goderich at the beginning of the decade ranged from $1,5Q0 to $2,500 am] those prices haye suf- fered a huge increase and the going rate now is from $12,500 to $15,000. The lots have also decreased in size and the -average lot now is about 6,000 square feet, the smallest permitted under the town's official plan being 5,000 square feet. As well as suffering such_ a huge increase in costs most of the land in Goderich is tied up in ownership patterns that make it practically impossible for a person to buy a lot and build his own house. Most of the land is owned in blocks by developers and is sold with the stipulation that the vendor builds the house or supplies the building materials. Other unused properties slated for residential use have no sewer and water services and cannot be built upon. The increased land costs added on to ever' increasing labor and material costs have put housing beyond the means_ of many incomes here. Based on a $10,000 lot price and a $40,000 house a person would have to raise about $45,000 in Mortgage assuming they had the $5,000 down payment. That mortgage . would require a monthly payment of about $425 and based ona 10 percent mortgage rate, which is slightly below current prime, would mean that over a 25 year ainortitgon the house wouldcost $127,467. In Inn cases families Can meet that criteria when looking for a house but what isn't con. sklered In that example is tat many people can't raise the down payment and are looking at a second mortgage right off the bat. Along with that is the $100 a month needed to pay the annual tax bill and regular carrying costs such as in- surance, heating and hydro: OTHER CHARGES ADD UP People building a house n Goderich have to consider other slight charge's that reflect in the total cost. A recently enacted impost charge designed to raise money for sewage facilities for the town means a $750 payment to the town off 'the trop and a water service hookup costs about $400. With hydro services tacked on the people are looking at a $1,500 bill before the shovel goes into the ground. The impost and water 'and hydro costs may sway some prospective.buyers but doesn't really have a profound effect. The major stumbling block for many could well be the $100 a month needed to pay the taxes, however. Takes in Goderich are as high if not higher than any other municipality in Huron County and are certainly the highest among neighboring municipalities. Bayfield is closest to Goderich's mill rate of 208.59. Bayfield has a mill rate of 173; Clinton's is 168.96; Ashfield township's is 137.15; Colborne's 136.47; and Goderich township's 124.18. Mill rates are meaningless unless they can be computed to dollars and cents. The general rule of thumb for assessment in Huron County is that fr- the assessed value of a house is about 10 percent of its market value. So a $40,000 house ()you'd be assessed at about $4,000. The mill rate for Goderich computes to $208 per $1,000 of assessment -so the annual tax bill on a $40,000 would be $832. A similar home in Clinton would have a tax bill of about $672; Bayfield would charge $692; Ashfield $548; Colborne $544 and Goderich Township $496. The hidden costs facing people building in a surrounding municipality and working in Goderich are in travelling costs to apd from work, possible differences in insurance rates and in some cases costs to maintain water and sewage systems. Despite those differences it is still cheaper to live in a smaller municipality or in the country. BUILDING BOOM ELSEWHERE That fact may be the reason for increased housing in Clinton, Bayfield and the townships. Thus far in 1977 Clinton has had 23 housing starts, Bayfield 19, Colborne Township has had 20 -new units including mobile homes and Goderich Township issued permits for 13 new homes and four mobile units. Ashfield Township agreed to a 20 unit subdivision in Port Albert and about eight of those20 units have been started. The drop in Goderich housing starts has also been attributed to less industrial expansion in. the last year. The increased staff at the regional Turn to page 7 • ' ' • • 'WOW', loym,,,s1. 44'0'4' • - •, • •'; • i <t„, • ; 01